IvanF's Uninformed Review of the Second Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-1998)...

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- IvanF's No-Name Review of the Second Season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-1998) -
(The Introduction of Spike and Druscilla, the Return of the Ripper, Introduction of Oz, Angel Loses his Soul)

The second season of Buffy holds a special place in the heart of most Buffy fans... hell, some fans still believe to this day that Buffy the Vampire Slayer started going downhill immediately after Angel's fate in Becoming (some compared the return of Angel to the so-called travesty of Buffy being raised from the dead). Because, as soap opera fans commented, a series is only as good as its "big bad" (which was coined by Spike in this season). So honestly, how could there possibly be a better villain than the man that you love more than anything else in the world?... and, well...

Ahem... the problem was, both back in season 2 and even to this day, that the only question that I ever asked was, how can there possibly be a more cliche villain than your boyfriend the night after hot, passionate, virgin sex?... Out of all Buffy seasons, I rolled my eyes at season 2 the most, as I can definitely agree with the critics that the second season had it all when it came to teen metaphors... unfortunately, I didn't exactly agree with the critics on whether this was a good thing or not...

But still, season 2 holds a special place, even in my heart, as it was the first season of Buffy that got me hooked. I'm sure that I watched some episodes of season 1, but it wasn't until Sarah Michelle Gellar started trying on some new hair styles (and after she got out of those horrible skirts that I never found adorable in Friends) that I started watching Buffy religiously for what it was: a cheap, New Age soap opera with a hell of a hot chick as the star... and it certainly helped that a) Gellar resembled the girl I had a crush on at the time, and b) the girl I had a crush on loved Buffy like some Jedi religion, so it was only natural for me to try make some water cooler talk with her... But as I watched more and more episodes, and as the girl I was obsessed with watched less and less, I started watching the episodes on my own merits... I never really cared for Buffy with Angel, or Willow with Oz, but when it came to the Spike and Drucilla love triangle? There was real chemistry with even line that James Marsters uttered... as long as it was with his faux British accent, at least... And every time I fell in love and fell in line with those quippy, little school girl lines that Willow and Buffy always got to say?... I began to respect not only Buffy the Vampire Slayer's popularity, but also its writing. As corny and sappy as it may have been, I did and still do enjoy its writing... And who couldn't like Spike back then, the badass with the leather coat? Even as early as the episode, Halloween, you could tell that he was special... or at least playing the character with an extra twist, just so he wouldn't be stake fodder by the end of the season... and it's no surprise that Spike is still my favourite "Mutant Enemy" (Buffy and Angel) character to this day.

But even though I was never a real fan of season 2, I made sure to buy the second season Buffy DVDs the day they came out, if only because I didn't have a decent video game at the time to buy... And although I'm disappointed with the image and sound quality in those old school episodes (though not being able to see a damn thing in the library made for some pretty decent atmospheres, I suppose), I pleasantly found myself enjoying some of the bad egg episodes of the season much more than the first time around... and started choking on my vomit even more than the first time I watched such melodramatic episodes as The Judge and Becoming...

So here I go, with my lame-ass attempt to sum up the entire season in as short of season review as possible... I watched the Season 2 DVDs last summer (since obviously, you know what I did last summer...), so I won't be drawing any awe-inspiring analyses for the 22 or whatever episodes, but rather will be lucky if I can even draw a damn blank when it comes to remembering what the hell happened... But still, if you want to waste your time with another one of IvanF's patented no-name reviews, then step right up and hope that you like my writing better than I liked Buffy season 2, but I digress...

Notable Episodes: Halloween, Surprise, Innocence, Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered, Passion, Becoming (Parts 1 & 2)
Best Episode of the Season: I Only Have Eyes for You

Um... now, don't get me wrong. As a member of the male race, I'm hard pressed to give any episode with Buffy doing a slink dance on stage, a thumbs down. But honestly, in my opinion, When She was Bad was simply, um... a bad episode... Really, I understand that Buffy has issues with her death at the hands of the Master and everything. But honestly, why would she turn all skank and Cordyish from it all of a sudden? Hell, probably the only part in the episode that I did like was when Cordelia told Buffy to get over whatever the hell was bothering her. Besides that, all I can remember is Angel being in the background, saving the Scoobies from resurrecting the Master, while Buffy had fun with a sledgehammer down below.

