Once More with Feeling

by Jerry

In 'Once More With Feeling', episode 7 of season 6, Joss Whedon delivers his long-promised all-musical BtVS episode. Writing, directing, and composing all the songs, Whedon manages to produce not just a successful musical, but a pivotal episode that crystallizes the simmering plotlines of the first six episodes and maps out a great deal of what's to come the rest of the season

The opening montage sets Buffy's emotional scene perfectly. Morning dawns at Casa Summers. Willow, Tara, and Dawn scurry around the house - getting dressed, jockeying for the bathroom, making the bed (where Tara finds a sprig under her pillow, smiles in blissful awareness, and keeps it). Despite being awakened by her alarm clock, Buffy stays in bed, not all that motivated to get up and face the world. Later in the day, at the magic shop, everyone is doing what they do. Xander and Anya are perusing wedding magazines when Anya isn't helping customers. Dawn is looking at demon books that Giles doesn't want her looking at. Tara and Willow are reading what are probably books of spells. Buffy is sitting by herself, doodling on a notebook with a pencil. She has almost completely covered the page by the time Giles drags her off for training.

This leads into the first song, 'Going Through the Motions', in which Buffy lets out the feelings of isolation and 'strange estrangement' that she can't share with her friends. 'Will I stay this way forever ? Sleepwalk through my life's endeavor ?' She knows things aren't right for her, but she doesn't know how to snap out of it. She does manage to kill some neat-looking all-singing, all-dancing vamps and demons, but it doesn't help her mood.

The next day, Buffy arrives at the Magic Box, and asks if anyone else has been bursting into song, which everyone admits to with much surprise (including the party who will turn out to be responsible for it). This soon turns into the 'I've Got a Theory' song, and some interesting theories pour out. Giles suggests a demon, a dancing demon, which is, of course, the correct answer, but he discounts it. Willow's suggestion : 'Some kid is dreaming, and we're all stuck inside his wacky Broadway nightmare'. Hints of 'Normal Again', perhaps? Xander tentatively suggests 'witches, some evil witches', before being shot down with a glare from Willow and Tara. Not this time, but there's plenty of season left for troublemaking witches. Anya thinks it's bunnies (in one of the episode's funniest songs), or maybe midgets. Buffy's reaction is telling, about herself and about the season to come. She doesn't think it matters. Whatever it is, they'll deal with it. They've killed gods and survived apocalypses. What's going to phase them now, as long as they stick together ? What they can't really face is themselves, as the songs in this episode suggest.

After a brief performance by a joyously mustard-stain-free David Fury, Dawn arrives at the shop, eager to let the gang in on the singing, dancing wackiness at her school. She's let down to discover that it isn't exactly news. While Willow and Tara are making awkward excuses to sneak off to spend some time together, Dawn pilfers a charm from the counter.

Willow and Tara have left, and are wandering in the park. Willow comments on some guys checking out Tara. Given the way Tara's dressed, I'm thinking the guys were wondering where the seven dwarves were, but Willow figures they were checking out 'the hotness of you, doofus'. After a very funny 'I'm cured ! I want the boys !', Tara launches into her song, the romantic yet unsettling 'Under Your Spell'. She sings about how Willow shares the world of 'spirits and charms in the air' that she thought she was alone in. The flip side of that is Willow's fear, which we'll see later in the season, that without her magic, Tara won't still love her. Tara sings of how she feels set free by Willow's influence and acceptance, but there's also something not so healthy in lines like 'Nothing I could do - you just took my soul with you'. And, of course, we know what she doesn't - that she literally IS under Willow's spell. But for now, they're in love and it's a beautiful day, and that will do, so it's back to the Summers home. Question: How do you film a lesbian sex scene for 'family hour' network television? Answer: Well placed glances, levitation, and skillful pronunciation of the word 'complete'.

We get a short scene at the Magic Box, where Xander and Buffy discuss what Willow and Tara are up to. I think it's interesting (and realistic) that, although they are generally fully accepting of Willow and Tara's relationship, they aren't entirely comfortable with it. Dawn, on the other hand, thinks it's quite romantic.

Dawn also sees no downside to the singing and dancing, providing an opportunity for a quick cut to an alley, where we see a frantic-looking man tap dance himself into spontaneous combustion. This provides our first glimpse of Sweet, the singing, dancing demon behind all the wackiness.

Post-commercial, it's the next morning, and we open on Xander and Anya's domestic bliss. Xander has taken the day off rather than be exposed to a singing and dancing construction crew (we've seen Tito, so we understand), so they can sleep in and make waffles. We soon segue into 'I'll Never Tell', which spills the couples fears and nitpicks of one another's habits, but also shows them as very much in love. Anya's never regretted her life as a vengeance demon, but she's now happily 'out of the biz' in favor of a life with Xander. Her insecurities are mostly about her mortality, and of what she learned about love as a vengeance demon. Will Xander still love her when she gets 'so worn and wrinkly that I look like David Brinkley'? She observes that 'I know this tale - first wedding, then betrayal - I know that come the day I'll want to run and hide' (which is pretty ironic in retrospect). She also observes that 'When things get tough, he just hides behind his Buffy', a longstanding issue for anyone involved with Xander. Xander's doubts are largely about himself (Can he be successful enough to keep her happy?), but he also has some qualms about marrying a demon. Even so, their affection for each other comes across (She sees him as 'my knight in armor'; He thinks she's 'the cutest of the Scoobies'). It's very much an old-time musical romantic comedy number, although I don't recall 'Singin' in the Rain' containing lines like 'his penis got diseases from a Chumash tribe'.

