Teaser

33A) ...Galway, Ireland, 1753. WHAT'S YOUR AGE, AGAIN?: "In Halloween, Willow said Angel was still human in 1775 (see 18CC), and in Becoming it shows him being vamped in 1753. [Here's Joss on the issue:] 'Let me clear up this whole timeline confusion once and for all. People seem to be tripping over themselves and the explanation is really not all that complicated. So, for the record. I suck at math' (joss, Oct 13 22:27 1998)."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!: "From http://www.restlessbtvs.com/episodes/season2/21becoming1/index.html: '...[T]he Galway in this episode is a small village. That would seem to rule out the possibility of Angel coming from Galway City--the city of Galway, even back in the 1500s to 1600s, was a good-sized metropolis, with stone walls dating back to medieval times, Spanish arches, tower houses, town houses and museums. (http://www.galwaycity.ie/content/tribes.asp). Furthermore, Galway has long been known as "The Capital of the West of Ireland".'

From http://www.galwaycity.ie/content/galway_history.asp: 'Contemporary writers describe Galway in the 16th century as a compact, well laid out town with fourteen ramparts, including Shoemakers and Penrices Towers (recently excavated in the Eyre Square Centre), and a corresponding number of gates. There were also fourteen principal streets. The architectural flavour of the city is described well by Sir Oliver St. John in 1614:

"The towne is small, but all is faire and statelie buildings, the front of the houses are all of hewed stone, uppe to the top, garnished with faire battlement, in a uniform course, as if the whole town had been built upon one model. It is built upon a rock, environed almost with the sea, and the river; compassed with a strong walls and good defenses after the ancient manner..."

This was the city besieged by the Cromwellian forces in July 1651. Blockaded from the sea by units of the strongest navy in the world, blocked from the land and with a population of around 6,000, swollen by refugees fleeing from the advancing English forces, with famine threatening and dissent forming among the merchant families and clerical ranks, Galway surrendered to Cootes garrison in April 1652. Although the terms of the surrender granted by Coote were quite liberal, it soon became apparent that the people had been duped and the Dublin Commissioners had other plans for the fate of the city. The intolerable burden of a monthly contribution of £400, the large scale seizure of women and young girls for dispatch to the Barbadoes, the seizure of goods and confiscation of houses in lieu of the monthly payment and the ceaseless onslaught on all the property and personnel of the church...

Finally the Government grew anxious about the ruin being wrought in Galway and the sought in 1656 to accelerate the replanting of the town with a Protestant English population. Despite their efforts, and those of Cromwell himself, the plantation did not materialize and Galway was left derelict and in decay.During the following centuries, Galway did not regain its former splendor. Very little rebuilding of note took place. The town walls gradually decayed and were demolished and there is an absence of Georgian architecture, of prevalent in other Irish cities Dublin and Limerick. Nevertheless, the population of the city increased during the 18th and 19th centuries.'

So Galway City would have been a city struggling to recover in the early to mid-eighteenth century. Most likely, it would have been in the throes of a depression or recession. The logical conclusion, judging from the sets in this and other episodes of Buffy and Angel that show this part of Angel's past, is that Angel is not from the CITY of Galway, but from a small village in COUNTY Galway."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33B) "There's moments in your life that make you, that set the course of who you're gonna be." PRODUCTION NOTES: When this episode first aired on May 12, 1998, there were several subtle differences in the first scene, including Angel doing the opening narration instead of Whistler. The altered scene with Whistler was shown in all subsequent reruns and even on the DVD sets, meaning that that is Joss' definitive cut. He probably thought it gave greater symmetry to the episode. Someone else taking over Angel's voice-overs had already been used effectively in Passion (see 29Sx4).--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42, paraphrased and added to by Rob

MAIN THEME FROM "BECOMING": "Whistler’s words, the visuals accompanying them suggest that this episode is about how Angel became who he is. Is he a victim of chance? Of fate? And the larger question – do our circumstances determine who we are, who we become, or is there a basic core of self beneath it all? The twist in this two-part episode, one that starts to become apparent with Whistler’s second bit of narration that closes this episode, is that we are wrong to think it’s all about Angel. It was never all about him, it’s about Buffy, the person she is and the person she’s becoming."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02 See 33Jx6.

"The first moment of decision is Angel's, back in his pre-vampire youth, as, thinking himself a clever rogue, he drops into something way over his head. The sudden drop into the past, which Angel has described, but which we've never seen, gives this episode and the next an epic feel, a sense of the long history behind the current moment. Up until now, the show has been something very much of the moment, with past history something Buffy rebels against or contradicts. Now, with Angel/Angelus, it becomes important, and Angel himself much more than just a handsome mystery."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

33C) "We'll sneak in and take some of me father's silver. He'll never miss it. He eats with his hands, the pig." LIAM AND FATHER: Liam's horrible relationship with his father, who considers him a failure, will be explored more fully on Angel episodes such as The Prodigal.

HISTORICAL GOODNESS: "Angel's father must have been fairly well off to have silver in the first place, as Ireland during the mid-1700s was going through rough economic times. From http://www1.xe.net/~mbone/webtree/history-ir.htm#m17: 'Economic hardships plague Ireland in the mid 1700's and the internalized harvest-dependant economy keeps Ireland on the brink of calamity. Low prices cause a bank failure in 1733 and famine strikes in 1740 causing bread riots in Dublin. The next year brings dysentery and 400,000 die in the year of the slaughter. The suggestion to cultivate the sturdier corn is met by calls of unfair competition from Britain, and famine returns in 1744 reducing the poor to eating grass...An opposition group in the Irish Parliament known as the "patriots", pushes for greater independence from Great Britain. They succeed in embarrassing the crown government, especially in 1753, when their influence causes the rejection of a Money Bill which would have given the King the right to dispose of surplus revenue.'

According to Blind Date and The Prodigal, Angel was the son of a Catholic silk-and-linen merchant. From http://ficbitch.com/peasants_plot/TheGate_HistoryOfTheAurelianVampires.html: 'Galway at this date was one of the poorest regions of Ireland. The linen trade, which earlier in the century had been amongst the most profitable businesses in the country, was by 1753 entering a serious decline as the cotton industry took off in England. It is therefore highly likely that Liam’s family suffered a fall in their standard of living throughout his life. Which would explain a lot.'

It was also not a good time to be Catholic in Ireland. From http://www.rte.ie/culture/millennia//history/1201.html: 'The first penal laws were enacted in 1695 and prohibited Catholics from educating their children either at home or abroad, joining the army, bearing arms, or owning a horse which was worth more than £5. Catholics were also forbidden to participate in public life including having posts in parliament or government offices. A series of regulations restricting Catholic land ownership managed to reduce the portion of land held by Irish Catholics from 14% after the Williamite confiscation to 5% by 1778. To avoid the restrictions implemented by the Penal Laws, many Catholic landowners and professionals converted to the Church of Ireland during this period. For landowners the situation was made more difficult as the eldest son could only inherit the entire estate if he became a Protestant. If he remained a Catholic, the land would be divided equally amongst the male heirs. As a result, Catholic estates shrank rapidly.'

Angel's father owns his own house, and, as we will learn later in Angel, the Series, his own business. However, the family is struggling financially--they have only one servant, Anna, a maid of all work. This would tell anyone of their social class that they could not afford the servant hierarchy custom demanded."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33D) He takes a look around and spots a noble lady in a fancy period dress standing in an alley beyond an archway. CONTINUITY CHECK: This is, of course, Darla, who we last saw in the first season's Angel, when Angel finally killed his sire (see 7RR and 7UU).

