"Becoming, Part II"

Written by Joss Whedon
Directed by Joss Whedon


In which Buffy’s world is stripped away, layer by layer, as Angelus comes ever closer to unleashing Acathla, forcing the Slayer to make a terrible sacrifice...

Synopsis - Analysis - Memorable Quotes - Observations


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Synopsis

For the synopsis, please see the one provided at The Complete Buffy Episode Guide.


Analysis

In the first half of “Becoming”, Buffy had her friends stripped away in a vicious attack, just as Angelus hatched his latest plot to suck the world into demonic hell. Spinning out of the death of Kendra and the mass of injuries to the rest of the gang (not to mention Giles’ abduction), the stage is set for Buffy to lose everything else she holds dear.

As events spiral more and more out of control, it’s amazing to consider that much of it was foreshadowed early in the season. Buffy herself chose to reject her friends, family, and Angel in the wake of her death at the Master’s hands, and then spent the first half of the season learning how valuable and vital those assets are to her life and continued existence. With the return of Angelus, however, those assets have been under constant assault.

The blows just keep coming, right from the start. If there was ever any doubt that the police were intentionally allowing certain activities to take place at the behest of the Mayor, this episode effectively proves the point. Snyder and the police use Kendra’s death (despite the lack of evidence or weapons) to accuse Buffy of murder, instantly setting her at complete odds with the rest of society.

In a matter of moments, Buffy finds out that Willow is suffering from head trauma and Giles is missing. Buffy’s history of violence finally gets to the point that Joyce can’t ignore it anymore. And to make it worse, Buffy learns that Angel was sent to Sunnydale to help Buffy prevent the rise of Acathla…only their love affair broke the curse and brought the entire crisis about!

This particular nuance is interesting in light of recent events on “Angel”, where it is hinted that Angel was manipulated by a higher power named Jasmine, who wanted to be incarnated as a goddess on Earth. Many of Angel’s decisions and actions were vital to that plan, not the least of which is Angel’s eventual move from Sunnydale to Los Angeles. That move is a direct consequence of Angelus’ return, so it stands to reason that Jasmine used her guise as “The Powers That Be” to manipulate Whistler into sending Angel into Buffy’s orbit.

At the same time, Whistler perfectly explains the point of view of the Powers. Both Buffy and Angel are following the guidance of some higher authority, even if it’s clearer in Angel’s case. In many situations, it seems as though those Powers leave the Slayer and the Champion on their own, regardless of how critical a situation might be. But as Whistler says, the Powers believe that in the end, a person can only be directed and lead to those critical moments. In the end, it still comes down to individuals making the right choices at the right time…including sacrifice.

Continuing with the laundry list of stunning developments, mention has to be made of the perfect decision to give Spike the chance to become a long-term character. While Spike wouldn’t become a regular until the fourth season, this episode is one of the defining moments for the character. It had been clear from earlier episodes that he prefers the anarchy of chaos on Earth to the end of the world. However, now he chooses to side with Buffy.

All of which spills into the much-anticipated moment when Joyce learns that Buffy is the Slayer, which turns out about as well as one might expect. Spike’s presence only makes things worse, because Joyce likely associates Spike with the events in “School Hard”. Already on the defensive, Joyce is reminded how close Buffy came to being killed. What’s worse, Spike and Buffy open discuss matters of violence and death so casually that Joyce can’t help but react as she does.

Just that quickly, Buffy’s world is turned completely upside down. Her friends are wounded, her future is essentially moot, and her mother makes her choose saving the world over having a place to live. As if that weren’t enough, Joyce approaches by telling Buffy she needs help, which in light of the later episode “Normal Again”, takes on a far more disturbing context. Buffy has to be thinking that Joyce intends to send her to an institution again.

By the time Buffy’s against the ropes, events are already rushing towards the tragic conclusion. Willow begins working on the spell to restore Angel, while Drusilla tricks Giles into revealing the secret of Acathla’s awakening in what is easily one of the more effective moments of the series.

Perhaps the most critical moment of the entire episode, however, is Xander’s betrayal. In one short moment, all of Xander’s resentment and jealousy of Angel comes to fruition. Instead of giving Buffy a reason to hope by telling her about Willow’s renewed efforts to restore Angel, he tells her that everyone is pushing for Angel’s death. Considering how pivotal his decision becomes, one would think that it would become a major source of future contention. Unfortunately, it is barely referred to again.

In the wake of everything else that happens earlier in the episode, the final confrontation is almost cut and dry. Spike gets his end of the deal, “living” to see another day. Xander manages to release Giles, leaving only Angelus and Buffy for their final battle. That’s the moment that the episode reaches its high point, even if the swordplay is relatively tame. What matters are the emotions involved.

If Buffy was unable to truly reconcile the fact that she must do whatever it takes to save the world, her final battle with Angelus drives the point home. As Whistler told her, it always comes down to a person doing what needs to be done, and this time, Buffy is that person. Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier when she realizes, too late, that Angel has been restored.

The final scene between Angel and Buffy is absolutely heart-wrenching. Because of the circumstances, it doesn’t strike quite so hard to the bone as the reaction to Jenny’s death, but in many ways, it completes in Buffy’s heart what Jenny’s death began. After all, every other loss since the beginning of “Becoming” was something inflicted on Buffy by others; the final stroke is dealt by Buffy herself.

In many ways, the final events are so powerful that the short denouement for the season is disappointing. That said, it’s well done, and it reveals something of Buffy’s character at this point in her life. Throughout the series, Buffy’s greatest weakness is her penchant for running from situations that leave her emotionally scarred. What changes is the manner in which she detaches from her world.