Well, there was one other thing that made this episode memorable... Although they really barely touched on the issue throughout the rest of the season, I really did think that Willow and Xander had some nice chemistry while they were quoting movies at the start. But alas, like I said, the Willow and Xander relationship was simply not meant to be, and in the end, all I wanted to do with bash in When She was Bad with a sledgehammer myself, so I would never have to watch it again... but I guess simply not putting the episode back in my DVD player will suffice...

Well, I really can't comment on this episode... considering I haven't really seen it... I've seen bits and pieces of it on the TV through reruns, but when it came to my DVD set?... long after I had ignorantly thrown away my receipt, I finally popped this episode into my DVD player, only to find that most of it didn't work... so I can't comment on whether Some Assembly Required required more assembly to be decent or not. All I know, is that Buffy had a good line in it: "I was brought up as an old-fashioned gal. I was taught that the men dig up the corpses and the women have the babies", or something along those lines... I just thought the irony of the statement deserved merit, that's all...

Okay, it's no secret that I don't exactly admire Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season 2. In reality, I got the DVD set for one reason and one reason only: because of the introduction of Spike... Spike was really the only reason why I enjoyed season 4 of Buffy, and probably the only reason why season 2 was bearable to me the first time I watched it. So it was only natural that I would build up Spike's first episode as sort of mecca episode in my mind, even though I hadn't seen School Hard before I got the season 2 DVD set... and when I finally watched the episode?

Well, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. I know Spike was just meant to be cannon fodder at the time he first ran over the Sunnydale sign, but it really did feel weird how flat of a character he was in this episode. Sure, he was hard nosed and as straight forward as he ever was, but somehow, he just didn't seem right. While I enjoyed the ransacking of the Anointed One in sunlight, I just couldn't place my finger on why it felt so damn weird for Spike to run off when Joyce hit him over the head with an axe... this wasn't the Spike I knew and loved, but it was a decent introduction nonetheless. And it was nice that he at least initially posed a threat to Buffy... hell, he almost beat her on his first try, which is a lot more than I can say about Angelus (who got beat down in every episode in just a few minuts except Becoming, but that's besides the point)...

As for the rest of the episode? I thought Buffy was cute in overalls as she was painting the banners for the parent-teacher night thing. I also thought little moments like the sugarless lemonade were memorable, and I couldn't help but smile when Cordy was offered some of the drink later on... School Hard was a decent episode in the end, but nothing special as I had imagined. Which is too bad in the end, considering you only have one chance at making a great, first impression... and luckily, my first impressions of Spike came way later in the season, when he actually was the definition of School Hard.

I've seen this episode twice and I've loathed it twice. Is that enough said?... there was one moment that I liked in this episode: when Buffy offered to translate Xander's drooling into a language for the mummy girl. But besides that? Sure, it was cute how the incan was going to eat Jonathan. Sure, it was frightening how the mummy in the museum had braces. And sure, I sort of felt bad for Xander when the Incan girl barely hesitated to swallow him whole. But honestly, I really did hate this episode, just like I hated a lot of season 2 episodes, come to think of it... And hell, come to think of it, I don't think I can remember anything else from this episode. Although it was nice to continue Xander's pattern of dating evil demon girls, the fact of the matter is, it didn't work out in this episode, and it didn't work well how it didn't work out in the end...

Ah, college... I remember the first time I watched this episode long ago, I wishfully agreed with the rumours Xander spoke of, how college frat parties had orgies and sentimental crap like that... unfortunately, the rumours of college are so much more fun than the real thing for me, as the orgies only seem to happen far away from my engineering campus at university... But what I find real interesting about this episode now is that back in season 2, college students loved Buffy, despite the fact that Reptile Boy made college look rather evil, even in comparison to Sunnydale high school life. And yet ironically, when season 4 hit and university was "accurately" portrayed, many college students turned off their televisions, citing that Buffy was no longer a brilliant metaphor on life... and, um... Wasupwidat?