HISTORICAL GOODNESS: "It's unlikely that a noble could have visited a small village in County Galway without causing something of a stir. Also, alleys in pre-Industrial times tended to be much filthier than we would think of nowadays--many were not paved, and the ground was often anywhere from ankle-deep to knee-deep in human and animal urine, human and animal excrement, rotting food, mud, garbage, and the bodies of living and dead vermin. Prostitutes often stood at the entrances to alleys to attract customers; some hookers used this ploy to draw the potential customer down the alley where she or one of her confederates could knock him out--or kill him--and then rob him. Angel/Liam probably thought that Darla was a well-to-do prostitute and was just drunk enough not to care about any risks he might be taking by going down the alley with her." Or perhaps more likely, since he continually refers to Darla as "milady," and asks her what a woman of her stature is doing there, making the idea that he thinks she's a prostitute less likely, he's either too drunk or too cocky to really question why this noblewoman would be there, let alone be interested in him, beyond his inebriated flirting.--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33E) Her long curly blonde hair is very nicely coiffed. HISTORICAL GOODNESS: "Not only is Darla's hair long, curly and nicely coiffed, it's also clearly shiny and clean--definitely a sign of money and status in a world where hygiene, hot water, soap, clean bed linens and uninfested clothes would have been much more difficult to come by. Paul Reboux states that at the time of Louis XIV, formal court etiquette--the kind that shows up in books--included 'combing hair in the morning, lightly, to shake up the vermin'."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33F) "What's a lady of your station doing alone in an alley with the reputation that this one has?" SLUTTY ALLEYS: "Some streets and alleys did acquire reputations and even names from the sexual congress that took place therein. One such place is Grope Lane, in Shrewsbury, England, so named because it had more than its share of whorehouses."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33G) "Milady, you'll find that with the exception of an honest day's work, there's no challenge I'm not prepared to face." BUFFYVERSE HISTORY: "'Becoming showed us...a young man [with] too little to do and too much time in which to do it; a stereotypical scion of the minor gentry who was bored and frustrated at home (and I can't blame him. My great-grandfather Pete came from the Galway area: he always said it was 'A nice place to be from.'), got drunk with his friends (Woo! An Irishman getting drunk! Shocking!), and liked to flirt with a pretty girl' (Taster's Choice, Jun 9 10:50 1998)."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

33H) "Oh... But you're a pretty thing. Where are you from?" FLIRTY LIAM: "Angel drops any pretence at a formal, deferential approach. Had the woman he approached truly been a lost gentlewoman, she might have started to feel a little nervous here. There is a hint of the predatory in young Angel: he does not realize yet that he has become the prey."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

33I) "I never been anywhere myself. Always wanted to see the world, but..." A LIFE MORE ORDINARY: "He's a failure, even in his own terms. Although he believes he's ready for any challenge except work, it seems he's never really made any effort to find one. Like William, as we will find in the future, he dreams without much expectation of his being able to realize his dreams, and like William, this makes him susceptible to vampiric seduction. He's an accident waiting to happen."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

33J) "I could show you." POTENTIAL: Significantly, Darla sees something in Liam that no one, certainly not his father, ever has before. Beneath the bawdy, drunken, loafing exterior, Darla sees his potential for greatness, just as Whistler will later. Perhaps this is due to his naive and charming overconfidence. Of course, she sees a potential to be tapped into pure evil, whereas Whistler wants him fighting for the forces of good. In both cases, importantly, it is potential that he himself does not see. We will see the first time Darla spots and becomes entranced by Liam in The Prodigal.

33K)"Show me your world." FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "She moves even closer to him, the sexual energy fair peaking between them as she touches his breast with her little hand."--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

33L) "Close your eyes." CONTINUITY CHECK: "A line repeated by Buffy at the end of Becoming II, linking Darla and Buffy as the great transformative forces in Angel’s life – the two women who killed him."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02 See 34YY and 34Fx4.

ISN'T IT IRONIC?: So, before Liam is able to see this brand new world, he must close his eyes. Interesting! When Darla says it, it is so he won't realize the implications of becoming like her before it's too late. When Buffy says it, it is so he won't realize that she is about to stab him. Both women harm him, and yet both have good intentions in doing so. Hmmmm.....

INNOCENCE LOST: "Darla tells Angel to close his eyes and when she bites him, they pop open, showing how Liam's innocence has been taken, an innocence he later sees in Buffy and wants to protect. When we see Buffy called, she is sucking on a lollipop (see 33Px5). David Boreanaz said in an interview in the Feb 2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine, 'For Angel, the love of his life is definitely Buffy, but he's trying to become human again. You see, he lost his innocence early on. He never really got a change to experience what it is to be a man. He lost that and he identified so much with Buffy because there are so many similarities.' The vamping/raping of Liam is yet another feminist spin, similar to the one that opens the series (see 1B). The hunter becomes the prey similar to what happens in Prophecy Girl (see 12AAA). Angel later makes reference to this event in The Prodigal telling Wesley 'Yeah, I know all about it, Wesley, believe me. But sometimes the price we end up paying for one bad choice isn’t commensurate with the offence.'"--lunasea, 05/26/03 at 15:41:17

FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "He...[closes his eyes.] She changes to vampface and bites down, hard. His eyes fly open. He is locked -- can't even struggle. Arms about her, body jerking with pain. She lets go and he collapses to his knees. She swoops down onto hers. Takes her finger and draws her fingernail across her chest. Draws blood. She takes him and holds his head to her breast. Makes him drink. He does, with increasing hunger. We see the two of them from afar, on their knees, Darla feeding Angel in perfect silence."--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

33M) He can't keep steady, and sinks to his knees. SINKING TO THE GROUND: "Of course, it's already been established that Angel is none too steady on his feet, thanks to inebriation, but a man going down on his knees before a woman does have both romantic and sexual implications. Clearly, what's happening is more than Darla grabbing a bite to eat--this is a joining of bodies, minds and futures."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42 See 33VVV.

33N) She grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him in to her bosom so that his lips fall directly onto the cut, forcing him to taste of her blood. FREUDIAN GOODNESS: "In this we move from the romantic and sexual implications to maternal, incestuous and sexual implications. It's certainly not unknown for men to suck on or lick women's breasts as part of foreplay, but at the same time, Darla is nursing her current and future sexual partner as she would a baby--and by doing so, is giving birth to him as a vampire."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

BUFFYVERSE METAPHYSICS: "'I didn't think that Angel drank from Darla on his own. Angel was weakened by the bite that Darla inflicted and she pulled his mouth to the wound she made on her breast. Just like in the story of Dracula, the mouth was pushed against the vampires wound so that the victim had to drink as the victim had to breathe. As the victim sucked in air, so did the victim sucked in blood of the vampire. Angel had no choice' (gazoo, Jun 3 22:00 1999)."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

CONTINUITY CHECK: This is the first time we see a siring on screen. As Buffy said in Welcome to the Hellmouth, it is indeed a "whole big sucking thing"! See 1V.

33O) Angelus walks through carefully and quietly... FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Angel watches something from afar. His eyes are filled with the serenity of Evil; the garrulous boy of the flashback is long gone."--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

33P) "I want you to get a message to Angel for me. Tell him I'm done waiting. I'm taking the fight to him." FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: Later this episode, Angelus will get a message to Buffy. See 33Ax6.

SUBVERTING THE CLICHE: Buffy also, of course, does some nice cliche subverting here by allowing one vamp to live in order to get a message back to his boss (much like many mafia movies)...and then ends up killing the lame-brained baddie after all when he continues to attack her, instead of being thankful that she didn't kill him and running away as fast he could.

TAKING THE FIGHT TO HIM: This is a method that Buffy will try over and over throughout the years. Interestingly enough, each time she forgets that she has tried this method again and again, and it almost never works the way she wants it to.

