Season 2 Finale! BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | "Becoming, Part 2" REACTION (2x22 Commentary)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- Season 2 comes to a close in surprising? fashion as we finish out a season-long arc that pays off in a big way. My review.
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The visual of Joyce and Spike hanging out together in the living room will never not be funny to me. I love it so much! 🤣
I don't think Xander himself knows if the "I love you" was platonic or not.
Buffy catching that sword by the blade and telling Angel that she still has herself gives me chills every time. Such an iconic moment in the series.
This is one of the most important episodes between both shows for so many reasons. I really believe there is no way a person could watch this show through to this point and not be completely and totally invested.
I love how Buffy seasons are structured. You get a lot of seeds planted in the first half that you don’t really have any idea how they’ll be used in the second half, but once you’re at the end its perfectly been set up. The show starts bigging up Angelus as a threat as soon as you learn about what he did to Dru. We meet Spike and think he’s the big bad, but we’re actually learning a lot of stuff that will make it make sense when he comes to Buffy to team up against Angelus-like his love for Dru, his respect almost for Buffy, and knowing Buffy well enough to trust she’d honour a deal (and she knows that about him too because of ‘Lie to Me’). They ground everything so well without it being predictable.
Can’t wait for you to start picking up some of those breadcrumbs in season 3.
What's even better is it works despite not being the original plan. Spike was meant to be killed by Angelus. They made Spike cool and badass as a vehicle to make Angelus look like even more of a threat after he took him out. But fans loved him and the WB execs were like "no, you can't kill him off, he's ratings gold" so Whedon and Co. had to scramble to rework the arc.
I love the fact that this two parter isn't just about Angel becoming or Buffy becoming, but also Willow and Xander. Willow cast magic and Xander decided not to inform Buffy about the spell Willow was performing. They became in their own meaningful ways. Of course, we also have Joyce learning that Buffy is a slayer, Giles facing Jenny, Spike teaming up with Buffy. All of these characters grew in their own right
Umm Xander lying to Buffy isn’t a sign of him growing at all. It was wrong
Xander has character growth in the later seasons tho
So does Willow, without spoilers of course..
@lessismore8533 Of course. To clarify, I'm not saying that what Xanded did was right, but that it was a meaningful moment in his character development.
I’m not crying, you’re crying!
Man, this finale is so beautifully written and performed. That shot of SMG after she stabbed Angel - she shows you everything Buffy is feeling, the sacrifice she made, it’s so painful and so true to the moment and the way this character has developed in the show. The season led to this so brilliantly, the seeds so carefully planted along the way that everything that happened seemed almost inevitable, yet not completely predictable at the same time.
Props to Kristine Sutherland too for her very believable reaction to her daughter being the slayer. In the wrong hands, what she said to Buffy could have made her seem like a horrible and uncaring mother, but Kristine does the work to make you see that Joyce is a loving mother who just doesn’t know what to do with what she’s just learned. She wants to protect her daughter, but she can’t, and that powerlessness leads her to say all the wrong things. Buffy, meanwhile, has so much on her plate that she just doesn’t have the emotional energy left to handle the situation more kindly. It’s a mother daughter dynamic that feels very real, and I don’t think anyone could be blamed for how wrong it went.
Also, Joyce and Spike are brilliant together! Love them! Lol
Actually, I don't see Joyce being a loving mother in that at all. She immediately default to trying to preserve the status quo as she sees it. I *do* see her, however, start to realize that perhaps she really hasn't been paying any attention to her daughter...which is then immediately proven when she goes all authoritarian ultimatum even though her daughter is clearly on the edge of a breakdown and is grappling with major sh!t.
This is one of the best episodes of the series, I think. Not the best ever (everyone who's seen the series agrees on the top two contenders for that), but way up there. Solidly top 5.
This is the episode where Xander completely lost me, by not telling Buffy that Willow was doing the spell. It's not only the patronizing lie and substituting his own judgment for what Buffy might potentially choose, or that he did it maliciously because he wanted Buffy to kill Angel regardless, even if Willow did the spell. It's not just the way he clearly suspects in the end why Buffy didn't come back and keeps mum about it, with the outcome that no one has any idea how bad a state she's in or can try to support her. Mostly it's the way he does all that with no thought or care at all for how it might affect Buffy if she's blindsided by Angel coming back and then having to kill him. Which is exactly what happened.
