Passion

Passion
2/24/98
guest stars: Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Juliet Landau (Drusilla)
Writer: Ty King
Director: Michael E. Gershman

synopsis: "Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and although unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open it's jaws, and howl."
.......... Buffy and Xander are dancing together at the Bronze while Cordelia and Willow talk at a nearby table. Angelus enters, watches them for a while, and then watches them leave, following. Later, Buffy looks out her window, changes for bed, and goes to sleep while Angelus watches from the roof. He comes in her room, and touches her face.
.......... "It speaks to us, guides us, Passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have?"
.......... The next morning, Buffy wakes up, and discovers a message left by Angelus. It is a picture of her sleeping. She tells Giles that he was in her room. Cordelia worries that Angelus was in her car, and Buffy asks if there is a spell to reverse the invitation. Two students come in for some books, and they leave.
.......... Giles tells Buffy that Angelus is trying to throw Buffy off her game, the "nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah approach to battle," according to Xander. Buffy realizes that she needs to tell her mother something because Angelus would attack her. Giles tells her that she has to keep a level head.
.......... In computer class, Ms. Calendar asks Willow to watch her class the next day, and Willow is both elated and nervous. Buffy and Giles stop by, because Buffy needs to talk to Willow. Buffy pointedly ignores Ms. Calendar. Ms. Calendar tells Giles she wants to make things right, and gives him a book which would help keep Angelus out of Buffy's house. Ms. Calendar tells Giles that the first thing she learned was her duty to her people, and then confesses to Giles that she loves him. Giles tells her that it's not him she needs to make it up to, and leaves.
.......... That night at dinner, Buffy tells Joyce that she and Angel were dating, and had a bad break up and he's been following her around. "He's changed, he's not the same guy you fell for?" Mrs. Summer's asks, and Buffy says "In a nutshell".
.......... That night, Willow tries to comfort Buffy on the telephone, until she finds an envelope from Angelus containing all of her fish from her aquarium, strung together. Freaked, Willow goes to Buffy's for the night. Buffy tells Willow that "When something like this happens, my first instinct is still to run to Angel. I can't believe it's the same guy." Willow tells her that "you're still the only thing he thinks about."
.......... At the factor, Drusilla brings Spike a puppy to eat, but he'll have none of it. He says "I won't have you feeding me like a child Dru," and Angelus enters, saying "why not? She already bathes you, carries you around, and changes you like a child." Angelus taunts Spike about being in a wheelchair. "Maybe next time I'll bring you with me, Spike. Might be handy to have you around if I need a really good parking space." Spike grows angry, but Angelus continues to taunt him, and Dru likes that they are fighting, but then gets a psychic flash of danger for them.
.......... In a shop, Ms. Calendar requests an orb of Thessala, and relates to the shop keeper how she is writing a computer program to translate the text of a gypsy spell. We learn that the Thessalan orbs are used to help with restoration spells of the undead, and that she plans to restore Angel's soul.
.......... The next day, Willow is disappointed because Ms. Calendar shows up after all. "Oh darn, she's here. Five hours of lesson plans yesterday down the drain. Buffy confronts Ms. Calendar, and doesn't exactly forgive her but tells her to see Giles because he misses her, and "doesn't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to." Giles relates to Buffy that he found the ritual to revoke an invitation, and that night, Willow, Buffy, and Cordelia do the rituals at Willow's. Cordelia tactlessly reminds Willow that she has no fish, and then Willow gets another note–Buffy's mom.
.......... Joyce pulls up to her house, and encounters Angel. Mrs. Summers tells Angelus to leave her alone, and Angelus insists that he needs to be with Buffy and that Joyce can help her. He says "I'll die without Buffy. She'll die without me." Joyce threatens to call the police, and Angelus tells Joyce that they slept together. Joyce gets in the house, and Angelus tries to follow but can't–Buffy and Willow have performed the ritual. "Sorry, Angel, changed the locks," Buffy says, and slams the door on Angelus' face.
.......... Ms. Calendar is working on her program when Giles stops by to see her. She tells him that she talked to Buffy, and that she may have some news, and asks to see him later. Giles invites her over for that night. Dru comes in the shop, and asks the shop keeper what "you and the mean teacher talked about."
.......... Ms. Calendar finishes her program, saves it to disk, and prints it out. She then spikes Angelus watching her, and he tells her he was invited by the sign "enter all ye who seek knowledge." Ms. Calendar tells Angelus she can restore his soul, but Angelus isn't impressed. He smashes the orb and the computer, and is about to burn the paper when Ms. Calendar tell him it holds his cure. He tells her "no thanks, been there, done that, Deja Vu just isn't what it used to be." He then burns the paper in the fires of the computer, and says "looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone. And teacher makes three."
