History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E4BeautyAndTheBeasts

* GoryDiscretionShot: The first victim is shown lying on a morgue slab with his face turned to the side. Cordelia and Xander are [[ReactionShot severely grossed out]], as opposed to Willow TheDeterminator gathering samples; when she's finished her task however she promptly [[{{fainting}} faints on the spot]].

* VerySpecialEpisode: The episode deals with the nature of boyfriends switching between nice and a jerk. The SpaceWhaleAesop is stretched to the breaking point in this one, as it portrays the boyfriend as a literal monster, the abused girlfriend as a total basket case, and the onlookers as condescending jerkwads, thereby insulting just about everyone who could conceivably find themselves in such a situation.

** Willow is [[ComfortFood Mr Donut]] after her TV did the [[SnowyScreenOfDeath snowy thing]]. She asks Buffy, "How come you're the Wakey Girl?"

* NotSoDifferent: Buffy can't help noting the similarities between her relationship with Angel and Debbie's with Pete, in that she's driven to excuse and protect a man who has abused her and killed innocents because she still loves him.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Buffy conceals Angel's return from her friends, afraid of their hostile and quite possibly lethal reaction. More seriously, she maintains the lie in subsequent episodes long after she's assured this really is her OneTrueLove and not some murderous killer in his form. This has near-fatal consequences in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E7Revelations Revelations]]", laying the groundwork of her permanent rift with Faith later in the season.

The next day, it is revealed that Pete had concocted a chemical potion that turned him into "Lance Macho" when he became afraid of losing Debbie, but eventually he became monstrous himself. Buffy tries to console Scott, who has lost two of his best friends. Buffy visits the mansion, where Angel sleeps through an apparent nightmare unshackled. The episode ends with Buffy reading from ''The Call of the Wild''.

** ''Time's up. Rules change.''

* FriendToPsychos: Debbie tries to cover for Pete when. She's not very good at it, though. The inevitable contrasts are drawn with Buffy's relationship with Angel, who's just come BackFromTheDead after his murderous rampage, a fact that Buffy is concealing from her friends.

* FriendToPsychos: Debbie tries to cover for her boyfriend Pete when he starts going through a Jekyll/Hyde situation. She's not very good at it, though.

The next day, it is revealed that Pete had concocted a chemical potion that turned him into "Lance Macho" when he became afraid of losing Debbie, but eventually he became monstrous himself. Buffy tries to console Scott, who has lost two of his best friends. Buffy visits the mansion, where Angel sleeps through an apparent nightmare unshackled. The episode ends with Buffy reading from The Call of the Wild.

With everyone else unavailable, Faith stays in the library with Oz. Buffy comes in and receives a hard punch for startling her. Buffy sends Faith away and spends the night searching for answers about the return of Angel. The next morning, Giles finds her asleep around books about demon dimensions and Acathla. She tells him she had a really vivid dream that Angel came back. Giles doubts it could happen, there being no record of such an event. He goes on to explain that with time passing differently in Hell (as Buffy found out in Anne) anybody who returned would have endured seemingly endless torture. Only with extraordinary character would one be able to have retained any semblance of ones self. Most likely they would've become a monster. Willow arrives to inform them that her investigation was not conclusive. Buffy is anxious as she wonders if Angel was responsible.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Oz's werewolf form is changed from a two-legged, wolf-headed humanoid to a more hybridized version with a more human-like face that walks on all fours.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Giles discovers Buffy asleep over books relating to Acathla and demon dimensions, she brushes it off as having a dream that Angel returned (which he has, but she's not sharing that part). Giles remarks that "It must have been some dream. I didn't think you knew what a card catalog was for." Since Slayers are known to have prophetic dreams, and Buffy took this one seriously enough to do actual research, Giles is nothing but supportive.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Buffy conceals Angel's return from her friends, afraid of their hostile and quite possibly lethal reaction. More seriously, she maintains the lie in subsequent episodes long after she's assured this really is her OneTrueLove and not some murderous killer in his form. This has near-fatal consequences in "Revelations", laying the groundwork of her permanent rift with Faith later in the season.

* TransformationSequence

* RedHerring: Oz, then Angel, then Debbie are set up as suspects before Pete's true nature is revealed.

* DomesticAbuser: Pete.

* RiddleForTheAges: A minor but significant question; considering that Angel returned from Hell in a feral state, how and why did he acquire trousers since he came back to Earth naked?

** Pete follows the domestic violence cycle of abuse -- hitting his girlfriend in a rage, begging her for forgiveness, then putting the blame on her for making him angry in the first place.

* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou

* GoneHorriblyRight: Pete's formula was supposed to make him "super mas macho".

* BuffySpeak: Oz is going wolfey. Jeff's corpse is barf-worthy.

** Willow is Mr Donut after her TV did the [[SnowyScreenOfDeath snowy thing]]. She asks Buffy, "How come you're the Wakey Girl?"

* [[ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld There Are Two Kinds Of Monsters In The World]]

* CoolVersusAwesome

* DescriptionCut

* {{Dying as Yourself}}: Pete reverts back to his human self after Angel kills him.

* IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Mr Platt. This being ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', he doesn't last long.

* YourMakeupIsRunning: Debbie after Pete hits her. Though the massive shiner draws attention from it.

* WeNeedADistraction: Willow gets Werewolf!Oz off Faith by [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome pulling his tail and running away!]]