August 27-31 Episode Discussion Led By Jodast

[Jodast]

This week I'd like to talk about Gingerbread. Not the yummy stuff that gets sold in bakeries all over the world, but the rather disturbing episode in season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sometimes the wrting in the show is very metaphorical. In this episode, however, much of the storyline could be taken straight from the pages of our own newspapers or seen on the nightly news.

Some questions to mull over regarding some of the issues in the episode. I'll start with a few relating to the episode specifically and later in the week a few pertaining to the world around us.

Why, when she knows how dangerous it can be, would Joyce interrupt Buffy's patrolling?

After all the weirdness, death and goodness knows what else, why is it the death of two children that makes Sunnydale stop burying their heads in the sand and actually talk about what goes on?

Why would Snyder order a locker search and book confiscation on the say-so of a parental group that has been in existence for less than a day?

With the whole town in uproar and groups of people literally marching through the streets in mobs, where the Hell was Faith?

 

[Taake]

Why, when she knows how dangerous it can be, would Joyce interrupt Buffy's patrolling?

Something I've always wondered about as well. The only thing I can think about is that she still hasn't really grasped the idea of vampires and vampires slaying. Seeing is believing... and she has a need to see what Buffy really does, day after day, to take it in properly. Or perhaps it's an ill-attempt to spend some quality time with her daughter...

After all the weirdness, death and goodness knows what else, why is it the death of two children that makes Sunnydale stop burying their heads in the sand and actually talk about what goes on?

Because it's particularly awful when small children pass. I think it has the power to get under people's skins more than anything else... it's just so tragic. And then didn't they - the demons - cast some sort of spell?

Why would Snyder order a locker search and book confiscation on the say-so of a parental group that has been in existence for less than a day?

Lol, cause he's a bitter bitter man (with a bug the size of an emu up his butt) who'll take any chance or excuse, to harass the students a bit... (also if a spell is involved I doubt he would be immune to it)

With the whole town in uproar and groups of people literally marching through the streets in mobs, where the Hell was Faith?

Good question. Off doing Faithy stuff?

 

[PassionBecoming]

Why, when she knows how dangerous it can be, would Joyce interrupt Buffy's patrolling?

I think she was trying to be more involved in Buffy's life, show her support, and try to understand the whole "Slayer thing". I'm sure her mind was still boggled and processing everything, and she probably still feels guilty about telling Buffy not to ever come home in "Becoming", so she's trying to show her support and interest.

After all the weirdness, death and goodness knows what else, why is it the death of two children that makes Sunnydale stop burying their heads in the sand and actually talk about what goes on?

I always figured the demon put kind of a trance on the adults of the town. I found that odd, too - people turned up dead all the time in Sunnydale and everyone just seems to accept it. Though this time it was two young kids, which we usually didn't see.

Why would Snyder order a locker search and book confiscation on the say-so of a parental group that has been in existence for less than a day?

Ah, Snyder. He's easily manipulated, is terrified of a lawsuit, loves getting pats on the back, and is power hungry. Can't get anywhere in a school system if you tick off the parents.

With the whole town in uproar and groups of people literally marching through the streets in mobs, where the Hell was Faith?

One of her walk-abouts? Taking out nests elsewhere? Shopping at Goths r' Us?

 

[BuffyElevated]

Joyce was not very smart about Buffy's Slayerness, and I think a lot of it stemmed from the fact that she just could not understand it yet. Joyce was still in denial that her daughter was putting her life on the line day and night to protect the world, and I think that's why she thought Buffy patrolling wasn't as hardcore as it proved to be.

I think someone in the episode (Angel, maybe?) makes the point that it hits home harder because it's children involved this time. People always take it harder when something bad happens to a child.

That being said, I still think it's absolutely ludicrous, as you pointed out, that Snyder would search the school at the demand of this MOO group. I know when a lot of parents make enough noise about stuff, schools will sometimes do things just to shut them up, but in this case I think it was just Snyder using MOO as an excuse to be a prick.

