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Innocence (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Innocence" is episode 14 of season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is renowned as the highest rated episode in the series, attracting 8.2 million viewers as the series moved from its Monday timeslot to Tuesday.
earlier that night, Angel escapes into the alley with a piercing pain in his heart, as his soul is ripped from him. When a kind streetwalker tries to help him a few minutes later, he quickly and gleefully kills her. When he shows up at the factory, Spike is surprised and Drusilla is pleased that the Judge cannot burn him—Angel has truly reverted to the evil Angelus. The three are clearly pleased to be together again - grinning and gleeful, Angelus kisses Spike on the forehead in the only friendly moment seen between them this season, while Drusilla claps.
While researching a way to defeat the Judge, a demon whom "no weapon forged" can harm, Xander
and Cordelia
get caught kissing in the library by a crushed and furious Willow
. Buffy finally finds Angel in his apartment, not knowing that he is now Angelus, and he blows her off, laughing at her feelings as she weeps. Jenny is castigated by her Uncle Enios, who tells her that if Angel has one moment of true happiness, one moment where his soul no longer plagues his thoughts, that his new soul would be taken from him. Angelus terrorizes Buffy and the Gang at school, emotionally shattering Buffy. Later, as they discuss Angel's transformation in the library, Buffy realises that having sex with Angel is what's caused him to turn evil and leaves in distress, returns home and, heartbroken, cries.
Buffy has another dream in which Angel helps her realise that Jenny
knows more than she's letting on. The next morning she confronts Jenny at school, who admits she is a member of the Gypsy clan that cursed Angelus with his soul so long ago, and that if Angel ever felt a moment of true happiness, he would lose his soul (revealing to Giles that Buffy and Angel made love). When Buffy, Jenny, and Giles arrive at one of the clan member's homes for advice, they find that Angelus has brutally killed him, leaving Buffy a message written in blood on the wall - "Was It Good For You Too?", forcing Buffy to realize that she has to kill Angelus.
Xander hatches a plan using memories from being a soldier on Halloween
, pretending that he is a private in the army and he is sneaking around with Cordelia. Oz declines to kiss Willow at her request, given that it's obvious she only wants to kiss to make Xander jealous. Willow's respect and feelings for Oz grow. The four return to the library with their "present" for Buffy. Jenny offers to help in the confrontation with the Judge, but Buffy refuses to accept her offer.
Tracking down the Judge at the crowded mall, Buffy and her team blow him to bits with her new "present" – a rocket launcher
, while Angelus and Drusilla narrowly escape the blast. The Slayer
stalks Angelus through the fleeing crowd and, when he ambushes her in a snack shop, they battle ferociously under the drenching fire-control sprinklers. Reaching a stand-off, neither of them is quite ready to kill the other, although Buffy does settle for kicking Angelus in the crotch
. Giles drives Buffy home and she feels awful for putting her friends in serious danger from Angelus. Giles assures her that, although she did act irresponsibly, it is obvious that she and Angel loved each other and that he hasn't lost his trust in and respect for her. Later, Buffy and Joyce sit down to watch a movie. Joyce asks Buffy what she did for her birthday, and Buffy simply answers that she got older. Joyce lights the candle and tells Buffy to make a wish, but Buffy merely decides to let it burn.
In the DVD commentary, Whedon says the interaction between Buffy and Angel following their night of passion was supposed to have taken place outside of Buffy's house. However, he comments that the scene was simply not working as it was lacking intimacy and was thus later shot in Angel's house.
Plot synopsis
After making love with BuffyBuffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
earlier that night, Angel escapes into the alley with a piercing pain in his heart, as his soul is ripped from him. When a kind streetwalker tries to help him a few minutes later, he quickly and gleefully kills her. When he shows up at the factory, Spike is surprised and Drusilla is pleased that the Judge cannot burn him—Angel has truly reverted to the evil Angelus. The three are clearly pleased to be together again - grinning and gleeful, Angelus kisses Spike on the forehead in the only friendly moment seen between them this season, while Drusilla claps.
While researching a way to defeat the Judge, a demon whom "no weapon forged" can harm, Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
and Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
get caught kissing in the library by a crushed and furious Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
. Buffy finally finds Angel in his apartment, not knowing that he is now Angelus, and he blows her off, laughing at her feelings as she weeps. Jenny is castigated by her Uncle Enios, who tells her that if Angel has one moment of true happiness, one moment where his soul no longer plagues his thoughts, that his new soul would be taken from him. Angelus terrorizes Buffy and the Gang at school, emotionally shattering Buffy. Later, as they discuss Angel's transformation in the library, Buffy realises that having sex with Angel is what's caused him to turn evil and leaves in distress, returns home and, heartbroken, cries.
Buffy has another dream in which Angel helps her realise that Jenny
Jenny Calendar
Jenny Calendar is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Robia LaMorte, Jenny is the computer teacher at Sunnydale High School...
knows more than she's letting on. The next morning she confronts Jenny at school, who admits she is a member of the Gypsy clan that cursed Angelus with his soul so long ago, and that if Angel ever felt a moment of true happiness, he would lose his soul (revealing to Giles that Buffy and Angel made love). When Buffy, Jenny, and Giles arrive at one of the clan member's homes for advice, they find that Angelus has brutally killed him, leaving Buffy a message written in blood on the wall - "Was It Good For You Too?", forcing Buffy to realize that she has to kill Angelus.
