Sunday, November 30, 2014

Quote of the Week - Week of Nov. 23




A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the Spoiler TV team this past week. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off below the article.


Atlantis -
1. Pythagora:s "It doesn't add up." Hercules: "It’s not a triangle Pythagoras, it doesn't have to add up." Sandi)






Criminal Minds -
1. David Rossi: "Now, most people would ask for the coffee back, but, being a gentleman, c'est la vie." (Laura Markus)
2. Penelope Garcia: "OMG - you have a groupie. That means you're officially a rock star!" (Laura Markus)




The Fall -
1. Jim: "Today at the briefing I saw a list of the children's homes that Spector says he attended. One of those homes I got to know, I got to know very well. Run by a paedophile. Father Fiachra Jensen, a man of my faith, Stella." Stella: "Keep still." Jim: "A man in a position of power, wielding moral authority. His idea of midnight mass? Soixante-neuf with an altar boy, behind the altar, in full vestments, unholy orders. What a fall from grace. I was the arresting officer. Decades later, the lives of the victims...blighted by depression and addiction, broken marriages, self-harm, suicide. Maybe this murderous fuck is a victim too?" Stella "Maybe." (Sandi)
2. Stella sees that her journal has been opened, she flicks through it then reads an entry left for her by Spector, which we hear in the actor's voiceover: "Oh, Stella, how revealing. How exposing. It's all in these pages. Sweet little Stella missing her daddy, lost and alone. Sexy Stella, expressing her deepest, darkest desires. Stroppy Stella, angry and misunderstood, lashing out against the world of men. Oh, Stella Gibson, how well I know you now." (Sandi)


The Flash -
1. Barry: "I mean, if there was an Olympics for bad luck, you didn't just medal, pal. You Michael Phelps-ed." (Bradley Adams and Dahne)
~This line made me roar with laughter. Barry is so gleeful to be mugged that the whole thing is surreal. (Dahne)
2. Barry: "I got mad skills."Joe: "Please don't ever say that again." (Bradley Adams)
3. Caitlin: "You can't just lose your powers. Your DNA was transformed by the particle accelerator blast. There's no way to untransform DNA." Barry: "Tell that to the Uber driver who charged me 65 bucks to take me here. I had to tell her I was coming from a cosplay party." (Sharon Seymour)
~Barry explains to Caitlin how he was forced to improvise after losing his super speed in the midst of a fight with a meta human
4. Iris: "It's okay. A girl's got to be her own hero every now and again." (Dahne)
~I absolutely love this line. It's my favorite of the week. Iris being able to rescue herself was a great twist because it kept her from being the damsel in distress again. Nothing wrong with saving yourself while waiting for your hero to appear.


The Good Wife -
1. Marissa: "Did you threaten to murder one of your kid's teachers and bleed him out like a pig?" (forced laughter from Johnny and Eli) Alicia: "Well...here's the thing..." (Wilson Crawford)
~In what would end up being the funny sideplot to the incredibly saddening main story revolving around Cary's drug trial, Alicia had to deal with a joke she made to Grace where she quoted her favorite tv show "Darkness Before Noon" and threatened to stab Grace's obnoxious gym teacher for making her run laps while being sick in class.


Gotham -
1. Bruce Wayne: "Please don't run off again. I'm out of breath." (Tonya Papanikolas)
2. Jim Gordon: "Mayor James - kick my ass!" (Tonya Papanikolas)
3. Bruce: "Alfred. Fancy seeing you here." Alfred: "You all right?" Bruce: "I'm fine. How are you?" Alfred: "You really scared me, Master Bruce. If you die who employs butlers anymore?" (Sandi)
2. Mayor James: "You arrogant clowns. You're hacking away at the very foundations of this city. Trying to take me down! Should have the both of you stuffed in a sack and thrown in the river. But I can't do that. Two scapegoats would look like panic. But one of you is going down, mark my words." Harvey Dent: "Sir, that's not right." Mayor James: "Hush. It's not you, Dent. Obviously, it's Mr. Gordon." Harvey Dent: "Sir, I protest." Mayor James: "But not too much. You see, Counselor Dent knows how to walk the line. He knows where the edge is. You, Mr. Gordon, do not know where the edge is." Jim Gordon: "Mayor James. Kiss my ass." (Sandi)


Homeland -
1. Lockhart: "What the fuck? What the fucking fuck?" (Bradley Adams)
~ This line perfectly encapsulated the final few moments of the episode.
2. Carrie: "Do you know who you sound like? Them." (Bradley Adams)


Major Crimes -
1. Sharon Beck: "All mothers make mistakes!" Rusty: "I know. But your mistakes were against the law." (Wilson Crawford)
~ Rusty really let his mother have it this time when he came to visit her in jail to mention he was being adopted by Capt. Sharon Raydor. She immediately grasped for hurtful things to say to him and reminded him that she will never be replaced, and that she will always be his mother. He was hurt, but he didn't let that stop him from smartly replying to her childish remarks and insisted that what he needed was a family, and that was something she, as a mother, could never provide him.


NCIS: LA -
1. Deeks: "Our kickass Kensilena has a softer, lacy, lady side that no one knows about - but me. And I love it." Kensi: "You couldn't have said that any creepier." Deeks: "Creepy? I thought it was pretty charming." (Tonya Papanikolas)
2. Kensi: "Don't do that. You're freaking me out, Hannibal Lecter." (Tonya Papanikolas)



The Newsroom -
1. Will: "Do you think it's possible that I'm not as big a TV star as I thought?" (Darth Locke)
2. Will: "A judge is the one who's suppose to decide, not Matthew Broderick from War Games, not Neal and not me." (Darth Locke)





The Originals -
1. Kol: "Where, pray tell, is he now?" Klaus: "He's waiting uncomfortably for me to return and deliver his punishment. Pass the beignets, would you?" (Sharon Seymour)
~Kol and Klaus discussing Finn's incarceration over pastries



Person of Interest -
1. Elias to Finch: "The world is a violent place, Harold. It always will be. Best we can hope to do while we're here is protect those closest to us." (Diana Mack and Darth Locke)
2. Anthony (Scarface): "As the Romans said.... 'Morior Invictus'." (Bradley Adams)
3. Root: "You can end me all you want. Right after your nap." (Bradley Adams)


Scorpion -
1. Happy: "Look, maybe there's supplies up there." Toby: "Oh that's a great idea, Gretel. Let's go to the creepy cottage on the hill." (Dahne)
~There were so many great quotes in this episode that it was hard to pick just two. In the end, Toby snark wins. I liked his vulnerability in this episode but I love his sarcasm more.
2. Happy: "Hey, I'm Happy." Megan: "And I'm dying but you don't see me telling everyone." (Dahne)
~Getting to know Megan was a real treat. She can snark with the best of them and she provides background on Walter. Here's hoping she comes back on a regular basis.


State of Affairs -
1. Anatoly: "Sabina, my angel, I'm seeing you now waving to me from the window of the cab where I last saw you. I had the best time. We talked about…so much. I will not see you graduate or become a doctor. I will never meet my grandchildren, of which I wish you many, but I've spent these last hours imagining the long life that awaits you. It was wonderful. I'm in the last moments of my life but I'm not sad. I'm relieved. I've done things in my time, treacherous unforgivable things. I've engaged in the most nefarious of professions out of a profound sense of duty. For the lies I've told and the lives I've taken, I ask only forgiveness from you, my love. No matter what is said about me after I'm gone, know that I always, always loved you, my darling. You were the only good, true thing in my life. I will miss you." (Dahne)
~This was the most heartfelt moment on TV this week for me. To watch Charlie listen to his final words to his daughter, when both of them knew what he was sacrificing, was heartbreaking and intense.
2. Charlie: "Alright, I know you were never a big fan." Mo: "On your list of understatements, that one is top 3." (Dahne)
~This was just a small moment between friends instead of colleagues. Charlie doesn't act like someone who has friends so it was nice to see she does and that she has someone watching her back.


