Here is the Hellmouth Podcast for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series Season 2 Recap. (mp3 version here)

In this podcast we take a brief look at how things have changed in the lives of the Scoobies and recap some of the major events of Season 2 and get ready for the start of Season 3.

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HMPC Season 2 Recap  – Buffy The Vampire Slayer

• Welcome to the Hellmouth Podcast for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Series, Season 2 Season Recap
• I want to quickly remind everyone about all of the ways that you can be a part of the Hellmouth Podcast.
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• iTunes reviews goal to hit 35 reviews.
• So let’s get to the Season 2 recap finally, shall we
• Season 2 recap in 8 minutes or less
  • When She Was Bad
    • Buffy comes into Season 2 with lots of Baggage. She was dead at the end of Season 1 and there are some lingering issues.
    • By the end of the episode, she smashes the masters bones, stakes a few vamps all very cathartic.
  • Some Assembly Required
    • A group of high school students are building a frankenbrdie for their frankenbrother. Cordelia, Buffy and Willow are on the short list for harvesting parts.
    • Giles and Jenny Calendar go on their first date to a football game but it is ruined by the Scoobies need to stop the Franken-bride project before “It’s Alive!!!”
  • School Hard
    • Buffy is sweating parent teacher night for good reason. Snyder has it in for her and can’t wait to have it out with her mother.
    • In spite of Willow’s best efforts, Joyce and Snyder have a heart to heart which lands Buffy in a heap of trouble.
    • Not as much trouble however as when Spike and his vampire gang crash parent teacher night to kill her and her friends.
    • Buffy saves the adults and earns a reprieve from Snyder’s remarks.
  • Inca Mummy Girl
    • Xander falls for another monster of the week, this time an Incan Mummy Princess who sucks the life out of others to maintain her human visage.
    • Buffy unravels the mystery, get it unravels, the mystery of Ampada and her and Xander’s relationship falls apart at the end of this episode… falls apart, heh heh.
  • Reptile Boy
    • Some frat boys invite Buffy and Cordelia to a party which stirs a lot of jealousy in both Xander and Angel.
    • Turns out Buffy and Cordelia are to be dinner for a huge snake demon that grants wealth and power to the members of the fraternity. Anyone see a phallic metaphor hidden in there somewhere?
  • Halloween
    • Buffy and the Scoobies are transformed on Halloween night into the costumes they have chosen.
    • With the help of military Xander, Angel and a catty Cordelia the group manages to track down and defeat Ethan Rayne who makes his first appearance in the series.
  • Lie To Me
    • Ford shows up in Sunnydale hell-bent on becoming a vampire. He makes a deal with Spike to hand over Buffy in exchange for immortality.
    • Buffy’s suspicions about Ford help her avoid his trap and get away, Ford isn’t so lucky.
  • The Dark Age
    • Giles’ past comes back to haunt or possess him in this episode. A demon that he and a group including Ethan Rayne once raised, has come back to seek vengance.
    • Jenny becomes its victim which causes a rift between her and Giles.
    • Ethan Rayne manages to make a getaway, Giles is just happy that everyone escaped with their life.
  • What’s My Line 1 & 2
    • It’s career fair at Sunnydale high. Oz and Willow meet for the first time and in short order he takes a bullet for her.
    • Why? Because a group of assassins is in town to take out the Slayer.
    • Xander and Cordelia finally realize that in spite of how much they irritate each other and fight, they make really good make-out partners.
    • Buffy deals with the fact that in many ways her life has been planned for her until the arrival of Kendra the vampire slayer.
    • Spike and Drusilla kidnap Angel in order to use him in a ritual that will restore Drusilla to full vampire health.
    • The ritual is successful but they manage to save Angel’s life.
  • Ted
    • Joyce is dating Ted a computer software salesman.
    • He’s a great cook, loves Joyce very much, is a stern disciplinarian and a robot.