Anyhew, I'll admit that in some sense, I did like Reptile Boy. I loved the scenes were Xander was half naked in a bra, swinging to the music. And I especially loved how Buffy, half drunk and half drugged, completely didn't notice that Xander was there... The final fight scene of the episode was lacking, as the stupid men and Reptile thing really didn't put up a fight. But the meat and potatoes of the episode, with Willow giving stern lectures to both Giles and Angel, somehow resonated in me the sense that this episode was actually making sense... I liked the looks on the Scoobies' faces when Buffy knowingly lied to Giles. I loved the sense of timid boredom on Sarah Michelle Gellar's face right before she was rescued by Kevin or whatever that psycho dancer guy was called. And I don't know, maybe I just liked the overall feel of this episode or something, as even Buffy just sitting outside in the Sun, wasting time while waiting for her friends, seemed to make this episode a season 2 favourite of mine, as cheesy as the whole thing was... Or maybe I just like this episode because I'm still hoping the rumours of frat parties do turn out to be true? But I may never know...

God, how many times have I seen this episode? I've watched it twice a year at least, as it seems to be on every Halloween and every single Easter for some odd reason here... and yet, I'm still not bored with this episode. Sure, it stings how easily beaten down Spike was near the end, but at least the episode made him look smart in a sense, by filming Buffy fighting with Jack-o-laterns and realizing why he hasn't been able to kill her... Sure, certain scenes in the episode were annoying, like Cordy the cat being chased by that lion or bear or whatever, oh my, from the Wizard of Oz or some crap like that... But in the end, Halloween just felt appropriate somehow. I mean, Ethan was right - the episode was truly the ironic embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'. And strangely enough, I loved this episode thanks to its characterizations - even though almost none of the characters were acting as themselves.

Xander finally got to save Buffy for once rather than vice versa. Although his held his gun like a sissy, it was really cool how he suddenly became strong enough to beat down pirates and get a weird sense of closure from them... Buffy was adorable as a brunette. Although her accent was quite off, she did pull off the damsel in distress thing pretty decently well, as you've just gotta love her helpless scream as she saw Angel in vamped face... she also seemed so sad when she was looking at the Angel files in the washroom, and I personally liked her chemistry with Charisma Carpenter, who had the most memorable line in the episode when she called Angel a teddy bear with fangs... And Willow? Although she wasn't hot looking like her lesbian self seasons later on, I did feel a sense of comfort myself when she realized she didn't need the ghost costume near the end. And even though Oz was a little too "feeling" in his introduction, I still have to give props to this episode, for introducing one of the best characters the series has ever had (although he could never pull off any scene seriously... not that I like shows that take themselves seriously, that is).

Halloween had a great premise, a great villain, and an even greater villain in the guise of Rupert the Ripper. Although some scenes felt slow or awkward, like Spike leading a bunch of demon kids after the Scoobies in the warehouse, I really do like Halloween. And as a testament, if I can like an episode after seeing it more times than I can tell, then that's got to mean something... unless I just have bad tastes in the first place...

Sometimes I wish I can lie, and claim that I enjoyed Lie to Me as I hoped I would. It's rare that I don't like Joss Whedon written episodes, but it's also common that I loathe any episode that takes itself too seriously, or tries to preach a message in my face. And the message in Lie to Me was supposed to be a grayed, blurry line. Buffy's friend, whatever his name was, was willing to kill her and a bunch of unwitting idiots, just so he wouldn't have to die from cancer. Obviously, it's understandable why he would do such a thing, and obviously, it's understandable why we would consider what he was doing wrong. But the thing is, what do I care about this? All I care about is whether a Buffy episode has a witty script and winning dialogue, that's all. And unfortunately, Lie to Me didn't even pretend to bother like it did.

There was one great joke in this episode: when Angel argued that the vampire wannabes don't even know how vampires dress, only to be bumped by a guy wearing exactly the same thing as he was wearing... Now, that was a classic moment. And in a way, it was classic that the show finally brought up the idea of vampire worshipping on the television screen. But somehow, it just felt so hollow in the end... I felt bad that Buffy's friend ended up being evil, but only because of how cliche the series had become. The new guy or the old friend or whatever always ends up being evil on the show or some crap like that, and if there was any message that I did get in this episode, it was that people from your past aren't worth your time of day... or the day of sunlight, but that's besides the point... Now, I loved the little moments, like where Buffy tried to explain her slaying away with stories about cats, but this episode was simply too serious in the end for its own good. While I know some out there might've enjoyed the sight of guys dressed in blue Dracula robes, I wasn't one of them... and I also wasn't impressed that Spike lost the battle in only a matter of seconds in the end as well, but that's besides the point...