Supernatural -
1. Crowley: "So you and your halfwit pal threw me into the sex trade. I'm evil. That's just tacky." (Dahne)
~Crowley continues to be the snarkiest best thing about later seasons of Supernatural. This is another classic line.
2. Cole: "How can I believe you? My whole life I've…" Dean: "I get it. That was your story. Look man, I've got one of those two. Okay but those stories that we tell that keep us going…man, sometimes they blind us. They take us to dark places. The kind of place where I might beat the cr** out of a good man just for the fun of it. The people who love me, they pulled me back from that edge. Cole, once you touch that darkness, it never goes away. Now the truth is I'm past saving. I know how my story ends. It's at the edge of a blade or a barrel of a gun. So the question is, is that going to be today? It going to be that gun?" Sam: "You've got a family Cole. I heard you on the phone that night. I'm guessing they need you to come back and they need you to come back whole." (Dahne)
~This was the second best speech of the week for me. I love how Dean could have taken this guy out physically but instead he made a more permanent impression. I also love how Sam makes it personal for him by invoking his family. The Winchesters are always better when they are tackling a problem together.


The Walking Dead -
1. Dawn: “You just told me that your plan was counting on him screwing up. That's some active police work right there.” (Sharon Seymour)
~Dawn, unimpressed by her guard's strategy for apprehending runaway Noah



Honorable Mentions -


Benched -
1. Carlos: "Well we're public defenders. How successful can we be?" (Dahne)
~Ha! It's the running joke of the whole show how much the odds are NOT in their favor.
2. Micah: "I feel like the kid in Kramer vs. Kramer." (Dahne)
~Micah continues to shine whenever she's on screen. Count on her to say something deadpan to make the moment even funnier.
3. Nina: "Who ordered the discount Don Draper?" (Dahne)
~A suave and trying Phil was a new look for him. I like competent Phil.


Criminal Minds - Garcia - "I think she's a fangirl!" David Rossi - "Is that another name for crazy person? ...It's a psycho fan who thinks I'm Comic Con." (Laura Markus)


Elementary -
1. Kitty: "I hereby forgo my right to tell my non-existent friends that I am pet sitting a sociopathic tortoise." (Dahne)
~Kitty is really growing on me. She has just the right kind of snark and now that she doesn't come off as petulant, quotes like these make my night.
2. Sherlock: "Of all the traits that can be ascribed to a criminal, tech-savvy has got to be my least favorite." Bell: "Well how about bloodthirsty?" (Dahne)
~Sherlock and Bell got some great banter in this episode. I'm not sure savvy criminals at all are good. Bloodthirsty, definitely not.
3. Sherlock: "Paranoia is the byproduct of being consistently right. You should aspire to it." (Dahne)
~Ha! A classic Sherlock line.
4. Sherlock: "When we find this man, he should stand trial for murder and crimes against the English language." (Dahne)
~As a former English teacher, I appreciate Sherlock's vigilance for the poor butchered English language.


The Flash -
1. Caitlin: "With or without your speed, you're still you, Barry." Barry: "No, I'm not. I'm not the best version of me. I love being The Flash." (Dahne)
~One reason why I am really enjoying The Flash is because for once it's not about the reluctant hero grousing over his bad luck to have to save everyone. Barry is actually enthusiastic about being a hero and enjoys that aspect of his life. It's an ideal that works well for him and the show.
2. Barry: "Tony might have been a bully then and now but he didn't deserve to die." Wells: "Does Caitlin or Cisco or me or you? I had a choice to make, him or us. I chose us without a second thought." Barry: "All your talk about miracle cures and scientific breakthroughs, but you don't care about people at all." Wells: "Maybe you care too much, Barry. I know being a hero is important to you and I respect your ideals. I just don't have the luxury of sharing them." Barry: "I forgot your game is chess. We're all just pawns to you, right? So what's your move, doctor? Which one of us gets sacrificed next?" (Dahne)
~Finally Barry realizes that Wells is a bad guy who makes fanatical choices.


Grimm -
1. Juliette: "Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up more ammo." Monroe: "I'm sorry. You brought your gun." Juliette: "Yeah." (Dahne)
~This is the Juliette I want to see. One who takes part in the solutions and is ready to kick butt.
2. Hank: "What the hell is this?" Wu: "The stuff nightmares are made of…or bad art." (Dahne)
~Wu makes everything better, especially with his snarky one liners.


Red Band Society -
1. Jackson: "I have no idea where this is going but it can't possibly be good." (Dahne)
~One reason why I love Nurse Jackson so much is that often time she says aloud what I am thinking. There is nothing good about this show going anywhere in the love department. Nothing.
2. Jackson: "Do you remember what I told you this morning?" Kara: "That I shouldn't have sex because I'll have a heart attack and die." Jackson: "No, I said you were going to get hurt. My job is to protect your heart, Kara, in every possible way." (Dahne)
~The other reason I love Nurse Jackson is because despite her gruff exterior, she really does have these kids' bes tinterests at heart, even when they can't see it.
3. Leo: "Well see this is exactly what first dates are for - learning incredibly boring things about each other." (Dahne)
~Bwah! Such wisdom from such an inexperienced dater.


Scorpion -
1. Paige: "I don't remember Old Macdonald having a gun in that song." (Dahne)
~Ha! Paige doesn't usually get the good lines so this made the quote even funnier.
2. Toby: "Did we enter a cabin or a wormhole?" (Dahne)
~The cabin that Toby and Happy take refuge in looks like a throwback to the 80's. All that nostalgia helped make the quote stand out.
3. Paige: "I can handle this. I'm part of the team." Cabe: "Part of it? You're the glue, kid." (Dahne)
~I love how other people are seeing how important Paige is as well. I feared she would be dead weight at first, but they have done a great job of showing her value just in her normalcy.
4. Cabe: "Welcome to the Charmin Express." (Dahne)
~I love how the normally serious Cabe pulls off this silly line. I guess having to make a fan belt out of toilet paper will make anyone a little goofy.


Sleepy Hollow -
1. Abbie: "It is one of these swords, right? Because if it's not and I die in here, I'll be kicking some serious Templar a** in the afterlife." (Dahne)
~I feel Abbie's frustration here. Plus I don't think it was an empty threat.
2. Ichabod: "I want redemption for you, Abraham, yet all I see is the ghost of a man I once knew." Abraham: "Well Ichabod, that is because I am dead." Ichabod: "Your path was on course already towards this creature of darkness you've become." Abraham: "I am what you made me. I am the one who traveled to the New World to forge a new path. You forced you way on to it. I found a wife. You stole her from me as if it were your destiny and not something you arrested from a man you dared to call friend." Ichabod: "Abraham that is not what…" Abraham: "No, I was supposed to be the hero of this story, not the villain." Ichabod: "Do not dare put this on me. You chose the mantle of death. You chose Moloch. Two choices made in an instant that insured Katrina would never love you." (Dahne)
~All the scenes between Ichabod and Headless were intense, but this one was the best. Kudos to both actors.
3. Ichabod: "George Washington? He was our Liar in Chief. He formed the Culper spy ring. That was a network of liars." Abbie: "Thank you Colonial Mythbuster." (Dahne)
~This one just made me laugh.
4. Ichabod: "Our quest will not be without peril." Abbie: "Crane, you and I can't have lunch without peril." (Dahne)
~So sad and yet so true.
5. Ichabod: "I made torches. Fashioned my socks into batting and soaked them in pitch I dug from a new pine bough." Abbie: "I brought flares. You just light 'em." Ichabod: "Well one can never have enough torches." (Dahne)
~This was the funniest scene, mostly because of the facial expressions of the actors as they said these lines.


