Why Once More With Feeling is My Favorite Episode of Buffy
Jun 3, 2013 16:02:19 GMT -6
Dr Regina Phalange and sll03 like this
Post by affrosponge88 on Jun 3, 2013 16:02:19 GMT -6
Why “Once More With Feeling” is My Favorite Episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
At its best, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most life-affirming television series I have ever seen (second only to Six Feet Under in this regard), and “Once More With Feeling” is the series’ finest hour. Before I dive into my super indulgent and incoherent analysis, I want to emphasize one point:
--When I say “my favorite,” I mean exactly that. Episodes like “The Body,” “Restless,” “The Gift,” etc. are just as good, if not better episodes of television, but to me “Once More With Feeling” is the best episode that contains all of the key ingredients for a perfect Buffy episode, all while brilliantly exploring the central recurring themes of the entire series.
Now, with that out of the way, it’s time to start the show…
Despite its supernatural surroundings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always been a down to earth show, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. The show was sublime at driving home the point that: there’s nothing scarier than real life. Whether they are internal or external, we’re all doing battle daily with our own personal demons. There’s a difference between living just to fight demons, and fighting demons in order to live. It’s a lesson that our main character gradually learns throughout the series. Life doesn’t come easy for anybody, but that’s why we have to stick together.
When Buffy got expelled from Heaven only to come back down to Earth, all of her biggest insecurities were instantly heightened. While still very accepting, a part of her has always resented being the Chosen One, and it has since led her to constantly question the point of her life. When her life is consumed by slaying, it makes her wonder what the point of it all truly is. So in one sense, she has always been “going through the motions.” Now that she’s seen the other side, it’s harder now more than ever for her to grasp the importance of living. Therein lies the genius of just the first few minutes. “Going Through the Motions” effectively sums up the central conflict for Buffy in season 6 AND touches on the sad notion of Buffy’s quest for a “normal” life, something that has been present since the pilot.
By the time it gets to “I’ve Got a Theory,” the episode is firing on all cylinders. Playing on a wide variety of running gags and themes, the gang (for the millionth time) brainstorms what phenomenon could be the cause of the mysterious singing they have all fallen prey to. Giles kicks it off with the most bland assumption (“it’s a demon”), poking fun at the series’ penchant for writing everything off as simply a “demon” (much like the use of Lupus on the series House). It’s telling that all of Xander’s suggestions are completely pointless or redundant, since his arc has always been about questioning his importance within the Scooby gang. His role, unbeknownst to him, is to be the skeptic. He’s the only one that keeps the group grounded in reality. After Anya’s hilarious solo, Buffy takes over and literally changes the tune, offering up the series’ biggest theme: how friendship can get you through anything. After the song, Willow and Tara skip out to go “read some books.”
Willow and Tara’s arc of self-discovery (both magical and sexually) has always been one of the stronger storylines of the show post Sunnydale High, and “Under Your Spell” is truly a beautiful ode to the couple. From the very beginning, Willow has always been uncomfortable in her own skin. In the episode “Restless,” there is a telling piece of symbolism that sums up her biggest insecurity as: being uncomfortable in her own skin. In that dream, she shows up to a play she has to perform, and while everybody is in costuming obviously meant for the stage, she’s still in her schoolgirl clothes, but Buffy remarks that she’s “already in costume.” When she met Tara, she didn’t just meet the love of her life, but by bringing her out, Tara showed her that she has nothing to be ashamed of. To see Tara proclaim her love in such a beautiful voice makes for one of the most beautiful moments on television, and the audience (alongside Willow) is under Tara’s spell. Even if tragedy lies ahead for the couple, their love was always real, and “Under Your Spell” is proof of that. While there is no uncertainty there, “I’ll Never Tell” sheds light on some ambiguities for the other central couple...
