****NOMINEE #1****
''A Massacre''
(Angel S2 Ep10 ~ Reunion)
~~~~
Lilah: For God's sake, help us.
Holland: Angel, please. People are going to die.
Angel: And yet, somehow, I just can't seem to care.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I don't know if Angel did the right thing here, but he sure meant serious business when he let Drusilla and Darla murder the W&H lawyers. Though I'll admit I didn't feel bad for anyone in that room (well I didn't want Lindsey to die, but that's for the sake of keeping him on the show), it was very unlike him to so boldly let humans die. I guess we are supposed to believe that losing Darla right after he had gotten through to her was too much for him: he was losing it. Anyhow, I loved the fact that he spat back the ''And yet, somehow, I just can't seem to care'' to Holland. That creepy, cold bastard sure was one person deserving to die in that room.
Also, not that I'm a big fan of the whole Darla arc, but this is definitely a very important turning point for Angel. Afterwards, he fires his crew and starts shutting himself away from human contact (kind of like before he met Doyle in L.A.), which is slowly but surely going to lead him into darkness.
****NOMINEE #2****
''Am I a Righteous Man?''
(Buffy S3 Ep10 ~ Amends)
~~~~
Buffy: Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together.
Buffy: But if you're too much of a coward for that, then burn. If I can't convince you that you belong in this world, then I don't know what can. But do *not* expect me to watch. And *don't* expect me to mourn for you, because...
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Certain people hate this scene; certain others love it. Surprisingly (because I am not a Bangel fan), I loved it. Whether we like it or not, though, we have to admit that it plays a central part in the character arc of Angel. It's at this moment that he realizes that he might actually be able to do good, or at least that someone or something believes he can. Was it divine intervention? Who knows. Some called it cheesy; I thought it was beautiful. It's also one of the rare scenes in BtVS where David Boreanaz had to express a lot of painful emotions. Personally, I thought he did it wonderfully. It was about time that he stood up to Buffy! He was too often stoic and passionless. But during this scene, he was raw! It felt as if he had seen the light. He was wrong, obviously, but it was still great to see!
****NOMINEE #3****
''One Good Thing''
(Angel S3 Ep9 ~ Lullaby)
~~~~
Darla: This child, Angel, it's the one good thing we ever did together.
Darla: The only good thing.
Darla: You make sure to tell him that.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I was never a big fan of Darla (sorry, boss 😛 ). She got better on AtS, but even there she rarely held my interest. In her final two episodes, though, she started to grow on me. She finally became much more of a three-dimensional character. I started to feel that she might be worth saving, as Angel had apparently believed from the beginning. It's to my dismay, then, that she had to sacrifice herself for her baby. Still, it made for one awesome sequence. Personally, I rank this among the best scenes of both shows, and I know quite a few friends who have it as their favorite even!
Anyhow, has anyone noticed that, yet again, this dramatic moment takes place in an alley while it's raining? That's seriously a recurring thing on Angel! The show even ended in such a setting. 😱 But yea, the way Darla gave *birth* to her son was also a brilliant idea on the writers part. The prophecy was right after all. I just would have never guessed that it would play out like that! 😉 And Holtz's line at the end, ''I swore that I would show no mercy. And I won't.'' Chilling!
****NOMINEE #4****
''Why Can't I Stay?''
(Angel S5 Ep15 ~ A Hole In The World)
~~~~
Wesley: You have to fight. You don't have to talk, just concentrate on fighting. Just hold on.
Fred: I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared.
Fred: Please, Wesley, why can't I stay?
(she goes still as Wes holds her in his arms)
Wesley: Please... Please...
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Fred and Wesley. It took so long, but they finally got together. They are, without a doubt, one of my favorite pairings. As usual, Joss made sure a wonderful relationship didn't last too long. 🙂 The way Winifred dies, though... It's the saddest, most painful death on both shows for me. Even Buffy's death in 'The Gift' didn't bother me as much. The way Fred asks Wesley to read her a story... And how Wesley then has to hold her in his arms, literally watching her slowly wither and die while he can't do anything about it. It's just too much.
Wesley had gone through so much already and this seriously broke him for good, in my opinion. Adding insult to injury, the demon that killed Fred takes control of her body. That's enough to drive anyone to insanity, which Wesley displayed in the following episodes before settling down a little. In the end, though, this heartbreaking death brought us a great character in Illyria-- which, I guess, if the show had continued, could have proven to be a worthy exchange for Winifred.
