Season Two

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Regular cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, Anthony Stewart Head

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The second season continues Buffy's journey. Buffy grows into her role as the Slayer, but also faces challenges that set her back, most notably being forced to run Angel through with a sword at the end of this season, which causes Buffy to run away and give up slaying for a summer. 

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"When She Was Bad"

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Episode 1 Season 2

 

"You have to trust someone. You can't do it alone."

 

Original US airdate: September 15th, 1997

Re-watched: April 17th, 2021

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• Writer: Joss Whedon

• Director: Joss Whedon

• Guests: Kristine Sutherland, Robia LaMorte, Andrew J. Ferchland, Dean Butler, Brent Jennings, Armin Shimerman

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Buffy, having spent the summer in LA with her father, returns to Sunnydale and jumps right back into slaying, training, attending high school and hanging out with Willow and Xander. But all is not well. The Anointed One has been gathering vampires and wants to use the bones of the Master, who was buried by Giles, Xander and Willow while Buffy was away, to bring the Master back to life using the blood of those closest, or nearest, when he died: Giles, Willow, Cordelia and Jenny. Also, Buffy is not actually okay. So, while the Anointed One's attempt to bring the Master to life fails and at the climax of the episode, Buffy smashes the Master's bones to pieces with a sledge hammer, the main theme of this episode is the trauma Buffy still carries with her from the finale of season 1. 

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This manifests in several ways, including Buffy being distant with both her parents, cold to Angel, mean to others, particularly Cordelia, playing with others' feelings, mostly Xander's, and her inability to accept help. In fact, Buffy charging off into a trap without making a concrete plan with the Scoobies is what leads to Giles and Willow being kidnapped and nearly killed. 

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In addition to Buffy's behavior, her trauma also manifests in a dream sequence where Giles finds her sitting with Willow and Xander, and tries to strangle her, claiming "I killed you once, it shouldn't be too hard to do it again" while Xander and Willow just continue to eat their snacks. Buffy pulls off Giles's face, revealing the Master. This dream shows many of Buffy's fears: that Giles will get her killed because he, as her watcher, will not be able to save her and will continually send her off to face the forces of evil until she dies; that Willow and Xander will ultimately not be able to save her either; that she fears the Master despite having killed him. Whether this dream is in part prophetic (a warning that the Master may rise again) is unclear. But the vast majority of this dream seems to mirror Buffy's issues. And of course, she can't really talk to anyone. Her parents don't know she's the Slayer, and perhaps Buffy feels that she can't fully bare her soul to Giles and the Scoobies. She is, after all, the Slayer. She saves the world. She shouldn't have issues. 

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But it is friendship that helps Buffy. At the end of the episode, Buffy is forgiven. Although the Scooby Gang very nearly fell apart again, and the show demonstrates in various episodes that fighting evil makes for rocky friendships, it also underlines how valuable these are and how it is worth it to fight for them. Buffy can be honest with Willow and Xander, and this allows her a certain amount of normalcy that grounds her and makes her a better Slayer. 

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Other things of note include how the series follows real time. The break between season 1 and season 2 is explained and the time accounted for. This episode contains the first mention of undead Americans. Willow and Xander nearly kiss, perhaps foreshadowing their kiss in season 3. Angel is starting to take a more active role in the group, including fighting. 

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Finally, one conversation seems to foreshadow Buffy's showdown with Angel at the end of this season. 

Angel: You have to trust someone. You can't do this alone.

Buffy: I trust me.

Angel: You're not as strong as you think.

Buffy: You think you can take me?

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This episode contains quite a bit of foreshadowing and character building that will be important in the next two seasons and is one more example of the series showing the importance of friends. 

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"Some Assembly Required"

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Episode 2 Season 2

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"Love makes you do the wacky."

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Original US airdate: September 22nd, 1997

Re-watched: April 25th, 2021

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• Writer: Ty King

• Director: Bruce Seth Green

• Guests: Robia LaMorte, Angelo Spizzirri, Michael Bacall, Ingo Neuhaus, Melanie MacQueen

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This episode contains the first (and second) reference to a fairly iconic Buffy quote, "love makes you do the wacky", which is said by Willow and then Buffy. While one theme throughout the series is that love makes us stronger, another frequent theme is the limits of love, and this is the central theme here. 

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The graves of three Fondren High cheerleaders who died in a car accident are robbed and it turns out that Chris and Eric are working to make a Frankenstein-type woman to be the companion of Daryl Epps, Chris's brother, a star football player who died in a climbing accident but was reanimated by Chris. Daryl has been in hiding, too afraid to face the world, and wants someone to hide with him.

