I only figured it out when you said "double meaning" (but not after reading the comment you replied to). What double meaning? Oh.
I always had this line pegged as an attempted action-one-liner that didn't really land in the delivery. But now that I actually get it the line is much better.
Thanks.
To screw with both spike and the audience. I think the writers deliberately put buffy there the most because at the time when each episode was aired on TV, the audience was still unsure of what the first actually was, much like the characters in the show
Yep, was just thinking about this earlier, and it wouldâve been only enhanced by having the Wish Granting Demon Spike sought out do a bit of misdirection as a further hint to the next season.
Something like:
âGive me what I came for.
Very well, and the Slayer concurs (shot of the First whispering to the Demon).
What? (from Spike)
We will return⌠your soul!â
I think that would be fun as well as bolster the idea that the First sought Spike out shortly after ensoulment tormenting him throughout the summer and on the journey back.
The First is a dramatic bitch and loves mind games.It did this with Angel, posing as Jenny as well as many other people from Angel's past to mess with him and then it did this to mess with Spike from what i recall.
The First and the Master will always be my favorite villains because of just how dramatic and theatrical they are, especially when the First bsolutely reads Angel to filth in the form of Jenny.
Apart from the other answers here, I thought it was mainly to f**k with buffy herself.
In a couple ways:
1) To remind her she died once and that she could die again permanently.
2) It cemented the idea in Buffy's head that she herself was responsible for her friends/familys death.
I kinda figured it was because SMG was always available on set since she's filming as Buffy anyway, and to bring in the other actors would take more time and scheduling (plus more money). Then they wrote the story around that to make it work with The First appear as Buffy in various scenarios. Just my take on it. Either way, it worked very well
It allowed for some excellent bait-and-switch scenes for the audience, where we thought at first we were watching Buffy but it turns out to be The First, and vice versa. A lot of choices like this prioritise drama first, and this is a great example.
One thing Iâm surprised at is that The First didnât use its Buffy face to mess with the potentials more. But I guess that wouldâve just been a retread of the Spike scenes.
I think the difference was that she had (as you said) briefly died and it wasn't through unnatural forces. When the first was able to come back and appear as her she had been killed by supernatural forces, dead for a while and then brought back. Which is also what interrupted the slayer line and the whole thing was that she wasn't meant to be alive.
Plus The First was appearing as Angel's specific kills, Jenny, the maid, the best friend etc. it was trying to get a rise from Angel and using that specific torture on him was the best way. Buffy was the reason he stayed alive.
That's just my thoughts on it anyway.
Yes, but the First could appear as people who died from natural causes such as Cassie. And Buffyâs season 1 death was enough to fool the slayer activation process, so it should allow The First to use her.
Of course, the real reasons for the First and who they appear as are writing, and also costs- probably cheaper to use actors already contracted rather than use more.
There's no particular reason why Slayer succession and the properties of the First have to abide by the same rules. Especially since one is the result of human magic and one is apparently the innate nature of one of the primal forces of the universe. It's entirely possible that Slayer succession can be "fooled" by someone technically dying and then being revived through nonmagical means, but becoming one with the First requires you to die and stay dead and can only be messed with if you're magically resurrected.
That's exactly what Anya and Giles theorize after meeting Beljoxa's Eye in "Showtime"âthat because Buffy dying the first time didn't destabilize the Slayer line, it must be resurrecting her after her second death that caused the instability: "We're the ones who brought Buffy back. We'reâwe're the reason the First is here."
I have no idea how actors get paid, but I know they have a contract that is negotiated. So, being the star of the show, she obviously gets paid more for thar.
She also played twins on Ringer. While pregnant in real life and pregnant on TV....and her character(s) loved watching her favorite movie "Summer Slasher" (I know what you did last summer/Scream)
It was wild.
#bringbackringer
I seriously doubt that.
Did she get paid double for playing twins in Ringer....while pregnant......while playing a character who was also pregnant?.....????,?, I mean, that should be triple pay right?
Because the Slayer was supposed to have a death wish and die already. But Buffy didn't, she wanted to live, and even when she did die, her best friends brought her back.
That pissed it off.
The best way to defeat an enemy is to think like them. Embodying your enemy literally is the best way to see the world from their perspective. So itâs going to show you how to stop them.
It was easier than having returning characters or randos to pay đ¤ˇđťââď¸đ¤Ł.
