"Buffy" Breakthroughs: A Love Post - Part II

Welcome back, loyal blog readers! This week, as promised, I'll be finishing up my discussion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's top 5 "breakthrough" episodes.

Here we go, with #4 and 5 (and some honorable mentions)!:

4. "The Body" (S. 5, Ep. 16)

"The Body" screenshot.

The above image, in conjunction with the episode's title, basically reveal the premise of this episode. But I'll drop a spoilers! warning here anyway.

The episode previous to this ends with Buffy entering her house and calling her mother. Her mom's been dealing with a brain tumor throughout the season, but lately she's seemed to be doing fine - until Buffy walks into the living room and notices her mother, dead, on the couch. It's a shock to Buff and the audience.

"The Body" deals with the aftermath of the event. Buffy's sister, Dawn, is told of the event; friends also react; and the family heads to the hospital and makes funeral plans. It's a powerful episode, and one character's reaction to Joyce's death just about brought me to tears.

But this episode isn't only important for its emotion; what makes it stand out is that it has no musical score. The only music is diegetic (that is, played by the characters, on camera - no background tracks.) The move perfectly fits the hollowness that the characters are feeling, and heightens the sense of sudden grief for viewers.

5. "Restless" (S. 4, Ep. 22)

"Restless" screenshot.

Probably the best word to describe this episode is trippy. The episode is comprised of dream sequences, full of strange lighting effects and camera angles. For example: in the shot above, most of the frame is empty, the focal point in one corner.

"Restless" doesn't follow with an arc. Joss Whedon, the series' creator, called it a "grace note" to season 4. Because it follows the dreams of several characters, this episode acts as an interesting character study, marked by the series' signature wit. At Slayage.com, "The Online Journal of Buffy Studies", author Daniel Erenberg placed the episode as the 2nd best of the series. As he put it, the episode "lends itself to infinite interpretations. No one watches it the same way. That's the mark of a true masterpiece." 

This girl is in agreement.

Honorable Mentions

"Passion" screenshot.

1. "Passion" (S. 2, Ep. 17): This episode is marked by (spoilers) the killing of popular character Jenny Calendar. She's a schoolteacher, Buffy's mentor's sweetheart and all-around nice gal. What makes her killing worse it that it's performed by Angel, Buffy's former beau, made evil after a curse rips away his soul. Jenny's death is meant to serve as a notice to fans: that none of the characters are safe, and that death is scary and real. Television shows often kill off characters for dramatic effect, but I felt this one was especially well-executed. It was definitely a shock.

2. "Normal Again" (S. 6, Ep. 17) and "The Wish" (S. 3, Ep. 9): These 2 episodes explore two different, very freaky, alternate dimensions. In "Normal Again", Buffy is injected with hallucinogenic venom that causes her to believe she's been catatonic in a mental hospital for the past 6 years. In "The Wish", Buffy has never come to Sunnydale, and vampires control the streets at night. And they've invented a machine to industrialize the harvesting of blood... 

3. "The Gift" (S. 5, Ep. 22): All right, I'm cheating with this episode. "The Gift" doesn't contain an original format, unusual score, or alternate dimensions. What it does contain are some very cry-tastic moments. I don't want to spoil the plot for any future Buffy fans, but I will say this: a song featured at the episode's climax, "The Sacrifice," sends chills down my back and tears to my eyes whenever I listen to it.

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So! That wraps up my discussion of Buffy's breakthroughs. Enjoyed it? Comment below!

What great/groundbreaking TV have you watched?

"Buffy" Breakthroughs: A Love Post - Part I

* You can check out Buffy's Wikipedia page for background on the series.

It's no secret that I'm an uber-fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (as this post proves.) When first watching the series about a year ago, I zipped through all 7 seasons in under three weeks. (That involved at least one all-nighter.)

Today and next week, in a 2-part discussion, I want to highlight five of Buffy's greatest "breakthough" episodes - episodes not only entertaining and emotional, but ones that brought something new to the series (and, in some cases, television in general.)

So - without further ado - I give you #1-3!:

1. "Once More, with Feeling" (Season 6, Episode 7)

"Once More with Feeling" screenshot.

This is possibly Buffy's most original and influential episode, concept-wise. It's a miniature musical - complete with witty lyrics, orchestral backing, and some pretty cool choreography. It received critical acclaim after airing in 2001 (despite some actors' limited vocal ranges), and its musical format has been copied in several TV shows since. (Scrubs, anyone? Grey's Anatomy? Even Glee, possibly?) Yet even forgetting the strength of its influence, "Once More" can definitely be labelled Buffy at its finest. 

