The Body (Buffy episode)
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"The Body" is the 16th episode of season 5 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Plot synopsis
Summary
Buffy comes home to find her mother motionless and unresponsive and calls 911. The paramedics are unable to revive Joyce; she's dead due to an aneurysm. Giles arrives and Buffy warns him not to touch the body. Buffy goes to the school to tell Dawn, who collapses on the floor sobbing when Buffy tells her what has happened. Xander and Anya arrive at Willow’s dorm to take her and Tara to the morgue. Willow gets upset by Anya’s crude questions, but Anya reveals that she's simply as scared and upset and confused as everyone else and doesn’t know how to act. At the hospital Tara tells Buffy that she too has lost her mother, and Buffy can talk to her if she'd like. Dawn sneaks into the morgue to see Joyce's body and is attacked by a newly risen vampire. Buffy arrives and saves her. After the fight, Buffy watches as Dawn stares at her mother's open-eyed face and slowly reaches out to touch her mother.
Expanded overview
- NOTE: The rest of this plot synopsis has been split into four separate parts, due to the episode's format, to allow for more readability.
First act
This episode continues from the moment the previous episode ends, as Buffy comes home to find her mother Joyce lying on the couch, unresponsive. Realising that something is wrong, Buffy calls 911, and eventually proceeds to perform CPR on her mother, despite the fact that she notices that the body is cold. The paramedics are equally unsuccessful in their attempts at reviving her, shortly after calling the time of death. Buffy calls Giles, who is the closest thing she now has to a living parent. She asks him to come over in a grave tone but doesn't tell him why. The paramedics inform Buffy that the coroner has been contacted and she should try not to disturb the body, and then they leave on another call. Buffy doesn't know what to do, and so wanders the house aimlessly for a few moments. She collapses and vomits on the rug in the dining room and starts to clean it up just before Rupert Giles arrives. Giles see Joyce and runs to her side but stops when Buffy cries out "We're not supposed to touch the body!" The scene ends as she realizes what she has said and grabs her mouth in horror.Second act
Dawn is at school, in the middle of an art class. She is nervously talking to a boy whom she obviously likes. Buffy comes into the class and asks to take Dawn out. Dawn doesn't want to go but Buffy makes it clear that she is serious. Once in the hall Dawn gets upset, starting to realize that the Buffy may have taken her out of class to tell her the news that she is most afraid of hearing, as her mother had been ill but she was allegedly cured. She demands to be told what is happening just outside the class room, which has large interior windows, allowing the entire class to see but not hear the conversation. The audience views it from this perspective as well, and we can only guess the exact words of their dialogue. Dawn clearly cries "no" repeatedly and collapses on the floor while the class watches. The scene ends with a shot of what she was drawing in class, a negative space drawing that was actually quite good, though it reflects Joyce's motionless body.Third act
Willow and Tara are distressed as well, and Willow reacts by becoming hysterically worried about what would be appropriate to wear to the hospital. Tara comforts her. Xander and Anya soon arrive at Willow's place. Xander attempts to place the blame for Joyce's death on Glory, then the doctors who said that the tumor was gone, obviously having trouble dealing with something that revenge can't be exacted on. Anya, still struggling with the concept of being a mortal human, asks inappropriate questions regarding Joyce's death, which upsets Willow further. Anya responds with a short monologue expressing her discomfort and confusion over the whole situation. The monologue is mostly basic observations about death, but helps illustrates aspects of death that even real humans don't understand and are bothered by but are so basic we don't ever verbalize or even consciously think of them. The monologue is important in showing Anya's perceived coldness is more a function of her inexperience with the human condition than an actual lack of humanity. This monologue is considered by many fans to be one of the best moments of the series. After a short and uncomfortable silence during which Willow is obviously sorry for snapping at Anya but neither girl says anything, Xander punches through a wall, injuring himself slightly and surprising everyone in the room. All four leave the room to go to Xander's car. Just a few moments after the door closes Willow runs back in to quickly change her shirt for the fifth or sixth time.Fourth act
At the hospital, the doctor informs Buffy that Joyce died from an aneurysm, probably almost instantly. Giles decides to help out with all the paperwork. Dawn wanders off to the washroom while the rest of the Scoobies go to fetch snacks. For a short while, Buffy and Tara are alone, and Tara tries to tell Buffy she understands her situation, since she too lost her mother.Dawn, in denial, decides to go to the morgue after leaving the washroom to see her mother. As she approaches her mother's body, she hesitates when attempting to lift the sheet placed on top of her. Just then, another body arises and it turns out to be a vampire. Buffy, looking for her sister, arrives just in time and kills the vampire. Dawn then gets to see her dead mother, having accidentally pulled the sheet away in the scuffle. Buffy tells her sister not to touch their mother, saying, "It's not her.". Dawn asks, mechanically, "Where did she go?". She reaches out to touch Joyce's cheek, and the episode ends just before she does so.
Writing and acting
"The Body", in presenting the death of a critical character in Buffy's life, confronts the topic of death more directly and realistically than usual in Buffy. The show's typical balance between drama, comedy (see dramedy) and action is largely abandoned in favor of a much barer style, with neither diegetic nor incidental music (other than the theme song, only a wind chime and a barely audible festive melody in the Christmas flashback are the only sources of music.) The scenes are extended and often single-shot, with long moments of silence and a solemn ambience and dialog style.However, this does not represent a complete departure from the show's usual style and format. Despite focusing on the gravity of what has happened, Whedon's somewhat shortened, fast-paced writing and a flashback to a Christmas night, in addition to the characters' reactions, remain familiar aspects of the show's usual nature.
