Notice that when Darla fed Angel her blood, she did so from her breast, the way a mother feeds her newborn. This was to symbolize that Darla was giving birth to Angelus.
Yes, I came to the comments to say the same thing after Buffy discovered Kendra. The score is often the invisible character in film. I've listened to Buffy soundtracks many times, especially Christophe Beck's work in later seasons.
It is never stated, but it has always been my assumption that Buffy's deja vu is her dreaming about the pencil rolling off the desk. Buffy's dreams are prophetic, but she often ignors them, of doesn't always understand which dreams are prophetic, and which onea are just dreams. Furthermore, she sometimes misunderatands them, even when she knows they are prophetic dreams. Take the dream where Angel tells Buffy, "You have to know what to look for." Them Buffy sees Jenny Calander in black standing at a grave dueing a funeral. That dream wasn't to tell Budfy that Jenny had betrayed her. It was to tell her that Angel was going to murder Jenny.
It's fair if Kendra's death didn't really hit hard emotionally since we barely knew her, but Joe was right, it wasn't really about Kendra as much as it was about that death's impact on Buffy and keeping the stakes high. Over the duration of the show, if you ever question a plot situation, just remember that characters are more important than plots on this show, and you can forgive a lot of pesky "real-world" inconsistencies because of it. Great reaction, as always!
I'm surprised that none of you recognized Darla (Angelus' sire) even though we only saw her for a handful of episodes at the beginning of the first season.
Drusilla is only the second vampire we have seen with the power of hypnosis. The 1st being the Master. Kendra's firat appearance, she said she was sent to Sunnydale to stop the rise of a new power, that being Drusilla. They are showing her as a truly powerful vampire since she has the power of hypnosis, something almost no other vampire has.
@@732ReviewCrew Remember when the comments were saying 'stick with it, it gets better'? IMO it just keeps getting better. Enjoy S3 and one of my personal favorite villains.
Love the season enders for Buffy. Cannot wait for Tuesday. Also our fist introduction to the idea that not all demons in the Buffyverse are evil. . . I think. Have we seen a neutral or even a good demon before? Sure many are out to destroy the world. Others just want to hang out. The Hell(s) as it turns out are not that fun to be in. A similar idea is expressed in Good Omens. Ooooo! Not that you don't have enough to watch but Good Omens would be fun to do.
Very few people recognize Darla, the favorite of The Master in S1, turning Angel into a vampire, as she stated she did in S1. The mythology never stated vampires cannot enter churches. Most accents in the series have been criticized, but especially David Boreanaz as human Angel and Bianca Lawson as Kendra. Bianca Lawson was given a last minute change from her character originally being another nationality and her voice coach was too ambitious and wanted to do an accent from a remote region of Jamaica, while David Boreanaz just cannot do an Irish accent, but his character is written as being from Ireland. I always wondered what "deja vu" Buffy was talking about, but also assumed it was an expansion of Buffy's dreams, which seemed a reach. I don't look at it as Angel being punished. I look at it as Angel is the punishment. Angel isn't cursed. Angelus is. Angel spent his time as a human chasing women and died because of it. Angel is technically only a good person because of Angelus's actions. If he didn't feel that guilt he would have been a player and alcoholic for a short life. Either way, he wouldn't be "alive" in modern day times. His life is just as a curse against Angelus. It may be unfair. But, it is also his second chance, as he wasn't seen as too decent in life. Xander disliking the idea of restoring Angel's soul isn't the issue I have with him in that moment. He has a right to that opinion. How he expresses that opinion has always been wrong, though. In this episode he is, once again, comdeming others for not having the same opinion as him; going as far (and further) as yelling at Cordelia before realizing she agreed with him and crossing a line beyond being just sligjtly mean spirited towards other character's opinions, when he said to Giles about Jenny, "Yeah, well she's dead." This line is not only rude, but shows a personality I cannot get behind, whether I agree with him about Angel or not, which I don't. Plus, saying that line is hypocritical of when he defend her against death in _Passion._ If he wanted to get his point across without having an attitude and without being rude he should have followed Kendra's later example where she calmly tells Buffy, "I tend to side with your friend Xander on this one. Angel should be killed." Buffy talks to Kendra, while everyone has issues with Xander's attitude. If Xander cannot express his opinions to his friends without attacking them, they won't care what his opinions are, with this or anything else, in the future. So him being right or wrong just doesn't matter, if he doesn't have a better attitude. Buffy does care about Kendra's opinion enough to explain things to her because Kendra is respectful in her disagreement against Buffy. Spike's line about "the rock" is so perfect in showing his attitude/character. Things that can be easily ignored if plot is the focus in a writer's minds. Same with Angelus stating Acathla was found because low rent housing was being put up. As well as may other moments up until this moment in the series. Tying things together by saying Giles was using an Orb of Thesulah as a paperweight is worldbuilding other shows could take notes from. Not only was Angel stalking Buffy from the day he found out she was a slayer, but he also lied about it. He pretends he was seeing her for the first time in _Welcome to the Hellmouth._ I've seen people argue it was for a good reason, but there were other ways he could have handled it. Such as asking to fight beside her, explaining Whistler and what Whistler said, and saying he'd like to help (but doing so from the shadows - metaphorically