    • Little does Joyce know that part of Ted’s programming includes killing his women.
    • Fortunately Buffy kills Ted… twice and saves her mother.
  • Bad Eggs
    • It’s the egg project at school, but on a Hellmouth even the simplest project can take a dangerous twist.
    • Especially when your egg contains a body snatching alien.
    • Buffy doesn’t take kindly to her eggs creepy intentions and kills mama.
  • Surprise
    • The sexual tension between Buffy and Angel has been building this entire season.
    • After a botched birthday party and a near death experience the two of them seize the moment and have sex.
    • It is a beautiful night until Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus.
  • Innocence
    • Buffy and the gang are forced to deal with the fact that Angel is gone, he has been replaced by Angelus and in spite of her feelings for him, Buffy may have to kill Angel.
    • It comes to light that Jenny was involved somehow and the group has to deal with her betrayal.
    • The judge has come to town to destroy all humanity and is invincible to any weapon forged, except bazookas.
  • Phases
    • There is a werewolf in town how is terrorizing the locals.
    • Buffy and Giles set out to find it and put a stop to its violent rampage.
    • Come to find out there is more than one werewolf in this suburb, Oz has become a werewolf as well.
    • Eventually the Scoobies find out but instead of mounting Oz on the wall of the library, they decide to help him deal with his monthly animalistic tendencies.
  • Bewitched, Bothered and Bewuildered
    • Xander thought that maybe he and Cordelia were something more that closet make out buddies but she has decided that her reputation is more important.
    • After breaking up with him on valentines day Xander has Amy help him cast a spell to make Cordelia fall madly in love with him.
    • The spell backfires in a huge way and it is only with the help of an angry Giles and a lovesick Amy that he manages to save Cordelia and himself from the angry mob of scorned women.
  • Passion
    • Angelus is in rare form as he continues to torment Buffy.
    • Jenny trying to win back the respect of the Scoobies and the love of Giles has found the Spell of Restoration which will give Angel back his soul.
    • Angelus threatens each of Buffy’s friends with death and then finally catches up with Jenny Calendar.
    • He kills her and stages her to be found by an unsuspecting Giles.
    • In a fit of rage Giles goes out to kill Angelus but only manages to nearly get himself killed.
    • Buffy saves Giles and is guilt stricken with feelings of responsibility for the death of Jenny Calendar.
  • Killed By Death
    • Buffy catches a cold, which lands her in the hospital.
    • While there she becomes an easy target for Angelus so the Scoobies must maintain a constant watch.
    • Der Kinderstood is making the rounds in the hospital scaring and killing sick children. The rest of the gang can’t even see this monster so it is up to Buffy and the kids to bring his terrorism to an end.
  • I Only Have Eyes For You
    • There is a poltergueist haunting the halls of Sunnydale high school.
    • This ghost is causing all kinds of havoc among the schools halls which culminates in the possession of Buffy and Angelus, in which they re-inact a painful moment between the ghost and his lover which causes him endless guilt and feelings that perhaps even in death he deserves no forginveness for his rash actions.
    • There is some intense over-association on Buffy’s part but in the end the ghost is released and Buffy realizes that perhaps everything that has happened between herself and Angel is not entirely her fault.
  • Go Fish
    • The school swim team is being juiced with Sunnydale steroids in order to win swim meets.
    • The downside is it turns them into huge fish monsters.
    • Buffy and the Scoobies unveil the evil plotting of the school swim coach and put an end to his drugging of the students.
  • Becoming 1 & 2
    • Things have reached a boiling point between Angelus and Buffy.
    • Kendra has come to town because she has heard a dark power is rising in Sunnydale.
    • This power is Acathla a demon set to suck the world into a hell dimension.
    • All seems lost until Spike forms an unholy alliance with Buffy to stop Angelus and save the world.
