Becoming part 2
Becoming part 2
Season 2, Episode 22 (Episode 34 of entire series)
Part 2 of the season ender picks up right where part 1 left off...Buffy's leaning over the body of Kendra, and the police have busted in on the scene. This episode, although it contains some pretty absurd moments -- most of which include the character of Spike -- is the darkest episode of the series to date. Buffy makes some major life decisions which also impact everyone else's lives. I kinda wonder if this episode seems to mark Buffy's spiritual death as well, but I guess that remains to be seen next season. Classic moments in this episode include Spike's getting reacquainted with Joyce, and the resurfacing of Jenny Calendar! In the words of Whistler, "you'll see what I mean..."
Buffy's in the library, bent over Kendra's lifeless body, when the police burst in and tell her to freeze. She notices that Xander's upstairs and tries to go to him, but the police hold her back, telling her she's under suspicion for Kendra's murder. When Buffy tries to explain the situation, Snyder makes things worse for her -- he tells the police that if there's trouble, she's behind it. Buffy hits the cop and makes a break for it, all the while being shot at by the police. Yikes...School Hard is looking like a piece of cake compared to this sitch!
Buffy's gone incognito with the assistance of a black knit cap, and she shows up at the hospital, where she runs into Xander. They go to see Willow, who's lying unconscious with some kind of head trauma. Cordy shows up and they learn that Giles is missing...
So basically we see that Giles is being tortured by Angel. Angel tells Giles that he can't figure out what he's doing wrong in trying to awaken Acathla, and makes it clear that if Giles doesn't tell him, he'll be tortured.
Meanwhile, Buffy's gone to Giles's place and runs into Whistler. She guesses that he's "some immortal demon sent down to even the score between good and evil", and he makes remarks about how the scene wasn't supposed to go down this way. Whistler tells Buffy that she has to know how to use the sword, and she takes off.
The friendly neighborhood cops have been by Buffy's house to see her mom, and Joyce says she thought Buffy was at Willow's. She learns that a girl is dead and that Willow's in the hospital. Then the cops leave.
Buffy's walking outside when a cop shows up; she puts her hands up and sees someone attack the cop. Turns out that it's...Spike! I gotta say, the Spike moments (whether with Buffy or her mom) made this show! Anyway, Spike and Buffy smack each other in between chatting, and Spike informs Buffy that he wants to "save the world", but that he can't do it alone and neither can she. He tells Buffy that he wants Angel put into the ground so he can have Dru back. Reluctantly, Buffy says they can go talk about it, and on their way to her house, they run into her mom.
Joyce tells Buffy she's been out looking for her and that the police are on the lookout for her, and she wants to know what's going on. Makes sense to me...Spike's incredulous to find out "What, your mom doesn't know?" Buffy covers up by saying that she and Spike are in a rock band, and Joyce doesn't buy it. The moment's interrupted when a vamp attacks, and Joyce sees Spike and Buffy take the vamp down. Finally, after 2 years, Joyce learns that Buffy's a vampire slayer.
Meanwhile, Xander's been at the hospital talking to Willow. When he tells her that he loves her, she wakes up, calling Oz's name. Oz comes in on cue.
Back at the house, Joyce and Spike are sitting in the living room in silence, with Spike looking around and Joyce looking confused. Buffy's on the phone with Willow, and then with Xander. She says that she thinks that Giles is still alive, and that tomorrow morning she's going to the vamp hideout. Back in the living room, Joyce and Spike make small talk.
When Buffy returns, she and Spike cut a deal. Spike tells Buffy that he and Dru will leave town and that hopefully they'll never return. Angel will be taken down, but Buffy says that if Giles dies, Dru dies. Meanwhile, Joyce keeps breaking into the convo with statements like, "Honey, are you sure you're a vampire slayer?" and "It's because you didn't have a strong father figure, isn't it?" Spike splits after promising to back Buffy up tomorrow, and Joyce keeps after Buffy. Buffy has it out with her mom, saying that she has to go, and Joyce tells her that if she leaves, don't even bother coming back. So, Buffy's kicked out.
Next thing you know, she's back at the library, picking up the sword that Kendra had brought, and she runs into Snyder, who expels her. Then she goes back to see Whistler at Giles's place, and he tells her that once the vortex is opened, only Angel's blood will close it. He tells her to hurry up and kill Angel before he awakens Acathla. She mentions that she has nothing left to lose, and after she leaves, Whistler says, "Wrong, kid. You got one more thing."
Meanwhile, Willow's telling the gang she's going to try the curse again, against Xander's will, and Cordy and Oz go to the library to get the herbs, etc. Willow tells Xander to find Buffy and let her know the curse will be tried again.
Back at vamp central, Spike stops Angel from killing Giles and they use Drusilla to find out what Angel's doing wrong. Spike again tells Angel not to kill Giles, in case he's lying to them. How'd Dru get Giles to spill? She told him to "see with your heart", so he saw Jenny Calendar and let the beans spill...
Next morning, Xander meets Buffy and she tells him to get Giles out, then leave. He doesn't tell her that Willow's trying the curse again, though. Inside, Buffy beheads a vampire, then Spike beats Angel with a tire iron or something, and Dru attacks Spike. In the midst of the fighting, Angel pulls the sword from Acathla. Spike finally gets Dru out of there, and they drive off. Angel and Buffy are still fighting, and he appears to have the upper hand at one point, but Buffy recovers.
Xander gets Giles out, and just as Buffy's about to kill Angel, his eyes flash. The curse has worked! The two are having a moment of tears and love proclamations, and Buffy notices that Acathla's opened his mouth, and the vortex is forming. She tells Angel that she loves him and asks him to close his eyes, as she rams the sword into his gut. Angel's all confused and everything and Buffy stares in horror as she sees Angel being sucked into the vortex to hell. Acathla is stone once again, and Buffy's shocked.
The aftermath? Joyce goes into Buffy's bedroom and finds a note from Buffy; the gang's at school wondering what happened and they think that Buffy'll show up soon. They don't see Buffy, who's standing by a tree, watching her friends...she walks off, defeated, and takes a bus out of Sunnydale...Gosh!
1. Buffy stakes a random vamp in front of her house (and her mom).
2. Buffy beheads a random vamp in the Garden Mansion (where the vamp gang now lives).
3. Buffy and Spike take on Angel (and Dru).
4. Spike chokes Dru, then drives off with her.
5. Xander unties Giles and helps him to safety from the Garden Mansion.
6. Buffy and Angel duel with swords; Willow, Oz, and Cordy restore Angel's soul; Buffy plunges the sword into Angel's stomach.
7. Angel's sucked into the vortex to Hell, and Acathla is rendered catatonic (so to speak).
1. Xander loves Willow (best friend, or more? hard to say...)
2. Principal Snyder never had a date in high school.
3. Vampires talk a good game, but none of 'em (with the exception of Angelus) really wants to destroy the world.
4. Buffy thinks Dru's a big ho.
1. Sunnydale High School
2. Some streets
3. Buffy's house
4. Sunnydale Hospital
5. The Garden Mansion (Spike, Dru, Angel)
6. Giles's apartment
1. Buffy
2. Willow
3. Xander
4. Giles
5. Cordelia
6. Angel
7. Spike
8. Dru
9. Joyce Summers
10. Oz
11. Acathla
12. Whistler
13. Principal Snyder
14. Jenny Calendar
15. Detective Stein
