Becoming (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Becoming"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Buffy and Angel fight with swords.
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 21 & 22
Directed by	Joss Whedon
Written by	Joss Whedon
Featured music	"Full of Grace" by Sarah McLachlan
Production code	5V21 5V22
Original air date	May 12, 1998 (1998-05-12) (Part 1) May 19, 1998 (1998-05-19) (Part 2)
Guest appearance(s)
Seth Green as Oz James Marsters as Spike Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers Julie Benz as Darla Bianca Lawson as Kendra Young Jack McGee as Doug Perren Richard Riehle as Merrick Juliet Landau as Drusilla Max Perlich as Whistler Armin Shimerman as Principal Snyder Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar James G. MacDonald as Detective Stein Shannon Welles as Gypsy Woman Zito Kazann as Gypsy Man Ginger Williams as Girl Nina Gervitz as Teacher Susan Leslie as First Cop Thomas G. Waites as Second Cop
Episode chronology
← Previous "Go Fish" Next → "Anne"
List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

"Becoming" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's second season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. The two episodes were split into two broadcasts; "Part 1" first aired on May 12, 1998 and "Part 2" first aired on May 19, 1998. They were written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon.

The narrative features vampire slayer Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) working to prevent Angelus (David Boreanaz) and fellow vampires Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike (James Marsters) from awakening the demon Acathla.

Production of "Becoming" was the first time that the show had been filmed outside of the usual warehouses or other locations. A studio was used for the flashback scenes set in New York and Ireland. Actors Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz undertook training for their climactic sword fight.

Giles visits a museum to examine a big stone block that it has just acquired; he finds an opening in the rock.

Buffy and Willow find the floppy disk containing Ms. Calendar's reconstruction of the curse that gave Angelus his soul. They are eager to attempt it so they can get Angel back. Giles warns that it will be difficult. Xander prefers to see Angelus killed, rather than risk leaving him alive merely so that Buffy can have a chance to get her boyfriend back.