#S1E12 Prophecy Girl

[stellernorth]

phantom of the opera (2004) / buffy the vampire slayer “prophecy girl” (1997)

[cordelia-slay]

✨hair and make up slay ✨

BUFFY SUMMERS ✦ Prophecy Girl

[cruelyear]

yellowjackets "saints" (S1E6) x buffy the vampire slayer "the prophecy girl" (S1E12)

[coraniaid]

Anyway, here are seven episodes of Buffy which I'd have given Amy Madison a cameo in.

The goal isn't to change the plot of any of these episodes substantially or to change Amy's overall arc (such as it is). Rather the idea is to do just enough work to make Amy feel like a recurring character with the weight of, say, pre-S6 Jonathan Levinson or pre-AtS Harmony Kendall. Somebody who is stil clearly a minor character, but who feels a lot more thought out than Amy herself often does.

I think you can do that with just a few strategically chosen cameos. Here are my picks:

1) S1E12 Prophecy Girl

Prophecy Girl brings back Jenny Calendar (previously only seen in I Robot, You Jane) and the previous week Out of Sight, Out of Mind had brought back Harmony (previously only seen in The Harvest). Both Harmony and Jenny would go on to be popular recurring characters, and I think making a second appearance in the first season would do wonders for Amy as well.

While I'm at it, I'd slightly rework Cordelia's story this episode -- cutting out her doomed boyfriend Kevin, who replaces Out of Sight, Out of Mind's Mitch without explanation and will never be mentioned again; and the slightly uncharacteristic friendly way in which Willow and Cordelia treat each other this episode. In my version of the episode, it would be Amy who roped Willow in to help set up the sound system at the Bronze for the Spring Fling, and it would be some of Amy's friends that they found murdered by vampires in the Audio-Visual Club.

(I wouldn't rob Cordelia of any of her other scenes, of course: she'd still get to drive her car through the school halls and bite a vampire.)

I think adding Amy like this would serve to remind the viewer that (i) Amy exists; (ii) Amy and Willow are friends; (iii) even with her mother gone, horrible things keep happening to Amy Madison.

2) S2E01 When She Was Bad

Nothing fancy here; just a quick establishing scene at some point to remind us Amy still exists (in the same way Larry makes a cameo at the beginning of Season 3). Have her show up at the library and ask if any of the gang have seen Jenny Calendar, because she's meant to be teaching a class but nobody's seen her all day, maybe? Rather than the approach that canon takes, where nobody seems to realize Jenny has been kidnapped at all, even though we know she was captured at least a day before Buffy goes to rescue Cordelia (and the gang spend all of that day at school, where Jenny Calendar should be working...).

Again, the point of this addition is to mainly remind the audience that Amy exists, but we're also setting up the idea that Amy might eventually look to learn more than computer science from Ms. Calendar.

3) S2E06 Halloween

Just one scene here as well: Amy commiserating with Buffy and the others, and admitting that Snyder "volunteered" her to go out accompanying kids that evening as well. The point being that we see that Amy has dressed up as a witch for Halloween...

(We wouldn't see Amy again all episode, and we wouldn't know whether she got her costume from Ethan's, but down the line the idea that Amy might have gotten a bit of a head start as a witch from her experiences this episode -- in the same way Xander remembered some of his military knowledge -- could definitely be a fun fan theory.)

If anybody asks Amy if she's comfortable dressing up as a witch after what her mother did, maybe she can reference back to the attack on the AV club or Ms. Calendar being kidnapped and suggest that she knows now that there are worse things in the world than witches...

4) S3E02 Dead Man's Party

OK, if I were rewriting this episode I'd find it hard not to make bigger changes. At the very least, I'd want to have a few more scenes from the POV of characters other than Buffy (so that there's less of a sense of Buffy's friends all treating her horribly for no reason). And who better for Willow to be pouring her frustrations out to than her fellow fledgling witch Amy?

Give Amy a line about "missing Ms. Calendar too" as well, and Willow's final speech to Buffy about spending the summer "trying to communicate with the spirit world" take on an interesting subtext.

5) S3E09 The Wish

This is an interesting one because I'm half-convinced Amy was meant to be in this epsiode anyway. It's the only episode before Amy gets ratted in which she's mentioned on screen (Willow tells us that she's heard some gossip about Cordelia from Amy, which is -- in canon, anyway -- the first indication we get in the whole show that Amy and Willow have started hanging out).

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Nancy's role this episode (in the alternate Wish dimension) wasn't originally meant to go to Amy. That's how I'd play it, anyway. (Of course, if Buffy didn't come to Sunnydale she wouldn't have been around to save Amy from her mom. But I think that's easy enough to fix: just throw in a line about Amy being grateful to Giles and the other Whte Hats for "saving her" from some unspecific fate, and make sure to establish that this version of Amy can't do magic.)

Of course, this Amy would have the same fate as Nancy -- fittingly, killed by Willow -- but I don't think we'd need to have that happen off-screen the way it does in the actual episode.

6) S5E22 Grave

I really don't think Amy's abrupt descent into magical drug addict works ... well, at all. So I'd like to see a much bigger change to her arc after being de-ratted (something like @idle-flower suggests here, for example). I just don't think her villain arc this season makes any sense (and I know it robs Willow of a lot of the moral agency she should have at this point).

