Buffy - Season 6 impressions (episodes 3)

[thalia_seawood]

Afterlife

For a summary click here.


- This is definitely another favorite of mine in the Buffyverse.
I love the title.

I love the theme: Buffy's friends don't want to see what they have done to Buffy when bringing her back to life.

I love how this theme is developed on a symbolic level when the Scoobies' fight against an invisible enemy - that was ironically brought into being by their own actions. This clearly shows that the characters in the Buffyverse will now have to deal with consequences.

To round it off, the cinematography is striking. All the scenes - even the scenes that play outside - have a claustrophobic feeling to them. The daylight scenes look gloomy; quite often there's no background music or any sounds at all. The most liberating scene is Buffy's final talk with Spike: This scene also shows the episode's trademark stillness, but here the soft wind that's blowing makes the stillness a tiny bit less oppressive.

IMO, this is also one of the scariest episodes on Buffy. The whole atmosphere is already oppressive, so the arrival of the demon really put me on the edge of my seat.
My one complaint is that the demon when it becomes corporeal doesn't look very scary. I would have found it more convincing if it had stayed faceless or maybe even had taken on a distorted version of Buffy's or the Scoobies' faces.

- I find Willow fascinating in this episode.
I think that by now she realizes that what she did was wrong, but she's too proud and too scared to admit this. We see that she's worried, but we also see that she will try very hard to make herself believe her own lies. She has given so much to bring Buffy back; to admit that she has made a mistake, would break her.

ANYA: I think we screwed it up. She's broken.
WILLOW: No! She's not broken! She's just .... disoriented from being ... tormented in some hell dimension. Probably tortured and ... It's like, we don't even know how much time has passed there for her, uh, possibly years. That's not something you just get over. Oh my God. What if she never gets over it?

- In the meantime, Dawn tries to connect to Buffy, but fails.

- Dawn turns back and we see Buffy coming down the stairs behind her.
SPIKE: Yeah? I've seen the bloody bot before. Didn't think she'd patch up so-
He breaks off, staring at Buffy. She continues down the stairs, returning his gaze.
DAWN: She's kind of, um ... She's been through a lot ... with the ... death. But I think she's okay.
Buffy suddenly notices her shirt is still unbuttoned, begins buttoning it. Dawn looks at Spike, who continues staring in disbelief.
DAWN: Spike? Are *you* okay?
SPIKE: I'm ... what did you do?
DAWN: Me? Nothing.
Buffy clutches the top of her shirt closed, looks up at Spike a little fearfully.
SPIKE: Her hands.
Buffy lowers her hands, puts them behind her back, looks uncomfortable.
DAWN: Um, I was gonna fix 'em. I don't know how they got like that.
SPIKE: I do. Clawed her way out of a coffin, that's how. (to Buffy) Isn't that right?
BUFFY: (quietly) Yeah. That's ... what I had to do.
SPIKE: Done it myself.
Throughout this, Spike continues staring at her as if he thinks he's dreaming. Now he snaps out of it.
SPIKE: Um ... We'll take care of you. Come here.

I *love* this scene. It mirrors exactly the final scene between Buffy and Spike in The Gift: Buffy is standing on the stairs, Spike is looking up to her. Both times, he doesn't quite know what to say. (selenak pointed out to me that in The Gift, Buffy is heading down the stairs whereas here she's going down. This is some great symbolism.)

It's also telling that after Dawn, Spike is the first person to which Buffy talks.
The difference is that Buffy connects to Dawn - if only on a superficial level so far - since the bond they had before Buffy's death was so strong. Buffy's connection to Spike is something quite new: She tolerated and even came to trust him by the end of season 5, but I don't think that she felt they had anything in common. Ironically now, that she has been brought back from the dead, she can connect to Spike. They both have died and come back, they both had to escape from a coffin.

Interesting information: William was actually buried after he died and had to get out of the coffin by himself. I had been wondering if that was the case, since Drusilla took so much care with Darla in season 2 of Angel.

- The arrival of Buffy's friends completely overwhelms her. It also shatters the quiet connection between Spike and Buffy.