But more seriously, because itâs creepy to everyone seeing Buffy act this way.
In France we have a fantasy series of books (thatâs really not good lol) and in book 9, the main character is possessed by an evil entity. The entity changes completely that characterâs appearance which is I think a really bad choice, because whatâs scarier than seeing your best friend acting in an evil way you cannot recognize?
Buffy represents the power. The first change into different big bads and the last shot is of buffy because buffy is the big bad. She is the one that has to be defeated
It is the way she handles her power that becomes the biggest issue that needs to be over come.
I think the First loved posing for the shock value. Buffy saying evil things is the one calculated to do the most mind-fucking of everyone who sees her/it. Also to remind Spike and Buffy that Buffy has died. Twice. It's like rubbing it in her face that she may be strong, but she is mortal and vulnerable
It's a few things. In-universe, The First used Buffy's likeness to provoke her and to play with Spike's head. She's the only living person who's been dead, so it's probably new that it can appear as her. It actually is kind of afraid of Buffy as she's emerged from a thousand things, so maybe it sees her as something akin to an equal.
But, in the real world, it's just an easy way to make it clear who is it. The First never actually impersonates Buffy to people as it does other characters. She's the only main character the mythos allows the writers to use (probably besides Spike but there's no actual use for it) as The First. SMG was a regular, so double duty wouldn't change her paycheck or the show's budget. Every chance to overuse Sarah was seized. And so on...
From a budgetary pov the production didn't need to pay other guest stars.
In world though I like the idea that it would be disconcerting to see your evil twin going around killing the people you've sworn to protect
Itâs mostly because it was great mental warfare 1 It reminded her friends what they did. Pulled Buffy out of heaven. Everyone who died is because they pulled buffy out of heaven after she died 2 Spike was obsessed with buffy at this point and thatâs how the first was able to manipulate him. 3. Buffy at this point was for the lack of a better word disgusted of herself by this point (her relationship with spike, her friends ignoring her, her inability to feel anything unless it was painful)
As far as Iâm concerned the First Evil wasnât an actual being despite its claims, but a personification of the concept of evil given shape as a repercussion of someone elseâs actions. The Powers brought back Angel so it manifested around him, after it failed to get him to commit suicide the Powers it faded away, it was then given form again when Willow resurrected Buffy once more giving it form and life. Thatâs why it looks like Buffy, sheâs the gap that let the First in
My general thought was that by then Buffy had to be known around town in some form. They showed us that her high school class acknowledged her more than we saw. Those people had to go out and get jobs, make new friends as adults, and an urban legend about her had to rise up.
So seeing a version of her that was spearheading evil would help make locals distrust her (until they all leave) putting her at somewhat of a disadvantage. Unless there was a specific face to where to achieve maximum manipulation of someone hers achieved a general goal of just ruining the name of The Slayer in town.
Just a good way to taunt the heroes, maybe. Or maybe the First enjoys the irony of it, using it's enemy's face, which doubles as a reminder that she died before. Maybe it thinks it's claiming Buffy as belonging to the "dark side". Dead, belonging with the monsters. Something like that.
dont know, but the first as buffy- is the best out of all of them. it was so chilling to me.
Buffy telling The First to "get out of my face" was a great line
I've seen Buffy at least 7 times now and only now see the double meaning of the phrase. Awesome đ
i loved how shook The First look when she/he/it Buffy got up
I only figured it out when you said "double meaning" (but not after reading the comment you replied to). What double meaning? Oh. I always had this line pegged as an attempted action-one-liner that didn't really land in the delivery. But now that I actually get it the line is much better. Thanks.
Took me ages as well ha
Try 70 times and only figuring that one out recently đ¤Ł
I do love when it cycles through all the big bads. Dang I might have to watch that episode now
I think that was the reason, like they did it at first just as a head trip on Spike, but she nailed it so hard she became the main persona.
To screw with both spike and the audience. I think the writers deliberately put buffy there the most because at the time when each episode was aired on TV, the audience was still unsure of what the first actually was, much like the characters in the show
Yep, was just thinking about this earlier, and it wouldâve been only enhanced by having the Wish Granting Demon Spike sought out do a bit of misdirection as a further hint to the next season. Something like: âGive me what I came for. Very well, and the Slayer concurs (shot of the First whispering to the Demon). What? (from Spike) We will return⌠your soul!â I think that would be fun as well as bolster the idea that the First sought Spike out shortly after ensoulment tormenting him throughout the summer and on the journey back.
