Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves

"Him," the episode we watched in class on Tuesday follows Dawn, Buffy, and the Gang as each female member is struck in turn by a love spell. Within a matter a hours, the group is divided and in danger due to the effects of a high school letterman's jacket. In the end, however, Buffy is able to shake off the spell when someone she loves is in peril. This foreshadows the events that follow in the episodes we watched for Thursday.

In "Conversations With Dead People," the Scoobies are visited separately by disconcerting figures, some of whom are sent by the nefarious First. While Willow and Dawn are both tormented by apparitions who know their deepest thoughts and secrets, Buffy encounters a newbie vamp named Webs whom she knew in high school. Though they are all disturbed by their individual experiences, it is Buffy who takes charge. She slays Webs and realizes that she must find out whether Spike is biting again. Buffy's role is about to change from Mother to General, and her ability to adapt to quickly changing circumstances is about to be tested beyond a blast-from-the-past vamp and a few ghostly baddies.

Buffy's transformation from Mother-Guidance Counselor-Slayer to Commander-in-Chief of the Potentials Army becomes complete in "Showtime." In a moment reminiscent of great motivating pre-battle movie speeches, Buffy rouses her gang of misfit future Slayers by promising that while hell may swallow them up, it would choke on her. When Buffy kills the Uber-Vamp in front of the Potentials, she takes a huge step not only in allaying their fears, but in establishing herself as the leader. It is hard to imagine the old Buffy putting her powers on display as she does in Xander's construction site. Apparently the days of secrecy are over. Also crucial to Buffy's new position as Chief-Slayer-In-Charge is complete unity with her closest confidants, Willow and Xander. They are so united, in fact, that they create their plan to defeat the Uber-Vamp in front of the potentials...in front of the potentials. Using Willow's abilities, they literally become "of one mind." If Buffy is going to be the teacher of the Potentials, she must first establish her credibility and authority, which she does with her Uber-Vamp exhibition. It seems that her time mentoring Dawn and the Sunnydale High School kids was merely a warm-up for the tutoring job she is now undertaking.

Side Note: Am I the only person who laughed hysterically at the Thunderdome references?

Death and Taxes

We've made it through six and a half seasons of Buffy, and we're still talking about destiny (or at least, I am.) Buffy's not the only one who struggles with the concept, however. With the three episodes we watched for Tuesday, we see the Scooby Gang struggle with destiny and her close cousin, fate.

In "Beneath You," Nancy is running from a giant, killer earthworm demon bent on her destruction. While the Gang initially thinks that this might be the danger from beneath that Buffy fears, it turns out to be Nancy's cursed ex-boyfriend instead. It could be argued that the Earthworm of Death (my name for it, not theirs) could be a symbol of the inescapability of the Gang's (and Sunnydale's) fate. It seems that it is no longer only Buffy's destiny to protect Sunnydale and the world. The Scooby Gang has become an intrinsic part of the good vs. evil struggle at the Hellmouth. Perhaps their resurrection of Buffy united them in a deeper way than their loose confederation as "helpers" had ever done. Even though Willow is geographically distant from her fellow fighters, she, too, is linked to the battle which is forthcoming.

Buffy gets a very personal reminder about fate in "Help" when she attempts to save precog Cassie from her envisioned death. Though she fights fate at every turn, there is no escaping death. This episode points to the idea that Buffy's "deaths" were not "her time" as she was always resurrected. Cassie died despite every effort made by Buffy and the Scoobies to prevent said death. Ultimately, her heart just stopped, and there was no bringing her back. Perhaps Buffy can find comfort in the idea that she was brought back for a "purpose." There doesn't appear to be anything random about the Buffyverse, and if fate brought Buffy back, then it must be her destiny to do, well, something. I'm guessing it will involve saving the world.

"Selfless" explores the idea, not only of destiny, but also the inevitability of consequences. Anya (or Aud or Anyanka) seems destined from the beginning to become a vengeance demon. She certainly has a natural gift, not simply for magic, but for sweet revenge. As we are shown her history, her decision to return to her previous lifestyle (as Anyanka) and even her choice of M.O. (literally ripping out the frat boys' hearts) seem mitigated (or at least, slightly more understandable.) Ultimately, however, Anya's decision to revoke her magic has a cost, and this cost is inesapable and irreversible: death. Anya watches D'Hoffryn kill her friend, Halfrek, and is forever changed by her actions and their consequences.

