Spike probably thought having Joyce back would bring joy to the summers woman, or even just wanted to go along for the ride, maybe even wanted joyce back himself cause he does like her and has no morality whatsoever. Willow just resorts to magic to solve every inconvenience she has, she might think dawn wouldnt be able to do it, but she also wanted to please her and get rid of that grief period wich she herself can't handle
Spike is the one person I can believe would want to bring zombie Joyce back without even a little bit of surprise, since his whole personality is a very wierd mixture of love-filled intentions and a complete inability to recognize or care about the greater moral implications of any particular action or consequences due to the big honking lack of a soul. He loves Joyce, and why would he think being a zombie would disrespect her, he himself is a vampire, and very happy about i; he cannot see anything wrong with bringing Joyce back this way except that he just knows that Buffy wouldn't like it, so he doesn't want her to know.
how is it by now you guys dont understand that hollywood is the shitbag... not joss, not all these actors/directors. the enviorment of hollywood is disgusting.
For Spike, it’s because he doesn’t have a soul, and he says he doesn’t like seeing Summers women in pain. For Willow, it’s because she still doesn’t fully understand the power (and repercussions) of magic
Willow did nothing to help Dawn do this. She gave the girl a history book with no actual magic in it. There's no way to anticipate she would find some rare tome from the index's footnotes that just so happens to be held in the magic shop with no security from Giles or Anya and then be able to locate all the incredibly rare super expensive ingredients thanks to Spike's help.
Spike and Joyce did eventually get on. They bonded over a mutual love of the show 'Passions'. He also has a soft spot for Dawn, on her own merits, not just because he thinks she is a way for him to get to Buffy.
But the acting is so breathtaking. The suddenly desperation of Buffy after her trying to be strong fo Dawn when she hears the knock at the door. All her strength falls away at the thought of her mommy coming back. And Dawn suddenly seeing how wrong and unnatural the situation is, and how bad it might turn out. She finally accepts that she can't do that to her mom or Buffy, she rips up the picture and proves she's stronger than she thought. It's actually Buffy who's super vulnerable in this moment. And then THAT raw breakdown with the two of them just clinging to each other for dear life. Ugh. Amazing but breathtaking TV. "Who's going to take care of us!?"
The Willow/Tara dynamic here is an interesting one to take note of. Tara was taught magic by her mother & raised to understand the spiritual side of it, whereas Willow has always approached magic as just another scientific discipline. This often leads Willow to consider certain courses of action that a normal witch would probably not deem wise.
I love that scene with Spike and the flowers. Xander doing a lot of projection there, claiming Spike is only bringing flowers for Joyce to make Buffy love him, like when Xander used to try being badass and helpful to make Buffy love him. And then Willow picks up the flowers and points out that he didn't leave a card. In other words, Spike was just honoring Joyce without making Buffy know he did it. As that line from Doctor Who goes, "Without hope, without witness, without reward."
I get a lot of hate for talking about Xander’s obsession with Buffy but honestly, he was pretty pathetic about it. There was definitely a time where he didn’t so much considered them real friends but was actively waiting to swoop her up, if she ever changed her mind about him.
I think Pat of all people hit the nail on the head in the discussion. Yeah sure, Buffy had to deal with some administrative things. But she was also shutting off emotionally. She did not let out her feelings with any of her friends or the others. Dawn and Buffy were each dealing with different parts of their grieving process at the same time. It was only at the end that what really needed to happen happened: that they go through it together.
Yep, all of the characters have flaws which makes them so much better than just boring plain characters who do no wrong. Boundaries is definitely one of Willows, she puts what she wants before anyone else’s
Willow *frequently* turns to magic to try and fix or bypass her problems, so it's little surprise that she thinks she's helping Dawn to do the same thing.
Once again note how Willow treats magic, she treats it like there is no consequence or cost even after seeing that there is always a cost as well as having more experienced magic users saying time and again that it’s not a toy or a game
@@jakelover1731 see it’s not so much about her being naive and flawed and more about how well the writing is done when it comes to building up characters and moments for future stories. Willow starts off as a shy bookworm who comes out of her shell through her experiences with Buffy, we learn early on that he’s is gifted with computers but also learn she has no qualms about hacking seeing it as fun (once again viewing it as a game with no consequences as she is never caught or chastised for it). Once she starts using magic even when it seems like her spells do not work as she intended they still work out in other ways giving her a false sense of belief that it’s fine if it doesn’t work as you want because things work out in the end. More recently she has been using magic not when needed to help with a monster or villain but for every day things showing she doesn’t view magic as a great power that is a force of nature but as a convenient tool or fun game as well as the fact she no longer uses her computer skills showing that she values using supernatural abilities over human abilities. All this things looks in innocuous at first and can easily be over looked or simply thought of as naive flaws but show a deeper character development from a shy good girl to someone without fear of consequences and more worryingly that her use of magic is beyond reproach.
Dawn reaction was normal for someone living in a world where magic is a possibility. The final scene is a very underrated SMG and Michelle T. one. They had the perfect sister chemistry. Sarah acting here needs more attention. She was so natural, one of my favorite dramatic scenes of her on the show.
Another big benefit of having both Buffy and Angel on at the same time was the ability for the cast to pop up and be able to honour the established connections. I love that Angel comes for this one scene. It's not about them getting back together, or sex, it's simply someone coming to offer support to someone they love when they know they need it. As Marketa said, he didn't need to be told to come. He just did it. It's a really lovely moment and in it you also see how both characters have grown up since season 3.
Riley never needed to be told. Buffy wouldnt let him because she never was vulnerable like that but she lets angel console her and she was vulnerable with him.
