In Enemies, Buffy says about Faith, “The girl makes Godot look punctual”. This is a reference to a famous play by Irish author Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot, published in 1952.
During Primeval, Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander meet at a crossroads after their falling out (in The Yoko Factor). They learn that Spike played them, and try to accept this as the reason for the words that were spoken. They all talk quickly about moving on, and then the camera pans out to show the four of them standing stock still. They do not move. In Waiting for Godot, Estragon and Vladimir repeatedly agree to leave, yet, so says the famous stage direction, “They do not move”. This stasis is directly referenced by this shot of the four protagonists unable to move.
August 4th, 2005 at 9:58 pm
My boyfriend hates this line about Godot. He thinks it’s the writers being too clever, and giving Buffy a line she would never say.
August 5th, 2005 at 1:50 am
I kind of feel that way when she mentions the life span of Spinal Tap drummers, because I just can’t believe that she’s seen the movie. And the line feels kind of forced. I could sort of believe her saying the Godot line because, a) they could have read the play in high school, and b) buffy probably wouldn’t have read the play, and would recall Willow briefing her on the book, and finally c) it’s somewhat common to refer to Godot in situations where one is wauting.
August 5th, 2005 at 1:55 am
Agreed with mair here. People have heard of ‘Waiting for Godot’, even if they haven’t read it. Actually the line shows that Buffy hasn’t read the play, as Godot never shows and in fact is debateably extant. It’s entirely possible he could be a figment of the character’s imagination, whereas Buffy refers to him like he was a character. So I think her reference was just being flip about a famous title, rather than knowledge of the play.
Puja
August 5th, 2005 at 4:10 am
But surely it works just as well (in fact, is funnier), if Buffy knows Godot doesn’t show. I mean, I always kinda thought that was the point. And surely Buffy isn’t actually thick. She’s the sort of person who has random, unconnected outposts of knowledge.
August 5th, 2005 at 4:56 am
I think she would know the play, but the thing about the Spinal Tap line: I was very surprises when she said this! I love that movie and it seemed cool at first that it was aknowleged but after thinking about it, it seems unlikely she would have seen the movie. It is not really her style.
August 5th, 2005 at 7:19 am
Agree with the Spinal Tap reference. I was delighted at the time but then realised Buffy just probably wouldn’t have seen the movie.
August 5th, 2005 at 2:44 pm
Had Xander delivered the Spinal Tap line…I would have believed it. Speaking of, has everyone seen the Spinal Tap DVD and watched where the guys do the commentary, in their characters? Hilarious
August 5th, 2005 at 3:04 pm
Well as the boyfriend in question, who hates the line (!), I’d better chip in. I can see your points folks, as it’s perfectly plausible that the play could have been on the Sunny D high school reading list. And it’s also quite consistent with the way the character of Buffy is written to give her a line that illustrates her half-knowledge of things!
Having said all that, I still don’t like the way the line went over. It might have punched the humour through more effectively to have had the other characters (can’t recall who was there) react with a bit of the old raised eyebrows, forcing Buffy to follow through on her example in a typically awkward, halting Joss Whedon-y kind of way. It just doesn’t sit right with me…
Still, a far worse example of the old “stick a funny reference in someone’s mouth” routine, is when the elderly butcher refers to Andrew as “Neo” in…whatever episode that was (Jess?)
Find it hard to believe the guy in question would be a pop-culture savvy, sci-fi name dropper!
August 5th, 2005 at 3:17 pm
The episode with “Neo” was Never Leave Me.
August 5th, 2005 at 5:07 pm
As someone who had never heard of “Waiting For Godot” I cant comment on the line being said by Buffy.
But after reading what everyone has said maybe the line would have been better coming from Willow who would definately know the play.
August 5th, 2005 at 11:08 pm
Mel - Willow would know that the play is surrealist and that Godot not only never shows but is of dubious existence. So she wouldn’t have taken the Waiting as being so literal and wouldn’t have made the crack. It’s something that can only be made by someone who either didn’t read, or doesn’t understand the play.
Hail: I would’ve said The Matrix has quite a bit of universality. It’s not toally implausible.
Puja
August 26th, 2005 at 7:00 am
The first time I ever heard about Waiting for Godot was in Home Improvement. I don’t know anything about it other than what I have read hear and what I saw on the episode. Still I got it. There are somethings you hear, and they just stick in your brain.
As for the Spinal Tap line. I may be one of the only males 26 and older who hasn’t seen the flick. But since Cordiela also refferences it in Waiting In The Wings is it possible that Xander has forced the girls to watch this movie at some point.