Okay, I won't comment on this episode much, simply because not only do I hate episodes that take themselves seriously, but I hate episodes that are actually scary... While I respect Hush for what it did, I simply don't even want to bother watching the Dark Age again, simply because it creeped me to the point where I found the ending to be far too anti-climatic for its own good. While it was creative how Angel was able to save Jenny Calendar from the demon by sacrificing his own dead body, it simply felt like a cheap gimmick to me... I guess I'm too desensitized to rocket launchers and magic spells to go for the little things in life anymore...

The real story of The Dark Age was the revelation to the group that Giles was quite evil in his heyday. And sure, he conjured a few demons in his past and played around with magicks, but honestly, he didn't seem to do anything really bad compared to what Willow and co do in the later seasons... And actually, that was probably my main problem with this episode. While Halloween hyped me up for Giles to be inherently evil or some sort of crap, we sort of learned in this episode that he was simply rebelling, that he was simply experimenting, and that was all. And hell, in later episodes, his Ripper status was barely presented as a problem at all, as if he really did nothing remarkable in his past whatsoever... and I don't know. I guess I'm just not a fan of episodes with walking corpses. To me, The Dark Age represents the dark ages of television. But still, at least it was better than that Resident Evil movie...

Hmm... just like there were two parts to What's My Line, somehow it also felt like there were two distinct halves of the episodes as well. On one side, you had the serious crap, like skating on ice and Angel getting sacrificed to resurrect Dru. On the other side, you have the cute side of Buffy that I've always loved. I mean, just the look of that pout on her face when Giles mentioned the career of law enforcement, was enough to put this episode over the positive limbo line of the force for me... Little things, like the checking of the shrubs box, to the fact that Willow met Oz in a Microsoft-clone kind of environment, made What's my Line almost as comically great as the best episodes of Whose Line is it Anyways?... And yet... I don't know... there were just parts of it that felt so flat...

For one, while I always adored Faith as a slayer, Kendra was just a little too by-the-book to be entertaining. She had her moments though, like when she was connecting with Giles over books they had read, to her stony silence when confronted by Xander, the talking boy... I also couldn't help but laugh when she refused to hug Buffy in the end, because speaking as a guy, who wouldn't want to hug the Buffster? But that's besides the point... The point is, the second half of the two-parter was a little too full of seriousness for its own good. While I was pleasantly surprised that the last bounty hunter pulled a gun on Buffy at the career festival, I wasn't impressed with the other two guys, as the wrestler wannabe was killed by a melodramatic skating lesson in no time, and the bug man really just didn't do much more than stare and get stuck in paint (and as a guy who paints apartments for my parents, I just can't help laughing at this guy... or should I laugh at myself for never getting a job? But I digress...)... and yet on the other side of things, I respect this episode for making a hilarious make-out scene between Xander and Cordy in the basement, and how can I not love an episode where Spike nearly gets to stake Angel and nearly was able to beat down Buffy with his bare hands?... and then on the other hand, I was rolling my eyes at the overdramatic holy water torturing thing. And hell, I could've cared less when Dru pulled poor Spike out of the rubble with a single hand... And, well... you see? What's my Line has left me speechless, because I really don't know which side to take. The episode had some brilliant points, and the episode had its annoying points, like having too much of Willy the Snitch. So in the end? What else can I do but call it a draw? Since there's now two slayers, I can have two opinions and two worlds of personal hope, now can't I?

Okay, bad episode. Ted is a bad episode. Have I mentioned that it was a bad episode? Probably not, so I'll say it again. It was a bad episode.

Hell, I don't even want to remember it. I was rolling my eyes when Buffy felt so bad about killing Ted, only to find out that he was some wacked out, druggy robot from the 50s or some crap like that. I also have a tendency not to be able to stand Joyce episodes very much, unless they deal with her having sex with Giles twice on the hood of a car, but I digress... Simply put, from the moment that you see how evil that computer working environment of Ted's was, I just knew that this episode was not for me, the computer engineer of the room... And while I really ought to watch it a third time or whatever on DVD before I declare this episode dead or Ted to me, I really also think it'll be safer for my own mental health if I didn't...

