Revelations (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title=Revelations


Series=Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season=3
Episode=7
Airdate=17 November 1998
Production=3ABB07
Writer=Douglas Petrie
Director=James A. Contner
Episode list=List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes
Prev=Band Candy
Next=Lovers Walk

"Revelations" is the seventh episode of season 3 of the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Plot synopsis

Summary

Gwendolyn Post shows up as Faith's new Watcher. She is British, strict, arrogant, and looks down on all the Scoobies and especially Giles. Despite this, Faith starts to like and trust her. She warns that the demon Lagos is in Sunnydale looking for the Glove of Myneghon, a powerful gauntlet.

While doing research, Xander and Willow kiss again. Due to his guilt, Xander goes looking for the Glove of Myneghon. He instead finds Angel, who has the glove. After following Angel back to his mansion, Xander spies the vampire and Buffy sharing an ill-timed kiss. The kiss did not mean that Buffy and Angel were back together, but instead was a result of their residual feeling for one another.

Xander tells the rest of the Scoobies about Angel's resurrection and they stage an intervention for Buffy. Xander and Cordelia are firmly against the idea of Angel being back, still scared by the recent memory of Angelus' actions, while Willow (and by association, Oz) are less sure. Giles ultimately comes to Buffy's defense, but in private scolds her for keeping the secret and says that she has no respect for him or his job as a watcher.

Xander then tells Faith about Angel and secretly persuades her to go to his mansion to kill him. Gwendolyn also shows up at the mansion and knocks Angel out. When Buffy shows up, Post convinces Faith that Buffy and Angel are working together for the greater bad, and the two slayers erupt into a vicious fight.

Post takes this opportunity to retrieve the glove and attack. Before any real damage is done, Buffy cuts off her hand and the power destroys Post. The Scooby Gang (sans Cordelia) are still wary of Angel but trust Buffy's judgment. Buffy goes to Faith's apartment and tries to convince her that she is on Faith's side. But Faith doesn't believe her and as Buffy leaves, Faith says to her, "I'm on my side. That's enough."

Expanded overview

The Bronze is packed and Oz and the Dingoes are playing on stage. After a song wraps, Oz goes to stand by his friends and Willow and Xander act all jumpy. They discuss briefly the idea of Buffy and a new boyfriend, but Buffy lets them know she is seeing someone – Faith – but just as friends. The two go out and slay, finally killing two vampires. A new woman, who later identifies herself as Mrs. Gwendolyn Post, Faith's new watcher, doesn't appreciate the "sloppy" synchronized slaying.

That night, Post tells the Slayers and Giles that she was sent down to take over as Faith's watcher and report back on the entire situation in Sunnydale, including Giles, who she claims has become too American. She takes the time to not-so-subtly insult him at every turn. She tells them about a demon that has come in search of a glove--Lagos--and that she wants both Slayers at full strength to kill it. Buffy then goes to the mansion with Angel where they're practicing Tai Chi. One thing leads to another and they end up very close to a kiss. Buffy mentions Lagos, then leaves, knowing she can't let them get so close again.

At the library, Giles frantically searches for information on the demon, and takes out his frustration caused by Mrs. Post out on Xander and Willow. The two are both very tired but go back to researching. Willow has a headache and Xander rubs her temples to help her relax. They kiss and are almost caught by Giles, but stop before he sees anything. Feeling guilty, Xander offers to go check out the tomb where this demon would most likely go.

Walking on the streets, Buffy and Faith talk about guys and Faith tries to get info about Buffy's relationship with Angel, but Buffy is still too confused about it all and doesn't want to talk. Faith offers to take a final sweep through one of the cemeteries while Buffy claims to go home, tired. Faith runs into the demon and gets beaten up pretty badly, but she's okay since she's the Slayer. While looking through the cemetery, Xander sees Angel coming out of the mansion and going over to the garden (The mansion happens to be next to the cemetery.) After following, Xander finds Buffy and Angel in a passionate kiss which they later break and Buffy feels very bad about it. Angel shows her he has the glove that Lagos wants.

Giles and Mrs. Post continue their research at Giles' home. Just as Giles starts to pour some tea, Xander runs to Giles and tells him about what he saw. The next day at school, Buffy's friends hold a sort of intervention for her after finding out about Angel's return. Everyone expresses their feelings, while Buffy does her best to defend her case. After everyone leaves, Giles reminds her of the torture Angelus inflicted on him and harshly chides her for what he perceives to be a lack of respect for him. Post visits Faith at her rundown apartment and after a brief lecture carefully worded to distance her from the Scoobies, they train.

