****NOMINEE #1****
''Adios, Queen C''
(Angel S5 Ep12 ~ You're Welcome)
~~~~
Cordelia: Oh, what the hell. One for the road?
*Angel and Cordelia exchange a kiss*
*the telephone rings*
Angel: You know, um... I don't... I don't need to get that.
Cordelia: That you have to get.
Cordelia: Oh... and you're welcome.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: They finally shared a real kiss! It took five years (and Cordy going through hell), but it actually happened. And it looked so natural. I know I'll piss off a lot of Bangel fans by saying this, but Cordelia was the perfect woman for Angel. 😉 Her quick appearance in S5 had a huge impact on him and on the rest of the season as a whole. During that kiss she shared a key vision with Angel! Anyway, this scene will always be quite emotional for me because of the abruptness of its ending. Just like that, Cordy is gone. 🙁 And it hurts even more considering that Joss and David didn't think it important enough to show us the rest of the gang's reaction to her death... What a load of bull. I'm glad we got to see the Queen Bee a last time, though.
****NOMINEE #2****
''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 #3****
''What Would Buffy Do?''
(Buffy S4 Ep1 ~ The Freshman)
~~~~
Xander: Buffy, I've gone through some fairly dark times in my life, faced some scary things, among them the kitchen at 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club.' Let me tell you something, when it's dark and I'm all alone and I'm scared or freaked out or whatever, I always think, 'What would Buffy do?' You're my hero. Ok, sometimes when it's dark and I'm all alone I think, 'What is Buffy wearing?'
Buffy: Can that be one of those things you never, ever, tell me about?
Xander: It's a deal. Let's put this bitch in the ground! What do you say?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is another case of Xander knowing just the right words to say to his friends. This speech will always stand out as one of my favorites on the show. It managed to be both hilarious and inspiring. Kudos, Xand-man, you're the king of pep talks (and sometimes the king of cretins)! The best part, in my opinion, is when he flat-out said that Buffy was his hero. It shouldn't be surprising, because what's surprising with someone telling a friend (who, by the way, has accomplished countless heroic feats) that he sees her as his hero? However, fiction in general has had us so used to the long-running cliché that only a woman will say such a thing to her - manly - savior. Here, we got the roles reversed: Xander, a man, declares his never-ending adoration for Buffy, a woman (who saved his arse quite a few times). Even though in a *perfect* world this shouldn't be unusual; in context, it makes his declaration THAT much more powerful and meaningful.
****NOMINEE #4****
''Shattered''
(Buffy S2 Ep17 ~ Passion)
~~~~
Giles: Hello?
Giles: Jenny?
Giles: It's me!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I've rarely felt so bad for a character. The way Angelus planned this was overwhelmingly cruel. He got Giles' hopes really high and then totally splattered them. Whatever you might think of Angelus, you got to admit he's one twisted ass**** when he wants to be. Everything, from the bottle of champagne to the opera singer singing ''O Soave Fanciulla'' in the background, made this scene completely heartbreaking. Name me one person who didn't feel something watching it and I can name you one cold-hearted bastard. 😉 😛
****NOMINEE #5****
''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 #6****
''Watch, Mock, and Laugh''
(Buffy S1 Ep9 ~ The Puppet Show)
~~~~
Buffy: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.
Giles: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Hahaha! In one hell of a good scene, Buffy finally gets back at Giles and his refusal to ever shut up about her *wonderful* destiny. Obviously, the best part in this scene is when Principal Snyder mocks the Gang. I knew right away that I was going to love this man. 😀 Sure, Flutie was funny at times, but Snyder was muuuuch better. Also, I have to mention how underrated this episode is. 😉 It's entertaining every time I watch it!
****NOMINEE #7****
''Family''
(Buffy S5 Ep6 ~ Family)
~~~~
Mr. Maclay: This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. *We* are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?
Buffy: We're family.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: What a precious moment! It was one of the rare shots of the whole Gang standing up together. What makes this REALLY amazing is that they were standing up for a girl that, not that long before, they claimed to not really understand.
