History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E22BecomingPart2

* DyingAsYourself: Used when Buffy defeats Angelus just as Willow completes her spell to turn him back to Angel. Although he is himself again, Buffy has to kill him anyway to close the gate that Angelus opened. It's reversed when he came back though.

* ChekhovsGunman: Principal Snyder mentions the BigBad of Season 3 when he calls the cops- Mayor Wilkins.

* AdultFear: When Joyce, in the heat of the moment, tells Buffy not to come back if she leaves the house and Buffy walks out anyway, you can briefly see the [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone fear]] on Joyce's face that Buffy will take her at her word. ([[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E1Anne And Buffy does]], for a couple months anyway.)

** The seeds of Spuffy are planted here with what will become some very familiar elements -- the [[BelligerentSexualTension exchange of snarks and punches]] between Buffy and Spike, their [[AdventureDuo instinctive teamwork in a crisis]], and their NotSoDifferent connection when compared to outsiders like Joyce.

* InvincibleClassicCar: Spike crashes his car, a 1959 DeSoto Fireflite, through the garage door of the mansion, and the car isn't damaged at all. The paint doesn't even get scratched.

* ImmediateSequel: As the second part of a two-parter, it's to be expected.

* Invincible Classic Car: Spike crashes his car, a 1959 DeSoto Fireflite, through the garage door of the mansion, and the car isn't damaged at all. The paint doesn't even get scratched.

* KarmaHoudini: Xander never faces any consequences for telling Buffy his BlatantLies. Considering that he took part in causing [[BrokenBird her]] one of the worst pains she's ever faced ([[KillTheOnesYouLove killing Angel]]), that's a very serious karma oversight.

* WhoNeedsEnemies: Spike offers to strike a deal with Buffy; he will help her stop Angelus if she lets him and Drusilla skip town. Later he's carrying out Drusilla and notices a sword-wielding Angelus advancing on a disarmed Buffy.

* EnemyMine: Played straight, then subverted when Spike walks off and leaves Buffy to her fate. In fairness, he ''had'' kept his side of the bargain by saving Giles. Spike had no reason to support either Buffy or Angel after that.

** Earlier, Spike serves as the voice of reason to Angelus, talking him down from not killing Giles. Angelus says "You know I kinda like having you watch my back" unaware that Spike is planning to betray him and is only helping him for Drusilla.

Directed by Creator/JossWhedon

Written by Whedon, Creator/RobDesHotel, & Creator/DeanBatali

* FingerMuzzle: BookEnds the scene where Buffy quiets Angel's half-hearted attempt to stop them making love in "Surprise."

* GriefSong: "Full of Grace" by Music/SarahMcLachlan.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Buffy yelling at her mom that she never chose to be this way; she would rather be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys, "or god, even '''studying!'''"

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Fed up with trying to explains things to her mother, Buffy turns on her heels, "Just have another drink." Joyce reacts by [[DramaticShattering smashing her glass on the floor]] and snaps, "Don't you '''talk to me that way'''," causing Buffy to freeze in her tracks. Yow.
* OutOfCharacterAlert: When Angelus wants to kill Giles, Spike advises against it, much to the former's surprise. He doesn't know about Spike's secret deal with Buffy, and that Buffy has only agreed to let Drusilla go if Giles isn't killed.
-->'''Angelus:''' Since when did ''you'' become so levelheaded?\\
'''Spike:''' Right about the time you became so pig-headed. You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world.

* OurWormholesAreDifferent: It's a demon portal opened by blood.

* PutOnABus: Buffy herself. The last shot of the episode is of a sign on the outskirts of town. It reads: "Now leaving Sunnydale -- [[EnvironmentalSymbolism Come back soon!]]"

* PyrrhicVictory: A Most Triumphant Example.

* SmashCut: Cordelia arrives at Willow's bedside, explaining that she ran away and "made it through three counties" before she noticed no one was in pursuit. Now everyone's accounted for. ...Hold on. Xander asks if Giles made it out with Cordy, and she says she hasn't seen him. Cut to the mansion, where Giles is starting to come to. Angelus is crouched on the floor next to him, looking like that cat that ate the canary.

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: There was never a big question as to whether Angel would return, since the announcement of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' was made right after this episode aired.
* TrespassingToTalk: Whistler

* BarehandedBladeBlock: See above. She also shoves the sword away, causing the hilt to hit Angelus square in the face. DONK.

* [[IHaveNoSon I Have No Daughter]]: Joyce refuses to accept that her daughter is a vampire Slayer, and the battle lines are drawn. It's Ultimatum Time. Joyce says she won't let Buffy leave the house. They get into a shoving match, and Buffy opens the door to leave. "You walk out of this house, don't even THINK about coming back!" barks Joyce. Buffy just looks at her sadly and then walks out. Joyce slumps over the counter, her head in her hands. ''That'' could have gone better.

* FakeOutMakeOut / HugAndComment: The G-rated version. Buffy sneaks into the hospital, wearing an oversized coat and black watch cap. She finds Xander just as some cops round a corner in the hall, so Xander pulls her in for a tight hug until the coast is clear.

* DeadlyHug[=/=]EmptyPromise: "Close your eyes."

%%* StakingTheLovedOne

* FromBadToWorse: Ohhhh, boy, the whole two-parter is just one thing after another piling onto poor Buffy. Events that you'd normally expect to have episodes, or even entire ''story arcs'' devoted to them are instead all crammed into one two-parter. What's more, most of them have ''nothing to do'' with Angelus' plan to destroy the world -- it's just one of those days where it particularly sucks to be Buffy.