- Spike loses his place in the Scoobie gang.
This is another scene I treasure because Spike's motivations are quite complex: Is he crying because he's relieved that Buffy's back? Or because he's scared that she will never be the same again? Or is it because he was excluded from all the planning Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya did and he is realizing that he isn't a real part of the gang after all?
Since he gets close to a breakdown later on when he's alone in his crypt, I suppose it's a weird mix of all of these emotions.

- I believe that Spike successfully analyses Willow's thouhgts here. His advantage is that he isn't emotionally close to Willow and can see her more objectively. - I don't think, however, that Willow thought much about what could go wrong. My theory is that she was aware of all the dangers, but didn't ponder the consequences. She just hoped for the best and struggled on. But yes, I believe she would have killed Buffy if she had come back completely wrong.

SPIKE: Willow knew there was a chance that she'd come back wrong. So wrong that you'd have ... that she would have to get rid of what came back. And I wouldn't let her. If any part of that was Buffy, I wouldn't let her. And that's why she shut me out.
XANDER: What are you talking about? Willow wouldn't do that.
SPIKE: (sarcastic) Oh. Is that right.
XANDER: Look. You're just covering. Don't tell me you're not happy. (Spike scoffs) Look me in the eyes, and tell me when you saw Buffy alive, that wasn't the happiest moment of your entire existence.
Spike gives Xander a "you just don't get it" scowl, turns and walks off.
SPIKE: (as he walks) That's the thing about magic. There's always consequences.

- I've noticed that the two characters who worked together to bring back Joyce from the dead (Dawn and Spike) this time around weren't involved at all. Spike is actually mentioning that magic always has consequences.

- This scene is extremely scary. Actually, just reading the transcript gives me goosebumps.

BUFFY: (low hoarse voice) What did you do? Do you know what you did? You're like children. (Willow and Tara sitting up in bed staring in fear) Your hands smell of death. Bitches! Filthy little bitches, rattling the bones. Did you cut the throat? Did you pat its head?
Buffy grabs a crystal ball off a nearby table and throws it at them. Willow and Tara shriek as it smashes on the wall above their heads.
BUFFY: (shouts) The blood dried on your hands, didn't it?
TARA: Oh my god, oh my god.
BUFFY: (shouts) You were stained. You still are. I know what you did!

It turns out that this is "only" a nightmare that Tara and Willow are sharing. A bit later on, we learn that everything that is happening is caused by a demon that was brought into beinging by the resurrection spell. The demon plays on real fears and feelings, so the allusion to the fawn Willow killed is interesting. It suggests that Willow knows what she did was wrong and is feeling guilty about what she did.

- Beautiful scene:

SPIKE: Uh ... I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. (pause) If I had done that ... even if I didn't make it ... you wouldn't have had to jump.
Beat. Buffy still doesn't react, just sits there looking at him.
SPIKE: But I want you to know I did save you. Not when it counted, of course, but ... after that. Every night after that. I'd see it all again ... do something different. Faster or more clever, you know? Dozens of times, lots of different ways ... (softly) Every night I save you.

- I've noticed that even though Buffy doesn't appear to feel much anymore, she still acts out of love. She stays because of Dawn; she doesn't tell her friends that they tore her out of heaven and allows them to believe in a lie. Her phrase "I can't tell you what it means to me." is a double-edged comments, though.

BUFFY: You brought me back. I was in a ... I was in hell. I, um ... I can't think too much about what it was like. But it felt like the world abandoned me there. And then suddenly ... you guys did what you did.
TARA: It was Willow. She knew what to do. (Willow looks embarrassed)
BUFFY: Okay. So you did that. And the world came rushing back. Thank you. You guys gave me the world. I can't tell you what it means to me.

- Buffy's final admission to Spike that she was torn out of a heaven is my favorite scene in this episode - and it was hard to pick.