WAS IT WRONG FOR BUFFY TO TAKE SO LONG ELIMINATING ANGELUS?: "'She sure did. What happened to Angel really wasn't any different from what happens when anyone else is turned into a vampire. Remember that speech Giles gave Xander about Jesse after he became a vampire? If Xander and Willow's best friend doesn't deserve preferential treatment, why should Angel? Buffy is indirectly responsible for every person Angel killed after Innocence' (Odin, 22 Jan 1999 14:24).'

'Right and wrong have nothing to do with it. She didn't choose to let him live and then choose to kill him. It was not an ethical dilemma, but a mental and emotional block. She just wasn't ready, nothing that happened or anything anyone said or what she thought could made her able to kill Angel, or even speed up the process. She had lost someone who she loved. And as anyone who has lost someone will tell you, it takes time before you can let them go. Perhaps it would have been better if she had been able to kill him sonner, but is she wrong for that? No, just human' (Kay 4 Jan 1999 17:05)."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

33Q) "You know, you don't have to patrol with me." GOOD POINT: "Why *is* Xander patrolling with Buffy? He seems to be more of a liability than an asset. Is he worried that Angelus will win her over, or that she won't be able to bring herself to kill him? His long term suspicion and jealousy of Angel has seemed fully justified since the return of Angelus, and he is giving it free rein."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

The answer to this question is very well-explained by lunasea's theory that Xander is internalizing Buffy's mission. See 30RR.

33R) "I had that guy under control until he resorted to fisticuffs." FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: This line is an interesting precursor to the hilarious "fisticuffs" fight Xander has with Harmony in The Initiative.

33S) "What is that, um... five vampires in three nights?" THE MAGIC NUMBER: See 12F.

33T) "Oh, yeah, finals! Why didn't you let me die?" FINALS: "Buffy is facing a life-changing challenge on more fronts than one. The end of High School, the end of her childhood, looms. This is as scary to her as Angelus [perhaps even scarier] - she cannot see a future for herself in the everyday world, tied as she is to the role of Slayer. In this perhaps she has sympathy with Xander, who knows he's unlikely to achieve college grades, and faces a future of low pay and low self-esteem (as Cordy enjoys pointing out to him)."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

33U) "Ah, look on the bright side. It'll all be over soon." FORESHADOWY GOODNESS: "Quite a lot of things are going to be over as a result of this and the following episode--the lostness of the computer disk containing the resouling spell, Angelus' soulless condition, Kendra's life, Angelus' plan to suck the world into hell, the physical and emotional health of the Scoobs (Willow is knocked into a coma, Xander breaks an arm and Giles is kidnapped) and Buffy's ability to endure life in Sunnydale (she runs away)."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

META GOODNESS: "This is also metanarration as the [season] itself will be over soon, as will the fan's suspense over what will happen in the Angel/Buffy storyline."--Kitkat, Sun, 05/25/03 at 15:25:45

33V) "Yes, my love. It will." IMPRACTICAL ANGELUS?: "Angelus really isn't being practical here. Why doesn't he just knock Buffy out and kill her? He must know that Buffy will be the biggest obstacle to his plans for the world, so leaving her alive isn't a good idea at all."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

Maybe not, but he is fully confident that his scheme will work, and he wants Buffy to suffer. Despite what he says later, his plans have always revolved around Buffy. Her sworn duty is to save the world, and he wants to make sure she suffers for all eternity with the consequences and guilt of having not protected the world well enough. What's the fun in killing her now, so she'll never know what he's up to? Another reason may be that it is not clear, at this point in the episode, whether he is planning on destroying the world or not. He doesn't find out about the discovery of Acathala until later in the episode, and it's unclear whether he was, at this point, deciding to destroy the world but didn't know yet how, or whether he didn't decide to destroy the world upon finding out about the unearthing of the tomb. If it is the latter, his line here may not refer to the world's end but Buffy's death, after all. There's also the possibility that Dru had a vision about how they could end the world, but was not specific yet about how.

Act One

33W) Dr. Doug Perren, one of the museum curators, comes over to check her progress. WHAT'S IN A NAME?: "Doug, or Douglas, is from the Scottish Gaelic 'Dubh-glas,' meaning 'from the black or dark water.' Perren or Perrin is from the Old French word 'Perin' meaning 'little Peter.' Peter, of course, is from the Latin 'Petrus,' meaning 'rock' or 'stone'. So we have a 'little rock' showing Giles what Spike will later call 'a big rock'." The name may also have been a tribute to the Buffy writer, Doug Petrie.--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33X) "I spoke with Lou Tabor at the Washington Institute..." TWO BIRDS, ONE STONE: "There is a Washington Institute. The full name is 'The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.' Doug may be referring to the Smithsonian Institution, which is in Washington, D.C. and is sometimes called 'The Institute' or 'The Smithsonian'. Lou is probably from Louis, derived from the Old German 'Hlutwig' or 'famous warrior'. A 'tabor' is a small handheld drum, particularly one used to accompany a pipe."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

"If Giles is actually a scholar of this renown, it seems to me that his working in a High School library might raise more eyebrows than it does. Possibly Tabor had Council connections."--KdS, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:42:59

33Y) ...touches and looks at the rock... FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "It looks not unlike a tomb or sarcophagus, a big block of dusty stone carved all over with demonic runes. (It may appear first as more of an obelisk -- it looks solid, not like something's inside.) It stands nearly ten feet tall, and four deep. The two workers are brushing the dust from the cracks between the letters."--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

33Z) "You have, uh, carbon dated it?" UH, GILES?: "The tomb of Acathla is made of stone, which can't be carbon dated."--Sophist, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:24:05

"Since this is a rock, the...usual method would be to test the minerals in the rock for radioactive isotopes...From http://vcourseware4.calstatela.edu/VirtualDating/files/1.0_ClocksInRocks.html: 'Numerical dating takes...advantage of the "clocks in rocks" - radioactive isotopes ("parents") that spontaneously decay to form new isotopes ("daughters") while releasing energy. For example, decay of the parent isotope Rb-87 (Rubidium) produces a stable daughter isotope, Sr-87 (Strontium), while releasing a beta particle (an electron from the nucleus). ("87" is the atomic mass number = protons + neutrons.).' These isotopes decay and change after a certain set amount of time has passed. Therefore, it's not hard to tell roughly how old a rock is 'by counting the number of daughter isotopes in the mineral and by using the known decay rate to calculate the length of time needed to produce that number of daughters.'"--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33AA) "I'll go out on a limb and say old." GEOLOGICAL GOODNESS: "The Geologic Time Scale ranges from the Archean Eon (which began about 4600 million years ago) to the Phanerozic Eon (which encompasses the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic Eras, which began 540 million years ago, 245 million years ago, and 66 million years ago). As you can see, 'old' is not sufficiently explicit in this context."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33BB) "Um, yes, it, it certainly...predates any, uh...settlements we've read about." HISTORICAL GOODNESS: "'Australopithecus afarensis (the formal name of the type of hominid that the female skeleton dubbed "Lucy") is the first hominid that we know lived in family groups. She and her kin lived about four million years ago. Homo habilis (who lived about two million years ago) and homo erectus (who lived from 1,500,000 to about 400,000 years ago) were the first we know of that hunted in groups. Homo erectus was the first to use fire and make shelters. Neanderthals--who lived from about 150,000 to 40,000 years ago--were probably the first humans to conduct funerals. Homo sapiens sapiens was a race of hunter-gatherers until relatively recently. They domesticated animals about 18,000 years ago, invented agriculture 12,000 years ago and founded cities about 5,000 years ago. So the rock is probably anywhere from 1,500,000 years old (when homo erectus came on the scene) to 5,000 or later (when homo sapiens sapiens started building cities).' From An Incomplete Education, pp. 513-517."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33CC) "I guess we won't know until we open it." LITERARY LINKS: "This exchange reminds me of a similar exchange in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather [from his famous Discworld series]:

The senior wizards of Unseen University stood and looked at the door.

