"Powers That Be in Whedonverse"

 

"POWERS THAT BE IN WHEDONVERSE"

While perusing one of the many BUFFYVERSE message boards on the Internet many years ago, I had come across a passage from an old article titled, "Classic CJL: Spike and the Whedonverse":

"In order to battle the new enemy (vampires), the Powers have called upon Slayers, Champions (welcome, Cordy!), Seers and Mystics, all dedicated to protecting the human race from the vampires and half-breed demons who feed upon and ravage the populace."

Like many other "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE" fans, I had believed in this nonsense . . . until I saw the Season Seven episode, (7.15) "Get It Done". Thanks to this particular episode, I finally came to the conclusion that the above comment about the so-called "Powers That Be" featured in both "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" and its spin-off, "ANGEL" just might not be true. Following the suicide of one of the Potential Slayers and a dream of the First Slayer, in "Get It Done", Buffy Summers had received a bag from Principal Robin Wood. The bag once belonged to his mother – a former Slayer from the 1970s named Nikki Wood. This bag eventually led Buffy to discover the true origins of a long line of vampire slayers.

In "Get It Done", Buffy finally discovered that the Powers That Be had not created the Slayer line. Instead, a trio of ancient African shamans had committed the dead in order to create a weapon (one of flesh) to fight vampires and other demons for them. And to insure this weapon would remain under their control – and under the controls of those that followed them – the shamans had guaranteed the Slayer line would continue through countless young females throughout the ages via a spell. Why? Because they had believed that adolescent girls and young women would be easily controlled, due to their ages and gender. So one has to wonder - did the First Slayer, Buffy, Faith Lehane, Kendra Young, Nikki Wood, Xin Rong and all of the Slayers before and after really had a sacred duty to defend humans against vampires and other demons, because of the Powers to Be? Or had they merely been reluctant conscripts in a never ending war waged against demons by these shamans and their descendants – the Watcher’s Council?

Speaking of vampires, here is another passage from the article . . . this time, it centered around Angel – the vampire with a soul, who had formed his own gang to fight demonic evil on his own show in Los Angeles:

"Of course, the biggest exception to the rule, the vamp who broke the mold, is Angel. The Powers and our Lord Joss have spent a great deal of time and effort guiding his path from Chaos, prepping him for his pivotal and unique role in the upcoming "End of Days" we’ve been waiting for since BtVS, Season 1."

I am curious. Exactly how did the vaunted Powers That Be guide Angel toward his actions in one of the late "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" episodes, (7.21) "End of Days"? I will admit that the Powers to Be had been responsible for placing him in Buffy’s path back in 1996. A demon named Whistler had introduced Angel to the future Slayer and within less than a year, the latter followed her to Sunnydale and his own future in demon slaying.

But the Powers That Be had not been responsible for giving him his soul back in 1898. A group of Kalderash gypsies from Romania had restored his human soul in an act of revenge for his murder of one of their children. This soul would afflict him with a conscience and condemn him to an eternity of guilt and remorse for the crimes he has committed. After Angel lost his soul again one hundred years later in 1998, one of Buffy’s close friends, Willow Rosenberg, restored his soul while he was engaged in a lethal sword fight against the Slayer. Come to think of it, Willow performed this act again five years later, on the behest of Angel’s Los Angeles associates. If the Powers to Be were not responsible for the various restorations of his soul, who would have become their "Champion" from the Shanshu Prophecy, if Angel had not killed that Kalderash gypsy child?

As for his role in "End of Days" – the only task Angel ended up performing was to hand Buffy the amulet that would help her defeat the First Evil’s plans to upset the balance of good and evil. Come to think of it, the heads of Wolfram and Hart – the law firm that served as the Powers That Be's opposite number – had given Angel that amulet. But another powerful and souled vampire, eventually wore the amulet in the "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE" series finale, (7.22) "Chosen" that led to the First Evil’s defeat.

That vampire proved to be Spike, originally a lovesick and failed Victorian poet who ended up being sired by one Drusilla, the very vampire who had been driven insane and sired by Angel or Angelus. Although Spike had originally traveled with Drusilla, Angel and his sire Darla for several years; he and Drusilla eventually broke away and became a romantic pair on their own. By the time he had reached Sunnydale in 1997, Spike had developed a reputation as the only vampire to have killed more than one Slayer (including Nikki Wood). He had hoped Buffy would prove to be his third Slayer. However, a series of events eventually led to Spike falling in love with Buffy, forming an alliance with her and her friends, and winning back his soul. Although Angel had brought the amulet to Sunnydale, Buffy had decided Spike would be the one to wear it during her final showdown against the First Evil. Buffy had decided . . . not the Powers That Be.

From what I have surmised, the Powers That Be had only committed one major act in their "war against evil" - they had used Whistler to guide Angel toward making his acquaintance with Buffy before she became a Slayer. They were certainly not responsible for the creation of the Slayer line. They were not responsible for Angel getting back his human soul . . . three times. Come to think of it, they were not responsible for Spike retrieving his soul. Apparently, William the Bloody had made the choice to regain his soul. No one had made it for him. And Buffy had decided which souled vampire would wear the mystical amulet during her fight against the First Evil. This only led me to wonder just how relevant were the Powers That Be in the Whedonverse.