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There are aspects of grief in this episode and how it changes people, as well as an allusion to the faded high school football star trope. Another way to read Daryl's story is an allegory for a rapid decline after graduating and leaving his glory days behind him. Finally, there is a hint of disability metaphor in Daryl's failure to come to terms with an accident making him different. These add depth to the central theme of love. 

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Of course, the central story shows that there are limits to what we (can/should) do for love. Although Chris loves Daryl, murdering Cordelia (or anyone) in order to put her head on the body he created is clearly crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed for love. Although Daryl can be seen somewhat sympathetically, his desire to be loved by someone like him does not justify his decision to murder Cordelia either. Love has limits. 

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Love is also explored through the continuing saga of the Scoobies' love lives. Xander still has feelings for Buffy and Willow for Xander, and Angel is jealous of Xander. Cordelia continues to seem to be somewhat interested in Angel, although after Xander saves her in this episode, she may see him in a bit of a new light, possibly hinting at their future relationship. Finally, Jenny and Giles manage to have a first date. So, love is also complicated.

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Angel and Buffy continue having issues. It is clear they both have feelings for each other, but are also having some trouble coming to terms with this. Although the episode ends with Buffy walking Angel home, it begins with the two arguing in a cemetery. During this argument, Angel accuses Buffy of always bringing up that he is a vampire. This point of contention seems a bit specious, as this is the central issue in their relationship. Angel, a much older, undead man wants to date a 16-year-old girl. As mentioned before, while the fan in me loves Buffy and Angel, realistically this relationship is full of problems and probably belongs in the category of limits to love. However, it will take Buffy and Angel a bit longer to reach this conclusion. Although love has limits, love also makes you do the wacky. 

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Fun facts: Fondren High School, which also seems to be in Sunnydale, is only mentioned in this episode. Although episode one underlines the smallness of the town (only one Starbucks!), it sometimes seems to grow as needed. Also, Angel wears a beige jacket in this episode that is vaguely similar to what Xander wears. This is the one and only time Angel got stuck wearing a beige jacket, but it is so out of synch with his later wardrobe that it bears mentioning. It could perhaps be a visual cue to Angel's jealousy. 

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"School Hard"

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Episode 3 Season 2

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"I have a job."

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Original US airdate: September 29th, 1997

Re-watched: April 30th, 2021

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• Writer: David Greenwalt & Joss Whedon

• Director: John T. Kretchmer

• Guests: Kristine Sutherland, Robia LaMorte, Andrew J. Ferchland, James Marsters, Alexandra Johnes, Gregory Scott Cummins, Andrew Palmer, Brian Reddy, Juliet Landau, Armin Shimerman

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Spike's first appearance makes this one of my favorite episodes ever. Spike and Drusilla arrive in Sunnydale, Buffy hosts parent teacher night at her school and Spike attacks her there. The events of this episode are simplistic, but the themes are manifold. 

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First, Spike represents both the past and the new order. For Angel, Spike and Drusilla remind him of who he used to be. Both Darla and the Master fulfilled this role in the first season, but Angel killed Darla and Buffy killed the Master, leaving Angel free of his past until Spike and Drusilla arrive. Also, as we will later learn, the Master sired Darla and Darla sired Angel, meaning these two were the ones who made Angel who he was. But Angel sired Drusilla and Drusilla sired Spike (in this episode Spike calls Angel his sire and Yoda, which may have been hyperbole or a continuity mistake), meaning these two represent who Angel was and the pain and death he is responsible for. Their arrival foreshadows Angel's need to reckon with and come to terms with his past. 

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For Buffy, Spike represents the new threat. Spike has killed two Slayers, one during the Boxer Rebellion and another who begged for her life, and he nearly takes Buffy out in this episode. Spike is ready to hit Buffy on the head with a beam when Joyce hits him on the head with an axe. Spike also represents the new order. Despite trying to fit in with the Anointed One and his religious trappings, Spike is too impatient to wait for St. Vigius' Day and instead of groveling to the Anointed One when things went wrong, Spike kills him, taking over his leadership role in Sunnydale and ending the pseudo-religious vibes of the Master and the Anointed One. 

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This episode is also one where Buffy's home life and her slaying collide and the secrets Buffy keeps from her mother are underscored. When the vampires storm parent teacher night, Joyce is trapped with Buffy and several others, including Principal Snyder, in a classroom. Buffy must fight off the vampires, keep her mother safe, and not let her mother know what exactly is going on. It's a tall order and it seems to work. In fact, I sometimes question how much Joyce really knew about Buffy being the Slayer before Buffy told her. It is later revealed that Buffy did tell her parents about vampires in the early days of slaying and was sent to see a psychiatrist. Joyce knows Buffy fights, skips school, burned down a building in LA more than once... And this episode starts with Joyce expressing her fear that it will all happen again, and that she doesn't want to be disappointed in Buffy again. During the attack at the school, Joyce is able to let her 16-year-old daughter take charge. True, in the first mad dash it might be chalked up to Buffy having the quickest reaction, but once in the classroom, Joyce lets Buffy go up into the ceiling crawl space alone. The episode ends with Joyce acknowledging that Buffy can take care of herself. It seems that at least subconsciously, Joyce knows that Buffy is fighting the forces of evil and is not just a girl who is getting into trouble. 

