Buffering the Vampire Slayer | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast
Buffering the Vampire Slayer | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast

2.14 Innocence | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast

January 14, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

  • The Format: Casual rewatch podcast chat dissecting Buffy the Vampire Slayer S2E14, "Innocence," with hosts riffing on scenes, themes, and character arcs during their second full-series watch (now with spoilers).
  • The Key Players:
    • Jenny Owen Youngs & Kristen Russo: Buffering's witty co-hosts with electric chemistry—Jenny's high-energy episode summaries and songs steal the show; Kristen's deadpan aging banter (e.g., cheaters glasses reveal) grounds the laughs. Guest clips from Joanna Robinson add nostalgia.
  • The Vibe: Fun and nostalgic with emotional gut-punches—hilarious tangents mix with tearful breakdowns over Buffy's heartbreak.

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics

The episode pivots Buffyverse lore with Angel's soul-loss post-sex, blending romance tragedy, vampire psychology, and Scooby teamwork amid teen drama.

  • Topic 1: Angel's Turn to Angelus. Angel loses his soul after "perfect happiness" sex with Buffy (the Romani curse's "hellmath" clause), emerging as eyeliner-clad sadist Angelus who taunts her cruelly and joins Spike/Drusilla's Judge plot.
  • Topic 2: Teen Heartbreak & Betrayals. Willow catches Xander/Cordelia making out (devastating "We Hate Cordelia Club" fallout); Oz woos Willow romantically; Buffy confronts post-sex vulnerability and Angelus's gaslighting.
  • **Topic 3: Vengeance Curse & Family Support

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (02:16) **Buffering Intro & Episode Setup**
  • 2 (12:54) **Big Thoughts on David Boreanaz's Performance**
  • 3 (14:27) **Cold Open: Factory & Angelus Emergence**
  • 4 (26:58) **Buffy Returns Home Post-Sex**
  • 5 (31:32) **Library: Scoobies Worry About Buffy**
  • 6 (34:37) **Factory: Angelus Reunites with Trio**
  • 7 (49:40) **Xander/Cordelia Makeout; Willow Heartbroken**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Welcome to Once More, With Spoilers, where Kristin Russo & Jenny Owen Youngs revisit every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, one at a time — for the SECOND time! — this time discussing each episode with spoilers!


Get in losers, we’re going to Sephora because HE’S! HERE! Angelus is BACK, not a soul to be seen! We revisit the origin of Hellmath this week with the equation as old as time: True Love + Orgasm = -1 Soul

What a time to be (un)alive.


Our original coverage of "Innocence" — with no spoilers! — aired on April 26, 2017 and you can find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/buffering-the-vampire-slayer-a-buffy-the/id1150241800?i=1000384791067


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Kristin Russo | @kristinnoeline; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kristinnoeline.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


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MUSIC | Theme song and jingles composed and performed by Jenny Owen Youngs | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bufferingcast.com/music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Produced by: Kristin Russo, Jenny Owen Youngs, and LaToya Ferguson

Edited by: Kristin Russo

Logo: Kristine Thune


We acknowledge that we and our team are occupying unceded and stolen lands and territories. Kristin occupies the Lenape territories of the Esopus Lenape Peoples. Jenny occupies the Wabanahkik territory of the Abenaki and Pennacook Peoples.

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Buffering the Vampire Slayer | A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Podcast