Triangle

Poor Giles. He has developed a thriving business and leaving for a conference, he trusts Willow and Anya to run the store, Willow creates a spell and summons an enormous troll. The first thing he does is demolish the place. He then heads out and begins to reek havoc on the town. This is one of those episodes where there is a surprise around every corner. It does nothing to get to the real problem, Glory, but sets some things up for the future. Buffy is heartsick about Riley and wants to become more and more combative. Meanwhile, we find out about Anya's dating habits in the past and that is hilarious. Good show.

Giles travels to London for a watchers' meeting to discuss about Glory and leaves Anya in charge of the Magic Box. When Willow uses the supplies of the store to cast a spell to create a ball of sunshine to help Buffy to slay vampires, Anya argues with her and the distracted Willow releases a troll imprisoned in a parallel world. Olaf the troll destroys the store and goes to the Bronze to drink beer with the intention of eating babies. Meanwhile, the whimpering and needy Buffy is missing Riley and Willow and Anya chase Olaf. When they fight against the troll, Xander unsuccessfully tries to help his girlfriend and his best friend, and Olaf asks him to choose between Anya and Willow who might live.

"Triangle" is a funny episode, with many hilarious situations. Olaf the troll, Anya, Willow, Xander, Spike and Tara have great lines that made me laugh, specially with the monologue of Spike with his mannequin. The most important scene is the last one, when the annoying Dawn listens to the discussion of Buffy, Giles and Joyce about The Key. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Triângulo" ("The Triangle")

Giles is going to England to see if the Watcher's Council has any information about Glory. This leaves Anya in charge of The Magic Box. Willow - Xander's friend since practically infancy - and Anya - Xander's girlfriend - are left to their bickering which causes a spell Willow is conjuring to go awry and produces a dangerous troll instead of the ball of light she was trying to produce. As he cuts a swath of violence through Sunnydale, seeking ale and babies to eat, Anya and Willow have to work together to send him back from wherever he came.

This is a hilarious episode, but Willow can be insufferable and even bullying towards Anya, treating her like she is "newly human and strangely literal" as Anya has said previously. Willow often talks about how she was before she became a powerful witch and before she met Tara, and it borders on self-hatred. It's not uncommon for the bullied to become a bully if they ever have that opportunity.

That being said, this episode actually does resolve Willow's and Anya's conflict in a realistic as opposed to saccharine way. I view it as a building block to uniting the gang so that they really are at an apex of connection by the end of the season when stuff gets real with Glory.