Seven seasons, all summed up with an enigmatic smile, and the possibilities of an open road. Buffy has saved the day, and she’s done it as a female hero, heavy on the girl power.
Her conversation with Angel accurately captures the theme of the show- cookie dough. Even though we’ve watched her character complete an epic journey, she’s not finished yet. After broken relationships and false starts, Buffy has realized that she doesn’t have to be perfect yet. We’ve discussed how she has been working through the cycle of the female hero in the series, and has come to the crone phase. Here, Buffy sees that she’s just beginning, and is ready for the next stage. The fact that she comes to this realization through the image of the modest traditionally girly occupation imaginable- baking cookies- just adds another layer to her development.
We saw this fairly obviously when Buffy splits Caleb in half with the scythe from the guardians. The hereditary strength of woman triumphing over dogmatic misogyny, or a convenient way to eliminate Caleb before the final battle- either way, it shows that Buffy is ready for the final showdown.
The series ends where it began, the four members of the original Scooby Gang facing insurmountable odds in the high school. This time, though, the characters are ready for what they face in ways that they couldn’t have imagined in the first seasons. Xander, in spite of his injury, is still fighting alongside his friends. Willow finally trusts herself completely with magic, and is rewarded with a connection to a power that’s strong and positive- no black hair or veins included. Giles gets to see not just Buffy but a dozen Slayers fighting- and winning- against evil. Buffy saves the world, destroys the Hellmouth, and has a shopping trip planned. Life is good.
The fact that shopping is high on Buffy’s agenda is as essential for her character as the use of a scythe and the girls bleeding together to open the seal- womanhood is the source of their power. They are heroes not in spite of the fact that they are female, but because of it. Unlike Xena or other heroines who act like male hero’s in women’s bodies, Buffy saves the world, and she does it in high heels. As Buffy’s grown through the series, she’s gained much more than she’s lost and has remained connected to her friends and family in spite of her inherent isolation. And they live happily ever after, until the next Apocalypse.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Hot Chicks With Super Powers
Looks like Buffy’s not the all-powerful leader anymore; and, amazingly, she seems to be okay with it. In Empty Places, Buffy finds her leadership questioned more seriously than at any point before in the past seven years, and makes a speech about how a democracy isn’t going to cut it in the final battle. Still, she steps down without a fight when her not-so-loyal followers ask. Buffy could have taken control of the situation by force- it’s her house, and Faith is the only one with a chance of fighting Buffy and wining. But, Buffy is not a tyrant. Since the beginning of the show, she’s only gone to battle with Giles’s knowledge and the support of her friends behind her. When this support is withdrawn, Buffy steps down and allows Faith to become the “Good Slayer.”
Even if it was only for a few days, it was necessary for Buffy to leave the house for the others to reach their potential. It shows how much Dawn has changed when she stands up to Buffy. She really is in control of herself now, and rejects her role as “Buffy’s little sister” to be part of the larger group. It’s a mutinous, confused, and ungrateful group, but still is one that Dawn chooses for herself.
Buffy has come nearly as far in her journey as possible, acting as the crone and teaching the younger slayers. By stepping back for a while, Buffy gives the other girls a chance to develop farther. Faith gets her first stab at real leadership. She’s shed the “see, want, take, have,” mentality that defined her character earlier, and is instead focused on someone else. She said that “Some things matter more,” but when she takes the reins from Buffy, it’s the first time she actually shows this in her actions. Faith’s foray into leadership is short-lived, and ultimately ends with little Potential-bits being strewn across the sewer, but it results in a closer partnership, not just between Faith and Buffy, but between all the characters.
I think they all finally understand what the one Slayer per generation rule really means. Even though things are different now, with a seemingly endless supply of potentials in the mix, there’s still only one true Slayer in charge at a time. Buffy and Faith both realize that, the leadership roles are more clearly set than any democratic poll can change. So, how do a bunch of young women deal with an inescapable hierarchy? Apparently being “hot chicks with super powers” helps.
Even if it was only for a few days, it was necessary for Buffy to leave the house for the others to reach their potential. It shows how much Dawn has changed when she stands up to Buffy. She really is in control of herself now, and rejects her role as “Buffy’s little sister” to be part of the larger group. It’s a mutinous, confused, and ungrateful group, but still is one that Dawn chooses for herself.
