Slayer, Interrupted (Part 4 of 4), Act 4
Script: Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza
Pencills: Cliff Richards
Inks: Will Conrad
Colors: Dave McCaig
Letters: Clem Robins
Cover: Brian Horton & Paul Lee
The story takes place before Buffy the Vampire
Slayer's first season
Jeremy's Brief Synopsis:
After being placed in an
institution at the request of her parents, Buffy
encounters the demon, Rakagore -- who feasts on the
tormented souls of girls at the rehabilitation
facility. Vanquishing the demon and released from
the institute, Buffy finally accepts the reality
(and absurdity) of her duties as a Slayer. Bt
whether she still wants to the job has yet to be
revealed...
Zinna's Review:
Finally, we have part 4 of the
Slayer, Interrupted series, a satisfying ending to
a literal psychological thriller.
In the preceding issues, Buffy's
parents decide that she has lost her mind and feel
they have no choice but to commit her to a mental
institution&emdash;a story arc obviously inspired
by the season 6 episode entitled "Normal Again",
but you knew that already. In the last issue in
particular, Buffy discovers that the so-called
brides of the demon, Rakagore, she previously
dismissed as crazy aren't so crazy after all. Well,
they may be crazy to marry a demon but at least the
demon exists, finally answering for Buffy what she
knew deep down all along&emdash;she is the slayer,
vampires and demons are real, none of it was dream,
and not even this trip to mental institution
exempts her from slayer duties, but you probably
knew that already too (c'mon you at least had a
hunch).
Something else you probably
could have figured is Buffy shows down with
Rakagore and seeing as how she makes to Sunnydale
in one piece, you know she is triumphant. So, you
want me to tell you something you don't know?
Rakagore has a human identity and it's not Dr.
Primrose… However, Dr. Primrose is pivotal to
this issue. She is Buffy's guide, an acting watcher
if you will. And if you've learned anything about
watchers they've always got a second lesson up
their sleeves.
Considering the "Normal, Again"
episode (the episode where the "trio" have a demon
inject some serum into her arm which causes her to
doze in and out parallel realities. In one reality
she is the slayer and in the other she is in a
mental institution. In the mental institution, she
is told that her Sunnydale reality is a
psychological construct that the only way to be
normal again is to kill her sister and her
friends), you are inclined to think this story arc
will provide some more insights as to what that
episode was all about. For many, the episode was a
lot of like watching a fantastic fantasy film and
then finding out at the end it was all dream. Of
course, movies don't do this anymore because
everyone hates that kind of ending. Every movie is
a fantasy, even the ones based on true stories
(look at the Perfect Storm). So, having that sort
of ending just leaves people feeling like the
film-makers are telling them something they already
know&emdash;none of the protagonist's heroics are
real. DUH! Another annoying aspect of a film with
this kind of ending is it's ability to remind us
that all those things we dream don't really count
in the real world. Making our feelings of empathy
for the protagonist's character less valid. In this
sense, "Normal, Again" rattled many of viewer that
cheered on the Scoobies year after year only to
find they were in fact cheering on the figments of
Buffy's imagination. And what's so wrong with that?
Well, nothing if you don't mind the fact that Buffy
is deemed certifiable, loony as a 'toon because she
believes in this world that she created. Does this
mean that we the viewers are a bit loony to give so
much empathy to story that is completely
off-the-wall crazy? Is this fear that little twinge
that makes us to eager to believe the mental
institution was just a hallucination, while at the
same time being upset at the writers for making us
have to decide in the first place? Only you can
answer these questions for yourself (if these
questions are even relevant for you), but if you
were hoping to answer it with this issue, all I can
say is…there are no easy answers. If you
choose to believe than you should just commit to it
because the writers aren't here to help you they
here to provoke you, which is the brilliance of
this kind of arc. You have to make up your mind for
yourself. What the issue will answer for you is
that this visit to loony bin did indeed happen for
Buffy. So, you can safely understand that according
to this issue, Buffy Anne Summers has been
committed at least once. Whether or not she's still
in that very institution, in a comatose state is
well your call. Of course, you can easily note that
theoretically, Buffy's parents decide to commit her
because of Dawn's tattle telling. In "Normal Again"
there is no Dawn. Dawn is a figment of Buffy's
imagination. So, if you prescribe to that episode
(Normal Again)'s logic then your mind continues to
boggle at the possibility that this visit is a mere
hallucination too.
Hallucination or not, another
aspect of this very provocative issue is brought up
by Dr. Primrose. Now, I'm not going to say how or
why Buffy draws this conclusion, but I will say
that this issue hits the end of that spectrum of
thought created by "Normal, Again" conundrum by
insinuating that everything that Buffy does in
predetermined. She ends up in the loony bin because
it happens that she ended there most. She ends up
in Sunnydale because it's a Hellmouth and every
Hellmouth needs a good slayer, but if everything is
already decided then the question becomes do the
choices we make even matter? And if so, why does
Buffy have to come to that conclusion on her own,
why couldn't someone of the know clue her in a bit
sooner? Unlike my "Normal, Again" questions these
can be answered with the issue and I know you are
dying to have to "serious thoughts" all day so run
out and get the issue.
Just so you know, I don't
mention the overall art for a reason, but the cover
is really nice. I would recommend getting the
graphic cover as opposed to the photographic cover.
There are a number of interesting action scenes and
good close-ups of Buffy in a straight jacket. And
as far as subplots go, you will get your Giles fix
here. His subplot is wrapped up only to have
another issue ripped open like an old wound.
Enjoy!
