****NOMINEE #1****
''Tenderness''
(Buffy S5 Ep7 ~ Fool For Love)
~~~~
Spike: What's wrong?
Buffy: I don't want to talk about it.
Spike: Is there something I can do?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This was the first scene where I believed Spike's love for Buffy was genuine. He goes there to kill her (I still wonder what would have happened with his chip), but surprisingly, his rage totally dissipates once he sees her distress. What ensues is one of the nicest, yet *awkwardest* moments on the show. Spike simply sits down next to Buffy and pats her on the back. Hahahaha! Yes, I'm laughing, but that was beautiful.
It seems like Spike is always popping up at the best times during this season. On the other hand, Riley is never there when he's needed, or when he is, he's pushed away by Buff. Oops, my bad. Here I go again, bringing Riley into this. 😉 Anyhow, without being earth-shattering, this scene would prove to be meaningful and symbolic in the long run.
****NOMINEE #2****
''Psychotherapy With a Vampire''
(Buffy S7 Ep7 ~ Conversations with Dead People)
~~~~
Buffy: I feel like I'm worse than anyone. Honestly, I'm beneath them. My friends, my boyfriends. I feel like I'm not worthy of their love. 'Cause even though they love me, it doesn't mean anything 'cause their opinions don't matter. They don't know. They haven't been through what I've been through. They're not the slayer. I am. Sometimes I feel"”this is awful"”I feel like I'm better than them. Superior.
Holden: Until you can't win. And I thought I was diabolical"”or, at least I plan to be. You do have a superiority complex. And you've got an inferiority complex about it. (laughs) Kudos.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Where to start?! That whole scene was both hilarious and insightful. Buffy, thanks to Holden's keen understanding of psychology, realizes that the reason why she seems to have so much trouble opening herself to the most important people in her life (boyfriends and best friends) is because, deep down, she feels like their opinion doesn't matter!
Personally, I am a huge fan of Buffy, the character. She has so many qualities that make her remarkable. However, one thing that always bothered me about her was the way she closed herself to others (even more so in the later seasons). That was a big part of the reason why Riley left and, on a couple occasions, it also helped stretching her friendship with Willow and with Xander. And thus, this scene brought the perfect explanation to it all. It also shed some light on the reason for Buffy's downward spiral in S6, when she was in that unhealthy relationship with Spike.
In conclusion, their long conversation was entertaining and psychologically stimulating for a Buffy fan like me!
****NOMINEE #3****
''Xander Being An Ass: Take 1''
(Buffy S2 Ep21 ~ Becoming: Part 1)
~~~~
Xander: Hi! For those of you who have just tuned in, everyone here is a crazy person. So this spell might restore Angel's humanity? Well, here's an interesting angle. Who cares?
Buffy: I care.
Xander: Is that right.
Giles: Let's not lose our perspective here, Xander.
Xander: I'm Perspective Guy. Angel's a killer.
Willow: Xander...
Buffy: It's not that simple.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Ah, Xander! Even when he's a douchebag, he's still funny. Case in point, the first line quoted above. 😉 😛
But on a more serious note, Xander is not entirely wrong, he just made sure to sound as biased as he could. *cough* *cough* Yes, we all know Xander was always jealous of Angel, but he brings up a good point: does Angel really deserve to regain his soul and live? Obviously, from Buffy's (and a lot of fans) standpoint, it's simple: Angel does not equal Angelus, and thus, whatever crimes Angelus committed can't be inputted on Angel. I do agree with that, but I can see a different - more neutral - way to look at it: Angel living means there's a chance Angelus will come back and endanger a lot of lives. Is Angel worth the risk? Well, if we look at what he decided to do afterwards, yes it was worth it; however, at that exact moment in time, you couldn't know what would happen and it's safe to say that Xander might have been right.
****NOMINEE #4****
''Surprise, Bitca!''
(Angel S4 Ep12 ~ Calvary)
~~~~
Lilah: He's gonna kill us.
Cordelia: I know. Why do you think I let him out, you stupid bitch?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Another shocker! I am without a doubt one of the few who just downright loves the fourth season of AtS. With its non-stop action and twists and turns every other episode, I just could never get enough. This scene, which finally revealed the identity of The Beast's Master, was the icing on the cake! My lovely Cordy who had acted so strangely all season long turned out to be the Big Bad. 😱 This had me entirely puzzled. I started questioning everything that had happened since the end of season three. Was it really Cordelia? Why had she done all those things? At the same time, I was surprisingly sad to see Lilah die. She had become quite interesting in the past two seasons and I loved the relationship she had with the new, grittier Wesley.