.......... Angelus chases Ms. Calendar through the halls. All of the outside doors are locked, and she has no where to run. She knocks a maintenance cart into him and runs up some stairs, but Angelus took a different way and is there to meet her. He says "sorry, Jenny, this is where you get off," and snaps her neck. "I never get tired of doing that," he says as her body falls to the ground.
.......... Giles stops by Buffy's and gets the book from Willow. Willow relates that Angelus told Buffy's mom about the... "you know," and when Giles suggest that he say something to Buffy's mom on Buffy's behalf, but Willow says "what would you say?" Getting the message, Giles leaves. Upstairs, Buffy confesses to her mom about her and Angel. Joyce is upset, and angry, but tells Buffy that "you can shut me out of your life, I am pretty much used to that, but don't expect me to stop caring about you because it's never gonna happen. I love you more than anything in the world." Buffy and Joyce make up, kinda.
.......... Giles arrives at his apartment to find a rose on the door, and opera music playing. When he arrives, he finds champaign on ice, tons of roses and rose petals everywhere, and a note saying "upstairs". He takes off his glasses, fixes his hair, and climbs the stairs, bearing the champaign and glasses. Upon arriving at the top he drops the drops the champaign and glasses and they shatter on the ground. Looking on his bed, he sees Jenny's corpse. The police arrive, and bring out her body. They tell Giles they need to ask him a few questions, and he makes a phone call.
.......... "Passion is the source of our finest moments: the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief."
.......... Buffy picks up the phone, and sinks to her knees in shock at the news. When Giles informs Willow, she breaks down into sobs and is comforted by Joyce. Angelus watches, amused. Cordelia and Xander arrive, having tried to find him at the station. Buffy asks Cordelia to drive them to Giles, and when Willow suggest that maybe he wants to be alone, Buffy says "I'm not worried about what he wants, I'm worried about what he's gonna do."
.......... At Giles house, Giles loads some weapons in his bag, along with a gas can, and leaves. A picture of Jenny with her neck snapped is on his desk. Buffy and the other's arrive, but Giles is gone. Willow notices that all the weapons are gone, and when Xander comments that Giles had a big night plan, Buffy tells him that Angel set it up, the "wrapping for the gift."
.......... Buffy says that he's going to go to where Angel is, and Cordelia says that "Giles is going to try to kill Angel, then." Xander says "Well, it's about time somebody did." Cordy and Willow are shocked, but Xander continues, saying "I'm sorry, but lets not forget that I hated Angel a long time before you guys jumped on the band wagon, so I think I deserve a little something for not saying "I told you so" along time before now. And if Giles wants to go after the fiend that murdered his girlfriend, I say faster pussycat, kill, kill." Buffy agrees with him, but says that there is only one thing wrong with Giles revenge: "It's going to get him killed."
.......... At the factory, Spike is pissed that Angelus is taunting the slayer because she'll kill them all. Angelus says "don't worry, roller boy, I've got everything under control." At that moment, a Molotov cocktail explodes on the table, and Giles enters, wielding a burning stick and proceeds to beat the tar out of Angelus. Dru tries to intercede, but is stopped by Spike who says "uh uh, no fair going into the ring unless he tags you first." Angelus gains the upper hand on Giles, picks him up by the throat, and says "okay, you've had your fun, but you know what it's time for now?" He doesn't get to finish, because he is thrown into a pipe by Buffy who says "my fun." As Dru makes her escape with Spike and Miss Sunshine, Buffy proceeds to beat the shit out of Angelus. She can't kill him, however, because the flames are closing in on Giles, and while Buffy rescues him, Angelus makes good his escape.
.......... Outside, Giles is angry with Buffy for interfering, but Buffy punches him, saying "are you trying to get yourself killed," and then she embraces him and says "you can't leave me...I can't do this alone."
.......... "It hurts sometimes more than we can bare. If we could live without passion, then maybe we'd know some peace. But we would be hollow, empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we would truly be dead."
.......... Giles returns to his home and tears down the police tape, and then he and Buffy are at Jenny's grave. Giles says "In my years as watcher I've buried too many people. Jenny was the first I loved"
.......... "I'm sorry," Buffy says, "sorry I couldn't kill him for you, for her, when I had the chance. I wasn't ready. But I think I finally am."
.......... Willow arrives to take over the computer class. "I can't hold onto the past anymore." says Buffy, in a voice over. Willow puts her books near Ms. Calendar's. "Angel is gone. Nothing is ever going to bring him back." Willow books brush Ms. Calendar's pile, and her disk, containing her program to cure Angel, falls into a crack between the desk and the cabinet.

.......... review: I really don't know what to say. The first time I saw the episode, I wasn't as moved as I thought that I'd be. But, before writing the review, I watched it a second time. And I almost didn't get through it without breaking down into tears. And I didn't cry at Les Miserable .
