User Reviews

This episode marks the first scene between Angel and Faith. It's interesting to go back and watch "Revelations" after you've seen the development of the relationship over on "Angel." In this episode, Buffy is trying to protect Angel from from Faith. Next season on "Angel," ("Sancuary") it's Angel protecting Faith from Buffy. In this episode Faith's trying to kill Angel. By season four of "Angel," ("Orpheus") she willing to die to keep him safe. Honestly, I think Faith only truly loves two people: the Mayor and Angel. She can't seduce them, they accept her, she identifies with their hidden darkness and she trusts them. "Revelations" is the start of Angel and Faith's very complicated and entertaining friendship... Even if neither of them know it, yet.

This is the episode where the Scoobies learn that Angel's back. Faith's new watcher, Gwendolyn Post, comes to town with a mission. She wants to find some all-powerful glove that's been hidden in a Sunnydale cemetery. Gwendolyn makes Giles seem downright "American." She lectures Faith, criticizes Giles and generally tries to take over. Faith's last watcher was killed and, against her better judgment, she finds herself starting to bond with Gwendolyn... At least, a little bit. Unfortunately, Gwendolyn Post is up to no good. She wants the glove for herself and she nearly kills Giles, Willow and Angel to get it.

Meanwhile, Xander inadvertently sees Angel and Buffy kissing. Furious that Angel is alive, (well, alive-ish, I guess, since he is still a vampire) Xander rushes to tell Giles and the rest of the Scoobies. The next morning, they hold an intervention to air their grievances to Buffy. (This episode is cited again in season five's "Intervention," when the Scoobies contemplate a second Buffy intervention, this time about Spike.) Giles and Xander are both enraged that Buffy lied to them, Willow tries to keep everyone clam, Buffy feels defensive and betrayed... The meeting ends in anger and hurt feelings. Xander is especially bitter. He meets up with Faith and the two of them decide to kill Angel once and for all.

Angel meanwhile has the magical glove and is trying to destroy it. Gwendolyn Post attacks Giles, then heads to out to steal the glove for herself. Faith arrives at Angel's mansion just in time to see Angel and Gwendolyn fighting. She immediately tries to kill Angel, thinking that he's turned again. Buffy rushes in and saves Angel from being staked. As she and Faith fight, Gwendolyn puts on the glove and suddenly she can control killer bolts of lightning...

There's a lot of interesting stuff going on in this episode. It gives us a deeper understanding of Faith's character and reintroduces Angelus's crimes to the group. Jenny's death is still festering beneath the surface of the Scoobie ranks. I like that Giles is still mourning her and that her name still brings conversations to a halt. Her death changed all of them. I also like Willow and Buffy's conversation in the grave yard. Willow is feeling guilty about her growing closeness to Xander and is willing to at least Buffy's side of things. And I just have to laugh when Gwendolyn, drunk on her own power, laughs, "Faith, a word of advice, you're an idiot."

On the downside, I don't think Xander's ever more annoying than he is in this episode. Yes, Angel could be a threat and Buffy should have said something about his return. But, who the heck is Xander to lecture her? He's been kissing Willow behind everyone's back and he's yet to tell the truth about Willow's re-ensouling spell back in "Becomming Part Two." (We have to wait for season seven's "Selfless" for that reveal.") And how could he tell Faith, of all people, that Angel might be dangerous? What does he think Buffy's going to do if he and Faith kill her ("he's not my") boyfriend? I don't think that he really considered the fall-out of that plan.

Also, there's always some supernatural whatz-it sealed in a Sunnydale crypt. Who puts all those magical objects in the tombs, anyway? You'd think that whoever was in charge of hiding them in the graves, would've just kept them for themselves. And really, how great can the magical stuff be if the last person who owned it wound up dead and buried in Sunnydale?

My favorite part of the episode: Giles contacting the Watcher's Council after Gwendolyn Post tried to kill them and learning that she'd been fired for her evil-leanings. "They swear there was a memo."

Revelations

The Good; A great performance from Serena Scott Thomas (when you know she's Kristin's sister the resemblance is starling). Some excellent action scenes and love the idea of the glove.

The Bad;Not much, strong ep

Best line; Post; (of Giles) "There's talk in the council that you've become too American" Buffy; "HIM?"

Character death; Buffy kills Gwendoline, her first human. Faith comments that she has a problem with her authority figures who keep ending up dead. She's right, her mum, first Watcher, Post, The Mayor, Wes, Lilah and Lindsay all end up dead. If I was Giles I'd watch out (as we see in the comics...SOB!)

Knocked out; Angel, Willow, Giles and Xander which must be something of a record

Women good/men bad; Faith comments that you can't trust guys when relating her past boyfriends to Buffy.

Kinky dinky; Cordy remarks that Xander is trying to give her a lapdance. Faith's motto is 'Get some, get gone'. She refers to Buffy 'boinking the undead' which I suppose is technically necrophilia.

