Episode 38: Becoming, Part 2

I love that this was such a long episode! I really appreciate hearing both of your insights on this, because this really is such a big episode when you look at the series as a whole. I’m not even sure where to start, so this is going to be pretty random:

-Buffy being quippy with Xander: I actually kind of like that scene, even though the content of what Buffy’s saying isn’t great. I think because Xander is known as the one who makes silly jokes, it tends to be overlooked that Buffy also makes a lot of silly jokes herself; Xander’s jokes just tend to be more inappropriate, either in content or in tone (or sometimes, in timing, but both Xander and Buffy make jokes/quips when they’re uncomfortable).

-Giles saying the line about the tutu is perfect. The line itself is perfect, and Anthony Stewart Head’s delivery (with the convincing start and dramatic pause) just makes it even better. I also love Dru becoming Jenny, because she’s so clever, and she thinks differently than most other vampires we see, I think, and I love that.

-The fight between Buffy and Joyce, and your discussion of it, reminded me of a line from my other favorite 90s show, My So-Called Life. The lead character gets in a fight with her mother and they both describe it, separately, as ‘one of those fights where you feel like the fight is having you.’ That’s very much the feeling I got from that fight, where they both let it escalate even though they didn’t want it to. I appreciated that you talked about the fight in the context of Buffy and Joyce’s relationship up to this point, because I think the way the fight happens shows that there’s a tension there between them that’s been building for a while. Like Buffy is concerned with the potential apocalypse and is upset over Kendra and Giles and Willow and Xander (and Angel), so she doesn’t want to have the argument just then and she doesn’t really have the patience for it. But she also is kind of fed up with continuing to lie to Joyce and have Joyce be kind of willfully oblivious and neglectful in return, getting mad but never really seeking to understand. And Joyce likely hasn’t wanted to face this because she’s afraid of what the truth might be (part of me just wants to say ‘suck it up, Joyce,’ but I am not a parent so this is just all my speculation on these specific characters). I agree that Joyce in the beginning of season 3 (whenever she decides to blame Giles, after ignoring his presence in her daughter’s life for two years) is… immensely frustrating.

-Laine, thank you for your headcanon about the vampire blood flow, because it never bothered me the first time I watched, but I know there’s that scene with Drusilla and at least one other – doesn’t Glory try to drown Spike at one point?

-I’m assuming now that the wicker chair Spike sits on was a deliberate choice, with the sound effects serving to make the moment more awkward. Though my favorite Spike and Joyce scene is the one in Lover’s Walk, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad Spike and Joyce scene, so I loved all of this.

-Cory, I loved your comments on the Xander-Willow relationship, and how the relationship they have and the love and closeness they have is something that is central in their lives. I never thought about it in quite the way you describe, but I think you’re right – they both kind of misinterpret that closeness when they’re younger, and that could lead to what happens in season 3.

-Also re: Xander and Willow, while I do think that Xander lies to Buffy partly because he thinks he can make that kind of decision when he gets that kind of power, I think that’s actually very similar to Willow. I don’t know if Willow would do that to Buffy, especially at this point in time, but in Lover’s Walk Willow tries to make a ‘de-lusting’ spell for her and Xander without telling Xander what she’s doing first. Willow’s whole approach to learning and practicing magic, from season 3 on, is a pretty good example of how Willow handles power like that at that young age. I mean, she does call out Anya for what she’s trying to do with her necklace spell, but I also don’t think ethics are at the forefront of Willow’s mind as she gets more and more into magic. She thinks as long as she’s on the side of good, then she’s fine, and she assumes that her own judgment will always be correct. (I feel like I sound like such a Xander apologist here- he’s not my favorite character [by far] but I’m not as bothered by his early seasons stuff as I am by his speech in Into the Woods, say). I do agree that it was weird that his lie was never really brought up again, though. I actually think the mention in season 7 might have been in response to fan outcry. I haven’t heard anything like that, it’s just my guess, but I remember fans being really upset about him not facing any repercussions for that when Buffy was first airing.

-Re: the end of the episode- that was so gut-wrenching, especially when I first watched it and then had to wait a whole summer for more. Thinking about what both of you said regarding the ending, I think it could be an interesting way of showing how different people react to traumatic experiences. Buffy tends to close herself off, while the Scoobies in that moment might have felt that this event actually drew them closer. It would also explain some of their anger towards Buffy – they felt like they needed her even more in the wake of what happened, but that’s not what she needed in that moment, especially after everything with Angel but also her fight with Joyce and her expulsion (and wasn’t that scene so great? Snyder is downright gleefully menacing and I watched this in high school myself, so that scene felt really dramatic to me the first time around).

Alright, I think that’s enough of an essay. 🙂 Thank you so much for another great episode!

