"The Body" and "The Gift," written by Joss Whedon. Episodes 94 and 100, season five.
"Mom? Mom? Mommy?"
"God, why do all my shirts have to have stupid things on them? Why can't I just dress like a grown-up? Can't I be a grown-up?"
"Things don't just happen! I mean, they don't just happen. I mean, somebody...Somebody's got..."
"Okay. Let's go. Come on. You and me. Let's go."
"You know I can't take you."
"Damn straight."
"This is how many apocalypses for us now?"
"Six at least. Feels like a hundred."
"I've always stopped them.Always won. I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much. But I knew...I was right. I don't know that anymore. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choice. If everything just gets stripped away, I don't see the point. I just wish...my mom was here."
"I don't understand how this all happens. How do we go through this. I knew her, and then she's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead any more. It's mortal and stupid. And Xander's crying and not talking, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any fruit punch ever. And she'll never have eggs , or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why."
I realize I dropped you in the middle of what essentially is another television series today with these two episodes. Chronologically, these take place over a year after graduation: Buffy has been in college and dropped out, Willow is thriving in college and has discovered her true vocation—witchcraft—as well as her true love, Tara, Xander is deeply involved with Anya (obviously, since he just proposed), Spike has discovered he loves Buffy, and Giles is trying to live a life not as a watcher, though he still remains Buffy (and the others as well) adult mentor. But looking at these episodes, we are in a whole other world from where we last see our Scooby Gang. Or maybe not.
1. Your reaction to these episodes? What image or moment in each stayed with you—and why?
2. So Willow is a lesbian, Buffy is a big sister, Xander is proposing marriage...yes, they are clearly older versions of the selves we've been watching for the past eleven days. Are they still recognizably the teens we knew? How so or how not?
3. This is a show about adults now. Agree or disagree. And why?
Tomorrow, we will watch the great (in my opinion) musical episode, "Once More With Feeling," then discuss. No tissues required. See you then.
There was so much to this episode that is worth writing about that I don’t know If I can even put it all down. The most powerful episode, of course, was the one where Joyce died. It is every child’s nightmare to find a parent dead in their house. I liked how the episode dealt with that very real horror by not really having a mythological monster to get in the way (unless you count the vampire at the end). Another thing I noticed was that the episode was silent (no music throughout) which symbolized the hole in Buffy’s life and the silent horror of the experience she was going through. Watching how each character dealt with the situation (willow trying to find the perfect clothes, Xander trying to find away around it then punching a wall, Anya bewildered by mortal emotions) was interesting and connected to me in a way that the other episodes didn’t. I guess that’s because I could see myself more easily at a parents funeral than dusting vamps each night, but maybe thats just me. Overall this episode was very emotionally impacting and I am still trying to process it all. The other episode was tougher to connect to primarily because I had none of the backstory, so it was harder getting into it. I still found it pretty entertaining, but Buffy’s death (unlike her moms) didn’t hit me as hard probably because a). It was so fantastical and supernatural it didn’t really connect in the same way and b). She is obviously not dead for long because there are more seasons.
ReplyDeleteAre they recognizable? Yes. Some personality traits in each character are the same. Willow is still extremely compassionate and still talks in her trademark willowy way. Xander is still silly and tries to be funny. Buffy has always been responsible and has always tried to look out for her own. However, things have changed a lot. Willow is a lesbian and she is much more confident and sure of her self than she was when we first met her. Xander has matured a ton, isn’t trying to be the class clown anymore and the stupid 16 year old boy mind that we first saw is gone. Buffy does her job as big sister well and like always, seems very grown up and capable of handling the world. So I agree that they are much more mature, but they are still recognizable as the people they are. I think that the stages of them growing up are almost done, but when you think about it, who ever truly stops growing?
1. The image that stayed with me the most was the close-up of Buffy's face as she stepped outside into the sunlight after discovering that her mother was dead. There are multiple reasons why this particular image stuck out at me. For one, Buffy didn't look pretty. And Buffy always looks pretty. That's the thing about teen shows, it doesn't matter whether a character has been in a fight or is crying or has just woken up, they always look like they had just applied a fresh coat of makeup and done their hair. In this image, Buffy looked sick and imperfect. In other words, Jess Wheadon had made Buffy's feelings show present on her face. Another aspect of this image that drew my attention was the juxtaposition of the beautiful, sunny day with the gruesome and heart-wrentching event that took place inside. The beauty of the day simply adds to the dreamlike quality of this scene.