"Different Paths in Brotherhood"

"DIFFERENT PATHS OF BROTHERHOOD"

While reading an old review by someone named Tchaikovsky about the Season Five "ANGEL" episode, (5.08) “Destiny”, I noticed that the reviewer discussed a lot about the relationship between the two vampires - Angel and Spike - as "brothers", whether they were souled or not. When recalling that particular season, I remembered one particular thing about it. There seemed to be a strong focus on the topic of brotherhood. 

In the relationship between Angel and Spike, viewers had two vampires with the potential to be close "brothers" when they first met in London 1880. However, their feelings for one female vampire – namely Drusilla – fragmented that sense of brotherhood. After his disappointments with his former object of desire, an English debutante named Cecily, and his mother Anne, whom he had transformed into a vampire; Spike (or William Pratt) saw the female vampire as his destiny, someone to love and worship.

I am not sure what Angel (aka Angelus) saw in Drusilla. Perhaps he viewed her as something or someone to completely control, perhaps? As the son of an Irish merchant, Liam never really had any control in his relationship with his father, until the moment he killed the latter after becoming a vampire. Despite his rejection of his grandsire, the Master, Angelus found himself controlled by Darla via her usual subtle way - by making him believe that he was in control of their relationship. And perhaps, deep down, Angelus knew this. Perhaps this is why he had decided to betray William by having sex with Drusilla. Perhaps he wanted to make the other male vampire realize that he was in control and that William’s idea of Drusilla being his destiny was nothing more than an illusion. 

Due to Drusilla’s mental state, Angelus was not only Spike’s grandsire, but also acted as the latter’s sire and mentor. Yet . . . the night Angelus slept with Drusilla also marked the beginning of an antagonistic relationship and rivalry between the pair. That antagonism intensified following their reunion in Season Two of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER". When Angel lost his soul in (2.14) "Innocence" and became Angelus again; he resumed a sexual relationship with Drusilla. Crippled from his last encounter with vampire Slayer Buffy Summer, Spike found himself crippled and unable to do anything about it. Until he healed and formed a partnership with Buffy to deal with the threat of Angelus and Drusilla. At this point, Spike and Angel’s antagonistic relationship had lasted some 118 years. 

Ironically, after Spike had reappeared in Los Angeles in Season Five of "ANGEL" as a regular character, the two vampires slowly began to form another bond. Before that could happen, they had to deal with another rivalry - for the heart of Buffy Summers. After all, Spike had witnessed Buffy and Angel’s reunion kiss in the second to last episode of ”BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”, (7.21) “End of Days”. And in the following episode, (7.22) “Chosen”, Angel learned several things – namely that Buffy and Spike had formed some kind of relationship, Spike had a soul and Buffy had chosen the blond vampire as her personal champion. The two vampires’ resentment over Buffy spilled over when Spike’s non-corporeal form appeared at the end of the "ANGEL" episode, (5.01) “Convictions”. Yet, following their fight over the Cup of Destiny in "Destiny", the pair managed to reconnect as "brothers" in episodes like (5.11) "Damage" in which they bonded over shared experiences in becoming vampires, and in episodes like (5.20) “The Girl in Question” and (5.22) “Not Fade Away” in which they literally fought together as partners. Angel and Spike finally realized that they need each other in their fight against Evil and the Wolfram and Hart law firm. Besides, with the Fang Gang slowly disintegrating, perhaps Spike became the only person that Angel could truly depend upon.




In contrast to Angel and Spike’s relationship, Season Five marked the final destruction of the friendship between Charles Gunn and Wesley Wyndam-Price, Angel's fellow demon-hunters in Los Angeles. It is interesting that back in the series’ second season, they were close friends and partners in a detective agency they had just formed with Cordelia Chase. Many of the series’ fans would occasionally recall the secret handshakes, the ”I got your back” declarations, and the manner in which they had fought together against demons. 

But in the end, their relationship was destroyed by Wesley’s kidnapping of Angel’s son Connor and a woman – namely one Winifred "Fred" Burkle. I am not saying that she is to blame for their past or present estrangement. But Connor's kidnapping by an old vampire hunter (in which Wesley had unwisely participated) their views of Fred, and their personal demons - Charles’ insecurity (which was fed by Fred’s comment about him being the gang’s muscle) and Wesley’s secretive nature and whore/Madonna view of women - eventually brought about a complete destruction of their relationship. Temporarily. 

Their friendship resurrected when both men finally decided to forgo a romantic pursuit of Fred in late Season Four. But Angel’s decision to allow the Senior Partners, the evil overlords of the Wolfram and Hart law firm, to erase their memories of Connor and any other memories linking to the vampire’s son eventually set their friendship on the path of destruction once more. Angel's decision led to the Fang Gang becoming employees of the law firm, Charles’ decision to become an attorney by supernatural means and the resurrection of Wesley’s desires for Fred. Wes and Fred eventually began a romantic relationship by mid-Season Five. But their romance, along with Charles' new law career culminated in disaster when the latter made a pact with the Senior Partners to revive his diminishing legal abilities in exchange for signing the release of an ancient curio stuck in Customs. This curio resulted in the death of Fred and the resurrection of a demon called Illyia in Fred’s body. A grieving Wesley decided to seek revenge with the attempted murder of Charles. Although both men eventually assisted Angel in the latter’s battle against the Senior Partners and the Circle of Thorn in the Season Five finale, (5.22) "Not Fade Away", their friendship never returned to the state it had been during Season Two and late Season Four.

