WARNING: Contains Spoilers for Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Season 2 of Angel the Series.

	"Anne" Season 3 Episode 1

Copyright Bit

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is the invention of Joss Whedon and is owned, for the purposes of copyright, by 20th Century Fox. The following is a summary and comments written under the privilages of "Fair Use" as enshrined in international copyright law for the purpose of review.

Not infringement of copyright is intended. This review was originally written in 1999 for publication on a fan website, but was withdrawn when the webmaster breached the Terms and Conditions previously agreed. It has been edited to take account of subsequent episodes.

Summary

At the end of Season 2 (Becoming II) we saw Buffy defeat the demon Acathla, in doing so forced to condemn Angel, who only moments before had had his soul (and identity as Angel instead of Angelus the Vampire) returned, to Hell. Having been told by her mother "If you leave this house don't come back!" In the closing moments we see her on a bus out of Sunnydale.

This episode opens with a vampire rising from his grave and facing, not the slayer, but the slayerettes (aka Scooby Gang) who are trying to keep up Buffy's work and down the undead of Sunnydale. It rapidly becomes clear that they have far more enthusiasm than ability for the task. We then see Buffy, standing on the shore with Angel who promises to find her no matter what, even if she kills him. Buffy wakes up -- in a poky, one room, apartment far from Sunnydale - and prepares to go to work.

Back in Sunnydale Willow is discussing their lack of success at slayage with Giles, they have some glitches but are improving. Giles begs that they be careful, which Willow wholeheartedly agrees - it's their 'Mission Statement'! Leaving the library Willow meets Cordelia who bemoans her holiday in Mexico and asks after Xander, whom she obviously missed greatly. After being assured that Xander is around and that her hair looks great Cordelia goes off in search of her beau. Willow then meets up with Oz and is surprised (and a little dismayed) that he is repeating Senior year. Xander then appears, obvious anxious to meet up with Cordelia. With point of view crossing the corridor we briefly follow a football player (Larry) enthusing as to the expected team performance of the next season, apparently success depends on egg whites and a reduction in the number of mysterious deaths. Xander and Cordelia meet up in the concourse but in their nervousness fail to communicate each leaving with the feeling that the other has moved on.

Meanwhile Buffy is at work, as a diner waitress under the name of Anne, taking the usual flak an attractive young woman in a service job receives. After some sexist banter from a pair of truckers, and a slap to the behind that should have earned the trucker some bruising, she serves a young couple (Rickie T and Lily). Rickie and Lily are in lurve, that early sickly sweet stage when they are the total of each others world, they have marked this by having each others names tattooed on their arm. It is obvious that Rickie is the better grounded of the pair, although not by much. Whilst they order a spark of recognition crosses the face of Lily, Buffy denies the recognition but leaves quickly claiming to feel unwell.

Back to the library, Giles has got a lead as to the possible whereabouts of Buffy. But, as Xander asks, what makes this different from the previous. Willow feels that the important thing is that Giles is trying to find Buffy, Xander feels that Buffy will be found when she wants to be.

Returning to work the following day Buffy nervously skirts an old woman calling from her bundle of rags in a doorway "I am nobody! I am nobody!" whilst a well dressed young man approaches homeless youths with leaflets and stories of hope in his 'Family Home' shelter.

Giles, returning from his search, visits Joyce who is obviously jumping at every knock on the door. Giles admits that this trip was fruitless but says that Buffy is a capable child and that Joyce should not blame herself for Buffy leaving. Joyce does not blame herself but instead blames Giles, for having a whole other life with Buffy from which Joyce was excluded. Giles denies making Buffy what she is, but Joyce asks exactly what Buffy is?

Later Buffy is acosted by Lily, when she fails to respond to calls of "Anne!" Lily calls "Buffy?". Buffy admits to recognising Lily when Lily admits to have been a member of a cult of vampire worshippers that Buffy saved sometime ago (Season 2, "Lie To Me"), although Lily was then Chanterelle (one of a string of identities). Buffy admits that Anne is really her middle name. Lily talks about her life with Rickie, and how he takes care of her, before asking Buffy to a rave. Buffy declines, she does not want to face crowds, but offers Lily the money to go herself and take Rickie. Before Lily can react fully an old man jostles them and when chastised for rudeness says "I'm No one" before stepping into the path of an oncoming vehicle. Buffy leaps into the road and pushes him out of the way just in time to get hit herself. Despite being thrown someway along the road Buffy gets up and hurries away. She bumps into the man from 'Family Home' who gives his name as Ken. Ken hands her a flyer as he can see that whilst she may not be homeless Buffy has the look of 'Having had to grow up too fast" common to many homeless kids. He states that despair makes people old fast, despair is tangible to too many people but hope can be just as tangible.

