Meta-Episodes in BtVS

[butterfly]

I'm a big fan of meta-episodes. It's a very specialized breed of episode, one that is only attempted once a show is very firm of its handle of itself. Meta-episodes are episodes that serve as a commentary about the show.

Most episodes of BtVS have a lot to say about character interaction and growth. Meta-episodes are about examining what we already know from a new perspective. They often can move emotional arcs along, but that isn't their primary purpose.

The first time that Buffy attempted a meta-show, it was The Zeppo, an episode that viewed things through the eyes of Xander -- the Buffy and Angel relationship was so much sturm und drang, the apocalypse was just the background. The Zeppo looked at the 'A' story through the eyes of the 'B' story.

Two episodes in Season Four also offered commentary (both were humor eps) -- Something Blue and Superstar. Each was a commentary on how some fans view the show -- SB is about writing fanfic, while Superstar is self-insertion. Two variaties of the same thing.

The next meta-episode was a departure from the norm in meta-episodes. Instead of being primarily a comedy, it was primarily a drama. I'm speaking of Normal Again in Season Six. If S4 examined the show from the eyes of fans, NA took a look from the eyes of non-fans, of people who Don't Get It. Why do you care about these imaginary people? Why are you ignoring the real world? In the end, Buffy stays in her world, choosing to live the life the fans see, not the one that non-fans do. Most meta-episodes are welcoming, insular, about the comfort of knowing the genre and embracing it. NA was about examining the way the show looks to the people who don't see it the way fans do.

The final meta-episode in Buffy was Storyteller, which showed drama through the lens of comedy. Storyteller was about the fans, but also about the show writers. We are all Andrew, telling the story, seeing the flaws and the glories. There always comes a point when we do have to turn off the camera and return to the 'real world'. This was Buffy's meta-goodbye.

Comments

Good post!

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Not sure it saves the ep for me (since I wasn't in the mood for meta), but it certainly explains a great deal of its apparent pointlessness (as in "We already knew all this, get back to the seasonal arc already!")

Re: Good post!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

And yeah, I love it partly because it's so out of nowhere. I love it when ME breaks with convention.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

I liked "Storyteller" because it was from Andrew's POV; we can't all be the star, but important events still occur. One's understanding of reality is necessarily colored by perception--we all live in a world of our own creation, in a way.

(And I liked basingstoke's Big Rock Candy Mountain for the same reason, too.)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Andrew's pov is a fascinating place -- I'm thrilled that we got to see it, just like I adored seeing Jonathan's pov in Superstar, Xander's in The Zeppo, Dawn's in The Real Me, Spike's in Fool for Love, Buffy's in Normal Again, Willow's in Something Blue, Anya's in Selfless, and others that I can't remember at the moment. It's nice to get a true reading of their perspective.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

I like meta-episodes, as a general rule. Especially when they work contextually, within the season. Periodically, they tend to throw things backwards, and that's when it throws me.

My problem with some meta-episodes, or even with meta commentaries within episodes (little things, throwaway lines or whatnot), is when they're blatantly OBVIOUS meta-commentaries. Superstar, The Zeppo, and Normal Again all work because they work on both the meta and the textual level. When the MAIN purpose of a meta-episode is to be all "Ooh! Look at me, I am The Meta MASTER!"? Not so much.

Take, well, two examples. Faith and Spike quoting the warm champagne lines at each other, and Spike quoting the I Don't Speak Chinese during Damaged. That reads like fic, and badfic for that matter; no one can remember things they said three years ago, or a hundred for that matter, and if they can, it's not being witty, it's being pathetic. But it's supposed to be a shout-out to the fans, so we're supposed to see it and be all squeeful.

Which leads to a sense of obligation which I kind of detest.

Things like The Zeppo worked for me because they approached an old issue from a new angle. Things like Angel and Spike, last night, bitching about Buffy liking a morally ambiguous undead guy? Dude, save it for the fic.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Actually, I get the Spike line, as he probably still doesn't speak Chinese. It was never a cute line to him, just a statement of fact. Made sense for him to repeat it when in a similar situation (much like Willow's personality lends itself to "bored now" working as a repeat line that she's not even aware she's said before in a different reality).

I enjoyed the show probably in part because you could only get me to read Spike/Buffy/Angel fic by tying me down and taping my eyelids open. I haven't seen, I won't ever, so seeing it on the show is different and new to me. Plus, I do think that Spike and Angel needed to face the issue. It was the last great thing that was always standing between them.

Great post

[dodyskin.livejournal.com]

...and now I understand what you lot are going on about when you say meta. ::eyes shine with sudden comprehension:: Cool.::clicks 'add to memories'::

Re: Great post

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'm so glad that I was helpful. Thank you for letting me know.

[profshallowness.livejournal.com]

Very glad I found this as it nicely gets to the heart of the matter of why I really liked both Superstar and Something Blue but hated Normal Again on very visceral levels.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

As far as meta-episodes go, Normal Again was a huge departure -- I can't think of any other true drama meta-episodes in any show I've watched, any other episode that examines the show from the outside. I love it for the dissonance, but I can easily see how it could be off-putting.

[profshallowness.livejournal.com]

I can't think of any other true drama meta-episodes in any show I've watched,
I don't believe I can either.

I love it for the dissonance, but I can easily see how it could be off-putting. Part of it was the timing for me - although I know that the storyline of it being an attack on Buffy's desire to not live her life any more worked very well then, for the show to turn around in season 6 (after that much investment and during what was a depressing season) and to with it not being real in such a fashion was more than off-putting, I found, as a fan.