I find it amazing that two different male relationships ended on such divisive paths. Angel and Spike’s relationship – which began on a rocky foundation saturated with resentment and rivalry over two women - managed to reconnect into a strong brotherly bond. On the other hand, Charles and Wes’ friendship began on a strong note and ended in complete ruin before the series ended. And to think all of this happened during Season Five.

"ANGEL" RETROSPECTIVE: (5.08) "Destiny"

"ANGEL" RETROSPECTIVE: (5.08) "Destiny"

One of the most interesting episodes to air on "ANGEL" during its Season Five turned out to be the eighth episode called(5.08) "Destiny". Written by David Fury and Steven S. DeKnight, the episode is considered one of the best in the series. It also marked a relief for many viewers who had become weary of Spike in corporeal form. 

"Destiny" begins with a flashback to 1880 London, where a recently-sired William Pratt (yes, that is his surname) meets Angelus for the first time. The latter accepts William into the group that also includes Drusilla and Darla and adds that he looks forward to killing with another man. Angeleus expresses a vow that he and William are "gonna be the best of friends". The two male vampires seal their new friendship with clasped hands burning in the sunlight. One hundred and twenty-three years later, a mysterious package arrives at the Los Angeles Wolfram and Hart offices, addressed to William (now Spike). Harmony Kendall, Angel’s vampire secretary, opens the package, which produces a flash of light. Minutes later, Spike tries to materialize through and discovers that he is corporeal again. It is not long before Eve, the firm’s liaison to the Senior Partners, announces that the whole universe is in turmoil. Spike’s return to corporeal form and existence is messing with the expected course of the Shanshu prophecy, because after dying on the Hellmouth to save the world in the "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" finale, Spike now qualifies as a champion.

When an employee named Sirk, who worked under the absent Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, is questioned for more information on the Shanshu prophecy, he informs them that they did not get everything from the translation. Sirk adds that "The balance will falter until the vampire with a soul drinks from the Cup of Perpetual Torment". In other words, whoever (Spike or Angel) drinks from the cup, that vampire is the one who was destined for the prophecy. And once the champion is decided, the universe will go back to normal. Sirk also adds that the Cup of Perpetual Torment was destroyed in an opera in Death Valley, Nevada. This bit of news leads both Spike and Angel to race to Death Valley in order to find the cup. And the two souled vampires end up battling out to determine which one of them will achieve the Shanshu prophecy. What Angel and Spike fail to discover was that their battle for the prophecy had been planned by Eve and her lover, former Wolfram and Hart attorney, Lindsay MacDonald, to mess with the Senior Partners’ plans for the older vampire.

I might as well say it. "Destiny" was a bloody, intense and brilliant episode. In a small way, this episode reminded me the "BUFFY" finale, (7.22) "Chosen" and Angel’s reaction to the news about Spike possessing a soul. I initially found it odd that Angel would react to the news about Spike’s souled state in such a negative way. Surely he would have been thrilled at the idea of another vampire – especially one he has known for over a century – as a fellow champion. Instead, he reacted with a mild mixture of annoyance and resentment. This attitude carried over in "ANGEL", after Spike reappeared as a ghost at the end of (5.01) "Conviction" . It occurred to me that being the souled champion of the supernatural appealed to Angel’s ego and he did not like the idea of another supernatural being – especially a vampire – raining on his parade. And I am certain that his feelings about Spike played a major part in his reactions.

Then again . . . one only has to look at the flashbacks featured in "Destiny". Not long after welcoming vampire William as a future hunting mate, Angelus made certain that the younger vampire got the message that he was the sole alpha male of the group. And he did this by making certain that William knew that Drusilla was his "property" and no one else’s. And since Drusilla was William’s sire, the latter was also his by extension. I would not be surprised that Angel viewed the role as souled vampire/champion as his alone. It is possible that he viewed Spike as a mere interloper. And Spike’s past history with Buffy – someone Angel viewed as his sole love – probably did not help matters.

As for Spike, he must have harbored a great deal of resentment toward Angel from the moment he could the latter with Drusilla together back in 1880. This resentment probably increased after his relationship with Buffy. After all, the vampire slayer had never declared her feelings for him as she had done about Angel in the past. Despite Angel/Angelus' claim as the alpha male, Spike challenged the former’s claim every chance he could. Remember their confrontation in the Yorkshire caves in one of the flashbacks featured in the "BUFFY" episode, (5.07) "Fool For Love"? It was simply another moment of Spike upsetting Angel’s claim as the superior. 

One also had to take in Spike's accusation in "Destiny" that Angelus made him into a monster. On one level, he was right. Although Drusilla had sired Spike, it was Angelus who more or less taught the former how to be a first-class vampire. Angel claimed that Spike always had the ability to be a monster. And he was also right. Angelus alone could not have been responsible for the creation of Spike aka William the Bloody. The darkness within William (even before he became a vampire) played a major part, as well. It seemed as if both vampires were trying to deny their own responsibility in the formation of the "Slayer of Slayers".

Finally, we come to Lindsay MacDonald and Eve’s role in this scenario. I have this feeling that some kind of conflict has been set in motion with the scheming of Lindsey and Eve. I must admit that I was a little surprised to see the former Wolfram and Hart attorney again. But I originally could not understand why he had returned to kick-start this rivalry between Angel and Spike . . . especially since he had willingly put both Angel and the firm behind him back in Season Two’s (2.18) "Dead End". In the latter episode, Lindsay had discovered that he had been chosen to be the new CEO of the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart. It is possible that the news of Angel assuming this very position had not only revived his old dislike of the vampire, but resentment toward the Senior Partners for allowing a nemesis to manage their firm. 

