"Our goals are similar. We're each interested in curtailing the sub-terrestrial menace. It's only our methods that differ. We use the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry and you - if I understand this correctly - poke them with a sharp stick." - Lindsay Crouse as Professor Maggie Walsh in "Doomed"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Fourth Season DVD Review
By Marlo Serritella
Ugh. It was bound to happen. In my love affair with Buffy the Vampire the Slayer, season four can best be described as our first fight. Angel (David Boreanaz) is gone - off in L.A. fighting demons with Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) in spin-off land. High school is over. In fact, we can't even hope for any fun reunions with Giles (Anthony Head) in the library since the school went and got all blowed-up at the end of Season Three. There's definitely some serious division among Buffy fans as to whether or not the fourth season is as good as the previous three. In case you haven't figured out which camp I fall into, I'll be blunt. Season four is not my favorite. Now, that being said, you have to remember that Buffy on its worst day is still better television that most other shows on their best day. (And just to be clear, there is no such thing as the "worst" of Buffy, I was just trying to illustrate a point.) I'm judging Buffy harshly this season based on what's come before-which was nothing short of flawless in its commentaries on everything from first loves to substitute teachers. It's not so much that this season lacks great moments. On the contrary, as I re-watched Season Four on DVD, I was reminded that there is no shortage of the show's trademark wit, spectacular dialogue, poignant lessons and stellar acting. Unfortunately this season's main story-arc, including a new love (yuck) and a new villain (snooze), just didn't resonate with this Buffy fan. It left me feeling a bit like I did after my first year of college-wondering where the hell this was all going.
Let's get right to it, then. It's time for our college lessons. Sweet-talking hottie in the lunch line will bed you and dump you; he doesn't even need to be a demon ("Harsh Light of Day"). I guess Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) knows what goes bump in the night, but she hasn't figured out that boys like the sex without the strings. Let's not forget that the last guy she had sex with turned into a demonic maniac. You may be shocked to hear me being so hard on Buffy. Trust me; by this point in the series, you'll be protective of this little gal too. Ok, so big mistake with rebound guy, check. Next, beer is not just foamy. Drink too much and you may turn into a Neanderthal complete with hairy knuckles and a bad vocabulary ("Beer Bad"). If your gut is telling you that your boyfriend is cheating on you, take heed. He's probably making wild-werewolf love with that beeotch who you were suspicious of in the first place ("Wild At Heart"). And how about those assigned college roommates? Evil, soul-sucking, two-faced, milk-labeling freaks ("Living Conditions"). Done. Oh, and frat parties continue to be a bad idea. This time instead of being sacrificed to a snake god, the gang gets all haunted by some sexually repressed dead kids ("Where the Wild Things Are"). Ultimately though, even if you are wearing last season's jeans, need a map to find your way around, and the campus cool kids are vampires who want to steal your stuff and kill you dead; you'll be ok. It's just college ("Freshman").
Riley, Riley, Riley. I tried so hard to like you. I really did. He's sorta cute. He really loves Buffy, and he's quite the evil-fighter. Doesn't matter. In some ways, you have to feel sorry for the Buffy writers. Come on, were they ever going to create a love-interest after Angel that the audience wouldn't reject? Probably not. But did he have to be such a goofy, vanilla bore? It's not even that I believe there's no one else Buffy can fall for besides Angel. (Stay tuned to the coming seasons when I'll be weeping over my favorite Buffy love, Spike). But why is it when he talks about Buffy in the most earnest and sincere way, saying, "she is the truest soul I've ever known," that I want to puke ("A New Man"). There's also a whole painful sequence where he keeps calling her "peculiar" that is still like nails on a chalkboard for me. My first clue about Riley (Marc Blucas) should have been that he could never make me laugh. It's like how I felt when Letterman did his Uma/Oprah shtick. It just never worked for me. Riley's very black and white worldview never made sense in the Buffy universe. It's telling that when Buffy briefly allies herself with her new boyfriend's clandestine, demon-hunting, army troop, they force her to use a gun. Buffy does not arm herself with guns. Period. This particular gun has also been sabotaged by Riley's superior (and weird mother figure), Professor Walsh, who, jealous of Riley's affection for Buffy, wants Buffy dead. Bottom line-I'm not sure Riley ever really understood who Buffy was. And it was painful to watch him try and figure her out.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. You really need to understand the larger context of this season's main story line to appreciate my saltiness. Once upon a time, there were some very, very bad men. They began something called the "government." They think that they do everything better than everyone else, and they don't like girls (especially cute ones that can kick ass). So they figure out that there are demons and decide to fund a massive, secret operation complete with army guys, scientists and a plan to handle the problem in an outfit known as the "Initiative." The plan, which we don't learn until the end of the season, "represents the government's interest in not only controlling the otherworldly menace, but in harnessing its power for our own military purposes" ("Primeval"). Gee, wonder how this is gonna go? I don't know about you, but the minute I laid eyes on the freaky-deaky containment cells used for the "hostile sub-terrestrials" (they're army, they have to make up a complicated name for "monster") and heard about the experiments being performed on the incarcerated beasties, I couldn't help but think these guys have a little too much in common with another failed little government group-the freakin' Nazis. (For the record, I will be proven correct four years later in an episode of Angel.) Did I mention Riley is part of this government-funded monster squad? Of course, they're not performing experiments so that they can help prevent demon-diabetes. They're making an all-powerful cyborg named "Adam" who is actually a human/demon hybrid who has been assembled largely from the parts of captured demons. Ultimately, he breaks free, rebels against his creator (who could have seen that coming?) and organizes a death match of humans vs. demons in order to generate enough body parts to assemble a whole bunch of other cyborgs. I'm sure that among the many lessons in this quaint little tale is something about magic vs. science and natural vs. supernatural. Buffy was given her powers by a divine force. Demons don't care if you've been sanctioned by the state. Adam is a perversion of the human and demon worlds abnormally stitched together. It's up to Buffy to correct the balance.
