Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2x21) - Becoming, part 1

[fajrdrako]

Buffy (2x21) Becoming pt. 1

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Ah, a historical beginning! This is one of my weaknesses. In Highlander, in Torchwood, even in Forever Knight (which I didn't like and seldom watched) - I'm a sucker for the historical flashback. It's one reason to love vampiric or immortal heroes. You get flashbacks.

And here, with the story of Angel, we see his transformation from drunk to vampire. Was that really Darla? I ask because I thought I remembered from first season that Darla was Angel's sire. I wouldn't have recognized her here, but it's been a while, and a different wig.

Again, I like it when Angel does narration.

1. Angel's doing rather well as the semi-unrespectable bad boy: "Milady, you'll find that with the exception of an honest day's work, there's no challenge I'm not prepared to face." I am reminded of certain Dickens characters.
   
   
2. I like the transition dialogue:

   Angel: I never been anywhere myself. Always wanted to see the world, but...
   Darla: I could show you.
   Angel: Could you, then?
   Darla: Things you've never seen, never even heard of.
   Angel: Sounds exciting.
   Darla: It is. And frightening.
   Angel: I'm not afraid. Show me. Show me your world.
   Darla: Close your eyes.

   Not exactly truth in advertising where Darla is concerned, but that's vampires for you.
   
   
3. And a nice but of foreshadowing and misdirection at the same time:

   Xander: Oh, yeah, finals! Why didn't you let me die?
   Buffy: Ah, look on the bright side. It'll all be over soon.
   Angel: Yes, my love. It will.

   
   
4. I like it that Giles is known as the 'best authority on obscure relics'. I wouldn't have pegged Doug for a museum guy.
   
   
5. I thought you couldn't carbon date stone. Presumably there was plant material in the stone?
   
   
6. Xander's play with the fishsticks reminds me of Wash with the dinosaurs. I found it more endearing with Wash.
   
   
7. I like Willow's confidence with Buffy: "You're gonna pass everything. I will get you through this semester if I have to sweat blood." And then Oz thinks she has cute metaphorical blood. Um... that might be creepier if this was another kind of show.
   
   
8. Snyder ruins there fun. "You! Are we having a chair shortage?" He seems to be the only person connected with this show who doesn't think Oz is cute.
   
   

9. Willow: Do you really expect Angel to turn up tonight?
   Buffy: No, I don't expect him to. But that's usually when he does.

   I like the paradoxical quality of that.
   
   
10. Angel's pretense to be a priest is interesting. He's oddly convincing. Mind you, I don't think Drusilla has a suspicious frame of mind. I love it when he says "God is watching you." and it sounds like a dire threat.
    
    
11. More wonderful Drusilla dialogue in the present: "I met an old man. Didn't like him. He got stuck in my teeth. But then the Moon started whispering to me... All sorts of dreadful things." So Drusilla predicts the tomb and we get a wonderful (typical) exchange of wondrous-to-prosaic of the type Angel and Spike do so well:

    Angel: You can see all that in your head?
    Spike: No, you ninny. She read it in the morning paper.

    If vampires did vaudeville, those two would have a great act.
    
    
12. Then Angel gets scary:

    Drusilla: That's what's been whispering to me. Sh.
    Angel: Oh, yeah. Don't worry, though. Soon it'll stop. Soon it'll scream.

    
    
13. Buffy studying with Willow: and they tease us with the pencil falling off the desk, so close to the floppy disk. Love the "I'm a moron" conversation and Willow's "don't waste my time" speech.
    
    
14. So they find the spell to restore Angel's soul.
    
    
15. Giles says, "Willow. Channeling such potent magics through yourself, it could open a door that you may not be able to close." Is this foreshadowing too?
    
    
16. And Xander doesn't want to restore Angel's soul. Xander is consistent.
    
    
17. I love it that Giles loses his temper with Angel.
    
    
18. Buffy says, "What happened to Angel wasn't his fault." Wasn't it? If that's her only reason for wanting to reinstate the curse and restore his soul, then I think she's on shaky ground. Looks to me as if he went to Darla - went with Darla - with full choice and consent, if not full understanding of what he was doing. He didn't care. I think he's culpable. I just think that the "all is forgiven" approach that Xander scorns is the better one - at least for Angel and Buffy. Maybe not for Xander. But he is neither vampire nor Slayer. In fact, I'm not sure why Buffy lets Xander patrol with her - for company? - because he must be more hindrance than help. Except, I suppose, as vampire-bait.
    
    
19. Then Buffy is jumped by - Kendra? Uh-oh. My first thought on seeing her again was that this must mean she's turning up in order to be killed off. I didn't think she'd survive her first appearance; if she's back for a second, it doesn't look good for her. If anyone was ever expendable, it's the 'spare' Slayer.
    
