​Have you ever studied color theory? One of the first things you learn is about the power of red, due to our deep-seated associations with blood. Nature also gives us red tones in flame, sunsets, and human mouths and genitals. The best word for the vibe given off by all of the above is "passion." 
​
The episode "Passion" isn't like a Sixth Sense device where every use of red has a particular meaning, but you can still track the way it's used in several key moments. We don't have to see the blood to know that Angelus is drinking it, keeping him alive at the expense of the innocents he kills. Giles breathes in a red rose and we understand he's in love with Jenny. The vamp trio all have a black and red theme in their wardrobes. Fire blazes twice, first in the destruction of Jenny's computer and then when Giles takes matters into his own hands. It may seem like a paradox that red signifies both desire and rage, but as Angelus reminds us in his voiceover monologue, they're just two sides of the same coin.

Aside from that, what I'd really like to talk about in this episode is what goes mostly unsaid: Angelus's refusal to kill Buffy. As a viewer, I get irritated by dialogue that skirts around the point, either when characters aren't asking the questions that directly address their concerns, or when the right questions come up but there's no response that answers them, and nobody in the scene points that out. In this case, it begins when Giles explains that Angel is using a classic battle strategy to provoke Buffy, perhaps goad her into a mishap, but this comes after Cordelia asks point-blank why he doesn't just kill her. 

Provocation and mishaps are kind of irrelevant once your enemy is dead. Angel has access to Buffy's bedroom, and not only hasn't used it to kill her, but revealed himself to her through the portrait he left behind. What's he really about?

Given that Buffy immediately brings up Angel's history with Drusilla and how this applies to Joyce's safety, maybe it's assumed that Angel doesn't want to kill you is too obvious to be stated outright. Maybe the characters, or even the writers, just don't want to dig into all the creepy implications of it. 

But I do! I've already talked about this in my "Innocence" review, but if you note the time stamps of these posts you'll understand why I've forgotten most of what I've said in one by the time I move onto the next. If I'm repeating myself too directly, take it as evidence of my convictions about these theories.

Anyway, we know why Buffy is reluctant to kill Angelus, but those reasons shouldn’t apply the other way around. He’s evil, and evil doesn’t register residual affection from having loved someone. Not only is the Slayer a major threat, as Spike keeps reminding him, but she’s the one who "made him feel like a human again," and he hates her for that. Angelus isn't stupid, so logically, he should secure both his safety and his revenge as quickly as possible, but instead, he's playing games with his enemy.

We know that when a person becomes a vampire, they lose their soul and with it their ability to make moral choices. We also know that they retain their human memories and certain personality traits, and that there’s a lot of variance in how much they seem to change after they've been turned. The lore has its inconsistencies, keeping the fandom eternally occupied with debating them, but this much seems clear: virtue can't exist within an evil heart. 

So what happens to the good and righteous parts of a personality when there’s no soul to support them? My fanon is that they can’t vanish, due to the attached memories, so they transform to an “evil” trait of equal intensity. Thus when a vampire is no longer capable of love, his feelings of love turn to hate. This points back to the duality of "passion" and suggests that Angelus understands exactly what happened to him when he lost his soul. 

I am counting love as a virtue, by the way, and will stand by that through any further discussions of what a vampire with or without a soul can do. Romantic love could be waved away as a justification for lust, if you want to go there, but what Angel felt for Buffy went beyond that. It even went beyond Buffy. He had become someone who could value her happiness over his own, and from there, someone who could care for the well-being of others. Inverting those values results in a sadistic interest in hurting others, with Buffy singled out as the one whose suffering and fear meant the most to him.

That’s where it gets creepy.

Buffy and Angel: The vampire genre often comes equipped with a rape metaphor, and I feel like it’s the elephant in the room for this episode - not necessarily canon, but my own analysis of it. It’s not actually a metaphor anymore, either, because Angelus wants more than blood from his victim. There’s a line in the shooting script which may have been cut because it’s too overt: “You know, even when I feed off other girls, the name I call out… is yours.” (Yes, I reworked this and used it in “Older.” It was too good to waste.)

The audience knows that Angelus won’t attempt to rape Buffy because it’s not that kind of show (yet). Does Buffy know? Why does she think he came into her room? Does Giles know? Would he say so if he did? 

Like I've said before, this dynamic sparked a lot of my initial inspiration for an AU in which the circumstances for Angel losing his soul, and Buffy’s reaction to it, are slightly different. In “Older,” he wants to hurt her and everyone knows it, and it’s also clear that he still lusts after her. I won’t, and wouldn’t, actually write a rape attempt, but for Buffy the possibility is hanging there, and she might now have to consciously think about it. She might also have to face the possibility that on some level, she’s still into him, too.

Sidebar on that -- the shooting script begins with a really weird description of Buffy dancing at The Bronze, and I have to wonder what we were supposed to take from that scene:

          On the dance floor, BUFFY shares a "friendly" dance with XANDER as WILLOW and CORDELIA watch from a table.
          WE CIRCLE around just outside the perimeter of the crowd, always focusing on the sensuously gyrating Slayer on                 the floor.
​
In any case, it’s not coincidence that Angel’s post-soul warpath is centered on Buffy, and I wonder if she finds some comfort in that. One of my favorite moments this season is Willow pointing out, “You’re still the only thing he thinks about.” She might not grasp the full significance, but it’s there.

Giles and Jenny: Well look at that, I haven’t even gotten to the major character death in this episode yet. All the sadfaces in the world couldn't express this. Jenny is such a wonderful character and such a huge loss to the cast, but that's exactly what makes her murder emotionally effective and the show great. It even gets an extra level of tragedy in her sincere (and intelligent!) attempt to repair the damage she's done, and in the reconciliation between her and Giles. 

If she had stayed, it probably would have been at the expense of a different character (Oz, I hear, was on the chopping block at this juncture). If we're going to speculate about what else would have happened, my guess is a few more bumps in her relationship with Giles, and eventual marriage...possibly even a pregnancy, although I wouldn't want to see that in Whedon's hands. I also would have liked to see her become a second mentor figure to the Scoobies, especially Willow, and hone her own magical abilities some more. Maybe a few more of her family members or pagan contacts would have shown up to cause trouble or save the day. Maybe she would make friends with Joyce!

Regarding Giles, I think this is a centerpiece episode for his character arc. The shooting script says it better than I could:

          WE MOVE UP TO GILES' FACE. His eye are almost impassive, filled with scary cool rage as he hefts the bag to his                    front door and, with a grim determination, slips out into the night. He's a man on a suicide mission.

​There's also this one, but it's a bit less respectful of his coolness and a bit more stating the obvious.

          Giles is in shock, showing no emotion, mostly because… well, because he's in shock.

​So much changes for him. Not only has he lost his soulmate, but he'll never be able to forgive Angel. He reached an important milestone with Buffy, though -- painful, but necessary. 

​Giles and Objects: Yes, of course we're still doing this.

Giles and Objects usually comes last, but it comes after Giles and Jenny, and this time they had to go near the top. Now we can check in on everyone else.

My Willow Tree: The restoration spell at the end of the season is what I usually think of as Willow's first dive into magic, but I guess it's really this episode. Of course, everyone else is doing the disinvitation spell too, so it's probably not meant to have much to do with Willow's arc, but one can easily imagine her enjoying the process and wanting to find out more. 

Incidentally, here's the script for the Latin part of the spell that she recited. As far as I can tell, the translation is correct, but there are at least two spelling errors.

          WILLOW
          (in Latin)
          "… his verbes, consenus rescissus est."
          (by these words, consent repealed.)

Willow also gets a personal loss here, in the form of some tropical fish which were probably expensive but fortunately were not puppies. If you want to preserve Angelus's scary image, try not to picture him scooping them out of the tank one by one and then waiting for them to dry out enough to string on a chain (apparently a 14k gold one. Did Willow decide to keep it?). 

After a great start to his relationship with Willow, Oz is nowhere to be seen for a few episodes. I miss him, but I can see why there wouldn't be much for him to do at the moment, and it would be hard to fit in his reaction to losing Miss Calendar.

Xander and Police Stations: Cordelia of course is present, but she doesn't do much except misunderstand the invitation rule, and there's nothing new to note about her and Xander. One thing I did notice while writing my fanfic is that it's really easy to fit her into the plot whenever someone needs a ride. Her superpower is car.

There's not really much to say about Xander himself, either. They're still giving him the annoying jokes, and still sometimes cutting them out before they get too annoying:

          XANDER
          So… about-ay ee-thay ampire-vay…
          (off looks)
          Allway-hay?

Spike and Dru: The cracks really begin to show here. If you have any experience with weak-willed boyfriends, it doesn't need much analysis: Drusilla is perfectly happy to take care of Spike, but there's no more illusion that she needs anything from him. Stable, healthy couples can get through times like these because we don't keep track of who's supporting who; the tables can turn at any time. Needless to say, Spike and Dru are neither stable nor healthy.

Even when he's given a soul, Spike will never lose his need to be needed. He might reach a point where he can accept with some level of grace that the woman he wants doesn't necessarily want him back, but he can't be alone and he can't be at the bottom of the pecking order. 

I think one reason I love Drusilla is that none of this would apply to her. She's fine. She's insane but she's somehow completely fine.

On to the remaining shooting script quotes. There aren't quite any character introductions in this one, but the magic shop is apparently called "Dragon's Cove" and its owner is "JuJu Man." Plus there's yet another instance of a nameless student becoming Jonathan (these are the kids looking for books on Stalin): 
​
          All eyes turn as two STUDENTS step into the library. They both freeze at the four pairs of eyes fixed on them.

For fun stage directions, we have this:

         ​Garlic strings and about a dozen crosses dangle from the rearview mirror like bulky Christian air fresheners.

For a slight extension of a scene which gives us another cute joke:

          BUFFY
          How did it go?

          JOYCE
          I don't know, it's my first.

         BUFFY
         Well, what did you tell Grandma when you…

          JOYCE
         Nothing!
         (thinks)
         I don't think she knows…

This next one, as far as bonus content goes, isn't all that fascinating. All of the dialogue that Willow, Buffy, Joyce, and Giles have when Angelus is watching the first three of them through the window was written into the script, but it looks like most of it was removed or changed anyway. Well, I did go through the trouble of formatting it for you, so here it is.

          WILLOW
          So, was it horrible?

          BUFFY
          It wasn't too horrible…

          Buffy reacts to the (UNHEARD) RINGING TELEPHONE. 

         BUFFY
         (into phone)
         Hello…?

         GILES
         (over the phone)
         Buffy?

         BUFFY
         (into phone)
         Giles! Hey, we finished the sp-

         GILES
         (into phone)
         Jenny… Ms. Calendar… she's been killed…

         BUFFY
         (into phone)
         What…?

         GILES
​         (into phone)
         It was Angel…

         WILLOW
         Buffy…?
         -Willow picks up the phone.-

         WILLOW
         (into phone)
         Giles?

          GILES
          (into phone)
          Willow. Angel's killed Jenny.

          Willow CRIES OUT, --
          WILLOW
          (anguished cry)
         What? No… Oh, no…
        -the first sound WE CAN ACTUALLY HEAR OUTSIDE, as the faint MUFFLED PAIN leaks out through the window, into              the night air.