Buffy has come nearly as far in her journey as possible, acting as the crone and teaching the younger slayers. By stepping back for a while, Buffy gives the other girls a chance to develop farther. Faith gets her first stab at real leadership. She’s shed the “see, want, take, have,” mentality that defined her character earlier, and is instead focused on someone else. She said that “Some things matter more,” but when she takes the reins from Buffy, it’s the first time she actually shows this in her actions. Faith’s foray into leadership is short-lived, and ultimately ends with little Potential-bits being strewn across the sewer, but it results in a closer partnership, not just between Faith and Buffy, but between all the characters.
I think they all finally understand what the one Slayer per generation rule really means. Even though things are different now, with a seemingly endless supply of potentials in the mix, there’s still only one true Slayer in charge at a time. Buffy and Faith both realize that, the leadership roles are more clearly set than any democratic poll can change. So, how do a bunch of young women deal with an inescapable hierarchy? Apparently being “hot chicks with super powers” helps.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
With That Accent, Of Course He's Evil
We’re almost done with the series, and Joss is once again making full use of the metaphors behind the show. Finally. For the latter part of the show, I feel like there has been so much going on just on the literal level, that a lot of the symbolic meaning has taken a back seat, and just been hinted at. Not as many metaphors have been embodied because all the bodies are busy driving the show towards its conclusion. We’re starting to see a more even mix again, with deeper significance to the action, rather than the simple good versus evil of the last few episodes.
In Potential, Dawn brings another girl into the fold and willing steps out of the spotlight. This is a huge jump for her character from her childish and self-centered focus on her own isolation. Dawn uses her knowledge and skills to fight a vampire without big sister’s help, but rather than hanging on to her new-found power, she gives it up- symbolically at least- to Amanda without a second thought. We see Dawn really reach her potential here, to be as much of an asset to the Scoobies as Xander. And, maybe we don’t have to worry about her lying down in front of anymore trains when she doesn’t get her way.
Lies My Parents Told Me takes a step back from the main issue to focus on a bunch of little boys working through their mommy issues. Even though we’ve been with Spike for four seasons, we just now learn one of the most important aspects of his character in this episode. The poor mama’s boy was crushed by his mother’s comments right at the beginning of his vampiric life. Talk about childhood trauma. I think we see Wood going through the same thing, trying to correlate his mother’s less than affectionate actions with his love for her. After an impressively masculine fight, Principal Wood is left a weepy blob on the floor, who should know better. Spike himself says “It was just the demon talking” in reference to his horrible memories of his mom. Here, we have another vampire twisting Wood’s perception of his mom and leaving him, even though it’s just the demon, this time Spike himself, talking.
Dirty Girls uses all the religious parody we can handle. Caleb, as creepy and disgustingly misogynistic as he is, is still one of the most interesting characters in the entire series. I think he’s unexpectedly scary because- if you take away the supernatural strength and his control of the Ray Charles Brigade- Caleb is a recognizable character. Religious fanaticism is an all-too-human concept which walks the line between familiar and frightening. In fact, when Caleb first appears, he’s presented as a random good Samaritan. Even though, in the Buffyverse, that means he’s likely to end up cannon fodder, his average Joe presentation emphasizes how easily the ‘normal’ world can change to the dangerously supernatural.
In Potential, Dawn brings another girl into the fold and willing steps out of the spotlight. This is a huge jump for her character from her childish and self-centered focus on her own isolation. Dawn uses her knowledge and skills to fight a vampire without big sister’s help, but rather than hanging on to her new-found power, she gives it up- symbolically at least- to Amanda without a second thought. We see Dawn really reach her potential here, to be as much of an asset to the Scoobies as Xander. And, maybe we don’t have to worry about her lying down in front of anymore trains when she doesn’t get her way.
Lies My Parents Told Me takes a step back from the main issue to focus on a bunch of little boys working through their mommy issues. Even though we’ve been with Spike for four seasons, we just now learn one of the most important aspects of his character in this episode. The poor mama’s boy was crushed by his mother’s comments right at the beginning of his vampiric life. Talk about childhood trauma. I think we see Wood going through the same thing, trying to correlate his mother’s less than affectionate actions with his love for her. After an impressively masculine fight, Principal Wood is left a weepy blob on the floor, who should know better. Spike himself says “It was just the demon talking” in reference to his horrible memories of his mom. Here, we have another vampire twisting Wood’s perception of his mom and leaving him, even though it’s just the demon, this time Spike himself, talking.