@@ShieldVids Vickster didn't talk about Riley... But since you're talking about him... Being vulnerable with someone is your decision ! It's not something the other person should expect or demand ! Buffy needed time with Riley. She could have been vulnerable later, he just wanted it on his own terms and his own time. Buffy told him back after hush in season four !! She was not ready, he insisted, and she folded. But after everything she went through with Angel... She needed time for herself. Maybe their relationship could have worked if he had respected her wishes and let her come to it in her own terms. But instead he said a lot of shitty things (Buffy being stupid and self-involved because she didn't want a relationship with someone fighting demons...) that got into Buffy's head and made her change her mind the same episode. But it was too quick, and Buffy was right ! She needed and wanted time. That's why I don't like Riley ! From the beginning, he made bad decisions and judged Buffy while knowing nothing about her. The beginning of their relationship is wrong on so many levels... It was doomed from the start ! If someone says NO, it's NO. If that means the relationship ends or doesn't start, it may be sad, but that's what should happen ! No one should never try to convince someone else to be in a relationship. It's not healthy ! Each person must choose on their own. Buffy didn't ! He interfered and judges her, insults her... She was in a bad place, already, that's in no way a place where you should start a relationship. Especially when the other one said those things right before ! Me, if the guy spoke to me like Riley did, I would not have just said no. He would have been out of my life for good ! That's why, when people judge Buffy and say she did wrong things in the relationship, I say maybe, BUT Riley is the one to blame for me ! Because of that beginning. He brought this on himself ! He should have been more patient or at least respectful of her choices !!!! He can't be upset when she doesn't get open or vulnerable with him, when she TOLD him she wasn't ready, and didn't want this relationship !
Once you've lost your mother, you understand very well how Dawn is feeling throughout this episode. You would do anything to get her back. Heartbreaking episode, incredible performances
The key is whether you actually get her back since they keep telling Dawn that Joyce may come back wrong. I wouldn't want to see a zombie version of a loved one.
No one, and I mean NO ONE, can question Spike and Joyce's relationship. He has respected the woman since the night she hit him in the head with an axe. He poured his heart out to her when Dru dumped him. They've always gotten along with each other since the Season 2 finale. I fully believe that if Buffy had taken Joyce to his crypt (Before Dawn appeared) and asked him to protect her, he would do it without question. Aside from School Hard, Spike was never a threat to Joyce.
The Body is a hard episode to follow and I'm not that into this one as a whole, but the scene at the end with Buffy and Dawn really lifts the whole thing! Both Sarah and Michelle's acting there is really award-worthy! Great writing as well, with Buffy shifting to a child-like state and going for the door, just wanting her mom... 😭❤
Lol i forgot Dawn's actress' name (Michelle Trachtenberg) and was reading your comment like "Sarah and Michelle? Do you mean Sarah Michelle Gellar? Acting with herself? Huh?" lol.
@@shockzz1234 The thought crossed my mind as well when I was writing it, but Gellar and Trachtenberg seemed overly formal. I considered switching the order so not to confuse people. 😄
I also really liked the moment of Spike trying to bring flowers to Joyce's memorial. Of all Buffy's circle, Joyce was the one Spike respected the most, maybe because she was always real with him.
Trivia: Joel Grey, who played the creepy guy, is super famous for playing the MC in the movie Cabaret with Liza Minelli. He is also the father of Jennifer Grey of Ferris Buellers day off and Dirty Dancing fame.
A year earlier, Joel Grey guest starred as himself on It’s Like You Know, a sitcom where one of the stars was daughter Jennifer. She played a fictionalized version of herself and had the running gimmick of how her real life plastic surgery left her unrecognizable. In his cameo he also failed to recognize his own daughter and asked her to leave his house.
@@rddav1 one of my guilty pleasures! Back in the day, I read many of the pulp novels in The Destroyer series. Fun stuff, and JG made an excellent Chiun!
It's fun how many people completely miss Willow's character development until it's thrown in their face. On rewatch, Willow's been on the same path for seasons now. People miss Xander's character stuff going on in the background too, but it never really comes to the forefront.
The network didn't want the kiss to happen at all; he put the kiss where it was so they couldn't take it out. When they tried anyway he threatened to walk away and end the show, and they caved. kerk
Things may have gone better for the sisters if Buffy gave Dawn a choice to help make decisions for the service. I’d sit down with her and tell her if she wants, I can take care of things or if she’d like to do it together, we could do that. Let Dawn make some choices like the casket or clothing. Like y’all said, the work can be a helpful distraction and keep us working together during the first few days.
In such a situation there are lots of decisions. Waiting for Dawn and discussing it with her, takes a lot of time and also makes Buffy face her own feelings, making it more difficult to do other needed stuff.
Of fuckin course Pat copes with Joyce’s death by insisting it can’t be real until well after the episode is over so he doesn’t have to sit with the emotions during all the emotions. Why is that so in line with what I’ve learned about him through his commentary. Yes I’m psychoanalyzing a random guy on the internet, what. Edit: he said some really heartfelt and insightful shit at the end and I’m both surprised and proud of him.
15:25 The song Doc is humming is from Peter and the Wolf by Prokoviev. It is a symphonic child's story about a boy and some animal friends who outsmart a dangerous wolf. I had this record when I was a little kid.
Because some of the normies missed big episodes, could someone on their team ensure they all watch the next important one? It’s equivalent to The Office - Dinner Party episode. We need a full couch reaction to 6x07!
We've seen Willow already have a tendency to use magic almost as a crutch and turn to it first to solve a problem without thinking of consequences. You guys already mentioned Something Blue and Triangle, but also when Oz cheated on her she immediately was going to do a spell. Even as early as season 3, she tried to do a spell to get her feelings for Xander to go away. It's well within Willow's character to think magic could fix this and be a little reckless.
