Klytaimnestra's Review of "Selfless", or, Back on the Happy Bus, Everyone - The Driver's Got a Map After All

by Klytaimnestra

After last week I was so disheartened that I nearly didn't watch this episode, until reminded that it was the Anya episode, which I didn't want to miss. Man am I glad I remembered to tape it. My faith is restored, I'm back on the bus, this isn't a fantasy season but what were we really expecting?

Favourite lines:

"Who did you think you were dealing with?"

"Thanks. For everything."

"Hey, I never said - "

"I AM the Law."

What did I like about this episode?

The continuity, The reminder that Buffy has enormous responsibility AND enormous moral authority - she killed her own beloved, which gives her a real right to decide when other demons need to die. The reminder that Xander lied to her about Willow's message - wonder if that will come up again? Perhaps not; but it was a reminder TO XANDER that he betrayed her at a crucial moment, now that he can understand what it's like to love an extremely dangerous serial killer.

The stylistic continuity as well - Anya's song, in the flashback, cutting to her motionless body, juxtaposed against her multiple murders. This juxtaposition of fantasy and reality shows up more than once in this episode, to excellent effect.

The issues they grappled with. Neither Xander nor Anya has ever dealt with her past, until now. Anya only now realises what she's done, and she's right, she does have to go it alone. D'Hoffryn may appear to be an affectionate grandfatherly sort - but he's a DEMON. An evil demon. Who destroyed Halfrek to make a point - he's got lots of daughters, he can waste one. As he said, "Who did you think you were dealing with?" A nice guy? Not anymore, if we did.

The Ingmar Bergman parody. I bet Joss has always wanted to do one. I loved the revelation that Anya has always been a bit Aud, and the comedy was a nice counterpoint to the really frightening scenes showing what being a vengeance demon is really all about.

The Scoobies. I was intrigued that Willow can't access her power in any serious way without getting mean again; she's absolutely right not to trust it. Loved that Willow was Willow, and Xander was Xander, and both of them tried to save Anya and between them they gave her the time and the opportunity to make her own decision, and have her own life, one gathers for the very first time. Loved that Xander was called on his double-standard - kill Angel, despise Spike, but save Anya. Loved that Buffy has the moral clarity she needs -Willow's human; Anyanka isn't - and the others had the love and friendship they needed to give Anya a chance. Loved that Anyanka understood Buffy even when Xander (of course) didn't. "You see what you want to see." "She's got a job to do, and so do I."

But what I liked best about the episode was that I finally got Buffy, and - and here is the real revelation for me - I like her again. I even respect her. The scene with Spike at the beginning addressed everyone's wishes for Buffy bluntly and directly. I was a bit puzzled to begin with - I didn't see this warm, supportive, loving Buffy coming up in any previous episode, needless to say - and I laughed out loud when the REAL Buffy shows up, and our fantasy Buffy is revealed to precisely that - Spike's fantasy as well.

This is the Buffy we've all been hoping to see, and the message was unmistakable. We are NOT going to get that Buffy. We are going to get Buffy the Slayer, the Hero, the woman with a job to do. She is not going to be soft, warm, nurturing, sweet, or any of those things. She's going to be Buffy the Bitch.

But I can deal with this because sometimes she has to be a bitch to do her job well (as the discussion of Anya's fate showed - "I AM the Law"), and that's okay by me as long as she IS doing her job. Which she is. She's not going to sit by Spike and hold his hand. But she IS going to tell him to get the hell out of the basement. She is going to take care of him; but she's not going to be his mother or his nurse.

And here we see a direct reference (continuity again) to the balcony scene in the Bronze last year. Spike was trying to draw Buffy into the darkness there. This year, he's asked her to stay in the basement with him (last episode). Last year she was tempted. This year, no; she doesn't want to stay in any damn basement, and she doesn't want him there either. She's doing her job, her hero's job, of booting him out into the real world. That's the job we wanted her to do last year - draw him into the light - and though she may not do it as a lover, I don't care, as long as she does it.

Anyway. Full marks for this episode. We are not going to get Fantasy Buffy the Sweet (White-Clad) Angel. We're going to get Buffy the Hero, who has a job to do and frequently has to be a bitch to do it. The juxtaposition couldn't have been more marked, and I loved it. Spike is going to have to deal with the real world, beginning with the real Buffy. And so are we. The message to Spike and to us was, THIS is the real Buffy. Love her or leave her. Hide in fantasy, or turn off the TV, but this is the one you're getting.

And you know? I can deal with her. I liked her a lot.

Do I see a Buffy/Spike in the future? I can't imagine this year's Buffy having sex with last year's Spike in the first place. Or this year's Spike either - if she wants anything (which is unclear - she seems to think of Angel as her only love) she wants a partner, not a whacko cowering in a basement. It remains to be seen what Spike turns into and where it goes from there. My guess is that they could write a Buffy/Spike but they may not, and it's not going to matter. Because, as d'Hoffryn reminds us,

"From Beneath You It Devours".

These soap opera questions aren't going to matter in the long run, because everyone's separate destiny is going to be occupied this year with fighting the Big Evil. And there's a really good chance that they're all going to die; the real question is, how, and why?

---

Klytaimnestra