Was it Good For You, Too?

Episode 2.14: Innocence.Original Airdate 1.20.98

"Buffy and her friends battle the Judge and face unexpected danger from Angel, who has lost his soul after experiencing a moment of true happiness."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• All the sad things ever. 
• Spike's wheelchair has red piping.
• "It's interesting to me that preparing looks a great bit like sitting on your ass."
• Interesting that Dru always calls him Angel and Spike always calls him Angelus.
• Poor Buffy. She wakes up after her first time and Angel is AWOL.
• Should we have called a shenanigan about Angel getting his clothes on so quickly?
• Gasp Evil Angel is evil!
• I'm realizing as we watch this and Surprise how I hadn't noticed til now that, even my first time watching in order, I watched everything through the lens of knowing how Season Two ends. After seeing OMWF, I caught a few random episodes on tv here and there before barrelling straight through in order the following January. So I always knew that Angel turned evil (and I always knew he didn't get better right away), that Angel killed Jenny (though I was completely stunned the first time), and that he got sent to Hell at the end of season two (I also always knew about Joyce, though I hadn't seen that episode). And so while the first time I watched those episodes I was surprised, watching in order, I knew generally what was coming. But it's interesting how long it goes where we know Angel has turned evil and no one else knows yet.
• Here's what Brian Thompson had to say about his roles as Luke and The Judge: "I've found over the years that people just like gluing stuff to my face. I'm not sure why that is. I wish they didn't. But it's okay."
• Both Xander and Cordy are taking digs at each other but not fighting back when the other one strikes. An odd, uncomfortable dynamic.
• "I'm naming all the stars" // "You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling. Also, it's day." // " I can see them, but I've named them all the same name, and there's terrible confusion."
• "Well, he moves to New York and tries to fulfill that Broadway dream. It's tough sledding, but one day he's working in the chorus when the big star twists her ankle." adorbs 
• Traits that Angelus has that Angel doesn't:
• He's funnier than Angel.
• He smokes. That's how you know he's truly evil.
• Leather pants.
• Angelus wants them to wait to destroy the world because he wants to psychologically hurt Buffy first. Which is totally in character for the awfulness of him.
• Hey Daniel, Xander apologized for being an ass!
• "I knew it! I knew it! Well, not 'knew it' in the sense of having the slightest idea, but I new there was something I didn't know." Amazeballs.
• "The We Hate Cordelia Club, of which you are the treasurer!" Who are the other officers? Oh. Jesse. [Did someone remember me? ~Jesse]
• He's so good at being awful. Smiling to see her, letting her kiss him, and then brushing her off. DB is really freaking good at being a complete douchebag. "Love you too."
• POOR BUFFYFACE. Using "I love you" as one last salvo to try to get back the feeling they had last night.
• They're both so good in this scene. Joss Whedon is a bastard.
• "It is not justice we serve. It is vengeance." 

"Did someone call for vengeance?"