Because I Said So

A Side Note: For the past six years, the Buffyverse has been a very dark place. There are no happy endings or hokey hugs in Scooby gang adventures. So why did Season 6 end with Xander saving the world with a "love conquers all" tactic that nearly put me into a diabetic coma? Could it have had something to do with the fact that this was the first season finale not written by Joss Whedon? Just something to ponder. I was also a little disappointed by the whole Giles-tricks-Willow-into-stealing-his-magic storyline. I could see exactly what he was up to, so why couldn't Willow? On the upside, Spike's trials to regain his soul were the right twist to keep the viewer guessing.

With the final episode of Season 6 ("Grave"), Buffy officially takes on her role as crone. As she and Dawn are trapped in the hole fighting demons, Buffy comes to recognize the importance of passing her knowledge (about Slaying and other otherwise) to Dawn, regardless of Dawn's non-Slayer status. Up to this point in the show, Buffy has treated Dawn's education as being either's someone else's resonsibility or as a burden she tries to avoid. As she watches Dawn fight alongside her, she realizes the fulfillment and meaning she could find in her own life, if she were to serve as Dawn's mentor. "Lessons" (7.1) continues this idea as it begins with Buffy instructing Dawn in slaying tactics, even allowing Dawn to fight an actual vamp.

Initially in Dawn's and Buffy's relationship, it would seem that Buffy tried to follow her mother's example in mothering Dawn. Joyce was more about protecting Buffy than she was about listening to or preparing Buffy (I am mostly referring to the time before she realized that Buffy was the Slayer.) Buffy's answer to everything was to keep Dawn at home where she is "safe," frequently leaving her in the care of others, like Spike or Tara, while she goes off and fights evil. With Buffy's epiphany regarding Dawn's capability and her own need to mentor came a realization that she was repeating her own mother's mistakes. With the beginning of Season 7, we see Buffy recognizing Dawn's capabilities and working to help her become more self-sufficient. Apparently, the writers think this style of parenting is more effective because as Season 7 progresses, Dawn improves from her previously whiny, clepto self.

What seems significant to me is that these major changes in Buffy occur while Giles is absent. Even Spike has fled to his soul quest by the time Buffy turns the corner personally. Earlier in the series, I talked about how Buffy was "controlled" by the men in her life. It seemed that her amazing power was something that was simply harnessed by powerful men (like the Watcher's Council.) Beginning with Buffy's revelation in Season 5 about the Council (when they attempt to pump her for info on Glory) and continuing with the self-realization as she dies to protect Dawn and the world, we see Buffy's growth independent of men. Her changes in "parenting" Dawn are something she arrives at on her own, without guidance from some male sage. Buffy is coming into her own, not just making her own decisions, but also basing those decisions on sound judgement...her own.

Buffy Goes On Holiday

This is my day for leading the discussion, so I get a Buffy Blog break.

And Now For A Very Special Episode Of...

The three episodes we watched for Thursday ("Wrecked," "Dead Things," and "Older and Far Away") could be grouped together and renamed, "Joss Whedon Does the After School Special." All three deal with addictions and dysfunctions, but in a uniquely Whedon-way. There are no happy-ending hugs in the Buffyverse. Rather Whedon explores weaknesses already present in the characters and follows them through to their natural manifestation: dysfunction.

Perhaps the most powerful of the personal undoings is Willow's. Generally seen as the most steady and reliable of the Scoobies, Willow's character takes a turn down the dark path in "Wrecked." This episode seemed especially significant to me because it revisits Willow's insecurity about her place, not only in the Scooby Gang, but also in society. Regardless of what she does or who she becomes, Willow continues to see herself as the shy, awkward girl we met in Season 1. Though Willow has been quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with (in more ways than one), she seems unable to escape her past. Though it was mentioned in class that Willow might also be on the female hero's path, I would argue against that idea. Willow's purpose remains as unclear (at least to her) now as it did five seasons ago. She is brilliant and powerful and many other superlatives, but unlike Buffy, she is unable to recognize/harness those abilities to some specific greater purpose. Willow lacks a destiny.

"Dead Things" follows the dysfunction of someone not in the Scooby Gang, namely Warren and his obssession with the perfect girlfriend. Though this may seem unrelated to my discussion of the Gang and their weaknesses, it is actually closely linked. Like Willow, Warren (and his clueless companions) were on the outside in high school. They were the nerds. Warren's desire to ensnare the ideal woman seems to be all about redefining who he is and showing everyone that he is no longer the outsider.

