Episode 22 - Graduation Day (2)
24 March 2012
Synopsis: Buffy offers her own blood to Angel and forces him to take it. He rushes her to the hospital where she and Faith lie side by side drained off blood. In a dream Faith tells Buffy to look for the human weakness. When Buffy recovers she plots to take down the Mayor. Cordelia and Wesley finally kiss but it isn't good. Xander helps gather weapons and leads the other students in attacking the Mayor once he ascends. They also take on his gang of vampires. Buffy lures the Mayor-demon into the school and then blows it up.
The Good: The Ascension was meant to be epic and so it proved. The large scale battle was something we had never seen before and was certainly a fun action sequence. The concept of the students all being armed at last both literally and figuratively (with the knowledge of what they were facing) against the Hellmouth was a nice idea. Coming on the heels of Buffy's "Class Protector" award there was something satisfying about them all standing together to survive.
The use of Faith as the Mayor's weakness made sense. The story has been told repeatedly that human emotion is the weakness which brings down Buffy's demon enemies. No matter how much he may have physically ascended, the Mayor couldn't shake the grudges he bore from his former life. The dream sequence with Faith and Buffy was really interesting. Was this another message from beyond to guide Buffy or was the good part of Faith in any way participating? As Giles tried to point out to a tired Buffy, there was no little irony in seeing her burn down another school.
The goodbye shot of Angel was suitably sad. It also felt like a fitting end after what happened earlier in the episode. Under the influence of fever he blurted out that he didn't want to leave her. However he then had to drain her blood to survive, an act which neatly captured their whole relationship. First you have the simple fact of him being a vampire and the threat that exists with being around him. Then there is the issue of his curse. The choreography of the draining was deliberately sexual as if to say that this painful act was the closest they could come to a loving embrace. Finally there was the reminder of what happened in "Becoming." There Buffy killed him to save the world. He was spat out by hell because his work on Earth wasn't done. Now, a year later, she saves his life and nearly loses hers. Clearly he can't stay around. His destiny lies elsewhere and they will be safer apart.
The Wesley-Cordelia kiss was something of a cheap joke but they acted their awkwardness well.
The Bad: The draining of Buffy did rather deflate the idea that Angel's wound had required Faith's death. Yes Buffy was weakened by the draining but by waking up fine the next morning the story was cheapened. It was a TV plot contrivance that felt familiar and annoying, particularly in a season finale.
The death of Snyder was a letdown. To see him ranting about order instead of fleeing from a demon was a very cheap joke.
The Unknown: The first time I saw this I was bothered by the students all fighting the Mayor. On some level it still does because there would be so many people now heading out into the world with full knowledge of demons and vampires. On Rewatch though it annoys me a lot less. For a start they would have all seen the Mayor turn into a huge demon so there wasn't a lot Buffy could do to protect their innocence. After three season I've also come to respect the shows stance on denial quite a bit more. If these kids head off to College soon they won't be telling anyone about demons for fear of being ostracised or locked up. The acknowledgement of zombies and hyenas at the Prom also helps soothe my logical brain. I guess if you live on the Hellmouth you just accept the supernatural and spend your free time begging your parents to move.
Was that Faith in the dream and will she wake up? Did Larry and Harmony die during the big battle?
Best Moment: Angel draining Buffy was a clever scene which said a lot about their relationship with one physical act.
The Bottom Line: "Graduation Day" suffers a lot in comparison to "Becoming." One looks like a show about a teenager who fights vampires and the other came across as gripping drama as good as anything else on TV. It's a bit unfair to criticise an episode though just by comparing it to the best a show can produce. I still think there was something underwhelming about the Mayor. After all the time we spent with him to have the major pay off be that he chases after Buffy felt weak. Isn't it possible he would have done that anyway given that she is the Slayer.
Season Three of Buffy on the other hand was a massive achievement. Joss Whedon was ahead of the curve in seeing that the best television can be both episodic and build on larger arc plots. He played with his characters and the universe they lived in to create one of the best seasons of drama you will find.
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Cordia's Second Look
Graduation Day - Part 2
Season 3, Episode 22
Original airing: 7/13/1999
My Rating: 77
The Good: There was an awful lot to enjoy in this season finale. Not only do we get a complete wrap up on the high school experience, but the Scoobies bring down the Mayor with the help of the entire senior class. Meanwhile, Buffy and Angel finally end their relationship in a suitably vampiric manner, while Cordelia and Wesley realize they're not meant to be together either. Even Oz and Willow got a very nice moment together.