It is obvious that Lindsay used Eve as a minion for his plans to put Wolfram and Hart off balance. Many fans had not been impressed by Eve as a replacement for the very memorable Lilah Morgan. But in this episode, Eve managed to fool the Fang Gang with an air of innocence that many believed would not have suited Lilah’s personality. She became a more believable adversary for the team. Lindsay and Eve had used a spell to convince the others that the universe was in chaos due to the presence of two vampire "champions". The spell caused blood to leak from Harmony’s eyes, but it had no physical effect on the mortals that worked there . . . except for Charles Gunn. It could be that his "legal upgrade" made him supernaturally vulnerable to the couple’s spell.

The acting was superb in "Destiny". Both James Marsters and David Boreanaz were absolutely fantastic as Spike and Angel. Not only were their verbal interactions sizzled with electricity, but I believe that their superb fight scene may have been one of the best ever featured on both "ANGEL" and "BUFFY". I also have to commend J. August Richards for his portrayal of Gunn in this episode. I am certain that his Charles had fulfilled the fantasies of many by choking Eve. Christian Kane’s return to the series was a sight for my sore eyes. And Sarah Thompson gave her best performance as Eve, since she first joined the cast at the beginning of the season. As for the brief Spike/Harmony sexfest - it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Loved the look that Spike gave Harmony, and how she finally capitulated. Both Marsters and Mercedes McNab proved they had not lost their screen chemistry. In fact, Marsters not only worked well with Boreanaz and McNab, it was great to see him renew his old chemistry with Juliet Landau, who was great as ever as the eccentric Drusilla. 

Overall, David Fury and Stephen S. DeKnight wrote a first-rate episode . . . probably one of the best of the series. And their work was handled with care by a superb cast and solid direction from Skip Schoolnik. Two thumbs up for "Destiny"!

"BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" Retrospect: (4.08) "Pangs"

While watching my DVD set box for Season Four of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER", I came across this Thanksgiving episode called (4.08) "Pangs" and wrote the following article about it: 


"BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" RETROSPECT: (4.08) "Pangs"

Season Four has never been that popular with fans of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER". It was the first season that did not feature the vampire Angel as a regular character. And it marked the beginning of Buffy Summer's romance with university teaching assistant/Army demon hunter Riley Finn. And many fans were not that thrilled by the Initiative storyline. I have never had a problem with Season Four. Mind you, I would not count it as among my top four out of seven seasons. But it featured at least two of my favorite "BUFFY"episodes of all time. And one of them is the holiday-themed "Pangs".

While preparing a Thanksgiving feast for her close friends in the absence of her mother, University of California Sunnydale student and vampire slayer Buffy Summers encounters the restless and vengeful spirit of a Native American, called Hus, whose people - the Chumash tribe - were wiped out by Spanish and American settlers. Hus's spirit was released during a groundbreaking ceremony for U.C. Sunnydale's new Anthropology building. Hus managed to murder the Curator for the building's museum and a local priest who had attending the ceremony. During her frantic efforts to prepare Thanksgiving and deal with Hus, Buffy is unaware that former boyfriend Angel has returned to Sunnydale to keep an eye on her, after a friend of his (former regular character Cordelia Chase) has received a vision of her being in danger. She is also unaware that soon-to-be boyfriend Riley Finn is part of an U.S. Army program called the Initiative, which hunts down and experiments on demons. One of the Initiative's victims turned out to be Buffy's current nemesis, vampire Spike, who had managed to escape from his Initiative prison in the previous episode, (4.07) "The Initiative". Due to his inability to feed upon or commit violence against humans, Spike is slowly starving. He first seeks help and refuge from fellow vampire Harmony, who refuses to have anything to do with him. Desperate, he turns to Buffy and the other Scoobies for refuge in exchange for information about the Initiative.

"Pangs" did provide a few problems for me. One, the episode's writer, Jane Espenson, erroneously stated that the Chumash had been wiped out. Despite the Spanish, Mexican and American governments; the band still exists. Two, Buffy informed her friends that her mother Joyce left Sunnydale to spend Thanksgiving with an aunt. Why did Buffy, who was eighteen at the time, stay in Sunnydale? Why did she fail to accompany her mother for what was obviously a family gathering? Did Buffy have something against this particular "Aunt Pauline"? Three, during her last fight with Hus and the Chumash spirits he had summoned, Buffy unsuccessfully used her knife on Hus and claimed that he and his fellow spirits do not die. Yet, in a scene later, Angel managed to break the neck of one Chumash spirit and impale another with a knife. Hmmmm . . . I smell inconsistency in the air. And four, Angel's visit to Sunnydale led to the "ANGEL" Season One episode, (1.08) "I Will Remember You", which I loathe with every fiber of my being.

Aside from these narrative hiccups, "Pangs" remains a personal favorite of mine. At first glance, it seemed like a stand-alone episode that had nothing to do with the season and series' plot arc. As it turned out, it did."Pangs" marked the first time Spike would hang out with the Scoobies. It led to another setback in Buffy and Angel's relationship. It marked the first time that the Scoobies became aware of the Initiative, thanks to Spike. And it provided another chapter in Buffy's growing relationship with Riley Finn. This seems like an awful lot, considering that this episode mainly focused on Buffy dealing with a Thanksgiving feast and a vengeance spirit - two topics that were quickly resolved by the end. But Espenson and director Michael Lange. But the best things I can say about "Pangs" is that it featured superb performances and some incredibly funny dialogue and camera visuals. 

