Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S2/E10 What's My Line? Part 2

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Spike: What the hell is this?!
Buffy: It's your lucky day, Spike.
Kendra: Two Slayers!
Buffy: No waiting!

We open straight onto where we left: Buffy and Kendra in Angel's apartment, putting up their dukes. Buffy tells her to knock off the Slayer cover-story. Kendra lapses into a speech worthy of Giles about how she is one girl in all the world, a chosen one with strength and skill to kill the vampires. Speaking of... Across town, Angel's huddled in a corner in his cage. The sun is blazing through the window now, and there is very little shade left.

Buffy and Kendra go to Giles for help in explaining their situation. They deduce that since Buffy was, for a moment, physically dead (in last season's finale), it caused the "activation" of the next Slayer. Their squabble reveals that Kendra had locked Angel in a cage, leaving him to be dusted at sunrise. Buffy and Kendra rush over there to find only an empty cage with a bit of smoke; Buffy fears the worst, but Kendra points out the absence of dust.

Willy the Snitch arrives in time to saves Angel, only to dump his body down a sewer grate where Spike is waiting. Spike hands Willy a wad of cash, and his men cart the severely-weakened Angel off.

Xander and Cordelia face bigger problems: Cordy is busy lecturing an increasingly-annoyed "salesman" about her complexion, to which he mechanically answers "$9.99 tax included." Xander spots a worm scurry across Norman's face, and warns Cordelia off. As he does so, Norman explodes into a pile of writhing maggots that chase Xander and Cordelia into the basement, slamming the door behind them.

Spike takes Angel back to the factory, where Dru coyly asks Spike to "let [her] have him." Spike agrees to let her play (i.e. torture), on the condition that she doesn't kill him, as he's needed for the ritual.

Back at school, Giles begins to bond with Kendra, who is more dedicated to her Slayer studies and training than Buffy. As the pair are left chatting about books, Buffy sourly ruminates on the co-existence of two slayers, and entertains the possibility of quitting and letting Kendra take over.

We cut back to Cordy and Xander who are still in Buffy's basement. Xander yells at her for letting in worm-guy; Cordelia fires back that Xander ought to be thinking up a plan, and he replies that he has one: to sit and wait for Buffy to come and save them. This sets off more arguing—until finally, they grab each others' faces and kiss passionately, whilst the music swells to a cheesy high point with violins and clashing cymbals. They break apart and Xander, with a look of alarm, points out that they really need to get out of there. They carefully remove the duct tape from the door and peek out. Coast is clear. Xander makes it, but Cordelia is covered in a barrage of worms falling from the ceiling and starts squealing for Xander to help her as she runs out of the house. Xander grabs a garden hose and starts hosing her down, then they jump into the "Queen C" and swerve off down the road.

Buffy sulks down to the career fair to appease Principal Snyder. The female cop leading the seminar reads off Buffy's name, but when Buffy identifies herself, the officer draws her gun. Buffy avoids the spray of bullets, which instead hit Oz in the arm as he pushes Willow out of harm's way. Kendra comes to Buffy's rescue, and Assassin #3 makes her escape. The Scoobies gather in the library, where Giles inquires after Oz (the bullet just grazed him) and then announces that Spike intends to kill "Drusilla's sire" in a ritual in order to restore Drusilla to full strength.

Angel is tied to the bedposts in Drusilla's room, and it's not as fun as it sounds. Dru pours holy water on him (""It makes pretty colors") as she reminds him about how he killed her whole family. Angel taunts Spike with insinuations that Dru is enjoying this too much, and that Spike is unable to satisfy Dru, in hopes that Spike will kill him. Spike flips out, but Dru warns him not lose sight of the big picture.

The Slayers go kicking in Willy's door again. Buffy forces Willy to take her to the location of the ritual, but Kendra refuses to accompany her because "proper procedure" dictates they report to their Watcher first. So Buffy alone accompanies Willy, but it's a trap—he delivers her right into the assassins from earlier, then together they go into the church where the ritual is in progress: Angel and Dru are tied up beside the pulpit with a dagger through their palms. Spike orders Buffy's death, but at that moment, Kendra arrives to save her—and she's brought the rest of the Scoobies with her. Xander taunts "Larva boy" to follow him, then lures him outside where Cordelia is waiting with a bucket of liquid glue. The sticky trap keeps the worms from re-materializing, allowing Cordy and Xander to stomp them. Spike starts a fire and rushes to untie the unconscious Dru, hoping that the ritual has had time to cure her. However, Buffy knocks him into a pipe organ, which collapses on top of him and Dru. She rushes to the floor to help the weakened Angel, and everyone beats a hasty retreat.

