Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 29

B5.03 The Replacement
I was dreading watching this episode, but I actually kinda liked it. As all Xander centric episodes are, this one is silly and lighthearted. However it did reveal a lot about Xander in that we got to see the more confident side of Xander that we see more of in later seasons and also got a hint that the old goofy Xander was still there. I also liked that Xander's story and life in general was pushed forward with the new flat and the job. Its nice to see successful Xander.
One of the more touching elements of the episode was the budding friendship between Xander and Riley. Xander has never liked Buffy's boyfriends mostly through jealousy, but his bond with Riley is endearing. The end scene with Riley admitting he knows Buffy doesn't love him is very sad; he wasn't the most interesting boyfriend for Buffy, but he's a sweet guy and deserves more. (7.5/10)

A2.03 First Impressions
This is a decent enough episode, but not hugely interesting. The Gunn storyline is a little bit re-hashed from last time, especially the part about him leading a reckless lifestyle which is something his sister brought up before she was sired. Watching the episode this time round it feels a little like the writers were lining Gunn up as Cordy's love interest as there were a few moments between the pair at the end which suggests this. The pairing obviously didn't work, but at least it helped Gunn bond with the other members of the team.
I enjoyed the Darla storyline; I might be alone in this but I liked seeing a happy Angel and Darla. They work well together and have a sizzling chemistry. The end reveal that Darla is really there also adds to the intrigue in this plot line. (7/10)





B5.04 Out Of My Mind
One of the few Riley centre episodes and a lot of it felt like a direct foreshadowing for him leaving later in the season. The Riley/ Buffy storyline was fairly tame and you can't help that feel that just maybe Riley is overacting a little bit when he says Buffy doesn't love him. Their touching scene in the cave showed that she does love him very much. One bit relating to this story I did like was Xander being protective of Riley in the Scooby meeting. It was a cute scene and continued their friendship from the previous episode.
The Spike/Harmony storyline was less interesting, apart from a few funny moments. Harmony is a little annoying and has the effect of making Spike more boring. The revelation of his crush on Buffy was funny though and I like his reaction to the dream.
Apart from the two storylines there were lots of other little bits including Joyces' collapse and some cute Willow/Tara scenes but nothing really to make this episode a lot more interesting. (6.5/10)

A2.04 Untouched
This is a somewhat difficult episode to watch due to the subject matter of child abuse, but it is a strong episode and showcases what the show can do. Bethany was a fairly interesting character and he story was a sad one. It was wrapped up a little too neatly at the end with her suddenly confident attitude and the not killing of her dad which meant that the story lacked a little bit of punch at the end. I think her violently killing him would've been a lot more shocking but perhaps more realistic, given her powers and the extent of his abuse. Lilah's involvement was intriguing and it showed what she herself was capable of. The episode also helped to solidify her vitriol towards Angel.
One thing I liked about the episode was having the other team members all in on a case for the first time and each of the others having their part to play instead of being mostly surplus. (8.5/10)