There was no doubt that whoever had shut it wanted it to stay shut. Dozens of nails secured it to the door frame. Planks had been nailed right across. And finally it had, up until this morning, been hidden by a bookcase that had been put in front of it.

"And there's the sign, Ridcully," said the Dean. "You HAVE read it, I assume. You know? The sign which says, "Do not, under any circumstances, open this door"?

"Of course I've read it," said Ridcully. "Why d'yer think I want it opened?"

"Er...why?" said the Lecturer in Recent Runes.

"To see why they wanted it shut, of course."

Like Ridcully, Perren knows that something has been shut for a long time. Ridcully can see a sign saying, "Do not open"; Perren isn't even willing to wait till the tests come back or the translations (which might be considered "do not open" signs) are completed--he wants the rock opened now. Both Ridcully and Perren, despite living and working in high-magic areas (Unseen University in the city-state of Ankh-Morpork on Discworld and Sunnydale, CA in the Jossverse, respectively), have no sense of caution and, to quote Kipling, "satiable curiosity." Perren, like Ridcully, values knowledge above all. To quote Kipling once more, the motto of Perren and Ridcully might well be "Run and find out." Neither man is taking into account the strong possibility of danger. As Terry Pratchett says in a footnote after the above conversation, "This exchange contains almost all you need to know about human civilization. At least, those bits of it that are now under the sea, fenced off or still smoking."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33DD) "You don't want to be surprised?" LINKAGE: Like Buffy in Surprise, Giles has come to not enjoy surprises at all much.

33EE) The camera focuses on two fish sticks that Xander is holding, one with a toothpick stuck through the middle. THE PUPPET MASTER: "Manipulating people and situations as a puppeteer, and the resultant pain, would seem to be a theme of this episode."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

THE NEW SCOOBY GANG: "With Oz sitting with Willow's friends, this is the first gathering of the Scooby Gang of the next season--Buffy, Willow and Oz, and Xander and Cordelia. It's quite a different dynamic now that 'losers' Xander and Willow have partners, with Buffy being the one alone. In the first season, Willow pined over Xander, Xander pined over Buffy, Buffy pined over Angel, and Angel remained a mysterious presence. In Becoming, Willow is dating a senior guitarist whose existence the Gang never registered until now, Xander is with the popular bitca that everyone (including him) previously resented, Buffy's the one feeling alone and isolated, and Angel a soulless demon trying to bring an Apocalypse. Which, though never stated directly, must be making Buffy jealous, that her friends enjoy the experience of partners and love that she lost. Though Xander and Willow are still there for her, they now have more of their own lives, but the fact that they can approach Buffy from a place of honest friendship, and not just neediness and lust (in Xander's case), makes their connection stronger. They'll grow up, and they'll find their own directions in life, but Xander and Willow will always remain at Buffy's side."--Nitz the Bloody, Sat, 05/24/03 at 22:41:06

33FF) "Tell Angel I'm gonna kill him! No, wait. I'm gonna kill you!" LINKAGE: Xander's little reenactment skit here is reminscent of the later scene in the Angel episode, Fredless, where Cordy and Wes do a hilarious parody of how they think the Buffy/Angel reunion scene went.

33GG) "Scene!" THEATRICALITY: "An actor’s term indicating the conclusion of, you guessed it, a scene."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02

33HH) Willow is sitting on Oz's lap. MATURING WILLOW: "Willow has come a long way in being able to show her affection for Oz publicly, hasn't she? It wasn't too long ago that she could barely speak in Oz's presence." Another sign of how adult Willow has been growing this season.--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42, with additions by Rob

33II) "The theme is Angel's too much of a coward to take me on face-to-face." COWARDLY ANGELUS?: "In a sense perhaps this is true. Although not afraid to fight her, as he shows very soon, he seems unable to motivate himself to kill her directly, and is having to plan to do it in a way that will destroy the whole human world, Buffy along with it."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

33JJ) "And the other theme was 'Buy American', but it, uh, got kind of buried." POP CULTURE TIME: "Buy American" was "a slogan by American labor unions to support American business which was honored by a few retailers. The unions began a serious campaign in the late 1960's to encourage other Americans to buy American-made goods even though rising wages and other factors were making US made goods expensive compared to foreign goods. The immediate goals of the campaign to save jobs in the textile, clothing and shoe industries were complete failures, but it was successful to some extent in keeping many Americans buying American brand name automobiles."--Cactus Watcher, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:59:41

"...it was also a big Walmart marketing theme in the late 90's."--mamcu, Sat, 05/24/03 at 15:12:56

Walmart used it "long after the inital campaign had failed. The American businesses and jobs Walmart was supporting, in many cases represented jobs already lost in one part of the country to factories in other parts of the country which paid less money to their workers. It was not at all what the unions originally envisioned."--Cactus Watcher, Sat, 05/24/03 at 15:41:39

"Xander may be saying, in an oblique way, that he expects the Buffy, the American Slayer to win out over the foreign-born vampire, Angelus. The 'buried' statement seems to refer to hidden themes, things that have been buried and things/people which will be buried as a result."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33KK) "I will get you through this semester if I have to sweat blood." YUCK!: "Hematidrosis, or sweating blood, is a very rare medical condition. It generally occurs as a result of unthinkable levels of emotional stress. The capillaries in the sweat glands burst. The hemorrhage causes blood mixed with sweat to come to the surface of the skin. Almost immediately after the victim sweats blood, the nerve endings in his skin become extremely sensitized, to the point where any physical contact, no matter how gentle, is agony. The skin also becomes fragile and tender, and may rip. Of course, Willow is just stating that she will go to extreme lengths to ensure that Buffy learns enough to pass her exams. But given the extreme bloodiness and painfulness of the medical condition, I can see why Xander would rather not be around. Buffy will, in the following episode, experience the symptoms of hematidrosis emotionally: she will sweat blood over what to do about Angelus, and it will be her effort (sweat) and Angel's life (blood) that result in Buffy's extreme sensitivity that makes contact with her family and friends intolerable to her."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 13:45:42

33LL) "Sixth period, after my computer class, we'll rock on chemistry." ROCK ON!: "'Rocking on chemistry' seems to echo back to the previous scene, when Doug Perren and Giles were discussing dating the age of a rock by using the chemical element of carbon-14 (see 33Z)."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33MM) "Ready to rock." ROCK ON!: "And just as Buffy is 'ready to rock,' so is the 'rock' containing the demon that Angelus wishes to summon almost 'ready' to be opened."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33NN) "I think it's great to do that before you go out and fail in the real world." THAT'S OUR CORDY!: "Possibly referring to the (manifestly untrue of course!) saying that those that can, do; those that can't, teach."--MsGiles, Tues, 05/27/03 at 16:24:02

33OO) "Gee, Xander, what are you gonna teach when you fail in life? Advanced loser-being?" THAT'S OUR CORDY!: "Please note that Cordy says WHEN--not IF. She assumes, automatically and unthinkingly, that Xander will inevitably be a failure. Not a particularly nice comment to fire at a guy whom you supposedly like."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33PP) "I will teach...zee Language of Love!" PARDON MY FRENCH: "And how appropriate for Xander, the Heart of the Scoobies, to imagine himself teaching the language of love. Emotionally, Xander loves his friends deeply and powerfully in a unsentimental way; physically, he certainly has enough enthusiasm and imagination for Cordelia, Faith and Anya--at least [the former] two of whom had considerable sexual experience before meeting Xander. Oh, and could the French accent also be an allusion to Natalie French, the praying mantis lady who romanced Xander (see 4J)?"--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

POP CULTURE TIME: In most likelihood, Xander got his perception of the French as great lovers from the Looney Tunes character, Peppe Le Pew, a French skunk who, in his cartoons, constantly romantically pursues an unwilling black cat, with a white stripe down her back (usually as the result of paint spilling on her back), whom he thinks is another skunk.