“I’ll Never Tell” is a perfect summation of Xander and Anya’s relationship, warts and all. What unites the couple is a mutual sense of desire to belong and a quiet air of self-doubt. Both of them fear the future for different reasons. Anya has still never fully gotten comfortable with her recent (to her, at least) transformation of becoming a mortal being, and so she is afraid that Xander will eventually stop loving her when she gets older. This is a prime example of Whedon using the supernatural to highlight the completely natural. Everyone has the same fears that Anya has before marriage, even if it’s not as quite as new to us as it is to her. Xander is once again questioning his self-worth, because whether it’s the Scooby gang, Anya, or just his place in society, he’ll always feel like an outsider. Xander knows that he doesn’t fit within the societal norms for a good partner to settle down with. He’s not intelligent, good under pressure, and he lacks something that’s heavily valued by the rest of his close friends: a supernatural power of some sort. The only thing he feels he could realistically bring to the table is financial support, and without a college degree or a supportive network from home, he’s not even sure that will be possible. But true to his nature, he’ll never tell.
When Spike professed his love for Buffy back in season five, he ceased being a villain. He had still tried to make her life miserable after the chip was implanted, but once he realized that it was all just playground bullying/flirting, he became one of the most sympathetic characters on the series. If he’s no longer a villain though, why does the gang still treat him like one? Angel has undoubtedly done much worse to the Scooby gang, and yet Spike gets the brunt of their wrath. All of this comes to a head though with “Rest in Peace” where Spike finally tells Buffy that he’s tired of being used (which makes Buffy and Spike’s impending plotline even sadder). When they crash the funeral (at night no less, because of course it is), the song is ended with Buffy knocking Spike and herself into a grave, and Buffy running away leaving Spike still six feet under. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere...
Skipping over “What you Feel” (because I feel any thematic resonance found in that song is also found in “Give Me Something to Sing About”), we arrive at an examination of my favorite relationship of the entire series, with “Standing.” It’s both a profound realization and a heartbreaking declaration, but like all of the other songs in the episode, it has to be said. Giles ultimately realizes that as a Watcher, he’s taught Buffy everything he possibly could, and as a paternal figure in her life, he needs to let her go. Every parent has to come to this realization at some point in their child’s life, and it makes it all the more heartbreaking that it has to come during Buffy’s depression arc. It’s a sight to behold when Buffy starts her acrobatic excersizes in slow-motion as Giles continues singing around her, in which Whedon brilliantly shows us that Giles is literally slowing her down. As sad as you feel for Buffy, it’s even worse on Giles, for he is walking out on the most meaningful relationship he has ever had, all to benefit Buffy. There’s no better representation of a father’s love (by someone who isn’t even her biological father, no less) than this.
The last ten minutes of the episode is truly television at its finest. By the time “Walk Through the Fire” begins playing, the episode crosses over from fantastic to truly sublime. The song is essentially the heart of the entire series, as it neatly sums up the both the main character, and the overall theme of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Picking up where “Going Through the Motions” left off, Buffy illustrates her growing numbness to the audience by singing that even fire leaves her cold. Feeling that her friends have abandoned her, she claims that she will “walk through the fire,” emphasizing Buffy’s greatest and weakest trait simultaneously. While she is easily one of the most (if not, the most) bravest characters to grace television, she also has a tendency to make herself a martyr. It’s no secret to the audience that she gets off on danger (just not to the same extent as somebody like Faith). Note how the demon (an outside particpant, and therefore standing in for the viewers) is the only one to note that she is “drawn to the fire, some people never learn...” Buffy’s biggest problem is that on a grander scale, she feels all alone...