• Willow's rebuff of Xander is perfect. I love her so much. "You have gross emotional problems, and things are not okay between us."
• Hey, Xander had a good idea!
• Another reason to love the characters - they realize something's wrong. Xander does, and Buffy does too. I'm glad Buffy was able to figure out that it wasn't Angel who said those things to her. Even though every word still burns.
• And Willow catching on that Jenny shouldn't have known yet. 
• Willow is the best friend ever. She looks at Buffy, and she knows what happened.
• Poor crying Buffy. Stupid Angel (side note: SMG is really good at crying)
• Angel in the sunlight is so creepy. I wonder whose grave it is in the dream.
• Giles's face as he realizes Jenny knew. Poor Giles. Poor everyone. This episode, you guys.
• A nice fake-out when we think Jenny brought Buffy to the Uncle, but it's actually Angelus.
• We're assuming the Uncle was in a hotel room, and that's why Angelus could enter.
• So ... tiny Sunnydale also has an army base? Actually, I'll let this go, what with the military base hiding under UC Sunnydale.
• "I'm seventeen. Looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex." And thus spawned 3 million jokes.
• Oz's entire speech. Oz's entire speech. And you can see Willow reevaluating him and falling for him.
• Angelus's first emasculation of Spike: leaving him behind from the Judge's debut.
• "Don't you look spiffy!" <3
• Giles standing by his Buffy - "She said get out." You can see how much it hurts him. But he supports Buffy.
• Spike hiding and listening. He's used to being the dangerous one, but he's extremely vulnerable right now.
• I love this episode. It's so fucking satisfying. Because it's so upsetting and little Buffy is so hurt and broken. But because she's our hero, she doesn't let that last. Yes, she got massively heartbroken, but she has a job to do. And she's fucking good at it. So she will explode the Judge with a rocket launcher without thinking. And then she'll kick Angel in the nads.
• Also, DB's best acting to date: getting kicked in the nads.
• God bless you, Giles. "Do you want me to to wag my finger at you and tell you that you acted rashly? You did. And I can. I know that you loved him. And ... he ... has proven more than once that he loved you. You couldn't have known what would happen. The coming months are gonna be hard ... I suspect on all of us, but ... if it's guilt you're looking for, Buffy, I'm not your man. All you will get from me is my support. And my respect." Best. Dad. Ever.
• Joss doesn't let us for one second blame Buffy for this (even if she can't forgive herself yet).
• "I got older." // "You look the same to me." *huggles*

Daniel's Thoughts:

• Like we learned in Nightmares:

We get it, Joss.

Smoking is evil.

• Still at a point where I love Spike: "You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling. Also, it's day."
• Angelus is a good acting excercise for DB.
• Stop being upset about Xander, Willow. You've got Oz now. But...I still get it.
• I love that Angel doesn't just try to kill Buffy now. He really just wants to hurt her and mess with her. It shows an evil intelligence rather than just an animal.
• And I think it's believable that Buffy is so clouded by her teenage girl neediness that she doesn't suspect right away that something is wrong. Love the dynamic there.
• Jenny seems innocent in this. She withheld info, but she didn't know what would happen. I understand the initial lash out, but I think she's overly mistreated later on.
• Xander is a dick. "Wear something trashy-er."
• I don't like sad Buffy :( But Joss sure does!
• Xander, learn from Oz. He's a gentleman.
• Angel! You forgot a comma! "Was it good for you, too?"

Bad grammar is a sure sign of evil.

• I love the continuity from Halloween with Xander knowing about military things.
• I'm not going to call shenanigans on this...but assuming they went to the mall was pretty lucky. There are other crowded places in Sunnydale. And these things usually happen at the Bronze!
• Judge: "What's that do?" Hee!
• Love the Dru freak out with the Judge pieces all over her.
• Cordelia: "Pieces? Our job sucks!"
• Hey! It's Angel without all that gel!
• Giles is such a wonderful dad-type.
• Worst. Mom. Ever. Buy a cake. Or at least sing. Ya know, maybe I'm spoiled for having such a great mom who calls me twice a day on my birthday to sing me Happy Birthday. Come on, Joyce.

Crossfire!

Note: This more of a debate than a crossfire and it's a combination of both "Surprise" & "Innocence"

Daniel:  Someone said something about Armageddon.  Should we add that to "Apocalypse called" stats?

Zelda: I dunno ... there was no Hell portal opened. Usually there's a Hell portal. What did he say?

Daniel:  Angel said that Dru was 'crazy enough' to bring forth 'Armageddon'.

Zelda: Well, I'd say that's pretty clear. Whether it's a Hell portal or not, Angel is definitely calling an apocalypse. Plus in this episode, Dru says "We're going to destroy the world. Want to come?"

Daniel: We agree, then. Apocalypse called!  Stats updated!

