0:31 : We begin with a flashback to Dublin, Ireland, the year of our Lord 1838…

0:44 : Daniel, the gambling man who clearly owes Angelus, is played by Shane Barach.

1:09 : This is the first time we’ve seen Angelus in person since Becoming. We don’t see him again on Buffy until Season Five.

1:53 : The weatherman on the television is Mark Kriski, who in reality is a real-life weather man for KTLA News in Southern California.

2:09 : Sarah Michelle Gellar wears her hair in a different style in this episode, but she never repeats it again.

4:26 : Xander points out that Giles would be annoyed with Angel, what with the killing of Jenny in Passion and the torturing of the Watcher in Becoming.

5:32 : As Buffy says, Cordelia reverts to form, not even hesitating to reveal Xander’s secrets to everyone within earshot. She’s certainly back to her bitchy best.

6:26 : In complete contrast to how Xander and Cordy are dealing with their break-up, Oz has the maturity to take it to one side and discuss his future with Willow. Anybody who has ever been in love can understand the pain and feeling in Seth Green‘s monologue here, and he delivers it with aplome.

8:30 : Buffy again makes reference to the fact that she hasn’t seen Faith since Revelations.

8:53 : Watch Joyce’s face when she hilariously tells Buffy that Giles wouldn’t want to come. Buffy has no idea, but it’s all down to Giles and Joyce’s recent ‘time together’ in Band Candy.

9:31 : The tree seller is played by Tom Bailey, who also appeared in Seinfeld.

9:49 : The strange rocks on the Bringer’s altar are arranged to resemble something, but Season Seven’s Seal of Danthalzar looks suspiciously like the symbol here.

9:56 : We’re introduced to the Bringers, who worship the entity known as the First. They reappear in Season Seven. Apparently, it’s they that summon the spirits of the dead for the First to use as it’s form, but this doesn’t make sense with Season Seven in retrospect.

10:35 : Once again, Buffy and Faith lie to each other here, Buffy when she says it was her idea to invite Faith, and Faith when she makes up plans. Neither will quite let the other in…

11:27 : Giles receives a visitor in the form of Angel. We know Angel had been disinvited from Giles’ place from his line in Passion, even though we never saw Angel in his apartment – and he left Jenny’s body in there somehow. He’s reinvited here, with a crossbow aimed at his chest.

12:56 : Robia LaMorte returns as Jenny Calendar, or something that looks like her. Robia signed up for the episode before knowing what it would entail. In between seasons, the actress had re-evaluated her personal beliefs. She later said that if she had known she would be playing the ‘incarnation of evil’, she wouldn’t have done it.
    This is her last appearance on the show, and surprisingly, despite one more appearance in a previously, she’s never mentioned again onscreen.

13:38 : We’re back to another flashback, this time to Victorian London. There’s no year on screen, but script sources say it’s 1883.

13:57 : Margaret, the chambermaid, is played by Cornelia Hayes O’Herlihy, who has credits on video games as a voice artist, including the Grand Theft Auto series.

15:09 : The First claims to control the dreams Angel’s having. This is presumably what the Bringers are doing. It’s certainly the only reason for Buffy to start seeing his dreams.

16:24 : The First appears to touch Angel as Jenny – when we’re later told that the First is incorporeal and cannot touch anything. Perhaps it can simulate it?

19:23 : Angelus’ unnamed victim, from his clothing killed during Season 2, is played by Edward Edwards, who’s alliterative name also appeared on NCIS and CSI: Miami.

20:16 : We see a brief flashback to Liam’s loutish behaviour.

20:24 : A great amount of what Margaret says about Angel pre-vampire is fleshed out in the Angel episode The Prodigal, which also features Liam’s father.

22:49 : Angel’s tattoo can clearly be seen on his back this time.

23:04 : This dream is prophetic, as Angel will drink from Buffy in Graduation Day. They’ll also spend time together in I Will Remember You, which could apply here.

23:32 : The First claims that it was what brought Angel back from Hell, seemingly so… what, Angelus could be released? We never really find out just what the First is up to in this episode.

24:00 : Giles finally identifies the First in his books. This information will come in handy in Season Seven. It’s the thing that inspired evil, and it literally wills evil into being. Which also implies it can never be truly stopped…

24:58 : Saverio Guerra makes a delightful new appearance as Willy the Snitch, who we haven’t seen since What’s My Line?. We’ll see him next in The Zeppo.

24:58 : The bar has changed interior – it’s sleeker. It also has an exterior now, which is part of the Sunnydale Main Street set.

27:12 : This appears to be Willow’s home that they’re in, not just from the next episode, but also since it’s Willow’s bedroom they’re in during the final scene.

27:36 : Barry White‘s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” is the track Willow has playing over her proposition to Oz.

28:30 : Another Oz moment: he stands and then explains that he’s only done it as a ‘dramatic gesture’.

30:36 : Faith and Buffy at least try with each other here, with Faith realising perhaps it’s not too late to make friends. Buffy seems to agree. Or maybe they just decided to be nice because it’s Christmas.

34:17 : The First’s plan is totally non-sensical. We have no clue what the great plan is at all at this point: the First seems to need Angelus for some unknown reason, but then doesn’t mind if he is killed either! It’s not explained very well at all.

36:00 : We hear whispering as the Bringers surround their altar. Buffy tells them to stop chanting. We find out in Season Seven that Bringers slice their tongues and are unable to speak.

36:32 : Buffy doesn’t really look that concerned that she’s suddenly face-to-face with Jenny Calendar. She doesn’t seem distracted in the slightest, which seems odd considering her guilt at the time.

37:28 : For the briefest of seconds, from the CGI house, we see the true form of the First Evil.

37:59 : Angel’s mansion garden leads directly to Kingman’s Bluff, where Willow will raise the temple of Proserprexa in Season Six’s Grave.

37:59 : The real life location of the bluff is Angels Gate Park, at 3601 Gaffey Street, in San Pedro.

38:05 : This performance from the leads is staggering. They’ve worked together long enough at this point to literally bounce off each other and this scene is exquisite. Both leads deserve award after award, from his loneliness and sense of defeat, to her refusal to listen.

39:20 : Christophe Beck‘s music also starts to play during the scene and it’s wonderful. It starts with a piano piece that you think is ‘Close Your Eyes,’ but then it expands out into his track ‘Magic Snow’.

40:56 : “I know everything you did because you did it to me.”
    What a powerful moment and so well delivered.

41:32 : Buffy’s speech about Angel needing to keep fighting no matter what happens, to redeem himself for his past, is pretty much spelling out the themes of the Angel spin-off, which was actively being worked on at the time this episode was filmed.

41:55 : The writer of the episode insists the snow is a force for good, coming down right at the last second to spare Angel’s life. So who sends it down? The Powers That Be, we assume?

43:49 : Abilene, the PG film showing in the Sun Cinema on Main Street, appears to be the film released in 1999 starring Ernest Borgnine.

44:10 : This is a lovely moment, from the crane shot coming down from above the street and down to our couple, who look content for the first time since Surprise!

45:17 : The Mutant Enemy Demon decides to join in the fun, arranging bells in the background and wearing a nifty Santa hat!