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REVELATIONS
© Text and musical examples: Rob Gokee

Promotional CD tracks

Sadly, there are none this episode, although there are still plenty of exciting motifs to talk about in the cue notes, and I have provided MP3 clips of some of the cues.


The episode

Faith has a new watcher, and her name is Gwendolyn Post. Also, there's a new demon in town, and his name is Lagos, and he's after a glove of some sort. Oh, did I mention that everyone finds out that Angel is back in this episode? This is a big one for season three, from Faith and Buffy coming to blows to the betrayal the scoobies feel, including Giles, about how Buffy's been keeping Angel hidden. The end is somewhat redeeming, though, with the evil Mrs. Post "disarmed" of the glove, Angel saving Willow, and Buffy saving the day.

Fun quotation:
Buffy (about Giles): "How long do you think he can stay angry at me, anyway?"
Willow: "The emotional marathon man?"


The music

With around 19 minutes of music, Chris uses a lot of the same techniques in this episode that he used previously in "Band Candy," including the quiet awkwardness that plagued Buffy and Angel's relationship woes. The "Tai Chi" cue returns, this time while they both are practicing. Many of the cues in this episode are short and used as scene transitions making it harder to find a theme or spelled out motif, which is why I haven't included any examples in writing for the episode. One interesting and well-structured cue occurs as Xander discovers Angel and follows him back to the mansion, which I will discuss below in more detail. Overall, this episode is very interesting musically and shows more growth on the part of Chris, his cues becoming more cinematic as the season progresses.

[ADDED 2006.04.01] Blunt notes: Robert Markham (by e-mail) notes that the background music during the fight between Buffy and Faith is remarkably similar to the promo cue titled 'Resurrection' used way back in '2.01 When She Was Bad'. A good link Rob and I missed.


Cue notes

All timings are approximate.

[00'01-00'22

"Run" by Four Star Mary opens the teaser.]

[00'27-02'10

"West of Here" by Lotion]

02'11-02'51

Brass and strings in this brief action cue as Buffy and Faith fight in the cemetery. The cue has a jarring, disjunctive feeling.

02'58-03'19

Soft strings introduce us to Gwendolyn Post and her acerbic personality…

[03'20-04'10

Slammed into the wall by Nerf Herder…]

07'09-08'14

The "Tai Chi" cue is used once again, this time under Buffy and Angel together. The cue fits well, but in my opinion seems a better fit the first time around. Buffy and Angel's "almost kiss" causes an early ending to the cue, and then we are back to the quiet awkwardness of their "back and forth."

09'10-09'40

At "Lagos" we get soft strings that move the scene to the library.

10'31-11'03

"Willow & Xander Theme" on their moment together in the library, extended through their kiss until they are interrupted and almost caught by a preoccupied Giles.

13'10-15':31

Strings and percussion as Faith moves in to battle Lagos and gets her butt served back to her on a platter. The cue moves with the scene to Xander at the crypt and is atmospheric (synth) and brassy, working very well as Xander finds the returned Angel [Ex.1]. We move into piano as he follows Angel home and discovers him kissing Buffy, a fitting end to act one.

15'36-15'38

Soft woodwinds and strings as Buffy and Angel make out (apparently something "just friends" do), the cue exits quickly as Buffy and Angel repent.

16'24-16'50

The cue starts on the Glove of Myhnegon, and is very similar to the last cue although in a different key, and it takes us back to the library.

18'05-18'15

The Intervention Cue, which quickly ends so that the silence makes us wish we could hide in the stacks while Buffy is lambasted…

21'57-22'52

Synth and strings under Giles' speech to Buffy about his loss of her trust take us to Faiths place (which is less scary than Anthony Stewart Head's disappointed look toward Buffy).

[25'38-26'20

"Silver Dollar" by Lolly at the Bronze as Xander and Faith decide to attack Angel.]

26'31-26'40

Slow build as Faith and Xander decide to go Angel hunting, ends quickly in a flourish.

28'07-28'21

Psycho-like synth as Giles is knocked out again (I hope the school has a good medical plan for librarians) and the true face of Mrs.' Post is shown as we end act two.

30'23-30'53

Action cue as Willow sees Lagos behind Buffy, using strings and percussion, with a big brass ending as Lagos is decapitated punctuated by Willow's "Yes!."

31'22-34'32

Xander and Faith hit the library (gleefully) to the sounds of battle music strings and brass, but moves to piano as they discover Unconscious Giles (When is that action figure coming out? Complete with bandages and welt!). The piano is nicely arpeggiated, and we move again to Angel's mansion. Rising strings accompany his preparation of the "Eternal Flame." Back at the library, we have brass as Giles is wheeled out of room, which fades away as Buffy runs for Angel's place. The scene moves back to the mansion as Mrs. Post, via soft piano, dupes Angel and knocks him across the room as we go to commercial and the end of act three.

34'35-35'36

A new action cue starts the scene, with percussion and tremolo strings to boot as they fight in pairs; first Angel and Mrs. Post, then Angel and Faith as she prepares to dust him and is stopped by Buffy.

35'55-40'07

After a quick stop at the library, we're back to the action cue as we are finally treated to the first Buffy vs. Faith fight of the season, and Chris utilizes drums and brass to compose what is probably the most exciting cue of the episode [Ex.2]. Strings are added as the fight moves outside, and then back to brass as the cue climaxes with Mrs. Post putting on the glove. As she begins to channel electricity, we hear fast moving strings and huge chorus [Ex.3] that conclude with Buffy incapacitating Mrs. Post. The cue ends with everyone intact but emotionally bruised.

40'43-41'45

At talk of Angel, we hear strings as the gang reconciles and summarizes the plot, and we finally move back to Faith's place.

42'42-44'08

Buffy tries to connect with Faith, helped by piano and strings, but we are left empty and unresolved. Minor sounding undertones foreshadow Faith's descent into darkness as we close the scene and episode on her, alone and small.

[44'11-44'41

Kicked in the face by Nerf Herder] [Blunt says: "Ouch!!"]


Musical examples

96kbps, including much dialogue and sfx.
Ex.1 [mp3] Faith battles Lagos 13'10-15':31 [1.61Mb]
Ex.2 [mp3] Buffy fights Faith (1'49" from beginning of) 35'55-40'07 [1.25Mb]
Ex.3 [mp3] Mrs. Post unleashes the glove (0'34" from middle of) 35'55-40'07 [400Kb]