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "What's that do?" - The Judge's last words

Daniel: "In my fantasy, when I'm kissing you, you're kissing me." - Oz 

90s Factoid:

Tasmanian Devil on Willow's overalls:

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Willy the Snitch gets a namedrop but no appearance.
• Willow finds out about Xander and Cordelia.
• Xander uses his memory of army knowledge from Halloween

Stats:

Voiceover - none

Oz's Hair - black with red roots

Dead Humans - 3

Dead Undeads - 1

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 1 (Angelus)

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0

It's Happy Birthday Buffy

Episode 2.13: Surprise. Original Airdate 1.19.98

"To give Buffy a surprise on her 17th birthday, Drusilla and Spike bring together the body parts of a dismembered demon who cannot be killed."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I love the way this show paints dreams with rooms bleeding into one another, the things that just don't make sense no matter how much you try to reason it (Willow & the monkey) & our worst worries and fears.  It's a realistic depiction of how dreams are.  Though also included are what makes this show Buffy:  Premonitions & symbolism.  What I find interesting is that this is Buffy's dream...which means it's going on inside her head, yet we see Dru at first but she doesn't.  If this was all in her head, she'd be aware that Drusilla was there.  I don't see this as a shenanigan, but rather a question to whether Drusilla is somehow controlling this dream. [Or, with her own psychic powers, sharing Buffy's dream? - Z]
• Also? Willow and a monkey!
• The rooms connecting to one another is also a trick Joss uses in Restless. Although he didn't write this episode, I'm sure he still had a hand in it.
• Worst. Mom. Ever. "Do you really think you're ready, Buffy?"  - Come on, dude.  Trust her with something.
• Hee! Buffy dreamed that she opened an office supply warehouse in Vegas with Giles!
• I love this whole conversation between Oz & Willow which shows both their comedic timing and their wonderful chemistry:

Oz: I'm gonna ask you to go out with me tomorrow night. And I'm kinda nervous about it, actually.  It's interesting.

Willow: Oh.  Well, if it helps at all, I'm gonna say yes.

Oz: Yeah, it helps.  It creates a comfort zone.  Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow night?

Willow: Oh! I can't!

Oz: Well, see, I like that you're unpredictable.

• Love crazy Dru.
• This whole g*psy curse makes absolutely no sense.  It punishes the man but not the demon.  If Angel has one moment of happiness, then the demon comes out and kills a hundred more people.  Way to think this through, guys.
• Seriously.  The Bronze.  How much does it cost to close The Bronze down for the night?  Who paid for it?  Giles, on his librarian salary?  And where are the staff members?  Can you really just rent out a bar/hangoutplace/whateverthefuckthebronzeis for a night without having any staff there whatsoever?
• I love Oz's reaction to everything!  He just accepts it!  Cause he's Oz!
• Why does a Vampire need glasses?  Shouldn't his vision heal like everything else?  I mean Spike is freaking paralyzed and that hea-SPOILERS!
• Also, 'extra' vamps are ALWAYS in vamp face....so...we know they're vampires.  Yeah, yeah, I know the morphing takes a lot of moula, so it's best to keep them all in one face.
• The Judge = Grouchy Smurf?

Basically the same guy.

• OK, so there's a lot of joking that an orgasm makes Angel evil.  But I noticed something this time around that I never considered before.  He doesn't start to turn until hours later when he's asleep with Buffy.  So it's afterwards, when he's with the woman he loves - all cuddly and content - that he turns.  Which  makes me feel slightly better about the whole thing.  Not completely, but slightly.
• The Judge can kill some vamps, which means that they possess some level of humanity.  Which makes the 'demon = always evil = always ok to kill' thing a little less black and white.  Which I guess is explored later with Spike?

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Hahaha Willow and the pantsless monkey. Joss Whedon, your brain.
• What's sad about the dream is it makes Buffy afraid Dru will take Angel away from her. And while that is certainly a risk all through the episode, that's not what happens. Dru claims him later, but ... she's not the one who takes Angel away.

Angel: "Hey."
Daniel and Zelda: "Hellllllllo."