In conclusion, the scene was definitely unexpected. After being chased around by Angelus, you didn't expect Lilah to meet her end in the hands of Cordelia, possessed or not.
****NOMINEE #5****
''Screening At The Auditorium''
(Buffy S4 Ep10 ~ Hush)
~~~~
[BLANK]
~~~~
Tome's commentary: No quotes are required to demonstrate how downright funny that scene was. Part of one of the most acclaimed episodes of BtVS; the ''auditorium'' scene was without a doubt the most amusing moment in "˜Hush'! The scene had all kind of funnies, ranging from our first contact with Giles' bloody, over the top drawings to Buffy's terribly misinterpreted gestures. 😉
****NOMINEE #6****
''First Soldier Down''
(Angel S5 Ep12 ~ You're Welcome)
~~~~
Cordelia: Sorry. I was snooping. I found this.
Angel: No, it's"”it's ok. I just... You couldn't sleep?
Cordelia: Oh. No sleep for me. I slept enough for one lifetime.
Angel: Been a long while since I've seen that.
Cordelia: The first soldier down.
Angel (sighs): Yeah.
Cordelia: Doyle pissed me off so righteously going out like that, but he knew. He knew what he had to do. Didn't compromise. Used his last breath to make sure you'd keep fighting. I get that now.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This was a perfect throwback scene to the old Angel/Cordy/Doyle setup from S1. In this amazing (yes!) scene, Cordy makes sure to remind Angel where it all began. She makes sure to remind him that some people have died for him to live and fight on. Angel, admittedly, has lost his conviction for fighting in the first part of S5, and Cordy is the perfect person to lead him back on the right path.
One thing this scene made me realize, though, is that Angel had held on to that tape for years! That's not something I would have expected from him. Doyle's death had definitely touched him.
****NOMINEE #7****
''That Was Real''
(Buffy S5 Ep18 ~ Intervention)
~~~~
Spike: And my robot?
Buffy: The robot is gone. The robot was gross and obscene.
Spike: It wasn't supposed to-
Buffy: Don't. That... thing, it... it wasn't even real.
Buffy: What you did, for me, and Dawn... that was real.
Buffy: I won't forget it.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I was so happy to see Buffy finally give some credit to Spike. The guy took one hell of a beating to protect them (and in fact, the world). He deserved to be cheered up a little, at the damn least! 😉 I didn't expect her to kiss him, though. 😱 That's the part that made me start thinking that she might like him too!
But the look on Spike's face! Wow. I've never seen a vampire looking that bad, haha. I thought they healed fast? 😛 Anyhow, I don't know what else to say about this one"” another great Spuffy scene. I really don't know why I'm not more of a shipper, considering all the awesome moments that they've had together... Uh. Someone has an idea? 😉
****NOMINEE #8****
''I'll Never Forget''
(Angel S1 Ep8 ~ I Will Remember You)
~~~~
Buffy: How am I supposed to go on with my life knowing what we had? What we could have had?
Angel: You won't. No one will know but me.
Buffy: Everything we did.
Angel: It never happened.
Buffy (shakes her head): It did. It did. I know it did! I felt your heart beat.
Angel: Buffy...
(They kiss)
Buffy: No! Oh God. It's not enough time.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Speaking of great, dramatic scenes... Angel and Buffy have theirs too! This one is definitely one of the more emotional (so much so that the actors themselves had trouble keeping it together). I mean, just put yourself in the same situation! That's horrible. Just knowing that you'll completely forget what you had with your lover. Obviously, the pain only lasted a minute or two for Buffy, but Angel is going to have to go on with the knowledge of what they could have had for the rest of his life. The man sure can carry a lot of crap on his back.
****NOMINEE #9****
''Angelus''
(Angel S4 Ep10 ~ Awakening)
~~~~
Wo-Pang: The vision becomes reality. It is done.
Cordelia: Angelus.
(Angelus laughs maniacally at the camera)
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I love this one so much! The whole episode was a dream? WHAT?! I honestly don't know a single person who has watched 'Awakening' and didn't fall for it. The dream was so believable that it was hard to even consider that what we were watching was not real. My sole disappointment was that Angel and Cordy didn't actually have sex. 🙁 Those two should have gotten together from the beginning! Also, "Buffyyy?" Oh jeez, come on Angel. 😉 You can't say that! Hahahaha!