Buffy confronts Willow about her situation, but finds that she's not mad at all--which has a lot to do with Willow and her own secret. Later that night at the library, Giles calls Mrs. Post to come in and he tells her that a friend of Buffy's is holding it until they can get there and destroy it. He tells her where the mansion is and then when he's not looking, she hits him over the head with a statue, knocking him out. Buffy asks Willow to accompany her to a night of slaying since no one else could be reached. They talk and Willow is just about to tell Buffy about her relationship with Xander when Lagos shows up. Buffy fights him, and kills him with his own weapon.

Meanwhile, an angry Xander is playing pool at the Bronze when Faith shows up. He tells her about Angel's return and she decides that she should kill Angel before he has a chance to use the glove. They arrive at the library and get weapons, but just as they're leaving, Xander discovers Giles knocked out in his office. He calls 911 as Faith jumps to the conclusion that Angel did it. She leaves and he stays with Giles--he's not convinced that Angel had anything to do with it. At the mansion, Angel has performed the spell for the living flame needed to destroy the glove and Post arrives, claiming to be a friend of Giles' wanting to help with the spell. Angel goes to get the glove, and she hits him over the head with a shovel.

Buffy and Willow get back to the library to find the paramedics there, as they leave Giles tells her she has to destroy the glove with the living flame. Xander tells Buffy that Faith knows everything and she came to the conclusion that it was Angel that hurt Giles. Buffy rushes off to the mansion, asking Willow to find out how to destroy the glove. Back at the mansion, Angel gets up, revealing that he is a vampire, and fights with Mrs. Post. Angel easily defeats her. Faith arrives to see Angel beating on her Watcher and attacks him. Before Faith can stake Angel, Buffy stops her and tries to reason with her, to no avail. Listening to Post's suggestion that Buffy's feelings are clouding her judgement, Faith attacks her and a vicious fight erupts. Willow and Xander arrive, with Xander unsuccessfully trying to break up the fight between the Slayers while Willow attempts to help Gwen. But Gwen retrieves the glove, hits Willow with it, then puts the glove on.

Everyone stops fighting in time to realize that Post is wearing the glove. "Faith, a word of advice: you're an idiot!" she says to Faith. Finally revealing herself as the real villain of this story all along, she begins using the glove and the bolts of lightning that flow through it. She tries to kill Willow, who is pushed out of harm's way by Angel. At Buffy's suggestion, Faith distracts Mrs. Post, drawing her fire. Buffy then throws a large piece of broken glass and cuts off Gwen's arm, causing the now uncontrolled power of the glove to incinerate her.

At school the next day, Oz and Cordy are filled in on the details of the fight. Giles arrives and informs them that Post had been expelled from the Watchers' Council for abuses of dark power several years ago, but they had neglected to inform him. Everyone is cool with Buffy now, and they all trust her, except Cordelia. However, they all are still distrustful of Angel, for all of them are still scared by the recent memory of the soulless Angel's vile actions. Buffy goes to Faith at her motel room and tries to apologize and win back her trust, but Faith has given up on trusting anyone but herself.

Acting

tarring

*Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
*Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
*Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
*Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
*David Boreanaz as Angel
*Seth Green as Oz
*and Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

Guest starring

*Serena Scott Thomas as Gwendolyn Post
*Eliza Dushku as Faith Lehane

Co-starring

* Jason Hall as Devon MacLeish
*Kate Rodger as Paramedic

Production details

Music

* Four Star Mary - "Run"
* Lolly (Man Of The Year) - "Silver dollar"
* Lotion - "West of here"

Trivia

* The lightning that shoots from the Glove of Myhneghon in this episode was drawn frame by frame by an artist per Joss's request.

* When Buffy and Faith burst through the glass doors while fighting in Angel's mansion, they land in a pile of broken glass and wood. Next, when they go to get up, the glass and wood has disappeared.

* The Glove was included in DST's Weapons Accessory Pack for its range of Buffy action figures. It's solid rather than hollow so figures cannot actually wear it.

Translations

* Italian title: "Rivelazioni" ("Revelations")
* German title: "Der Handschuh von Myhnegon" ("The glove of Myhnegon")
* French title: "Révélations" ("Revelations")
* Japanese title: "黙示録" ("Mokushiroku" - "Revelations")
* Spanish title: "Revelaciones" ("Revelations")

Continuity

Arc significance

* Angel's resurrection divides the Scooby Gang.

* Xander and Willow continue their secret relationship, actually engaging in a lengthy kiss.

* Faith finds someone to depend on, only to find that person a liar. This compounds her distrust of others. Gwendolyn Post also reinforced Faith's feeling of distance from the rest of the gang.

Timing

* Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:

External links

*
*

Reviews

* [http://www3.sympatico.ca/jenoff/btvs307.htm Peripheral Visions Review]
* [http://www.section31.com/guideextras.php?id=192 Section 31 Review]
* [http://tv.swingthesickle.com/ststv/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer/Season_3/07.review Swing the Sickle Review]