33QQ) "Don't touch me! You have fish hands!" CONTINUITY CHECK: "Well, yes, Xander has been handling fish sticks and Cordy probably wouldn't want the smell on her clothes, but it could also be a reference to the last episode, Go Fish, in which Xander was exposed to steroids that, if he had continued to be exposed, would have turned him into a fish-creature like four others on the swim team. At the end of the last episode, Xander was going to get plasma transfusions to prevent his transformation." Of course, earlier Cordy had said that she would take care of Xander if he turned into a fish-guy (see 32Hx4). ;o)--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03, with some additions by Rob

33RR) "These public displays of affection are not acceptable in my school. This isn't an orgy, people. It's a classroom." REAL-LIFE SNYDERS?: "Teachers and administrators, particularly those of middle and high schools, often have a certain attitude toward PDAs. In Fullerton, California in February 1998, hugging, kissing, high fives, patting on the back and all other PDAs were forbidden at Nicolas Junior High School. The Chesapeake Public High School Student Handbook for 2001-2002 defines the following actions as unacceptable on school grounds: kissing on the lips, sitting in someone's lap, licking, and hugging or holding from behind. Punishments for such heinous actions include contacting the parents, detention, suspension from school, or referral to the Office of Pupil Discipline (probably for expulsion). Snyder is being obnoxious, but he is behaving like a typical administrator here."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33SS) "Just give me a reason to kick you out, Summers. Just give me a reason." SNYDER THE NAZI: "Snyder is undoubtedly less than thrilled with Buffy for exposing the steroid use of the swim team in the last episode (see 32Y and 32Z). Not only did the swim team not win the state championship, thanks to Buffy's interference last episode, but she also exposed the use of steroids by the team while they were competing. Xander and the remainder of the swim team had to receive treatments as a result. I doubt if the fish-creatures made the paper in Sunnydale--denial, up till recently, has been very strong there--but a story about illegal use of steroids and student athletes cheating in a state championship might well have. If so, Snyder might be in severe trouble himself with state educational authorities. Since he is still there the following year, it's likely that Mayor Wilkins pulled a few strings to allow Snyder to remain. Snyder will get his revenge on Buffy...[in the next] episode, when he has her arrested for murder."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33TT) "How about because you're a tiny, impotent Nazi with a bug up his butt the size of an emu?" SNYDER THE NAZI: "This is the second time that Snyder's size has been mentioned. Xander referred to him as 'a tiny person' in What's My Line (see 21AAA)...It's interesting that Cordy also uses the word 'impotent' to describe Snyder, for 'impotent' can refer to general powerlessness or to sexual incapacity or dysfunction. The implication seems to be that Snyder is objecting to PDAs because he is incapable of sex... An 'emu' is a large flightless bird, native to Australia, and capable of running at high speed."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33UU) Drusilla walks behind the pews toward the confession booths. FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "A poor but pious GIRL walks. If we see past the sanity, we might recognize Drusilla. She stops, crosses herself, and goes into the confessional."--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

33VV) "It's been two days since my last confession." RELIGIOSITY: "Roman Catholics are enjoined to state how long it has been since they have confessed. So far as I know, Anglicans don't do this. The fact that Dru confessed only two days ago and yet is here to confess again so soon indicates a deep sense of her own sinfulness and guilt."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33WW) "Oh, Father, I'm so afraid." PIOUS DRU?: "Dru is most likely afraid, not only of the visions, which are disturbing in themselves, but also of the possibility that seeing them is a mortal sin, a sin so grave as to deprive her of God's mercy and forgiveness forever."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33XX) "Yesterday, the men were going to work in the mine." HISTORICAL GOODNESS: "There were definitely no mines within working-class commuting distance of mid-19th century London. However, the first underground railways were being constructed around this time, so she may just be a little uneducated and confused ;-)."--KdS, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:42:59

33YY) "Me mum says... I'm cursed...My seeing things is an affront to the Lord...that only he's supposed to see anything before it happens." THE INNER EYE: "Human Drusilla had 'pre-cognitive' gifts--she could 'see things before they happen'...[According to Joss,] Drusilla was a young cockney lass whose family were coal miners. She was Catholic and lived in London. She was not a gypsy (Joss, 3/15/00)."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

WORK OF THE DEVIL?: "Dru's mum is speaking of prophecy as being a gift of the Holy Spirit. A number of people of various sects regard prophecy as a gift possessed in Biblical times, but which is not needed in the present, because Jesus already came to fulfill all the prophecies. Someone holding this belief would feel that precognition was evil, hell-spawned false prophecy, created by the Devil to trick and mislead humans to their doom. Sometimes accompanying this idea is the concept that the precognitive person could not possess such foresight without conscious and voluntary agreement to serve the Devil. Small wonder poor Dru is in such a state. She can't help seeing people suffer, she can't save them from suffering and she must deal with her own mother's insistence that she is a creature of evil. The helpless guilt she is suffering must be enormous."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

CONTINUITY CHECK: "Cordelia will later be described as 'cursed' because of her visions, in [the demon dimension] Pylea[, in the four part mini-arc that finished off Angel's second season]."--KdS, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:42:59

DRU'S POWERS: See 15U.

33ZZ) "I don't want to be an evil thing." SAD IRONY: "The mortal Drusilla who loves God and who tries to be pure is quite a contrast to the sadomasochistic vampire Drusilla, who revels in evil. Note, too, her phraseology. She says that she doesn't want to be an evil THING; tragically, she will become just that."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33AAA) "The Lord has a plan for all creatures. Even a Devil child like you." EVIL ANGELUS: "Angel is stating the concept of predestination, which shows up in certain branches of Protestantism. As I understand it, the idea is that God has predestined all people before their birth to heaven or to hell. A person can be cruel, selfish, whatever, but if God has chosen him or her to be a member of his 'elect,' that person is going to heaven no matter what. Conversely, if a person is predestined to hell, then all the goodness and charity in the world isn't going to make any difference. This is completely contrary to Catholic doctrine, which states that God grants humanity grace and that man (in the generic sense of males and females) has to obey God and try to do good in this world. Also, Catholic doctrine states that no human is born with the destiny of going to hell; Christ redeemed everyone. So if you go to hell, it's because you've deliberately sinned (against God or your neighbor--that is, any other human) and not repented; it is strictly your own fault. This is the concept that Dru, a good Catholic, would have been raised with; no wonder the poor girl is so confused by Angel's words."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33BBB) "Fulfill his plan, child. Be evil. Just give in." EVIL ANGELUS: "Dru really should suspect that something is wrong here. A priest should not be advising her to be evil, and she should know that. Unfortunately, she seems too overwrought to think clearly."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

Angelus sees this in her personality and uses it to the best of his advantage, when he later drives her completely insane, by murdering her family. See 19MMM.

