Selfless (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Last updated
"Selfless"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 5
Directed by David Solomon
Written by Drew Goddard
Production code7ABB05
Original air dateOctober 22, 2002 (2002-10-22)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Help"		Next →
"Him"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7
List of episodes

"Selfless" is the fifth episode of the seventh and final season of television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . The episode aired on October 22, 2002 on UPN. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The story revolves around Anya and her sense of self. After she wreaks vengeance on several young men who wronged a college woman, Buffy determines to kill her and Xander is equally determined to save her.

Plot

Anya returns to her old vengeance demon ways by helping a girl get revenge on an entire fraternity by having a spider demon tear their hearts out. Anya herself feels deep remorse about the event, even though her demon friend Halfrek encourages her to continue. Willow, returning to college, sees Anya, who lies to her, saying that she has a new boyfriend there. Willow discovers the frightened and crying girl and the remains of the fraternity brothers in the frat house, so she confronts Anya and offers her help in giving up her vengeance work; but Anya acts stubborn and defensive.

In a flashback, set in Sweden, 880 A.D., Anya, originally named Aud, loves a Viking warrior, Olaf. He is alternately romantic and teasing, and laughs when she says she will share their rabbits with their fellow villagers to demonstrate "selflessly" giving to others. She worries about his fidelity, and when she learns he cheated on her, she takes revenge on him by using a magic spell to turn him into a troll. D'Hoffryn, master of a cabal of vengeance demons, endows upon her demonic status.

When Willow tells Buffy and Xander about the fraternity, all three fear the worst of Anya. Buffy is determined to kill her; Xander, who still loves her, cannot believe Buffy could do such a thing. He claims that Buffy is hypocritical since she is so quick to kill Anya but ignored what her vampire lovers have done - but Buffy reminds him that she killed Angel because it needed to be done and that Xander cheered her on.

In another flashback, Halfrek and Anyanka celebrate their successful push to create the Russian Revolution of 1905. Anyanka wants to look for more wronged women; Halfrek complains, "it's always work, work, work with you," and Anyanka responds, "What else is there? ... Vengeance is what I do, Halfrek. I don't need anything else. Vengeance is what I am." [4]

Buffy and Xander track Anya back to the frat house, where the two women fight as Xander tries to stop them. Buffy stabs Anya, seemingly killing her, but Anya's demon side prevents her from dying.

In another flashback, apparently to the events of "Once More, with Feeling," Anya sings about her love for Xander and how she will be his missus: "I will be his Mrs. / Mrs. Anya lame-ass made-up maiden name Harris."

The story returns to the fight. Willow calls forth D'Hoffryn, using the talisman he gave her while trying to recruit her as Anya's replacement. When he interrupts the fight between her and Buffy, Anya begs him to reverse the fatal spell she worked – even though she knows the cost of reversing such a spell is the life and soul of a vengeance demon. Anya is ready to die, even if Xander does not want her to, but D'Hoffryn instead summons Halfrek and kills her as the price to bring back the fraternity boys, returning Anya to human status and wanting her to suffer through her guilt rather than die. A distraught Anya leaves and tells Xander not to follow her, wondering what her purpose is outside of their relationship now that she is mortal again.

Production

Filming

Kali Rocha (Halfrek) was in New York performing in the play Noises Off during filming. [5] [6] [7] According to the episode's DVD commentary, she was flown in for one day and filmed all of her Season 7 scenes that day, including those in "Lessons" and "Selfless". Rocha filmed her "death scene" in front of a green screen, and her actions were later superimposed onto the images featuring the other actors. [8] [9]

Sarah Michelle Gellar was available for only three days during filming, as she was getting married to Freddie Prinze Jr. in Mexico for the Labor Day weekend in 2002. [10] [11] [12] Scriptwriter Drew Goddard said in the DVD commentary that Sarah's braided hair in the episode was her "wedding hair" (photos here and here).

Themes

Anya defines herself by her jobs, whether as a demon or as a worker who is subordinate to her boss, whether D'Hoffryn or Rupert Giles at the Magic Box; or, despite being a highly sexualized woman, by her relationships with lovers Olaf and Xander (or even the made-up fraternity guy).