ReplyDelete2. I think that although Willow is very, very different in some ways, in others she is exactly the same. When Buffy relays to Willow that she is the strongest member on their team to save the world, Willow reacts in the exact same way that she would have reacted in the first season. She is stammering and wide-eyed, afraid of the attention and, and frantically self-concious. Buffy is the same in that she has to wrestle with a world that is no longer black and white. Although Buffy claims that she knew what to do concerning Angel, to sacrifice him to save the world, this is really just a repeat of old times. Obviously she much older in her more self-less acts to save her sister, she is arguably the same girl at the core. And Xander, in his suave dorkiness, is a man in the physical sense but still a teenager in the way he acts. He has learned to assume responsibility but no more than is required to have procured at 20. I think the way that he dealt with the death of Buffy's mother shows how, with the masculine defenses down and the facade lifted, he is just as compulsive as any teenage guy.
3. Yes, this is truly a show about adults now. As morbid as it may be, the death of Buffy's mother is really what forces Buffy to fully grow up. Buffy is truly on her own now. She doesn't have anybody to lean on for support or to cry to when times are tough. All of the characters, in a way, were forced to grow up in response to the loss of Joyce. It was one of those rare moments where Willow and Xander had to appear strong in order to be there for Buffy, a situation that is reversed 99% of the time. These kids are no longer kids. They, of course, bare a resemblance to their former selves but are now part of a show that is far from a teen sitcom.
1) “The Body” was actually one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever seen, and I watch BBC Sherlock. The whole episode lacking sound really stuck with me. It reminded me of real life, how when you hear something you don’t want to hear everything goes quiet and it seems like the whole world slows down. I wish “The Gift” had a preface explaining what was going unsaid; I know that the previous episode probably said stuff, but still. What stuck with me was the unfunny humor of Buffy’s epitaph saying, "She saved the world - a lot," because it was true. In “The Body,” Joyce’s death seemed sudden and real, whereas Buffy’s seemed almost comical because of all the supernatureality.
ReplyDelete2) I think that they’re still the teenagers we know because they do childish things (Xander punching the wall, Willow’s inability to settle on an outfit) and are afraid of dying. In the previous seasons, they always knew Buffy would save the day.
3) I agree, for example, Xander is not trying to be class clown anymore and he truly loves another person. We see this when he proposes to Anya. Willow has found her love and will do anything to save her. Buffy gets over Angel and can take care of her sister. The show is adults now because they are out of high school and on their own.
1) Oh my gosh, "The Body"... I actually cried. Tears were streaming down my face. First of all, I do this thing whenever I'm with my parents in which I imagine the present moment as a flashback, whether it be waiting for the elevator to the lobby of our apartment building with my dad as he hugs me or dancing with my mom at a Bar Mitzvah party, the thought of them dying one day, in all of its inevitability, just hits me and I try to stay in the present moment as much as I can. "The Body" just shows the REALITY (a new concept in Buffy) of the whole situation of a parent dying. Joyce didn't die from a vampire or Glory or even murder- she died of a brain tumor- a normal, human, mundane way to die. That's what tipped it over the edge for me, I think. It was so real. I couldn't help but to imagine my mom in Joyce's place the entire episode, imagine having to tell my little sister, imagine feeling her cold, dead body. In addition, Anya's reaction was so spot on to what I think most people feel in regards to death. It makes little sense, people just go away like that, and it happens to EVERYONE, everyone you know, love, even yourself. And that alone is scarier, or at least encompasses, every horror that the show presents- the permanent loss. In particular, the switch between the happy Thanksgiving feast and then the lifeless body of Joyce really got me, as I previously elaborated about the flashbacks.
