Buffy the Vampire Slayer (3x01) - Anne

[fajrdrako]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (3x01) - Anne
~ ~ ~

A change of pace: Buffy is out of her element, playing at being 'normal', which of course she can't manage. Not even briefly. But it gives her an almost-mythological break from her life as Slayer, time to recover and to sort out what she has become. Because of course the experiences of "Becoming" have changed her - though I haven't quite figured out what the title "Becoming" refers to: Angel's situation, or hers?

I missed the old situation, but I know I was supposed to. Things aren't the same any more. Can't be the same. Which is the whole point.

1. Fun to see Xander and Willow trying to be vampire-hunters. And Oz! They worry about their anti-vampire dialogue. Such amateurs.
   
   
2. And aware of it.
   
   
3. Good Xander line: "I can't wait to see Cordelia. (pauses) I can't believe I can't wait to see Cordelia." He still has this mixed-feelings problem.
   
   
4. And I love Willow's reply: "I wonder what our first homework assignment's gonna be... Hey, you're excited over Cordelia, okay? We've all got issues." Willow often reminds me of Hermione Granger, but I like her better.
   
   
5. So Buffy is in L.A. having high-romance fantasies about Angel. And, true to form, her fantasy isn't just a simple fantasy - it has ominous connotations:

   Buffy: How did you find me here?
   Angel: If I was blind, I would see you.
   Buffy: Stay with me.
   Angel: Forever. That's the whole point. I'll never leave. Not even if you kill me.

   And she did kill him, and he's still there in her head, and, I assume, will be back in person as well. This reminds me of Sting's "every breath you take".
   
   
6. Buffy doesn't seem happy as a waitress. She wanted a 'normal' life, but I'm sure she's hideously depressed, alone in a big city, having lost her mother and her friends, and having killed the person she loved most.
   
   
7. I didn't recognize Lily. I loved it when she said she was Chanterelle. And Buffy told her what "Chanterelle" means. Heh. Classic lost soul.
   
   
8. I like the exchange between Willow and Giles:

   Giles: For God's sake be careful. ...If anything should happen to you and you should be killed, I should take it somewhat amiss.
   Willow: You'd be cranky?
   Giles: Entirely.

   Yes. And Willow's reassurance: "That's part of our whole mission statement. 'Don't get killed.'" - it isn't very reassuring. It's a wonder the vampires haven't torn them to shreds or turned them already. But then, Angel and Spike are gone, so we're left with the vampire morons. (Even if some have athletic skills. Interesting implication, that they keep skills they had in life.)
   
   
9. The anticlimactic meeting of Xander and Cordelia is funny.
   
   
10. Oz never told Willow he was coming back to school? Didn't they talk ever?
    
    
11. "I'm no one" is a scary phrase, repeated.
    
    
12. Ken makes me think of a Firefly character. I can't think which Firefly character or why. He seems so well-meaning at first, he must be a monster or a demon.
    
    
13. Xander says, "We're losing half the vamps." If they're getting half the vamps - isn't that pretty darn good?
    
    
14. Good bit of dialogue:

    Giles: Joyce, you mustn't blame yourself for her leaving.
    Joyce: I don't. I blame you.

    Obviously she hasn't adjusted to the Vampire-Slayer knowledge.
    
    
15. Rickie goes missing. I can't help seeing the parallel: Lily without Rickie, Buffy without Angel.
    
    
16. So they check out the blood bank. This seemed like an odd digression to me, especially since it really isn't a story about vampires. Seems to me, story-wise, there'd be no difference if demons just grabbed people at random.
    
    
17. It's scary when Ken says, "Rickie's no more dead than I am." But Lily isn't the suspicious type.
    
    
18. Xander to Cordelia: "You don't hide. You're bait. Go act baity." And then he baits her into a fight. Or she baits him. Whichever.
    
    
19. Entrance to Hell: yucky black water. Seems funny to me that the entrance to Hell is here when the Hellmouth is in Sunnydale.
    
