"Once More With Feeling"

[rm]

So, let me make sure I'm clear about this: the Scoobies were able to defeat evil because the demon didn't want to bang Xander?

Right, now that we've gotten that out of the way --

You know, I've heard about this episode for years what with the whole sing-along thing, and you know, that sort of gave me a false impression of this thing, because when I hear sing-along, I think happy! funny! Rocky Horror! Instead we got depressing, weird and often atonal. HOW GREAT IS THIS SHIT?

I certainly didn't think it would be the most important part of multiple narratives (Tara/Willow, Buffy's resurrection, Giles and Buffy, Spike/Buffy and possibly Anya/Xander), and yet!

Seriously, why do you people do sing-alongs of this? It's so not designed for that, well, with the exception of the "We will walk through the fire" song which is awesome, and it must have been SO AMAZING to be in fandom at that moment. I mean, Torchwood is the only experience I've ever had of being in TV fandom as the show was airing and that's been... well, the way it's been, although I wouldn't trade going through the Ianto thing as it happened for anything. But this! I can't imagine getting to burn up the Internet with your friends after this episode and see each other at school or work the next day and bursting into one of those songs! I'm so jealous of you all. What a remarkable thing!

*Random Baz Luhrmann-related noise* (it's late, I'll be thinky tomorrow) and wow, so many references to so many classic (and not so classic) musicals -- especially in the dance. And really great work with the all the random facial expressions and random stage business to create the right vibe of the whole thing. Wow wow wow. Also, this TOTALLY made me want to watch one of my favorite inexplicable movie musicals -- Absolute Beginners.

Also, Spike/Buffy totally. TOTALLY. Although, to be frank, I think I like it uneasy and impossible more than anything.

Also, how glad am I that the info about Buffy not having been in Hell is finally out there? Because that matters. Also, a part of me wants to point at this plotline and jump up and down when people are all "bring Ianto back."

Anyway! People! No one told me this episode MATTERED.

Comments

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

It is, frankly, the one redeemable ep of Season 6, which is otherwise a giant steaming pile of character fuckups.

Really, in my perfect perfect Buffy world? It would have ended with Season 5.

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

I think the next episode is also fun in the grand scheme of things, but yeah, big deep void coming.

I think that in my perfect perfect Buffy world, it would have ended with Season 5, but then Seasons 6 and 7 would have been a spinoff called Willow. She's the core of the story anyway and they could have used the reminder that they don't have to focus on Buffy if they've run out of things to say about her.

If my heart could beat it would break my chest...

[laura47.livejournal.com]

No one told you it mattered? OMG.

At the time we were SO WORRIED it would suck. SO WORRIED. And at the same time, there was so much stuff building, especially with Buffy's intense depression after her resurrection, that I just didn't know how they could deal with it. I don't know if you ever watched Xena, but before their first musical episode, things were just about as bad as possible between Xena and Gabrielle, I won't spoil it but gods damn, and I just didn't know how they could possibly resolve it, and... sometimes breaking into song is the right answer. I can't imagine Buffy dropping the "I was in Heaven" bombshell any other way and it being as effective.

I go to sing alongs (join us at dragon*con this year!) and I've even been to a live full musical theatre version, and... I was in a really messed place in my own life during this season of Buffy, and there was tons of projection and identification and I don't know what going on, so going and singing those songs was very cathartic for me. I probably have the whole thing memorized still. It's still emotional the way that all music I listened to while an angsty college student is emotional for me.

I think as a huge musical theatre geek I was always able to have fun with it. The opening song is SUCH A DISNEY PRINCESS SONG and the idea of Buffy as a Disney Princess just makes me happy. And I always found Spike's number sexy.

Do you know what happens with the Buffy/Spike storyline?

Re: If my heart could beat it would break my chest...

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

The musical episode of Xena blew me away, mostly because of all the tarot symbolism. And the combined hotness of Lucy Lawless and the late Kevin Smith, not to mention Hudson Leick *obligatory happyshiver at the very thought of her*

[dsudis.livejournal.com]

Once More With Feeling was the first Buffy episode I ever saw.

