Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Episode Discussion: 2x22 Becoming, Part 2

Ragnarok · 12-08-2004, 02:48 AM

Since we aren't going to have new episodes to discuss, we're going to have weekly episode discussion threads for old episodes. New threads will, of course, appear each Tuesday. Except when they don't.

Becoming, Part 2

Buffy is taken into custody, but she escapes from the police and runs to the hospital to check on the others. Giles is still missing, kidnapped by Dru and Angelus. She is stopped on the way home by another policeman, who is knocked unconscious by Spike. Spike is jealous of the way Dru acts around Angelus, and wants Buffy help kill him in exchange for Spike leaving town forever. An uneasy alliance develops, and they work together to kill a vampire at Buffy's house, which Joyce sees. Buffy finally tells Joyce she is the Slayer, and has to leave. Joyce tells her she won't let her back if she does. Buffy, with no choice, runs to the school to find Kendra's sword, much to Snyder's pleasure, who finds her there and expels her. She takes the sword and goes to kill Angelus. Angelus attempts to torture Giles into telling him the secret of Acathla, but in the end, only Dru's hypnotic powers can break him. Willow attempts the spell to curse Angelus with his soul again, while Buffy and Angelus fight. Spike takes Dru and leaves. The curse works, but only after Acathla is awakened. The only thing that can save the world is Angel's blood. Only seconds after his soul is returned, Buffy drives the sword through his heart, and sends him to Hell; closing Acathla's vortex. The season ends with Buffy on a bus out of Sunnydale, with no one knowing where she is.

(Episode summary on loan from buffyguide.com)

RtS: #3; beat Gone in the first round; beat Helpless in the second round; beat The Prom in the third round; beat Tabula Rasa in the fourth round; beat School Hard in the quarterfinals; beat Once More, With Feeling in the semifinals; lost to The Gift in the final.

Got my vote in the final, so I guess you could say I like it. Who am I kidding? This episode is greatness. It's as simple as that. I don't have time to post at length right now, but fire away and I'll come back and agree with you.

Please feel free to post your comments, screencaps, favorite scenes and quotes.

Next week: 3x01, Anne.

Cati · 12-08-2004, 05:02 AM

BUFFY: I'm, uh... in a band. A-a rock band with Spike here.

*Krissy* · 12-08-2004, 06:03 PM

That's one of my favorite scenes Cati.

All the Spuffy scenes in this ep are great. I also love when Joyce asks Spike if they've met before and Spike says "Um... you hit me with an ax one time. Remember? (makes an ax-holding gesture) Uh, 'get the hell away from my daughter.'"

Becoming parts 1 & 2 were actually the first eps of BtVS I ever watched. I've been hooked ever since.

The Buffy/Angelus fight is one of the best, if not the best. I love the end. It's so heartbreaking to see Angel come back and Buffy have to kill him anyway. And Sarah McLachlan's "Full of Grace" gets to me everytime. I bawl like a baby.

One thing I don't get is how Spike can choke Dru. He squeezed her neck until she passed out. Vampires don't breathe, how exactly can you choke one?

In the final RtS, I voted against this one. It was a tough choice, but in the end I thought The Gift was the better ep.

**Jaime Bee** · 12-08-2004, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by *Krissy*
That's one of my favorite scenes Cati. All the Spuffy scenes in this ep are great. I also love when Joyce asks Spike if they've met before and Spike says "Um... you hit me with an ax one time. Remember? (makes an ax-holding gesture) Uh, 'get the hell away from my daughter.'"

Becoming parts 1 & 2 were actually the first eps of BtVS I ever watched. I've been hooked ever since.

The Buffy/Angelus fight is one of the best, if not the best. I love the end. It's so heartbreaking to see Angel come back and Buffy have to kill him anyway. And Sarah McLachlan's "Full of Grace" gets to me everytime. I bawl like a baby.

One thing I don't get is how Spike can choke Dru. He squeezed her neck until she passed out. Vampires don't breathe, how exactly can you choke one?

In the final RtS, I voted against this one. It was a tough choice, but in the end I thought The Gift was the better ep.

I love the Spuffy parts in this episode too. The Buffy and Angelus fight was great and it is So sad at the end.

Ragnarok · 12-08-2004, 09:12 PM

Very nice screencaps, but you guys do remember that Buffy and Spike weren't the only characters in the episode, right?

I want some Drusilla screencaps, too. Dammit.

Bkrstar · 12-09-2004, 02:49 AM

I still can't watch this ep without crying. SMG was brilliant in this ep, beginning to end.

MysterioMan007 · 12-10-2004, 04:50 AM

One of my favorite episodes ever. The Buffy/Angel fight was amazing and is my favorite fight scene in either this series or the spinoff. This and Part 1 rank way on up the list in my favorite episodes list. Pure and simple brilliance.

**Fortyseven** · 12-10-2004, 08:22 AM

I loved this one.

It's definitely one of my faves.

Even when I became a Spuffy, this remained my fave B/A episode.

Plus, the Spuffy "we're in the band" stuff was awesome.

The ending was awesome, I was so shocked the 1st time I watched it.

And "Full of grace" playing at the end made me a Sarah McLachlan fan.

**Jaime Bee** · 12-10-2004, 05:27 PM

Great caps!

I was just thinking about how Angel doesn't remember anything he has done when he gets his soul back and I thought the whole point of the curse was to make Angel feel remorse for his past evil deeds. So why when Willow restores his soul this time he can't remember anything that happened?

**Fortyseven** · 12-10-2004, 06:21 PM

I guess it takes some time to remember.

Perhaps Jen will know how to explain it. -shrugs-

*Krissy* · 12-10-2004, 07:02 PM

Good question Jaime! I never thought about that before.

Tonje says GO ELIZA · 12-10-2004, 07:37 PM

Didn't you guys watch it yesterday?

The first time he got his soul, that gipsy guy told him that it takes a while before he remembers, and after like 30 seconds, Angel started remembering "oh no, oh no".. gipsy guy "it hurts, doesn't it."

Yeah...

***Scythe*** · 12-11-2004, 08:14 AM

Gypsy Man: It hurts, yes? Good. It will hurt more.
Angel: Where am I?
Gypsy Man: You don't remember... everything you've done for a hundred
years. In a moment, you will. The face of everyone you killed... our
daughter's face... they will haunt you, and you will know what true
suffering is.
Angel: Killed? I, I don't... No...

loquacity · 12-12-2004, 04:58 AM

Favourite episode ever, just in front of OMWF. IMO, this was the show at its brilliant peak and was the fabulous culmination of probably the best season of the show (even though S3 was consistantly better but S2 had higher highs). Everything about this episode I love...including Spuffy. Now, that is nothing short of a miracle and Joss managed to make me like their scene.

Besides, it makes me sob like a baby whenever I watch it. Ouch. It's literally painful to watch the end.

**k i b o u.y e l l** · 12-13-2004, 01:46 AM

I loved this episode, one of the best Buffy episodes ever. The Spuffyness, the heartbreaking B/A ending, ''Full of Grace''...just..gah! Awesome!