An Episode by Episode Analysis of Buffy's Seasonal Themes
Overall: We move on through life… Season 1: Even in Sunnydale, we deal with your life stuff too Welcome to the Hellmouth / The Harvest- Moving to a new place is hell… as is high school… The Witch- Your mom! Literally. Teacher’s Pet- Crushes on Teachers Never Kill A Boy On The First Date- Our dates go wrong too The Pack- Cliques will chew you up and spit you out Angel- Um… boys? I Robot ... You Jane- Don’t trust people on the internet The Puppet Show- Your stage fright: totally justified Nightmares- Um… be glad YOUR dream of being naked in school isn’t real? Out of Mind, Out of Sight- Popularity’s a bitch Prophecy Girl- We here in Sunnydale wanna be normal, but alas we never will. Season 2: Innocence is lost every day, we are all faced with harsh revelations When She Was Bad- Buffy deals with her death, her ideas about life and trust are shattered Some Assembly Required- Chris deals with the weight of possibly killing someone for his brother’s sake School Hard- Buffy realizes she could get kicked out of school Inca Mummy Girl- Stealing youth from a kiss, a kiss of death… I think that qualifies as lost innocence Reptile Boy- Okay high school girls meet college boys… kinda of the self explanatory Halloween- **I find it hard to make this fit the seasonal theme, however I do note it speaks a lot to gender roles… it takes all the main characters who don’t really fit gender stereotypes and flip flops them so they do and the dynamic just doesn’t work Lie to Me- Buffy is betrayed by a friend, who was dealing with imminent death The Dark Age- Giles + Dark Past = Big realization What My Line?- Dru goes from weak and innocent to… well… deadly Ted- Buffy deals with the thought that she might have killed someone Bad Eggs- Body snatchers? Surprise/Innocence- Loss of virginity, loss of the soul Phases- Oz deals with the fact that he’s become a werewolf Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered- Cordelia sees she can be a better person… eh… I can’t make it fit Passion- Jenny’s death makes everyone see how dangerous Angelus is Killed by Death- Children die… that fits the theme easily I Only Have Eyes For You- Murder/suicide is harsh Go Fish- Steroid use, alteration of the body’s pure functioning Becoming- The big moments happen. Season 3: Who are you? What gives you value as a person? Anne- Buffy is not nobody Dead Man’s Party- Other people form identities even when you're not around to see it. Faith, Hope, and Trick- How does Buffy separate herself when faced with someone “just like her”? Beauty and the Beasts- Jekyll and Hyde anyone? Two identities, a change between good and evil, and abusive boyfriend Homecoming- Buffy wants to be remembered for doing something normal, teenagery, to prove she had a life Band Candy- Maturity… where do you fall on the continuum? Revelations- Faith loses her ability to trust people beyond herself Lover’s Walk- Relationships are a large part of your identity, friendwise and lovewise The Wish- Little changes to the past, could have really changed who you are. Note the only character who has major major changes to her personality… is Buffy. The one who wasn’t there. Amends- What is Angel’s value, can he really repent? Gingerbread- Joyce struggles to find her place in the world of the mystic. Helpless- Does Buffy’s powers make her who she is, or is she still Buffy without them? The Zeppo- Xander does have value as a fighter, even if no one else knows it. Bad Girls/Consequences- Are you good? Are you evil? Is there no middle ground? Doppelgangland- Willow faces, acknowledges, and embraces the fact that she has an evil side. Enemies- It takes more than you think to change someone Earshot- Everyone has stuff going on in their heads, stuff you will never know. Don’t take it personally. Choices- When you’re morally ambiguous, Faith, someone who treats you like family you never had may sway your side. The Prom- People know Buffy protects them, Buffy is the class protector. She has made a difference Graduation Day- We all gotta grow up, move on, leave high school behind. Season 4: When your situation changes, your identity