I had WEIRD IDEAS about the show, after that, but I was irretrievably in love with Spike and determined to keep watching.

[therealycats.livejournal.com]

It is a great episode, and it's grown on me even more upon multiple viewings. I think Sweet is one of THE BEST antagonists they've had on the show, and maybe it's just because of the singing and dancing, but whatever. "Rest in Peace," "Standing," and "Walk Through the Fire" just kill me every single time.

Also, not sure that you're into Glee, but Joss Whedon just HAPPENED to direct tonight's episode, which just HAPPENED to feature NPH singing a duet with Matt Morrison AS WELL AS Idina Menzel singing, finally, thank god. And I just HAPPEN to want to sex Matt Morrison's and NPH's voices, if such a thing were possible, but that may be TMI.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

Sexing their voices sounds like a fiiiine idea. :-)

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

i wasn't "in fandom" at the time, b/c i don't think i even knew what that was! but i was in my senior year of high school and was also in drama club... so random singing of the buffy musical happened in real life :)

i kind of love that nobody told you how important to the series this episode was (for you!), b/c it's really not just some random bit of fluff that the series could do without and that's what made it so great

unlike (apparently) most of the buffy fandom, i really LOVE season 6, and the "resolution" to this episode is, without spoiling you, rather symbolic for the rest of the season

[sanginmychains.livejournal.com]

Ur a geek like me! For my high school drama club, it was randomly bursting into Les Miserables. We could get a whole act done during lunch hour (in public, natch).

Oh, how I do not wish to return to adolescence.

[tartanshell.livejournal.com]

Anyway! People! No one told me this episode MATTERED.

*g* There have to be some surprises in life!

This is my absolute favorite Buffy episode. I love the songs, I love how important it is for multiple narratives, and Buffy's number at the end--the discordant "I think I was in heaven"--kills me every time. I can't make it through listening to that song without crying.

I love Spike's song, too, and--like a previous commenter--think it's sexy as hell. And Spike/Buffy OMG YES.

[supremegoddess1.livejournal.com]

+1

I worship this episode, for all of the reasons you've said.

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

My college friends and I sang "Once More With Feeling" songs together all the time. Yeah, definitely a bonding experience about being a fan of a show.

[lefaym.livejournal.com]

Also, a part of me wants to point at this plotline and jump up and down when people are all "bring Ianto back."

I think that whether or not that will resonate with people will depend very much on whether or not an individual fan felt that Ianto's death was "right" for his character. I'll hazard a guess that most people who want Ianto back did not feel that the death he got in CoE was right for his character.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm not looking at whether the death was "right" or not. I mean, I don't think most of us get deaths that are right for us. They just happen,even if they are expected, far from now and graceful.

I'm more like -- and here's me mixing the metaphors of the shows badly -- just because his death was something some people found narratively unsatisfying doesn't mean he's in a hell dimension and maybe he's not worried about whether he and Jack are a couple now, or what his father would think of him, or whether anyone, including Lisa, will ever really forgive him for what happened to Lisa now. And so, maybe, it would be shitty to bring him back from that.

Resurrection on Torchwood is rarely king, and since we already have canon (audiobook) where Ianto does go into hell to rescue Jackm to me I just fel like maybe he should be allowed his long-deserved rest even if people don't like how he fucking got there.

If you want to, conversely, argue that Torchwood only has hell dimensions (leaving us with the "Random Shoes" problem) or only has hell dimensions for Torchwood operatives (something I've argued as a possibility, so sure), then I can see the argument for trying to get Ianto back and trying not to fuck it up this time (i.e., all glove-related incidents). But I think it wouldn't be good.

Of course, this is almost an entirely bizarre post from me since the Whoniverse is theoretically athiestic. You know, giant horned demons in pits and complicated half-revealed death mythology aside.

[ophymirage.livejournal.com]

One of the things I love most about this musical is how hard they worked to give solo pieces or at least lines to everyone, even if they weren't the world's greatest singers (sorry Alyson) or dancers, while still managing to showcase their star performers (Amber, ASH, "Sweet," JM, and Michelle, who was a total surprise as a *fantastic* dancer.)

