What's it take to strike a spark? (Thoughts on Help)

by Ramses2

Anyone else amazed at the effort ME put into this episode? The website, the book Cassie was reading, everything was knitted together beautifully. Xander reminds us once again it's about power with his hammer analogy.

Not that I didn't curl my lip at the first viewing. The walking away from Spike yet again when he asks for help, made me roll my eyes. See Buffy, eye rolling isn't the domain of the chosen one. We all can do it.

But then I watched it again. And I really, really loved this episode. And it was truly all about Buffy.

The students she helps bring her 'Buffy' issues. She's working her way through her problems by helping them.(And the Josh, or Joss character asking for a date was priceless.) Buffy talking to Dawn about how her sister won't let her establish her own personality. The girl who pummels the bully and then comes to Buffy for help. But the most poignant student, the most important lesson for Buffy is the boy who won't talk. Who finally says, "I'm scared, I don't want to be alone."

And then we have Cassie. Who responds to Buffy's, 'then fight,'with an emotionally charged rant on the beauty of life, and what she'll miss. Cassie wants to live and she's speaking to a woman, who last year wanted nothing so much as to be dead. Cassie's wants are eerily similiar to a younger Buffy's. Ice skating, be normal, fall in love.

(I think it's no mistake that we have seen assassins in monks robes killing beta slayers and tonight we have red robes trying to kill Cassie. I keep thinking of Buffy telling Giles she wants to live.)

And is it just me, or do you see references to OMWF? What's it take to strike a spark? Giles wonders if Buffy's too far gone to care. And even this season she hasn't seemed to care.

She seems to finally regain her spark with Cassie. We haven't seen her this emotional in a season. I think she was able to finally see her own life through Cassie. Cassie gave her back her purpose, her destiny.

There are other OMWF references as well, Spike's, 'this torch I bear is scorching me. Buffy's laughing I've no doubt.' Twice this season we've had Spike hand Buffy a torch. Both times he's trying to help her. And both times Buffy has accepted the help, but is cold and dismissive of him. She has indeed laughed at him.

We saw a certain duality in Spike during OMWF, 'first I'll kill her then I'll save her, no first I'll save her then I'll kill her'(sorry, I might screw up the quotes. I'm pulling them from memory) There is also, 'I'm free if that bitch dies, I'd better help her out.' Well Spike is certainly dual this season. I'm wondering who was punching the other,Spike punching William or vice versa? And who was punching through the pain?

Spike was on screen ever so briefly in Help. And maybe his "I'm a bad man," was supposed to be scary foreshadowing but I personally felt like I was watching a Clint Eastwood western. My kids hooted like they did when Giles came back.

And so, back to the Buffy and Spike in the basement. Why is she still so pithy with him? The AR? You know, I don't think so. I think we have to step back and look at what we've watched in the episode. First the surly student who finally admits he's scared and doesn't want to be alone. Then we have Buffy reading Cassie's poems.(Remember the look she shoots to Xander when he says that poetry just shows pretentious inner turmoil.) She reads the line, "I sit alone..."and then we see Buffy seeking him out(funny she never seems to have a problem doing so) and there he is. Sitting alone. And isn't it funny that Buffy who treats him with such contempt, thinks of him as she reads Cassie's heartbreaking poetry?

Pretentious inner turmoil? This is the man/vamp who left. Left her. She wants the relationship back to where it was.(She wanted this immediately after the AR.) Snap out of it Spike and be Spike. He calls himself William and she makes a point to call him Spike. He asks her for help and she ignores him because to listen means her whole world shatters.

Sooner or later though Buffy must listen. Not just for Spike's sake but for the sake of the world.(There is beautiful irony there)

Now, on to Cassie's words. 'Someday she'll tell you.'-to Spike And you will[make a difference]-to Buffy

I think the answer to both is really quite simple and addresses who they both are and what they care about. Spike is love's bitch. Yes, he wants forgiveness, but I can't help believe that underlying everything for Spike is the 'burning' need for Buffy's love.

And Buffy has a burning need to make a difference.

This was most definitely Buffy's story. But Spike was woven tightly into the tale.

And did anyone notice the eygptian statue on Buffy's desk when she was talking to Cassie?

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Ramses 2