Great Buffyverse Rewatch of 2015: Gingerbread
This should have been posted on Friday, but RL got in the way. My apologies - we should be back to the twice-weekly schedule again next time.
So, now we have an episode about the power of fairy-tales, of mass hysteria, bullying and rubbish parental choices.
Gingerbread
Oh look, it’s a dark park again. Buffy patrols, there’s a noise - and Joyce appears with a snack. Supporto-Mom.
She’s not exactly an asset, so Buffy tells her mother to ‘Stay!’ while she deals with the vamp - and thus Joyce sees the horrific sight of murdered children.
They were little kids, so tiny - Joyce reacts much as she did in Band Candy. Buffy is stressed too. She doesn’t quite use a twelfth century Papal encyclical as a sketch pad, but it’s close.
Giles suggests it could have been a cult group. ‘Someone with a soul did this?’ Which raises but fails to answer all sorts of interesting questions.
Willow is astonished by Buffy’s story - ‘God, your mom would actually take the time to do that with you?’ speaks volumes unintentionally.
Then Joyce turns up. Again. Helicopter parenting? Ah, the innocent 90s when parents could walk into school and into the dining room unchallenged.
The mention of the occult sickens Joyce. It makes Willow and Amy cough too. Willow is suddenly grateful that her own mother takes no interest in her extra-curricular activities. Or her curricular activities for that matter. Buffy just feels uncomfortable about mixing school and home. Mind, you, she’s even less comfortable about her mom’s activism, calling everybody she knows in town. That’s taking parental involvement too far.
The Town Hall is crowded with vigillers. Even Mrs Rosenberg is there, and notices Willow changed her hair. In August as it happens, but points for caring.
The meeting between Giles and Joyce is funny. Then the Mayor speaks. Caring, heartfelt as always.
Then Joyce takes the podium, and blows the gaff wide open, pointing out the reality of Sunnydale Syndrome. This isn't our town anymore. It belongs to the monsters and, and the witches and the Slayers. Warning bell there, Buffy.
Amy seems to confirm the worry, as we see her doing something witchy with a friend and a skull.
Oops. The friend is Willow. (Darkish Willow) Evil witches? They have the sigil and everything.
And we have a lesson about peer pressure and the madness of crowds, as ‘everyone knows’ becomes the watchword of the moment. Crowds always enable bullies, especially when they are expressing the majority prejudice.
Buffy finds that Willow has been drawing the Sigil of Evil. Willow points out that it’s not necessarily a bad thing:
A doodle. I do doodle. You, too. You do doodle, too.
At which moment Snyder and his stormtroopers police officers raid the lockers for occult contraband. Three kids have been taken away and material has been confiscated. Xander is very, very worried. He has issues of Playboy in his locker.
Someone has finally noticed the unsuitability of half the contents of the library. The books are being confiscated. One has to say, Snyder has a point. Apparently they will have to answer to MOO.
Willow’s mother recognises that Willow’s interests are typical of her age-group. She is concerned by her delusions; it’s clearly a cry for discipline, so she’s grounded.
Prince of Night, I summon you. Come fill me with your black, naughty evil.
Willow’s mother forbids her to see Buffy (OK, Bunny) again. Joyce says the same in reverse. Slayage is reactive, not planned, and Buffy ought to be controlled. The dead children speak to Joyce as soon as she’s on her own - and suddenly the over-reaction seems a touch more sinister.
Angel appears to have a hug and a chat in the park, and establish the mission statement of his upcoming spinoff. Buffy, you know, I'm still figuring things out. There's a lot I don't understand. But I do know it's important to keep fighting. I learned that from you. … We never will. That's not why we fight. We do it 'cause there's things worth fighting for. Those kids. Their parents. (Channelling Sam Gamgee there a touch, Liam.)
Their parents. Yes, it makes you think, doesn’t it?
Buffy enlists the help of Giles, Xander and Oz, who apparently hang out together now? Oz at least understands that the Internet can let you communicate, even if Willow can’t get to the phone. Not that there’s any real point here - Willow reads the same sites, but that doesn’t actually affect her actions at all.
Apparently the children have been turning up dead every fifty years since at least 1649. That might suggest something is a little off. Willow’s mother believes her at last, but that is not necessarily a good thing. And Giles realises some folk stories might actually have a basis in reality. (Ya think?) Some demons thrive by feeding us our darkest fear and turning us against each other.
And the concerned citizens grab Amy, Willow, Giles and Buffy.
And now we have a traditional mob with flames and people tied to stakes and everything.
Cordelia tells Giles things are way out of control, and he ought to stop getting knocked out or one of these days he’ll wake up in a coma.
Joyce and Sheila bond over burning their daughters to death. As you do.
Amy becomes a rat, calling on Hecate.
Giles and Cordelia drive to the rescue, creating a spell as they go.
Joyce points out that a good mother needs to be able to punish her child.