speaking), etc. Angel just chose to continue stalking without telling Buffy what was going on, instead. The curse isn't about happiness. Its about feeling guilty. When Angel doesn't feel any guilt over Angelus' action... no soul. Enyos told Jenny that in _Innocence_ when he said, "Angel is meant to suffer, not to live as human. One moment of true happiness, of contentment..." Then he corrects himself by continuing, "...One moment where the soul that we restored no longer plagues his thoughts, and that soul is taken from him." The Scoobies unintentionally create a situation in _Innocence_ where they have Jenny say Buffy did it by Giles unintentionally putting it in Buffy's head that it was about the sex when he wonders how it happened. And while that is partially true, there is more to it. Happiness is just one of many vehicles that could create Angel not feeling guilty. And if he were to ever get his soul back, whether anyone knows it or not, it would be harder a next time for Angel to not feel guilty, even around Buffy because of Angelus' actions towards her. But none of it matters to the characters themselves, because they all believe losing his soul is about happiness, and specifically sex with Buffy. The curse is actually all very well done, writing-wise, but many people don't catch all the nuances without multiple viewings over many years. Even I didn't for a long time. The guy that told Buffy about vampires IS NOT the same guy who talks to the principal. He is the watcher Buffy had before Giles. To know his story you watch the movie, read the movie's original script, or read the comic called _The Origin._ Those are all the same story. The comic ties the original script to the show because neither the script or the movie are canon. The comic is. But people usually prefer to shortcut and watch the movie instead. Sadly, the gas leak joke Joe says is near definitely what the school would come up with. Kendra was written into the show specifically so her character would be killed off. Her purpose was to show Buffy wasn't the only slayer anymore. How a character's death impacts the characters who are still alive is really the importance to every character death in all pop culture, whether the audience feel said characters deaths or not. The vampires want Giles because he's the exposition guy and Angelus doesn't know what he's doing wrong in opening Acathla. If Buffy's parents were arguing like that there were other issues having nothing to do with Buffy. Buffy, as a freshman, just wouldn't know about those issue, and therefore blames herself for what's not her fault.
According to some lore, vampires' hair doesn't grow because they're dead. Conversely, many hairdressers will cut it at your place at any hour for enough money.
@@altaclipper In other lores, hair and nails do grow after becoming a vampire. For a more appearance of unnatural/demoic appearance, or because of the common misconception that hair and nails still grow after death, who knows...
Good start to a very entertaining end of the season but also critical to understanding BTVS over the final 5 seasons. I urge everyone that enjoys Buffy to listen again to everything Whistler says, the words, and hold them for interpretation in the future. Also , always remember the name of the final episodes and some of the main storylines of the Season. Buffy is like an epic novel from Dickens or Tolstoy. Events and stories from the beginning have impact and play out throughout the series. For instance , you referred to Ted dismissively as the robot episode. That’s typical of the story told in Buffy. The focus is on the robot, the action , and the humor. But that covers up the moral choices faced by both Buffy and Joyce. Buffy passes some beautifully and is confused by others. Joyce fails and does not realize or understand her ethical void. This is replayed in the vital I Only Have Eyes For You. Compare the actions of Joyce in Ted and the understanding of how the aggrieved holds the power of redemption and the difference between justice, vengeance, and duty to society over love. The 3 episodes that set in motion the crucial arc of what is right/ moral versus personal gain starts in Lie to Me continues in Ted and concludes with I Only…. Is now the questions posed and answered . Whistler is like the Stage Manager in Our Town. He is our guide and base line to what we are watching. The audience can choose the drama, the love story, or the questions of values and that is what Becoming parts 1&2 are about. Whistler is the stage manager for the characters and the audience. He tells use we sometimes see what’s happening and sometimes we don’t. Then it’s how we handle those critical moments that determine who we are at what we will become. Enjoy the last episode and buckle up. The journey into the Buffyverse is heating up .
How? How do they get that? I'm pretty sure it was Merrick, Buffy's original watcher (RIP Donald Sutherland). If they haven't watched the movie yet, after season 2 is a good time for it because of the reference in this episode.
He’s introducing Buffy to her destiny. They should deduce , no need to watch the movie. I never did and I got it right away and the police man is young. Blonde moments
@@charmingjinx9379I don't get it, either. But I loathe the movie and don't find it remotely helpful to understanding the show (any necessary backstory is given, and there's a lot of potentially confusing stuff that is changed in the TV show), so I'd never recommend watching it. 😊
@@Superplin You know those movies that start with "Based on a true story" or "Based on actual events" and only the barest minimum of what actually happened is portrayed in the movie? If you approach the movie that way, it's ok. The movie does have its own charm, but it can't be easily reconciled with the TV show.
@@PromptCriticalJello Your example is apt; "loosely based" adds up. I also just do not enjoy the movie, personally. I'm glad I didn't see it first or I never would've watched the show!
21:29 also, if we follow the moral compass of it's wrong to kill him because we can make him good again that could be applied to every vampire in existence. they could decide it's morally wrong to kill any vampire if they could restore their soul instead.