Failing that sort of change, though, I'd at least like Amy's mini-arc this season to .. resolve? She gets the door slammed on her face by Willow all the way back in Doublemeat Palace and then we never see her again. We don't even know if she's staying with her dad, or if her dad left town, or what. How is she surviving at all? At least throw in a scene of Amy discovering whatever's left of Rack and looking angry and vengeful about it, surely? Remind us she exists, and that things aren't going great for her.

7) S7E12 The Killer In Me

You might object to this one on the grounds that Amy is already in this episode.

The thing is though, I'm not sure that episode's writers remember that she is? Amy is outed as being responsible for Willow's predicament, Kennedy promises to stop her, Amy snaps her fingers -- teleporting Kennedy away -- and ... that's it. That's the last we hear from, or about, Amy Madison. Not just in the episode, but in the whole show. She doesn't suffer any consequences, she never gets a face to face confrontation with Willow, there's no obvious reason why she wouldn't be free to try again and again. Surely we can do better than that?

At least give us a scene of Amy fleeing Sunnydale ahead of the First's wave of destruction, or reacting to Willow getting her own body back. Something that we can pretend amounts to closure for a character who has, after all, been a part of the show since the third ever episode. Even if her continued appearance on the show, season after season, wasn't ever something the writers conciously planned.

[strawberryfaced]

whats your favorite scene from the owl house?

ohohoho an owl house ask….. u asked for this anon…… rambling hat ON

(i can’t pick one so i’m just going to give you like. 15)

s1:

from s1e2, witches before wizards - “look, kid. everyone wants to believe they're chosen, but if we all waited around for a prophecy to make us special, we'd die waiting. and that's why you need to choose yourself." that quote speaks for itself I think

from s1e7, lost in language - amity is reading to kids. luz is admiring her. I am also admiring her. amity puts her hair up and both me and luz admire her +10. and then the way luz says “looks like this sour lemon drop has a hidden sweet centre!” I have an inside joke about this with my sister. the joke is that this quote. we both love this quote. I literally. I love everything about this quote. THE WAY SHE SAYS THE t IN “center” IS EVERYTHING. ALSO GRUMPY AMITY + HAPPY GO LUCKY LUZ WILL ALWAYS BE MY #1 . FOREVER also blight twins <3 and then when the guy book comes to life I cannot TELL YOU. how much I GIGGLED AT THIS SCENE. I remember this so clearly and I’m telling you this was like when I was like. wait damn. LUMITY’s REEEEEAAALLY gonna happen. I LOVE THIS. SO MUCH. AND ALSO WHEN LUZ GOES ROAR AND DOES HER JOKE AND AMITY LAUGHS ITS LIFE CHANGING BECAUSE LIKE. amity is a COOL popular girl. luz is not. they would totally have different senses of humour and from my experience I’d literally never get along with someone as different as me in that sense because I just wouldn’t be able to make them laugh so this is like. taking Amity’s cover off. she’s not a cool mean girl. SHE IS SILLY TOO

from s1e11, sense and insensitivity - I’m sorry this one is small but I just have to mention it: when eda and lilith catch the scammer guy and they are like. the hottest. fucking. villains ever. “ah, sure. spare us.” “woe to us, whose fates are sealed.” (knuckle crack). I’m dead. dying. you won’t see me alive and breathing for the next 10 days

from s1e12, adventures in the elements - OK THIS ONE HAS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVOURITE EPISODES EVER EVER EVER. there is not one scene I could pick to be my favourite so I’ll just talk about the whole episode. FIRST OF ALL. I REALLY LOVE HOW WE REALLY GET TO SEE EDA’s WEIRD STYLE OF TEACHING. AND LIKE WE ALL KNOW EDA’s AWESOME AND THAT ITLL WORK OUT IN THE END. BUT WITH THE WHOLE SNOW EATING THING ETC ETC I KINDA WAS LIKE UNSURE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE?? WHAT R U SUPPOSED TO DO WITH EATING SNOW?? SO WHEN LUZ LEARNT HER FIRST GLYPH WITH EDA’s TECHNIQUE I MEAN IT WAS EXPECTED BECAUSE. YEA BUT IT WAS ALSO THE MOST SATISFYING CLICK CAUSE IT WAS LIKE OHHHHHHHHHHHH. OK! and then also just lumity <3 in this episode <3 AND THE ENDING ALSO WHEN EDA GOES want me to teach u kids something cool LIKE SHES SO COOL MAN. SHES SO COOL DUDE IM EXPLODING. wait and then also one of my fave parts when at the end lumity are being adorable and eda sneezes and she says your adorableness is making me sick or whatever. that ALRIGHT that is right up my alley. something about being a funny parental mentor figure and then seeing your kid like. be cute and not have a problem with it. maaaan I don’t know man. I just like mentor apprentice mother daughter relationships ok

from s1e16, enchanting grom fright - I don’t wanna make s1 too long so I’m just gonna say this one speaks for itself. right (bonus while we’re on the topic of lumity - in wing it like witches: when amity stands up to boscha for luz and willow. and the andscoop. yea.)