I tried to think of some of the best dialogue found in the episode and came across several lines. Among my favorites featured Buffy's ability to remain focused . . . or obssessed with her feast, while discussing their problems with Hus. However, one should not be surprised that Spike was responsible for the funniest moment in the episode in a scene that featured both Buffy and her friend Willow Rosenberg's reluctance to destroy Hus, due to their guilt over the country's past with Native Americans:

BUFFY: Will, you know how bad I feel. This is eating me up -- (to Anya, who holds up the bottle of brandy) -- a quarter cup, and let it simmer -- (to Willow, as Anya goes back) -- but even though it's hard, we
have to end this. Yes, he's been wronged, and I personally would be ready to apologize...

SPIKE: Oh, someone put a stake in me!

XANDER: You got a lot of volunteers in here...

SPIKE: I just can't take this mamby-pamby boo-hooing over the bloody Indians!

WILLOW: The preferred term is --

SPIKE: You won! All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That's what conquering nations do! That's what Caesar did, he's not going around saying "I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it!" The history of the world is not people making friends. You had better weapons, you massacred them, end of story!

BUFFY: Well, I think the Spaniards actually did a lot of... not that I don't like Spaniards...

SPIKE: Listen to you! How are you gonna fight anybody with that attitude?

WILLOW: We don't want to fight anybody.

BUFFY: I just want to have Thanksgiving.

SPIKE: Yeah, good luck.

WILLOW: If we could talk to him --

SPIKE: You exterminated his race. What could you possibly say that would make him feel better? It's kill or be killed here. Take your bloody pick.

James Marsters really acted the hell out of that scene. And I am not surprised. To this day, I believe that his portrayal of Spike was one of the best television performances I have ever seen . . . period. And he was really marvelous in this episode. So were Anthony Stewart Head, who did a top-notch job in giving a comic twist to a Rupert Giles who found himself manipulated by Buffy into holding the Scoobies' Thanksgiving feast at his apartment; Alyson Hannigan, who was also superb as best friend/witch Willow Rosenberg, who did not hesitate to express her conflict between dealing with Hus and her guilt over the region's ugly past in dealing with the Chumash people. Nicholas Brandon and Emma Caufield gave fine support as Buffy's two other friends, Xander Harris and former vengeance demon Anya Jenkins. Marc Blucas was charming as Buffy's soon-to-be boyfriend, Riley Finn. And he was ably supported by an exuberant Leonard Roberts. Mercedes McNab displayed excellent comic timing in scenes that featured recently sired vampire Harmony Kendall's encounters with Spike and Xander. David Boreanaz took a break from his new series at the time, "ANGEL" to give an intense, yet at times funny performance as Buffy's ex-vampire squeeze, Angel. But the real star of this episode was Sarah Michelle Gellar. She gave both a hilarious, yet poignant performance, revealing Buffy's somewhat obssessive determination to make her Thanksgiving a success. In fact, I believe I enjoyed her performance even more than Marsters. And that is quite an accomplishment, considering that Marsters is a natural-born scene stealer.

Yes, "Pangs" had a few problems. And its main narrative surrounding the dangers of a Native American vengeance spirit did not exactly strike me as memorable. However, I do believe that the narrative made an interesting comment on how conflicted Americans have become in viewing our county's history. More importantly, Spike's comments on the cirumstances that led to Hus' path of vengeance is a brutal reminder of how monstrous human beings can be - a foreshadow of the Scoobies' future behavior later in the series. Thanks to Jane Espenson's hilarious script, Michael Lange's direction and a superb cast led by Sarah Michelle Geller, "Pangs" remains one of my favorite "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" episodes to this day.

"Guidance and Estrangement"

"GUIDANCE AND ESTRANGEMENT"

During its seven seasons run, the television series, "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" has generated a good number of controversy amongst its fans, other viewers and the media in its approach to several subjects regarding its main character, Buffy Summers, and its supporting characters. Many of those subjects have included sex, violence, addiction, and discrimination – both gender and racial. But there seemed to be one topic that fans of the series seemed to be in conflict over – namely authority figures and how it pertained to Buffy’s relationship with her Watcher, Rupert Giles.

When the series first began in January 1997, Buffy and her mother, Joyce Summers, had recently moved from Los Angeles to Sunnydale; following the latter’s divorce from Buffy’s father, Hank. The Summers’ marriage had buckled under the strain of his infidelity and Buffy’s early activities as a Slayer in Los Angeles. The move to Sunnydale also meant the eventual erosion of daughter and father’s relationship. Since Buffy’s first Watcher, Merrick, had killed by a vampire named Lothos; the young Slayer found herself with a new Watcher – the English-born Rupert Giles.