ANGELUS THE ANTI-CHRIST: "In this scene, and later in the Angel episode Somnambulist, Angelus is seen to specifically enjoy blaspheming Christianity in a way that we haven't seen from any other vamp except the Master." Even his assumed name is an affront to the religion.--KdS, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:42:59, with additions by Rob

33CCC) "Ten Our Fathers and an Act of Contrition. Does that sound good?" RELIGIOSITY: "Not really, Angelus. Latin was the language of the Catholic Church until the mid-1960s and Vatican II. Mortal, Victorian-era Dru would probably call those prayers Paternosters [Pater Noster meaning Our Father] and the Confiteor [I Confess]. Incidentally, ten Our Fathers and an Act of Contrition is a typical penance for sins of the 'I had bad thoughts, I fought with my brother, I lied to my parents' variety. The worse the sin, the more stringent the penance, as a rule. Angelus is playing with Dru's mind here, first calling her a Devil child and a spawn of Satan and encouraging her to BE evil since she is evil, and then assigning a penance that would indicate that he doesn't think her sins are of great moment, after all."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33DDD) "God is watching you." I KNOW WHY THE CAGED DRU SINGS: "Drusilla is seen mainly through the netting in the confessional. Like the [jungle gym and] birdcage in Lie To Me (see 19A and 19ZZ), or the lace in What's My Line II (see 22*1) , Dru is shown as obscured-- trapped by her madness and circumstance."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02

33EEE) Drusilla comes down the stairs to the garden below. There Spike sits in his wheelchair and reads the newspaper. MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL: "Is it too much of a stretch to see a man and a woman in a garden, and the man seeking knowledge? This oddly idyllic garden does seem to have symbolic Garden of Eden overtones."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33FFF) "I met an old man. Didn't like him. He got stuck in my teeth." LATE NIGHT SNACK: "Dru is riffing on the different meanings of 'liking'. We tend to think of 'liking' people in terms of enjoying their personalities, company, etc. Dru, however, thinks of 'liking' people in the sense of 'liking' the taste of a good pork chop. It's a bit disconcerting, and serves as a sharp contrast between vampire Dru and the frightened girl in the last scene."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33GGG) "But then the Moon started whispering to me..." MOON PIE: "It's not too surprising that Dru, the lunatic, continues to be linked to the Moon (Luna). The goddess of the Moon, in many religions, is linked to prophecy, shape-shifting, transformation, life and death. Oddly enough, Angelus' plans for the world mirror these qualities."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33HHH) Angelus walks into the Garden behind Spike. MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL: "Enter the Serpent in the Garden. Not only does he frequently make trouble between Spike and Dru (who, symbolically, were here in the Garden before he got there) Angelus is now working on a plan worthy of Lucifer--a plot to damn every man, woman and child on earth."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33III) "No, you ninny. She read it in the morning paper." SIMPLE EXPLANATION: "Spike is brutally honest here. He believes in Dru's visions--we've seen that in the past--but he's not about to let Dru get away with implying she saw a vision when she didn't. He's also not feeling particularly respectful of Angelus, despite the fact that Spike is in a wheelchair and Angelus is not noted for his sterling patience and calm temperament."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33JJJ) "...Mysterious Obelisk Unearthed..." ROCK ON!: An obelisk is "a tapering, usually four-sided stone pillar set up as a monument or a landmark, according to the Concise Oxford".--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33LLL) "Waah! This doesn't make any sense." (link to when she tutored Buffy in civil war stuff) LINKAGE: This is reminscent of the scene in the episode, Angel, in which Willow tutored Buffy in history. See 7BB.

33MMM) "Will you stop that? You're not stupid!" CONTINUITY CHECK: Willow is answering Buffy back about issues of self-deprecation she's had since the start of the show. See 2L.

33NNN) "You can learn this real easily, but if you're just gonna give up, then don't waste my time." TEACHY WILLOW: "Willow sounds like every frustrated teacher who has had to deal with a student who doesn't understand the material and who is getting tired of trying to do so." It also demonstrates how much this teaching gig is helping Willow mature, as a human being. Jenny has left a lasting legacy, in Willow.----Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03, with additions by Rob

33OOO) "A covalent bond..." SCIENTIFICALLY SPEAKING: "A covalent bond is a bond formed by the sharing of electrons, usually in pairs, by two atoms in a molecule [From the Concise Oxford]."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

The mention of a covalent bond so soon before Buffy finds the disk could be a subtle symbol about the possibility that Buffy will soon be joined with Angel again.

33PPP) "Deja vu." ALL OVER AGAIN: This is a very interesting moment, because it strengthens the theories behind either a possible Sunnydale collective unconscious (see 25C), or at the least, reaffirms how strong Buffy's intuition can be. Buffy has what she refers to as a "deja vu," although, strictly speaking, she was not there to see the disk fall between the desks in the first place, and when it did actually happen the first time, nobody noticed it. She did, however, have a voice-over while it was happening. Perhaps this was meant as an indication that somewhere, subconsciously, Buffy knew, and it took this pencil falling to jog her memory, maybe of a prophetic dream (see 1D). See 29Tx4.

33QQQ) "Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy." POP CULTURE TIME: "This might refer to [the time-travel-based early 90s television series,] Quantum Leap. Sam Beckett, played by Scott Bakula, said "Oh, boy" at least once every episode, usually when he was in, or was about to be in, a particularly knotty, awkward, embarrassing or dangerous situation. Trying to restore a soul to a psychotic vampire--difficult and dangerous magic at best--definitely qualifies as knotty and perilous."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

Act Two

33RRR) Angelus runs through the trees, panting in his desperation to reach a gypsy camp. YA GOTTA HAVE SOUL: "Now why does Angelus run to the camp, seemingly already affected by the spell? In his subsequent re-soulings, including the one that happens in Becoming II, he doesn’t seem to be aware of the spell before it actually takes effect. Perhaps the original Gypsy magic was stronger, or the magic being performed for the first time ever created a different set of symptoms."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02

Or perhaps he had somehow caught wind of their plans to take revenge on him and was running there to try to prevent them from going through with them before it was too late.

33SSS) The camera pans across the dead body of the young Kalderash Gypsy girl that Angelus has recently killed. CONTINUITY CHECK: We learned of Angelus killing this gypsy girl in the first season episode, Angel (see 7*2).

"The gypsy girl Angel has slain is shown about to be buried. She has extremely long, brown har. In flashbacks to this era in later episodes she is a blonde."--Cactus Watcher, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:59:41

33TTT) Members of the clan are laying rose petals on her. ROSE IS ROSE: "Roses are botanical cousins of garlic. Like garlic, they are used as protection against vampires. In Eastern Europe and in Italy, those who were thought to have been slain by vampires were usually beheaded after death and, if possible, buried in a coffin filled with roses. The gypsies that are burying the Kalderash girl's body seem to have something similar in mind."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33UUU) "You don't remember...everything you've done for a hundred years. In a moment, you will." CONTINUITY CHECK: At the end of Becoming II, when Angel's soul is restored, he will again have temporary amnesia about his evil deeds when his soul was gone (see 34Ex4).

A THEORY ON THE METAPHYSICS: "From The Osiris Complex by Colin A. Ross, M.D.: 'Although MPD [Multiple Personality Disorder] patients are, by definition, diagnosed as having more than one personality, they in fact don't. The different "personalities" are fragmented components of a single personality that are abnormally personified, dissociated from each other, and amnesic for each other. We call these fragmented components "personalities" by historical convention: much of the scepticism about MPD is based on the erroneous assumption that such patients have more than one personality, which is, in fact, impossible...'