from s1e18, agony of a witch - I don’t know why I’m including this one actually this is my least favourite episodes I can’t tell you how much I cried watching this. ‘alright, kid. Listen to me. I’m going away, and I don’t know if I can bounce back this time. watch over king. remember to feed hooty. and luz, thank you for being in my life.’ ugly cries 

s2:

from s2e1, separate tides - golden guard’s first appearance <3<3 eda and luz relationship <3<3 i’d talk more about hunter but i’ll leave that for later!!!! also the scene where king and hunter are like. doing the thing. that was perfect

from s2e2, escaping expulsion - STAY. AWAY. FROM. MY. LUZ. I’m sorry I’M A CLICHE GIRL OKAY. I LOVE SAVING EACH OTHER. I LOVE WHEN HEROES. I LOVE. LOVE LOVE. AND ESPECIALLY THAT ONEEEE PART IN THE SCENE WHEN THE ABOMINATION IS ABOUT TO HIT LUZ AND AMITY STOPS ITI ITS LIE SHDHSLLASNSNS S

wait I just realised that I like. accidentally talked about EVERY SINGLE S2 EPISODE. to save you from scrolling for your life I’ll just. write a sentence for my fave scene in each one. sorry anon

from s2e3, echoes of the past - hahahaha eda being hot and saving everyone. also sweet moments :) baby king 

from s2e5, through the looking glass ruins - amity kisses luz on the cheek.

from s2e6, hunting palismen - luz and hunter actually meet for the first time,,,, Hunter and luz fight ehehdhjdjsks + eda and king give luz palistrom/palisman wood :)

from s2e7, eda’s requiem - “oh you’ve changed owl lady” eda’s domestic to do list :) RAEDA!!!!!! also seeing eda do bard magic oh my gosh majestical + eda signing contract to be kings mom

from s2e8, knock, knock, knockin’ on hooty’s door - one of my favourite episodes - hooty ries to help everyone and successfully fails + eda emotional :’) + king emotional :’) + LUMITY FINALLY CANON!!!!!!!! also the lil moment between luz and eda talking about how to go about confessing…. hits the spot

from s2e9, eclipse lake - eda, king and amity meet hunter and amity tells hunter to shut it when he tries to threaten Luz. amity and hunter hehehehehehehe my lil heart

from s2e10, yesterday’s lie - camilla and luz meet :’)

from s2e11, follies at the coven day parade - willow’s tippy taps + amity BEINF an awesome girlfriend and not invading privacy and “and scoop” adorable luz picking up kikimora and eda tYING UP RAINEYM + funny belos king hooty

from s2e13, any sport in a storm - emerald entrails flyer derby willow and hunter. hunters traps them In a CELL + lumity searching for the good witch azura author! aka tinella nosa. tibbles acts like a jerk and amity punches him :3 also Darius is FUCKING AWESOME 

from s2e14, reaching out - luz talks to Amity about her dad + they send a flower out. :’) alador:’) I won’t stop if I start talking about it so I wont at all

from s2e15, them’s the breaks, kid - EDA AND RAINE BACKSTORY!!! RAEDA!!!!!!!! RAEDA RAEDA RAEDA

from s2e16, hollow mind - luz and hunter become siblings and get stuck in the emperor’s mind  <3 TOH’s wonderful representation of a panic attack at the end. healed me

from s2e17, edge of the world - eda has a mental breakdown about her kids :( king. I’m sorry I hate this ep actually

from s2e18, labyrinth runners - FLASHBAXK TO GUS AHD WILLOW FIRST FRIENDSHIP. hunter and gus cute friendship !!!!!! +++ cool hexside fight 

from s2e19, o titan, where art thou - luz and eda fight, eda gets captured, luz meets raine for the first time. ALSO one of my favourites

from s2e20, clouds on the horizon - I Love everything about this ep but LUMITY KISS HDWJSJAKQONEQINSISNSHSHSODJENDBSIS

we are not talking about king’s tide. also I would absolutely talk about s3 but I do not wanna make this too long so I’ll end it here <3 thank u for the awesome ask anon

and send POST!

[holden-norgorov]

Buffy, Aslan and The Apocalypse - The Christian Undertones of Restless

Speaking as an atheist, I've always been fascinated by the Christian parallels which seem to permeate the entire work of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. But while I think such religious links are usually highlighted or explored whenever they come up in the text, I don't think I've ever read an analysis of Restless that even scratched the surface when it comes to its deep-seated interest in drawing comparisons between Buffy and The Christ. So, I decided to give it a try and attempt at verbalizing my thoughts on the episode regarding the specific religious thematic nucleus and imagery.

There have already been numerous instances, before Restless aired, wherein the show has deliberately drawn several parallels between Buffy (The Slayer) and Christ (The Savior). Buffy actively fights against the forces of Evil - vampires and demons which, under strict religious lens, could be interpreted as the embodiments of Sin, conceived as a kind of plague capable of multiplying and corrupting the Earth. She does that by wielding tools and objects whose conceptual implications frequently refer to Christian iconography or tradition (wooden or silver crosses, holy water, etc.). Under this framework of analysis, Buffy is exceptional as The Chosen One whose explicit role lies in eradicating Sin, or preventing it from spreading all over the world and conquering it. This state of affairs puts her above all the other human beings because of a string of specific characteristics which steam from that role (in her case, superpowers) in a not-so-different way than how all of this works for Christ Himself who, according to the Bible, descended on Earth with the specific intent to purify the planet and, as The Chosen One (The Son Of God), can likewise claim a wide range of characteristics other people don't possess - specifically, immunity from the Original Sin.