• Shenanigans! "What if Drusilla is alive? We never saw her body." Well ... you wouldn't ... She would ash.
• Awwww the Buffy Angel theme is playing.
• They're so in loooooooooove which makes it so saaaaaaaaaaaaad because we know what's coming. Poor Buffy.
• Buffy is wearing all the rings. Is that why Angel thought she needed another?

Not enough rings. Could be ringier.

• Omg the scene with Willow and Oz I can't it's so cute. "Well, see, I like that you're unpredictable." "I said date."

Can you see the vein?

• "Groping in a broom closet isn't dating." Good point, Cordy. You guys hate each other. Stop this before you hurt Willow.
• I like Spike's burn makeup.
• Dru has Madonna arms. Crazy ropey muscles.
• "It will be the best party ever." // "And why is that?" // "Because ... it will be the last."
• So is Buffy no longer grounded? Just curious, Joyce.
• Aiee! Joyce broke a plate! A prophecy plate.
• We weren't sure how to classify the reveal about Jenny Calendar. It's not an Evil Reveal, nor is it an Unevil Reveal, since we didn't think she was evil before. But they are playing her much more suspicious and schemey this episode. I'm sure Buffy would consider it an Evil Reveal, but we have the luxury of the outsider's perspective.
• "See if [Drusilla] has any particular patterns." // "She's crazy, so ... no."
• I love love LOVE that Giles insists they still hold Buffy's surprise party, regardless of danger. I LOVE it. I think it shows he's learned from What's My Line.
• Bahahaha Cordy yells "Surprise!" and the shot of everyone looking at her. Best thing ever.
• "Hey, did everybody see that guy just turn to dust." // "Actually it explains a lot." Oz, this is why you're our favorite.
• "It looked like an arm." That too. Also that.
• I like that the power relationship between Dru and Spike really has changed since the organ incident. It's not just the physical strength that's been switched, but now Spike is the voice of reason to Dru's temper, whereas before she stopped him from rage-killing randoms.
• Buffy's so sad Angel is leaving. Man, Marti is fantastic at writing heartbreak and goodbye scenes.
• "And all-night keggers! What, only Xander gets to make dumb jokes?"
• Hahaha Spike wheels in front of Dru defensively. Spike so tiny.

Don't make me roll on your foot.

• "Do it again! Do it again!" Aw Drusilla.
• Yay Buffy has a good plan. Except for the part where the Judge is already assembled. :( A lot of this episode seems to be about her being just a bit too late - too late in her dreams to save Angel, and too late in reality to stop Drusilla. 
• "You almost went away today." // "We both did."
• Welp. This'll be Buffy's last happy moment for a while. Joss, you magnificent bastard.

Crossfire!

D: Shenanigans! Buffy doesn't know what Carpe Diem means, but in episode one, seize the day is her motto.

Z: But she didn't say it in Latin.

D: I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT, but come ON. She's not that dumb.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "You think he's too old because he's a senior? Please. My boyfriend had a bicentennial." - Buffy
Zelda: Spike has two good ones in succession: "Yeah, that'll work. Now say 'pretty please.'" and "Uh, you're not clear on the concept, pal. There is no instead. Just first and second." Mostly it's about JM's blase delivery. Hearts and stars.

90s Factoid:

Willow is wearing a Blossom hat

  

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Spike and Dru are still alive (and so is Lucius - for a bit)! But Spike is scarred from the fire and in a wheelchair.
• Drusilla's birthday is near Buffy's birthday.
• Jenny Calendar is actually Janna of the Kalderash people, the same tribe that cursed Angel. And she's been sent here to watch him. 
• Oz has seen Buffy slay a vamp, which means ... HE'S PART OF THE SCOOBIES.
• Brian Thompson's second character, Smurfman!