So is the vampire still the person who once was…and to that I say...yes...the mind is what makes us who we are, beyond the body, and without the human host mind the vampire can't exist. And we only have one personality, but trauma can cause a fracture in the personality, not a brand new separate personality, and we know the demon infection doesn't bring a personality to the mix. But what happens to the person who once was, that part of them who grew up, and is still acting out their past traumas, past experiences and preferences. Well, it's still there...just apart from the vampire personality. A way to explain this is using Multiple Personality Disorder as a framework to describe why a vampire and host personality can fracture and exist apart from each other. The trauma of death and the constant killing that the vampire does causes the original personality to fragment, dissociate and function separate from the original host personality. Liam is turned into Angelus, who becomes Angel when the soul is returned...but notice Angelus means Angel. Angel represents the turnaround in dominance of the fragmented personality. When Angelus is cursed with his soul, Angel doesn't remember for a moment what he has done, but soon enough he is informed from his memory of everything he has done as Angelus. Calling Angelus Angel is a reminder to Liam of what he can still be capable of. Same goes for William, who became Spike...who remains Spike but is still called William at times. It gets all confusing till you remember that one personality in reaction to trauma can fragment and create an amnesiac state between the personalities. The amnesia evident upon the return of the soul, the original personality trying to sort out what has happened while behind a barrier."--Rufus, Sun, 06/01/03 at 07:34:26

"Once the soul is removed are such things a trauma any more? We are looking at it from the perspective of a human being. If someone is devoid of conscience, I wouldn't think that the constant killing would be a trauma."--lunasea, Sun, 06/01/03 at 11:56:28

"Now, the vampire killing may seem natural, but it's my opinion that the person they once were does have an initial traumatic reaction to killing people, this part of themselves is suppressed by the lack of a soul and new moral compass that is directed to evil. I feel that for people who were evil to begin with may not have that much of a job of suppressing their former self, but for someone who wasn't evil when made a vampire...I think that there is a reaction that causes that part of themselves to be suppressed being a barrier...but that it still remains a constant that is able to voice the regret over the actions of themselves as a vampire. Remember that in season one I Will Remember You when Angel is made human he doesn't change at all...his memories as a vampire are intact, meaning that the infection or demon part of themselves was limited to the physical power, immortality, and the loss of conscience. So, Liam has never left the house...only his conscience did."--Rufus , Sun, 06/01/03 at 22:51:40 See 2LL, 2MM, 7NN and 7OO.

33VVV) He bends down to the ground in sorrow and grief. TURNING POINTS: Angel falling down on his knees in anguish to mark this turning point in his life (the end of his soullessness) mirrors his falling down to his knees as Darla first drank from him (the original end of his soul). See 33M.

33WWW) "Um, well, this, um... certainly points the way, but... the ritual itself requires a greater knowledge of the black arts than I, I, I can claim." DARK POWERS: "Considering Giles' experiences in that area, and considering some of the spells he will cast in the future, this ritual must be immensely difficult indeed."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33XXX) "Well, I've been going through her files and, and researching the black arts, for fun, or educational fun, and I may be able to work this." WITCHY WILLOW: "Clearly, as early as the second season, Willow was all too willing to indulge in dangerous magic because of overconfidence in her own ability to control matters." Also, note how, from the start, Willow sees magic more as a tool than as the organic way of life that witches like Tara will always use it. Seeing it as a means to solve any end will lead to her abuse of magic in the sixth season.--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33YYY) "W-Willow... channeling... such potent magicks through yourself, it could open a door that you may not be able to close." DARK MAGIC: "Giles is speaking from experience, and they all know it; he has good reason to recall his own youthful experimenting with black magic, particularly since the results of that experimenting came home to roost in The Dark Age, when Eyghon's minions killed Giles' friends, Eyghon possessed Jenny, and Jenny, Giles and Buffy were nearly killed (see 20GGG). Unfortunately Willow doesn't seem likely to listen; at this stage, she sees magic as a stroll through the park, not as a journey through a very dark wood indeed." Giles' argument here will be repeated, with different words, in the sixth season's All the Way, when he calls Willow "a stupid girl" for how casually she uses magic. By that point, the door that she "may not be able to close" has been swung incredibly widely.--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03, with additions by Rob

33ZZZ) "...but I may be the best person to do this." OVERCONFIDENT WILL?: "I think that Willow has moved from overconfidence to pure hubris here. She not only thinks that she can cast this incredibly dangerous and difficult spell--she thinks that she is the best person to do so...even though she has been practicing magic for less than a year."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33Ax4) "For those of you who have just tuned in..." POP CULTURE TIME: Xander, doing his best imitation of a television news anchor, summing up his news report for those who may have turned on the show late and missed what is going on.

33Bx4) "I care." QUEEN OF SOUL: "Buffy sometimes seems to care more about the presence of a soul than anyone else. It’s what allows her to accept Angel back in season 3 and help Spike in season 7 – 'he’s different, he has a soul now' may as well be her mantra. It’s easy to see why she feels this way, with a soul Angel loved her, without he did not; unsouled beings are generally evil and therefore her duty to kill. For her to see the soul as anything but a great dividing line would not only call into question one of the most central relationships of her life, it could also cause her to question her role as a Slayer."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02

33Cx4) "...Angel needs to die." XANDER'S SIDE: "Though usually criticized by the fans for being mean in this scene, Xander is being totally consistent here. He has hated vampires since his best friend Jesse became one (and was accidentally dusted by Xander--see 2LL and 2MM). He has never liked or trusted Angel (see 5II and 7T), and Angelus' cruel, sadistic and homicidal actions have not improved Xander's opinion. Added to the mix is the fact that Angel could lose his soul again (and will, as we know). Xander doesn't want Angelus/Angel to get away with his crimes, nor does he want the people he loves to be in danger."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33Dx4) "Don't you *ever* speak of her in that tone again!" ANGRY WORDS: "I think that Giles is mis-hearing Xander. Giles seems to be hearing, 'It doesn't matter now WHAT Jenny wanted, because Jenny's dead.'" I think Xander is saying, 'If it hadn't been for Angelus, Jenny wouldn't be dead in the first place.'"--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33Ex4) "You can paint this any way you want. But the way I see it is that you wanna forget all about Ms. Calendar's murder so you can get your boyfriend back." SHOULD ANGEL BE KILLED OR CURED?: "When Willow and Buffy tell the gang that they found the curse to restore Angel's soul, and Willow claims to be able to get it to work, it sets off a heated debate about the wisdom of doing so.

Killed:

Giles is concerned about Willow putting herself in danger by channeling the mystical powers required through herself. This in itself isn't an argument for not curing Angel, but they have very few alternatives at this juncture.

Xander believes that killing Angelus is paramount. He sees attempting to restore Angel's soul as 'forgiving' him for killing Ms. Calendar, in the same way that some people see sending deranged murderers...to mental hospitals for rehabilitation as an inadequate punishment.

Is souled Angel responsible for Jenny's death? (see 29UUU)

Cured:

Giles argues that curing Angelus might be a way to honor Ms. Calendar, since she was attempting to cure Angelus before she died.

Buffy argues that since Angel wasn't at fault for turning into Angelus, he should be given another chance at life. In arguing this way, she is implying that Ms. Calendar's death is also not souled Angel's fault. Xander disagrees with this implication. He also sees Buffy's argument as motivated by the desire to get her boyfriend back, a selfish desire given the circumstances. This is a fallacious ad hominem argument on Xander's part. Even if Buffy's argument is solely motivated by her desire to get her boyfriend back, that in itself is not an argument against Angel's re-souling. That must rest on the consequences of the re-souling and whether Angel himself deserves it."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com See 7OO and 33Hx4.

FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: Xander is so harsh in tone here that, in the original shooting script, Cordy followed this up with, "Wow. Even I know that was insensitive."--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

MORE ON XANDER: "Xander isn't making any allowances for Angelus. Yes, Angelus is an evil, soulless vampire...but what he did to Jenny had nothing to do with hunger for blood and everything to do with a desire to create havoc and hellish emotional agony. Angelus deliberately stalked Jenny, hunted her down, killed her, and then, to ensure maximum pain, placed the body in Giles' house, setting up the house in a romantic way and posing the corpse in such a way as to suggest that she was waiting for sexual intercourse. This is the behavior of an organized serial killer. All these actions grew from deliberate and conscious choices, not from a vampire's instinctive lust for blood. Small wonder Xander wants Angelus held accountable."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

Here is where lunasea's theory that Xander has internalized Buffy's mission really (see 30RR) starts to come to a head. "In...[this] scene, Xander takes up the role of the gypsy man who wants Angel to really suffer for his crimes, though instead of resouling him, he wants him not to be resouled, he wants him dead. Xander is acting out of pure vengeance. He is not acting in Buffy or the mission's best interest. He...is downright cruel to...[Buffy here, implying that he has so taken on her mission as his own that this is not merely due to him being jealous of Angel's hold over Buffy; he is downright chastising her for being "untrue" to the mission herself]...Even Giles, the man that has the most reason to want Angel dead, is able to see more than one side to things. Xander is like the curse. He isn't trying to make Angel harmless or worried about protecting things. He wants Angel dead. He wants vengeance. He can call himself Mr. Perspective Guy, but really [here] he is Mr. Vengeance Guy. Call it Justice if you want, but a vengeance demon by any other name is still just as evil."--lunasea, Wed, 05/28/03 at 13:34:42 See 33Hx4.

33Fx4) "I'll have one of these to go." HAVE IT YOUR WAY: "'I'll have one of these to go' would normally be spoken in a fast food restaurant. Angelus seems to be talking as much to Dru, who is feeding on Doug Perren, as he is to the two 'mover' vampires."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33Gx4) "Yeah, Xander was pretty much being a...Willow! Where did you learn that word?" WILLOW THE POTTY MOUTH: "At the begining of the season, in When She Was Bad Willow is so shy about swearing she spells out b-i-t-c-h rather than say it out loud (see 13*1)." By Phases, Buffy is impressed and surprised by Willow referring to Cordy as a "skanky ho" (see 27O). Willow's cursy evolution shows how more adult and self-confident with herself she is becoming--her relationship with Oz, her teaching job, and her flirting with magic are all factors. She is no longer quite as innocent and demure as she once was.--Cactus Watcher, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:59:41, with additions by Rob

33Hx4) At the bottom of the drawer she sees the claddagh ring that Angel gave her, and stares at it sadly for a moment. THE RING: "Xander says that Buffy wants her Boyfriend back (see 33Ex4). That is her motive. Is it? What does Buffy think of when she sees the ring? That is what motivates her to try and have Angel resouled. Love is part of it, but so is friendship and loyalty. After Angel comes back, Buffy tries not to be his girlfriend. She already knew that she wasn't going to get her 'boyfriend' back. I think she decided to resoul Angel not for romantic love, but something a bit higher. She still feels guilty for Angel losing his soul. She may have forgiven herself somewhat, but she still thinks she is to blame. Out of loyalty to him, she tries to save him. If it was just boyfriend stuff, like Xander accuses her, I think she wouldn't have done it. She needed to find a non-selfish motive. The ring provided that for her."--lunasea, Sun, 06/01/03 at 17:46:28

CONTINUITY CHECK: "From http://www.restlessbtvs.com/episodes/season2/21becoming1/index.html: 'When Angel gave Buffy the claddagh ring in Surprise, the ring was silver, but in this episode it is gold.'"--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03 See 25HHH.

33Ix4) "I'll, I'll see you in a little while, okay?" FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: In the original script, this phone conversation is followed by Joyce entering the room and asking Buffy where she's going. Buffy tells her that she is meeting Willow, to study. Joyce replies, "All right. Make sure you two study. Don't talk about boys all night." Buffy responds with a slashy line that becomes even more funny in retrospect, "Oh, we don't like boys. I mean, while we're studying. We like boys. Some boys..." On her way out, Buffy drops her bag, spilling out some crosses, similar to the stake that rolled out of her bag which Xander found in Welcome to the Hellmouth, foreshadowing Joyce's discovery of Buffy's secret in Becoming II. Buffy tells Joyce that she's been feeling religious lately, another example of bad liar Buffy (see 5S), and Joyce's propensity to believe anything that blinds her from the truth about what is going on in Sunnydale.--"Becoming" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

33Jx4) Suddenly Kendra comes out of the bushes to stand right behind her. OOPS!: "From http://www.restlessbtvs.com/episodes/season2/21becoming1/index.html: 'While Kendra is speaking to Buffy in one scene, they show Kendra from behind, and sometimes her hair is in a ponytail, sometimes it's in a bun.'"--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

33Kx4) "No, let me guess. Your watcher informed you...dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale." CONTINUITY CHECK: "...[This] line...is a direct copy of the one from What's My Line II: 'Mr. Zabuto said all de signs indicate dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale.'"--lunasea, Mon, 05/26/03 at 16:47:28

IRONY TIME: "Kendra’s earlier appearance on What's My Line was also to prevent the rise of a 'dark power', Drusilla. Had [Kendra] actually succeeded [in stopping Dru,] she might still be alive."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02

33Lx4) "Spike, boy, you never did learn your history." MASTER AND APPRENTICE: "More rivalry between the two vamps. Angelus uses the term of 'boy' to imply Spike's relative youth and inexperience...and given how there is nearly an 80 year age difference between them, Spike is a 'boy' by comparison. As Angelus is implying, the younger Spike can't grasp the 'history' of Acathla, and what it truly means. [It also furthers the idea that Spike doesn't care much for history or tradition--see 15Qx4.] Spike, however, shows a clearer head by accepting Angelus' taunts while launching a few of his own, and waiting for the perfect moment to assert his own power."--Nitz the Bloody, Sat, 05/24/03 at 22:41:06

33Mx4) "Acathla the demon came forth to swallow the world...He was killed by a virtuous knight who pierced the demon's heart before he could draw a breath to perform the act." JUST BREATHE: "Acathla’s powers seem to link him to the Hellmouth. Here is a very literal mouth that once opened sucks the world in. There are a number of indrawn breaths in Becoming 1 & 2, Acathla’s, Kendra’s when Drusilla cuts her throat, Angel’s when his soul is restored. Symbolically breath and air are linked to the spirit."--ponygirl, Sat, 05/24/03 at 21:32:02

33Nx4) Inside is a tall, horned, stockily built stone demon with a sword protruding from the right side of its chest. BUFFYVERSE METAPHYSICS: "Acathla is a stocky, horned demon dedicated to the destruction of all human life. His mouth is a dimensional portal between the Earthly plane and (a/the) demon dimension. His method of destruction is to 'swallow the world'--literally, Acathla will take a breath that will create a vortex that pulls everything on planet Earth into the demon dimension. There, any non-demon life will suffer horrible and eternal torment (this seems to imply that life on Earth will be sucked into hell physically, but will not die in the demon dimension)."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

MWAHAHAHAHA!: "As a demon who wishes to destroy the Earthly plane as it is, Acathla represents evil-as-corruption. He provides the sure means to destroy all that is human and earthly."--Masquerade, "Becoming" Analysis from http://www.atpobtvs.com

33Ox4) "Someone pulls out the sword..." CAMELOTY: "The sword in the stone demon--a sword which must be pulled out by someone worthy--echoes the legend of King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone. It also foreshadows Buffy pulling…[The Scythe] from a stone in the Bringers' Winery in Season 7['s End of Days]."--Farquarson, Formerly Rhys, Sat, 05/24/03 at 14:06:03

Part Two