Buffy: Passion (2x17)

[falafel_musings]

Update on my Buffy Watch. I think I'm finally into Buffy.

Passion

If I was going to name the first Buffy episode where the truly show raised its game...for me it'd be 'Passion'. Well honestly the show has been much better ever since Drusilla and Spike showed up, but there's obviously a much darker tone to 'Passion' and I'm really excited to see how the S2 arc is resolved now. Miss Calander was a good choice of death, being a significant secondary character with an important connection to a major character and also not a particularly interesting character so I won't miss her that much. But poor Giles. That's the harshest romantic date spoiler ever.     

Things I'm loving...

Drusilla! My current favourite character. One of my biggest pet peeves about contemporary vampire stories is that they always make the vampires too wimpy and angsty and remorseful. So I completely worship Drusilla for being a vampire who is sadistic, savage and utterly demented. She's awesome. I love Drusilla/Spike and Drusilla/Spike/Angelus too. The biggest surprise of S2 is that I'm actually really liking the Buffy/Angel story. I was hating it in the early episodes when Buffy was all soppy and needy with Angel but now that Angel is mercilessly horrifically evil and Buffy has accepted that she needs to kill her first boyfriend, I'm really happy with this storyline. And I'm still really loving any Buffy & Giles scenes, particularly the yelling and hugging at the end of 'Passion'. But man, have I mentioned that I love Dru?  

Things I'm not loving...

I'm surprised that I don't really like Oz very much. Seth Green can be such a fun quirky actor but I'm finding Oz a strangely blank character. Does he get better? I mean, we have a whole episode where Oz finds out he's a werewolf and his response is so emotionless. He just seems to shrug his shoulders over it. He seems equally blase about being in love with Willow. Speaking of Willow, does she ever...you know...grow up?! Willow dressing and acting like a 5 year old is getting very cloying and irritating. I'm liking the Xander/Cordy subplot slightly better but their scenes are a little repetitive too. Basically annoying sidekicks are annoying. I usually love sidekicks but when it comes to Buffy verse it seems all I need is a Slayer, a Watcher and some decent Vampire villains. The Scooby Gang thing can get a little tiresome.  

Comments

[lenina20.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you say in here. Also, I've decided I'm going to go and watch S2. I think I last saw this when I was like, fifteen year old. Though I should ask a friend for the DVDs since I'm sure I won't be able to find the eps online but blerg, my friend would ask too many questions. She's the most annoying Buffy/Angel shipper in the world, really.

Can't wait to know your thoughts on the ending of the season!

[lenina20.livejournal.com]

So, if you don't mind spoilers (you're already spoiled) and want to get yourself a peek, there's a set of amazing trailers in youtube for the seasons to come. You'll see some familiar faces popping up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix-EOXyZuDY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIZ8ZZqqlM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jwr3Fxe0w4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2hnc7RQPXE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGoQb8yYhjw&feature=related

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

Yay! S2 is massively better than S1 I must say, especially since Angel turned evil and thus ended the icky Buffy/Angel shipping.

Thanks for the trailers but...I might wait. I'm spoiled enough, but there's still a lot of arc stuff that I don't know about.

[lenina20.livejournal.com]

You do well - most of the seasons work on idependent arcs. One of the good things about Buffy is that there are no tricky plots or game changers or lies or too much shocks... I've come to treasure that.

ENJOY! And keep us updated!

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

I liked the scoobies. The original scoobies. Then they added new scoobies and I missed the original gang. Except for Tara. Liked her. Now, I'm thinking you might not like her.

Drusilla was something! I liked Darla too, the later Darla. Though she might only be on Angel, the series. It gets confusing!

But now that Angel is mercilessly horrifically evil and Buffy has accepted that she needs to kill her first boyfriend, I'm really happy with this storyline.
This made me giggle out loud. :-)

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

No, no, I've seen Tara. I like Tara! I actually like Anya and Dawn too. I've seen one or two later episodes. I think I might like some of the later sidekicks more than the originals.

LOL. Why yes, I only like any shippy story when it goes to hell.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

Yay, I knew it! S2 is just so much better. And while I don't remember the episode specifically, I remember Passion was definitely a great episode. Drusilla is indeed awesome and definitely one of the fun vampires to watch. I too was bored by Buffy/Angel at first but I LOVED what they did with them in S2 so I actually started liking them. And the Buffy and Giles stuff was definitely great.

I'm not an Oz fan so personally I didn't think he got any better. Willow on the other hand, changes a LOT although it may take awhile, I don't remember exactly when it starts. Probably the only person who changes more is Wes (although that's in Angel which I hope you'll watch after Buffy). Definitely thinking you'll enjoy Faith when she shows up.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

I do vaguely remember there being some later arc where Willow becomes a dark witch. So that'll be interesting. I want to like Willow I just think the writers go completely over-the-top with their 'cute babbling Willow' characterisation. I'm just hoping they tone it down. Change would be good. I'm still waiting for her to get into magic.