In the article "Selfless: Buffy's Anya and the Problem of Identity," by Victoria Large, Anya is figured as "powerful, but problematic":

It could be argued that prior to this episode, the producers and writers of Buffy are guilty of characterizing Anya in a way that reinforces gender stereotypes. The early incarnation of the character as Anyanka... depicts the destructive power of a monstrous woman in a way that harks back to some of the oldest patriarchal myths and stories. When Anya becomes human she is mainly a source of comic relief, typically identified either with her status as Xander's girlfriend or her formerly demonic nature. ... Xander tells Buffy that while he is enjoying the single life as a "strong successful male," he worries about Anya because she "seems so sad." In this moment, Xander has inadvertently given voice to society's double standard for single men and women. ... Throughout the episode, Anya's willingness to accept the labels that the patriarchal society places on her are what prevent her from defining herself as an individual. [13]

Throughout Buffy, Anya also allows other characters to define her. When she first meets D'Hoffryn in this episode, he tells her, "I'm afraid you don't see your true self. You are Anyanka." She was either Olaf's fiancée or his wife. Singing the "missus" song shows that she is willing to reject the name she gave herself to become Mrs. Xander Harris, and that she considers herself so far to have been merely "lame-ass" in society. Also showing that she used to support the rise of proletarian revolutions against monarchies, in recent seasons she is a money-obsessed capitalist, which is a socially constructed relationship to money, not self - "I have a place in the world now. I'm part of the system. I'm a workin' gal." [14] - and she is heavily invested in her view of herself as a retailer, then shop-owner, to customers at the Magic Box.

At the climactic fight, she says, "Xander, you can't help me. I'm not even sure there's a me to help." [4] Reviewer Billie Doux writes, "At the end, Anya said to Xander, 'What if I'm really nobody?' That's what this episode was about. Anya has been three different and distinct beings, but she still doesn't have a self to call her own." [15] In the following episode, "Him," she tells Buffy, "I need to figure out who I am." [16]

Cultural references

Spike appears for only a few moments, being still crazy in the Sunnydale High School basement, but he makes an allusion ("Scream Montresor all you like, pet") to Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado," in keeping with the themes of murder and revenge. [17]

Critical reception

Vox ranked this episode at #25 out of the 144 Buffy episodes, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the show, saying it "is the only episode of Buffy to focus on Anya, and it's such a terrific episode that it suggests the show should have gone back to her more often. ... [I]t also develops a thesis about who Anya is and what she needs: She's always based her identity on those around her, and she needs to figure out who she is on her own." [18]

Noel Murray of The A.V. Club wrote that "the sometimes jarring shifts between the dark business in the present and Anya's lighter-toned backstory were superbly handled, giving both their due. The faux-scratchy images in the 880 scenes... the "Once More With Feeling" musical reprises in 2001 ("mustard on my shirt!")... it's all so fun that whenever the episode cuts back to blood-spattered, joyless Anya, we feel the lack." [19] Mark Oshiro draws parallels between this episode and "Fool for Love," praises Drew Goddard's handling of the personality conflicts, and concludes, "'Selfless' really hinges on the emotional resolution to this dilemma. Truthfully, no one had asked Anya what she wanted. They all assumed they knew what was best for her." [20]

Notes

1. ^ Victoria Large notes that Anya's identity is never fully addressed until "Selfless," "which, as its punning title implies, dealt with Anya's lack of a self."
2. ^ In the episode "Checkpoint," Anya gives her name and backstory, apparently made up on the spot, to conceal her demon identity: "Anya Christina Emanuella Jenkins, twenty years old. Born on the Fourth of July, and don't think there weren't jokes about that my whole life, mister, 'cause there were. "Who's our little patriot?" they'd say..." [21] Before meeting her, Giles identifies her as the "Patron Saint of Scorned Women." [22] In "Lessons", Halfrek gives her another name: "They're calling you 'Miss Softserve.'" [23]
3. ^ A reporter for Bustle wrote, "The pair were engaged in April 2001 and went on to marry a year later, holding their wedding ceremony on Sept. 1, 2002 in Mexico at the El Careyes resort." [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anya Jenkins</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Anyanka Christina Emmanuella "Anya" Jenkins is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also appears in the comic book series based on the television show. Portrayed by Emma Caulfield, the character appears as a recurring star in the third and fourth seasons of the show before becoming a series regular in the show's fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. The character made her last television appearance in 2003, appearing in the series finale of the show that aired on May 20, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawn Summers</span> Buffy the Vampire Slayer character

Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season and subsequently appeared in every episode of its remaining three seasons. Within the series, Dawn is the younger sister of main character Buffy Summers, a girl chosen by fate to be a vampire Slayer. Whedon introduced Dawn to the series because he wanted to introduce a character with whom Buffy could have an intensely emotional non-romantic relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xander Harris</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Alexander Lavelle Harris is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). He was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the television series by Nicholas Brendon and in two episodes by his twin brother, Kelly Donovan. He was conceived as an everyman and a male character for series heroine Buffy Summers to interact with, and to provide comic relief in the series. Xander is one of several friends of Buffy who assist her in saving the world against numerous supernatural events that plague Sunnydale, California, a town built over a doorway to hell.

"Doppelgangland" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). It was written and directed by the show's creator, Joss Whedon, and originally aired on The WB in the United States on February 23, 1999. The episode's title is derived from the term "Doppelgänger", a German word for a lookalike or double of a living person.

"Tabula Rasa" is the eighth episode of season 6 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on November 13, 2001 on UPN. It explores the characters not as they are, but as they could be, after they lose their memory to a spell gone awry.