Dirty Girls uses all the religious parody we can handle. Caleb, as creepy and disgustingly misogynistic as he is, is still one of the most interesting characters in the entire series. I think he’s unexpectedly scary because- if you take away the supernatural strength and his control of the Ray Charles Brigade- Caleb is a recognizable character. Religious fanaticism is an all-too-human concept which walks the line between familiar and frightening. In fact, when Caleb first appears, he’s presented as a random good Samaritan. Even though, in the Buffyverse, that means he’s likely to end up cannon fodder, his average Joe presentation emphasizes how easily the ‘normal’ world can change to the dangerously supernatural.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Finally, People Are Going To Be Devoured
Ok, sure, the First is evil, but it’s still one of my favorite ideas of the Buffy series. At this point, Buffy has faced baddies ranging from your garden variety vampire to the Master and Warren, humanoid geek extraordinaire, to Glory the crazy Hell god. But, with her taking on the First, I think the nature of her battles changes (irrevocably, I guess, since this is the final season).
Throughout the show, it’s always been the organized evil that was more threatening than the random demons. The Master was tough to beat because he had his troops of lesser vampires behind him, in the same way that the Initiative was a threat to Buffy because of its cold, structured, and basically masculine military style. Now, the First has adopted this same principal. Rather than start a fight with the Slayer immediately, it begins with reconnaisance work with those closest to her.
One of the First’s most disturbing techniques is that it plays on the Scoobie Gang’s past fighting experience. Willow accepts the unknown visitor as a magical message from Tara, with no proof other than the blonde girls world. Willow still trusts magic too easily, and we see the same mistake from Dawn. When attacked, Dawn reacts as the Slayer’s sister, recognizing a demon and casting it out. (To her credit, the formerly whiny, lie-down-in-front-of-a-train-at-the-drop-of-a-hat Dawn does an impressive job of protecting her home and mother.) She attacks blindly, using a spell like she would against any demon in Sunnydale, and like Willow, she is all too ready to believe her mother’s ghost. This is not necessarily a flaw in these characters, it’s just a result of their experiences with evil beasties over the past few years. A change in tactics is required to beat the First.
Luckily for us, Buffy gives us this. It’s interesting that in Conversations, the vampire she fights is shown as almost tame, reminiscing about high school and chatting about Buffy’s relationship problems. In comparison with the First, the average vampire is all but a welcome ally. Buffy realizes quickly that she can’t defeat the First in her usual, lone warrior way, and so adopts a more militaristic style, as she organizes her troops of teenage girls. Although she may think it’s necessary, I don’t believe that Buffy will be any more successful as a general than she would be as the emotion-laden Slayer. Her power comes from something inherent in her, not cold and learned like she is trying to present to the potentials. Even in the ‘thunderdome’ after a spectacular defeat of the supervamp, Buffy’s speech is more reserved than rousing. These are the times that try slayer’s souls, but still, by stepping away from her familiar motivations and fighting style, Buffy is only creating more problems for herself and the ones she leads.
Throughout the show, it’s always been the organized evil that was more threatening than the random demons. The Master was tough to beat because he had his troops of lesser vampires behind him, in the same way that the Initiative was a threat to Buffy because of its cold, structured, and basically masculine military style. Now, the First has adopted this same principal. Rather than start a fight with the Slayer immediately, it begins with reconnaisance work with those closest to her.
One of the First’s most disturbing techniques is that it plays on the Scoobie Gang’s past fighting experience. Willow accepts the unknown visitor as a magical message from Tara, with no proof other than the blonde girls world. Willow still trusts magic too easily, and we see the same mistake from Dawn. When attacked, Dawn reacts as the Slayer’s sister, recognizing a demon and casting it out. (To her credit, the formerly whiny, lie-down-in-front-of-a-train-at-the-drop-of-a-hat Dawn does an impressive job of protecting her home and mother.) She attacks blindly, using a spell like she would against any demon in Sunnydale, and like Willow, she is all too ready to believe her mother’s ghost. This is not necessarily a flaw in these characters, it’s just a result of their experiences with evil beasties over the past few years. A change in tactics is required to beat the First.
Luckily for us, Buffy gives us this. It’s interesting that in Conversations, the vampire she fights is shown as almost tame, reminiscing about high school and chatting about Buffy’s relationship problems. In comparison with the First, the average vampire is all but a welcome ally. Buffy realizes quickly that she can’t defeat the First in her usual, lone warrior way, and so adopts a more militaristic style, as she organizes her troops of teenage girls. Although she may think it’s necessary, I don’t believe that Buffy will be any more successful as a general than she would be as the emotion-laden Slayer. Her power comes from something inherent in her, not cold and learned like she is trying to present to the potentials. Even in the ‘thunderdome’ after a spectacular defeat of the supervamp, Buffy’s speech is more reserved than rousing. These are the times that try slayer’s souls, but still, by stepping away from her familiar motivations and fighting style, Buffy is only creating more problems for herself and the ones she leads.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Love Is All You Need
Aww, look at little Willow, all grown up. And, ok, so she’s destroying the world and putting the rest of the season’s baddies to shame, but still, it’s impressive, right? Anyway, it’s amazing to see where her character has gone since the beginning, as Xander and the dorks discuss while fleeing her wrath. Willow went from a dorky high school student who was too shy to talk to boys to an eminently powerful, confidently homosexual, and amoral super witch. Among other things.
