Innocence

Innocence
1/20/98
guest stars: Seth Green (Oz), Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Brian Thompson (Judge), Vincent Schiavelli (Jenny's uncle), James Marsters (Spike) Juliet Landau (Drusilla)
Writer: Joss Whedon
Director: Joss Whedon

synopsis: After a night of passion between Buffy and Angel, the curse is broken and Angelus returns. Meanwhile, The gang meets in the library and learns that neither Buffy nor Angel checked in the night before, and none of them had any luck with the judge. Xander and Willow want to rush off to the factory to help Buffy, but Cordelia tells them that they can't do anything and is unexpectedly backed up by Giles. Before Xander and Willow can leave, Buffy comes in, and informs them that she and Angel had a narrow escape, gotten separated, and spent the night in hiding. Buffy is worried that Angel hasn't checked in. Later, Jenny's uncle informs her that the curse has been broken.
...... Meanwhile, Drusilla has a Psychic flash concerning Angel, and as they wonder what happened to him, Angelus enters. Spike tries to get the judge to burn him, but the judge replies that their is no humanity in Angelus. Overjoyed, Spike and Drusilla welcome Angelus back into the game. When asked about his soul, Angelus replies "What can I say? I was going through a phase...". Dru tells Angelus of their plans, but he asks for one night to torture Buffy.
...... Buffy, meanwhile, is freaking out because Angel still hasn't checked in. Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia, and Ms. Calendar are having no luck finding any information on the judge. Xander apologizes to Cordelia for snapping at her earlier, and reveals a little jealously for how much Xander cares for Buffy. ("You were too busy running off to die for you're beloved Buffy. You'd never die for me.") Xander wants to kiss and make up, but Cordelia doesn't want to make up, "But, I'm okay with the other part", she tells him, and they kiss warmly.
...... Unfortunately, Willow spies the two, and runs out distraught. Xander confronts her, telling her that it's not that big a deal, and Willow replies that "No. It just means that you'd rather be with someone you hate, than be with me."
...... Buffy decides to go to Angel's house, and finds him there. She tells him she was so worried, and he is exceedingly cruel to her about the night before. Back at the library, Willow returns to help find information about the judge, and Xander forms a plan. Angelus shows up, and tells Willow to come over to him, and asks Xander to get the others. Willow starts towards him, but stops when Ms. Calendar shows up with a cross, and informs them that Angel is Angelus. Angelus confirms this when he grabs Willow and tells them that he has a message for Buffy. Buffy shows up, and tells him to give it to her himself, but he tells her that it "involves finding the bodies of all your friends." Fortunately, Xander takes the cross from Ms. Calendar and shoves it in Angels face, and he releases Willow. Angelus runs out after kissing a distraught Buffy.
...... At the factory, Spike wonders why Angelus didn't kill Buffy, but Dru knows the truth: he doesn't want to kill Buffy, he wants to make her suffer just like he did to Dru. When Spike presses Angelus further, Angelus berates him, telling him that Spike tried to kill her, and failed, and is in a wheelchair because of it. To kill her, Angelus says, you have to love her.
...... Giles questions Buffy on the events leading up to Angel's transformation, and she realizes what set it off. She runs out of the library and Giles calls after her. Willow realizes what happened between Buffy and Angel, and tells Giles to shut up. Ms. Calendar suggests that they give it a rest for the night. Xander comes up with a plan involving Cordelia and Oz.
...... That night, Buffy has a dream where Angel reveals that Ms. Calendar knew of the transformation. She confronts the teacher, and she reveals to Buffy and Giles her secrets. Ms. Calendar confirms that it was Buffy and Angel's night together that led to his transformation. At first Giles doesn't understand, but Buffy gives him a look that reveals everything. Buffy demands to be taken to someone who can help, and the scene shifts to Jenny's uncle. As someone comes in, the man says "I suppose you want answers." But the visitor is Angelus, and he replies with "That's Okay. But thanks for the offer." Later, Jenny, Giles, and Buffy arrive, and find the man dead, and a note written in blood "was it good for you?" Giles tells Buffy that Angelus is trying to make it harder, but Buffy says that he is only making it easier.
...... Meanwhile, Xander and Cordelia (who is dressed like a hooker) break into a military base. Xander lies to the guard and threatens him for breaking regulations, and explains to a confused (and rather impressed) Cordelia that he remembered everything from Halloween. The two have a brief conversation about sex (I'm 17. Looking at linoleum makes me want to have sex) before sneaking out with a large gun. Back in the van, Willow asks Oz if he wants to make out with her, and Oz tells her that he often thinks about kissing her, but won't until he's sure she wants to kiss him back.