* ExactWords: Spike and Dru stare at each other as Spike says, "I don't wanna hurt you, baby." Dru's answer is to grab him by the throat and shove him against the wall. He immediately clocks her with a haymaker punch, then shrugs, "Doesn't mean I ''won't''.

** Subverted in that it lacks the usual {{UST}}; when Buffy jokes that Xander had [[CovertPervert ulterior motives for doing that]], [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness his lack of reaction]] makes her realise something bad has happened (to Willow).

** Angel was supposed to be the hero who saved the world from Acathla, but he turned evil, so it's Buffy who does so - with some help from her friends and Spike. This reflects the ambiguity in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' series over which side Angel would end up on when the Apocalypse happened. In the final season of the spin-off, it's also ambiguous whether Angel or Spike is TheChampion foretold in the Shanshu Prophecy.

* FromBadToWorse: Ohhhh, boy, the whole two-parter is just one thing after another piling onto poor Buffy.

* BarehandedBladeBlock: Angelus, noticing Spike's departure, proceeds to toy with his prey. "Now that's everything, huh? [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech No weapons. No friends. No hope.]]" Buffy closes her eyes in anticipation of death. "Take that away, and what's left?" He draws the sword back and thrusts it straight at her face; Buffy grabs the blade between both palms, and replies, "'''Me'''." She shoves the sword away, causing the hilt to hit Angelus square in the face. DONK.

* FromBadToWorse

* ImmediateSequel

* OurWormholesAreDifferent

* SaveTheWorldClimax

* SeasonFinale

* StakingTheLovedOne

* TalkingIsAFreeAction

* TwoPartEpisode

* WeirdnessCensor: Lampshaded by Buffy

* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Xander, standing alone by Willow's bedside, [[ConverseWithTheUnconscious begging her to wake up]]. He jokingly asks who else is going to help him "pass Trig". Then ([[TearJerker not so jokingly]]), he becomes choked with emotion and tells her she's his best friend, and desperately adds, "I love you."

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Spike says he'll help kill Angelus in exchange for getting to flee town with Dru. Buffy says Drusilla doesn't get to live because she killed Kendra, to which Spike exclaims, "Dru bagged a Slayer?" Elated, he turns to Joyce. "She didn't tell me! Hey, good for her!" Glare from Buffy. "..[[OnSecondThought Though not from your perspective]], I suppose."

* CouchGag: The "Grr Arg" at the end of the credits was altered for this episode. Instead of the trademark grunt the monster says "Oooh, I need a hug".

** The awkward silence is briefly interrupted when Joyce asks him where she's seen him before, and Spike explains she was hitting him with an axe screaming "get the hell away from my daughter". Fond memories.

* FingerMuzzle: BookEnds the scene where Buffy quiets Angel's half-hearted attempt to stop them making love in "Surprise".

* HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster: While trying to come to terms with Buffy being a Vampire Slayer (and Spike and Angel being vampires), Joyce asks if Buffy's "tried not being a Slayer".

* LogoJoke: Instead of his usual "Grr! Argh!", the Mutant Enemy zombie says "I need a hug."

* LostInCharacter: Drusilla delving a bit too far into her role as "Jenny", is still snogging with Giles as Spike and Angelus [[{{Ahem}} clear their throats]] impatiently. They have to try a couple of times to get her attention until Dru turns around and sheepishly responds, "Sorry. I was in the moment."

** Both times Angel dies, the words he hears are: "close your eyes". It's the last thing Darla said to him before she made him a vampire, And it`s also the last thing Buffy says to Angel before she runs him through with her sword.

* ProphecyTwist: Whistler claiming that this was supposed to be Angel's "big day". He recruited Angel because he believed he was destined to stop Acaltha, but things didn't go as planned -- rather, the reverse. Buffy's love for Angel was an X factor nobody saw coming.

* WaxingLyrical: Spike's description of the end of days "goodbye Picadilly, farewell Leicester bloody Square" is a quote from the song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".

* ConvenientComa: Getting conked by a falling bookcase as put Willow into a coma. Xander explains that she has head trauma and could wake up at any time, but it's touch-and-go.

* ChokeHolds: An odd example: Spike appears to choke Drusilla out. It's also possible he's using {{Pressure Point}}s) -- which is [[EroticAsphyxiation almost fitting for these two -- or cutting off her blood flow, not her air.

* ChokeHolds: An odd example: Spike appears to choke Drusilla out. (Or perhaps uses {{Pressure Point}}s) -- which is [[EroticAsphyxiation almost fitting for these two]].
** Another theory is that Spike breaks her neck. As long as he doesn't decapitate her, she'll eventually recover. (A choke hold obviously won't work on a vampire because they don't need to breathe.)
** She was put in a Mata Leon (or rear naked choke) a move used in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial-arts. A person is knocked unconscious by this move because of the restriction of blood flow to the brain; loss of air has nothing to do with it.

* SwordFight: Buffy vs Angelus.
** There was a perfectly good reason. They were going to fight. They both had swords in their hands. What else are they going to do?

-->'''Spike:''' [absently] I'm just gonna kill this guy.
-->'''Buffy''': [clears her throat loudly]
-->'''Spike''': Oh, right.
* TemptingFate: Buffy assures Whistler that if spilling Angel's blood will seal the portal, then she's more than up to the task: "I've got nothing left to lose." To her retreating figure, Whistler says under his breath, "Wrong, kid. You got one more thing."
** Angelus reminding Buffy that the deck is stacked against her odds-wise, gesturing to his lackeys. That's Spike's cue to rise up out of his wheelchair and clobber Angelus' across the head with an andiron.

--->'''Angelus:''' No weapons. No friends. No hope. Strip all that away, and what's left? ''[thrusts his sword toward Buffy, intending to stab her through the throat]''\\