10 Darkest Buffy The Vampire Slayer Moments
3. Angelus Kills Jenny Calendar (Season 2, Episode 17)
Midway through the second season, Angel transforms into Angelus, his evil alter-ego. And from this point onward, he is the primary villain of the season.
In Passion, Angelus misleads the Scooby Gang by leaving envelopes containing charcoal drawings of them. In reality, however, they’re not his target. Instead, Angelus attacks Jenny Calendar in the dead of night. He chases her through the school before snapping her neck in an instant without a shred of remorse.
As well as the brutal nature of her death, the response of the other characters makes everything much worse. The Scooby Gang’s reactions reflect the audience’s own shock at this unexpected murder. Alyson Hannigan’s performance is particularly striking.
Indeed, this moment is the first truly tragic death in the show. The demise of Jenny Calendar let the audience know the writers weren’t afraid to take Buffy into some dark places.