...... At the factory, Dru, Angelus, and the judge prepare to launch their attack. Angelus taunts Spike because he can't go, and Dru kisses him good-bye.
...... The groups meets back up with Giles and Buffy at the library, and Ms. Calendar asks if she can do anything to help. Buffy tells her to get out, and Giles backs up Buffy. They go to the factory, but it is empty. Spike hides in the shadows listening to them, and Oz suggests they try the mall.
...... Angelus, Dru, and the judge arrive at the mall, and the judge begins to fry the people. Buffy distracts him with an arrow, and when he tells her that no weapon forged can harm him, Buffy responds with "that was then, this is now," and aims a huge rocket launcher at the judge. Angelus and Dru dive off the staircase as Buffy fires, and the judge is blown into tiny pieces. Dru and Angel make good their escape, and Buffy goes after him leaving the others to clean up the bits of the judge. A sprinkler system is set off, and Buffy and Angelus square off. After a bitter fight, Buffy defeats Angelus, but finds herself unable to slay him. He taunts her for not being able to kill him, but she gives him a powerful kick in the groin and says "give me time".
...... As Giles drives Buffy home, she says that he must be disappointed in her. But Giles tells her no, that he knew she loved him, and that he loved her, and that there was no way they could have known. He says "if you're looking for guilt, I'm not your man. All you'll get from me is my support, and my respect," which makes Buffy tear up. Later, Buffy and Joyce celebrate her birthday, but Buffy isn't in much of a celebratory mood. Joyce asks her what she did, and Buffy says she "got older." Joyce brings her a cupcake with a candle, but Buffy just lays her head on her mom's shoulder and watches it burn.

...... Review: Oh my! Punch me in the gut and call me Jim! I have never, even been so drained at the end of an hour of television. Everything about this episode rocked. I don't even know where to start.
...... Sarah Michelle Gellar absolutely tore the scenery off the walls, chewed it up and spit it out. Her scene in Angel's bedroom, when she was asking if she wasn't "good", I could feel her anguish. And after learning of Angel's transformation, when she was sobbing on her bed, was one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have ever seen. It was rivaled only by the closing scene where she told her mother that she "got older". I thought that line spoke volumes about the episode, and about the show in general. Buffy was cruelly betrayed by the person she trusted the most, and Sarah portrayed her anguish perfectly. she has been forced to grow up too fast, and Sarah makes you mourn for her lost childhood.
...... In my review for Surprise, I said the Sarah was losing her edge. Well, it's back now. When she fired that gun at the judge was, without a doubt, the most bad-ass Buffy I have ever seen. And then she may not have killed Angel, but that kick, with the line "give me time" as she walked away, reaffirmed why Buffy is simply the coolest person to ever grace the small screen.
...... Alyson Hannigan: I've said it before--Alyson Hannigan is the best actress on this show, and should get an Emmy nod based on the strength of this episode alone. Everything she does is flawless: her support of Buffy when she realized what had happened was absolutely perfect. It was subtle enough to avoid caricature, but you still understood what she was thinking. Her confrontation with Xander over the Cordelia episode was heartbreaking. Her realization once and for all that Xander would never love her, and her feelings of betrayal because he picked Cordelia over her could all be easily read on her face, and were utterly believable. The same goes for her willingness to put her feelings on hold for Buffy's sake, and her terror when Angel threatened to kill her. Best of all was her seen in the van with Oz, when she asked him to make out with her. She took something so completely un-Willow, and made us believe it was still her. In the hands of a lesser actress, the part would have been misplaced and stupid and completely out of character. Aly made it completely Willow. Finally, I think Aly has the most expressive face on television, and she consistently makes the most of it.
...... Anthony Stewart Head has developed the character of Giles so much from Welcome to the Hellmouth, when he insisted that Buffy must slay no matter what the cost. He has become more of a parent to her than her own mother. The talk he had with her at the end was so utterly heartfelt and honest that it almost brought tears to my eyes. The other part which was so impressive was when he took Buffy's side over Jenny's towards the end, when Buffy told her to get out. There was no hesitation on his part, he does what Buffy needs.
...... Robia LaMorte: first of all, I still don't like what they did to her character. I probably never will. But Robia redeemed herself tonight. Her character was much more in line with what she had been in past episodes. Her job had been to keep Angel and Buffy apart and she didn't do it because of her friendship with them all. She really didn't know what would happen, and I felt sorry for her even though she had been lying to the gang the entire time. I hope she continues to play a part because I really, really like her and think she is an excellent addition to the show. No else can match wits with Giles like she can.
...... Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon: I like Cordelia more and more with each passing episode. her relationship with Xander stepped up a level: in What's My Line, part 2 it was a unplanned kiss. In Ted, they had upgraded to stealing away in the utility closet. By Bad Eggs, they were spending quite a lot of time groping in the closet. But in this episode their horny groping had evolved into a more passionate kiss. Cordelia smiled at him, (Charisma has the most dazzling smile I have ever seen on television.) and did the nose wrinkly thing (that drives me wild, but the way.) and the kiss they shared after that was much more emotional, not quite as frantic. It seemed like they were really enjoying each other's company instead of being with someone they couldn't stand for physical pleasure. Cordelia was a worthy part of the preceding all along. I loved her reaction at the trashier line, and she was great at the armory, how she was impressed with Xander at the whole military thing, and even more so when he told her how linoleum made him think of sex. (she looked interested, too.) I think Cordelia and Xander were crucial to adding a little humor to this incredibly emotional roller coaster of an episode, but at the same time, both we extremely serious and supportive of Buffy. Xander's confrontation with Willow was as well acted by Nick as by Aly, and he did save her life. To top it off, Cordy was jealous of Xander's feelings for Buffy! That has to be a first.
...... Spike and Drusilla: whatever it was they didn't have in Surprise, They got it back with a vengeance here. Dru was classic. Her lines about the stars almost matched her "Miss Edith Needs her tea..." and when Angelus came back..."Everything in my head is singing!", and of course "You want to hurt her...Like you hurt me!" and poking at Miss Edith's eyes...I love Drusilla. And Spike was great. He was off that bitter depressive state he was caught in for Surprise, and was back to his sarcastic, witty self and played off Dru's madness so well. The jealousy he showed when Dru went off with Angelus promises great things in the future.
...... Seth Green: His part was limited, and I'm not sure I like how quickly he was accepted as a member of the gang, (Ms. Calendar had to save Willow from computer demon, and Cordy had to face the Hellmouth itself, plus a few other things, before they let her in. But his chemistry with Aly is amazing, and he is so sweet to Willow. I can't help but like him. plus, he's got the van, and the scooby gang needs a van.
...... the judge: As corny as he is, he provided entertainment. When he looked at Buffy all smug and said "no weapon forged can harm me", and then stared at the rocket launcher and said "what's that do," it was just too cool for words. It seemed to me that the whole judge thing was a slam at ancient prophesy, because all that stuff about no weapon forged was just a little outdated. fighting a demon with swords is a little different than with a rocket launcher.
...... David Boreanaz: save the best for last. The transformation from Angel to Angelus was so complete that I could hardly belief I was looking at the same actor. Everything that he did, his face, his hair, his voice, it was all so different. He was finally given a chance to do something besides brood, and he made the most of it. He was so cruel to Buffy in her bedroom, and his voice...it's usually kind of a low, almost whisper type sound. Very sad and dramatic. Seeing him animated was great. This was the first time David got to do anything besides brood, and he showed how versatile an actor he is. As big an Angel Buffy fan as I am, I love having Angelus and hope he sticks around. (Although I still want Angel back eventually.)
...... notes in general: the title makes this episode very poignant because innocence is what Buffy lost in this episode. I don't mean just her virginity, but her innocence. She gave Angel everything she had, and was cruelly betrayed in the worst way. What was nice about this episode is that it wasn't about the sex, there was no "very special Buffy" with the talk, and big decisions and all that. It was exactly what teen sex usually--unplanned, between two people who really care about each other but don't know the ramifications of their actions, and the next morning they don't really talk about it. The sex was almost incidental. It was important to Buffy, and it devastated her, but it was not the focus of the episode. Although it would have been nice to have been graced with a little Sarah flesh. Also, it didn't try to resolve everything in a nice neat package. Giles and Jenny are still on the ropes. Xander and Willow are on the outs. Xander and Cordy have a little trouble in paradise (Cordy being taken for granted???) Angel is still bad, and Buffy will need a lot of time to put that behind her. Spike seems to have his own issues with Angelus, and Dru is in the middle. The judge was stopped, but nothing was resolved.
...... All in all, this was the most moving hour of television I have ever seen. It hit home like a punch in the gut, and marks a distinct point in the Buffy mythology. All of Buffydom can be divided now into pre-Innocence and post-Innocence. I give this episode higher than the highest possible marks--11/10

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