Destiny Bites

The three episodes we watched for Tuesday seemed to focus especially on Buffy's internal struggle over her destiny and the "normal" life she was giving up to be the Slayer. While "School Hard" and "What's My Line" centered on the school life and career she would never have, "Halloween" looked more at what she was losing personally, as a girl. Between the three episodes, a complete picture was painted of everything Buffy's life was not. Each time, she was given a choice: Slayer or girl. Though she may have sampled some of the normal activities (mostly to a bad end), she ultimately "chose" her destiny every time. I suppose it could be argued that she had no choice, no free will, but it seemed to me that that the writers were trying to portray her as deeply noble, someone who would make the right choice regardless. The inevitability of her fate seems almost irrelevant when she willingly makes sacrifices for her friends.

In "School Hard," we once again revisit the cruel injustice that is high school - only for Buffy that is magnified a thousand times. Her mother thinks she's trouble, and the principal is itching to expel her for the slightest infraction. Despite the fact that she is good and responsible (at least for a sixteen year old), she is contantly questioned and never trusted or given the benefit of the doubt. Certainly everyone who has lived past their sixteenth birthday could relate to this sort of treatment on a smaller scale, but Buffy is the ultimate misunderstood teenager. Though the episode highlights the respect and admiration she has to sacrifce to be a secret of slayer of vampires, she does as, at least, gain a nod from her mother. It is obvious, however, that this conflict is far from over.

"Halloween" links to a conflict I mentioned in a previous blog - that of Buffy's becoming something altogether different because of how she must live. Darla may point to what Buffy could become (evil), but there are other things Buffy could become. She is dating a vampire. So who is she? A teenage valley girl who love to shop? A butt-kicking vampire slayer? A hardened killer? Her transformation into a clueless noblewoman is her identity crisis come to life.

Of the three episodes, "What's My Line" seemed the most poignant portrayal of Buffy's internal conflict. It isn't simply about her life now. It's about her future. What can possibly become of her? Should she even worry about it since she probably won't live that long? When the replacement Slayer shows up, however, Buffy is shown that her life could be worse. Her life is far more "normal" than Kendra's. Once again, we are reminded of what Buffy could become and what she has to lose.