IvanF's No-Name Review of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Season Six Musical Episode,
"Once More, With Feeling"
- written by IvanF on July 7th, 2002 -

Anyhew, why am I reviewing this episode so very damn long after it first aired?... To be honest, I didn't see the episode in its entirety until now. The first time I watched the episode, it was the so called butchered version with a missing 60 seconds or whatever from every scene. And finally, last week I caught the full version of Once More, With Feeling I suppose, and what's my verdict? That quite honestly, I can't tell a damn difference between the full version and the supposed torn up one. So how did I know I was watching the original version of the episode? I really didn't, but it did go over five minutes into overtime, to my surprise and, um, surprise again... And what exactly is my opinion of Once More, With Feeling? Because if I do rememeber correctly, the first time I watched it, I found the episode to be overhyped. The singing was well done, but the music itself lacked the punch I thought it needed. Then again, I was a guy listening to Buffy music intended for girls, or at least Buffy fanatics. And more importantly, I'm a guy who never listens to music. I don't listen to wrap, nor chazz, nor leadal, nor Mcclassical, nor any of those types of music I've never even heard about. So honestly, as a guy who has bought not a single music CD in his lifetime except for the one based on Donkey Kong Country (although I did enjoy the Rock's and Gladiator's soundtracks), how can I really review a musical episode in good conscience?

I can't, really. I don't have the credentials to write a review of any merit... But has that ever stopped me once before from running my mouth? Hell no! And I'm going to do it again, and for reasons why? It's because although I can't say Once More, With Feeling was my favourite episode of the sixth season, it definitely places in my top 3 or 5. Sure, I found the schizophrenic concepts of Normal Again far more interesting than I ever did of Sarah Michell Gellar singing with vampires, but that doesn't mean that I respect Normal Again more than this musical episode. The amount of hard work and rhyming rhythm and all the brilliant writing that was put into Once More, With Feeling simply astounds me, confounds me, and quite frankly, makes me jealous. I don't see it as music, but rather as whimsical poetry at its best, and yes, even though I technically hate poetry, I also technically... um... like poetry, although I guess that didn't come out right... I'm reviewing Once More, With Feeling above all other Buffy episodes, simply because it's one of those very few shows that get better and better every time I watch it. Entertainment wise, I can't say Once More was brilliant, nor even a success in my world of views. But writing wise and creative wise, quite honestly, I think it's possibly and positively the best episode I've seen on any television show to date.

And it all started with what I consider the best song and performance in the entire episode. Buffy is patrolling to the sound of music, and all of sudden, she suddenly starts singing... Suddenly! And, well, I'll write some of the words she sang here, but nothing can do the drama and pose she proposed in the song any sort of justice: "I've been making shows of trading blows, just hoping no-one knows... that I've been going through the motions, walking through the part... Nothing seems to penetrate my... heart!..." Now, I've heard Sarah Michelle Gellar hasn't exactly sung a thing before this Buffy episode, but for a person with as much vocal experience as I have, she definitely played the part amazingly. And what made her first song, "Going through the Motions", a classical hit was the fact that Joss Whedon integrated vampires and demons into the fifth element event horizon flawlessly. When Buffy hit a vampire in the mouth ("... doesn't mean a thing... She ain't got that swing... Thanks for noticing..."), the change in pace and the pause in voice was absolutely flawless, attracting my attention like no other scene in this episode has, and the beauty of the song didn't end there. Perhaps the best sung moment in the entire episode came at: "She's pretty well with fiends from hell, but lately we can tell... that she's just going through the motions", since she's not half the girl she, "Owww!"... And I don't know why, but the entire scene of Buffy slaying demons, having their dust rise to symbolize hope, virtue, clarity, and whatever other kind of crap, simply brought a tear to my eye... thinking about the dust that is. I'm afraid I'm allergic to that crap, but that's a real lame comment, and that's besides the point. And Sarah's best moment of singing in the episode came at: "... and I don't want to be... Going through the motions, loosing all my drive... I can't even see, if this is really me! And I just want to be... alive!..." And I know writing her words does not do her work ethic justice, because as simple as those lines were, she delivered them with a conviction that truly did prove that the success of the Buffy series has a hell of a lot to do with her... her acting, that is... and okay, I admit, I did start watching back in season two because Buffy really looked hot in all those pyjama clothes she wore, but maybe I shouldn't have said that right about now...

