Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2x17) - Passion

[fajrdrako]

Love the way Angel's comments on 'passion' are used as a frame for the episode. "Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have?" This is opposite of the mindless vampire, without feelings, who is simply driven by hunger for blood.

Nice to see that the consequences of having invited a vampire into one's home are addressed, and that there is a way to rescind the invitation.

1. Xander seems to have forgotten what a library is. I still don't recognize Jonathan on sight.
   
   
2. Great Giles line: "Yes, Xander, once more you've managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form." I like it when Giles appreciates Xander.
   
   
3. Why does Giles tell Buffy she can't tell Joyce that she's the Slayer? Or about Angel? Is this 'Watcher's handbook' stuff or does he not trust Joyce?
   
   
4. This made me laugh:

   Buffy: But I've gotta tell her something. I've gotta do something. Giles, Angel has an all-access pass to my house, and I'm not always there when my mother is. I can't protect her.
   Giles: I told you I will find a-a spell.
   Buffy: What about *until* you find a spell?
   Cordelia: Until then, you and your mother are welcome to ride around with me in my car.

   
   
5. Xander says, "How come Buffy doesn't get a snotty 'once again you boil it down to the simplest form' thing?" Which means that the line I took as appreciation from Giles, Xander took as sarcasm. I like his rejoinder: "Watcher's pet."
   
   
6. Goodline from Giles: "Since Angel lost his soul, he's regained his sense of whimsy." If that's what you call it.
   
   
7. Love this:

   Jenny: I know you feel betrayed.
   Giles: Yes. Well, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal.

   Her declaration of love seems to mollify him somewhat. And I must say, her feelings seem more sincere than they ever did before.
   
   
8. Joyce says to Buffy, "Come on. You can tell me anything. I've read all the parenting books. You cannot surprise me." You know, I think my mother said exactly those words to me once. And I think I gave her exactly the same "You have got to be kidding" look that Buffy gives Joyce.
   
   
9. So Angel goes after Willow's fish. Ugh.
   
   
10. I like the way Willow points out to Buffy that Angel is still obsessed with her. "You're still the only thing he thinks about."
    
    
11. Angel and Spike are being testy with each other. Drusilla is enjoying it.
    
    
12. A tiny place like Sunnydale has a Gypsy occult shop. That's very cool. And they have a Thesulan Orb in stock. Also cool. Sometimes I think Joss takes his names of stuff from Doctor Strange comics.
    
    
13. Jenny says, "I'm working on a computer program to translate the Rumanian liturgy to English based on a random sampling of the text." Does that make any sense at all? Not that I can figure. But hey, it's magic.
    
    
14. The exchange does lead to one of those brilliant lines that ends the scene and reminds me of some of Dorothy Dunnett's great scene-enders:

    Shopkeeper: By the way... Not that it's any of my business, really, but, uh, what are you planning on conjuring up? If you can decipher the text?
    Jenny: A present for a friend of mine.
    Shopkeeper: Really? What are you gonna give him?
    Jenny: His soul.

    I like this because I'd been thinking in terms of Jenny doing something for Buffy (whose life she helped to ruin) or Giles (whom she betrayed) but it's all the better in that she's planning to help Angel - who saved her life - and whom she calls a friend still, though everyone else has given him up for evil.
    
    
15. I love the way Willow gets into teaching with enthusiasm: "I have a class to teach in about five minutes, and I have to arrive early to glare disapprovingly at the stragglers. Oh, darn. She's here. Five hours of lesson planning yesterday down the drain..."
    
    
16. Buffy makes it clear she doesn't like or forgive Jenny, but her speech about Giles is very gallant: "He misses you. He doesn't say anything, I mean, but I know he does. And I don't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to."
    
    
17. It's interesting and scary that Angel does the drawing of Joyce. Even more so that he approaches her. And from Buffy's point of view, even scarier that he tells her that he and Buffy had sex - making it clear that he is and was a dangerous older man.
    
    
18. Jenny tells Giles that Buffy said he missed her and Giles calls Buffy "a meddlesome girl". But he doesn't seem terribly displeased.
    
    
19. Then Angel goes and terrorizes Jenny. Good scene. Then he kills her. Oooh. "I never get tired of doing that." Angel doesn't seem to feed much - he seems to like killing for its own sake. I may be wrong but it seems to me the only times we've seen him feed on someone is when he wants to create another vampire. (Assuming he can do this deliberately.)
    