ReplyDelete"The Gift" is probably one of the most pivotal, intense episodes of the series. If "The Body" deals with losing a mother/parent, "The Gift" deals with sister relationships, another touchy subject for me, having a 14 year old sister who I'm protective of. In addition, each character has new, thick layers. Willow is dealing with her lover, Tara's, temporary insanity (the part where Tara slaps her and calls her a bitch is powerful), Xander proposes to Anya, Giles kills an innocent man, and feels that killing Dawn is necessary, Spike's humanity truly shows, and Buffy, for the first time, chooses to put saving the world behind a personal relationship- her sister. That ending when Buffy kills herself to save her sister (and the world), knowing, with peace and certainty, that it's the right thing to do, just really moves me. I question whether I would do that for my sister, and I think I would, but not with the composure that Buffy does it. It seems like Buffy needs it, as if it brings solace to her traumatic life. The only thing left for her was protecting her friends, and she finally had a reason to protect them, while still being free of her torment.
CONTINUED
Delete2) The trio are DEFNITELY the same, just layered with the maturity of adulthood. In fact, the accuracy of how they would be expected to turn out is spot on. Willow's newfound lesbian side aside, she's also much more empowered. She gradually throughout the series gained this through life experience and her interest in witchcraft. However, she still strongly emits the heavy quirkiness, awkward cuteness, and devout loyalty that even her sophomore self retained. Xander still cracks the same corny jokes, but is more serious. He still is a mess, and still out of place, but he now realizes the concerns more seriously. The amount of trauma that Buffy has now faced definitely took a toll on her. She no longer wishes for the carefree teen life, but more so the ability to protect and has accepted her responsibility entirely. She still shadows her teen self, though, yet not as blatantly as the rest of the crew at this point have the privilege to uphold. She still makes "witty" comebacks while fighting, but she definitely has had a heavy toll placed on her, forcing her to mature.
3) I wouldn't say it's a show about adults, but more so just people. Dawn still plays a large role, and mirrors the earlier years of the rest of the crew. However, the show does show adult life more so- raising Dawn in place of Joy, serious relationships, having jobs and careers, and housekeeping are some key adult issues that the show plays with. So, saying that, the show definitely deals with adult issues, but it's about people in general dealing with life, even more so.
1) The Body is probably the most upsetting and depressing episode out of the whole series. I have never liked it and will never like it. It makes me put myself in Buffy’s shoes and think about if my mother were to pass away as quickly as that, or at all for that matter. So, of course, I’m not a fan of it, though the part that really gets to me is when Anya starts to cry and expresses her feelings towards the situation. Even Anya, someone who doesn’t understand human emotions, feels the pain that everyone has as well as her own from losing Joyce. That shows how much of an impact this death has on everyone in the show since the person with the least amount of emotion even feels something. Then for the Gift, after Joyce’s death nothing is ever the same. Everyone is upset and on the edge. This is shown in The Gift, which again I didn’t enjoy because of how sad it is. The part where Buffy jumps into the portal while her voice is speaking to Dawn always gets to me. It shows how hard Buffy’s life is for her now since Joyce is gone and this portal is almost an escape from dealing with her sadness. Buffy seems relieved before she jumps and I just find it sorrowful.
ReplyDelete2) I would have to say not so much in these episodes. Their wonderful humor is gone, as well as a lot of their previous hope. Everyone seems to be in such distress and it’s awful. Well, Xander and Anya are the only real happy part of the episodes since he proposes. Buffy is different from her previous self since she seems dejected, though we do see some of her previous luster when she is fighting Glory and uses her witty comments. Willow has obviously grown from being insecure to a confident, lesbian witch. The confidence she has gained by standing up to Glory alone in order to save Tara is remarkable. Xander is fairly similar, though I would say he has grown enough to stay with Anya and propose to her.
3) This is a show about adults now. Agree or disagree. And why?
I agree since all of the situations they are going through now relate more to the adult life than the teenage life, though it still incorporates some teenage things. With Willow coming out and being lesbian it shows her developing still with her emotions, which is definitively still more of a teenage thing. Though most of the experiences they have now are more adult experiences since you don’t really find many teenagers getting married and being selfless.