1) even if the curse tailor made for Angelus would work on other vampires, orbs of Thesulah aren't abundant & there's the whole "perfect happiness" issue 2) if someone managed to create a spell to restore a vampire's soul (a difficult task -- spells are tricky things) it would either have to be done individually, which would be a full time job in & of itself (assuming it's even possible to do without an orb of Thesulah which disappears after each casting), or en masse which would have to be done periodically (& again with the orbs of Thesulah issue -- it would take longer to run out, but still) 3) restoring their souls wouldn't guarantee that they would be good people: the blood-lust alone would make it more difficult & power does tend to corrupt 4) assuming #2 is accomplished hunting down criminal vamps would become the same as hunting down any other criminal, which would require a police force (Watchers, I would assume), a justice system (again with The Watchers Council), & suitable consequences along with a vampire prison Unfortunately, what's right isn't always possible. We do what we can when we can. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
It looks like there is plenty of good commentary on here for the meat of the episode. Let me point out a Drusilla moment. Before she is turned she is confessing she has visions that come to pass. In the Buffy lore Slayers have visions that will come to pass if they don't intervene. It is never implied otherwise but my hypothesis is that Dru is/was a proto-Slayer. Now that she is dead it seems that the 'powers' are channeling through her dead/sleeping mind and allow some scary things to happen. Also, she is about as insane as can be thanks to Angelus.
Nope, Buffy's first watcher is not the same actor as the police man in a previous episode. But I was rewatching a few episodes of Voyager, and I found him there XD In fact, a few actors were in both shows, including the She-mantis!
Becoming part 1 was a great lead into the brilliant S2 finale Becoming part 2. So much in this episode to digest. The loss of Kendra, Angel's back story being turned by Darla, and we also see Drusilla being tormented by Angelus in The Confessional. At least the floppy disk has been found, and Willow can now work her magic. We now have the climax to come, and you will not be disappointed a brilliant last episode to come. I think you can now really see how this show engrosses all reactors that enter The Buffyverse! Only downside to this is David Boreanaz's absolutely awful Irish accent!
Angel was originally from ireland and that woman in the flashback was Darla...in case you failed to notice. Whistler is a messenger of the higher powers, think of him as an inbetween...a message boy...the higher powers are kind of God and people like Whistler are chosen to guide people like Angel that the higher powers have an interest in. some messengers are human...some demon...it's doesn't really matter...if the higher powers chose them they are good people. I went to a pop culture museum in Seattle and Mr Pointy was in the BTVS section...i couldn't stop laughing XD
You guys really have to see the Buffy movie already. Ideally it’d would been seen before the TV series or at least before S1E12 but even know it helps a lot, you’d have a better sense who that guy was, get more than the quick glance here of who Buffy was in LA, etc.
Enjoyed your reaction to this excellent lead up to part two, which is quite eventful, and will fulfill at least one of your prior wishes. When I originally watched, I was surprised they killed Kendra even though she was only present in a couple episodes. RIP Kendra. I do love Drusilla though and the actress that plays her. And I enjoy Angel's backstory (bad accents never bother me much in fantasy shows/movies) so you should begin to recognize Darla when you see her.
Sent him a text asking!! &edit "The fish people in the legend of Zelda ocarina of time When you first meet them they're just staring at you from the water"
There is a comic book based on Joss' original script for the movie-that-never-happened. That guy, who found Buffy, is in that book, he is an original watcher, and he dies in it. I don't think it's a spoiler, since it is really easy to figure out, given that Giles becomes her watcher in the first episode.
they really made Kendra's death extra predictable . like, she spent 1h beating up one single vampire while everyone else was under attack by the rest of them . she lost her touch just before her death, sad
It truly bothers me that Willow at this point in time has one botched spell to her name (trying to bind those ghosts) and thinks she can perform a curse. A curse that hasn't been done in a hundred years, just because she's been reading about magic for a couple of months. And she doesn't even know what the key ingredient is in the curse, the orb. Giles said the curse was beyond him, but at least he know what the orb was. Its ridiculous, reading and doing are very different things, but not to Willow. If she can read about it, she thinks she can do it, simply because she's a genius and always has been. Maybe I had just read too many fantasy books by the time I watched this episode, but practicing magic after only reading about it...with no mentor in sight to guide her...that's really foolish. Not to mention dangerous.
Welp... Forgot this flashback hadn't happened yet and accidentally made a slightly spoilery comment somewheres back around the Halloween episode. Oooops... Something about how the drawing in the watcher diaries looked more like Darla than Dru.
As for Kendra's death was connected to Angel at least in that Buffy left to confront Angel. As for it not having enough impact.. well yeah, it is a pity she was not more involved in s2. It could even have been a way to give more breaks to SMG. This series must have been exhausting to her.
@@PromptCriticalJelloYeah, but the spell doesn't require that they find him, or fight him. Even taking into account that the spell might be dangerous on its own, it's still good to have options.
Seeing as Buffy has refused to take him out the multiple times she had a chance I agree. But maybe they try the spell in a place that's not a public building.
Exactly. But when Angel is back in the steering wheel he gets all of Angelous’s memories. Just like how Angelous got all of Angel’s memories when he died.