changes… how do you mesh those? The Freshman- When you go to college, where no one knows you, how do you know yourself? Living Conditions- Going off to college doesn’t make old problems go away. The Harsh Light of Day- It is possible to change something deeply embedded in you Fear, Itself- Your fears control you, but that’s a kinda stupid thing to do Beer Bad- Booze makes you a Neanderthal. Pretty blatant metaphor. Wild At Heart- Relationships you trust end… can you control your impulses? The Initiative- Spike deals with being defanged lawl. Pangs- Um… hey look Native Americans! Lots of talk about how we ruined their identity and culture. Something Blue- Um… I’ll get back to you… Hush- The only thing I can think? Actions think louder than words… Doomed- Buffy and Riley reconcile their identities. A New Man- Giles, who used to be the center of everything, I suddenly completely out of the loop this year and deals with his unemployed life. The I In Team- Buffy joins the military…that’s definitely a new identity… Goodbye, Iowa- Adam is like… the epitome of a mixed identity. This Years Girl/Who Are You- Faith lives Buffy’s life, learns about her identity Superstar- Jonathan is cool for the first time in his life Where the Wild Things Are- Eh… I guess the identities of the repressed kids?... bah… New Moon Rising- Willow’s gay! Hehehe! *insert MASSIVE W/T love here* The Yoko Factor- How does the gang’s identity change when they stop being the gang? Primeval- Hey look, we’ll just make ourselves into one super Scooby. Restless- Hmn… lots of dreams revealing our deep fears of being seen as nerds, never leaving the basement, wondering where I am in life, and wondering what it means to be the slayer… Season 5: Everyone needs to grow up, what is family? Buffy Vs Dracula- Buffy comes to terms with the fact that she needs to grow Real Me- Intro to a new family member The Replacement- Xander realizes he has maturity Out of my mind- Riley needs to learn that knowing when to abdicate is mature No Place Like Home- more dealing with the family dynamic with Dawn Family- … *points to title again* Also Tara grows up as she moves past her family’s abuse Fool For Love- Spike’s life journey Shadow- Joyce has cancer, how will this strain the family? Listening to Fear- Buffy has to take charge, be an adult, run the house Into the Woods- Riley leaves the Scooby family Triangle- Anya and Willow deal with their feud, learn to deal with each other and thus mature a little Checkpoint- Check out Buffy with the “I am woman hear me roar”ness Blood Ties- more family stuff. Crush- Spike needs to grow up emotionally. Hey look, Dru’s back, I think that fits into family… I Was Made To Love You- Okay… ditching your robolover like she was less than a dog? Not mature at all. Buffy realizes she can survive boyfriendless. The Body/Forever- doping with family dynamic change facing the loss of a family member Intervention- Buffy seeks the source of her power, more maturity stuff… Tough Love- Where is Willow heading as she gets older? Well it’s got Tara a little worried. Spiral- Sometimes, running away is the most mature thing to do. Weight of the World- Getting through the hard stuff, not holding back, that’s in the maturity category. The Gift- How much will you give for your family? Season 6: People cause pain too Bargaining/After Life- The pain of being ripped out of heaven. Flooded/Life Serial- Hello nerds! Our very peopley Villains All The Way- Dawn’s in trouble… must be Tuesday… lover’s spats OMWF- Emotions cause pain too Tabula Rasa/Wrecked/Smashed- Willow’s spiral out of control, magic addiction, hitting rock bottom Gone- Child services doesn’t understand the Scooby life. Doublemeat Palace- Don’t trust Fast Food Dead Things- Hmn… rape and murder… Older and Far Away- People leaving is a very sharp pain As You Were- People coming back is a very sharp pain Hells Bells- Stupid Xander moment of DOOM. Stupid stupid Xander moment. Normal Again- Mmmmmm…. Sanity…nerd squad… Entropy- How appropriate… all things tend towards chaos… Seeing Red- more rape, more murder Villains/ Two To Go/ Grave- Your best friend can be a villain.. Season 7: … still working on this…coming soon…