Spike/Buffy.. you know, I will be curious to see where you are on that at the end of this season and next. It... argh. nope. just watch it. no spoiling with my viewpoints/preferences on what's upcoming.

I can say this though, as non-spoilery: I don't approve of Spuffy, never have, but that is because I adored Spike as a villain, an unrepentant punky BAMF, utterly devoted to his crazy-ass girlfriend, the whole Sid-and-Nancy-ness of their little arc. Spike as chipped neutered puppy drives me up the freaking wall.

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

Alyson flat out begged Joss not to give her a solo. Apparently she really does have a phobia about singing in public.

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

Since you're such an amazing writer, do you think you can write an intro to Buffy/Spike for shipping newbies? Because I started out finding it awkward in a "why am I watching this" sort of way and then it slid straight into OH JOHN RINGO NO territory and kept going.

On your main point, oh yes. I can't fathom why this should be anyone's first episode of Buffy since it's basically about a demon who has the power to get the Scoobies to say everything that they haven't been saying for the past six episodes.

[rhiannonstone.livejournal.com]

I, for one, don't tell new viwers that the musical is anything other than fluffy fun because the impact for me was SO INTENSE (even despite the fact I'd spent the entire season thus far going, "How do they know she was in a hell dimension?"), and I don't want to ruin that for them. I'm so glad you loved it. And like I said on Twitter, I consider this the Neal Stephenson episode--the lame ending is irrelevant to the rest of the story.

[gement.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

Anyway! People! No one told me this episode MATTERED.

I have always considered that a spoiler of a much greater magnitude than who dies or who's shagging.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

Now, from my PoV, you've seen the 3 great Buffy eps - Hush, The Body, and OMWF. One of the amazing things I love about this episode is how perfect the demon is. As I see it, it's not here to kill everyone, and in fact expect to lose that bit (although, I'm certain it would be pleased if it won). Instead, it spreads misery, and it does it so well. By the time it leaves, it's ruined everyone's life to at least some extent. As I see it, this is an episode where the demon won.

Also, this TOTALLY made me want to watch one of my favorite inexplicable movie musicals -- Absolute Beginners.

I completely agree. Wow, I thought I was practically the only person who had seen that.

[elisi]

Anyway! People! No one told me this episode MATTERED.
I think I told you that the 7th episode is always important, but admittedly that's rather vague...

Looking forward to your thinky thoughts, but I still remember when it first was shown - I wasn't in fandom then, but was v. curious about this musical experiment, and it just totally blew me away. Blew away my husband too, who went online the next day and found the soundtrack so he could burn a CD. (This is the man who wastes no opportunity to call me 'one step below a Trekkie'...)

Also, Spike/Buffy totally. TOTALLY. Although, to be frank, I think I like it uneasy and impossible more than anything.
*bites tongue* I can't wait to see what you make of the rest of the season, being one of those who love it to pieces (it has flaws, some minor, some major, but I'm willing to overlook those).

[rihani.livejournal.com]

I have a group of friends who all originally bonded over our X-Files fannish geekdom, and then moved on to Buffy... whenever we get together, we always have a night involving lots of drinks, and a Once More w/Feeling sing-a-long. I can't even explain why we do it, other than we're all crazy and it's fun, even with the deep emotional components of the songs. The soundtrack is actually a part of my "road trip" sing-a-long CDs too, for long drives. I can't help it, I'm just too much of a musical theatre geek to not embrace it like this.

I love the little comedic strokes tossed in around the seriousness too, like the woman and her parking ticket (hard to hear in the ep itself, but at the end of her little lament, she adds that she's not wearing underwear -- and the woman is Marti Noxon... and the "got the mustard out" guy is David Fury, both writers/producers), and Anya's riff on bunnies, the talk of the lack of 4th walls, they're all great little details. Also the floating Tara while Willow's going down on her part was pretty impressive to get past censors at the time (although the network lacked a decent standards & practices dept at the time, and it changed because of this & and an ep upcoming that I won't spoil you with).