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ReplyDelete1. These episodes set a whole new tone to the show for me. Obviously, "The Body" and "The Gift" left some of us a little down after class was over due to the great emotion and darkness they have. Honesty, it did seem as if this was a totally different show and skipping a whole season defiantly left me thinking what happened in the middle of this. Anyways, even the way the shots/camera was used was much more creative and more thought out and it really gave a very unique dynamic to the episode. The moment that stuck with me the most in "The Body" was when Buffy finds her mother dead. This scene was so crucial and powerful and we really see a huge weakness and a new side of Buffy we've never seen. Even though, I've over heard some Joyce "haters" before watching this episode, "The Body" takes this character who isn't shown in the show often and makes it a very powerful and upsetting situation for everyone, in which they all seem to fall apart. In "The Wish", the moment that stuck with me was the very end when Buffy says her "last" words to Dawn. Even though we know Buffy will be coming back to life somehow due to the fact there are two seasons left of the show, I found her speech to Dawn very powerful.
ReplyDelete2. Of course they are the same teens we knew. Even though they have grown up, apart of their unique personalities is still put into play. However, the character that I think has really changed the most is Willow. Not just because she's a witch and a lesbian, but she's defiantly not the scrawny, short, nerd that asks like a ghost. In the scene where she's struggling to find what she wants to wear, I did see pure willow in that, but I'd have to go both ways; these characters have some of the same traits as they used to, but they have defiantly grown up and matured.
3. I agree, the situations that the characters are facing are defiantly things Adults would have to face. Willow has found her true love, Xander has proposed, and Buffy has been going to struggle of great loss. These are defiantly things that adults and more matured people will end up going through, and that it is a part of growing up and they still have a lot of it to do.
1. Going from graduation straight to Buffy as an adult with a sister to take care of, Xander ready to propose to a girl who we last saw fleeing from the apocalypse and Willow with a true love that we barely know was a little bit jarring for me. All of the characters have grown up a lot since the last time we saw them. Buffy's display of love for her sister was the moment that stuck out to me. She let herself die to protect the sister that in reality had not been a part of her life before. In season two she was able to kill Angel because, like in the quote above, she thought it was right. This experience has her questioning saving the world so that she could protect her sister. It was a very powerful moment when she threw herself off of the scaffolding. It is obvious that Dawn's presence has a huge effect on Buffy.
ReplyDelete2. I can still see parts of the teenagers that Willow, Buffy, and Xander used to be. Willow is a lot more powerful than she used to be, but her charming quirkiness from high school is still evident in her personality. When she was trying to find the perfect outfit after Joyce died I could still see the weird thoughts that only Willow would come up with in stress. She has grown up, but she is still technically Willow. Xander is growing more mature, with his big decision to propose to Anya, but he still has some of his boyish awkwardness from earlier seasons. Buffy has had to take on a lot more maturity, but she still has her fun battle quips when going in to fight a demon. All of them care about each other. They are the same people that they were before, but now they have more responsibility and age. They are all truly growing up.
3. I agree that the show is about adults now. Joyce's death is the real sign of Buffy becoming an adult. She has to worry about Dawn and now, besides GIles, she doesn't have an real parent figure. Her mother's death forces Buffy to assume a new level of maturity. She has a lot that she needs to worry about now. When it's not demons or vampires, it is real human issues. Instead of worrying about prom or Angel, now she has to worry about a sister and adult life. Xander and Willow have grown up a lot as well. They dealing with bigger issues than they had to deal with in high school as well. They went from cheating on their respective sheer leader girlfriend and werewolf boyfriend to finding adult love. This is truly a show about growing up.
As depressing as The Body was, I really like the episode and the way it was shot. It was like Terrence Malick directed the episode, and I thought it really worked. The jerky cuts that sometimes didn't make sense made me feel like I was actually experiencing what Buffy was going through; I felt very anxious and lost, just as Buffy would feel coming to see her mother like that and having to deal with the consequences. I'm skeptical when it comes to this show, but there were a lot of things about this show that made me believe in the show for once. Anya's speech you quoted above was kind of beautiful, and I think that moment is the the moment from the whole series that will forever stay with me.