    
20. Ken's demon-face reminded me of Darth Maul. He's the most attractive demon we've seen yet. Not of the Jack Kirby type. No bull-face.
    
    
21. Interesting that they take away identity in Hell first thing. Cool.
    
    
22. Ken says "Humans don't fight back." I'd say that was something humans do all to readily. But Ken doesn't seem to be the most astute, clever and historically-aware demon possible.
    
    
23. Cute Buffy line:

    Buffy: Hey, Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?
    Lily: Gandhi?
    Buffy: Well, you know, if he was really pissed off.

    Seems to me Joss Whedon probably had that quip on hand to use when appropriate.
    
    
24. Another good Buffy line when she takes Lily to her small apartment: "Let me give you the tour. This concludes our tour." And she decides to go back to Sunnydale. I wasn't sure how or why the events of "Anne" made her decide to return - glad she did, I don't particularly want to be watching "Buffy, the Waitress" for a few more seasons, but... was it that she realized demons have to be faced and you can't run from them? Does she see things differently, knowing that people can come back from Hell? Does she miss her family and friends? Is she coming out of her depression?
    
    
25. It's a good touch, that she pays her rent by the week not the month.
    
    
26. Home sweet home. I suspect all will not be calm.

Comments

[abrakadabrah.livejournal.com]

Ken makes me think of a Firefly character. I can't think which Firefly character or why. He seems so well-meaning at first, he must be a monster or a demon.

Cause he's on Firefly. He plays the lawman that "plays" a passenger trying to get River in, I believe, the first and second Firefly episodes. Mal eventually shoots him dead and they leave him on the planet they are escaping from.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Cause he's on Firefly. He plays the lawman that "plays" a passenger trying to get River

Yes! Yes! Thank you! I knew his face was there in my visual-reference-to-Firefly, but I couldn't place it.

[liliaeth]

I'm surprised that you missed the best line of the episode:

"I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you are...?"

When Buffy finally accepts who and what she is.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes - definitely a great moment! and a great line.

Does she talk about wanting to be 'normal' after this?

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

It's one of Buffy's never-ending internal conflicts, really.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

it's one of Buffy's never-ending internal conflicts

Ah. Right. I am prepared.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure how or why the events of "Anne" made her decide to return

It's the identity thing. From the title onwards, this ep is about her wanting to be someone else, to have a regular life. The identity-stealing demons are the embodiment of that desire - abandonment of identity and losing one's self in mundane labour. That makes her aware of the part that makes her stand out of the crowd and able to fight them, the realization that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is WHO she is, is part of her identity. The natural conclusion, I suppose, is to embrace all of who she is and her destiny, and go back home to fight on the hellmouth.

Not too keen on that ep, although I love the glimpses of Rupert and the scoobies trying to cope without her.
And Joyce blaming Giles is exactly what he was worried would happen if she was told about the slayage.

Looking forward to 302. The second or third ep I saw (depending on whether you consider becoming 1 or 2 eps) and the first ep that hooked me on the show.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I like your interpretation here. Yes - it isn't anything specific except her ability to fight demons, which she really does know is important. "With great power comes great responsibility." Like it or not.

Not too keen on that ep

Nor am I, and I think it's because (a) it's not very exciting (especially after "Becoming"), (b) all the action more or less takes us back to where we started, (c) the interaction between Buffy and the characters that gives the show so much of its charm isn't there, (d) Buffy is so depressed, and (e) it's a digression.

The next episode hooked you - cool!

[gillo]

Fun to see Xander and Willow trying to be vampire-hunters. And Oz! They worry about their anti-vampire dialogue. Such amateurs.

Nice contrast to the beginning of S2 when all they did was wait for Buffy. They are inept but growing into a sense of responsibility.

And she did kill him, and he's still there in her head, and, I assume, will be back in person as well. This reminds me of Sting's "every breath you take".

