Season 5 of Buffy is intense. The safe confines and security of one's youth begin to fall away as the Scoobies deal with adult issues. Specifically, Buffy deals with the most difficult experience in her life--the death of her mother. She also loses Riley and finds herself as Dawn's sole protector once her mother dies. Buffy learns more about the slayer's nature. Is the slayer just a killer? If death is her gift, what exactly does that mean?
The tone of the series becomes darker, more serious than in the previous four seasons. Buffy's absolutely the central focus of the season because each episode's leading her towards her sacrifice in "The Gift." Critics and fans worried that Joss was spread too thin between two shows but season five of Buffy showcases excellent storytelling and provides one an education in exceptional arcing. Five years as slayer combined with personal heartbreaks make Buffy a worn-out girl by the end of the season. Each episode presents more challenges and emotional conflicts for the girl. Sometimes I wonder how the series would've been remembered if it ended with season five because of how exceptional the story is. The first five seasons feature a genuine and natural beginning, middle and end. Nonetheless, the series produced two more seasons but those are posts for another day.
On Friday, I named "The Harsh Light of Day" the winner of the Best Buffy Teaser of Season 4. It joins "Prophecy Girl, "When She Was Bad," and "The Wish" in the final round. The season five teasers are busier (for a lack of a better word). Many episodes dive into the story immediately, with significant scenes involving the significant character and story beats. It's not the straight-forward set-up/hook (though the set-up/hook for each episode remains because, well, it IS the teaser...TV hadn't abandoned the teaser for a first act YET).
Also, season five's teasers will be broken into two parts. Part 2 posts tomorrow.
LET IT BEGIN:
WHAT IS THE BEST BUFFY TEASER FROM SEASON FIVE?
"Buffy Vs. Dracula"--Written By Marti Noxon; Directed By David Solomon
Buffy lies awake in bed next to a sleeping Riley. She's wide-eyed and restless. She eyes Riley then makes a decision. She quietly climbs out of bed. We cut to the graveyard where she's chasing a big, bad vampire like "a leopard springing after its prey." Buffy beats the vampire up before staking him. She returns to bed with Riley.
In the fourth act of the episode, we have the answer that the teaser poses: why is Buffy sneaking out to slay? Buffy confesses to Giles that she's been going out more to slay. The First Slayer left her influence on Buffy after "Restless". "Restless" raised many questions in Buffy's mind about the role and the identity of the slayer. The writers immediately state that the idea of the slayer, the history and role of one, will be a prominent theme during the fifth season. What better vampire to bring to Sunnydale in the first episode than Dracula? He can tell her all about slayerdom.
Obviously, Buffy's actions in the teaser are unusual. She's always hunted and slayed because it's her sacred birthright, but she never went out to kill for the fun and thrill of it. So, the teaser wants the audience to wonder: why is Buffy behaving this way? Additionally, Buffy's separation from Riley in her slayer life cannot be ignored. The girl loved to tag-team slay with Angel but she quietly sneaks away while Riley's sleep.
"Real Me"--Written By David Fury; Directed By David Grossman
In a gym, Giles speaks softly and hypnotically to Buffy. Her eyes are closed, deep in concentration as Giles tells her, "you are the center of the world. And within you, there is the core of your being...of what you are...find it...breathe into it...focus inward...Let the world fall away...fall away...fall aw--" Buffy's eyes open and she flips herself into a hand stand. She remains in the position until a certain someone ruins the crystal pile. Buffy crashes to the floor, looks up to find her sister. Dawn wonders when they can go.
In the commentary for the episode, David Fury said he wanted to show Buffy tapping into the spiritual side of the slayer. At the end of "Buffy vs. Dracula," Buffy asks Giles to be her Watcher again because there's so much she needs to know. This marks the first time since season three that Giles actually puts her through training. It's the most beautifully shot teaser thus far in the entire series. Narratively, it reinforces the season-long theme introduced in the season premiere. Also, Buffy has a little sister now.