But she’s not alone. Friendship has always been at the center of this series’ heart, so it’s only fitting that this song promptly reminds us of that. The Scooby gang sees the exact same dangers that Buffy does, and are admittedly worse off when it comes to facing them, but nothing will stop them from walking through that fire with Buffy. Nothing ever has, and nothing ever will. The Scooby gang is truly a band of friends closer than family, and this song is a wonderful testament to that. Everyone gets some great lines as well. Xander, always the skeptic, is the first person to ask “what if Buffy can’t defeat it?” Giles immediately questions his conflicting roles as Watcher and paternal figure. Spike’s delivery of “I better help her out” is hilariously sweet, and Willow (thanks to Hannigan’s protest against America to hear her sing) gets the funniest line in the song with “I think this line’s mostly filler.” Because the only thing as prevalent in the series as demons, is its sharp wit exhibited throughout.
If “Walk Through the Fire” was the heart of the series, then “Give Me Something to Sing About” is definitely the heart of the episode. The series has always been life-affirming, but this song perfectly sums up its feelings on “living.” Whedon is smart not to force a battle in the end of the episode simply for the sake of familiarity. Instead we get an emotional battle between Buffy and her demon (one reason it could’ve went nameless in the episode is because it’s simply a physical manifestation for Buffy and everyone else’s inner personal demons). Buffy sings about how she views life as just a musical. There’s a set script, and “we all just sing along.” Ever since she died and came back, she’s been conflicted with how meaningless life is from her perspective, and she’s been missing “something to sing about.” It’s touching that the only dead person in the room, Spike, reminds her what living is really about. Living is not made worse by the daily battles we do with ourselves, but it’s made possible because of them. Even Dawn has to remind Buffy of what was said to her before Buffy sacrificed her own life: “The hardest thing in this world is living in it...” In one giant song and dance, Whedon lets the series wear its heart on its sleeve. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking, and life-affirming at the same time... Kind of like the series itself.
“Once More With Feeling” is my favorite episode of the series, because it represents what the series does best in my eyes. No character is short changed, no theme doesn’t get brought up, and the episode handles this balancing act with care. It rises above the stereotype of “concept episode” and it utilizes the format to the fullest of its potential. Whedon saw that having a musical episode of Buffy wouldn’t be a fun distraction, but a necessary tool in subtly shedding light on all of what makes the series’ great. In one sense, it’s practically a love letter to the series from the creator itself, but in another sense it’s a love letter from the creator to the fans who expect nothing less than greatness from the series.
At its best, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most life-affirming television series I have ever seen (second only to Six Feet Under in this regard), and “Once More With Feeling” is the series’ finest hour. Before I dive into my super indulgent and incoherent analysis, I want to emphasize one point:
--When I say “my favorite,” I mean exactly that. Episodes like “The Body,” “Restless,” “The Gift,” etc. are just as good, if not better episodes of television, but to me “Once More With Feeling” is the best episode that contains all of the key ingredients for a perfect Buffy episode, all while brilliantly exploring the central recurring themes of the entire series.
Now, with that out of the way, it’s time to start the show…
Despite its supernatural surroundings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has always been a down to earth show, with both feet planted firmly on the ground. The show was sublime at driving home the point that: there’s nothing scarier than real life. Whether they are internal or external, we’re all doing battle daily with our own personal demons. There’s a difference between living just to fight demons, and fighting demons in order to live. It’s a lesson that our main character gradually learns throughout the series. Life doesn’t come easy for anybody, but that’s why we have to stick together.
When Buffy got expelled from Heaven only to come back down to Earth, all of her biggest insecurities were instantly heightened. While still very accepting, a part of her has always resented being the Chosen One, and it has since led her to constantly question the point of her life. When her life is consumed by slaying, it makes her wonder what the point of it all truly is. So in one sense, she has always been “going through the motions.” Now that she’s seen the other side, it’s harder now more than ever for her to grasp the importance of living. Therein lies the genius of just the first few minutes. “Going Through the Motions” effectively sums up the central conflict for Buffy in season 6 AND touches on the sad notion of Buffy’s quest for a “normal” life, something that has been present since the pilot.