This season was about the price of being the Slayer, in terms of friends, family, and loved ones. Ultimately, Buffy is left to discover who she is. It’s not just about who she is as Buffy, but rather, what it means for her to be a Slayer. Just as the second season addressed how Buffy learns the price of trying to live a normal life as the Slayer, the third season naturally takes it to the next step, forcing Buffy to see what she might have been without that normal life.

Even with some minor flaws, this is easily one of the best season finales in the course of the series. In terms of a season arc, it wasn’t always as strong as it could have been, but it was certainly ambitious. The series would never quite manage to meld character and plot arcs as neatly as it is done here. For this and many other reasons, this is typically considered to be one of the best, if not the best, season of the show. This episode stands as the perfect bookend to that effort.


Memorable Quotes

BUFFY: “OK, that was about equal parts protecting me and copping a feel, right?”

BUFFY: “If you’re gonna crack jokes, then I’m gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat.”

SPIKE: “I want to save the world!”

SPIKE: “Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs…”

JOYCE: “Have we met?”
SPIKE: “Um…you hit me with an axe one time. Uh, ‘get the hell away from my daughter’…”
JOYCE: “Oh. So, do you live here in town?”

JOYCE: “It’s because you didn’t have a strong father figure, isn’t it?”

OZ: “OK, I pretty much missed out on some stuff, didn’t I? Because this is all making a kind of sense that’s…not…”

GILES: “In order to be worthy…”
ANGELUS: “Yeah?”
GILES: “You must perform the ritual…in a tutu. Pillock!”
ANGELUS: “All right. Someone get the chainsaw!”

SNYDER: “In case you haven’t notice, the police of Sunnydale are deeply stupid…”

BUFFY: “I got nothing left to lose.”
WHISTLER: “Wrong, kid. Ya got one more thing…”

XANDER: “Cavalry’s here. Cavalry’s a frightened guy with a rock, but it’s here…”

GILES: “Xander?”
XANDER: “Can you walk?”
GILES: “You’re not real.”
XANDER: “Sure I’m real.”
GILES: “It’s a trick. They get inside my head, make me see things I want.”
XANDER: “Then why would they make you see me?”
GILES: (pause) “You’re right. Let’s go…”

ANGEL: “What’s happening?”
BUFFY: “Shh…don’t worry about it. I love you.”
ANGEL: “I love you.”
BUFFY: “Close your eyes…”


Observations

- Those pants make Buffy look like an anorexic...

- Whistler isn’t being completely honest with Buffy, since it’s clear that Angel was meant to care about Buffy when Whistler pointed her out last episode!

- Could Buffy be more shocked when Spike comes to her aid?

- One interesting question: if Spike doesn’t want to destroy the world, wouldn’t bringing back the Judge in “Surprise” and “Innocence” go against that philosophy? Except, of course, he’s not the one sharing in Dru’s little games this time...

- Xander looks so heartbroken when Willow calls for Oz...and then he totally destroys all sympathy I had for him when he betrays Buffy!

- The funny thing is, James Marsters actually in a singer in a rock band: “Ghost of the Robot”!

- It’s great watching Joyce flinch with every punch as the vampire attacks...

- Um, Buffy, you just gave Spike permission to enter your house...

- Spike celebrating Dru’s killing of Kendra, right in front of Joyce...outstanding in its absurdity!

- So who feels weird about the fact that most mothers react the same to dirty dishes as Buffy being the Slayer?

- Buffy’s little speech to Joyce is the perfect synopsis of everything that she has learned over the course of the season, and mentions many of the things she thought she could have during the first season...

- Love Willow’s “resolve face”!

- If there was ever any doubt about Giles’ inner strength, this episode delivers the answer in spades...

- Another sign that the library is over the Hellmouth: Kendra’s amazingly mobile tape outline!

- Drusilla’s little hypnotic trick is just plain cruel, and rips open the wound of Jenny’s death in so many ways...especially the reprise of the “Passion” theme...

- Watching this again, from the perspective of the fifth season of “Angel”, just underscores how deeply antagonistic the relationship between Angel and Spike is!

- It’s pathetic how obvious it is that the stunt doubles were fighting in many of the wide angle shots during the swordfight...I mean, David’s double has completely different hair...

- Willow’s possession is very well done!

- Some fans believe that Willow is being possessed by Jenny in this scene, though of course, who can be sure?

- Big error: how exactly does Spike manage to suffocate Drusilla, when vampires don’t need to breathe?

- For an unconscious vampire, Dru does a great job holding onto Spike’s shoulder!

- During the scene where Spike drives out of town again, he makes a hard left turn...and then holds it for several seconds...meaning he’s driving in a circle!

- The look on Buffy’s face when she sees Acathla opening the door to the demon dimension, knowing what her only choice must be, is one of the defining moments of the series...

- The perfect symmetry, of course, being that Darla told Angel to close his eyes just before she killed him and metaphorically sent him to Hell...and now Buffy is forced to do the same!

- The use of Sarah McLachlan’s “Full of Grace” at the end of the episode is a masterstroke, from the tone of the music to the lyrical relevance...

- In what would be an unusual move, the Mutant Enemy at the very end of the episode foregoes the usual “Grr, Arrgh!” with “Oh, I need a hug...”!

Overall, this episode is a primer in how to craft a season finale without resorting to gratuitous deaths or unjustified plot twists. As the final act of an expertly crafted tapestry of character and plot arcs, this is the benchmark that the series would be judged against for every season to come. Emotionally draining and stunning, this powerfully displays how far Joss Whedon had come since the inception of the series.

I give it a 10/10.


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