Notes on Buffy 3.04 Beauty and the Beasts

[2maggie2]

Standard disclaimer: I'll often speak of foreshadowing, but that doesn't mean I'm at all committing to the idea that there was some fixed design from the word go -- it's a short hand for talking about the resonances that end up in the text as it unspools.

Standard spoiler warning: The notes are written for folks who have seen all of BtVS and AtS.

Comments

[candleanfeather]

Hi Maggie

[2maggie2]

Nice to see you! I love your observation about the love's bitch link. What's interesting is to reaize that in Spike's case, being love's bitch ends up leading him to be one of those monsters that wants to change.

I also like your observation that animality is associated with men in the show. It is a neat reversal of the idea that it is the feminine that is unruly and dangerous.

I'll have to pay attention to the fairy tale thing.

[ceciliaj]

Before I say anything else, this: Buffy 3.04: Beauty and the Beasts, in Which Buffy Gets a Secret Pet is sheer brilliance.

[2maggie2]

Strudel writes the tags! Agree that this is a particularly good one.

[beer_good_foamy]

Pete made himself into a monster, and is unequivocally responsible for all the damage he does. Besides being a murderer, he abuses Debbie when he’s in a rage. But he can turn back to his human face and beg forgiveness, and Debbie gives it to him. Buffy’s situation with Angel would seem to most closely resemble Willow’s situation with Oz.

It's interesting that while this episode feels like an early s2 episode in a lot of ways (the heavy-handed metaphor, etc) the fact that it's an episode set after we've seen how Liam was turned into Angelus is interesting. He specifically asked Darla for it. He didn't know what he was asking for, but he did essentially ask to be turned into a monster. I'm not entirely sure that we're supposed to draw the parallel quite that far, but...

As Giles tells Buffy, there are two kinds of monsters. The first kind are those who want to be redeemed. The second are void of humanity and incapable of responding to either reason or love. When we see Angel we assume he’s the first kind -- striving for

[norwie2010]

I'm not sure where it fails or if it does.

For me, it comes with the "42 minutes TV serial" format. The story here is a very intricate one, speaking deeply to 8and from) the human condition. But alas, it has been told a lot of times already, and often with a lot more time to unfold, light up and ponder than in a 42 minute episode of a TV serial.

So, while it is a very rich episode, the general story has been told by others in more depth, or, if You want, by a lot of authors lightening up different aspects of the story(s) hinted at in this BtVS episode in a myriad of books, plays, pictures, philosophical reflections (see all the french philosophers/authors who followed after De Sade, exploring the "deviant" in the human being).

So, while this is a great BtVS episode, it falls a bit flat on the exploration of the general theme.

[beer_good_foamy]

Which is probably why it works very well when you take it as a part of the thematic build-up of s3, but taken on its own it doesn't quite... roar. Also, the metaphor of powerless-human-accepts-dangerous-monster doesn't quite fit the Buffy mold when it ends with the monster!Angel protecting helpless Buffy from monster!Pete.

[beer_good_foamy]

* and so the story is as much about Willow and Angel Buffy (and Debbie)

* on the lose loose

Damnit.

[vamp_mogs]

I don’t have a lot I can contribute to this episode so I might as well just focus on Angel for now

[vamp_mogs]

About Cordelia, I love when he eyes her with pride as she leaves, loving her wit and sarcasm. He digs her all right, but not to the point of being in love with her. Sadly. Because I enjoy Xander/Cordelia more than Xander/Anya. They're more equals than Xander/Anya.

Totally agree! I am feeling quite sorry for Cordy in this rewatch though, 'cause I never noticed just how differently he treats her in comparison to Buffy and Willow. Like, obviously I could see he held them to a different standard, but it's upsetting when you think how much Cordy digs him :(

Ah well, they'll have some really nice moments later in the season so it's not all bad!

[pocochina]

I love S3 but I think the writers drop the ball big time when it comes to dealing with Angel’s 100 years of torment. They spend the next few episodes focusing on how it’s affected him physically but they don’t spend a great deal of time dealing with the mental trauma of what he must have gone through.

In light of the retcon, Jasmine was ready to move and needed him up and moping before he could actually heal. Getting people to paper over their trauma by putting it out of mind is kind of her specialty.

[pocochina]

I think Buffy's reluctance to talk to Faith is about the Slayer-projection motif between them. She thinks Faith would march right down there and stake him because on some level, she thinks it's what she should do.

As for Joyce, I don't think their relationship has healed at all from last season, where both of the big conflicts were spurred by Angel. It's possible she's reluctant to risk being thrown out of the house for something she didn't do. again.

Xander falling asleep on watch is one of those gags that's actually really chilling to me. He's in the room with a vicious wild animal and passes out. Just how desensitized is he to danger?

Despite the metaphor, I don’t think that this episode actually is proposing that all men are beasts.

I think that's part and parcel of the metaphor, that the man-monsters were (whether completely unconsciously, as Oz, or voluntarily, as Pete) poisoned into being the way they are (as was the swim team last season). Giles is a very human counterpoint to Angel; Xander to Oz; the counselor comes into

[2maggie2]

Interesting point about why Buffy might shut Faith out. It makes sense. But I still think what's primary is that Buffy isn't about to let anyone, much less Faith, near that part of her heart. It's too damaged.

Agree, though, about why Joyce is kept out of the loop.

I still like your observation about the poisoning of men -- and think your pairings are right on.