Joe is right. Angel restored would simply be like an unexploded bomb, forever waiting to torture/murder an untold number of innocents, plus the occasional attempt to destroy the world. The sheer gravity of Acathla's threat superseded every other consideration. Send BOTH Slayers after him-in full kamikaze mode- to simply dust him ASAP no matter what it takes. The Scooby's should have hidden in a private dwelling instead of the command post that Angelus knows all about and to which every vampire has access. Sure, try the spell...in order to make him easier to kill, but kill him you MUST. Instead we've lost a Slayer, a priceless asset to humanity...for nothing. Giles has been kidnapped to further the plot to destroy the world, Angel and friends are unopposed and The Slayer has been arrested while the clock runs out. Well, it's always darkest right before it gets pitch black.
Vampires are frozen at their point of death. Their hair no longer grows (except maybe a bit of after death growth, which occurs normally in dead folks. Same with fingernails).
Yes, but the whole thing is he isn't Angel it's a demon that take possession of your body has all your memories, but it isn't you, so technically Angel is innocent just a person that lives with the guilt of what his body didn't. The real Crime in this is the 200-year man with a 16-year-old girl. All sexy when you're a vampire against law if your 18 dating a freshman in high school. LOL
@@732ReviewCrew You could watch it pretty much anytime, just approach it as a "based on an actual events" movie. Which is to say, it's entirely fictitious and bears no resemblance to actual events except they accidentally get some things right.
Ugh, Xander can just eat an entire bag of floppy ones. "That's pretty toxic." Yeeeeah, that's basically Xander all over. Toxic lack of masculinity and full on "Nice Guy" who's still bitter that Buffy picked Angel over him.
So Jenny and Kendra death don't matter because Buffy wants her lover back and went for the groin kick and not the kill. You call Xander toxic I say he's the only sane one in the bunch at one point or another Angel could have killed them all including Buffy own mom standing at the front door of her home or sleeping in her bed. Giles kidnapped Xander arm broke Willow crushed by a bookcase I mean Buffy totally right just let Angel roam free how dare Xander be the only one to truly see their lives are all at risk.
@@lance9249but it’s not Angel. That’s the point some miss. Angel is the human who was killed in Ireland. Angelus, who killed Jenny, is the demon who resides in Angel since he was turned. Angel isn’t responsible for what the demon does using his body. Angel/Liam isn’t there, isn’t in control BUT does have to live with the memories.
@@lance9249 you are forgetting Cordelia who totally agrees with Xander. Funny how when the Xander lynch mob gets together they don’t string her up too.
Xander and Cordelia represent the non heroic viewpoint. IMO this helps ground the show when not all the characters always agrees with the lead protagonist and have their own viewpoints and agendas based on their experiences and bias.
This may be a bit spoilery, or at least alter first impressions of future episodes. How many friends must die for Xander to be justified in wanting to kill Angelus? How many times must he have fangs at his throat to be justified in wanting to kill Angelus? There are also some subtle, and not so subtle bits of dialogue with Angel and others that make one think that the human host informs the demon on how to behave.
It's funny, reactors almost never notice that Angel's sire is Darla, from season 1... also, witches form a 'coven', nuns go to a 'convent'. ;)
🤯
They could have been satanic nuns, you don't know. 😁
@@PromptCriticalJello Ahah, fair, fair. Anything is possible in this universe.
@@PromptCriticalJello But are they a chattering order of Satanic nuns?
greatest irish accent of all time
They should have formed a special Oscar category.
Notice that when Darla fed Angel her blood, she did so from her breast, the way a mother feeds her newborn. This was to symbolize that Darla was giving birth to Angelus.
Nothing prevents Angelus (or Angel) from walking into a church, as long as it is night and he doesn't have to touch any pesky crosses.
Yup, The Master was in a church the entire first season, Spike and Dru and Angel were in a church for Dru's restoration ritual.
Or holy water
he was there during the day 😂 😂
@@calvinallen3424, so you weren't paying any attention.
@@LeeCarlson There was sunlight. Don't be rude
Joyce doesn't know Ted was a robot. She does know he was a serial killer; in fact, she was worried he might come back.
The loss of Kendra always hits me pretty hard. It was quite a shock back in the day. Blow after blow.
One thing people don't talk about much is the music score is just amazing. becoming part 1 and 2 are just awesome.
Yes, I came to the comments to say the same thing after Buffy discovered Kendra. The score is often the invisible character in film. I've listened to Buffy soundtracks many times, especially Christophe Beck's work in later seasons.
In episode 1x07 Darla said explicitly that she made Angel.
It is never stated, but it has always been my assumption that Buffy's deja vu is her dreaming about the pencil rolling off the desk. Buffy's dreams are prophetic, but she often ignors them, of doesn't always understand which dreams are prophetic, and which onea are just dreams. Furthermore, she sometimes misunderatands them, even when she knows they are prophetic dreams. Take the dream where Angel tells Buffy, "You have to know what to look for." Them Buffy sees Jenny Calander in black standing at a grave dueing a funeral. That dream wasn't to tell Budfy that Jenny had betrayed her. It was to tell her that Angel was going to murder Jenny.
It's fair if Kendra's death didn't really hit hard emotionally since we barely knew her, but Joe was right, it wasn't really about Kendra as much as it was about that death's impact on Buffy and keeping the stakes high. Over the duration of the show, if you ever question a plot situation, just remember that characters are more important than plots on this show, and you can forgive a lot of pesky "real-world" inconsistencies because of it. Great reaction, as always!
I came here to correct the "coven of nuns" thing, but I see someone else already pointed out that it's a convent.
