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Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Second Season

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete Second Season

List Price: $59.98
Your Price: $44.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Season of BtVS
Review: The second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was by far the best season the show produced. It has the most progression with the story of Buffy & Angel's relationship. Their relationship is a favorite among fans of the show. This season also developes the character of Willow quite a bit. She comes out of her shell more than she did in the first season. She's also able to get over Xander to some extent and starts a relationship with lead guitarist of Dingoes Ate My Baby, Oz (Daniel Osbourne).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best season of Buffy
Review: Awesome gruesome battle scenes, tragic love story, and amazing acting by the entire cast are just three ways to explain the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This season achieves marvelously weaving through broken hearts and broken bones. It has intelligence, wit, and humor but will make you cry your eyes out at the same time. Buffy once again has the role of saving the world from the dark demons who plan to demolish it but fail. This season has more emotion and depth than alot of other series out there and was very overlooked by the emmys, one for Gellars stunning performances and the entire show.

Allison Hannigan takes on the adorable role of geeky and shy Willow who falls in love with her best friend who falls in with the school's popular ditsy Cordelia, OH BOY! So many love traingles, so little time. The season was filled with so much emotion and amazing climaxes it was hard to find a favorite episode but by far the final conlusion of the series was a marvelous closure. It may have been the ending but only started a new beginning to an excellent third-season.

Buffy is without a doubt one of the best shows on television, although I started to break away from it episode by episode ever since it turned to the UPN. After that it seemed like everything flopped and I didnt even catch the seires finale! So I am patiently waiting for that to come out on DVD so I can catch up on the rollercoaster life of Buffy. Strongly reccomended if your looking for a great series to catch your attention and your emotions.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the best tv on or off tv
Review: you absolutely HAVE to puchase this. i also recommend the third season. Buffy's highschool years are the best of the series!!!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Into Every Generation, a Slayer is Born
Review: "Well, we could grind our enemies into taucum powder with a sledgehammer, but gosh, we did that last night.:
- Xander

That really sums up the second season of Buffy. It builds on what it laid to foundation with the first (and sadly short) season, and shoots into hyperdrive to tell great stories, explore the chracters, the world, and the themes of the show. Sure, we did that last night, but it was fun.

The relationship between Buffy, the average girl-turned-mankind's-last-hope and Angel, the vampire with a tortured soul, is at the center of the main story thread of season two, and is handled with delicacy and grace, and with unflinching tragedy. There are some disturbing echoes of abusive relationships in the real world here, along with the overtones of how people you think you know can change horribly. Of course, it's also just good Buffy.

The main characters are all back from season one, and all of them grow while still remaining true to their roots. In addition, some really nifty new characters show up, including the duty-first slayer, Kendra, the insane vampire who Angel sired when he was still evil, Druscilla, the coolest werewolf ever, Oz, and everyone's favorite leather-clad pottymouth, William the Bloody, Spike to you. Of all of these characters, Spike rises into the ranks of Buffy greatness with style and fun to spare, holding his own against the brooding Angel and the feisty Buffy, even though the two lovebirds have more experience under their belts. No wonder Wedon decided to make him a mainstay.

However, where things really turn spectacular is the revelation of the full extent of Angel's curse, courtesy of some vengeful gypsies. He will be burdened with a soul for all time, unless he experiences a moment of true happiness. Guess what he and Buffy do.

This storyline plays out so well, and pulls on so many heartstrings, it's out-emotes any tragic romance ever made for TV, and a lot that weren't. David Boreanaz really shows his acting chops as he transforms from the brooding but sweet Angel to the wholly evil Angelus. Angelus is so different from all of Buffy's other villains, mainly because he's Angel's polar opposite, someone who enjoys causing pain so much. It's downright spooky to see Boreanaz playing the role so well. This change of character is best displayed after Angelus has killed a character close to the Scooby gang, and we hear Boreanaz doing a voice-over concerning the need for and pain of passion. This is good TV making.

