My birthday is coming up this week. It got me thinking about
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how birthdays are depicted on TV. Longtime readers of this blog know I am a die-hard Buffy The Vampire Slayer fan, and if anyone had crappy birthdays it was Buffy.
Let’s review shall we
Season 2 – 2 part episode Surprise and Innocence, while the gang plans a surprise party for Buffy, Spike and Drusilla plan a surprise of their own. The are assembling a super powerful demon, called The Judge. Buffy sleeps with Angel, this gives him a moment of pure happiness and causes him to lose his soul. He reverts back to being the soulless Angel, who murdered thousands and has no remorse.
In the end Buffy deals with a common affliction for women, you sleep with a guy and he becomes a jerk. But at least she gets to kick his ass before the end of the episode and use a rocket launcher to kill the Judge. Great way to work out the anger.
Season 3 Helpless – As Buffy’s 18th birthday approaches, she is looking forward to going to the Ice Show with her dad. She is also going through new slayer training with Giles. What she doesn’t know is, he is hypnotizing her and drugging her to make her weak. The council wants to test her tactical abilities by locking her in a house with a super strengthen crazy demon.
Her dad cancels, and not only does she have to save herself from the psycho but her mom as well. She finds out that Giles betrayed her with the drugs. So not only does her biological dad let her down on her birthday but so does her father figure.
Season 4 – A New Man – Ethan Ryane, turns Giles into a demon. The episode opens with the gang throwing Buffy a successful surprise party. The party highlights how out of step Giles is with Buffy’s new life at college. After Ethan turns Giles into a demon, he can’t speak English and must turn to Spike for help. Buffy and the gang think the demon(really Giles) did something to Giles. Buffy is about to kill him when she sees his eyes and realizes it is really Giles. Killing your watcher would really kill future birthdays.
Season 5 – Blood Ties – As Buffy and the gang celebrate her 20th birthday, Dawn’s entire world crumbles around her after she learns that she is the Key. Confused and depressed, she runs away, and ends up running into Ben. However, when Dawn reveals that she is the Key, Ben freaks out and then morphs into Glory. Glory pumps Dawn for information, and Buffy and company arrive just in time, as Glory concludes that Dawn doesn’t know where the Key is. Willow and Tara teleport Glory elsewhere, and Buffy is able to convince Dawn that she is indeed a Summers. Another party ruined because she has to save the day.
Season 6 – Older and Far Away – Dawn inadvertently traps the gang in the house during Buffy’s birthday party, with help from Halfrek the vengeance demon. Dawn no longer feels alone, but puts the gang in real danger because a disappearing demon is released from his sword. As anxious as everyone is to leave the house once the curse is finally broken, Buffy panders to Dawn once again and stays with her. Poor Buffy the curse of the little sister, Dawn was a great plot device used to create havoc a lot.
Season 7 –
Sources speculate that there is no birthday episode in season seven because, at Buffy’s last party, Spike says, “You ever think about not celebrating your birthday?” Must have sounded like a good idea….
All things considered, if I don’t have to kill anyone and no one tries to kill me then my birthday is a success.
Don’t forget cake, ice cream and presents.
What was your best/worst birthday? Head to the commenst
Tags: Buffy, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Television program
their approach to re-capping.
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