BUFFY: Wherever I ... was ... I was happy. At peace.
Spike stares, shocked.
BUFFY: I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it. Time ... didn't mean anything ... nothing had form ... but I was still me, you know? (glances at him, then away) And I was warm ... and I was loved ... and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand about theology or dimensions, or ... any of it, really ... but I think I was in heaven.
Spike continues to stare at her in dismay.
BUFFY: And now I'm not. (almost tearful) I was torn out of there. Pulled out ... by my friends. (Spike continues staring, listening) Everything here is ... hard, and bright, and violent. Everything I feel, everything I touch ... this is Hell. Just getting through the next moment, and the one after that ... (softly) knowing what I've lost...

I only wish James Marsters didn't use the headtilt so often to express sympathy.

- Over the course of the episode it becomes evident that Spike is now the only person whose presence Buffy can bear. The reasons are that he was not involved in bringing her back and that unlike Dawn - who also wasn't involved in Buffy's resurrection - he has no expectations of her. Dawn wants Buffy to be like she was, she wants her loving sister back. And right now, this is something Buffy can't be.

- SMG does a brilliant job in this episode. It's very painful to see Buffy without her usual liveliness and snark. It's obvious that it takes her a tremendous effort to just go through the motions: getting dressed, walk, focus on anything or talk to someone.

Comments

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

Thanks for putting up the episode list of what you have watched. Word of mouth about episode analysis with good insight goes round quickly, posters to your journal will know what they can talk about without spoiling you.

I am SO GLAD you brought up the burial thing. On ATS Angel was so sure of the ritual that Drusilla would want to go through when she sired Darla. You had to know that he was referring to Spike since she had picked him as her mate. So he clawed his way out of the ground in a similar way as Buffy.

What was upsetting Spike? We knew he would get involved with resurrection spells, he did it for Dawn. What he was upset seemed to be that he wasn't included after all the help he had given them. He was still that outsider. This may explain his actions as season wears on.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

On ATS Angel was so sure of the ritual that Drusilla would want to go through when she sired Darla.

Interestingly enough, the ritual that she thinks up for Darla's rising is very gentle. No coffin, just a shroud and some earth. It seems that she rethought her traditional approach after she sired Spike.

I.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Jane Espenson usually writes comedy episodes, but this one was a stunner of a tragic one, and definitely one of my favourites as well.

Cinematography: as has been observed by people more noticing details than me (because I might have missed it otherwise), the way Buffy's walk through the cemetary on her way to Spike's crypt is shot puts her in front of an angel statue for a quite a while, so it looks as if she has stone wings. Which prefigures in a way the final revelation of this episode.

Special effects: agreed that the demon when revealed wasn't much. My favourite spooky effect is Buffy looking at the photos of her friends and family and herself and seeing skeletons everywhere.

The stairs scene: as you say, we talked about this. Also, minor detail: the fact that Buffy buttons up her shirt. That Spike registers with her on that level (completely subconscious at this stage, I think, it's just an instinctive reaction)in her emotional numbness and exhaustion is foreshadowing as well. What does register with her, consciously, is that he notices her hands, and that his later are the same.

Spike clawing out his way of the coffin: as Angel said, Dru is a traditionalist. Thus, burials.

Spike loses his place in the Scoobie gang.
This is another scene I treasure because Spike's motivations are quite complex

Yes, and I agree with all the causes you name. In regards to Spike's relationship with the Scoobies, you can see the following pattern: in season 4, they made several overtures which he rejected, and he sold them out; in season 5, mostly, but not exclusively due to his realizing his feelings for Buffy, he tried to bond with them, and they reject him; in the final phase of the fight against Glory and in the three months Buffy is dead, Spike and the Scoobies do bond in a common cause; Buffy's resurrection and the way the Scoobies caused same causes Spike to break of relationships with the gang altogether.

It suggests that Willow knows what she did was wrong and is feeling guilty about what she did.

I think she does, but also that she's repressing it and is in denial like a nobody's business. That's also why she and Xander believe Buffy at the end. It's so much what Willow wants to hear; she can't bear the idea of herself as the bad guy in this equation.

