I just don't like Caleb that much. It's certainly nothing against the actor. I love him as Captain Malcolm Renyolds on "Firefly." (He and Jayne are probably my favorite characters on that show, in fact.) But Caleb is always talking and talking and then talking some more... I get tired of listening to him. Plus, he pokes out Xander's eye, which makes me REALLY hate him. That said, you can't skip "Dirty Girls." It's actually a great episode, bringing Faith back to Sunnydale, introducing a new villain in Caleb, and setting up conflicts that will play out for the rest of the season.
"Dirty Girls" revolves around Faith coming to Sunnydale and a new Big Bad rising. The First has a human ally, who's been infused with it's evil power. (I guess this is suppose to tie back in with Buffy refusing demon power from those shadow guys back in "Get It Done.") Calebs' power isn't his, but it makes him incredibly strong and basically indestructible. Caleb is a fallen preacher and woman hating murderer. He's the guy who bombed the "Watcher's Council" and now he's after Buffy and the Potentials. He stabs a Potential as a message to Buffy and asks the girl to tell Buffy that he has something of her's. Buffy immediately decides to track Caleb down and get whatever it is back. Giles tries to dissuade her, saying they need to be cautious. But after Giles went behind her back and tried to kill Spike, Buffy won't listen to him. She heads for Caleb's hide out, an old winery.
Meanwhile, Faith has come to town and is a little annoyed that no body told her that the First Evil wanted her dead. She agrees to help Buffy fight it. Buffy, Faith, Spike, Xander and some Potentials go to the winery. Caleb is waiting for them. It turns out that Giles' was right and this is a trap. Caleb effortlessly throws Buffy, Faith and Spike aside. Then he starts killing Potentials. He breaks one's neck and stabs another and wounds a lot more. Buffy is shocked and tells Xander get the girls out of there. Xander helps Kennedy and the others. Buffy rushes at Caleb again, but Spike catches her arm and tells her that they have to fall back... Now. Buffy reluctantly heads for the door, but then Caleb grabs Xander. Claiming that Xander is the one who always "sees" things for the Scoobie gang, Caleb puts his thumb through Xander's eye. Spike tackles Caleb, knocking him aside as Buffy rescues Xander. The three of them escape, but the Scoobie ranks are decimated. And everyone blames Buffy...
Faith and Angel's "mind walk," which is referred to here in "Dirty Girls," happens in "Angel" season four's "Orpheus." It's one of my favorite "Angel" episodes and I recommend that you watch it, too. Really, seeing all Faith's guests spots over on "Angel" helps you to understand how her character's reformed and changed since she left SunnyD.
There are some great parts to this episode. I love Spike and Faith coming face to face. She's interested to hear that Spike has a soul now, "He's like Angel?" Which sends Spike off on a tangent about how he and Angel are nothing alike. "Angel's dull as a table lamp. Plus, he and I have very different coloring." Spike and Angel's "sibling rivalry" is always hilarious. Spike and Faith end up sitting in the basement, complaining about the Potentials and reminiscing about Faith and Buffy's body swap back in season four's "Who Are You?" Buffy's jealous frown when she sees them bonding is kind of funny. Especially when she hears that Faith has also been "mind walking" with Angel out in LA. I also like the fight in the vineyard. I get a guilty pleasure out of watching the Potential get crushed after all their big talk. Plus, it isn't often Buffy, Spike and Faith all get beat. And it's doubly scary that Spike is the one to grab Buffy and pull her towards the door. Spike's never walked out on a fight before. So, when he flatly states, "We are leaving" and drags Buffy away from Caleb, you know that this preacher's bad news. Buffy doesn't even argue with Spike, she just goes. Still, Spike goes back for Xander, when Caleb pokes out his eye. It sort of ties in with Xander rushing back to help Spike in season four's "Doomed." To paraphrase season two's "What's My Line Part Two," Spike and Xander are friends, they just don't like each other. Xander's speech to the Potentials before the fight is so touching, and when you see him hurt and laying in a hospital bed with Willow by his side, it just breaks your heart. Poor Xander. Finally, kudos to Spike for the "Falcon Crest" reference. I used to love that show when I was a kid.
On the down side, Faith has a point. How could the Scoobies not tell her about the First? She was almost killed over on "Angel" because she didn't know that some primal evil wanted her dead. Also, I wish Faith had told Spike and Buffy that Angel had a son now. Do they even know about Connor? Finally, I'm sad for poor Xander. I'd rather Caleb wipe out every Potential in that cellar, than have him hurt Xander. I guess that's the point. To make us really feel and worry because we're invested in Xander, but still...
