Hurricane Buffy

Episode 1.08: I Will Remember You. Original Airdate: 11/23/99

“Angel must make a difficult decision regarding Buffy when a demon’s blood makes him mortal once more.”

Previously on Buffy: 

Zelda’s Thoughts:

• Did everyone bring tissues?
• Can you lend them to Buffy?
• We start, thematically, with Angel winding his old-fashioned desk clock.
• And then seeing that his desk isn’t level. And tinkering.
• And Cordelia is fixated that he isn’t broody enough.
• Angel pulls out a stake and they think he’s suicidal and the joke is he wants it to level his desk and like THAT IS A DUMB WAY TO LEVEL A DESK. Just fold up some cardstock, my dude.
• “But she’s human, and I’m not, and that’s also never going to change.” SO MUCH POINTED DIALOGUE.
• Oops Buffy walked in on the perfect entrance line. “If my ex came to town and was all stalking me in the shadows and then left and then didn’t even say hello? I’d be – ” // “A little upset. Wouldn’t you?”
• In this episode we will ignore the burgeoning Riley relationship in Sunnydale. It’s easy enough to do.
• Apparently she’s actually in town to see deadbeat dad (believable with the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I guess) … and thought she’d stop by. So that’s fun.
• Running gag of “it’s kind of a long story—rapid accurate summary—maybe not that long” – missed that from our Buffy days
• “Given enough time, we should be able to— ” // “Forget?” // “Yeah.” Oh the lines that will have such STING when we hear them again.
• Angel does a cool dive between Buffy and the demon to do a cool stabby.
• “It was rude. We should go kill it.” “I’m free.”
• BUFFY ASKS OFF CAMERA IF THERE’S SOMEWHERE SHE CAN CHANGE to cover the fact that her costume changes between scenes and that’d be fine except why did she want to change into a white sweater to go exploring through the sewers why why why. She also let her hair down? It was tied up a bit and now it’s fully down, which is great for absorbing sewer smells and combat fun. Fine I’ll call a shenanigan on her judgement.
• Also a callback to a Buffy feelings babble, as she did in the episode “Angel” on her own show.
• “Oh boy, I was really jonesing for another heartbreaking sewer talk.” Oh man the ow of it. I forgot that that’s when he ended it with her in  BtVS S3.
• And what’s this? Angel’s blood mixes with the demon’s blood and his face fills with angelic light (sorry) and his heart, it beats! 

• Angel walks into the office, and Doyle looks at him steadily because he can tell. Angel’s alive.
• This is the second time in eight episodes the show’s decided to throw David into all the sunlight because of the plot of the week.
• So this dude was the Mohra demon. A wee bit similar in name to the gem of Amara.
• Oh man, there’s something rather sweet in Angel staring at his reflection.

• Time to go visit the Oracles! Beautiful makeup, kind of useless, and don’t they eventually get murdered?
• Angel’s offering to the Oracles is … his wristwatch. But they dig it. “I  like time. There is so little and so much of it.” Very Lewis Carroll.
• And they confirm he’s mortal “That which we serve is no longer that which you serve. You are released from your fealty.” Which … doesn’t quite make sense to me. A vampire, even one with a soul, isn’t built to serve the whatever, like the Slayer is. It’s a choice, and one a mortal can choose. Look at Willow and Xander and Giles. Look at Anya, once she’s human. Look at Cordelia and Gunn and Wesley and Fred. I could go on but you get my shenanigan on this rationale.
• Anyway, the big ol’ Bangel kiss in the sun is happening, and it’s soaring romantic music.
• Cordelia laments that the plant is completely dead, and I can confirm it’s not the one Melissa gave Angel a few episodes ago. Aren’t you glad I’m here?
• ALSO THE PLANT IS DEAD. BECAUSE THIS IS ALL THE DOING OF THE FIRST. REMEMBER THE CHRISTMAS TREES.
• So for all that The First never had a good plan, it’s clear that a big part of that plan is to strip away the Slayer’s supernatural support—taking Angel out, manipulating Spike, executing the Potentials, etc. So this tracks. And I remember being really excited the first time experiencing this episode, realizing what the dead plant meant.
• And after Buffy and Angel’s serious talk about why they shouldn’t jump into anything now that he’s human, and we’re sad and awkward, then the sexytimes begin, with an abandon they probably never had, if we’re being honest. Since their first time was tentative and tender.
• Okay, this time Angel is responsible for the peanut butter in the bed OH MY GOD WHAT IF HE TIME TRAVELED A LITTLE BIT TOO ACTIVELY AND DID GET PEANUT BUTTER IN THE BED DURING RM W/A VU AND BLAMED IT ON CORDELIA HEADCANON ACCEPTED.
• Man, if this were my ship, I’d be completely melting at how adorable and schmoopy and happy they are, and even with it not being my ship, it’s so lovely and rare to see the two of them so happy, so hopeful.
• Buffy, cuddled into Angel’s chest, relishing the sound of his beating heart. “We’ll make it work, right?” // “We will.”
• “I wanna stay awake so this day can keep happening.”
• “This is the first time I ever really felt this way.” // “What way?” // “Just like I’ve always wanted to. Like a normal girl falling asleep in the arm of her normal boyfriend. It’s perfect.”
• And now we begin the Angel Is Dumb portion of the episode, as he elects to not wake Buffy for the Let’s Kill the Mohra Demon Again adventure.
• Because the larger problem is this failed fight confirms for him that he can’t effectively fight for the forces of good as a mere human, and if you’ll refer to my list above, you’ll see that I consider that a faulty premise.
• But so with that dumb premise and the equally dumb not-bringing-Buffy, he syllogizes his way to undo the day, to regain his vampire self. It’s his body, his choice, and I respect (but, like Director Fury, I think it’s a stupid-ass decision). 