Buffy staying for Dawn and lying to her friends to protect them as an act of love despite her drained emotions: agreed. She still loves them. But like you said, she can't bear their company anymore right now whereas before her death of course they were her "ties to the world", to quote Spike, they were what made her treasure the non-Slayer parts of her existence. And she could love them unreservedly, whereas I think in season 6 one of the problems Buffy has is that she can't acknowledge the anger she has towards her friends, even towards herself. As opposed to the enemies who tormented her before, like Angelus, they didn't do it to hurt her, they wanted to help her. So she can't deal with it the way she usually does. Tune in later for a follow up on my theory what this makes her do....

Re: I.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

so it looks as if she has stone wings. Which prefigures in a way the final revelation of this episode.

Yes, and it also works in as far as Buffy feels as if she has turned to stone.

Spike clawing out his way of the coffin: as Angel said, Dru is a traditionalist. Thus, burials.

I find it fascinating that Spike obviously got the full traditional treatment whereas Dru is much gentler with Darla. I wonder if she changed her views after seeing on Spike's example that clawing your way out of a coffin is a very painful way to be reborn. (And yes, she probably experienced this herself, but my guess is that she was too mad to fully register it.)

As opposed to the enemies who tormented her before, like Angelus, they didn't do it to hurt her, they wanted to help her.

Just recently I told one of my friends that IMO that there's nothing more dangerous in the world than well-meaning people. While I put that in an overly dramatic way, I have repeatedly made the experience that well-meaning people can hurt you a lot. They act without asking you, then claim it was in your own best interest and that they really did it for you. Yelling at them brings no understanding, just disappointment. ("But can't you see I meant well?") All this is in my experience combined with the expectation of gratitude.

So I find Willow's character much more fascinating now, but also have a strong dislike for her due to her belief that she did Buffy a favour and expecting Buffy to be grateful.

Buffy definitely has too many people in her life who are convinced that they know what she needs.

Re: I.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I wonder if she changed her views after seeing on Spike's example that clawing your way out of a coffin is a very painful way to be reborn. (And yes, she probably experienced this herself, but my guess is that she was too mad to fully register it.)

Bear in mind the circumstances of death are different, too. Darla never was in the morgue, Drusilla had her dead body at her disposal. Whereas William - like Liam, too, by the way, we do see Liam claw his way out of the grave in Prodigal with Darla waiting for him - apparantly got found and buried.

All this is in my experience combined with the expectation of gratitude.

That's the most fatal thing. None of the big bads Buffy fought in the past expected her to be grateful to them, and Willow does. Well, at least until the bing revelation in Once More, With Feeling, but Willow's next reaction of how to deal with the fact that she didn't rescue Buffy but harmed and hurt her on a perhaps unhealable level isn't a step forward, either...

Re: I.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Whereas William - like Liam, too, by the way, we do see Liam claw his way out of the grave in Prodigal with Darla waiting for him - apparantly got found and buried.
This was a point I hadn't been sure about before. I realize now that's due to a story I read where William wakes up in a cheap hotel room next to Dru. :-)

but Willow's next reaction of how to deal with the fact that she didn't rescue Buffy but harmed and hurt her on a perhaps unhealable level isn't a step forward, either...
Yes, her way of dealing with problems makes Anakin look harmless. At least Anakin doesn't tinker with people's minds. He's more the type for direct violence. (E.g. I think a dark Obi-Wan or Willow in the Star Wars universe, wouldn't have choked Padme. They have would have adjusted her memories.)

Re: I.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

At least Anakin doesn't tinker with people's minds. He's more the type for direct violence. (E.g. I think a dark Obi-Wan or Willow in the Star Wars universe, wouldn't have choked Padme. They have would have adjusted her memories.)

Arggh, this reminds me of all the "Anakin uses the Force to make Padme love him" theories floating ever since AotC. Leaving aside all the "weak-minded" issues in the SW universe, I think that Anakin doesn't try that once with Padme and as Vader tries to convince Luke as opposed to brainwashing him would argue he wants their voluntary company. Though of course he does have things in common with Willow regarding the fierceness of reaction to love being taken away (axe, spell, spell, spoiler...). Still, Willow as Dark Obi-Wan is an interesting comparison. I always thought that if Obi-Wan had gone dark side, he'd have been more frightening than Vader or Palpatine.

