User Reviews

This is the episode where Angelus comes back... Kind of. Honestly, "Enemies" doesn't contribute a lot to the story-arc, but it's still pretty fun. It does prove to the Scoobies that Faith has switched over to the Darkside and sets the Mayor's time-table as Graduation Day. But, mainly it's just about watching Angelus, Faith and the Mayor interacting. It's hilarious, especially the Mayor's match-making attempts. Faith can try to seduce Angel so he'll loose his soul, but the Mayor still wants her home by eleven. I like this episode a lot and you really shouldn't skip it if you're watching the season on DVD.

"Enemies" revolves around Faith and the Mayor. Now that they're working together, they have all sorts of good ideas to ruin Buffy's life. First up, they snatch up the Books of Accession from right under her nose. (I'm kinna hazy on what the Books of Accenssion actually do, but they apparently have a lot of detail as to the Mayor's master plan.) Then they begin a plan to steal Angel's soul. Faith tries to seduce him, and Angel turns her down. So the Mayor enlists the help of some blue demon guy to use magic and take the soul by force. Faith splashes Angel with some goo and suddenly he's Angelus again. The two of them head off to meet with the Mayor.

Meanwhile the Scoobies are investigating the Mayor. It turns out that he's been around Sunnydale for over a hundred years. And Buffy is getting jealous of the time that Faith is spending with Angel. When Faith and Angel show up at her house, claiming to have found the Books of Accenssion, she agrees to go with them to Angel's mansion to collect them. Once there, Angel and Faith quickly capture her and chain her to the wall. Faith admits that she working for the Mayor and taunts Buffy that the Mayor will take over Sunnydale come Graduation Day. Then, Buffy and Angel turn the tables on her. It seems that Angel was on pretending to be Angelus so he could learn more about Faith's plan. He and Buffy fight Faith, but she escapes. The Scoobies begin the count down to Graduation Day, while The Mayor comforts Faith over the loss of her former friends.

There are some really neat parts to this episode. It brings Angelus back (sort of) which is always a good thing. And I love the Mayor consoling Faith at the end of the episode, after Angel tricked her and the Scoobies learned that she's fighting on the Darkside. "Are you still unhappy? Well, I have two words that will fix everything: Miniature Golf." Mostly, though, I like this episode because it brings Faith character into clearer focus. Her resentment towards Buffy and her fear that she'll never be good enough. Her willingness to follow the Mayor so she will have a place to belong. Her shame at turning into a killer and her unwillingness to turn back. It's all great.

On the downside, where does Buffy get off being mad at Angel? He fulfilled his part of the plan and now she needs a break from their relationship? He was doing her a favor and she punished him for it. I don't think that's real fair. Also, Faith doesn't have to keep Buffy alive to prevent another Slayer from rising. She IS Buffy's replacement Slayer. Faith would have to die for a new Slayer to rise. Otherwise there would be three Slayers in season six.

My favorite part of the episode: Angel (as Angelus) punching Xander. "That guy just bugs me."

I love this episode. It's just excellent. It is one of my all-time favorite Season 3 episodes and it very enjoyable to watch.

In this episode, Faith is determined to get Angel over to her and the Mayor's side, but she can't do this whilst he has a soul. She tries to seduce him and give him his "one moment of true happiness", but it doesn't work. So she gets a shaman to take away his soul instead. After this, Angel is on their side, and is happy to start wreaking mayhem. He let's the Mayor know that he does not work for him, but he will help. They start by kidnapping Buffy, and just before Faith and Angel kill her, Faith leaks all the secrets of the Mayor. Such as his plan for Graduation Day and what will happen. Once they know this, it is revealed that Angel has not changed and his soul is perfectly intact. It turns out that Giles knew the shaman, and actually introduced him to his wife, so the shaman owed him a favor.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10, which in my rating book is: Freaking ridonkulous.

I love this episode. I love the heartfelt ending with Buffy and angel. "Are you still my girl" ALWAYS" I love the emotions you feel for the first time. When you believe angel has turned and the relief you feel when it was all acting.

