Becoming part 1
Becoming part 1
Season 2, Episode 21 (Episode 33 of entire series)
This episode is the first half of the season 2 ender. It packs more into an hour than I've ever seen! The episode sets up the latest demon, Acathla, but more importantly, it provides us with the much-anticipated backstory on Angel! We also visit Buffy's first day as the Chosen One, and meet a good-natured demon by the name of Whistler. Also, Kendra makes a return appearance in this episode, as does Darla!
Note: To get the most information for this episode, check out Angel's character page...
Show opens up in Galway, 1753, where we meet a pre-vamp Angel. He strays off the mark and his destiny is decided for him as Darla makes him into a vampire without his consent. Maybe that will teach you fellas not to go chasing every pretty woman you see?
Cut to the present, where Buffy is fighting a vamp in the cemetery. She tells the vamp to take a message to Angel, namely, that she's tired of waiting and is taking the fight to him. Then she changes her mind and bags the vamp. Buffy pulls Xander up and he asks her if she's ready to fight Angel. Then they talk about finals. What neither of them knows is that Angel's been lurking among the trees, listening...
Giles shows up at the Sunnydale Museum in his capacity as an old relic expert. The curator's gotten some huge rock-like thing that contains ancient text he can't decipher. Giles notices that the structure can be opened, but asks the curator to hold off on doing so until he can translate the text.
The gang's in the lunchroom watching Xander's french fry (okay, fish stick?) re-enactment of Buffy's hunt the previous night. Buffy reiterates she's ready to kill Angel and that she doesn't think she'll pass her finals. Willow offers to tutor her. Then Snyder comes by to be the jerk that he is.
We see a flashback and witness the type of person Drusilla was pre-vamp. Check out her Character Page for more on that, okay? Okay, so back to the present, the vamp gang learns of the relic's being at the museum and they decide to go steal it. They kill the curator and steal the big rock. Meanwhile, Buffy's being tutored by Willow and she happens upon the disk that Ms. Calendar used to translate Angel's curse/cure.
They take it to Giles, who informs them that to perform the ritual requires more knowledge of the black arts than he can claim. Willow mentions that she's kinda been getting into researching the black arts a bit and that she can probably perform the ritual. Xander freaks out and says that saving Angel would be like forgetting Ms. Calendar's death, and that Buffy's only interested in getting her boyfriend back. Man, that's kinda harsh, you know. Giles gets miffed (actually piffed, which is how it would look in Old English script, if you get my drift), and Buffy leaves.
Later Buffy's on the phone with Willow and says she'll stop by for tutoring after she makes her nightly rounds. Outside, she runs into Kendra, who's been sent once again by her Watcher. They hook up with Giles and Willow at the library, and Giles learns that the curator's dead and the tomb of Acathla has been stolen.
The vamps learn from Angel who Acathla is -- a demon with the power to suck the entire world into hell -- and that a ritual must take place in order for this to happen. See Acathla's Character Page for more info, okay?
Back at the library, Buffy tells Willow to try the curse, and Giles provides the Orb of Thessala.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the flashback about Angel and the curse. Well you know, Character Page, yada yada. Anyhoo, then we see a flashback about Angel in 1996. He's the soul guy who's living in stink, and Whistler makes an appearance to show him the new Slayer in Los Angeles. He tells Angel that he can become someone or just continue the stink-existence. Angel decides he wants to help the Slayer. The rest is sorta history.
So Angel tries to perform the ritual to awaken Acathla and fails miserably. He tells Dru that they can "turn to an old friend" for assistance.
Next day at school, the gang's taking a final when a lady vamp comes to tell Buffy to meet Angel in the cemetery at sunset (7 pm). Then the vamp lady removes her shroud and burns to death in front of everyone. Therapy, anyone?
Later, Buffy decides to leave the gang at the library, in Kendra's care. Willow's to perform the ritual to save Angel. And as Buffy's off to meet her ex, Kendra gives Buffy her lucky stake, Mr. Pointy.
While fighting, Buffy learns from Angel that she's been tricked yet again, (see When She Was Bad) and she realizes the vamps are attacking her pals.
In the library, which is now Vamp Central, Willow gets smooshed under a falling bookcase, Xander's arm gets broken, Cordy makes a break for it, and Dru kills Kendra by doing the hypnosis thing. Then the vamps drag Giles out.
Buffy makes it to the library and sees the fallout from the attack, and she kneels by Kendra's body. That's when a gun's pulled on her and the word "Freeze!" is heard...
1. Well, nothing really. Buffy bagged a vamp in the cemetery. See Part 2.
1. Pre-vamp Angel self-admittedly met all challenges, an honest day's work being the only exception.
2. Angel knew Buffy pre-WTTH. (Welcome to the Hellmouth).
3. Willow's been going to Ms. Calendar's occult sites for fun.
1. Sunnydale High School
2. Alley in Galway, Ireland
3. The cemetery
4. Sunnydale Museum
5. Rumanian Woods
6. A church in London
7. An alley in Manhattan
8. Hemery High School
9. The Garden Mansion (Spike, Dru, Angel)
10. Buffy's house (Sunnydale & LA houses)
11. A cemetery in LA
12. The Sewers in LA
1. Buffy
2. Willow
3. Xander
4. Giles
5. Cordelia
6. Angel
7. Spike
8. Dru
9. Joyce Summers
10. Voice of Hank Summers
11. Oz
12. Darla
13. Kendra
14. Acathla
15. Whistler
16. Principal Snyder
17. Doug Perry
18. Watcher, LA -- Buffy's original Watcher
