3/5/08 - 3/11/08 Episode Discussion: Becoming (Part 1 and 2)

SpikedBuffy

SpikedBuffy

Love Isn't Brains
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Yeah...we finally made it to the end of season two!

Time to discussion the last episode.
Becoming, part 1 and Becoming, part 2
Season two
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This is one of my all-time favorite eps (both of em). I live for the sword fight at the end. I had watched Buffy before this ep, but this is one of them that really cemented my love for the show.
 
I absolutely loved this finale and I think I cried most of my way through it.

I cried at the death of Kendra
I cried when Willow was in the coma
I cried when Buffy had to kill Angel
I cried at the montage at the end

These episodes made me an emotional wreck! haha.

I just loved all of it. This two-part episode is movie quality. And I just admired every single one of the characters (and the actors) throughout. It was great seeing Kendra once more (even if it was for the last time) and the sword fight was FANTASTIC. (Especially Buffy's reply to Angelus' 'what's left' when she catches the blade of the sword with her eyes closed before saying 'me')
I thought Giles was amazing standing up to all the torture Angelus was doing- even retaining his satirical humor through the pain. Plus we got some Dru/Giles action there which while strange was intriguing. Loved Angelus and Spike's reactions to how she continued to kiss him.
I loved seeing a hint of the good Spike as he helps Buffy.
I loved Willow's resolve face and Xander professing his love for her at the same time as her realizing her deep feelings for Oz.
I loved Buffy (finally) 'coming out' to her Mom which was played excellently like a child telling their parent they're gay.
I loved the final Buffy/Angel scene and how it mirrored the Darla/Liam scene with the whole 'Close your eyes'.
And I loved the montage at the end. Tragically beautiful.

So, really, there was a lotta love as regards to this episode. Hehe 😀
 
I like part two better than part one - not that i don't love the history and backstory bits - i do, just that Spike turning traitor on Angelus and Dru is one of my favourite things that ever happened in Buffy at all. I do remember it being quite a surprise the first time i saw it. Also Buffy and Angelus' sword fight is awesome and Willow first flirt with real powerful mojo was very cool. And the ending, so heartbreaking!
 
I'm waiting for my fiance so we can watch these 2 episodes together. The only Buffy she's ever seen is the movie and the last TV episode of Angel.
 
Tranquillity said:
Spike turning traitor on Angelus and Dru is one of my favourite things that ever happened in Buffy at all.
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I have to totally agree there!!
While Season 2 is my favourite season out of all of them anyway, Becoming Part 2 is my favourite episode for Season (closely followed with School Hard) purely for Spike's unexpected character twist in turning traitor.

It's clearly a worse of two evils kinda deal for him, where he figures that, having killed 2 slayers already, he can always get another pop at Buffy later on, so right now the bigger evil is definitely Angelus. Spike's definitely fed up with playing second fiddle to Angelus, and there's some definite vibes of Spike-Angelus business that hasn't been cleared up, and Spike just wants him out of the picture- and the easiest way to do that is work with the only other person that wants Angelus gone!!

Also, that Spike quote when he turns traitor is genius! One of my favourite lines of all time... love the references to Man U (although, being from London you'd expect him to support a better team, like Tottenham 😛)

And the ending has me in tears every time... that Sarah Mclachlan song they use adds so much power to the whole thing...

i just love it!
 
Plus, Spike has no desire to destroy the world. He likes the world. He has never had a plan that would end the world, if you notice.
 
This ep was brilliantly made. I cried so hard when Buffy killed Angel, and then again when she left sunnydale. This is one of my all-time favorite episodes!
 
Becoming part 1 and 2 is also on my favourite list, i think it's so sad that Angel returns to his former self and Buffy still has to kill him, i find it just heart wrenching.
 
Becoming 1&2 are in my opinion the best season finale of the entire series...when you saw it when it originally aired and you didn't know that Angel would be coming back or Buffy for that matter...it was unreal tv.
 
I also love sword fights, and here it was even more intriguing because I cannot imagine what Buffy must be going through. Of course I cried when she told Angel to close his eyes, and Angel's confusion was heartbreaking. And when I watched this again recently, I cried again. My throat hurts when I watch this scene.
And then there's Xander's infamous words, "kick his ass" that has Buffy fans arguing for years on the real reason why he said what he said. I didn't really care why because Xander here was so young and so in love. I was upset because he lied in Willow's name.
The one light moment that made me chuckle here was Spike's " happy meals on legs."
Season 2 as a whole was an emotionally exhausting ride. It started with Buffy returning to Sunnydale as a cranky, emotional wreck in When She Was Bad. It ended with an emotionally drained Buffy as she left Sunnydale. It was a great season with the greatest finale.
 
B
Blondie Bear
Xander needed more of a come-uppance for that lie, I think!
S
SoBlind
i totally agree with u on xanders lie. it was a bad call. however, putting it in context with the storyline, it made it all so much better. if buffy had known about willow trying the spell again, the fight wouldnt have gone down the way it did
Becoming packs the most emotional punch for me. The fact that a 16 year old girl could be strong enough to kill something/someone she so deeply loves . . . and to have the strength to do it. Wow.