Thank you for bringing up Xander not warning Buffy about the spell! She had no idea Angelus could become Angel and was blindsided by having to make that choice to sacrifice him 😭
Buffy was ready and prepared to kill Angelus. She'd had to process the grief and guilt of Angel being "dead" and her sense that she was the one to kill him. So when Angel returns, no, she wasn't prepared. She saw the person she loved most and thought was gone return to her with everything that meant. And as the slayer she had to choose to literally kill him rather than the metaphorical death she blamed herself for last time. I think it made it twice as hard which is why we saw her break down immediately after.
She had a choice, she didn't have a good choice but she had a choice. And choices can sometimes hurt you.
excellent call back to Buffy’s line in Lie to Me
Another TH-camr pointed out that Angelus in all his years has never wanted to destroy the world until the events of I Only Have Eyes For You. Feeling love drove him to it.
Hmm, I disagree with this being about the ghost possession. With a soul, he was also able to feel love. You might think of that as the same as being possessed. Both scenarios leave Angelus locked down under the surface. So I suppose you could say it was the love he felt from Buffy the entire year or so he knew her, or my theory is that Angelus got off destroying the world for the sole purpose of destroying Buffy even more. He knows the guilt she would feel as someone who bears the weight of the world. That would be my head Canon, and also implies what sets Buffy apart from other slayers.
Buffy's moms speech when she kicks her out, while yes definitely sounding a lot like a parent being like "have you tried not being depressed," has also tied back by a lot of people to a parent saying "have you tried not being gay." that whole part is generally seen as a metaphor for homophobia. its *one* of the reasons that btvs appeals so much to the queer community- the idea of a secret about your identity that you have to cope with, that makes the journey of growing up harder. a lot of people found relatability and comfort in Buffy's story because of that.
love your videos!! :)
You're right about Dru really getting to showcase how dangerous she is in these episodes.
I love the Christopher Beck music piece "Close Your Eyes" (Buffy and Angel love theme). It is such a beautifully haunting melody and fits the scene perfectly. I love watching scenes that invoke emotion in me and, not ashamed to say, bring me to tears. Sarah Michelle Gellar has that ability to do that to me every time in certain Buffy clips, and this one is a big one of them. I also love the fact that a blonde woman who plays a significant role in his life, Darla, tells him to close his eyes before she changes everything for him. And then we get full circle as another important blonde woman changes his life again with the exact same words. Part one of Becoming was about Angel's story of becoming, part two I think was Buffy's, but also had an impact on Angel as well.
And I can confirm that when I first watched this, I was pretty sure Angel would come back. He had to. He was the big love of Buffy's life, he couldn't be dead. I was certain of it as I was that after Angel became Angelus it would only be for a few episodes. They'll find a way to save him next episode... next episode... ok the next one...
i love thinking about how funny some of these scenes must be when you’ve already watched the final episode of the show
Angel being sucked into the vortex was essentially in Buffy's prophetic dream from the mid season. From his pose to the final "Buffy"-- it's clever. She was scared of him being taken away from her but she's the one who did the job.
Xander saying that Willow said "kick his ass" pisses me off, every time.
Buffy is broken in this one. Kendra died. Some of her friends are hurt. Giles was tortured. The cops want her for murder. She's expelled. She's kicked out of the house. She thinks Willow jumped on the "kill Angel" bandwagon. And she had to see Angel get his soul back, then she had to send him to hell, "kill" him to save the world (again) - except it is worse, because a metal sword through the torso doesn't actually kill him, so she sent the love of her life to hell...
Yes, the trigger happy US cops are the most unrealistic part of this episode 😏
Yep, the profession that requires body cams because they're constantly abusing their power/role.
I’ve often joked that you could tell if a reactor was in the US or not by their reaction to the police shooting at the back of an unarmed teenage girl for running from them. Non Americans always stop and do a double take at it, while Americans (if they stop to comment on it at all) simply nod and agree “yep. That tracks. I’m surprised they yelled freeze/stop first”. 🤦♂️
@@coffeeveins You mean police officers *aren't* supposed to be judge, jury, and executioner and also make all those decisions on the spot?!?!?! /s
"Have you tried not being a slayer?" It's an allegory for kids coming out as LGBTQ.
All the f^ckin' time.
especially combined with the "is it because you never had a strong male role model?" that Joyce threw out there
Also, Joyce giving her that ultimatum
No, it can be but I think this depression ( mental health) option is just as valid from this reactor. We are who we are, how deal with that and with other people which is important.
@@Jason_xofilos There are cases where depression can be helped with medication. Also "being depressed" by definition is not a good thing. You are literally depressed. But being gay - nothing wrong with that. (of course you can still get your heart broken and be unsure of yourself etc. But having an actual medical condition like depression cannot be compared to someone simply being who they are.)
I must say David has always been a good looking and charismatic man. In any role he plays he always has a presence. He can pull off anything.
