Karina ([info]darynthe) wrote,
@ 2007-03-10 23:35:00
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Entry tags:buffy anniversary, buffy essay, omwf

Happy Birthday Buffy! An rushed essay of Once More with Feeling

Say you're happy now,  “Once More with Feeling" subtext foreshadowing

 

Today it is ten years today since the first airing in the US of "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and I take the opportunity to write about one of the most important episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the classic "Once More with Feeling".  I must confess I am still a newbie to the series, less than one year.   My only advantage is really having watched all the episodes in a very short span of time and in such disorder that guaranteed me an unusual perspective on the story.

 

After a couple of repetitions my conclusion is the next:  The wonderful subtext in OMWF is giving away beforehand, the important developments of Season 7 and maybe beyond.     But let me expose the reasons and flesh out this thought.

 

Let us start at the beginning of the episode.  Buffy wakes up to a clock that goes loudly off at seven o'clock in the morning.  It is very significant in pointing from the start that the episode is really about what will happen in season seven.   A supporting reason for this idea is that we have a previous foreshadowing episode that occurred in S3 that used a very similar setting.  It was a dream that used a clock as a giveaway for a date, in that occasion it was 720, the days until Buffy's death in season five and also gave some foreshadowing of Dawn's coming.

 

But the whole episode is bursting in very specific foreshadowing.   While very characteristic scenes develop without sound we see Giles bringing to Buffy an axe that looks a lot like the scythe that is the key to an important plot line in Season 7.   Buffy leaves her doodling and follows him, I see this as a possible symbol of her having to take over the scythe and leave behind her relatively carefree days.

 

Another moment of similarity with an episode of season seven is for instance, the final of the only Spike's solo, the "Rest in Peace" number, where Spike and Buffy fall into a grave pit, and while they look into each other's eyes, Spike asks her to let him rest in peace.  She gets out of the pit and runs while he stares. This moment is pretty similar to what would happen in "Chosen", when Buffy has to leave Spike in the Hellmouth.

 

Regarding Spike, there is another moment that really pops out over the rest in the story.  Spike brings back to “The Magic Box” one of Sweet's minions, a wooden monster that flees after delivering a very specific message, Spike says then:  "Strong. Someday he'll be a real boy."   This moment has been regarded as significant, given Spike's obsession with Timmy the doll, which in my opinion symbolise his desire to become a man.  Here I am torn between the possibilities.  Is this meaning that Spike will have a soul in S7?  Or even farther away, that he will become Shanshued in a distant future?  Only time will tell if the second option is the answer.

 

Talking of this moment in OMWF, I see in the way that Giles and the rest of the Scubbies let Buffy go alone to face the monsters and in how Spike argues because of their abandonment of Buffy as a clear foreshadowing of the episode "Empty Places” where  Buffy is expulsed from her own home and sent away to fight by herself, while only Spike comes to her defence against her own friends, who give her their backs.    In both scenes, she ends up leaving alone.

 

Especially interesting is that from this scene on, Buffy and Spike are using the same clothes.  Something that I hadn't seen in another episode before.   Both wear black pants, red shirt and a black leather duster.  In my opinion, although not entirely foreshadowing, this is the clearest moment we have of their archetypical characterizations of shadow images and equals.   Totally beautiful.

 

The song "Walk through the fire" also brings a very clear foreshadowing of the episode "Chosen".  The fire is constantly brought up by Buffy, she holds up her hand and says she wants to be burnt, and in the future, she will have her hand not being peeled, as in this song, while she holds a Spike's burning hand.   Spike himself speaks of a torch that is consuming him, just like we will see in "Chosen".    Even clearer is the verse Buffy sings: "These endless days are finally ending in a blaze" as referring to the final episode.

 

The end of the song and the act has the demon Sweet saying just one word:  "Show time."   Which is the name of the S7 episode 11.

 

The song "Life's a show" also has interesting foreshadowing that reinforces the previous leads.  Spike stops Buffy from burning herself to death, and says: "You have to go on living. So one of us is living."   Again foreshadowing his sacrifice for her and giving her advice to continue her life. 

 

In the next minutes of the episode we find out that Xander was the one to blame for the Sweet situation and his reason was to have a "happy ending."    Sweet replies mockingly about that notion and repeats himself about this hardly being a happy ending:    "All those secrets you've been concealing. Say you're happy now, Once more with feeling.  Gotta run now, see you in hell. "     My personal interpretation of this is that Joss Whedon is giving away that what he considered as a happy ending for the series is really not so much so.  And indeed the story closes with many losses and one truth revealed.   Buffy loves Spike.   She learns it in hell, in the Hellmouth.

 

Now the final scene from Chosen is taken from the song:  "Where do we go from here?"    This line is sang by Dawn first and then repeated in very similar words by herself as the final line in the series: "What are we gonna do now?"

 

The rest of OMWF is still as telling.  Does it have the key to what is to come in Buffy's future?   I don't see why not.  The final act of the episode worked out in a great part as foreshadowing, almost word by word.  So let us get into it and have some face value foreshadowing interpretation.

 

While they keep on singing, Spike breaks from the group and goes out alone, as in his dying in the end of the series.    Buffy follows him outside, he tries to send her back to her friends but she resists.  He thinks she doesn’t know what she wants. And finally he says:  "I died"   and Buffy replies:  "I look into it and it's black.  This isn't real."

 

Which indeed if taken at face value, is true, because Spike returned to life in Angel the Series.   Aparently a great meeting of the lovers is meant to be, maybe Buffy trying to convince Spike of her feelings while he refuses still to believe her?   The final words:  "You make me feel." And the line sang “Where do we go from here?” and then finally the big kiss may foreshadow some real happy ending in a remote far away future.  Let us hope.