The relationship between Buffy and Giles went through many stages and emotional upheavals. Due to her father’s declining presence in her life, the Slayer began to regard her Watcher as a new father figure. Yet, at the same time, she struggled to maintain a private life of her own – one that involved school and a social life – despite Giles’ insistence upon her focusing upon her training and duties as a Slayer. One such incident occurred when Buffy wanted to forego another training session to attend a fraternity party at Sunnydale’s University of California campus in (2.05) “Reptile Boy”. Despite their occasional bouts of conflict and the crisis surrounding the re-emergence of Angelus in late Season Two, Buffy’s view of Giles as a replacement for her father had grown stronger by mid-Season Three. Then came the Cruciamentum in the episode, (3.12) “Helpless”

The Cruciamentum was a test that senior members of the Watchers Council put each Slayer through on her eighteenth birthday. She must be weakened (namely stripped of her Slayer abilities) and left alone with a vampire to test her skills and resourcefulness. The weakened Slayer rarely survives such a test. As I had stated earlier, Buffy had truly began to regard Giles as a second father, especially since her own father failed to appear and take her to an ice show for her 18th birthday. Unfortunately for Buffy, the Cruciamentum test proved to be the first time that Giles would betray her. Showing more loyalty to the Council than the Slayer, he placed Buffy under hypnosis before stripping away her Slayer abilities with a drug. However, guilt over his betrayal and the danger of a psychotic vampire loose upon Sunnydale led Giles to confess his actions and help her deal with the vampire. Because of his actions, the leader of the Watchers Council – Quintin Travers – accused Giles of being too emotionally close to Buffy and fired him. However, Buffy severed her ties with the Watchers Council and continued to regard Giles as her Watcher. However, the Cruciamentum did not prove to be the last time that Buffy and Giles would clash.

Season Five provided more heartaches and crisis for Buffy than any previous season. Buffy’s relationship with her college boyfriend, Riley Finn, crashed and burned. She discovered that her old nemesis, the vampire Spike, had fallen in love with her. Joyce became seriously ill. And a new member joined the Summers household – a younger sister named Dawn. However, Buffy and the Scoobies eventually learned in (5.05) “No Place Like Home” that Dawn was originally a mystical object known as the Key, which can be used to open portals to alternate dimensions; a group of monks transformed the Key into human form and sent it to the Slayer for protection from the villainous hellgod, Glory. The hellgod wanted to use the Key (Dawn) to return to her home dimension. The memories of Buffy and her associates were altered, along with relevant records, so that they believed Dawn had always existed as Buffy’s sister. Once Glory discovered that Dawn was the Key, her presence became a threat to human existence. Giles certainly believed so and insisted that Buffy kill Dawn before Glory can use her blood in (5.22) “The Gift”. Fearful for Dawn’s life, Buffy asked Spike to protect the teenager from any threat. I can only wonder if she had viewed Giles as a possible threat.

Eventually, Buffy sacrificed her life to stop the threat of Glory and to close the portal that the hellgod had used Dawn’s blood to open. Several months following Buffy’s death, Giles decided to return home to England in (6.01) “Bargaining”. Following her resurrection, he returned to Sunnydale. However, he noticed that Buffy had begun a disturbing trend of depending upon him for everything – including matters in her non-Slayer life. In the episode, (6.07) “Tabula Rasa”, Giles decided to return to England in order for Buffy to gain independence. He did not return, until the crisis over Willow’s turn to evil evolved, following the death of her lover, Tara Maclay.

Giles’ return to England during Season Six proved to have a major impact upon his relationship with Buffy during the show’s seventh and final season. The impact of his disappearance would not be realized, until the two clashed over the status of a chip-free Spike in the episode, (7.17) "Lies My Parents Told Me". After acquiring his soul in Africa, during the Season Six finale, (6.22) “Grave”, Spike returned to Sunnydale, racked with guilt over his past as a vampire and his attempted rape of Buffy in (6.19) “Seeing Red”. And unbeknownst to himself and others, he was being mentally tormented and controlled by the season’s Big Bad – the non-corporeal being known as the First Evil. Spike’s troubles did not end there. By (7.13) “The Killer in Me”, the chip was slowly killing Spike and Buffy had to request help from her old flame, Army officer, Riley Finn, to remove the chip for good. Spike was finally free from the dangers of the chip, but not from the First Evil.

Buffy and Giles’ clash over Spike first spilled over in an amusing exchange featured in the beginning of the following episode, (7.14) “First Date”. However, Giles’ anxieties over Spike’s chip-free and First Evil-influenced state continued unabated. He continued to insist that Spike be contained or slayed, for the safety of the Potentials and the Scoobies, now residing inside the Summers house. Giles disappeared for two episodes and returned at the beginning of ”Lies My Parents Told Me” with a magical artifact called a Prokaryote stone. Willow used the stone and a spell to penetrate Spike's mind and make him more conscious of how the First Evil’s trigger worked. Needless to say, the session ended in disaster, with Spike unintentionally hurting Dawn (why Buffy allowed her to hang around, I do not know). Following the failure to break the First Evil’s hold on Spike, Giles conspired with Robin Wood – the son of a Slayer that Spike had killed back in 1977 – to kill the blond vampire behind Buffy’s back. Buffy eventually realized what Giles and Wood had conspired and coldly ended their Watcher-Slayer relationship . . . and friendship.

I am not really surprised that Buffy turned his back on him, following the incidents of ”Lies My Parents Told Me”. As I had earlier pointed out, it was not the first time he had betrayed her. He betrayed her in Season 3's "Helpless". But he realized his error and made amends in the end. In late Season 5's "The Gift", he continuously pressured Buffy to kill Dawn in order to save the world. Not only did she refuse, but she asked Spike to kill him or anyone else who made a move toward Dawn. Even if Dawn's death would have saved the world, I do not think that Buffy could have lived with herself if she had killed her younger sister. Her slide into catatonia in (5.21) “The Weight of the World”, following Glory’s abduction of Dawn, struck me as proof that Buffy would have serious problems with anything happening to her younger sister.