Hmm... The writers didn't even try to hide the fact that this episode is bad, bad, bad, bad, horny bad, now did they? Hell, they even put the truth in the title, as Bad Eggs really did stench like the sound of music... Now, Bad Eggs had some enjoyable parts in it. It was hilarious how Xander boiled his egg to the point where it could bounce. And it was kind of cool looking, how the egg creature started growing out of the teddy bear that Cordy was wearing on her back... but, um... those features were cute the first time that I watched this episode. But honestly, I don't know what's with the Buffy rerun schedules around here, but I have been reduced to watching Buffy get swallowed by a giant blob about a dozen times by now or so, and trust me... watching this episode over and over and over again every single damn year certainly didn't make it better than a bad tasting egg to me, that's for sure...

I'll admit it. The first time I watched this episode, I wasn't very much impressed. I thought it was simply so damn cheesy and cliche to have Jenny Calendar as a secret, half baddie or something, and I was rolling my eyes too much at the Buffy and Angel talk by the harbour to remember anything decent that went on in this episode... But after my second viewing of Surprise? And after my third?

My opinion still hasn't changed, but at least, I saw that Surprise did offer a few extra surprises, the more I watched it. Oz's reaction to the announcement of vampires was enough to put this episode in the positive for me. And I never noticed before, that despite the melodramatic, overzealous nature of Buffy's dream coming true (for instance, Joyce seemed a little too wacked out when she dropped the plate), it did create a nice sense of irony in the end, when it wasn't really Dru who killed Angel... but rather it was Buffy... through love... I also thought the gift of the ring from Angel was rather touching as well, even though I wouldn't touch the rest of the scene with a 12-foot pole. I wish that more of their sex scene was shown on screen, but alas, we were simply left with the birthday surprise at the end... that the writers had found the perfect metaphor for the older-guy-gone-bad-after-sex cliche...

For me, I felt a huge difference in atmosphere and writing between Surprise and Innocence, and I really couldn't put a finger on how or why until I realized who had written the second half of the two-parter... Simply put, except for the lackluster ending, where Buffy fights Angel in a shopping mall of all places, Innocence was definitely enough to shred my innocence to pieces and finally make me see that even episodes based on teen cliches can be great as long as the writing is there... and the jealousy... Because the moment Angelus stepped foot into the factory and started stealing Dru away from wheelchair Spike?... nearly every line in the episode was classic... I was laughing my head off throughout the entire scene where Angel was mocking Buffy for her newness in bed. I had to hold in my guts when I realized how damn hilarious Angel's writing on the wall was, even though it was in blood. And although Angelus ended the episode on a whimper (he didn't seem to have many cool phrases in the last half of the show), I personally enjoyed his licking in the balls, as Buffy really never does dish out enough low blows. Although a shopping mall wasn't exactly the most atmospheric places to have a final showdown, I at least thought that it set a good stage for the episodes to come.

As for the rest of the cast? Xander got to be the hero again, stealing a rocket launcher by pointing out a soldier's crappy boots. I chuckled at his "five minutes" line, but for the rest of the five minutes he was on the screen? I can't remember what else he said... Oz had a touching moment in the van with Willow, but besides that, he didn't do much either. Because in the end, Buffy is a show about girls, and I admit it, I couldn't help but feel bad for Willow. Not only did she witness Xander choosing Cordy over her, but she was the first to realize what happened between Buffy and Angel... the look on her face when she told Giles to shut up was simply perfect, and a true testament to the actress and the writers... Giles had some touching moments in the end as well. I almost forgot how much of a father he was to Buffy back in season 2, as he simply lent her his support rather than a finger to blame at the end. And Buffy?... well... I'm sorry, but I was literally laughing through all the scenes where she had a tear in her eye. I had to freeze frame the scene on her bed, where she was weeping her eyes out, just because it was comedic gold to me... But overall, seriously, Sarah Michelle Gellar did a stunning job in this episode, as she really did look pissed when she pulled that Rocket Launcher out of her ass and aimed it at the Judge. And honestly, as a guy, how can I not love an episode where a rocket launcher blows up an invincible foe? Not only was I wondering when the hell the Scooby gang was going to use modern artillery on the undead or something, but it was just brilliant that the poor Judge was a little too green (or blue) in the ways of the world to jump out of the way...

Innocence may not be on my top list of episodes, but it definitely has its merits. Enough that I wouldn't mind watching the episode a fourth time, just so I could laugh some more...

I was surprised, actually. When I watched this episode the first time, all I saw was a boring plotline with a stale Daniel Boone character and a preachy message about animal rights... But the second time? I actually saw the humour in the episode. I actually saw the Oz beneath the Oz. And it's true - it will take the guy a couple days to adjust to being a werewolf. And it took me a couple of watchings to realize why that was so funny...