The DVD features a set of extras similar to the first, and a slightly better video and audio transfer. Of course, the fact that there are twenty-two juicy episodes in this collection makes it look all the more tasty to Buffy fans, and anyone who enjoys some good vampire action should check this out. Welcome back to Sunnydale. The gang's all here.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not Buffy's Brightest
Review: In the first season I thought it was cute how Buffy acted when she wanted to do normal teenage things. Alright, roll in the second season and now Buffy is acting like a whiny brat. With the exception of Innocense there isn't any expisode that goes by when I want to slap her silly. The season gets worse when it was decided that Angel will have a bigger role. Not only is David Boreanaz (in the first 3 seasons)a bad actor but he and Sarah Michelle Gellar have absoulutly no chemistry. It's boring watching a couple who cannot light up the screen. The whole Angel story arc was disturbing and ridiculous. The curse didn't make any sense and if Angel was so bent on redemption then why was he cradle robbing a whiny little girl? One of the season's worst episodes Surprise had Buffy foolishly jumping into bed with Angel becasue she still was so naive to mistake first love with true love. The only good thing about this season was the introduction to T.V.'s most complex charcter Spike. Spike and Dru has to be one of the most fascinating vampiric couples.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Convincing the Non-Believer
Review: For several years, I was just like a lot of other people in this world. I sniggered at the thought of anyone watching a show like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". The title gave me the idea that the show was a poorly made and stupid hour of television. How wrong I was! I accidently caught an episode ("Go Fish") of the show on TV and have been hooked ever since. This is... hands down... the greatest show to ever appear on TV. Though the second is not my favorite season (that spot is reserved for the much polarized sixth season) it is definitely one of the show's finest.

The show really hit its stride in the second season. The actors were completely comfortable in their roles, the writers found the perfect ways to convey the show's unique blend of humor and horror and the storylines were exceptional. The focal point of this season is the tortured and forbidden romance of Buffy (the one girl in all the world chosen to fight vampires and other demons) and Angel (a brooding vampire cursed with a soul). With a stready support system of friends and her mother, Buffy really becomes an excellent and identifiable protagonist in this season.

I won't ramble on for pages, but I would really like to convince at least one person in this world to watch this show. I know, this show has an amazingly huge fan base and for good reason. But I want to convince a non-believer. This show is well-acted, interesting, heart breaking, hilarious, nail-biting, exceptional, dare to be different television. Please start watching it.

Buy every season of this show on DVD. You will not be disappointed. Of the second season, the finest episodes are (in no particular order):
1) When She Was Bad
2) School Hard
3) Halloween
4) Surprise
5) Innocence
6) Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
7) Passion
8) I Only Have Eyes for You
9) Becoming Part I
10) Becoming Part II

Trust me! Please! I don't like science fiction or fantasy but this is my all-time favorite show! Just give it a chance. I Triple dog dare you!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: All Isn't Fair in Love and War...
Review: Season 2 of Buffy had one of the most moving conclusions ever written in television. Essentially the big evil to be fought with this season is Spike and Drusilla, a bonnie and clyde-esque vampire couple, who eventually team up with Buffy's former boyfriend Angel, who loses his soul after a special night.

The cast is essentially the same as season 1, with Angel becoming a new regular on the show. One of the key themes of this season is that of love, and in most cases, the call of duty in conflict with love.

Standout episodes and twists occur when Kendra, a second vampire slayer is introduced (after Buffy dies momentairly in Season 1, a new slayer was called). The two girls are polar opposites and provide some humor and insight into the life of the slayer. Other new storylines emerge, such as Willow and Oz's blossoming love in episodes like "Career Week". Xander and Cordelia begin (and more or less end) their relationship as well. Buffy and Angels relationship reaches an emotional climax (haha) and they are torn apart shortly after in the episode "innocence". Also this season boasts one of the best and most influential Halloween episodes (Xanders military training need I say more) where the Scooby Gang is transformed into the costumes they buy in the episode aptly titled "Halloween"