Bookending both Darla and Buffy telling Angel to close his eyes is still just writing perfection to me.
Also, kudos on the “It needs the blood, right?” comment. It made my ears perk up. “Cause it’s always got to be blood” Stay tuned :)
The episode is very much about ALL of the characters becoming who they’re meant to be. Season 3 was a really special season for a multitude of reasons. Watching it week to week back in 1998-1999 was probably my favorite season of television of all time. I truly cannot wait to see your reactions - some of the best episodes of the series are coming up
It flew over my head on all my watches, I only caught it watching your reaction- Whistler stated he believed Angel was destined to stop Acathla and he did it was Angelus brought him forth but Angel was the one to stop him filling Whistler's prophecy just not in the expected way. I can't believe myself never catching it before
I love how the whole “Coming out” scene with Buffy and her mother was a metaphor for a child coming out as gay to their parent.
In regards to the scene where Buffy tells Joyce about being the slayer think this can be interestingly compared to the experience of many LGBTQI people coming out to their parents. Even the response of Joyce “are you sure you’re a slayer?” “Have you tried not being the slayer?”
Yes, this was intentional.
Haha I never enjoyed a reaction video THAT much. Brought me back to when I saw this episode for the first time when it aired on the BBC. I was 12 and tears were running from my face. At the time we didnt know if Angel would come back or not, until paparazzi pics appeared of SMG and DB acting season 3 scenes. Both these actors made this episode with the emotional intimacy in that final scene. U can tell me what u want but for me this remains the best episode in the history of tv. The whole run up of the 21(!) previous episodes that climax in this final chapter, its Shakespeare wrapped in a tv-show!
🙏❤️😄
This was actually the first episode of Buffy I ever watched. My friend had been talking it up, so I decided to check it out. I was hooked after the recap, and was in tears at the end of the episode. I can't think of another show where you could watch the second part of the second season finale and be so in love with a show after 60 minutes. That's the power of this show, the writing, acting - it all worked so perfectly for me.
My first episode of Buffy was also from season 2! I was dating a guy who was watching the show, and one night I happened to be at his place when Buffy was on, and so I sat down to watch it with him. I wasn't expecting much, as I'd seen the movie and, though I actually liked it, I didn't think it would make a good show, which was why I wasn't already watching it. But then I saw my first episode of the TV show and realized how wrong I was, and that was it, I was all in. That episode was Innocence! What a way to start, lol!
Spike has respected Joyce ever since she hit him with that axe. 🙂
I first saw Buffy (and Angel) as they were coming out, week by week, in my early teens. Having been diagnosed with autism six years ago, I now realise that I missed a lot of the emotional plot, because I expected a happy ending, and I wasn’t emotionally mature enough to get all the points you so excellently describe. I have seen the whole show again, twice, on dvd in my twenties, but knowing what would happen again took from my understanding of what was happening in the moment, under the surface. So thank you! For letting me see one of the shows that had the biggest impact on me growing up, from a new, deeper and more mature angle❤
(And I really, really hope you’ll do Angel as well!)
I’m glad your perception of Xander’s “I love you” was platonic. I believe that’s what it was, but I’ve seen a lot of people react otherwise.
Tyler. Thank you.
Due to some health issues my world has become very small and sad for the past few months. This seems stupid to say but these Buffy reactions you do give me a small rare beacon of happiness. I'm glad I got to see what I consider the peak of the show with you. You're unlike anyone else on this platform. I wish I could word this better. It just means a lot for reasons that would be too long to explain.
Sorry for being soppy. Hopefully looking forward to season 3.
@@hannahmahony9560 Hi! I wish you comfort and all the joy and happiness that can be found 😊 I'm sorry you're going through a hard time, and thank you very much for this incredibly kind comment ❤️ I'm humbled my silly videos can make anyone feel this way and you worded it perfectly so, genuinely, thank you 🙏 I wish all the best for your health and your world.
You're absolutely always allowed to be soppy, Hannah, and the world is better off for it 🙂 much love ❤️
I will always stand by the fact that Xander did the right thing!
1. The fate of the entire world was at stake. Full on apocalypse! No hand holding, no second chances.
2. Buffy had proven time, and again, she was struggling to deal with Angelus due to unresolved feelings and struggling to separate Angel and Angelus. Which is understandable given the circumstances.
3. Willow was still a novice witch attempting a spell she had NEVER tried before. A spell that was stated to be incredibly difficult to perform even for accomplished witches.
4. Willow failed the first time due to the attack/ambush, which resulted in her stay in the hospital. End result: A COMA as a result of a very serious head injury. Willow still wanted to try the spell again even though she was incredibly weak from just waking up.
