Buffy 7.2 - Spike on the cross

[tefnut]

I've watched the first two episodes of the seventh season of Buffy for the first time tonight.

James Marsters was already my favourite actor. His performance in this episode floored me. It felt like watching a great performance of a  Shakespearean play.

It may sound silly, but... I'm shaking. I was so moved, I had to sit on the ground for a minute.
First time I experienced anything like that through this media.

Comments

[gabrielleabelle.livejournal.com]

That scene always makes me cry. It's just so powerful. It is my favorite scene in the entire series, and that's saying quite a lot.

*Non-too-subtly pimps her meta about the scene* :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/tefnut_/]

Loved the meta!
It gave me an excuse to rewatch the scene.

But what about "the other"? The thing "beneath you"? That's William. It's the William who was beneath Cecily in Fool for Love and it was the William in Spike that was below Buffy in the very same episode. Indeed, Spike remained "below" Buffy throughout S6. His own self is in him, telling him to go to hell. Instead or reconciling himself and piecing himself back together, he's turned against himself in his guilt.
I think the thing "beneath you" is the demon. William was beneath Cecily. The evil, soulless thing was beneath Buffy. So, I believe it's what he's referring about (as well as to the "Beneath you, it devours" mantra).

[http://users.livejournal.com/tefnut_/]

Btw, I just copy-pasted that as a comment to your post. That's where it should be. :)

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

I was floored by more than one episode of that show. The ones around grief and grieving were remarkable because I was left going "What, you mean that *wasn't* just me? Other people go through the same stupid things?"

If you haven't seen Firefly yet you should. Tremendous substance there too.

[http://users.livejournal.com/tefnut_/]

No, I haven't seen Firefly yet. I'd like to. :)

I'm impressed at how Joss Whedon brings depth to his characters. You look at the story arcs, the parallels between characters who seemingly don't have much in common (say, Riley and Spike in S5), Willow's downward spiral, Buffy's depression... It's incredible. JW shows us a gun on a chimney in Season 2 and uses it in Season 6.

The Body and the subsequent episodes, in particular, felt real. No background music. Something subtly different about the lighting and the camera angles. The people. Willow and her "What do I wear?". Anya and her "What does it mean? Why?". Buffy.

Watching these was terrifying, but they brought me some relief as well.

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

The Body and the subsequent episodes

Yes, that was the episode, but I didn't want to spoil it for you if you hadn't seen it. I had lost someone very dear to me under horrible circumstances some time before, and I was astonished that Whedon captured that sense of grief. Willow obsessing about how she *had* to wear that particular shirt that Joyce liked to the hospital -- I hadn't realized that that obsession with detail was common. I knew I did it at the time, and I was conscious that it was stupid, pointless detail, but I couldn't stop myself. The part where Xander is driving on campus, and looks around at all the people walking/playing frizbee, etc. and goes "What are these people *doing*? How can they act as though the world is *normal*? It's not... oh, wait, it's *my world* that isn't normal. I'm not in the same world with them." Also the part where he can't find a place to park, and says "Screw it, I'll park here. They tow me, they tow me. Whatever.". Yes. Whedon is a master for capturing this. I had no idea that those internal details could be captured on film (as opposed to a book, where one is living in a character's head and can see their world view). Amazing stuff.