Act Three

34KK) Uncomfortable silence reigns. FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "Joyce sits in the living room with Spike. They both are silent and uncomfortable, like it's Sunday and he's come a' courtin'."--"Becoming, Part Two" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

34LL) "I think he is. I just wish he was here to tell me what to do." GROWING UP: This is the first time Buffy has to fight an apocalyptic-sized battle without Giles, her parent figure. Symbolically, this ties in to her loss of Joyce as a parent in this episode (see 34BBB). For the first time, she must stand completely on her own as an adult and make decisions that will affect her for the rest of her life.

34MM) "'Um... you hit me with an ax one time. Remember?...Uh, 'get the hell away from my daughter.'" CONTINUITY CHECK: Spike is referring to the events of School Hard (see 15Gx4).

34NN) "So, do you, uh, live here in town?" SMALL TALK: "A great line to illustrate the incongruity of the situation – what do you do while you wait for the world to end? Make polite small talk."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03

"The first of a series of oddly-intimate Spike/Joyce scenes, which will leave him moved to the point that he leaves flowers for her after her death, in Forever."--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43

34OO) "Angel? Your boyfriend?" CONTINUITY CHECK: Joyce met Angel on two occasions: the first time when in the episode, Angel, when Buffy told her mom that he was helping her study (see 7G), and the second time when Angelus was stalking Buffy in Passion (see 29LLL).

34PP) "She killed Kendra." CONTINUITY CHECK: "Now how did Buffy find out exactly who killed Kendra? Both Willow and Xander were unconscious before Dru entered the library. It may have been that Xander regained consciousness during the fight and passed along this information to Buffy at the hospital."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03

34QQ) "Dru bagged a Slayer? She didn't tell me! Hey, good for her!" SPIKE AND DRU: As we know from School Hard, Spike has killed two Slayers himself (see 15GGG). Also, this line is a fun reminder of the moral ambiguity of Spike. Although ostensibly he is helping Buffy, he is doing it only to get Dru back. He is still a vampire, still soulless, and reacts to Dru having killed Kendra with the same congratulatory enthusiasm that one would give a friend or lover for, say, getting a promotion at work.

34RR) "So you didn't kill that girl." TRUSTING: Of course, it doesn't help Buffy's ego any that her mother isn't 100% sure that her daughter didn't kill Kendra. Despite moments of closeness, up to this point, Buffy always did keep Joyce at arms' length, by having this entire secret life about hwich she felt that she could never tell her. So while Joyce does love her daughter, she usually doesn't understand her (again, at least up to this point), and given the history of violent occurences that seem to spring up around Buffy with no real explanation from her, it is not a far leap in Joyce's mind to worry that maybe Buffy might have gone too far.

34SS) "I-I mean, have you tried *not* being a Slayer?" SUBTEXTINESS: In this scene, "the subtextual parallels to homosexuality are brought to the surface..." It is very reminiscent of a scene where a gay child comes out to his or her parents.--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43, with additions by Rob See 37VVV.

POP CULTURE TIME: This line was later referenced in the blockbuster movie sequel to X-Men (based on the comic book), X2: X-Men United, when a Mutant teenager, the Iceman, "comes out" to his family about his special powers. They ask him if he's ever tried not being a Mutant.--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43, paraphrased by Rob

34TT) "It's because you didn't have a strong father figure, isn't it?" SUBTEXTINESS: Freud's thoery is that "male homosexuality [is] caused by excessively close attachment to the mother and absence on the part of the father, leading to the boy becoming female-identified." Perhaps another subversion of gender joke, as when Jenny said, "Ms. Calendar's my father (see 14HH)."--KdS, Thurs, 06/19/03 at 03:43:49, with additions by Rob

34UU) "Get them involved, you'll get them killed." COPS AS VAMPIRE FOOD: See 2G.