ReplyDeleteXander, Willow, and Buffy are still the same characters we got to know in high school. Xander is still a goofy, oddly romantic guy who jumps into things before he thinks them all the way through, but it always seems to work out for him. His proposal may have been a little impulsive, but he is still the genuine person he was in high school, so I think it will always work out for him. Willow is leading a different kind of life, but she still is very smart and resourceful, and takes the same kind of role in the group when in a conflict. Buffy is the protective figure she was before, except now it's someone who actually is the closest thing to her, as they are made of the same blood, and Buffy is still willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the people she loves are safe, even if it means she has to die.
I don't think its about adults, I think it's now about the pains of adulthood, because I think these are the same kinds of problems they ran into in high school, but now they all have an added element of responsibility that comes with being an adult. Now Buffy has to take care of not just her friends but her sister, and she no longer has school to make her feel "normal" and she has to ruminate on the fact that being a slayer and a protector is her life because that's the main thing in her life right now.
Both episodes were an incredibly moving take on Buffy’s transition into adult life. Buffy confronting the morbid reality of death after finding her mother, accompanied by the idyllic images concerning the outcome of events in her mind served as a reminder that Buffy is no longer living in the structured, reliable world she once inhabited. I found the notion of confronting one’s mortality in “The Gift” to be very powerful as well, as it displayed Buffy’s maturation from a girl who could barely function in death’s presence to one who fully understands its necessity.
ReplyDeleteWhile much of their personalities remain, the individuals we viewed in the episodes today appeared to be just remnants of their teenage selves. Especially in regards to their ability to confront problems they previously fled from, Buffy and others have lost their youthful innocence to such an extent that they can no longer be viewed in the same manner that they once were. The one prominent example concerning this is Buffy’s ability to confront her mother’s death and accept it as a fact of her reality; something teenage Buffy would possesses a complete inability to do.
“Buffy” has now transitioned from a show concerning the conflicts faced during one’s coming of age to one concerning facing the stark, morbid reality of adulthood. Although for many death is a constant, overbearing reality, the issues regarding the ultimate fate of one’s life prior to their death is a topic rarely confronted by those in their teenage years. Whether it be Xander getting married or Buffy measuring the value of her life against the greater good, this is surely no longer a show concerning teenagers, and thus should no longer be treated as such.
ReplyDeleteI am a crier, but surprisingly I didn’t cry while watching “The Body.” I didn’t think it Joyce’s death was real. I kept expecting her to come back from the dead and rise up, like the vampire in the morgue did. I was in denial because the main characters in teen dramas rarely die. Although she definitely was not a main character, she seemed like a constant in Buffy’s life. Another reason I didn’t really believe that Joyce was dead forever was because her death seemed so out of the blue. That may just be a product of skipping a lot of the episodes, or Joss Whedon could have intended it to be that way. As Tara (I’m pretty sure) said when Buffy asked her if her mother’s death was sudden, death is always sudden. I liked this moment because it allowed for character development and a unique connection between Tara and Buffy. One of the moments that stuck with me from “The Gift” was when Spike accompanied Buffy to her house to gather weapons. I felt his words were very powerful and it seemed that they were hard for him to say. I liked seeing this side of Spike. It was very different from the Spike we saw in the first seasons. The second part of that scene stuck with me as well. When Buffy made it clear to him that she would do anything to save her sister and that she expected him to also. We saw his devotion to Buffy in this scene when he agreed.
The crew seems very similar, albeit with different hairstyles and new relationships. Willow seems even more confident. Xander is a little less goofy, and is more put together, which may be the result of having a girlfriend who is a positive influence on him. Buffy acts more serious and she doesn’t shy away from her duties at all, except the part in “The Gift” when she says she’s going to quit if they get through the apocalypse. While they have definitely grown older in many ways, we can still see the same Xander and Willow though. In “The Body” we see that Willow and Xander are still best friends when they hug each other after meeting in Willow’s dorm room. They still do all they can to support Buffy as they’ve always done.
I agree that they are adults now. They’ve gone through so much hardship and dealt with death on the daily practically that they have to be adults by now. They are all old enough to be legal adults, but age isn’t the deciding factor of maturity. While they are adults, they still cry. One of the things I’ve grown to like about BVS is that it blurs the line between adolescence and adulthood.