But you see, there's a funny thing about this episode. I felt the first two songs sung were rather brilliant, with wonderous lines that stood my personal test of time. And yet, as the episode wore on, it appeared to me as if every song got less ingenius and less creative, or is that just me?... The second song, "I've Got a Theory", sets the tone of the episode very well with several very funny moments. Some of my favourite lines from the episode include, "I've got a theory - we should work this out... It's getting eerie; what's this cheery singing all about?...", "It could be witches; some evil witches!... which is ridiculous because witches, they were persecuted, and wiccan good, and love the earth, and woman power, and I'll be over here...", and finally, Anya's beautiful rendition of "It could be bunnies": "What's with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for, anyways?... Bunnies!... Bunnies, it must be bunnies!..." All three of these lines brought smiles to my face, not just because I loved the intelligent rhyming and the humour of it all, but because the voices of the scoobies worked admirably together here, contrary to their somewhat lack of unity in their later song, "Into the Fire" (which was sort of chaotic on purpose, I realize). And although Sarah didn't have any lines in this second song that could match her earlier solo, I did snicker like Giles when she sang out, "We have to try... we'll pay the price... it's do or die... hey, I've died twice!..." As you can tell, I have a lot of positive things to say about the lines that were sang. Hell, I even kept rewinding my tape, just to write down all the ones I could remember, and why? For the same reason I loved Aladdin when I was young, because the words and lyric infiltrated my mind and just couldn't get the hell out! Hell, I memorized practically every single line in Aladdin, despite my lack of an IQ and movie taste at the time, and today I just can't help but sing along with Buffy and the group after watching this episode four times or something by now.

Moving along, let's just say there isn't a thing I'd change with the first half of this episode. The first time I watched Tara's song, with the haunting double message of being under Willow's spell, I really didn't give a damn. I mean, it was Tara, the girl I knew that was nothing but a side-dish for the main course of Buffydom... or in other words, I knew she was just a temporary character the moment she first showed up (even Anya was given a much more in-depth character than she was given). However, by the end of "I'm Under your Spell", I had forgotten all about my arrogance, and all about my ideals and values and principles or whatever. Tara's actress, Amber, has an absolutely stunning voice that blends perfectly with the style of old folk music or whatever playing in the background. The magical imagery may seem a bit hokey for me, but after a couple of viewings, I didn't even notice anymore, because Amber is really that damn good at singing. Now, I don't know if she's ever been in a musical before, but she honestly had me at hello... or, at least, she had me at: "And now I'm bathed in light... something just isn't right.. I'm under your spell. How else could it be? Anyone would notice me... It's magic, I can tell; how you sent me free, brought me out so easily..." And, well... I guess her lines struck a chord in me, played the small, little violin in my heart or so, and starting nibbing at my clauliflower, because when she sang, all I could think about were my past crushes and past transgressions against them, even at the cheesy: "I'm under your spell. Nothing I can do; you just took my soul with you" (although the really pretty girl dancing in the white shirt sort of lessened the cheese factor for me as well... but hey, don't blame me! I'm a guy, although I don't sound like it at times...). And at the end, I was so damn reminded of my own lines of prose, today tucked away and built upon the very muses I once dreamed of amusing, when Amber sung: "Finally, I knew... everything I dreamed was true... You make me believe!...", continuing with, "holding you so helplessly... I break with every swell! Lost in ectasy, spread beneath my Willow dream... Make me complete!..." heh... she sings and shines so brightly, only for the sensational music to be interrupted by Xander, appropriately enough. I won't talk about what I thought would happen between him and Willow, but I guess I'll save that for whenever I write my reviews of Season 2 and 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer... But while I'm simply astounded and quite attracted by Amber's voice, I was disappointed that for some reason or another, Alyson Hannigan chose not to sing anymore than just two or three lines by herself in the entire episode. However, I have to give credit to Joss Whedon here, because making Willow just stand there, doing nothing as Amber sings her lungs out, actually had some meaning. It really did seem like Tara was under her spell, because she was doing and singing everything for Willow, just to get herself to... um... swell, and become sweller from her lesbian lover by the end... Willow really did look like she had control in the situation, and I guess Alyson was just happy she didn't have to sing. Good thinking, Joss. Killing two stones with one submachine gun.

