About:
It seems fitting to follow two standalone episodes (last week, Buffy dealt with some Twihards then Ms. Calendar got possessed) with this two-parter in which Buffy, after months of resistance, truly embraces her destiny as a slayer–by meeting another slayer.
“What’s My Line?: Part 1” represents a milestone in the series, as it’s the first episode written by Marti Noxon. Cheers to you, Marti!
The Buffy Season Two Drinking Game Rules
Drink once every time:
A vamp is dusted
A scene takes place in a cemetery
Cordelia says something cutting but true
Buffy and Angel share a romantic moment
Principal Snyder hates on students
Oz is ridiculously low-key cool
Drusilla says something nutty
Spike has mad swagger
Drink twice every time:
We see the entrance to Sunnydale High
We see a scene from the credits
Giles cleans his glasses
Jonathan appears in a scene
There’s an extremely outdated pop culture reference
A vampire is invited into a house
Now prepare thyselves for Kendra’s arrival (and terrible accent).
2×09 “What’s My Line?: Part 1”
Remember that book a vampire stole from Giles? Well, Spike is studying it in the hopes of finding a cure for Dru. She does her own “research” via tarot card reading and realizes that they need some sort of key to decode the book. Meanwhile, it’s time for the super scientific, highly predictive career aptitude test at Sunnydale High! For Buffy, it’s just another reminder that she’s locked into her destiny as a Slayer, when all she really wants, as she later tells Angel, is a normal life. Angel then spies a photo of li’l Buff in ice skating gear (her “Dorothy Hamill phase”) and proposes a date the next night at the ice skating rink. Aww!
Back at the library, Buffy tells Giles that she saw a vampire stealing something (a golden cross) from a mausoleum in the cemetery (drink)! Turns out, the crypt was the final resting place of this dude named duLac, who belonged to a religious sect that was excommunicated by the church. And surprise surprise, he wrote the book that Spike is now perusing. (Giles will eventually discover that the book contains a ritual to restore a vampire’s health.)
In more pressing news, Spike brings in the big guns to take down Buffy: a trio of bounty hunters known as the Order of Taraka. To be honest, they don’t really live up to their reputation? The first guy to show is clearly a fan of the genre of music known as Southern Rock, while the second guy is a creep in a trench coat which is hiding his BODY OF MAGGOTS–okay, that’s pretty ick. And as the third person emerges out of the luggage compartment of a plane, we see that it’s actually not an assassin–it’s Kendra! (But watching this for the first time, we had no idea, which was a nice move on the writers’ part.)
The next night, Buffy is gracefully skating at the rink (SMG can do everything) to the tune of some plinky piano Lifetime score, which I’m guessing is meant to convey her sadness over the loss of her normal life? Yeah, I dunno. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Bounty Hunter shows up and attacks Buffy, but Angel rushes in to help, and then Buffy slays Taraka Bawitdaba with her ice skate. DAMN! She and Angel (with his game vamp face on) celebrate by kissing, which Kendra sees as she watches from the stands.
Giles is way more stressed about the Order of Taraka than I am, and he pleads with Buffy to leave town, but she ends up just going to Angel’s place and curling up in his empty bed. Angel isn’t home, because he’s roughing up a bartender named Willy (full name: Willy the Snitch), who finally confirms that Spike is the one who sent for the bounty hunters. Then, oh snap, Kendra rolls in and fights Angel, trapping him in a cage and leaving him there for the morning sun to sizzle.
Sure, all of this is pretty serious, but the real action is happening in Willow’s world! Thanks to her results from the career test, Willow is selected to meet the head recruiter for a huge software company, which has been tracking her (that’s not creepy). And their other candidate? HELLO OZ.
There’s also some hotness flickering between Xander and Cordelia, who cannot stop bickering as they search for Buffy (no one knows she’s at Angel’s place) at her house. And who should come a knockin’ but Mr. Maggot! Ruh-roh.
The episode ends with Kendra giving Buffy a rude awakening by attacking her in her sleep, then delivering this killer line:
Kendra: Who are you?
Buffy: Who am I? You attacked me! Who, the hell, are you?!
Kendra: I am Kendra, the vampire slayer.
Buffy looks shocked.
How many times do I have to take a drink?
9
Vamps Dusted
1
The Truest Thing Anybody Said This Week
Willow: You’re not gonna be young forever.
Xander: Yes, but I’ll always be stupid.
She Strokes His (Extremely) Furrowed Brow
Angel: You shouldn’t have to touch me when I’m like this.
Buffy: Oh. [Reaches up to stroke his protruding vampire brow] I didn’t even notice. [Kisses him]
I know this is meant to be a vital step in Buffy and Angel’s relationship, and I think it’s sweet (drink), but… I also think it’s kind of yuck? Just me?
Giles for Life
Giles: Oh dear, oh dear.
Buffy: I hate it when you say that.
Grammar Lessons with Giles
After Willow asks, Giles confirms that both “slayed” and “slew” are correct. The more you know!
1990s Career Tests Were Weird
Buffy: Do I like shrubs?
Xander: That’s between you and your god.
I swear to god, I took this same test in 9th grade. My top result? A gardener! Man, test, you nailed it.
Here are the results for the Scooby Gang:
Cordelia: personal shopper or motivational speaker. I mean, that’s pretty spot-on.
Xander: prison guard. Oof.
Buffy: police or environmental design. Well, one’s pretty close!
Quality Time With Mr. Gordo
Buffy enters her bedroom through the window.
Angel, holding a stuffed animal pig: Buffy, you scared me.
Buffy: Just dropping by for some quality time with Mr. Gordo?
Angel: Excuse me?
Buffy: The pig.