Stalker - Diane: "Are you saying that my detectives don't deserve the same protections we afford our citizens?" (Dahne)
~Deputy Chief Kindrick was a revelation this episode. She cleared up questions and made it clear that she was there for Beth even if Beth didn't feel she deserved the attention. I love how her first appearance on the show sped up a subplot that was starting to stall.


Supernatural -
1. Crowley: "Wipe that ridiculous smile off your face. What? You want a medal? A thank you for cleaning up a mess you made? Everyone working for more is touched, touched in the head. Squalling, incompetent infants." (Dahne)
~Crowley being unhappy with his demons is always a fun time.
2. Rowena: "The King at last. King of what? Lilliput. I mean I heard you were short but…Well, get to it. Time for the coup de grace. Wee boy, something the matter with you? Cat got your tongue. Meow." Crowley: "Mother." (Dahne)
~I really love the idea of Rowena as Crowley's mother and hope this leads to much good snarking.



About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and creates polls for Sleepy Hollow, White Collar, Grimm, Teen Wolf, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)



Grimm - 4.06 - Highway of Tears - Best Scene Poll







About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and creates polls for Sleepy Hollow, White Collar, Grimm, Teen Wolf, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
Recent Reviews by Dahne (All Reviews)


Thursday, November 27, 2014

Throwback Thursday - Buffy - Becoming Part II and Supernatural - WIaWSNB



Throwback Thursday, a weekly article in which we look back at our favorite TV episodes from over the years.



When I first decided to participate in Throwback Thursday, I chose Buffy's Becoming Part 2 largely because it is my favorite episode but also because I had already posted a review of Supernatural's What Is and What Should Never Be. The more I thought about it though, the more I saw similarities in these two. Therefore this is more review than my usual recap. If you are interested in those, you can find the Buffy - Becoming Part II recap here and the Supernatural - WIaWSNB review here. Instead this is my love letter to 2 episodes I will never forget. In many ways they are direct opposites. Buffy's is a mytharc heavy season finale, while SPN's is a standalone episode that takes a break from the heavy mytharc that follows. Buffy pulls at me from a great well of sadness but SPN gives me a rare moment of joy in a bleak world. Buffy is grounded in oppressive reality while SPN takes a playful what-if tone. Still, at the core they are fundamentally the same. Two reluctant heroes sacrifice of themselves to save a world that never really appreciates them. They turn their back on their dreams and step up to make the hard choices that all true heroes have to make. It also helps that they focus on two of my favorite characters. Buffy is the role model of what teen characters should be while Dean Winchester is my favorite TV character of all time.

Often people are shocked to find that these 2 are my favorite TV episodes. I'm known as a plot-driven, adrenaline-loving TV viewer with little patience for the emoangst of contrived or unearned drama and a staunch anti-shipping attitude. So Becoming Part 2 and What Is a What Should Never Be don't fit my normal pattern. In fact, it is what I typically dislike most in today's TV that drives my devotion to these two. I will readily admit that they may not be the most tightly constructed episodes ever aired and they may not have the crispest dialogue in parts, but both did something much harder in the entertainment world. They yanked tightly on my cynical heartstrings and would not let go. I watch TV to be entertained and both Buffy and Supernatural excelled at that for awhile. Still I will never forget the first time I watched these two episodes in particular because I was emotionally spent afterwards, exhausted in the bliss of knowing I had just gone through 42 minutes of intense, cathartic adventure with these characters and none of us were going to view the world in quite the same way again. Simply put, both of these episodes earn their drama through the slow buildup of their characters and it makes for compelling TV.


The Synopsis: (includes spoilers and the ending)

Buffy - Buffy is a vampire slayer. Angel is a vampire with a soul. They slept together so Angel lost his soul and reverted back to Angelus, a vampire bent on destroying the world. He finds the demon Acathla and tries to awaken him to literally suck the world into hell. He kidnaps Giles, Buffy's mentor, to help him do that and Kendra, another slayer, is killed during the fight. The police find Buffy kneeling over Kendra's body and now she's on the run, wanted as a murder suspect. She allies with Spike, a long-time enemy, to take Angelus down and inadvertently her mom sees them kill a vampire, ending her secret identity. Her mom doesn't take the news well and Buffy ends up kicked out. The principal also expels her after she returns to the crime scene to get the sword that can kill Angelus. Let's just say her day sucks. Learning that only Angel's blood can open and close Acathla, she goes to fight him unaware that her best friend, Willow, is preparing a spell to get Angel's soul back - mostly because Xander, her other best friend, doesn't tell her. Xander rescues Giles, Spike flees with Drusilla, and Buffy and Angelus begin an epic sword fight in one of the best action sequences of the show. Just when it looks like Angelus has beaten her, Buffy summons her inner strength and the battle ensues. She takes Angelus down and is about to strike him when Willow's spell works. Angel is back, confused but concerned as always about Buffy. They hug but as Buffy opens her eyes, she sees that Acathla has awakened and is creating a vortex to suck in the world. She realizes that to save the world, she must kill the man she loves. Telling him to close his eyes, Buffy stabs him in the chest and as he is being sucked into the closing vortex he holds out his hand to her, calling his name. She breaks down as he disappears. Having lost her love, school, and home in one day, she decides to leave Sunnydale and the life she made there.

Supernatural - In Illinois, Sam researches a djinn while Dean tracks it to an abandoned warehouse, where it blue lights him. He wakes in an alternate reality where he lives with a woman named Carmen, his mom and Jessica never died, and Sam and he don't get along. At first Dean thinks his unspoken wish was granted and he experiences the kind of life he'd have lead if demons never attacked his family. It's the second chance he's been secretly hoping for since he was a kid. Dean has never been so happy nor has Supernatural been so light, almost painfully bright. Things are not perfect, especially with Sam, but he believes he can fix that. And then the other shoe drops. First Dean sees visions of a girl obviously dying. Then he realizes that by not becoming a hunter, all the people they saved over the years died. He's stuck between staying in the life where Sam and he can be happy or killing the djinn so things return to normal. In a pinnacle scene, Dean stands at John's tombstone asking why they always have to sacrifice themselves for others. Still, he's a Winchester and Winchesters sacrifice so he heads home to find a silver knife. Awakening Sam, in a play straight out of the pilot, Dean says he's stealing Mary's silverware to pay off a bookie and asks Sam to tell her that he loves her. A suspicious Sam gets into the Impala and refuses to let Dean do anything stupid alone. Dean's impressed and the brothers drive off until Sam finds out why and thinks Dean is crazy. Dean throws his phone out the window and they drive to Illinois where Sam learns the truth. In a big twist, Dean does as well. This fantasy world is all in his head. He's slowly dying in the warehouse instead. While fake Sam, Jessica, Carmen, and Mary try to convince him to stay anyway, Dean ultimately stabs himself awake. Real Sam finds him and they kill the djinn together before rescuing the girl Dean saw. In the motel later, Dean laments their lives but Sam says what they do is important and cements their brotherly bond.


