The second season of any television show can often be the make-or-breaker. Yes indeed, maybe the first season tells you whether or not you'll like it, but the real question is will you get tired of it?

With her second season, Buffy The Vampire Slayer found herself on the receiving end of mucha amor from her fans, who pretty much made it clear that they could never have too much.

Back in the lineup are regulars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, Nicholas Brendon as Xander, Alyson Hannigan as Willow, Anthony Stewart Head as Giles, and with this Season, David Boreanaz became a regular in his role of Angel.

Where Season One was simply a casting of the line with 12 Episodes, Season Two is the gutting, grilling and serving with heaps of tartar sauce at 22 Episodes. All of the following Seasons went on to contain just as many Episodes, and Season Two competes with only Five and Six as my own personal favorite Season of the entire "septilogy".

Episode 1: When She Was Bad (7/10)
Although Season Two shines in many ways, it does get off to kind of a rocky start, with the return of a somewhat indignant Buffy. Some Anointed one is back to resurrect The Master, who was the archvillain in the First Season. Willow (poor sweet Willow!) and Xander lend the most normalcy to it, what with their priceless opening scene.
Best Quote:
Principal Snyder: "There are some things I can just smell. It's like a 6th sense."
Giles: "Well, actually, that would be one of the five."

Episode 2: Some Assembly Required (6/10)
Cordelia's head is wanted for the completion of a Frankenstein-esque "robot" being built by several dug-up corpses. And Buffy reacts hilariously to a "yearbook nerd" at the beginning! But the real appeal of this Episode is the focus on relationships. Xander and Angel are both jealous of the other's connection to Buffy, and Giles has butterflies in his stomach at the mere sight of the new computer teacher, Ms. Calendar. The following quote from Xander is startlingly true, as I have come to find...
Best Quote:
Xander: "People don't fall in love with what's right in front of them. People want the dream -- what they can't have. The more unattainable, the more attractive."

Episode 3: School Hard (9/10)
Parent-teacher night is only a few short days away, and Buffy is in no hurry for her mother Joyce to hear what her teachers have to say about her! This Episode introduces us to a new vampire, one who will be here for the remainder of the whole Buffy legacy. Spike, played by James Marsters, and his girlfriend Drusilla, drop by to wreak havoc at the school at the very night of the conference. Joyce gets one of her finest moments of all time when she gives Spike a lickin' that momentarily stops his tickin'.
Best Quote:
Vamp: "When I kill her, it'll be the greatest event since the crucifixion. And I should know. I was there."
Spike: "You were there? Oh, please! If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock."

Episode 4: Inca Mummy Girl (6/10)
This is kind of a hard Episode to watch. By now, we know that Willow likes Xander, but Xander likes Buffy. And now, we have a foreign exchange student who turns out to be a 500-year old mummy wooing his affections. Willow takes so much abuse, whether intentional or not, it still makes you feel for her. One redeeming factor is the introduction of Oz, a guitarist who happens to be playing at the Bronze.
Best Quote:
Willow: "Well, you know, I have a choice. I can spend my life waiting for Xander to go out with every other girl in the world until he notices me, or I can just get on with my life."
Buffy: "Good for you."
Willow: "Well, I didn't choose yet."

Episode 5: Reptile Boy (5/10)
This is more or less a "filler" Episode. Most of what you see here, you've already seen, but it is kind of nice that we have a chance to mentally get all the ducks in a row. Cordelia's going after the college boys, and Buffy is so desperate for a normal life that she actually tags along. The tension between Buffy and Angel reaches a new high, Giles is all over her about taking her "job" seriously, and Willow has a most memorable outburst.
Best Quote:
Angel: "Listen, if we date, you and I both know one thing's going to lead to another."
Buffy: "One thing already has led to another. You think it's a little late to be reading me a warning label?"
Angel: "I'm just trying to protect you. This could get out of control."
Buffy: "Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?"
Angel: "This isn't some fairy tale. When I kiss you, you don't wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after."