.......... That's not to say that the episode was perfect. That's a distinction reserved for Innocence , and as good an episode as this was, it wasn't Innocence. It didn't leave me feeling quite as empty and drained inside. It left me very, very sad. I would say that it was more akin to Lie to Me . I'm not sure how to describe the feeling, perhaps bitter sadness is comes the closest.
.......... The flaws of this episode were all in the first half, which was uneven at best. Nothing stood out as being bad, but the Buffy/Xander/Cordy/Giles stuff just didn't seem to work that well. I found myself distracted by other things which is rare while watching Buffy, especially Cordy scenes. Not that I thought it was bad, it just...wasn't anything special. Also, my friends VCR taped a half hour or so to long, so when I reminded it back an hour on the counter, it was actually at the middle of the episode, and neither of us noticed until after Ms. Calendar died, and there was no opening credits after the commercial. Then we had to rewind, and it sort of disrupted the unity and flow. Of course, that's my fault.
.......... That out of the way, there was a tremendous amount of good stuff. Throughout, I thought that Robia LaMorte did a fabulous job in her farewell performance. I have always enjoyed the character of Jenny Calendar, however, I wish to save this part for the end. Spike and Drusilla were wonderful as usual, and I am really enjoying the tension build-up between Angelus and Spike. It is not hidden now, and I think, after the fire, Spike is going to have even more issues. I think he is right, of course. Angelus' MO is to torture is victims by killing all their loved ones. However, his victims in the past have been unable to defend themselves. For as nasty as Angelus is, he's not all that powerful. The question Buffy posed in When she was Bad has been answered–Buffy can kick Angel's ass. Angelus isn't stalking a dumb as a post gypsy girl, or a delicate flower like Drusilla. He is stalking the slayer, and is succeeding in making her very pissed off at him. In Innocence she couldn't kill him, but now she can. He overplayed his hand. Spike knows what Jenny was working on, I suspect he could relay this info to Buffy just to get rid of Angelus. I am now certain Spike would rather have Angel cursed, since he'll be at odds with the slayer anyway. Dru's lunacy was somewhat more contained, but that didn't stop her from being entertaining. I though the dog was a nice touch.
.......... Cordelia and Xander were under used in this episode, especially Xander, but considering how they were the main players in BBB I guess I can forgive this. Cordy is coming through for Buffy on a regular basis now, and did anyone catch at the Bronze, when Buffy was dancing with Xander, Cordy and Willow were hanging out? I thought that was neat. She's completely joined their team, and I think she considers them her friends. I suppose she learned in BBB who her real friends are.
.......... Xander and Buffy have a certain something which not only makes me expect a relationship between one, but look forward to it. Angel is out of the way, Willow is out of the way. As much as I like Cordy and Xander, they can't last. The scene in Giles, after Xander goes off on Angel, Buffy said "he's right," and Xander said "thank you," they just seem so natural playing off each other. And also, I know a lot of people thought Xander wasn't being overly sensitive, but what he said was true. Xander stated in Prophecy Girl that "I don't like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you're a vampire." He turned out to be right, and he's been the most supportive person to Buffy all through this. But Angel had killed a friend, even if Buffy was mad at her, and it was time for action. Xander knew it, and Buffy knew it, and I think he was right for saying what he did.
.......... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually like Mrs. Summers in this episode. If you've read anything that I've written about the show, you'll know that I don't think she could win mother of the year, in fact I pretty much think she's an idiot. But the talk with Buffy was fantastic. Kristine Sutherland did a wonderful job portraying a woman who truly doesn't know her daughter. For the first time in the series, I felt for Joyce. I would like to see more of this Joyce, and less of the Joyce from Bad Eggs who doesn't give her daughter a chance. She is right, Buffy does shut her out.
.......... Once again, Alyson Hannigan proves that she is the best actress working today. I am hard pressed to pinpoint exactly what she is so good at, because it's everything. Her scene with Ms. Calendar was so well done, the excitement and sudden switch to nervousness, and then when Buffy came in, the explanation that so easily became about her teaching...and then, when Ms. Calendar showed up, Willow's like "5 hours of lesson plans down the drain." In any other show that would be caricature played up for laughs, but it's so believable because that's what Willow would do. Not because she's a dork, but because she's so excited and wants to make sure everything is right, and she's nervous, and enthusiastic. I totally believe that Willow would do that. She really displayed her strength in this episode. Except for Giles, I think that she was the most crushed by Jenny's death because they were very similar, and Jenny had saved her life more than once. But at the end, in the class, she was vulnerable, but shone with an inner strength and resolve which convince me Willow is headed for watcherdom. And, as always, she was there for Buffy. She is fast becoming my favorite character. I am enamored of Cordelia, but am falling in love with Willow. If I had to go through high school again, I would seek out the Willow of my school and be friends with her. She is definitely the person I'd want as a friend or more. (Don't get me wrong. I'd pretty much rather put a cigarette out in my ass–that's from Romy and Michelle, but the way–then repeat high school, but if I had too...) Willow could be the most stereotyped character on the show, but instead she has become the most real.
