If season two started with an episode that made it seem like the programme had been completely revitalised by the break, then the third season begins with an episode still deeply rooted in the somewhat depressing finale to the previous episode. More than five months have passed between the climactic end of Becoming – Part Two and our return to Sunnydale in Anne, and the stagnation caused by Buffy's departure is acutely felt. Willow, Oz and Xander seem woefully ill-equipped to tackle the town's vampire population and must have been lucky to survive the summer break!
For some time it feels like Joss has completely forgotten how the series works. Buffy's self-imposed exile has upset the careful balance that usually exists within the team. What's more, Cordelia's awkward reintroduction after her Mexican holiday artificially distances her from the rest of the gang. It creates another impediment to returning to the status quo.
One element of the episode that does work very well is the gradual shift in Buffy's spirits. We first encounter her working anonymously in a diner, her mental scars far from healed. Her reawakening is gradual, spurred on by her empathy for the waifs and strays sleeping rough on the streets of the city. Between Sarah's acting, and Joss's script and direction, it's beautifully depicted. Her eventual realisation that she must return to Sunnydale ends the general atmosphere of malaise. If there was any doubt that the show was veering off the rails, it is dispelled by Buffy's defiant message: "I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer".