• And I can’t tell what’s the more cruel: to make the decision without Buffy, or to tell Buffy the decision when it’s too late for her to do anything about it but ache in a way she hasn’t ached since, well, the last time he broke her heart.
• And see? This is why I think his premise is faulty. He was still able to help. He figured out what thousand eyes meant, and knew to tell Buffy to smash the jewel in the Mohra Demon’s forehead, to truly destroy him in a non-regenerative way.
• But back at the Oracles he is, this time with a fancy old vase.
• He’s scared by the prophecy, that the End of Days are coming (spoiler: not for another three seasons), and that Buffy will die (spoiler the second: that’s before the End of Days). But Angel, did you not see how many apocali Buffy faced on her own show? Check our stats.
• I know he has to do it for the show to be what it is, but I’m still mad at Angel for hurting Buffy.
• Angel alone will carry the memory, the Oracles say. And what’s worse, to know or to not know? Better to have loved and lost? He gets to keep the memory of those perfect happy hopefully hours with Buffy, but he also keeps the memory of breaking her heart again, of watching her crumble and his own heart breaks on its last few beats.
• Sarah is fucking killing it in this scene.
• And the Buffy Angel love theme plays as her face crumples, as he holds her close, her eyes overflowing. Her voice so small as she asks “When?”
• “Everything we did.” // “It never happened.” // “It did. It did. I know it did. I felt your heart beat.”
• “It’s not enough time. I’ll never forget. I’ll never forget. I’ll never forget.”
• And we’re back to the scene where Buffy arrived, and the demon arrives, the demon dispatched without fanfare. And Buffy leaves. And Angel is alone, his broken desk clock shattered on the floor.

Daniel’s Thoughts:

• Ok, so this episode takes place after the episode where Angel goes back to Sunnydale.  And he’s back in LA. 
• IT’S BUFFY IT’S BUFFY.  BUFFY IS HERE. 
• And Buffy’s reunion with Cordy is short.  She needs some time alone with Angel. 
• She’s pissed that he went back to Sunnydale to rescue her but didn’t even say hello. 
• Oh no! A demon smashed through the window causing so much sunlight to flood the room.  Don't worry, Angel’s fine. 
• They stab the demon and there’s this cool glowing green blood. 
• Oh man, Buffy’s getting all emotional & there is banter. And it’s like the team’s back together again. 
• Oh man, that struggle between desire and unhealthy consequences of a relationship.  I know that beat. 
• Ouch! Angel’s hand got sliced by the demon sword and it looks kinda painful. 
• More of that glowy demon blood.  This time it’s seeping into that cut.  And his heart beats! 
• There’s dust on the floor and Cordelia thinks it’s Angel for a second and it’s hilarious. 

Angel?

• Wow, that fridge is filled for people who don’t look like they eat. 
• First appearance of the oracles.  Their presence will never make sense to me.  
• I mean, what are these people? And who are the powers that be? 
• “You can go do whatever you want”, says Doyle.  So Angel goes and kisses Buffy outside. 
• “Groiny” – Cordelia’s euphemism for sex. I love it.  
• I mean, it’s a perfect plot for Buffy’s crossover.  This. Could Change Things. Forever. 
• And they’re not getting “Groiny” – just in case, I guess.  Oh, no, there it is.    Don’t forget, Angel, you can get her pregnant now. 
• Peanut butter in bed.  Nice throwback to when Cordelia slept there. 
• OOPS HE GOT ICE CREAM ON HIS NAKED CHEST. GUESS BUFFY WILL HAVE TO GET THAT.  Oh, bother. 
• Nope.  I was just about to ask if Doyle will stop having visions….but nope.  He has a vision of a Mohra demon. 
• Doyle wants to bring Buffy because as of now, she’s the strongest of all of them. (I mean, she was before, too- but now she’s the only one with real supernatural strength.) 
• Angel’s bleeding like a real boy.
• The thousand eyes has to do with the jewel sticking out of his forehead.  It’s smashed by Buffy & and dies for real. 
• Angel wants to reverse what happened to him so that he can protect Buffy forever. 
• But…it’ll also erase the entire day which will suck.  Buffy won’t remember anything but he will. 
• Oh it’s all so sad and epic.  And I had more empathy for all of this when I believed love was a thing.  OOPS, TMI? 
• 24 hours earlier.  The demon attacks again but Angel knows how to kill it.   It’s…right there in the forehead…Angel hitting it with a hard object kills it.  That’s a design flaw, right there.  

Crossfire!

Buffy: When you’re around, whether I see you or not, I feel you … inside.

Z: Dirty.

Cordelia, holding up an axe: Is this antique?

Buffy: Byzantine.

Z: I love that she knows that.

D, smiling proudly: That’s Giles.

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: “I felt your heart beat.” – Buffy. Sarah just destroys me in this scene.

Daniel: "Groiny." - Cordelia

Arc/Continuity:

First Appearance: Buffy Summers, The Oracles

Buffy Crossover: Buffy Summers

Stats:

Cordelia’s Hair – half up with flyaways, mostly straight

Dead Humans – 0

Dead Undeads – 1 (Mohra demon died twice, we’re counting only once)

AlternaDead Humans – 2 (since they’re undone)

AlternaDead Undeads – 1

Dead Flashbacks – 0

Dead Lawyers – 0

Doyle Has a Vision – 1

Lawyered Ex Machina – 0

Evil Reveal – 0

Unevil Reveal – 0

Shenanigans Called – 2

Apocalypse Called – 1

Prophecy Called – 0