Re: SPOILERS ConverSations with Dead People

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

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36, 19, 27

Hmm, numbers as episode keys, interesting. Let's also note that these
numbers occur in an order, and while they all deal with the themes of
the past, lies, and sexuality, each has a different theme in the
forefront

#36 "Dead Man's Party"

Although Buffy lies about what really happened with Angel and the gang
tells various white lies to avoid talking to each other, and although
there's a brickload of B/W in the ep, the key theme is that "you can't
just bury stuff". Repression is bad, and what happened in the past
needs to be resolved. Specifically, the events of "Becoming, Part
2"--which just got a mention in "Selfless", so...

#19 "Lie to Me"

Although Ford is from Buffy's past and there's a mild amount of B/W (I
actually think A/X is our best slash couple in this ep, although we
can't overlook the fact that Giles calls Ford "cute" <g>), the key theme
here is lies and trust.

Buffy doesn't know who to trust, because everyone lies to her. Perhaps
the start of her superiority complex? And again, Buffy and Willow have
major trust issues between them, in part because Xander lied to Buffy
and made Willow look guilty of something ("kick his ass") that she
didn't do.

#27 "Phases"

The only past involved is recent, and nobody's lying per se, just
keeping secrets. All of which are transformatory, and thus metaphors
for sexual awakening. When Oz tells Willow about his having turned into
a werewolf, it clears up the distrust between them, and they kiss. When
Larry admits that he's gay, he lets go of his anger and becomes a better
person. When Buffy drops the facade about how she's just fine about
Angel's transformation (and his transformation of shy Theresa, which he
accomplished by pretending he hadn't changed), Xander is able to comfort
her and she takes the first step on the long road to moving on.

So in order, Buffy has to stop burying the events of the past,
reestablish trust with Willow, and come out of the closet, a better and
healthier person.

Oh, and there are so many "Phases" quotes I would rank above "Buffy and
Willow action". How about:

Buffy: What boy could resist your wily Willow charms?

or

Buffy: They all get an "F" in Willow.

and several other dissings of the entire male populace. As the ep says:

Xander: On behalf of my gender, hey!

Giles: Yes, let's not leap to any conclusions.

Buffy: I didn't leap. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were.
(Willow beams in agreement.)

So very slashy, and I'm not even counting the C/W and X/O stuff.

--------------------------------
Also, there's a fourth theme running through the episodes--vampires are
no good for you:

#36: Xander: Look, I'm sorry that your honey was a demon, but most
girls don't hop a Greyhound over boy trouble.

#19: Buffy: I love you. I just don't know if I trust you.

Angel: Maybe you shouldn't do either.

#27: Xander (to Buffy, re Angel): He's not the man you knew.

And in #129, we see Buffy learning the awful truth about Spike, who is
not the (chipped) man she knew, who she shouldn't have trusted, whom she
will now have to kill (one hopes she'll try, anyway).

Lastly, if we add 36+19+27, we get 82...

#82: "Out of My Mind".

You can't ignore the past: 

Both the Initiative and Spike's evil nature make reappearances, and the
combination nearly kills Riley.

Lies:  

Joyce becomes the first person in the cast to see through the
Dawn-illusion. The government is bugging Riley's apartment. Spike lies
to Buffy about going to find Riley and instead plans a chipectomy. Dr.
Overhauser saves the day by lying to Harmony about having removed
Spike's chip.  

Homosexuality, Yay!:

Buffy and Willow have a very cute scene, highlighted by Willow's "Oh,
Buffy, I've dreamed about this for years!" line. (This in the same ep
where Riley's failings as Buffy's bf become truly apparent, and she
fails to pick up on Xander's hint that Riley feels unloved.) Also, the
moment when Graham comes to get Riley on the basketball court and he
says something about Graham wanting to take him where he can be naked
and probed, or whatever... ;) (And remember, Riley does in fact
eventually abandon Buffy to run off to the [hot, sweaty] jungle with
Graham...

Vampires, can't trust them:  

Spike brutally betrays Buffy and raises the expectations for a staking
so high (both he and Buffy say she's going to do it) that the last scene
is entirely predicated on it. Instead, it turns out to be Spike's dream
and he realizes he's fallen in "love" with Buffy, which leads to more
and more horrible things...

So are the numbers significant? Who knows?

Dan

who did think it odd that Jonathan focused on the combination, and not,
say, his ability to get hot babes ("Passion", "The Prom"), including
Cordelia ("Reptile Boy"). But that's just me--I'm pretty sure I'd
remember dating Cordy :)