I think I've said this before. But it would have been so easy for Angelus to be a letdown after all the hype about how evil he was. It's easy to tell the viewer he was the worst vampire ever. But how exactly do you show that in a way that lives up to the hype? ...Well, they managed it. He's incisive, he's a master of psychological warfare, he's utterly depraved, he's capable of thinking up the absolute worst thing he can possibly do to you horrifyingly quickly, and he's _petty._ If he gets the chance, he will tear down every Scooby's life and then kill them, and he will find it hilarious. Whatever you were imagining, the real Angelus is _worse._
The shock of 'Passion' was much greater in 1998 than what you experienced watching it today. Nothing that came on TV before that ever prepared us for it. Especially anything that came on high-school shows.
Yeah it was beyond shocking and horrible. Among my least favorite episodes although it was one of the best. I mean from the start they hinted it was possible but still it was shocking and you were rightly fully scared from now on knowing literally no character is safe no matter how major. I mean they killed Buffy herself last of S1 but then they brought her back so you then thought the most major characters were safe but no. Ah it was brutal, that walk up man everyone has tears flowing from this one. She was such a great character arrrrr. Brutal.
The way Angelus is torturing Buffy is almost the same way he tortured Drusilla. He went after everything that she loved and drove her into madness until he turned her into a vampire. Some people believe Drusilla might have been a potential vampire slayer and Angelus knew that before she did. That would explain why Drusilla was clairvoyant but it's a very loose theory but it makes sense. But Angelus' reasoning for doing things to the two varies: he tortured Dru because of how pure she was and wanted a way to destroy that purity. As he said to Spike and Dru in Innocence (I'm paraphrasing because I can't remember the exact words): She made me feel human, that's something I can't forgive.
Yes, and as he's explaining in his perfume commercial narration. "Obsession, er Passion!" Because without it, he might as well be dead. He's not just an animal, eating only for food. He didn't even give Jenny the courtesy of draining her blood. 🩸😧 He just wanted to see Buffy's reaction as she gets the phone call. Dru was born with having the visions. Back in her day, she was already at risk of being locked up for being crazy, or accused of being a witch. Unless she learned how to keep it quiet. And slayers do have the dream visions, as we see with Buffy. But Drusilla wasn't really crazy, before Angelus, that is.
Dru wasn’t a slayer, or even a potential one. She was destined to become a Saint. She was pure and holy, and her visions came from the Powers that Be, to help in the fight against evil.
Joyce mentions how Buffy never gets sick, and since she has preternatural healing, it stands to reason, that Buffy can't get sick from normal illnesses. We also know that Fate tends to intervein and place Slayers where they are needed. Giles said in season one that Buffy was fated to come to Sunnydale because of the Hellmouth. So it seems fate put Buffy in the hospital to fight the Der Kinderstadt.
I've been thinking the same thing..😅 same situation with the Charmed reactions.. both shows get super dark and emotional at points.. there's episodes on both shows I normally skip because they're so ... Difficult to watch 😅
Yes, Buffy saw Miss Calander in her dream when Jenny was wearing all black and lifted her veil, after Angel told you "You have to know what to look for." That was what tipped Buffy off that Jenny knew about Angel before anyone else did. Not only do Buffy's dreams offer prophesy, they are also multi-layered, so it isn't unlikely that that dream was both to show Buffy that Jenny knew, but also that she was going to die.
2X17 Jenny's death is painful to watch, but in some ways, that's why it works. If people aren't angry and upset about fictional deaths (fans and characters) there would be no purpose to killing them off. Unless, character-wise that was the story point. But in this case the point is to grieve and be upset. Otherwise Angelus is just talk. 2x18 This was initially a S1 episode where Angel takes Buffy to the hospital when she collapses while they are slaying together, but was rewritten for the S2 Angelus drama. It isn't a coincidence it was written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Betali who didn't last long as writers in S2 and were more prominent writers in S1.
"Does this look like a Barns and Noble?" "This is a school library, Xander." This is a reverse of roles from the 1st season when 2 students (Johnathon being one) enter the library, and Giles asks them what they are doing there and Xander reminds him that they are in the library. So, this is actually the second time this has happened.