While I laugh at how horrible the werewolf costume looks in the show, I will admit at least, that it certainly did its job in the dark in this episode. It was actually kind of startling actually, when the wolf ripped through Cordy's car, even though I could see it coming a mile away... But like I attested above, the real light of this episode came from the comic relief, and honestly, how can I not love an episode where Willow realized that "going through some changes" actually meant he was going through some changes? How could I not love this episode when Xander bonds with Lenny in the closet?... Unfortunately in the end, Phases is quite a forgettable episode, as I really don't remember much else except the introduction of the tranq gun, and the first kiss near the end between Oz and Willow. But still, this episode did for me what I want out of television. It made me laugh. And it made me look over my shoulder every time I hear a full moon howling on the horizon... if moon pies can howl, that is...

Now that title is a mouthful... and so would've been Xander, if any of the girls in this episode had their way... Get it? No? Okay, nevermind...

There are certain episodes that the television stations in Canada keep playing over and over and over again. I've probably seen Halloween as a rerun a dozen times by now, and probably the only episode to top that number, would be this one. The Valentine's Day episode. Which I must've endured thirty times or more now, and not always by my own will... and yet still... despite every joke in it now feeling like a retread, despite season seven's Him actually being a retread, I somehow find that I still like this episode, if only because Buffy got to get naked as a rat...

Okay, as a guy, this episode certainly had its pluses. You had Willow wearing nothing but a top. You had Jenny Calendar flirting with her own necklace, and whimpering when she was pulled away. You had Buffy wishing for a lap dance. And you had a gorgeous gorge of women, all salivating over Xander in slo-mo in the hallways... and most importantly, I liked the ending of this episode. Although it felt weird that Cordy would join back with Xander after he attempted to violate her with a spell, somehow it just felt comforting for me to watch a scene, over and over again, where the girl ditches her friends to be with the guy. I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic at heart... And there were a ton of other pluses in this episode as well. From the roughh break-up at the Bronze on Valentine's Day, to the sheer look on Angelus' face when Dru was actually coming onto Xander... and actually, the threesome scenes in the factory were quite adorable as well. Spike gave Dru a necklace, and Angel gave her a little shop girl's heart, which was priceless... And this episode was priceless... the first dozen times I watched it... and it still stands as a decent episode to this day, if only because I'm a guy looking for some witchcraft myself. And while it certainly is a testament to this episode that it can still make me smirk with little moments like the sight of Joyce crashing through her own window, the truth of the matter is, rewatching reruns over and over again really takes its toll on an episode. And I really can't love Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered anymore... unless a spell is involved, but that's besides the point...

Really, there's only one redeeming quality about it: the fact that this was the only episode with the true Angelus. I mean, his flowers at Valentine's Day lacked poetry to me, but the gifts of sleeping beauty portraits and fish strung in a barrel were simply priceless. And honestly, although nailing puppies to walls make for good stories, few things else in life make the impact that Angelus did on Giles. Give it up for Anthony Tony Head for looking so damn gullible and so damn hopeful, when he saw the candles and the champagne and the roses all set up for him in his apartment... only to find Jenny's eyes wide open and cold as night on his very bed... and while I may chuckle about it now, there's no denying that that scene nearly brings a tear to my eye when I see the way Giles looks into the abyss. And if it wasn't for the cheesy, cliche narration, I probably would've cried at the scene of Buffy and Willow learning of the truth...

And really, shouldn't that be enough to like the episode? Shouldn't that be enough to make me love Passion with a passion? And sadly enough, as great as those moments were, the rest of the episode simply didn't do them justice... not only because the episode took itself far too seriously, but because some of the characters were just too damn stupid for their own good... Because of course Jenny didn't tell anyone about the curse she was decrypting. Of course she would work on it at night in the school rather than her home where it was safe. Of course Giles would attack Angel at the end with a fiery stick rather than the blackest of magics. And of course, Buffy just had to save the day with a hug rather than a stake... I mean, yes, this episode was emotional. I almost freaked out the first time I watched Angel reveal the truth to Joyce that Buffy had made love to him... but in the end, I just wasn't invested enough in the characters to care about this soap opera. I didn't care that Jenny Calendar died. I didn't care that Buffy was holding against her a vendetta. I didn't care that Giles was ready to forgive her. And I just didn't care when I saw Jenny's tombstone near the end... In the end, I can't blame the writers for this. I can only blame myself, for not taking seriously episodes that take themselves seriously. Because seriously, Passions had all the makings for one of the best episodes of the year. The problem was, it would've been appropriate for a show like Passions, but for Buffy?... well, I watch it for Buffy, not the soap... unless she's in the shower with soap, but I digress...