Each episode was very emotional and very real. This was different from the episodes we watched from the previous four seasons. Although the demons and vampires provided a vessel to show Buffy and her friends growing up, the way that we see their characters expand in these two episodes is much more meaningful. Their characters have already been explicated in detail. Die-hard Buffy fans know everything there is to know about Xander, Willow, Giles and especially Buffy. In these two episodes, the show allows them to expand emotionally. We finally see them deal with a huge loss. Buffy’s friends almost cry more than Buffy upon Joyce’s death, they are completely attached to one another and are able to act as a support system. Aside from one vampire in the morgue, the show is devoid of all the supernatural elements that usually dominate the show. This confirms that the show is really about growing up, learning from experiences and dealing with life. In the second episode, we see each character’s relationships expand: Buffy and Dawn, Xander and Anya, Willow and Tara. Each relationship is shown being tested and each time they all survive.
ReplyDeleteI think that although they may be more mature, living on their own, etc. they are not grown up. They are all still learning lessons and becoming adults. So, definitely, we can still se their teenage selves. The constant string of brutal killings and demons might have weathered down their childish enthusiasm quite a bit, but, they are still the same kids from season one. I think because of their support system they have created as friends, they have not been broken down individually.
Although they may all be in very adult situations, I don’t think that the show has changed tone to now be about adults. Buffy still has a lot of maturing to do. She is much more wise, smart and mature than she has been. But, she is definitely not an adult yet. Just because you are out of high school, or even out on your own in the world doesn’t mean that you are an adult. In fact, you continue to grow, although not as dramatically, as an adult. BVS, then, is still about growing up even through adulthood.
I did not enjoy the first episode at all. It was sad, but I thought it was painfully extended to fit the 45 minutes needed for an episode. Not much happened in the episode except for Joyce dying. What stuck out to me in the episode was how to me Xander’s girlfriend was extremely annoying. Her stupid questions were just stupid, and she reminded me of a four-year-old girl. I liked the second episode more. For once, the good guys don’t always win. I thought it was interesting how Buffy said that she always sacrifices everything to save the world, and she doesn’t want to anymore. She sacrificed Angel, but she won’t sacrifice her sister. What stuck out to me in this episode is how the fight scenes went back to their season one form. Buffy smashes Glory about 20 times with the hammer, but she only starts bleeding on the 15th hit. And the guy with the knife who was cutting Don, Buffy just walks up to him and pushes him over, almost like they didn’t have time for another fight scene.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t recognize them as teenagers anymore, mostly on the way they handled the deaths of Joyce and Buffy. Willow came off as not quite as mature as Xander and Buffy, but I thought the way Buffy handled her mother’s death was very adult-like. She managed to go pick up her sister and tell her about her mom, not something most teenagers could do after their mom dies.
I would definitely agree that this show is about adults now. Buffy is out of college and providing for herself, which no longer makes her a kid. Xander is about to get married, which no loner makes him a kid. When we first met him, he was a dorky teenager, but now it seems like he has significantly grown up. Willow is no longer the shy girl who got picked on. All of the main characters have changed into adults over the first 5 seasons, making it a show about adults.
1. Although both of these episodes were extremely upsetting, I think they were excellently made and really fascinating to watch. What stuck with me most from The Body was the director’s decision to make certain scenes or moments totally mute. I think this was a really powerful choice on Whedon’s part because it created a very heavy silence and emptiness that so perfectly reflected how Buffy, Dawn, and everyone else must have felt upon learning of Joyce’s death.
ReplyDeleteThe part that really stuck out to me in The Gift was when Giles gave the quick speech about Buffy being heroic and then murdered Ben. Although we learned early on in the series that Giles, or “Ripper”, hadn’t always been the sweet helpful man he appeared to be, it was still shocking to see such a different side of him. I never imagined Giles as being able to murder a human, but in this episode he proved me wrong.