Season 2 chose trauma 😭 Angel going full stalker 😳 Willow’s fish 😭 Loving the Angel/Spike banter. Jenny! Poor Giles 💔 Giles wasn’t messing around taking the fight to Angel 🔥 Cordelia always bringing the realness 😂 Those poor children. Trauma for everyone apparently. Loving the reactions guys! 🖤
The music for this episode is superb. The score for the scene where Buffy and Willow find out that Jenny is dead (still one of the saddest scenes ever) is simply called The Phone Call and the final piece of music is called Remembering Jenny and features, quite aptly, Anthony Head humming.
I remember watching this as a teenager when it originally aired, and it truly felt like someone just punched me in the gut when Ms. Calendar died. It was so devastating, and I honestly believe it’s one of the most game-changing moments in modern television and made it standard practice for shows to kill off likable characters. The worst part of watching it live back in the day was that this was the last episode aired before the show went on hiatus for over a month!!!
When Passion first aired, it was a big shock. Like you said, there wasn't GOT, so killing off one of the scoobies that was part of the team since season 1 was so unexpected.
I watched every week live as it aired. Even after Angel turned back evil, I still held out hope because my friends and I were so invested in his and Buffy's love story. When he showed up in the classroom my stomach sank. I was probably about 15 and the image of him breaking her neck is still traumatic all these years later. 😭 I cried hysterically. The next day at school we were all talking about it. So even pre social media everyone was shocked and talking about it!
Like I said...Season 2 is where the writers and actors really hit their stride. Season 1 was cautious...focusing on humor, characters, monster of the week...and teasing at romance without going too far. It was still great TV...very fun...but Season 2 had the mojo that made future seasons a certainty. Evil Angelus was so terrifying that even in later seasons the mere threat of him being released again sent shivers down everyones spines. This was David Boreanaz's finest hour...his Heath Ledger 'Joker' moment. A villain so awful that decades later people still stop in shock and sit there for a second asking 'WTF did I just see?' And giving credit where its due...it took the right directorial work, the right writing, and a squad of actors around him that made events come to life and FEEL as shocking as they were.
Oh, no! When I saw there was a new video from you guys, I was very happy. Then I saw what episodes we'll be seeing today. Well, shit. Let's all cry together then. Here we go.
“And its so sick that he is just watching…” “Just like enjoying the mess” Yup…totally can’t related, totally not enjoying you two be devastated by this reaction…👀
24:00 - Honestly, its moments like this in Cordelia's development that make me really mad that Joss kept writing them as more rivals than friends. The bluntness + the concern is something that Buffy could have really used at points if they had just gotten a bit closer in this season.
It’s been 26 years and I still can’t get over the sheer immaturity of the Buffy fandom when it comes to Xander and his hatred for Angel and vampires in general. People r always so blinded by their Buffy Angel ship that they think Xander is unreasonable when in real life terms he is 100% correct
Ah, yes, Angel is an artist and a poet. A very twisted artist and poet, but still. I do love the speech about passion. It's so good! And the villain in ep 18 is still in my top 3 creepiest monsters in the Buffyverse!
Everything else aside: I adore the fact that the Scooby Gang's "secret headquarters" are located in the school library because *nobody ever fucking goes in there* 😂
The past few episodes show how far David has come as an actor in a short amount of time from quite wooden Angel (early season 1) to full on sadistic Angelus
Passion is still my fave episode of the series, after all these years. The whole "Passion" speech is amazing, you guys should read it in it's entirety. Great reaction guys, you make it very hard to not want to hug you when you get upset and wipe tears away. Greetings from Sweden!
I feel vindicated by the fact that two grown men are having the same emotional breakdowns as I did when I watched this show in middle school. It imposed my thoughts every single day! This show really stands the test of time. Damn you David Boreanaz for playing Angelus so well!
Originally Calendar was supposed to live and it was planned Oz would be attacked and killed instead. But apparently Seth Green made his schedule be fine so he stays but she apparently for some reason wanted to leave.
This is one of my favourite episodes of the entire series! Nothing really prepares you for how breathtakingly cruel Angel is here. And Jenny's theme in the score always gets me, every single time. However. I find Xander difficult to tolerate at times, because Angel losing his soul due to a ~curse~ did not make Xander right about hating him all along. And I do not love the way he throws this in Buffy's face, as if she should have known it was going to happen.