The religious allegory comes under intense narrative focus particularly during Prophecy Girl (S1E12). The Master, who is confined underground, symbolizes the Original Sin. The Anointed One, who is destined to lead the Slayer (Savior) towards the Original Sin, embodies the Serpent whose corruptive action condemns humanity as a whole to be excluded from Eden. In this circumstance, Buffy is wearing a white dress whose purpose is to suggest both her state of purity (defined as the absence of Sin) and her preparatory phase of pre-baptismal existence. White is also the color of God's Lamb, which is a direct reference to Christ. The moment when the Master bites Buffy and a solitary tear runs down her left cheek explicitly conjures the image of both the specific salvific action aimed at absorbing the Original Sin (the tear as the emblematic representation of the experience of the world's evils) and the potential consequence of Eden being corrupted through the alteration of a condition of untouched purity (picking the apple from the Forbidden Tree). The Master is therefore able to leave his underground prison and invade the outside world ("My world, my beautiful world!"), symbolizing the creation and spread of the Original Sin and the trasformation of Eden, which goes from being a terrestrial Paradise to a corrupted world where men and women are no longer "side by side with God", but have now to deal with Death and Sin.

What truly makes a difference, though, is that Buffy's decision to "pick the apple" doesn't originate from her insubordination against God's will (unlike that of Adam and Eve), but from her acceptance of God's own plan, once we take into account the Prophecy claiming that the Slayer will die while facing the Master as being metaphorically representative of God's Word. Buffy ultimately agrees on being guided to the Master's lair (and therefore, to the Original Sin) because that's what God intended for her, and it's precisely because of her acceptance of her own mortality and of the need to self-sacrifice that she's able to remain uncorrupted by Sin. Unlike Adam and Eve, she doesn't disobey God - she doesn't turn her back from her destiny, but she faces it head-on, knowing full well that her death, aimed at safeguarding the rest of humanity from Sin, is a salvific act on her part. Like Christ, she accepts to sacrifice herself for humanity as decreed by God's Word. She doesn't head towards the Original Sin because she's being seduced by her own curiosity, or because she possesses the kind of hubris or arrogance that can lead her to think that she might overpower the Master. She heads towards the Original Sin because of a deep-seated sense of duty, sacrifice and acceptance of what was prophesized about her. It's therefore not accidental that the Original Sin leads her to fall into a puddle of water. The idea of the puddle of water as a baptismal font is visually suggested by the scene, wherein a still pure and uncorrupted (white-dressed) Buffy undergoes a kind of baptism comparable to the one Christ received from John the Baptist.

While watching Restless we most definitely learn that Xander symbolically represents Buffy's Heart. This newly gained bit of knowledge allows us to retroactively interpret this scene as featuring a "resurrection" process that Buffy is able to go through specifically because of the purity of her Heart - which is not that different from what constitutes the reason behind Christ's own resurrection. At the same time, the scene also suggests the occurrence of a kind of Baptism: Buffy experiences a rebirth from the water and resurfaces stronger than before ("I feel strong. I feel different."). It's the purity of her Heart, which cannot be fazed or touched by the Original Sin, that allows her to re-emerge. The secondary presence of Angel in this scene (in its literal meaning of "angel" as in, God's emissary) implicitly recalls the fall of the Holy Spirit in front of The Christ right after his own baptism.

So, the show openly nurtures an allegorical interpretation that puts Buffy and Christ as comparable, parallel figures, and this same parallelism comes back in Restless, albeit in alternative ways.

In Willow's dream, wherein we definitely discover that she represents Buffy's Spirit (as in Pneuma, or the "vital breath" that animates the Body), this same parallelism is introduced once again by drawing an explicit link to S1. I know it's been talked at length about how Willow's role, specifically during S1, vastly lies in triggering Buffy's emotional catalysis. It's the circumstance of Willow suddenly finding herself in danger that ultimately leads Buffy to discard the idea of turning her back from her Call during Welcome To The Hellmouth (S1E1), and it's Willow's own trauma in Prophecy Girl (S1E12) that ultimately defines Buffy's choice to radically accept her destiny. Willow is the Spirit whose task is to vitalize Buffy-The-Entity and to set a specific course of action in motion for the Body to act and operate from. It's therefore not at all surprising that the first instance of comparison between Buffy and Christ steams from Willow herself in this episode. At first, we are led once again - following S3's footsteps - to view a feline (specifically, a cat) as a personification of The Slayer - Miss Kitty Fantastico, Willow and Tara's own pet, takes the symbolic role of The First Slayer in the first stage of the dream, stalking towards the camera with an explicit predatory vibe that makes the attitude of the cat look more like that of a panther, or a lion cub even. But it's only by the end of Willow's dream sequence that the religious allegory takes explicit form. Willow, wearing a carbon-copy of the dress we were introduced to her with during Welcome To The Hellmouth (S1E1), announces that she spent her summer reading C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" (1950), and mentions that the novel deals with a lot of important themes. Of course, the most important theme lies in the Christian interpretation: Aslan - other than being a huge predatory feline (lion), also another representation of The Savior, tying the three characters (Buffy, Christ and Aslan) together in a thematically clear thread - sacrifices himself on a stone table in order to grant Edmund Pevensie atonement for his Sins, and comes back to life one day later, in a not-so-different dynamic than the one Buffy herself went through after confronting the Master. But the Willow we see now, coming right off the pilot of the show, is way too premature in presenting Buffy with this particular role: as proof of that, we see Xander (Buffy's Heart) channeling the same reticence and opposition that Buffy herself had towards her own Call during that same episode ("Who cares?!"), and Buffy herself is shown steadily holding a vacuous, detached expression while her own Spirit gets ferociously assaulted. Buffy is Aslan, but she's not ready to recognize it yet.

