"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Becoming: Part 1 (1998)

Director:

Joss Whedon

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator)
Joss Whedon (written by)

TV Series:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997)

Original Air Date:

12 May 1998 (Season 2, Episode 21)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

How it all has begun: how Angel became a vampire, how Buffy became a slayer, and how Willow is starting to become a witch... Angelus and Drusilla are calling for the end of the World as we know it.

Plot Keywords:

Library | Black Magic | Human Sacrifice | Heroine | Classic Episode

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
David Boreanaz	...	Angelus
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Max Perlich	...	Whistler
Seth Green	...	Oz
Kristine Sutherland	...	Joyce Summers
Julie Benz	...	Darla
Bianca Lawson	...	Kendra
Jack McGee	...	Doug Perren
Richard Riehle	...	Merrick
James Marsters	...	Spike
Juliet Landau	...	Drusilla

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Trivia:

The stuntwoman who was set on fire for the vampiric 'immolation-o-gram' is named Cindy Folkerson. She has been set on fire more times than any other stuntwoman in Hollywood.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At thirty-two minutes in, as Buffy fights her first-ever vampire, in the distance you can plainly see a portable lighting mast on the far side of the cemetery wall. Atop it (just out of frame at the top of the picture) are the instruments supplying the "moonlight" which illuminates much of the scene and serves as a strong back-light for the actors.

Quotes:

Liam: My lady, you'll find, that with the exception of an honest day's work, there's no challenge I'm not prepared to face.

A near perfect episode

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Oh, where do I even begin? This episode is so beautiful and compelling and flat-out brilliant that it just about melts the TV. It's the first half of the two part season finale. If you're watching BTVS on DVD, you flat out CANNOT skip "Becoming" parts one or two. I don't care if your house is on fire, you need to sit there and see these episodes. (Well, unless it's a really big fire, in which case, evacuate, but take the DVDs with you.) They're that good.

"Becoming Part One" is all about Angel. Through a series of flashbacks we see his life (and un-life) unfold. How he became a vampire back in 18th Century Ireland. Playing mind games with a human Drusilla. Regaining his soul in Romania. Living in New York alleyways. The first time he saw Buffy. (I have a real soft spot for vampire flashback episodes. "Fool for Love" in season five of BTVS and "Darla" & "Orpheus" in seasons two and four of "Angel" add a lot to "Becoming Part One's" back story.) Watching the flashbacks, we're reminded of the sweet, caring guy that Angel really is under Angelus' evil smirk. Is it any wonder that Buffy's been so reluctant to kill him? Time is running out, though. Angelus and Buffy are heading for a final showdown. The Acathla demon has been unearthed in Sunndydale. Basically, it's a big rock monster that can swallow the world into hell if someone triggers it. And Angelus and Dru are eager to wake it up. They just have to figure out how it works.

Meanwhile, Willow and Buffy have discovered Jenny's spell to re-curse Angel, which immediately starts an argument in the Scoobie ranks. Xander and Cordy think that Angel is gone for good. Even if his soul could be restored, they don't believe that Angel can ever be forgiven or trusted. Giles' is feeling equally as conflicted. Jenny's last wish was to re-curse Angel, but he's also the one who killed her. On the other hand, Buffy wants Angel back and Willow knows that she can work the spell. Objectivly, you can see everybody's point of view, (Even if a big part of me wants Xander to just shut-up.) Honestly, what it comes down to is Buffy and Willow are the strongest. Willow's just coming into her powers, but Xander has already been following her lead for years. Buffy's the Slayer and Giles loves her, so he usually tries to give her what she wants. Neither one of them can hold the hard line for long. They agree to proceed with the plan to re-ensoul Angel.

Things go terribly wrong, though. While Buffy meets with Angelus, Dru attacks the Scoobies. She and her henchmen kill Kendra and knock out Willow and Xander. Angelus and Dru believe that Giles can awaken the Acathla demon, so Drusilla kidnaps him right out of the librarian. Buffy comes rushing back to find the carnage and that's when the police arrive. The slow-mo scene of Buffy running and Whistler's voice over is just a perfect way to end the episode.

There are so many great parts to this episode. Like I said, the flashbacks are wonderful. Angel's face when he first sees Buffy just breaks your heart. He's enthralled with her right from the start, he only wanted to help her. Now Angelus has completely taken his place and is out to destroy the world. Speaking of plots to destroy the world, Spike is less than thrilled with this new Acathla plan. (His "I can't wait to tell my friends" speech is hilarious.) He and Angelus/Angel have an interesting love/hate relationship. Angelus absently whacks Spike on the back of his head as he walks by and torments Spike by coming on to Dru, but he doesn't try to really hurt Spike. Even though Spike is (or was) injured and weak. Spike snickers when Angelus fails to awaken the demon and is plotting to bring Angelus down, but he not willing to just stake Angelus when his back is turned. Even though, he could easily catch Angelus off guard and dust him. They're so complicated and I love watching them together.

The name of the episode, "Becoming," is also interesting. In the flashbacks, Whistler, Angel's guide, tells him that he has to "become" someone. Stand up and make himself count. Angelus, meanwhile, says he'll "become" by awakening Acathla. He wants to be the one to "make history... End." Metaphorically, forgetting everything that's happened to him as Angel and, as an added bonus, destroying all the humans on the planet once and for all. They both want to become something more: Angel a better "person" and Angelus a "purer" demon. It's very cool.

The only downside I can think of in this episode is Kendra. I still don't like her accent and I'm not real sorry to see her go.

My favorite part of the episode: Buffy considering the consequences of being sucked into hell. "At least I won't have to take that chemistry final... Or maybe I'll be taking it forever..."