        Joyce enters, sees Willow crying, goes to her, holds her.

        JOYCE
        Willow! My god, Buffy, what's wrong?
        Has something happened?

​Finally, there's an extension to the conversation that Buffy and Giles have at Jenny's grave. It's poignant, but it's really just restating what Angelus says in his opening/closing monologue. We don't need to be told that they understand why people need to have emotions, because of course they do.

          BUFFY
          Sometimes, I wonder if any good ever comes of it.

          GILES
          Comes of what?

          BUFFY
          Falling in love. Letting your emotions call the shots for you. Because if there is an upside, I sure haven't come across            it.
          (sighs)
          You're right about that rule of yours. You're the Watcher, I'm the Slayer… we don't have the luxury of passion. It just
          gets in the way. Life's easier without it.

          GILES
          Yes. It's just not… life.

Okay, I've got one more image here, and I figured I should find the most lighthearted place for it, but this is not a lighthearted episode so there was no place for it, so here it is at the end.

Notes:

• Was the Orb of Thesulah ever sold as Buffyverse merchandise? It's so simple, just a plain little glass ball, but I would totally buy one if it came in some nice packaging with an "Orb of Thesulah" label.
• Snapping a neck with one's bare hands might be the coolest style of murder. Don't blame me for telling the truth.
• Claddagh watch: Angelus is definitely still wearing it, heart pointed out.

​​Each of the Core Four has a pivotal romantic arc in Season 2. Buffy's, naturally, stretches across the entire season and is most closely aligned with the plot, with keystone episodes focused on Angel or Angelus. After the "Surprise"/"Innocence" two-parter, each of Buffy's closest cohorts gets a spotlight on their own romances, one after another. Last episode we had Willow and Oz, so now it's Xander and Cordelia. Giles comes up next with the worst deal ever.

As for the focus this time, I'm more sympathetic toward Xander than most, but don’t worry, I don’t plan to be that forgiving. We’re definitely going to talk about how stupid he is. And we can have fun with it, because it’s genuinely hilarious even when it’s maddening. But first we’re going to talk about some Buffyverse worldbuilding and the philosophy of magic, since that’s the best equivalent I’ve got to going off about werewolves last time.

Let’s start with this supposed love spell, and the return of Amy. The audience learns that she has continued to study magic after being freed from her mother, and also that she sucks at it. Even the homework spell makes no sense. When the teacher goes to grade the papers, isn’t she going to notice that there isn’t one from Amy? Does the spell make her decide to let Amy off the hook because she’s embarrassed that she apparently lost a student’s homework?

(Admittedly, I love it that in Sunnydale you can threaten to tattle on a witch for cheating in school with magic, and it’s just assumed that the teacher will believe that this very normal thing has happened and dish out consequences for breaking the rules. With magic.)

Amy thinks that she’s a very clever witch who can make two people fall in love. Amy might have ultimately failed because clever witches don’t think they can do that. “Love spell” may be Buffyverse Wiccan shorthand for “spell that makes someone think they’re in love,” but in that case, where does pure intent come in? Answer: Amy likes to pretend she knows what she’s doing, and also that she respects the power of magic, when in actuality she’s incompetent and self-interested. I headcanon she has a very limited arsenal of tricks she can reliably cast, and everything else she attempts is basically an experiment.

Does the spell even require Xander's bare chest, or does Amy just want to humiliate him?

          A long, silent beat. Then - Xander's shaky voice.
          XANDER
          Great. Really. Good spell… Can I put my shirt on now?

One of those go-to tricks is clearly turning people into rats. Really a rather frighteningly powerful move (note Giles wonders where she learned it), but in ordinary circumstances she probably considers it a last resort.

I’m interested in what happens to people who have been transformed into animals. Buffy spends half the episode as a rat and doesn’t seem to retain any sense of self, let alone her Slayer powers. Later on, though, we’ll see Amy herself spend about two years as a rat, and then come out of it relatively unscathed. Rats in the real world live for around three years, so if she was aging proportionally, she’d probably be an old woman when she returned to human form. Maybe we can use this to identify animals who are actually people under curses.

As for the centerpiece “love” spell, I have to wonder what kind of alternate disasters were waiting if it had gone off correctly and Xander had proceeded with his plan to break up with Cordy after it took effect on her. None of the enchanted women took it well when Xander rejected them, and an enchanted heartbroken Cordelia Chase would be, well, terrifying.
​
If we’re trying to identify what went wrong, though, I think there’s a pretty big hint when we see Xander sitting in a female symbol during the ritual. Would a spell that targets one specific person really put that much focus on the person’s gender? The only thing tying it to Cordy is the necklace, which one can readily believe works as protection against the magic rather than targeting it. See, I’m already a better witch than Amy. (I do wonder what happened to that necklace, though. Was it consumed by the counterspell?) Sexual orientation also doesn’t seem relevant, so those guys in the hallway were probably just envious or incredulous. Too bad, or we could have used it as a hint about Willow’s future.

All in all, it's no use digging into plot holes for any reason but personal entertainment. As the werewolves were limited by budget, worldbuilding is limited by nobody really caring that much. I love worldbuilding, but still, fair enough - all the supernatural stuff in Buffy is essentially just a backdrop for the characters and timeless themes.

Xander and Cordelia: Xander/Cordy is a unique kind of ship because it’s obvious from the start that it’s neither entirely healthy nor likely to last long-term. It’s pure high school, and what’s particularly interesting is that the characters know it. They just want to have fun together and kiss a lot, but that doesn’t make it any less painful for them to lose what they have, since it’s high school, and dating is a really big deal.

So, while Xander’s moronic petulance is at an all-time high in this episode, I feel like it also, paradoxically, shows a hidden maturity to him. He doesn’t convince himself that he’s in love and he doesn’t set his goals on sex, which are the two mistakes teenagers in the real world are most likely to fall into. He knows he’s not ready for anything serious; he just wants to be validated, to know that his feelings matter as much as Buffy’s, or Willow’s, or Giles’ do. 

Unfortunately, he's still Xander, which means he makes jokes about lapdancing and the audience stops caring about his feelings. His friends don't - Buffy's easy forgiveness of him ("thanks for not raping me after you accidentally put me under a love spell") has often been pointed out, and that's fair, but I think the other characters see his crudeness as a kind of self-deprecation, reminding them that he sees himself as a loser. And maybe they're right.

Plus, he does exercise some chivalry in this episode. The Valentine's Day gift scene was pretty touching, and he didn't hesitate to jump into the mob and rescue Cordy by carrying her away in his arms. Whether or not she should have taken him back at the end, I get why she did. Of all the turning points we see Cordy going through, over both series, her "you're a sheep" speech to Harmony might be the most overlooked. She's not just choosing Xander over the Cordettes; she's choosing authenticity over popularity. It's kind of awesome.

Sidebar, I love that speech even more with this cut line. It could have become a new slang insult to tell people that sweaters are made from their woolly coats.

           HARMONY
           I'm not a sheep.

           CORDELIA
           You're a sheep. Sweaters are made from your wooly coat.

Willow and Oz: I am so very happy to report that my beta couple is doing great. Willow is thrilled just to watch her boyfriend on the stage, and Oz has a correct reaction to hearing her cry over Xander all night, i.e., punching him in the face. I don't know why I should be particularly happy about this since I know where everything is going to end up, but we've got to enjoy the moment, right?

Saved this from the shooting script because I have no idea what Ben was or what kind of joke or reference was supposed to be happening here. Maybe that's why it was cut.

          OZ
          (theme from "BEN")
          "…Ben, the two of us need look no more… we both found what we were looking for-"

Buffy Is the Title: I’m surprised by how openly Buffy and Xander talk about Cordelia. Buffy doesn’t conceal her dislike for her, and says Xander could find someone better. Plus, Xander tells Buffy outright that he’s still into her, basically implying that he’d drop Cordy for her sake if he thought he had a chance. And Buffy doesn’t even call him out! I kind of like the scene just because it's unexpected, but I wish their friendship could develop without Xander's crush.

Speaking of which, though, I'm intrigued by Buffy's line while she's under the spell, “You make me feel this way and then reject me?” This is essentially the battle cry of the unrequited lover, an attempt to transfer the blame for one's own feelings onto someone else. Maybe Buffy's memory of how she felt, how the irrational seemed to make sense at the time, gives her sympathy for Xander an extra boost.

Of course there's not much else to say about Buffy in this episode because she spends half of it as a rat, resulting in some very boring rat-cam scenes and also the following exchange, which I didn't realize was a rat reference when I read it. Maybe that's why it was cut.

           CORDELIA
          Déjà vu much? Here's another good reason not to date you. People are always trying to kill me when I'm with you!               So - what do we do now? Wait for Buffy to come?

          XANDER
          I… wouldn't hold my breath.​

One more maddeningly slow development in Buffy's life is keeping Slayer matters secret from her mother, who looks dumber every time something supernatural happens around her. Buffy is wondering if she should start to worry that Mom is getting so good at repression. Yes, she should. Seriously, your daughter opens up an anonymous black box of roses with a note that just says, "Soon," and you don't suspect anything?

​Spike and Dru and Angelus: It's kind of neat that the vamp trio gets a chance to just be funny for one episode. Angelus's "Works in theory" moment was so effective in the Xander-is-having-a-nonstop-crazy-night context. No new plot points, but some good building on top of what's already been established about the three of them.

I would love to see the AU where Drusilla manages to sire Xander in this scene. Nicholas Brendan is surprisingly good at playing evil, and just imagine how Spike's world would turn upside down until Angelus had enough and decided to kill Dru's pet.

Giles and Jenny: Of all the actresses playing lovesick loonies, Robia La Morte had my favorite performance. She made it funny and cute instead of the somewhat embarrassing displays from Buffy and Willow, or the mortifying backrub from Joyce. She also retained enough of her own character to show how much she and Giles care for each other and how the only thing holding them back now is her painful history. I can't believe how little of her we have left.

Giles and Buffy are still doing well, too. I mean, the script describes them as "anything but happy Valentine's puppies," but at least they're in it together.

Giles and Objects: Yup, two categories for Giles again.

A few character introductions, or in Amy's case, reintroductions:

          XANDER, WILLOW AND BUFFY are all in English class with MISS BEAKMAN, a tough old dame. The bell rings and                    students start to rise.

          The bunch comes up by AMY, daughter of the cheerleading trophy.

          KATIE'S quite attractive, and clearly smitten.

That last one is the third girl after Buffy and Amy who showed interest in Xander; apparently she had a name and was singled out from the mob a few times. The script provides further evidence that she is indeed quite attractive through this addition:

          She holds up a little slip of paper, but he takes off. A beat later and he appears in the frame, takes the paper and                 leaves again.

In the script, the spell took effect a little more gradually.
​
           Xander moves off, chagrined. Cordelia turns to Harmony.

          CORDELIA
          What is his deal?

          HARMONY
          I know. Did he cut his hair or something? He looked half-way decent for a change.

          Off Cordy. Confused by Harmony's comment.

Last little bit of script today is a dry cleaning joke. Those don't generally seem very funny but somehow they keep getting used.
​
          Now she gets out of bed. We see now that she's WEARING HIS BUTTON DOWN SHIRT. She moves toward him.