Xander hatches a plan using memories from being a soldier on Halloween
Halloween (Buffy episode)
"Halloween" is episode six of season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by freelance writer Carl Ellsworth and directed by Bruce Seth Green...
, pretending that he is a private in the army and he is sneaking around with Cordelia. Oz declines to kiss Willow at her request, given that it's obvious she only wants to kiss to make Xander jealous. Willow's respect and feelings for Oz grow. The four return to the library with their "present" for Buffy. Jenny offers to help in the confrontation with the Judge, but Buffy refuses to accept her offer.
Tracking down the Judge at the crowded mall, Buffy and her team blow him to bits with her new "present" – a rocket launcher
AT4
The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...
, while Angelus and Drusilla narrowly escape the blast. The Slayer
Slayer (Buffyverse)
A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
stalks Angelus through the fleeing crowd and, when he ambushes her in a snack shop, they battle ferociously under the drenching fire-control sprinklers. Reaching a stand-off, neither of them is quite ready to kill the other, although Buffy does settle for kicking Angelus in the crotch
Groin attack
A groin attack is an attempt to cause pain to the groin area of one's opponent. The technique can be quickly debilitating, due to the large number of sensitive nerve endings in the penis and testicles of males, as well as the highly innervated vulva of females. A sufficiently powerful blow may...
. Giles drives Buffy home and she feels awful for putting her friends in serious danger from Angelus. Giles assures her that, although she did act irresponsibly, it is obvious that she and Angel loved each other and that he hasn't lost his trust in and respect for her. Later, Buffy and Joyce sit down to watch a movie. Joyce asks Buffy what she did for her birthday, and Buffy simply answers that she got older. Joyce lights the candle and tells Buffy to make a wish, but Buffy merely decides to let it burn.
Writing
In the commentary, when Joss Whedon is asked about his decision to turn Angel evil, he said that he feels it was necessary to keep the story fresh as viewers would quickly become bored with Angel and Buffy's relationship. Although the fan base wanted Buffy and Angel to be together romantically, Whedon says, "What people want is not what they need."In the DVD commentary, Whedon says the interaction between Buffy and Angel following their night of passion was supposed to have taken place outside of Buffy's house. However, he comments that the scene was simply not working as it was lacking intimacy and was thus later shot in Angel's house.
Arc significance
- The Big BadBig BadBig Bad is a term originally used by the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series to describe a major recurring adversary, usually the chief villain or antagonist in a particular broadcast season...
for season two, Angelus, has finally appeared and Buffy made it happen. - Jenny's past and ulterior motives for being in Sunnydale are revealed.
- This is the first instance where Xander reveals he has retained military knowledge after the events of the Halloween episode.
- Willow learns of Xander's and Cordelia's relationship.
Continuity
- Although Buffy gets the drop on Angel when she first learns he is a vampire ("Angel"), and tries to goad him into fighting her when she comes back from visiting her father in L.A. ("When She Was BadWhen She Was Bad"When She Was Bad" is the first episode in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written and directed by series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon...
"), it is not until he reverts to Angelus in this episode that they engage in their first actual battle with one another. - The rocket-propelled grenade launcher which Xander obtained would later appear again in the episode "Him".
- Spike calls Buffy "Rebecca of Sunnyhill Farm" a reference to a Shirley Temple movie. The movie has a song in it entitled "GOODNIGHT, MY LOVE" which is playing in the old movie Buffy and Joyce watch at the end of the episode.
Reception
- Kristine SutherlandKristine SutherlandKristine Sutherland is an actress best known for her role as Buffy Summers' mother Joyce Summers on the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...
told BBC that this is her favorite episode as a fan. She had the most fun shooting "Band CandyBand Candy (Buffy episode)"Band Candy" is the sixth episode of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Buffy combines her slaying with studying for the SAT in the graveyard with Giles. At school the next day, Buffy tells Willow and Oz of a test-related nightmare. Oz offers to help her study...
". - Joss WhedonJoss WhedonJoseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
has listed this as his favorite episode. - This episode was the highest rated episode of Buffy ever, scoring a 5.2 Nielsens rating and a 6.7 over night rating, with each ratings point representing 980,000 households. In millions this episode scored the biggest of the series which was 8.2 million.
- This episode, along with part 1 ("SurpriseSurprise (Buffy episode)"Surprise" is episode 13 of season two of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Plot :Buffy has a vivid dream which she fears is prophetic and realises that Spike and Dru may still be alive...
"), won an Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Makeup for a Series, one of only two Emmys the series would win. - The scene with Buffy destroying The Judge with a rocket launcher has drawn critical comparison to a similar action performed by Gwen CooperGwen CooperGwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off to the long-running show Doctor Who, portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles. The series' lead female character, Gwen has featured in every episode of the sci-fi programme to date as well as two crossover...
in Torchwood: Miracle Day