The truth of Kens statement is shown in a brief montage of homeless. Some turned to begging, some to prostitution and some apparently given up.

Returning to Sunnydale we see Xander and Willow are clearly thinking about different things when Willow asks "I wonder what she's doing right now" and Xander breiefly tirades against Cordelia and his self flagellant fantasies of her and the Cabana boy. Possibly Willow is thinking of Buffy? It's possible! Oz shows up with drinks and they dissect their failure at slayage. Xander identifies the missing ingredient, as Cordelia enters the club. Bait!

Back at work Buffy is interrupted by Lily. Rickie has gone missing. It rapidly becomes obvious that Lily is lost without someone to guide here and attaches herself to Buffy, who is unwilling to quit her post.

A little later Buffy and Lily visit the blood donation clinic where Rickie and Lily often come for some extra cash. The nurse has not seen Rickie that day but as Buffy and Lily leave her face shows that there is more. Buffy and Lily agree to split up and meet back later at Buffys apartment.

Buffy walks the backstreets. She finds a dead old man, apparently dead by his own hand and a bottle of drain cleaner. More worrying is that he has a tattoo identical to Rickies, but he's 80 years old! Returning her apartment Buffy breaks the news to Lily, along with the strange circumstances. Lily at first tries to deny it and then blames Buffy, who she feels must have brought evil with her from Sunnydale. Lily leaves and soon meets up with Ken who claims that Rickie is alive and well at 'Family Home' and is waiting for Lily. Buffy meanwhile has returned to the blood donation clinic and locates Rickies file. It is marked 'Candidate', but candidate for what. The nurse enters and challenges Buffy asking what she is doing. "Breaking into your office and reading your private files" is Buffys calm reply. "Candidate for what?". The nurse threatens to call the police, Buffy pulls the phone from the wall, the entire phone. "Candidate for what!". The nurse finally admits to providing 'Him' with the name of healthy homeless teenagers.

Lily has entered 'Family Home' and changed in to rough plain robes ready for a spiritual cleansing, described by Ken as not exactly like a baptismal. She kneels beside a murky pool, which Ken says will wash away sin just as Buffy attempts to bluff her way through the front door with tales of needing cleaning of the sins of sex and loud music. Admitting that she "sucks at undercover" Buffy takes her usual direct approach with her best foot forward. Buffy enters the 'cleansing' room to challenge ken just as Lily is sucked under. Grappling Ken, Buffy and he fall into the pool. Into a stone walled, industrial looking area. As Ken stands up he reveal that he is wearing a mask which comes away to reveal his true face. Ken is a demon, although a much more human formed one than we are used to seeing. Buffy and Lily run off down a corridor as Ken calls for guards but stop short as they come onto a gantry over a hellish factory floor. Ken comes up from behind and, whilst clubbing Buffy to the ground, invites them to his domain, he hopes they like it, they're never leaving.

In Sunnydale the Slayerettes are walking into the graveyard with Cordelia as their vampire bait. After a brief weapons check Willow, Oz and Xander disappear to their hiding places ready to ambush a vampire. Cordelia follows Xander and an argument ensues. Distracted Willow does not notice the vampire creeping up behind her. Her scream breaks up her cohorts arguing and leads to Oz leaping to free her. The vampire easily throws off Oz, only to be grappled by Xander. Arms locked Xander and the vampire fall to the ground at an impasse until Cordelia leaps onto the vampire forcing him onto Xanders stake. As the vampire explodes to dust Cordelia falls into Xanders arms and desire takes over, arguing forgotten they kiss with a passion.

Buffy comes round in a prison cell, the other occupants are Lily and a desiccated corpse. Lily is resigned to her position, she's known that she's been headed here all her life. Headed to Hell. Buffy denies that this is Hell, but Ken appears and asks what is Hell if not the absolute death of hope, the tangible reality of despair? Ken also explains why the corpse of Rickie was that of a man in his 80's, down here time runs faster than on Earth, about 100 years down here to a day up there. Before they are missed (if there was anyone to miss them) they will have aged beyond recognition and be dead of old age. Work them till they're too old then spit them out, that's the plan.

Mustered from their cells Buffy, Lily and other slaves are told that they are no longer individuals by a demon guard. The guard asks a boy who he is, he gives his own name, wrong answer, and is clubbed. Lily responds 'No one' and receives a nod. As does the next slave. Next it's Buffys turn. After a beat she smailes and says "I'm Buffy. The vampire slayer. And you are?". Before the guard can complete his swing she has disarmed him and his comrades. Inviting "anyone who isn't having fun yet" to join her Buffy runs from the room. Hiding under a gantry Buffy instructs Lily to lead the other slaves out as soon as the guards move away.