.......... David Boreanaz gave a chilling portrayal of Angelus tonight. It was a new side, he's been brooding, he's been cruel, he's been fun, but never this...chilling is the only work coming to mind. I have come to accept the fact that he can act, I wasn't sure because for so long he went to the John Black school of acting (one emotion). Now, I'm won over. His passion for Buffy, which was love as Angel and is now obsession, makes him very much more than the one note vampire he could be. It is rare that you find a bad guy so evil who still has depth, and it is a credit to both the writers and David.
.......... Anthony Stewart Head gave an incredible performance as a crushed Giles. I love the way he plays off Ms. Calendar, and his two scene's with her were very good, even more poignant because I knew what was coming. But when he came into his house, beautifully prepared, and then found her dead in his bed, I could hardly watch that scene. My heart almost broke for Giles, and I am cynical. He played it so wonderful, his excitement, and then the gradual dawning of horror as he discovered her body was exquisitely awful. And then end, with Buffy and Giles, both in the alley and at the funeral, was amazing. To be fair, I didn't think he was as good as usual before Jenny's death, he just seemed more caricatured. Everything after, though, even before he found he, was wonderful. His scene with Willow was classic.
.......... Sarah Michelle Gellar still defines this show, and goes through every emotion doing a rip ‘em up and shoot ‘em down job. Her anger at Ms. Calendar, her compassion for Willow and Giles, and, most importantly, her steal resolve which makes her such a powerful figure are all carried out seamlessly, and, you can always see underneath everything else a burning desire for the safety of childhood, which the last vestiges of were destroyed in Innocence. Sarah is strong, yet exceedingly vulnerable. But Angelus has severely underestimated his opponent this time. Everything he does brings her closer to killing him, rather than to a breakdown. No matter what else, one thing is certain: the only way Angelus can defeat Buffy is to kill her. He cannot break her without dying himself.
.......... Speaking of which, I think that Angel is unredeemable, and I want to see him killed. I don't want him to get his soul back, I want him dead. I liked Angel, I liked Angel/Buffy, and I like Angelus, but I want him staked and gone. They found it necessary to off Ms. Calendar, and Angel, in my book, can never return to his old self because of it. I realize that I probably won't get my wish, but one can dream.
.......... Finally, I want to bid a fond farewell to Robia LaMorte, who will most assuredly be missed. I hold out hope that she will return, and I'll elaborate as to why. But first, every scene with Robia in it tonight was wonderful. Her scenes with Giles were the best ever, and she told him that she loved him, I was duly terrified for her in the flight scene, and in the shop I though she was cool and pretty tough, just like she was supposed to be. One thing bothers me, though. It seems, since Ted, they never exactly figure out what to do with her. The gypsy thing was so pulled out of no where, and didn't ever go anywhere. She found the cure, but then was killed, and the whole disk thing really seemed to be very Days-ish. The only character I can think of who went so no where was the Anointed One, and Ms. Calendar was no Anointed One. She didn't even seem to need to be a gypsy to get the cure, and it just makes me wonder. Also, that orb really seemed to come out of no where, and the random throw away line that some people bought them as paperweights? Seems to me that should mean something. I'm thinking Cordy maybe got one? But the gypsy thing has me puzzled, because that really achieved nothing accept to break Giles and Jenny up and get Buffy pissed at her. It is not like this show to have such major plot developments have such minor implication. I'm thinking that maybe Jenny isn't as gone as we all think...
.......... In the last four reviews I have written, I have been exceedingly remiss. I have focused all of my energy on the acting and characters, and ignored the plot and writing. This is unacceptable, especially from a developing writer. Tonight's episode was beautifully written, moving, dramatic, suspenseful, and humorous at times. I must give props to Ty King, the writer. He really made the show great. The plot, much like that of Innocence was somewhat secondary to the characters in this episode, where as BBB was the characters driven by plot. But that's not taking anything away from this episode because it was exceptional.
.......... One more thing about the writing--I Loved the voice-overs. Normally I hate that stuff, but Angelus' comments added a great deal to the episode and revealed quite a bit about his character. mega-props for that.
.......... All and all, uneven at first, exceptional in the second half, and Robia had the highlights of her run. Still, losing points for killing off a character who I feel had a lot more story left in her. Not too many points, though. 8.5/10

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