Episode 6: Halloween (8/10)
A truly masterful Episode this is! Halloween is not a night when vampires are typically out and about, but something mysterious is at work this time around. Meet Ethan Rayne, an old friend (or is it foe?) of Giles whose power can (and will) turn everyone in the city into the very thing they dressed up as for Halloween. The result is Sarah Michelle Gellar in 1800's garb, Alyson Hannigan looking my-tee fine in all kinds of black leather, and Xander suddenly showing all the prowess of a trained military soldier. You wouldn't guess it now, but the knowledge Xander gains here proves to be useful several times in the following seasons. Also, we discover that Giles is no pushover himself!
Best Quote:
Buffy: "Ms. Calendar said you were a babe."
Giles: "She said what?"
Buffy: "Well, she said you were a hunk of burning... something or other. So, what do you think of that?"
Giles: "Um, I... I don't, uh... a burning hunk of what?"
Buffy: "Look, you know how disgusting it is for me to even contemplate you grown-ups having smoochies, but... I think you should go for it."

Episode 7: Lie To Me (9/10)
Spike completely steals the show on this one. You will find that as time goes on, he'll start doing that more and more. In other news, Ford, an old flame of Buffy's, comes to Sunnydale and throws yet another monkey wrench into the whole Xander/Buffy/Angel triangle. But there are darker things happening with that guy, as you no doubt will have guessed.
Best Quote:
Buffy: "Does it get easier?"
Giles: "What do you want me to say?"
Buffy: "Lie to me."
Giles: "Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats. We always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after."
Buffy: "Liar."

Episode 8: The Dark Age (6.5/10)
Seems that Giles was a bit of a rebel back in the day, 'cause now it's coming back to bite him in the ass. The reappearance of Ethan Rayne throws in a whimsically sinister tone to the Episode. Oh yeah and Willow has herself another sweet little outburst, this time at the expense of Cordelia and Xander.
Best Quote:
Xander: "Ooh, gang, did you hear that? A bonus day of class plus Cordelia. Mix in a little rectal surgery and it's my best day ever!"

Episode 9: What's My Line, Pt. 1 (7/10)
Just as Career Week is starting at Sunnydale High, Spike and Drusilla send out a few demons to pave the way for some mysterious domination plans they have. The nice scenery in many scenes is a welcome change of pace, although this one is a bit slow-moving in the first half. We now also are introduced to ... yikes ... another Slayer!?
Best Quote:
Angel: "You shouldn't have to touch me when I'm like this."
Buffy: "Oh. I didn't even notice."

Episode 10: What's My Line, Pt. 2 (8/10)
So much happens in this Episode. Two new relationships that have recently blossomed come to a real fruition here: Willow and Oz have tight chemistry, and when he tells her "You have the sweetest smile" I just die. Cordelia and Xander's "relationship", if you can call it that, is so ridiculous you just can't help but watch to see where it goes. Here lies one of the greatest action sequences ever, with everyone getting a piece of it.
Best Quote:
Willow: "There's a Slayer handbook?"
Buffy: "Wait. Handbook? What handbook? How come I don't have a handbook?"
Willow: "Is there a T-shirt, too? 'Cause that would be cool."

Episode 11: Ted (8.5/10)
Joyce (Buffy's Mom) has a new boyfriend, but he and Buffy don't start off on the right foot, and when things get heated between them and Mommy's not around, Buffy accidentally pushes him down the stairs and kills him. How in the world are they gonna get out of this one? You'll just have to see for yourself. As I recall, Ted says some of the most hilarious things as the truth is being revealed about him...
Best Quote:
Buffy: "Mom's been totally different since he's around."
Willow: "Different like happy?"
Buffy: "Like Stepford."

Episode 12: Bad Eggs (5/10)
Our students are faced with the assignment of raising some eggs or some such jazz, but they have NO idea what's inside of the things. This is more or less a Buffified, hour-long version of Ridley Scott's Alien. But it's still fairly cool.
Best Quote:
Joyce: "You're just too young to wear that."
Buffy: "Yeah, I'm gonna be too young to wear it until I'm too old to wear it."
Joyce: "That's the idea."