Cordelia finds the fire hose. Eventually she even points it at the fire.
The children turn into a great big demon. Buffy finds a way to stake him. Then Xander and Oz arrive.
All is well, selective memory Sunnydale-style is in operation. (One does wonder who disposed of the giant demon-corpse, mind you.)
Amy may need a wheel, though.
*****
Lots of action, though the consistent pairing of Oz and Xander throughout the episode is a bit tricky to explain. We actually meet Willow’s mother, though not her father. Giles and Angel don't do a lot apart from exposition and apothegms. (look it up.)
The primary focus of this episode seems to be mass hysteria, the behaviour of crowds which can be so irrational, vicious and hostile. Rumours spread fast, and no-one bothers to check for the true explanation. Conclusions are tripped over, leapt to and embraced, and the odd ones out are the targets. A Goth guy is picked on for his appearance (though it turns out he is into witchcraft with Amy) and those who don’t conform must be pushed out or destroyed.
I can’t help but feel that the theme would have worked a little better, however, if even one of the targets had not been at all involved in aspects of the occult. Can we really argue with Snyder’s questions about the suitability of the books? Buffy lives dangerously, interacting with vampires; Willow, Amy and Michael dabble in witchcraft. Burning your child to death is overreacting, but arguably the parents are right to be concerned.
Parenting is the other important theme, here, and misdirected parental instincts. Willow envies Buffy’s mother’s interest in her life, but when her own mother shows an interest she is horrified. Sheila, all intellect and no heart contrasts with Joyce, who goes by her instincts. Both fail, mainly because they are under demonic influence, but also because neither emotions nor intelligence are sufficient by themselves.
I can’t say I’m crazy about this episode, though it does have some wonderful individual lines. Angel’s appearance is perfunctory and pointless, while the Mayor’s speech seems even less use, other than reminding us he exists. Some of the issues are handled rather crassly, and others are just abandoned - the red herring of the sigil found on the hands of the children - if it is benign and they are evil, why was it there? If it's part of a good protection spell, why does it need a skull? The mislead is both obvious and, frankly, a bit pointless there.
What about you? Thoughts, comments, complaints? Do you like the creepy children? Is Oz/Xander a villainy-fighting partnership you like? Shouldn’t Amy have been able to derattify herself without help, since she cast the original spell? Do you feel nobody has any real idea what to do with Angel now he’s good but out of bounds? And what has happened to Faith?
*****
We have now reached the midpoint of Season 3, so we are taking a week’s catch-up break again. Pause to draw breath - it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
So, now we have an episode about the power of fairy-tales, of mass hysteria, bullying and rubbish parental choices.
Gingerbread
Oh look, it’s a dark park again. Buffy patrols, there’s a noise - and Joyce appears with a snack. Supporto-Mom.
She’s not exactly an asset, so Buffy tells her mother to ‘Stay!’ while she deals with the vamp - and thus Joyce sees the horrific sight of murdered children.
They were little kids, so tiny - Joyce reacts much as she did in Band Candy. Buffy is stressed too. She doesn’t quite use a twelfth century Papal encyclical as a sketch pad, but it’s close.
Giles suggests it could have been a cult group. ‘Someone with a soul did this?’ Which raises but fails to answer all sorts of interesting questions.
Willow is astonished by Buffy’s story - ‘God, your mom would actually take the time to do that with you?’ speaks volumes unintentionally.
Then Joyce turns up. Again. Helicopter parenting? Ah, the innocent 90s when parents could walk into school and into the dining room unchallenged.
The mention of the occult sickens Joyce. It makes Willow and Amy cough too. Willow is suddenly grateful that her own mother takes no interest in her extra-curricular activities. Or her curricular activities for that matter. Buffy just feels uncomfortable about mixing school and home. Mind, you, she’s even less comfortable about her mom’s activism, calling everybody she knows in town. That’s taking parental involvement too far.
The Town Hall is crowded with vigillers. Even Mrs Rosenberg is there, and notices Willow changed her hair. In August as it happens, but points for caring.
The meeting between Giles and Joyce is funny. Then the Mayor speaks. Caring, heartfelt as always.
Then Joyce takes the podium, and blows the gaff wide open, pointing out the reality of Sunnydale Syndrome. This isn't our town anymore. It belongs to the monsters and, and the witches and the Slayers. Warning bell there, Buffy.
Amy seems to confirm the worry, as we see her doing something witchy with a friend and a skull.
Oops. The friend is Willow. (Darkish Willow) Evil witches? They have the sigil and everything.
And we have a lesson about peer pressure and the madness of crowds, as ‘everyone knows’ becomes the watchword of the moment. Crowds always enable bullies, especially when they are expressing the majority prejudice.
Buffy finds that Willow has been drawing the Sigil of Evil. Willow points out that it’s not necessarily a bad thing:
A doodle. I do doodle. You, too. You do doodle, too.
