Becoming (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode)
From Iwe
| "Becoming" | |||
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 21 & 22 | ||
| Directed by | Joss Whedon | ||
| Written by | Joss Whedon | ||
| Production code | 5V21 5V22 | ||
| Original air date | May 12, 1998 (Part 1) May 19, 1998 (Part 2) | ||
| Guest actors | |||
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| Episode chronology | |||
| ← Previous "Go Fish" | Next → "Anne" | ||
| List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes | |||
"Becoming" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's second season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They are also the thirty-third and thirty-fourth episodes of the show overall. The two constituent episodes were split into two broadcasts; "Part 1" first aired on May 12, 1998 and "Part 2" first aired on May 19, 1998. The episodes were written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon.
The narrative features vampire slayer Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) working to prevent Angelus (David Boreanaz) and fellow vampires Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (James Marsters) from awakening the demon Acathla. As the narrative progresses Spike joins forces with Buffy in an attempt to preserve his love with Drusilla. Buffy also becomes a fugitive after being suspected of murder while Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) works to restore Angel's soul. Flashbacks show the past of Angelus, from being changed into a vampire in 1753, having his soul restored in 1898 (thus becoming Angel), to the year before the series began where he watched Buffy in Los Angeles from afar.
Production of the season finale was different from previous episodes as this was the first time that the show had been filmed outside of the usual warehouses or other locations. A studio was used to create the settings for the flashback scenes set in New York and Ireland. Actors Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz undertook training for the climactic sword fight between their characters.
Contents |
Plot
Part 1
Giles visits a museum to examine a big stone block that it has just acquired; he finds an opening in the rock.
Buffy and Willow find the floppy disk containing Ms. Calendar's reconstruction of the curse that gave Angelus his soul. They are eager to attempt it so they can get Angel back. Giles warns that it will be difficult. Xander prefers to see Angelus killed, rather than risk leaving him alive merely so that Buffy can have a chance to get her boyfriend back.
Drusilla kills the museum curator while Angelus and his minions steal the stone block, which contains the demon Acathla, who came to suck the world into Hell. A virtuous knight had stabbed him in the heart before he could draw a breath, but someone worthy can remove the sword to awaken Acathla. Angelus wants to use Acathla to destroy the world.
Flashbacks
- Galway, Ireland 1753: Liam, drunk as usual, is killed by Darla, becoming the sadistic vampire known as Angelus.
- London, 1860: Drusilla, a pious young woman who has unwanted visions, is psychologically tormented before being sired by Angelus.
- Rumanian woods, 1898: In revenge for killing an unnamed Kalderash girl, Angelus is cursed with his human soul and becomes Angel.
- Manhattan, New York 1996: Angel, now a derelict, meets a benevolent demon named Whistler who invites him to become a hero.
- Los Angeles, 1996: As Buffy becomes the Slayer, Whistler points her out to Angel, who is inspired "to be somebody."
Part 2
Production details
Allusions
- Spike's description of the end of the world as "goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester bloody Square" refers to the song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" by Jack Judge and Harry Williams.
Joss Whedon
- The flashback to Los Angeles is taken directly from Joss Whedon's original script for the Buffy feature film. It is later published in comic format.
Continuity
Arc significance
References
External links
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | ||
|---|---|---|
| Canon • Index • Joss Whedon | ||
| Series | Film • Television • (Episodes • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7) • Comics (Season Eight • Season Nine) • Buffyverse canon | |
| Main characters | Buffy • Willow • Xander • Cordelia • Giles • Angel • Spike • Oz • Anya • Tara • Dawn • Riley | |
| Major villains | The Master • Drusilla • Angelus • The Mayor • Adam • Glory • The Trio • Dark Willow • The First | |
| Spin-offs | Angel • Fray • Tales of the Slayers • Tales of the Vampires • Buffy the Animated Series | |
| Expanded universe | Novels • Undeveloped productions • Video games | |
| Auxiliary | Academia • CCG • DVDs • Guidebooks • In popular culture • Magazines • Music • RPGs | |
| Universe | Big Bads • Hellmouth • Main characters • Minor characters • Monsters • • Scooby Gang • Sunnydale • Vampire | |
