BUFFY 5.16 FAQ
WHAT’S IT CALLED?
“The Body.”WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?
It was written and directed by series mastermind Joss Whedon. Whedon’s last episode was November’s Tara-centric “Family” (the rerun of which airs next week).
WHAT DOES TV GUIDE SAY?
“After months of fighting and ostensibly overcoming a brain tumor, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) dies unexpectedly and in a manner seldom seen on Buffy -peacefully and quietly. Reeling from the shock of discovering her mother's lifeless body on the living-room sofa, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) manages to pull herself together enough to deliver the news to an already emotionally fragile Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) - whose overwhelming denial makes fighting the boundless forces of evil look like child's play.”
THE BIG NEWS?
Wah! Hercules “The Strong” weeps like a little girl throughout the final half-hour! He’s watched the episode three times, and it happens every time! Alyson Hannigan makes him lose it, and he can’t get it back until the credits roll!
WELL, HOW DOES THAT WORK?
Hannigan convinces us that Willow is hurting, and we love Willow, and we start hurting too! I defy any true fan of this show to get through “The Body” without Kleenex. It’s as reliable a trigger for tears as the ending of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
SO IT’S SAD?
The cast gets a whole different kind of workout this week, and I’d put their performances against anything nominated for an Oscar this year. If this episode doesn’t garner a boatload of Emmy nominations, I’m going to start my own fucking television academy! God bless Joss Whedon and God bless the United States of America!
IT’S NOT FUNNY?
No, it’s funny too. There’s some hilarious “Godfather II”-evoking material early in the first act (particularly some geniusy Willow lines about Santa) designed to make us yearn for everything the Scoobs have lost. But mostly the episode is sad.
WHAT ISN’T TV GUIDE TELLING US?
“The Body” is a DIFFERENT kind of “Buffy.” It’s REALLY different. Even more different than recent Whedon-directed episodes like “Hush” and “Restless.”
WHY DO YOU KEEP SAYING “DIFFERENT?”
Most “Buffy” episodes are fast-paced, utilitarian and very much a product of their medium, every moment crammed with plot, suspense, pathos, or comedy. “The Body” feels at times like something Jim Jarmusch or David Lynch might make. It’s dream-like, comprised of indelible moments: Buffy adjusting her mother’s skirt, Dawn’s friend flashing a message, Anya’s lost look as she stares out a passenger window.
WHAT’S OUR FIRST CLUE THAT THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT?
No clip package. The episode begins by reprising the final shots of the prior episode.
HOW ELSE DOES IT DIFFER?
Aside from Nerf Herder’s title theme, there’s no music. (I think; it’s hard to concentrate when you're consumed with sobbing.) And though it’s certainly among the most cinematic episodes of “Buffy” ever made, “The Body” also feels like a stageplay at times. The episode is comprised of only four scenes, one for each act.
WHERE DO THESE FOUR SCENES TAKE PLACE?
a) Buffy’s house,
b) Dawn’s school,
c) Willow’s dorm, and
d) Sunnydale Memorial Hospital.
HOW DID JOYCE DIE?
“Looks like an aneurism,” says the doctor in the final act. “Sudden hemmoraging from a ruptured arterial vessel near where the tumor was removed.”
DO WE MEET THE GUY WHO SENT JOYCE THE FLOWERS?
No.
ANY SIGN OF ANGEL?
No.
ANY SIGN OF RILEY?
No.
ANY SIGN OF BEN/GLORY, DRU, HARMONY, DREG, JINX, THE KNIGHTS, WARREN OR SPIKE’S FEMBOT?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no and no. Even Spike sits this one out.
COME ON, HERC, GIVE US ONE BIG JUICY SPOILER!
Okay, but this one’s so big and cool, I’m going to say it backwards, like Zatanna! !ssik neercsno tsrif rieht erahs wolliW dna araT
TELL US HOW TO SQUANDER OUR LAST SWEEPS TUESDAY, O MIGHTY HERCULES!
The WB’s “Buffy” at 8:00, the WB’s “Angel” at 9:00, and MTV’s “Road Rules/Real World Challenge” at 10:00. Tape ABC’s “The Mole” at 8:00 and Fox’s “Dark Angel” at 9:00. Buy a TiVo and record Fox Family’s 2-hour “Freaks & Geeks” block at 8:00.
HERC’S RATING FOR “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” 5.16?
****
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for bulletins
God doesn’t want you! But I still do!