It always gets overshadowed by The Body (because that's a better, more iconic episode) but the acting in this is pitch perfect. Buffy and Dawn's final scene should have garnered an Emmy nomination for SMG.
After the fallout from Joyce's death you can feel the pain of Dawn in Forever where she just can't accept her mother's death, and would do anything to being her back. This of course is a very basic human emotion experienced by many. You can see how Tara is annoyed with Willow for lending some assistance. Tara become very wary of Willow's increasing power, a perception here re the Willow/Tara power shift, and the tensions increasing with them. Another good point raised is the anxiety and pressure of having to deal with arranging funeral, wake, catering, etc even the admin involved after death in having to contact banks, pension companies, solicitors, etc etc etc it is really draining. Some terrific scenes with Dawn and Buffy at the end you can almost feel the anguish for the two of them. Brilliantly acted, again how this show did not receive awards is crazy, it should definitely be retrospectively recognised and awarded at the Emmys in the future for its contribution to TV drama. We know this show can be very light hearted with great comedy moments, but when it hits hard it really hits. This is what makes the Buffyverse shows so brilliant they cover every type of human emotion so well. On reflection I think you will watch all the episodes again and will appreciate them even more.
That shadow in the window scene still creep me out, reminded me of pet sementary, I think joss a big fan of pet sementary, he did on season 3 second episode, he put it on justice league having flash saying "pet sementary "😅
In regards to what the group was saying Pat would think about Joyce's death...They know him well. 😁 The changup to sitting arrangements on the couch makes me think Chris won't be watching anymore. Hopefully I'm wrong. This episode is what shows usually do for the character death episodes that are about the importance of grieving and death. The previous one was about the imediacy after which pop culture usually bypasses. Spike was going along for wherever the ride took him (knowing there would be consequences) and convinced himself that he was doing a favor for Buffy and Dawn and Willow was in the same boat as Spike in terms of thinking about the immediacy of Buffy and Joyce feeling better except she's always thinks about what can magic do to fix things and Dawn got her curious even over Tara's warnings. It took Tara for Willow to realize how bad things were, while Spike gets off easy because Buffy "never hears about this," and that shows Dawn he isn't just hanging around with her because of his feelings for Buffy, which is why Dawn outed his feelings to the group to begin with. I expect this from Spike (despite the shock of Rana). He's soulless. I won't get into what that means in combination with what I said above, but what I will say is that not all soulless creatures act like Angelus. Willow is to quick to think about magic fixes over thinking of consequences first to even admit her mistake to Tara, so even with her it makes sense why it happened. I would believe Spike cares about Joyce before Xander, Willow, Giles, Tara, Anya (or any other member of the group who's been a member of the group). Xander, Willow, Giles, Tara, Anya cared about her because she was Buffy's mom and they were friends with Buffy. Even soulless, I believe Spike cared about Joyce as the mother he either never had or no longer has. I'm not even convinced Joyce liked Xander. The look on his face when Willow said there wasn't a card... that information should not be a surprise to him. I'm also glad The Normies also called out Xander's bull in that moment. Suraj, the Cordelia fake out was an actual funeral. The fact that the audience didn't know who's funeral doesn't change that. I wonder if Buffy would be acting towards Angel as she does if she knew what he's been like in the past year on his own show. Doubtful. I loved the outcry The Normies gave to the ressurrection spell, Dawn, Willow, Spike, Doc, and all the things that needed done for the spell to work. It reminded me of myself when the episode first came out. I always looked at it as Joyce was a zombie because if she had really been resurrected proper ripping a picture wouldn't be the simple way to break the spell. Joyce wasn't whole and it was good we didn't see her. She was resurected, but everything bad about resurections happened. Suraj hit the nail on the head. All that was needed was for the sisters to talk. Dawn actually thinking about the fact that her sister now has to play both sister and mom was a wake-up call, and for Buffy she didn't see in the last episode or this one just how deeply this was affecting Dawn. As great as the Buffy and Angel moment was, it also shows that she still gets into the _Angel was my first love, "swoony lttle schoolgirl"_ headspace when around him sometimes. But she is getting better if she had to remind herself not to act that way out of grief.
This ep creeps me out so much but that's probably because pet semetary scarred me for life when i was a kid. I do love the callback to giles listening to Cream
TH-cam auto playing this reaction right after the discussion of the previous episode is some insane tonal whiplash. From quiet and somber discussion- cut to "MAN THEY WERE BALLSY FOR KILLING THE MOM OFF NOW THE SHOW IS GONNA BE BETTER, IT WAS KIND OF ONLY OKAY BEFORE, I WENT BACK THROUGH LOOKING AT REPLAYS OF THE EP TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS REALLY DEAD" I don't don't know what I expected.
07:38 Willow says the reason not to resurrect the dead is because it's too dangerous. That's the wrong answer. It would be unethical to reverse the natural order even if it was safe to do. Besides, when was magic ever "safe"?
I feel like to understand why Spike helps Dawn, you have to look into his past and his relationship with his own mother. I do think so far on the show there was a reference in the episode where we see how he got turned, that his mother was sick. It's also important to note that Spike is a vampire, he doesn't have a soul, so his sense of moral oftentimes shifts according to who needs what. Had he seen Buffy in the graveyard there, my guess is he wouldn't have helped her, because it's Buffy and not Dawn.
"Willow doesn't do a lot of dumb stuff." ...without spoiling anything, everyone is capable of being "dumb" when hurting or worried. Also, when you aren't at the center of an issue or series, "occasional" behavioral traits can be written off as one-of episode things unless the writers remember and purposefully make them part of a character. If others around you are having their love lives out in public more often or sooner, people often expect you to be at the same stage they are at for various things because they things for granted.