****NOMINEE #5****
''Daddy is Home''
(Buffy S6 Ep21 ~ Two To Go)
~~~~
Willow: Buffy... I gotta tell ya... I get it now. The Slayer thing really isn't about the violence.
Willow: It's about the power.
Willow: And there's no one in the world with the power to stop me now.
(...)
Giles: I'd like to test that theory.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: What a glorious return for Rupert! Putting my anger at his departure aside, I missed Giles very much in the second half of S6; and thus, seeing him come back at the last moment to kick some ass was freaking awesome! 😀 Apparently he now had magical powers! Had he turned back to his old Ripper self?! How did he find out about what was going on in Sunnydale? Was he strong enough to square off with Dark Willow? So many questions! This was such a great cliffhanger. Oh, and"”a perfect line delivery. 🙂
****NOMINEE #6****
''I Heard You Sing''
(Angel S5 Ep22 ~ Not Fade Away)
~~~~
Lindsey: You kill me?
Lindsey: A flunky? I'm not just... Angel was to kill me. You? Angel...
Lorne: [sighs] Good night, folks.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: First thing first, poor Lorne. Oh! Poor Lorne. It was - and still is - hard for me to understand how Angel could instruct Lorne to carry out such a task. Not only do I personally think that it was not necessary for Angel to kill Lindsey, but the new boss of Wolfram & Hart knew very well that Lorne hated killing; he knew that Lorne despised it.
On a more neutral note, that scene was very shocking on the first viewing. I don't think there's one fan out there who expected it to happen-- which, I guess, explains why Angel sent Lorne and not someone else to do that job. Lindsey could have never seen it coming.
Finally, one thing that Lorne said to Lindsey still has me questioning its meaning: ''I've heard you sing.'' What did Lorne mean by that? Was he implying that he knew Lindsey would never be good? That Lindsey had plans to overthrow Angel afterward? Or, in a more surprising outcome, could he have said that in a painful tone because he actually *did* see the possibility for Lindsey to change? I guess we'll never know.
****NOMINEE #7****
''Simply Unacceptable!''
(Buffy S3 Ep22 ~ Graduation Day: Part II)
~~~~
Buffy: Hey! You remember this? I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut. Just slid in her like she was butter.
Buffy: You want to get it back from me, Dick?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Wasn't that line from Buffy perfect? 😀 I loved the delivery! Yet, I have to question how - realistically - The Mayor would still care about Faith while in snake form. Sure, he loved her as his daughter when he was human, but he was not that man anymore. In my honest opinion, his feelings should have been nullified/erased. But enough of that! This whole episode is full of great moments, this long sequence being one of the best. The students fighting The Mayor and his vampire squad with crossbows and flamethrowers, Wesley getting knocked out with one punch, Snyder meeting his end, Buffy running through the school chased by a gigantic snake... I've got to admit that I thought the special effects were great AT THE TIME, haha! And of course, Giles is the one who destroys the library. 🙂
****NOMINEE #8****
''I Don't Understand!''
(Buffy S5 Ep16 ~ The Body)
~~~~
Anya: I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore. It's stupid. It's mortal and stupid. And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Anya is definitely not among my favorites. She is usually too obnoxious for my taste. However, here she is great. She expresses what so many of us have felt at some point in our lives, when someone close to us departed from this earth: complete bewilderment. Her line delivery is perfect and she is rippling with emotion! It was a brilliantly played scene in one of the best episodes to ever air on television.
****NOMINEE #9****
''Mommy!''
(Buffy S5 Ep16 ~ The Body)
~~~~
Buffy: Mom! Mom! Mom Mom Mom!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: How awesome was SMG during this scene?! The shock and the drama felt so real. Maybe even a little TOO real for a show set in a world full of magic and monsters. By that point, Buffy had gone through a lot already during the season, and her previous conversations with April and Xander seemed to have boosted her morale way up"”apparently, just so she can fall down that much harder! Joss is such a jerk. 😉
Who expected Joyce to die like that? Nobody. I am still surprised that the death of a character that was not in the forefront of the story would be able to affect me so much. I think it was the way she died, and how much it affected Buffy, who usually seemed strong even in desperate times. Here, she completely loses it. In conclusion, this whole scene is heart-breaking and I'll never forget it.