[anoel.livejournal.com]

The magic begins in S3 and really picks up in S4. I identify with young Willow so I liked her always but I can see how it could get annoying.

[jellyfrog.livejournal.com]

Drusilla continues to be awesomely insane, Oz does little but makes witty comments from time to time, Willow... um... I don't know about growing up, but she has some dark moments. And then the requisite angst and remorse.

I'm afraid you're going to hate where they ultimately go with Spike...

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I fear I might hate Spike becoming a good remorseful vamp too. Maybe that's why I'm clinging to Drusilla? I can't imagine Dru woobie-ing out on me.

Oz is likeable but he seems a little pointless. I guess the point is to have a guy who likes Willow but still. Even the werewolf thing seems redundant.

[calanthe-b.livejournal.com]

Willow, unfortunately, only gets worse. At least from my perspective.

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

Drusilla!! The Angel/Spike/Dru trio of S2 were the best villains in the whole series I think. Just love it. And yes, the Buffy/Giles moment at the end of "Passion" is one that still stays with me.

I'll be honest, Oz is a pretty popular character but I never really liked him much. His whole 'thing' is being blase and laconic and it just doesn't do anything for me. I did like Xander/Cordy, though not as much as Anya in the later seasons.

Edit: Oh, and Willow does get SOMEWHAT less cutesy in the later seasons, yes. She still has her overly-precious language quirks but nowhere near as offputting as I found her at first. I would say that she grows up over the course of the series.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

I've recently started S3 and I'm really missing Spike, Dru and the evil version of Angel. I've got a grudge against the trend for soppy woobie vampires, so I found this trio very refreshing. I love that Spike/Dru were based on Sid & Nancy.

I just find Oz very flat as a character. It's a shame because I've seen Seth Green being very funny and wacky on other things but this role isn't tapping into that.

As for Willow's cutesy precious language, I liked it for the first five minutes or so of her screentime, then I got bored, then I got very irritated, now I've just sort of accepted it. I like her better since her witch arc started.

[nicole-anell.livejournal.com]

(S3 will bring you the Mayor and Faith, though, and they're my second favorites!)

Sometimes I wish that Seth Green's crazy wannabe rapper character from "Can't Hardly Wait" had been on Buffy. ;)

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of Seth Green's hilarious Criss Crocker spoof and just wishing Oz was a hyper hystical character instead of this rather vague & emotionless guitarist werewolf guy.

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

100% word on Passion. Everybody talks up Innocence a lot, but Passion is the episode that made me A Fan.

Haha, I feel exactly the same way about Buffy/Angel. HATE the early sappiness (and Buffy's submissiveness), love the dark deconstruction of their romance.

Oz is kind of like that, generally. I am amused by his unaffected response to everything, but I get why you wouldn't find him compelling so much.

Willow is pretty cloying in the early seasons. But she gets very dark over time. The thing about Willow is that she often plays up her non-threatening, submissive "victim" appearance to gain security.

I'm with you on the Scooby Gang. I do love Xander and Willow and Cordy individually, but the group friendship never does much for me. The slayers and the vampires are more or less where I'm at.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

Yes, Passion was definitely the fan-maker episode for me too. Innocence was a great twist but Passion was where Angel showed how truly evil he could be and Buffy finally resolved to kill her first boyfriend. That was when 'shit got real!' for me.

I have dim memories of a dark Willow arc in later seasons. I'm not sure when it comes but I'm really looking forward to it.

[lovelycudy.livejournal.com]

Drussilla was beyond amazing. She was truly terrifying because her madness had no method and no reason. Wonderful.

I love Oz. He's whole thing is being uninterested and super-calm. He's the kind of guy whose feelings run deep but hardly shows them. His response to Will in Season 3 are great, imho. And Season 4 has him showing why losing control over his emotions is not a good idea.

I've always liked the Scoobies (the original ones) but, tbh, my feelings about Buffy will never be even close to objective: this is the show I grew up with so it has a huge place in my heart.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

I know! I love how Dru was scarier than Spike or Angel because there was no way you could reason with her. She was just demented and sadistic in a gloriously entertaining way.

Oz is definitely the sort of character I normally like but at the moment his lack of emotion is making me a bit indifferent to him. Maybe that'll change. There haven't been many Oz centric stories so far.

Buffy was airing when I was growing up but it's one of those things I just skipped. When I was younger I had the impression it was just cheesy and B-movie-ish.

[prophetkristy.livejournal.com]

Awwww, you not feeling the Ozlove = sadface. But yes, he is very, very, very phlegmatic.

Dru's insanity really is a lot of fun.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

I don't dislike Oz, I just thought find his lack of emotion leaves me feeling disconnected from him. It's weird cos I do love Seth Green!