I really really can't.
This post will contain spoilers, in case people who haven't watched Buffy all the way through would like to. STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT THE SPOILERS. THERE ARE MANY SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT AND IF YOU DON'T WANT THE SPOILERS THEN STOP READING NOW OR IT WILL BE SPOILED. STILL READING? CAUSE I'VE SPECIFICALLY MADE THIS LONG FOR YOU SO THAT YOU READ THIS INSTEAD OF YOUR EYE ACCIDENTALLY WANDERING TO THE SPOILER DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH. SERIOUSLY, IF YOU DON'T WANT THE SPOILERS, ABORT. NOW. ABORT. ABORT.
To the post:
Buffy's dead.
She sacrificed herself to save her sister. And the world. They finally defeated Glory, she and Willow and Xander and Giles and the whole gang, only to find that the Portal was still being opened. And it needed the key's blood.
Which was made from Buffy's blood.
So she killed herself so that Dawn could live.
This is a short post. But it's an immensely powerful scene.
Buffy's monologue to Dawn is insanely noble, touching, heart-wrenching and tear-jerking. And seeing Dawn crying as she watches helplessly as Buffy throws herself off the building is heart-wrenching as well. Seeing Buffy cry and writhe in pain as she tumbles through the portal. And then Tara helping Willow along, Willow in uncontrollable tears, Giles just standing stunned like a man who doesn't quite understand what happened, Xander carrying Anya in his arms and both of them just looking around with horrid sadness, and quite possibly the most heart-wrenching of all, Spike, bruised, bloodied, defeated in his endeavour to save Dawn, collapsed on the ground. It takes him a moment to process what's happened. And then he breaks down, sobbing helplessly into his jacket. Honestly, just when I think I managed to get through the scene without crying it cuts to Spike sobbing like a broken man and then the lump's in my throat all over again and here come the tears. I commend the entire cast on their performance in this episode. Truly brilliant. It's a work of art.
This episode....... pretty much encapsulates everything Buffy is. There are terrifically witty moments reminiscent of season 4, the season of witticisms, and moments of uncertainty (Willow's "I was never a gun!" is REALLY reminiscent of season 1) and then horribly sad and heart-breaking moments. Like the one I just mentioned, just for example. There's the self-sacrifice that Buffy has always acted on. Plus every character had some major steps forward - Xander proposed to Anya, for instance, which is HUGE. And Anya slapped him, yelling that he was only doing this because he knew the world was going to end and he wouldn't have to go through with it. To which he replied, no. He didn't think it was. He just didn't think he could live without her. And she said yes. Remarkable in it's distinct lack of cheesiness and feeling of being earned and rewarding.
Then there's Buffy and Giles's relationship. Giles recognizes that Buffy is a hero. He also recognizes that he is below her, nobility-wise, but he will do what he has to do save the world and make sure that the same danger won't ever present itself again. Buffy recognizes that in him, but refuses to let him kill any innocents, least of all Dawn. It's a conflict, but one both of them are extremely at peace with. "I'll kill you and anyone else who tries to kill Dawn." "I know." Which is extremely... interesting. And meaningful.
Willow faced Glory, got Tara back to health and acted as the group's saviour.
Spike's moment was one of the most heart-wrenching. First of all, Buffy invites him back into the house, which is a HUGE deal, since he's a vampire and all. It shows she trusts him. Really trusts him. And then she tells him to protect Dawn. He never shies away from it. "'Til the end of the world," he says, "even if that happens to be tonight." And then finally, his almost-a-speech. "I know you'll never love me," he says. "I know I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man. And that's...." and then he trails off, unable to find words to finish his thought. And then later he bursts through the army of minions to save Dawn. And heart-breakingly, he fails.
And the thing is, within all this building up drama, Joss (Whedon) managed to fit in a few moments to smile through your nerves. Because that's Buffy. Like simply pushing the new "big bad" off the tower. Or, a very memorable moment that happens pretty much just are you're sobbing, you see this image:
A gravestone, with the words:
Buffy Anne Summers
1981-2001
Beloved sister
Devoted friend
She saved the world a lot.
