Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Where the Wild Things Are" Drunk Rewatch

So, it's probably stupid to analyze something like this, but I feel a sense of duty to offer perspective where I can, so here goes. My theory on the thing with the vines. The episode and title are a play of a story called Where the Wild Things are. I don't understand the story much, and forgive me if I get this all garbled, but it's something to do with a kid who runs away from home and goes into a forest and meets a whole lot of strange creatures. I think the vines were supposed to be a forest growing up around that part of the house in homage to the original story, being used to isolate Buffy and Riley. As to why Graham specifically was possessed, I think he was the one that ended up getting burned when the fireplace had its poltergeist moment. The fire touched him, so maybe that's why. It connected him to the energy possessing the house. Just a guess. The old woman, on her own, if you take away the other factors that don't work in this episode, is a compelling, if horrible and creepy character. For me, that's mostly because there are real sick people like her in real life. The episode may be stupid, and she was a misused character, but SHE, on her own, was fascinating and horrifying because she was real. Nothing happened to the old woman, and she did not get justice because nothing can, and she can't. The Scoobies don't have the right or the power to fight her, and because what she did happened so long ago, with no proof that is not otherwordly, neither does the law. It's sick, but it happens. Sadly, it happens a lot. You are right, this episode is awful, but there were things to like, or even love about it. Giles singing goes without saying. I could listen to his pipes all day. But I also love the two scenes with Anya and Spike, first where he tries to rob her, and then when the two of them are mourning the loss of their abilities. Also, though the sexual aspect of this ep didn't work, I do like the part with Tara and Willow on the stairs, because it offers up something fascinating about Tara's character and who she is, and it's also a wonderful little hint as to their lesbian relationship's seeds being planted. She reacted that way because she was ashamed of her sexual feelings for Willow. Which is a real thing that happens to a lot of gays. Her very real feelings for Willow were just being exaggerated by the house's sexual possession thing. I also love the part near the end where Anya is worried about losing Xander and tells him so. And I love how Anya gets scewered by the plant through her hand and just keeps going, trying to save Buffy and Riley. It shows how much she's grown, in her need to protect a scooby in Buffy, and her willingness to protect Riley, even though he's male, and therefore someone she should be wanting to hurt with vengence. The rest, well, yeah. It's...yeah.

Raven Dark