I'm re-watching Season Two at the moment and I've come to the conclusion that 'Passion' is probably my favourite ever episode of the show. There is so much complexity to the episode and I get more and more from it with every viewing.
I think the pre-credit sequence is the finest the show ever produced. It packs in an enormous amount in a couple of minutes. I love the opening shot of the heads of the dancers, then moving down in a sweeping arc to reveal Angel watching as Buffy and Xander dance. Straightaway you can feel the power of his gaze and I feel an unnerving sensation as soon as he appears, that feeling of being watched. This feeling is heightened as soon as Angel speaks. Again, as only the viewer can hear his voice we get to hear the words of rage, and Buffy and the other characters are unaware of it, which is kind of chilling. I love that the voiceover is given to the antagonist in this episode, it's really unconventional and again, adds to the fear factor.
The scene outside the Bronze is great too, when Angel kills the girl in the alley. I think the music is great throughout, and here, where the bass thumps like a heartbeat in amongst the strings, is just awesome. The killing takes place with Buffy and co receding into the distance, so the viewer again is all-knowing, in the darkness with Angelus.
The light and shadow in the next scene as Buffy sleeps is brilliantly done. I believe the director of the episode Michael Gershman was a DOP on the show and he clearly knows what he's doing. When Angel's head appears in the window I still take a gasp, even though I know it's coming. The way his head just flickers and then appears out of the shadows I still find shocking. This play of light and shadow goes on throughout. A bit further on when Angel strokes Buffy's face as she sleeps, his face in darkness with light from the windows surrounding them, the music building up, is so powerful and ominous. Just superb.
Actually, thinking about it, the symbolism of the window is there too. Buffy and Angel's first kiss was by that window, he first revealed himself as a vampire there, indeed they conducted their relationship through it in 'Bad Eggs.' I guess there is a sexual element to it, the idea of threshold, but also death, of moving through to another dimension. I'd suggest it's no accident that Jenny's death takes place in front of a window, and this really is where the show crossed the threshold in a way, killing off a major character for the first time in a manner that hadn't really been seen in TV before.
Of course the recurring image through a window is when Buffy and Willow hear of Jenny's death, and the voiceover talking of the 'esctasy of grief'. Seeing their grief through the window makes it somehow more real to me, at once distant and powerful.
There's loads of other bits of light and dark which I love - Angel's savage face in the fire of the smashed computer, the lovely shot of Giles against the wall of his house as he talks to the police, the threshold of his house violated (there it is again!), his shadow enormous on the wall, Jenny's face lit by the orb of Thessala in the magic shop, then the orb glowing again as Angel holds it, his face a contrast of light and dark. I think its a beautiful episode visually, and there are so many little details to pick up with every watch.
I think the ending is clever too, with the voiceover now Buffy's, suggesting she is regaining strength, although her words lack the spark of her usual language. Then the disk falls down between the desks, finally a slice of light in the darkness, althugh we know that restoring Angel's soul has just become that much harder. I love that Joss puts the viewer through the wringer in this episode, it's challenging and relentless. The road to Angel's salvation will be a long and tough one.
As you can tell I've watched this episode a few times! When something works I always ask myself why. I think that the way things are lit, shot and scored are done for a specific reason and it's always fun trying to work out what! I feel 'Passion' represents the show at its best, it's toughest, it's most complex and most beautiful. A stunner.