"The Wish" is the ninth episode of season three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by Marti Noxon, directed by David Greenwalt, and first broadcast on The WB on December 8, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Hoffryn</span> Fictional character

D'Hoffryn is a fictional character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Andy Umberger. He is a powerful entity high in the demonic hierarchy. He is the master of the vengeance demons, a cabal which includes humans who are "elevated" to demonic status and endowed with mystical powers enabling them to invoke revenge at the behest of mortals who believe they have been wronged. D'Hoffryn rules over a hell dimension known as Arashmahaar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfrek</span> Fictional character

Halfrek or Hallie is a recurring fictional character on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She appears as a vengeance demon in seasons 6 and 7, and has previously appeared as Cecily in season 5. She is played by actress Kali Rocha.

"Beneath You" is the second episode of the seventh and final season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on October 1, 2002 on UPN.

"Get It Done" is the 15th episode of the seventh and final season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on February 18, 2003 on UPN.

"Hell's Bells" is the 16th episode of season 6 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on March 5, 2002 on UPN.

"First Date" is the fourteenth episode of seventh and final season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on February 11, 2003 on UPN.

"Same Time, Same Place" is the third episode of the seventh and final season of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on October 8, 2002 on UPN.

"Him" is the sixth episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on November 5, 2002 on UPN.

"The Replacement" is episode three of season five of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on October 10, 2000 on The WB.

"Something Blue" is the 9th episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Tracey Forbes and directed by Nick Marck, it originally aired on November 30, 1999 on The WB. In "Something Blue", a spell by Willow goes awry, blinding Giles, making Xander a literal demon magnet, and causing Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged.

"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They were written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon. "Part 1" first aired on May 18, 1999 and "Part 2" first aired on July 13, 1999; both airing on The WB. The second part was to originally be aired on May 25, 1999, but was postponed due to the episode's content and the occurrence of the Columbine High School shootings one month prior.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> season 6 2001-2002 season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The sixth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on October 2, 2001, with a two-hour premiere on UPN and concluded its 22-episode season with a two-hour finale on May 21, 2002. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This season marked the series' network change from The WB to UPN.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> season 7 2002-2003 season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 24, 2002 on UPN and concluded its 22-episode run on May 20, 2003. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten</i>

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten is the sequel to the Season Nine comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series is published by Dark Horse Comics and ran from March 2014 to August 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "Buffy / Angel: "Selfless"/"The House Always Wins"". The A.V. Club. 2011-06-03. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  2. ↑ "Revisiting Buffy season 7 - episode 5". Den of Geek. 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  3. ↑ Dellamonica, Alyx (2013-12-09). "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Rewatch: Someone was a bit of an Audball all along". Tor.com. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  4. 1 2 "07x05 - Selfless". Buffy the Vampire Slayer Transcripts. Forever Dreaming. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Noises Off, Brooks Atkinson Theatre". Playbill. 2002. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Gutman, Les (2002). "Noises Off, New Cast as of August 2002". Curtain Up. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (1 September 2002). "Bway Run of Noises Off Revival Ends Sept. 1". Playbill. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Halfrek's Season 7 Scenes". The Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide. Restless BtVS. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Selfless - Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Susman, Gary (4 September 2002). "Sarah Michelle Gellar marries Freddie Prinze Jr., The spook-sleuthing couple evades the paparazzi for a wedding in Mexico over Labor Day weekend". Entertainment Weekly - TV. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Hurtado, Alexandra (September 1, 2023). "Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Relationship Timeline". People.com. People magazine. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Wedding Belle". The Buffy and Angel Trivia Guide. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Large, Victoria (2007). "Selfless: Buffy's Anya and the Problem of Identity". Undergraduate Review. Bridgewater State University. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Money Tips from Anya of Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Greenbacks Magnet. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  15. ↑ Doux, Billie (2002). "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Selfless". Doux Reviews. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  16. ↑ "07x06 - Him". Buffy the Vampire Slayer Transcripts. Forever Dreaming. November 8, 2002. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  17. ↑ Doux, Billie. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Selfless". Doux Reviews. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Grady, Constance (10 March 2017). "Every episode of Buffy, ranked, in honor of its 20th anniversary". Vox. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Murray, Noel (3 June 2011). "Buffy / Angel: "Selfless"/"The House Always Wins"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Oshiro, Mark (5 September 2012). "Mark Watches 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer': S07E05 – Selfless". Mark Watches. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "05x12 - Checkpoint". Buffy the Vampire Slayer Transcripts. Forever Dreaming. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "03x09 - The Wish". Buffy the Vampire Slayer Transcripts. Forever Dreaming. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "07x01 - Lessons". Buffy the Vampire Slayer Transcripts. Forever Dreaming. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Harrison, Maxine (26 November 2022). "Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddie Prinze Jr's First Date Was Unexpected". Bustle.com. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.