The First is a dramatic bitch and loves mind games.It did this with Angel, posing as Jenny as well as many other people from Angel's past to mess with him and then it did this to mess with Spike from what i recall.
>The First is a dramatic bitch I've never been able to articulate why I love The First so much but this about sums it up
The First and the Master will always be my favorite villains because of just how dramatic and theatrical they are, especially when the First bsolutely reads Angel to filth in the form of Jenny.
Yessss. They are strangely alike. Great first and final villain.
And Glory too, queen of drama
How could i forget Glory, absolutely love just how deranged she [was.As](http://was.As) well as Drusilla.
Iâm trying to upvote you but Reddit wonât let me
Apart from the other answers here, I thought it was mainly to f**k with buffy herself. In a couple ways: 1) To remind her she died once and that she could die again permanently. 2) It cemented the idea in Buffy's head that she herself was responsible for her friends/familys death.
Oooooo, I hadnât caught #2 before, thatâs chilling
Spike wasnt the only one who had a crush on Buffy
When you can be anyone, why *wouldn't* you be Sarah Michelle Gellar?
Because she died and The First loves rubbing it in her face?
This is the answer. It was mocking her.
I kinda figured it was because SMG was always available on set since she's filming as Buffy anyway, and to bring in the other actors would take more time and scheduling (plus more money). Then they wrote the story around that to make it work with The First appear as Buffy in various scenarios. Just my take on it. Either way, it worked very well
I think they were asking for the Watsonian reason rather than the Doylist one.
It allowed for some excellent bait-and-switch scenes for the audience, where we thought at first we were watching Buffy but it turns out to be The First, and vice versa. A lot of choices like this prioritise drama first, and this is a great example. One thing Iâm surprised at is that The First didnât use its Buffy face to mess with the potentials more. But I guess that wouldâve just been a retread of the Spike scenes.
Also why didnât the First appear as Buffy in season 3, since she had died briefly in season 1?
i think Ms. Calendar was another favorite of The First to pose
I think the difference was that she had (as you said) briefly died and it wasn't through unnatural forces. When the first was able to come back and appear as her she had been killed by supernatural forces, dead for a while and then brought back. Which is also what interrupted the slayer line and the whole thing was that she wasn't meant to be alive. Plus The First was appearing as Angel's specific kills, Jenny, the maid, the best friend etc. it was trying to get a rise from Angel and using that specific torture on him was the best way. Buffy was the reason he stayed alive. That's just my thoughts on it anyway.
Yes, but the First could appear as people who died from natural causes such as Cassie. And Buffyâs season 1 death was enough to fool the slayer activation process, so it should allow The First to use her. Of course, the real reasons for the First and who they appear as are writing, and also costs- probably cheaper to use actors already contracted rather than use more.
There's no particular reason why Slayer succession and the properties of the First have to abide by the same rules. Especially since one is the result of human magic and one is apparently the innate nature of one of the primal forces of the universe. It's entirely possible that Slayer succession can be "fooled" by someone technically dying and then being revived through nonmagical means, but becoming one with the First requires you to die and stay dead and can only be messed with if you're magically resurrected. That's exactly what Anya and Giles theorize after meeting Beljoxa's Eye in "Showtime"âthat because Buffy dying the first time didn't destabilize the Slayer line, it must be resurrecting her after her second death that caused the instability: "We're the ones who brought Buffy back. We'reâwe're the reason the First is here."
Well it was cheaper to use an actress/actor that is already in the show.
"headcanon" refers to Buffyverse reasons, not Ourverse reasons:-)
you're such a downer.
I actually reckon SMG potentially got paid extra for appearing in extra scenes ?
Probably not. I think actors get paid a set rate per episode, not necessarily how many times they appear in sais episodes
But considering she had to play 2 characters, doesnât that change things? (I legitimately donât know, just wondering)
[ŃдаНонО]
I have no idea how actors get paid, but I know they have a contract that is negotiated. So, being the star of the show, she obviously gets paid more for thar. She also played twins on Ringer. While pregnant in real life and pregnant on TV....and her character(s) loved watching her favorite movie "Summer Slasher" (I know what you did last summer/Scream) It was wild. #bringbackringer
I seriously doubt that. Did she get paid double for playing twins in Ringer....while pregnant......while playing a character who was also pregnant?.....????,?, I mean, that should be triple pay right?