Episode 13: Surprise (8/10)
Love is in the air once again, and Buffy's 17th birthday is right around the corner. But Spike and Drusilla couldn't care less, all they wanna do is finish building their supposedly invincible demon, The Judge. If ever there were a final exam on who all the BtVS characters are and who they like, this would make a fitting cram session. 'Cause it's crammed. Big time. The ending will leave you hanging like a booger.
Best Quote:
Angel: "Take me. Take me instead of her."
Spike: "Uh, you're not clear on the concept, pal. There is no 'instead.' Just first and second."

Episode 14: Innocence (10/10)
Say hello... to Angelus. The true evil inside of Angel has bubbled to the surface, a character arc that shatters Buffy's world and takes you right with it. In the words of the Eagles, "I can't tell you why." His first destination, of course, is the lair of Spike and Drusilla, where he will go on to have some of his best scenes in the entire Buffy universe. A whole lot of surprises and discoveries await our friends in this episode, many of them nothing short of heartbreaking. This is the first Episode I grant a rating of 10/10, and at this point I can only think of two others that reach this insane level of brilliance.
Best Quote:
Spike: "You've really got a yen to hurt this girl, haven't you?"
Angelus: "She made me feel like a human being. That's not the kind of thing you just forget."

Episode 15: Phases (8/10)
Willow and Oz finally start to take steps toward a relationship, but not before we discover something really strange about Oz. "How do you go about confronting someone you love?" is a recurring theme in Buffy, especially in this Season. Not all that dissimilar from Luke having to face Vader in Return Of The Jedi. And don't think for a second that you've seen the last of the Star Wars mentions.
Best Quote:
Larry: "So, Oz, man, what's up with that? Dating a junior? Let me guess: That little innocent schoolgirl thing is just an act, right?"
Oz: "Yeah, yeah, she's actually an evil mastermind. It's fun."

Episode 16: Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered (7/10)
The numbers may go down, but 7 is still very good in my book and this is a good Episode all the same. First airing on Valentine's Day, BB&B was/is about a love spell gone horribly wrong. Cordelia ditches Xander 'cause he's not helping her "credibility", but you later find that she has a smidgin of humanity hiding in there somewhere! The love spell, initiated by Xander, was supposed to make Cordelia fall back in love with him, so he could dump her and make her see how he felt. Instead, the spell caused every female in Sunnydale to be attracted, sometimes viciously, to Xander.
Best Quote:
Buffy: "Mom and I are going to have a pig-out and vid fest. It's a time-honored tradition among the loveless."

Episode 17: Passion (9.5/10)
And it is here that Season Two really starts to kick into gear! This one leaves more than a few cliffhangers (that computer disk for one, that about drove me crazy), as well as a riveting-as-hell tauntfest from Angelus to Spike, who at this point is wheelchair-bound. Spike's eventual character arc (which will take no less than another 2-3 seasons to come) is just screaming to happen! Finally, no other movie or television show on the face of the planet has ever contained a scene in which one character beats the hell out of another with a flaming baseball bat and actually makes me feel for the person doing the beating. My jaw had no time for an elevator -- it went right to the first floor.
Best Quote:
Angelus (voice-over): "It speaks to us, guides us; passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have?"

Episode 18: Killed By Death (6/10)
This one stands fine enough on its own, but it is terribly misplaced. At this point in the season, things are getting completely crazy, and here, we do very little to further that story. Buffy comes down with a severe case of the flu, which puts her right in the hospital but also enables her to see an invisible demon. So after she recovers, she injects herself with the virus to make herself sick again so she can kick his ass, for what little bit she can.
Best Quote:
Willow: "Buffy, come on, one night of rest is not going to kill you."
Buffy: "No. But it might kill somebody else."