We get a transition scene of Xander and Anya walking through downtown Sunnydale, which allows for some dancing street-sweepers, Marti Noxon trying to sweet talk her way out of a parking ticket ('I think I've paid more than my share. I'm just a poor girl, don't you care? And I'm not wearing underwear.'), and Xander wearing Doyle's clothes. Giles expresses concern over the burnt-up people, and Xander expresses concern over whether they are related to the singing and dancing. And they both express concern for Buffy, who isn't quite as 'back to normal' as they'd like....

... 'The sun sets, and she appears.' Buffy arrives at the crypt, seeking out Spike, at least nominally for clues about the musical spell. She's grown to depend on Spike as a confidante, but here, deeper feelings begin to muddy the waters. Spike's a bit bemused that Buffy's just come to pump him for information, although that seems to be more of an excuse to seek comfort in his presence. He claims to be immune to the spell, and does his best to usher her out of the place before a song can kick in. Clearly, he's got feelings he doesn't want to share. Does he succeed? It's a musical - what do you think? 'Rest in Peace' lays bare the conflicting emotions that Spike has been suppressing in an effort to help Buffy adjust to her resurrection. His feelings for her are enormous - he's dead, but she makes him feel alive - yet he thinks that for her, it's all a sham. He 'doesn't count', so she can confide in him the parts of herself that she's ashamed to let her friends see. He's willing to be her 'willing slave', and senses her attraction, but also her reluctance to act on it, and his frustration level is high. Confronted with the raw truth about Spike's feelings, and unwilling to face her own, Buffy runs away.

Dawn is back at the house, bonding with Tara, who's become somewhat of a mother figure for her during Buffy's physical/emotional absence. In the course of telling how important Tara and Willow are to her, Dawn inadvertently tips Tara off to Willow's forgetting spell. Tara hurries off to the Magic Box to figure out exactly what Willow has done. Dawn manages to complain about Tara not thinking she's old enough to be left alone, yet simultaneously be upset about being ignored. 'Does anybody even notice? Does anybody even care?', she sings as she rummages through her collection of stolen objects, and puts on Sweet's talisman, the item she had earlier lifted from the Magic Box. She turns around and is startled by Sweet's puppet-headed henchmen, who stuff her in a sack and drag her off.

Dawn awakens in the deserted Bronze, where we get a dance routine involving the three woodenheads. Aside from showcasing the dance skills of Michelle Trachtenberg, who's singing is a bit less impressive, I'm sure this has some symbolic significance, but I'm not sure what. The dance ends up with the appearance of Sweet, who introduces himself in a routine reminiscent of 'The Mask'. His song is mostly about himself - although he says 'I know what you feel, girl', we don't get a whole lot of what Dawn feels. Given the way her costume and dance moves change from grown-up and sort of sexy to fairy-tale princess and in-over-her-head fear, I think we are supposed to see Dawn as trying to push herself into adulthood when she's very much not ready for it yet, which certainly matches what we saw in 'All The Way'. As for Sweet, he saws he comes from the imagination - his role is to reveal hidden truths and buried feelings. And, apparently, some of those buried truths and feelings are powerful enough to destroy those who have them, including, potentially, Buffy, who's got more buried than most people. Sweet is the physical manifestation of this year's Big Bad, the internal demon. He doesn't need to actually do much - just hand Nero a fiddle and sit back and watch Rome burn. He's come to take Dawn away to be his demon bride, believing her to have summoned him, but when he learns her sister is the Slayer, he changes his plans, going after bigger game.

Back at the Magic Box, Buffy is training with Giles. He asks her if she's dealt with Dawn's misbehavior (as seen in 'All the Way'), and she says she thought he took care of it. This reinforces Giles' fear that Buffy is too dependent on him, and that he's become an impediment to her maturity. This is the gist of 'I'm Standing in the Way'. 'The cries around you, you don't hear at all. 'Cause you know I'm here, to take that call', he sings, suggesting not just Dawn's pain but also the issues with Willow, who appears in the shot at this point in a long purple coat that somehow cries out 'All is not well with Willow'. At this point Tara arrives at the shop, and goes to the upper level to research the spell Willow performed on her. 'Wish I could slay your demons, but now that time has passed', Giles sings toward the end of the song. For emphasis of the point that Buffy's problems are beyond Giles ability to help, we learn at the end that Buffy hasn't heard a word he said.

Tara finds a picture of 'Lethe's Bramble' in one of the books and confirms that Willow has cast a forgetting spell on her, which leads into one of the best moments of the episode, a melding of Tara's and Giles's songs, as both wish they could stay but feel they can't. Tara's song references her suffering at the hands of Glory, which makes Willow messing with her mind all the more unforgivable. She wishes she could forgive this as being 'just this once', but knows she can never really trust that her memories are true, so she needs to get out. Giles reiterates his reluctance to leave, but also his knowledge that he must.