34VV) "I'm a Slayer, not a postal worker." NEITHER RAIN...: "A reference to the reputation of US postal workers for homicidal rages, which after a series of mass shootings in post offices during the 1980s and 1990s led to the slang phrase 'to go postal.'"--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43

POP CULTURE TIME: This line is also "quite possibly related to Dr McCoy's constant complaint of 'I'm a Doctor not a (bricklayer, or whatever fits the context)' in Star Trek."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 08:18:45

34WW) "Just have another drink." TWISTAGE: This is one of the coldest things we will ever hear Buffy say to her mother, and condescending, as well. This scene really highlights the shift of the power balance in the Summers household now. Throughout this entire scene, Joyce acts childish and irrational, while Buffy is calm and mature. This expands on the coming-of-age themes of this episode.

34XX) "No! I am tired of 'I don't have time' or-or 'you wouldn't understand.'...I am your mother, and you will *make* time to explain yourself." MOTHER'S REBELLION: After years of being shut out and lied to, Joyce has had enough of giving Buffy space and everything else she learned from her parenting books and tapes. She wants to know what's going on, and she wants to know now. See 2DD, 3WW, and 29XXX.

34YY) "Open your eyes, Mom. What do you think has been going on for the past two years?" OPEN YOUR EYES: The exact opposite of what she will tell Angel at the close of the episode (see 34Fx4). 'Close your eyes' here is a metaphor can be seen as holding on to an illusion, not seeing the truth. Buffy asks Angel to close his eyes so he can hold on to their loving moment and not see that she's about to stab him through the heart. Darla similarly wanted Angel to close his eyes so that he could hold on to her magical words about all the brave new worlds she could show him, and not see that she was about to plunge her fangs into his throat (see 33L). Buffy conversely asks her mom to open her eyes, so she can finally see what's going on for what it really is.

NORMAL AGAIN?: Some people have felt that the events of Normal Again, where it was revealed that Buffy had tried to tell her parents who she was and was briefly sent to a mental institution, contradict this scene. However we don’t know exactly what Buffy told Hank and Joyce (see 3NN). And "to have Buffy - 15 year old whose previous interests had included shopping, cheerleading and boys, to suddenly start staying out late, being involved in violence, possibly burning down her school gym, all while her parents are divorcing or preparing to divorce - not get some sort of psychological counseling would be surprising. Throw in even a couple mentions of vampires and slaying and Joyce and Hank would have been very bad parents indeed if they hadn’t looked at her mental health. To then forget about the Slayer part of what Buffy told them, seeing it as a stress-related delusion, is understandable. However this does explain Buffy’s anger towards her mother in this scene, which previously had struck me as a bit harsh – Buffy had attempted to explain herself to her mother before, only to be rejected for it."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03 See 23CC, 24H, 28GGG, 30ZZ, 34JJ, 34YY, 34BBB, and 35WW.

34ZZ) "Buffy, you need help." NORMAL AGAIN?: Another incredibly interesting line that implies that the week or so Buffy spent in an asylum may have indeed happened. See 3NN, 23CC, 24H, 28GGG, 30ZZ, 34JJ, 34YY, 34BBB, and 35WW.

34AAA) "You can't stop me." CHALLENGING AUTHORITY: "Buffy has never challenged her mother's authority so directly before. Now, under the weight of the responsibility placed on her (perhaps also with Giles absent and unable to mediate) she asserts herself, and begins to take on the independence due an adult. Joyce, like many parents, initially reacts badly to this."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34BBB) "You walk out of this house, don't even *think* about coming back!" JOYCE'S LOWEST MOMENT: "From Joyce’s perspective she was trying everything to prevent her daughter from going off into a dangerous situation that she herself barely comprehended. Joyce having failed in every argument, and in physically preventing Buffy from leaving, fell back on the final weapon in every parent’s arsenal – the threat to withdraw her love. Buffy is beginning to answer Whistler’s question about what she is willing to give up to save the world."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03

NORMAL AGAIN?: "If you believe that Buffy's memories of being committed in Normal Again were true, this makes Joyce's actions here worse, but also suggests a clearer explanation for them. Even if she had 'forgotten' that incident, it's probable that she would be knocked severely off balance by the probability that, when her daughter sought her help at one of the most terrifying times of her life, Joyce rejected her and believed her insane."--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43 See 3NN, 23CC, 24H, 28GGG, 30ZZ, 34JJ, 34YY, 34ZZ, and 35WW.