Faith and The Mayor plan to make Angel lose his soul, when Faith's seducing fails, The Mayor resorts to magic. The magic seems to work as Angelus returns. Also a demon comes to Buffy saying that he has the books of Ascension - a vital part of the Mayor's plans.

Why It's So Good - Faith was in a relatively short amount of episodes, but her impact was huge. Angel's brief act as Angelus was also welcome and fun. I know there was talk of a Faith based spinoff at one point, and I feel we were poorer for it. I know Angel and Faith had a comic run together, but still. This episode had tension, drama and moved the story along.

Watch Out For - Angel saying that Xander bugs him.

Quote - "Demons after money. Whatever happened to the still beating heart of a virgin? No one has any standards anymore." - Giles.

Enemies is about the mayor's plans to revert Angel to the dark side, spiraling Faith down a path of no return.

I found Faith quite nasty right off the bat, but she goes to extremes here. I know how the series ends, but can't see how she would have redemption after this. Cordy and Wesley have another tantalizing moment - Ay Caramba! The plot's terrific, but some of the dialogue regarding Faith poorly scripted and not tight. It just doesn't play like her. I mean, her sexual habits alone make this a no go zone, as Angel would have to stop her and be caught in a lie. Also like Giles tells Buffy to careful, but Angel goes into the Mayor's office alone with an enemy slayer and then you've got Faith buying that Buffy would believe that they need to get her to make carrying the books safe. Buffy great as always though and Angel as well.

Faith has finally thrown in her lot with the mayor to destroy the senior class at graduation. Using a guru robs him of his soul and tries to take out Buffy. Not a favorite of mine as I like Faith and I thought she had decided to take Angel's advice. Still it's interesting to see a slayer chose a different way, what she's capable of and give our good slayer a run for her money. Angel also shows his acting chops pretending to lose his soul, tricking her into believing he's a bad boy again and had me convinced until the big reveal comes along.

I get that it was a trap to see if Faith was really redeemed but I wonder how they set up the guru to be hired by the mayor and Angel knew he coming to try robbing his soul after the disdain she's shown him. Besides the holes in the story it keeps your attention to see if Faith will have a change of heart or go her own way.

That's the problem with Ennemies. It's green and throws you off, the first time you watch it. And each time I rewatch it, I always get into the storyline and think it's a rewarding episode, finally addressing the elephant in the room of the Buffy/Angel « big » break up. As well as all the catastrophes that ensued, until it shattered both their lives. Literally and metaphorically speaking. It is an easily overlooked episode, on the grand scheme of things. But also one crucial to this season, and some parts of last season's arc.

Enemies

The Good; Loads more Faith/Mayor stuff and some strong emotional work between Angel and Buffy. The return of 'Angelus' and a heck of a Keyser Soze. Faith's treachery revealed at last. Also some very nice comedy with Xander and an interesting scene with Angel, Faith and Joyce.

The Bad; Again quite painful to watch Faith's slide to the darkside.

Best line; A toss up between Buffy's triumphant 'Psych!' and 'Minature golf'

Character death; Only the demon. Faith still hasn't gone all the way yet, she still feels guilt about what she does. Again we see a non-dangerous demon spared by Buffy, shades of grey entering the Buffyverse rather than just humans good/demons bad. Willow bags her first vamp who's skin must be awfully soft if it can be penetrated by a pencil.

Tied up; Buffy in chains. Or is she? Angelus comments that Buffy and he never tried chains, Faith comments that bondage looks good on her.

Knocked out; Buffy and Angel (or are they?)

