On Mar 2, 5:17 pm, "One Bit Shy" <O...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> "Arbitrar Of Quality" <tsm...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
messagenews:e2271ca1-053a-4157-9b0c-7c40adf96355@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Yet, it still redeems itself an awful lot with the closing of Spike
burning
> on the cross (more practical foreshadowing than anything in the opener)
and
> Buffy crying over the realization of what Spike had done for her.
That part is most notable to me for having inspired one of my favorite
moments of silly discussion. (From the "Never Leave Me" thread -
order of posting is Scythe Matters, Malsperanza, Scythe, me, WGF):
>>>>It remains to be seen where Spike's going, other than to a King
Diamond concert.
>> > Aww, s7 Spike is surely a Tori Amos fan?
>> Why *does* he crucify himself?
>Not every day, though.
He does seem to have an affinity for chains, though.
> > Paralyzed Willow is consistently one of the hour's
> > few weak spots, and Posable Dawn almost always gets a laugh out of me
> > at some point in the sequences.
>
> Though not a comic episode, I think there's a lot of good humor. ("It's
> smellementary.") It's also a really good Dawn episode. Her enthusiasm
> makes her so likable.
Agreed on both counts. I remember observing that in addition to being
known for her more manic comedy episodes, Jane impresses me the most
when, towards the beginning of a season, she writes a quieter personal
episode - often a dark one - that's packed with great lines that don't
spoil the episode's mood. See also "After Life." "The Replacement"
is kinda on the edge of that category too, although no one will accuse
it of being a dark one.
> > Whether or not one likes Gnarl's
> > attitude, his method of killing is certainly disgusting, and I think
> > that kind of grotesqueness works for me in any mood. There was some
> > discussion last time around about whether Willow is being punished by
> > an unimaginative and literal-minded sadist of a writing team. I think
> > the opposite is true - Gnarl is the doubts whispering in her ear that
> > even the people she loves think she should be punished, getting
> > skinned and dying alone.
>
> I pretty much agree with you. Really I think the writers are letting
her
> off pretty easily. Since TKIM doesn't end up actually going there, I
think
> this is pretty much it for Dark Willow punishment.
Yep. Similar to the thousands of other times someone gets forgiven,
it seems like the point is that puni****ng Willow further wouldn't
really accomplish anything. She has to live with what she's capable
of and deal with it on a day-to-day basis, which is her semblance of
an arc this season. (As you suggest, TKIM confuses things a little
bit by pretending it's going to go back to the well.)
WILLOW: I deserve a lot worse. I killed people, Giles.
GILES: I've not forgotten.
WILLOW: When you brought me here, I thought it was to kill me or to
lock me in some mystical dungeon for all eternity or--with the
torture. Instead, you go all Dumbledore on me. I'm learning about
magic. All about energy and Gaia and root systems.
GILES: Do you want to be punished?
WILLOW: I wanna be Willow.
GILES: You are.
- "Lessons"
> This is
> small stuff compared to the really foreshadowy element of the scene's
> emotional highlight.
>
> Buffy: I got so much strength, I'm giving it away.
>
> I surely love it for the emotional connection with Willow right now, but
I
> can't help but note the parallel to Buffy's grand solution to the Slayer
> trap. Willow's magic makes it possible then too. And just to complete
the
> parallel, one can also see Willow's season ending spell as a healing one
for
> herself.
Didn't catch that at all, but definitely a parallel. They clearly
knew how things were going to end at this point, but the foreshadowing
is subtle enough that I doubt anyone fully processed it in advance.
> Death is itself a pretty constant theme in BtVS. In S5 it will
practically
> become a fetish. But even short of that, people will die left and right
in
> this series. Too often it will be the dearly loved that will be lost.
>
> Death is also a pretty constant theme for many teenagers. I've always
> suspected that the ongoing presence of death is a big part of the show's
> attraction to the young. Teenagers are often described as believing
they
> are invulnerable. They often act that way. But they are also often
> obsessed with death, fascinated by its absolute nature, scared of its
> arbitrary appearance, sometimes even suicidal at the prospect of living.
> The notion that you might be dead tomorrow resonates among teenagers.
And
> live for today is a philosophy of youth.
> ---
> I think the thing I like best about Help is how it captures the mood of
teen
> obsession with death. I believe that's always been part of the appeal
of
> the series, but I don't recall an episode that so directly goes to it.
I'm
> glad the series got to that eventually.
Again not much to add, but yeah, kids that age are indeed fascinated
by death. Interesting that one of the most direct episodes about it
comes as Buffy's long since moved on from some aspects of the teenage
mindset (emphasized elsewhere in the season).
> I remember thinking when originally aired how fresh this season felt
early
> on. Later it'll become a bit of a slog, but for now M.E. seems to be
living
> up to its determination to brighten the series up after two years of
> comparative harshness.
I guess you're right to a degree, and people definitely talk about
Season Seven being consciously less dark than the previous year. But
even though the early part of the season is indeed low-key before
gradually moving into the realm of the epic (and arguably the
monotonous; very S5 in that respect), I don't really think of BY or
STSP or "Selfless" as bright, cheery episodes.
-AOQ
|