And okay, even though it wasn't the best song in the lot, I did thoroughly enjoy Xander's and Anya's song together. First of all, Anya is rather beautiful in her underwear. I haven't found her attractive since she ran away from Xander come graduation ceremony, but she really did look like the cuttest of the scoobies with her lips as red as rubies, and, um, actually that's the second thing. Although I didn't exactly like how this comedy routine changed to dancing and weird stuff or whatever by the end (as musicals normally do), it did have probably the best lines out of any of the songs in the entire episode. Just to mention a remote few: "This is the man that I plan to entangle, isn't he fine? My claim to fame was to mame and the mangle, vengeance was mine!... But I'm out of the biz. The name I made I'll trade for his... The only trouble is, I'll never tell...", ... "I'll never let her go. The love we've known can only grow. There's just one thing, that... no, I'll never tell... 'cause there's nothing to tell...", and, um, "He snores, she wheezes, say housework and he freezes, she eats these eeesy cheesies that I can't describe... I talk, he breezes, she doesn't know what pleases, his penis got diseases from a Shoomosh tribe...", and, well, you get the picture. Or maybe you don't... The music wasn't as inflitrating and heart protruding as I hoped it would be, but I seriously did laugh out loud at how ironic the whole song was. And if you want more proof to the latter: "like she thinks I'm ordinary, like it's all just temporary, like her toes are kind of hairy, but it's all very well, because God knows, I'll never tell!..."... and, oh, what the hell, AOL. I feel like just writing as many witty lines as I can possibly remember... so continuing on with the instant replays: "He's swell, she's sweller, he'll always be my fellar, that's why I can never tell her that I'm petrified...", and oh well, AOL, while we're still at it, "I lied!... I said it's easy... I tried!... but there's these fears I can't quell. Is she looking for a pot of gold? Will I look good when I've gotten old? Will our life become too stressful if I'm never that successful? When I'm so worn and wrinkley, that I look like David Brinkley... Am I crazy? Am I dreaming? Am I marrying a demon? We can really raise the beam, making marriage a hell! So thank God, I'll never tell!... I swear that I'll never tell..." And, um, I know this isn't really much of a review. I know that all I'm doing is listing half of each and every song that I liked, but, um... well, let's just say, the episode speaks for itself... and I do too, when I speak for myself, but that's besides the point...

And damn, a damn earwig just bit my foot! Damn him! I'll damn him to hell! I'll crush that little bugger, and, um, I don't think you needed to know that, but, um... Getting back to the grander picture, I like these songs. They get better each time I watch them. And no, what I'm writing isn't really a review or an analysis, but an overflow and overview from a personal point of view, and a whole lot of sucking up to Joss Whedon and his scoobies just in case fifty years down the road, he'll somehow find this no-name review... Because hell, I loved his writing so damn much that I'm literally trying to quote it all, just for the record!

