#dakara

Okay. I’ve seen a few people say they didn’t like the vampire scene and wish that they had not included anything supernatural in this episode and while they have valid opinions, I really want to throw some perspective into them. The vampire may be out of place for us in the world that we live in but it is not out of place for Buffy and Dawn. Their world is the world of the vampires, the demons, the monsters of all kinds. It’s not real for us, but it’s real for them.

That is THEIR world. One they know and interact with every day. This is just another day like always… only something personally tragic has happened. Their mother has died… and from very natural causes as they (and we) are told by the EMTs and the doctor. But vampires won’t stop showing up just because the protagonist has personal problems to deal with. If anything - if they knew - they’d show up in numbers. They’d take advantage of her vulnerable state and - unless they’re Spike - would actually kill her because they don’t care that her mom has died.

The thing is that you’re still viewing this episode as if it’s just a TV show episode about a female vampire slayer for your viewing entertainment all the while saying there should be no vampires showing up in the episode because the supernatural shouldn’t be involved in such a realistic and visceral portrayal of something very traumatic and harrowing, forgetting that in Buffy and Dawn’s world, the supernatural is very traumatic and harrowing. The vampire scene itself shows this to great effect. That it’s always been how it is for Buffy when any vampire is encountered in this supernatural world, it’s just Buffy doesn’t have the energy this time to fight him off and so it is much more difficult for her to slay him than it usually is. Her experience has changed.

Ripping off from JLPT-sensei again from here, how to use から:

美味しくて映えるドリンク作ってみた💙

“It’s as if he’s gaining a soul because he cares for Buffy and the Gang.”

EXACTLY! She and them are his external moral compass because he doesn’t possess an internal one.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t learn or grow one. It doesn’t mean he can’t evolve just because he doesn’t have a soul. This is the whole freaking thing with Spike and why I can’t stand the “demon possession” lore.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that prior to being Spike he was mocked, he was laughed at, he was teased for showing how much of an emotional guy he was, how much heart he had and how sensitive he was. So because he was teased for that, I feel that he’s got that little gremlin inside his head now that’s like “I’m bad. I’m bad to the bone. I’m someone to be feared. And don’t laugh at me. I’m tough.” I think having this chip put in his head has kind of reverted him back to his true feelings. Not this facade that he puts on. I could be totally wrong. He could be this soulless thing and that’s it. It could be very black and white. But to me, what I’ve seen so far is that he has shown a lot more empathy and understanding to humans than what other vampires have. Like these vampires that just get staked left, right and center have no soul. Their empathy is non-existent. Emotions are non-existent other than anger and hunger. But the only other vampire that we’ve seen like this is Angel and he’s got a curse on him. He’s been given that soul. Spike seems different. He seems kind of special to the others.”

You are a very insightful reactor. The thing with Spike’s arc - especially this entire episode - it completely contradicts the original vampire/demon lore where when the human dies, a random demon “sets up shop” inside the human body and it walks and it talks like you but it’s not you. You’re gone.

That clearly isn’t the truth with Spike. It might be the truth with Darla or Druscilla, but even that’s not really clear with their own arcs either since the human entity they apparently “possess” very much informs them too when it shouldn’t if it is actually possession. I propose it isn’t. I don’t believe possession is ever what is actually going on. I believe it’s corruption. Therefore the demon is created. That is the vampire and that is the exact same entity as the human that died. And episodes like ‘Fool For Love’ seem to be validating that interpretation over the demonic possession one.

The demonic possession interpretation seems to be a misunderstanding by people that actually don’t have firsthand experience of being a vampire. And they’re passing judgement because it’s easier for them to believe a vampire is just a thing rather than still a person. Not human. But still a conscious being with free will. With emotions and qualities and skills that of which THEY had when THEY were human.

The reason why Spike, Druscilla, Darla and Angelus have more human emotions and qualities than other vampires is because they’re significant vampires. They have more screen-time so they have to be interesting than just your one-note “I need to kill and feed” vampire. They have to have characterization that resonates with the audience otherwise there’s no point to watching them.

If Buffy spent any time with the vampires she kills on sight, she’d likely figure the same out. That they’re not just mindless monsters to murder. Still evil and soulless but have complex emotions just like she does. If the show went that way… delving into what makes a monster… I mean. And whether she should just be staking them as soon as they rise from the grave without no thought for whether they might actually be able to choose. Might have free will.

Harmony is also another significant vampire but not as significant as Spike, Dru, Darla and Angelus. But even she shows human emotions and qualities that are interesting about her. That show that she’s not just a monster who needs to kill and feed and that’s it. She has other interests. A lot admittingly selfish and vain but they were when she was human so…