    
20. I liked it that Giles offers to intevene with Joyce, but really has nothing he can say. It's up to Buffy. And the talk is as awkward as one might wish, but Joyce comes through with, "Buffy, you can shut me out of your life, I am pretty much used to that. But don't expect me to ever stop caring about you, because it's never gonna happen. I love you more than anything in the world. That would be your cue to, uh, roll your eyes and tell me I'm grossing you out." But Buffy isn't grossed, she needs all the support she can get, and she can't begin to tell Joyce how bad it is with Angel.
    
    
21. Good atmosphere to Giles' discovery of Jenny's body. (Sniff. I feel for him.)
    
    
22. So Giles goes after Angel with his 'good' weapons and we get this interesting diatribe from Xander:

    Xander: I'm sorry, but let's not forget that I hated Angel long before you guys jumped on the bandwagon. So I think I deserve a little something for not saying 'I told you so' long before now. And if Giles wants to go after the, uh, (looks up at Buffy) fiend that murdered his girlfriend, I say, 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'
    Buffy: You're right.

    Except that I believe Buffy still loves Angel, and I don't think she'll be able to kill him even if she thinks she should.
    
    
23. Angel says, "Angelus: Don't worry, roller boy. I've got everything under control." And then Giles attacks. Sometimes I wish this show was "Giles the Vampire Slayer". The man has style. And Angel (who can't pretend he's in control) says, "Jeez, whatever happened to wooden stakes?"
    
    
24. So Buffy saves Giles. Love her lines: "Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You can't leave me. I can't do this alone." I love this: much as I enjoy the Buffy/Angel relationship, I lvoe her interaction with Giles.
    
    
25. Angel says, "Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Without passion, we'd be truly dead."
    
    
26. And Buffy says, " I can't hold on to the past anymore. Angel has gone. Nothing's ever gonna bring him back." I don't believe her.
    
    
    

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's all about the pain.

So I hear.

What evil girl doesn't love her boys squabbling in front of her?

I was enjoying her enjoyment.

No? She does.

Hee. I see what you mean, having now seen "Becoming". But I still argue my case: she killed Angel, but only after circumstances changed and made it necessary.

you thought this ep was OK?

I thought it was brilliant. A favourite.

[gillo]

So I hear.

It bears repeating. Through all seven seasons.

Hee. I see what you mean, having now seen "Becoming". But I still argue my case: she killed Angel, but only after circumstances changed and made it necessary.

Oh it takes her a while to grasp that what she must do is unavoidable. And there are plenty of twists and turns to come. But in the end the Mission takes priority.

I thought it was brilliant. A favourite.

It's very good. Joss does pain well. But it's not in my top ten. Or possibly even top twenty. You've reported two of those so far, and seen another pair. Later seasons have even more awesome episodes.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

So are any of the episodes in first and second season in your top ten favourites? I should list my top ten favourites so far. But... it's an incomplete sampling. And saying "anything with Spike in it" isn't quite right, either.

[gillo]

I think "School Hard" makes it into my top ten, not just because of Spike but because the whole show comes alive (or undead?) in that episode. "Innocence" and "Becoming" (both parts) are in my top 20. There are a couple of favourites in S3, then S4 and S5, with at least two from S6, which is not always the most popular season, though I love it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

If I were to pick my ten favourite episodes now - from only the first two seasons - they would be (in chronological order):

1. The Pack
   
2. Angel
   
3. School Hard
   
4. Halloween
   
5. What's my Line, Part 2
   
6. Surprise
   
7. Innocence
   
8. Passion
   
9. Becoming, Part 1
   
10. Becoming, Part 2

No real surprises there, I don't think.

Best scene: Joyce and Spike in the living room in "Becoming, part 2".
Worst scene: anything with the Master and the Anointed One

[gillo]

I wouldn't disagree with that list really. I might put "Lie to Me" in there somewhere, probably instead of "The Pack", but it's close. S1 was great fun, but it really took off in S2. And yes, Joyce and Spike together are a joy. There are a few more wonderful encounters in future seasons.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I might put "Lie to Me" in there somewhere, probably instead of "The Pack", but it's close.

Yeah. I wasn't sure about that, either. Toss-up.

Joyce and Spike together are a joy. There are a few more wonderful encounters in future seasons.

So glad to hear it!