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.