The Characters:

To be honest, Buffy and Sam Winchester are more alike than Dean. They both want a normal life, but circumstances have forced them into the supernatural world. They both have supernatural gifts as well. However, as the gravesite scene here shows, Dean is less and less okay with hunting. Ever since his dad told him that he may have to kill Sam, Dean has questioned the life they live. He's not reluctant to kill evil but he is reluctant to have evil play out in his brother's life. He will protect Sam at all costs. All three have a penchant for saving the world…a lot, even if it comes at a high personal price, even if it demands the ultimate price. Let's face it. They've all died a lot too.

Still they are not alone. Dean and Sam have each other, forming the foundation of the whole series. While they occasionally get help from Bobby, Ellen, Ash, and Jo, it is for all intents and purposes them against the world. In this episode, Dean is largely on his own given that he is stuck in his own headspace. One of my favorite moments though is when Hallucination Sam refuses to let Dean go on his own just like Real Sam. It's a nice nod to the fact that (up to this point) the brothers may not always agree but they do always have each other's backs. It also shows at Real Sam's relief to finally find Dean in the djinn's lair and his worry when he doesn't know if Dean's alive. The Winchesters may not have much but they do have each other.

Buffy has the Scooby Gang. I love that while she is the Chosen One, she's not some Boy King character where only she can rescue and save. In fact, she wouldn't be alive without the help of her family and friends. It makes the role much richer and the character less annoying. It also makes her vulnerable. In the previous episode, Angelus knows her weakness and lures her away from her friends so that he can get Giles. Bad move. Attacking Xander, rendering Willow unconscious, taking Giles, and killing Kendra is the push Buffy needs to end things once and for all. Buffy may be the slayer but the Scooby Gang is her motivation. This episode also focuses heavily on her relationship with her mother. Joyce, having been in the dark for years, now refuses to accept her daughter's destiny and it tears the two of them apart. This, in turn, makes it easier for Buffy to walk out of her own life.


The Sacrifice:

In Buffy, the sacrifice is evident. With the exception of her friends, Buffy has lost everything dear to her because of slaying. She lost her popularity and possibly her father with the stress that came in learning she was the slayer. She lost her innocence of evil and her carefree, somewhat spoiled, lifestyle as well. She even lost her life. In Becoming Part 2, what she loses most is her hope and willingness to keep going. Life has finally beaten her down and she wants to disappear. Slaying only takes and takes. One by one the things she still has in her life are stripped away. She's wanted by the police for murder, expelled from school, and her own mother tells her not to come back. She thinks nothing more can be taken from her but fate is cruel as she is forced to kill the man she loves. It would be bad enough to lose him through a villain or accident, but to have to do it herself is the biggest sacrifice of all. In that sword thrust, Angel may have gone to hell but Buffy also lost herself.

People tend to debate Dean's sacrifice in WiaWSNB, but for me it is a very real choice - one that comes into play in the very next episode. Yes, this world in which his mother never died is a fantasy and yes, staying would cause Dean himself to die in the real world. However, they clearly state that it would feel like an lifetime to Dean, a full life, maybe with kids, lived out in its entirety in his mind. He glimpses what joy feels like, not just for him but for the people he loves more than himself. To give it up means not seeing Sammy marry. To give it up means never getting to know his mother. In a very real sense, Dean experiences life outside of hunting for the first time and the chance to have that normal life Sam always craved. By giving it up for the real world full of death, uncertainty, sorrow and their father's threat hanging over him, Dean sacrifices a bit of himself. It's the part full of hope for a future instead of dying at the hands of evil. It's the part he ruthlessly shoves down through alcohol, sex, and violence - the part he rarely lets anyone see.


The Emotional Pull:

Buffy - Obviously the biggest emotional moment was Buffy killing Angel, but it wasn't the only one. Second in intensity was the conflict between Buffy and Joyce. For Joyce, it's the shock of realizing her daughter has a secret identity she didn't know or didn’t want to know about. She has to face the truth of supernatural creatures in the same moment she learns her daughter has been fighting them all along. When Buffy mentions how dangerous her job is, it is the final straw for Joyce. No one wants their child in harm's way and when Buffy starts to leave, Joyce utters an ultimatum very uncharacteristic of her and it ends up driving her daughter away at the exact time she needs Joyce the most. For Buffy, she finally tells her mom her big secret and her worst nightmare comes true. She feels like Joyce is rejecting her and it causes her to lash out harshly with certain truths instead of finding a more tactful way. It's the culminating moment of all her frustrations and anger at the life she's been forced into and it can't come at a worse time. On a happier note, Xander also gets a key scene at Willow's bedside. His pleas for her to wake up because without her he has no one to study with or talk about the day's events with were heartfelt and compelling. In truth, I like this speech a whole lot better than the broken yellow crayon one he gave to Dark Willow. Over the years it felt like Xander's friendship with Willow got shafted for her one with Buffy so this scene always holds a special place in my heart. Lastly, Giles scores a heartfelt moment with a Jenny hallucination. More and more I feel that killing Jenny off was a mistake, especially since there was no closure. It felt like they reconciled Giles and her just to make her death more of a punch, but she had so many things to add to the story in her own right. Therefore, the look on Giles' face when he sees her is heartbreaking not just from his standpoint but from mine too. I missed you, Jenny Calendar.


Supernatural - The big emotional scene of WIaWSNB is also the scene I like least. Dean emoangsting over John's grave only makes me want to Gibbs' slap his dad even more. Good thing there are plenty of subtle and tender moments to choose from. For me, the single best emotional moment is when Mary cups Dean's face to tell him goodnight and he leans into her touch just a heartbeat more. The sheer longing on his face, the number of times he must have dreamt of this, breaks my heart. In 3 minutes he goes from a kick butt warrior to the 4 year old whose mother cut the crusts off his bread and sang him Hey Jude when he went to bed. There's a vulnerability shining on his face that the guarded man of tragedy rarely lets show. It's also there when Mary first opens the door. He wants to believe that his wish came true, yearns for it, but at the same time his past experiences won't let him believe anything that good could happen to him. It's not until he verifies she is Mary that he can relax enough to hug his own mom. Even a hardhearted cynic like myself can't help but want this for him too. Sam comes through in a big way also. When Dean sees the girl and frantically tells her that he's got her, Sam realizes this ordeal went well past normal case issues for Dean. Later in the motel room, he soft voices Dean and reassures him that what they do is important and that they matter. Again Dean is vulnerable and watching Sam take care of Dean in this way drives home how much they mean to each other. It's Sam taking care of Dean the best way he knows how and it's beautiful, even if Dean's "woe is me" attitude becomes tainted by future seasons.


The Quotes:

Buffy -
1. Spike: "The truth is I like this world. You've got dog racing, Manchester United, and you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's alright here."
2. Angelus: "So that's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away and what's left?" Buffy: "Me."
3. Angelus: "Since when did you become so levelheaded?" Spike: "Right about the time you became so pigheaded. You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world and I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet."
4. Buffy: "Open your eyes mom. What do you think has been going on for the past 2 years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing and you still haven't figured it out?" Joyce: "Well it stops now." Buffy: "No, it doesn't stop. It never stops. Do you think I chose to be like this? Do you have any idea how lonely it is, how dangerous? I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys or God, even studying, but I have to save the world. Again."
5. Buffy: "Let me clear this up for you. We're mortal enemies. We don't get timeouts." Spike: "You want to go a round, pet, I'll have a gay old time of it. You want to stop Angel, we're going to have to play this a bit differently."


