Surprise (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title=Surprise


Series=Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season=2
Episode=13
Airdate=January 19, 1998
Production=5V13
Writer=Marti Noxon
Director=Michael Lange
Episode list=List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes
Prev=Bad Eggs
Next=Innocence

"Surprise" is Episode 13 in Season 2 of the television series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". See also List of "Buffy" (series) episodes.

Plot outline

ummary

Buffy has a vivid dream (a very undead Drusilla dusts Angel) which she fears is prophetic. Willow remembers why she can't go on a date with Oz and invites him instead to the surprise party the Scoobies are planning for Buffy's 17th birthday. Elsewhere, Dru, strong as Buffy dreamed, arranges her own gala event, while Spike, confined to a wheelchair but quite undead as well, directs his gang to collect scattered pieces of the demon Judge to reassemble for her present. The Scoobies deduce the plot when Buffy and Jenny Calendar intercept one of the pieces. Following secret Gypsy orders to separate Angel from the Slayer, Jenny encourages Angel on his mission to prevent the dire consequences of reassembly—he must take the Judge's arm by cargo ship to "the remotest region possible." While Angel gives Buffy a Claddagh ring for her birthday during their tearful parting at the dock, Spike's vamps manage to steal the arm back, scrubbing the mission. Later at the library, Buffy has another informative dream, and takes Angel to investigate the factory where Spike and Dru have their lair. They narrowly escape the now fully assembled and activated Judge, then return to Angel's apartment exhausted and drenched. Still suffering from successive threats of losing one another, Angel and Buffy confess feelings each has been trying to suppress. They make love for the first time and fall asleep in each other's arms. Suddenly, in a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder, Angel bolts awake and runs out into the storm, calling Buffy's name in anguish...

Acting

tarring

*Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
*Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
*Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
*Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
*David Boreanaz as Angel
*and Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

Guest starring

*Seth Green as Oz
*Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers
*Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar
*Brian Thompson (actor) as The Judge
*Eric Saiet as Dalton
*Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall (credited in some aired versions only)

pecial guest stars

*Vincent Schiavelli as Uncle Enios
*James Marsters as Spike
*Juliet Landau as Drusilla

Writing

Arc significance

* This episode begins a tradition of Buffy birthdays gone awry, although Buffy does not celebrate her birthday on-screen in the final season. The 12th or 13th episode of each season is traditionally when Buffy celebrates her birthday; her birthday takes place in episode 12 of Season Three ("Helpless"), episode 12 of Season Four ("A New Man"), episode 13 of Season Five ("Blood Ties") and episode 14 of Season Six ("Older and Far Away"). Buffy's birthday is not shown celebrated in Season One (it presumably occurred before the beginning of the half-long season) or in Season Seven.
* Several important plot-lines begin in this episode. Oz and Willow have their first date, commencing one of the longest relationships on the show. Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus, the Big Bad of Season 2. Spike and Dru are established as worthy adversaries, allowing for Spike's eventual return appearances in Seasons 3 and 4, and for his permanent membership as regular cast for Seasons 5, 6 and 7.
* Buffy's birthday gift from Angel, her claddagh ring, not only comes to signify her lost love for the rest of Season 2, but also plays an important part in the beginning of Season 3, first as a resonant antecedent to Scott Hope's impromptu gift, and then as a mystical focus for Angel's return from Acathla's hell dimension.

Continuity

*In the first dream, Willow says "L'hippo a piqué ton pantalon," which means, "The hippo stole your pants" in French, while speaking to the monkey. This refers back to her conversation with Oz near the end of "What's My Line, Part Two," in which, intentionally absurd, he wonders if the hippo animal cracker is jealous of the fact that the monkey is the only animal cracker with pants, as well as asserting that, "All monkeys are French." Buffy is not shown to have witnessed this conversation, which lends credence to her fear that this dream is prophetic, yielding real information about things "outside" her direct experience to date.

Cultural references

* Snakes-in-a-can: Xander references a popular practical joke.
* Denny's: Xander's fantasy harks back to Cordelia's repeated predictions that he himself is slated for a brilliant career as a pizza delivery boy.

Production details

Music

*Christophe Beck - "Buffy-Angel Love Theme"
*Christophe Beck - "Escape"
*Christophe Beck - "Moment of Happiness"
*Clement & Murray - "Anything"
*Rasputina - "Transylvanian Concubine"

The Judge

*Brian Thompson, who played the Judge, also played Luke in "Welcome to the Hellmouth". Both episodes were two-parters in which his character died in the second part.

Air days

*Together with "Innocence," the show transitioned from Mondays to Tuesdays. This was the last episode to be played on a Monday—all subsequent episodes aired on Tuesday.

Translations

* French title: "Innocence (1/2)" ("Innocence")
* Italian title: "Sorpresa" ("Surprise")
* German title: "Der Fluch der Zigeuner" ("The Curse of the Gypsies")
* Japanese title: "誕生日の贈り物" ("Tanjōbi no Okurimono" - "Birthday Present")
* Spanish title: "Sorpresa" ("Surprise")

Timing

*Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:

External links

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* [http://www.buffyworld.com/buffy/season2/summaries/25_summ.htm#top Buffy World summary]
* [http://www.buffyguide.com/episodes/surprise.shtml Buffy Guide]
* [http://www.spoilerslayer.com/buffyformula.php/ Buffy formula, explaining "the big bad" and "the little bad" concepts]
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* [http://www.tvtome.com/BuffytheVampireSlayer/season2.html TV Tome]