Well, the robot boyfriend Ted wasn't supernatural. He was just a high-tech serial killer who ended up dating the Slayer's mother...
I'm surprised that none of you recognized Darla (Angelus' sire) even though we only saw her for a handful of episodes at the beginning of the first season.
Well, in their defense, they haven't watched the show as many times as we have.
Agreed and they didn’t piece together the woman in the gown from the diaries in Halloween
@@jeremiahmichael87 The drawing in the Watchers Diaries is identified as Sarah Goodfriend right beside the drawing.
@@PromptCriticalJello I’m aware
Drusilla is only the second vampire we have seen with the power of hypnosis. The 1st being the Master.
Kendra's firat appearance, she said she was sent to Sunnydale to stop the rise of a new power, that being Drusilla. They are showing her as a truly powerful vampire since she has the power of hypnosis, something almost no other vampire has.
It's so hard to comment without spoilers.
I know you guys have already watched the next episode, but i don't want to get into a bad habit like that.
Appreciate. I will say we start s3 tonight
@@732ReviewCrew Remember when the comments were saying 'stick with it, it gets better'?
IMO it just keeps getting better. Enjoy S3 and one of my personal favorite villains.
3:00 Sheldon explains this in Big Bang Theory episode "The Benefactor Factor" - "Well-groomed vampires meet in pairs and shave each other"
Love the season enders for Buffy. Cannot wait for Tuesday. Also our fist introduction to the idea that not all demons in the Buffyverse are evil. . . I think. Have we seen a neutral or even a good demon before? Sure many are out to destroy the world. Others just want to hang out. The Hell(s) as it turns out are not that fun to be in. A similar idea is expressed in Good Omens. Ooooo! Not that you don't have enough to watch but Good Omens would be fun to do.
Very few people recognize Darla, the favorite of The Master in S1, turning Angel into a vampire, as she stated she did in S1.
The mythology never stated vampires cannot enter churches.
Most accents in the series have been criticized, but especially David Boreanaz as human Angel and Bianca Lawson as Kendra. Bianca Lawson was given a last minute change from her character originally being another nationality and her voice coach was too ambitious and wanted to do an accent from a remote region of Jamaica, while David Boreanaz just cannot do an Irish accent, but his character is written as being from Ireland.
I always wondered what "deja vu" Buffy was talking about, but also assumed it was an expansion of Buffy's dreams, which seemed a reach.
I don't look at it as Angel being punished. I look at it as Angel is the punishment. Angel isn't cursed. Angelus is. Angel spent his time as a human chasing women and died because of it. Angel is technically only a good person because of Angelus's actions. If he didn't feel that guilt he would have been a player and alcoholic for a short life. Either way, he wouldn't be "alive" in modern day times. His life is just as a curse against Angelus. It may be unfair. But, it is also his second chance, as he wasn't seen as too decent in life.
Xander disliking the idea of restoring Angel's soul isn't the issue I have with him in that moment. He has a right to that opinion. How he expresses that opinion has always been wrong, though. In this episode he is, once again, comdeming others for not having the same opinion as him; going as far (and further) as yelling at Cordelia before realizing she agreed with him and crossing a line beyond being just sligjtly mean spirited towards other character's opinions, when he said to Giles about Jenny, "Yeah, well she's dead." This line is not only rude, but shows a personality I cannot get behind, whether I agree with him about Angel or not, which I don't. Plus, saying that line is hypocritical of when he defend her against death in _Passion._ If he wanted to get his point across without having an attitude and without being rude he should have followed Kendra's later example where she calmly tells Buffy, "I tend to side with your friend Xander on this one. Angel should be killed." Buffy talks to Kendra, while everyone has issues with Xander's attitude. If Xander cannot express his opinions to his friends without attacking them, they won't care what his opinions are, with this or anything else, in the future. So him being right or wrong just doesn't matter, if he doesn't have a better attitude. Buffy does care about Kendra's opinion enough to explain things to her because Kendra is respectful in her disagreement against Buffy.
Spike's line about "the rock" is so perfect in showing his attitude/character. Things that can be easily ignored if plot is the focus in a writer's minds. Same with Angelus stating Acathla was found because low rent housing was being put up. As well as may other moments up until this moment in the series.
Tying things together by saying Giles was using an Orb of Thesulah as a paperweight is worldbuilding other shows could take notes from.
Not only was Angel stalking Buffy from the day he found out she was a slayer, but he also lied about it. He pretends he was seeing her for the first time in _Welcome to the Hellmouth._ I've seen people argue it was for a good reason, but there were other ways he could have handled it. Such as asking to fight beside her, explaining Whistler and what Whistler said, and saying he'd like to help (but doing so from the shadows - metaphorically speaking), etc. Angel just chose to continue stalking without telling Buffy what was going on, instead.