5. Xander was against the second attempt. Because he worried about her health and didn't want her hurt even more. He also didn't think she would succeed due to her injuries. (As stated in the show)
6. Buffy was struggling to fight Angelus anyway. So I wonder what would have happened if she held back.
7. Angelus had pulled the sword just as Buffy showed up anyway.
Anyone saying Xander did it purely because of jealousy or outright hatred of Angel clearly didn't pay any attention to Xander or his character.
Excellent reaction and enjoy hearing your processing of thoughts while you watch. What can’t be processed by the audience of today was how we watched Buffy and this episode. Remember there was no knowledge of a show called Angel, young adult shows were very safe and shallow, and we had a perspective that was being trashed with almost every episode of Buffy.
I was invited to a Buffy party at a house that had a home theatre set up. This was 1998. I was the only boy with a roomful of 14-16 year old girls. To say the atmosphere was full of anticipation, nervous energy, hope , and dread is an understatement. Angel had been a huge romantic idol until Innocence but still hope was being held out. No way to duplicate the group’s emotions during the final 10 minutes but here it goes… Willow had the girls first rooting for her… Go Willow, come on Willow… then the collective gasps when Willow throws her head back and her face changes expression. I heard so many … is she all right.
Then the fight with Angel and Buffy was full of fear( you could feel it) and then Angel has her unarmed and looking helpless. When Buffy grabs the sword and says, ME… the room exploded in “Yeah, get him Buffy”. When Angel gets his soul back the room went silent. Then every girl was silent and reflected the way Buffy approached Angel. When she says Angel and hugs him… there was hollering and hugs of joy all around. When Buffy sees the mouth open and the stuff start coming out… silence and several, “ What’s that? …what’s happening …. And then an uneasy silence. When Buffy says”close your eyes “( just like Darla did in Part1) I heard a few Why? and a couple of pleading No’s. Then when Buffy stands back and runs Angel through and sends him to Hell… I was suddenly surrounded and with 14 devastated girls. Every single one was crying, sobbing, and asking vainly, Why did he get his soul back? I could not hear over the wailing and tears.Then when a few noticed Buffy had emptied her closet and Joyce was upset reading the letter… more tears. The last scene n the bus was more crying and Where are you going Buffy? It was an experience that was unworldly. I had bonded with several girls watching Buffy but a bond was set that night. 8 of the girls are now strong together women that remain friends. 2 of them are succesful in life and business… tough and emotionally strong… but they tell me that they can not watch this episode ever again. You might be surprised by the number of people that still get emotional watching the final 8 minutes. Just wanted to share the experience of that Tuesday night. You get to stream the next episode but we did not. We had a break and I had the role of answering questions I did not know the answer.
All the episodes of season 2 were leading to them becomming what they’re meant to be become. Damn, I forgot how fantastic television season 2 was. And the best is yet to come...
Seasons 2, 5, and 6 are far and away my favourite seasons, although the rest are mostly great too. Those three seasons are the most *consistently* good, with that lucky combination of almost no filler AND a story arc that takes you places you really didn't expect to go.
"I can't wait to see where these characters go from this point forward". Yeah, the character development in this show is top notch. All the major characters grow in satisfying ways, though some slower than others (which is only realistic). Can't wait for Season 3, which is my favorite Season together with Season 5.
I wasn't expecting this one to come so soon after the last one, but I am hype. I absolutely adore season 2 and its relationship dynamics. Looking forward to season 3.
I’m getting more and more excited because it sounds like you’ve committed yourself to covering the Angel series too, and I’m looking forward to it 😉
Then we have to get him to do Firefly and Dollhouse after! I'd be most interested to see his reactions to Dollhouse. And everyone loves Firefly! (Except certain Fox execs.)
Oh I have been WAITING for this one!
When Buffy stormed out of the house after Joyce gave her the ultimatum, she left the door open.
Dog racing. 😩 Manchester United. 😩😩 People. 😩😩😩
Oh man, that sequence got me laughing!! 🤣
Love your reactions to Buffy. A great mix of insight and humor. Looking forward to more!
Enjoyed your reviews, looking forward to S3
Dude, you saw the ending. You saw how she told him that she loved him. lol. Must be interesting to watch it now. What a huge progress has been made. Like no other. This watching is a perfect opportunity for you to capture it step by step, comparing it.
This finale was such a shift because Joyce finally finds out that Buffy is The Slayer, and it really changes their dynamic going forward. Joyce can finally see her daughter for who she truly is.