Everyone shines during this, including Anya with her totally random arm rising to ask Tara's family, ''What kind of demon is she?'' Hahaha! And is there any character on the show that begs to get his face punched in as much as Tara's brother?! Thank you, Xander, for your perfect response to that total douchebag. 😉
****NOMINEE #8****
''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 #9****
''Exchange''
(Buffy S3 Ep19 ~ Choices)
~~~~
The Mayor: So you're the little girl that's been causing me all this trouble. She's pretty, Angel. A little skinny. Still don't understand why it couldn't work out with you and my Faith. Guess you kind of just have strange taste in women.
Angel: Well, what can I say? I like them sane.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Is it me, or is this the one scene with the most cast members present at the same time? There was a LOT of key characters from the 'Verse hanging around in that classroom, my friends! Anyhow, The Mayor showed, yet again, why he's such a lovable villain. He manages to make the whole thing seem like a funny exchange of prisoners, hahaha! Oh, and his speech to Angel... I loved it! As much as Angel and Buffy didn't want to accept it at first, he was right. The scene has its dark moments too! The bugs coming out from the Box of Gavrock were nightmares inducing.
My favorite part, though, was when Snyder said, ''You. All of you. Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?'' Hahahaha! Good old Snyder. Always had his ways to make us laugh until we have to catch our breath! 😛
****NOMINEE #10****
''Fiery Love''
(Buffy S7 Ep22 ~ Chosen)
~~~~
Buffy: I love you.
Spike: No, you don't. But thanks for saying it.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: ''I love you.'' How long have Spuffy fans across the world waited for Buffy to say these three words to Spike? "¦ Rhetorical question. 😉 Whenever I watch Chosen again, I can't help but be amazed at how far Spike had come. He went from edgy big bad to abandoned, lovesick puppy to useless laughing stock to crazy ensouled vampire"”all that to finally go out as a *hero*. Spike's path sure was rocky!
But it seems fitting that he would go out that way, considering that he sacrificed himself out of his love for Buffy, the woman he cherished. Spike - aka William - had always been one to want to impress the lady his heart desired. And damn, he sure impressed her this time around! 😛 However, who's to say that Buffy really meant what she said? This topic has been debated on many, many occasions on BB, and elsewhere, but the question still remains: did Buffy really mean it?
''Adios, Queen C''
(Angel S5 Ep12 ~ You're Welcome)
~~~~
Cordelia: Oh, what the hell. One for the road?
*Angel and Cordelia exchange a kiss*
*the telephone rings*
Angel: You know, um... I don't... I don't need to get that.
Cordelia: That you have to get.
Cordelia: Oh... and you're welcome.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: They finally shared a real kiss! It took five years (and Cordy going through hell), but it actually happened. And it looked so natural. I know I'll piss off a lot of Bangel fans by saying this, but Cordelia was the perfect woman for Angel. 😉 Her quick appearance in S5 had a huge impact on him and on the rest of the season as a whole. During that kiss she shared a key vision with Angel! Anyway, this scene will always be quite emotional for me because of the abruptness of its ending. Just like that, Cordy is gone. 🙁 And it hurts even more considering that Joss and David didn't think it important enough to show us the rest of the gang's reaction to her death... What a load of bull. I'm glad we got to see the Queen Bee a last time, though.
****NOMINEE #2****
''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 #3****
''What Would Buffy Do?''
(Buffy S4 Ep1 ~ The Freshman)
~~~~
Xander: Buffy, I've gone through some fairly dark times in my life, faced some scary things, among them the kitchen at 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club.' Let me tell you something, when it's dark and I'm all alone and I'm scared or freaked out or whatever, I always think, 'What would Buffy do?' You're my hero. Ok, sometimes when it's dark and I'm all alone I think, 'What is Buffy wearing?'
Buffy: Can that be one of those things you never, ever, tell me about?
Xander: It's a deal. Let's put this bitch in the ground! What do you say?
~~~~
Tome's commentary: This is another case of Xander knowing just the right words to say to his friends. This speech will always stand out as one of my favorites on the show. It managed to be both hilarious and inspiring. Kudos, Xand-man, you're the king of pep talks (and sometimes the king of cretins)! The best part, in my opinion, is when he flat-out said that Buffy was his hero. It shouldn't be surprising, because what's surprising with someone telling a friend (who, by the way, has accomplished countless heroic feats) that he sees her as his hero? However, fiction in general has had us so used to the long-running cliché that only a woman will say such a thing to her - manly - savior. Here, we got the roles reversed: Xander, a man, declares his never-ending adoration for Buffy, a woman (who saved his arse quite a few times). Even though in a *perfect* world this shouldn't be unusual; in context, it makes his declaration THAT much more powerful and meaningful.