His continuing place in the credit sequence is a bit of a hint, isn't it? Buffy's dreams and fantasies are always relevant.

I didn't recognize Lily. I loved it when she said she was Chanterelle. And Buffy told her what "Chanterelle" means. Heh. Classic lost soul.

More wonderful Jossian continuity porn. (Like Jonathan and Harmony.) We will see her again in

Angel

.

It's scary when Ken says, "Rickie's no more dead than I am." But Lily isn't the suspicious type.

No more than she was suspicious of the vampire cult. Or will be...

Entrance to Hell: yucky black water. Seems funny to me that the entrance to Hell is here when the Hellmouth is in Sunnydale.

Hell is where you find it. (Mephistopholis in

Dr Faustus

: "Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.") It becomes canon that there are many hell dimensions. Not all of them are accessed via Sunnydale.

Interesting that they take away identity in Hell first thing. Cool.

Ken says "Humans don't fight back." I'd say that was something humans do all to readily. But Ken doesn't seem to be the most astute, clever and historically-aware demon possible.

I think we are supposed to see a Gulag/concentration camp metaphor here. Removal of identity is one way of stopping people fight back.

Another good Buffy line when she takes Lily to her small apartment: "Let me give you the tour. This concludes our tour." And she decides to go back to Sunnydale. I wasn't sure how or why the events of "Anne" made her decide to return - glad she did, I don't particularly want to be watching "Buffy, the Waitress" for a few more seasons, but... was it that she realized demons have to be faced and you can't run from them? Does she see things differently, knowing that people can come back from Hell? Does she miss her family and friends? Is she coming out of her depression?

The crucial thing is that she not only accepts her calling, she

reclaims

it in the hell dimension. Remember, the first episode of each season is about Buffy coming to terms with her identity and calling? However, it's never that simple - she still has to buy back her role at home.

Not a great episode but a solid season opener, and still better than most TV shows manage at their peak.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Nice contrast to the beginning of S2 when all they did was wait for Buffy.

It's nice to see them trying so hard. Carrying on Buffy's legacy and all.

His continuing place in the credit sequence is a bit of a hint, isn't it?

It is. But I don't take death very seriously in most supernaturally-based TV shows.

Buffy's dreams and fantasies are always relevant.

And surprisingly interesting. (I say this because I just watched "Amends" where she dreams of having sex with Angel. And vice versa.)

Hell is where you find it. (Mephistopholis in
Dr Faustus: "Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.")

Good point. Even in Milton, there are different chambers and levels. And Dante has many levels of hell.

Removal of identity is one way of stopping people fight back.

Made me think of George R.R. Martin's Unsullied, where each slave is given a new insulting name each day.

the first episode of each season is about Buffy coming to terms with her identity and calling?

Hmm. Truly, I hadn't noticed that, though I've been told it before. I think of it as 'set-up', but yes, it's setting up her identity.

still better than most TV shows manage at their peak.

Better dialogue, certainly. And charactet. I'm not sure about plot: though I suppose a lot of shows have no plot to speak of.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

George R.R. Martin's Unsullied

Do you recommend it? I _love_ Song of Ice and Fire, and enjoyed the one with the flying people that I forget the name of.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

What a lovely icon!

By the "Unsullied" I meant the characters in "A Song of Ice and Fire" (the slaves liberated by Danaerys). I don't remember the name of the one about the flying people, but I liked it too.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Either it's been too long since I read that bit, or it's in Feast of Crows, which I haven't read yet. But it sounds vaguely familiar, the more I think about it. I re-read A Game of Thrones a few months back, intending to re-read all the rest before reading Feast of Crows, but I've so many books to read that I've never read before, that I keep putting it off.

I've just remembered the other book's name - Windhaven.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Either it's been too long since I read that bit, or it's in Feast of Crows

The chapters about the Unsullied are in A Storm of Swords, in the sections about Danaerys.