    • It all comes to a peak when Buffy fights Angelus to the death to save the world and stop Acathla.
    • Meanwhile, Willow’s attempts to use Jenny Calendar’s soul restoring spell are successful and just as Angel has his soul returned, Buffy is forced to kill him in order to save the world.
    • The ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate betrayal in one fatal moment.
  • End season 2.
• Giles
  • Rebuilding of trust with Buffy
  • Bumbling love with Jenny
  • Ripper, Ethan Rayne and Giles’ dark side
  • Loss of Jenny Calendar
• Joyce
  • Begins disappointed in Buffy
    • Her behavior
    • Her grades
    • Her lying
  • Ted
  • Learns that Buffy is the Slayer
  • Tells her if she leaves she should never come back.
• Spike & Drusilla
  • Show up in Sunnydale – Drusilla is weak, Spike is there to restore her.
  • Spike wants to kill Buffy
    • Himself
    • Assassins
    • The judge
  • The ritual to restore Drusilla
  • Angelus’ return causes all kinds of problems for him.
  • Works with Buffy to save the world in the season finale.
• Xander
  • Xander in my opinion is one of the most constant, consistent characters of the season.
  • Has hated Angel/Angelus since they first met in season 1.
  • Is the only one who is completely unwilling to see the good in Angel.
  • Dates the Inca Mummy Girl
  • Ends up with Cordelia
  • Their relationship grows through the end of the season in spite of ups and downs.
  • Helps Buffy save the world
• Willow
  • Willow grows quite a bit in this season.
  • Begins her relationship with Oz
  • At the end of the season opens a door to magic that will completely change her in Season 3.
  • Moves on from Xander crush as evidenced in the season finale when she is in the hospital.
• Cordelia
  • Cordelia grows quite a bit.
  • Some of the best examples are in the Go Fish episode, the Killed By Death episode and the season finale.
  • She is becoming more and more integrated into the scoobie gang.
• Oz
  • Oz meets Willow becomes an integral part of her life.
  • Learns the truth about Buffy
  • Becomes a part of the Scoobie gang.
  • Becomes a werewolf.
  • Somewhat absent in the end of the season.
• Angel
  • Angel, happy, loyal, boyfriend.
  • Angelus – evil twistied, more backstory
• Buffy
  • Every episode is a new challenge for Buffy
  • She faces great internal emotional issues
    • The turning of Angelus
    • The death of Jenny Calendar
    • The guilt associated with both.
    • She begins to embrace her Slayer responsibilities.
    • Culminating in the season finale
    • Still isn’t able to reconcile Buffy Summers and BTVS.
• End Episode.
• Rate the episode – Full Season: I am not going to go through each individual episode and remind all of you what I rated each episode but they will all be listed in the show notes for this episode of the podcast so if you want to take a quick look at what I rated each episode this season then you can check out the show notes.
  • When She Was Bad – 7
  • Some Assembly Required – 6
  • School Hard – 11
  • Inca Mummy Girl – 7
  • Reptile Boy – 4
  • Halloween – 16
  • Lie To Me – 4
  • The Dark Age – 7.5
  • What’s My Line 1 & 2 – 13
  • Ted – -9
  • Bad Eggs – 9
  • Surprise – 12
  • Innocence – 12
  • Phases – 8
  • Bewitched, Bothered and Bewuildered – 9
  • Passion – 16
  • Killed By Death – 10
  • I Only Have Eyes For You – 11
  • Go Fish – 5
  • Becoming 1 & 2 – 13
  • Possible 200 points
    • 172 out of 200 possible points
    • That is a very respectable score for the sophomore season of a series.
    • Highest rated episode is a tie between Halloween and Passion which I think is a very good representation of the second season.
    • Lowest scoring episode, many of you will remember the Ted debacle from earlier in the season.
    • Honorable mention the Becoming two part episodes and the What’s My Line two part-er.
• Listener Emails
  • In your recent podcast, you mentioned Dru’s hypnotic powers and said you don’t remember seeing them before. But the Master used the same power. Remember “you have fruit punch mouth”? Anyway, it was nice to listen to you on the way to work again.
    Stay classy,
    Ryan
  • Hi Bryan!I am a new listener to your podcast but I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying it!