"The Replacement"--Written Jane Espenson; Directed James A. Contner
Buffy, Riley, Xander and Anya hang in Xander's basement, watching kung-fu movies. Buffy's absorbed in her history book. Xander tries to offer food but the cat peed on the hot plate, though "spaghetti-O's are one fluff cycle away from lukewarm goodness." Xander's parents argue upstairs. Xander considers finding a new place to live. Soon, Buffy perks up and she nit-picks the fight scenes in the kung-fu movie. Riley, a little rankled, tells Buffy that she's not on slayer duty all of the time. More fighting from upstairs as Xander squirms. Buffy insists that Riley would nit-pick an army movie done wrong like how Willow nitpicks witch movies. After all, "no one uses a cauldron anymore." Cut to, of course, a demon named Toth, who uses a cauldron. Naturally, he wants to kill the slayer but what demon or vamp doesn't want to do that?
Also, Xander's life is an utter mess. The latter drives "The Replacement". So we see Xander's messy life, more Buffy/Riley bickering, and clever "in" to the demon of the week.
"Out of My Mind"--Written By Rebecca Rand Kirschner; Directed By David Grossman
In the graveyard, Buffy waits for a vampire to rise. When she senses one, she lunges toward the vampire, but when she does, Riley comes out of nowhere to fight the vampire. Buffy stands, dumbfounded. Riley easily kicks the vampire's ass. Soon, Spike arrives for a spot of violence before bed-time. Buffy eventually stakes the vampire. She scolds Spike and almost scolds Riley but she bites her tongue; however, Spike (the keen observer of human behavior) notices that Buffy's not happy to see Riley there. Buffy doesn't make a big deal. She only tells him that she doesn't like him patrolling alone. They leave. Spike threatens to kill Buffy but the threat loses its might when he falls into an empty grave.
The quasi-triangle between Riley, Spike and Buffy sort of begins in the teaser. Spike realizes he loves the slayer by episode's end. The teaser teases the tension in Buffy and Riley's relationship, said tension being his struggles to deal Buffy's amazing strength and skill. Riley's in an even more delicate position because the drugs he used to receive from The Initiative are no longer available so, soon, he'll be a normal guy fighting vamps--a thought that concerns Buffy. This is Riley's episode. These issues dominate his arc.
"No Place Like Home"--Written By Douglas Petrie; Directed By David Solomon
Three monks frantically run away from something dangerous. The monks are in a frantic state because they need to protect The Key. As they perform the ritual, a thunderous boom continues. The door blasts open and all hell breaks loose but the powerful entity remains unseen by the viewer.
We cut to Buffy staking a vampire in an abandoned lot. A security guard shows up and politely asks Buffy to leave, explaining that he broke up a rave last night. He wants no raves, mistaking that she came for a rave. Buffy feigns disappointment. Before she leaves, the guard tells her not to forget her glowing orb. Ooo a glowing orb. He asks her what it is. Buffy will tell him when she knows.
The teaser introduces the concept of The Key and the season's Big Bad, who is in murderous pursuit of The Key. What is The Key? How about the orb? There's your episode.
"Family"--Written & Directed By Joss Whedon
Willows asks Tara to tell her a story, so Tara tells her the tale of a lonely kitten. The lonely kitten was swooped up by a man and taken to the pound. The tale ends with the kitten being taken home by nice people. After the tale, Willow wants to sleep, but Tara wants to research spells in an effort to assist the Scoobies because she never feels useful. Willow tells Tara that she's essential. Talk turns the factory and the ongoing Big Bad investigation. Willow figures she'd call if she did. In Buffy's house, Buffy tells Giles the truth about Dawn, how she's the Key, how the monks created her for Buffy to protect. Buffy struggles with the overwhelming truth. She remembers when her dad left, Dawn cried for a week, except she didn't, because she wasn't there. Dawn didn't exist then, but she did. The takeaway is Buffy's determination to protect her sister. Buffy doesn't want the others to know yet. She also expects Glory, the Big Bad, to come after them. Cut to Glory emerging from a pile of rubble and she's upset.
Audiences weren't in love with Tara quite yet so Joss wrote an episode to make the audience love Tara as much as Willow loves her. Tara's story about the kitten is basically her family history. She was lost and alone until Willow found her. Tara's concerns about her place in the group sets-up the touching denouement of the episode when the Scoobies defend Tara against her family because she's part of their family. Speaking of family, Buffy received a shocking truth about her little sister but she immediately recognizes that Dawn remains part of her family, and she'll protect her. SMG is superb in the scene.
