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Doomed.
I could never get the hang of this episode. No matter how I try to look at the good aspects, I cannot escape the fact that it's clumsy. I have a lot of Buffy/Riley thoughts, but I'm saving them for a post of their own. For now, just some thoughts on demons, and the different approaches of Buffy and The Initiative. Oh and a lot of musing on the chip etc. Maybe you should just avoid it...
The Initiative has a very simple way of looking at demons:
Forrest: "They're just animals, man, plain and simple."
This would seem to be echoed by Spike's triumphant cry towards the end:
Spike: "That's right. I'm back. And I'm a BLOODY ANIMAL! Yeah!"
But - hang on. An animal would never be able to articulate such a thought. Animals aren't self-aware. In declaring himself to be an animal, Spike proves that he isn't one. The Initiative is over-simplifying, and we're shown very clearly that The Scoobies outclass them in knowledge and understanding:
Riley: "Unknown. Probably nothing we haven't handled before. There is no pattern we can discern yet, so we got to assume that it is on a basic kill-crush-destroy."
Cut to Buffy: "This thing isn't digging up the bones of a child for fun."
Xander: "Well, a demon's got some pretty hilarious ideas about fun."
Willow: "Bones of a child though. I saw that! An ancient ritual – uses the blood of a man, the bones of a child and – something called the word of Valios? I-It's all part of the sacrifice – the sacrifice of three."
Buffy: "Let me guess – ends the world."
Looking at the demons from a purely scientific POV is leaving out half the equation. Riley can't see a pattern to the Varhall demon's behavior - Buffy pinpoints it straight away.
The demons aren't animals - they can't be tamed and trained. They're far closer to criminals - some smart, some dumb, some all about the kill, some just about the minor credit card fraud (or kitten poker...). We see this most clearly with Spike. He has a behaviour modification chip, and his behavior does get modified. But - he isn't his behaviour. Killing things isn't his raison d'etre - or rather, he is able to change his aims. We see this in 'Doomed' when (unable to hurt the Scoobies physically), he manages to hurt them emotionally. Jamming a leash in his head is a very crude way of restraining him, because it does not in any way teach him understanding. The soul later gives him a moral compass, and with this he restrains himself. See behavior modification can't work on a sentient creature who does evil because he likes it. It's like... force feeding an anorexic. The second you let them out they're going to stop eating again, because they can't understand that their behaviour is harmful.
The thing is that vampires are perfectly able to restrain themselves, if the reward (or threat) for not killing is greater than the kill. It's the carrot/stick scenario: For Spike the chip was the stick, the carrot Buffy. The chip was an imposed change and worked well enough to curb his bloodlust, but his love for Buffy was an internal change, and affected him much deeper - so much that in the end he could not live with who he was. He understood that his behaviour was wrong - and that lesson had nothing to do with the chip.
Forrest: "They're just animals, man, plain and simple."
This would seem to be echoed by Spike's triumphant cry towards the end:
Spike: "That's right. I'm back. And I'm a BLOODY ANIMAL! Yeah!"
But - hang on. An animal would never be able to articulate such a thought. Animals aren't self-aware. In declaring himself to be an animal, Spike proves that he isn't one. The Initiative is over-simplifying, and we're shown very clearly that The Scoobies outclass them in knowledge and understanding:
Riley: "Unknown. Probably nothing we haven't handled before. There is no pattern we can discern yet, so we got to assume that it is on a basic kill-crush-destroy."
Cut to Buffy: "This thing isn't digging up the bones of a child for fun."
Xander: "Well, a demon's got some pretty hilarious ideas about fun."
Willow: "Bones of a child though. I saw that! An ancient ritual – uses the blood of a man, the bones of a child and – something called the word of Valios? I-It's all part of the sacrifice – the sacrifice of three."
Buffy: "Let me guess – ends the world."
Looking at the demons from a purely scientific POV is leaving out half the equation. Riley can't see a pattern to the Varhall demon's behavior - Buffy pinpoints it straight away.
The demons aren't animals - they can't be tamed and trained. They're far closer to criminals - some smart, some dumb, some all about the kill, some just about the minor credit card fraud (or kitten poker...). We see this most clearly with Spike. He has a behaviour modification chip, and his behavior does get modified. But - he isn't his behaviour. Killing things isn't his raison d'etre - or rather, he is able to change his aims. We see this in 'Doomed' when (unable to hurt the Scoobies physically), he manages to hurt them emotionally. Jamming a leash in his head is a very crude way of restraining him, because it does not in any way teach him understanding. The soul later gives him a moral compass, and with this he restrains himself. See behavior modification can't work on a sentient creature who does evil because he likes it. It's like... force feeding an anorexic. The second you let them out they're going to stop eating again, because they can't understand that their behaviour is harmful.
