Discussion of 2.17 "Passion" - Aired 2/24/1998 (WB-US)

From beginning to end, this episode is amazing. I love Angel's voiceovers. I really did enjoy Jenny's character though & was so sad to see her go. I wanted to see more of her but I know it needed to happen. And everyone was still kinda mad at her for her deception except Giles was kind of coming around. But in the end, Buffy realizes that Jenny was trying to find the best way to make it up to Buffy. I always miss her character in following seasons. She really grew on me throughout seasons 1 & 2. And poor Giles. The ending scene with him & Buffy in the alley is heartbreaking.
 
The grin on Angelus' face when he's watching Buffy and Willow from outside the house gave me chills.

The scene where Giles found Jenny broke my heart. Also the scene where he goes to confront Angelus. 🙁 I love Giles.


Bookkitty said:
I absolutely love this episode. I actually just watched it, so I have a question, or more a complaint.
At one point, Jenny says that she was raised by who Angel hurt the most."
Now, I know he killed one of their daughters. But in my opinion, killing one member, rather quickly, is not that bad. It is definitely not the family that I would say he hurt the MOST.
He tortured and killed multiple members of other families, including his own and Dru's.
I think that is worse than what he did to the Romani clan
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I don't disagree. But she obviously couldn't speak objectively.

Wasn't there a scene in Angel's "Darla" where she's trying to convince them to lift the curse? They refuse and then she, Spike, and Dru kills all of them, IIRC. That was after the curse, though.
 
Chris said:
Passion is amazing. The way Angel left Jenny's body for Giles to discover was horrifying, but what got to me even more was seeing him outside Buffy's house when she gets the news, watching. The way he looks on the pain he has caused and takes only undiluted pleasure in it gives me a really visceral hatred for him. And his narration...he's a sadistic monster with the soul of a poet, and in my opinion the best villain the show ever had.
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In a way he is the best villian the show ever had....he's NOT Angel. He's such a different character, so well played, written. Loved but hated. Angelus is amazingly evil because he can fool you so well. Seduce and then kill. He gets pleasure out of others pain. Sexy evil...grrr.

I'd have to say Spike has the soul of a poet....Angelus has something far more twisted.

This episode is when I really felt the show started to grow up. Even back in the second season. Jenny died. Buffy was heartbroken. She and Angel gave into each other...for a moment they both thought they could have happiness.
 
Just watched this episode and absolutely loved it. David plays Angelius so well in this episode and the actual story is so gripping. Jenny's death was played out so well and there is so many emotional scenes which really get to me.

Firstly the phone scene where both Willow and Buffy break down is really sad and the sadistic smile from Angelius confirms just how good a villain he has become, brillant acting from David.

Also love the interaction with Spike and Angelius, not for the first time an episode is full of emotion yet can also be funny with those two sparring against one another.

The best part for me though is that Buffy and Giles scene which just signifies the great relationship the two have at this point. It is really touching and similar to a scene in "Innocence" where Buffy expects Giles to be disappointed in her sleeping with Angel yet he says he knows they both loved one another and he will only help her and respect her.

Also the music once again makes the episode, fits in so perfectly with what's unfolding on screen.

In summary one of my favourite episodes and again it comes from season 2 which has to be one of my favourite seasons.
 
Man, passion..... ha, i can still say the entire speech that angel says through the episode... jenny dying to La Boheme is just insane... Always loved the episode. I use to write the entire speech in my assignment notebook in high school. ha.
 
Passion

This is one scary and sad because Buffy has to fight Angelus because Angel is gone and of course which leads up to Buffy sending him to h***. If you can't be safe in a school then where are you safe, I guess no where. I don't remember Angel ever having been in Giles apartment before this episode but he must have been invited in at some point previously.
 
FaithLehane16
FaithLehane16
He was invited in in The Dark Age.
Giles scene when he discover Jenny... I always forgot to mention it in other threads, but it's one the saddest scene ever.
 
I never said how much of a fan of Angelus narrating I am 😛 It's a great part of this ep! I just love the opening scene with him sitting right by Buff.

'It speak to us, guide us. Passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choices do we have?'
 
Fantastic episode. Hearbreaking stuff when Giles calls to tell Buffy Jenny's been killed. Buffy slumping to the floor and just handing Willow the phone was so realistic and another great acting performance from SMG. Also Willow's reaction felt so real aswell so credit to Alyson too. The sadistic smile Angelius does when seeing Buffy and Willow in pain is so evil and underlines how great a cast the show had.

Certaintly by this stage every main actor was delivering amazing, believable performances on a consistent basis, which is why i feel the show built up such a following. The events in the show may have been extra ordinary but the way they played out happened in such a realistic fashion and connected the fans so much to the characters involved. Episodes like "Passion" are perfect examples of why the show was so good. You couldn't fail to feel some sort of emotion during this episode.