Fantastic reactions. Really enjoy your enthusiasm and energy. It’s great entertainment and we feel for your sadness. There is no way to convey the feelings we had when watching and after Passion. This forever changed how we felt and expected being with Buffy. ( by this time we felt part of the show and emotionally connected). Every girl before Innocence had a crush on Angel. He was loved. After this episode he was despised . There was hope to get Angel back but after his murder of Jenny… all I heard was “ Buffy needs to kill that bastard “ In a few weeks he had gone from hero to a vile person that must die. If you wonder how we felt, I talked to over 10 girls that night on the phone… all were sobbing, still crying, upset , etc. My Mother finally said who is calling so late but seemed to not mind because they were all girls. I was the only boy they knew that watched Buffy and for some reason they thought I had insights. The answer to your question about the reaction in 1998… great sorrow, confusion, and the realization that anything can happen in Buffy. Season 1 is like the countdown. Liftoff takes place in School Hard. The ship goes into orbit with Innocence and after Passion the mission into the Buffyverse begins. Buckle up and get ready for one of the most entertaining, intellectually challenging, and exciting adventures in television history. It’s just getting started and you have many more levels to encounter. Thank you for your reactions and hope you have as enjoyable journey that we had
Passions is an incredible episode, both in itself and for the way we see Angel from here out. We knew he was evil before, but in this ep, the audience became his victims. He hurt us and it felt personal.
I remember watching this when it aired...absolutely shattered and couldn't stop thinking about it for days until the next episode 🙈 it still gets me when re-watching. Angelus was so menacing....
Boys, just be ready. This is one of the first episodes that will always have me sobbing. Jenny’s death was one of the ones that stays in my head. The framing of it, the shot, everything is just in my head.
My all-time favorite line is in this episode: Xander's 'Your mom's Bogarting the chips!' I still say that to this day! I just wish they had consulted with a German speaker on how to pronounced Der Kindestod. (Tod sounds like "toad"). At least Joss learned and used a linguist for the Chinese on Firefly.
I watched 2x17 when it aired I tell you now I never screamed so loud In my life when this happened I was 18 years old and little over a week from turning 19
Killed by death is easily one of my all time favorite episodes in this series, the design and concept behind Der Kindestod are both just SO GOOD and terrifying 😭🙌 first saw this episode when I bought the season on disc at a teenager and I was SHOOKETH. Had nightmares that night of him lmfaoooo💀
Okay, but that bothered me that Jenny was so surprised that Angelus could get into the school. Not only is it a public place, vamps have gotten into the school time and time again before.
Buffy's dream with Ms. Calendar had to do with her uncle & was the clue that she knew more than what she had been telling them at that point. It's what then led Buffy to go to school the next day & confront her. Passion has one of my favorite Spike moments, with him stopping Dru from helping Angel deal with Giles. "No going into the ring unless he tags you first." You just know he was enjoying watching Giles beat the crap out of Angelus. And of course Buffy's arrival was a signal to get the hell out of there. Yes, Willie Garson was on Sex in the City and yes, he did pass away while the were filming the revival series.
Great episodes of season 2. Also a little fun fact.. Der Kinderstuud monster in the hospital is played by James Jude Courtney, our modern day Michael Myers of the newest Halloween movies.
Killed by Death was originally a Season 1 episode, you can tell by how grainy some of the footage is. It was decided tohold on for season 2, but it kept getting pushed back they had to reshoot several scenes to incorporate Angelus to continue the current plot.
Passion is a phenomal episode. Season 2 has some bangers. I will say Xander isnt right. He hated Angel before everyone first and foremost because of his relationship with Buffy, he couldnt have her the way Angel did, Angel being a vampire was just a cherry on top.. The passion monologue is beautifully written. Killed by Death has one of the scariest monsters in the whole show.
Cody & Sergio, James Jude Courtney played Der Kindestod in episode 2x18 | "Killed by Death". James is best known for playing fictional mass murderer Michael Myers in the 2018 film "Halloween" and its two sequels, "Halloween Kills" and "Halloween Ends".
Season 2 was that season next to 3 5 and 5 it's prolly my favorite season. Good guy gone bad, a second slayer,the death of Ms. Calendar, Spike and Dru❤❤❤, world ending episodes, some of Buffys best hair lol. Wat a season 🎉
In order for a vampire to require an invitation to enter a place, it has to be somewhere that a person WITH A SOUL considers to be their home/sanctuary and it has to be self contained at some level and not be in any way transitory. So an apartment would count, but a hotel room would not. It also has to be regularly occupied by those who consider it to be their home/sanctuary. The important factors are that it has to be a private place of sanctuary and the owner/occupants must have a soul. So public places like shops, schools, civic buildings, etc. have no innate protection.