"Fool For Love"--Written By Douglas Petrie; Directed By Nick Marck
Buffy fights a retro-looking vampire in the cemetery. She quips and puns until the vampire counters her move and drives the stake into her gut. Uh-oh.
Simple and effective. Buffy's barely had trouble fighting vampires in her job as a slayer but she makes a mistake and nearly pays for it. This is the inciting incident that drives "Fool For Love." How do slayers lose? Sometimes, the inciting incidents don't happen until the first act, but Petrie had to get to it quick. There's lots to do in "Fool For Love".
"Shadow"--Written By David Fury; Directed By James A. Contner
Buffy and Dawn wait in the hospital waiting room while their mother undergoes a CAT scan. Dawn's very worried. Buffy tries to soothe her sister. Meanwhile, the other Scoobies prepare for the grand re-opening of The Magic Box under Rupert Giles' ownership. Xander tells Giles that Riley blew a tomb up all by his lone wolf lonesome, rendering the help he, Willow and Anya meant to provide a waste of time. The gang begins researching Glory. Xander suspects she lives in some kind of sewer, or condemned church or rat-infected warehouse. Of course she doesn't, and the next scene shows Glory living in a luxurious space. Glory wants to do a spell that will tell her where The Key is. Where will she buy her supplies? The Magic Box!
This teaser splits between two ongoing stories: Joyce's persistent illness, and Glory's persistent threat to Buffy, Dawn, the Scoobies, and Sunnydale. Will Glory meet Buffy's friends? If so, what will happen? Also, what's going on with Joyce?
"Listening To Fear"--Written By Jane Espenson; Directed By David Solomon
The Summers women spend time together in the hospital room. Dawn eats jello. The doctor tells Joyce that her surgery's scheduled the day after tomorrow at 10AM. Joyce dreads spending two more days in the hospital. Buffy remains with her mom. explaining that Riley's on slayer duty. He's not. Xander, Willow, Giles do the slaying while Riley has his arm drained by a vampire.
The teaser includes necessary details for the MoTW such as Joyce's fatigue and the two day surgery wait. Riley's no-showed, which will inevitably make its way back to Buffy via her friends.
"Into The Woods"--Written & Directed By Marti Noxon
The teaser includes the old TV standby of the main characters waiting in the hospital for news of another character's fate. You had to wait until the commercials were over to learn Joyce's fate. She lives, of course. The scene offers a mini-preview of "The Body". The scene is tense, full of fear and anticipation, and real.
The inciting incident for the episode doesn't happen until half-way through the first act.
"Triangle"--Written By Jane Espenson; Directed By Christopher Hibler
Anya loves Xander so much, and she wants a "big bomb clock with big flashing lights" if he ever decides to leave her. Oh, she won't get that. Xander misses Riley, and he hopes Buffy does well. The teaser cuts to Buffy in a convent, which is a less inspired piece of writing than it probably seemed in the room.
It's a funny, heart-warming teaser that highlights Xander's and Anya's affection for one another. And it sort of teases the B story of Buffy wanting secure happiness for her friends' love lives.
"Checkpoint"--Written By Jane Espenson & Douglas Petrie; Directed By Nick Marck
Giles causes mild hysteria when he announces that the Watcher's Council has helpful information about Glory. Buffy hates them for what they did to her in "Helpless". Anya doesn't trust them because she's an ex-demon. Buffy doesn't want them to know that Dawn's the key; but the Scoobies need help.
Glory, meanwhile, sucked the brain of an innocent mailman. That's how she restores her energy. Her minions informed her that those damn Signs of Alignment have quickened. The time for They key is now.
At Glory's, the woman's sweating and in bad shape until she brain-sucks an innocent mailman. The brain-suck restores her energy. Her minions inform her that the signs of alignment are moving faster than expected. If she plans to use the Key, she must act quickly. Glory suspects the slayer knows.
It's a busy teaser at over five minutes long, but it is effective. The dialogue reminds the viewer about where the group stands with the council, who the key is, what it is that Glory wants, and even sets up the comedy part of the episode with Anya's council interactions. Sometimes one knows a show and its world so well that you forget the writers had to thrown in broad expositional reminders for newer viewers.
Remember, PART 2 will post tomorrow, friends and well-wishers.
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