"Older and Far Away" is probably my favorite episode of this season so far. (How could you not love Clement?) Though the focus is meant to be on Dawn and her wish that one would leave her, I was more intrigued by Buffy and Spike's interaction. Buffy's attraction to and relationship with Spike could also fall into the dysfunction category, and she certainly seems to view it that way. Despite her best efforts to never sleep with him again, she keeps ending up back in his arms. This, of course, begs the question: What keeps drawing her back? I suppose there is the fact that Spike is already dead. Unlike her mother, he can't die. There is also forbidden nature of the relationship that makes it exciting. I submit, however, that what keeps bringing Buffy back for more (besides the fact that Spike is quite attractive) is the fact that Spike understands Buffy and her destiny in a way that her friends and family cannot. Like Angel, Spike is connected to Buffy's otherworldly world in a deep and meaningful way. He understands the killing and fighting and, more importantly, the power. Spike and Buffy, both, are extremely powerful beings (as their building demolishing sex demonstrated), and there is necessarily a kinship because of that. Because of Spike's power, Buffy does not have to feel responsible for him in the way that she does her friends and family. Ultimately, no matter how self-destructive a relationship with Spike might appear to the Scoobies, it must provide some sort of relief (or even catharsis?) for Buffy.

My favorite aspect of Whedon's addiction trilogy is that nothing is simple. There is no good/bad, right/wrong, which is what keeps these episodes from being an after school special. Willow's being a witch has never been portrayed as a bad thing, and, in fact, Tara remains a witch even when Willow swears it off. It is only because witchcraft drives Willow to hurt others that it become a bad thing, and then only in Willow's case. With regard to Warren...sure hypnotizing your ex-girlfriend to make her your sex-slave is never a good thing, but the desire to be loved and viewed as valuable, and dare I say popular? Very normal, and very human. Even Spike and Buffy's relationship is not portrayed as evil. Yes, he tried to kill her...more than once...many times even. But Spike is different now, and in the world of BtVS, being the bad guy is not necessarily a permanent job description.

Who's On First?

I am unsure what we are viewing for Tuesday since 6.6 is listed in the syllabus as "Bargaining Part Two," when in fact, it is "All The Way." I am also unsure what was shown since "Once More With Feeling" was moved to Tuesday class time. So I will write about "Bargaining Part One and Two," "All The Way," and "Once More With Feeling" in this blog. I will cover the next three on the syllabus in my next blog. They may be out of order, but I will cover everything I'm supposed to (I hope.)

I was especially intrigued by something that was in the Kaveney Chapter 5 reading. In the section on politics, Playdon suggests that political structure of the Scooby Gang is participative rather than hierarchial, and that only the evil organizations of the Buffyverse follow a hierarchial structure. This was demonstrated quite clearly in the two part episode, "Bargaining." Though Playdon argues that the "leader" of the Scooby Gang is a fluid position, the Scoobies themselves seem to see Buffy as their fearless leader. With her death, there is a shift in power. Though Willow is named by Xander as the "boss of us," the power shifts from member to member as they conspire to resurrect Buffy. In times of conscience, Xander leads. When they need a level head, Tara steps up to the plate. Willow is the decisive one, which is probably why she is seen as the leader by the Scoobies. Anya rarely serves as leader except possibly in the area of organization/planning, a skill which she possess when she is not panicking. Interestingly, Giles is rarely seen as the leader in the later seasons. He serves more of a consultant's role.

As the Scoobies put their plan into action, Willow leads them through the ritual, until she goes all snaky, that is. Then Tara steps in to stop Xander and Anya from stopping the ritual. When the demon gang interrupts and the Gang is forced to separate and flee, it is Anya and Tara who are able to find their way to the Magic Box unaided. Apparently, organized and clear-headed are a better combination than emotional and decisive.

With the return of Buffy in "All The Way" and "Once More With Feeling," one might expect Buffy to resume her role as Chief-Slayer-In-Charge. Traumatized by her return from Heaven, however, she takes a bit of a backseat and allows the others to fill in the gaps in her leadership. When Dawn sneaks out and gets into trouble "necking" with a vampire (pardon my pun), Buffy allows (nay, relies on) Giles to talk with Dawn and show her the error of her ways. Buffy's backseat role is revisited in "Once More With Feeling," as she laments the distance she has felt from her feelings and her life. When she offers herself up to Sweet, the nattily dressed demon who has taken Dawn captive, Spike, a Scoobie-come-lately, steps up to the leadership plate and rescues Buffy from her own apathy.

While these three episodes certainly support Playdon's idea of participative structure, they don't really address the idea of hierarchial structure as the structure of choice for Buffyverse Bads. Fortunately, I have whole blogs dedicated to this very topic. How convenient!