On hearing a klaxon Buffy runs to the middle of the factory and engages several demon guards in her trademark high energy, high kicking combat. Ken is livid "Humans don't fight back! That's the way it works!". The combat continues until Buffy makes her escape. Unfortunately Ken has ambushed Lily and is holding a knife to her throat. Buffy is grabbed by two guards, as Ken makes an unimaginative comment about how she has guts and how he'd like to play with them. Lily pushes Ken from a platform, it is hard to tell who is more surprised - Ken, Buffy or Lily. This gives Buffy and chance to escape, which she takes. Running to catch up with the other slaves Buffy and Lily come up against a portcullis blocking their path. Commenting that this is a good workout but that she will be sore for days Buffy lifts the portcullis with effort and allows the other slaves to escape. As she is going under herself Ken performs a flying tackle which knocks her through. Now devoid of support the portcullis crashes down and pins both of Kens legs. Buffy then invites Ken to view her Ghandi impression, before clubbing him to death with a single blow. Lily is confused "Ghandi?", "Well maybe if he was really p****d off" Buffy explains.

After making good their escape back to Earth (the sludge pool seals itself off), Buffy and Lily return to Buffys apartment. Deciding to return to Sunnydale Buffy bequeaths her apartment to Lily, along with her job. Lily admits that she is not very good at taking care of herself. Buffy explains that it gets easier with time.

Back home Joyce is in her kitchen, loading the dishwasher, when she hears a knock at the door. Walking quickly to the door she opens it and is met by the face she most wants to see, her daughter has come home. Without a word, but with a sob, they clasp and we fade to credits.

Comment

This episode deals with the issues that face people as they reach their late teens or young adulthood. No longer children they are faced with choices relating to independence, questions about identity, new responsibility and changing relationships. These themes have been faced before in Buffy and continue through into later episodes. Issues of duty are raised, as they have been in previous episodes.

At the start of the episode Buffy is denying her slayerhood, her specialness. She wants to withdraw from the world and minimises her interactions to the bare requirements of doing her job and surviving. When caught reading the medical files she echos Eliza Doolittle ('My Fair Lady') by expressing a desire to be quiet somewhere with a fire and a tea cosy. However it is at this point that she seems to be accepting again who she is. Her confidence in challenging the nurse, ripping the phone from the wall and her willingness to share any trouble that comes her way displays her inner steel. Going to 'Family Home' Buffy is starting to take responsibility for those around her. The final step in the renaissance of the slayer is when challenged over her identity by the Demon guard she identifies herself as "the vampire slayer" accepting that what she is is who she is and what she is is special.

Lily is the antithesis of independence. She seems to have no existence other than as an extension of someone else. Those who take care of her (be they cult, church or lover) do so by controlling her. Even by forcing her to take responsibility for her self Buffy has to bully Lily out of her passive role. When Lily accepts that she deserves to be in hell it is the ultimate victory of system over individual. In many ways it appears that as Lily surrenders Buffy fights back harder, with poorly disguised disgust at what Lily has been reduced to. Looking back with the luxury of time it is interesting to note in Angel Season 2 ('Blood Money') that Lily/Chanterelle has reappeared as Anne and is now running a home for homeless teens.

The slayerettes taking over slaying duties is highly reminiscent of the reaction of many children when a parent leaves. In many cases a child will take over the duties of the missing parent, caring for younger siblings &c, not because it is expected of them but because they are (generally subconsciously) 'keeping the job open'. This perhaps gives and indication of how they view Buffy, as a person who can cope, much like a parent. The arguments between Xander and Cordelia, and the interplay between Willow and Oz, may be partly a reaction to this. As well as an indication of their growth and development to individual adults rather than adjuncts to their parents (for example in the "Welcome to the Hellmouth", Season 1 - Episode 1, Willow is wearing clothes chosen by her mother whereas now she seems to have some influence over her clothing). Looking forward to S5 we see similar behaviour in Buffy taking over Joyces role when she becomes ill and after her death.

The fervour with which Giles follows leads as to Buffys whereabouts demonstrates that he feels a parental responsibility to her. His discussion with Joyce shows that she realises this, and resents it although she does seem to accept it to some degree. Later in season 3 ('Helpless') his parental feelings towards Buffy are recognised when he loses his job as Watcher because he has "A father's love" for her.

Finally the closing scene demonstrates both the love that Buffy and Joyce have for each other and the fact that with good actors you do not need a single word of dialogue to express a wealth of emotion. Indeed verbalisation would probably have ruined the feeling. This is further evoked in the season 4 episode 'Hush' where for much of the episode there is no spoken dialogue at all and most communication is by gesture and body language Later, in season 5 ('The Body'), we again see excellent physical presence from all of the regulars. Although this episode does involve dialogue the main vehicle for emotional communication is the body language of the participants. In many ways this reflects the shock and feeling of helplessness of a sudden bereavement.