"the body"

[rivendellrose]

Last night maymargaret wasn't feeling well, and I had a headache, so we watched a ton and a half of Buffy. I was going to make one of my catching-up type review posts, but then we saw "The Body" last, and I kind of forgot pretty much everything else. That was a really, really, really good episode. As well as intensely upsetting and disturbing. I've never seen a TV show handle the death of a character so well.

I'm planning to watch it at least one more time before watching Joss's commentary, but for now my only complaint is that I didn't especially like the thing with the vampire at the end. I know it's Sunnydale, and I know it's Buffy, so there has to be a monster, but... no. Also, that vampire's body makeup was soooooo overdone, he looked like he'd been painted like a glow-in-the-dark skeleton. Anyway, even if it was a great set-up for the last moment between Buffy and Dawn, I didn't care for having that thrown in - I think it would have been more effective overall if, for once, we'd had no monster whatsoever. Just death.

Also, does anybody know if it's feasible for paramedics to just up and leave like that after declaring moment of death? Especially leaving a teenage girl, that just seemed weird on top of weird. From a dramatic POV, yeah, we needed that moment of Buffy alone with her mom's body before Giles shows up, but... as the granddaughter of an EMT, that rubbed me wrong. But not having any personal experience (thank the gods), I really can't say if it's just Joss being Joss, or if it's some degree of realistic.

I think I'm about a season behind in my little review/rant things, so I'll try to catch back up at some point soon. For now, must get ready for work.

Comments

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

No, I noticed the part where they left her alone with her mother's body too. At the very least, you'd think they would have called someone to make sure she'd have someone sitting with her, even if they couldn't stay! Don't know what the actual procedures are, though - maybe that is what they do. It just strikes me as far-fetched.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

So glad it wasn't just us! I mean... "Hi, your mom's dead, but we've gotta run! Don't kill yourself or anything!" *Headdesk*

I should certainly hope that's not how real EMT's would handle the situation!

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

Especially with a teenager. I'd find it difficult enough to believe with an adult - I mean, leaving someone sitting there with a dead body on the floor?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I've been assured by a friend of mine who's in med school right now that such a thing would never happen. And she's a Buffy fan from way back, so she even knew exactly what I was talking about. ;)

[lokapala.livejournal.com]

Also, that vampire's body makeup was soooooo overdone, he looked like he'd been painted like a glow-in-the-dark skeleton.

Really? I thought he looked convincingly like a very stiff corpse.
Anyway, when I watched The Body for the first time, I found the fight jarring, but the next times I thought that in a way it was in it's place - we never saw before and we'll never see again another fight that's as grim and as difficult in terms of possible action. The whole episode injects the show's reality with more sense of... well, reality, and it goes for Buffy's struggle as well.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

...And here I may be showing my 'never seen a real dead body' bias. o_O Seriously? The shadows were all so dark - I had no idea they did that!

I definitely agree with you on the grimness of the fight - that was amazing, and it wasn't at all the usual Buffy battle with quips and repartee and all. And the whole episode really is so wonderfully real. I guess making the whole series a bit more real through this is worth a little jarringness.

[lokapala.livejournal.com]

I never saw a real dead human body either, but from what theoretical information I had, I didn't think they exaggerated too much =)

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

I do know that at least here in Washington, paramedics cannot declare death legally. Therefore I would find it highly wrong for them to leave before a doctor, or medical examiner arrived on the scene, or they would take the body to the hospital with them to have it declared.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Aha! Thanks! I also had it confirmed by Cora this evening that they would in no way leave a person alone with a body the way it happened in this ep.

Poor Joss. I know sometimes reality is hard on his plots, but he really could take just a teensiest bit more care, I'd think....

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Ah, but we will all love him anyway, yes??
Stay warm!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Well... yes, of course. ;)

I will. Whether or not I'll stay healthy... Kendra was sick over the weekend, and now I'm starting to show with similar. Lovely miserable pounding headaches that seem to be hitting me a little earlier every evening. :P