The curse isn't about happiness. Its about feeling guilty. When Angel doesn't feel any guilt over Angelus' action... no soul. Enyos told Jenny that in _Innocence_ when he said, "Angel is meant to suffer, not to live as human. One moment of true happiness, of contentment..." Then he corrects himself by continuing, "...One moment where the soul that we restored no longer plagues his thoughts, and that soul is taken from him." The Scoobies unintentionally create a situation in _Innocence_ where they have Jenny say Buffy did it by Giles unintentionally putting it in Buffy's head that it was about the sex when he wonders how it happened. And while that is partially true, there is more to it. Happiness is just one of many vehicles that could create Angel not feeling guilty. And if he were to ever get his soul back, whether anyone knows it or not, it would be harder a next time for Angel to not feel guilty, even around Buffy because of Angelus' actions towards her. But none of it matters to the characters themselves, because they all believe losing his soul is about happiness, and specifically sex with Buffy. The curse is actually all very well done, writing-wise, but many people don't catch all the nuances without multiple viewings over many years. Even I didn't for a long time.
The guy that told Buffy about vampires IS NOT the same guy who talks to the principal. He is the watcher Buffy had before Giles. To know his story you watch the movie, read the movie's original script, or read the comic called _The Origin._ Those are all the same story. The comic ties the original script to the show because neither the script or the movie are canon. The comic is. But people usually prefer to shortcut and watch the movie instead.
Sadly, the gas leak joke Joe says is near definitely what the school would come up with.
Kendra was written into the show specifically so her character would be killed off. Her purpose was to show Buffy wasn't the only slayer anymore. How a character's death impacts the characters who are still alive is really the importance to every character death in all pop culture, whether the audience feel said characters deaths or not.
The vampires want Giles because he's the exposition guy and Angelus doesn't know what he's doing wrong in opening Acathla.
If Buffy's parents were arguing like that there were other issues having nothing to do with Buffy. Buffy, as a freshman, just wouldn't know about those issue, and therefore blames herself for what's not her fault.
According to some lore, vampires' hair doesn't grow because they're dead. Conversely, many hairdressers will cut it at your place at any hour for enough money.
@@altaclipper In other lores, hair and nails do grow after becoming a vampire. For a more appearance of unnatural/demoic appearance, or because of the common misconception that hair and nails still grow after death, who knows...
@@AshLee92490 Vampires aren’t real, so it’s all academic anyway.
@@altaclipper They aren't real?😳 Oh my God!
I think buffy lore went with "it grows slowly" to explain Spike's roots 😂
@@DivaQuinzel Sometimes “lore” only services plot devices. I don’t mind, generally. Since it isn’t real, it can be anything it wants.
Took long enough haha. Watching right now. By the way you asked how Angel was in the church. Church is open for everyone. Everyone is welcome.
Good start to a very entertaining end of the season but also critical to understanding BTVS over the final 5 seasons. I urge everyone that enjoys Buffy to listen again to everything Whistler says, the words, and hold them for interpretation in the future. Also , always remember the name of the final episodes and some of the main storylines of the Season. Buffy is like an epic novel from Dickens or Tolstoy. Events and stories from the beginning have impact and play out throughout the series. For instance , you referred to Ted dismissively as the robot episode. That’s typical of the story told in Buffy. The focus is on the robot, the action , and the humor. But that covers up the moral choices faced by both Buffy and Joyce. Buffy passes some beautifully and is confused by others. Joyce fails and does not realize or understand her ethical void. This is replayed in the vital I Only Have Eyes For You. Compare the actions of Joyce in Ted and the understanding of how the aggrieved holds the power of redemption and the difference between justice, vengeance, and duty to society over love. The 3 episodes that set in motion the crucial arc of what is right/ moral versus personal gain starts in Lie to Me continues in Ted and concludes with I Only…. Is now the questions posed and answered . Whistler is like the Stage Manager in Our Town. He is our guide and base line to what we are watching. The audience can choose the drama, the love story, or the questions of values and that is what Becoming parts 1&2 are about. Whistler is the stage manager for the characters and the audience. He tells use we sometimes see what’s happening and sometimes we don’t. Then it’s how we handle those critical moments that determine who we are at what we will become. Enjoy the last episode and buckle up. The journey into the Buffyverse is heating up .
This is now the second time I've seen reactors convinced Watcher #1 is someone from the Sunnydale police. Weird.
How? How do they get that? I'm pretty sure it was Merrick, Buffy's original watcher (RIP Donald Sutherland). If they haven't watched the movie yet, after season 2 is a good time for it because of the reference in this episode.
He’s introducing Buffy to her destiny. They should deduce , no need to watch the movie. I never did and I got it right away and the police man is young. Blonde moments
@@charmingjinx9379I don't get it, either. But I loathe the movie and don't find it remotely helpful to understanding the show (any necessary backstory is given, and there's a lot of potentially confusing stuff that is changed in the TV show), so I'd never recommend watching it. 😊
@@Superplin You know those movies that start with "Based on a true story" or "Based on actual events" and only the barest minimum of what actually happened is portrayed in the movie?
If you approach the movie that way, it's ok.
The movie does have its own charm, but it can't be easily reconciled with the TV show.
@@PromptCriticalJello Your example is apt; "loosely based" adds up. I also just do not enjoy the movie, personally. I'm glad I didn't see it first or I never would've watched the show!
DARLA !!!!
Yep. The blonde who made Angelus was, in fact, Darla - who was staked by Angel, shortly after she attacked Buffy's Mom. No detail is ever cast aside.
"Is he the descendent of King Arthur?". No, more like his forefather actually...
Ah yes… a coven of nuns. 😂
21:29 also, if we follow the moral compass of it's wrong to kill him because we can make him good again that could be applied to every vampire in existence. they could decide it's morally wrong to kill any vampire if they could restore their soul instead.