34CCC) "There's no use arguing with me. Do you see my resolve face?...You've seen it before. You know what it means." RESOLVELY WILL: "I think the first time that the combination of Willow's faith in her own skills, and her willful acting against advice, sets in motion a train of tragic events. In Season 6, when all the Scoobies' most fundamental weaknesses come to the fore, these characteristics cause Willow to...[both] wreck her relationship with Tara and...bring Buffy back from heavenly bliss against her will. Is this because of her particular interest in dark magic - is it maybe already influencing her personality and choices?"--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34DDD) "You must perform the ritual...in a tutu." STRONG GILES: This is a moment of incredible bravery and gutsiness for Giles when, even after he has been beaten and tortured for so long, he still refuses to allow Angel to destroy the world, and further, makes fun of him while he does it.

34EEE) "Pillock!" CURSEY GILES: "'Basically, this means "jerk", and it's...an...old-fashioned word. Etymologically it comes from "pillicock", an old word to say "penis", so you'd literally translate the word by "prick" or "dickhead". However, as it's an old term, it's lost all of its vulgarity now.' from The Watcher's Dictionary, http://www.boadicea.net/buffy/dictionary.htm."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34FFF) "Someone get the chainsaw." POP CULTURE TIME: "These references to chainsaws may stem from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, an infamous slasher film (Tobe Hooper, 1974) in which a bunch of teenagers get chopped up by backwoods cannibals, who include a chainsaw-wielding, masked character called Leatherface."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34GGG) "Now, now, don't let's lose our temper." RATIONAL SPIKE?: See 25EEE.

34HHH) "Keep out of it, sit 'n' spin." DOUBLE ENTENDRE: Although "sit and spin" might seem to just be Angel making fun of Spike's wheelchair-bound existence, it actually has nastier implications. "Sit and spin," as well as the alternate "perch and rotate" are phrases that mean "masturbate," or the coarser "jerk off."

"No evidence beyond personal suspicion, but I think that phrases like 'sit and spin' don't refer to 'normal' masturbation, but instead are homophobic suggestions implying receptive anal sex."--KdS, Thurs, 06/19/03 at 03:48:32

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: "Sit N' Spin is [also] a child's toy!"--ponygirl, Thurs, 06/19/03 at 06:57:51

So interpret it any way you would like! Since it is Angelus talking here, I would lean towards one of the cruder explanations personally as being what he was implying.

34III) "These are the moments you want to savor. You wish time would stop so that you could live them over and over again...You're expelled." CONTINUITY CHECK: "Snyder's threats in When She Was Bad (see 13RR) and School Hard (see 15D) are finally fulfilled."--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43 See 13WW for more When She Was Bad/Becoming parallels.

34JJJ) "You never ever got a single date in high school...did you?" REAL-LIFE: "Something that is apparently true of Joss."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03

CONTINUITY CHECK: "We will later see just how lonely and socially inept Snyder was as a teenager in the episode, Band Candy."--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43

34LLL) "It's Snyder...Tell the Mayor I have good news." SUNNYDALE CONSPIRACY THEORIES: "Depending on how much Snyder knows at this point, it's possible that the 'good news' for the Mayor may be not just that Buffy has been expelled, but that she is off to kill Angelus, who the Mayor must have seen as a threat."--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43 See 1Z, 6II, 9T, 15Lx4, 31PP, 31QQ, 42XX and 42YY..

It's very hard to tell exactly how much the Mayor knew this whole time. One can assume that he wanted Buffy far away at this point because of his upcoming Ascension. He did let her stay while she was clearing out some of the earlier, pesky threats to Sunnydale, like the Master, and Spike and Dru (perhaps why he could have arranged for Buffy to be accepted at Sunnydale High in the first place, if he did). But at this point, he needs her out of the way. It's unclear whether he knew about Angelus' plans to destroy the world. Personally, I think it's more likely that he didn't. This was kind of a spur of the moment decision on Angelus' part, probably as a result of the events of I Only Have Eyes For You (see 31SSS). He didn't plan it for months ahead as most Big Bads do, and probably didn't tell too many of his minions exactly what was going on. With such a major threat to the world, I'm sure the Mayor would have done more to clean it up, had he known. In Lovers Walk, after all, he calls in the troops just to get rid of Spike! Also, I think it's unlikely that Snyder is implying anything more than that Buffy has been expelled, since Snyder didn't seem to know too much about the inner workings of the Mayor's plans, even up to the end. I doubt he knew enough to tell how Buffy and Angelus are connected or that she would be off to kill him now. See 1Z and 42ZZ.