          XANDER
          That's… dry clean only.

Notes:

• ​The lunch lady joining the mob of women chasing Xander was a nice touch. We'll see her again next year in my favorite episode.
• ​I don't care if it's a contrived joke; characters barricading a door that opens out from the barricade is funny and the second time is even funnier.
• In Xander’s room I spotted: an Etch-a-sketch, an Elvis bust, a ukelele(?), a piggy bank, a guitar, an X-Men poster, two clocks that said it was 10pm, a car poster, a teddy bear, a basketball hoop, and a Widespread Panic poster. That last one is the only thing that didn't seem to fit his character, but they're in the school too, the band must have had some kind of deal with WB.

​​
Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on Dreamwidth
• Fic: Older

1. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered, Part 1
2. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered, Part 2

Beyond aesthetics, I’m not displeased with the mythology that Season 2 settled on for werewolves, except that there’s that key plot point about what happens when they die that had to be retconned in Angel S5. I guess Cain had to have some reason to be hunting them but even without accounting for Nina’s story, it just makes more sense for them to revert to human form after they’re dead.

My other complaint is just that the werewolf lore isn’t that interesting. Human becomes a crazed dangerous beast during the full moon, condition is transmitted through biting, silver bullets, that’s about all there is to it. Even the addition of two extra nights of lycanthropy is clearly just there to get enough material to fill an episode. But, this isn’t Buffy the Werewolf Slayer, and Oz’s worth as a character has very little to do with his condition, so, no big deal. Let's move on.

Willow and Oz: The Werewolf episode is also the Oz episode and the My Beta Ship episode! They get the first billing today. 

Oz is the second Scooby to join the gang after the core had been established, and the first to enter with his own supernatural talent. Heck, Willow isn’t even a witch yet, so it’s actually just Buffy and Oz representing the Hellmouth at this point. I like the way we can see how new friends get assimilated by the original members’ casual references to past adventures, which would have been secrets when they were just classmates. This one got cut out of the aired version:

          WILLOW
          On account of how you were once a hyena.

          OZ
          Xander was…?

          WILLOW
          Before we knew you.

I think the reason I love Oz so much is that he fits right in but is a character unlike any of the others. Indeed he’s someone you’re more likely to meet in real life than television, barring the obvious. He’s naturally laconic, intelligent but apathetic, confident without being an asshole, and it all adds up to make him very, very cool. Also, like Cordelia, he has a life and friends outside of the Scooby Gang, but unlike Cordelia, he never has to choose between the two. I feel like that’s what gives him that extra edge of independence, maybe what ultimately allows him to leave the show without dying.

All of these are good reasons for Willow to fall for him, but they also don’t have a lot in common, which is something else I love -- they’re aligned on what’s important and interested in, not turned off by, the places where they don’t match. His dry humor makes her laugh and her bashful quirks make him smile. He’s super cute and also way too short for my usual shipping purposes but she’s also tiny and they match right up! Wonderful couple. We won’t get another one like this for the duration of the show.

          OZ (cont'd)
          My cousin Jordy. Just got his grown-up teeth in. Does not like to be tickled.

          WILLOW
          (leaning in)
          Looks like it healed already.

          OZ
          The emotional scar is still there.

One more thing about Oz is that I saved this from the shooting script and I can't remember why, except that it reminds me of Keanu Reeves, who is also a cool guy.

          OZ
          Whoa.

​Cordelia and Xander: The Cordy/Xander/Willow love triangle continues, landing at right about where you would expect it to a week after it’s all out in the open. Cordy and Xander are still just as into each other and bickering just as much, but they’re not trying to hide it anymore. Willow is moving on more easily than Xander wanted her to, and he’s projecting that onto Oz. There’s an entire cut scene in which the girls have an equivalent feud, which actually fills in a fairly big hole in the episode but also, the episode kind of works better without it being filled in? I’ll let you decide.

          Willow JOINS Xander and Cordelia in their group. Xander is pulling a large PADDED HELMET over his head.

          XANDER
          Be gentle with me.

          CORDELIA
          (to Willow)
          You first. I wouldn't want to be accused to taking your place in line.
 
         WILLOW
         Oh, I think you pushed your way to the front long before this.

         CORDELIA
         Hey, I can't help it if I get the spotlight just because some people blend into the background.
 
         WILLOW
         Well, maybe some people could see better if you weren't standing on the auction block, shaking your wares.
 
         CORDELIA
         Sorry, we haven't all perfected that phony 'girl next door' bit.
 
         WILLOW
         You could be the girl next door, too. If Xander lived next to a brothel!

         They BORE INTO EACH OTHER, breathing heavily. Xander, completely suited up, calls out to them.

         XANDER
         (innocently)
         Okay, who wants a piece of me?

         Cordelia and Willow look at one another.

        BAM!

        Xander reels from a PUNCH thrown by Cordelia.

        OOF!

        He buckles over from a KICK, administered by Willow.

        The girls WORK TOGETHER, eventually taking Xander to the ground. He looks up at them, confused and pleading:

        XANDER
​        Why…?

The aired version is funnier because it’s even more surprising to see that Willow and Cordy are hanging out and complaining about Xander, and it leaves more to the imagination, which I always appreciate. On the other hand, I don’t think I ever realized until I read the script that Willow and Cordy had gotten past their issues with each other. Either way, they’ve both figured out that Xander is the one who really hurt them, and the way they find common ground over that and forge a friendship of their own is just lovely.

Xander will benefit from it too, although I don’t know that we can ever credit him with appreciating it. Willow’s new perspective allows her to forgive him for dating someone she used to see as an enemy, and Cordelia’s status as a member of the gang has been cemented, so she and Xander can start with guilt-free public flirting. 

Buffy and Angel: Well how about that, this is the couple that I have the least to say about. It’s cool, we all needed a break. I like the way that Buffy’s suffering isn’t completely pushed to the background, in her guilt over Theresa and a few very sad bits of dialogue, but I also like it that she gets to be a teenage girl and get lost in high school gossip in spite of her own troubles. 

          BUFFY
          Yes. And you won't believe it! Lisa Hamm is over there making out with Tim Bushway! But he's dating Mandy                        Donaldson. If she ever finds out-
          (off Giles' look)
          Nothing. Not a werewolf in sight. You?​

(Are these names the same as the ones in the aired version? Do student names mean anything and do they ever recur? Probably not, but I want to have a record handy just in case.)

Giles and Objects: In my AU fanfic (linked below as usual), I used this episode to highlight the rift between Buffy and Giles, since I thought that was the biggest difference from canon. Look how close they are in canon. Just look.

Another thing this episode is known for is Xander's No Homo phase, which is exasperating on multiple levels but 1) Cut Xander some slack, this is coming at him right when all he wants is to be seen as desirable to women, and 2) Can we not pretend that coming out absolves Larry of all his prior bad behavior? Bullies always have reasons to be bullies. Either it's never justified or it always is. He's a better character after this point, sure, but it would be nice to see an apology at the very least.

And finally, we reach the remainder of the script quotes. First a couple character intros; the first one isn't (I didn't miss Larry when he was introduced, did I?), but....Larryettes. Fantastic.

          Willow joins BUFFY in the lounge as LARRY and some LARRYETTES come over to Oz. Larry stares leeringly at the girls.
​
          Larry approaches THERESA, a small, timid-looking girl.

          A ROUGH-LOOKING GUY emerges from the shadows. He wears dark clothing and boots. A number of SHARP TEETH            hang from a string around his neck.
          This is The Hunter: GIB CAIN.

Sort of like the way Willow and Cordy's feud was simplified, there was a running joke about the move that the girls were taught in their self-defense class. Long story short, it works!

          Willow ROLLS AWAY on the ground and gets to her feet. She tries to RUN out, but the werewolf GRABS her from                   behind. Willow BENDS forward and FLIPS the werewolf over.
           It CRASHES hard to the floor.

          WILLOW
          Wow. It worked.

          Maybe too well. The werewolf isn't moving. Willow moves to it, concerned.

I'm including the following because I've heard the way this scene was portrayed was an insult to reality if you know anything about making bullets, but I don't. Maybe this proves that they did the research but didn't have the budget, or they did the research but it wouldn't have been clear enough that he's making bullets. Or maybe it doesn't prove anything.

          CLOSE ON: LIQUID SILVER being poured into a small mold.
          REVEAL Cain in his van, going through his pre-hunt ritual. He HUMS along to the music from a TAPE PLAYER.
          The van is CRAMMED with the tools of his trade: RIFLES, BOWS, ARROWS, NETS, TRAPS, etc.
          Cain places the mold on a COOLING RACK. He removes another mold from the rack and OPENS IT to reveal:
          A freshly minted SILVER BULLET.
          He sets the bullet aside with a number of OTHER BULLETS.

I'm including this one because I like when the stage directions are this crucial to the action.

         They move to a SIGN-IN BOOK, which sits on a THREE-LEGGED wooden EASEL (conveniently for later, the sharp,                   pointy-legged kind). Buffy notices the list of names in the book.

And I'm including this one because it's funny.

          Cordelia turns to the DOORMAN.

          CORDELIA
          (half-crazed)
          You could be a little more discriminating with that velvet rope!

Notes: 

• Do my screenshots look any cleaner this time? I started taking them from a DVD rather than Hulu.
• Angelus is left hanging as a background threat between “Innocence” and “Passion,” and it works really well. Buffy’s conflict about killing him couldn’t support two entire episodes on its own; we need to see there’s more going on in Sunnydale that needs her attention.
• As semi-canon characters I’m very fond of Jordy and his parents. “Chorus” is the fic I used to expand on their lore, and they became key characters in one of my more ambitious stories.​

When I first discovered BtVS, I had already succumbed to a lot of spoilers by the time I reached this episode. I remember watching it and, feeling a little shaken, saying, “I knew he was going to turn evil, but I didn’t think he was going to be mean.”

 It makes a difference. Buffy, and the audience, is prepared for her enemies to try to kill her; we’re not prepared for them to make her cry. I guess I had imagined his heel face turn as just reverting him to the vampire he had been before the curse, with the time in between having little significance to him even if he had remembered it. A soulless being shouldn’t even be able to care enough about someone to hate her, right?

​The Buffy and Angel Show: Therein lies the true genius behind the way Angelus is written. He remembers but can’t understand what he felt for Buffy, and he cares because it infuriates him. For a soulless being, there’s nowhere for that kind of emotion to go unless it’s converted into an obsessive hatred. This is the final proof of Angel’s love, right as Buffy loses it: nothing can erase what she is to him, even when his own soul is erased from his being. You can see it in his Claddagh ring, which he turned around on his finger but can’t bring himself to remove. It’s a wedding ring and he’s not divorced.

This persistent connection comes up a few times in the dialogue, from Giles (“He'll come after you particularly”), from Willow (“You’re still the only thing he thinks about”), from Angelus himself (“She made me feel like a human being. That's not the kind of thing you just forgive”), but it’s never spelled out, as it shouldn’t be. Buffy’s ability to get through this rests on her understanding that Angel did truly love her, that she wasn’t wrong about who he was when she made the decision to sleep with him, and she has to come to it on her own. 