I know, Faith should have been in this ep.

 

[kittenpoker]

This episode bothers me a lot.... I know that often people (and this includes parents) in Sunnydale are transfixed and bewitched or whatever and are spell bound....

But the whole burning at the stake and salem witch trials-ness of this ep compounded by the parent's total non-realization of the reality "we should really get together and have lunch sometime" "I'd love that" - is just really really hard for me to watch.

 

[Jodast]

This episode bothers me a lot.... I know that often people (and this includes parents) in Sunnydale are transfixed and bewitched or whatever and are spell bound....

But the whole burning at the stake and salem witch trials-ness of this ep compounded by the parent's total non-realization of the reality "we should really get together and have lunch sometime" "I'd love that" - is just really really hard for me to watch.

It isn't one of my favourite episodes either. I only chose it solely for the issues it raises in the show and also in real life (more on that in a day or two)

 

[Taake]

I love the episode only for this little conversation which I think is hilarious;

Buffy: Like the kid in the story, the boy that stuck his finger in the duck.
Angel: Dyke... it's another word for dam.
Buffy: Oh. Okay, that story makes a lot more sense now.

And because I think the witch trial/ mob-mentality is a scarily easy slope to fall down on under the 'right' (rather wrong) circumstances and that the show put that on display, albeit with it's special 'Buffy' spin on it.

 

[kittenpoker]

I love the episode only for this little conversation which I think is hilarious;

Buffy: Like the kid in the story, the boy that stuck his finger in the duck.
Angel: Dyke... it's another word for dam.
Buffy: Oh. Okay, that story makes a lot more sense now.

And because I think the witch trial/ mob-mentality is a scarily easy slope to fall down on under the 'right' (rather wrong) circumstances and that the show put that on display, albeit with it's special 'Buffy' spin on it.

Hahahaha yeah, that is a great quote!

and good point too.

 

[Jodast]

[MENTION=9799]Taake[/MENTION]'s point is incredibly similar to a question I was going to raise for the 'real world' aspect of the episode, so feel free to talk about that and I'll move on to my next question

Do you think that the media helps or hinders when it comes to educating people about things they don't understand?

 

[brinkster130]

Why, when she knows how dangerous it can be, would Joyce interrupt Buffy's patrolling?

I don't think she fully grasped how dangerous it could be. My guess is, that in her mind, if her little teenage daughter could handle it then so could she.

After all the weirdness, death and goodness knows what else, why is it the death of two children that makes Sunnydale stop burying their heads in the sand and actually talk about what goes on?

That's just the way the world works? The media tends to latch onto and cover in great detail stories about children who fell victim to someone of something. Part of it is that almost everyone can sympathize with devastation and loss the parents and community are going through.

I think many of the Sunnydale parents felt like those children represented their communities innocence and that their deaths threatened everyone.

Why would Snyder order a locker search and book confiscation on the say-so of a parental group that has been in existence for less than a day?

He probably wanted too and was just waiting for an excuse. He seemed to enjoy busting the students.

With the whole town in uproar and groups of people literally marching through the streets in mobs, where the Hell was Faith?

Bored by it all? 😛 I don't know where she was or what she was doing but I'm sure she would have thought the whole thing was absolutely crazy.

Do you think that the media helps or hinders when it comes to educating people about things they don't understand?

Both. I think the media has the power to educate people and do good but it often times hinders people and what they understand and believe to be true. Too often journalists and the media report false, misleading, or opinionated information as truth; and sadly people often times believe it without doing their own research or critical thinking.

 

[PassionBecoming]

Both. I think the media has the power to educate people and do good but it often times hinders people and what they understand and believe to be true. Too often journalists and the media report false, misleading, or opinionated information as truth; and sadly people often times believe it without doing their own research or critical thinking.

Pretty much my exact thoughts. Some people see something reported and immediately believe it without researching or getting the story from the opposing side. Some news media is so slanted that most things reported can't even be believed.