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Episode 2.16: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered | Episode 2.18: Killed by Death
Characters:
| Buffy | Angel | Xander |
| Willow | Giles | Cordelia |
| Spike |
Overall (10/10)
Buffy:
Buffy is still unable to forgive Jenny for her "betrayal". However, she realizes in this episode that her own inability to forgive is hurting Giles. She speaks to Jenny, refusing to accept her apology, but giving her the go-ahead to make amends with Giles. Buffy knows that her stubborn refusal to accept Miss Calendar's apology is her own personal issue, and she doesn't want to saddle Giles with that anymore.
Her relationship with Giles grows closer than ever with this. Moving firmly beyond the mentor/student relationship they had at first, Buffy finds herself concerned for his happiness. Thus she's able to rise above her own issues.
However, in typical Joss fashion, that's when everything comes crashing down. Jenny, in an attempt to make good with Buffy, succeeds in working out Angel's cure. And in doing so, she signs her own death warrant. When she is killed, Buffy is left in a state of grief. She feels responsible. Indirectly, her inability to kill Angel in Innocence does lead to this.
Also, you can't help but think that if Jenny had been let back in with the group, then the cure would have been found with everybody's knowledge. Then it wouldn't have been as essential for Angel to kill Jenny. However, Buffy's refusal to allow Jenny forgiveness keeps Jenny isolated so that she, alone, has knowledge of the cure.
Through her grief, though, Buffy is able to realize that Giles is going to get himself killed by confronting Angel. She runs to the rescue and saves him. Finally, she offers him the comfort he needs.
It is with Jenny's death that the truth about Angel is finally driven home for Buffy. Whereas before, she kept holding out some hope that everything would be okay, now she can't deny the monster he has become. She knows that she has to kill him.
Angel:
And Angel picks back up on his stalking habit. This time, though, it's in an evil way. Told you a 200-year-old guy chilling in a young girl's bedroom was creepy.
However, what exactly is Angel doing in his goal to drive Buffy crazy? Yes, leaving those pictures is upsetting. And confronting her mom? Definitely of the bad. But this only serves to make Buffy more resolved.
Jenny's murder is actually not an attempt to get to Buffy. He knows what Jenny is planning and has to take her out. Once he does, he uses it to his advantage to terrorize Giles, and therefore, Buffy. But he didn't plan for that in advance.
I would have to agree with Spike in that this Angel just isn't living up to his name. I imagine that the Angel of old would have slaughtered Buffy's mom the second she stepped out of the car. This one, instead, messes with her head. It seems that he's tiptoeing around the mental torture that he promises to deliver.
Perhaps if the drawings and such were just the starting point for more in upcoming episodes, I wouldn't think much of it. But we see in the next couple episodes that Angel didn't have much thought up beyond that.
Fortunately for him, Jenny's death is more effective torment than anything else he had planned.
However weak his attempts at Buffy are, he's certainly succeeded in torturing Spike. Again, with the taunts as to his relationship with Drusilla. He knows just which buttons to push to get to Spike, and he takes full advantage of it.
Xander:
Xander adds a touch of comic relief to this intense episode. At the end, though, he is given something substantial to do in Giles' apartment. He reminds everybody that he's always been against Angel, and rather harshly advocates Giles going to get revenge on him.
And with Jenny's death, we find the thing that will eventually divide the friends at the end of the season. Xander, coming from his position of vampire = evil, has no problem using Jenny's death to justify his feelings. And while Buffy agrees with him now, she won't later on.
Willow has woefully little to do in this episode. We get her taking over for Jenny at the end (Which I've always had issues with, but will go over in a later episode). Other than that, she's used to up the threat of Angel.
Poor Giles. Joss likes to take people to a happy place before ripping their hearts out.
During his first conversation with Jenny, he informs her that he's not the one who needs her apology. In doing so, he prompts her to try to figure out the cure for Angel.
After having been given the go-ahead from Buffy, Jenny makes amends with Giles. Giles is very pleased with this. He hadn't wanted to betray his Slayer's trust, but it seems obvious that he also wanted things to be right with Jenny.
And that's when everything goes kablooey. He finds Jenny dead in his bed. Almost immediately, he goes for his revenge. He knows that he probably won't win, but he's going on pure anger. This is a Giles that we have never seen before. One who has endured such a great loss that he loses all control.
And, let me say, it is a joy to watch Giles whale on Angel. Unfortunately, he's no match for Angel in the end and has to be rescued by Buffy. He accepts the comfort that Buffy offers him.
Jenny's death greatly affects Giles, obviously. It also colors his perceptions of Angel all the way through S3.
Cordelia, like Xander, is relegated to the role of comic relief in this episode, and, as such, has little to do.
By now, Angel has definitely worn out his welcome as far as Spike is concerned. He actually prefers souled-Angel to the one he has now (hinting at Spike's upcoming deal with Buffy).
Spike gets a little satisfaction in watching Giles (and then Buffy) beat up Angel. He even goes so far as to keep Drusilla from helping him.
Jenny has found a way to cure Angel. Before she can tell anybody about it, though, Angel murders her.
Angel all the way.
A very big arc episode. This sets up the infamous yellow disk that holds Angel's cure. Jenny's death is also something that will affect all of our characters throughout the rest of this season and through S3, as well.
I truly don't have enough wonderful things to say about this episode. It is tragic in that is has the death of a beloved character. Personally, I was very sad to see Jenny go. It also sets up so much for the rest of the story. To me, this is the height of S2 of Buffy, and the first sign of the greatness that is to come from this series.
Special performance award goes to Robia LaMorte for her lovely chase scene with Angel. A special good-bye to our favorite computer teacher.
10 out of 10. I have no complaints.
Must I pick out a moment? How about Buffy's talk with Jenny at the beginning? It sets up the events of the episode nicely and shows us exactly the complexity of what Buffy is feeling in regards to this woman. It also demonstrates her affection for Giles that she is able to overcome that for him.
Episode 2.16: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered | Episode 2.18: Killed by Death
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