****NOMINEE #1****
''Growing Up''
(Buffy S2 Ep7 ~ Lie To Me)
~~~~
Buffy: Does it ever get easy?
Giles: You mean life?
Buffy: Yeah. Does it get easy?
Giles: What do you want me to say?
Buffy: Lie to me.
Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple.
Giles: The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are
easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we
always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody
lives happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I love this conversation between our Slayer and her Watcher. Buffy is steadily growing up during this season, and this is an important moment in the process. She realizes that the bad guys aren't always going to be *bad*. Her old friend was in a very difficult situation and I, myself, don't know what I'd have done in his place. What's funny, though, is that Giles says, ''We always defeat them and save the day,'' which is apparently supposed to be part of the lie; but it's what Buffy and the gang always do: They save the day! Never did they fail. 😛
****NOMINEE #2****
''Insecurities Exposed''
(Buffy S4 Ep20 ~ The Yoko Factor)
~~~~
Xander: And if I did join the army, I'd be great! You know why? 'Cause they might give me a job that couldn't be done by any well-trained border collie.
Giles: That's it. I'm going to bed.
Willow: No, you'd do wonderful in the army. Hey, do you think the umbilical cord between you and Anya can stretch that far?
Xander: I knew it! I knew you hated her!
Willow: Look, I'm not the one being judgmental here. I'll leave that territory to you and Buffy.
Buffy: Judgmental? If I was anymore open-minded about the choices you two make my whole brain would fall out!
Xander: Oh! And superior. Don't forget that. Just because you're better than us doesn't mean that you can be all superior!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is such a great scene! I think it's the sequence in BtVS I've rewatched the most. Everything in it is hilarious. It's hard to beat Giles being drunk, but Xander making a total fool of himself is just wondrous. 😛 We all saw how the Scooby Gang was getting further and further away from each other through the season, and so this confrontation was long overdue. Like a certain crazy man with makeup once said, ''Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push!'' And that's what Spike did: he gave them all a little push. 😉
****NOMINEE #3****
''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 #4****
''Me''
(Buffy S2 Ep22 ~ Becoming: Part 2)
~~~~
Angelus: Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends... No
hope.
Angelus: Take all that away... and what's left?
Buffy: Me.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This must be one of the most self-empowering moment ever on television. No, I'm not exaggerating! It's also one of the defining moments for the character of Buffy: Even though she has lost almost everything, she still goes on fighting; she is still strong. Angelus loves to break human beings from the inside, break their souls, and he thought he had accomplished that with Buffy. Sadly (for him), he was wrong. 😉 And no, you don't have to be a woman to feel empowered by this scene. Buffy always stood out to me as a very good model for anybody. Despite her flaws and her shortcomings, she is a strong, smart, courageous, compassionate, loving individual who always fights through what life throws at her! How is that not something to look up to?
****NOMINEE #5****
''The Guy Who Fixes the Windows''
(Buffy S7 Ep12 ~ Potential)
~~~~
Xander: They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Speaking of flawed individuals, I present to you: Xander Harris, the guy who fixes the windows. Xander is well known for repeatedly making an ass out of himself, but for some unknown reason, most of the fan base (myself included) still love him. 😉 I think this scene explains why. Xander never had any special powers: he's the everyday man (or woman 😉 ). Even though it's possible to put ourselves in the characters-with-supernatural-powers' shoes (Buffy, Oz, Willow), it's much easier to relate to Xander. At least, I think that it was the reason why I often associated with him. Xander's outlook on his role in the gang was how I imagined I would feel if my friends included witches, werewolves and Slayers! 😱
Anyhow, in this wonderfully touching scene, Xander reminds Dawn that she isn't the only one who isn't *chosen* or *special*. He knows how she feels. It's a quiet and personal moment between them, and I think it earned its place on the list. I still wonder, though: Why did he never take martial arts classes? If my life was in the balance every other night, I would make sure to be properly trained. 😉
****NOMINEE #6****
''Murderous Rage''
(Angel S3 Ep17 ~ Forgiving)
~~~~
Angel: You took my son. YOU TOOK MY SON!