I want to recommend the new AMC show Interview With The Vampire it's so amazing I would love to see The Normies react to it🥰 Season 1 is only 7 episodes. Season 2 is supposed to start sometime this year.
Noooooooooo... Joss Whedon purposely wrote Willows first kiss way over the top because the networks didn't want a kiss and so when they told him he could finally get it in the episode it had to be toned down to what he originally wanted. 😊
IMO, episodes 5:16 and 5:17 were hard. Now we can start to go back to Normal. They were great episodes, but now it is Buffy Time again. Nice Post, Guys.
I think thats just how Buffy reacts to loosing her mum, being the boss, getting things done. Its just how she was dealing. Its so funny, I see every reactor be like nooooooo to bringing Joyce back. I was always like fuck yeah!!!! DO it! Makes sense, in a world of magic, this would probably be the first thing you would want to do. I mean the spell did work.... I don't know if you guys noticed but the scene with Giles at his house listening to music, it was the same band he and Joyce listened to in Band Candy :( ALSOOOOOOOOOOOOO does nobody ever notice when Doc pulled out that book, its the same book from season 1 with Moloch, the episode I robot you Jane. Im not sure if that was intentional or just the set designers using it again. They have done that with demon costumes a few times but change them a little
I hate to say it, but I get bored during Angel and Buffy moments like this. The actor is just so wooden when he plays Good Angel. Probably why I was never that interested in watching the Angel series, even though I love Buffy.
I was honestly a little annoyed at the normies for all talking over each other and the show every second this episode; sorry. Also as for Ben he already had all those mentally ill people killed by that queller demon remember.
Ridiculous to say a character death makes a show “more amazing,” that it “wasn’t amazing” before that. Buffy is one of the finest shows ever made..maybe he should’ve reacted with the rest of you guys..his solo take is..ridiculous..
Please stop the Joss bashing, he's hardly the first producer who cheated on his wife with starlets and fell out with some of his cast. He's a genius as this episode proves.
Thank goodness this didn't actually happen. Why do you think Spike and Willow helped Dawn?
Spike probably thought having Joyce back would bring joy to the summers woman, or even just wanted to go along for the ride, maybe even wanted joyce back himself cause he does like her and has no morality whatsoever. Willow just resorts to magic to solve every inconvenience she has, she might think dawn wouldnt be able to do it, but she also wanted to please her and get rid of that grief period wich she herself can't handle
Spike is the one person I can believe would want to bring zombie Joyce back without even a little bit of surprise, since his whole personality is a very wierd mixture of love-filled intentions and a complete inability to recognize or care about the greater moral implications of any particular action or consequences due to the big honking lack of a soul. He loves Joyce, and why would he think being a zombie would disrespect her, he himself is a vampire, and very happy about i; he cannot see anything wrong with bringing Joyce back this way except that he just knows that Buffy wouldn't like it, so he doesn't want her to know.
how is it by now you guys dont understand that hollywood is the shitbag... not joss, not all these actors/directors. the enviorment of hollywood is disgusting.
For Spike, it’s because he doesn’t have a soul, and he says he doesn’t like seeing Summers women in pain. For Willow, it’s because she still doesn’t fully understand the power (and repercussions) of magic
Willow did nothing to help Dawn do this. She gave the girl a history book with no actual magic in it. There's no way to anticipate she would find some rare tome from the index's footnotes that just so happens to be held in the magic shop with no security from Giles or Anya and then be able to locate all the incredibly rare super expensive ingredients thanks to Spike's help.
Buffy’s “Mommy” delivery always breaks my heart.
They talked over it, though.
Giles listening to the same album he and Joyce listened to in the Band Candy episode 😭
Its one of the strongest scenes of this episode. Its a shame most people miss this cause its a very hard to remember thing
I was just about to comment that too. Its such a small call back its easy to miss.
Yeah it’s a shame they didn’t really react to it.
It’s Giles quiet moment of grief.
That's why I bought it!
@@christianschoff2490 Really? Cool. What is it?
Spike and Joyce did eventually get on. They bonded over a mutual love of the show 'Passions'. He also has a soft spot for Dawn, on her own merits, not just because he thinks she is a way for him to get to Buffy.
The shot where you see Joyce's shadow walking past the window is so fucking creepy.
Plus the knock on the door.
But the acting is so breathtaking. The suddenly desperation of Buffy after her trying to be strong fo Dawn when she hears the knock at the door. All her strength falls away at the thought of her mommy coming back. And Dawn suddenly seeing how wrong and unnatural the situation is, and how bad it might turn out. She finally accepts that she can't do that to her mom or Buffy, she rips up the picture and proves she's stronger than she thought. It's actually Buffy who's super vulnerable in this moment. And then THAT raw breakdown with the two of them just clinging to each other for dear life. Ugh. Amazing but breathtaking TV.
"Who's going to take care of us!?"
The Willow/Tara dynamic here is an interesting one to take note of. Tara was taught magic by her mother & raised to understand the spiritual side of it, whereas Willow has always approached magic as just another scientific discipline. This often leads Willow to consider certain courses of action that a normal witch would probably not deem wise.
Willow may have high intelligence but she’s never had a lot of wisdom.
@@daphneglasurus7886I mean it makes there's a difference between wisdom and being smart. It's very simple
I love that scene with Spike and the flowers. Xander doing a lot of projection there, claiming Spike is only bringing flowers for Joyce to make Buffy love him, like when Xander used to try being badass and helpful to make Buffy love him. And then Willow picks up the flowers and points out that he didn't leave a card. In other words, Spike was just honoring Joyce without making Buffy know he did it. As that line from Doctor Who goes, "Without hope, without witness, without reward."