We all knew ASH going sing before that ep, and many of us knew JM could sing, but Amber? Surprised the hell out of me with her voice. Bringing Hinton Battle in to play Sweet was also a stroke of genius.

Basically, OMWF is one of my favourite episodes of Buffy, and of TV. And I'm watching it right now so I'm babbling. lol.

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

I LOVE SEASON 6 THIS IS AN UNPOPULAR OPINION.

It's my favorite episode. And people have sing-a-longs because we're emotionally invested, yo. Did you see the video from Boston?

Also, to make fun of Spike's song aka the Evanescence video insert.

ETA: I think you know this, but I worked on most of the solo songs when I was taking voice. SO FUN.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

I ALSO LOVE SEASON SIX AND IT'S A LONELY COUCH.

[realtsunamigirl.livejournal.com]

No one told you it mattered? Huh.

I guess its probably because it is so engrained in the fandom. Same way that when people tell you that it rained and they're soaked that it's because water is wet. It just *is*.

We talk about the episode ad nauseum, especially when we get flack for our show. When we are tired of hearing about race-fail and wicca-fail and periodic acting suckage, and plot holes, et cetera, et cetera, (all true, but nonetheless, can be enervating [also not aimed at your episode reviews, just in general]) and sick of taking heat for our thoroughly flawed, yet eminently lovable show, we can haul out "Once More With Feeling" and its like the tactical nuke on the conversation. Nobody can argue that it is certainly one of the most extraordinary pieces of television ever made and probably one of the greatest.

HERE BE ANYA/XANDER SPOILER
I think that the quintessential scene of the show is Anya and Xander's "Book Number". It's hysterically funny ("look at me, I'm dancing crazy!",) and they are so obviously completely in love, but at the same time it is probably the moment that kills their relationship for good. Going back it breaks my heart every time.
/END SPOILER

But beyond that:
-the duet between Giles and Tara about leaving Buffy and WIllow (good god, but ASH can sing!)
-"I think this line's mostly filler."
-the singing demons in the graveyard at the beginning, "She's not even half the girl she...Ow!"
-The look of horror on Tara's face when she realises that she is doing Jazz Hands against her will
-"It could be witches! Some evil witches!...which is ridiculous 'cause witches they were persecuted wicca good and love the earth and woman power and I'll be over here..."
-Anya's Bunny song
-the executive producers singing about parking tickets and mustard spots
-Hinton! Freakin'! Battle!

...and I could go on. I came to the fandom late too, so if you feel the urge to water cooler, I'd love to join in 'cause I never got to before.

I would love to go to a sing along. I was reading what you said about "Walk Through the Fire" and have naturally put the soundtrack on. I started out thinking that yeah, you were right, but then I thought of the "Wish I Could Stay" duet...and heard "I've Got a Theory/Bunnies/If We're Together...and "Rest In Peace"...and Sweet and Dawn's duet...and...and...and...just pretty much everything.

You see, these guys are my Jack and Ianto. What wouldn't you give to have the chance to sing out your pain and anger and loss and frustration along with them, not to mention your love and laughter. When I watch "The Body" or "Chosen" or "Seeing Red" or "Wedding Bells" or, I can always plug in this episode and get it out. It may be bitter-sweet, but it helps.

This is the way Buffy fans mourn: characters, relationships, innocence, love, trust, joy; Joss handed us the tool to do it. I'll bet there isn't a real fan out there who hasn't belted out one of these songs either at home or at a sing along. It's more of what you were saying before about Joss follows through on the pain.

And yeah, Buffy/Spike all the way, but be prepared for a *really* bumpy ride. People complained (and still do) about S6 and how dark it is, blaming the fact on the change in showrunners from Joss to Marti Noxon (and hello, feminism-fail people! Lot of crap along that line.) He has always defended her and it staunchly though, saying that they couldn't bring Buffy back from the dead without earning it, that she and they and the show could never be the same again. And it isn't.

Oh, and since no one warned you before, this is the show that changes the series, right up to the finale; some say for the good, some not. I like it, but it is never quite the same ever again.

Just so you know.