Angel: I'll kill you! You're dead! You're a dead man, Pryce! You're dead! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! You're a dead man! Dead! Dead!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Wow. All I can say is: wow! The first time I saw that scene, I was speechless. I've got to admit I still am quite shocked when I watch it again. This is, in my opinion, one of the most intense scenes in the 'Verse.
Let me start by saying that I was - and still am - of the opinion that Wesley acted for the best with what he knew at the time. Yes I know, he could have went to Gunn or Fred about it all; but at that point, he was feeling detached from the rest of the gang. Maybe calling Cordelia would have been good. Who knows? He took it on himself to protect Connor, and it backfired terribly. However, he cared about Angel and his son, that much is certain.
Anyhow, back to the point. Angel hid his rage so well before that scene that when he exploded, it was stunning. Angel had rarely shown such a sudden outburst, and definitely never towards a friend like Wes. His screaming still resonates in my head: ''DEAD! DEAD!''
****NOMINEE #7****
''Goodbye, Wesleh''
(Angel S5 Ep22 ~ Not Fade Away)
~~~~
Illyria: Would you like me to lie to you now?
Wesley: Yes. Thank you. Yes.
Fred: Oh, Wesley. My Wesley.
Wesley: Fred. I've missed you.
Fred: It's gonna be ok. It won't hurt much longer, and then you'll be where I am.
Fred: We'll be together.
Wesley: I... I love you.
Fred: I love you. My love. Oh, my love.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Aaaargh! Can you believe that I spoiled myself on Wesley's death as early as in Season 1? It was an accident, but knowing that he would die had me growingly sad through the show because Wes became more and more interesting. Luckily for me he died in the last episode, so I didn't miss him for long. 😛 But yes, this scene was very emotional. The whole ''Would you like me to lie to you now?'' strangely reminded me of the exchange between Buffy and Giles in 'Lie to Me.' Wesley was dying and at that point I don't think he cared if it was really Fred talking to him or not. All he wanted was to see her. To my surprise, Illyria showed some compassion by playing along with it. Had she begun to like him? Was there affection between a powerful ancient demon and a humble, broken man? After all, it was he who *mentored* her as she returned to a world she knew nothing about. It's too bad that the show ended quickly after she made her debut, because she would have been, without a doubt, a very interesting character.
****NOMINEE #8****
''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 #9****
''Teacher Makes Three''
(Buffy S2 Ep17 ~ Passion)
~~~~
Angelus: Sorry, Jenny, this is where you get off.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: ''Wow.'' That's what I remember thinking the first time I saw this scene. I wasn't used to Joss killing his characters yet, and so having lovely Jenny getting her neck snapped by Angelus was a big shocker. I had grown confident that the show would be quite tame and that it would keep its important characters alive no matter what. Was I in for a surprise! 😛 Anyhow, the scene was really intense. I really bought Jenny's fear through the whole sequence, and I kept hoping that Giles or someone would show up (yeah, I was young and hopeful 😛 ). Also, it's really at this moment that I realized Angelus was an actual threat to the Scoobies. Up to that point he had been more of a nuisance than anything else. It was high time Buffy acted and staked that sadistic, psycho vampire!
****NOMINEE #10****
''She's Really Gone''
(Buffy S5 Ep17 ~ Forever)
~~~~
Buffy: And I'm trying. Dawn, I am, I am really trying to take care of things, but I don't even know what I'm doing. Mom always knew.
Dawn: Nobody's asking you to be Mom.
Buffy: Well, who's gonna be if I'm not? Huh, Dawn? Have you even thought about that? Who's gonna make things better? Who's gonna take care of us?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: That was the scene that really cemented Buffy and Dawn's relationship for me. It's when they realized that all they had now was each other. Dawn, to my surprise, was the one who broke the spell. She realized at the last minute that Buffy was as traumatized as her by their mom's death, and that bringing her - or whatever was heading to their door - back would only make everything that more painful.
I still am curious, though. What would have Joyce looked like? Would she have been just like Buffy in "˜Bargaining'? Or would she have possibly turned out much worse?!
Anyhow, back to the scene at hand. When the two sisters crumbled into each other's arms, I only wished I could have been there to hug them both. 🙁
''Growing Up''
(Buffy S2 Ep7 ~ Lie To Me)
~~~~
Buffy: Does it ever get easy?