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One thought on “Episode 38: Becoming, Part 2”

Jess says:

September 8, 2020 at 1:57 pm

I love that this was such a long episode! I really appreciate hearing both of your insights on this, because this really is such a big episode when you look at the series as a whole. I’m not even sure where to start, so this is going to be pretty random:

-Buffy being quippy with Xander: I actually kind of like that scene, even though the content of what Buffy’s saying isn’t great. I think because Xander is known as the one who makes silly jokes, it tends to be overlooked that Buffy also makes a lot of silly jokes herself; Xander’s jokes just tend to be more inappropriate, either in content or in tone (or sometimes, in timing, but both Xander and Buffy make jokes/quips when they’re uncomfortable).

-Giles saying the line about the tutu is perfect. The line itself is perfect, and Anthony Stewart Head’s delivery (with the convincing start and dramatic pause) just makes it even better. I also love Dru becoming Jenny, because she’s so clever, and she thinks differently than most other vampires we see, I think, and I love that.

-The fight between Buffy and Joyce, and your discussion of it, reminded me of a line from my other favorite 90s show, My So-Called Life. The lead character gets in a fight with her mother and they both describe it, separately, as ‘one of those fights where you feel like the fight is having you.’ That’s very much the feeling I got from that fight, where they both let it escalate even though they didn’t want it to. I appreciated that you talked about the fight in the context of Buffy and Joyce’s relationship up to this point, because I think the way the fight happens shows that there’s a tension there between them that’s been building for a while. Like Buffy is concerned with the potential apocalypse and is upset over Kendra and Giles and Willow and Xander (and Angel), so she doesn’t want to have the argument just then and she doesn’t really have the patience for it. But she also is kind of fed up with continuing to lie to Joyce and have Joyce be kind of willfully oblivious and neglectful in return, getting mad but never really seeking to understand. And Joyce likely hasn’t wanted to face this because she’s afraid of what the truth might be (part of me just wants to say ‘suck it up, Joyce,’ but I am not a parent so this is just all my speculation on these specific characters). I agree that Joyce in the beginning of season 3 (whenever she decides to blame Giles, after ignoring his presence in her daughter’s life for two years) is… immensely frustrating.

-Laine, thank you for your headcanon about the vampire blood flow, because it never bothered me the first time I watched, but I know there’s that scene with Drusilla and at least one other – doesn’t Glory try to drown Spike at one point?

-I’m assuming now that the wicker chair Spike sits on was a deliberate choice, with the sound effects serving to make the moment more awkward. Though my favorite Spike and Joyce scene is the one in Lover’s Walk, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad Spike and Joyce scene, so I loved all of this.

-Cory, I loved your comments on the Xander-Willow relationship, and how the relationship they have and the love and closeness they have is something that is central in their lives. I never thought about it in quite the way you describe, but I think you’re right – they both kind of misinterpret that closeness when they’re younger, and that could lead to what happens in season 3.

-Also re: Xander and Willow, while I do think that Xander lies to Buffy partly because he thinks he can make that kind of decision when he gets that kind of power, I think that’s actually very similar to Willow. I don’t know if Willow would do that to Buffy, especially at this point in time, but in Lover’s Walk Willow tries to make a ‘de-lusting’ spell for her and Xander without telling Xander what she’s doing first. Willow’s whole approach to learning and practicing magic, from season 3 on, is a pretty good example of how Willow handles power like that at that young age. I mean, she does call out Anya for what she’s trying to do with her necklace spell, but I also don’t think ethics are at the forefront of Willow’s mind as she gets more and more into magic. She thinks as long as she’s on the side of good, then she’s fine, and she assumes that her own judgment will always be correct. (I feel like I sound like such a Xander apologist here- he’s not my favorite character [by far] but I’m not as bothered by his early seasons stuff as I am by his speech in Into the Woods, say). I do agree that it was weird that his lie was never really brought up again, though. I actually think the mention in season 7 might have been in response to fan outcry. I haven’t heard anything like that, it’s just my guess, but I remember fans being really upset about him not facing any repercussions for that when Buffy was first airing.

-Re: the end of the episode- that was so gut-wrenching, especially when I first watched it and then had to wait a whole summer for more. Thinking about what both of you said regarding the ending, I think it could be an interesting way of showing how different people react to traumatic experiences. Buffy tends to close herself off, while the Scoobies in that moment might have felt that this event actually drew them closer. It would also explain some of their anger towards Buffy – they felt like they needed her even more in the wake of what happened, but that’s not what she needed in that moment, especially after everything with Angel but also her fight with Joyce and her expulsion (and wasn’t that scene so great? Snyder is downright gleefully menacing and I watched this in high school myself, so that scene felt really dramatic to me the first time around).

Alright, I think that’s enough of an essay. 🙂 Thank you so much for another great episode!

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Episode 38: Becoming, Part 2

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