(The Jossverse, btw, contains a Galadriel who took the ring, but not on BTVS.)

Re: I.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Dark Obi-Wan would be like a very sharp knife (Faith's dagger comes to mind).
Vader on the other hand acts more along the lines of Olaf's troll hammer. *g* Quite lethal, but still very straight-forward.

Re: I.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Oh, and regarding this point:

So she can't deal with it the way she usually does. Tune in later for a follow up on my theory what this makes her do....

Well, I know that her relationship with Spike won't be a happy one. He clearly loves her, whereas it's already becoming obvious that she hates herself. So my guess is that she will despise him for loving her.
I think that due to past patterns she won't strike out at her friends - apart from making sarcastic and shocking remarks. However, she frequently hit Spike in past seasons, so it would be easy for her to go back to this behaviour.

II.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Buffy's final admission to Spike that she was torn out of a heaven is my favorite scene in this episode - and it was hard to pick.

It's a fantastic scene, agreed, and if I had to go through the horrible ordeal of picking ten favourite scenes of BTVS, that would probably be in it.

I only wish James Marsters didn't use the headtilt so often to express sympathy.

Agreed. He's a good actor, but he had developed a set of mannerisms for Spike, and sometimes tended to overuse them. At this point when you've seen several seasons, you start to notice.

SMG does a brilliant job in this episode. It's very painful to see Buffy without her usual liveliness and snark. It's obvious that it takes her a tremendous effort to just go through the motions: getting dressed, walk, focus on anything or talk to someone.

I was thinking of this when we were talking about Forever and you said that Buffy crying at the end of the episode was too early for your experience, but you understood that the show couldn't have her in numb shock for an entire season. Well, she's not exactly like this for all of season 6, but season 6 definitely does take its time for letting Buffy deal, or not, with what happened, and that makes it (despite its flaws which of course it has) so emotionally resonating for me, and such a great example of how to kill and resurrect a character without making the death experience into a cheap plot device. Because Buffy really doesn't get back to normal within the space of two or three episodes. She can't.

Re: II.

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

LMAO, I must defend Spike's head tilts. I think all actors develop certain traits for their characters. For example, James and Alexis both have English accents, when both have rather jolting American accents.

As unsouled Spike, It seems he developed those mannerisms for his relationship with Buffy. I don't recall him doing it with anyone else, although he might have. Gellar uses her crossed arms and eye rolls when she's playing Buffy annoyed or closed off. (LMAO, I think one of the Buffy figures has her in that position) She also has a softer look that she gives Spike and I really dont recall that look with anyone else, either. Then there's Hannigan's baby talk, Tony Head's glasses cleaning/adjusting, etc. etc. It's just part of the character they create.

Re: II.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I don't recall him doing it with anyone else, although he might have.

That's an interesting observation. I'll check if I can confirm it. :-)
If I can, I'll view the head-tilt as Spike's way of telling Buffy: "Look, I'm just a cutsey vampire. Give me a hug!" :-)

Re: II.

[spikeylover.livejournal.com]

Or maybe it's because she keeps him in wonder and confusion all the time? He'll stop doing headtilts at her when the parade comes and starts playing seventy six bloody trombones. ;)

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I'm late getting to this and so much has already been said, but I just wanted to comment how much I love the lighting in the scene at the end. . ."Everything is hard and bright."

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

Yes, I rewatched parts of this episode tonight and the final scene is magnificent. Perfect play of light and shadows, perfect music combined with the soft sound of the wind and a marvelous performance of SMG.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

I only wish James Marsters didn't use the headtilt so often to express sympathy.

In the first three seasons of Buffy, drinking games revolved around Buffy's bra strap showing; from S4-7, they revolved around the head-tilt! *g*

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

My drinking game involved how often Angel will be shirtless and/or get tortured.