Buffy

[intertext]

I've reached the episodes in Series 5 where her mother dies. (Surely this isn't a spoiler for anyone, is it? Even I knew this was going to happen...). For obvious reasons, I'm finding these hard to watch. Maybe the hardest were the earlier ones where she was in hospital having tests, because that was SO much what happened to me and my mum. But last night I watched "The Body" and - boy - was that tough. That's what's so amazing about this show - the emotional truth under all the jazz and silliness. I don't think I've seen anything so absolutely right, since the cancer arc in ThirtySomething (except Michael Rosen's Sad Book, which is in a class by itself). Anya's outburst had me with tears just pouring down my face. And Dawn saying "Where has she gone?"... I think I would read a computer instruction manual if Joss Whedon wrote it.

Comments

[gillo]

I'm sorry - I feel I should have warned you about this one. I think it is one of the most powerful TV programmes I have ever watched, and it still gets to me after more viewings than I could count. I've used it in class with students as a way of exploring how directors use techniques, and it gets to them too.

{{hugs}}

There are a couple of funny ones coming up soon, though, if that's any consolation. But Buffy the show and Buffy the person are never so light-hearted again.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

It is incredibly powerful, and even while I was feeling shredded by the emotion, there was something in me going *wow* this is brilliant and appreciating the technique and the writing. And I really noticed the silence - there was no score. It was amazing. It's okay that you didn't warn me - I would have watched it anyway, and I kind of knew it was coming, and I might have guessed he'd do it brilliantly. But thanks :)

[gillo]

I think it's possibly technically teh most brilliant of all Buffy episodes, but it's traumatic viewing even if you haven't had a recent loss. I didn't feel able to use it with my class this year, as we've lost five boys at or recently at the school within the past fifteen months and I felt it would be too raw.

I shall be very interested to see what you make of the last two seasons.

[scholars-blog.livejournal.com]

It's a gut-wrencher and no mistake, yet one of my favourite episodes of Buffy, simply because it's beautifully written. Anya's speech is utterly awesome - just thinking about it now has me teary-eyed.

By an uncanny coincidence, my mother had a brain tumour removed 3 months ago - and this episode was in my head a whole lot - but for the wrong reasons. Fortunately my mother is making a good recovery, otherwise I doubt I could ever have watched it again...

Michele
http://scholar-blog.blogspot.com/

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Amazingly, I was able to watch it, even though my own mother died this past January, and, as I mentioned in the original post, many of the hospital sequences in the story arc did hit very close to home. I think, though I found it hard, I could watch it, and would watch it again, because it was SO true and SO very well written. I gather that Joss lost a parent (his mother? I'm not sure) and channelled that loss into the writing.

[scholars-blog.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that Joss had lost a parent - but I'm not surprised. It's very powerful writing, and beautifully done.