And if that final statement doesn't make you smile a little through your tears then I don't know what will.
Cause that's what this show is about. It's never just been drama. It's never just been comedy. It's never just been action. It's everything all beautifully mixed into one, and if that final image doesn't magnificently represent that then I don't know what does.
This show will wring out your emotions like a wet towel.
Beautiful episode. I've said this before, but it was truly a work of art in film.
P.S I'VE JUST HAD AN EPIPHANY ABOUT HOW FAR SPIKE'S CHARACTER HAS COME.
It's totally random but it's just something I never thought about before.
See, I always found Spike really "loving" Buffy kind of.... uhm....... let's put it this way. Whenever a character on a show says they "love" another character, I tend to take it with a grain of salt unless it feels earned. Like, Xander proposing to Anya. That felt earned. Their relationship has grown immensely since Anya following him around Sunnydale High demanding he go to prom with her.
But Spike's declaration of love for Buffy... didn't feel as earned. Because he's always had an obsession with the Slayer, whoever that happens to be. During the Boxer Rebellion it was the chinese one, in the seventies it was Nikki, etc. And sure, he's clearly always been attracted to Buffy, but I think it's pretty easy for those things to turn into infatuation rather than love, right? So it didn't hinder my enjoyment at all - the storyline pretty much works exactly the same either way - but I always kinda found myself going "Uh huh, Spike. Alright. Whatever you say."
Earlier in the season Buffy puts a protection spell on her house so that Spike can't come in anymore - he's sort of un-invited. And it's a heart-breaking shot actually, when she slams the door on his stunned and sad face. But fair enough. He's a vampire, he's dangerous (despite the chip in his head) and he's obsessed with you. Seems fair to me.
Well, in this episode - the Gift - they go to Buffy's house to pick up some weapons to fight Glory and her minions. And Buffy walks in no problemo and Spike hangs out outside, unable to cross the threshold, as an uninvited vampire. First of all, it doesn't even cross Buffy's mind - she's learned to trust him.
But what's more remarkable about the situation - and this is what finally made me think "Huh. Maybe his love isn't so hokey after all." - is that he totally respects her right to keep him out. He knows he's a monster and he sees that this is Buffy's house, she has a right to keep a monster out. So the next things he says are said awkwardly, but the fact that he said them show me "Hey, Buffy. You can trust this guy. I mean, you can really trust this guy."
I don't have the exact lines, but he starts saying things like, "So, uh..... maybe you can pass it to me over the threshold or something...." Rather than a sarcastic "You're going to have to let me in, genius," type remark, which would have been totally characteristic of Spike and was really what I was expecting, he's decided "Y'know what? She keeps me out. Fair enough. I still wanna help."It took me aback and then Buffy inviting him in totally made me forget about overanalyzing that little piece but when you think about it it's really very meaningful and significant. He's not only attracted to her. He respects her.
P.P.S I know I said this was going to be a short post. But I lied. Sue me.
What made this episode in general so remarkable is that it both summarized Buffy as a series (thus far) and also the fifth season in particular.
It starts with Buffy fighting one vampire in an alley. Remember, in season 1, when fighting a vampire used to be a big deal? Now it's such a given that the show barely even shows it anymore. And they really made a big deal out of this particular vampire, who went down no sweat. And the kid she saved goes "But you're just a girl!" And she says "That's what I keep saying." Which pretty much sums up the ongoing theme throughout the show but especially in season 1 of Buffy dealing with her "destiny", and the fact that she can't just be a normal high school girl. That's also the main theme of season 2 ("I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys, or, god, even studying! But I have to save the world.") So there you go.
Season 3 and Season 4's themes were pretty much wrapped up - they're stuff that the show has already dealt with and it would be kind of old news to bring up again. So they didn't. BUT they did bring back elements of the seasons. Again, Season 4 was the season of witticisms, and there was definitely some good old fashioned wittiness going on, in spite of the gravity of their situation. I didn't catch any particular references to Season 3, but I'm sure they were there.
