Discussion of 5.16 "The Body" - Aired 2/27/01 (WB-US)

I think it’s that odd assurance that you’re never alone and that things will be okay. Buffy and Dawn lose Joyce, but their friends are still there to help them and support them.
 
Plasma said:
I think it’s that odd assurance that you’re never alone and that things will be okay. Buffy and Dawn lose Joyce, but their friends are still there to help them and support them.
Click to expand...

That's very true, she has a lot of support. I love the part where Giles comes in and hugs her.
 
Good question. If there was some question regarding the quality of care she received, yes. But, she had recovered, and was out of his care, it wasn't considered a significant possibility.
 
I loved the way Buffy handled themes of life and death. I always come back to this episode and can recite the lines in my head.
The way the episode handled Joyce's sudden death and Buffy and the gang's reactions is phenomenal.

When Michelle broke down in tears at school, it was very convincing and realistic as was the denial at first.
 
Tj2318h said:
Can we please talk about the huge conflict of interest with the Surgeon that removed the tumor….DOING THE FRIGGIN AUTOPSY!

Malpractice lawsuit!
Click to expand...

While this is VERY technically possible, it wouldn't fly for a variety of reasons.

1) Medical examiners are government employees (usually at the city/county level), NOT hospital employees.

2) The medical examiner's office is NOT in the hospital. Cities that have their own have a separate location for them, and smaller cities/towns usually share a county facility.

3) As you point out, the conflict of interest is huge, and double-sided, as neither the hospital nor the government are going to want a blatant appearance of impropriety*. This is especially true on the government side, since in a lawsuit any competent attorney (and most incompetent ones) would make mince meat of the same person who performed the surgery performing the autopsy.

Could it technically happen? Yes, in that there technically aren't laws against it. But it would require a government employee moonlighting as a surgeon, both the hospital and the government not caring (including no rules in their job description about additional work that conflicts, which is normal language for government employees), and no one worried at all about the conflict of interest.

*This happening would almost certainly involve a high level of corruption/conspiracy, which admittedly is appropriate for Sunnydale. If it WAS going to happen, Sunnydale is actually a likely location, since we know that there are those in the know who actively things up anyway.
 
There's a reason The Body rates highly (not just amongst BTVS fans) as being one of the best episodes of television made. It would definitely make my top 10. It's raw, it's real. The decision JW made to exclude music from the episode was perfect.

Almost five years ago, I lost a parent. I haven't been able to watch this episode since. Not sure I'll ever be able to again.

The one shot that stuck with me was Buffy opening the back door to her home and staring out. You're struck by the silence, the sounds of life going on around you, and in the meantime, your world has stopped and come crashing down around you.
 
Okay so.
I am 41. This is my VERY first watch of Buffy/Angel.

I lost my mom when I was just a few years older than Buffy, so yeah, this episode was a rough one for me.

I lost my mom to cancer. She didn't tell me. I don't know why. Maybe to spare me pain. I don't know. But I remember when I got the call.
The Body opened old wounds in the worst best way. This is the most accurate depiction of grief I have ever seen and just incredibly well done in all aspects.
I lost my dad in 2022. It was sudden. Ulcers he'd always had wound up killing him. He bled out. I held his hand, made the hard calls. Had to explain to my young child why mommy was sad, but he was too young to understand death, which is why Anya's monologue really hit me, too. She didn't understand, and neither did my son. He didn't know why grandpa was gone or why mommy was sad.
The varied reactions are painfully realistic. Everyone grieves differently.

I also really love the decision to have no musical score at all in this episode. It forces you to feel at your own pace. To sit with it. To sit with everyone's grief. You don't have a guide. You just have emotion.

The thing about death is that it doesn't just steal the person you love from you.
It steals your future with them, too.

All the milestones I met that my mom didn't get to see?
She never met my husband. Never saw me graduate from the corrections academy. Never met my in laws. Never got to be there for my wedding or hold my firstborn.

And honestly? This episode nails it. I cried so hard at this episode. It took a while for the tears to dry up, but it is so very well done. This whole season is painful, but it hurts so good.

I came into Buffy with a very negative mindset but, oh, I was wrong. I was so wrong. There's so much depth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom