R E V I E W S
"Afterlife"
(Season 6, Episode 3)
Written by: Eric Teall
The main plot of this episode, coupled with the fact that it takes place immediately after "Bargaining," suggests that it should actually be "Bargaining, Part 3." Unfortunately, that means that this episode also shares in "Bargaining"'s case of "Phantom Menace Syndrome." Despite a terrific performance from James Marsters and a less cave-girly performance from Gellar, this episode falls flat too often.
First, the bad: We all knew that Willow's spell would have consequences of some kind, and I'm pretty sure that the little ghost thing in this episode is going to be the least of them. This little ghost, however, leaves something to be desired. It is far cooler when inside the Scoobies' bodies, and Anya especially looks horrifically insane with it inside her. The sheer intensity of the menace these actors are able to project is incredible, and I'm disappointed that the writer and director did not make further use of their talents instead of relying on a cheap CGI ghost that looked… Well, it wasn't as bad as Glory's snake monster last season.
I also think that the ghost lacked the dramatic tension that Scooby possession would have held; imagine Xander, Anya, and Dawn surrounding Buffy, all of them holding weapons and ready to kill her-or themselves if she tries anything-and her being unwilling to harm them.
There are things to like in this episode, though. Aren't there always with this show? :-) As Buffy begins to get a bit more acclimated to her place in this "cold, violent" world, she starts to liven up a bit, giving Gellar more to work with than just one expression. I realize that the changes through which characters go in this show are long lasting with real consequences, I hope that Buffy finds her way back to being slightly perky. These last few episodes might have been necessary, but they have been, by and large, humorless.
And when humor is in short supply, we can usually count on Buffy to give us drama, and Spike's varied reactions supply us with just that. I gave a number of fellow Buffy fans lectures last year on how Spike's chip did not make him a good person. I cited Tara's little Quasimodo "selfish motives" speech, claiming that the writers were speaking through her, explaining why Spike doesn't really love Buffy. Then we get his selfless actions at the end of last season, and now we get Marsters' sublime reactions to Buffy and the Scoobies. The writers are giving him some fantastic stuff to work with this season, and I'm starting to truly believe that all those lectures that I gave my friends last year are going to come back and haunt me.
In the end, this episode serves its purpose, just like the premiere did, but I really don't think that the constant somber mood is really the thing this show needs right now. Between "Spiral," "The Weight of the World," "The Gift," "Bargaining 1&2," and "Afterlife," we've had six straight episodes with little or no humor. Oh, there's been some humor, but not really enough to provide a counter-weight to all of the heavy concerns. This lack of catharsis really starts to drag on me in this episode, despite its good points.
Rating: 4/6 Stakes
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