And most importantly, Season 5.
Season 5, mostly, had to do with what it means to be a Slayer. Does that mean I can't love as fully as everyone else? Does that mean I have to be solitary so as not to put any "civilians" in danger? and so on and so on. A concept that the episode wrapped up rather nicely with the teamwork of the Scoobies to triumph over Glory and her minions, and Buffy's sacrifice to save Dawn.
What I find interesting is that what the Guide tells Buffy on her quest - "Death is your gift" - is very close to what Spike told her during his "lesson" - "Death is your art". The Guide tells her "You are full of love. Death is your gift." And Spike tells her (let's see how good I've got this monologue down) "Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know... what's it like? Where does it lead you? [...] Every Slayer has a death wish." He goes on to say that the only reason Buffy's lasted this long is her ties to the normal world (Mother, sister, friends, etc.). So what I'm trying to figure out is... was Spike right? Because I don't think he was wrong. In the episode just before The Gift it talks about Buffy wanting out. He was certainly right about death following every Slayer. I don't think he was exactly correct, fully.... but I'm reluctant to say he was wrong. Again, maybe that's just my soft spot showing.
Anyway, besides that little digression, (which this blog is full of... you should be used to it) there were about a billion ways this episode tied up the fifth season. Tara is most definitely a Scooby, despite her lack of appearance in the opening title - her identity as a Scooby was kind of in question, so the season is basically just figuring out how to integrate her into the gang, and that definitely happened.
The orb Buffy found the episode we met Glory that never ever reappeared? Reappeared. Turns out it repels her. Go figure. So that was used to fight Glory.
The troll hammer that Anya's troll left behind a while back? Also made a reappearance. It was the primary weapon used against Glory.
Willow getting stronger with her magic? DEFINITELY a huge weapon against Glory. Sucking the cohesion from her mind back into Tara. That's big.
Spike's Buffybot made a reappearance! It acted as a decoy to keep Glory busy so that the real Buffy wouldn't be weakened from fighting and Glory would. Didn't see that one coming, I can tell you - I really didn't expect that one to come back. "Did anyone else know the Slayer was a robot?" Priceless.
Oh, and Xander's no longer being everyone's "buttmonkey"! You know, he got a job, a job he was good at, he found something he knew about and liked and was good at, got himself an apartment, proposed to Anya, and? He ran a wrecking ball into Glory. Which seems like a cheap way to sum up that storyline but it really wasn't. Y'know, he's finally helping, really, significantly helping, instead of being a damsel in distress, or worse, Renfield.
Anya definitely came through. She finally stopped complaining about saving the world and actually did it, basically coming up with all the ways to kill Glory that weren't Willow. She even says to Xander: "No, you see, usually, when there's an apocalypse, I skedaddle. But now I love you so much that instead, I have inappropriately timed sex and try to think of ways to fight a god and worry terribly that something might happen to you, and also worry that something'll happen to me and then I have guilt that I'm not more worried about everyone else but I just don't have enough, I'm just on total overload..." The fact that she's helping them instead of figuring out ways to run away, like she always did as Anyanka, is huge growth, along with the fact that maybe that monologue was a little weird, but she's learning how to be human. She's been learning how to be human since season 3, and this monologue shows that hey, guess what? She pretty much gets it now. (Anya's a great metaphor for pretty much anyone struggling to figure out the world and why it works the way it does.)
Dawn grew up. She was willing to sacrifice her own self to save the world, and she very nearly did. I know that's not what we were supposed to be focusing on, but Dawn seemed like a fairly petty character to me and that seemed like growth.
But most importantly, BUFFY grew up. She realized that her place as Slayer didn't make her a killer, it made her a protector. And because she's full of love, she protected Dawn. She didn't just die - she died at the end of season 1, but that wasn't sacrifice, that was just misfortune. She killed herself, deliberately, knowingly, willingly, because it saved the world and it saved her sister. She knew who she was and what she was supposed to do. And one of the first lines in her message to Dawn is "Tell Giles I figured it out." And that's huge.
