The impact that Buffy the Vampire Slayer has made on pop culture, as well as horror, is phenomenal. It’s a timely series, albeit some parts are dated and well-loved if you’re a longtime Buffyverse fan. And rewatching the series from the start or at least rewatching episodes can offer some reflection. A perfect example of this is Season 3 Episode 10, “Amends,” and how it’s an episode people tend to appreciate upon a rewatch.
“Amends” primarily focuses on Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) lover, Angel (David Boreanaz), who is tormented by a being that appears as ghosts from his past. Instead of encouraging him to reconcile with his (literally) soulless actions, the being attempts to encourage Angel to meet the sun. It takes a very heartfelt conversation with Buffy to change his mind.
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The third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best, and “Amends” is undoubtedly a great episode. Why is it one of the best episodes? I’m going to let you know with my stake in hand.
Buffy’s Speech to Angel in “Amends”
The romance between Buffy and Angel is occasionally regarded as melodramatic and immature, mostly because Buffy is a teenager when she and Angel are together. Meanwhile, more than a few scenes prove it wasn’t all drama. In “Amends,” Angel experiences mental torment at the hands of the First Evil (otherwise known as “The First”) and tries to end his life as a result. Naturally, the only person who could get through to him is Buffy.
Instead of Buffy delivering a potentially corny speech about love saving the day, she speaks from the heart and tells Angel the unfiltered truth. It’s one of the most poignant speeches in the show because it highlights the essence of Buffy and Angel as characters. Despite the odds being stacked against them repeatedly, they must keep fighting. And there’s no shame in shedding a tear when Buffy says they can fight to be strong together.
Overall, the speech is intense for Buffy, Angel, and the audience. It’s a powerful speech that further illustrates how important Angel is to Buffy and the Buffyverse at large. “Amends” final 10 minutes wouldn’t hit nearly as much without the speech. And that’s undoubtedly why it’s on the list of reasons “Amends” is one of the best episodes.
Buffy and Faith Scenes in “Amends”
The relationship between Buffy and fellow slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) is complicated and is a big highlight for the third season. During Faith’s introduction to the show in Episode 3, “Faith, Hope & Trick,” she and Buffy get off to a tense start. But as soon as the holidays come in “Amends,” Buffy invites Faith to her home for dinner. Of course, Faith plays it off as if she’s alright with being alone and has a party to get to. Meanwhile, she would prefer to spend time with Buffy and her mom.
People ship Faith and Buffy, partially due to the chemistry between Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku. Regardless, the few scenes they share in this episode are very tender and soft. Their scenes together allow the audience to see a different side to Faith (before shit hits the fan in the latter half of the season) as a character. They are necessary emotional beats for “Amends,” especially when Faith shows up with presents she claims are poor quality. At the end of the day, the few scenes they share throughout the episode are fantastic and perfectly lend to the theme of making amends.
Angel’s Flashbacks in “Amends”
Exploring a vampire’s past isn’t always peachy; with a character like Angelus (Angel’s soulless counterpart), there’s always more to uncover. The history surrounding Angelus (David Boreanaz) is and isn’t complicated because Angelus is considered a separate character from Angel. He’s an unapologetically evil vampire who can only reemerge when Angel experiences “perfect happiness” after a Romanian curse is put on him.
Much of “Amends” is spent on Angel being tormented by the First with memories/nightmares of what Angelus did. There are flashbacks to multiple ruthless murders and the victims who were merely living their lives before Angelus killed them. In the second season, the audience meets Angelus in the flesh (after the curse is triggered), and he terrorizes Buffy and her loved ones. Therefore, the flashbacks in “Amends” aren’t surprising, but they are essential to hammer home what the First uses to torment Angel mentally.
“Amends” deserves to be regarded as one of the best episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is the only explicitly Christmas (or Xmas) episode in the series.
You can rewatch or watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu or Disney+.