In Xander's dream - wherein, as I've already said, we learn that he represents Buffy's Heart - the parallelism between Buffy and Aslan is evoked once again during the scene when Principal Snyder appears. That scene is susceptible to different interpretations depending on how exactly we evaluate Xander in that moment - if we consider Xander as an independent character who's undergoing self-exploration in his own narrative, or if we take him as a symbolic embodiment of a specific role he plays in constituting Buffy-The-Entity. In the latter case, where Xander is the Heart, Principal Snyder represents the First Slayer. The parallelism becomes apparent as soon as Snyder refers to Xander as a "whipping boy, raised by mongrels and set on a sacrificial stone". Historically, a "whipping boy" is a (usually male) slave or individual without choice whose role involves undergoing corporal punishments on behalf of a prince or a nobleman he belongs to. Presently, the term is broadly used to refer to anyone who finds themselves having to pay or suffer consequences for the choices or actions of someone else, or anyone who is stuck in the position of having to sacrifice themselves on behalf of others. The explicit reference is to Buffy's own pre-acceptance phase, wherein her Heart has not yet come to terms with the fact that having to surrender her own life to save all humanity is the kind of sacrifice her role is bound to force on her (one that has already forced on her, and will force on her again). Her resentment at the injustice of her role filters through the use of the term "mongrels" to likely describe the Watchers (who raise the Slayers into accepting this role, in a way), while the explicit mention of the Sacrificial Stone recalls Aslan's own sacrifice in C.S. Lewis's aforementioned novel - which the Lion undergoes after being whipped, mocked and abused.

If in the first dream sequence we see that Buffy's Spirit (Willow) finds itself in complete disconnection with her Heart (Xander) and Body (Buffy), and in the second dream sequence we see that Buffy's Heart feels victimized ("whipping boy"), neglected ("raised by mongrels") and unfairly sacrificed ("set on a sacrificial stone"), then it's within the third dream sequence, Giles's (who represents Buffy's Mind), that we can successfully locate the ultimate acceptance of this self-sacrificial circumstance, and witness how that gets integrated into Buffy-The-Entity. If we go through Giles' entire dream under the presupposition that he's operating as Buffy's Mind, it follows, according to what we are precisely shown, that Buffy is still seeing herself as little more than a child who shouldn't be expected to undergo the same kind of sacrifice that Aslan (The Christ) faces, while simoultaneously being aware, on a purely rational standpoint, of it being a necessary component of the duty that it's her job to fulfill. The entire sequence is about the reconciliation, within Buffy's own Mind, of these two seemingly contradictory aspects. Almost absent-mindedly and with evident disregard, Giles recites the concept that Buffy needs to fully embrace ("The blood of the lamb and all that") suggesting reluctance at first, but he's put in front of the reality of things soon enough: after taking a final glance at a crying Olivia with a stroll turned upside down beside her (which substantially symbolizes Buffy's grief towards the loss of a condition of pre-acceptance and the loss of her own indulgence into the childish desire of having a normal life), Buffy's Mind ultimately focuses on Spike. The ultimate acceptance of the notion of sacrifice and of her role as Savior (Slayer) materializes in the exclamations of relief and bliss that the mass of photographers produce as soon as Spike, in a visibly liberating gesture, ends the shooting by posing in such a way as to recall the Biblical Crucifixion of Christ. This is, of course, all foreshadowing to The Gift (S5E22).

In Buffy's own dream, we witness a last initial attempt at resistance at this newly gained realization ("Buffy, you have to get up right away!" "I'm not really in charge of these things."), which quite rapidly turns into a spasmodic research of her friends. The Body alone isn't enough - it has to be reunited with the Spirit, Heart and Mind. Significant relevance, within this interpretation, lies in Buffy's dress during the dream - while still being fundamentally white (meaning absence of Sin, recalling her Prophecy Girl dress), this time it showcases a motif of cherries - fruit whose symbolic role is to represent the sacrifice of The Warrior, and which is also known as "The Fruit of Paradise". During the confrontation scene between the two Slayers, Sineya (The First) reminds Buffy that "The Slayer does not walk into this world" - what is being demanded of Buffy is that she recognizes her celestial (as in non-terrestrial, otherworldly) destiny and cuts herself off from the humanity she's expected to sacrifice for not only emotionally, but also physically. Buffy replies by underlining the importance of the Body ("I walk. I talk. I shop. I sneeze.") and thereby of the individual, while at the same time showcasing a definite acceptance at her own predestination provided by the cumulative integration of the previous dream sequences the other three elements constituting Buffy-The-Entity already experienced. The phrase "I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back" is an explicit reference to The Bible and to two different apocalyptic scenarios. According to the Scriptures, the first "end of the world" kind of situation manifests itself through Water - Genesis' Flood, which God arranges in order to clean the Earth from corruption. By mentioning a return of the cataclysm, Buffy implicitly identifies herself with Noah's figure and role in building the Ark which granted him the ability to perform the salvific act of safeguarding humanity from total destruction. At the same time, though, she explicitly calls herself a "fireman", thereby also mentioning the second big "purification" - that of The Last Judgment, manifesting itself through Fire.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.​