34MMM) She stands up and goes around to his other side and holds up two fingers to hypnotize him. DRU'S POWERS: We first saw Dru's powers of hypnosis in the last episode, Becoming (see 33Ix6).

34NNN) She covers his eyes with her hand, and when she takes it away he sees Jenny kneeling before him. LINKAGE: This is not the only time an evil creature will appear in the form of Jenny Calendar. In the third season's Amends, the First Evil makes its first appearance as Jenny, tormenting Angel with guilt over her murder. And again covering one's eyes is seen as a metaphor for believing an illusion (see 33L and 34YY).

34OOO) "Angel himself? He's the key?" LINKAGE: This story has many symbolic links to the fifth season finale, The Gift, which is, in many ways, the same story shown from the perspective of an older character. In both episodes, the blood of someone Buffy loves is the key (capital "K," when referring to Dawn) to opening the gateway to another dimension, and in both episodes, only the same blood will close it (in other words, the loved one has to die). The differences, which show how much Buffy has grown and changed, lie in Buffy's solution to the two problems, and in the message of her actions. More on this forthcoming in The Gift notes.

PASSION: "This could be seen as another example of what happens when passion rules us. Giles’ love for Jenny overwhelms his reason."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03 See 29C.

34PPP) "His blood will open the door to Hell. Acathla opens his big mouth, creates a vortex. Then only Angel's blood will close it." QUESTION: "If Angel was meant to stop Acathla, why is 'Angel's blood' needed to awaken the demon?…[W]hoever was originally 'meant' to try to awaken Acathla (Spike? Dru? the Anointed One?) would have needed to use their own blood."--KdS, Sat, 05/31/03 at 13:17:43

34QQQ) "Wrong, kid. You got one more thing." LINKAGE: "This echoes later on the Angel episode, Ground State...[when the dark demigoddess of the lost tells Angel,] '...I'd love to keep you... but you have so much more to lose."--lunasea, Sun, 06/01/03 at 11:15:13

Act Four

34RRR) Outside Angelus' mansion. "Yes, it's sunrise. Sue me."--"Becoming, Part Two" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

34SSS) "Cavalry's here. Cavalry's a frightened guy with a rock...but it's here." ZEPPOISH XAND: "Xander attempting to protect Buffy again, while realising he's probably more of a liability...[Two] purposes he *does* serve, as she faces Angel, is reminding her that she is not alone--she has friends she loves to fight for[--and in getting Giles to safety]."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34TTT) "Kick his ass." XANDER'S LIE: "Xander never made it a secret that he disdained Buffy's vampire boyfriend--for being a vampire (see 7T), for being Buffy's boyfriend (see 5II), and for the perverse juxtaposition of the two. When Angelus returned, Xander saw his hostility as vindicated. He was dead set against giving the sadistic vampire back his soul, and he made his feelings clear--to attempt to the curse would be 'forgiving' Angelus for killing their teacher and friend, Ms. Calendar (see 33Ex4). So when Xander failed to tell Buffy that Willow was going to attempt to restore Angel's soul in lieu of Buffy's killing Angelus, fans were divided about Xander's motives: was he supporting Buffy's resolve, or was it a final act of jealousy?

Xander's motives were selfish.

'I think the outcome might have been very different if Buffy had known that Willow was going to try the curse again - she might have made a greater effort to keep Angel away from the statue, even if it meant turning her back on the other vampire briefly (aardwolfe, May 25 10:02 1998).'