But Giles’ betrayal in "Lies My Parents Told Me" proved to be the last straw. Not only did Giles plotted behind her back, he never expressed any remorse for his actions. Worse, he only gave Spike once chance to deal with the First Evil’s trigger before he began plotting with Robin Wood behind Buffy's back. Giles never took into account that triggered or not, Spike was not the only dangerous person in that house. There was Willow, who was not only a very powerful witch, but still emotionally unsure about herself. And I suspect that if the First Evil had triggered Spike, he would have to deal with Willow, a powerful and experienced Slayer in the form Buffy, and a house full of potential Slayers. Giles never considered all of this or that Wood’s plotting centered on an emotional desire for revenge against Spike. Instead, he allowed his fears and his dislike of the vampire to rule his emotions. And he never expressed any remorse for his actions.

Buffy had been slowly maturing as a person throughout the series' run. By late Season Seven, it was time for her to realize that Giles did not always have the answers or that he was not always right. It was also time for her to realize that sometimes, every individual has to question authority figures . . . or rely upon him or herself and not a parent or a surrogate parent. Back in early Season Six, Giles realized that Buffy could not always depend upon him and that sooner or later, she would have to learn to stand on her own. Unfortunately, the destruction of the Watchers Council triggered a great deal of fear within Giles. He forgot about his resolve about Buffy becoming an adult, and tried to overcome this fear by resurrecting his old relationship with Buffy. By ”Lies My Parents Told Me” he failed to realize that she had matured too much for him to recapture it.

Buffy and Giles had failed to resolve their conflict over his final betrayal by the end of the series . . . despite their willingness to fight together in the final battle against the First Evil’s plans in (7.22) “Chosen”. Their relationship grew worse over Giles’ failure to inform Buffy about his and Faith Lehune’s dealings with a rogue Slayer named in one of the Season Eight stories featured in a series of comic books based upon the series. It was not until their dealings with the being known as Twilight (aka Angel) that Buffy and Giles finally reconciled. Unfortunately, their reconciliation did not last very long. While still under the guise of Twilight, Angel murdered Giles. Pity. It would have been nice to see Buffy and Giles develop an equal relationship between two friends and colleagues.

"ANGEL" RETROSPECTIVE: (5.15) "A Hole in the World"

Below is a look into (5.15) “A Hole in the World”, a Season Five episode from “ANGEL”:


"ANGEL" RETROSPECTIVE: (5.15) "A Hole in the World”

Written and directed by Joss Whedon, the Season Five episode, (5.15) “A Hole in the World”, centered on the death of one of the series’ regulars, Winifred “Fred” Burkle. The slow road to her death began when a Wolfram and Hart employee named Knox accepts the delivery of a sarcophagus. When Fred touches one of the crystals that cover the lid, a puff of dusty air is released, making her cough. Later, she eventually starts coughing up blood before collapsing.

It turns out that by touching one of the sarcophagus’ crystals, Fred becomes infected by the spirit of an ancient demon named Illyria. The entire crew searches for a cure, but give up hope when Spike and Angel discover that the only way to save Fred's life would kill thousands of people. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce tries to comfort Fred as she dies and eventually witnesses the emergence of Illyria.

”A Hole in the World” was a very interesting episode that replayed the same issue from various ”BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” episodes like (3.19)”Choices” and 5.22)”The Gift” and ”ANGEL” episodes like (3.16)”Sleep Tight” - namely the task of making a choice for the need of the few or the many. And the choice that Angel had to make was whether to save Fred from death and the growing influences of a demon that had infected her body, or to ensure that the world would remain safe. Angel chose the world over his friend. And judging from the reactions on the forums when the episode first aired, not many agreed with his choice. I did not condemn Angel's choice. I believe that he had made the right one . . . just as Buffy had made the right choice for her in ”The Gift”. It did not really matter if the needs of the many were more important than the needs of the few, or vice versa. What mattered was that each person had to make the choice that was more important to his or her heart. For Buffy, Dawn was more important to her; and for Angel, sparing the world from destruction. Or perhaps being a champion was more important to Angel. However, if the choice had been between . . . say . . . Connor and the world; I suspect that Angel would have chosen Connor.

Angel’s decision proved to be some of an irony for Wesley. His reaction to Fred’s death in the following episode, (5.16) “Shells” certainly proved this. After all, I am talking about the ”King of Tough Choices”. This was the same man who felt it was more important to prevent Mayor Wilkins from getting his hands on the Book of Ascension than saving Willow's life in the ”BUFFY” episode, ”Choices”. He was also willing to risk the lives of rebellious Pyleans for a successful revolution in the ”ANGEL” episode (2.22) “There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb”. And in ”Sleep Tight”, he risked his friendship with Angel and the others in order to prevent said vampire from killing his infant son, because of a prophecy. Considering his past history, one can only ponder over his reactions to the circumstances that led to Fred’s death.

And speaking of Fred, what about her choices? One has to admit that many of her choices have led her to this point - a slow death and demonic possession. Fred chose to leave her home in San Antonio in order to attend college in Southern California. This decision put her in the path of Professor Siedel. And her curiosity caused her to open a book that led to five years of bondage in Pylea. After being rescued by Angel Investigations, she made the decision not to follow her parents back to Texas. Instead, she bound her fate with the souled vampire and his companions. This, in turn, led to her employment with Wolfram and Hart . . . and her death by the end of this episode. I have one question - why did Fred open the sarcophagus without first doing any research on it? I must have missed the scene. If so, this only proves to me that Fred never really had a healthy respect for the spiritual and the supernatural, despite her five years in Pylea and three years with Angel Investigations. She has always had a tendency to treat anything supernatural as a science experiment. And in doing so, she may have paid the price for her attitude. It is not surprising that Wesley angrily cursed her curiosity.