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[info]elisi
2007-03-14 10:20 am UTC (link)
While they keep on singing, Spike breaks from the group and goes out alone, as in his dying in the end of the series. Buffy follows him outside, he tries to send her back to her friends but she resists. He thinks she doesn’t know what she wants. And finally he says: "I died" and Buffy replies: "I look into it and it's black. This isn't real."
Oh that's wonderful! I hadn't thought of that before, but you're right - it could foreshadow a Spuffy reunion! :)

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[info]darynthe
2007-03-15 03:24 am UTC (link)
I think so! :D Let us hope we have some new spuffy to squee! yay!

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[info]teragramm
2007-03-14 12:04 pm UTC (link)
Very intresting. I have never heard that OMWF was foreshadowing the future before, but your post really rings true and make a lot of sense. You have given me tons to think about. Thanks so much for shating.

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[info]darynthe
2007-03-15 03:25 am UTC (link)
I thought some other people would have written on this before. Honestly I haven't gone looking out for it yet. I am glad you enjoyed and if you find something too let me know! :D

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[info]sienna291973
2007-03-15 10:56 am UTC (link)
Great post Dary! Lots there to think about. I haven't seen OMWF for a long time, but am tempted to go back to it after reading this.

Can't wait to see what Buffy S8 has to show us with regards to all this!

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[info]darynthe
2007-03-15 08:39 pm UTC (link)
Oh thanks my dear. You know how much your opinion means to me, Vicki! :) *hugs!*

I hope you get a chance to watch the episode and tell me your impressions. I am so excited about the new canon.

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[info]ana_christina
2007-03-16 08:39 pm UTC (link)
Very interesting train of thoughts, sweetie. Even better, it game me reasons to squee and that rocks. :D I loved this:

Another moment of similarity with an episode of season seven is for instance, the final of the only Spike's solo, the "Rest in Peace" number, where Spike and Buffy fall into a grave pit, and while they look into each other's eyes, Spike asks her to let him rest in peace. She gets out of the pit and runs while he stares. This moment is pretty similar to what would happen in "Chosen", when Buffy has to leave Spike in the Hellmouth.

Dude, how on earth did I not see the parallel? *slaps forehead* It's sort of "in your face" now that you've pointed it out.

But you know what I loved most? This:

While they keep on singing, Spike breaks from the group and goes out alone, as in his dying in the end of the series. Buffy follows him outside, he tries to send her back to her friends but she resists. He thinks she doesn’t know what she wants. And finally he says: "I died" and Buffy replies: "I look into it and it's black. This isn't real."

OMG, I so hope you are right and that perhaps the comics will give us some Spuffy moments. I miss my favourite canon pairing so much. :(

Thanks a lot, sweetie, you've made me feel so much better when usually at the end of the week I'm just an emotional wreck. *hugs*

PS: In case you were wondering, yes, I am very bad at essay-feedback, unless I disagree with them, in which case I have A LOT more to say than pointless squee-age (though how enjoyable that is for other people than myself is an entirely different matter). Just ask Vance, lol.

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[info]darynthe
2007-03-26 05:15 pm UTC (link)
Thanks my dear, I am sorry for taking so long to comment on this! You know I didn't have much of internet connection! :) I am totally happy you enjoyed it. You know your opinion is decisive for me. :D I am glad you think that the idea of spufiness in the future has some merit from these gatherings. It did sort of jump to my eyes when I watched OMWF after watching Chosen. But I am afraid people is not liking much the comics. We can alwayws have faith I guess.

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[info]laradevon
2007-03-21 04:04 pm UTC (link)
OMG!! I must've been blind not to see it! You make all the foreshadowing seem so obvious! Thank you *SO* much for giving us shippers a bit more hope! Makes me all giddy. :D

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[info]darynthe
2007-03-26 05:19 pm UTC (link)
And thank +you+ for the feedback! It is important to me so I keep on analyzing. :) I'll let you in a secret Lara, I am thinking of doing something new. I am thinking of putting up this essay into documental form with images from both OMWF and Chosen! What do you think? I have it all planned in my head, just need a better computer cause the oldie I have no longer is capable of doing vids. I just need someone to make the voice over I guess. I am not English native and I guess it would sound funny. But I am excited with the silly idea!

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[info]laradevon
2007-03-26 06:43 pm UTC (link)
Abso-freaking-lutely! That's not silly at all- it's exciting-- especially for an English nerd like me who loves analytical commentary. :) It's hard to believe English isn't your first language; you seem quite fluent! Good luck getting it all put together and if I can do anything to help, give me a hollar. :)

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[info]darynthe
2007-03-28 07:49 pm UTC (link)
Would you like to try for the voiceover if I bring this project to completition? :) I think you are a fav vidder but this is a little different so if you feel you can't it'd be Ok. :) And thanks for the offer in general. I definitely will tell you more when I have a chance to start working on it.

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[info]laradevon
2007-03-30 07:36 pm UTC (link)
Sure- I'd do the voiceover. Just tell me what to do to help. :)

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[info]darynthe
2007-04-03 10:53 pm UTC (link)
Oh squee. Thanks my dear. It will be a long time from now. I can't afford a new computer so it's in hold. I will contact you when I have a more clear idea of the project and hope we can work on it together if you have time then. :D

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[info]laradevon
2007-04-04 02:54 am UTC (link)
Squee... lol, I like that. Ha ha.

It's all good, I understand how it goes. We'll be flexible. :) Have a happy Wednesday. :)

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