Blood IS Thicker Than Water

I was interested in something that Locklin mentions in the beginning of his article: the idea of the mutual exclusivity of family and community. Locklin describes the argument that family must necessarily pursue the best interests of the family which may or may not (and probably not) align with the best interests of the community. While Buffy may have had to make decisions to benefit the community in the past (like when she sent Angel to Hell in order to save the world), she chooses family over community in the final episodes of season 5.

In "Spiral," Buffy's focus is entirely on protecting Dawn. Even though she knows what Dawn is, she is willing to risk everything, including the safety not only of oher friends but of the world, in order to protect her from Glory. Interestingly in this episode, Giles, who was initially sent to guide Buffy in her role as protector of the world, praises her on her ability to "follow her heart" at all costs. Ultimately, Buffy pays a price for her willingness to sacrifice everything to save Dawn. The ancient soldiers that surround the Scooby gang are murdered by Glory. Though Buffy had no problem killing these soldiers when they were attacking the Winnebago, she does seem to have a problem with their mass murder.

Apparently, the conflict between Buffy's destiny as Slayer and her committment to family is too much for her beleagured mind to take, and in "The Weight of the World," she collapses in on herself and withdraws into her own mind. When Willow enters Buffy's mind to retrieve her from her self-pity and guilt, it is still an emphasis on family that draws Buffy from her catatonia and not some sense of duty to the unsuspecting world. It seems that with the addition of Dawn, the world is only safe if its needs coincide with Dawn's since Giles' announcement of the need to kill Dawn is met with threats and denial from Buffy.

With "The Gift," Buffy makes the ultimate sacrifice for family. Though her choice to give her life does save the world, it appears to be motivated more by Buffy's desire to save her sister. It would certainly serve the community better to have Dawn die and keep its powerful Slayer, yet Buffy chooses to interpret the First Slayer's prophecy as a directive to dive into the swirling vortex.

Death Becomes Her

As season 5 begins to wind down, we see a change in the tone of BtVS. Always dark and usually sardonic, the show takes an even darker turn with the death of Buffy's mother, Joyce. Though her mother has played a smaller role since Buffy left for college, she is still a steadying presence in Buffy's life. Never the all-wise counselor, her mother was at least a source of unconditional love ("Becoming Part 2," 2.22 notwithstanding). Season 4 may have ended with a solid affirmation of the Scoobies' union ("Restless"), but the addition of Dawn and the loss of Joyce in season 5 seem to point to a more isolated Buffy. She may be surrounded by friends, but ultimately, she is alone in her destiny. None of her friends are linked by fate to the eternal battle of good versus evil in the way that Buffy is (the only possible exceptions being Giles and Spike, if you count him as a friend.) Whatever is coming is in the end of the season (and by now, I'm sure we all know what that is), she will have to face it alone.

In "I Was Made To Love You," Buffy is reminded of her solitary status in her discussion with Warren and her final conversation with April, the love robot. Buffy relates to Warren's confusion when he didn't love the "perfect" mate. She understands April's frustration that Warren abandoned her without giving her an opportunity to "fix" whatever was wrong. Her failed relationship with Riley and the recognition that perhaps all her relationships are doomed to fail are underlying themes punctuated at the end of the episode with the death of Joyce. Buffy's loneliness is emphasized when she finds her mother while alone in the house. This continues in the next episode, "The Body," where Buffy must deal with the death of her mother alone. She has to call the paramedics, and in a scene that stretched my credibility more than some of the vampire stuff, she is left alone in the house with the body until the coroner arrives. Only when Giles arrives does she finally have some support, but even then, she seems very separate from Giles and her friends. When she tells Dawn of their mother's death, Dawn doesn't believe her, and Buffy is even more alone in her grief.

The death of Joyce also seems to mark the end of Buffy's childhood. She alone is now responsible for Dawn, whereas before, she carried the burden of Dawn's safety, while Joyce maintained Dawn's emotional support. As things get hairier with Glory and the Key, Buffy will go further into herself and ultimately face her destiny alone.

As Buffy becomes more isolated, she also becomes more independent. While Giles does come and promise to take care of the necessary paperwork so that Buffy may grieve, it is still Buffy alone who must deal with the real dirty work, such as saving Dawn from the undead guy in the morgue. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Whedon saw Dawn as Buffy's love interest in season 5, and Dawn certainly seems like a catalyst in Buffy's transformation into an independent, free-thinking Slayer. Buffy may learn in "Intervention" that her gift is death, but without Dawn to protect, she would never have had anyone on whom to bestow her gift.