Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Reasons Season 2 Was The Best

3. Anyone Can Die (And Does)

The "Anyone Can Die" trope is a favourite of Joss Whedon's but most of us didn't know that the first time we watched Buffy season 2. If you consume enough television, you become accustomed to expecting your main characters to stay alive because audiences get angry easily and also negotiating contracts with actors is exhausting. Whedon apparently doesn't care about any of that. In the aforementioned Passion, Angelus breaks the neck of Jenny Calendar, Giles' love interest and a cast member who had become increasingly prominent with every episode. He does it to stop her restoring his soul and even though we're aware that Angelus is evil, it's still an absolutely shocking moment. From that point on, the audience has no reason to believe that any of the main cast will make it through the season. The tension in every episode is ratcheted up, to the point where unchill viewers may have found themselves yelling "NO GILES, STAY AWAY!" at their televisions more than once (not this writer though- that's just a "for instance"). Everyone is at risk and in the finale, Angel- who had been a main character since the show began- is killed. By his girlfriend. Harsh, Joss.
Contributor
Contributor

Brydie is an Australian writer and performer living in London and she complains exactly the same amount about the weather as every other Australian living in London. Yes, that is her natural lip colour, no, she will not be taking any further questions at this time.