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2.22 Becoming (2)

Whistler: "What are you doing to do? What are you prepared to do?"
Buffy: "Whatever I have to."

BtVS seems (to me) to be a mix of horror, satire, comedy, and heartbreak, with different episodes carrying different proportions of the mix. This episode is very heavily weighted in the heartbreak category; Buffy loses virtually everything, and all at once, and has only herself in the end.

The decisions she must make throughout this episode are heavy, and she must make them alone. She decides to resist arrest (considering the circumstances, the only choice); she decides not to submit to her mother's authority at the cost of losing her home; she decides to ally with her enemy, Spike, to save Giles. She decides to tell Joyce about her calling, unfortunately at the worst possible moment. The hardest decision she must make is to kill Angel, and even this is made a lot harder since she must kill him when he is himself again.

And there she is at the end, looking small, young, and lost, expelled from school, and running away. Whistler tells her: "In the end, you're always by yourself. You're all you've got. That's the point." In the end, there is more to Buffy than her friends, her Watcher, her mother, her lover, her life in high school, because she still has herself. I think I tend to take Sarah Michelle Gellar's skills for granted at times, but this episode in particular reminded me that her acting skills are formidable and are complimented always by real grace and athleticism. She's really something.

David Boreanaz is extremely good in this one, too, as he has been throughout this entire "evil Angel" arc. I especially liked the lighthearted way he says to Giles, "I want to torture you. I used to love it and it's been a long time. I mean, the last time I tortured somebody, they didn't even have chainsaws." And saying that, I must also say that was probably a good idea for them not to actually show Angel torturing Giles. Joss Whedon struck the right balance here.

I loved seeing Buffy working with Spike for the first time; they're delightful together, and have marvelous acting chemistry. Spike has some more wonderful lines: "The truth is, I like this world. You've got dog racing, Manchester United-- and you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs." "If you have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world, and I don't fancy spending the next month getting librarian out of the carpet." "I don't want to hurt you, baby. Doesn't mean I won't."

One last thing. Right before Buffy kills Angel, she says to him, "Close your eyes." It's the same thing Darla says to him right before she bites him in part one.

Bits and pieces:

-- The ending is essentially a double couple fight: Angel with Buffy, Spike with Drusilla.

-- When Buffy goes to the mansion to kill Angel, she's wearing the cross he gave her at the beginning of the series.

-- Xander lied to Buffy. He doesn't tell Buffy about the ritual Willow is performing and instead tells her Willow said to kick his ass. Xander may have caused Angel's death.

-- Is Willow possessed by Jenny in the cursing scene in the hospital at the end? And does it happen because Drusilla channeled Jenny for Giles?

-- Cordelia seems to be outright sweet in this two-parter. Just an observation.

-- David Boreanaz does better with Latin than he does with that Irish accent. But then again, he has many skills.

-- With continued good timing, Xander tells Willow how much he loves her... while she's unconscious.

-- The mansion is on Crawford Street.

-- Oz drives Cordelia to the library for supplies. "I'll drive." He is often the one who drives.

-- The final song, Sarah McLachlan's "Full of Grace," is a fan favorite; very appropriate for the moment, and very moving.

-- Detective Stein from the episode "Ted" is back.

-- Angel talks about having Spike watch his back being like old times, so they must have gotten along at some point.

-- Buffy tells her mom she's in a band, plays the drums, Spike says, "Well, I sing." James Marsters does indeed sing in a rock band of his own.

-- The "grrr argh" at the end is changed to "Oooh, I need a hug."

-- Obligatory dog reference: "You've got dog racing, Manchester United..."

Inconsistencies:

-- The swordfight is wonderful, but you can clearly see when it's Gellar and Boreanaz and when it's their stunt doubles.

Quotable quotes:

Spike: "We like to talk big. Vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.' That's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I like this world. You've got dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here."

Giles: "In order to be worthy..."
Angelus: "Yeah?"
Giles: "You must perform the ritual... in a tutu."

Spike: "You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world. And I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet."

Whistler: "You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get the good stuff."

It doesn't get better than this. Four out of four stakes,

Billie





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