Oz, Cool Under Pressure
Buffy, grabbing an approaching Oz by the neck: TRY IT! [Slams him against the wall]
Oz: Try what?
Buffy: Nothing… I’m sorry.
Oz: I’m still not clear on what I’m supposed to try.
Drink!
Willow’s Ranidaphobia
Willow: Don’t warn the tadpoles!
Fun fact: Willow is afraid of frogs!
2×10 “What’s My Line?: Part 2”
Buffy, who is totally buggin’, takes Kendra (no last name) to meet Giles, and the gang realizes that Kendra was called after Buffy fought the Master and “died a little.” Kendra is a completely different kind of slayer, taken from her parents and raised by a drill sergeant of a Watcher, and she can’t fathom the level of freedom that Buffy has. Giles didn’t even make her read the handbook, for crissakes! While this should make Buffy thankful, she instead worries about being replaced–then wonders if that would be so bad?
While Kendra confesses that she locked Angel in a cage, we see Willy letting him out, then leading him straight to Spike. Kids, never trust Willy the Snitch. He later tells Buffy and Kendra that Angel just “left,” but we know that Spike is actually gonna use him for the ritual to bring back Dru’s strength.
But who cares about all of that when Xander and Cordelia are trapped in Buffy’s house with Maggot: Bounty Hunter?! They retreat to the basement, where they immediately start fighting and then… kissing?!!! HISTORIC MOMENT. They manage to get out of the house, but Xander has to spray some maggots off of Cordelia with a garden hose and it’s kind of delightful.
Over at Sunnydale High’s Career Day, Oz (sporting “sometimes brown” hair) and Willow decide they’re gonna pass on the computer gig, while Buffy meets with a policewoman who turns out to be the third member of Taraka! Nice reveal! She and Buffy fight, and Kendra shows up to help. The battle ends after the bounty hunter puts a knife to Jonathan’s throat (drink x 2!), shoots Oz in the arm, and flees the scene.
Giles figures out that the ritual requires the presence of the vampire’s sire, which in Dru’s case would be Angel, and yeah, dude, we know! She currently torturing him, and given what he did to her a couple of centuries ago, I get it.
Buffy and Kendra interrogate Willy, who agrees to take them to the ritual, but since Kendra is still convinced that Angel needs to get dusted, Buffy takes off without her and follows Willy straight to the remaining bounty hunters. What did I say about Willy, girl?! They bring her to a church, where Spike is conducting the ritual–Angel and Dru are tied together so she can suck up his life force. Thankfully, reinforcements arrive in the form of Kendra and the Scoobs, and a big fight scene ensues. Highlight: Xander and Cordelia kill Maggot: Bounty Hunter (whom Xander has dubbed, “you big cootie”) by trapping the maggots in liquid adhesive and then stomping them. That puts the Die in DIY! Spike can see that the tide is turning against him, so he grabs Dru and is all G2G until Buffy traps them both under a church organ. Bonus: Angel is still alive!
I’m happy for Buffy, but I’m even happier for Willow, because she and Oz are *this close* to being a thing! And Cordelia and Xander are something, clearly, as they confront each other about the kiss, angrily decide that it never happened, and then begin madly kissing again.
Crisis averted, Kendra takes her leave, but not before she gives Buffy some powerful insight:
Kendra: You always do that.
Buffy: Do what?
Kendra: You talk about slaying like it’s a job. It’s not. It’s who you are.
Buffy: Did you get that from your handbook?
Kendra: From you.
Buffy: I guess it’s something I really can’t fight. I’m a freak.
Kendra: Not the only freak.
Buffy: Not anymore.
Not to belabor it, but this is a crucial turning point from Buffy. Will she ever wish for a different life? Sure. Will she ever resent the burden she bears? Definitely. But for the first time, she’s connecting with someone in her exact same position, someone who completely and totally gets it. She’s not alone.
The episode ends with Spike being pulled from the church organ wreckage… by a super strong Drusilla! Things are about to get a lot more interesting (which is good, because I think we’ve all had enough of Dru’s weaksauce).
How many times do I have to take a drink?
8
Vamps Dusted
1
The Wonderful World of Oz
Oz, holding up an animal cracker: Oh, look! Monkey! And he has a little hat. And little pants.
Willow: Yeah, I see!
Oz: The monkey’s the only cookie animal that gets to wear clothes, you know that?
Willow smiles.
Oz: You have the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.
This exchange makes my heart all gushy! Oz utters a line right after this moment–“I mock you with my monkey pants”–that I quoted incessantly for years after. I even had it on my computer as the audio alert any time I got an email. (My college rooomates sure loved that!) Gah, THESE TWO.
Kendra vs. a Human Boy
I love that Kendra’s greatest foe is… Xander?! She’s so uncomfortable, she can’t even make eye contact with him.
Stylish Yet Affordable Boots
I can see why the writers put Buffy in plaid flannel, which is perfect for moping, but WHAT IS THE EXCUSE FOR WILLOW’S OUTFIT?
Nice Callback
After Xander and Cordelia talk about their encounter with Maggot: Bounty Hunter, Buffy responds, “You and bug people, Xander. What’s up with that?” Dude, you’re never gonna live that praying mantis thing down.
So, did Kendra feel this extra back in 1997? I honestly can’t remember, but WOW that accent is just a whole lotta NO. It doesn’t help that Bianca Lawson’s acting chops weren’t as developed as her physique (girl is a badass, no question).
How do you feel about the second Slayer? And how much are you dying over Oz and Willow?! Join me and my monkey pants in the comments, then tune in next week when Kandis recaps “Ted” (John Ritter, in his second FYA Rewatch appearance!) and “Bad Eggs.”
