BABE. BtVS Intertext/Allusion.
1995
film by Chris Noonan in
which an adorable pig named "Babe" is raised by sheepdogs and helps to
save the farm of Farmer Hoggett (James
Cromwell).
In "Never Leave Me," Andrew, tutored by The First in the form of Warren, ineffectually tries to master killing by slaughtering a pig but can't take his mind off Babe. (Here is the dialogue from BuffyWorld.com's transcript of the episode.)
WARREN (off screen): She won't feel a thing. Just do it. Fast. (on screen) Cut her deep. Cut her quick. It'll be over before she knows what hit her.
ANDREW: What if she squeals?
WARREN: Uh, better go for her throat first.
Cut to what they're looking at and talking about: a pink piglet is standing on the floor in front of them. Pig oinks.
ANDREW: Babe 2: Pig in the City was really underrated.
WARREN: Don't think about Babe.
ANDREW: Right.
WARREN: You're Conan. You're the destroyer. It's you against nature. You're the hunter, you're primal, you live off the land. You're Andrew. Everyone knows you. You play by your own rules. It's kill or be killed.
ANDREW: That'll do, pig! (screams and lunges at the pig, it runs away)
WARREN: No—you gotta—you gotta corner it. (Andrew stands and lunges for the pig again and misses) Stay between it and the hall, or it— (the pig runs away down the hall, he watches, then sternly) That's the worst attempted pig slaughtering I've ever seen.
ANDREW: (on the floor, breathing heavily) I'm not very good at stabbing. Isn't there some other way we could get blood?