But never fear. I've got two little words that will make it all better: Spike's back! Trapped in some underground demon-prison, Spike (James Marsters) seems sure he knows who is to blame for his current unfortunate circumstance: "I always worried what would happen when that bitch got some funding" ("The Initiative"). Of course, the bitch is not Buffy at all, but our pals from the Initiative who nabbed Spike. Unbeknownst to Spike, the Initiative has implanted a behavior-modifying chip in his brain that makes it impossible for him to harm human beings by causing him intense neurological pain. This allows for two important things: lots of fun wackiness and a chance at redemption. Poor Spike. He tries so desperately to be bad by joining up with Adam and attempting to divide the Slayer from her friends in order to weaken Buffy. But when Spike discovers that the nasty little chip in his head does not prevent him from hurting demons, his need to kill actually turns him into a demon-hunter. His efforts are in no way noble, but the strange turn of events does make him a pseudo-Scooby in a sort of unavoidable way. This bothers him greatly of course as he reminds Giles and Xander, "can't any one of your damned little Scooby club at least try to remember that I hate you all?" ("This Year's Girl"). What is most interesting, though, is how over the course of the next two seasons, this little chip in many ways becomes Spike's soul. While there is only the tiniest glimmer of it in Season Four, the coming seasons prove that there's more to being good than just having a soul; Spike wants to be good-even though he doesn't quite know it yet.
Another major development in Season Four that will continue to have repercussions in the years to come has to do with Willow (Alyson Hannigan) coming out of the proverbial closet. Unlike some others, I do not believe that the decision to take Willow down this road of self-discovery was in any way a ploy for ratings or just some manipulative plot device. (Though, it did result in a fabulous reference on Will & Grace, when Jack notes that he's really into "Willow being a lez.") I actually think that this may have been a difficult decision for the writers to make in terms the integrity of the narrative, not to mention the beloved nature of this character's relationship with Oz (Seth Green). Looking back, Willow's lack of awareness about her own sexuality makes sense in the larger context. Willow has been struggling with her layered identity from the beginning-nerd, brain, demon-fighter, witch-just to name a few. Yet, she never seems more comfortable in her own skin that when she finds love with Tara (Amber Benson). A word of advice on Tara for the audience, however-don't get too attached.
As always with BtVS, there are a few standout episodes that merit special discussion. This season is no exception. In fact, not only will the fourth season go down in Buffy history as being the only season to garner even a single Emmy nomination for writing; it also gives us one of my favorite episodes of the entire series, which we'll get to in a minute. There's been a lot written about the Emmy-nominated "Hush." While it's a spectacular illustration of the continued high quality shows produced by the Buffy team, it's not even on my top five (which shows you how much those Emmy folks know). The episode introduces the "Gentlemen," hands-down-the creepiest villains in the show's history-who come to Sunnydale to acquire some much-needed human hearts. In order to do this without all the unnecessary blood-curdling screams, they first pilfer everyone's voices. Here's the cool part, there's no dialogue (or voiceover, or commentary or talking) for half the show. Did I mention it won an Emmy nomination for writing. There is a (silent) scene involving an overhead projector that made me laugh as hard as any of Whedon's most skillfully written dialogue. There is also a bond formed between Willow and Tara that couldn't have otherwise have been better captured with pages and pages of conversation. If perhaps you are trying to convince some stubborn friend who has not yet come to know the joy that is Buffy, this is the episode to show them. They'll be in it for the long haul before they know what hit them. (If not, they are small-minded and you should not be friends with them).