The thing is that vampires are perfectly able to restrain themselves, if the reward (or threat) for not killing is greater than the kill. It's the carrot/stick scenario: For Spike the chip was the stick, the carrot Buffy. The chip was an imposed change and worked well enough to curb his bloodlust, but his love for Buffy was an internal change, and affected him much deeper - so much that in the end he could not live with who he was. He understood that his behaviour was wrong - and that lesson had nothing to do with the chip.
But I think I'm going in circles now... I'll finish with this quote because I love it:
Spike: "What's this? Sitting around watching the telly while there's evil still a foot. That's not very industrious of you. I say we go out there and kick a little demon ass! What, can't go without your Buffy, is that it? To chicken? Let's find her! She is the Chosen One after all. – Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let's annihilate them. For justice - and for - the safety of puppies – and Christmas, right? Let's *fight* that evil! - Let's *kill* something! Oh, come *on*!"
Notice that he tries to rationalise his decision, tries to convince Xander and Willow to follow him. Very far from 'kill-crush-destroy'. He wants mindless fun, sure, but he's not mindless in his pursuit of it.
And that's as much deep thinking as I can manage for one day...
ETA: On a completely frivolous note, I pointed out to Darcy the posters on Buffy's and Riley's doors: 'Chocolate' and 'Balls' respectively. For the first time ever he was happy to have a minor point of interest highlighted, because he found Riley's 'Balls' poster very funny. Talk about trying to sum up a character... oh and throughout Riley keeps playing with balls and throwing them through the little basket ball hoop at the top of the door. :)
Spike: "What's this? Sitting around watching the telly while there's evil still a foot. That's not very industrious of you. I say we go out there and kick a little demon ass! What, can't go without your Buffy, is that it? To chicken? Let's find her! She is the Chosen One after all. – Come on! Vampires! Grrr! Nasty! Let's annihilate them. For justice - and for - the safety of puppies – and Christmas, right? Let's *fight* that evil! - Let's *kill* something! Oh, come *on*!"
Notice that he tries to rationalise his decision, tries to convince Xander and Willow to follow him. Very far from 'kill-crush-destroy'. He wants mindless fun, sure, but he's not mindless in his pursuit of it.
And that's as much deep thinking as I can manage for one day...
ETA: On a completely frivolous note, I pointed out to Darcy the posters on Buffy's and Riley's doors: 'Chocolate' and 'Balls' respectively. For the first time ever he was happy to have a minor point of interest highlighted, because he found Riley's 'Balls' poster very funny. Talk about trying to sum up a character... oh and throughout Riley keeps playing with balls and throwing them through the little basket ball hoop at the top of the door. :)
no subject
My biggest problem with the episode is that it was like the remake of "The Zeppo", only without the funny and the Xander POV. The Buffy/Riley scenes especially reminded me of the big Buffy/Angel love scene in "The Zeppo", except "The Zeppo", of course, made fun of the melodrama while "Doomed" played the Doomed-Love-of-Buffy-and-Riley-on-the-Eve-of-the-Apocalypse straight.
no subject
And in The Zeppo, the vague apocalypse is at least in the background. Here it's just the dumbest apocalypse ever.
no subject
The Zeppo is closer to 'Harm's Way' or 'The Freshman'. 'Doomed' is just... not good.
no subject
Pfft! The only episode I've never seen is 'Where The Wild Things Are' (I've read the script and all, but never seen it). So it could be worse... That said, 'Doomed' is not a good episode.
it was like the remake of "The Zeppo"
I can't really see how that works (except for the lame apocalypse). The Zeppo (and similar episodes such at 'The Freshman' and 'Checkpoint') are about making a character as pathetic as possible, before they find some hidden strength and come back stronger. 'Doomed' is... I think... about showing how far Buffy and Riley's worlds are from each other. Buffy deals in apocalypses, Riley deals in HTS.
no subject
What I seriously love about this episode are the Xander/Spike/Willow scenes. And wow, Xander actually puts his life in danger to save Spike, actions sure speak more than words.
no subject
Me too. And yet I am in the process of writing a long post about them. I must be insane.
the Xander/Spike/Willow scenes
Me too! It has a lot of good scenes, they just don't add up to a coherent whole. And Xander is really awfully kind towards Spike - saving his life, offering to stake him... *g*
no subject
I must be insane.
And we're all happy for that. :)
And Xander is really awfully kind towards Spike - saving his life, offering to stake him... *g*
I never saw such a confusing character on TV, one minute he wants to kill Spike, next minute he saves him. Must be that time of month.
LOL I remember a Spuffy fic I read with Spike talking about knowing each time of the girls' periods, and Xander's is next week, judging by the change in Xander's mood swings. Hee!
no subject
::nods a lot:: The icon is by
And we're all happy for that. :)
You're too kind! *g*
the change in Xander's mood swings. Hee!
Awwww, poor Xander!