Okay. I think I've analyzed the episode as far as I can go. I'm done. Promise. Not really promise. But I think I'm done.
Man. That post was a lot longer than I anticipated.
P.S I'VE JUST HAD AN EPIPHANY ABOUT HOW FAR SPIKE'S CHARACTER HAS COME.
It's totally random but it's just something I never thought about before.
See, I always found Spike really "loving" Buffy kind of.... uhm....... let's put it this way. Whenever a character on a show says they "love" another character, I tend to take it with a grain of salt unless it feels earned. Like, Xander proposing to Anya. That felt earned. Their relationship has grown immensely since Anya following him around Sunnydale High demanding he go to prom with her.
But Spike's declaration of love for Buffy... didn't feel as earned. Because he's always had an obsession with the Slayer, whoever that happens to be. During the Boxer Rebellion it was the chinese one, in the seventies it was Nikki, etc. And sure, he's clearly always been attracted to Buffy, but I think it's pretty easy for those things to turn into infatuation rather than love, right? So it didn't hinder my enjoyment at all - the storyline pretty much works exactly the same either way - but I always kinda found myself going "Uh huh, Spike. Alright. Whatever you say."
Earlier in the season Buffy puts a protection spell on her house so that Spike can't come in anymore - he's sort of un-invited. And it's a heart-breaking shot actually, when she slams the door on his stunned and sad face. But fair enough. He's a vampire, he's dangerous (despite the chip in his head) and he's obsessed with you. Seems fair to me.
Well, in this episode - the Gift - they go to Buffy's house to pick up some weapons to fight Glory and her minions. And Buffy walks in no problemo and Spike hangs out outside, unable to cross the threshold, as an uninvited vampire. First of all, it doesn't even cross Buffy's mind - she's learned to trust him.
But what's more remarkable about the situation - and this is what finally made me think "Huh. Maybe his love isn't so hokey after all." - is that he totally respects her right to keep him out. He knows he's a monster and he sees that this is Buffy's house, she has a right to keep a monster out. So the next things he says are said awkwardly, but the fact that he said them show me "Hey, Buffy. You can trust this guy. I mean, you can really trust this guy."
I don't have the exact lines, but he starts saying things like, "So, uh..... maybe you can pass it to me over the threshold or something...." Rather than a sarcastic "You're going to have to let me in, genius," type remark, which would have been totally characteristic of Spike and was really what I was expecting, he's decided "Y'know what? She keeps me out. Fair enough. I still wanna help."It took me aback and then Buffy inviting him in totally made me forget about overanalyzing that little piece but when you think about it it's really very meaningful and significant. He's not only attracted to her. He respects her.
P.P.S I know I said this was going to be a short post. But I lied. Sue me.
What made this episode in general so remarkable is that it both summarized Buffy as a series (thus far) and also the fifth season in particular.
It starts with Buffy fighting one vampire in an alley. Remember, in season 1, when fighting a vampire used to be a big deal? Now it's such a given that the show barely even shows it anymore. And they really made a big deal out of this particular vampire, who went down no sweat. And the kid she saved goes "But you're just a girl!" And she says "That's what I keep saying." Which pretty much sums up the ongoing theme throughout the show but especially in season 1 of Buffy dealing with her "destiny", and the fact that she can't just be a normal high school girl. That's also the main theme of season 2 ("I would love to be upstairs watching TV or gossiping about boys, or, god, even studying! But I have to save the world.") So there you go.
Season 3 and Season 4's themes were pretty much wrapped up - they're stuff that the show has already dealt with and it would be kind of old news to bring up again. So they didn't. BUT they did bring back elements of the seasons. Again, Season 4 was the season of witticisms, and there was definitely some good old fashioned wittiness going on, in spite of the gravity of their situation. I didn't catch any particular references to Season 3, but I'm sure they were there.
And most importantly, Season 5.