In "Something Blue," Willow attempts to recover from her broken heart over the unfaithful and suddenly-departed Oz. But Chunky-Monkey ice cream just isn't going to cut it. So, she attempts to ease her grief with some hocus-pocus. The spell has unforeseen consequences-as will many of this young Jedi's similar attempts-that, long story short, results in Giles going blind, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) being constantly chased by demons and Spike and Buffy planning their wedding. In case you didn't understand my use of italics - this is funny stuff people. Spike and Buffy hate each other with the fire of a thousand suns. Spike on bended knee with a skull and cross-bones engagement ring just made my week. (Please let me take a moment and thank the dear Lord for this once mid-season replacement.) I think the award for scene-stealer this time around has to go to Xander, who watching in horror and disgust as the betrothed couple make with the kissy-wissy, pleads, "can I be blind too?" And I howl with laughter every time. The chaos that follows from Willow's spell-gone-wrong catches the attention of the great and powerful D'Hoffryn who offers Willow the position of vengeance demon; she politely declines. Though Willow ends up remorseful for all the unintended pain and suffering, this incident serves as one of many examples of Willow's inability to cope with emotional pain and her increasing reliance on magic. Three words: ticking time bomb.
And, finally, my favorite - "Who Are You?" When Faith awakens from her coma, she learns that the Mayor has bequeathed her a handy little device that allows her to switch her body with Buffy's. This episode gets my vote for best acting by Gellar-pitch perfect from beginning to end. (Apparently the Hollywood Foreign Press agreed, as Gellar won her first ever Golden Globe nomination for Buffy in 2001.) With Faith now all cozy in our hero's skin, Gellar is faced with having to play Faith portraying Buffy. It's fascinating to see what Faith thinks it means to be Buffy. Standing in front of the mirror, Faith (in Buffy's body, mind you), practices her very best Buffy impersonation: "you can't do that . . . because it's wrong!" The words have no meaning for Faith. While she does her best to feign a disapproving tone, you can hear the emptiness in her words. But the discomfort is just beginning for Faith. Forced to save an innocent from a vampire, she can't handle the genuine appreciation for her valor. Remember, she's only playing the part of the hero. But it's when she thinks she's going to have a little fun with an unsuspecting Riley in the bedroom that things really get weird. In the heat of tender lovemaking-something Faith has never experienced in her past sexcapades-Riley tells the Buffy imposter that he loves her. Faith pushes him away and demands to know: "what do you want from her?" Interestingly, she doesn't ask, "what do you want from me?" (The way I interpret this, somewhere inside there must be love for Buffy.) In the pivotal fight with the real Buffy, Faith attacks her own body and unleashes blow after blow: "You're nothing! Disgusting, murderous bitch! You're nothing! You're disgusting!" If you recall from last season, we already saw the seed of Faith's potential redemption. Here's its first bud.
As the season draws to a close, Buffy once again finds herself facing what appears to be an undefeatable foe. Having clashed with Adam earlier in the season, it's obvious that his physical power is superior to our girl Slayer. But MacGyver isn't the only one who can make a parachute out of some dental floss and a Bazooka Joe wrapper. Buffy too is resourceful; it's one of her greatest strengths. The Scooby gang has always rallied around Buffy in an effort to save the world. However, the plan to defeat Adam will bring new meaning to the gang's combined strength. Xander (who really shines this season), sums it up nicely: "So no problem. All we need is combo Buffy, her with Slayer strength, Giles multilingual know-how and Willow's witchy power" ("Primeval"). Really, what's ultimately most interesting about Buffy's struggle with all the past uber-villians is her relationship with the bad guys and what it really means to defeat them. It's not just about wining the fight. It's more like high stakes spiritual survival. While I never felt that kind of a connection between Buffy and Adam, the emotional component of this battle comes with a twist. After having their bond tested by the divisiveness planted by Spike, Buffy is again reminded that much of her strength is found in these unlikely friendships. Together, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles harness some primal Slayer mojo that ends with a whole Matrix-like fight scene that just kills. When Buffy makes her way to the final battle with Adam, Xander worries about her going in alone. But she knows, "I won't be" ("Primeval"). This victory, however, is not where the season ends-another important indicator that this was not just about stopping Adam in his sinister (though really dumb) plot. Did you ever wonder what the gang does at the end of each year after they beat up the bad guy? Apparently they hang out in Buffy's living room with some movies and have a little slumber party. Only this time, the First Slayer will try to kill each of them in their sleep for messing with the source of such supernatural power. Part of her torture technique takes the form of nightmares in which each character is tormented by their worst fears. So this season's battle - like all the others that have come before - ends up really being about triumphing over inner demons. My money's on Buffy every time.
