What confused me about "Normal Again"

J

Joshua

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Okay if Joyce and Hank put Buffy in a mental hospital the first time Buffy told them she was fighting vampires in LA, then why did Joyce accept her the "second time" in Sunnydale?

Did Joyce have a selective memory loss?
 
W
WallflowerBitca
Buffy often mentioned her mother's repressing thing, so yeah, I think so.
This is my theory, so keep in mind its just my thoughts. Plus, "Normal Again" is supposed to be just the demon's 'infection' screwing with Buffy's mind, although there's different theorys on it.

Joyce and Hank put Buffy in a mental institution because she said that she saw vampires. Supposably they thought she was having some sort of mental and emotional break down, so they sent her to a psychatric hospital (Which is the appropriate term instead of mental institution, but the latter is a much more common term.). Then, somehow Buffy went into some sort of coma, which in turn caused her mind, which was still active, to come up with delusions about her life. Those delusions, therefore, caused Buffy to come up with a more 'acceptable' reality for her, one in which her mother accepted what she said.

So basically, the delusions were simply Buffy's mind coming up with things to make her happy. But then again, the entire thing was simply the demon's wound infecting Buffy's mind, preying on her worst fears and memories. Again, there are many theorys on which reality is 'real', the one where Buffy is the Slayer ,or the one where it was all a delusion.
 
I vaguely remember an official Buffy novel that explained that fact the following way: the memory about the mental hospital was a side-effect of the insertion of Dawn. According to Buffy's new memories, it was Dawn who found Buffy's diary where she wrote about vampires.
 
D
dexeded
Cool.
If we are to assume "Normal Again" is real, then the "second time" never happened. If she had been put into a psych ward in L.A., then everything that supposedly happened in Sunnydale was only a figment of Buffy's imagination.
 
Wild At Heart
Wild At Heart
[No message]
HisMrs said:
If we are to assume "Normal Again" is real, then the "second time" never happened. If she had been put into a psych ward in L.A., then everything that supposedly happened in Sunnydale was only a figment of Buffy's imagination.
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I think he's referring to the story Buffy tells Willow, about how her parents put her in an institution when she started ranting about vampires right after she became the slayer. If that happened...why did Joyce, first of all, act as if she was surprised when Buffy tells her that she's the slayer, and 2nd of all, why did she accept Buffy when she returned to Sunnydale? Why did she believe her, as opposed to trying to have her committed?

I think when she saw Buffy stake that vampire on the porch she was convinced, but didn't want to believe it, and she had time to think about everything while Buffy was away and just came to terms with it. Buffy also mentions that they acted as if the temporary hospital stay never happened, so maybe Joyce repressed it.

Again, I'm just assuming that's what Dark Avenger meant, because I wondered about this myself.
 
Moscow Watcher said:
I vaguely remember an official Buffy novel that explained that fact the following way: the memory about the mental hospital was a side-effect of the insertion of Dawn. According to Buffy's new memories, it was Dawn who found Buffy's diary where she wrote about vampires.
Click to expand...

I find this very interesting, especially if it is canon. Would love to know which novel it was and would love to get a hold of it. If it pops into your memory which book it is then please let me know!
 
Moscow Watcher said:
I vaguely remember an official Buffy novel that explained that fact the following way: the memory about the mental hospital was a side-effect of the insertion of Dawn. According to Buffy's new memories, it was Dawn who found Buffy's diary where she wrote about vampires.
Click to expand...

I thought there were no canon novels, only canon TV shows (obviously) and certain comic books.
 
Fredikins said:
I think he's referring to the story Buffy tells Willow, about how her parents put her in an institution when she started ranting about vampires right after she became the slayer. If that happened...why did Joyce, first of all, act as if she was surprised when Buffy tells her that she's the slayer, and 2nd of all, why did she accept Buffy when she returned to Sunnydale? Why did she believe her, as opposed to trying to have her committed?

I think when she saw Buffy stake that vampire on the porch she was convinced, but didn't want to believe it, and she had time to think about everything while Buffy was away and just came to terms with it. Buffy also mentions that they acted as if the temporary hospital stay never happened, so maybe Joyce repressed it.

Again, I'm just assuming that's what Dark Avenger meant, because I wondered about this myself.
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Well in that case, I think it was actually seeing Buffy stake a vampire that made her realize she wasn't making things up, or mentally disturbed. I mean, she watched the vampire disentegrate in front of her eyes. How can she not believe her own eyes?
 
caitaintdead
caitaintdead
[No message]
I was under the assumption that the novels were considered to exist in their own cannon, and that they don't affect the TV show itself. And that Season 8, 9, and the Origin comic being considered officially cannon.
 
D
dexeded
That's what I thought too. Also AtF, and 'branch comics' (Spike: After the Fall, Spike miniseries, Willow miniseries).
My question would be why was Joyce's reaction to Buffy talking about 'Saving the world from vampires' in Bad eggs so nonchalant, if she had already put her in a hospital for saying such things.

Damn plot holes. 😛
 
Fredikins said:
I think he's referring to the story Buffy tells Willow, about how her parents put her in an institution when she started ranting about vampires right after she became the slayer. If that happened...why did Joyce, first of all, act as if she was surprised when Buffy tells her that she's the slayer, and 2nd of all, why did she accept Buffy when she returned to Sunnydale? Why did she believe her, as opposed to trying to have her committed?

I think when she saw Buffy stake that vampire on the porch she was convinced, but didn't want to believe it, and she had time to think about everything while Buffy was away and just came to terms with it. Buffy also mentions that they acted as if the temporary hospital stay never happened, so maybe Joyce repressed it.

Again, I'm just assuming that's what Dark Avenger meant, because I wondered about this myself.
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I can see your point, but assuming the buffyverse was a figment of Buffy's imagination, then she would never have BEEN institutionalised and therefore her parents would know nothing about her 'previous experiences' with vampires... When you're creating something inside your head, you kinda omit the horrible things that you're escaping from, so a part of that would have been her mother's complete dismissal. Just a theory, but...
 
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