"Oh shes very white okay...not just in a ginger way.." Lmao relatable 💜😩🤣
Never been so early for anything in my life, I am SAT
Thank you Tyler, that was probably the best reaction and analysis I've seen of Becoming II and also for your comments on how the season has built to this episode. Really looking forward to seeing what you make of Season 3.
Thanks for your thoughts on this epic finale. I still cannot watch it without crying nor listen to Full of Grace by Sarah McLachlan dry-eyed: "The winter here is cold, and bitter
It’s chilled us to the bone
I haven’t seen the sun for weeks
Too long too far from home
I feel just like I’m sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Through all the darkness
I feel like letting go…
Follow the strength and follow the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I can love you much better than this
Full of grace, full of grace my love
It’s better this way, I said
Having seen this place before
Where everything we say and do hurts us all the more
It’s just that we stayed
Too long in the same old sickly scheme
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Through all the darkness….
I feel like letting go
Follow the strength and follow the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I can love you much better than this
Full of grace
I know I can love you much better than this
But, it’s better this way."
You: "She's not going to do it. She's not going to kill Angel."
Us: **holding back tears**
Us: "You sure?"
SMG'S acting in this episode is some of the best I've ever seen from anyone ever.
I was recently bullied for an opinion someone decided they didn't like me saying in numerous BtVS videos. It is a bit too early in Tyler's viewing to get into what he was bullying me about (as it would be a spoiler), but I urge people to go down any purposeful road of bullying. Words hurt, and can also be very unintentional very easily with online comments AKA the written word. Even more so than when speaking face to face.
Anyone else here just as much for, if not more so, for Tylers reaction to Snyder picking up the phone and saying, "Tell the Mayor I have good news" than even the big moments? It was a small, short moment, but considering how often he said he was curious, I was waiting for the look on his face.
I have a lot of issues with Xander lying to Buffy, but assuming Buffy could think Angelus was faking it (he did jokingly try one episode earlier) for some reason, never entered my mind. Just one more reason I don't think Xander should have lied. Finding out she actually killed Angel instead of Angelus could have caused major problems if things had gone that way.
It's tricky because on one hand it's Xander being anti-Angel and I always remember how angry I was at the time that he didn't tell her the truth. The assumption is/was he said it in the hope she'd kill Angel anyway just like Xander wanted. A bit messed up, using her to kill someone he disliked. Benefit of the doubt though, it could be seen that he realised time was of the essence, Willow was pretty unlikely to succeed, and giving Buffy this false hope could have cost her the fight as she played to stall rather than win. In her situation, knowing this hail mary could come, I would have done everything I could to not harm the other person and buy time for the spell to work. I don't know his reasoning, but I do accept Xander's choice was the right one.
@@Marwolaeth01I see your point except Xander isn’t the one actually fighting. It seems to me that the person in charge of making the plan and actually fighting should have all information possible available to them so they can change tactics as needed. Xander is not in charge here.
@@sammysam312 I agree in principle, but I still think not telling her was the right call. Angelus suddenly turning to Angel couldn't really harm Buffy, worst case scenario she ends up killing him never realising he turned, just thinks that pause was him slipping up. Worst case scenario that can come from her knowing is she holds back, pulls her punches, tries to buy time for the spell to work and misses opportunities where she could have ended the fight early on. She may never get that opportunity later if she ever does decide the spell isn't going to work and so attempts for the kill. Sometimes not having all the information is the best way.
Yes, you are right, while Angelus wants to destroy everything including Buffy like a typical monster and a bad guy, because he is just a psycho killer. Spike on the other hand wants to stop him and to "save the world" because he likes it and wants his lover Dru back. And he is a vampire without a soul too but the one who cares. Angelus doesn't fcking care about anything unless it's mass destruction.
This show has a tendency to say that all vamps are the same, demon inside is the same and that it is just a "monster without a soul". You will see it. At the same time they show things like this. No, guys, they are NOT the same.
Also the idea that Angel and Angelus should be completely different characters was created only to be able to write love story with Buffy and for him to interact with other characters. They are like "No, guys, it's okay, it's not that psycho killer who tortured people for centuries, it's the other guy, everything is fine'. lol. He still has demon power inside. And he is still able to return to that psychopath in a minute. This is not plausible that they are completely different and he has control over it.
In "Becoming pt. 1" Angel has a line about Acathla that ends, "we will become".
This really felt like it was written to be the last episode, but I'm glad it wasn't. The rest of Buffy is still good, but this is the high point, for me.
I feel like Becoming is about the ultimate goal of one's teen age - to discover who you really are. You try on different identities and versions of yourself, you make and lose friends, you move around and you discover things about yourself. It doesn't end here, but it's a huge first step.
Buffy had to learn who she was when she had nothing, and she learned that she, herself, is enough. She has enough strength to stand alone, even if she doesn't have to in the future, she'll always know she can.
She finally found the strength to break up with her abusive boyfriend, too.
James Masters is a flippin' treasure - if you get the chance, listen to the Dresden Files audiobooks which he narrates, he's incredible as Harry Dresden, private wizard detective.
The whole cast is incredibly strong in this episode - everyone gets their moments and delivers.
Such a great finale! Such a great season. But things get even better next season!
You're probably the first person I've seen who understood right away that the whole thing, the whole season was about Buffy BECOMING the Slayer. Not that I'm any kind of brilliant person, but it took me at least a decade of rewatches to catch it.
I also think that Buffy had to leave because she couldn't deal with what becoming the slayer meant in her personal life. She felt guilty for everything Angelus had done, from killing Jenny Calendar right through to the torture of Giles. As the Slayer who very accidentally unleashed Angelus, the guilt was overbearing. She did what she had to do, but she couldn't face her friends after. She was kicked out of school, she was thrown out of her home, and she just wanted to run away from reality, really. She wanted to run from being the Slayer.
Thank you so much for this - two reactions in a week for a season finale!
Very much a focus on Becoming: Joyce becoming aware of Buffy's role; Willow becoming aware of magic and spells; Xander becoming more mature and caring (even if it's overshadowed by his hatred for Angel); Giles becoming a hostage and being manipulated into seeing Jenny; Dru becoming more powerful and killing a slayer (RIP Kendra); Spike becoming more assertive and one of the good guys momentarily (even if it's for personal gain to get Dru back); Angelus becoming Angel again and being sucked through the Hell portal to stop the end of the world; and dear Buffy growing up, becoming isolated and alone, homeless, and making decisions only a slayer can, sacrificing her own wants and needs in the process.
And yet the writers still manage to slip in some comic moments among the intense drama (Spike and Joyce "get the hell away from my daughter" and "He's going to kill her... *raises eyebrow and leavers*", and Dru kissing Giles "Sorry, I was in the moment..."
I appreciate your comments on how BTVS takes time to focus on the vampires and their differences this season; yes, the Master was a plot item in S1, but they feel part of the character development in this season, in the same way the bad things seem like a bad dream when you're young, then grow and becoming a bit more real and less black and white, more grey. Each vampire has its own personality and ambition.
I am so excited for your reactions to season 3, Tyler, much appreciated 💗
What many dont get out of this conversation between buffy and her mom is, that it is a metaphor for a conversation between a mother and her daughter who cames out as a lesbian:
Mum i am a vampire slayer/ lesbian
Have you ever tryed not to be a vampire slayer/ lesbian?
"Mum, its nothing i have choosed to be"
"I dont accept that"
.......
U.S. cops certainly shoot kids in the real world, although I’d argue it happens far more rarely to middle-class white teen girls. That said, if you want an plausible head-canon in-world explanation: we’ve seen high-level cops in Buffy covering up vampire activity, so it’s not a /huge/ stretch to think some of the rank and file may be in on things. If that doesn’t work for you, try this: the shooting took place in the school, very near the library…about as close to the Hellmouth as you can get without actually being in it. Possibly that had an effect on the officer who pulled the trigger.
A personal-favorite bit of trivia for you. The scene made the edit, but the frame with the specifics didn’t: Go back and watch the full original of the scene @21:28 when Spike’s peeling out in the car. There a moment where one of his hands winds up in sunlight; he recoils from the light and repositions his hands on the steering wheel to keep them safe. It’s a lovely little moment that tickles me every time I see it.
This episode's ending breaks my heart every time
Love your discussion and clarity of insight as always.
Now is a good time to watch the movie.
This is the moment I never forgave Xander for. I will never forgive what he did here. If not for him witholding information, Buffy MIGHT have stopped Angelus before he completed the ritual.
I don't care about Xander not liking Angel here, this is about him being an atrocious friend to Buffy.
He doesn't care what the act of killing Angelus(Angel) will do to her in the long run.
He's just happy to get Angel out of the way. And if it destroys Buffy in the process, so be it.
That's not what a real friend does.
Buffy needs no enemies with Xander around.
I was devastated after this finale. It's one of my favorites, however. I FEEL like I'm Buffy every time I watch it.
Everything in her life went to hell. Her friends will not understand her pain- they're happy to be rid of Angel.
Her mom kicked her out. She's out of school. She's a wanted criminal. And she has to live with the fact she killed the love of her life. DAMN.
I've seen many characters kill their significant others, but this is the one time I had no judgement for the killer. None.
Buffy did all she could to save Angel, to stop Angelus, she loved him and it showed.