As devastating as it is for her to learn that she was inadvertently responsible for breaking the curse, the hardest parts of the episode come before that. The scene in his apartment is so awful because she doesn’t know yet that this is a foe who will say anything to hurt her and knows how to do it for maximum effect. He presents himself as apathetic -- the exact opposite of what’s actually going on. Buffy might not be ready to kill him by the end of the episode, but once she knows that he’s not the man she loved, she’s no longer his victim.

What I’ve always found fascinating about the Buffy/Angelus relationship, though, is that he’s fully capable of killing her, but he doesn’t want to. He makes this clear almost immediately and I don’t think there’s ever a reason to think he’s changed his mind, up until he concocts the Acathla plan. Part of the reason I began writing “Older” (if I’m remembering right after so long) is that I wanted to explore that dynamic more directly, with Buffy being fully aware of it the whole time and able to question it.

Why is she so valuable to him? Is he simply having fun with his new toy, or is there a long-term plan? Nobody brings up the possibility that Angelus wants to make Buffy into a vampire, but we know that there are echoes of his game with Drusilla. Maybe he just doesn’t want to give Spike and Dru a chance to object, or maybe it’s more important to him that Buffy suffers for as long as possible without the easy escape of death. 

Of course there’s the explanation Angelus gives to Spike -- “To kill this girl, you have to love her” -- but I think that was essentially meant to pacify him with a promise that the killing part would eventually happen. Spike thinks in terms of conquest and can’t understand the fascination with suffering that Angelus and Drusilla share. It’s still a great little monologue, not least for the undertone of respect for the Slayer. Spike considered himself good at killing Slayers and failed to comprehend this one on a personal level, which puts her forever out of his reach (in every sense, but I’m getting ahead of myself). Angelus may hate what he was with a soul, but he’s still conscious of what it taught him about Buffy. 

It’s also a massive relief, just when we need one, to see that Angel himself is the one who nudges Buffy from her post-rejection meltdown into her Boss Slayer mode. Okay, so it’s through a dream and not the real Angel, but we don’t know exactly how Buffy’s dreams work and it doesn’t seem like they work the same way every time, so some part of Angel’s actual soul may be involved. And if not, it’s still Buffy’s own subconscious, her sharp instincts, her Slayer gift pulling in the image of Angel to let her know that all is not as it seems. The anonymous funeral makes a fantastic setting for him to point out Jenny Calendar, and that’s all Buffy needs to take matters into her own hands and go hunting down the answers.

We already knew she was a hero but this turning point is crucial. All hope of a happy future has been taken away, so she carries on without hope.

Willow and Oz: The “Willow kissage” conversation in the van convinces me that no matter how adorable these two are together, what they have (or will have, at this point) goes much deeper than cute. It’s such a mark of his character that he can so easily find the words to explain to her -- compassionately! -- that he likes her, that he knows she’s not over Xander, and that he’s not going to demean himself by being her fallback guy. 

I also think that this is exactly what she needed and from here on in she is over Xander, albeit temporarily. It’s really nice to know that the next episode focuses on Willow/Oz, both for their own sake and to let us heal a little from Buffy/Angel.
Anyway, here’s an (unnecessarily) extended version of that van conversation.

          WILLOW
          Do you want to make out with me?

          OZ
          What?
​
          WILLOW
          With me. Make out. Do you want to?

          OZ
          That time you said it backwards.

          WILLOW
          Forget it. I'm sorry.
          (beat)
          Well do you?

Xander and Cordelia: One of the handful of Buffy quotes I heard before I was ever interested in the show was “I’m seventeen. Looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex.” I don’t have a good answer for why I wasn’t immediately interested after hearing that.

But anyway I kind of love Xander/Cordy in this episode. Both of them are at full snark, but they’re starting to actually apologize to each other and offer sincere praise. Cordy sticks around to help with research even when she’s angry at Xander, and Xander chooses Cordy as his teammate even when it would be easier in the moment to reject her.
Of course, Willow finding out about them is excruciating, and it should be. Xander was Willow’s closest friend, Cordelia was her biggest bully, and all of them are teenagers. None of them dealt with it perfectly but all of them tried…well, except maybe Cordy, but she’ll get there.

Spike and Dru: Hey guys I found it! I found the exact moment that Spike and Dru’s relationship begins to fall apart! It’s right here in the shooting script:

          ANGEL
          Be just like old times.

          He runs his hand along Dru's arm.

          Spike's smile slightly drains.

It doesn’t require much analysis: Angel returns, Dru prefers him, Spike gets jealous. Since it’s the foundation of Spike’s entire character arc through the rest of the show and the spinoff, though, it’s intriguing to watch how it plays out. Looks like there was a little more Spike/Dru in the script, too:

          SPIKE
          Have a good time.

          DRUSILLA
          You'll be able to hear the screams. I promise.

Giles and Jenny: Here’s another beginning-of-the-end neatly summarized by stage directions. 

          JENNY
          I just want to help.

          She looks pleadingly at Giles. There's no joy, nor anger in his reply. Just a decision.

          GILES
          She said get out.

They’ve got a better chance at reconciling than Spike and Dru, because they’re both sane humans, but that also makes it sadder that they’re breaking up at all. I don't really blame either of them. Jenny made a whole pile of mistakes which all started long before she ever came to Sunnydale, and she did try to back out of her family vengeance gig, albeit unsuccessfully, once she had a chance to look at it objectively.

As for Giles, yeah, he could come to the same conclusion that I just did, but he has a duty to his Slayer. The word “decision” is perfect, indicating that Giles is consciously choosing Buffy over Jenny with both of them there to witness. He can't put the decision off until things have cooled down because Buffy needs him now, and he can't compromise without putting doubts in her head that even his tearjerker speech at the end couldn't have fixed. 

Giles and Objects: Giles gets two categories this time because his relationship with Jenny is important but I also have screenshots to embed.

Here are a few more scenes I pulled from the shooting script. Cutting this first was, I think, completely the right move. The impact of this scene was incredible just the way it was, especially with the "Was it good for you too?" follow-up showing exactly what happened here without, you know, showing it. (I'm pretty sure I've already complained about how that same line was used in "The Dark Age" to poor effect, so we just have to pretend we forgot about that and this is the first time a demon in this show has mocked their human counterpart's lover with it.)
​
          ANGEL
          But thanks for the offer.

          GYPSY MAN
          You! Evil one...

          ANGEL
          Evil one? Oh, man, now I've got hurty feelings.

          GYPSY MAN
          (backing away)
          What do you want?

          ANGEL
          A whole lot. Got a lot of lost time to make up for. Say, I guess that's kind of your fault, isn't it?

          The Gypsy holds up a cross, which Angel knocks out of his hand, grabbing his neck.

          ANGEL
         You gypsy types, you go and curse people, you really don't care who gets hurt. Of course, you did give me an escape           clause, so I gotta thank you for that.

         He pushes the old man back so he's sitting on the bed.

          GYPSY MAN
          You are an abomination. The day you stop suffering for your crimes, you are no longer worthy of a human soul.

          ANGEL
          Well, that pesky critter's all gone. So we can get down to business.

          He kneels in front of the old man.

          ANGEL
          Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit...after the first hour.

This is the very end. The actors got everything across perfectly -- Buffy's numbness, Joyce's concern, the way they don't talk it out but just hold each other -- but there's also something so powerful about the metaphor of this final sentence.

          They sit, Joyce playing gently with her daughter's hair. Buffy letting her eyes drift shut. The candle flickering bravely               in the dark.

When the stage directions have words like "freakingdom" it makes me smile just for the Buffyspeak saturation, but sometimes I also have thoughts like "wow, that's such a perfect description of that scene," and then remember that I've got it backwards. The cast and crew are just that good at portraying a scene based on a writer's description.

          It's maybe ten minutes later. Everyone is gathered in the library, in various stages of freakingdom. We do not see                 Buffy yet. 

Same for this, except that when you read it, instead of picturing the scene, you feel like you're there.

           The son of a bitch actually winks at her.

Character introduction for Angelus's first victim. I wonder why they wanted her to be a pseudohooker?

          ANGLE: A WOMAN
          of ill, if not actively professional, repute. She comes down the alley tentatively, a cigarette in her hand.
​

​Notes:

• ​The rocket launcher solution makes me so happy. "No weapon forged" does seem fairly absolute unless you have the presence of mind to put it in historical context. Xander deserved this win and Buffy deserved to wield a rocket launcher.
• Apparently the anonymous funeral isn't actually anonymous. The script says it's Angel's, even though he's there himself.
• The scene cuts when Xander tells Cordelia to meet him in a half hour. It's night, and we see Buffy go to sleep and then wake up in the daytime and confront Jenny during a class. When we return to Xander and Cordy, it's night again. Long half hour! This is a very sneaky plot hole that you might not even notice unless you're studying the episode carefully to write a play-by-play AU, in which case it will have you tearing your hair out.​

​Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on Dreamwidth
• Fic: Older

1. Innocence, Part 1
2. Innocence, Part 2
3. Innocence, Part 3
4. Innocence, Part 4
5. Innocence, Part 5

• Vid: That Blue Thing

Willow and Oz: It's too bad that Oz's Season 2 appearances are sporadic, since the beginnings of his relationship with Willow are just a joy. Not just his warmth and her excitement, but the way he gets integrated into the Scoobies so easily because he's already a smart, courageous misfit. I'm particularly fond of Seth Green's mannerisms, like the way he gestures when asking if anyone else just saw that guy turn into dust, and the way Sunnydale's paranormal activity is lampshaded with his "this explains a lot" comment and it not only fits his character but reinforces it.

This season has the highest concentration of best Buffyverse ships, but only Buffy/Angel gets a canon shot at being endgame. I'm going to try not to let that bother me as I journey through the past.

Xander and Cordelia: They have an extended awkward are-we-dating dance in the shooting script (I'm trying to space out these quotes because there's a motherload of them to get through):
​
          He moves off. Cordelia closes her locker, catches up to him.

          CORDELIA
          Let me... Think about it. Can I pick out your clothes?

          XANDER
          For the party?

          CORDELIA
          For pretty much... every day.

          She walks off. Xander watches her, chagrined, then sees GILES in the-

Considering that neither of these characters are among my favorites and I know how this ends and there's no hope of a post-canon reunion, I'm pretty invested in Cordy/Xander. The inner conflict that keeps them apart is real, which means that their mutual attraction has to be real enough to overcome their misgivings, and overcoming their misgivings will make both of them into better people. How could I not root for them?

Well, okay, there is the issue of Xander still having an obnoxiously overt crush on Buffy. His daydream about rescuing her from a dead end future with Angel is downright stomach-turning. Youth and bad upbringing notwithstanding, he should know better than to make light of his friend's pain, and nobody should be putting up with it.

But I don’t mind this jealous moment from him because it got some cuteness out of Buffy:

          BUFFY
          Rough night. I had a dream that Drusilla was alive - and she killed Angel. It really spun me. I even went by Angel's on            the way to school to make sure he was okay.

          XANDER
         There's a line I haven't tried. "I just dropped by to see if you're dead." It says caring. Concerned. Smootchies                            guaranteed.

