Meta-Episodes in BtVS
May. 6th, 2004 11:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
butterflyI'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.
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.