Anyway, then you get the big reveal! How twisted are you, Joss? Angelus looks at the camera and starts laughing, as if he's mocking us for believing that happy, sappy story. You know then that it has only just begun. Angel is gone and the Gang has no idea how deep in it they are. This also kick starts my favorite stretch of episodes in the 'Verse; everything from here on to Jasmine's appearance is packed with drama, suspense and action. Angelus might have been fun in BtVS' second season, but he's twice as fun - and diabolical - during this stretch.
****NOMINEE #10****
''Xander Being An Ass: Take 3''
(Buffy S3 Ep7 ~ Revelations)
~~~~
Willow: Buffy, I feel that when it comes to Angel, you can't see straight. And that's why we're, we're all gonna help you face this.
Buffy: But he's better now. I swear. Look, you guys, he's the one that found the Glove of Myhnegon. H-he's keeping it safe for us in the mansion.
Xander: Right! Great plan. Leave tons of firepower with the Scary Guy, and leave us to clean up the mess.
Buffy: You would just love an excuse to hurt him, wouldn't you?
Xander: I don't need an excuse. I think lots of dead people actually constitutes a reason.
Buffy: Right. This is all nobility. This has nothing to do with jealousy.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: How surprising! This is another famous occasion where Xander is quite frankly trying to get some violent reaction from his friend Buffy. 😉 Gawd, the man really wants to get his ass kicked, doesn't he? Personally, I'd have liked to see him get at least a punch to the face this time. 😛
Anyhow, more than in the other cases, here, Xander is obviously overly reacting because of his jealousy; he has just seen Buffy and Angel kissing as if nothing had happened. Yes, he didn't see everything that led to the kiss, but for him it's still extremely infuriating"”as one would expect.
I don't know if I'm the only one, but I like these scenes packed with tension between the Scooby Gang's members! It makes their friendship look more realistic; friends fight and argue! And Xander, Buffy and Willow always end up even closer afterwards. 😀
''Tenderness''
(Buffy S5 Ep7 ~ Fool For Love)
~~~~
Spike: What's wrong?
Buffy: I don't want to talk about it.
Spike: Is there something I can do?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This was the first scene where I believed Spike's love for Buffy was genuine. He goes there to kill her (I still wonder what would have happened with his chip), but surprisingly, his rage totally dissipates once he sees her distress. What ensues is one of the nicest, yet *awkwardest* moments on the show. Spike simply sits down next to Buffy and pats her on the back. Hahahaha! Yes, I'm laughing, but that was beautiful.
It seems like Spike is always popping up at the best times during this season. On the other hand, Riley is never there when he's needed, or when he is, he's pushed away by Buff. Oops, my bad. Here I go again, bringing Riley into this. 😉 Anyhow, without being earth-shattering, this scene would prove to be meaningful and symbolic in the long run.
****NOMINEE #2****
''Psychotherapy With a Vampire''
(Buffy S7 Ep7 ~ Conversations with Dead People)
~~~~
Buffy: I feel like I'm worse than anyone. Honestly, I'm beneath them. My friends, my boyfriends. I feel like I'm not worthy of their love. 'Cause even though they love me, it doesn't mean anything 'cause their opinions don't matter. They don't know. They haven't been through what I've been through. They're not the slayer. I am. Sometimes I feel"”this is awful"”I feel like I'm better than them. Superior.
Holden: Until you can't win. And I thought I was diabolical"”or, at least I plan to be. You do have a superiority complex. And you've got an inferiority complex about it. (laughs) Kudos.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Where to start?! That whole scene was both hilarious and insightful. Buffy, thanks to Holden's keen understanding of psychology, realizes that the reason why she seems to have so much trouble opening herself to the most important people in her life (boyfriends and best friends) is because, deep down, she feels like their opinion doesn't matter!
Personally, I am a huge fan of Buffy, the character. She has so many qualities that make her remarkable. However, one thing that always bothered me about her was the way she closed herself to others (even more so in the later seasons). That was a big part of the reason why Riley left and, on a couple occasions, it also helped stretching her friendship with Willow and with Xander. And thus, this scene brought the perfect explanation to it all. It also shed some light on the reason for Buffy's downward spiral in S6, when she was in that unhealthy relationship with Spike.
