Buffy Season Two Wrap-Up

It's taken a while to get here, but finally we've finished the second season of Buffy. What is it about this season that makes it so popular with fans? Click through to hear about my thoughts.

Kendra: A Retrospective

Aaaand we're back.

Given that Kendra appeared in multiple episodes, I suppose she warrants a proper retrospective. But unlike Jenny Calendar, she only appeared in two stories, so it'll be a little less substantial. What I do have to say, you can read after the jump.

Buffy 2x22 - "Becoming (Part 2)"

So, yeah, end of the season. Another review. You know the drill.

Buffy 2x21 - "Becoming (Part 1)"

As Season Two of Buffy rapidly approaches its ending, the emotional tension is building and everything seems to be coming together. But in the midst of all this forward momentum, the show slows down and dwells on the past. It results in an episode that works great on its own as an episode of television, and also does an excellent job of setting up a finale that will, quite obviously, be pretty danged explosive. More after the jump, naturally.

Buffy 2x20 - "Go Fish"

(Once again, apologies for the lack of images or a quote in this review. That's how this will have to be for the next few days. I'll edit them in later.)


"Go Fish" is perhaps not as remarkable as "Only Have Eyes for You," and certainly not significant to the ongoing plot of Buffy in any notable way, but it is a pretty solid hour of television. It features some great humor, a pretty interesting mystery, and a dose of some classic Buffy metaphor.

Buffy 2x19 - "I Only Have Eyes for You"

(Sorry this review is going up without images.  At the moment I'm more interested in just getting them published at all.)


"I Only Have Eyes for You" is often considered one of the high points of Buffy's celebrated second season, and that's a reputation that's well deserved. It's a pretty damn enjoyable episode of Buffy, and more emotionally raw than many, and it contains some pretty damn good performances. It's a shame that my current rush to catch up on reviews doesn't allow me to say as much about it as I might otherwise like to, but there are a couple of things that need to be said.

Jenny Calendar: A Retrospective

In addition to my previous apologies for sparse posting, I'd like to apologize for the fact that a very early draft of this post went up a couple of weeks ago. And by very early draft I mean rough notes. And by rough notes I mean a single rough note. The post was meant to be an empty placeholder just as a reminder to myself of its place in the schedule, but I accidentally scheduled it to automatically post. Oops.

This post is meant to be just a brief retrospective on the character of Jenny Calendar, something I thought it might be nice to do for a character on their "final" appearance. Some characters either die or leave the show and then return later as a dream, ghost, flashback, or some other cameo, and even though we're actually going to see the character at least one more time in at least one of these forms, I thought now seemed like the appropriate time to comment a bit on her place in the story and her exit from it.

Buffy 2x18 - "Killed by Death"

After an extremely dark episode, which advanced the ongoing story arc a lot, we get something a little more standalone and less dark. It's a strange occasion when an episode about a monster that murders sick children can be described as "less dark." Anyhow, more after the break.

Buffy 2x17 - "Passion"

Just when you think the tension can't get any higher, Buffy surprises you with a frightening and dramatic look at the depths of Angel's obsession... or as he calls it, "passion." More after the jump.

Buffy 2x16 - "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"

"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is an episode composed mostly of frivolous fun and a horribly cumbersone title. However, as is common on Buffy, the fun leads to some interesting character moments, as we get some nice developments in Xander's relationship with Cordelia. More after the jump!

Buffy 2x15 - "Phases"

EDIT: [ by a bizarre coincidence, this review was posted on the full moon. How weird is that? You might think I planned it that way, but I'm nowhere near smart enough (or organized enough) for that. ]

While Buffy's love life has taken a turn for the absolute worst, the Cordelia/Xander/Willow/Oz love trapezoid has now been fully activated, and this episode features the show's first earnest attempt to work through it. As if that weren't enough, it features an exciting standalone plot and some interesting subtext regarding issues of masculinity. It's just a pity the werewolf looks so lame. More after the jump.

Buffy 2x14 - "Innocence"

My complaint about "Surprise," that none of its numerous constituent parts seem to go anywhere, is rectified more or less completely in "Innocence." Not only do all of the threads of the previous episode bear fruit, but they all collide and intersect in deceptively complex ways, without getting in the way of the episode's considerable emotional weight. More after the jump.

Buffy 2x13 - "Surprise"

I apologize for that little hiatus. Things got away from me. In some ways, reviewing Buffy three times a week is harder than reviewing it five times a week, because there's less momentum to sustain. That shouldn't be a problem in the coming week, as I post new reviews daily (or as close to daily as I can get) until I catch up to the schedule. So, on with it.

Buffy 2x12 - "Bad Eggs"

Bad Eggs? More like... Bad Episode! HEY-OH!

I kid. But this wasn't really the strongest episode we've seen recently, and I'll explain why after the jump.

Buffy 2x11 - "Ted"

After a fairly long run of episodes centering on the serialized aspect of the show, Buffy takes a breather from Spike and Drusilla for a mostly self-contained episode focusing on Buffy's home life. A standalone Buffy is not necessarily a bad Buffy, though, as this episode proves by uncovering some interesting themes and making great use of its first celebrity guest star, sitcom actor John Ritter.

Buffy 2x10 - "What's My Line, Part 2"

"What's My Line, Part 2" picks up right where "Part 1" left off, with Buffy and Kendra at a stand still, Angel in danger of death by sunlight, and Cordy and Xander in Buffy's house with the second member of the Order of Taraka: a man made entirely out of bugs. But while we're left with some really tense cliffhangers, the major cliffhanger is a sort of existential or ontological cliffhanger regarding Buffy's status as the Slayer: "One girl in all the world" etc. Of course, this leads Buffy to consider not being the Slayer anymore, but by the end of the episode this concern is dropped (without, I think, having been explored to its full potential), but I think regardless of this, the "What's My Line" two-parter is on the whole some pretty fantastic Buffy. More after the jump.

Buffy 2x09 - "What's My Line, Part 1"

This episode and the following are a two-parter, but while they, unlike "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest," share a title, also unlike those episodes they weren't aired together. They were also produced as separate entities, with different directors and separate writing credits. So although the episode doesn't really tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end, I'm going to consider it on its own entity. Review after the jump.

Buffy 2x08 - "The Dark Age"

Sadly, I'm not going to be able to say as much about "The Dark Age" as it probably deserves. I'm vacationing in beautiful Cape Cod, and my internet access (and writing time) are limited at the moment. What little I do have time to write, you will find after the jump.

Buffy 2x07 - "Lie to Me"

"Lie to Me" is yet another fantastic hour of Buffy, and yet for completely different reasons from "School Hard" and "Halloween." It just goes to show how well this show is maturing as it tackles a variety of different kinds of stories. But I think "Lie to Me" might just top both of those episodes. Find out why after the jump.

Buffy 2x06 - "Halloween"

After a couple of pretty weak episodes, Buffy rebounds with "Halloween." While the episode lacks the suspense, action, and dramatic heft of "School Hard," it makes up for these shortcomings in zany fun, complete with a few good character moments. More after the jump.