Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Surprise - S02E13 Review

SURPRISE
SEASON 2 EPISODE 13

Here we have another two-parter, and like the first one, the payoff episode is better than the setup episode. However, this is a bit different in that these two episodes are far more important than both episodes of What's My Line are. There's way more at stake here and this actually results in a big shift in the series. This is the point where you can kind of start saying goodbye to a lot of the cheesiness. It's still there in small doses, but it's dialed back heavily from here on in.

Open up on Buffy having a nightmare, walking from her room and ending up in the Bronze with Willow speaking French to a monkey. Hmm...foreshadowing the zaniness of a future episode, certainly. She sees her mom drop a coffee mug and break it, then she sees her hunky boy toy Angel walking up to her. Then all of a sudden Drusilla stabs him literally in the back and he falls away into ash as Dru wishes her happy birthday. Buffy wakes up and heads over to Angel's house in the middle of the night to check on him. He does the good boyfriend thing and reassures her and they share a moment. There's a taste of the Buffy/Angel theme in this scene; I'm not sure where it's played first but this is the first time I've noticed it. It's probably my favorite piece of music in the series; the melody is perfect.

The next day Buff and Willow are talking about Buffy maybe having sex with Angel, and Willow tells Buffy to "seize the day". It's a great callback to the very first episode where Buffy told Willow the same thing. Then focus shifts to Willow and she goes over to talk to Oz to see if any sparks be a flyin'. And they do! They secure a date for Buffy's surprise birthday party and they're all adorable and stuff. Xander tries to get a date out of Cordelia but he gets his feelings hurt and she's insensitive as always. And Giles is being funny and wordy and British and all that.

Giles: Here comes Buffy! Now remember, discretion is the better part of valor.
Xander: You could have just said "shhhh".

Meanwhile at Spike's, Drusilla is planning for her "coming out party"; this is the first time we've seen them since the last two-parter. Spike is now in a wheelchair with some pretty nasty burns on his face. Dru does some freaking out and, well no surprise there I suppose. The next morning Buffy asks her mom about getting her license and her mom drops a plate and breaks it, which wigs Buffy out about her dream maybe being a prophecy. Why did she even drop the plate though? It doesn't really make sense. She has the worst grip and reflexes in the world.

At school, a creepy guy visits Jenny and there's a couple pretty huge revelations. Turns out Jenny is a descendent of the gypsies that cursed Angel, and she was sent there as a spy to make sure Angel is never given "a moment of happiness". It's a cool little twist; I don't like Jenny's 'nefarious' acting though. She tends to get a little hammy. Buffy is so freaked out about the dream that Giles decides to do some more digging on Drusilla before the surprise party. Then we get a mislead that Jenny is gonna be evil; she picks Buffy up at the school and takes her to the Bronze where she sees some vamps, especially Nerdy McStealsalot. Nerdy runs away and Buffy kills the rest of the vampires, stumbling into the room with the surprise. The best moment is Oz's very laid-back reaction to finding out that vampires are real.

Jenny finds the box the vamps were trying to steal and find an arm inside, which then starts choking Buffy until they shut it. Angel knows what it is; part of a super demon called the Judge that couldn't be killed by conventional means so ancient people took his limbs and hid them all over the world. Now Dru wants to bring the parts back together and destroy the world. Of course! Jenny uses this opportunity to try and get Angel out of Sunnydale, telling Angel he's the only one that can make sure the arm gets hidden again. Angel agrees rather quickly and decides to stow away on a boat during the night. The Buffster goes too to see him off and it's all sad and whatnot. Angel gives Buffy a Claddagh ring as a sign that they belong to each other. Getting glimpses of Angel's Irish heritage is always pretty cool.

Their tender goodbye gets interrupted by Spike's goons yet again, resulting in Buffy getting thrown off the dock and Angel diving after her, letting Nerdy get away with the box. Back at the library, Xand is reveling in the fact that Angel is leaving, and telling this hilarious fantasy of how he wins Buffy's heart and she walks in. Giles explains more about the Judge and his touch, which can burn the humanity out of someone. Only a true creature of evil can withstand the process. The gang rallies together to find out how to stop the Judge while Buffy actually gets some sleep, having another nightmare of Dru in the process.

Meanwhile, Dru's party has started while a truly awful song about vampires plays. Transylvanian Concubine by Rasputina, says the subtitles. It's terrible. Spike brings in the final box and reassembles the Judge. He's a giant smurf; also he's played by the same guy that played Luke from the first two episodes of Season 1. The Judge immediately points out that Spike and Dru stink of humanity and their love for each other, confirming that these vampires aren't truly evil, at least. Evil enough though, as they order a demonstration of the Judge's power and send Nerdy the Vampire over to the Judge. Then he burns. I won't even pretend that he was my favorite.

At the library, Buffy and Angel head out to the factory to do recon on Spike and Dru, not knowing the Judge is assembled. The Judge almost immediately spots them, proving that they are the most conspicuous spies ever. They almost get zapped by the Judge, but narrowly escape into the sewers after causing a distracting. They get back to ground level, where it's pouring rain, and head to Angel's. Angel gives Buffy some clothes to change, and after the escape, they're all exhausted. Angel says he loves her and she reciprocates. So...sex. Seriously though, it's a really well-done scene. It perfectly captures the "I know we shouldn't but I can't help it" aspect of their relationship. Later that night Angel wakes up to a horrible pain as he stumbles out in the rain, screaming Buffy's name. To be continued!

Overall this is a great episode; it sets up the (superior) second part well, brings Buffy and Angel's relationship to a literal climax, and has a bunch of great little moments along the way. But I hope you've enjoyed the happy fun cheesy times, but things are about to get very dark very soon.

****