I get a lot of hate for talking about Xander’s obsession with Buffy but honestly, he was pretty pathetic about it. There was definitely a time where he didn’t so much considered them real friends but was actively waiting to swoop her up, if she ever changed her mind about him.
@@daphneglasurus7886 Exactly. He's talking from a place of hypocrisy. I guess that's what makes him even more paranoid than the rest of the gang.
the line that always hits me " I have to do these things, because when I stop than she's really gone." SMG's acting chef kiss*
Perfection. 😭
I think Pat of all people hit the nail on the head in the discussion. Yeah sure, Buffy had to deal with some administrative things. But she was also shutting off emotionally. She did not let out her feelings with any of her friends or the others. Dawn and Buffy were each dealing with different parts of their grieving process at the same time. It was only at the end that what really needed to happen happened: that they go through it together.
“Who’s going to take care of us?” is such a heartbreaking line 😢
Willow definitely struggles with respecting boundaries.
Yep, all of the characters have flaws which makes them so much better than just boring plain characters who do no wrong. Boundaries is definitely one of Willows, she puts what she wants before anyone else’s
Willow *frequently* turns to magic to try and fix or bypass her problems, so it's little surprise that she thinks she's helping Dawn to do the same thing.
I think she has that in common with Faith. Both struggle with respecting boundaries and using their power wisely.
@@morganliffers4567 There's gotta be an alternate reality where they hook up. lol
Once again note how Willow treats magic, she treats it like there is no consequence or cost even after seeing that there is always a cost as well as having more experienced magic users saying time and again that it’s not a toy or a game
There’s a lot I want to add to this, unfortunately I need to wait a while before I can really get into it. IYKYK
Remember when she thought Oz cheated on her, and immediately tried to curse him forever?
Yeah I was frustrated with Willow in this episode. But it's very much IN character.
Girl's flawed and has her blind spots, like we all do.
@@jakelover1731 see it’s not so much about her being naive and flawed and more about how well the writing is done when it comes to building up characters and moments for future stories. Willow starts off as a shy bookworm who comes out of her shell through her experiences with Buffy, we learn early on that he’s is gifted with computers but also learn she has no qualms about hacking seeing it as fun (once again viewing it as a game with no consequences as she is never caught or chastised for it). Once she starts using magic even when it seems like her spells do not work as she intended they still work out in other ways giving her a false sense of belief that it’s fine if it doesn’t work as you want because things work out in the end. More recently she has been using magic not when needed to help with a monster or villain but for every day things showing she doesn’t view magic as a great power that is a force of nature but as a convenient tool or fun game as well as the fact she no longer uses her computer skills showing that she values using supernatural abilities over human abilities. All this things looks in innocuous at first and can easily be over looked or simply thought of as naive flaws but show a deeper character development from a shy good girl to someone without fear of consequences and more worryingly that her use of magic is beyond reproach.
Willow still can't get past seeing herself as that powerless high school girl.
"She's not gonna be a zombie she's gonna wake up in her casket!"
Wow that would be really fucking awful to go through, I can't even imagine...
Hahahah
Lol.
Especially when you remember that in season 1, it’s revealed Buffy’s worst nightmare is being buried alive.
Dawn reaction was normal for someone living in a world where magic is a possibility.
The final scene is a very underrated SMG and Michelle T. one. They had the perfect sister chemistry.
Sarah acting here needs more attention. She was so natural, one of my favorite dramatic scenes of her on the show.
Another big benefit of having both Buffy and Angel on at the same time was the ability for the cast to pop up and be able to honour the established connections. I love that Angel comes for this one scene. It's not about them getting back together, or sex, it's simply someone coming to offer support to someone they love when they know they need it. As Marketa said, he didn't need to be told to come. He just did it. It's a really lovely moment and in it you also see how both characters have grown up since season 3.
Riley never needed to be told. Buffy wouldnt let him because she never was vulnerable like that but she lets angel console her and she was vulnerable with him.
@@ShieldVids Vickster didn't talk about Riley... But since you're talking about him... Being vulnerable with someone is your decision ! It's not something the other person should expect or demand ! Buffy needed time with Riley. She could have been vulnerable later, he just wanted it on his own terms and his own time. Buffy told him back after hush in season four !! She was not ready, he insisted, and she folded. But after everything she went through with Angel... She needed time for herself. Maybe their relationship could have worked if he had respected her wishes and let her come to it in her own terms. But instead he said a lot of shitty things (Buffy being stupid and self-involved because she didn't want a relationship with someone fighting demons...) that got into Buffy's head and made her change her mind the same episode. But it was too quick, and Buffy was right ! She needed and wanted time. That's why I don't like Riley ! From the beginning, he made bad decisions and judged Buffy while knowing nothing about her. The beginning of their relationship is wrong on so many levels... It was doomed from the start !
If someone says NO, it's NO. If that means the relationship ends or doesn't start, it may be sad, but that's what should happen ! No one should never try to convince someone else to be in a relationship. It's not healthy ! Each person must choose on their own. Buffy didn't ! He interfered and judges her, insults her... She was in a bad place, already, that's in no way a place where you should start a relationship. Especially when the other one said those things right before ! Me, if the guy spoke to me like Riley did, I would not have just said no. He would have been out of my life for good ! That's why, when people judge Buffy and say she did wrong things in the relationship, I say maybe, BUT Riley is the one to blame for me ! Because of that beginning. He brought this on himself ! He should have been more patient or at least respectful of her choices !!!! He can't be upset when she doesn't get open or vulnerable with him, when she TOLD him she wasn't ready, and didn't want this relationship !