Stats:

Voiceover - None

Oz's Hair - black with the red growing in

Dead Humans - 0

Dead Undeads - 3

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0
Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 2
Apocalypse Called - 1

As Far as Punishments Go, This is Fairly Abstract

Episode 2.12: Bad Eggs. Original Airdate 1.12.98

"Buffy and her friends encounter even more trouble than expected when the eggs they are given in health class turn out to be prehistoric parasites that take over their lives."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• "But a thin streetwalker!" The Joyce/Buffy rapport in the mall is adorbs.
• Haha Buffy getting rid of the schmuckbait by pretending to be his girlfriend. Hilariocity.
• "This ain't over." *disappears in a puff of cartoon smoke* Well said. Wasn't that well said?
• So is this mall in Sunnydale proper? Or out of town limits? Our mall was in the next town over. And we didn't have a Starbucks. Or a whole lot of town. But we did have a university. Quite a good one. With possibly a covert government demon-fighting organization run in the bowels of campus. Basically I grew up in Sunnydale.
• "Saving the world from vampires?" Aw Buffy just came out.
• Okay, so I've been reading other Buffy-watching blogs lately and the consensus seems to be that Xander is completely awful. I know Daniel won't argue. And actually, this response really surprised me at first. Yes, Xander is not the best thing ever, but I always just sort of accepted him, as is. With his flaws and such. And so I didn't really question his behavior outside of "he's a hormone-driven teenage boy." And I'm still willing to give him some slack, because I don't hate him. But watching his closet scene with Cordelia, I have to say: This coupling is gross. He doesn't want her to talk, she doesn't want to see his face. I'm glad they end up liking each other later, because right now this is just uncomfortable.
• Willow has multiple - MULTIPLE - fluffy pink sweaters. I just want to point this out:

I'm Willow and I've seen the softer side of Sears

• We did the egg thing in middle school, not high school. Did you guys do the egg thing? But they drained our eggs so they were hollow shells.
• "My egg is Jewish." I love ya, Willow.
• Xander thinks the egg experiment is pointless. Because he is a stupid hormone-driven teenage boy.
• "...Why do you all have eggs?" I love ya, too, Giles.
• Buffy named her egg Eggbert. I want to be her friend.
• Props to SMG for not giggling as the tentacles get all up in her face.