The end of this season has a very “5 year reunion” feel to it, not just for Willow but for all the characters. Although they’ve been together, they’ve all had separate adventures, and I get a real sense of them showing how far they’ve come in their lives. Willow has obviously gained power that would knock the socks (and probably the feet too, depending on her mood) off her former classmates. The super dorks were stretching for a sense of this empowerment too, when they banded together to become Buffy’s arch nemesis..is…eis. Any nerd or social outcast has probably dreamt of returning to high school with an impressive job (like ruler of Sunnydale) and trophy wife (preferably not a robot). Their attempts to say “how do you like me now?” to the rest of a world that has marginalized them fail miserably though. In each of these cases, with great power comes a greater opportunity to abuse it and make everyone’s live a living nightmare.
No matter how cheesy it may have come across, I thought the ending of season 6 was appropriate, or at least, much-needed brake from the doom and gloom. Come on, can’t love conquer all on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just this once? It was nice to see that, yes it can, with Xander stepping up and saving the day. It’s his ability to love with an almost juvenile disregard for the circumstances that reminds Willow of her humanity. It’s love and friendship and acceptance, not slayer strength, Giles’s knowledge or an abstract sense of duty that keeps the world spinning.
The end of this season has a very “5 year reunion” feel to it, not just for Willow but for all the characters. Although they’ve been together, they’ve all had separate adventures, and I get a real sense of them showing how far they’ve come in their lives. Willow has obviously gained power that would knock the socks (and probably the feet too, depending on her mood) off her former classmates. The super dorks were stretching for a sense of this empowerment too, when they banded together to become Buffy’s arch nemesis..is…eis. Any nerd or social outcast has probably dreamt of returning to high school with an impressive job (like ruler of Sunnydale) and trophy wife (preferably not a robot). Their attempts to say “how do you like me now?” to the rest of a world that has marginalized them fail miserably though. In each of these cases, with great power comes a greater opportunity to abuse it and make everyone’s live a living nightmare.
No matter how cheesy it may have come across, I thought the ending of season 6 was appropriate, or at least, much-needed brake from the doom and gloom. Come on, can’t love conquer all on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just this once? It was nice to see that, yes it can, with Xander stepping up and saving the day. It’s his ability to love with an almost juvenile disregard for the circumstances that reminds Willow of her humanity. It’s love and friendship and acceptance, not slayer strength, Giles’s knowledge or an abstract sense of duty that keeps the world spinning.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
That's Ridiculous
It’s hard to pick, but I think Normal Again is one of my very favorite episodes of Buffy. I think it’s a testament to the writers and directors that they can twist everything we believe about the world they’ve created and still have it stand up.
After six seasons (and a semi-relevant movie), it feels like we know Buffy pretty well, until we find out in this episode that she’s been sent to an insane asylum. It happened before we caught up with her in Sunnydale, but it’s still shocking that there’s this important aspect to the character that we didn’t know. It’s a little risky for the directors to add this in there so suddenly, because it gives us a reason to doubt Buffy. Assuming that Sunnydale is the “real” reality, it’s uncomfortable to know that Buffy’s been taken away before, even if it’s not her fault. We instantly have to reevaluate how much we’ve come to trust this character, knowing that her judgment has been flawed in the past, and that she’s just as vulnerable to her mental demons as she is to the flesh and blood, or ooze, monsters she fights.
Of course, this has never seemed to be a big concern for Whedon or any of the show’s writers. They have obvious faith in the audience’s sustained loyalty to Buffy. Otherwise, they probably would not have allowed the hero of the series to be seen sleeping with the enemy, attacking her family and friends, and curled into a weepy, crazy ball in the corner. We’re still sure that Buffy will be all right in the end, and are cheering her on, just waiting for her to save the day in true Slayer style.
But, even as I’m cheering, I have to wonder, why? As Buffy herself says, “That’s ridiculous.” It would be so much easier to believe that the events of the past years are nothing but a delusion, taking place in a real world psych ward. The details of each reality are shot with equal skill, and there’s nothing to hint that one is “more realistic” than the other. (Well, except for those demons, the witches, and the magical ball of energy in human form in one; and, of course, the doctor’s goofy earring in the other.)
