The Buffy/Angelverse In Significantly Fewer Episodes, Season 3: Taking The Initiative

I'm the midst of coming up with a Stargate In Significantly Fewer Seasons. But, much like when I did Star Trek In Significantly Fewer Seasons, my unfamiliarity with the series makes creating anedited season challenging, as I have to watch every episode before I can figure out a good bar for quality. I wished there was a series that I was more of an expert in, whose entire run I had seen at least two or three times alr...Buffy!

There are 254 episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. I have whittled it down to the 80 best. Buffy and Angel seasons each tended to be defined by a Big Bad, where each season had one main enemy. I've ditched that, and tried to end each season on the series' biggest emotional beats.

In the first two seasons, we witnessed every major character be both hero and villain. We saw a slayer and a vampire fall in love, we saw a couple of slayers die, we saw some fan favorite vampires staked, we saw one come back to life and move to LA! What else is there to be done? It's time to get Tropey and Weird.

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Season Three:
Taking The Initiative

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Episode 1:  The Initiative
(Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander, Riley, Forrest, Walsh, Miller, Harmony, Spike)

There's a new demon fighting crew in town. A professor at Buffy's college is running a morally questionable paramilitary outfit, and they've captured Spike! Are they allies or  the new Big Bad?
(Tropes: rival characters could be friend or foe, mentor with ulterior motives)


Episode 2: Pangs
(Buffy, Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Riley, Forrest, Miller, Harmony, Spike)

It's Thanksgiving and the gang battles...Native...Americ---that can't be right, can it? Have the Scooby Gang become the bad guys? Also, why is Angel back in Sunnydale?
(Tropes: White guy writes Native American mythology where Native Americans talk like mid-century Western stereotype, Native Americans are magical)


Episode 3: Something Blue
(Buffy, Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara, Riley, Spike)

Drunk Willow casts a truth spell that fucks evvvvvvvvvvvvvrything up for everyone.
(Tropes: Wish fulfillment goes awry, heartbroken woman causes chaos)


Episode 4: Hush
(Buffy, Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara, Riley, Forrest, Walsh, Spike)

Shhhh...it's the quietest episode ever. The Gentlemen pay a polite visit to The Hellmouth.
(Tropes: Mostly silent episode)


Episode 5: I Will Remember You
(Angel, Buffy, Cordelia, Doyle, The Oracles)

Concerned about his previous visit to Sunnydale, Buffy goes to LA and discovers that Angel is now human.
(Tropes: Ex lovers are totally not over each other but wish to convince each othey they are)


Episode 6: Hero
(Angel, Cordelia, Doyle)

Angel is a vampire again. Doyle leads him and Cordelia in a battle against a group of demons called The Scourge.
(Tropes: Sacrifice/martyrdom)


Episode 7: Parting Gifts
(Angel, Cordelia, Doyle, Wesley, The Oracles)

Sunnydale's lamest watcher joins the crew, after Cordelia is granted visions from The Powers That Be.
(Tropes: Formerly normal character gets powers they don't want, nerdy outsider redeems himself)


Episode 8: This  Year's Girl/Who Are You
(Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara, Riley, Joyce, Forrest, Miller, Spike, Faith, The Mayor, Adam)

Faith is out of her coma and out for revenge against The Scoobies. Or is Buffy out of her coma and out for revenge? It's slayer vs slayer vs everyone. Also, the lamest season-long villain makes an appearance: Adam. Despite his awesome name, his arc is unfulfilling, so this will be the only time you see him.
(Tropes: Body swap!, identity confusion)


Episode 9: New Moon Rising
(Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander, Oz, Anya, Tara, Riley, Forrest, Miller, Spike, Adam)

Ok, Adam's sort of in this episode, too. But the real story is....Oz is back! And he's totally got the whole werewolf thing figured out. Too bad for him that Willow has got the whole lesbian thing figured out.
(Tropes: werewolves, ex returns precisely when one starts a new relationship)


Episode 10: Five By Five/Sanctuary
(Angel, Buffy, Cordelia, Wesley, Faith, Darla, Lindsey, Lilah)

After her disastrous time in Sunnydale, Faith gets hired by Wolfram & Hart to kill Angel. After a few dangerous interactions, Buffy shows up to try and help solve the problem.
(Tropes: Redemption!, wuv twianlge that isn't weally weal)