Thoughts on Beneath You

by Ramses2

Let's start in England. With Willow. Who last week said everything was connected against a slendid magnificently green background. We heard of Gaia.(Mother earth, the mother of titans and other creatures. She who cast out the oldest gods.) Think of her as mother godess. She brings life and death.

Let's stay a moment in England. Home of the Robin Hood story. A story based on the green man myth. Pagans held that the Green Man was the symbol of godhood within the male. An expression of the cycle of life/death/rebirth. He was connected to the Godess.

Tonight we find the principle, Robin Wood is a vegetarian. And we know his office sits over the hellmouth. And we know that somewhere in the basement is a creature, who is his own expression of life/death/ rebirth. And we get that the principle knows there is something more about Buffy. Is he a green man?

Let's touch on spike now, he's so connected with everything he's crazy as a loon. But a few things are quite clear. He is somehow closely connected to 'god'. How many times did he say oh god, or god help me? But interestingly, he refers to a she who wants him to gain a soul. Buffy? Oh course. But everything is connected. He asks Buffy if it's what she wanted. And then looks upward and asks again.

He talks about 'her' granting forgiveness and love. To what god does he refer? To what she?

And to what god does he answer? Someone or things wants him to go to hell. He's placed in the basement near the hellmouth. He drapes himself over a cross but earlier he strikes the same crusified pose as he did in Restless. Remember the carnival, and Spike acting as the BB? We see him tonight act the BB to get Anya and Buffy to ignore his soul. But the costume doesn't work.

The most important thing he says tonight, is that he wants to be a man.We heard something similar before he went off to win a soul.

Thinking of Restless, I thought of Buffy's weapons bag. Her real weapon was mud. Are Slayers of the earth? Are they children of Gaia?

Spike is definitely connected. He knows about the dog. He knows about the worm demon. And I wonder if the part where he says 'he dreamt of killing her. I think they were a dream. So weak. Did you make me weak. Buckets of salt(tears) over your ending.' Is he connected to all the proto Slayers? Has he watched them die? Does he feel responsible?

So, is it battleground Spike? With Willow, Robin Wood and the Slayers against the old gods that want back in? And will Spike sacrifice himself, throw himself into hell to stop them?

And will the goddess and Robin Wood be able to restore him? To make him the man is so desperately wants to be?

I loved the episode. It was brillant.

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Ramses 2