****NOMINEE #10****
''The Big Moments''
(Buffy S2 Ep21 ~ Becoming: Part 1)
~~~~
Whistler: No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does.
Whistler: So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come. You can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Who doesn't remember that monologue from Whistler? It is very fitting for "˜Becoming''s storyline: Buffy's life changes dramatically; what is she going to do now? Even for a strong young woman like her, it will take time to get back on her feet. Anyhow, I love the scene! I still don't really understand why Drusilla never used her hypnotic powers before if it made it that easy to kill a slayer, but sweet baby Jesus, all hell breaks loose in the good old library and the Scooby Gang is simply outmatched. And for ONCE, they didn't seem untouchable!
Was I sad to see Kendra go? Not really. She was (and this is my personal opinion) quite annoying, and she didn't develop as a character at all. She seemed to only be there for the purpose of demonstrating how different Buffy was from your typical slayer. I guess the goal was accomplished. Her death also gave Buffy one more reason to kill Angelus (about time, Buff). Honestly, though, the first time I saw the scene, I was worried about Willow most of all! Poor Will looked to be in real bad shape. 🙁 Overall, this was a powerful, poignant moment in the series.
****EXTRA NOMINEE (Wildcard #5)****
''Buffy, The Vampire Slayer''
(Buffy S3 Ep1 ~ Anne)
~~~~
Guard: Who are you?
Buffy: I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. And you are?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is an iconic moment that I feel ashamed to have missed. Thanks to everyone for making sure my mistake was corrected. 😉 So, Buffy is in L.A. after having had the worst year of her young life. She's simply going through the motions *cough*, hoping that she'll somehow forget about her troubled past. Sadly, it appears like Buffy's inner goodness won't let her stay away from helping people for too long. Thus, shortly after meeting an old *friend*, Lily, she quickly ends up in the gist of things again.
Back to the scene in question now, I think this was the moment when our Slayer realized who she was. That smile on her face was definitely not good news for the baddies in that place. 🙂 The subsequent ass kickage was awesome and probably one of the best fighting scenes on BtVS.
''A Massacre''
(Angel S2 Ep10 ~ Reunion)
~~~~
Lilah: For God's sake, help us.
Holland: Angel, please. People are going to die.
Angel: And yet, somehow, I just can't seem to care.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I don't know if Angel did the right thing here, but he sure meant serious business when he let Drusilla and Darla murder the W&H lawyers. Though I'll admit I didn't feel bad for anyone in that room (well I didn't want Lindsey to die, but that's for the sake of keeping him on the show), it was very unlike him to so boldly let humans die. I guess we are supposed to believe that losing Darla right after he had gotten through to her was too much for him: he was losing it. Anyhow, I loved the fact that he spat back the ''And yet, somehow, I just can't seem to care'' to Holland. That creepy, cold bastard sure was one person deserving to die in that room.
Also, not that I'm a big fan of the whole Darla arc, but this is definitely a very important turning point for Angel. Afterwards, he fires his crew and starts shutting himself away from human contact (kind of like before he met Doyle in L.A.), which is slowly but surely going to lead him into darkness.
****NOMINEE #2****
''Am I a Righteous Man?''
(Buffy S3 Ep10 ~ Amends)
~~~~
Buffy: Strong is fighting! It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do. And we can do it together.
Buffy: But if you're too much of a coward for that, then burn. If I can't convince you that you belong in this world, then I don't know what can. But do *not* expect me to watch. And *don't* expect me to mourn for you, because...
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Certain people hate this scene; certain others love it. Surprisingly (because I am not a Bangel fan), I loved it. Whether we like it or not, though, we have to admit that it plays a central part in the character arc of Angel. It's at this moment that he realizes that he might actually be able to do good, or at least that someone or something believes he can. Was it divine intervention? Who knows. Some called it cheesy; I thought it was beautiful. It's also one of the rare scenes in BtVS where David Boreanaz had to express a lot of painful emotions. Personally, I thought he did it wonderfully. It was about time that he stood up to Buffy! He was too often stoic and passionless. But during this scene, he was raw! It felt as if he had seen the light. He was wrong, obviously, but it was still great to see!