Supernatural -
1. Dean: "This is dangerous and you could get hurt." Sam: "Yeah and so could you, Dean." Dean: "Sam…" Sam: "Look whatever stupid thing you're about to do, you're not doing it alone and that's that." Dean: "I don't understand. Why are you doing this?" Sam: "Because you're still my brother."
2. Dean: "Well…uh, the djinn. It attacked me." Sam: "The gin? You're drinking gin?"
3. Dean: "B**." Sam: "What are you calling me a b** for?" Dean: "You're supposed to say jerk."
4. Dean: "Aww Aunty Em, there's no place like home." Sam: "Thank God. I thought I lost you for a second." Dean: "You almost did."
5. Dean: "This isn't gonna make a lick of sense to you, but I kind of feel like I've been given a second chance and I don't want to waste it."


The Music:

In both episodes, music played a vital part in key scenes. In fact, it helped make these scenes as powerful as they are.

1. Close Your Eyes (Buffy/Angel theme) was written by Christophe Beck, who also composed for Frozen and another zillion other shows and movies. It is one of my favorite pieces of instrumental music and perfect for the scene where Angel is restored and Buffy has to kill him. The bittersweet mood is captured in the slow, almost dirge-like pace and undertones and yet there are moments of beauty and light that run throughout. It's the musical equivalent of nostalgia before the dramatic swell and fadeout. Just stunning. Check it out here.

2. What a Wonderful World by the Ramones. This is such a good song-to-scene choice. Dean relishes doing the simple things like mowing the lawn and eating a sandwich his mom made him, things he has been deprived of his whole life. The tone and lighting are brighter than any in Supernatural's history so a rocking feel good song is just what's needed to sell the scene. Again perfection.

3. Full of Grace by Sarah MacLachlan. If ever there was a song that encompasses the weight of the world and desperation, this one does. And it does so beautifully. The lyrics fit exactly how Buffy feels at the end, pulled under by darkness and needing to let go of it all in order to find some solid ground.


Other Notes:

Becoming Part 2 jumpstarts many future storylines. It, of course, introduces the Mayor as the Big Bad of season 3. More importantly, it kick starts Willow as a full-fledged witch with extraordinary powers. While I wasn't a fan of dumping her computer nerd status, it did change her whole character and became a major part of the show. Spike's betrayal has similar consequences including the disastrous decision to make him a good guy. He was the most fun, snarky villain of all until they had to go and redeem him. Killing off Kendra also allows for the introduction of Faith, a strong fan favorite. Sadly this episode also foreshadowed Xander and Willow getting together briefly and all the emoangsting that followed.

The djinn in WIaWSNB may be the coolest looking villain ever. I love all its tattoos and the blue hand glow rocked. Plus a villain that kills you by giving you exactly what you want has a more diabolical turn than most. This is also the episode where the Impala license plate changes to CNK 80Q3, and yes, in the Supernatural fandom that means something. :-P Plus this is the second time we see Dean not wearing the amulet. The first is when the shapeshifter stole it in Skin. It's also the third time we see Mary after the Pilot and Home and the third time we see Jessica after the Pilot and Bloody Mary. Both women, though dead, will come back periodically throughout the first 6 seasons.


Final Thoughts:

Buffy - Season two of Buffy is one of my favorite TV seasons of all time. There are 1 or 2 duds, but overall the whole season was fantastic and having Angelus as the Big Bad was inspired. It made things personal and rocked Buffy to her core. Then to end it like this. I have never felt such loss for a TV character in my life and it is this powerful acting scene that makes Becoming II my favorite episode of TV. The sheer desolation is a physical force that still moves me even though I know how it ends. I will never forget how visceral this episode was when I first watched. It's the first time TV ever truly moved me, although it wasn't the last, and as such it is seared into my memory. Yes, some things don't stand the test of time and quite frankly I don't think it would be as powerful to anyone who didn't see it in the 90's. Nowadays every supernatural show has sympathetic "monsters" and there is far too much supernatural romance tragedy on for this to make much of a punch. But back then, it was a new thought first made popular by Anne Rice and perfected in the Buffy and Angel saga. Still the episode goes well beyond a supernatural romance. By systematically stripping Buffy down throughout these episodes, by taking away her school and mom and even her hope, they leave her with nothing but herself to cling to and when she tells Angelus that she still has herself left, it is an enormous stand for girl power. One that I still applaud today. There may be tons of teenage female heroes now but Buffy really began that on TV, leaving a legacy for some of my favorite characters to come. I saw her in Veronica Mars. I see her in Clarke on The 100. I see her in Katniss of The Hunger Games. I even see her in Harry Potter. In fact, I see shades of Buffy everywhere and for that I am grateful. Buffy changed the TV landscape more than I realized at the time and gave us a girl we could believe in that helped us believe in ourselves. She didn't just kick butt. She could be powerful and vulnerable. She could, when necessary, take down evil on her own, but she also needed her friends to help ground her and make that fight worthwhile. She sacrificed nobly but that sacrifice took its toll on her and in the end, her sorrow became ours. That's what makes this episode so powerful.

Supernatural - Like Buffy, the second season is my favorite of Supernatural. It intensifies the mytharc, has some great standalones, and most importantly it stays about the brothers before the story got too big, too epic, and too filled with other characters. It also encompasses a nostalgic time for me as a viewer before the fandom took over. Still What Is and What Should Never Be is light on the action I crave. So why do I love best an admittedly emotional and sometimes emoangsty episode when I typically prefer to avoid those? I guess the short answer is because it's the one episode in which the Winchesters are happy. In a season of wild emotional rides, the writers finally give the brothers a free pass to feel joy for a moment and with that they give us, the fans, a pass to be happy with them. It may not have been real. It may have come with consequences, but they enjoyed life without worrying about something killing them. They felt hope for the future and a life beyond their reality. For me, it was a needed break before the incredibly depressing saga of Sam's first death. While I love the humor of Supernatural, it is usually gallows humor. Something to get through the depression and the fear and the loneliness. It makes me laugh, but I don't feel better about their lives. This episode is my respite and instead of getting tired of an episode I have watched more times than I can count, it actually grows more powerful the longer Supernatural is on the air. It got me through the emoangsting of season 4, the angel overload of season 5, the ever annoying Cas saga of season 6, the Amy issues and lack of Baby in season 7, and has been my solid rock in the Carver years. Whenever contrived drama and yet another round of brother fighting gets me down, I turn to this episode and it restores my faith in the Winchesters. It's my ultimate TV comfort food and I will forever be grateful to Raelle Tucker for penning it.



Screencaps by A Hell of a Woman, Buffy Wikia, Fanpop, Jet Wolf, Angelfire, Carlos Nightman, Fan Forum, Moley 75, Deviant Art, Media Cache, Pinterest, TV Tropes, Supernatural TV,  SPN Jensen LoveTumblr, and me.