By the time it gets to “I’ve Got a Theory,” the episode is firing on all cylinders. Playing on a wide variety of running gags and themes, the gang (for the millionth time) brainstorms what phenomenon could be the cause of the mysterious singing they have all fallen prey to. Giles kicks it off with the most bland assumption (“it’s a demon”), poking fun at the series’ penchant for writing everything off as simply a “demon” (much like the use of Lupus on the series House). It’s telling that all of Xander’s suggestions are completely pointless or redundant, since his arc has always been about questioning his importance within the Scooby gang. His role, unbeknownst to him, is to be the skeptic. He’s the only one that keeps the group grounded in reality. After Anya’s hilarious solo, Buffy takes over and literally changes the tune, offering up the series’ biggest theme: how friendship can get you through anything. After the song, Willow and Tara skip out to go “read some books.”
Willow and Tara’s arc of self-discovery (both magical and sexually) has always been one of the stronger storylines of the show post Sunnydale High, and “Under Your Spell” is truly a beautiful ode to the couple. From the very beginning, Willow has always been uncomfortable in her own skin. In the episode “Restless,” there is a telling piece of symbolism that sums up her biggest insecurity as: being uncomfortable in her own skin. In that dream, she shows up to a play she has to perform, and while everybody is in costuming obviously meant for the stage, she’s still in her schoolgirl clothes, but Buffy remarks that she’s “already in costume.” When she met Tara, she didn’t just meet the love of her life, but by bringing her out, Tara showed her that she has nothing to be ashamed of. To see Tara proclaim her love in such a beautiful voice makes for one of the most beautiful moments on television, and the audience (alongside Willow) is under Tara’s spell. Even if tragedy lies ahead for the couple, their love was always real, and “Under Your Spell” is proof of that. While there is no uncertainty there, “I’ll Never Tell” sheds light on some ambiguities for the other central couple...
“I’ll Never Tell” is a perfect summation of Xander and Anya’s relationship, warts and all. What unites the couple is a mutual sense of desire to belong and a quiet air of self-doubt. Both of them fear the future for different reasons. Anya has still never fully gotten comfortable with her recent (to her, at least) transformation of becoming a mortal being, and so she is afraid that Xander will eventually stop loving her when she gets older. This is a prime example of Whedon using the supernatural to highlight the completely natural. Everyone has the same fears that Anya has before marriage, even if it’s not as quite as new to us as it is to her. Xander is once again questioning his self-worth, because whether it’s the Scooby gang, Anya, or just his place in society, he’ll always feel like an outsider. Xander knows that he doesn’t fit within the societal norms for a good partner to settle down with. He’s not intelligent, good under pressure, and he lacks something that’s heavily valued by the rest of his close friends: a supernatural power of some sort. The only thing he feels he could realistically bring to the table is financial support, and without a college degree or a supportive network from home, he’s not even sure that will be possible. But true to his nature, he’ll never tell.
When Spike professed his love for Buffy back in season five, he ceased being a villain. He had still tried to make her life miserable after the chip was implanted, but once he realized that it was all just playground bullying/flirting, he became one of the most sympathetic characters on the series. If he’s no longer a villain though, why does the gang still treat him like one? Angel has undoubtedly done much worse to the Scooby gang, and yet Spike gets the brunt of their wrath. All of this comes to a head though with “Rest in Peace” where Spike finally tells Buffy that he’s tired of being used (which makes Buffy and Spike’s impending plotline even sadder). When they crash the funeral (at night no less, because of course it is), the song is ended with Buffy knocking Spike and herself into a grave, and Buffy running away leaving Spike still six feet under. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere...