The usual Buffy episode does have it's quaint moments though, without the singing I mean, like when Buffy in Once More, With Feeling couldn't believe she actually asked to Spike, "What else would I want to pump you for?"... of course, we all know what happened to the sweet couple after that, causing much drift and rift in the damn internet community as we knew it. I've even read some reports, blaming Joss and his writers for making Spike look too human, when Angel and the rest were not even capable of such humanity without a soul... And as for me? Spike is a punching bag. He falls in love, takes the licks, takes the hits, and is pushed aside for more manly of men... And hell, how could I possibly not side with my beloved Spike? He's my hero! He's my sire. He's my spire, my inspiration, and he's so damn lucky that in non-reality, he actually does have a stunningly beautiful Slayer who truly does love him, but I'll save that debate and rebuttal for another day... The point is, Spike was a poet like I've tried to be, and he failed miserably at it, just like me. And I see a lot of myself in him... the lovesick, obsession stuff I mean, and not the alcohol or fangs... And his song was appropriate for a demon. It was harsh, yet softer than expected, either because of the expected female demograph of the show or because Joss wanted to show Spike does have some cheerful humanity left in him. He didn't have many great lines, but I'll try to list them for myself here, just for the record: "I died... many years ago... You can make me feel, like it isn't so. And why you come to be with me, I think I finally know... mmmm... You're scared; ashamed of what you feel. You can't tell the ones you love; you know they couldn't deal. Whisper in the deadman's ear, it doesn't make it real... That's great, but I don't want to play. Being with you touches me, more than I can say. And since I'm only dead to you, I'm saying stay away... And let me rest in peace!..." And yeah, those were simple lines of the divine ya-ya yo-yo sisterhood, and James Marsters' cowboy slash British accent didn't exactly lip sync with the music, but Spike is my hero, so how could I possibly claim he has done any wrong? And I know what I said before, but I think I finally remember my favourite line of the entire episode, because it was born of prose, not song, nor of the Bourne Identity which I refuse to see in theatres: "I know, I should go... But I follow you, like a man possessed. There's a traitor here, beneath my breast, and it hurts me more than you've ever guessed. If my heart could beat, it would break my chest! But I can see, you're unimpressed... so leave me be... And let me rest in peace! Let me get some sleep! Let me take my love and bury it in a hole, six foot deep! I can lay my body down, but I can't find my sweet release!... So let me rest in peace..." And Spike, you've done it again! The man possessed and the unimpressed line combo sure as hell impressed the hell out of me, because it spoke more than wonders and encyclopedia brown volumes of what I've felt for the past goddam five years or so! No girl has ever been impressed with me... I've always been beneath them... or behind them... probably because I follow them around like a puppy dog with glasses, not actually looking for love but rather attention and closure instead, but that's besides the point...

And next on the list is the scene where Dawn is captured by the signing demon from hell or something. And I was actually surprised how Dawn didn't get a full song to sing or anything solo in the episode. When I first saw the butchered version, I noticed that Dawn only sang a couple of lines until she was caught by the baddies, so I figured Joss had cut and censored out her song. So you could imagine my surprise when I was watching the full version, and noticed Dawn still didn't have a thing to do, just like most episodes in the series... Hell, I don't even remember her doing a single thing the first four seasons of Buffy!... and, um, that was a joke of course, not like anyone will ever read this review... And as for Dawn in this episode, I thought her dance-fighting-running away from the minions was decently done, but I was not impressed with the demon song that followed. Don't get me wrong - whatever veteren, musical singer they got for the part was nearly flawless in his execution, and that was the problem. He was too damn good, that he really made Dawn look bad when they were alternating lines. And there was only one decent line in this song that I can remember, since just like every other musical I've seen on TV, the great singers seem to merge and surge words together to the point that I can't tell what the heck they're saying, but that's besides the point... "I come from the imagination. I'm here strictly by your invocation... So what do you say? Why don't we dance a while?... I'm the hottest thing, I'm the twist and shout. When you've got to sing, when you've got to let it out... You call me, and I come a-running. I turn the music on; I bring the fun in... That's what it's all about..." Not the greatest of lines, but appropriate for a cocky demon. And I've always liked Chazz music with a decent demon ring to it anyhew. I really have...