Episode 19: I Only Have Eyes For You (8/10)
In another kind of "sidequest", this Episode takes us back to good old 1955... sort of. It seems that back then, a guy committed a crime of passion and went on to kill himself. But now, the last words that occurred between him and his girlfriend are being re-enacted somehow as conversations between real people today. As different people are seen speaking those lines, they take on entirely different meanings, which is totally creepy. The last 15 seconds of this Episode had me flipping out.
Best Quote:
Giles: "To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's not done because people deserve it, it's done because they need it."
Buffy: "No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment of blind passion. And that's not something you forgive. No matter why he did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and selfish and stupid, it is just something he's gonna have to live with."
Xander: "He can't live with it, Buff. He's dead."

Episode 20: Go Fish (6/10)
A few Episodes back, that little genius Willow took over teaching a class. But now, Principal Snyder (a true weasel) is trying to bribe her into giving one of the more respected swim athletes a good grade that he doesn't deserve. Xander goes undercover on the swim team, and typical fishy monstrosity ensues. Again, it's a good Episode but is kind of "off on the side" in relation to Season Two's otherwise scintillating finish.
Best Quote:
Xander: "He actually told you to alter his grade?"
Willow: "Exactly. Except for actually telling me to. But he made it perfectly clear of what he wasn't telling me."
Xander: "That's wrong. A big fat spanking wrong. It's a slap in the face to every one of us who studied hard and worked long hours to *earn* our D's."

Episode 21: Becoming I (9/10)
Ah, here we go! Becoming enlightens us on Angel's (or should I say, Angelus') past, but here in the present he's getting ready to blow open a portal that will swallow the entire world into Hell. So we're all getting ready for the big battle, when suddenly it is discovered that there might be a way to bring Angel back to the good side. I did mention Star Wars already, did I not? As Seasons oft tend to be, this one goes out in style, but not before going straight for the gut with a galvanizing cliffhanger.
Best Quote:
Xander: "Hi! For those of you who just tuned in: Everyone here's a crazy person."

Episode 22: Becoming II (9.5/10)
Absolutely fabulous. This Episode is alllll about Angel. You figure okay, so we know now that he has done terrible things in the past, things so terrible that you couldn't possibly buy him as a good guy again. But if you just do away with him, you destroy all for which Buffy has fought and suffered. (I gotta STOP that!) It is here that Buffy's Mom finally discovers "what" she is, and Buffy is forced by lack of a better option to briefly team up with Spike. How does this all resolve itself? You'll just have to see. I can't say I cried myself, but I know a lot of people, tough people, who have. Beauty of this type is a waste of time to even try to talk about. Just take it in and do what you gotta do.
Best Quote:
Spike: "We like to talk big... vampires do. 'I'm going to destroy the world.' That's just tough-guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. The truth is, I _like_ this world. You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people... billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision... with a real... passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Good-bye, Picadilly, farewell, Leicester-bloody-Square."

And by golly, I actually did it.
Final Score: 166/220 = 75.45%
Season One = 64.17%

Season 7
Season 6
Season 5
Season 4
Season 3

I think it kind of goes without saying that a rating of 100% overall for ANY show would be impossible. Even anything over 90% would be phenomenal. So while 75% looks like a low rating (especially on a report card), in this case I believe it warrants an easy four stars.

Cast list is as follows:

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles
David Boreanaz as Angel/Angelus
Seth Green as Oz
Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers
Dean Butler as Hank Summers
Andrew J. Ferchland as The Anointed One
James Marsters as Spike
Juliet Landau as Drusilla
Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar
Armin Shimerman as Principal Snyder
Julie Benz as Darla
Bianca Lawson as Kendra

Season Two, much like Season Six, has its horde of depressing moments. The way it ends leaves you unsettled, but with an odd closure. World is saved, good guys paid a heavy price, nothing could possibly ever be the same for them. But you probably know better than to assume anything.

Still, I think it's safe to say that at this point, once you've seen the first two, your mind will pretty well be made up as to whether or not you want to go on to the next five. And my money is more on the "whether" part than the "not".






Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older