Becoming - Part Two (AKA The Whistler)
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Follows on from Becoming - Part One
Two police officers rush into the library. From the looks of things, they believe that Buffy has just murdered Kendra. They take her outside, where Principal Snyder arrives with several more cops. Before one of them can cuff her, Buffy knocks the guy down and flees the scene. After disguising herself in a coat and black cap, Buffy goes to the hospital and runs into Xander, who is now wearing a cast on his right forearm. They go to Willow's room, where she lies motionless in a coma. Cordelia arrives, and Buffy learns that Giles was neither with her or in the hospital. Giles has been taken to the vampire's mansion hideout, where Angel hopes to force the necessary info concerning the ritual out of the Watcher. Meanwhile, Joyce learns from the police that her daughter is suspected of murder and that she's a fugitive from the law. Buffy goes to Giles apartment to see if he's there, but instead meets Whistler, who has been waiting inside. He tells Buffy that Angel was destined to stop Acathla, not revive him. However, Buffy's relationship with Angel changed all that. Buffy leaves before Whistler can tell her how to stop the demon. Outside, a patrolling officer recognizes Buffy and orders her to freeze. Suddenly, Spike arrives and beats the cop into unconsciousness. He wants Buffy's help in stopping Angel so he can have Drusilla back the way she used to be, in exchange for his leaving town with Dru and never returning. After some hesitation, Buffy decides to take him back to her house so they can plan their attack. They get there just as Joyce is pulling into their driveway. As Buffy tries to make up an excuse for Spike's presence, a vampire that has been spying on them attacks. Right in front of Joyce's eyes, Buffy stakes the vampire spy, turning him to dust. Realizing what she has to do, Buffy confesses to her mother that she is a vampire slayer.
At the hospital, Xander pleads to Willow for her to wake up. She finally snaps out of her coma just as Xander says that he loves her. The first word out of her mouth is Oz's name, who arrives to greet her back to consciousness. Meanwhile, Giles refuses to divulge the information that Angel needs to properly perform the ritual, so more torture ensues. Back at the Summers home, Buffy and Spike agree to work together, but only on the conditions that Dru can leave with Spike, and that Giles survives. After Spike leaves, Joyce begs her daughter to explain everything that's going on. Buffy tells her mom that there's no time to explain it all, which furiates Joyce. Joyce doesn't want her daughter to be in charge of saving the world, to which Buffy responds that she never wanted the duty in the first place. Joyce tries to restrain her daughter from leaving the house, but Buffy pushes her back against the kitchen counter. Joyce tells Buffy to never come back should she walk out the door, but Buffy leaves anyways.
At the hospital, Willow tells the others that she is going to try the curse again. Buffy returns to the library to retrieve the sword that Kendra brought. Principal Snyder finds her there and promptly expels her due to all the trouble she's been involved in. After Buffy leaves, Snyder calls someone to tell the Mayor that he has good news. Meanwhile, Drusilla tricks Giles by making herself look and sound like Jenny Calendar in his eyes. Giles says that Angel's blood is the key to the awakening ritual. Homeless and expelled, Buffy has only one path to follow now. She returns to Giles apartment and asks Whistler how to use the sword. He tells her that only Angel's blood can open and close the vortex to Hell. With one blow, both Angelus and the demon Acathla would be sent back to Hell, and the vortex would be closed.
Xander catches up with Buffy on her way to the mansion. She tells him to concentrate on freeing Giles and escaping. Xander does not inform Buffy that Willow is attempting the curse again. Inside the mansion, Angel slices his hand and approaches the sword in Acathla's chest. Suddenly, the ritual is interrupted by Buffy's arrival. Angel doesn't even notice Spike rising out of his wheelchair from behind. While Spike brutally beats Angel to the floor, Buffy takes one of the other vampires in the room. During this battle, Xander unties Giles and gets him safely outside. Spike doesn't get too many hits off before an enraged Drusilla jumps into the fray, tackling Spike. While they fight, Angel manages to get back up and run to Acathla. Just as Buffy drives a stake through the vampire's heart, Angel grabs the sword with his bloody hand and finally pulls it out. Swords in hand, Buffy and Angel engage in a sword duel. Elsewhere, Willow, Cordy, and Oz perform the curse of restoration. Suddenly, Willow loses control of her actions and seemingly becomes possessed by some spirit. Cordy and Oz watch in fright as Willow performs the curse herself in perfect Latin. Spike subdues Drusilla and takes her with him as he escapes from the mansion in his car. After the long duel, Buffy finally backs Angel up against Acathla.