    I was late to the Buffy party when it was on the air, only joining in towards the end of season 5. Now I own all the seasons on DVD and have watched them all many more times than is healthy. LOL. The reason I wanted to write to you is because I am so impressed with the way you analyze the epiodes on your podcast! You have such affection and respect for these characters that it makes it a pleasure to listen to you talk about some of the best characters ever brought to tv. I always walk away from one of your podcasts with a new idea or a new way of thinking about an episode.

    I listen to one of your podcasts every day as I am jogging at lunchtime! Keep it up!

    Trish

  • I always wonder how much the writers planned in advance and how much was simply very effective reliance on their own canon, but, boy, does this episode lay the groundwork for so much of what happens in the rest of the series. And pretty explicitly!  To note just a few examples:
  • –Giles telling Willow that channeling the black arts can open a door she might not be able to close, which of course comes to pass in season 6 and which Willow will struggle with until the end of the series
  • –Xander, “the heart” of the scoobies, bringing Willow back from an unconscious/altered state by telling her he loves her, as he will again at the end of season 6–Spike saying “I want to save the world,” as of course he ultimately will at the end of the series
  • I’m interested in what you say about Buffy Summers vs Buffy the Slayer in relation to Angel’s death.  To me, this is where Buffy’s conflict between whether she needs to be isolated and alone to be an effective slayer, or whether her emotional ties to her loved ones are what really make her effective (and keep her in the world, as Spike notes in Fool for Love) is really formed. Also, this is where her struggle to understand moral ambiguity, and the existence of good and bad in everyone, really begins.

• Also, so much here about Spike and what will happen between Spike and Buffy. We are given real clues about the depth of human-ness, and maybe humanity, that exists in Spike:  he likes this world, not just the dog racing and soccer, but the *people*. He fights for the first time on the side of good, here for the love of Dru, later for the love of Buffy, and finally, for the love of humankind. When he tells Buffy he wants to save the world, she reminds him he’s a vampire — something each of them will at times forget and at times force themselves to remember (most explicitly in Dead Things). Buffy reveals her most important secret to her mother in Spike’s presence, and looks to him for support before she does so! They have an implicit understanding with each other and immediately function as a team (she may hate him, but as he says here, and as will become a refrain in season 6, he’s all she’s got).

• one last thing– I heartily disagree about Xander in this episode.  First, I dislike his inability to see gray re: killing Angel. Second, he’s ultimately a hypocrite about his absolutism as to good and evil when it comes to Anya. Third, his lie to Buffy, which he cravenly fobs off on Willow, is awful.  He disempowers her in precisely the same way Giles tries to do in Lies My Parents Told Me, and he is never made to atone for that lie or for the pain it caused Buffy. Lastly, he’s not really acting solely on principle. He also wants Angel dead because he’s jealous of him, and always has been. His motives are far from pure.
• Reminder about the news segment for this episode.
• Thanks to everyone for tuning into another episode of the Hellmouth Podcast.
  • Remember www.hellmouthpodcast.com
  • hellmouthpodcast@gmail.com
  • See you guys next time for the episode titled “Anne”, Stay Classy Sunnydale.

• News
  • Marti Noxon’s comments about Buffy TV series reboot
  • Charisma Carpenter is going to be starring in an upcoming film called pyschosis in which she plays a writer who has suffered a nervous breakdown and moves to a big house in the country to recuperate.
  • Vanessa Hudgens and her role in the Buffy reboot, or not.
  • Nicholas Brendon receives 36 months of probation.
  • IDW comics is releasing The Devil You Know a comic mini-series based on Spike.
  • Rumors that Eliza Dushku is going to be in the much anticipated Ghostbusters 3. She will be part of the next generation of ghostbusters.
  • Buffy Season 8 Action Comic