Calling Captain Subtext; Buffy hinting that she and Faith are 'going out' together. Doug Petrie always keen to play the lesbian angle. The scene where Faith disparages her past boyfriends to Buffy could easily be interpreted as her chatting her up whilst her antipathy to Angel could be seen as jealousy

Questions and observations;Exactly what possible use would the Labryinth maps of Malta be in Sunnydale? Does Giles know about Willow and Xander? His expression suggests he does. Note Oz doesn't say a word during the confrontation scene in the library. Personally I find little good to say about the Spartans who on the whole were a horrible bunch. Post tries to train Faith in the traditional Slayer way (like Kendra) but it's Buffy's links to humanity that actually keeps her alive. The beginning of Faith's eventual alienation. Buffy rather dresses like Jackie-O in the final scene. Really what is the point of having a glove that you can't take off even if it gives you the ability to throw lightning bolts? What's she going to do, shroud it in bandages and pretend it's a cast?

8/10 strong ep although not brilliant

The arrival of the new Watcher Gwendolyn Post turns the life of Faith and Buffy upside down. She is making Giles feel like an idiot, and trying to control Faith. She warns that a mystical glove is being sought after in Sunnydale, Angel investigates and finds the glove.

Why It's So Good - Shows how Faith's trust is always abused, it isn't fair at all. The gang finding out about Angel, and particularly Giles cutting words to Buffy, are a big highlight.

Watch Out For - Can I kill her?

Quote - "Let's see, uh, killing zombies... uh, torching sewer monsters, and... No, that's pretty much the, uh, same old Buffster." - Xander.

I really liked this episode but-what was Xander thinking trying to kill Angel with Faith, Buffy would probably kill them. Also, how does he have the right to criticize Buffy for keeping Angel, I mean he has had two girlfriends (Cordelia and Willow) who he has kept secrets. Also, he didn't tell Buffy about Willow trying to cast the spell to get Angel's soul in "The Becoming Part 2". And considering the number of times that Angel has saved his life-how can Xander hate him so much? (Actually, as long as Angel is good, I don't understand how anyone couldn't like him.) Anyway, I liked how it was hard to tell who the villain was, I was kinda shocked when it turned out that it was that annoying watcher. I really liked this episode.

I love this episode. The idea of an evil watcher is just so good. It's one of my all-time favorite episodes.

In this episode, Faith gets a new Watcher. A stuffy English lady, who I really don't like. I never liked her and it turns out, that I had a very good reason for it. She sends Faith and Buffy on a mission to retrieve a demon's claw-arm-thing. If someone were to put it on, they would become all powerful and be able to destroy a lot of things. When they find the claw- arm-thing, they take it to Angel for safekeeping. When the new watcher finds out where it is, she knocks out Giles and heads right on over. When she gets there, she tries to convince Angel that she is a perfectly upstanding citizen. But then, she tries to put the glove on, so she and Angel fight. When Faith sees that Giles is knocked unconscious, she assumes that it was Angel and she goes to find him. When she sees Angel and her new Watcher fighting, she starts attacking Angel. Then the Watcher puts the glove on and Faith realizes that she is fighting the wrong person. Buffy also showed up before, and she and Faith were also fighting. When the Watcher put the glove on she summoned some lightning, and she was pretty powerful. That was until Angel cut her arm off and the glove destroyed her.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

Revelations is about the arrival of Faith's new watcher and the Glove of Myhnegon, falling into the wrong hands.

A quality episode, though a bit of a stretch. Xander goes way too far and Buffy isn't even mad at him in the end. He sets off a ticking time bomb in Faith, that he and Buffy realize cannot be reasoned with. Though a few choice words to her by Buffy like "she put Giles in hospital" might have done the trick. Giles exhibits a lot of weak characteristics here. He takes a back-foot so quickly and Post just says Lagos is coming and has the info and he isn't suspicious and doesn't check if she's even legit. He then takes his anger out on the others, instead of where it belongs. Though it is a strong scene of Giles giving Buffy a stern talking to.

Buffy: You would just love an excuse to hurt him, wouldn't you?

Xander: I don't need an excuse. I think lots of dead people actually constitutes a reason.

It's so hard to watch season 3 with Xander being a self-righteous tool. Especially since he and Willow are currently cheating on Cordie and Oz. He's just the absolute WORST and it's hard to sit through episodes. I have to watch half of them on skim, fast forwarding through his douche-canoe attitude. He. Just. Sucks. I wish he had died in the early seasons. He's everything that's wrong with male characters in the 90s.

Revelations is where the truth comes out for many characters involved as Xander catches Angel's return, Willow and Xander feel the guilt of cheating on their partners and Faith puts her trust in a new watcher only to find out she was used. Its handled very cleverly as Xander stumbles upon the pair practicing yoga before it turns passionate confirming his worst fears Angel is back and lying his way back into their lives. Xander bumps into Willow who can't hide her real feelings of guilt wanting to for get it happened yet attracted to him. Faith on the other hand is starting to feel she's an outcasts and doesn't fit in with her new friends willing to believe a stranger using her like a puppet. Which easily leads her astray into the arms of the mayor who thinks of her as his secret weapon and treats her like the daughter he never had.

Another aspect is Angel trying to redeem himself for the demon's actions and wanting to rid his guilt by doing good deeds by destroying the glove. Not everyone is forgiving as Buffy and he tries to earn their good graces to stop the new watcher from becoming a God.