[sevendayloan.livejournal.com]

Just, just all of this. ♥

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

I haven't said much about any of the eps you haven't seen because I'm hugely anti-spoilers, but yeah, this is one of the great episodes because it mattered. Also, cleverly set to music with production numbers and liberally sprinkled with the funny. We sing along because we love it. We love it because it mattered.

[rani23.livejournal.com]

Why do we sing along to it? Because most of us can't sing worth crap and most of the songs are within our range.

And. Because... we miss Buffy. We really do. And this episode is one where we can get together and be sort silly/stupid together and make it an "Event." So, we can re-capture some of what we lost when the show was over.

Plus, "I got the mustard out!" is hilarious. :)

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

The mustard part is definitely another favorite of mine. :-D

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

So, let me make sure I'm clear about this: the Scoobies were able to defeat evil because the demon didn't want to bang Xander? Yup...dumbest vanquishing ever. It might have been Whedon's half-assed attempt at lightening the mood. "Well, now that we know Buffy's incredibly miserable and we should have left her body alone, we need something a little ridiculous."

Also, Spike/Buffy totally. TOTALLY. Although, to be frank, I think I like it uneasy and impossible more than anything.

I was - still kind of am - a huge Buffy/Spike 'shipper. I won't spoil it for you. However, after she came back from the dead, there simply couldn't have been another character who understood her half as well as he did. Sure, Angel was undead too, but I'm still hard-pressed to understand why he and Buffy were so madly in love with each other at all. I can at least understand the mutual need between Buffy and Spike, and plus, Spike's so cute when he's madly in love. Especially when he thinks words like "effulgent" are poetic.

[therealycats.livejournal.com]

My heart expands, Cecily, it just EXPANDS.

OMG, I should totally get that poem tattooed on my neck. Or not.

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

I remember at the time that the episode made EVERYONE nervous, including the actors. SMG had to clout to demand a voice double - and was going that route - until she read the script and realized this was the turning moment of the whole season decided she had to be the one to sing, warts and all.

I love that the actors really put themselves out there, waaaaay outside their comfort zone (well, except for Head and Marsters), because of their trust in the story.

[syzygy-lj.livejournal.com]

And the whole point of the singing is that Sweet wasn't making them astounding singers-- they were just normal people venting their issues in an abnormal way. I LOVE that some of them can't sing!

[weirdquark]

Anyway! People! No one told me this episode MATTERED.

Oh. Well, you know how in musicals a character will burst into song to do a monologue that's taking place in their head so no one else is actually hearing it? When you do this in real life, everyone can hear it and all of the private stuff that you'd sing about is no longer private.

My roommate and I sang along to this when it first came out because it had all of these songs that needed harmony but had the cast singing in unison, presumably because most of them couldn't sing that well. So we gave it harmony.

[sihaya09.livejournal.com]

I will never not believe that Xander was just covering for Willow, who actually summoned the demon. It fits her character MO for that season to a T.

[therealycats.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, I haven't heard this theory before. I think I like...serious rewatch is in order for me this summer.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

If I told you the only time I've seen this ep is at a sing-along (at D*C)? And the sing-along was kind of amazing fun?

[stephl.livejournal.com]

it must have been SO AMAZING to be in fandom at that moment.

The day after it aired, mp3s of all the songs, ripped from the broadcast, were put online by a fan (or more that one). I still have those mp3s, rather than buying the official CD, because I love all the incidental background noises that got edited out for the official CD. Plus it just stands out for me as a perfect example of exuberant fandom -- people were SO in love with the episode from probably the first note, and SO excited about it that they HAD to have the songs right away.

Anyway! People! No one told me this episode MATTERED.

It's fantastic in terms of plot and the season's story arc. But also a lot of fun from a production standpoint, too -- like, the characters who were the focus of a given scene were often wearing red and blue.

[syzygy-lj.livejournal.com]

How have I never noticed the red and blue thing?

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

Although, to be frank, I think I like it uneasy and impossible more than anything.

I don't think it's too spoilery to say it doesn't actually get less uneasy. It gets more. (It could hardly do otherwise, actually.) It's one of those pairings that continues to squick me the hell out for a number of reasons.