'Joss uses character history throughout. And if anyone appreciates that Joss is an artistic master of mythopoeic construct, I do. It is for that very reason that I am absolutly certain that Xander was not motivated by a desire to protect Buffy from Angelus. Joss does not set that up in any way, shape or form, as the motive. Joss does, repeatedly and in detail, set up Xander's opionion that Angel should die, as the motive that keeps him from telling Buffy what she needs to know (Margot, Jun 9 12:42 1998).'

Xander's motives were good.

'Xander did not know that Angel would pull the sword before Buffy could get to him. So he can't be held responsible for the fact that Buffy had no choice in stabbing him. What Xander did know is that Buffy repeatedly had stopped short of killing Angel, and people had been killed. This time, however, it was the whole world at stake and Buffy had resolved herself to doing it. Telling her about the spell would have made her hesitate, and she would fail. Xander did the right thing (Laurence, Dec 10 19:40 1998).'

'Even if he had told Buffy what was going on it wouldn't have helped, only hurt. Buffy would have still been too late to stop Angelus from pulling out the sword. Plus, she may have waited too long to stab him in the hopes that the spell would take affect. Since we don't know how long it takes Acathla to reach full power, it was essential that Buffy close him as soon as possible. Any delay, for whatever reason, may have been disastrous. I just wish Willow had been a little slower so that Buffy could have sent Angelus instead of Angel to Hell. With no soul, he may still be there yet (CharlieX, Dec 10 19:20 1998).'

'I'm not seeing that Xander's lack of info-sharing with Buffy in Becoming II can be perceived as a moment of moral weakness...I think it was rather courageous. His priority was the fate of the world, I don't even consider his feelings for Buffy to be part of it. Really, how effective could she have been if she was waiting around for the spell to possibly work during her fight w/ Angelus? The spell was not a definite thing, and if I were in the Buffyverse, I, for one, would not want the fate of the world being thrust aside while one teenage girl hopes her ex-boyfriend will gain some sense and stop trying to turn her into a shishkebob while they're in the middle of a swordfight. She needed to focus on the big picture - the fate of the world, and Xander knew it. As Willow once said - When it comes to Angel, Buffy can't see straight. So Xander did what had to be done (Monique, Dec 20 20:35 1998).'"--Masquerade, "Becoming II" Analysis, from http://www.atpobtvs.com

FROM THE MOUTH OF THE ALMIGHTY JOSS: "The Xander betrayal issue... hasn't come up with us, and here's why. Xander made a decision. Like a general going into battle, he had to keep Buffy's fighting spirit strong and he felt telling her the truth would blunt it. And Angel needed to be stopped. It was a tough decision, and an unpopular one, but I'm not sure it wasn't the right one. I'm on the fence, and that's what makes it FUN! So there."--Joss Whedon, posted on the Bronze messageboard on 10/20/98 at 21:42, reprinted by Masquerade, "Becoming II" Analysis, from http://www.atpobtvs.com

CONTINUITY CHECK: "Xander’s lie is never mentioned again until Selfless in Season 7, where Buffy reveals that she saw Xander’s message as another example of her friends disapproving of Angel and disregarding Buffy’s feelings. This may have contributed to Buffy’s estrangement for her friends, and her feeling that as a Slayer she is isolated. In any case Xander’s lie is never actually revealed [to her, although Willow will realize it in that episode]."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03

THE MISSION: This moment is obviously the ultimate moment in lunasea's theory that Xander is taking on Buffy's mission as his own, rather than acting out of jealousy or spite. See 30RR.

34UUU) "And so will we all." MOTIVES: "Revealing the basic motivation behind his actions: he is ending the world to free himself of his feelings for Buffy [which he experienced again in full force during I Only Have Eyes For You--(see 31SSS)]."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

In the sixth season finale, Grave, Willow will also attempt to end the world, not just to stop her suffering, however, but that of everybody else in the world, too.

34VVV) "Hello, lover." CONTINUITY CHECK: See 30M.

34WWW) "Then why would they make you see me?" GILES AND XANDER: "Xander and Giles' love/hate relationship. There are sometimes touching elements of father/son in their bickering."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

Also, the way Giles so quickly accepts this explanation as completely logical is another great example of great Buffy writing and humor.