1) even if the curse tailor made for Angelus would work on other vampires, orbs of Thesulah aren't abundant & there's the whole "perfect happiness" issue
2) if someone managed to create a spell to restore a vampire's soul (a difficult task -- spells are tricky things) it would either have to be done individually, which would be a full time job in & of itself (assuming it's even possible to do without an orb of Thesulah which disappears after each casting), or en masse which would have to be done periodically (& again with the orbs of Thesulah issue -- it would take longer to run out, but still)
3) restoring their souls wouldn't guarantee that they would be good people: the blood-lust alone would make it more difficult & power does tend to corrupt
4) assuming #2 is accomplished hunting down criminal vamps would become the same as hunting down any other criminal, which would require a police force (Watchers, I would assume), a justice system (again with The Watchers Council), & suitable consequences along with a vampire prison
Unfortunately, what's right isn't always possible. We do what we can when we can. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Glad you guys loved this one!
It looks like there is plenty of good commentary on here for the meat of the episode. Let me point out a Drusilla moment. Before she is turned she is confessing she has visions that come to pass. In the Buffy lore Slayers have visions that will come to pass if they don't intervene. It is never implied otherwise but my hypothesis is that Dru is/was a proto-Slayer. Now that she is dead it seems that the 'powers' are channeling through her dead/sleeping mind and allow some scary things to happen. Also, she is about as insane as can be thanks to Angelus.
That is a really good theory, I like that head Canon
29:00 and for that matter, who is applying Angelus' eyeliner? Its not like he could use a mirror.
With his drawing skills, a little eyeliner should be no problem. But it could be also Dru!
@@Emburbujada the last straw for Spike.
Those two episodes are some of my favorites in the entire show !
1 of my favourite characters, DARLA!!!
Nope, Buffy's first watcher is not the same actor as the police man in a previous episode. But I was rewatching a few episodes of Voyager, and I found him there XD In fact, a few actors were in both shows, including the She-mantis!
hoped for double ep reaction :o
Becoming part 1 was a great lead into the brilliant S2 finale Becoming part 2. So much in this episode to digest. The loss of Kendra, Angel's back story being turned by Darla, and we also see Drusilla being tormented by Angelus in The Confessional. At least the floppy disk has been found, and Willow can now work her magic. We now have the climax to come, and you will not be disappointed a brilliant last episode to come. I think you can now really see how this show engrosses all reactors that enter The Buffyverse! Only downside to this is David Boreanaz's absolutely awful Irish accent!
Mr. Pointy remains with Buffy for the remainder of the series.
dude, spoilers.
Now they know Mr. Pointy survives. 😁
Just joking incase somebody missed it.
Angel was originally from ireland and that woman in the flashback was Darla...in case you failed to notice.
Whistler is a messenger of the higher powers, think of him as an inbetween...a message boy...the higher powers are kind of God and people like Whistler are chosen to guide people like Angel that the higher powers have an interest in. some messengers are human...some demon...it's doesn't really matter...if the higher powers chose them they are good people.
I went to a pop culture museum in Seattle and Mr Pointy was in the BTVS section...i couldn't stop laughing XD
You guys really have to see the Buffy movie already. Ideally it’d would been seen before the TV series or at least before S1E12 but even know it helps a lot, you’d have a better sense who that guy was, get more than the quick glance here of who Buffy was in LA, etc.
Joe is really cute.
Enjoyed your reaction to this excellent lead up to part two, which is quite eventful, and will fulfill at least one of your prior wishes. When I originally watched, I was surprised they killed Kendra even though she was only present in a couple episodes. RIP Kendra. I do love Drusilla though and the actress that plays her. And I enjoy Angel's backstory (bad accents never bother me much in fantasy shows/movies) so you should begin to recognize Darla when you see her.
Also which fish people really scared Joe LOL. He got interrupted and then a big edit jump and we never found out hah.
Sent him a text asking!!
&edit
"The fish people in the legend of Zelda ocarina of time
When you first meet them they're just staring at you from the water"
@@732ReviewCrew thanks! LOL
Coven of nuns!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
There is a comic book based on Joss' original script for the movie-that-never-happened. That guy, who found Buffy, is in that book, he is an original watcher, and he dies in it. I don't think it's a spoiler, since it is really easy to figure out, given that Giles becomes her watcher in the first episode.
they really made Kendra's death extra predictable . like, she spent 1h beating up one single vampire while everyone else was under attack by the rest of them . she lost her touch just before her death, sad
15:20 Ah yes, the 26(+200)yo falling for the 15yo he's stalking, romance~
It truly bothers me that Willow at this point in time has one botched spell to her name (trying to bind those ghosts) and thinks she can perform a curse. A curse that hasn't been done in a hundred years, just because she's been reading about magic for a couple of months. And she doesn't even know what the key ingredient is in the curse, the orb. Giles said the curse was beyond him, but at least he know what the orb was. Its ridiculous, reading and doing are very different things, but not to Willow. If she can read about it, she thinks she can do it, simply because she's a genius and always has been.
Maybe I had just read too many fantasy books by the time I watched this episode, but practicing magic after only reading about it...with no mentor in sight to guide her...that's really foolish. Not to mention dangerous.