    
20. I'm not sure the story of Acathla and the Knight makes sense (as told by Angel) but that's okay. It doesn't need to.
    
    
21. Spike says, "The demon wakes up, and wackiness ensues." That sounds way too much like something Xander or Buffy or Joss Whedon would say; not so much Spike. (Circular argument, of course, since Spike said it. But. Seems a little 'off' to me.)
    
    
22. "The tomb of Alfalfa." Cute. I'm not sure if Buffy was thinking of Our Gang or not.
    
    
23. Good Willow line: "I don't want to be our only hope! Uh, I crumble under pressure! Let's have another hope."
    
    
24. I love it that Giles has an Orb of Thesulah just lying around like a paperweight.
    
    
25. Scene with Whistler and Angel a few years earlier in New York. And Angel sees the young Buffy - well, Buffy when she was still in L.A. How - intriguing. Buffy seems to be channelling Cordelia, even though she hasn't met her yet. And Angel decides he wants to help Buffy. In the juxtaposition of down-and-out but apparently-reforming Angel of 1996 and the ritual-performing Angel of 1998, do we see contrast or progression or regression? I'm not sure.
    
    
26. The idea that 'everyone will be safe in the library while Buffy goes in to danger patrolling' backfires here.
    
    
27. Mr. Pointy? Oh dear.
    
    
28. Angel says, "You never learn, do you? This wasn't about you. This was never about you." He's lying. Except in the narrowest sense. But ... why tell Buffy? Why let her go back?
    
    
29. So the vampires get Giles.
    
    
30. I like Whistler's speech at the end, but I can't figure out what his role in the events is. Whistler reminds me of Principal Snyder, which makes me wonder for the first time whether Snyder is a demon.

Comments

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Season finale! Yay!

Was that really Darla?

Yup. And a lot more charismatic Darla as well - I always figure Julie Benz had been doing something interesting in between S1 and S2.

I like it that Giles is known as the 'best authority on obscure relics'. I wouldn't have pegged Doug for a museum guy.

I like Giles' response to Doug asking if he didn't like surprises. No, he really doesn't, museum-guy.

Xander's play with the fishsticks reminds me of Wash with the dinosaurs. I found it more endearing with Wash.

Yeah, but I like it that he makes them bow at the end. I also like that scene because it has Willow and Oz and Xander and Cordelia all being cute in their coupleness. We don't get to see Xander and Cordelia play like that too much.

Angel's pretense to be a priest is interesting. He's oddly convincing. Mind you, I don't think Drusilla has a suspicious frame of mind

I really like that scene. It makes me really feel for Drusilla, especially since we know what happens to her next. And the juxtaposition with her in the present is interesting.

And Xander doesn't want to restore Angel's soul. Xander is consistent

And a right pillock, to use Giles' insult. Sorry, but I really want to smack him in this scene. He's so self-righteous and he might be saying it's all about Jenny's murder, but in my opinion it's purely about his feeling of hate for Angel and Jenny is just a convenient excuse. Anyway, moving on slightly, regardless of any of their personal feelings, trying the curse is good tactics as it will remove Angelus from the equation.

I'm not sure the story of Acathla and the Knight makes sense

I don't think it does either. JW does occasionally lose the logic in these things to get the emotional plotline going.

Spike says, "The demon wakes up, and wackiness ensues."

One of my favourite Spike lines is before that: "It's a big rock. I can't wait to tell my friends. They don't have a rock this big."

I love it that Giles has an Orb of Thesulah just lying around like a paperweight.

I think this is a reference back to the shopkeeper in Passion talking about selling them to new agers for paperweights. It's funny anyway.

How - intriguing. Buffy seems to be channelling Cordelia, even though she hasn't met her yet.

That's one of the things that occasionally gets referenced - Buffy pretty much was Cordelia (though I suspect maybe a bit nicer) before she became a Slayer and had her view of life forcibly altered. I love the scene of her crying in the bathroom while her parents argue. It makes me want to hug her.

I always find it interesting as well that it's Buffy herself who puts Angel back in the game - he's drawn to her even then.

The idea that 'everyone will be safe in the library while Buffy goes in to danger patrolling' backfires here

The thing is... it should have been a good plan. Kendra is there, after all. It's just Kendra was in no way prepared for Drusilla, while I think Buffy would have fared better if the positions were reversed. She's already thrown off the Master's thrall thing so she has experience and she's more independently-minded than Kendra anyway which would maybe help.

I like seeing Dru fight as well. They managed to make her look elegant - it's just she's fast and strong enough to hold Kendra off. And I love the way they sway together before she kills Kendra.

But ... why tell Buffy? Why let her go back?

Bigger fish to fry? I guess Angel thinks he can torture her at his leisure once the world is in hell, and his focus is on getting Acathla to wake at this point. He also probably likes the idea of her finding whatever bodies his gang have left of her friends.