The show implies that it’s up to the audience, and Buffy too, to pick which truth we’ll believe in. It’s no contest really, we’ll pick the one with the Scoobies, vampires, and magic, every time.
After six seasons (and a semi-relevant movie), it feels like we know Buffy pretty well, until we find out in this episode that she’s been sent to an insane asylum. It happened before we caught up with her in Sunnydale, but it’s still shocking that there’s this important aspect to the character that we didn’t know. It’s a little risky for the directors to add this in there so suddenly, because it gives us a reason to doubt Buffy. Assuming that Sunnydale is the “real” reality, it’s uncomfortable to know that Buffy’s been taken away before, even if it’s not her fault. We instantly have to reevaluate how much we’ve come to trust this character, knowing that her judgment has been flawed in the past, and that she’s just as vulnerable to her mental demons as she is to the flesh and blood, or ooze, monsters she fights.
Of course, this has never seemed to be a big concern for Whedon or any of the show’s writers. They have obvious faith in the audience’s sustained loyalty to Buffy. Otherwise, they probably would not have allowed the hero of the series to be seen sleeping with the enemy, attacking her family and friends, and curled into a weepy, crazy ball in the corner. We’re still sure that Buffy will be all right in the end, and are cheering her on, just waiting for her to save the day in true Slayer style.
But, even as I’m cheering, I have to wonder, why? As Buffy herself says, “That’s ridiculous.” It would be so much easier to believe that the events of the past years are nothing but a delusion, taking place in a real world psych ward. The details of each reality are shot with equal skill, and there’s nothing to hint that one is “more realistic” than the other. (Well, except for those demons, the witches, and the magical ball of energy in human form in one; and, of course, the doctor’s goofy earring in the other.)
The show implies that it’s up to the audience, and Buffy too, to pick which truth we’ll believe in. It’s no contest really, we’ll pick the one with the Scoobies, vampires, and magic, every time.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
I'd Prefer The Demons
I usually prefer my metaphors more fully embodied. But, in this season, we aren’t removed from any of the real-life monsters that Buffy and crew have to face. In past episodes, when Buffy was younger, all the problems she faced in her ‘normal’ life were overshadowed by the demons and vampires she had to face. Not anymore.
Willow is really addicted to magic, and we see her under its control as much as any other junkie. When she goes to get her fix in Wrecked, we get a sense of how desperate she is. There’s no underground hell hole like there might have been in the early shows. Although Rack’s place is magically cloaked, it still looks like a normal house, bringing the scene a sense of realism that forces us to share Willow’s experience right along with her. Whedon has removed the barrier that a lot of his more fantastic elements have provided. In fact, the demon at the end of Wrecked acts almost as a footnote to the episode, and is slain as quickly as he appears.
Sex is also starting to be a bigger part of the series, and it’s not just hinted at through oblique symbolism anymore. In Buffy’s earlier relationships with Riley and Angel, we were never shown much more than kissing without artistic lighting and ethereal, romantic music. With Spike, we’re almost painfully close to the action. Buffy knows what she’s doing is wrong, but rather than hide this with an undefeatable ghost of forbidden desire, Buffy gives in to the actual thing.
Hate, addiction, rape, and isolation are finally being shown in all their real life power, and for the characters and the audience, that’s scarier than any metaphoric Hellmouth.
Willow is really addicted to magic, and we see her under its control as much as any other junkie. When she goes to get her fix in Wrecked, we get a sense of how desperate she is. There’s no underground hell hole like there might have been in the early shows. Although Rack’s place is magically cloaked, it still looks like a normal house, bringing the scene a sense of realism that forces us to share Willow’s experience right along with her. Whedon has removed the barrier that a lot of his more fantastic elements have provided. In fact, the demon at the end of Wrecked acts almost as a footnote to the episode, and is slain as quickly as he appears.
Sex is also starting to be a bigger part of the series, and it’s not just hinted at through oblique symbolism anymore. In Buffy’s earlier relationships with Riley and Angel, we were never shown much more than kissing without artistic lighting and ethereal, romantic music. With Spike, we’re almost painfully close to the action. Buffy knows what she’s doing is wrong, but rather than hide this with an undefeatable ghost of forbidden desire, Buffy gives in to the actual thing.
Hate, addiction, rape, and isolation are finally being shown in all their real life power, and for the characters and the audience, that’s scarier than any metaphoric Hellmouth.
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