          BUFFY
          Please. I didn't go over there for smootchies -
          (then)
          Well. When I found out he was okay I was relieved, and so, naturally...
          (then)
          Someone stop me.

          JENNY
          (obliging)
          So, Angel's alright?

Spike and Dru: This very brief interlude between Drusilla regaining her power and Angelus returning may actually be where the Spike/Dru team is at their strongest. Spike's in the wheelchair, but he's still seen as the guy in charge by the rest of the vampires, and Drusilla still depends on him - or thinks she does, or pretends she does, and that's enough to keep him pacified. I wonder how long they could have lasted if not for the interruption of a third party who provides an inconvenient contrast to Spike's handicap.

The Judge accusing them of sharing affection and jealousy is something that comes up a lot in debates about whether vampires are capable of love and whether there are degrees of evil for soulless beings. I'm not that interested in getting into it now, but let's make a note that Spike and Dru could have been spared for no better reason than that they were the ones who reanimated the Judge, and also that Dalton's bookishness doesn't make him less evil but that bringing it up might be shorthand for his lack of interest in murder and chaos, and we'll revisit the subject in the next episode when Angelus mysteriously escapes being fried.

Giles and Jenny: I am going to miss them so hard. They didn't get nearly enough time to just be a couple. I'll mostly let the following script quote do the heavy lifting for this, though, and then unload the rest of my shooting script quotes. There was really quite a lot cut out of this episode and nothing significant added as far as I could tell, so I’m guessing the writers just tried to cram in too much.

I also don't have any Giles and Objects this time aside from that failed attempt above, but I did notice that when Buffy falls asleep in his office, she's watched over not only by Angel but by a little Notre Dame gargoyle. That's my kind of decorating!

The scenes removed don’t contradict canon in any major way and most of them I could take or leave, but the following is one I’d really like to keep. Giles and Jenny having a serious conversation about Buffy in which Jenny’s secret allegiance shows through but doesn’t supersede her respect for Giles? Yes please!

And the Slayer lore! Where else do we get an approximate lifespan mentioned? Are prophetic dreams not usually part of the starter pack? If Buffy’s intuition is heightened, is that not something we should take into account when it comes to her trust in Angel? And what did Giles end up getting Buffy for her birthday?!

         Calendar and Giles enter - continuing their talk.

         JENNY
         I guess it makes sense. I mean, all of Buffy's senses are heightened. Why should her intuition be different?

         GILES
         Precisely. It's not unheard of for the Slayer to start having prophetic dreams and visions as she approaches                           adulthood-

          JENNY
         Adulthood? Buffy's seventeen tomorrow, Giles. Don't rush her.

         GILES
         I'm not the one rushing her. While I'm loathe to say it, the fact is - the Slayer rarely lives into her mid-twenties. It                   follows that she'd exhibit signs of maturity early on. Her whole life-cycle is accelerated.

         JENNY
        Still, you should be careful about treating her like a grown-up. Like - this thing with Angel. Have you even talked to              her about it?

         GILES
         I - I suppose I try not to pry.

          JENNY
         Maybe you should, a little. The way she talks - it's clear she has intense feelings for him.

         GILES
         Well, yes. They're friends-

          JENNY
         They're more than friends and you know it.

          A beat as this sinks in.

          GILES
          I'm not her father, Jenny.

          JENNY
          She looks up to you. She'll never actually say that, but she does. And I just think, at her age, it's easy to get in. over               your head. She could make some bad choices here. Trust me on this one.

          GILES
          I'll keep an eye to it. Right now I'm worried enough trying to think of the right birthday present.

This is a nice nod to “School Hard,” in which Joyce found out that Snyder is a rodent and his word about Buffy can be disregarded.

          JOYCE
         First of all - you promised you'd stay out of trouble in school.

          BUFFY
          I try. You know I do. But Principal Snyder has it in for me-

          JOYCE
          I know. But... You behind the wheel, it worries me.

These next two are unnecessary, but I like the look at Cordy’s divided loyalties. It’s not just about Xander; at this point she probably likes hanging out with the Scoobies a lot more than with the Cordettes, but she can’t do both at once, and she’s not ready to lose her social standing yet. This attempt at testing the waters feels very real.

           Cordy and HARMONY stroll to class. See XANDER and WILLOW hanging in the LOUNGE in the BG.

           CORDELIA
           (too casual)
           Hello. I'm having, like, a totally random thought...
           (then)
           Xander Harris. Is it just me, or does his shirt almost match his pants?
         
           Harmony looks. Shrugs.

           HARMONY
           Almost. Why do I care?

           CORDELIA
           Well. If you look at him a certain way - is he vaguely.., cute?

           THEIR POV
           As XANDER does some spazzy dance for Willow's amusement.
           RESUME

           HARMONY
           Oh yeah. I'm hot for spaz boy. Are you tripping, Cordelia?

           A beat. Cordelia laughs a little too loud.

           CORDELIA
           You thought I was serious? Please. I was just testing you! Ha.
           (sighs)
           I'm hot for spaz boy. Good one.

For the other side of the coin, Xander gets to have Willow’s intelligent generous nature instead of a Harmony of his own, so there’s a lot less cringe to their conversation about Cordelia. It’s still a little sad to see how Cordy looks through Willow's eyes, though.

            WILLOW
            So we're all set. I've got all the decorations. And I think Cordelia's bringing snacks and stuff.

            XANDER
            Yeah. She said she was. Which was thoughtful. Don't you think?
            (takes the leap)
            Hey. Cordelia: not as horrible a person as we once thought? I mean, she's obviously trying to be helpful.

            WILLOW
            True.
            (considers)
            Maybe…

            XANDER
            But, you wouldn't ever, like, be able to be friends with her or something.

            WILLOW
            You mean, like hang out and take Cosmo tests together?

            XANDER
            I mean - actually elect to be in her presence.

            WILLOW
            I don't know. She's better - but she's still Cordelia.
            (nods to the hall)
            Just... look.

            THEIR POV
            CORDELIA and HARMONY are joined by a few other Cordettes. They all SQUEAL in greeting. Jump up and down.

            ON WILLOW AND XANDER
            WILLOW
            Example: what is the shrieking thing? They just saw each other yesterday… And now, watch - Cordelia's going to                   model her new outfit-

            ON CORDELIA, ET AL
            Sure enough - Cordelia spins around, showing off her mini-dress. More shrieks.

            ON WILLOW AND XANDER
            WILLOW
            Note the reaction - like Cordelia invented clothes.
            (then)
            They're not bad people, Xander. It's just - we are of two worlds.
            (can't help herself)
            And theirs is bad.

            Xander lets this sinks in.
            XANDER
            Right. Of course you're right. What was I thinking?

Oh and there’s a third side to the coin! A Willow/Oz moment that didn’t air! And Xander being jealous. Of course. At least he would take a bullet for her.

             Now OZ approaches. Willow immediately gets shy, happy.

             OZ
             Hey.

             WILLOW
             Hey. So - tonight?

             OZ
             I'm there. Feeling surprise-y.
             (then)
             Can I pick you up?

             Xander's watching them, unsure what to make of all this.

             WILLOW
             Yeah. That would be... Here-

             She writes it on her pad - tears it off and gives it to Oz.

             OZ
             (pleased)
             I have your address.

             WILLOW
             You do.

             OZ
             Excellent.

             He moves off. Xander looks at Willow - a little shocked.

            XANDER
            Is this a date?

           WILLOW
           (distracted)
           Hmmm...?
           (then)
           Yeah. It's a date.

           XANDER
           Shouldn't you meet him or something? Are you sure you should be giving some stranger your address?

           WILLOW
           He's not just some stranger, Xander. He's a friend. He took a bullet for me.

           XANDER
           So? I would've taken a bullet for you. Nobody offered me one.

           Off Willow - enjoying Xander's discomfort.

There was already too much “Character says line and Xander has to comment on said line” in the finished version, but it turns out there was even more of it in the script:

          GILES
          Except I won't be wearing the little hat.

          XANDER
          He has dignity.

I remember this from the first time I read the script at the height of my BtVS obsession. It made me smile again. It’s so Joss.

          A beat as Buffy catches her breath. Then the HULKING VAMP is on her. FITE! (and if we can afford it) FITE! FITE!!

This one too:

         XANDER
         You think they left his heart in San Francisco?

         Scattered glares.

         OZ
         (aside to Xander)
         I had that thought too.

Oooooooh, I like this. Remember there was a time before everyone was used to General Buffy?

          She heads out the door. Angel follows her. A beat while everyone reacts to General Buffy.

One cut Buffy/Angel scene. Note that Angel tries to be macho and keep Buffy out of danger, but only after she did it to him first. It’s not condescension, it’s “this virtuous thing.” I would have liked to see the actors performing this one.

          Buffy and Angel steal in through a dark doorway to the balcony. They keep out of sight, talk quietly.

           BUFFY
           Angel. Maybe I should go in alone. I mean, if my dreams are so true-

           ANGEL
           (firmly)
           I'm not letting you go by yourself.

           Buffy knows she can't fight him on this.
           BUFFY
           Okay - what do we do if the Judge is already put together?

           ANGEL
           I'll deal with it. You keep your distance.

           Buffy looks at him. Blinks.
           BUFFY
           We're going to have to get over this virtuous thing or we're dead meat.

            ANGEL
            (she's right)
            If he's assembled, we retreat. Together. Get the others and make a battle plan.

           BUFFY
           Deal.

​Character introductions for Jenny's uncle and the Judge:

          As she passes an OLD, DARK-SKINNED MAN who lurks near the school. His dress has a slightly ETNIC flair. He                        watches her enter the building, then moves off - unnoticed.

          As he takes his first, LUMBERING steps out of the BOX. His aura is that of deadly indifference. He is a killing thing,                not good or evil.

Plenty to unpack there but I'm reaching the end of my endurance for writing this post, so have at it. Regarding the links, I'm finally getting the chance to post my extended semi-abandoned B/A AU fic, "Older," which combines Seasons 2 and 3 by making everyone a year older than they were in canon. It begins in an alternate "Surprise" and I left off just after "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," so if I play my cards right this rewatch might get me back to it.

Notes:

• I'd like to read some fic exploring why exactly the Romani that Angelus murdered was so beloved of her tribe that even those who never met her are supposed to make her their top priority.
• Buffy's inability to drive is such an interesting aspect of her character, especially since the references to it are so few and far between.
• I know most of the vampire lore is there to serve the plot and frequently retconned, but I'm curious about why Spike's injuries immobilized his legs while Drusilla's run-in with the angry mob weakened her with no visual signs. Also, why he healed naturally but she needed an elaborate spell.
• When Drusilla claps and demands more music, the subtitles say [EERIE MUSIC PLAYING] and the song that begins is "Transylvanian Concubine" by Rasputina. Apt enough but they have eerier and better songs.

Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on Dreamwidth
• Fic: Older

1. Surprise, Part One
2. Surprise, Part Two
3. Surprise, Part Three
4. Surprise, Part Four
5. Surprise, Part Five
6. Surprise, Part Six

​

For entertainment purposes I'm going to try to untangle the incredibly weird metaphor that this episode is trying to deliver. Wish me luck.

