I haven't said much about her, but this is as good a time as any: Bless you, Joyce Summers. I'm beginning to truly enjoy Buffy's mother as a character because she is so realistically portrayed as a source of conflict, but not some evil force in Buffy's life. What's so honest about her character is that the show doesn't let us forget that she is genuinely trying to be a good parent. She's never too pushy, but she knows when to be firm. Even if she doesn't understand her daughter, that doesn't mean she has to insult her or condescend to her. The truth is that she really doesn't know her daughter is a slayer of vampires. How could she? Unlike "The Harvest," I felt the "end" to the vampire confrontation and Joyce's shaky memory was far more believable than the former's resolution. What makes me happy, I guess, is that she's not portrayed as a bumbling fool. She is clueless about her daughter's true nature, sure. But that's not something that a mother instantly goes to when her daughter is acting up, is it?
I mean, all Joyce knows is that Buffy misbehaved at her last school and burned down the gym in the process. She senses that if Buffy gets involved with the wrong crowd, she might relapse again. It's why she's so excited when Darla comes over, or when she sees Giles. It's important to note that throughout this all, Joyce never doubts Buffy's capacity for being spectacular, and it's what I love about Joyce the most. She doesn't think her daughter is a failure. She doesn't think her daughter is a bad person. At heart, she believes in her. That's a powerful thing to have from your parents, and it's something I didn't experience until after I was out of high school. When I did, though, that sort of inherent validation is a great feeling.
