Vampires, kneeling and the draw of a cute blonde slayer

[sl_podcast]

So rewatching Buffy this time (as I do often)... I noticed that both Spike and Angel kneel in front of Buffy (Angel, right after he returns from hell and Spike, during OMWF).

I'm sure this was purposeful... but I'm not sure what to think the purpose is.... what do you guys think?

Comments

[scarfman]

I believe the final season arc plot was originally conceived with Angel in it instead of Spike (hence Amends); and that, when it came about that Angel was in a different series on a different network, Spike was slotted into Angel's part of the outline. I think Spike's relationship with Buffy, whatever its differences from Angel's and its own virtues, was at least in part so Spike could take Angel's part in the denoument of the First's story. Therefore, imagery that had popped into Whedon's stories during Angel's arc naturally also popped up later in Spike's. What Whedon would have done should Marsters have gotten the Star Trek: Nemesis part and Spike hadn't returned from Africa, I have no idea.

[maxdemon76]

Hmmm. I doubt that is true. By the time the final season of Buffy was on the air, Angel had already had his own show for three years, and working on a fourth. There was a lot of plot overlap in season four of Buffy/season one of Angel, but that seemed to be in order to help promote Angel as its own show by getting Buffy watchers to watch the show. As Angel progressed, there were less crossovers, as Season Two of Angel had very few crossovers with Buffy. Also Season Five of Buffy was possibly going to be the last season as it had not been renewed by the WB. It did get picked up by UPN, and due to contractual obligations, they were not allowed to have characters from the shows cross over to the other network. However, Joss did manage to convince the networks to let him to it for Season Seven, as by then they knew it was going to be the end of the show, and Joss did want to go out with a bang

[fenderlove]

Kneeling as a symbol of sacrifice, offering up their senses of self and dignity to recreate their identities, their wants and desires, all in the name of the whims of their new deity, hoping for just an ounce of her love in return?

[sl_podcast]

I like this idea! Especially in both senses the vampires had lost both (self/dignity). Angel had just come back from the hell dimension. Spike was singing and revealing his innermost feelings.

[rebcake]

It's not that unusual to show men falling at their beloved's feet to imbue romantic drama. Spike kneeling to propose was a cute and cornball riff on that, I thought. Did Riley ever kneel, though? If not, maybe that's a sign that the relationship didn't have enough "drama" as far as story line.

Obviously, both Angel and Spike think of Buffy as the face of their salvation at various times. What "salvation" means to each of them is left open.