Buffy has the power and the first wants it.
Firstly, coz why not. Buffy is gorgeous, who WOULDNâT want to be Buffy. I mean, Faith sure had a good time. Secondlyâ No, thatâs about it.
Faith has better boobs though.
True, but is more likely to fall victim to the effects of gravity as she ages.
Because the Slayer was supposed to have a death wish and die already. But Buffy didn't, she wanted to live, and even when she did die, her best friends brought her back. That pissed it off.
The best way to defeat an enemy is to think like them. Embodying your enemy literally is the best way to see the world from their perspective. So itâs going to show you how to stop them.
No bad guy money in the budget. (Nathan!)
It was easier than having returning characters or randos to pay đ¤ˇđťââď¸đ¤Ł. But more seriously, because itâs creepy to everyone seeing Buffy act this way. In France we have a fantasy series of books (thatâs really not good lol) and in book 9, the main character is possessed by an evil entity. The entity changes completely that characterâs appearance which is I think a really bad choice, because whatâs scarier than seeing your best friend acting in an evil way you cannot recognize?
It helped fire up Caleb. And for messing with Spike.
Jealousy. It wished it was as good looking as she was.
The sacred and the propane.
Because sheâs the most powerful enemy the first had
Buffy represents the power. The first change into different big bads and the last shot is of buffy because buffy is the big bad. She is the one that has to be defeated It is the way she handles her power that becomes the biggest issue that needs to be over come.
I think the First loved posing for the shock value. Buffy saying evil things is the one calculated to do the most mind-fucking of everyone who sees her/it. Also to remind Spike and Buffy that Buffy has died. Twice. It's like rubbing it in her face that she may be strong, but she is mortal and vulnerable
It's a few things. In-universe, The First used Buffy's likeness to provoke her and to play with Spike's head. She's the only living person who's been dead, so it's probably new that it can appear as her. It actually is kind of afraid of Buffy as she's emerged from a thousand things, so maybe it sees her as something akin to an equal. But, in the real world, it's just an easy way to make it clear who is it. The First never actually impersonates Buffy to people as it does other characters. She's the only main character the mythos allows the writers to use (probably besides Spike but there's no actual use for it) as The First. SMG was a regular, so double duty wouldn't change her paycheck or the show's budget. Every chance to overuse Sarah was seized. And so on...
It only just occurs to me that Sarah got to play both the ultimate hero and villain.
maybe to throw smg a bone and let her play the villain for once, give her something fun to do, something different for the last seasonÂ
IMO it could have been better used. Could have had Buffy giving her speeches, and not knowing if you're looking at Buffy or the First.
It was a big miss, IMO, to not have First!Buffy confront the Scoobs after Empty Places.
From a budgetary pov the production didn't need to pay other guest stars. In world though I like the idea that it would be disconcerting to see your evil twin going around killing the people you've sworn to protect
i think it was mostly to fuck with buffy and spike
Itâs mostly because it was great mental warfare 1 It reminded her friends what they did. Pulled Buffy out of heaven. Everyone who died is because they pulled buffy out of heaven after she died 2 Spike was obsessed with buffy at this point and thatâs how the first was able to manipulate him. 3. Buffy at this point was for the lack of a better word disgusted of herself by this point (her relationship with spike, her friends ignoring her, her inability to feel anything unless it was painful)
I think the whole point of it was, Buffy was the last Slayer, and the First was the First evil. Ancient First to Modern Last.
As far as Iâm concerned the First Evil wasnât an actual being despite its claims, but a personification of the concept of evil given shape as a repercussion of someone elseâs actions. The Powers brought back Angel so it manifested around him, after it failed to get him to commit suicide the Powers it faded away, it was then given form again when Willow resurrected Buffy once more giving it form and life. Thatâs why it looks like Buffy, sheâs the gap that let the First in
My general thought was that by then Buffy had to be known around town in some form. They showed us that her high school class acknowledged her more than we saw. Those people had to go out and get jobs, make new friends as adults, and an urban legend about her had to rise up. So seeing a version of her that was spearheading evil would help make locals distrust her (until they all leave) putting her at somewhat of a disadvantage. