Buffy Big Bad Theory

[shannon_a]

A new theory with info on episodes up through this week's Buffy episode 7.7


After thinking more carefully about some of the dialogue in episode 7.7 I've become convinced, after all, that Mutant Enemy is heavily implying that The First Evil is the big bad for season seven. If you don't remember the single time that The First Evil appeared before, back in season three, go check out the synopsis of Amends. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Charting out what we know of The First Evil and what we know of "Morphy", from 7.1 and 7.7 of Buffy, we see the following:

The First Evil (3.10)	Morphy (7.1,7.7)
Morphs into many different shapes	Morphs into many different shapes
Only seen taking shapes of dead people and some scaly critter	Only seen taking shapes of dead people
Can't physically affect the world	Can't physically affect the world
Has priests	Priests are killing proto-slayers
Priests can raise spirit manifestations	Manifest spirits inexplicably attack Buffy

My original argument against the First Evil was some of Morphy's dialogue in 7.1 where he talks about being beyond good and evil. It seemed a pretty unlikely statement for The First Evil to make. However, in 7.7 that statement was clarified a bit when Morphy as Cassie said, "Fact is the whole good versus evil balancing the scales thing, I'm over it." This seemed to suggest a much more recent abandonment of Evil than the original statement, and thus put The First Evil back into the running in my book.

Granted, there are a coupl eof weaknesses with the First Evil theory that it's only fair to note.

1. Bad Storytelling. The villain of season 7 has been set up as a hugely apocalyptic villain. In order for that to work, he should either have been heavily foreshadowed or else not have mentioned at all (in which case books and prophecies heavily foreshadowing him can be concocted.) The in-between ground, where a minor, one-episode villain is suddenly pushed up to apocalyptic stature, with no mention of him in-between point A and point B, seems like a real cheat.
   
2. The Mortal Coil. Morphy mentions the fact that "I'm done with the mortal coil." And yet Morphy and The First Evil and very similar. Both ethereal, unable to actually interact with the physical world. So, how is Morphy more off the mortal coil than The First Evil? He doesn't seem to be.
   

However, despite these concerns the arguments for The First Evil seem so strong that it's almost impossible to ignore them. Which means that he must be the Season Seven Big Bad ...

... which is why he's not.

You see, Buffy has season-by-season shown a unique pattern of misdirection that was highlighted by Roz Kaveney in her essay, "She saved the world. A lot." (see the book Reading the Vampire Slayer, edited by Roz Kaveney). According to Roz, "Early in each season, we get what appears to be a conclusive statement about the nature of the conflict and adversary Buffy is going to be involved in as the season's major story arc; and about the half-way mark, there is some radical revision of the rules of that conflict." (Reading the Vampire Slayer, p. 15).

Season-by-season, you can see this play out. (Some, though not all, of this mirrors points Roz made in her original article.)

Season One. At the beginning all vampires seem to be the bads, but after episode 1.7 we realize that one vampire (Angel) is good, and so there is a shift that leaves The Master in the role of The sole Big Bad.

Season Two. With Spike and Drusilla's arrival in 2.3, it's clear that we have our new Big Bads. Then in 2.14 Angel suddenly goes bad and we learn it's Angelus who's the Big Bad afterall.

Season Three. At first it appears to be Trick who's the Big Bad, beginning with his appearances in 3.3. The Mayor becomes a force after 3.5, but things remain murky. Then in 3.14, a huge shift. Faith grows increasingly bad, finally killing a human. It's not much of a surprise when Trick dies and Faith takes his place in the next episode.

Season Four. The Initiative appears to be the Big Bad when we first see it (4.1), but their apparent villainry fades as the season progresses. Then, right on schedule, in 4.13 Maggie Walsh tries to kill Buffy and is promptly killed by her own creation ... Adam.

Season Five. This season is murkier, because we know Glory is the Big Bad from at least 5.5. However, in the central position we learn the true face of the villain that Buffy faces: that she is a god (5.12) with a human form (5.13). These two revelations change the shape of the rest of the season.

Season Six. Flooded (6.4) introduces a potential Big Bad for this season, the nerdly trio (though no one really ever takes them seriously). Then, toward the center of the season, two revelations jolt our beliefs about the villains in this season. First, we learn that Willow has an evil seed within her in 6.9 when she and Amy nearly tear apart the Bronze. Then, perhaps more importantly, we learn that Warren is much more dangerous than he seems in 6.13 when he kills his ex-girlfriend. These two facts shape the season through to the finale.

Season after season we've seen the same pattern: between episode 12 and 14 either the Big Bad is switched out, the Big Bad's minions are switched out (in a very important way), or our understanding of the Big Bad dramatically changes. Even the shortened season 1 fits this pattern, as "Angel" (1.7) would have been the 13th or so episode in a full-length season.

And now we look at season 7, where it's so blatantly clear the The First Evil is the Big Bad, and where we can already feel like we know about his motivations ("He was evil, and now he's powerful, so clearly he wants to destroy the world.")

Clearly there's some big revelation down the road that we're not counting on. It's 5-7 episodes out, and will probably happen in February sweeps. Will we learn something stunningly new about The First Evil? It's possible, but that seems unsatisfying considering how little we still know about him. Will some of our friendly Scoobies join him? Again, it could happen, but after the Evil Willow of season 6 it seems like a sadly repetitive premise.

And so that leaves us with the possibility of Big Bad Bait and Switch, as we've seen the most clearly in seasons 2 and 4.

Who do we have left to fill the role? Who was a guardian of the balance between good and evil? Who might have once been part of the mortal coil, but has now left it behind? Who would want to go out of their way to kill proto-slayers so that, perhaps, another Slayer will never rise again?

The First Slayer, of course, who's finally ready to lay her burden down.


No comments if you're spoiled for future episodes, pretty please.

Comments

Quick point

[(Anonymous)]

If you actually read the transcript for Amends, you'll see that there is no First Evil. Giles refers to it as simply "The First." It's only when Buffy asks for clarification that Giles uses the term First Evil. What's interesting about this, is that the First Slayer also refers to herself as simply "The First." It's Buffy who calls her the First Slayer. So isn't it possible that the FS and the FE are one and the same, or at least derived from the same place, and that's what Morphy was speaking of when it talked of "balancing the scales?"

[soulstar.livejournal.com]

Oh, my.... I like your reasoning :-) I was actually having a discussion with my Mum this evening about how the show might end if this is the last season. And, hmm... the Big Bad actually winning (or at least having a partial victory), and there being no more slayers would actually be a very interesting way to end it.

[shannon_a]

Even if the Big Bad loses it could be a pyrrhic victory where all future slayers are lost.

"The battle's done, we kinda won, so we sound our victory cheer."

Very Whedon.