With a single statement Buffy frames herself as The Savior of humanity in not one, but two apocalyptic circumstances. She is both the Ark that carries the remaining part of humanity to safety through the biblical floods, and the Fireman who is going to quench the fire during the final judgment.

The actual, definitive parallelism with Aslan's character (in itself an alternative, fictional personification of Christ), though, ultimately comes up when we take into consideration the events C.S. Lewis recounts in the final volume of The Chronicles Of Narnia, "The Last Battle" (1956). In that novel, Aslan himself brings about the Apocalypse. Dragons and giant lizards invade the Earth and destroy all vegetation with fire, the stars plummet down from the Sky and Aslan ultimately saves humanity allowing those "pure of heart" to enter the Real Narnia - which is an Eden-like Paradise whose appearance is indistinguishable from that of the Old Narnia (Earth), but that's also devoid of corruptibility and Original Sin. Those "impure of heart" perish in the imperfect copy of the actual world under the weight of the fire, leading Aslan to be accurately described through the very same expression Buffy uses here to identify herself: that of a Fireman - as in, someone who doesn't quench just the literal fire, thereby granting humanity safety and protection, but also the metaphorical representation of Sin itself.

Restless ends by letting us understand that within Buffy herself lies a dormant Aslan capable of doing that very same thing - of bringing forth a change so drastic and fundamental to not only save but also revolutionize humanity; of taking the entirety of Earth to a "higher level" wherein the Original Sin (that is, the very intrinstic nature of a broken, corruptible system) is finally eradicated; and of establishing a new kind of equilibrium in the co-existence of those pure and impure of heart. It's of particular importance, under this lens, to consider the fact that, as long as the Body (Buffy) is alone, she's vulnerable to the attack of that very system - the First Slayer has no problems striking effective blows against her in the middle of the desert, not so differently than how the Master was able to inflict an effective bite on her while she was alone in his lair. But as soon as the Body is reunited with the other parts and they get integrated within a singular, functional Entity, those same attacks cease to have any and all efficacy or effect - the Original Sin becomes insignificant, easily washed away by a baptism. In the desert, like in the sewers, Buffy is fragmented and exposed; within the walls of her home, or in the company of her friends, she's complete and invulnerable.

Because, as Aslan's character exists in this episode to precociously demonstrate, and as Buffy herself will come to finally understand and embrace in Chosen (S7E22), the key to truly save the world lies, ultimately, in changing it.

[jvstheworld]

The Buffy Re-watch: S1E12 (part 1)

Prophecy Girl

The last episode of season 1. I ended up writing 9 pages (A5 Pages, I don't like writing on A4, A5 is just easier to hold and rest on my lap as I write), so this might be another 3 parter. Here goes:

First thing I noticed was that the sign for the Bronze changed after the last episode still had the fumigation sign on it.

Xander practicing asking Buffy out and using Willow is his practice person. Oh boy.

Buffy is off fighting, and she lands on her back/butt, then she pulls out a stake from the back of her waistband. How did she not get stabbed by it when she fell?

Giles really does put in some serious overtime as a Watcher. The man needs more of a life. But I get the importance of why he's putting in the extra the time.

Earthquake. According to The Master, a possible 5.1. Can someone explain to me how earthquakes are measured? We don't get them here in the UK, except for that one time in 2008? where we had a small one. I slept through it though.

Giles looks like shit, after finding out some very troubling news. As we saw in Episode 10, Giles' biggest fear is losing Buffy so her will try to do anything he can to prevent that from happening. He definitely has a father's love for her by this point.

Okay, here we go, Xander is asking out Buffy. He was direct and to the point, that's good, get's the message across.

THEN HERE IS WHERE HE RUINS!!! Buffy turns him down because she sees him as just a friend only. Her friendship is more important, more valuable than the possibility of starting an ill-fated with him that could ruin their friendship. He likes her ad asking her out was brave, don't have a problem with that. The problem is how he reacts to it. Buffy doesn't feel that same so it wouldn't make sense for her to say yes, that would be leading him on and would be wrong. She also has feelings for Angel and would cause problems there. Turning Xander down was the right thing to do in this situation. However, Xander's snipe 'I guess a guy's gotta be dead undead to make time with you?' was fucking uncalled for and cruel. You can't help who you fall for, but you do not get to punish someone because it's not you. When faced with rejection you accept what the person has said and move on. You don't ever act like an entitled asshole because they said no. And while Xander may have apologised for his little comment after Buffy rightfully calls him out for it, he doesn't mean it. He hates Angel and takes any opportunity to disparage him in front of whoever will listen. He says sorry to placate Buffy, but he doesn't actually regret saying it because he believes what he said. Rejection fucking sucks. Whether it's by friends, partners, jobs or university, it hurts. But it happens. It's a part of life and you need to get used to it, because if you always take it so hard and personally it will eat away at you and leave you bitter and angry at the world. If left like this your mental will be in tatters. Learn to accept rejection and move on. In Xander's case, he can either accept that Buffy's friendship is enough for him, or he can walk away if he can't accept it. To quote Billy Butcher from 'The Boys' (I love this show) 'Don't be a cunt.'