It was also the first teensy, tiny glimmer of the fact that Spike was/is different from other Vampires. If only slightly. The idea that heeeey, sure he's an evil demon guy--but really he just wants to eat, drink, and brawl! Why end the world?!? Heehee. He even demonstrates a small flicker of empathy. "Dru bagged herself a Slayer?! Hey, good for her!" *off of Buffy's reaction* "Oh. But not for you I suppose." He couldn't *feel* the emotion, granted. But he could recognize that it was there for her.

But I have to admit the part that hits me the most--aside from the moment when Buffy kills Angel--is when Giles sees Jenny. The way it's filmed, with the close-ups on her mouth and eyes, and his longing for her is so clear . . . my heart broke for Giles in that scene. Overall one of the most tragic and beautiful episodes of television I have ever seen.
 
There's a reason this was voted one of the best episodes ever peeps! In my opinion, the finest season finale in Buffy ever.

Favourite parts, Spike's monologue about the world:

Spike: We like to talk big. (indicates himself) Vampires do. 'I'm going
to destroy the world.' (looks at the officer) That's just tough guy
talk. (steps over to the car) Strutting around with your friends over a
pint of blood. (sits on the hood) The truth is, I like this world.
(pulls the cigarette pack from the officer's shirt pocket) You've got...
dog racing, Manchester United. (pulls one out and drops the pack on the
officer) And you've got people. (exhales) Billions of people walking
around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. (lights the
cigarette and takes a drag) But then someone comes along with a vision.
With a real... (exhales) passion for destruction. (takes another drag
and looks at Buffy) Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Picadilly.
Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square. You know what I'm saying?

And the hilarious Buffy/Spike/Joyce scene:

Spike: What, your mum doesn't know?

Buffy glares at Spike.

Joyce: (to Spike) Know what?

Buffy: (faces her mom) That I'm, uh... in a band. A-a rock band with
Spike here. (shoots Spike a look)

Spike: Right. She plays the, the triangle.

Buffy: Drums.

Spike: Drums, yeah. She's, uh, hell on the old skins, you know.

Joyce: (unconvinced) Hmm. And, uh, what do you do?

Spike: Well, I sing.

----------------------------

All in all, fantastic ep 😉
 
And the hilarious Buffy/Spike/Joyce scene:

Spike: What, your mum doesn't know?

Buffy glares at Spike.

Joyce: (to Spike) Know what?

Buffy: (faces her mom) That I'm, uh... in a band. A-a rock band with
Spike here. (shoots Spike a look)

Spike: Right. She plays the, the triangle.

Buffy: Drums.

Spike: Drums, yeah. She's, uh, hell on the old skins, you know.

Joyce: (unconvinced) Hmm. And, uh, what do you do?

Spike: Well, I sing.
Click to expand...

That is a great scene. When I first watched this episode and Spike said triangle I remember thinking 'Of all the things you could come up with there...' Haha.

There were a lot of good Spike/Joyce moments in this episode though. The classic moment of

Joyce: Have we met?
Spike: You hit me with an axe one time, remember? "Get the hell away from my daughter"?

He just says it so casually as though he talks to people who hit him around the head with axes all the time. Haha.

And this one also always makes me smile.

Spike: Simple. You let me and Dru skip town, I help you kill Angel
Joyce: (Completely thrown, to Buffy) Angel your boyfriend?

And doesn't it ever occur to anyone as strange that when Spike is vibing over Dru killing a Slayer he turns to Joyce with a grin as though she was going to share in this joy....Buffy's glare quickly cuts him off though.

Actually, I just love Spike in general in this episode, hehe.
 
...and if i had to die after one last episode, it would be after this...

i dont remember watching this episode for the first time (i think i was too young) but i've seen it soo many times now and it still breaks my heart. and that says something. "full of grace" is one of my favourite songs, just because i associate it with the show and that unbelievably sad scene where she leaves.

season 2 is my favourite season of all. and quite rightly, i think. i loved the whole angelus/dru/spike dynamic. i loved how cruel angelus could be, right up until the end when within a second he became angel again. and then she had to kill him anyway. :'( and did u see sarahs face after angel was sucked into hell? omg i could cry just thinking about it

what more is there to say. brilliant finale, brilliant show, brilliant joss whedon
 
I'm not a very emotional person... but that ep had me on first watching gasping with disbelief at the "Kick his ass" line, and even on every later viewing grinning broadly at the whole Spike thing, my heart stopping at Xander professing his love to comatose Willow and how that scene goes on, and crying myself blind at the song & montage at the end.

It's just such an INSANELY good piece of both writing and acting.
 
I've been watching season 2 with my wife again and we're going to watch Becoming Part 2 tonight. These are easily two of my favorite episodes. The acting is well done and the episodes are perfectly written. I love that Sarah Maclaughlin song, and I think of this episode every time I hear it.
 
I loved this episode (still do) and I know when I first watched it, at the end of pt.2 I was crying when Buffy got on the bus to leave. I thought she wouldnt come back to Sunnydale. I was also surprised when Angel got his soul back and was still killed, it was heartbreaking.
 
it was on of my top five eps. the final part with the swords fight was perfect... and B leaving Sunnydale by bus.. the music Full of Grace.. everything made me cry.
 
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