Had there been a different way to save the world, no matter how dangerous and complex, she would've chosen it.
She wouldn't have left or been a wreck had Xander been decent. She deserved better throughout the whole show, honestly.
"Your going to shoot a kid." This is pretty typical American Law Enforcement operating procedure. And yes, I am being serious, not sarcastic.
not its not...
@@Sforschondetta ?? English?
@@Sforschondetta Yeah, it is.
@@Sforschondettait is
This always bugged me the way spike chokes Drusilla till she passes out - and in the future, a certain vampire is being strangle and says: « i dont breathe, you idiot! You can’t strangle me! Haha! » so there are sometimes inconsistencies in the buffyverse…
Dude
By the end of this episode Buffy is all alone!!! She is in the pit of despair!!!
Kendra is dead and she blames herself.
The law is after her!!!
Her mum kicked her out in a beautiful but devastating allegory for gay kids in the '90s being outed to their parents and the parent not accepting it.
You laughed at this part but it was not supposed to be funny It was supposed to be heartbreaking and it definitely was back when it was culturally relevant.
Her principal who had it out for her for no good reason finally got his way and expelled her from the school!!!
Her boyfriend is dead !!! after she had to kill him!!!!
And as far as she knows her friends betray her!
She doesn't know that willow told Xander to tell her about the spell.
She doesn't know that Xander chose in the last minute to not give her the message cuz he was super excited to have Buffy kill angel.
All she knows is that her friends decided to not tell her about the second attempt to fix angel.
Had she known about the fact that willow was trying to spell again maybe she would have acted differently!!! Prevented angel from pulling out the sword, but time by running away more and having angel chase her around. She could have prevented what she could have planned differently and prevented what was about to happen.
But as far as she knows her friends (Not just Xander but also willow , Oz & Cordelia) chills intentionally not to tell her and by doing so they broke the bond of trust and friendship between them.
She literally has nothing and no one in the world and you're talking about being an adult?????
.
What!?!?!?!?!?
I so enjoy your thoughtful reactions to one of my favorite shows. I'm also noticing for the first time how many parallels there are in this show & the Song of Ice and Fire books. hmm
I remember watching this with my friend when it aired & we both were sobbing at the end. For a long time anytime I heard that song it made me tear up. Great episode with so much that changed for all the characters.
I agree with you about Dru. She's such a great character. To avoid any spoilers, they do some stuff with her, but not enough for me. I wanted more.
I've actually got a fanfic series I'm writing that diverges from canon bit by bit starting early S2 to the point the S2 events end with Dru as the Big Bad and getting ensouled. So now I have an ensouled Drusilla around for the events of S3 on and I'm hyped for it. Got so many ideas for her~
Everyone already brought up the thematic points of the episode and the season and the character arcs, so all I can say is season two was one of the best, but I'm glad it's over so we can get into the Epic season 3. I'm so excited
Sunnydake was a small town. If she was to leave home etc she had to leave sunnydale or it wouldn’t easily have worked. When you loose someone violently it cuts much deeper then a gentle death & I can only imagine the overwhelming guilt if it was by their own hand. Rather for the right reason or the wrong. They both would come with a heavy heart.
"Wrong, kid. You got one more thing."
The name of the Love Theme for Buffy and Angel that has played throughout the season is called "Close Your Eyes".
Empirical research, of course, can be revelatory for those of an empirically mind and who are more interested in facts than in speculations, some of which are more accurate than others. One of the things that ties each and every episode of Buffy together since episode one is that monsters are allegories and metaphors for the existentialist hell that is life. Whedon, who has also spoken extensively about his existentialist influences, has noted this on a number of occasions. Sometimes the metaphor and allegory is obvious as in Angel’s I will give you a call speech in Innocence. Of course monsters as metaphors and allegories is not the only thematic thread that winds it sway through the show and ties BtVS together, something further empirical research would, of course, show.
I cannot wait for you to watch season 3!
The theme that always plays between Buffy and Angel is called 'close your eyes' and now we've seen why.
I watch some reactions here and by this time I mostly skip scenes unless it has Spike in it, lmao. Mostly. Spikey, boy, you are the best thing this show offered me. Vampire "without a soul" that always had part of it deep inside. The one who changed the rules and everything when the time came.
I think Becoming 1 is about becoming Angel, while Becoming 2 is about becoming Buffy.
One of the things which makes Buffy slightly less interesting than it was at the time it came out was that many of the things we now take for granted in shows were popularised in Buffy.
It’s not for nothing that it is put up there as one of the most influential TV shows.
