This week on Buffy and the Art of Story: Innocence (Season 2 Episode 14 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), the conclusion of a two-part story:

This podcast episode covers (1) the most heart-breaking Midpoint Reversal in all of Buffy; (2) how setting affects a scene’s emotional impact; (3) making the audience love your characters; and (4) why sometimes it’s good to write yourself into a corner.

As always, the discussion is spoiler-free, except at the end (with plenty of warning).

Last Week: Surprise

Next Up: Phases

Work On Your Story

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More Episode Links

Tech help for Authors from Nate Hoffelder of The Digital Reader

Book 1 in The Awakening Supernatural Thriller Series free for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, GooglePlay, and AppleBooks.

Or download and listen to The Awakening on Audible.

Where You Can Find The DVDs

Season 2 Buffy DVDs

Buffy DVD Complete Box Set

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About Lisa M. Lilly

In addition to hosting the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story, Lisa M. Lilly is the author of the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series and the Q.C. Davis mysteries, as well as numerous short stories. She also writes non-fiction, including books on writing craft, under L.M. Lilly. She is the founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com.

Episode Transcript for Innocence

Add INTRO

Today we're talking about Season Two Episode Fourteen. Innocence is the second half of a two-part episode that began in Surprise, which I talked about last Monday.

What’s Included

For Innocence, we'll talk about:

how where scene takes place affects the characters and the emotional resonance of the story;

making the audience love your characters;

why writing yourself into a corner sometimes can be a great thing; and

how this episode incorporates a heart-wrenching subplot in the midst of an epic main plot.

As always, there will be no Spoilers except at the end to talk about foreshadowing, but I’ll give you plenty of warning.

Okay, let's dive into the Hellmouth innocence was written and directed by Joss Whedon.

There also is a scene-by-scene commentary on the DVD addition done by Whedon. And there is a very short interview with him as well.

Opening Conflict And A Hook

Because this is the second part of the two-part story, we have already covered the Opening Conflict, the Story Spark or Inciting Incident, and the One-Quarter Twist. We stopped at that Midpoint Commitment by Buffy, our protagonist, where she and Angel throw caution to the wind and make love after that harrowing experience with The Judge.

We also hinted at a major reversal for Buffy at the Midpoint. It’s where Angel is out in the alley, gasping Buffy's name in terrible pain.

This episode, Innocence, does start with its own opening conflict. Because we don't start right in the alley with Angel. We start in the factory with Drusilla and Spike.

Immediately we get some tension and conflict. Spike says, “I'm not happy, Pet.” He goes on to say that Angel and the Slayer are still alive. Plus they know where Spike and Drusilla are, and they know about The Judge. Spike thinks that they should vacate the factory.