Just as she is about to deliver the final blow, Willow completes the curse, restoring Angel's soul to his body. Buffy lowers her sword as she realizes the change, and the two lovers are finally reunited. However, it is too late, for Acathla is now awake. Buffy looks over Angel's shoulder and sees Acathla's mouth creating a vortex to Hell. Angel has no idea what is going on, so all that Buffy can do is give her lover one last kiss before driving the sword through his stomach, thus releasing the blood needed to close the vortex and send the two demons back to Hell. Shocked, Angel reaches out towards Buffy with his right hand, but nothing can be done now. Buffy watches as the vortex closes around Angel, leaving the demon Acathla as nothing more than a silent statue once again.
Buffy goes home and packs up her belongings without Joyce ever knowing she had returned. When Joyce enters the room, she finds a farewell letter from her daughter left on the bed. At Sunnydale High, nobody knows what happened to Buffy and Angel. Some believe that Buffy had to kill Angel before the curse was completed, while others believe that Angel has been restored and they were taking time off to be alone together. Unbeknownst to them, Buffy is standing far away by one of the trees, giving her school and her friends one last look before hopping on a bus. The bus heads out of Sunnydale, and Buffy faces an unknown future.
More Information
Joss Whedon shepherds his story back on course. As usual he takes some pleasure in creating havoc for his characters, and in doing so creates another pivotal episode. There doesn't seem to be any good reason why Spike and Drusilla should be written out, especially as they've become heavily integrated into most storylines since Angel became evil again.
There must be plenty of mileage left in their characters. Juliet Landau (Drusilla) has been a constant delight in every scene she's been in. James Marsters, although rather short-changed by being stuck in a wheelchair for most of the season, has been a brooding presence that's helped maintain the crucial balance between the day-to-day antics of the Scooby gang and the show's darker elements.
After the multifarious delights of the last episode, (most notably all the flashbacks depicting events we'd only previously heard about), this episode seemed a little dull. More interesting than the routine plotting, the highlight of the episode was the beautifully written and acted scene where Buffy revealed the truth to her mother: "What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights, the weird occurrences How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing, and you still haven't figured it out?"
As a season cliffhanger 'Becoming - Part 2' is not nearly as thrilling as Prophecy Girl, but it has taken the show and given it a thorough shaking. Or, as Spike so eloquently puts it:
"Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester bloody Square!"
Trivia
Some sources have the title of this episode as 'The Whistler', but this doesn't seem to be officially sanctioned.
Xander finally confesses his love to Willow in this episode, and this key phrase is perhaps what wakes her from her coma. Unfortunately for Xander, the first name she calls out for is Oz.
A couple of times this season we've seen vampires driving around town in cars with blacked out windows, (Angel's arrival in Sunnydale in Becoming - Part 1, and Spike and Drusilla's departure in this episode). If this idea tickles your fancy, then find yourself a copy of Kathryn Bigelow's funky 1987 movie 'Near Dark', a thoughtful look at what it might be like to be a modern-day vampire.
Joyce and Spike are reacquainted, after their brief encounter in School Hard. Of course, Joyce has only a vague recollection of their meeting, due to Sunnydale's usual wave of collective amnesia.
Chris's Notes
The Mutant Enemy monster shown at the end of each episode of Buffy usually groans as he wobbles past. This time he "needs a hug" - probably a bizarre reference to the sniffle-worthy end of the season.
The double episode is named 'Becoming' after Angel's speech: "I wanna become someone."
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