Women good/men bad; The women are very bad in this ep

Jeez!; Faith gutting the demon seems very graphic

Kinky dinky; Faith sitting astride Angelus and him asking her to 'wriggle'. Faith pawing at him in the Mayor's office (weirdly I think ED looks her most beautiful ever in this scene). Buffy chained up with Faith about to 'torture' her smacks mightily of S&M 'If you're a screamer, feel free'. Angel(us) flatters Joyce (love KS's little 'I still got it' look of triumph). Buffy and Angel go to see some sort of arty yet sexy French film which can't help their celibacy towards each other. Faith refers to the then topical Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky sex scandal "Close but no cigar". Faith's low cut black top really is hookerwear, her cleavage looking like it's about to explode out of it at any moment. Would Faith having sex with Angel really have robbed him off his soul? To judge by what we learn on Angel (Darla, Nina, The Furies, Eve) almost certainly not. Willow describes Faith as the 'do that girl' although she's done her own boyfriend stealing in her time. Faith and Angelus seem to think beating each other up is foreplay. Angelus refers to himself as a boy toy as Faith refers to Xander in Consequences. The Mayor once again demonstrates his father's love for Faith, concerned that Angelus will keep her out late. Oz refers to Cordy as jail-bait.

Calling Captain Subtext; Faith kissing Buffy even after they fight, even when they're holding knives at each other's throats. Interesting to note Faith's little look when 'Angelus' speaks to Joyce, it's rather guarded, she's not going to let him hurt her. Faith tells Angel she's 'keeping Buffy warm for him'. Her rant whilst Buffy is chained up has the air of a rejected lover, jealous of Buffy's boyfriend. Even now Faith and Buffy still walk arm in arm and refer to one another as girlfriend. Angelus wants the Mayor to call him 'Master'.

Where's Dawn? Presumably at the house when Faith and Angel arrive.When Faith has her rant against Buffy she notes 'you got the mom!' making the subtext pretty much text. Anyone want to bet that in everyone's revised memories she also says 'You got the little sister'? After all, Dawn could very easily have been Faith's sister if things had worked out differently.

Questions and observations; And now the die is cast! So what would have happened if Angel had really turned? Either Buffy defeats them, the Scoobies rescue her or Faith doesn't go through with it? When Faith is about to torture Buffy she seems to still be psyching herself up, as if she can't quite go through with it. Read a very good fanfic once where Angelus does start to torture Buffy but her screams revive memories of Faith' own childhood abuse and she rescues Buffy. When Faith goes to Angel with blood on her hands is it all a ruse or is she partly genuine? She's obviously genuinely upset at facing the demon murder scene and Buffy's reference to 'Someone's idea of a party' What would Faith do if Angelus started to suck on a passerby? Would her Slayer instincts kick in as they do in 'Who are you?' There are texts that Giles doesn't want Willow looking at, fearful of her growing magic power.

Some great acting by DB, he can effortlessly slip into Angelus now with just a look. Interesting that EDs crack up at the Mayor's line at the end was unscripted. If Angel was going to lose his soul again wouldn't the gypsy woman see the signs? Angel says it's been a while since he's been to the movies, not since his Charlton Heston fad in the 70s. From what we learn in the later seasons of Angel it's highly unlikely that Angelus would have been content to be The Mayor's lackey. Wes is more and more part of the gang and seems to be on better terms with Buff and co. Nice to see 'Waiting for Godot' mentioned in an American teen TV series. Actually if Angelus had killed Buffy we wouldn't have had a new Slayer as The Gift shows, Faith would have come back to the good guys. Angelus calls Buffy sleepyhead which is Joyce's pet name for her. Love Buffy's Union Jack top (this is when the Spice Girls were huge). Faith hasn't been informed on all the details of the Ascension. Would she still love the Mayor when he's a great big snake? Also obvious that Faith would like the Scoobies to be hers.

This appears to signal Cordelia's return to the Scooby gang, she's back in research mode and will be a permanent fixture in all future Scooby adventures.

Marks out of 10;

6/10

When Faith and the mayor plotted to take away Angel's soul, I thought not again, poor Angel has been through so much already but towards the end of the episode when Angel said, "Second best actor", it revealed that he had been faking his lost of humanity all along.

This episode was a very good play on emotions, it really had me fooled about Angel and I thoroughly enjoyed David Boreanaz's acting in this episode.