 

Another theme in this episode is hierarchy (or patriarchy?). We learn that Principal Snyder knows about vampires, as does the Chief of Police, and that their cover story is gang related, PCP. If Snyder knows what's going on in town, there's good reason to believe he knows that Buffy is fighting evil. This puts his attempts to get her expelled and to make her life hard into perspective. He's not just a rigid, kid-hating principal. He's actively hindering Buffy's slaying, leaving the question open as to why. 

 

Finally, the ties that bind are also a big theme. Spike is surprised to find a Slayer with family and friends and seems to think this will make her harder to kill (indeed, with Joyce interrupting his fight, it seems it does), which is more evidence for Buffy gaining strength from her friends and family. In addition to this, Spike's love for Drusilla is on display. This relationship, however, doesn't seem to be healthy. While Spike seems to genuinely care for Drusilla and is worried about her health (she is weak after a mob attack in Prague), their relationship also seems to be based on violence and dependence, which isn't presented as a healthy expression of love. 

 

These themes will continue to be relevant throughout the series. The toxic love of vampire families is evident any time the storyline focuses on Darla, Angel, Spike and Drusilla, and Angel will eventually have to confront his past in full. Season 3 will show the depth of evil among Sunnydale's leaders. Joyce will eventually learn the truth and Buffy will continue to gain strength from her friends. Spike will become a main character until the series finale, taking a journey to redemption that rivals (or exceeds?) Angel's. 

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"Inca Mummy Girl"

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Episode 4 Season 2

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"It's fairly familiar."

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Original US airdate: October 6th, 1997

Re-watched: May 8th, 2021

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• Writer: Matt Kiene & Joe Reinkemeyer

• Director: Ellen S. Pressman

• Guests: Kristine Sutherland, Ara Celi, Seth Green

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One of Buffy's classmates wakes up (and is killed by) the Inca Mummy Girl on a school trip. This mummy then kills Ampata, the (male) exchange student Buffy is expecting from South America. The mummy steals Ampata's identity and moves in with Buffy. In the end, Ampata is not able to drain enough live force from people to stay alive and she turns to dust during a final confrontation with the Scoobies. Not the greatest episode ever, and perhaps one with a few too many stereotypes (they used the term Eskimo...), but still some interesting themes. 

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Xander falls in love with Ampata and the feeling seems mutual. This is the second in a series of unfortunate love stories for Xander (we still remember the She-Mantis from season 1). Xander and Ampata attend the Cultural Awareness dance together. In fact, Ampata's love for Xander is the only thing that keeps her from draining his life force when she starts turning into a mummy again at the dance, although later at the museum she decides killing Xander might be worth it to stay alive. On another note, the feelings Xander has for Ampata help Willow decide that she maybe needs to move on. This is the first episode with Oz and Dingoes Ate my Baby (and with Jonathan, but he's a topic for another day) and at the dance, Oz notices Willow dressed as an Eskimo and asks the lead singer of the Dingoes (Oz is the lead guitarist) who she is. This is a first step towards Willow's relationship with Oz, which will be a turning point, allowing her to move on from Xander. So, one theme of this episode is relationships - Willow's coming to terms with her lack of one with Xander, Oz discovering what kind of girl he wants to date, Xander dealing with yet another ill-fated romance, and Ampata facing the choice between death or killing a guy she likes. Relationships are not simple in Sunnydale.

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This episode also presents parallels between Ampata and Buffy. Ampata was 16 when she was chosen and sacrificed to save her people. Buffy is also the chosen one and, although she will not be sacrificed in the same way, she is slated to fight the forces of evil until she dies and the next Slayer is called. Both girls were robbed of their teenage years. As the bodyguard says to Ampata, "You are the chosen one. You must die, you have no choice", words that echo the prologue at the start of Buffy. The difference between the two is, of course, the choices they make. Buffy fights to save people. Ampata must now suck the life force from others, killing them in the process, to stay alive. In a few days, she kills three people and nearly kills Jonathan, Willow and Xander. The ultimate differences between the two are that Buffy will not be sacrificed (in a literal sense) and Buffy chooses not to kill for her own benefit. But, in the end, the question that seems to be posed is what revenge will be exacted by girls sacrificed to the patriarchy. For Ampata, the choice was to live at all costs. Viewers still don't know what paths Buffy will end up choosing. 

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