Besides becoming a fan favorite (see [this thread at a popular Joss Whedon fansite]), the episode received considerable critical applause.
Production details
Music
- Boston Pops Orchestra - "The First Noel". Plays during an opening scene where the Scoobies and Joyce have dinner.
Cultural references
- The Avengers - Xander says "The Avengers gotta get with the assembly". The Avengers are a Marvel Comics group of superheroes, whose catch-phrase is "Avengers Assemble!"
- Burnt Bunboy - The name of the odd-looking toy that Anya holds as she sits down at Willow's dorm room is Burnt Bunboy, a Japanese character of whom Joss Whedon and his wife, Kai Cole, are big fans.
- Scream 2 - As Buffy calls 911, there is a — possibly coincidental — reference to Scream 2, which Sarah Michelle Gellar appeared in, as the operator asks her whether she is "alone in the house", as the killer in the movie did.
Quotes
- As mentioned earlier, there is a moment in the Second Act where the audience is not allowed to hear the dialog between Buffy and Dawn. The unheard dialog between Buffy and Dawn, at school, appears to be as follows:
- Buffy: Mom died this morning. While we were both at school, she—
- Dawn: No…
- Buffy: I don't know exactly what happened, but, she's dead…
- Dawn: No. No no no no you're lying she's fine she's fine and you're lying oh no no please no you're lying she's fine, she's fine…
- Buffy: Dawnie…
- Dawn: It's not true, it's not real, it's not real, oh no… no…
- Anya monologue on why she doesn't understand death
Trivia
- This episode features the first on-screen kiss by Willow and Tara, a significant point in the history of lesbian characters on American television.
- Throughout the scene after Xander punches through a wall, only the left side of Willow's face can be seen, because Alyson Hannigan had an allergic reaction to the plaster dust, causing her right eye to swell.
- Creator Joss Whedon and actor Tom Lenk (Andrew), as well as a legion of fans, consider this a favorite episode.
- At one point actress Kristine Sutherland ("Joyce") blinked in an important shot which, considering she was playing a corpse, was not a good thing. Whedon later had the blink digitally removed.
- This episode is one of three episodes not shown in the regular line up, in the UK and Ireland, before the nine o'clock watershed. (The other two are "Hush" and "Tabula Rasa".)
- James Marsters (Spike) does not appear in this episode.
- The original airing of this episode attracted 6.0 million viewers, which was typically high in Season 5.
- Joss Whedon stated in the commentary that the point of the Christmas scene after the opening credits was so that the 'Guest Starring' and producer credits did not overlap the scene where Buffy attempts to revive Joyce. Whedon has also said that he regrets not involving Joyce as much in this scene.
- This episode is the most supernatural-light of the series, with the vampire at the end of the episode being the only otherworldly element of the story.
Continuity
- Buffy's "As long as you two stay away from the band candy, I'm cool with anything" comment is a reference to season three's "Band Candy", in which Giles and Joyce had sex (twice, as Buffy markedly points out in another episode) while under the influence of candy which caused them to mentally regress to adolescence. Buffy learned this from Joyce in "Earshot", where she temporarily became able to read minds.
Arc significance
This episode is a significant departure from the Glory storyline, being an intense character study. However, Joyce's death has a devastating effect on Buffy that will contribute to her fall into apathy toward the end of the season.Glory is mentioned in passing, as a desperate Xander points to her as a possible villain to blame. Buffy also hints at Glory's possible involvement in her mother's death in her short message to Giles over the phone.
Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) | Buffyverse chronology: January 2001 - Spring 2001 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.12 Checkpoint (Buffy episode)>Checkpoint |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.12 Blood Money (Angel episode)>Blood Money |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.13 Happy Anniversary (Angel episode)>Happy Anniversary |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.13 Blood Ties (Buffy episode)>Blood Ties |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.14 The Thin Dead Line (Angel episode)>The Thin Dead Line |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.15 Reprise (Angel episode)>Reprise |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.14 Crush (Buffy episode)>Crush |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.16 Epiphany (Angel episode)>Epiphany |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Wisdom of War (Buffy novel)>Wisdom of War |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.15 I Was Made to Love You (Buffy episode)>I Was Made to Love You |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.17 Disharmony (Angel episode)>Disharmony |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Vengeance (Angel novel)>Vengeance |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.16 The Body (Buffy episode)>The Body |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.18 Dead End (Angel episode)>Dead End |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Haunted (Angel novel)>Haunted |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.17 Forever (Buffy episode)>Forever |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.19 Belonging (Angel episode)>Belonging |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Ugly Little Monsters (Buffy comic)>Ugly Little Monsters |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy comic: |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy video game: |
| L.A., 2001 | |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.18 Intervention (Buffy episode)>Intervention |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Tempted Champions (Buffy novel)>Tempted Champions |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Little Things (Buffy novel)>Little Things |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Crossings (Buffy novel)>Crossings |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Sweet Sixteen (Buffy novel)>Sweet Sixteen |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.19 Tough Love (Buffy episode)>Tough Love |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.20 Over the Rainbow (Angel episode)>Over the Rainbow |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.20 Spiral (Buffy episode)>Spiral |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.21 Through the Looking Glass (Angel episode)>Through the Looking Glass |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.21 The Weight of the World (Buffy episode)>The Weight of the World |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.22 The Gift (Buffy episode)>The Gift |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.22 There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb (Angel episode)>There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Death of Buffy (Buffy comic)#Death of Buffy’>Death of Buffy |
External links
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