Okay, let me make this clear: the creepy atmosphere of this episode killed all love that I had for Killed by Death. I mean, yes, I'm afraid of hospitals just as much as Buffy was. I think most of us are... and at times, it's nice to be scared by television. It's just that, I don't like being scared... and while this episode had some decent comic relief in the form of a very tactful Cordelia Chase and the sight of Xander watching her back, the fact of the matter was, this episode was dull and a little too spooky for me, if only because I don't like big-nosed demons who use cloaking devices and prey on little children... I also can't take seriously all the flashback scenes in this episode. Sure, it created an atmosphere of fear in the hospital, knowing that Buffy's cousin was killed by death, but still... I've said I'm not a fan of episodes like this, and I stand by my opinion. While I have fond memories of the pictures the kids drew of Buffy slaying the demon, I wasn't fond of the kids nor the episode itself. And although I only have myself to blame for my opinion, the fact still remains, that I don't want to watch this episode again. Some scary episodes, such as Hush, were just so damn effective that it makes you want to watch it a third time in a row. But Killed by Death?... I'm sorry, but I rather eat hospital food for a week than see this episode again...

There were a lot of decent episodes in season 2. School Hard had its moments when you compare the fresh attitude of Spike's with the religious parodies of the first season. Halloween was creative in its premise, and even more witty in its execution. Innocence brought forth Angelus along with possibly the best demonic metaphor the series has ever seen. Bewitches, Bothered, and Bewildered is not only the passion of every man's dream - it was also a comedic hoot and a hope for hooters for everyone else as well. And Passion was great for the melodramatic at heart, although besides the demonic poetry of Angelus, it wasn't really my cup of tea... But here we stand, with really one question left.

I thought it was the best episode of the year. Period... It combined comedy with the best romantic drama that the series has ever seen. It managed to spook me out with scenes like the arm in the locker and the snakes in the cafeteria, and it managed to definitely wig me out with such incredible yet credible poltergeist phenomenon as the teacher writing, "Don't walk away from me, Bitch" on the blackboard... Little things, like the infatuation that Giles had with the ghost being Jenny Calendar, breathed life into the characters of this episode. And little, whimsical questions like whether everyone would automatically graduate if the locusts had their way with school, not only made me think School Hard about school, but also made me laugh at the most pivotal of places...

But the core focus of the episode was the furthering of the Angelus and Buffy plotline, and it was just so fitting in the end, that a Grrrl Power show would possess the female lead with a male's ghost, and the male antagonist with a girl's... And their speech was moving, to say the least, not just because Buffy and Angel are played by brilliant actors, but because their scenes were mingled and mixed with brilliant acting in the flashback scenes as well. And somehow, I myself felt a haunting feeling when the friendly janitor picked up a gun out of nowhere, or when the couple at the start didn't even know what had come over them... As Faith recants in the fourth season of Angel, the definition of Insanity is repeating an event over and over and over again, expecting different results... and quite frankly, I can't help thinking that applies to me... Quite frankly, I can't help but believe that the poltergeist in this episode was a representation of me. I mean, all I ever want is forgiveness, but all that ever happens is a bloody cycle of stupidity... and I don't know... this episode worked its spiritual charms on me so well, that I couldn't help but feel bad for Buffy and Angel when the curse was finally lifted, and Angelus realized what had just happened...

And of course, it certainly didn't hurt this episode when I leapt out of my seat and Star Wars cheered when Spike leapt out of his wheelchair to badass music, but that's besides the point...

Although Go Fish has it's merits, I'd rather just prefer to say that this episode should take a hike and go fish... Now, don't get me wrong. I normally love episodes that don't take themselves seriously. But these episodes have to be funny and humourous first to be of any decent worth to me... and sadly? Go fish missed the boat on that one. I mean, sure the interrogation of Jonathan was inspired, and the look on Buffy's face when Xander dived into the pissed on pool was priceless. But really, what else was there to laugh at in this episode? The sight of horribly costumed fish men eating away at their coach for no apparent reason whatsoever? And the smell of athletes turning to skinless mush as their Russian steroids took a turn for the worst?

