The Body Human: A Meditation On My Favorite "Buffy" Episode

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

This is surprising -- even to me -- for a number of reasons. The first and foremost is that I just don't do sci-fi (see previous posting entitled "I Don't Get It: 10 Random Things That Confound Me"). Secondly, I have never gravitated toward any entertainment geared to and/or starring teenyboppers. Third, the identically-titled film that "Buffy" is based on was a fluffy, bubblegum comedy that was as inauthentic as it was unentertaining.

So I missed the "Buffy" television series the first time around. Fortunately, John dragged me kicking and screaming to the DVDs. And after the first episode, I was hooked. Over the next seven seasons (which we condensed into a few months' worth of viewing), I came to regard the life and times of Buffy Summers as nothing short of genius: a true masterpiece of modern storytelling. Yes, there were vampires and ghoulies and all manner of creepy-crawly monsters. But there was also genuine emotion, believable character development and relationships, sparkling writing, and some truly notable performances.

Which brings me to my favorite "Buffy" episode, "The Body". Now if you're currently experiencing "Buffy" for the first time, and you haven't yet reached this particular episode (Season Five, Episode 16), then stop reading right here. I am about to divulge a few secrets in order to communicate my absolute passion for this episode, a passion that transcends my already-strong ardor for all things Buffy.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" depends on a lot of supernatural elements to make its stories work. Even when dealing with the most outlandish concepts, the brilliant writing and powerful performances made every action, every nuance, every stab with a wooden stake, somehow real. And in no other episode of the series were these things presented in such a flawless, unique manner.

You see, "The Body" is different, even for the consistently original "Buffy". This is one episode that completely abandons all supernatural and other-worldly elements and focuses solely on intense human drama.

In "The Body", Buffy's mother, Joyce, has died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. This is remarkable because Joyce's death is, to my knowledge, the only one in the entire course of the series that is not vamp-, alien-, or monster-related. Her death is an entirely "natural" one, and it is this very quality that tips the balance of the show and makes it a true standout.

The entire episode is shot without a soundtrack, without fancy stunts, without dramatic lighting and ornate sets. It's as sickeningly real as death itself, and I think that's exactly that the writers were going for. Here is this girl, this superhero, who is suddenly confronted with wholly human mortality. No vampire pursuit or stake to the chest is going to rectify Joyce's death. The episode is imbued with a helplessness that is unsettlingly universal when faced with sudden death, especially the death of someone as integral to the show and characters as Joyce Summers was.

Let me just insert here, for honesty's sake, that I despised the character of Joyce. I did from the very beginning of the series. I found her poorly written and underdeveloped, and oftentimes quite offensive to the notion of "strong TV moms". It is a sad fact that the writers didn't make Joyce even remotely interesting until just a couple of episodes before she was killed off. I also found the actress playing her to be about as boring and stunted as a tree trunk. With all of this said, though, it must be mentioned that Joyce was, even in episodes where she didn't feature prominently (which is most of them), at the very least a presence of some sort in the series. It's irrelevant that she was badly presented or performed. The point is is that we all have moms. Even slayers.

"The Body" is so flawlessly written, directed, shot, and performed that I am hard-pressed to find any criticism at all with it. It could easily be a Dogme 95 production. The entire episode is a heart-breaking meditation on the first stages of grief and loss. And if you want to see some of the finest work out there by the members of Hollywood's most talented younger generation, you need look no further than "The Body".

Sarah Michelle Gellar proves, with her radiant face a veritable mask of human emotion, that she not only carried the weight of this episode on her young shoulders, but also the weight of the entire series. We oft times overlook this because she does it so seamlessly, so effortlessly, that we take it for granted. There aren't many young actors that could accomplish what Gellar has here with as much ease or grace or courage.

And she is ably supported by an impeccable supporting cast. Alyson Hannigan, as Buffy's lesbian witch best friend Willow, was criminally overlooked in this series. She is one of the most underrated young actresses out there, and her work on "Buffy" is solid, endearing, and deceptively complex. As in nearly every episode she's in, Hannigan manages to walk away with each scene she's part of -- not an easy task when acting alongside a talent as formidable and daunting as Gellar. In "The Body", Willow is thrust into a crossroads of her young life: she is forced to grow up in the face of the harsh realities of death. Surveying her closet-full of frilly girlish clothes (Willow's trademark throughout the series), she laments, "Why can't I dress like a grown-up? Can't I be a grown-up?". It's enough to crack your heart in two.

Even Anya (the always amazing Emma Caulfield), the vengeance-demon now in human form, is torn asunder by Joyce's death. Anya's complete incomprehension of death in general, and the death of someone close to her in particular, is something the usually-wisecracking character just cannot wrap her mind around. She doesn't understand death, how someone who is here one day can be gone the next. And that's not a vengeance-demon thing. It's a human thing.

Nicholas Brendon, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Benson, and Anthony Stewart Head are equally incredible. There is not a weak link in this cast, and they each have their moment to shine in "The Body".

Even if you're not into "Buffy", I still urge you to see this one episode. It's an example of what good television really is. Of what a master storyteller can do when the circumstances are just so. Of what an immensely-talented group of actors can do when given some real human drama to sink their chops into.

Don't mourn for "The Body". Celebrate it. You won't be sorry.