And geez, my sucking-up review is running just a bit long, don't you think? Any sane person would've stopped reading rainbow and writing about 5000 words ago, give or take a few thousand words... I mean, hell's bells, even I just had to take a washroom break, and I never, ever take a break while writing, no matter how dire the consequences may be... although I'm sure you don't want to hear about that right about now, so let's get on with the lengthy show... And the next song belonged to Giles, who I have concluded to have the best singing voice out of all the Buffy cast. His singing was simply impeccable, and unlike for Tara and Anya, I can't attribute my jealousy to the longing of girls, and love, and wanton, and wonton noodles... Even though the following lines don't sound so great on paper, Anthony made them into an unforgettable moment, and into the only song besides "Going through the Motions" that I took notice of the first time I watched this episode: "You're not ready, for the world outside... You keep pretending, but you just can't hide... and I know I said I'd be standing by your side, but I...", followed shortly after by: "And I'm the reason you're standing still. And I... I wish I could say the right words, and lead you through this land. Wish I could play the father, and take you by the hand. Wish I could stay here, but now I understand... I am standing... in the way..." And why can't I sing like that? Besides the fact I never took singing lessons, don't have a British accent, don't have a man's voice, and, um, of course besides the fact that I can barely even stand straight...  Sure, I felt distracted by Buffy's Matrix like moments in the foreground, although I know it was meant to show how Giles and Buffy are out of sync and not connecting at the moment or some crap like that. But still, despite the metaphorical flaws, Giles' solo won me over, and it was made even better by mixing it up with Tara's confusion and tragic events. She sang amicably once again, with real feeling, and brought some closure to the musical: "... I'm under your spell... God, how could this be? Playing with my memory... You know I've been through hell. Willow, don't you see? There'll be nothing left of me... You made me believe me, I don't want to go... But it'll grieve me 'cause I love you so... But we both know... wish I could stay the right words, and lead you through this land. Wish I could play the father, and take you by the hand... wish I could stay here... wish I could stay..." And it was an absolutely candid Buffy moment, with two incredible singers chanting an undeniably powerful song. And you know what? I've never been a Tara fan, and I've never really been a big Giles fanatic either, but after realizing how beautifully their voices meshed together with those words I just rewrote, it almost made me wish they Tara wasn't dead, and that Giles wouldn't get that own series of his that happend to be Cannes cancelled into Firefly... and oops, I guess one of my hopes has already come true. Welcome back to the show, Mr. Rupert Ripper Giles! And God speed to England!

And unfortunately, here's where the episode starts unravelling, both in plot and in cohesion. The rest of the songs just aren't that good. The first time I watched this episode, I liked "Into the Fire". I find Sarah Michelle's voice very alluring, and the way she sang this song was more than just cute... But the only part of the song that I liked was actually her solo at the start: "I touch the fire, and it freezes me. I look into it and it's black... Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel. I want the fire back..." And when she said she wanted the fire back? It really felt like she already did have the fire, but I really have no clue what I'm saying so I should just shut up... and besides, I lied. I also laughed and enjoyed Spike's line: "The torch I bare is scorching me. Buffy's laughing, I've no doubt... I hope she fries. I'm free if that bitch dies!... I'd better help her out..." You've gotta love Spike, or at least I do. I even felt chemistry between him and Buffy the first time they fought at Parent's Night, but then again, I could be just making that up to save face and pretend like my non-existent love life has some destined meaning, but that's besides the point... The point is, the rest of this song didn't work, and mostly because of that not very decent imagery Joss chose to use. Having the singing demon in the corner of the screen was more distracting than tasteful, and I even laughed at how stupid the firetrucks in the back looked as they passed. And as for Alyson's single solo line here? Heck, I couldn't even make out what she was trying to say...

And honestly, the last solo performance of Once More, With Feeling just didn't cut it as well, although it made the editor's cut. "Give me Something to Sing About" had a weird feeling to it, as if it was the first song Joss wrote when he wasn't really into the groove yet, or the last song he wrote and rushed due to time constraints. Something just wasn't right, and I know that the chaotic music in this song was meant to demonstrate how pissed off Buffy was at the world and friends, but except for the part where Anya and Tara lend "backup" to Buffy, the song just wasn't that pleasing to the ear. There was this one line that caught my attention, simply because it reminded me of MacBeth: "I need something to sing about!... Give me something to sing about!... Life's a song you don't get to rehearse, and every single verse, can make it that much worse... Still my friends don't know why I ignore, the million things or more, I should be dancing for...", although I guess the line about how life's a play was more MacBeth-like since it was, um, taken from MacBeth, but I digress... and the only other line to catch my ear was one of her final ones before she started burning up. I thought the writing here was decent, but I just didn't like how the singing felt out of sync with the music going on: "So that's my refrain. I live in hell, 'cause I've been expelled, from heaven... I think I was in heaven... So give me something to sing about! Please, give me something to sing about!..." And it didn't help when Dawn sort of ruined the mood of the song, and told Buffy that sappy line that the hardest thing in life is to live or whatever. It felt like a moral straight out of Full House or Addams Family Values, although I don't think that had a moral, but that's besides the point... And I might as well mention here, that the demon's best line was sung shortly hereafter. I thought it was a nice way for him to finish his meals on wheels debut, and had a nice ring and touch, connecting him with the title of the episode: "What a lot of fun. You guys have been real swell... And there's not one, who can say it ended well. All those secrets you've been concealing - say you're happy now, once more with feeling... Now I've got to run. See you all... in hell...." Once again, he was a little too good at what he does for his own, um, good. He sort of shadowed Sarah's final number, but Buffy still definitely held her own, unlike Dawn a few songs before.

