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Date Posted: 11:28:23 10/25/05 Tue
Author: Sunshine
Subject: Graduation Day

I have been lurking at Whedonesque.com recently where there is another best/favorite Buffy episode thread running. I always enjoy these discussions if only to relive everybody’s favorite episodes. I was also watching Graduation Day Part II this morning on FX and was struck by the observation that absolutely no one ever has this episode on any top whatever list. I don’t necessarily think it is a top 5 best but it certainly is a seminal episode in the Buffyverse with plenty of exceptional images:

The, at the time, cryptic “Waiting for Miss Muffet, counting down from 730” comment from Faith during the dream sequence.
Angel feeding on Buffy and, I think, explicitly foregrounding the vampirism as sex metaphor along with the typical ignorant and self righteous comment from Xander.
Wesley takes the first step in his journey, siding with the Scoobies over the WC and then kissing Cordelia, although this being Wesley, things do not work out as he hoped.
The battle of Sunnydale High complete with rousing music, a giant snake, flamethrowers, crossbows and flaming arrows, Principal Synder getting eaten (and boy if any character deserved to be eaten by a giant snake, it was Snyder. Given Principals Flutie and Snyder’s demise, I have to assume that Joss was not fond of his high school principal), Harmony getting vamped, Wesley taken out in the first 5 seconds of the battle (and latter begging for a pain killer as he was wheeled to the ambulance), Buffy and Giles blowing up the library and once again the beast is brought down by love.

This episode marks the high point in what was one of the central themes of Buffy – “with a little help from my friends”. It is hard to understand the WB’s reluctance to air this episode – did they really think it was such a short journey from Columbine to giant snakes? It is also a watershed in the Buffyverse as Angel walks out of Buffy’s life and the gang graduates high school. The symbolic blowing up of the high school (which by the way engendered numerous noise complaints in real life from Torrance residents) certainly makes a none too subtle comment on the direction of the show – no more happy go lucky (at least a happy as it gets on the Hellmouth) carefree days; life starts to get more complicated and eventually much darker. The whole thing is so overwhelming that, like Buffy, I am reduced to “Fire bad, tree pretty”.

Take a moment … and we’re done.

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