Caleb, a man of the cloth (former).
Caleb, a man who appreciates Paul (better to marry than to burn).
Caleb, a man who kills because he is afraid of the "gaping maw" that would consume his marrow (how Freudian).
Caleb, the supernaturally strong henchman for ultimate evil (he's obviously been working out).
On the surface it would seem that another patriarchal institution (the Church) is being indicted for its failings on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A few weeks ago the Watchers' Council was destroyed. Buffy rejected the power offered to her by the men who chained the Slayers to the earth. Then her other father figure, Giles, betrayed her, showing a spectacular lack of trust in his surrogate daughter's judgment. Giles asked her to make the right choice, but didn't think she could make it, so he removed the choice from her hands. He made the decision for her and almost took away the man Buffy views as one of her strongest warriors in the battle against evil. Given these facts, it would seem that this final season is, indeed, all about Girl Power, about thinking for yourself, and rejecting patriarchal authority.
But is it that simple? After all, Caleb, a rampant misogynist, blew up the Watchers' Council. He decimated this patriarchal institution. Caleb, while undoubtedly a woman-hating pig, also indicts men for their weakness. But what does Caleb view as weakness?
Sexual desire.
During the course of a little role playing with the Ultimate Evil, he talks about those "urges" that both men and women have because they're weak. Because they're human.
Of course, Caleb has surpassed the strictly mortal coil, so he can look down on humanity from his evil-fueled superior vantage point. And the one thing he's still afraid of is the gaping maw. The power a woman has to instigate desire in her partner, to make him lose control, rationality (according to Caleb's misogynist train of thought). Men of Caleb's ilk also fear the power women have to create life. A real problem, that. How can men be superior, if they cannot bring life into the world? How can they be closer to God? How can this problem of Woman be solved?
A good story can make everything better. So childbirth became a punishment for women's Original Sin, curiosity.
Oh, yes. Buffy is curious. She still wants to see what the serpent has for her in his vineyard. But of the other "sin" she has been "purified."
For Buffy has become an asexual being.
Whatever you thought about last season,
it sent a somewhat dodgy message for a show that purports to be feminist.
Sexual pleasure became
self-destructive and dangerous.
Buffy seemed to truly enjoy her activities with Spike, but she felt dirty
afterwards. Spike was evil. Spike was a vampire. Spike had handcuffs.
So Buffy, after being reminded of Spike's evil (the eggs, the eggs!) and the good old "normal" days with Riley, decides it's time to end her relationship with Spike. And she does.
But she doesn't escape punishment for her "sins". She's almost raped.
That does it. She's through with sex. With love. She's blonde and pure and untouchable. She even had a flowerpiphany, complete with Sarah MacLachlan.
But now the "dark" Slayer comes to town--Faith. A Slayer who refuses to put her sexuality away. She uses it. In the past, she's used it as a weapon (Xander), but now it seems to be a source of pleasure. Her scene with Spike in the basement was revealing. Their easygoing flirtation--so different from the understandably tense relationship between Spike & Buffy. The open discussion of sexual matters and Faith's lack of guilt about articulating what pleases her. Spike relishing her power, comfortable in the knowledge that Faith would be "on top". In this, Spike is different from Caleb. He is not threatened by female power, sexual or otherwise. He loves it, embraces it. He's also different from Xander. He sees women as they really are. Any rose-coloured William-tinged glasses are gone. He doesn't imagine potentially powerful women engaging in a playful pillow fight. Never has. When he dreamed about Buffy in Season 5, he dreamed of fighting with her, of two equals battling, then shagging.
But the point of this isn't about the merits (or demerits) of a ship. It's something else. It's still about sex and its power.
Faith doesn't think Buffy is capable of enjoying her sexuality. She doesn't think Buffy is capable of being on top. But Spike had experienced Buffy's sexuality first hand. But now it's been put aside. Safely locked away in a box.
Because the Mission Comes First.
But has that ever been the answer? The source of Buffy's power has always been her ability to live in the world, to have friends. She's never been a general, leading an army. Buffy and her potentials went into battle, and Caleb smote them. Lives were lost. Eyes were lost.
So, war is not the answer.
What is?
Last year, love saved the world. Well, love, and Xander's breaky crayon speech. Perhaps Buffy needs to live in the world again. She needs to laugh and sneeze and shop. She needs to love, give, and forgive.
Before it's too late.