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 When this support is withdrawn, Buffy steps down and allows Faith to become the “Good Slayer.”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.