Other interesting points:

- "Once More with Feeling" is Buffy's most technically complex episode. The cast had to take extra voice and dance training, which was interspersed with the production of four other episodes. 

- From 2004 to 2007, "Once More" was shown in theaters (with the audience invited to sing along), before a financial dispute ended public showings.

- "Under Your Spell" received attention from Buffy studies writers for its frank depiction of lesbian romance. Previous television shows had never gone beyond kisses and coming-outs - small bits of affection (definitely no erotic material.) Actually, Buffy was the first show in U.S. TV history to portray a long-term lesbian relationship among the core cast of characters. 

(So... musicals & social advances? Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday evening..)

2. "The Zeppo" (Season 3, Episode 13)

"The Zeppo" screenshot.

"The Zeppo" takes spot #2 because of its complete focus on a minor character (Xander Harris.) The title of the episode refers to Zeppo Marx, who was the straight man among the Marx Brothers and long considered to be the most unexceptional member of the act. From Wikipedia:

"The Zeppo" is a twist on the show format, which normally consists of an action-packed "A-story" and a character-development "B-story". Here, Xander's feelings of inadequacy develop into the A-story while a stereotypical epic episode of Buffy and the others saving the world is pushed to the background to become the B. Most of the apocalypse story elements come across as background events, happening offscreen, only in small bits, or being talked about afterwards by the characters.

"The Zeppo" has proved influential on later television writers, including Doctor Who executive producer Russell T. Davies. He has cited the episode along with Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Lower Decks" as an influence on his 2006 Doctor Who episode "Love & Monsters." The television format came to be known as the "Doctor-lite episode", an annual tradition for Doctor Who since 2006.

3. "Hush" (Season 4, Episode 10) 

One of the Gentlemen - "Hush" screenshot.

Personally, I consider "Hush" to be one of Buffy's creepiest episodes. Firstly, it introduces a terrifying new villain: the Gentlemen, a group of demons that levitate from town to town, served by a group of demonic footmen in straight jackets. (One can already wonder about the monsters' symbolism.) But what's scary about this episode is its silence: 27 minutes of the episode are free of dialogue, after Sunnydale, CA citizens wake to discover that they are unable to speak. Their voices have been stolen by the Gentlemen, who cut out human hearts at night... their voiceless victims unable to scream for help.

This episode received high praise after airing, and was the only episode in the entire series to be nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. As Wikipedia states, "Hush" addresses the limits and assets of language/communication, and the disruption to society when communication breaks down.

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All right, that's it for now! I'll be discussing Buffy's top 4 and 5 breakthroughs next week, along with some honorable mentions. Until then...

Ever watched Buffy?  What television do you love and admire?

Great Stories, Part 3: The Common Quality

Today’s post will be long, as a warning. There will also be about a million “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” spoilers.

It happens that I’m a huge fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I never watched the show while it was on, having been a toddler when it began, but Netflix is beautiful. I actually pulled an all-nighter my first run through. I did the same after ordering the Season 8 comics. And now I'm saving for Season 9...

But I digress.

My point isn’t that I love the show, but why. To me, it’s the perfect combination of hilarious and scary. The dialogue sparkles, the characters are great (except maybe Riley – so beneath Buffy), and though the show changes through the seasons, I never cease to love it.

Today I want to talk about the character of Faith.

I don’t want to go into too much detail, but what you have to understand is this:

Buffy and Faith slay vampires. They’re the only Slayers. Buffy’s nice, honest, has good friends, etc. Faith is damaged, wild, flirtatious – Buffy’s foil. The two are friends for a time, until a chain of reactions is set off.

This begins when Faith accidentally kills a man. Instead of dealing with the event (and she almost does), she denies it, then turns to killing for hire. She takes the same joy out of it as from Slaying. Buffy & Co. try to reach her, but no one seems able to.

That's until Angel intervenes, anyway. He's Buffy's undead boyfriend, who's been stuck with a soul since getting cursed by Gypsies. Now he can't stop reliving old murders, and that's why Faith is attracted to him: He's the only one who could possibly relate.

But we couldn't have a happy ending here, could we?

The Watchers’ Council breaks in to arrest Faith. (They’re a group of old British guys that oversee Slayers and hire goons to beat/lock up rogue ones.) Faith escapes, naturally, but more events and she ends up in a coma for half a season. When she wakes up, it’s to wreak yet more havoc, ruining Buffy’s life in the process. Then she heads to LA, and the show Angel (a BtVS spinoff.)