Seems like David shows up on post-season 3 Buffy more than SMG shows up on Angel.
Joel Grey, who played Doc, is a Tony Award winning singer and actor. Thats why he got the big credit.
LMAO I'M DEAD Pat is treating The Body like a Lakers game with replays.
Yesss 😂😂😂
The question is: why is literally out of breath the whole time he explains it?
Spike and Joyce watched Passions together 😢
Willow is the type to fuck around and find out.
Once you've lost your mother, you understand very well how Dawn is feeling throughout this episode. You would do anything to get her back. Heartbreaking episode, incredible performances
The key is whether you actually get her back since they keep telling Dawn that Joyce may come back wrong. I wouldn't want to see a zombie version of a loved one.
No one, and I mean NO ONE, can question Spike and Joyce's relationship. He has respected the woman since the night she hit him in the head with an axe. He poured his heart out to her when Dru dumped him. They've always gotten along with each other since the Season 2 finale. I fully believe that if Buffy had taken Joyce to his crypt (Before Dawn appeared) and asked him to protect her, he would do it without question. Aside from School Hard, Spike was never a threat to Joyce.
The shadow silhouette of Joyce was just creepy enough and effective
Do we know whether they asked Kristine Sutherland to do this bit, or could it have just been the make-up person with a wig?
@@cerrobueno I don't think the producers would've appreciated having to pay an actor to do something like that.
@@jp3813 Yeah, you're probably right. Good zombie-Joyce likeness though.
The Body is a hard episode to follow and I'm not that into this one as a whole, but the scene at the end with Buffy and Dawn really lifts the whole thing! Both Sarah and Michelle's acting there is really award-worthy! Great writing as well, with Buffy shifting to a child-like state and going for the door, just wanting her mom... 😭❤
Lol i forgot Dawn's actress' name (Michelle Trachtenberg) and was reading your comment like "Sarah and Michelle? Do you mean Sarah Michelle Gellar? Acting with herself? Huh?" lol.
@@shockzz1234 The thought crossed my mind as well when I was writing it, but Gellar and Trachtenberg seemed overly formal. I considered switching the order so not to confuse people. 😄
I also really liked the moment of Spike trying to bring flowers to Joyce's memorial. Of all Buffy's circle, Joyce was the one Spike respected the most, maybe because she was always real with him.
Willow is the Buffyverse's Doctor Stephen Strange.
Trivia: Joel Grey, who played the creepy guy, is super famous for playing the MC in the movie Cabaret with Liza Minelli. He is also the father of Jennifer Grey of Ferris Buellers day off and Dirty Dancing fame.
He won a Tony and an Oscar for playing the MC on Broadway and in the film.
That’s a great fact.
A year earlier, Joel Grey guest starred as himself on It’s Like You Know, a sitcom where one of the stars was daughter Jennifer. She played a fictionalized version of herself and had the running gimmick of how her real life plastic surgery left her unrecognizable. In his cameo he also failed to recognize his own daughter and asked her to leave his house.
He will always be Chiun, from "Remo Williams!"
@@rddav1 one of my guilty pleasures! Back in the day, I read many of the pulp novels in The Destroyer series. Fun stuff, and JG made an excellent Chiun!
It's fun how many people completely miss Willow's character development until it's thrown in their face. On rewatch, Willow's been on the same path for seasons now. People miss Xander's character stuff going on in the background too, but it never really comes to the forefront.
Fun fact: the ending is based on the climax of the original "Monkey's Paw" short story.
They didn't show it, but the scene where Giles sits alone in the dark drinking to Cream is the best in the episode. So simple, yet so effective.
"David Boreanaz returns on an all new Buffy" I remember this promo so much when it originally aired back in 2001, my 14 yr old self was so happy
Boy, networks never really grasp the concept of spoilers, do they?
the father of the Summers sisters - father of the year once again.
I laughed so loud when you called out Riley! LMAO
The network didn't want the kiss to happen at all; he put the kiss where it was so they couldn't take it out. When they tried anyway he threatened to walk away and end the show, and they caved. kerk
Love marketa's "some boyfriends don't need to be told what to do" kkkkkkk
Kudos to Marketa for being the one who remembered Glory is a God.
So... you're saying that GLORY... is... a GOD??
@@charmingjinx9379🤣
Things may have gone better for the sisters if Buffy gave Dawn a choice to help make decisions for the service. I’d sit down with her and tell her if she wants, I can take care of things or if she’d like to do it together, we could do that. Let Dawn make some choices like the casket or clothing. Like y’all said, the work can be a helpful distraction and keep us working together during the first few days.
In such a situation there are lots of decisions. Waiting for Dawn and discussing it with her, takes a lot of time and also makes Buffy face her own feelings, making it more difficult to do other needed stuff.
@@sebastianwittmeier1274 I’d recommend offering to let a teenager who just lost a parent make *some* decisions.
It should be remembered that at this point Buffy is 20 years old. She can be forgiven for not quite getting Dawn's needs.
Of fuckin course Pat copes with Joyce’s death by insisting it can’t be real until well after the episode is over so he doesn’t have to sit with the emotions during all the emotions. Why is that so in line with what I’ve learned about him through his commentary. Yes I’m psychoanalyzing a random guy on the internet, what.
Edit: he said some really heartfelt and insightful shit at the end and I’m both surprised and proud of him.
Willow is very careless with magic
She is a little too obsessed with it
Hope it doesn't get to be too bad
I'm sure that won't end badly....
Bored Now.
15:25 The song Doc is humming is from Peter and the Wolf by Prokoviev. It is a symphonic child's story about a boy and some animal friends who outsmart a dangerous wolf. I had this record when I was a little kid.
