Season 2, Episodes 13 and 14
First Aired January 19th and 20th, 1998
By the time these episodes aired, Buffy had found its groove and had proved it was something worth paying attention to (I think that by "Prophecy Girl", the show was firing on all cylinders). However, if anyone had any lingering reservations, this two-night, two-part event showed everyone that not only can Buffy be entertaining, it is willing to break all the rules.
Up through "What's My Line", I'm guessing that we were supposed to think that Spike and Drusilla were going to be the season's Big Bads (Spike was originally set to die, likely in that episode, and I think the final shot with a restored Drusilla rescuing him was a near-last minute revision in response to Spike's popularity). These episodes revealed who the true Big Bad was. "Surprise" started with Buffy dreaming that Drusilla was still undead, and she fears that she will reappear in their lives. The episode then starts the "Buffy's birthday" tradition that would happen every year through Season 6; this year, while at Buffy's party, the group stops one of Spike's minions who was carrying a strange box containing an arm. Angel and Jenny explain that it belongs to the Judge, a seemingly immortal demon who was powerful enough to destroy a room full of living beings with only his thoughts. Angel realizes that Spike and Dru are trying to reform the Judge (because he couldn't be killed, he was dismembered and his pieces were scattered across the globe), and decides to take the arm as far away from Sunnydale as possible. Jenny is all too eager to assist him, and we learn that she is actually a gypsy and member of the same tribe that cursed Angel with his soul. Unfortunately, Angel fails, and the Judge is reformed. Buffy and Angel barely escape with their lives, and in the heat of passion, they make love for the first time.
The ending of "Surprise" was very tender, as the two of them finally released all of their pent up feelings... but then it turns out that that wasn't the end. As thunder cracks outside, Angel wakes up, seemingly in a lot of pain. He runs outside into the rain and yells out the name of his lover. "Innocence" picks up from there, when a random woman sees what she thinks is a man in pain. She walks up to him and asks him if he's ok. Angel whips around, with his vamp face, and feeds on her. Angelus is back. The rest of the episode is about Buffy dealing with not only the loss of her boyfriend, but the addition of an enemy, Giles dealing with Jenny's betrayal, Willow dealing with the revelation that Xander is dating Cordelia, and of course, taking on the Judge. Actually, taking out the Judge wasn't really the climax; Xander came up with a brilliant plan that worked as expected. The climax was a fight between Buffy and Angelus, a fight that Buffy actually WINS. But when she raised her stake to finish him, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, all she could do was kick him in the groin, but Buffy would come to regret her weakness in the weeks to come.
Up next: Buffy # 5...
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