My favorite part of the episode: Andrew explaining who Faith is to the Potentials. You just have to laugh when he mistakes the word "vulconologist" for "vulcan" and starts weaving some fantasy where Faith fought characters from "Star Trek."
"Dirty Girls" revolves around Faith coming to Sunnydale and a new Big Bad rising. The First has a human ally, who's been infused with it's evil power. (I guess this is suppose to tie back in with Buffy refusing demon power from those shadow guys back in "Get It Done.") Calebs' power isn't his, but it makes him incredibly strong and basically indestructible. Caleb is a fallen preacher and woman hating murderer. He's the guy who bombed the "Watcher's Council" and now he's after Buffy and the Potentials. He stabs a Potential as a message to Buffy and asks the girl to tell Buffy that he has something of her's. Buffy immediately decides to track Caleb down and get whatever it is back. Giles tries to dissuade her, saying they need to be cautious. But after Giles went behind her back and tried to kill Spike, Buffy won't listen to him. She heads for Caleb's hide out, an old winery.
Meanwhile, Faith has come to town and is a little annoyed that no body told her that the First Evil wanted her dead. She agrees to help Buffy fight it. Buffy, Faith, Spike, Xander and some Potentials go to the winery. Caleb is waiting for them. It turns out that Giles' was right and this is a trap. Caleb effortlessly throws Buffy, Faith and Spike aside. Then he starts killing Potentials. He breaks one's neck and stabs another and wounds a lot more. Buffy is shocked and tells Xander get the girls out of there. Xander helps Kennedy and the others. Buffy rushes at Caleb again, but Spike catches her arm and tells her that they have to fall back... Now. Buffy reluctantly heads for the door, but then Caleb grabs Xander. Claiming that Xander is the one who always "sees" things for the Scoobie gang, Caleb puts his thumb through Xander's eye. Spike tackles Caleb, knocking him aside as Buffy rescues Xander. The three of them escape, but the Scoobie ranks are decimated. And everyone blames Buffy...
Faith and Angel's "mind walk," which is referred to here in "Dirty Girls," happens in "Angel" season four's "Orpheus." It's one of my favorite "Angel" episodes and I recommend that you watch it, too. Really, seeing all Faith's guests spots over on "Angel" helps you to understand how her character's reformed and changed since she left SunnyD.
There are some great parts to this episode. I love Spike and Faith coming face to face. She's interested to hear that Spike has a soul now, "He's like Angel?" Which sends Spike off on a tangent about how he and Angel are nothing alike. "Angel's dull as a table lamp. Plus, he and I have very different coloring." Spike and Angel's "sibling rivalry" is always hilarious. Spike and Faith end up sitting in the basement, complaining about the Potentials and reminiscing about Faith and Buffy's body swap back in season four's "Who Are You?" Buffy's jealous frown when she sees them bonding is kind of funny. Especially when she hears that Faith has also been "mind walking" with Angel out in LA. I also like the fight in the vineyard. I get a guilty pleasure out of watching the Potential get crushed after all their big talk. Plus, it isn't often Buffy, Spike and Faith all get beat. And it's doubly scary that Spike is the one to grab Buffy and pull her towards the door. Spike's never walked out on a fight before. So, when he flatly states, "We are leaving" and drags Buffy away from Caleb, you know that this preacher's bad news. Buffy doesn't even argue with Spike, she just goes. Still, Spike goes back for Xander, when Caleb pokes out his eye. It sort of ties in with Xander rushing back to help Spike in season four's "Doomed." To paraphrase season two's "What's My Line Part Two," Spike and Xander are friends, they just don't like each other. Xander's speech to the Potentials before the fight is so touching, and when you see him hurt and laying in a hospital bed with Willow by his side, it just breaks your heart. Poor Xander. Finally, kudos to Spike for the "Falcon Crest" reference. I used to love that show when I was a kid.
On the down side, Faith has a point. How could the Scoobies not tell her about the First? She was almost killed over on "Angel" because she didn't know that some primal evil wanted her dead. Also, I wish Faith had told Spike and Buffy that Angel had a son now. Do they even know about Connor? Finally, I'm sad for poor Xander. I'd rather Caleb wipe out every Potential in that cellar, than have him hurt Xander. I guess that's the point. To make us really feel and worry because we're invested in Xander, but still...
My favorite part of the episode: Andrew explaining who Faith is to the Potentials. You just have to laugh when he mistakes the word "vulconologist" for "vulcan" and starts weaving some fantasy where Faith fought characters from "Star Trek."