Why did the Scoobies fall apart?

[phoenixrising]

In watching the shows on DVD, I realized why the Scoobies fell apart in seasons four and six. The reason is simple: lies and lack of communication.

The Scoobies only have trouble when they lie to each other and don't talk to each other. An early example of this is when Buffy fails to mention to the rest that Angel is back in the third season.

In the fourth season, they stop talking almost completely. Buffy is spending all her time with Riley, Xander is in bed with Anya most of the time and Willow is dealing with her relationship with Tara. This allows Spike to stir up trouble, but as Buffy points out trouble was stir-upable. When they start talking, the rift is mended.

In the sixth season, the Scoobies completly fall apart because of all the lies floating around. Buffy lies about where she was when she was dead and then moves on to her secret tryst with Spike; Xander and Anya have fears about getting married and Willow is getting further into the magic to the point where she starts playing with people's minds. This fractures the gang to a point where they almost can't come back from.

In both cases, when the Scoobies start talking, the troubles disappear (excpet for the mutiny of the Potentials in the seventh season).

That's my thoughts. Anyone else?

 

[eponinethen]

Yup, that's the way it usually works with friendship (and any kind of relationship). You talk about it it gets easier and you work things out... You don't talk and .. well, you don't talk there isn't really much of a friendship at all. (In my opinion they lost eachother after season 3 and never really found eachother again.)

 

[nerd4hire]

Isn't nifty though, how the 4 core character's come together from 4 directions in Primeval at the end of S-4 to make up. Then they do it again in Chosen at the end of the series.

I sometimes suspect something deep and metaphoric might be going on there. It's like the four directions - East, West, South, and North.

 

[eponinethen]

Isn't nifty though, how the 4 core character's come together from 4 directions in Primeval at the end of S-4 to make up. Then they do it again in Chosen at the end of the series.

Doesn't that happen in like every season finale, more or less..?

I sometimes suspect something deep and metaphoric might be going on there. It's like the four directions - East, West, South, and North.

Ah, who would be what then..? (And maybe they all have an element too..? Fire, water, air, earth..)

 

[nerd4hire]

If it happens in every season finale, I don't know where. You know what I'm talking about right?

In primeval Buffy discovers Spike has been playing her and the Scoobs against each other. She calls them together, and they meet at the college where they come down 4 seperate paths and face each other from 4 directions to settle their differences.

The same thing happens at the school when they arrive for the final battle in Chosen. Giles, Xander, Willow and Buffy face each other from 4 directions and all is forgiven. In both cases you see an increase in the strength of the team afterwards.

As for theories as to what might actually be going on beneath the text, my personal theory was that maybe it was some kind world politics reflection.

 

[Willow Rosenberg]

It doesn't happen in every season finale. Season 1, after Angel & Xander came to Buffy's aid, Buffy killed the master on her own.

Buffy fought Angel by herself, with support from Xander who was relaying a false message of support from Willow.

Season 3, they did come together, but with the entire population of Sunnydale high as well.

Season 5, it was more than the four of them who defeated Glory. Spike played a very important part in the mission as did Anya.

Season 6 - Buffy was down in the hole with Dawn....Giles was knocked unconscious and it was Xander alone who brought down Darth Rosenberg...which if you want to get technical, the "real" Willow wasn't even present until the end.

 

[nerd4hire]

I like the 4 elements theory though. Doesn't it seem sometimes that the number 4 is a kind of collective unconscious symbolic thing? It seems to say the separate 4 come together to form a unified 1, like a box within a circle.

Also on the separation of the Scoobs in S-6, pointed out by PhoenixRising. Doesn't it seem like it begins in S-6, but it isn't really resolved until Chosen at the end of S-7

 

[eponinethen]

If it happens in every season finale, I don't know where. You know what I'm talking about right?

Lol, I'm sorry, I was really unclear about what I meant. I do know what you where talking about but I thought you meant.. more like.. eh. I had just said that "(In my opinion they lost eachother after season 3 and never really found eachother again.)" so I thought your post had something to do with that. What I meant was that every season more or less ends with the scoobies being friends again, fighting together again after having drifted apart during the season. (I must have been really tired when I posted my last post, heh.)

Yes, nerd4hire, I agree that it's great how the four of them join together like that in the end of season 4 and 7.

Well there are lots of those things, that are 4 and you could probably give Buffy, Xander, Willow and Giles each one element and lots of other things too.. Maybe Buffy - fire, Willow - water, Giles - air and Xander - earth..? (just a thought, didn't think it through or anything)..

Also on the separation of the Scoobs in S-6, pointed out by PhoenixRising. Doesn't it seem like it begins in S-6, but it isn't really resolved until Chosen at the end of S-7

I agree about that. But (as I said) it seems to me like they lost eachother in season 3 (or started losing eachother) and then found their way back to eachother in the end or every season. And for every season they lose eachother more and more (and find their way back in the end, but start drifting apart in the beginning of next... and so on).