Season 5, mostly, had to do with what it means to be a Slayer. Does that mean I can't love as fully as everyone else? Does that mean I have to be solitary so as not to put any "civilians" in danger? and so on and so on. A concept that the episode wrapped up rather nicely with the teamwork of the Scoobies to triumph over Glory and her minions, and Buffy's sacrifice to save Dawn.
What I find interesting is that what the Guide tells Buffy on her quest - "Death is your gift" - is very close to what Spike told her during his "lesson" - "Death is your art". The Guide tells her "You are full of love. Death is your gift." And Spike tells her (let's see how good I've got this monologue down) "Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know... what's it like? Where does it lead you? [...] Every Slayer has a death wish." He goes on to say that the only reason Buffy's lasted this long is her ties to the normal world (Mother, sister, friends, etc.). So what I'm trying to figure out is... was Spike right? Because I don't think he was wrong. In the episode just before The Gift it talks about Buffy wanting out. He was certainly right about death following every Slayer. I don't think he was exactly correct, fully.... but I'm reluctant to say he was wrong. Again, maybe that's just my soft spot showing.
Anyway, besides that little digression, (which this blog is full of... you should be used to it) there were about a billion ways this episode tied up the fifth season. Tara is most definitely a Scooby, despite her lack of appearance in the opening title - her identity as a Scooby was kind of in question, so the season is basically just figuring out how to integrate her into the gang, and that definitely happened.
The orb Buffy found the episode we met Glory that never ever reappeared? Reappeared. Turns out it repels her. Go figure. So that was used to fight Glory.
The troll hammer that Anya's troll left behind a while back? Also made a reappearance. It was the primary weapon used against Glory.
Willow getting stronger with her magic? DEFINITELY a huge weapon against Glory. Sucking the cohesion from her mind back into Tara. That's big.
Spike's Buffybot made a reappearance! It acted as a decoy to keep Glory busy so that the real Buffy wouldn't be weakened from fighting and Glory would. Didn't see that one coming, I can tell you - I really didn't expect that one to come back. "Did anyone else know the Slayer was a robot?" Priceless.
Oh, and Xander's no longer being everyone's "buttmonkey"! You know, he got a job, a job he was good at, he found something he knew about and liked and was good at, got himself an apartment, proposed to Anya, and? He ran a wrecking ball into Glory. Which seems like a cheap way to sum up that storyline but it really wasn't. Y'know, he's finally helping, really, significantly helping, instead of being a damsel in distress, or worse, Renfield.
Anya definitely came through. She finally stopped complaining about saving the world and actually did it, basically coming up with all the ways to kill Glory that weren't Willow. She even says to Xander: "No, you see, usually, when there's an apocalypse, I skedaddle. But now I love you so much that instead, I have inappropriately timed sex and try to think of ways to fight a god and worry terribly that something might happen to you, and also worry that something'll happen to me and then I have guilt that I'm not more worried about everyone else but I just don't have enough, I'm just on total overload..." The fact that she's helping them instead of figuring out ways to run away, like she always did as Anyanka, is huge growth, along with the fact that maybe that monologue was a little weird, but she's learning how to be human. She's been learning how to be human since season 3, and this monologue shows that hey, guess what? She pretty much gets it now. (Anya's a great metaphor for pretty much anyone struggling to figure out the world and why it works the way it does.)
Dawn grew up. She was willing to sacrifice her own self to save the world, and she very nearly did. I know that's not what we were supposed to be focusing on, but Dawn seemed like a fairly petty character to me and that seemed like growth.
But most importantly, BUFFY grew up. She realized that her place as Slayer didn't make her a killer, it made her a protector. And because she's full of love, she protected Dawn. She didn't just die - she died at the end of season 1, but that wasn't sacrifice, that was just misfortune. She killed herself, deliberately, knowingly, willingly, because it saved the world and it saved her sister. She knew who she was and what she was supposed to do. And one of the first lines in her message to Dawn is "Tell Giles I figured it out." And that's huge.
Okay. I think I've analyzed the episode as far as I can go. I'm done. Promise. Not really promise. But I think I'm done.
Man. That post was a lot longer than I anticipated.
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