I have just been rewatching season 5 of Btvs, and realised only Joyce got a proper funeral, in either buffy or angel... do you think it's because she is the only character to die a natural death? Because in both shows a lot of main people died, but we never see a funeral for these people? What are your thoughts? I think it is the natural death thing, natural death equals natural conclusion i.e. funeral? Therefore everyone just gets a good death scene or good death story...
Why was Joyce the only character with a funeral?
- Thread starter Xin Rong
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FaithsFollower
Thank Goodness It's Buffy
Actually, she didn't. She was accidentally shot. That wasn't natural. 😉
What a great thread topic!! I was disappointed when we didn't see the 'funeral' for Buffy. 🙁
Tara...I vaguely remember reading somewhere that she didn't get a funeral because her religion, Wicca, didn't require one [but I could be wrong so don't quote me on that].
We didn't see the funerals for everyone else, but I always assumed a memorial service was held. Certainly for Buffy who has a grave site. For most characters their deaths are a way to add drama to the story arc of the season and give the surviving characters an extra motivation.
Joyce's death was the actual story, not a by product of it. Buffy growing up and taking responsibility for the family unit was the main theme of season 5, so the process of that rite of passage had to be shown in its entirety, from discovering the body to the funeral service and the emotional scarring thereafeter.
Joyce's death was the actual story, not a by product of it. Buffy growing up and taking responsibility for the family unit was the main theme of season 5, so the process of that rite of passage had to be shown in its entirety, from discovering the body to the funeral service and the emotional scarring thereafeter.
JCoatsworth
UP THE IRONS!
I always figured that the characters that died in the series did have funerals, but that we just didn't see them.
Joyce's funeral was a special case, because I guess it isn't really about her, but about the other characters.
Joyce's funeral was a special case, because I guess it isn't really about her, but about the other characters.
S
Skytteflickan88
[No message]
Robb Stark
King in the North
Well, if we're talking behind the scenes, I thin there were two big reasons why Joyce had a funeral (or at least, why a big deal was made of her funeral) while others did not. You made a really strong point about death just being a part of life. People die. Even in Buffy's world, and that, as sad as it is and as lonely as it can feel, is a part of growing up. I think they wanted to show that as much as possible. That's why we had those scenes of Buffy trying to keep herself busy by planning the memorial. The other reason is that it gave that amazing few scenes with Angel coming back, which was very fitting.
There weren't a lot of deaths in Buffy or Angel that showed real funerals like Joyce's. I think, echoing what others have said a bit here, that the death of a character is usually the big moment of an episode, while the fallout of how the surviving characters deal with the loss being the hook for the next one. I don't think there's anyway Doyle, Cordy, Tara and all the others who passed away didn't get funerals. They were all important to the rest of the characters. I guess it just wasn't really necessary to show the actual funeral itself.
There weren't a lot of deaths in Buffy or Angel that showed real funerals like Joyce's. I think, echoing what others have said a bit here, that the death of a character is usually the big moment of an episode, while the fallout of how the surviving characters deal with the loss being the hook for the next one. I don't think there's anyway Doyle, Cordy, Tara and all the others who passed away didn't get funerals. They were all important to the rest of the characters. I guess it just wasn't really necessary to show the actual funeral itself.
R
randiann
Guest
If every character that died had a funeral that was shown on the show they wouldn't have much time for anything else....
funsmiley
Potential
I always thought funerals did happen they just weren't shown on screen.
I think joyce had a funeral because she was buffy's mum for a start and she had been in it from the very beginning, she wasn't in every episode, no but we did follow joyce through most of her ups and downs. (starting a new life after her marriage ended and buffy burning down the school, finding out buffy was the slayer, and then finding out she had cancer and a daughter that wasn't really her's.)
But most importantly she was buffys mum, and everyone needs a mum even a slayer. I think one of the reasons buffy got through a lot of things was because her mum was there. When her mum was around i don't think she felt so alone in the world.
i think buffys quote in the gift tells us that " i wish my mum was here."
I think joyce had a funeral because she was buffy's mum for a start and she had been in it from the very beginning, she wasn't in every episode, no but we did follow joyce through most of her ups and downs. (starting a new life after her marriage ended and buffy burning down the school, finding out buffy was the slayer, and then finding out she had cancer and a daughter that wasn't really her's.)
But most importantly she was buffys mum, and everyone needs a mum even a slayer. I think one of the reasons buffy got through a lot of things was because her mum was there. When her mum was around i don't think she felt so alone in the world.
i think buffys quote in the gift tells us that " i wish my mum was here."
I think Tara and Jenny did but we didn't see it, Willow must of done it when she came back to the old self and others in the spare time.
The reason I think we got to see Joyce's death cause she was a character who everyone looks up on she's the parent, I couldn't image loosing my mum it would kill so when Joyce died it was a huge shocker and the beginning of growing up being the reponsable one. The funeral showed us that Buffy was scared and that's why Angel was there to help her. Season 6 would of been a lot different I think if Joyce didn't die, but I think shows that Buffy has to be a big girl now.
The reason I think we got to see Joyce's death cause she was a character who everyone looks up on she's the parent, I couldn't image loosing my mum it would kill so when Joyce died it was a huge shocker and the beginning of growing up being the reponsable one. The funeral showed us that Buffy was scared and that's why Angel was there to help her. Season 6 would of been a lot different I think if Joyce didn't die, but I think shows that Buffy has to be a big girl now.