Giles: You mean life?
Buffy: Yeah. Does it get easy?
Giles: What do you want me to say?
Buffy: Lie to me.
Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple.
Giles: The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are
easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we
always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody
lives happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I love this conversation between our Slayer and her Watcher. Buffy is steadily growing up during this season, and this is an important moment in the process. She realizes that the bad guys aren't always going to be *bad*. Her old friend was in a very difficult situation and I, myself, don't know what I'd have done in his place. What's funny, though, is that Giles says, ''We always defeat them and save the day,'' which is apparently supposed to be part of the lie; but it's what Buffy and the gang always do: They save the day! Never did they fail. 😛
****NOMINEE #2****
''Insecurities Exposed''
(Buffy S4 Ep20 ~ The Yoko Factor)
~~~~
Xander: And if I did join the army, I'd be great! You know why? 'Cause they might give me a job that couldn't be done by any well-trained border collie.
Giles: That's it. I'm going to bed.
Willow: No, you'd do wonderful in the army. Hey, do you think the umbilical cord between you and Anya can stretch that far?
Xander: I knew it! I knew you hated her!
Willow: Look, I'm not the one being judgmental here. I'll leave that territory to you and Buffy.
Buffy: Judgmental? If I was anymore open-minded about the choices you two make my whole brain would fall out!
Xander: Oh! And superior. Don't forget that. Just because you're better than us doesn't mean that you can be all superior!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is such a great scene! I think it's the sequence in BtVS I've rewatched the most. Everything in it is hilarious. It's hard to beat Giles being drunk, but Xander making a total fool of himself is just wondrous. 😛 We all saw how the Scooby Gang was getting further and further away from each other through the season, and so this confrontation was long overdue. Like a certain crazy man with makeup once said, ''Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push!'' And that's what Spike did: he gave them all a little push. 😉
****NOMINEE #3****
''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 #4****
''Me''
(Buffy S2 Ep22 ~ Becoming: Part 2)
~~~~
Angelus: Now that's everything, huh? No weapons... No friends... No
hope.
Angelus: Take all that away... and what's left?
Buffy: Me.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This must be one of the most self-empowering moment ever on television. No, I'm not exaggerating! It's also one of the defining moments for the character of Buffy: Even though she has lost almost everything, she still goes on fighting; she is still strong. Angelus loves to break human beings from the inside, break their souls, and he thought he had accomplished that with Buffy. Sadly (for him), he was wrong. 😉 And no, you don't have to be a woman to feel empowered by this scene. Buffy always stood out to me as a very good model for anybody. Despite her flaws and her shortcomings, she is a strong, smart, courageous, compassionate, loving individual who always fights through what life throws at her! How is that not something to look up to?
****NOMINEE #5****
''The Guy Who Fixes the Windows''
(Buffy S7 Ep12 ~ Potential)
~~~~
Xander: They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Speaking of flawed individuals, I present to you: Xander Harris, the guy who fixes the windows. Xander is well known for repeatedly making an ass out of himself, but for some unknown reason, most of the fan base (myself included) still love him. 😉 I think this scene explains why. Xander never had any special powers: he's the everyday man (or woman 😉 ). Even though it's possible to put ourselves in the characters-with-supernatural-powers' shoes (Buffy, Oz, Willow), it's much easier to relate to Xander. At least, I think that it was the reason why I often associated with him. Xander's outlook on his role in the gang was how I imagined I would feel if my friends included witches, werewolves and Slayers! 😱
Anyhow, in this wonderfully touching scene, Xander reminds Dawn that she isn't the only one who isn't *chosen* or *special*. He knows how she feels. It's a quiet and personal moment between them, and I think it earned its place on the list. I still wonder, though: Why did he never take martial arts classes? If my life was in the balance every other night, I would make sure to be properly trained. 😉
****NOMINEE #6****
''Murderous Rage''
(Angel S3 Ep17 ~ Forgiving)
~~~~
Angel: You took my son. YOU TOOK MY SON!
