At the climax of What’s My Line? Part Two, Drusilla rises from the ashes of a destroyed church, restored to full strength in a floor-length black dress – a true gothic phoenix. She carries Spike in her arms, Pieta-style, in the same manner as he carried her back in Part One, which makes the meaningContinue reading “The Bestest Buffy Birthday Bash In a Big Long While (Surprise)”
Tag Archives: btvs season two
You Seem A Bit Young To Have A Grown-Up Daughter (Bad Eggs)
In case you haven’t noticed, season two is about sex. A teacher underlines the point at one point in this episode when they literally underline the word on a chalkboard, harkening back to when another teacher underlined season one’s central theme – death. There is little that Buffy’s high school years like doing more thanContinue reading “You Seem A Bit Young To Have A Grown-Up Daughter (Bad Eggs)”
You Don’t Get It – You Killed A Man (Ted)
This episode opens with the gang lamenting how quiet the town has been since the apparent deaths of Spike and Drusilla (a topic I swear I will get into come the Surprise essay), and Buffy enjoying her brief reprise from the trials of the supernatural. Of course, this is Buffy, so no reprise can lastContinue reading “You Don’t Get It – You Killed A Man (Ted)”
The Chosen Two (What’s My Line)
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. One girl in all the world. That is the basic premise of this show, that we have had explained to us in the pilot, and reminded at the start of most episodes. AndContinue reading “The Chosen Two (What’s My Line)”
Instead, You Go All Dumbledore On Me (The Dark Age)
The final scene of Lie To Me left us with a promise of increasing complexity for the show – and increasing adult awareness for Buffy – as we head into the second third of season two. This promise is brought into reality through a process of deconstructing the mentor figure – and parental figure forContinue reading “Instead, You Go All Dumbledore On Me (The Dark Age)”
Do You Trust Me? (Lie To Me)
If season one was about placing the basic foundations of the show, then season two is about expanding its scope, and its complexity. It holds a prism up to the light that season one shines on the characters, splitting it into a thousand rays, a thousand ways to look at the show. This is aContinue reading “Do You Trust Me? (Lie To Me)”
This Is Just My Outfit (Halloween)
“Do you love my insides? The parts you can’t see?” Drusilla asks Spike this question early in the episode, and it lays out the theme pretty clearly. This is an episode about hidden selves, about duality. It’s about taking a look at the characters’ Inner Selves – the parts we can’t see – and comparingContinue reading “This Is Just My Outfit (Halloween)”
Is This A Penis Metaphor? (Reptile Boy)
You know how it goes. Girl meets Boy. He’s older and more experienced – but seems nice, kind, thoughtful. Girl falls for Boy. They get close; maybe they sleep together. And then, when she wakes up, he’s changed. He’s cruel, mean, even evil. It turns out he just wanted to use her, and never reallyContinue reading “Is This A Penis Metaphor? (Reptile Boy)”
I’ve Dropped Anvils (Inca Mummy Girl)
Sometimes, a metaphor within a Buffy episode is tough to tease out. It’s hidden in layers and double-meanings. It might take a third or fourth viewing for it to emerge. Sometimes, it’s a metaphor that was probably never intended by the writers, but emerges upon intense analysis. Sometimes, you discover a completely new metaphor thatContinue reading “I’ve Dropped Anvils (Inca Mummy Girl)”
I’ve Always Been Bad (School Hard)
There is a very meta line, early in this episode, where one of the Anointed’s vampire flunkies talks about how now The Master is dead, somebody has to take him place. The Big Bad of season one is dead, so we need a replacement for season two. Who will step up to audition for the role?
The vampire puts forward himself, talking in grandiose statements about the “Night of St. Vigeous”, and the crucifixion. It’s very opaque, pompous vampiric grandstanding; very much in the manner of season one, and even the 1992 movie. He represents one possible timeline for the show, where it continues to use these generic, interchangeable villains.
But then, a chuckle from behind him. Appearing from the background, we see another candidate for the future of the series. Enter: Spike.
Insect Reflection 