****NOMINEE #3****
''One Good Thing''
(Angel S3 Ep9 ~ Lullaby)
~~~~
Darla: This child, Angel, it's the one good thing we ever did together.
Darla: The only good thing.
Darla: You make sure to tell him that.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I was never a big fan of Darla (sorry, boss 😛 ). She got better on AtS, but even there she rarely held my interest. In her final two episodes, though, she started to grow on me. She finally became much more of a three-dimensional character. I started to feel that she might be worth saving, as Angel had apparently believed from the beginning. It's to my dismay, then, that she had to sacrifice herself for her baby. Still, it made for one awesome sequence. Personally, I rank this among the best scenes of both shows, and I know quite a few friends who have it as their favorite even!
Anyhow, has anyone noticed that, yet again, this dramatic moment takes place in an alley while it's raining? That's seriously a recurring thing on Angel! The show even ended in such a setting. 😱 But yea, the way Darla gave *birth* to her son was also a brilliant idea on the writers part. The prophecy was right after all. I just would have never guessed that it would play out like that! 😉 And Holtz's line at the end, ''I swore that I would show no mercy. And I won't.'' Chilling!
****NOMINEE #4****
''Why Can't I Stay?''
(Angel S5 Ep15 ~ A Hole In The World)
~~~~
Wesley: You have to fight. You don't have to talk, just concentrate on fighting. Just hold on.
Fred: I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared.
Fred: Please, Wesley, why can't I stay?
(she goes still as Wes holds her in his arms)
Wesley: Please... Please...
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Fred and Wesley. It took so long, but they finally got together. They are, without a doubt, one of my favorite pairings. As usual, Joss made sure a wonderful relationship didn't last too long. 🙂 The way Winifred dies, though... It's the saddest, most painful death on both shows for me. Even Buffy's death in 'The Gift' didn't bother me as much. The way Fred asks Wesley to read her a story... And how Wesley then has to hold her in his arms, literally watching her slowly wither and die while he can't do anything about it. It's just too much.
Wesley had gone through so much already and this seriously broke him for good, in my opinion. Adding insult to injury, the demon that killed Fred takes control of her body. That's enough to drive anyone to insanity, which Wesley displayed in the following episodes before settling down a little. In the end, though, this heartbreaking death brought us a great character in Illyria-- which, I guess, if the show had continued, could have proven to be a worthy exchange for Winifred.
****NOMINEE #5****
''Daddy is Home''
(Buffy S6 Ep21 ~ Two To Go)
~~~~
Willow: Buffy... I gotta tell ya... I get it now. The Slayer thing really isn't about the violence.
Willow: It's about the power.
Willow: And there's no one in the world with the power to stop me now.
(...)
Giles: I'd like to test that theory.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: What a glorious return for Rupert! Putting my anger at his departure aside, I missed Giles very much in the second half of S6; and thus, seeing him come back at the last moment to kick some ass was freaking awesome! 😀 Apparently he now had magical powers! Had he turned back to his old Ripper self?! How did he find out about what was going on in Sunnydale? Was he strong enough to square off with Dark Willow? So many questions! This was such a great cliffhanger. Oh, and"”a perfect line delivery. 🙂
****NOMINEE #6****
''I Heard You Sing''
(Angel S5 Ep22 ~ Not Fade Away)
~~~~
Lindsey: You kill me?
Lindsey: A flunky? I'm not just... Angel was to kill me. You? Angel...
Lorne: [sighs] Good night, folks.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: First thing first, poor Lorne. Oh! Poor Lorne. It was - and still is - hard for me to understand how Angel could instruct Lorne to carry out such a task. Not only do I personally think that it was not necessary for Angel to kill Lindsey, but the new boss of Wolfram & Hart knew very well that Lorne hated killing; he knew that Lorne despised it.
On a more neutral note, that scene was very shocking on the first viewing. I don't think there's one fan out there who expected it to happen-- which, I guess, explains why Angel sent Lorne and not someone else to do that job. Lindsey could have never seen it coming.
Finally, one thing that Lorne said to Lindsey still has me questioning its meaning: ''I've heard you sing.'' What did Lorne mean by that? Was he implying that he knew Lindsey would never be good? That Lindsey had plans to overthrow Angel afterward? Or, in a more surprising outcome, could he have said that in a painful tone because he actually *did* see the possibility for Lindsey to change? I guess we'll never know.
