Buffy - Season 5 impressions (episode 1)
Dec. 12th, 2005 12:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodBuffy vs. Dracula
For a summary click here.
This episode has a strange feel to it. Restless was surreal, but then it played in the world of dreams. Buffy vs. Dracula retains a hint of the surreal, but here the real world and the fantastic world are meshed together.
Dracula
Funny: Buffy deals with fantastical creatures on a regular basis, but Dracula isn't just one more supernatural foe... Whedon's decision to confront Buffy with the vampire of all vampires is fascinating. All the vampires we've seen so far have followed specific rules. Dracula defies them all. (In a way, he's the vampiric counterpart to Jonathan Superstar. :-))
Dracula fulfills all our classical Dracula movie expectations:
- An ominous storm preceeds his arrival in Sunnydale.
- There's the earth filled coffine.
- Of course, he has the cape of all capes.
- He transforms into a bat, a wolf and into fog. In his human form he's handsome and charismatic. At least all the women on Buffy swoon over him.
- He creates his very own Renfield. (Poor Xander.)
- Apparently, there's a castle in Sunnydale we never knew about. (Even Riley and Giles are surprised by its existence. :-)) The interior design of the castle is very Dracula down to the three sisters dwelling in the basement. :-)
- And Dracula and the three sisters have their sharp teeth all the time. No demon face for them, they always look essentially human.
The writers nicely add a dash of realism to the myth of Dracula when Spike mentions that Dracula is still owing him 11 pounds.
Dracula is in many ways a symbol of our own inner darkness. Which is why Buffy can defeat him, but cannot permanently ger rid of him. As soon as she turns her back, he resurrects himself.
Buffy
Buffy has changed since the end of season 4. The contact with the power of the First Slayer has definitely left a mark. Her patrolling has turn into hunting. She has felt the attraction of a good fight when she hang out with Faith in Bad Girls, but this seems to go beyond it.
Nevertheless, Buffy becomes powerless when Dracula shows up. He even bites her and drinks her blood and she cannot stop him from doing so. She doesn't even lose in a physical fight, but her will power isn't a match for Dracula.
Once again this makes a lot of sense when I see Dracula as a symbol for Buffy's inner darkness. She feels attracted to the primal power she has felt and the darkness of this power has a certain appeal.
So how does Buffy manage to resist? Part of it is certainly the connection to her friends. Another big part is Buffy's will-power and resilience. When she drinks Dracula's blood she acknowledges her inner darkness, but doesn't give in to it. In the end, it's all about free will.
Dracula: (whispering) You think you know ... what you are ... what's to come. You haven't even begun.
Buffy looks at his arm, at his face. Takes his hand in both of hers and puts her mouth on the bloody wrist.
Dracula: Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature.
[...]
Dracula: What is this?
Buffy: My true nature. You want a taste?
[...]
Buffy: How do you like my darkness now?
And how cool is it that Dracula uses the words Buffy heard from Tara in the Restless dreamworld.
Giles
He feels useless in the beginning of this episode: Buffy no longer needs him. She's able to cope with all situations by herself.
I really like the final scene between Giles and Buffy when she tells him that she needs him in her life after all:
Buffy: Ever since we did that spell where we called on the first slayer ... I've been going out a lot. (Giles looks surprised) Every night.
Giles: Patrolling?
Buffy: Hunting. That's ... what Dracula called it. (pacing) And he was right. He understood my power better than I do. He saw darkness in it.
Shot of Giles looking very concerned.
Buffy: (sits down again) I need to know more. About where I come from, about the other slayers. I mean, maybe ... maybe if I could learn to
control this thing, I could be stronger, I could be better. But ... I'm scared. I know it's gonna be hard. And I can't do it ... without you. I need your help. (pause) I need you to be my Watcher again.
Heh. Giles is the Obi-Wan to Buffy's Chosen One.
Other
I liked Riley in this episode. I appreciate that he didn't freak when Buffy was bitten by Dracula, but that he kept his calm.
His scene with Spike is also very nice. Really liked their interaction.
Nice ending:
Buffy goes into another room and sees the back of a girl with long brown hair.
Buffy VO: What are you *doing* here?
The girl turns around, looks surprised, then gives Buffy a sour look. Buffy doesn't look too pleased either.
Cut back to Joyce in her room, calling out.
Joyce: Buffy? If you're going out, why don't you take your sister?
Cut back to the bedroom. Both girls turn to look at the doorway, looking annoyed.
Buffy and Dawn (together): Mum!
For a summary click here.
This episode has a strange feel to it. Restless was surreal, but then it played in the world of dreams. Buffy vs. Dracula retains a hint of the surreal, but here the real world and the fantastic world are meshed together.