****NOMINEE #4****
''Shattered''
(Buffy S2 Ep17 ~ Passion)
~~~~
Giles: Hello?
Giles: Jenny?
Giles: It's me!
~~~~
Tome's commentary: I've rarely felt so bad for a character. The way Angelus planned this was overwhelmingly cruel. He got Giles' hopes really high and then totally splattered them. Whatever you might think of Angelus, you got to admit he's one twisted ass**** when he wants to be. Everything, from the bottle of champagne to the opera singer singing ''O Soave Fanciulla'' in the background, made this scene completely heartbreaking. Name me one person who didn't feel something watching it and I can name you one cold-hearted bastard. 😉 😛
****NOMINEE #5****
''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 #6****
''Watch, Mock, and Laugh''
(Buffy S1 Ep9 ~ The Puppet Show)
~~~~
Buffy: Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.
Giles: If you had any shred of decency, you would have participated, or at least, um, helped.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Hahaha! In one hell of a good scene, Buffy finally gets back at Giles and his refusal to ever shut up about her *wonderful* destiny. Obviously, the best part in this scene is when Principal Snyder mocks the Gang. I knew right away that I was going to love this man. 😀 Sure, Flutie was funny at times, but Snyder was muuuuch better. Also, I have to mention how underrated this episode is. 😉 It's entertaining every time I watch it!
****NOMINEE #7****
''Family''
(Buffy S5 Ep6 ~ Family)
~~~~
Mr. Maclay: This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. *We* are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?
Buffy: We're family.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: What a precious moment! It was one of the rare shots of the whole Gang standing up together. What makes this REALLY amazing is that they were standing up for a girl that, not that long before, they claimed to not really understand.
Everyone shines during this, including Anya with her totally random arm rising to ask Tara's family, ''What kind of demon is she?'' Hahaha! And is there any character on the show that begs to get his face punched in as much as Tara's brother?! Thank you, Xander, for your perfect response to that total douchebag. 😉
****NOMINEE #8****
''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 #9****
''Exchange''
(Buffy S3 Ep19 ~ Choices)
~~~~
The Mayor: So you're the little girl that's been causing me all this trouble. She's pretty, Angel. A little skinny. Still don't understand why it couldn't work out with you and my Faith. Guess you kind of just have strange taste in women.
Angel: Well, what can I say? I like them sane.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: Is it me, or is this the one scene with the most cast members present at the same time? There was a LOT of key characters from the 'Verse hanging around in that classroom, my friends! Anyhow, The Mayor showed, yet again, why he's such a lovable villain. He manages to make the whole thing seem like a funny exchange of prisoners, hahaha! Oh, and his speech to Angel... I loved it! As much as Angel and Buffy didn't want to accept it at first, he was right. The scene has its dark moments too! The bugs coming out from the Box of Gavrock were nightmares inducing.
My favorite part, though, was when Snyder said, ''You. All of you. Why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?'' Hahahaha! Good old Snyder. Always had his ways to make us laugh until we have to catch our breath! 😛
****NOMINEE #10****
''Fiery Love''
(Buffy S7 Ep22 ~ Chosen)
~~~~
Buffy: I love you.
Spike: No, you don't. But thanks for saying it.
~~~~
Tome's commentary: ''I love you.'' How long have Spuffy fans across the world waited for Buffy to say these three words to Spike? "¦ Rhetorical question. 😉 Whenever I watch Chosen again, I can't help but be amazed at how far Spike had come. He went from edgy big bad to abandoned, lovesick puppy to useless laughing stock to crazy ensouled vampire"”all that to finally go out as a *hero*. Spike's path sure was rocky!
But it seems fitting that he would go out that way, considering that he sacrificed himself out of his love for Buffy, the woman he cherished. Spike - aka William - had always been one to want to impress the lady his heart desired. And damn, he sure impressed her this time around! 😛 However, who's to say that Buffy really meant what she said? This topic has been debated on many, many occasions on BB, and elsewhere, but the question still remains: did Buffy really mean it?