Overall: We move on through life… Season 1: Even in Sunnydale, we deal with your life stuff too Welcome to the Hellmouth / The Harvest- Moving to a new place is hell… as is high school… The Witch- Your mom! Literally. Teacher’s Pet- Crushes on Teachers Never Kill A Boy On The First Date- Our dates go wrong too The Pack- Cliques will chew you up and spit you out Angel- Um… boys? I Robot ... You Jane- Don’t trust people on the internet The Puppet Show- Your stage fright: totally justified Nightmares- Um… be glad YOUR dream of being naked in school isn’t real? Out of Mind, Out of Sight- Popularity’s a bitch Prophecy Girl- We here in Sunnydale wanna be normal, but alas we never will. Season 2: Innocence is lost every day, we are all faced with harsh revelations When She Was Bad- Buffy deals with her death, her ideas about life and trust are shattered Some Assembly Required- Chris deals with the weight of possibly killing someone for his brother’s sake School Hard- Buffy realizes she could get kicked out of school Inca Mummy Girl- Stealing youth from a kiss, a kiss of death… I think that qualifies as lost innocence Reptile Boy- Okay high school girls meet college boys… kinda of the self explanatory Halloween- **I find it hard to make this fit the seasonal theme, however I do note it speaks a lot to gender roles… it takes all the main characters who don’t really fit gender stereotypes and flip flops them so they do and the dynamic just doesn’t work Lie to Me- Buffy is betrayed by a friend, who was dealing with imminent death The Dark Age- Giles + Dark Past = Big realization What My Line?- Dru goes from weak and innocent to… well… deadly Ted- Buffy deals with the thought that she might have killed someone Bad Eggs- Body snatchers? Surprise/Innocence- Loss of virginity, loss of the soul Phases- Oz deals with the fact that he’s become a werewolf Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered- Cordelia sees she can be a better person… eh… I can’t make it fit Passion- Jenny’s death makes everyone see how dangerous Angelus is Killed by Death- Children die… that fits the theme easily I Only Have Eyes For You- Murder/suicide is harsh Go Fish- Steroid use, alteration of the body’s pure functioning Becoming- The big moments happen. Season 3: Who are you? What gives you value as a person? Anne- Buffy is not nobody Dead Man’s Party- Other people form identities even when you're not around to see it. Faith, Hope, and Trick- How does Buffy separate herself when faced with someone “just like her”? Beauty and the Beasts- Jekyll and Hyde anyone? Two identities, a change between good and evil, and abusive boyfriend Homecoming- Buffy wants to be remembered for doing something normal, teenagery, to prove she had a life Band Candy- Maturity… where do you fall on the continuum? Revelations- Faith loses her ability to trust people beyond herself Lover’s Walk- Relationships are a large part of your identity, friendwise and lovewise The Wish- Little changes to the past, could have really changed who you are. Note the only character who has major major changes to her personality… is Buffy. The one who wasn’t there. Amends- What is Angel’s value, can he really repent? Gingerbread- Joyce struggles to find her place in the world of the mystic. Helpless- Does Buffy’s powers make her who she is, or is she still Buffy without them? The Zeppo- Xander does have value as a fighter, even if no one else knows it. Bad Girls/Consequences- Are you good? Are you evil? Is there no middle ground? Doppelgangland- Willow faces, acknowledges, and embraces the fact that she has an evil side. Enemies- It takes more than you think to change someone Earshot- Everyone has stuff going on in their heads, stuff you will never know. Don’t take it personally. Choices- When you’re morally ambiguous, Faith, someone who treats you like family you never had may sway your side. The Prom- People know Buffy protects them, Buffy is the class protector. She has made a difference Graduation Day- We all gotta grow up, move on, leave high school behind. Season 4: When your situation changes, your identity changes… how do you mesh