Skipping over “What you Feel” (because I feel any thematic resonance found in that song is also found in “Give Me Something to Sing About”), we arrive at an examination of my favorite relationship of the entire series, with “Standing.” It’s both a profound realization and a heartbreaking declaration, but like all of the other songs in the episode, it has to be said. Giles ultimately realizes that as a Watcher, he’s taught Buffy everything he possibly could, and as a paternal figure in her life, he needs to let her go. Every parent has to come to this realization at some point in their child’s life, and it makes it all the more heartbreaking that it has to come during Buffy’s depression arc. It’s a sight to behold when Buffy starts her acrobatic excersizes in slow-motion as Giles continues singing around her, in which Whedon brilliantly shows us that Giles is literally slowing her down. As sad as you feel for Buffy, it’s even worse on Giles, for he is walking out on the most meaningful relationship he has ever had, all to benefit Buffy. There’s no better representation of a father’s love (by someone who isn’t even her biological father, no less) than this.
The last ten minutes of the episode is truly television at its finest. By the time “Walk Through the Fire” begins playing, the episode crosses over from fantastic to truly sublime. The song is essentially the heart of the entire series, as it neatly sums up the both the main character, and the overall theme of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Picking up where “Going Through the Motions” left off, Buffy illustrates her growing numbness to the audience by singing that even fire leaves her cold. Feeling that her friends have abandoned her, she claims that she will “walk through the fire,” emphasizing Buffy’s greatest and weakest trait simultaneously. While she is easily one of the most (if not, the most) bravest characters to grace television, she also has a tendency to make herself a martyr. It’s no secret to the audience that she gets off on danger (just not to the same extent as somebody like Faith). Note how the demon (an outside particpant, and therefore standing in for the viewers) is the only one to note that she is “drawn to the fire, some people never learn...” Buffy’s biggest problem is that on a grander scale, she feels all alone...
But she’s not alone. Friendship has always been at the center of this series’ heart, so it’s only fitting that this song promptly reminds us of that. The Scooby gang sees the exact same dangers that Buffy does, and are admittedly worse off when it comes to facing them, but nothing will stop them from walking through that fire with Buffy. Nothing ever has, and nothing ever will. The Scooby gang is truly a band of friends closer than family, and this song is a wonderful testament to that. Everyone gets some great lines as well. Xander, always the skeptic, is the first person to ask “what if Buffy can’t defeat it?” Giles immediately questions his conflicting roles as Watcher and paternal figure. Spike’s delivery of “I better help her out” is hilariously sweet, and Willow (thanks to Hannigan’s protest against America to hear her sing) gets the funniest line in the song with “I think this line’s mostly filler.” Because the only thing as prevalent in the series as demons, is its sharp wit exhibited throughout.
If “Walk Through the Fire” was the heart of the series, then “Give Me Something to Sing About” is definitely the heart of the episode. The series has always been life-affirming, but this song perfectly sums up its feelings on “living.” Whedon is smart not to force a battle in the end of the episode simply for the sake of familiarity. Instead we get an emotional battle between Buffy and her demon (one reason it could’ve went nameless in the episode is because it’s simply a physical manifestation for Buffy and everyone else’s inner personal demons). Buffy sings about how she views life as just a musical. There’s a set script, and “we all just sing along.” Ever since she died and came back, she’s been conflicted with how meaningless life is from her perspective, and she’s been missing “something to sing about.” It’s touching that the only dead person in the room, Spike, reminds her what living is really about. Living is not made worse by the daily battles we do with ourselves, but it’s made possible because of them. Even Dawn has to remind Buffy of what was said to her before Buffy sacrificed her own life: “The hardest thing in this world is living in it...” In one giant song and dance, Whedon lets the series wear its heart on its sleeve. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking, and life-affirming at the same time... Kind of like the series itself.
“Once More With Feeling” is my favorite episode of the series, because it represents what the series does best in my eyes. No character is short changed, no theme doesn’t get brought up, and the episode handles this balancing act with care. It rises above the stereotype of “concept episode” and it utilizes the format to the fullest of its potential. Whedon saw that having a musical episode of Buffy wouldn’t be a fun distraction, but a necessary tool in subtly shedding light on all of what makes the series’ great. In one sense, it’s practically a love letter to the series from the creator itself, but in another sense it’s a love letter from the creator to the fans who expect nothing less than greatness from the series.