Windhaven! I must read it.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Buffy doesn't seem happy as a waitress. She wanted a 'normal' life, but I'm sure she's hideously depressed

Well, yeah. I don't think this is about trying to have a normal life for Buffy - that would require making an effort. This is just sticking her head in the sand and trying to forget everything that's happened. She's not Buffy here, she's Anne. She doesn't fight monsters, or sleazy customers, she just keeps her head down.

Part of that is how she reacts to Lily - she really isn't that eager to try and help. Buffy just doesn't want to get involved with anyone like that because she hasn't got enough left over from dealing with things herself.

That said, I like how they keep her capable. Even with her entire life having fallen apart, Buffy is together enough to get a job and a place to live. And she does get involved with Lily in the end and try to save her, because in the end that is just part of who Buffy is and this episode is about her getting that back and finding a purpose again.

And the second sign that Buffy is on the way back is that her language starts getting fun again. Witness the speech about the tea cozy to the nurse and:
Buffy: hey! What's with all the sin? I need to change. I'm dirty, I'm bad . . . with the sex, and the . . . envy, and that loud music we kids listen to nowadays . . .

Interesting that they take away identity in Hell first thing. Cool

Yeah, that's a nice touch. And creepy because it makes sense of all the "I'm nobody" bits. Plus it gives Buffy that lovely opportunity to reclaim her name, her identity and calling and kick butt all in one fell swoop.

Though I am also fond of Lily developing a backbone and pushing Ken off the edge. It's the shocked expression she has afterwards that makes it.

was it that she realized demons have to be faced and you can't run from them? Does she see things differently, knowing that people can come back from Hell? Does she miss her family and friends? Is she coming out of her depression?

What ceruleancat said. She's had her break from being herself and being the Slayer and now she's healed enough to be ready to get her life back, with the family and friends and demon fighting and all.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't think this is about trying to have a normal life for Buffy - that would require making an effort.

At this point, it's just escape. But she can't escape her memories and dreams, much less her pain over Angel.

Buffy just doesn't want to get involved with anyone like that because she hasn't got enough left over from dealing with things herself.

To some extent they echo each other's helplessness. And I think in seeing Lily's helplessness, Buffy realizes she doesn't want to be like that.

creepy because it makes sense of all the "I'm nobody" bits.

Which I loved, if I didn't mention that. Really good creepiness that builds as you realize after the first instance that it means something.

It's the shocked expression she has afterwards that makes it.

yes.

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

To me, one of the most breathtaking scenes in the show is in this episode, when Buffy stands up with the hammer and sickle during the fight scene.

And yes, 'hell' appears to be a catch-all term for various demon dimensions.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

one of the most breathtaking scenes in the show is in this episode, when Buffy stands up with the hammer and sickle during the fight scene.

Yes, that was brilliant!

'hell' appears to be a catch-all term for various demon dimensions.

Makes sense. Especially when there are so many different kinds of demons. "Demon" seems to be a catch-all phrase for "evil non-human life forms". And vampires are a sort of special category - partaking of both human and demonic nature.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

"Demon" seems to be a catch-all phrase for "evil non-human life forms".

It's not quite that cut and dried - there are non-evil demons, like Whistler, though we admittedly don't see many on BtVS. Angel has more.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

there are non-evil demons, like Whistler

Whistler is non-evil? Hmm. Well, in the glimpse I got, he didn't seem bad.

So what, then, is a demon? Simply a supernatural entity?

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

As far as I am aware, Whistler is not evil.

So what, then, is a demon?

Er... I don't think they ever define it in the show. But it is definite that being a demon doesn't necessarily mean being evil. So an interesting question is: do demons have souls? We know vampires don't.

Simply a supernatural entity?

Possibly. Don't they talk in the first episodes about demons being around before everything else and that then a way was made for mortal animals or something? Though that may mean the super ancient type of demon and not the current common varieties.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

So an interesting question is: do demons have souls? We know vampires don't.

If there are different types of demons, maybe some have souls and others do not.