About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and creates polls for Sleepy Hollow, White Collar, Grimm, Teen Wolf, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
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Buffy - 2.22 - Becoming Part 2 - Recap / Review and Episode Awards




Previously….hey, wait a minute. There are no previouslies and this is a 2-parter. That's freaking awesome. No recapitations either? Wow, they must have trusted that the audience wasn't brain dead in the 90's. Nowadays they recap stuff that happened 10 minutes ago. However since this episode aired over 15 years ago and you might not remember, let me recap for you. Angel is a vampire cursed by gypsies with a soul (way before every vampire became a soft, cuddly, sparkly boyfriend of the night). Buffy is a vampire slayer. They screwed and in that one moment of happiness, Angel lost his soul and reverted back to Angelus, your typical vampire bent on world destruction and emotional torture. It was a brilliant twist on the typical "I slept with the guy and now he's a douche" trope. Angelus spends the next few episodes torturing Buffy, stalking her friends, and killing a fan favorite character when she found a way to restore his soul. Willow, computer geek and burgeoning witch, tries to do the spell herself but Angel sends his minions to grab Giles, demon expert and Buffy's mentor, and she gets knocked out. Xander, another part of the Scooby Gang, is taken down as well and Kendra, another slayer, is killed. Buffy realizes Angelus lured her out in order to get to her friends so she runs in only to find Kendra's dead body. Oh and Angelus is trying to literally suck the world into hell through a demon called Acathla. There, now you're all caught up. Enjoy the ride!

As Buffy checks on Kendra's dead body, 2 police officers appear to take her in for questioning. Buffy protests her innocence and tries to get to an unconscious Xander, but Principal Snyder tells them she's a troublemaker. Snyder: "If there's trouble, she's behind it." Buffy: "You stupid, little troll. You have no idea." Sadly that's not true. The officer goes to cuff Buffy but she punches him and takes off running as the other officer shoots at her. In the school. Hmm. Undercover in a totally non-suspicious ski cap, Buffy heads to the hospital to check on her friends where she runs into Xander. He exposits his injuries and Willow's before hugging Buffy to keep the cops from noticing her. Buffy: "Okay that was about equal parts protecting me and copping a feel, right?" Nope, Xander isn't flirting because Willow is still unconscious. Cordelia, Xander's girlfriend/ex-mean girl/part of the Scooby team, joins them. Cordelia: "I ran. I think I made it through 3 counties before I realized nobody was chasing me. Not too brave." Buffy: "It was the right thing to do." They finally realize that Giles is missing, which only means one thing - bad Angelus villain dialogue. Seriously. Giles wakes up to hear this, "I want to torture you. I used to love it but it's been a long time. I mean the last time I tortured somebody we didn't even have chainsaws." That dialogue is torture enough, trust me. Angelus took Giles because he thinks he might know how to wake up Acathla, but Giles isn't feeling chatty. I'd talk just to shut Angelus up.

Joyce, on the other hand, wishes the police would shut up as they tell her Buffy is a murder suspect. I have no idea why since Xander would have surely told them Buffy had nothing to do with it. Did they not question him when he came to? The Sunnydale police are not exactly competent. They do snark as they leave though. At Giles' home Buffy encounters Whistler, the demon that inspired Angel to get into the good fight in the previous episode's flashbacks. He snarks too. Generally Buffy and I like that in a person, but not so much here. Buffy: "I have had a really bad day, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then I am grateful for it. If you're going to crack jokes, then I am going to pull out your rib cage and wear it as a hat." Like all supernaturals, Whistler talks in riddles but the bottom line is that he figured Angel would be saving the world from Acathla instead of Angelus starting the apocalypse. He blames Buffy. I think the mystical realm needs a better soothsayer. He asks what Buffy is prepared to do but she's out of patience. "Well why don't you try getting off your immortal a** and fighting evil once and awhile because I'm sick and tired of doing it myself." Amen! Whistler spouts some "in the end you're always alone" nonsense and she storms out.

Just in time to get busted by a cop until…..enter Spike, one of the best villains of any TV show (until season 4 when they completely ruined him by turning him into a good guy.) Buffy is astonished to see him, given everyone thought he was wheelchair bound but he's got a bigger shocker. As Buffy attacks, Spike raises the white flag. Buffy: "Let me clear this up for you. We're mortal enemies. We don't get timeouts." Spike: "You want to go a round, pet, I'll have a gay old time of it. You want to stop Angel, we're going to have to play this a bit differently." Buffy is naturally skeptical, but Spike wants Angel "in the bloody ground" and is willing to make odd alliances to insure it happens. Spike offers info on Giles in good faith and explains that vampires are just big windbags. "We like to talk big, vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.' It's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is I like this world. You've got dog racing, Manchester United, and you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's alright here." Happy Meals, ha! Best line of the night! Spike is worried Angel might just end the world. Well that and he wants his girlfriend all to himself again. Buffy and I eye roll together. Buffy: "You're pathetic." Yep, especially after season 3. "The whole earth may be sucked into hell and you want my help because your girlfriend's a big ho? Well let me take this opportunity to not care." You tell him! Spike points out the logistical problems of working alone and in the end, commonsense prevails. Kind of. Partnering with your mortal enemy has a lot of drawbacks. Buffy: "I hate you." Spike: "And I'm all you've got." So sad and yet so true. Spike wants to finish off the policeman but Buffy's not down with that so they head to Buffy's.

We however head to the hospital where Willow is still unconscious. Cordelia goes to get Xander coffee, about as big a character development in a small moment as you can get. As the sad piano plinks, Xander pleads for Willow to wake up. He needs her. Xander: "Look, you don't have a choice here. You've got to wake up. I need you Will. I mean how am I going to pass trig, you know? And who am I going to call every night and talk about everything we did all day? You're my best friend. You've always…I love you." Willow starts to wake and calls out for Oz, who comes in right then. Willow: "My head feels big. Is it big?" Oz: "No, it's head sized." Awww, I like how these two can sell those lines as hokey as these. Willow is going to be fine, hurrah. Giles not so much. A bound and bleeding Giles has to listen to Angelus congratulating him on holding out so long. I'm not exactly sure how Angelus is torturing him because he doesn't look any the worse for wear than all the other times he's been kidnapped by evil. In fact, he's a sight better except his hand, yet there's pain in his voice as he stays resolute at not helping the vampire at all. Meanwhile, a worried Joyce, Buffy, and Spike all end up at her house together and Joyce freaks out over the events of last episode. Spike is more amazed that Joyce doesn't know Buffy's a vampire slayer. Believe me, we all were buddy. Buffy lies again and says that Spike and she are in a band. Spike: "Yeah, she's hell on the old skins, eh." They head inside but are attacked by a vampire. Spike and Buffy take him out and poof. He turns to ash right before Joyce's eyes. "Buffy, what is going on?" Buffy: "Mom, I'm a vampire slayer." As Joyce looks on incredulously, two words pop into my mind. About. Time. It's one of my favorite things about this episode because the secret was stalling Joyce's character and stretched believability.

As Willow assures Buffy that her brain is not mushed and Buffy accepts that Angel is never coming back, Joyce and Spike sit in awkward silence in the living room. Joyce realizes that she has met Spike before in School Hard, where she whacked him with an axe because he attacked Buffy. Ha! Good times. Buffy wraps up the call by telling Xander where Angelus has Giles. Xander: "Do you think Giles is still alive?" Buffy: "I think he is. I just wish he was here to tell me what to do." She heads back to the living room and says no deal on letting Drusilla walk, but Spike insists. Buffy says she killed Kendra and Spike is elated for her. Probably not the best idea when the other slayer is right there. Spike: "Hey good for her. Though not from your perspective I suppose." BWAAHHH!!! This is how I love Spike. Snarky, fun, and plain evil. Joyce however is baffled on why Buffy wants to kill her boyfriend. She's also relieved that Buffy didn't kill Kendra, which offends Buffy that her mom ever thought she did. In all fairness, Buffy has killed a lot of monsters that looked like people so it's a fair observation. Spike has business to settle about Dru, but Joyce keeps interrupting with questions that will not wait any longer. "Honey, are you sure you're a vampire slayer? I mean…have you tried not being a slayer?" Ha! I love that line too. Spike tells Buffy that he'll help her and then take Dru away. Spike: "You'll never hear from us again I bloody well hope." Buffy agrees but on one condition. "If Giles dies, she dies." Spike heads back to Angelus to make sure that doesn't happen.