Angelius narrating made the episode even more chilling and the events that transpired were so sad but awesome at the same time. One of the best episodes in the Buffyverse for me.
 
W
WWGD
I agree, such a deep show and even with all of the fantasy going on it's easy to relate to the character's reactions to events with genuine feelings.
Holy crap. I thought I had seen almost every episode of Buffy, but when I just began my rewatch marathon I realized I'd NEVER seen this one! And I think it has all been said in this thread already, but this episode is definitely one of the best of the entire series.

My opinion has changed so drastically on Angel since rewatching the show, I think it's because my brain is a few years older now. 😉 So, I thought I'd never say this, but Angelus IS the best villain of any season. That is all.
 
Tome
Tome
Wow, can't believe you missed that awesome EP!
I
InsaneMystic
you had never seen Passion?! :O
Can I just say.....whew. This was it. This was the episode. The one that proved Buffy was so much more than your average television show, the one that suddenly ripped the safety net from beneath your feet. The one that exposed the true darkness of committing fully to the concept of "documenting" the life of a vampire slayer. It wasn't until the end credits started rolling that I noticed my hand on my chest, and my cheeks damp with tears. Jenny Calendar was gone, and, suddenly, anything could happen next.

In Ms. Calendar's defense, I have to say that I never fully understood the intense hatred she provoked in Giles and Buffy (moreso the latter). Yes, she knew about the curse. Yes, she lied about who she was. But, as she stated more than once, she had no idea that Angel would become Angelus after experiencing true happiness. And, after all, Angelus had tortured her people. Although Giles was clearly ready to forgive her in this episode, Buffy continued to use her as a scapegoat for what happened to Angel. I guess you can hardly blame a 17 year old girl, though, of course, the slayer is ideally much more mature than that.

Regardless, this is the episode that cemented it for me, and I've been hooked ever since. Tears and all.
 
W
WWGD
Great post! I really felt this episode the most. I never understood all the hate that Jenny got either, she was pretty powerless in the whole thing. I was so sad to see her go :(
joansummers said:
In Ms. Calendar's defense, I have to say that I never fully understood the intense hatred she provoked in Giles and Buffy (moreso the latter). Yes, she knew about the curse. Yes, she lied about who she was. But, as she stated more than once, she had no idea that Angel would become Angelus after experiencing true happiness. And, after all, Angelus had tortured her people. Although Giles was clearly ready to forgive her in this episode, Buffy continued to use her as a scapegoat for what happened to Angel. I guess you can hardly blame a 17 year old girl, though, of course, the slayer is ideally much more mature than that.
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I suppose they took it very personally because she betrayed them.
They told her their secrets - Slayer stuff and what not - and for months she went behind their backs concealing what she knew and who she was. I think that's a pretty big deal!

I think anyone would have carried a grudge about that after finding out, they would've forgiven her clearly, hadn't... y'know, she died.
 
G
GrrArghx
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I love the episode. It's right up there with The Body, Once More with Feeling and Hush. I was so sad to see Jenny die, she was probably one of my favorite characters at that point and her death just kind of made you think. If Joss could kill off Jenny, who else might he be willing to kill off in the future?
 
One of the things that always broke my heart was something that never really was shown on screen. Near the end of the episode we see Giles return to his apartment and remove the crime scene tape from the front door. I always imagined what it would have been like for Giles to have to clean up the rose petals from the floor and the broken glass in his bedroom. To throw away the sketch of Jenny that Angelus left for him.
Giles, unlike Buffy, doesn't really have anyone that he can go to, to talk about his grief. Having to deal with all of that alone and just after his failed attempt to avenge Jenny's death must have been brutally difficult.
 
Taake
Taake
I always think the same when I see this ep
Tome
Tome
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Wow that episode was crazy. I stay away from spoilers and did not expect to see Jenny Calender get killed. Nor did I expect Angel to kill her so easily (he didn't even hesitate!). I honestly don't know if I can ever like Angel again (my first time watching the show) even knowing that he was not himself
 
VisionGirl
VisionGirl
I love hearing newbie's comments on their first time watch. :)
This episode is amazing, in an intensely gross and sickening way. Just the whole of Angelus is sick and deadly. But that's great, it's better than him being all brooding. But wow, the art of his Jenny murder was horrific. I was relishing her last moments because she is one of the best characters on the show. It was horrible for Giles, horrible for everyone. Willow's crying was heartbreaking. It reminded me of when Tara died, it was the same except intensified in Tara's case.

The arguments with Spike and Angelus were great. I was all GO SPIKE, I wish you could kick his ass. It would have been funny. You know?
 
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