I like Whistler's speech at the end

Yeah. And I love how Buffy running goes into slow motion and soundless. It always gets to me at that bit because we already know she's too late.

Edited for more appropriate icon. sigh. got too excited

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Season finale!

Well, almost. Part 1 of 2.

I always figure Julie Benz had been doing something interesting in between S1 and S2.

I guess so! She looked good.

We don't get to see Xander and Cordelia play like that too much.

That's for sure. It was fun to see a playful moment.

I think this is a reference back to the shopkeeper in Passion talking about selling them to new agers for paperweights.

I like to imagine that the shopkeeper (mis?)took Giles for a new ager.

the juxtaposition with her in the present is interesting.

Yes, very nicely done.

I love the scene of her crying in the bathroom while her parents argue.

It's so sad, especially since they are arguing about her.

I guess Angel thinks he can torture her at his leisure once the world is in hell, and his focus is on getting Acathla to wake at this point.

Makes sense. And reinforces my notion that Angel really wants to play with Buffy, rather than to be rid of her.

He's so self-righteous and he might be saying it's all about Jenny's murder, but in my opinion it's purely about his feeling of hate for Angel and Jenny is just a convenient excuse.

The "Jenny" excuse would be more convincing if Giles didn't think the opposite - he knew Jenny wanted to restore Angel's soul.

One of my favourite Spike lines is before that: "It's a big rock. I can't wait to tell my friends. They don't have a rock this big."

That was quite wonderful!

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

I like to imagine that the shopkeeper (mis?)took Giles for a new ager

To mangle a quote from a much later season, what Giles is into magic-wise isn't new age, it's very old age. I expect Giles just thought the Orb was pretty - I can't really see someone thinking he was new age, not in those tweed suits.

The "Jenny" excuse would be more convincing if Giles didn't think the opposite - he knew Jenny wanted to restore Angel's soul.

Ex-actly. Xander wants vengeance, pure and simple, and he's pretending it's about justice. And as we know from Jenny's uncle, they aren't the same thing at all. What the rest of the characters want is more complicated - I think Giles and Willow want to do the right thing by Buffy and Jenny both and I suspect Giles appreciates the tactical aspect. I also think Buffy is more conflicted about it than Xander gives her credit for. She's not exactly jumping for joy when they find the curse and she doesn't decide they should try it until the Acathla situation blows up.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

what Giles is into magic-wise isn't new age, it's very old age.

Of course. And everything old is new again.

I expect Giles just thought the Orb was pretty - I can't really see someone thinking he was new age, not in those tweed suits.

I think we have multiple levels of irony here.

Xander wants vengeance, pure and simple, and he's pretending it's about justice.

Which is hypocrisy and makes me want to hit him. Not that he isn't sincere - but he's being vengeful and cruel. Of course Angel knew all the right buttons to push to make Xander feel that way; but I can't just forgive Xander for his hatred and deceptiveness.

hat the rest of the characters want is more complicated - I think Giles and Willow want to do the right thing by Buffy and Jenny both and I suspect Giles appreciates the tactical aspect.

I think he does, and I think he also understands the complexity of the issues better than the others.

I also think Buffy is more conflicted about it than Xander gives her credit for.

Buffy is clearly well aware that even if Angel gets his soul back, the situation is not solved for either of them. And I don't just mean the painful romance: I mean the whole vampire thing, the curse really is a curse that dooms them both .... They're back to square one, maybe, with more pain for her and equal chances of disaster.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Which is hypocrisy and makes me want to hit him

For me this is Xander's biggest character flaw, and it is fairly consistent. He does tend to act like he has the moral high ground and pass out judgement when really he's just acting from his personal biases as much as anyone else. Those moments are the reason that he isn't one of my favourite characters, though I tend to like him the rest of the time.

Not that the other characters don't all have a few major flaws, mind. But I think they can be less overt.

I mean the whole vampire thing, the curse really is a curse that dooms them both .... They're back to square one, maybe, with more pain for her and equal chances of disaster.

You've seen part of S3 already, haven't you? Yeah, it really doesn't solve the situation for Buffy and Angel - it just takes out the murder aspect.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

He does tend to act like he has the moral high ground and pass out judgement when really he's just acting from his personal biases as much as anyone else.

Yes - it's the element of judgement, I think, that annoys me. I like characters who don't have that. (Giles, for example, only passes judgement when it's appropriate - and justified.)

Not that the other characters don't all have a few major flaws, mind.

Generally speaking, I like their flaws better. I often have trouble with insecure characters in general.

I tend to like him the rest of the time.

I like him when he has good lines.

You've seen part of S3 already, haven't you?

Yes. Will be commenting on it soon.