That leaves Buffy alone with a freaked out Joyce. "It's because you didn't have a strong father figure, isn't it?" Ha! The go-to blame for all America's problems in the 80's and 90's. Not this time. Buffy: "It's just fate, mom. I'm the slayer. Accept it." Joyce wants to call the police but Buffy explains that all it will do is get them killed. Joyce: "Well you're not going to hurt them, are you?" Buffy: "I'm a slayer, not a postal worker." That line really was funny back in the 90's. Buffy hangs up the phone because police as a rule are not equipped to handle vampires, she is. She tries to walk away with a snide comment but Joyce is having none of it. She wants answers. NOW! Joyce: "I am your mother and you will make time to explain yourself." Buffy: "I told you I'm a vampire slayer." Joyce: "Well I just don't accept that." Buffy: "Open your eyes mom. What do you think has been going on for the past 2 years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing and you still haven't figured it out?" Joyce: "Well it stops now." Buffy: "No, it doesn't stop. It never stops. Do you think I chose to be like this? Do you have any idea how lonely it is, how dangerous? I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys or God, even studying, but I have to save the world. Again." Joyce tries to stop Buffy from leaving and so Buffy shoves her away. Joyce: "If you walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back." Buffy just stares at her before walking out, leaving the door wide open. When this episode first aired, a lot of people hated Joyce in this scene and to tell your daughter that she can't come back home is hard to justify even in the heat of the moment. However, in all fairness, she doesn't know what's happening and she's freaked out. If my daughter just told me she was a superhero and about to go into a dangerous situation alone, I would be resistant to the idea too. Buffy needed to give her a short synopsis of events before going off to save the world instead of lashing out at her mom in her anger. Does Buffy have the right to be angry over her fate? Yes, absolutely. But that doesn't mean she can expect Joyce to be on board with things mere minutes after realizing she's been lied to for years.

Things are only slightly less tense at the hospital when Willow decides to try the curse again after they were rudely interrupted last time. Xander points out that she'd being dealing with powerful magic when she isn't well. Cordelia points out Willow's flat hair. Ha! Oh, Cordy. Oz is just confused. Oz: "Okay, I pretty much missed out some stuff, didn't I? Because this is all making the kind of sense that's not." I love Oz, but did no one fill him in on why Willow is in the hospital? Hmm. Willow is resolved because if they can convert Angelus back to Angel, no one will have to save the world again. Angel will destroy Acathla instead of awaken him. That makes sense to me even if Xander still doesn't like it. She sends Oz and Cordy to get her stuff and Xander to Buffy in hopes of stalling Angel, who keeps torturing Giles. Maybe. Still doesn't look like it. Angelus: "Just tell me what I need to know." Giles: "In order to be worthy you must perform the ritual in a tutu, pillock." I laugh; Angelus does not. He wants to use chainsaws but Spike reminds him that a dead watcher tells no tales. Angelus: "Since when did you become so levelheaded?" Spike: "Right about the time you became so pigheaded. You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world and I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet." Ha! Angelus asks what he plans and Spike brings out the big guns. "Drusilla sweetheart, do you want to play a game?" Uh oh. That is never good. Meanwhile Buffy heads back to the school to get the sword to kill Angelus when Snyder shows up too. Snyder: "You do know this is a crime scene, don't you? But then you're a criminal so that pretty much works out." Buffy reminds him that she's innocent and the police will figure it out. Snyder counters, "In case you haven't noticed, the police at Sunnydale are deeply stupid." Sadly, he's right. Besides he's come to gloat. "These are the moments you want to savor. You wish time would stop so that you can live them over and over again. You're expelled." Buffy pulls out the sword. "You never ever got a single date in high school, did you?" She walks out while Snyder calls the Mayor about her.

While Principal Snyder subtly introduces us to next season's Big Bad, Drusilla tries the honey approach to get answers from Giles. She sympathizes and uses her psychic power to not only read his mind but put him in a trance of sorts. Then she makes him see Jenny. So good to have her back, even if she's a hallucination. She presses about the ritual and he spills everything. Angel's blood is the key to opening Acathla. Fake Jenny kisses Giles, while Angelus has a "duh" moment. He wants to kill Giles but Spike convinces him that it would be better to see if the spell works first. Angelus: "You know, I kind of like having you watch my back." Neither of them like watching Dru mack on Giles. I find it repulsive too. Giles though is in complete shock when he realizes what he did. He knows better than this. Buffy, on the other hand, needs knowledge about the sword and heads back to find Whistler, who's making himself at home in Giles' place. Whistler: "You know raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get the good stuff." Buffy has no time for nonsense so Whistler exposits that Angel's blood opens Acathla and it is the only thing that can close him again. If Acathla's mouth opens she'll have to send both Angel and Acathla to hell or the whole world goes there instead. Whistler suggests stopping Angelus before he can even open Acathla. Duh. Whistler: "The faster you kill Angel, the easier it's going to be on you." Buffy: "Don't worry about me." She says she doesn't have anything left to lose and walks out. Whistler whispers, "Wrong kid. You've got one more thing." Talk about foreshadowing. I hereby spend the rest of the episode worrying that one of the Scooby Gang will die, especially Giles, who I cannot lose anymore than Buffy can.

As day breaks over Sunnydale, Buffy arrives at Angelus' hideout only to meet up with Xander there. Xander: "Calvary's here. Calvary's a frightened guy with a rock but it's here." Aww. Buffy hands him a stake instead and tells him to get Giles out. He's not to take on Angelus or the vamps. Buffy unsheathes the sword as they walk down the middle of the road in broad daylight with cops still after her. Maybe not the best plan. Sigh. Buffy calls the sword a present for Angel and Xander is about to tell her about Willow's spell idea but then changes his mind. It might be out of jealousy, hatred, revenge, or even because he doesn't want to give Buffy false hope or distract her. Either way, it's a decision that will come back to haunt them all and affects his future relationship with Buffy. While they talk, Angel begins the ritual and Willow starts the spell. Oz: "Did I mention I didn't take Latin?" Willow: "You don't have to understand it. You just have to say it….I hope." Nice to know they have a good understanding of this potent spell before trying it. Just saying. Right as Angelus cuts his hand, Buffy beheads one of his vamps and the fight for the world begins. Buffy: "Hello lover." Angelus: "I don't have time for you." Buffy: "You don't have a lot of time left." It's cheesetastic in here. Angelus says that the odds are not in her favor, which is Spike's cue to bash Angelus until Dru attacks him. Spike: "I don't want to hurt you baby. Doesn't mean I won't." Spike knocks Dru down while Buffy takes on a random vamp.