Sex leads to babies. So far so good; this is true in the real world. Teenagers aren't prepared to take care of babies but might think they are, so adults try to explain the dangers of sex by making the teenagers pretend that they have to take care of babies. They do this by assigning them raw eggs to look after - in pairs, so most kids only have the egg 50% of the time - which is very easy, because the eggs are nothing like babies.

The supernatural catch is that the eggs...are literal babies. Not human ones of course but still. One advantage to this plot development is that, much like the Dematorin of the previous episode, it offers an in-universe handwave for the nonsensical way all the characters are acting: the bezoar inside each egg exerts a subtle influence over the nearest human mind right from the start, making the students devote themselves wholeheartedly to this inane assignment instead of taking the logical route and sticking the egg in the refrigerator each night and grabbing a new one to bring to school in the morning. The longer the eggs incubate, the stronger the influence becomes, accounting for how Giles and other adults eventually fall victim to them. I don't think there's ever an explanation about where the eggs came from in the first place, but the sex ed teacher must have gotten the bezoar's mental whammy before the class even began, which is why he decided on such a dumb project in the first place.

Props to Xander, of course, for doing the second most logical thing and hard-boiling his egg. It seems fair to assume that he also was affected by the bezoar trying to enthrall him, but that impulse was overridden by his inherent resistance to studying.

Now let's get to the downside: the writers trying desperately to apply Plot A to the main characters' development and the season arc. "Among teens unwanted pregnancy would be the number one negative consequence of sexual activity. This is partly because Some teens think of a baby as a toy, or as a companion who will give them love. The truth, of course, is that a child is a relentless, needy tyrant. So, as discussed last week, I've devised an exercise that may give you some idea of what an enormous burden having your own tiny charge can be--" I pulled this quote from the shooting script because it's more ham-handed than the aired version, but thereby it provides a clearer Aesop. Don't have sex or you'll have a baby and babies suck.

Maybe this would have landed a bit better if any of the characters actually wanted a baby before the exercise. As it is, all we can take from it is that bezoar eggs, i.e. metaphorical children, do not give you love and will eventually destroy you. Kind of harsh, isn't it? Buffy and Joyce ending on bad terms makes it even uglier, and let's not get into the Whedonverse's fondness for forced mystical pregnancy stories. (Poor Cordelia.)

There's also a slight hiccup in that none of the teenage characters are actually having sex. As a set-up for Buffy and Angel getting it on in the next episode, "Bad Eggs" would be pretty shrewd, but the danger of pregnancy in their case is immediately nixed when Buffy discovers that vampires can't have children, which it really seems like she should have already known or expected, but I digress. Maybe the entire bezoar plot is just a clever misdirect for the less obvious consequences of sex?

Which brings me to the peculiar back-and-forth between Xander and Cordy during the sex ed class. They're using the topic to accuse each other of being bad in bed...but they're not in bed. They've never been in bed. All they do during their secret trysts is kiss, just like Buffy and Angel when they're procrastinating on patrol.

And I've got to be honest here - this fascinates me, precisely because nobody thinks twice about it. In all kinds of fiction, when two characters have sex you know that they're "together," unless they're too young for the audience to feel comfortable with that, and then the cue is kissing. In real life? It's pretty much the same thing! If you see two teenagers kissing, chances are they're a couple. If two adults have been dating for a while, most people will probably assume they've had sex. How is this so ingrained? Why is the strictly human practice of romantically pushing mouths together analogous to the act of reproductive animal intercourse? Do these questions have anything to do with the way this episode was written, or am I the only one who even thinks about them?

Buffy Is the Title: Our girl gets put through so much. She really did a good job saving the Gorch victim in the mall, and the only reward she wanted for it was an amiable food court dinner with her mom. It's going to be such a relief to get to the end of this season just so Joyce is let in on the secret.

The Buffy and Angel Show: I know that I said all they're doing on patrol is kissing, but there's really a big question mark around the physicality of this stage in their relationship. We see first base, it could be up to third, but I'm going to place my bets on second. Imagine what that must have been like, for both of them - Buffy getting the rush that hasn't faded with age and experience, Angel rediscovering the innocence of a gentle touch. 

Got to bring in another script quote here: "Buffy and ANGEL are leaning against a tree. Kissing madly. It's pretty hot. Finally, Buffy breaks away." Yes, it is pretty hot, it's true and you should say it. 

My Willow Tree: This is where we learn that Willow is Jewish, and it's the first step in a not entirely welcome progression of her character. Xander's joke about Christian values is no more than cute banter, and Willow's equally cute objection is the right response to that, as is her satisfaction with his advice to substitute the dreidel song for the Christian values. Later on, she won't let this kind of remark slide, no matter how harmless its intent. She won't even remember that being optimistic was something that her friends loved about her.

Xander and Cordelia: I'm not taking either side, but I think what people don't get about Xander's assholery is that it comes from the same place as Cordy's. He's jealous of her popularity, money, and confidence, and when she rubs it in, he fights back. She's jealous of his genuine friendships, self-reliance, and (such irony) confidence, and when he rubs it in, she fights back. Neither of them realize that they have something worth coveting, so they don't know how effective their barbs are; all they can do is escalate. 

It's a lot like the way siblings fight in childhood. No logic, just attempts to hurt the other and an inability to walk away. Fortunately, they're getting close to learning something from all this.

Giles and Objects: One thing I never enjoy watching in this show is the kind of possession that leaves the character acting normally enough to fool the others, and for some reason it's always worst when it's Giles. The bezoar should not be allowed access to his reassuring voice and librarian movements!

I'm bummed I didn't get a still of Giles with an egg, but I really like the scene where he's lurking in the background while the kids talk until he comes forward with some exposition, so there's some of that below.

I got you these script quotes! Intro for a Gorch. Studly? Are we sure about that?
​
          Buffy walks toward "Everyday woman", a totally "L7" clothing store. She can't help but notice a YOUNG, STUDLY                    GUY in western-style clothes, who's clearly hitting on a CUTE GIRL. The girl sits on a bench outside the store. He                    stands by her, one foot on the bench. He talks, she laughs shyly.

Description of a classroom set, and...

         There are posters on the wall about vegetables, teen pregnancy, that sort of stuff. Mr. Whitmore is pacing while the            assembled class looks on.

Wait. Hold on. Wait. The posters are about vegetables, teen pregnancy, and "that sort of stuff"? What qualities do vegetables and teen pregnancy have in common? Is there a third item that fits into this category? What am I missing here?

Intro for the other Gorch.

          As in the picture, Lyle's older brother, TECTOR, is a large, graceless guy. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed - but              what he lacks in brains he makes up for in sheer, brutish power. Like Lyle, he speaks with a Texas drawl.

Particularly long one coming up (these things are a pain to format), but it's an extension of the key conversation that Buffy and Angel have about their future, and I thought it deserved to reach a few more eyes. It was also my inspiration for the new fic linked at the end.

           ANGEL
          (skeptical)
          So you don't think about the future.

          BUFFY
          No.

          ANGEL
          Never.

          BUFFY
          No.

          ANGEL
          How can you say that? You're not
          like me. You could have a normal life.
          (off her look)
          You know what I mean. Less not
          normal. You really don't care what
          happens a year from now? Five years
          from now -- ?

          BUFFY
          I - I can't care.
          (with difficulty)
          Angel. when I try to look into the
          future, all I can see... is you--

          Angel shakes his head.

          ANGEL
          (pained)
          Buffy--

          BUFFY
          And I don't have a choice. Don't you
          know that? If I could do the logic
          thing, you think I would even be here?
          (then)
          All I can see is you... All I want is you.

          A beat. Finally - Angel node. Giving into it.

          ANGEL
          (quietly)
          I know the feeling.

          He draws her back into his arms. They kiss tenderly, passionately. Tomorrow entirely forgotten.

Well, this is the end of Buffy's life as she knows it. For the next few episodes I've already got "Older" as my fic link, and of course I'm excited to get there and maybe even revive that old thing after I run out of it. I don't know if this means the next post will come sooner, though, since I've got some life stuff going on. You know, brought home an egg and it hatched a bezoar which is now fused to my spine and controlling my actions.

Notes:

• There are some lines in this episode that aren't that notable in print but made fantastic by the actors' deliveries: "Why do you all have eggs?" "It's an egg, Buffy, it doesn't emote," and Buffy's indignant "How?" when a Gorch says it's all her fault.
• I had to google the spelling of dreidel and in doing so discovered a virtual dreidel you can spin. I don't know what any of the symbols mean but it's addictive.
• I can't differentiate Lyle from Tector so I just think of them both as Gorch. My feelings about them as villains are pretty neutral.

​Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on Dreamwidth
• Fic - Less Not Normal

I'm going to start by ripping off a band-aid, since I'm writing this not long after Joss Whedon poured his heart out in his first interview since the Ray Fisher and Charisma Carpenter (etc.) accusations surfaced. Ordinarily I wouldn't feel the need to address anything that comes from the real world, but the plot of this episode is just too relevant. 

Looking ahead to Season 3, the character of Ted is essentially a preview of the Mayor, and others of their ilk will keep popping up in the Whedonverse for as long as there's something known as the Whedonverse. The formula isn't just "He seems friendly but he's actually evil;" it's a man who's traditional to the point of old-fashioned in all the worst ways. He's usually Christian, and there's some kind of trauma behind him. Most of all, he's sexist. "I think you might want to stop
telling me what to do," says Ted. "I don't take orders from women. I'm not wired that way."

As far as I can tell, this kind of villain appeals to Joss because it's so obvious. Dangerous men will broadcast their misogyny and use conservative values as their front. Beware of that type, but pay no attention to the man who will cheat on you for years, publicly humiliate you, and threaten your career - he's a feminist, after all.

Separated from the personal context, the straw misogynist falls apart in storytelling terms because his motives never make sense. In Ted's case, we learn that his wife left him when he was dying, so he...built a robot modeled after himself which kidnaps women to turn them into his wife? Even if the robot succeeds (which I suppose it did, to some extent), Ted never benefits from this. He's dead. Xander calls it "creepy on a level I hardly knew existed," which is really just lampshading the fact that it doesn't exist. Ted was insane, okay. That's still a cop-out. The idea of a man with traditional values who wanted to build something that outlives him, i.e., for someone else's sake, just doesn't exist in the playbook Joss uses.

With that out of the way, the other thing that annoys me about this episode is the way nobody but Buffy notices how creepy Ted is, or believes her when she talks about his threatening behavior. Fortunately, there's a handy in-universe fix for this. Here's what Willow says about the drug that the robot puts in the cookies, and presumably all the other food he's been making: "​I'm not positive, but I think it's Dematorin. It's like a tranquilizer, keeps you all mellow and compliant. And it shares a few components with ecstasy." Since this isn't a real drug, the comparisons to tranquilizers and ecstasy are irrelevant. Anything in the Buffyvese might have its roots in magic, whether or not the original Ted was aware of it. This also goes for his robotics, because, science? Yeah right. Anyway, I couldn't think of anything else to write a drabble about for this episode.

