Post by stargazer1682 on Jan 10, 2019 23:36:20 GMT
We all know at this point going into season 5 that it's going to culminate with Buffy's death; and there's plenty of foreshadowing her sacrificing herself to save Dawn and the world, most notably the first Slayer (or rather, the guide in the guise of the first Slayer) telling her that 'death is her gift'.
But is the theme of season 5 actually Buffy falling into such a state of mind that she's actually suicidal?
Spike tells Buffy earlier in the season his theory that Slayers secretly have a death wish; because they deal out so much death, they come to want to experience it themselves.
We see her go through a series of losses and defeats; she loses Riley, she loses her mom, she has little option but to drop out of school; she has to cope with the fear of Glory finding out Dawn's the Key, she's faced with the state taking Dawn away if she's not a better parent, then literally has a psychotic break after Glory actually finds out Dawn is the Key and steals her away.
What really made this sink in was Glory talking to Dawn in, "Weight of the World":
"I'm crazy? Honey, I'm the original one eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind; because at least I admit the world makes me nuts. Name one person who can take it here." to which Dawn replies, "Buffy."
Of course, the truth is that in short order Buffy's about to swan dive into a rift and give up her life. A noble sacrifice, but is what Joss was setting up more than that; could he actually have been steering the story so that it's also what she wanted; to escape life and "the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to," as Hamlet put it.
Her last words to Dawn are, "The hardest thing in the world is to live in it," right before knowingly taking herself out of it.
But is the theme of season 5 actually Buffy falling into such a state of mind that she's actually suicidal?
Spike tells Buffy earlier in the season his theory that Slayers secretly have a death wish; because they deal out so much death, they come to want to experience it themselves.
We see her go through a series of losses and defeats; she loses Riley, she loses her mom, she has little option but to drop out of school; she has to cope with the fear of Glory finding out Dawn's the Key, she's faced with the state taking Dawn away if she's not a better parent, then literally has a psychotic break after Glory actually finds out Dawn is the Key and steals her away.
What really made this sink in was Glory talking to Dawn in, "Weight of the World":
"I'm crazy? Honey, I'm the original one eyed chicklet in the kingdom of the blind; because at least I admit the world makes me nuts. Name one person who can take it here." to which Dawn replies, "Buffy."
Of course, the truth is that in short order Buffy's about to swan dive into a rift and give up her life. A noble sacrifice, but is what Joss was setting up more than that; could he actually have been steering the story so that it's also what she wanted; to escape life and "the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to," as Hamlet put it.
Her last words to Dawn are, "The hardest thing in the world is to live in it," right before knowingly taking herself out of it.
