Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Get in touch with your feelings (week 3)

As cliche as it might be, after watching this episode all I could think about is my mother and what it would be like if I was put in Buffy's shoes. Like most of us, I hope that something like this would never happen, but today's episode made it all too real. The images of her mother's body laying in the living room floor were a bit much for me. The emotions throughout the show were raw and understandable. Unlike many television shows, Whedon didn't make Buffy's reactions over the top, but instead more honest. Unless you have experienced a death, I don't think it is possible to know how you would react, but I thought the way the characters reacted was believable. Instead of Buffy throwing herslf down and crying hysterically, she just looked lost. Her friends worried about the smallest details, like what to wear, because they didn't know how to handle the situation. Of all the characters though, I thought Buffy did the best job. Every shot of her made the viewers see her as alone and numb. Likewise, when she was on the phone with 911 and talking to the EMT the small details that she pointed out and questions that she asked were things I think anyone might do becasue they just don't know what to do. I honestly can say I felt the emotions she was trying to portray and that is rare in television. I was sad for her and her loss even though I know she's not a real person. This episode was very different than any that I had seen thus far. The article by Wilcox explains that it is so different because it was real. I completely agree with this idea. Today Buffy was no longer a vampire slayer but a girl who I felt a connection with.

4 comments:

awilliams6369 said...

I thought Buffy's reaction to finding her mother dead was very believable. I could see me reacting similarly if I were in the same situation. I agree that this episode was different from any I've seen inside and outside of class. It definitely touched on an emotion I wasn't prepared to experience. I'll be very happy to move on from this assignment!

Adam Solomon said...

I liked the comment you made when you said Buffy felt alone. It relates back to most of the series because Buffy has really always been alone. She is the Slayer and the only one that can protect anybody. So even she has friends who help, everything rests on her shoulders. Even in this episode she had the duty to tell her sister their mom died. She even had to save her sister. And though she had friends who were there to help, she still is the one who is going to have to sign papers and take care of her sister.

Ashley said...

I also found myself thinking about being in Buffy's shoes. Just going into that state of mind is devastating in itself. The thought of coming home to find my mother dead is a huge fear of mine that came from seeing this episode. I liked how you said it's not possible to know how you would react in the situation, which is true, all of us would handle it differently from others. That's important to remember in this episode because Buffy was not a slayer until the end of the episode. Instead, she was a normal, grieving human being that faced a normal reality.

Heidi said...

An excellent post with really thoughtful comments. Well done, everyone.