At this point, Spike barges into the shop, with one of Sweet's henchmen as his 'prisoner' (although we've seen Sweet tell them to tell the Slayer everything, so Spike's heroism here is a bit muted). Puppet-boy reveals that Dawn is a hostage at the Bronze ('Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday.'), then breaks away from Spike. 'Strong,' Spike notes. 'Someday he'll be a real boy' (Spike-related foreshadowing alert). Giles curiously decides that Buffy should have to face this battle alone, an opinion only Spike disputes. 'I'll never want your opinion', he's told in response. Spike offers to go with Buffy, but she points out, while looking quite conflicted, that he had earlier said he wanted her to stay away. Spike storms off, wishing death not only on Buffy, but also on Dawn.

Realizing that Giles and the rest of the Scoobies are not going to help, Buffy leaves to make her way to the Bronze, launching the next song, the multi-character 'Walk Through the Fire'. Buffy senses Dawn's need, and feels compelled 'to save the day, or merely melt away' - the two aren't much different to her right now. Spike's smoking in an alley, feeling very conflicted - 'I hope she fries, I'm free if that bitch dies - I better help her out'. Giles is having second thoughts as well, and after some prodding from Xander and Anya, the whole gang sets out in support of Buffy. In frequent cuts between characters, we get each of their thoughts. Anya: 'She came from the grave much graver' (one of my favorites and not just because it's Anya). Spike: 'First he'll kill her, then I'll save her' and later 'No I'll save her, then I'll kill her'. We'll get Spike saving Buffy. Whether his 'then I'll kill her' is bluster or foreshadowing remains to be seen. Willow: 'I think this line's mostly filler.' I think Willow's lack of revealiness in this episode goes beyond Alyson Hannigan's limited singing ability - Willow is internally conflicted enough that she has no inner truth to reveal. As the song ends, we get a neat visual of fire trucks racing behind the Scoobies, Spike's charge to the rescue leading him into a dead end (insert symbolism here), and Buffy kicking down the doors of the Bronze.

As our last act commences, Buffy enters the Bronze to confront Sweet, volunteering to go with Sweet in Dawn's place if she can't kill him. He wonder's what happens if her kills her, but that doesn't matter to Buffy. For her current problem, even death wouldn't help much. 'That's life', she observes. Sweet inquires if life is not a miraculous thing, which leads us into 'Life's a Show'. Reeling off clichés ('Every day's a gift', 'Whistle while you work', etc.) Buffy demands 'Don't give me songs - give me something to sing about'. Life, she sings, is unrehearsed and full of pitfalls, but that isn't really the source of her depression. The real problem is that when she had finally given all she had to give and had found peace, her friends wouldn't accept that as the end, and pulled her back to demand more. It all depends, she says, 'on if they know enough to know that when you bow, you leave the crowd.' As Buffy reveals the truth about her afterlife, Xander, Anya, Giles, and especially Willow react in horror. With nothing left to sing about, Buffy launches into what is potentially her dance of self-destruction, but just as she's about to combust, she's stopped - by Spike. Life's not a song, life is just living, he tells her, and the only way to make the pain go away is to get on with her life. As Spike isn't living himself, he tells her she has to go so at least one of them will be. Dawn echoes Buffy's quote from 'The Gift' - 'The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.' There will be no easy shortcut to healing Buffy's pain - she's just going to have to live her way out of it. If you were riding out the 'put Buffy back together' part of the season waiting for things to return to normalcy, it's time to make yourself comfortable - we're going to be doing this for a while.

Sweet is commenting on Buffy's song & dance. 'Get out of here', Willow orders him menacingly. 'Hmm, I smell power', Sweet responds, and he prepares to take his child-bride back to the underworld. Dawn protests that she didn't summon Sweet - she just found the talisman. Xander sheepishly 'fesses up to having done it - he wanted to make sure there'd be a happy ending. Silly Xander - you should know there's no such thing as a guaranteed happy ending in the Buffyverse. In other words, oh, grow up! Sweet reassures a nervous Xander that he'll pass on making Xander his queen, and prepares to make his exit. For Sweet, at least, this is a happy ending, but otherwise, as he says, there's 'not a one can say this ended well'.

'Where do we go from here?' Dawn asks, touching off the final song, as the group lines up hand in hand, only to break apart in various directions to 'walk alone in fear'. It's a big shift from 'What can't we face if we're together?' and certainly indicative of the bumpy road ahead for these characters.

Not being one for the big group hug, Spike breaks off and leaves the Bronze while the others are still singing. Buffy follows him outside. He just wants to get out of there, but the spell isn't quite over. 'This isn't real, but I just want to feel', Buffy sings, her desire to regain her will to live having outweighed for the moment her 'better judgment', allowing her to do what she really wants. We end on a kiss that is visually an old-fashioned cinematic romantic payoff, yet is also surrounded by plenty of hints that happily ever after is a long way off . 'The curtains close on a kiss God knows - we can tell the end is near' indeed.

-- Jerry

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