Dracula
Funny: Buffy deals with fantastical creatures on a regular basis, but Dracula isn't just one more supernatural foe... Whedon's decision to confront Buffy with the vampire of all vampires is fascinating. All the vampires we've seen so far have followed specific rules. Dracula defies them all. (In a way, he's the vampiric counterpart to Jonathan Superstar. :-))
Dracula fulfills all our classical Dracula movie expectations:
- An ominous storm preceeds his arrival in Sunnydale.
- There's the earth filled coffine.
- Of course, he has the cape of all capes.
- He transforms into a bat, a wolf and into fog. In his human form he's handsome and charismatic. At least all the women on Buffy swoon over him.
- He creates his very own Renfield. (Poor Xander.)
- Apparently, there's a castle in Sunnydale we never knew about. (Even Riley and Giles are surprised by its existence. :-)) The interior design of the castle is very Dracula down to the three sisters dwelling in the basement. :-)
- And Dracula and the three sisters have their sharp teeth all the time. No demon face for them, they always look essentially human.
The writers nicely add a dash of realism to the myth of Dracula when Spike mentions that Dracula is still owing him 11 pounds.
Dracula is in many ways a symbol of our own inner darkness. Which is why Buffy can defeat him, but cannot permanently ger rid of him. As soon as she turns her back, he resurrects himself.
Buffy
Buffy has changed since the end of season 4. The contact with the power of the First Slayer has definitely left a mark. Her patrolling has turn into hunting. She has felt the attraction of a good fight when she hang out with Faith in Bad Girls, but this seems to go beyond it.
Nevertheless, Buffy becomes powerless when Dracula shows up. He even bites her and drinks her blood and she cannot stop him from doing so. She doesn't even lose in a physical fight, but her will power isn't a match for Dracula.
Once again this makes a lot of sense when I see Dracula as a symbol for Buffy's inner darkness. She feels attracted to the primal power she has felt and the darkness of this power has a certain appeal.
So how does Buffy manage to resist? Part of it is certainly the connection to her friends. Another big part is Buffy's will-power and resilience. When she drinks Dracula's blood she acknowledges her inner darkness, but doesn't give in to it. In the end, it's all about free will.
Dracula: (whispering) You think you know ... what you are ... what's to come. You haven't even begun.
Buffy looks at his arm, at his face. Takes his hand in both of hers and puts her mouth on the bloody wrist.
Dracula: Find it. The darkness. Find your true nature.
[...]
Dracula: What is this?
Buffy: My true nature. You want a taste?
[...]
Buffy: How do you like my darkness now?
And how cool is it that Dracula uses the words Buffy heard from Tara in the Restless dreamworld.
Giles
He feels useless in the beginning of this episode: Buffy no longer needs him. She's able to cope with all situations by herself.
I really like the final scene between Giles and Buffy when she tells him that she needs him in her life after all:
Buffy: Ever since we did that spell where we called on the first slayer ... I've been going out a lot. (Giles looks surprised) Every night.
Giles: Patrolling?
Buffy: Hunting. That's ... what Dracula called it. (pacing) And he was right. He understood my power better than I do. He saw darkness in it.
Shot of Giles looking very concerned.
Buffy: (sits down again) I need to know more. About where I come from, about the other slayers. I mean, maybe ... maybe if I could learn to
control this thing, I could be stronger, I could be better. But ... I'm scared. I know it's gonna be hard. And I can't do it ... without you. I need your help. (pause) I need you to be my Watcher again.
Heh. Giles is the Obi-Wan to Buffy's Chosen One.
Other
I liked Riley in this episode. I appreciate that he didn't freak when Buffy was bitten by Dracula, but that he kept his calm.
His scene with Spike is also very nice. Really liked their interaction.
Nice ending:
Buffy goes into another room and sees the back of a girl with long brown hair.
Buffy VO: What are you *doing* here?
The girl turns around, looks surprised, then gives Buffy a sour look. Buffy doesn't look too pleased either.
Cut back to Joyce in her room, calling out.
Joyce: Buffy? If you're going out, why don't you take your sister?
Cut back to the bedroom. Both girls turn to look at the doorway, looking annoyed.
Buffy and Dawn (together): Mum!
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 07:44 am (UTC)When she drinks Dracula's blood she acknowledges her inner darkness, but doesn't give in to it. In the end, it's all about free will.
Big Jossverse point. Buffy acknowledges her inner darkness, but she has a choice as to whether or not letting that rule her (as Faith did for a while), and she chooses not to. Which isn't always easy, of course.
Heh. Giles is the Obi-Wan to Buffy's Chosen One.
He so is.*g* Though thankfully, she doesn't have a Palpatine!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 01:09 pm (UTC)this is one of my favorite Riley eps; I never get tired of hearing him say "thrall."
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 10:25 pm (UTC)Word about Riley & "thrall". :-)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-14 05:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 10:22 pm (UTC)Yes! And I love Joss for making this point so often. It's there in so many places and yet not an "in your face" message.