For example, David Simon, creator of The Wire, says that Buffy was the better show.
the Xander not tellihng Buffy is a very devisive subject, personnally, whyle he did it for the wrong reason it helpt Buffy completely focus on the fight she might might have drew back and died before the spell took effect. She should be mad at him but in the grand scheme of thing it helped her win!! (( sorry english is not my language))
Keep up the great content brother!
Excellent reaction/analysis to this stellar episode of BTVS. Looking forward to your thoughts on season three.
I always lose it when the Sarah McLachlan comes on.
Very enjoyable reaction. However, at that point we had no idea Angel would come back - and with Joss Whedon there never is any guarantee. So I at least felt not an ounce of satisfaction when Buffy had to kill him, all I felt was Buffy's heartbreak. At the end, she might have truly become the Slayer, as you point out, but she also felt completely alone and didn't think she could turn to her support network. So I don't really agree with your elation over the way the episode ended, but of course, you have foreknowledge of where things would go. Anyway, one of the best season finales ever following what's probably my favourite season of Buffy. No other Big Bad has ever been so personal for her and her journey imho.
Great job on a great season...
I know you want to put a silver lining on things, it's an admirable trait, but Buffy's not in a good place. Anything else I say would probably be a spoiler.
Something I'm surprised you missed was that Willow told Xander to tell Buffy what she was doing, and he didn't, he just told Buffy that Willow said to kick his ass. Many people see this as a MAJOR betrayal, as did I for years. However, I have come around to the idea that Buffy may have gotten hurt or killed if she was distracted by one more thing, she needed to be totally focused on her fight with Angel. Xander probably saved her life, but I don't think that was his motivation, he hated Angel and he was motivated by jealousy and revenge. No matter how it turned out, it was still a betrayal.
You'll have so much fun with 3.
"Just have another drink."
Joyce drinks enough that Buffy notices it. Joyce isn't a drop down drunk, but she is an alcoholic.
She was drinking in that scene. She’s not an alcoholic 🙄
0:40 Well it is a cop, In the USA.
Ugh this is just one of many EGREGIOUS examples of the remaster ruining the show’s pacing. Spike was never in frame until his face reveal, and it’s a small example but UGH the remaster sucks so hard, please use someone’s link to the original format. It truly makes a difference
“Me.”
Opening scene; dead body and Principal points police at Buffy...
"Have you tried not to be a slayer?"
"... have you tried not to be a mother? Or a human?"
While the convo with Joyce is definitely an allegory (is this the right word? Analogy maybe?) for coming out, it's not a great one tbh, because Joyce's reaction to this, while not being great, is actually kind of understandable
I live for such a deep look into Buffy. You've ruined other reaction/commentary of the show for me 🤣
You should do this for lost
The police are stupid Buffy's not covered in blood if she'd killed Kendra she would be.
0:45 The school principal said she probably did and then she attacked and overpowered one of the police officers. Also they're american police.
Why are you watching the HD version?
Not his fault - the HD version is sadly the only version possible for most people these days, since it's the version owned by all streaming platforms. Unless you own the DVDs or have access to illegal copies, it's virtually impossible to watch a correctly colour graded, uncropped version of the show in 2024.
(I do think Tyler would find the infamous 'The Great Tragedy of the Buffy HD Remaster' video an interesting watch once he's finished the series, since it goes into the kind of analytical discussion of directors' choices that he often does, but for now, it's unfortunately too spoilery.)
@@Lucy-uv4hvon netflix last year, it was in original version
@@guilainefeutchine886 Which country's Netflix was it on? I haven't heard of the original version being available anywhere online other than Hulu (only available if you sign up using a bank account from within the USA, so even VPNs don't work) and even that impossible-to-view streaming service apparently has the European version, which was shown in widescreen for seasons 4-7 against the creators' intentions.
@@guilainefeutchine886 Which country's Netflix? As far as I was aware, Hulu (which you can't watch outside of the US, even with a VPN) was the only streaming platform still showing the original - and even that was the European version, which is in the wrong aspect ratio from season 4 onwards.
I honestly cannot stand Xander. Not only did he lie to Buffy, he lied about what Willow said to tell Buffy! He completely changed the possibility of any other outcome to non existent.
He lied about and to the most important ppl in his life and for what?
Do you know what ruģa mintè is?
Because I don't.
This video just popped up for me, and I'm very confused now. Cause I could've sworn I used to follow this creator/reactor before, in relation to Buffy or Angel, but then he stopped so I unsubscribed. But if it's the same guy then why would he be reviewing the episodes again? Or maybe it was someone else who looks exactly like him? I think I'm losing it.
I've never stopped, I think you're thinking of someone else :) this is my first time watch of these eps.