That scene with Buffy and Dawn also still gets me. Meaning i always ugly snot cry lol. Great performances by both ❤
27:26 So...do we suspect there's some connection between Ben and Glory? 😅
I'm so glad Joel Grey was guest starring during season 5. He's outstanding!
Spike clearly has Mommy issues that's why he's helping Dawn
Because some of the normies missed big episodes, could someone on their team ensure they all watch the next important one? It’s equivalent to The Office - Dinner Party episode. We need a full couch reaction to 6x07!
Willow does have a tendency to try to use magic to solve everything.
Did Spike really want to Joyce back, or did he think that Dawn had to try in order to get over it?
We've seen Willow already have a tendency to use magic almost as a crutch and turn to it first to solve a problem without thinking of consequences. You guys already mentioned Something Blue and Triangle, but also when Oz cheated on her she immediately was going to do a spell. Even as early as season 3, she tried to do a spell to get her feelings for Xander to go away. It's well within Willow's character to think magic could fix this and be a little reckless.
It always gets overshadowed by The Body (because that's a better, more iconic episode) but the acting in this is pitch perfect. Buffy and Dawn's final scene should have garnered an Emmy nomination for SMG.
Willow’s foreshadowing---Hahaha.
After the fallout from Joyce's death you can feel the pain of Dawn in Forever where she just can't accept her mother's death, and would do anything to being her back. This of course is a very basic human emotion experienced by many. You can see how Tara is annoyed with Willow for lending some assistance. Tara become very wary of Willow's increasing power, a perception here re the Willow/Tara power shift, and the tensions increasing with them. Another good point raised is the anxiety and pressure of having to deal with arranging funeral, wake, catering, etc even the admin involved after death in having to contact banks, pension companies, solicitors, etc etc etc it is really draining. Some terrific scenes with Dawn and Buffy at the end you can almost feel the anguish for the two of them. Brilliantly acted, again how this show did not receive awards is crazy, it should definitely be retrospectively recognised and awarded at the Emmys in the future for its contribution to TV drama. We know this show can be very light hearted with great comedy moments, but when it hits hard it really hits. This is what makes the Buffyverse shows so brilliant they cover every type of human emotion so well. On reflection I think you will watch all the episodes again and will appreciate them even more.
Wow Pat suddenly has so much to say
Buffy always is good at following up their top tier episodes with episodes that appropriately deal with while at the same time getting back to format
That shadow in the window scene still creep me out, reminded me of pet sementary, I think joss a big fan of pet sementary, he did on season 3 second episode, he put it on justice league having flash saying "pet sementary "😅
It was nice seeing Angel come back, I always like seeing him and Buffy together
If you think the writers have balls now, just wait and see the pair they have.
In regards to what the group was saying Pat would think about Joyce's death...They know him well. 😁
The changup to sitting arrangements on the couch makes me think Chris won't be watching anymore. Hopefully I'm wrong.
This episode is what shows usually do for the character death episodes that are about the importance of grieving and death. The previous one was about the imediacy after which pop culture usually bypasses.
Spike was going along for wherever the ride took him (knowing there would be consequences) and convinced himself that he was doing a favor for Buffy and Dawn and Willow was in the same boat as Spike in terms of thinking about the immediacy of Buffy and Joyce feeling better except she's always thinks about what can magic do to fix things and Dawn got her curious even over Tara's warnings. It took Tara for Willow to realize how bad things were, while Spike gets off easy because Buffy "never hears about this," and that shows Dawn he isn't just hanging around with her because of his feelings for Buffy, which is why Dawn outed his feelings to the group to begin with. I expect this from Spike (despite the shock of Rana). He's soulless. I won't get into what that means in combination with what I said above, but what I will say is that not all soulless creatures act like Angelus. Willow is to quick to think about magic fixes over thinking of consequences first to even admit her mistake to Tara, so even with her it makes sense why it happened.
I would believe Spike cares about Joyce before Xander, Willow, Giles, Tara, Anya (or any other member of the group who's been a member of the group). Xander, Willow, Giles, Tara, Anya cared about her because she was Buffy's mom and they were friends with Buffy. Even soulless, I believe Spike cared about Joyce as the mother he either never had or no longer has. I'm not even convinced Joyce liked Xander. The look on his face when Willow said there wasn't a card... that information should not be a surprise to him. I'm also glad The Normies also called out Xander's bull in that moment.
Suraj, the Cordelia fake out was an actual funeral. The fact that the audience didn't know who's funeral doesn't change that.
I wonder if Buffy would be acting towards Angel as she does if she knew what he's been like in the past year on his own show. Doubtful.
I loved the outcry The Normies gave to the ressurrection spell, Dawn, Willow, Spike, Doc, and all the things that needed done for the spell to work. It reminded me of myself when the episode first came out.
I always looked at it as Joyce was a zombie because if she had really been resurrected proper ripping a picture wouldn't be the simple way to break the spell. Joyce wasn't whole and it was good we didn't see her. She was resurected, but everything bad about resurections happened.
Suraj hit the nail on the head. All that was needed was for the sisters to talk. Dawn actually thinking about the fact that her sister now has to play both sister and mom was a wake-up call, and for Buffy she didn't see in the last episode or this one just how deeply this was affecting Dawn.
As great as the Buffy and Angel moment was, it also shows that she still gets into the _Angel was my first love, "swoony lttle schoolgirl"_ headspace when around him sometimes. But she is getting better if she had to remind herself not to act that way out of grief.