In conclusion, their long conversation was entertaining and psychologically stimulating for a Buffy fan like me!
****NOMINEE #3****
''Xander Being An Ass: Take 1''
(Buffy S2 Ep21 ~ Becoming: Part 1)
~~~~
Xander: Hi! For those of you who have just tuned in, everyone here is a crazy person. So this spell might restore Angel's humanity? Well, here's an interesting angle. Who cares?
Buffy: I care.
Xander: Is that right.
Giles: Let's not lose our perspective here, Xander.
Xander: I'm Perspective Guy. Angel's a killer.
Willow: Xander...
Buffy: It's not that simple.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Ah, Xander! Even when he's a douchebag, he's still funny. Case in point, the first line quoted above. 😉 😛
But on a more serious note, Xander is not entirely wrong, he just made sure to sound as biased as he could. *cough* *cough* Yes, we all know Xander was always jealous of Angel, but he brings up a good point: does Angel really deserve to regain his soul and live? Obviously, from Buffy's (and a lot of fans) standpoint, it's simple: Angel does not equal Angelus, and thus, whatever crimes Angelus committed can't be inputted on Angel. I do agree with that, but I can see a different - more neutral - way to look at it: Angel living means there's a chance Angelus will come back and endanger a lot of lives. Is Angel worth the risk? Well, if we look at what he decided to do afterwards, yes it was worth it; however, at that exact moment in time, you couldn't know what would happen and it's safe to say that Xander might have been right.
****NOMINEE #4****
''Surprise, Bitca!''
(Angel S4 Ep12 ~ Calvary)
~~~~
Lilah: He's gonna kill us.
Cordelia: I know. Why do you think I let him out, you stupid bitch?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Another shocker! I am without a doubt one of the few who just downright loves the fourth season of AtS. With its non-stop action and twists and turns every other episode, I just could never get enough. This scene, which finally revealed the identity of The Beast's Master, was the icing on the cake! My lovely Cordy who had acted so strangely all season long turned out to be the Big Bad. 😱 This had me entirely puzzled. I started questioning everything that had happened since the end of season three. Was it really Cordelia? Why had she done all those things? At the same time, I was surprisingly sad to see Lilah die. She had become quite interesting in the past two seasons and I loved the relationship she had with the new, grittier Wesley.
In conclusion, the scene was definitely unexpected. After being chased around by Angelus, you didn't expect Lilah to meet her end in the hands of Cordelia, possessed or not.
****NOMINEE #5****
''Screening At The Auditorium''
(Buffy S4 Ep10 ~ Hush)
~~~~
[BLANK]
~~~~
Tome's commentary: No quotes are required to demonstrate how downright funny that scene was. Part of one of the most acclaimed episodes of BtVS; the ''auditorium'' scene was without a doubt the most amusing moment in "˜Hush'! The scene had all kind of funnies, ranging from our first contact with Giles' bloody, over the top drawings to Buffy's terribly misinterpreted gestures. 😉
****NOMINEE #6****
''First Soldier Down''
(Angel S5 Ep12 ~ You're Welcome)
~~~~
Cordelia: Sorry. I was snooping. I found this.
Angel: No, it's"”it's ok. I just... You couldn't sleep?
Cordelia: Oh. No sleep for me. I slept enough for one lifetime.
Angel: Been a long while since I've seen that.
Cordelia: The first soldier down.
Angel (sighs): Yeah.
Cordelia: Doyle pissed me off so righteously going out like that, but he knew. He knew what he had to do. Didn't compromise. Used his last breath to make sure you'd keep fighting. I get that now.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This was a perfect throwback scene to the old Angel/Cordy/Doyle setup from S1. In this amazing (yes!) scene, Cordy makes sure to remind Angel where it all began. She makes sure to remind him that some people have died for him to live and fight on. Angel, admittedly, has lost his conviction for fighting in the first part of S5, and Cordy is the perfect person to lead him back on the right path.
One thing this scene made me realize, though, is that Angel had held on to that tape for years! That's not something I would have expected from him. Doyle's death had definitely touched him.
****NOMINEE #7****
''That Was Real''
(Buffy S5 Ep18 ~ Intervention)
~~~~
Spike: And my robot?
Buffy: The robot is gone. The robot was gross and obscene.
Spike: It wasn't supposed to-
Buffy: Don't. That... thing, it... it wasn't even real.