those? The Freshman- When you go to college, where no one knows you, how do you know yourself? Living Conditions- Going off to college doesn’t make old problems go away. The Harsh Light of Day- It is possible to change something deeply embedded in you Fear, Itself- Your fears control you, but that’s a kinda stupid thing to do Beer Bad- Booze makes you a Neanderthal. Pretty blatant metaphor. Wild At Heart- Relationships you trust end… can you control your impulses? The Initiative- Spike deals with being defanged lawl. Pangs- Um… hey look Native Americans! Lots of talk about how we ruined their identity and culture. Something Blue- Um… I’ll get back to you… Hush- The only thing I can think? Actions think louder than words… Doomed- Buffy and Riley reconcile their identities. A New Man- Giles, who used to be the center of everything, I suddenly completely out of the loop this year and deals with his unemployed life. The I In Team- Buffy joins the military…that’s definitely a new identity… Goodbye, Iowa- Adam is like… the epitome of a mixed identity. This Years Girl/Who Are You- Faith lives Buffy’s life, learns about her identity Superstar- Jonathan is cool for the first time in his life Where the Wild Things Are- Eh… I guess the identities of the repressed kids?... bah… New Moon Rising- Willow’s gay! Hehehe! *insert MASSIVE W/T love here* The Yoko Factor- How does the gang’s identity change when they stop being the gang? Primeval- Hey look, we’ll just make ourselves into one super Scooby. Restless- Hmn… lots of dreams revealing our deep fears of being seen as nerds, never leaving the basement, wondering where I am in life, and wondering what it means to be the slayer… Season 5: Everyone needs to grow up, what is family? Buffy Vs Dracula- Buffy comes to terms with the fact that she needs to grow Real Me- Intro to a new family member The Replacement- Xander realizes he has maturity Out of my mind- Riley needs to learn that knowing when to abdicate is mature No Place Like Home- more dealing with the family dynamic with Dawn Family- … *points to title again* Also Tara grows up as she moves past her family’s abuse Fool For Love- Spike’s life journey Shadow- Joyce has cancer, how will this strain the family? Listening to Fear- Buffy has to take charge, be an adult, run the house Into the Woods- Riley leaves the Scooby family Triangle- Anya and Willow deal with their feud, learn to deal with each other and thus mature a little Checkpoint- Check out Buffy with the “I am woman hear me roar”ness Blood Ties- more family stuff. Crush- Spike needs to grow up emotionally. Hey look, Dru’s back, I think that fits into family… I Was Made To Love You- Okay… ditching your robolover like she was less than a dog? Not mature at all. Buffy realizes she can survive boyfriendless. The Body/Forever- doping with family dynamic change facing the loss of a family member Intervention- Buffy seeks the source of her power, more maturity stuff… Tough Love- Where is Willow heading as she gets older? Well it’s got Tara a little worried. Spiral- Sometimes, running away is the most mature thing to do. Weight of the World- Getting through the hard stuff, not holding back, that’s in the maturity category. The Gift- How much will you give for your family? Season 6: People cause pain too Bargaining/After Life- The pain of being ripped out of heaven. Flooded/Life Serial- Hello nerds! Our very peopley Villains All The Way- Dawn’s in trouble… must be Tuesday… lover’s spats OMWF- Emotions cause pain too Tabula Rasa/Wrecked/Smashed- Willow’s spiral out of control, magic addiction, hitting rock bottom Gone- Child services doesn’t understand the Scooby life. Doublemeat Palace- Don’t trust Fast Food Dead Things- Hmn… rape and murder… Older and Far Away- People leaving is a very sharp pain As You Were- People coming back is a very sharp pain Hells Bells- Stupid Xander moment of DOOM. Stupid stupid Xander moment. Normal Again- Mmmmmm…. Sanity…nerd squad… Entropy- How appropriate… all things tend towards chaos… Seeing Red- more rape, more murder Villains/ Two To Go/ Grave- Your best friend can be a villain.. Season 7: … still working on this…coming soon…