This ep creeps me out so much but that's probably because pet semetary scarred me for life when i was a kid. I do love the callback to giles listening to Cream
TH-cam auto playing this reaction right after the discussion of the previous episode is some insane tonal whiplash. From quiet and somber discussion- cut to "MAN THEY WERE BALLSY FOR KILLING THE MOM OFF NOW THE SHOW IS GONNA BE BETTER, IT WAS KIND OF ONLY OKAY BEFORE, I WENT BACK THROUGH LOOKING AT REPLAYS OF THE EP TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS REALLY DEAD"
I don't don't know what I expected.
the Normies paradox. They remember Principal Flutie, but still confused about what a slayer is or still debate whether silver kills vampires
I think that's the most I've heard Pat talk since I've been watching these BtVS reactions. :)
07:38 Willow says the reason not to resurrect the dead is because it's too dangerous. That's the wrong answer. It would be unethical to reverse the natural order even if it was safe to do. Besides, when was magic ever "safe"?
There was so much talking over everything, I don't know how they even followed what was going on.
I feel like to understand why Spike helps Dawn, you have to look into his past and his relationship with his own mother.
I do think so far on the show there was a reference in the episode where we see how he got turned, that his mother was sick.
It's also important to note that Spike is a vampire, he doesn't have a soul, so his sense of moral oftentimes shifts according to who needs what. Had he seen Buffy in the graveyard there, my guess is he wouldn't have helped her, because it's Buffy and not Dawn.
"Willow doesn't do a lot of dumb stuff." ...without spoiling anything, everyone is capable of being "dumb" when hurting or worried. Also, when you aren't at the center of an issue or series, "occasional" behavioral traits can be written off as one-of episode things unless the writers remember and purposefully make them part of a character. If others around you are having their love lives out in public more often or sooner, people often expect you to be at the same stage they are at for various things because they things for granted.
We love Oscar, Tony, BAFTA, & Golden Globe winner Joel Grey from Cabaret, Buffy, Alias, Oz, Nurse Jackie, etc.
Wouldn't it'd be a hoot if Dawn cast the spell and Joyce came back just fine and rejoined the cast?
My headcanon is that, since Dawn isn’t even a witch, whatever she brought to life wasn’t Joyce, and Joyce was left unbothered in the afterlife.
I watched this episode after my Mom passed and I went to see my older brother. It helped.
I want to recommend the new AMC show Interview With The Vampire it's so amazing I would love to see The Normies react to it🥰 Season 1 is only 7 episodes. Season 2 is supposed to start sometime this year.
The IRONY of Surg telling Willow to be quiet 😂 🫶🏻 especially during important plot dialogue 🤦♀️
Noooooooooo... Joss Whedon purposely wrote Willows first kiss way over the top because the networks didn't want a kiss and so when they told him he could finally get it in the episode it had to be toned down to what he originally wanted. 😊
I love that last scene soo much!
Oh you think this was Willow being stuoid with magic? Just ya'll wait, strap in
"I've just gone pro"
@cklambo Oh, we'll get there
Joyce's silhouette in the window is more creepy than actually seeing her. That was some shit when I watched the original broadcast.
Wow. Pat with the knowledge.
Joss had to fight to have it in .
I love seeing other channels do Buffy related content! love this xx
I hope everyone is having a fantastic day!
IMO, episodes 5:16 and 5:17 were hard. Now we can start to go back to Normal. They were great episodes, but now it is Buffy Time again. Nice Post, Guys.
Magic comes with a price dearie
I think thats just how Buffy reacts to loosing her mum, being the boss, getting things done. Its just how she was dealing. Its so funny, I see every reactor be like nooooooo to bringing Joyce back. I was always like fuck yeah!!!! DO it! Makes sense, in a world of magic, this would probably be the first thing you would want to do. I mean the spell did work....
I don't know if you guys noticed but the scene with Giles at his house listening to music, it was the same band he and Joyce listened to in Band Candy :( ALSOOOOOOOOOOOOO does nobody ever notice when Doc pulled out that book, its the same book from season 1 with Moloch, the episode I robot you Jane. Im not sure if that was intentional or just the set designers using it again. They have done that with demon costumes a few times but change them a little
I don't mean to sound judgemental, and I really don't think any less of all of you... even if you do hang out with Pat.
Willow, the enabler!!!!😂🤦🏿
Yeah Willow kinda turns into the worst lmao
Wait... Do we think that there is some kind of connection between Ben and Glory?
Yes, but what kind of connection?
Season 6 Willow incoming..everyone duck and cover😂
What days and time do they watch Buffy and Angel on Twitch? I don't remember them talking about it, and I cant find any links.
great vid! but wheres young justice?!?!
Willow is a good innocent girl who has never done anything wrong.
Full Metal Dawn
Why is anyone still shocked when Willow pulls crap like this? She's been doing increasingly dumb things like this since the start of the show. kerk
Why is there a dead log in the left side of the room?
I hate to say it, but I get bored during Angel and Buffy moments like this. The actor is just so wooden when he plays Good Angel. Probably why I was never that interested in watching the Angel series, even though I love Buffy.
I was honestly a little annoyed at the normies for all talking over each other and the show every second this episode; sorry. Also as for Ben he already had all those mentally ill people killed by that queller demon remember.
Ridiculous to say a character death makes a show “more amazing,” that it “wasn’t amazing” before that. Buffy is one of the finest shows ever made..maybe he should’ve reacted with the rest of you guys..his solo take is..ridiculous..
13:40 🎶🎸🥁🍫
If I lived in that universe I would be abusing the heck out of magic just for fun and crossing all moral lines without a care.
What happened to Young Justice?
The res spell was just a recipe she followed 🙄
Please stop the Joss bashing, he's hardly the first producer who cheated on his wife with starlets and fell out with some of his cast. He's a genius as this episode proves.
11:30
Complete off topic bc I’m seeing it more and more I really hope u guys may decide to watch Percy Jackson the new tv series 🥹