I'm going to leave it there for this part. I will have more to say about Xander in the next part, but it will mostly centre on Buffy. Part 2 tomorrow.

[kosemsultanim]

Buffy Appreciation Week 2020 | Day 3 (July 15th): Favorite Outfits

[ceoazula]

s1e10 Nighmares // s1e12 Prophecy Girl

[Image id: Two scenes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer side by side. One is from season 1 episode 10 Nightmares. The Master and Buffy are in a cemetery. The Master says “You still don’t understand, do you? I am free because you fear it. Because you fear it, the world is crumbling.” The other scene is from season 1 episode 12 Prophecy Girl. The Master and Buffy are in The Master’s layer. The Master says “You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don’t tell you everything. You’re the one who sets me free. If you hadn’t come, I couldn’t go.” End image id]

[spuffygifs]

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | S1E12: Prophecy Girl

[lizzie-saltzman]

BUFFY SUMMERS Buffy The Vampire Slayer S1E12: Prophecy Girl

[budmade]

Well here we go again, it's been a while Tumblr! I'm watching the top 31 episodes/ two-parters of Buffy this month (according to @carrieann) I'll be riffing off the episode in some way. Happy Spooky Season to all who celebrate!

S1E12: Prophecy Girl Buffy Summers Mystery Stories Day 1 of 31 Days of Buffy

[pass-the-bechdel]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S1E12 ‘Prophecy Girl’

Does it pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes, 7 times and with more than one female character at once. 

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

5 (45%)

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

6

Positive Content Rating:

Three

General Episode Quality:

Intense

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:

Passing the Bechdel:

Willow and Buffy pass talking about biology. Cordelia asks Willow for a favor. Joyce asks Buffy what’s wrong. Joyce and Buffy pass again. Buffy and Willow pass again. Willow and Jenny pass in a group setting. Cordelia, Jenny, and Wilow pass when Cordelia rescues the other two. 

Female characters:

Willow

Buffy

Cordelia

Jenny Calendar

Joyce Summers

Male characters:

Xander

The Master

Giles

Angel

Kevin

Collin

OTHER NOTES: 

Hey Xander, maybe try not to be a total jerk just ‘cause she’s not that into you. Frankly, since we know for a fact that he remembers assaulting Buffy he doesn’t have any right to ask her out and put her on the spot at all. In fact, even though Buffy does rebuke Xander for being a jerk about Angel the whole show gives off the vibe that we’re supposed to feel sorry for him, like the way he’s treated Buffy ever since she’s arrived isn’t way worse than getting turned down for a date. Editor’s Note: Xander acts as though he is entitled to go out with Buffy, and he frames it himself as if Angel is the only thing stopping him from getting what he’s owed: Buffy’s own choice in the matter is not a factor. If only she weren’t hung up on Angel, Xander would obviously have her! And yes, the attitude of the writing does treat it as if we’re supposed to be sympathetic to Xander here, as if he has been wronged. Hell no.

Willow having some self respect and refusing to be Xander’s rebound is some quality character growth. 

Side note to any parents/friends/family: if someone talks to you like Buffy talks to her mom ‘You had your whole life ahead of you? that must be nice’ please check in on them because that is some suicidal talk right there. 

Yay we finally see someone reacting to the trauma of seeing their brutally murdered classmates (for the first time all season)

Jenny’s just sitting there casually watching Buffy coldcock Giles 

*sudden cut in and out of the theme song*

Cordelia’s car is a freakin’ tank. 

Biting a vampire back, saving other women Cordelia is the best Cordelia and I’d like to see more of her. 

If there’s a redeeming factor to this show it’s the cast, and particularly Sarah Michelle Gellar as the lead. In the scene where Buffy finds out she’s destined to die the things SMG does with her voice and body language make her fear and anger palpable (and throughout the episode Anthony Stewart Head plays off of her really well). That’s where the heart of the season is, in my opinion. In the fact that Buffy is sixteen. She didn’t ask for this and she wants to do the right thing but she also wants to live a life and get to grow up like anyone else. 

I do have a bit of a bone to pick. Buffy has this tumultous decision to make: save the world and die, or live her life and let the chips fall where they may. This is a big moment for her as a character and it ends up feeling overshadowed by the Master killing her before they even really fight and Xander coming and saving her. Xander, who’s the only one who can do it (because Angel is so inadequate as a vampire) gets to end up being her hero who saves her life by putting his mouth on hers after being creepy all season. Editor’s Note: this is so gross. As a follow-on from Xander being rejected at the beginning of the episode, having him ‘be better’ than Angel as if he’s ‘defeating his rival’ is already crap, but the idea that giving mouth-to-mouth in order to save Buffy’s life is packaged like it’s a prize? The worst. Resuscitation is not kissing, nor should it be treated as romantic; it’s literally about making a person be not dead. It’s not sexy. Moreover, handling it as though it is sexy throws up a consent flag, because if Xander wants to imagine this is like kissing, well, Buffy is not in a position to refuse him, so, we’re really doubling down on the gross there. And did I mention the whole treating-it-like-a-prize thing? Like Xander is getting what he wants, and we should be happy for him, and how this steps all over Buffy’s story and her dilemma and her death and her battle and ALL THE COSMIC LARGENESS INVOLVED IN THE CULMINATION OF THE STORY? This is such a rubbish thing, from all angles. I really hate that this here.

