| |
The
Bewitched television era titles for Buffy the Vampire
Slayer's, "Once More with Feeling," conjures
up an I Was a Teenage Werewolf drive-in flick sensation,
and forewarns an evening of "retro-pastiche." Joss
Whedon, creator of this hip horror show, wrote the songs and
music in addition to writing and directing the episode—wielding
the blade that gives Buffy
its edge.
The plot is a slayer standard:
A
demon causes an imbalance in the universe. In this case, "Sweet"
sports a zoot suit and arranges a danse macabre for Sunnydale.
Spellbound, Buffy and the Slayerettes burst into song—each
revealing their own private hell.
It's
the do or die attitude that prevails, however, as wedding
jitters, mind control, ejection from heaven, et cetera, are
momentarily set aside for a showstopping number that gives
the dapper devil his due. As his "due" is Xander
for a bride—the fiend opts to "blow this scene."
Ah, but Sweet has the last laugh as the devil is always in
the details:
|
|
| |
The
day may be saved but relationships are left uneasy and unclear
as the characters warble, "Where do we go from here?"
The music swells and the curtains close on a kiss between
Buffy the teenage zombie and the only one who can make her
feel alive—Spike, the dead sexy swain who vamps in the
dark shadows.
"Once More With Feeling" can be interpreted as a
dialogue Whedon imagines between the audience and himself.
When Buffy sings "Every single night, the same arrangement,
I go out and fight the fight," and rejects the notion
of just "going through the motions" it's as if he
acknowledges the dangers of bloody boredom that may befall
any series in its sixth season. Buffy asks Giles: "What
do you expect me to do?" He replies: "Your best."
Fortunately, Whedon's best exceeds our already high expectations.
Where does Joss Whedon go from here? Wherever that may be,
we are certain to be square in front of the tube, invoking
the song and dance man to bring in his own brand of funky
noise.
|
|