Meanwhile Xander grabs Giles. Giles thinks Xander is another Drusilla trick. "They get inside my head. Make me see things I want." Xander: "Then why would they make you see me?" Giles: "Oh right. Let's go." Bwah! I love how Buffy intersperses levity and snark even in the highest action points. Xander gets Giles out, Buffy stakes random vamp, and Spike and Dru continue trading punches. Right until Angelus touches Acathla's sword and everything's bathed in white light. Acathla's awake. Too late, Willow struggles with the spell in the hospital as Spike chokeholds Drusilla unconscious and Buffy and Angelus grab their swords. Angelus: "My boy Acathla's about to wake up. You're going to hell." Buffy: "Save me a seat." Then one of my favorite action sequences in Buffy begins - the Buffy/Angelus sword fight. I love me a great sword fight. Angelus draws first blood but neither gives an inch. Willow continues to struggle with the spell when a spirit takes over her body, speaking the words fluently. Oz: "Is this a good thing?" Let's assume not. The sword battle begins with Angelus definitely winning. In one of my favorite moments of the whole show, Spike carries Dru right by them. "God, he's going to kill her." Then he gives a little head shrug and keeps going. BWAAHHH!!! I never adored Spike more than in that moment. He made such a great, practical villain. Angelus however uses the time to taunt Buffy. "So that's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away and what's left?" Buffy closes her eyes and catches the sword. "Me." Woo hoo! Feel the girl power explode. She takes back the fight, stronger than ever until Angelus is on his knees.

At that moment, Spike and Dru leave as Willow finishes the spell and the Orb of Thesulah glows. So do Angel's eyes. He's back. And confused as Buffy and Angel's theme plays mournfully in the background (one of the best TV themes ever created). He looks up at her and asks what's going on. At first Buffy is skeptical, but it's really Angel. She slowly puts the sword down as he worries about the cut on her arm that he put there. They hug as months of previous terror are washed away in their tears. Angel: "I feel like I haven't seen you in months." He says all that Buffy needed to hear and for one moment everything is perfect again, but as she opens her eyes Acathla opens his mouth. She realizes what she has to do. She kisses Angel and tells him not to worry as the vortex gets bigger behind him. Buffy: "I love you." Angel: "I love you." Buffy: "Close your eyes." She kisses him again as he does and then stabs him in the chest with the sword while the music swells. He holds his hand out to her and calls her name as he's sucked into hell with Acathla. She just stands there in shock and grief. So do I. And then Buffy and Angel's theme changes to Sarah McLachlan's Full of Grace and I am done. It gets me every time. When I first saw this scene, I actually bawled. I cry very rarely and even less at TV, but this scene totally did me in. In some ways, it still does.

Buffy's face crumbles as she realizes that she did have one more thing to lose and now she's just drained. She's lost everything including her hope and will to keep going. She heads home to pick up some clothes and leaves a note for Joyce, who also breaks down reading it. Sadly we don't get to see what the note says, but Joyce's face tells us the gist. She's lost her daughter and my heart breaks again. Back at school, Giles worries about Willow's health since she's in a wheelchair but she's equally worried about him. Aww. The Scooby Gang recaps and wonders where Buffy is. Oz: "But we know the world didn't end, because…check it out." Giles and Xander confirm. They went back to Angelus' lair and Acathla was still stone. Willow is hopeful that Buffy and Angel are reunited since the spell worked, but Xander knows that didn't happen. "Maybe she had to kill him before the cure could work." Cordelia and Willow say Buffy will show up to clarify, but little do they know that Buffy was expelled and she's watching them from across the street. They turn to go back into Sunnydale High without Buffy, who stays awhile longer before turning. The wind blows as she walks down the street to catch a bus. As Sarah McLachlan sings, "It's better this way," the camera pans on the Now Leaving Sunnydale sign and we fade to black, completely, emotionally wrecked. Thanks Joss Whedon. In fact the theme music during the ending credits are a brutal shock. Even the closing card realizes how exquisitely painful this episode is. Instead of saying, "I made this" like usual, it says, "Oh, I need a hug." Why yes, we do.

Season two of Buffy is one of my favorite TV seasons of all time. There are 1 or 2 duds, but overall the whole season was fantastic and having Angelus as the Big Bad was inspired. It made things personal and rocked Buffy to her core. Then to end it like this. I have never felt such loss for a TV character in my life and it is this powerful acting scene that makes Becoming II my favorite episode of TV. The sheer desolation is a physical force that still moves me even though I know how it ends. I will never forget how visceral this episode was when I first watched. It's the first time TV ever truly moved me, although it wasn't the last, and as such it is seared into my memory. Yes, some things don't stand the test of time and quite frankly I don't think it would be as powerful to anyone who didn't see it in the 90's. Nowadays every supernatural show has sympathetic "monsters" and there is far too much supernatural romance tragedy on for this to make much of a punch. But back then, it was a new thought first made popular by Anne Rice and perfected in the Buffy and Angel saga.

Still the episode goes well beyond a supernatural romance. By systematically stripping Buffy down throughout these episodes, by taking away her school and mom and even her hope, they leave her with nothing but herself to cling to and when she tells Angelus that she still has herself left, it is an enormous stand for girl power. One that I still applaud today. There may be tons of teenage female heroes now but Buffy really began that on TV, leaving a legacy for some of my favorite characters to come. I saw her in Veronica Mars. I see her in Clarke on The 100. I see her in Katniss of The Hunger Games. I even see her in Harry Potter. In fact, I see shades of Buffy everywhere and for that I am grateful. Buffy changed the TV landscape more than I realized at the time and gave us a girl we could believe in that helped us believe in ourselves. She didn't just kick butt. She could be powerful and vulnerable. She could, when necessary, take down evil on her own, but she also needed her friends to help ground her and make that fight worthwhile. She sacrificed nobly but that sacrifice took its toll on her and in the end, her sorrow became ours. That's what makes this episode so powerful.

Grade: A+

Best Reason to Watch - everything seems to vague an answer so I will say everything with Buffy
Best Emotional Scene (maybe of all time) - Buffy kills Angel
Second Best Scene - Joyce and Buffy fight over being the slayer
Best Non-Buffy Emotional Scene - Xander pleads for Willow to wake up
Best Moment - Spike sees Angel about to kill Buffy and just shrugs it off
Best Plan - Spike uses Drusilla to get the truth out of Giles
Best Snark - Spike
The "About Time" Award - Joyce finally knows that Buffy is a vampire slayer
Biggest Twist - the Spike and Buffy alliance
Best Action - Buffy and Angel swordfight
The "You Know It's Serious When…" Award - Xander isn't making a funny comment
Best Return - Jenny Calendar, even if she was only a hallucination
Most Awkward - Joyce and Spike talk about the tie she hit him with an axe in School Hard
Worst Liars - Buffy and Spike with their rock band spiel
Best Foreshadowing - Snyder calls the Mayor
Worst Foreshadowing - Whistler says Buffy still has one thing left to lose
Most Likely to Come Back to Haunt You - Xander doesn't tell Buffy that Willow is trying to spell again / Joyce tells Buffy if she leaves she can't come back
Most Tame Torture - Giles barely has a scratch on him except a couple broke fingers. I wonder exactly how the Big Bad Angelus tortured him.
Most Adorably Clueless - Oz
Biggest Truth - Snyder's right, the police in Sunnydale are seriously incompetent
Worst Fashion Statement - Buffy's baggy pants when she leaves are about 3 sizes too big



Screencaps by IMVU, Fanpop, Buffy Wikia, Fan Forum, Jet WolfPinterest, Slay Alive, Carlos Nightman, 7 Inches of Your Time, Pinterest, Das Sporking, Eternal Delena Lovers, Fanpop, Unwelcome Commentary, Den of Geek, Critically Touched, Collider, and me.



About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and creates polls for Sleepy Hollow, White Collar, Grimm, Teen Wolf, and others. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts the Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
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