2. Clearly they all turned out very different than one might expect: Willow went from being a self-conscious and shy nerd to an empowered lesbian, Xander went from big goofball to man ready to make a huge commitment to a woman, and Buffy went from a teen focused on fitting in and fighting monsters to a nurturing mother figure for Dawn. That being said, none of them have lost who they were in high school: all three of them have a glimmer of that insecure or foolish teenager still in them.
3. Obviously the gang is starting to have to deal with tougher issues: not just vampires but death of friends and family. The show has become more adult in that everyone is starting to realize what a cruel place the world can be, and, as Buffy says, the hardest thing is living in it. In the past 2 episodes we’ve watched everything has gotten darker and more serious: the gang is living in a more adult world. That being said, they still don’t seem quite like grown-ups themselves. This can be seen in the way they cope with these problems and their reactions to the horrible situations they’ve had to face. I think Buffy and her friends are transitioning from teen to adult but living in a very adult world.
ReplyDelete1. My first reaction to these episodes was just to feel incredibly sad. What Buffy goes through is awful and painful to watch. When she find her mother dead and says "mommy" it creates a sense of horror that you just can't find in the monster episodes. This moment, as well as when Xander, Willow, Anya, and Tara are just standing around silently, unsure what to say in Tara and Willow's room, really stuck with me. This episode is really good at showing how people actually respond to death. Everyone is at such a loss, and what Anya says about not knowing how to react is just painfully human. She has no filter and this allows her to sum up what everyone is really thinking. No one is sure what to do when confronted with something like this and the pain and reality of these moments stuck with me. In The Gift, when Buffy saves the world by dying, that's obviously a really powerful moment. But almost more than this, I remember Buffy telling Giles she was done. She's lost that moral compass that once guided her so clearly. She's no longer the invincible slayer, she feels so lost and in that moment I saw Buffy's struggle more clearly. It's a sad moment, when the hero admits they're not sure they can keep this up; that they can go on. Also when Tara is insane and she slaps Willow. That moment stuck with me too.
2. They've all gone through big changes from the early episodes. This is especially obvious seeing these episodes in such quick succession. Buffy is far more serious and cynical. She's gone through so much and you can tell it's starting to weigh her down. She still has her snappy comebacks and fighting abilities, but she's lost a lot of the urge to just be a normal girl. I think she's accepted at this point that that's no longer an option. She may still want it, but she doesn't strive for it as hard. There are still parts of the old Buffy there and even when she was younger she did have a certain recognition of her fate, but she's been hurt so much you can tell she's aged. As for Xander and Willow, they're no longer the goofy sidekicks. Xander still has some silly lines, but he's more mature in his relationship with Anya than he ever was with Cordelia. He also has more recognition of when to make jokes and when to be serious. Willow still shows her earlier nervousness, some lack of confidence when Buffy calls her the big guns, but she has grown in power and shows more strength than we're accustomed to. She's not hiding and screaming anymore; she's confronting the villains head on. They aren't completely unrecognizable yet, but there's no denying they've changed.
3. I would agree that these teenager have become adults. They've faced so much; death, insanity, sorrow, real struggles that many adults don't even have to face. Buffy's now responsible for her little sister, and we see her more accepting and mature in the face of death than in her high school days. I think Xander is still a little childish in some moments, but he's facing commitment and showing far more maturity than we are used to. Willow too has grown up. She cares for Tara, works to save her as Glory has stolen her mind. They are forced to grow up far faster than is normal and I think their actions show this. They are no longer kids, running around, kind of enjoying battling monsters like it's a game. It's become a job, a requirement, not just for Buffy and I think they show themselves to be adults in these two episodes. They're more prepared to make sacrifices and understand the sacrifices they make
I cried. It’s really hard not to look at Buffy’s situation and not feel like this could happen. This could happen to you or your friend. It sucks, and there’s no point, and one person’s death can cause suffering from countless others, but that’s how it is. Anya really just realized that, and she didn’t know how to process it. She didn’t understand so she kept on asking questions and kept not getting answers, and it was scary. When she first opened up in Willow’s room, I felt incredibly sympathetic for her.