• 

  If SMG was ever in a blooper, this might be one

• SHENANIGANS that Buffy doesn't get possessed. Unless that tentacles scene was supposed to be a prophetic dream? Unclear.
• I mean, cowboy vamps are entertaining and all, but do they have an actual point?
• An egg is behind Giles's books! Like Easter!
• "I resent that! Or possibly thank you."
• "Presumed dead." // "Presumed by whom?" // "By me!" At first I was charmed by Cordelia wanting there to be a mystery for the scoobies to get on. But then it was actually about making out with Xander in a closet.
• "Are they getting weirder? Have you noticed the weirdness of them?" // "They're weird."
• "Angel, when I look into the future, all I see is you. All I want is you." We'll revisit this "future" thing more next season.
• Gah. This all reminds me of when you find a roach in the apartment, go get something to smash it with, and when you turn around it's gone, but you can't relax because THERE'S A GIANT ROACH IN YOUR APARTMENT. Except it doesn't want to possess you. Daniel had this thought at the same time. #NewYorkers
• It has blue blood. Cool.
• So Buffy calls Willow about her egg. She should call Xander and Cordy too, no? No, apparently. Oh, she did call Giles at least.
• Cordy's backpack is a bear. I'm so excited.
• I'm sure the soundtrack here is supposed to be epic and scary but I kept laughing and making up lyrics.
• Shenanigans - Giles turns a civilian (Joyce) when she shows up. Cordy and Willow just knock Buffy and Xander out? And leave eggs with them. How come Giles had a bezoar all ready and wriggling?
• It upsets me so much when Giles is evil. This is like that dream in "When She Was Bad" all over again.
• They're really incompetent at digging. I guess they have to be gentle to not damage all the eggs or the giant sweaty eye thing?
• I'm glad they gave us Jonathan. Sure, he's almost always a victim of some magical nonesuch, but it gives a face to the rest of the extras in the school. Also it means a really nice payoff in Earshot and The Prom. He's been there the whole time.
• Man, for a group of drones being controlled by one central mind, this is a really inefficient operation.
• Ah, so the Gorches function to just make things inconvenient for the Buffy. Though Lyle Gorch is fighting on Buffy's side for like 2 seconds. It's cute.
• Buffy killed the giant sweaty eye. Buffy emerges from underground covered in tar-y blood. Lyle runs away. That's the math.
• Poor Buffy. She saved the day, and she's still in trouble with mom.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• What mom takes her teenage daughter to the mall and only buys things for herself? Worst. Mom. Ever.
• Xander is the grossest gross of grossdom. "This would work a lot better for me if you didn't talk." Ew. Just ew. It wasn't even as if she was saying anything that would warrant that kind of misogynistic gross gross crap. And I partly blame line delivery because he could have said it in a 'joking' funny way...but he sounded like a complete ass. And people wonder why I hate Xander.
• Hey, I never had to do that egg carrying thing! *jealous*
• I like when Willow remembers her Judaism. It doesn't happen often.
• So it seems the first time the eggs attack, they just make you...sleepy?
• Except - SHENANIGANS - that's not always the case. It's very inconsistent. Joyce and Jonathan both get possessed the first time.
• "It's like a shortcut, when you're running a race." // "That would also be cheating."
• Zelda and I thought the same thing: All these Angel/Buffy smooches are leading up to "Surprise." Good job, show.
• Egg creature is gross!
• "It's an egg. It doesn't emote."
• Xander littered! Another reason to...aw, you get it.
• Worst. Mom. Ever. Again. Kids are burdens! Such burdens! Where's the schnapps? Someone get Joyce some schnapps!
• There are weird different levels of possession acting. Some act like there's no one around and they're sleep walking. Others seem amazingly cognizant. Very inconsistent story...
• And OK Shenanigans!, the egg creature is hatching out of Cordelia's backpack and attaching to her spine...so...why doesn't she react at all to this? When it happens to Jonathan and Joyce, they freak out.
• Giles has an egg creature all ready for Joyce - so why don't Cordy/Willow have them for Buffy/Xander?
• They're all so fake digging!
• Awww, see, as Dru will point out in a couple of seasons, Vampires can love. I like that Lyle is so protective over his brother.
• And another Xander hate: I really hate that Xander is so reactive by hitting Cordelia so quickly. And actually seems happy to do it.
• Ok, y'all - sorry for the Debbie Downer post on my end. There are so many inconsistencies with this episode and so much Xander hate. Suspending disbelief is fine - but when the episode lore contradicts itself, that's where you need to start from the drawing board.

Crossfire!

Buffy: And I'd say he found something.

D (mockingly): I'd say something found him.

Xander: I'd say something found him.

D: Shut up Xander.

Z: If you say it first, you don't get to say shut up to Xander. I get to say shut up to you.

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "A bozo! Not a bozo." - Buffy

Daniel:  "Why don't you just go to 'Muumuus are us?'" - Buffy

90s Factoid:

Double Earings on a boy?  So 90s

"I killed my Giga Pet. Literally, I sat on it and it broke."

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• First appearance of Lyle & Tector Gorch.
• They mispronounce Angelus too. All Spike's fault.
• Vampires can't have children. Except when they can.
• Sunnydale High has a security guard that stalks the halls of the school at night.
• First time Willow is "evil."
• Jonathan! He's our resident victim, isn't he.

Stats:

Voiceover - Giles

Dead Humans - 0

Dead Undeads - 2

Giles Unconscious - 1

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 1

Buffy Breaks a Door - 1*

Evil Reveal - 6 (Gorch, Eggbert, Mr. Whitmore, Willow, Cordelia, Giles)

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called -4

Apocalypse Called - 0

*Stat updated. Thanks Loopty Lue for pointing it out!