I also wanted to touch upon a few other points about this episode:

*While Eve was trying to hide from the Senior Partners, I bet she must have been wondering what kind of situation her love for Lindsey had brought her.

*I could not help but wonder if Fred upchucking blood over Wes was a metaphor or sign of the tragic death that overtook Wesley in the series finale.

*Angel and Spike were quickly becoming quite the screen team by this episode. I enjoyed watching our favorite vamps' relationship progress from polite antagonism to mutual grief over Angel's decision. I also enjoyed Spike’s “hole-in-the-world” speech. Very poignant.

*There is an old saying that if you do not have anything nice to say about something or someone, say nothing at all. Considering my opinionated nature, I could not hold back my opinion on the Wesley/Fred romance of Season Five. Watching them share a kiss following their victory over a demon around the beginning of this episode, reminded me of the early stages of Buffy and Riley's romance in the middle of Season 4 for ”BUFFY”. Wesley and Fred led me to conclude that watching a 30-something man and a 20-something woman act like teenagers in love seemed a little sad . . . and very saccharine.

Does anyone remember the Season Four episode, (4.16) "Players" and the conversation between Wesley and Fred in that episode? I do. In it, Fred had expressed her disgust over the Connor/Cordelia affair. When Wesley tried to make her to understand what would lead those two to have an affair, the conversation eventually drifted toward Wesley’s affair with Wolfram and Hart attorney, Lilah Morgan. Not only did Fred failed to understand Wesley’s lack of disgust over Connor and Cordelia, she could not understand how he could have become involved with Lilah in the first place. And that is how the conversation (and scene) ended . . . with Fred at a loss over Wesley’s attitude. I cannot say what was going through Wes' head at the time. But judging from the look on his face and his eventual silence, I got the impression that he realized Fred would never really understand "the real him". Considering that this conversation began with the topic of Cordelia and Connor, I could not help but wonder if Wesley and Fred had lost their memories of this discussion, due to the erasure of their memories of Connor, at the end of Season Four. Also, Wesley's kidnapping of Connor proved to be one of the catalysts for his relationship with Lilah in Season Four.

I also cannot help but wonder if they would have ever gotten involved in the first place, due to the mindwipe. I realize that many Jossverse fans tend to view Wesley and Fred’s romance as idealized, I never could accept that prevailing view. I simply found their relationship boring and somewhat infantile. It had an uneasy mixture of a high school romance and incest, due to Wesley’s habit of treating Fred as part-lover and part-daughter. It was not surprising to me that a dying Fred had expressed confusion at the reasons behind Wesley’s feelings for her.

*Fred’s Death Scene was one of the most unbearable I have ever experienced on television. In fact, I found it so excruciating . . . and slow that I was unable to experience any compassion or sadness over her death. I simply felt relieved when she finally died.

I must admit that A Hole in the World” was never a favorite episode of mine. In fact, I have never been that fond of the second half of Season Five. But I must admit that Whedon had written a first-rate episode. Yes, I found the Wesley/Fred romance a bit nauseating to endure. And Fred’s death seemed to go on forever. But Whedon’s handling of theme regarding hard choices and the introduction of the Illryia character made this one of the more memorable episodes of the series.

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER"

Below is a list of my ten favorite episodes of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" (1997-2003), which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar:


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”



1. (5.07) "Fool For Love" - After a common vampire nearly kills her with her own stake, Buffy turns to Spike to learn how other Slayers met their end so as not to make further mistakes and in turn, discovers a lot about his past history as one of the undead.





2. (6.03) "After Life" - While Buffy deals with being alive again, the Scooby Gang fights a demon that appeared as a consequence of resurrecting her in this haunting episode.





3. (7.17) "Lies My Parents Told Me" - While the gang investigates Spike's trigger; Principal Wood and Giles team up to get rid of the vampire without Buffy's knowledge.





4. (4.08) "Pangs" - Angel secretly arrives in Sunnydale to protect Buffy; who is attempting to prepare a perfect Thanksgiving, while dealing with the hostile spirit of a Chumash warrior. A very funny episode.





5. (7.08) "Sleeper" - After a newly risen and slain vampire named Holden has told Buffy that Spike is his sire, she investigates the possibility that the vampire might be killing again.





6. (3.07) "Revelations" - Gwendolyn Post shows up as Faith's new Watcher and warns the Scoobies that a demon is looking for the Glove of Myneghon, a powerful gauntlet.





7. (3.08) "Lovers Walk" - A lovelorn Spike returns to Sunnydale and kidnaps Willow and Xander. Oz and Cordelia discover them kissing, while attempting a rescue.





8. (6.18) "Entropy" - In a pivotal episode, Anya seeks vengeance on Xander after he had abandoned her at the wedding altar, and finds comfort with Spike; Willow and Tara decide to reconcile by arranging a date.





9. (4.09) "Something Blue" - A spell by a lovelorn Willow goes awry; blinding Giles, making Xander a literal demon magnet, and causing Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged in this very funny episode.





10. (2.19) "I Only Have Eyes For You" - In this emotionally charged episode, a ghost possesses high school boys and Buffy; while his school teacher-lover possesses high school girls and Angelus.