Buffy: What you did, for me, and Dawn... that was real.
Buffy: I won't forget it.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I was so happy to see Buffy finally give some credit to Spike. The guy took one hell of a beating to protect them (and in fact, the world). He deserved to be cheered up a little, at the damn least! 😉 I didn't expect her to kiss him, though. 😱 That's the part that made me start thinking that she might like him too!
But the look on Spike's face! Wow. I've never seen a vampire looking that bad, haha. I thought they healed fast? 😛 Anyhow, I don't know what else to say about this one"” another great Spuffy scene. I really don't know why I'm not more of a shipper, considering all the awesome moments that they've had together... Uh. Someone has an idea? 😉
****NOMINEE #8****
''I'll Never Forget''
(Angel S1 Ep8 ~ I Will Remember You)
~~~~
Buffy: How am I supposed to go on with my life knowing what we had? What we could have had?
Angel: You won't. No one will know but me.
Buffy: Everything we did.
Angel: It never happened.
Buffy (shakes her head): It did. It did. I know it did! I felt your heart beat.
Angel: Buffy...
(They kiss)
Buffy: No! Oh God. It's not enough time.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Speaking of great, dramatic scenes... Angel and Buffy have theirs too! This one is definitely one of the more emotional (so much so that the actors themselves had trouble keeping it together). I mean, just put yourself in the same situation! That's horrible. Just knowing that you'll completely forget what you had with your lover. Obviously, the pain only lasted a minute or two for Buffy, but Angel is going to have to go on with the knowledge of what they could have had for the rest of his life. The man sure can carry a lot of crap on his back.
****NOMINEE #9****
''Angelus''
(Angel S4 Ep10 ~ Awakening)
~~~~
Wo-Pang: The vision becomes reality. It is done.
Cordelia: Angelus.
(Angelus laughs maniacally at the camera)
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I love this one so much! The whole episode was a dream? WHAT?! I honestly don't know a single person who has watched 'Awakening' and didn't fall for it. The dream was so believable that it was hard to even consider that what we were watching was not real. My sole disappointment was that Angel and Cordy didn't actually have sex. 🙁 Those two should have gotten together from the beginning! Also, "Buffyyy?" Oh jeez, come on Angel. 😉 You can't say that! Hahahaha!
Anyway, then you get the big reveal! How twisted are you, Joss? Angelus looks at the camera and starts laughing, as if he's mocking us for believing that happy, sappy story. You know then that it has only just begun. Angel is gone and the Gang has no idea how deep in it they are. This also kick starts my favorite stretch of episodes in the 'Verse; everything from here on to Jasmine's appearance is packed with drama, suspense and action. Angelus might have been fun in BtVS' second season, but he's twice as fun - and diabolical - during this stretch.
****NOMINEE #10****
''Xander Being An Ass: Take 3''
(Buffy S3 Ep7 ~ Revelations)
~~~~
Willow: Buffy, I feel that when it comes to Angel, you can't see straight. And that's why we're, we're all gonna help you face this.
Buffy: But he's better now. I swear. Look, you guys, he's the one that found the Glove of Myhnegon. H-he's keeping it safe for us in the mansion.
Xander: Right! Great plan. Leave tons of firepower with the Scary Guy, and leave us to clean up the mess.
Buffy: You would just love an excuse to hurt him, wouldn't you?
Xander: I don't need an excuse. I think lots of dead people actually constitutes a reason.
Buffy: Right. This is all nobility. This has nothing to do with jealousy.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: How surprising! This is another famous occasion where Xander is quite frankly trying to get some violent reaction from his friend Buffy. 😉 Gawd, the man really wants to get his ass kicked, doesn't he? Personally, I'd have liked to see him get at least a punch to the face this time. 😛
Anyhow, more than in the other cases, here, Xander is obviously overly reacting because of his jealousy; he has just seen Buffy and Angel kissing as if nothing had happened. Yes, he didn't see everything that led to the kiss, but for him it's still extremely infuriating"”as one would expect.
I don't know if I'm the only one, but I like these scenes packed with tension between the Scooby Gang's members! It makes their friendship look more realistic; friends fight and argue! And Xander, Buffy and Willow always end up even closer afterwards. 😀
Aimee
I love season 4 of Angel too. It was fast, crazy & totally hot!
thetopher
I too love S4 and it's epic awesomeness!