Angel: I'll kill you! You're dead! You're a dead man, Pryce! You're dead! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! You're a dead man! Dead! Dead!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Wow. All I can say is: wow! The first time I saw that scene, I was speechless. I've got to admit I still am quite shocked when I watch it again. This is, in my opinion, one of the most intense scenes in the 'Verse.
Let me start by saying that I was - and still am - of the opinion that Wesley acted for the best with what he knew at the time. Yes I know, he could have went to Gunn or Fred about it all; but at that point, he was feeling detached from the rest of the gang. Maybe calling Cordelia would have been good. Who knows? He took it on himself to protect Connor, and it backfired terribly. However, he cared about Angel and his son, that much is certain.
Anyhow, back to the point. Angel hid his rage so well before that scene that when he exploded, it was stunning. Angel had rarely shown such a sudden outburst, and definitely never towards a friend like Wes. His screaming still resonates in my head: ''DEAD! DEAD!''
****NOMINEE #7****
''Goodbye, Wesleh''
(Angel S5 Ep22 ~ Not Fade Away)
~~~~
Illyria: Would you like me to lie to you now?
Wesley: Yes. Thank you. Yes.
Fred: Oh, Wesley. My Wesley.
Wesley: Fred. I've missed you.
Fred: It's gonna be ok. It won't hurt much longer, and then you'll be where I am.
Fred: We'll be together.
Wesley: I... I love you.
Fred: I love you. My love. Oh, my love.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Aaaargh! Can you believe that I spoiled myself on Wesley's death as early as in Season 1? It was an accident, but knowing that he would die had me growingly sad through the show because Wes became more and more interesting. Luckily for me he died in the last episode, so I didn't miss him for long. 😛 But yes, this scene was very emotional. The whole ''Would you like me to lie to you now?'' strangely reminded me of the exchange between Buffy and Giles in 'Lie to Me.' Wesley was dying and at that point I don't think he cared if it was really Fred talking to him or not. All he wanted was to see her. To my surprise, Illyria showed some compassion by playing along with it. Had she begun to like him? Was there affection between a powerful ancient demon and a humble, broken man? After all, it was he who *mentored* her as she returned to a world she knew nothing about. It's too bad that the show ended quickly after she made her debut, because she would have been, without a doubt, a very interesting character.
****NOMINEE #8****
''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 #9****
''Teacher Makes Three''
(Buffy S2 Ep17 ~ Passion)
~~~~
Angelus: Sorry, Jenny, this is where you get off.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: ''Wow.'' That's what I remember thinking the first time I saw this scene. I wasn't used to Joss killing his characters yet, and so having lovely Jenny getting her neck snapped by Angelus was a big shocker. I had grown confident that the show would be quite tame and that it would keep its important characters alive no matter what. Was I in for a surprise! 😛 Anyhow, the scene was really intense. I really bought Jenny's fear through the whole sequence, and I kept hoping that Giles or someone would show up (yeah, I was young and hopeful 😛 ). Also, it's really at this moment that I realized Angelus was an actual threat to the Scoobies. Up to that point he had been more of a nuisance than anything else. It was high time Buffy acted and staked that sadistic, psycho vampire!
****NOMINEE #10****
''She's Really Gone''
(Buffy S5 Ep17 ~ Forever)
~~~~
Buffy: And I'm trying. Dawn, I am, I am really trying to take care of things, but I don't even know what I'm doing. Mom always knew.
Dawn: Nobody's asking you to be Mom.
Buffy: Well, who's gonna be if I'm not? Huh, Dawn? Have you even thought about that? Who's gonna make things better? Who's gonna take care of us?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: That was the scene that really cemented Buffy and Dawn's relationship for me. It's when they realized that all they had now was each other. Dawn, to my surprise, was the one who broke the spell. She realized at the last minute that Buffy was as traumatized as her by their mom's death, and that bringing her - or whatever was heading to their door - back would only make everything that more painful.
I still am curious, though. What would have Joyce looked like? Would she have been just like Buffy in "˜Bargaining'? Or would she have possibly turned out much worse?!
Anyhow, back to the scene at hand. When the two sisters crumbled into each other's arms, I only wished I could have been there to hug them both. 🙁