Angel is, pretty obviously, Angel’s show. Faith’s been hired to kill him, but he still wants to save her from herself. A few events occur, and Faith seems pretty bent on carrying out her job. She even kidnaps Wesley, her former Watcher and Angel’s friend. She is torturing him in an apartment when Angel breaks in.

There’s a fight sequence. Lots of broken glass. Angel and Faith fall out of a window into the street below, a distance of maybe four stories.

The fight continues, but the viewer can tell Angel’s letting up. It begins raining, then pouring, and Faith is screaming. “You don’t know what evil is!” she says. “I’m bad! Fight back!” Angel responds quietly – by now his arms are still. “Nice try, Faith. I know what you want. And I’m not gonna do it – I’m not gonna make it easy for you.”

The viewer doesn’t know what he means; just that Faith is suddenly collapsing. She’s still fighting, but her screams are more like sobbing as Angel draws nearer to her. “I’m evil! I’m bad!” she continues. “Do you hear me?!” Angel ignores this.

“I’m evil!” she says, weeping and shaking in his arms. “Please just do it!... Just kill me!”

There’s a clatter as Wesley, standing behind the pair, drops a kitchen knife.

To me, this is an amazing moment - so much comes to a head. I won’t bore you with the details, but I’ll say this: Someone who’s gotten into “Buffy” and now “Angel” will be affected by this moment. Faith is such a human character, and Eliza Dushku’s acting is fantastic.

Instead of examining the scene further, I want to make a point about great stories. I’d argue that they all hold a common quality: They entertain us as they reveal truths about the human condition – most especially, but not necessarily, on how we deal with death.


Applying the Theory

My solution applies pretty obviously to Faith's story. She commits horrible murders, but as a coping mechanism. When Angel comes to her with the possibility of redemption, she responds, before the chance is cruelly snatched away. Now, she seems hopelessly stuck on a serious downward spiral. She doesn't know what to do but act out violently. She tortures Wesley viciously, but it's really an appeal to Angel to end her confusion and suffering. He's still the face of her salvation; it's the solution itself that's changed.

So how do other stories deal with the human condition?

Glad you asked. I'll use my favorites as examples:

Franny and Zooey (Novella):
A college student, Franny, is bothered by the superficial characters surrounding her. She becomes obsessed with the "Jesus prayer" and suffers a nervous breakdown on a date. She then heads to her parents', where her brother, Zooey, points out that her constant prayer is as "egotistical as the egotism against which she rails."

The scene best illustrating this novella's power is the last. In the scene, Zooey's on the phone with his sister, Franny, telling her how he lives for the "Fat Lady" - the unremarkable woman in the audience of a game show in which they participated as kids. He took the idea from their older brother, Seymour, who'd committed suicide several years before. This is important to Franny because the Fat Lady isn't just the Fat Lady - she's everyone, "even Christ himself." The story inspires Franny to coexist with others in contentment, even joy. And even after Zooey hangs up, she holds to the phone, listening to the dial tone. She finds it "extraordinarily beautiful"... "the best possible substitute for the primordial silence itself." Perfect, right?

To Kill a Mockingbird (Novel & Film):

"Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, [the novel] follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman."

There are so many moments proving my theory: when Dill shares his dreams, when Atticus tells Scout what real courage is, when Miss Maudie says how some men are born to do our unpleasant jobs, or when Jem realizes why Boo’s stayed shut up for so many years. In the end, I couldn’t decide on my absolute favorite moment: It’s either Reverend Sykes’ words at the trial’s end – asking Scout to stand for her father – or a quote from the novel’s end, when Scout remarks:

 Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.

The novel (and film) are all about coming of age, coming to understanding suffering and what true courage is. And, of course, how beautiful mockingbirds - symbols of innocence and goodwill - are. This novel is poignant and clever, quietly revealing truths on nearly every page.

Looking for Alaska (Novel):

"Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter's whole life has been one big non-event. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into a new life, and steals his heart. After. Nothing is ever the same."

This book's a heartbreaker, and it's full of hilarious, witty quotes. I was so moved after my first reading that I spent a summer writing a (horrible) novel attempt nearly identical to it. If I could give one example of this novel's power, it'd be the final line: 

Thomas Edison's last words were 'It's very beautiful over there'. I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.”

It's the theme of death and the human condition, all over again. And I didn't even mention Alaska, a character every reader falls in love with. I mean, the girl uses her spare time to reflect on Simon Bolivar's "labyrinth of suffering" (from Garcia Marquez's "The General in His Labyrinth.)

I could go on, detailing how various novels can illustrate various philosophies, but this post is long enough already: Technicality can follow.

So, for now:

What do you think?