Becoming, Part1
The construction of a new housing project has unhearthed the sacrophagus of Acathla, a demon that was turned into stone by a knight. Angel makes off with the sacrophagus and wishes to use the demon to bring Hell on Earth, destroying everything. Meanwhile, Buffy and Willow discover the backup disk that Jenny Calendar had made with the translation of the spell to restore Angel's soul. Though Xander thinks re-cursing Angel is a mistake and Giles thinks Willow isn't ready to channel that kind of magic to cast the spell. Kendra reappears with the sword blessed by the knight who imprisoned Acathla, and a warning from her Watcher that something awful is about to happen. Angel's first attempt to make that something awful happen fails, and so he lures Buffy away from the library so Drusilla can lead a raiding party to kidnap Giles. that raid leaves Willow comatose with a nasty head injury, Xander with a broken wrist, Giles kidnapped, and Kendra slaughtered. Buffy returns to the library just in time for Kendra's dying breath-and the arrival of the cops, accusing her of the murder.
This episode is festooned with flashbacks that detail important events in the lives of the characters: Darla turning Angel into a vampire("Angel"),Angel turning Drusilla("Lie to Me"), Angel being cursed by the Romany people("Angel", "Surprise", "Innocence"), and Buffy's first learning that she is the Slayer("Welcome to the Hellmouth"). The disk with the spell to restore Angel is rediscovered("Passion"), though Willow's attempt to cast it is interrupted; her next chance comes in "Becoming, Part 2". Angel's diversion of Buffy to get at the Slayerettes mirrors the similar stunt the Anointed One and Absalom in "When She Was Bad", of which Angel reminds Buffy.
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