And now I guess I'll be talking about pop culture. I kept noticing moments that reminded me of other TV shows so I decided to roll with it. ​

Three's Company wasn't one of the other shows, because I've never seen it. I had to look up John Ritter’s filmography,  because I remember everyone mentioning him in reference to this episode, in an “and he’s played by John Ritter. Isn’t that great?” kind of way. All I got from IMDb suggested that Three’s Company is the big deal, as I couldn’t find a more famous role for him, even though I didn’t think Buffy fans were much into ‘70s sitcoms. While we’re on the subject, though, Ritter was also a voice in The Flight of Dragons, and that is great.

Buffy Is the Title: Buffy's struggle over seeing her mom dating made me think of Cobra Kai. The POV characters in that are the potential stepdad and the teenage son, and you're ultimately hoping for them to become a family, so it's the contrast that interests me. Could Buffy have managed an arc wherein a new father figure is a good thing, or is that just beyond its scope?

Completely unrelated, at the beginning of the episode Buffy admits that she loves playing nursemaid to Angel. Call it a throwaway line if you wish, but an early issue of Season 8 had her fantasizing about a threesome with Angel and Spike, and I apologize and will accept whatever consequences come of this, but I'm going to share the image below.

Time for script quotes! We've got an intro for Ted, and it...sort of fits what we see on the screen.

          Buffy sees JOYCE, wrapped in a deep romantic kiss with TED BUCHANAN, handsome and athletic, a born salesman.            On the counter near them, a wine bottle and one half full wine glass.

For the below, I just kind of got a kick out of it because that office set looks so out of place:

          Avid fans of the show may note the remarkable similarity between this telemarketing office and our own                              production offices.]

Notes:

• I also had to look up The Captain and Tennille. They were a musical duo, apparently? Seems odd that I not only had never heard of them, but had never heard anyone mention them in reference to this episode. Are they any good?
• Recently my man and I decided on a whim to play some winter minigolf together and it was WAY fun. Adults need to rediscover this game.
• Another thing that "Avid fans" of the show "may note," according to the script, is "the absence of the framed photo of Buffy and Joyce" in the scene where they argue in the kitchen about Ted. I did not note. Did you note?

Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• ​Read this post on LiveJournal
• Drabble - Dematorin

Buffy Is the Title: When Willy asks Buffy and Kendra if they'd ever consider nude modeling, the script says, "The look they give him is the first thing they have ever shared." I like that this is where the common ground emerges, and I like that the show is acknowledging that they're both beautiful women (albeit through a sleazy character). People sometimes see beautiful women and subconsciously (or not) expect them to be using their looks for a profession, ignoring any other talents or interests they might rather pursue. It's a minor thing but it ties right into this episode's themes: Buffy could be a model just like she could be a police cop, but that isn't who she is.

I can't quite put my finger on the moment she realizes that she doesn't want to let Kendra take over so she can go to Disneyland and have a career, but I think it's part of the realization that she's a better Slayer than Kendra is. She knows they've both learned from each other but also that there's a reason she was Chosen, and that makes it rewarding enough to hold on through the worst parts.

The Buffy and Angel Show: Buffy rescues him from certain death, they pose beautifully in front of a stained glass window together, they convince Kendra that not all vampires should die; really, their work here is done. But they don't  have much screentime together or hold any in-depth discussions about each other, so my work here is done too. There are three (3!) other couples in this episode who need more attention, anyway.

Angel Is More Than a Boyfriend: The plot threads around Angel in this episode are shaky. The vampire necrology rules clearly weren't ironed out yet, and Angel's sole motivation in attempting to taunt Spike into killing him is to stop the ritual which brings Drusilla back to full health. Drusilla's been at full health before; it's obviously not ideal for the good guys but doesn't seem like that much of a crisis. I'm just a little disappointed that Angel didn't come up with anything better than throwing himself to the lions, considering how easily he's shown he can manipulate Spike. (A headcanon that might work here is that it's not Dru's recovery that's the scary part, it's her "coming out party.")

The fic linked at the end of this post is new, and it's inspired by Drusilla's references to her family as she's torturing Angel. What fascinates me about their interactions is the way he hurt her when she had a soul and he didn't, so she hurts him when she has a soul and he doesn't. When they're both soulless, she adores him - that need for vengeance is gone, even though the one who's actually responsible is at hand. Is this a facet of the sire bond? Is she transferring the desire to return the pain onto the "innocent" aspect of Angel because she's incapable of the moral choice that would allow her to enact true justice? How would their relationship look if they both had souls?

Spike and Dru: Odd that even though something like Spike's sire can be retconned so easily, the characterizations of the vampires in this early episode stayed solid until the very end of the franchise. "I've never been much for the pre-show," says Spike, who likes to win and doesn't care how he gets there. Somehow, that offhand remark trips him into a humiliating demonstration of how he'll never actually win against Angel, who remains the object of Spike's girlfriend's obsession.

Even in flashbacks we never get to see much of what Spike/Drusilla was like when both were at 100%. I headcanon she liked to hurt and humiliate him in sex play, and that he wouldn't reciprocate even though he knew she wanted it -- maybe because Angelus wouldn't allow any display of dominance from him. To prove that he was still strong despite being lowest in the Fanged Four pecking order, Spike would have to keep up his habits of violence toward anyone outside their circle, and since that's what he liked doing anyway, it all worked out handily for decades.

Drusilla being weakened is a downer for Spike, since he wants to be in bed with the power, but it gives his ego a boost anyway. Being weakened himself, as he is after this episode, is his worst nightmare. We'll keep examining his downward spiral throughout the season.

Willow and Oz: After Buffy and Angel, these two usually win when I'm ranking Buffyverse couples. I tend not to stay attached when I know a couple won't be the endgame, and I'll ship Willow/Tara too when that comes around, but there's something special about what Oz and Willow have with each other. The innocence, the inherent compatibility of their personalities which still lets through their differences and contrasts. And, of course, I just really love both characters individually, especially in the early seasons.
​
I also like how the natural way in which their relationship builds. Romance in fiction usually means dramatic, passionate events, and that's just how I like it, but this is the perfect exception. Okay, sure, he takes a bullet for her later in the episode and that's pretty dramatic. What I mean is the way their mutual feelings develop, as in this script direction: "He smiles. Willow smiles too - not sure what to make of him." It's very organic, appropriate to their age and to Willow's insecurity, especially since she's not over Xander yet.

Xander and Cordelia: Admit it, that scene where they start making out in the middle of a shouting match is prime comedy. Even the reprise at the end of the episode is hilarious. I really don't have any complaints about the way that Xander/Cordy plays out: Enemies to Lovers to Enemies to Friends, I guess you'd call it? Destined to come to an end, but ultimately both are better for having known each other.

I know there's a lot of criticism toward Xander for the kinds of things he says to Cordy in and out of their time dating, and I'm not going to ignore that. He's an asshole. However, Cordy's an asshole too, and I feel like she gets a lot less of the criticism she deserves, so I'm not going to ignore that either. Xander is bitter and horny, Cordelia is selfish and insensitive. Maybe they can help each other grow out of it.

Giles and Objects: Not much for Giles to do in this episode except for his designated Exposition Guy duties. It was cute to see Buffy jealous of Kendra getting his attention, though.

I've got some script quotes for you! Even though the only way to find them anymore is through the Wayback Machine!

Kendra gets a second introduction, since now we know she's not with the Order of Taraka.

          The new slayer radiates poise and intensity. She's a "take-no-guff" gal with a faintly regal air about her.

The moment where Xander keeps hosing Cordy for the sake of the view he's getting was apparently unscripted:

          Cordelia is flailing as Xander TURNS THE HOSE ON HER. She YELLS and fights the water, but it works - the worms                  are washed away. Xander runs to her and lifts her to her feet.

A little cuteness that was cut:

          KENDRA
          I'm not allowed to watch television.
          My Watcher says it promotes
          intellectual laziness.
          BUFFY
          And he says it like it's a bad thing?

Notes:

• Instead of Jonathan, the script describes a "hostage kid" during the Police Cop demo. It's already happened a couple times that he ends up in the Elevated Extra role and I'm surprised they didn't realize sooner that he was a safe bet.
• Sometimes bad CGI is a blessing. I feel very comforted knowing that there wasn’t a real worm crawling across Bug Man actor’s face.
• Kendra is a character in my "Older'verse" AU series. I've often thought that if there was one thing I could go back and revise in my fanfiction before it had ever been published, it would have been my attempt to write her accent. Even the show can't write her accent.
• Buffy making fun of it is of course fine with me, but wtf, does she think it's Spanish? "No kicko, no fighto"?

Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on LiveJournal
• Fic - The Flight of the Pheasant

I’m watching Buffy for the first time in two years. I’m excited. I dug up the summary that I started for this one, but I don’t know what it will become from here. 

Sunnydale High’s student events continue to be the worst, corralling everyone into a Career Week that’s just as meaningless as the Scoobies think it is. Unfortunately, just like the foreign exchange student episode, this one probably reflects some sad reality of American high schools (again, I didn’t go to one so I don’t know firsthand). People expect teenagers to make important decisions about their lives but won’t offer them the tools they need for it. 

Nobody gets anything out of the experience, except that Xander wants to go to “Principal School,” and now so do I. Even Willow and Oz don’t have the career fair to thank for getting them into the same room, since the guys from the Wolfram & Hart software company (come on, you know it’s true) say they've got nothing to do with it.

As a backdrop to Buffy's melancholy over her future, though, it makes sense and I like the way Plot A is constructed over this two-parter and Plot B follows along with it. The one thing that I'm not really keen on is the Monster(s) of the Week(s), who don't really live up to the threat they're supposed to be. I mean, if the Order of Taraka won't stop coming until the job is done, where are they now? I can accept that they were relatively easy kills, since the idea is that they’re replaced each time one goes down, but is there some canon explanation for them never getting replaced after the third one and never mentioned again? 

Buffy Is the Title: The first issue of the Season 9 comics was one of the few written by Joss, which meant it had some of the best dialogue, especially for Buffy. She references this episode while she’s drunkenly fangirling at the cops who have shown up for a noise violation during her housewarming party: “...And I scored best as a police cop! That was what my aptitude scored as!”

I always loved that line just for the sake of its adorable redundancies, but now I kind of appreciate it on another level, too. Who would have thought that Buffy would someday want to share the memories from this dumb career fair? That she’d actually be excited by having something in common with law enforcement? But it’s so true to life, the rose-colored glasses, and the officers are shown dancing with her in the next panel, so clearly they could see what a good sincere heart she has beneath her party fever.

And actually, the episode puts that into focus too. When Xander prompts Willow and Buffy to tell him he's not stupid, Buffy comes through with such solemnity in her expression and voice that it warms me all over. I mean it. So does she.

The Buffy and Angel Show: So, we're all agreed that it's a sign of the fundamental unfairness of the universe that we never got to see Buffy and Angel skate together, right? Especially since David Boreanaz can skate! Oh well, at least Buffy looks great on her own. And I wrote a fic about it, long long ago, linked at the end of this entry.

Since it's a big B/A episode I ought to have a lot to say about them but all of it seems pretty obvious; I swoon where I'm expected to swoon. I did pull out a shooting script quote from the ice rink scene since I liked the way it solidified Angel's emotions:

          Buffy turns his face back to hers. Tenderly runs her fingers along his transformed features. Angel is overwhelmed.              Nobody has ever touched him like this.