Beginning with the plot, this episode wrapped up the Mayor as the Big Bad of Season Three by blowing him sky high, along with the high school. This is such a great concept. Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a show has always been about taking teenage experiences and anxieties and framing them in a supernatural manner. What better way to celebrate the transition of childhood to young adult than an epic life or death battle which allows the students to stand shoulder to shoulder against demons while all the parents flee in a panic. Blowing up the school was really just icing on the cake. Although it was disappointing we didn't get to see the aftermath.
But before the massive explosion, we finally got some cracks in the Mayor's armor. Faith isn't dead, but she is in a coma. This drove the normally extremely composed Mayor into a literal killing rage when he tried to smother Buffy in the hospital. This outburst of emotion on the behalf of Faith really gave a weight to their relationship. As is mentioned on the show, he's grieving. This very human emotion leads to his downfall when he allows himself to be taunted into a trap. This, of course, is a little frustrating when we've been told he'll no longer have human emotion after his ascension, but more on that later (See The Bad).
Emotions were running high throughout the episode, as they should be. Aside from the Mayor, we got some excellent Scooby stuff. On the lighter side were Cordelia and Wesley. They finally allowed their lust to run away with itself and it was very much not good. The awkward little make out session was fabulously acted as both decided to try again and again, before silently agreeing to just let it go. I thought this was a great way to wrap up their story arc which has been in process since Wesley's introduction to the show.
I also enjoyed Oz and Willow's moment in the mansion and later in Oz's van. Despite everything going on around them and the relatively immediate threat of death, they are discovering a new level of their love. As Willow says, she feels awful and deliriously happy at the same time. This is such a human situation and really illustrates the concept of "Love conquers all". It's especially poignant portrayed against the sacrifice Buffy makes in the name of love. Immediately after this scene, Buffy asks Willow and Oz to leave so she can feed herself to Angel.
It's difficult to know if Buffy thought she would survive or not. She says she might to Angel, but one could argue she just did that to try and get him to drink. When a loved one is in trouble, they are more important to Buffy than her own life. The entire scene was excellent. I loved that Buffy had to force the vampire out of Angel with violence. The drinking was also wonderfully sexual. For a couple that can't keep their hands off each other, but also can't consummate their relationship, this was an excellent way to encapsulate their relationship.
The other relationship moments in the episode were almost as strong. In the library, Angel tells Buffy he won't be saying goodbye after the battle. When he tries to explain himself, she stops him with a raised hand and averted eyes. The painful vulnerability she expresses her is a strong part of Sarah Michelle Gellar's acting. Part of the reason Buffy as a character is so emotive and easy to connect to is her humanity. I just want to hug her and tell her everything will be ok.
This continues at the end of the episode. The meaningful eye contact Buffy and Angel make before he turns and walks away into the mist is the closest either of them can get to saying goodbye.
The Bad: As I mentioned before, it was frustrating how the show chose to handle the Mayor at the very end. After all the buildup last week thanks to Anya, I always expected him to be completely inhuman. But Buffy gets him to follow her to the explosives by enraging him over Faith. It seems like as a pure demon, he shouldn't have cared about Faith any more. The show went back on itself here and that is disappointing. His final words were bad too and further showcased that a lot of his personality apparently survived the transition.
I was also annoyed story-wise by the handy eclipse which had never been mentioned before. Sure, it allowed the vampire battle and Angel to participate, but it was just so darn convenient. If it had been mentioned even once before, it wouldn't have bothered me at all.
But possibly the worst part of this episode was Wesley during the final battle. In the culminating scene of three seasons, the show failed in its attempt at humor. Characters we've come to know for years are dying fighting vampires and Wesley trips and apparently can't get up without a helping hand. Even Cordelia stakes someone while little Jonathon dives in head first. Come on, Wesley.
The Unknown: Faith and Buffy's coma/dream is nothing but a big mystery. I love the idea that the show is so committed to continuous story lines that they are laying the ground work now. The intentionally confusing nature of this scene is only handled in part during this episode. Being a rewatch, I won't touch on this much now. But I look forward to discussing it in the future.
Favorite Moment: Two moments make me tear up every time I watch this episode. The moment when all the students pull off their robes and turn to fight the Mayor is just so powerful. Buffy doesn't just have her core loyal group helping her, the entire student body is helping her. People she's been protecting without their knowledge and sometimes against their will for three years are finally paying her back.
Then, they all charge down the stairs Braveheart-style to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Both moments are overwhelming in their emotional depth. I just love it.
The Bottom Line: This episode is a fabulous end to the high school portion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love that the show will be moving on to college and I think this was just an excellent way to really transition everyone from teenager to young adult.
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