****NOMINEE #7****
''Simply Unacceptable!''
(Buffy S3 Ep22 ~ Graduation Day: Part II)
~~~~
Buffy: Hey! You remember this? I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut. Just slid in her like she was butter.
Buffy: You want to get it back from me, Dick?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Wasn't that line from Buffy perfect? 😀 I loved the delivery! Yet, I have to question how - realistically - The Mayor would still care about Faith while in snake form. Sure, he loved her as his daughter when he was human, but he was not that man anymore. In my honest opinion, his feelings should have been nullified/erased. But enough of that! This whole episode is full of great moments, this long sequence being one of the best. The students fighting The Mayor and his vampire squad with crossbows and flamethrowers, Wesley getting knocked out with one punch, Snyder meeting his end, Buffy running through the school chased by a gigantic snake... I've got to admit that I thought the special effects were great AT THE TIME, haha! And of course, Giles is the one who destroys the library. 🙂
****NOMINEE #8****
''I Don't Understand!''
(Buffy S5 Ep16 ~ The Body)
~~~~
Anya: I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore. It's stupid. It's mortal and stupid. And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Anya is definitely not among my favorites. She is usually too obnoxious for my taste. However, here she is great. She expresses what so many of us have felt at some point in our lives, when someone close to us departed from this earth: complete bewilderment. Her line delivery is perfect and she is rippling with emotion! It was a brilliantly played scene in one of the best episodes to ever air on television.
****NOMINEE #9****
''Mommy!''
(Buffy S5 Ep16 ~ The Body)
~~~~
Buffy: Mom! Mom! Mom Mom Mom!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: How awesome was SMG during this scene?! The shock and the drama felt so real. Maybe even a little TOO real for a show set in a world full of magic and monsters. By that point, Buffy had gone through a lot already during the season, and her previous conversations with April and Xander seemed to have boosted her morale way up"”apparently, just so she can fall down that much harder! Joss is such a jerk. 😉
Who expected Joyce to die like that? Nobody. I am still surprised that the death of a character that was not in the forefront of the story would be able to affect me so much. I think it was the way she died, and how much it affected Buffy, who usually seemed strong even in desperate times. Here, she completely loses it. In conclusion, this whole scene is heart-breaking and I'll never forget it.
****NOMINEE #10****
''The Big Moments''
(Buffy S2 Ep21 ~ Becoming: Part 1)
~~~~
Whistler: No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does.
Whistler: So what are we, helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come. You can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Who doesn't remember that monologue from Whistler? It is very fitting for "˜Becoming''s storyline: Buffy's life changes dramatically; what is she going to do now? Even for a strong young woman like her, it will take time to get back on her feet. Anyhow, I love the scene! I still don't really understand why Drusilla never used her hypnotic powers before if it made it that easy to kill a slayer, but sweet baby Jesus, all hell breaks loose in the good old library and the Scooby Gang is simply outmatched. And for ONCE, they didn't seem untouchable!
Was I sad to see Kendra go? Not really. She was (and this is my personal opinion) quite annoying, and she didn't develop as a character at all. She seemed to only be there for the purpose of demonstrating how different Buffy was from your typical slayer. I guess the goal was accomplished. Her death also gave Buffy one more reason to kill Angelus (about time, Buff). Honestly, though, the first time I saw the scene, I was worried about Willow most of all! Poor Will looked to be in real bad shape. 🙁 Overall, this was a powerful, poignant moment in the series.
****EXTRA NOMINEE (Wildcard #5)****
''Buffy, The Vampire Slayer''
(Buffy S3 Ep1 ~ Anne)
~~~~
Guard: Who are you?
Buffy: I'm Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. And you are?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is an iconic moment that I feel ashamed to have missed. Thanks to everyone for making sure my mistake was corrected. 😉 So, Buffy is in L.A. after having had the worst year of her young life. She's simply going through the motions *cough*, hoping that she'll somehow forget about her troubled past. Sadly, it appears like Buffy's inner goodness won't let her stay away from helping people for too long. Thus, shortly after meeting an old *friend*, Lily, she quickly ends up in the gist of things again.
Back to the scene in question now, I think this was the moment when our Slayer realized who she was. That smile on her face was definitely not good news for the baddies in that place. 🙂 The subsequent ass kickage was awesome and probably one of the best fighting scenes on BtVS.