Also, I love how they don’t even consider the option that they can go to a skating rink when it’s open. Is it a mirror issue? Trying to dodge the admission fee? Or just another case of habit?

Other than that, I'm actually more interested in Angel himself this time, since it's also an important step in his personal character arc. Therefore, onto a new category...

Angel Is More Than a Boyfriend: He's finally taking the initiative to do something on his own and it's awesome. Granted, he's doing it because of Buffy, but now he doesn't need to wait for her to tell him how best to love her. He uses sources only he can use, does things she couldn't do, keeps his secrets out of pragmatism instead of shame. Then he gets attacked by Kendra and Buffy has to come save him, but the right intentions were in place!

A bit before that we get, "I lurk," his explanation for how he knows what's going on at Buffy's school. I'm glad she takes this in stride, as it shouldn't surprise her that he hangs around places where he can absorb some of her daylight life without being seen, but it's a sad (though still funny) moment expressing his dual nature as much as the mirror does.

Welcome Willy the Snitch, a two-dimensional character but a fairly funny and appealing one, and great for establishing mythology and other characters. His first scene tells us a little about Willy but a lot about Angel, who inspires fear as soon as he's recognized. You can't effectively run an underworld bar if you're just automatically afraid of vampires, so what is it about this one particularly? He even knows Angel has a soul! Shouldn't that make him less scary?

There's history there, and it just gets better when Spike comes up and Angel takes responsibility for him, too. From now on Angel is his own man, he's serious business, and I want to hear the stories behind each and every piece of art in his apartment.

Spike and Dru, Dru and Spike: We get another glimpse into what Spike is like in a relationship, and it's both familiar and depressing. Drusilla annoys him, he snaps at her, she whimpers, he's suddenly fawning over her. He doesn't want her interrupting him while he's doing something he perceives as important, but as soon as she shows that he has the power to hurt her -- this is the good stuff. This is what he likes. He takes care of her and their respective roles are reestablished. 

Later we'll see that Spike prefers a woman who can kick his ass, which may seem to contradict his need to be the boss, but with or without his soul we never see him content with anyone but Dru. Why? She <i>is</i> stronger than him, but her madness makes her need help anyway (or appear to need help, which is just as good as far as Spike is concerned). She and Spike are uniquely suited to each other, not because what they have is healthy -- they're evil, healthy is a moot point -- but because she fulfills all of Spike's fantasies at once. She's above him: older, more gifted, closer to the source; but instead of contemptuously rejecting him, she depends on him. Next time he finds a woman above him, this will not work out so well.

I never noticed before that Dru says she needs to change Miss Edith. Apparently her dolls pee.

My Willow Tree: Can't think of anything to say about her here, but fortunately she's got more coming up in the next one, and so does Oz.

Xander and Bus Stations: Xander is apparently not bad with the research - Buffy is singled out as the one whose only real function during research parties is to get the snacks, but the guy who sucks at every subject in school is himself a snack recipient. From what I can remember, that actually tracks throughout the series, and now I'm finding it interesting. Not that I ever thought he was dumb; it's just not a skill you'd expect him to have.

Giles and Objects: After Buffy let Giles believe she was just going home to rest up for the next day, do you think he wondered why she was with Angel when she was attacked by the first Taraka guy? At least she didn't lie about it (as far as we know).

Time for some script quotes! Drusilla sings a little song, and we even have lyrics for it.

          INT. FACTORY - NIGHT
         Speaking of vamps… Here's DRUSILLA - wrapped in a black shawl and looking even paler than usual. She stands at              one end of the long dining table, laying out TAROT CARDS. She is humming, swaying-

          DRUSILLA
          (sings/discordant)
          I HEAR MUSIC AND THERE'S NO
          ONE THERE… ALL NIGHT LONG
          I SEEM TO WALK ON AIR… I
          WONDER WHY, I WONDER WHY…

Kendra gets a pretty badass introduction. I'd object to the animalistic way she's described except that at this point we're supposed to believe she's the Jaguar of the Taraka.

          We stop on an ETHNIC YOUNG WOMAN, her feline, feral eyes getting used to the sudden light. She's a predator, a              hunter, and her name is KENDRA. And as she jumps out of frame, onto the tarmac -

And here's one for Willy the Snitch:

        A solitary stooped figure gives the floor a perfunctory once-over with a stiff broom. This is WILLY, a shifty-eyed                    bottom-dweller. In addition to being the bartender here, he's a small time hustler who moves in the underworld of             the vampires - despite the fact that he is not a vamp himself.

Notes:

• I also come down on the side of shrubs.
• According to the script, the Cyclops Taraka guy is named Octarus.
• Scooby Gang invoked for the first time!
• All the times they made a cemetery out of their limited outdoor set space, and this is the first time I’m noticing how close the headstones are to the road. I guess the bodies are under the pavement?
• Kendra attacks Buffy with a hatchet. I know Slayers are supposed to be proficient with all weapons, but seriously, she thought she was a vampire! What happened to stakes? 

Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on LiveJournal
• Fic - Pair Skating

Many years in the future, a comic series called Angel and Faith (featured above, in case that isn't clear) will draw heavily on "The Dark Age" and expand on the lore for the demon Eyghon. Reluctantly, I've gone back to my old comic reviews to sift through them for anything particularly relevant or interesting. I haven't given myself the complete picture of Rupert Giles that I hoped for, but I did make special note of one line which he allegedly said in the past: "What the denizens of Hell refuse to accept is that damnation is, at some point, a choice."

The Giles that we see in the present day is ready to take responsibility for his own choices. He may even take it too far, but we see his best side as well as his worst here: he knows that he brought his own doom on himself, and his utmost priority is to keep it from hurting anyone else. If he knew what show he was in he would understand the futility in that, but it's still good to see him stepping up to take care of his loved ones. The spotlight is on his relationships with Buffy and Jenny, so we end up learning more about both of them, too.

Buffy Is the Title: Call me a fuddy-duddy but I have absolutely no sympathy for Buffy's terrible aerobicizing music. Why does she even need to do standard human exercise routines? Why does she need to bother Giles with it? Isn't this one activity she can safely do at home without making her mother suspicious?  Has she ever heard of headphones? Or how about just turning it down low enough that you can still hear someone being gruesomely murdered right outside the door? YOUR MUSIC KILLED PHILLIP, BUFFY.

Fortunately, for all that Buffy is totally lame in this episode (in the sense of taste, not character -- she's brave and caring as always) and I mostly can't relate at all, she does give me a blip of nostalgia for the Gavin Rossdale namecheck. He was the lead singer of Bush, a band we were all into when I was Scooby-aged, and yes, he was really hot. Also have to appreciate Willow's choice of John Cusack. Rather than just being a straight-up hunk, he's a good actor with some intriguing indefinable quality, very fitting for Willow's teenage nonconformity and perceptiveness. I don't know who Amy Yip is, and don't want to know.

The Buffy and Angel Show: I've always loved the way Angel says, "Everybody knows about this," because no, Angel, everybody does not. He's using the word to refer to a specific set of people, like we would with, "Come to my party, everyone's gonna be there." Context tells you who those people are, and in this case, it's vampires. Angel doesn't want to be associated with other vampires, but it doesn't even cross his mind that Buffy will forget he is one. It's no wonder she gets that iffy expression after asking him if he can take care of the blood bags.

I'd really like to hear more on how he felt about being the MacGuffin to kill Eyghon. It must have been painful, and dangerous, and it wasn't even to save Buffy, but we can see he doesn't hesitate. 

My Willow Tree: Does Willow hesitate, though? Or does she subconsciously see Angel as indestructible, or even dispensable? Fortunately, it worked, so all we have to find out about her in this adventure, once again, is that she's wicked resourceful.

It seems she drinks tea. And she's not even British.

Cordelia and Boyfriends: In the first 1.5 seasons, a lot of Cordelia's scenes feel like they're put there just so she can have an appearance, or for comic relief, rather than advancing the plot at all. I'm not complaining. Her dialogue when she crashes the police investigation in the library is hilarious. But when I gave it a closer look I realized that she was quite necessary in that scene, because the Scoobies needed to find out what was going on, and to get the timing right it had to be from someone who wouldn't volunteer the information up front. Every character really does have a function in this show. Go Cordy!
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Xander and Bus Stations: Fandom tends to hate on Xander for his judgmental and petulant comments about women, but the times that he really bothers me don't have much to do with that -- check out the scene where Buffy tells the gang she's worried about Giles. Here's Xander undercutting practically every other line with some kind of joke, and this is so not the time. I honestly don't know how they all put up with him when he's in that kind of mood. 

By the way, Cordelia has seen him fight. When? Were we there?

We have a veritable wealth of Giles and Objects here today!:

And here's an enlightening conversation between post-Oxford Rupert and a much older Watcher, touching much the same emotional theme as the episode does:

          RIPPER
          Yes, yes. I know the story by heart. I am not you, Gran. Not nearly as strong or clever. People have died. Horribly.                  Because of me. Because I was stupid and selfish.

          GRAN
          You were a young fool who felt immortal, did remarkably ill-advised things, and it cost people their lives, eh?
          You bloody idiot.
          That doesn't disqualify you from being a Watcher. It makes you perfectly suited to mentor a Slayer.
          They're young girls granted tremendous power. Who can relate to them better? A man like your father, who's done                 the right and proper thing all his life? Or you?
           
          RIPPER
          What I've done goes well beyond a misspent youth.

          GRAN
          Oh, stop. I know all about Eyghon.
          Perhaps your soul is damned. Perhaps he'll claim it the moment you die and subject you to an eternity of torment. If            you want to be selfish about it, a lifetime of good works may be the one way to save yourself from that fate. The                   only path to redemption.
          And if you genuinely want to atone for what you've done, it's your duty. Much as you despise the word.
          You feel you've done wrong? Then stop crying about it...and start making amends.

​But here's a couple script quotes anyway:

        TILT BACK UP and REVEAL PHILIP, standing behind the attendant in a very un-dead way. Philip is shirtless and,                      presumably, corpse-naked. He looks like shit, being dead and all.

Willow and the "I thought teachers slept in coffins all summer" mentality:

          WILLOW
          You went by his place? He has a place?
          (off their looks)
          Of course he has a... I just never
          think of him living anywhere outside
          the library. So there was weirdness?

Notes:

• The custodian in the cold open has the same kind of blue collar accent as the guy who finds Bruce after he un-Hulks in the first Avengers movie. I don't know what it is but I love it.
• The title "The Dark Age" at first seems to imply only a bad time, long ago, but I wonder if we're also supposed to read "age" as a person's age, old or young. This could be either the darkness of youth, inexperience making one blind, or the darkness of age, steeped in regret.
• My biggest complaint about this episode is the line "Was it good for you too?" right after Jenny has become Eyghon. It sounds incredibly stupid in context, since all they did was kiss, and it diminishes some of the power of the same line used in "Innocence" (which was absolutely perfect). Makes me mad just thinking about it.
• No matter how many times the characters say it, I still pronounce Eyghon as "Ay-gon" in my head. Don't know why. Can't help it.

Links:

• The Watcher's Diary
• Read this post on LiveJournal
• ​Drabble - Another Brick in the Wall