Normally, you'd figure that I'd like an episode such as Go Fish... but go figure... Sometimes, things just aren't meant to be... and the fact that I absolutely hate swimming because I still can't float after five years of swimming lessons, has nothing to do with the fact that I'm pissing over this episode... absolutely nothing at all, but I digress...

The word on the forums is that Becoming was Buffy the Vampire Slayer's finest hour. And although I wish I could disagree with that statement, considering I was choked up at the sheer cheesiness of the final song and the sound of Buffy crying for the umpteenth time, I must admit that it's hard pressed for me to find any other episode that has as much death, breadth, and emotion as Becoming has. Because honestly, Becoming Part 2 was the epitome of how to do an episode right. Joss Whedon wrote in the comic relief to perfection... When Buffy was suspected for murder, who showed up but Spike, who helped shake off the rust of melodramatic angst by admitting about the "tough guy" talk that all guys just love to do... After Giles went through a melodramatic phase of his own with a tender loving but manipulative vision of Jenny Calendar, we got a bulbant choir of a scene, where Druscilla got lost in the "moment" of kissing a man much younger than she... And while Buffy was ready to save the world? After Xander told the infamous "lie" to "kick his ass"? We got a laugh out loud moment, where Giles realized Xander was real, because Dru would only try to make him see things that he wanted to see... And you see? All three suspenseful moments were perfectly relieved with some of the best comedy the show had ever seen. While Passion failed in balancing out this so called ying and yang of writing, Becoming wrote the book on how to do the damn process justice. And although the melodramatic parts of this episode sort of waned on me over time, I can still honestly say that I can't fault this episode, for doing in writing what I've always wished I could do.

But while Becoming 2 was perhaps the best hour that the show had ever seen, there were quite a few problems with the first half of the season finale. Kendra just dying without putting up much of a fight was rather pointless, but at least her death redeemed itself with a brilliant moment in part 2, when Snyder took such gluttonous, guillotine pleasure in expelling Buffy from the school... The fight between Angel and Buffy in the cemetary lacked all punch, as did Willow's little start to the spell in part 1. But both faults were instantly redeemed in part 2, when Willow's rush into Latin was chilling the first time I watched it, and the sword fight between the two former lovers was perhaps the best foreplay I have ever seen on television to date. And while Spike and Dru got little action in part one of Becoming, I can proudly say that they were at their best in part 2. I mean, couldn't you just tell that Spike loved Buffy?... why else would he just sit in Buffy's home, twiddling his thumbs away like the best of would be boyfriends? Why else would he play the nice guy and pretend to be in a band to protect Buffy's mother? And although Spike could barely handle Dru in the fight near the end, you've got to admit that it looked pretty cool, with him rising in the background behind Angel and him becoming the hero... and when Spike noted that Angel was about to kill Buffy? You could just tell that Spike was already in love with her... really...

And okay, so maybe I'm stretching some things. Big McDeal. So sue me. The point I'm making, is that this episode had a little something for everyone, and a hell of a lot for certain people... While I loved this episode for the simple fact that Spike wanted to save the world of happy meals with legs, others loved this episode for the fight between Buffy and her mother. Simple lines like, "have you tried not being a slayer", or the moment when Joyce kicked her daughter out of the house, have become classic over time. And really, even I have to admit... it is so sad what happens at the end, that it even chokes me up to this day... Because Buffy didn't just killed Angelus. Buffy had to kill Angel. Her lover. Her first love, and only love. Angel was cured with the curse, and Buffy actually thought things would be alright... she actually looked happy for a moment... she thought everything would finally be alright... but they weren't... they never are, and they never will be... Because it never ends... and while I may snicker at the poor special effects of the Acathla vortex from time to time, I still have no choice but to admit that I can't even begin to imagine what it would feel like, to kill the one that you love, especially when they have no memory of what they've done wrong... to kill the Innocent with a Surprise of Passion... it still sends chills up my spine...

And the sight of Alias-hatted, white blonde haired Buffy, standing alongside bleach-blonde haired Spike, just still gives me so much hope for the future as well... Although I wish I could claim that Becoming was not the show's finest hour, the truth of the matter is, I can't find an episode to prove my theory wrong...

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