Welp... Forgot this flashback hadn't happened yet and accidentally made a slightly spoilery comment somewheres back around the Halloween episode. Oooops...
Something about how the drawing in the watcher diaries looked more like Darla than Dru.
So have you guys watched the TV series Warrior Nun about demon-slaying nuns?
Nope!
It is Buffy's original watcher. You should have started with the movie Buffy the vampire slayer
As for Kendra's death was connected to Angel at least in that Buffy left to confront Angel.
As for it not having enough impact.. well yeah, it is a pity she was not more involved in s2. It could even have been a way to give more breaks to SMG. This series must have been exhausting to her.
There's a demon barber named Sweeney Todd.
According to Anne Rice, vampire's hair, like a vampire, doesn't age, so it doesn't grow.
Makes sense, Angel has no new sideburns after apparently shaving them
Not the best source for vampire lore I would use.
It's a bit annoying that nobody mentioned that restoring Angel's soul has a very practical benefit. It would remove a powerful enemy.
Killing Angelus would have the same benefit
@@PromptCriticalJelloYeah, but the spell doesn't require that they find him, or fight him. Even taking into account that the spell might be dangerous on its own, it's still good to have options.
Not just remove a powerful enemy. Good Angel is a powerful ally.
Seeing as Buffy has refused to take him out the multiple times she had a chance I agree. But maybe they try the spell in a place that's not a public building.
@@MB.543 Well, he might be an ally they won't be so willing to work with. At least Giles.
btw Angel is no longer in the body, only the demon, Angel is in heaven or hell, whatever exists in whedonverse....nothing the demon does is on Angel
Exactly. But when Angel is back in the steering wheel he gets all of Angelous’s memories. Just like how Angelous got all of Angel’s memories when he died.
Oh the fish hands bit at the start got edited out of the reaction, cut one second before.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍
Joe is right. Angel restored would simply be like an unexploded bomb, forever waiting to torture/murder an untold number of innocents, plus the occasional attempt to destroy the world.
The sheer gravity of Acathla's threat superseded every other consideration. Send BOTH Slayers after him-in full kamikaze mode- to simply dust him ASAP no matter what it takes. The Scooby's should have hidden in a private dwelling instead of the command post that Angelus knows all about and to which every vampire has access. Sure, try the spell...in order to make him easier to kill, but kill him you MUST.
Instead we've lost a Slayer, a priceless asset to humanity...for nothing. Giles has been kidnapped to further the plot to destroy the world, Angel and friends are unopposed and The Slayer has been arrested while the clock runs out.
Well, it's always darkest right before it gets pitch black.
Vampires are frozen at their point of death. Their hair no longer grows (except maybe a bit of after death growth, which occurs normally in dead folks. Same with fingernails).
I don't think this is canonically true, but my reasons would be spoilery
Vampires heal. Spike recovered from burns can now walk. So That argues for some undead biology.
Yes, but the whole thing is he isn't Angel it's a demon that take possession of your body has all your memories, but it isn't you, so technically Angel is innocent just a person that lives with the guilt of what his body didn't. The real Crime in this is the 200-year man with a 16-year-old girl. All sexy when you're a vampire against law if your 18 dating a freshman in high school. LOL
Angel is Angelus + a soul. He is not the soul himself.
At some point, you guys need to watch Buffy the movie. Just for laughs.
We've been discussing potentially doing this
@@732ReviewCrew You could watch it pretty much anytime, just approach it as a "based on an actual events" movie.
Which is to say, it's entirely fictitious and bears no resemblance to actual events except they accidentally get some things right.
@@732ReviewCrewthe movie is so meh
Ugh, Xander can just eat an entire bag of floppy ones. "That's pretty toxic." Yeeeeah, that's basically Xander all over. Toxic lack of masculinity and full on "Nice Guy" who's still bitter that Buffy picked Angel over him.
So Jenny and Kendra death don't matter because Buffy wants her lover back and went for the groin kick and not the kill. You call Xander toxic I say he's the only sane one in the bunch at one point or another Angel could have killed them all including Buffy own mom standing at the front door of her home or sleeping in her bed. Giles kidnapped Xander arm broke Willow crushed by a bookcase I mean Buffy totally right just let Angel roam free how dare Xander be the only one to truly see their lives are all at risk.
@@lance9249but it’s not Angel. That’s the point some miss. Angel is the human who was killed in Ireland. Angelus, who killed Jenny, is the demon who resides in Angel since he was turned. Angel isn’t responsible for what the demon does using his body. Angel/Liam isn’t there, isn’t in control BUT does have to live with the memories.
@@lance9249 you are forgetting Cordelia who totally agrees with Xander. Funny how when the Xander lynch mob gets together they don’t string her up too.
Xander and Cordelia represent the non heroic viewpoint. IMO this helps ground the show when not all the characters always agrees with the lead protagonist and have their own viewpoints and agendas based on their experiences and bias.
This may be a bit spoilery, or at least alter first impressions of future episodes.
How many friends must die for Xander to be justified in wanting to kill Angelus? How many times must he have fangs at his throat to be justified in wanting to kill Angelus?
There are also some subtle, and not so subtle bits of dialogue with Angel and others that make one think that the human host informs the demon on how to behave.