Willow finds Oz by the vending machine where he is buying a box of animal crackers. The two have a conversation in which Willow tries to thank Oz for saving her life (he "doesn't do" thanks) and the two walk off together.

Kendra and Buffy part on cordial terms—Kendra even wearing Buffy's shirt. She tells Buffy she does not blame her for being with Angel, but chastises that slaying is not "a job", it is a part of who they are.

Back at the soot-blackened church, Drusilla rises from the rubble, completely revived, and carrying an unconscious Spike.

Tropes used in What's My Line? Part 2 include:

Kendra: (fists up) Wiggy?
Buffy: No kicko, no fighto.

We were in Paris. You had a branding iron. And there were worms in my baguette.

  • Bring Him to Me: Drusilla asks Spike if she can "have" Angel until the new moon. Spike drags Angel over to Dru, who says, "You've been a very bad daddy," and slaps him. Sometimes the fanfics write themselves, y'know?
  • Broken Record: "$9.99, tax included."

Cordelia: You know, Nothing Personal, but maybe you should look into selling dictionaries."

Willow: Well, don't you have some ambition?
Oz: Oh, yeah! Yeah. E-flat, diminished ninth.
Willow: Huh?
Oz: Well, the E-flat, it's, it's doable, but that diminished ninth, y'know, it's a man's chord. You could lose a finger.

Buffy: Hello and welcome to the Planet Pocket Protector.

Giles: There are forty-three churches in Sunnydale? That seems a little excessive.
Willow: It's the extra evil vibe from the Hellmouth. Makes people pray harder.

Kendra: I don't hug.
Buffy: Right. No. Good. Hate hugs.

Spike: I'd rather be fightin' you anyway.

Buffy: Mutual.

Kendra: That's ma best shirt! That's ma only shirt!

Kendra: She died?
Buffy: (defensively) Just a little.

Willow: (stands up in her defense) Buffy would never do that! --Oh. Except for that sometimes... you do that. (sits)

Cordelia: I can't believe that I'm stuck spending what will probably be my last few moments on Earth here with you!
Xander: I hope these are my last few moments! Three more seconds with you, and I'm gonna... (steps closer)
Cordelia: (steps closer) I'm gonna what? Coward!
Xander: Moron!
Cordelia: I hate you!
Xander: I hate you!

They look at each other for another second before grabbing each other and engaging in a mad, passionate kiss. It goes on for several seconds before they suddenly release each other and look at each other in horror.

Xander: We so need to get outta here.
Cordelia: (nods) Mm-hm!

Buffy: I don't take orders. I do things my way.
Kendra: No wonder you died.

Willow: Don't warn the tadpoles!

Kendra: You died?
Buffy: Just a little.

Buffy: ...I've had it. Spike is going down. You can attack me, you can send assassins after me; that's fine. But nobody messes with my boyfriend!

Cordelia: How will she even know where to find us?!
Xander: Cordelia...this is Buffy's house. Odds are she'll find us.

  • Weird Moon
  • Wet Sari Scene: Xander spraying the maggots off Cordelia with a garden hose.
  • Wham! Episode: Drusilla is now back to full health.
  • What Could Have Been: According to interviews with both Joss Whedon and James Marsters, this episode was supposed to be the final one with Spike in it, as he was scripted to die when Kendra and Buffy saved Angel. But Joss and company became so attached to Spike that this ending was later changed.
  • Why Are You Not My Son?: Kendra impressing Giles with her knowledge of Draemius's writings. They share a tee-hee about how dry the book is.

Buffy: Hello, and welcome to planet pocket protector.

Buffy: I guess I can't fight it. I'm a freak.
Kendra: But not the only freak.
Buffy: Not anymore.

  • You Can Keep Her: Cordy announces she prefers to take her chances with bug guy, and opines that Xander probably would just let a girl go off to her doom alone.

Xander: Not just any girl. You're special.

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