19. I Only Have Eyes For You
Quite a powerful one this, as it deals with Buffy’s guilt over recent events through her and Angel being possessed by the poltergeist of a teen who murdered his girlfriend. 8/10
20. Go Fish
A thinly-veiled critique of high school jocks using steroids (in this case the swim team) is given some life by some great jokes and a typical Buffy wedge of kick-ass feminism. 7.5/10
21. Becoming (Part One)
Terrific lead-in to the finale, as the stakes get very high. Also, some fascinating flashbacks to Angel’s and Buffy’s past. The only bad thing about this one is Boreanaz’s Irish accent. 9/10
22. Becoming (Part Two)
Hoo boy, this one is a cracker. Highlights being Willow first dabbling in magic, Spike and Buffy’s hilarious and unlikely alliance and, my God, that heart-breaking ending. Buffy at its best. 9.5/10
Verdict: I like season one more than most fans, but season two is on a completely different level of quality. Immediately (well, within three episodes), the villain side of things is notched up by the introduction of Spike and Dru, two of the most charismatic vampires the show ever produced. The plots-of-the-week have also improved, with the writers clearly drawing inspiration from classic horror movies (this season gives us takes on werewolves, Frankenstein, mummies, poltergeists and the Creature from the Black Lagoon). Then half way through things suddenly spin onto a whole different axis. Angel’s turn to the dark side is a series-defining moment – the grand, personal and thematic sides of Buffy all intertwined into one. From then on, all bets are off with this show. Literally anything can happen – as demonstrated by Jenny’s death a couple of episodes later. There is some lightness, though. To make up for Buffy’s failed love life, we get two awesome new couples – Willow and Oz and Xander and Cordelia.
That rating below is just for the episode average. The season as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. For Buffy fans, this is the most iconic season of the lot.
Fandom Factory 