This week on Buffy and the Art of Story: Passion (Season 2 Episode 17 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer):

This podcast episode covers (1) who the protagonist is – Angel or Buffy? (2) weaving together two strong plots; (3) underscoring tragedy by shifting a character's tone; and (4) dramatic irony that ratchets up emotional pain.

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

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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 Passion

Hello and welcome to Buffy and the Art of Story Season Two. If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you love creating stories – or just taking them apart to see how they work – you’re in the right place.

I am Lisa M Lilly, author of the Awakening supernatural thriller series and the Q.C. Davis mysteries and founder of WritingAsASecondCareer.com

Today we're talking about Season Two Episode Seventeen Passion.

What’s Included In Passion

I'll cover:

who the protagonist is here (Angel, whose voice we hear first, or Buffy);

how a shift in a character's actions and words underscores the tragedy here;

and using dramatic irony to ratchet up emotional pain of the audience.

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.

Passion was written by Ty King and directed by Michael Gershman.

This episode raises interesting questions about who the protagonist is. And it shows two plots, or the same plot from two different points of view, weaving together. That’s something that usually is difficult to do, but that is done very well in this episode. And that's despite that some of the plot turns I usually look for are not quite as clear.

Yet there are significant turns that keep the story moving and engaging. So that's another reason I find this one very interesting.

Opening Conflict In Passion

We began with intense conflict. Buffy and Xander are dancing at the Bronze. That's not the intense conflict – they are having fun. But Angel is watching from a distance. We know there is danger here for Buffy.

The voiceover is about passion. Angel tells us it lies in all of us. “Waiting, unwanted, it will stir, open its jaws and howl.”

We see the Buffy, Willow, Xander and Cordelia leave the Bronze. But we are not hearing them. We only hear music,