So honestly? The finale would have been a lot stronger if it could have been fleshed out in two episodes, IMO. The way it is it seems that there’s a lot that the plot wants to do: setting up the dance and the conflict with who’s going with whom, Giles finding out about Buffy, her going through the grieving process for her own life, and then, finally, facing the Master, dying, coming back, and beating him. Thankfully, they don’t sacrifice the very real emotions that Buffy’s feeling or her struggle, but it results in the pacing feeling funky. Instead they could have established Cordelia as a halfway decent character throughout the season (since that’s all E10 really accomplished) and cut the Marcy plot altogether to make this a two parter where the first episode ends with Buffy quitting as the Slayer, leaving more room for the second part of her facing the Master. 

That being said, like I mentioned above, the acting really carried this finale. Whether it’s enough to make up for the rest of the weirdness can be up to you. 

[spookyspemilyreid]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer S1E12 "Prophecy Girl" (June 2nd, 1997)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

[jvstheworld]

The Buffy Re-watch: S1E12 (part 3)

Prophecy Girl

Last part. After this I'm going to try and write up an end of season character analysis for the main characters. It won't be perfect and I might miss stuff but I'm still learning how to do this, so be kind and patient with me. Anyway, last notes for this episode.

We pick up from Buffy's resignation to a wonderful Joyce moment. She knows that something is wrong and does her best to be there for Buffy with helpful advice. It's true you don't need a date to enjoy social events, just go anyway. This also applies to eating out at restaurants and cafes, going to the cinema, picnics or anything else. Go enjoy it for yourself.

I love Buffy's white dress. It's got a classic elegance feel to it.

Do Cordelia and Willow just not notice the bloody hand print on the TV as they look into the room? Because you would tend to notice these things unless your Shaun in 'Shaun of the Dead'.

Death is different when you know the people who died and see the carnage that has been left. Willow never saw Jesse die, so she never really got to experience death. This was in her face and had a profound effect on her.

Buffy's 'Take care' to Willow seals what she is going to do. You can see on Buffy's face as Willow talks that she is making up her mind to go and fight The Master. Willow knows something is off, which is why she goes to Giles later. Also, dress liking comment #1.

Giles would rather go and fight The Master himself than let Buffy die. But Buffy knows that she is the only one strong enough to fight him.

It's such a sad moment when Buffy takes The Anointed One's hand. He looks like a sweet, innocent child, yet is the bringer of Buffy's death. She knows this and takes his hand anyway.

Locutus of Borg- Star Trek TNG reference. I'm a TNG fan so I appreciate this reference.

Despite the fact that Xander hates Angel, he as still willing to go to him for help. Though, shoving a cross in his face and telling him you hate him is not the best way to get him to help. It's a way, but not the best. The only thing I can sort of comment Xander on is asking Angel to prove Buffy right that he is good.

A sort of fake out that the Hellmouth will open at the Bronze, and not right under them.

The Master takes Buffy's jacket off with such grace, just before he kills her. Gave me the creeps.

And then we get the kicker. 'You're the one that sets me free.' that has to hurt so much. If Buffy stuck to her original plan of staying away, she would have been fine and The Master would not be free. Her decision to face him got her killed. At least he likes her drees, comment #2.

Xander and Angel find her not long after The Master is free. Xander does the thing needed here, Chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions. With rescue breaths because for drowning victims it is necessary to introduce oxygen to the body. Otherwise it is not needed. Thank you for that info Doctor Mike. I will say though, they are bad chest compressions.

Cordelia to the rescue for Jenny and Willow.

Then the Hellmouth opens for the first time in the show. Oh look, tentacles. Eww.

The theme song plays as Buffy fast walks to catch up to The Master.

Ha, Cordy bites a vampire. Go her.

Is this the same monster that comes out of the Hellmouth in season 3's 'The Zeppo'?

Buffy is definitely pretty. Also, how did The Master end up looking like that?

Why are The Master's bones left? Other vampires turn to dust, bones and all, but not him.

They saved the world, they should party. Angel likes Buffy's dress, comment #3.

End of season 1.

Yay! Made is through the first season of Buffy. I have character analyses for Buffy, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Giles and Angel going up after this post does, and then I'll be doing season 2. As of writing this post I have re-watched 13 episodes, so I can make good headway into typing up season 2 without delay.

I really am hoping to continue doing this and then move on to Angel, maybe Supernatural, maybe Ted Lasso because I recently started watching it due to the Cinema Therapy episodes they did on it. That will keep me busy for a while, but I will also take movie requests, to break up seasons of shows, especially if I do Supernatural (there are 15 seasons, over 300 episodes. Yeah I will need to take breaks).

Thanks for reading.