As new orders of evil are released to reign havoc in all of the slayerettes lives, Buffy is finally faced with a heart-wrenching decision that isn't helped by last minute turns of events, leading to one of the most emotional finales ever. All in all, this season is similar to season one, wiht a lot more individual demons to battle, but the general evil 'bad guy' of the season has a lot more influence throughout the story. A good season for a number of reasons, if not the finale alone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best Buffy seasons of all time!
Review: Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of my favorite seasons(the 3rd season being my favorite). It had great drama and angst, involving the problems when Angel lost his soul when experiencing a moment of true happiness. The beginning few episodes did a wondeful job of introducing what was to come. And as for the actos and actresses, all I can do is congraduate them on their talent and potiental.
This season also has the one of the top tear-jerking episodes out there. Becoming Part 2 being that episode. It was probably one of the best of the season, and showed how connected Angel and Buffy are, and just how much Buffy has to put up with.
If I had to recommend a season, this and seasons 1 & 3 would be just those seasons.
Thanks for reading!
~Lexie Burnett

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Becoming
Review: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' changed my life. I'm not embarassed to admit it either (well, not much...). From vacuous cheerleader to empowered but tragic heroine whose destiny is to sacrifice her own hopes and dreams in order to protect the world from the forces of darkness, 'Buffy' has become the embodiment of wise-cracking 20th/21st century existential angst.

The show's humble beginnings as a belated spin-off from a mediocre movie starring Kirsty Swanson, belie its now revered status as one of the most brilliant TV series ever to have graced the schedules. The introduction of a sassy, short-skirted Californian airhead (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) with an endless stock of witty one liners, who kicks vampire a** was always going to be a winner, on reflection. Throw in a razor-sharp script, an excellent cast and lots of high-kicking action - after the first few vampires showcase their martial arts prowess, you forget to question where they learned their moves - and you're onto a winner. However, the real strength of 'Buffy' is the brilliance of the characters: Buffy's bookish 'watcher' Giles (Anthony Stewart Head); Willow, the techno-geek (Alison Hannygan); the nerdish loser Xander (Nicholas Brendon); Cordelia, the acid-tongued, Prada-loving bimbo (Charisma Carpenter); and Angel, the brooding vampire with a soul (David Boreanaz), as well as the chosen one herself.

Series 2 is where 'Buffy' went major league. Lighter on the humour (though still boasting an impeccably sharp script), heavier on the angst, the main theme of the series becomes the doomed love between Buffy and Angel. With Spike and Drusilla, the hilarious 'Mockney' vampires (Spike was pitched somewhere between David Bowie's goblin king from 'Labyrinth', and Billy Idol), as the new big bad, and an unlikely romance between two of the scoobies, this is probably the best series of 'Buffy' (though series 3 runs it mighty close). The two part 'What's My Line', 'Surprise', 'Passion' and 'Killed By Death' are all absolute classic episodes, but it is the awesome finale 'Becoming' which elevates the series to near-epic status, and truly makes for some of the finest TV viewing ever. I won't give away too much in the way of plot, but suffice to say the show kicks on, and then some, from Series 1.

It's not too late to get into 'Buffy' if you feel it's passed you by. The good folks at Amazon can set you up with all 7 series now, and I would highly recommend a small financial investment (or better still, a hint to a loved-one for that special stocking filler!). Let Buffy into your life, she won't let you down.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Picking up momentum
Review: The first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was average at best but displayed promise. The second season is where the show really began to pick up momentum as the main characters became more fleshed out, and the show displayed it's first signs of brilliance towards the end of the season when Angel (David Boreanaz) loses his soul and goes evil. Season 2 was a pivotal season of the series as it introduces the vampires Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau); both of whom would play major parts in the development of the show's story arc's. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel confessed they're love for one another, and Gellar and Boreanaz both shine in the later episodes when Angel goes bad. I found myself surprised at how heart wrenching that story arc turned out to be. Xander (Nicholas Brendon) fell in love with popular girl Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) while Willow (Alyson Hannigan) found love with werewolf by night Oz (Seth Green), and Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) fell for fellow teacher Ms. Calendar (Robia La Morte) in a relationship that would end in tragedy. Standout episodes include Halloween, Lie to Me, and The Becoming Part 1 & 2, and the brilliance displayed towards the end of this season is something rarely seen indeed. This is when Buffy became more than just a WB teen drama, but the best was still yet to come.


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