Note to Lauren: Sorry I watched this without you.

Subnote: You should be glad I did.

Gotta be honest. Didn’t love it. I had a hard time with the premise. It was like they were trying to deal with a major issue of deep historical significance and moral complexity but didn’t have the resources, time, or a detailed understanding and so it felt like emotional cliffs notes. Listen. I don’t feel like Our Modern Inheritance of Guilt Owing to Our Geographic Ancestors Treatment of Native Americans is an issue I was aching for Buffy to deal with - but if you’re going to touch on it…eh. Probably don’t bother.

Also, it’s the first time I’ve ever disagreed with Willow. I know that given her upbringing it makes sense for her to be the mouthpiece for that particular perspective, but it was just … such a weak argument. I’d be way more interested in listening to Anya talk about vengeance demons.

And: I’m about sick of flighty-Buffy. I know I said I like when SMG gets to do comic things, but we’ve been seeing a Buffy-overwhelmed-by-the-world for too much of this season.

I love - in a sarcastic way - that now that we know who is in the Initiative they don’t wear stupid face masks anymore.

Also, thanks Buffy’s mom for abandoning your only daughter (…I think) for her first college Thanksgiving. IMPLAUSIBLE!

Also - just to get my not-so-positive feelings out of the way: I could have done without the Thanksgiving cliche of everyone getting into an argument.

OH.  And thanks, episode writer ane spenson, for aother episode where instead of dealing with something big you cut things off with a joke at the end. (See Earshot and Xander accidentally telling Buffy that Angel was there.) Also, having Angel back was great (The “he’s evil” theme was particularly fun) but I don’t think the threat of this episode was big enough to warrant it.

Oh man. Remember when November sweeps was a thing?

Anyway.

Harmony remains excellent. And reminds me - as does the Vamp at the beginning of the episode - how much I like that the writers are embracing Vampires maintining aspects of their pre-Vampire personality once they turn.

Spike is back at that point where everything that comes out of his mouth is spectacular. And I will admit that adding him to Thanksgiving was where the episode really took off for me.

I’ve been trying not to say anything about this because I didn’t want to rush and I know it’s still early. I know certain people (Chris, Brett) have deep affection for Anya and were anticipating that I would feel the same. We’re half a season in to her pretty steady appearances so I feel confident in saying that I love Anya. I love her. I love what she adds to the show, and I find her little wide-eyed but blunt discovery of what it’s like to be in love for the first time to be both hysterical, heartwarming and (recently) relatable.

So this episode works for me based solely on finally being able to declare that.