At which moment Snyder and his stormtroopers police officers raid the lockers for occult contraband. Three kids have been taken away and material has been confiscated. Xander is very, very worried. He has issues of Playboy in his locker.
Someone has finally noticed the unsuitability of half the contents of the library. The books are being confiscated. One has to say, Snyder has a point. Apparently they will have to answer to MOO.
Willow’s mother recognises that Willow’s interests are typical of her age-group. She is concerned by her delusions; it’s clearly a cry for discipline, so she’s grounded.
Prince of Night, I summon you. Come fill me with your black, naughty evil.
Willow’s mother forbids her to see Buffy (OK, Bunny) again. Joyce says the same in reverse. Slayage is reactive, not planned, and Buffy ought to be controlled. The dead children speak to Joyce as soon as she’s on her own - and suddenly the over-reaction seems a touch more sinister.
Angel appears to have a hug and a chat in the park, and establish the mission statement of his upcoming spinoff. Buffy, you know, I'm still figuring things out. There's a lot I don't understand. But I do know it's important to keep fighting. I learned that from you. … We never will. That's not why we fight. We do it 'cause there's things worth fighting for. Those kids. Their parents. (Channelling Sam Gamgee there a touch, Liam.)
Their parents. Yes, it makes you think, doesn’t it?
Buffy enlists the help of Giles, Xander and Oz, who apparently hang out together now? Oz at least understands that the Internet can let you communicate, even if Willow can’t get to the phone. Not that there’s any real point here - Willow reads the same sites, but that doesn’t actually affect her actions at all.
Apparently the children have been turning up dead every fifty years since at least 1649. That might suggest something is a little off. Willow’s mother believes her at last, but that is not necessarily a good thing. And Giles realises some folk stories might actually have a basis in reality. (Ya think?) Some demons thrive by feeding us our darkest fear and turning us against each other.
And the concerned citizens grab Amy, Willow, Giles and Buffy.
And now we have a traditional mob with flames and people tied to stakes and everything.
Cordelia tells Giles things are way out of control, and he ought to stop getting knocked out or one of these days he’ll wake up in a coma.
Joyce and Sheila bond over burning their daughters to death. As you do.
Amy becomes a rat, calling on Hecate.
Giles and Cordelia drive to the rescue, creating a spell as they go.
Joyce points out that a good mother needs to be able to punish her child.
Cordelia finds the fire hose. Eventually she even points it at the fire.
The children turn into a great big demon. Buffy finds a way to stake him. Then Xander and Oz arrive.
All is well, selective memory Sunnydale-style is in operation. (One does wonder who disposed of the giant demon-corpse, mind you.)
Amy may need a wheel, though.
*****
Lots of action, though the consistent pairing of Oz and Xander throughout the episode is a bit tricky to explain. We actually meet Willow’s mother, though not her father. Giles and Angel don't do a lot apart from exposition and apothegms. (look it up.)
The primary focus of this episode seems to be mass hysteria, the behaviour of crowds which can be so irrational, vicious and hostile. Rumours spread fast, and no-one bothers to check for the true explanation. Conclusions are tripped over, leapt to and embraced, and the odd ones out are the targets. A Goth guy is picked on for his appearance (though it turns out he is into witchcraft with Amy) and those who don’t conform must be pushed out or destroyed.
I can’t help but feel that the theme would have worked a little better, however, if even one of the targets had not been at all involved in aspects of the occult. Can we really argue with Snyder’s questions about the suitability of the books? Buffy lives dangerously, interacting with vampires; Willow, Amy and Michael dabble in witchcraft. Burning your child to death is overreacting, but arguably the parents are right to be concerned.
Parenting is the other important theme, here, and misdirected parental instincts. Willow envies Buffy’s mother’s interest in her life, but when her own mother shows an interest she is horrified. Sheila, all intellect and no heart contrasts with Joyce, who goes by her instincts. Both fail, mainly because they are under demonic influence, but also because neither emotions nor intelligence are sufficient by themselves.
I can’t say I’m crazy about this episode, though it does have some wonderful individual lines. Angel’s appearance is perfunctory and pointless, while the Mayor’s speech seems even less use, other than reminding us he exists. Some of the issues are handled rather crassly, and others are just abandoned - the red herring of the sigil found on the hands of the children - if it is benign and they are evil, why was it there? If it's part of a good protection spell, why does it need a skull? The mislead is both obvious and, frankly, a bit pointless there.
What about you? Thoughts, comments, complaints? Do you like the creepy children? Is Oz/Xander a villainy-fighting partnership you like? Shouldn’t Amy have been able to derattify herself without help, since she cast the original spell? Do you feel nobody has any real idea what to do with Angel now he’s good but out of bounds? And what has happened to Faith?
*****
We have now reached the midpoint of Season 3, so we are taking a week’s catch-up break again. Pause to draw breath - it’s going to be a bumpy ride!