ReplyDeleteIn The Gift, Buffy really went into denial, refusing to let Dawn die, even if she is going to and so is everyone else if she is sacrificed. She ends up figuring it out in the end and sacrificing herself instead, but others are left behind without Buffy. They’re left behind without Buffy, their slayer, their friend, their sister, their love. We see what people will do if they don’t want death to happen.
Yes. They all are forced in some ways to be adults, or they may have grown emotionally in others, but they are still young and are not quite sure what to do in some circumstances. Willow kind of freaks out and channels it all in to her wardrobe, Xander freaks out and channels it in to anger, and Buffy freaks out and channels it in to doing tasks. Buffy’s is the most productive, but they are all trying to figure out – really quickly – what they have to do now.
Not really. Buffy just lost her mom and has reverted back to a kid, so it’s difficult to judge off these episodes. People tend to be different from how they usually are when something big happens, and this is traumatic as well. They are all still trying to figure out this grown-up thing, though.
1. The Body was definitely a huge landmark for BTVS as a television show. Joss really pushes himself as a director, taking away dialogue, adding in musical scenes, but this one is probably the most subtle and most effective. Not only is there no music, but the scene of Buffy finding Joyce was a one take scene, one guy with a camera following Sarah around during her one chance to say goodbye to Kristine, whom she had worked with for 5 years. Her reaction is so heartbreaking, you can see why Joss and David Greenwalt nicknamed her "Jimmy Stewart", her ability to express pain is truly amazing. The line "should I make her warm?" really got to me, because Buffy needed to save her mom but she couldn't. Probably the most damage her job as the Slayer ever did was making her believe she had to save everyone, and if she couldn't, it was her fault. Dawn's reaction was shot incredibly as well, not being able to hear the dialogue was a genius choice. Xander and Willow react perfectly within their characters, as does Tara, but Anya's speech is a shining moment of great acting. The Gift was sad as well, my sister and I are seven years apart just like Buffy and Dawn so I could imagine being in Buffy's place, but Spike's sobbing when he sees Buffy's body just kills me. Someone who can feel such pain without a soul has to be the most purehearted person in the world.
ReplyDelete2. In The Body, Xander and Willow are pretty typical, but we mostly get Buffy the big sister instead of Buffy the sassy Slayer. She's a lot more spunky in The Gift, but everyone's just kind of sadder. One thing that did bother me actually, was while Tara and Willow are an amazing couple, I feel that Willow and Oz's relationship got undermined by the writers a little bit; which is how most Willow/Oz fans feel. The released information was that Willow was a lesbian, but I think she and Oz are in a category all their own with how much they loved each other, even if it was a teeny bit less than her and Tara.
3. Absolutely. Season 1 Scoobies would not have known what to do at a hospital with a dead body. They couldn't have filled out forms or said the appropriate things. I found it interesting though that Buffy felt growing up was holding tighter to the people around you, that she felt she had lost the part of her that helped her make the decision to kill Angel.
1. I thought both episodes were very powerful. The Body’s focus was definitely not about an otherworldly monster, and I really liked that fact. Also the completely silent scenes were very jarring, as were the characters’ reactions. What stuck out to me was when Buffy envisioned her mother opening her eyes and coming back to life. In the hospital, they praised her for being there, saying she was the hero whose presence saved the day. That is the role Buffy has always had, the savior and protector, but this time, as she comes back to reality, she is hit with the realization that there is nothing she could no nor could have done to prevent this death. It always amazes me how, in The Gift, Buffy could have so much love for Dawn as to risk the suffering of the entire world so that, as she puts it, the last thing Dawn sees is her fighting for her. The final scene where Buffy’s last talk with Dawn plays in a world now without her is incredibly moving and sad, especially the line about the hardest thing about this world is living in it.
ReplyDelete2. They still have characteristics of their old selves, but they also seem to be different. I think that the world has really forced them to grow up, especially in these two episodes. Willow has found a more empowered side to herself, Xander has become more serious, and Buffy has now taken the role of sister and also mother for Dawn. They still have defining qualities that show through, but they have clearly matured.
3. Yes, the characters have developed into adults as has the show developed as well. Where it used to be about the complications of growing up, it now deals with what has happened once they’ve gotten there.