And that's the weird thing... Dawn singing "Where do we go from here?" actually sounded real good. She has a beautiful voice too, and yet it seemed so bad when she was singing with the demon. I guess juxtaposition really does count... And as for this final bugger of a number, I really thought it had potential, like this review had before I started writing it. The problem was, the final number was too short, and the group's dancing was a bit too cheesy for me tastes as well. But honestly, I did feel something when the final sounds rang and the music died down to silence. Because I couldn't help wondering, where do we go from here?... And okay, that was cheesy. So sue me, or don't sue me because I have no money and no talent, but just listen to this line anyhew: "Where do we go, from here? Where do we go, from here?... The battle's done, and we kind of won, so we sound our victory cheer... Where do we go, from here?..." Giles made this song spectacular, despite the somewhat corny lines. He truly is an incredible performer, and he does it again with: "Understand, we'll go hand in hand, but we'll walk alone in fear... Tell me, where do we go, from here?..." and actually, the first time I watched this episode, the only words I could remember was "Tell me" from this final verse. And if that's a testament to Giles' singing or the fact it was one of the last lines in the episode, I don't know, but I'll just pretend like it's the former to really suck up to Anthony the actor... And after that, Buffy and Spike kissed, but I didn't really care.   I knew they were meant to have something together after watching Angelus get so cozy with Druscilla in season 2. Don't ask me why, but there's a sexual chemistry between them that works. Either that, or I just like pretending that I'm Spike, and pretending that my Buffy is playing Melody who's pretending to be Buffy, but I digress... So tell me, "... this isn't real... I just want to feel... Where do we go from here?"...

And my final verdict? I think it's obvious that I really have nothing but good things and John Woo candles and doves to say about this episode. And the real beauty of it all, was that it was a spoilerless episode, because honestly, how could internet spoilers possibly spoil the beauty of a musical, where the genius lies not in the plot development, but by the effort and affect that the actors and actresses have on the audience? And except for Alyson Hannigan who for some reason or another decided not to sing, everyone did an amazing job, even Dawn who was overshadowed by the big bad of the episode as I assumed and presumed earlier. And don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Alyson. I just never grew a real liking to her, because way back in season 2, with her being the brunt of all the jokes that she has the capacity to be wild, I just knew she'd end up like so many geek girls I thought I love and end up turning evil, or at least experiment with woman power, if only for a moment to feel and stop the pain... But anyhew, enough with shameless self-promotion and personal baggage and bragging. Once More, With Feeling is an episode that I would definitely try to mimic and pay tribute for if I ever was smart enough to have a successful TV series. And now that I'm done this excruitingly pointless review, I just have to ask myself, where do I go from here?...

And okay, even I admit that was cheesy... so please excuse me as I become a denizen of barfcity and gag and reel on my own vomit of sucking-up-ness... and, um... actually, it just occurred to me... I just hope it's legal that I posted all those quotes above, because, um... you can never be so sure about anything in the Buffyverse... though God, I sure as hell hate that name...  and hey, wait a minute! Where's my fame? This was supposed to be my verse!... and, um, hello?... oh, nevermind...

IvanF, Y2kk, the no-name whiner, July 2002