The Body Bore

The Body was exhausting to watch. Although it was a great episode for the actors to show off their versatility, The Body could have been any episode of any other television show. The only part that made it seem like Buffy was when the vampire attacked at the end. I really did not like all the waiting around. The scene in Willow’s dorm room went on much too long. I understand that in real life this scene could have been accurate because it is difficult to move on when such a tragic event occurs, however I found it annoying that Whedon chose this moment to try and be realistic when the entire concept of the show is so unrealistic. Xander punching the wall was awkward. We did not see him actually punch the wall and he did nothing to clean up the hand afterward. I know it could be interpreted in many different ways. His hand could be a symbol for being unable to heal or something, but I feel that is digging a little deep.

Despite the parts I really disliked I really enjoyed how the episode was filmed. I loved how there were several moments when the audience could not tell what was going on, for example, the scene where Dawn was crying in the bathroom. I immediately thought she was crying because she found out about her mother, when actually she was crying about a boy. It kept me on my toes. The flashbacks were also a nice touch. I also liked the lighting in this episode. The morgue was dimly lit, with the only real light being above Buffy’s mother’s body. As the doctor moved out of the morgue, through the doors leading into the rest of the hospital, it got lighter, showing that death is a dark and life is light. The episode was relatable but overall, just ordinary. I would have loved to see more action.