There are few demographics more underrepresented in Buffy the Vampire Slayer* than Adult Female Characters. As a coming-of-age story, the bulk of Buffy’s cast is understandably made up of Adolescents, who carry on their stories as Young Adults as the show moves on past high school. Beyond these characters though, the show finds time and space to develop many beloved Adult Male Characters. Giles is the first obvious example, but Angel and Spike both also add to this roster, as does Robin Wood in the show’s final season. These are major characters afforded a lot of focus and narrative perspective. Our list of Adult Women on the other hand extends as far as the late Jenny Calendar - a character with a personality and hastily-constructed backstory that could charitably be described as “fascinating”, and uncharitably as “messy” - and Joyce Summers.
Joyce comes into an interesting position this season. She has been a part of the show since the beginning, but the first two seasons positioned her primarily as an obstacle for Buffy, whose ignorance of the supernatural kept her firmly external to the narrative. She is pointedly absent from much of Season Four, and while she gets a lot of screentime with her illness and eventual death in Season Five, it is not her struggles that the show is interested in, only how those struggles are affecting Buffy. Her position is always that of the archetypical Mother. The nagging, obstructive force of Seasons One and Two, the voiceless absence of Season Four, and the sanctified near-Madonna figure that she becomes in Season Five and then posthumously. These comprise nearly all the roles ever afforded to the most thankless of narrative roles - the Hero’s Mother. The Mother can be a nuisance, unmentioned, or tragically dead, but very rarely are they permitted to be a person.
Towards the end of Summer Break, Kit and Zinnia invited their friends over for a slumber party. Rayne spent a good chunk of time preparing the tastiest healthy chickpea spaghetti for his children and their guests. Chatting, joking and laughing, they enjoyed this wonderful meal.
i love nothing more than a good magazine cover (even though graphic design is my enemy), so of course i had to draw one for the wonderful first lady of sordland herself! get your copy now!
I love monologuing at my dogs like they're the protagonists attempting to foil my plans as they cluelessly look up at me all smiley, just happy that I'm talking to them. It is my favorite way to talk to pets.