34XXX) Behind her Angelus takes the last few steps to Acathla and grabs the sword stuck in his chest by the hilt with his bloody hand. A blindingly bright light emanates from it, and Buffy looks up from her kill in time to witness Angelus pulling the sword from the demon's heart. EXCALIBURISH: See 33Ox4.

34YYY) Spike comes up behind her and grabs her around the throat with his arm, choking her. THE METAPHYSICS OF VAMPIRE BREATHING: See 11DDD and 24ZZ.

34ZZZ) She thrusts at him with her sword... FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT: "And she comes at him, fast, hard, and it's swordfight time. Their blades are a blur of metal as they work at each other, driving back, forward, circling each other..."--"Becoming, Part Two" by Joss Whedon, available through Pocketbooks, Inc. as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Script Book, Season Two, Volume 4

34Ax4) Without warning Willow's head snaps back and she looks up with her eyes wide open. Her head snaps back down and her eyes stare into the Orb. She begins to chant steadily in Rumanian as though possessed. MIGHTY WILLOW: "Another really interesting thing about Becoming - it is the moment that Willow accessed the power and Spike fought for the side of Good. Willow accessed vengeance for the first time - a dark power that she finds herself struggling with in later seasons, and almost falls into the Force of Darkness because of it. And Spike for all the wrong reasons finds himself fighting for the PTB. Buffy, Spike and Willow save the day in Becoming, with Xander and the others on the sidelines - just as Buffy, Spike and Willow save the day in Chosen. The difference is in Becoming - the way they do it is not as direct. Spike certainly didn't intend to save the world - he just wanted Dru back. Willow just gave Angel back his soul. Buffy had to make the hard decision."--shadowkat, Sun, 06/01/03 at 19:02:07

DID WILLOW CURSE ANGEL WHEN SHE RE-SOULED HIM?: In other words, "Can Angel lose his soul again in a moment of happiness?" The answer is an unequivocal "yes," as evidenced in Eternity and Awakening. "'What Jenny researched and Willow cast was almost certainly a straight transliteration of the original curse. Willow and Jenny are not real witches...[at this point in the story] and probably did not have the skill and knowledge to create or modify an existing spell. Also, Willow would certainly have told Buffy and the others if she had altered the spell and made Angel "safe"' (Edward, Dec 13 22:23 1998)."--Masquerade, "Becoming II" Analysis, from http://www.atpobtvs.com, partly paraphrased by Rob

34Bx4) He watches for another moment, then shrugs and heads for the garage with Drusilla. SHIFTY SPIKE: "If Spike knows Angelus plans to destroy the world, what good will it do Spike to leave without helping Buffy?"--Sophist, Sat, 05/31/03 at 20:49:38

"Spike is so focused on Drusilla, he seems to have completely forgotten about the world ending. Either he's not really bothered about [the world ending] anyway [after all, all he really cared about was getting Dru away from Angel. Now that that was accomplished, why not let Dru possibly get her wish of ending the world?], and decided to chance hell with Dru [there's also the fact that hell on earth would not be a bad thing for vampires and demons], or else he's just decided that it's Buffy's problem, and he's not thinking about it."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34Cx4) "Me." GO, BUFFY!: Probably the best one-word line in the show's history, and a follow-up to Whistler's lines earlier in the episode. See 34P.

34Dx4) Buffy raises her sword to dispatch Angelus, but stays herself when he suddenly gasps loudly and groans in pain. She sees his eyes glow bright red for an instant and go back dark. CONTINUITY CHECK: Angel's re-ensoulling goes the same way it happened in the flashback in Becoming (see 34UUU).

34Ex4) "Buffy? What's going on?" ANGEL'S AMNESIA: See 34UUU.

34Fx4) "Close your eyes." CONTINUITY CHECK: "Not only echoing Darla’s words from Becoming (see 33L), the line also emphasizes the trust that Angel has in Buffy at that moment."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03 See 34YY.