Passions is one of my favourites ever. It’s so intense. Angelus obsess over buffy even without his soul. Buffy is struggeling with killing him but i also think that he would get no satisfaction in killing her either. He wants to play instead
Angel’s voiceover the whole episode talking about Passion is so beautifully tragic & disturbing. It makes me so emotional every time I watch the episode. The loss of Jenny is tough but I understand why the show went there. The ending… a gut punch seeing the cure disc fall in between the desks. Kudos to David Boreanaz… I miss Angel so badly & hate Angelus but boy do I love to watch David play the evil side just as much as the good side.
Hey boys! Glad to see that Cody is okay. These reactions will be stressful and I can just see you guys both feeling devastated and very emotional after Passion. Jenny just want to be helpful. Angelus is so damn evil for doing that to Giles (and obviously Jenny). 🥺😭💔 The monster/demon in Killed by Death is very scary!
Spike is problematic, but I'll take someone obsessed over me and adapts to my needs rather than someone who literally "gets off" (it feels like) killing my family and eventually me. This episode was the reason why I hate Angel/Angelus when it first aired and why I prefer Spike. Without a soul, Spike is far more loving and better partner to his significant other than Angelus is. Considering Angel turning Angelus is supposed to represent the concept of how some boys often turn into jerks after having sex, which already didn't help me in trying to make me like his character. However, this episode was the last straw for me. I just never got over it. I don't care whether the show wants to consider Angel being different than Angelus I just can't see past it and after this episode, it didn't matter I don't like him with, or without a soul.
I hate Angel so much in this episode. Not only did he kill Jenny but then he takes the time and efforrt to take her body to Giles' house and set up champagne and candles and all that. Now THAT was messed up! I just watched the episode today and I was kinda mad at the end like " not me crying twice in this one episode" but it is a good episode. I'll be back tomorrow after I watch the next one
I thought Killed By Death was a pretty decent stand alone episode, with the children in fear of the monster. Buffy again comes through and we see her as the ultimate protector she is. This is actually quite scary in that Der Kindestod is a terrible monster, which we do see throughout the show that some of the monsters are incredibly evil and terrifying. The fears of children are well shown in this episode and the innocence and fear they have. Quite a funny and cute scene at the end where we see Buffy, Willow, and Xander acting like children themselves letting Joyce run around providing them with snacks and drinks, a great scene where we are reminded they are at this point still very much kids themselves.
"Oh my god my heart is in my asshole right now!" oddly prophetic when you consider a certain karaoke loving character... Yes, the late Willy Garson who was the girls' gay friend Stanford in Sex and the City (and many other things, notably Supergirl)
2nd time someone has been in the library for a book. Xander learned Buffy's secret because he was in the stacks looking at a book when he overheard Buffy and Giles.
I think up until S2 episode Innocence, it was the best episode so far. However this is where the show went into overdrive. Passion is a superb episode which had absolutely everything, and very much a top ten episode from the whole series. The plot really thickens here with Jenny trying to get the way to restore Angel's soul, but Angelus is too strong and clever and foils her attempt with her brutal and shocking murder of a main character. Superb atmospheric narration from David Boreanaz at the start and end of the episode explaining Passion itself. The bit where Giles see's Jenny in the bed lifeless is so cruel, as is Angelus looking in through the window at Buffy and Willow crying, pure evil. The writing here was excellent as we build up to the Season finale with this incredible arc of Season 2. You can really see here how brilliant the Series has now become heading towards a fantastic Season Finale. The ending where the computer disk falls in between the desk is so well done. Superb writing and brilliant acting. Passion is I think a top ten episode from the whole Series
Red roses never felt the same after the episode Passion. I watched the death of Jenny with my family in real time as it dropped and everyone reacted the same way Sergio did, although I think the way Cody reacted was so visceral too, I actually thought I saw all the blood drain from Codys face and then go into shock. You guys remind me of Trixie and Katya in a way, special on their own but a powerhouse together. I've been watching you guys for a while and you do the shows you watch such good justice. I'm going to check out the Patreon tier.
So sad the communication by some of the heroes and not sharing makes their lives so much harder to their detriment . Jenny could have survived if she told Giles in that moment and also you live in a hellmouth , why are you alone in the school right on top of it in a public building ?! I would never be in a public building at night in sunnydale alone lol 😂
35:45 same, re grabbing eye stalks. Then Xander could have gotten to watch Buffy’s wacky rope mime routine as she pulls out its intestines through its eye sockets, with sound effects.