34Gx4) She steps back, draws back her sword and thrusts it into his chest. His eyes whip open in surprise and pain, and a bright light emanates from the sword. She steps away from him. He reaches out to her and looks down at the sword thrust completely through him. He looks at her imploringly, completely bewildered by this turn of events. THE METAPHYSICS: "Once the sword is pulled, only the blood and 'life' (being physically pulled into hell) of the person who reawoke Acathla can make the demon dormant again. This reversal ritual necessitates that this individual's blood be drawn by a second sword. This sword also has mystic properties endowed upon it in a blessing given by the Knight who first slew the demon. Once Angelus pulled the sword, the reversal ritual was necessary. Buffy had to draw (the now souled) Angel's blood and send both him and the sword into Acathla's mouth in order to seal the vortex."--Masquerade, "Becoming II" Analysis, from http://www.atpobtvs.com See 26F.

34Hx4) Angel still holds out his hand to Buffy. LINKAGE: "Angel’s pose is the same one he had in Buffy’s dream in Surprise. In her dream Buffy watches Drusilla kill Angel, the reality turns out to be much more painful."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03 See 25G.

34Ix4) "Or maybe Angel *was* saved, and they want to be alone together." POSITIVE WILL: Staying true to her character, Willow hopes for the best, despite the fact that it is extremely unlikely. See 35I.

34Jx4) Cut to Buffy looking at the school from behind a tree. She watches them as they go in. LINKAGE: Buffy stands on the outside, watching her friends without them knowing, much as Angel had watched her in L.A. before meeting her in Sunnydale (see 33Px5 and 33Vx5).

34Kx4) Buffy looks out the window calmly as the bus drives on. ADULTHOOD: "A final demonstration of Buffy's new, and painfully gained, adulthood - she leaves home. She has struggled to save the world and keep up with her schoolwork. As a result, she is wanted by the police, expelled, homeless, and she has killed the man she loved. Perhaps the darkness of adulthood which takes over the Buffyverse from Season 6, begins to extend its tendrils here."--MsGiles, Tues, 06/03/03 at 07:11:06

34Lx4) "NOW LEAVING SUNNYDALE..." RESOLUTION: Becoming Parts 1 and 2 may be the best season finale in Buffy history, because the season "had a very clear and definite theme - passion generally and Buffy/Angel specifically. Every relationship is affected by this central theme - even Xander/Cordy and Willow/Oz could be said as arising directly out of the events of What's My Line - so every character has a stake in its outcome, beyond just the usual sucked into hell problem.

Becoming had a very clear villian, and Becoming 1 made sure we understood him and his motivations. Angelus
himself says it, everything he has done has led him to this moment - Becoming 1 was a summation of his character, a resolution of the character as we knew him. There may have been more colourful villians, but we've never had one we knew so well. Also his plan was exceedingly clear: pull out the sword and suck the world into hell. It doesn't get much more basic than that...

All of the major characters' arcs also came to a head in this episode. What's more the events that led to these emotional crisis points sprang up naturally as a direct result of the plot. Case in point: Giles gets to confront Angelus and his relationship with Jenny because Angelus kidnaps him to get information, knowledge that Giles displays at the beginning of Becoming 1. If that got any tidier it would have hospital corners.

Every major character also contributed something unique to final resolution, and not just in a let's all charge into battle kind of way. Spike's alliance, Willow's spell, Xander's role as both guy with a rock and the teller of the big lie - everybody did something that they and only they could do. But perhaps most importantly everything finally came down to one central battle, one decision, one action that was in itself the resolution of the theme."--ponygirl, Sun, 06/01/03 at 10:01:03

DESTINY: "Becoming is the episode that changes the destinies of at least four characters in the Buffyverse:

Willow - she becomes a powerful witch because of it.

Buffy - shuts herself off emotionally and doesn't trust as easily as she once did, due to the fact that she had to kill her lover after her friend gave him back his soul, an act that haunts her.

Spike - finds himself on the road towards Buffy and a soul and eventual redemption because of it.

Angel - finds himself in hell, comes back, gets tortured by the First Evil [in Amends], realizes he must leave Buffy for her own good, then in his own spin-off is on the road to redemption."--shadowkat, Sun, 06/01/03 at 19:02:07

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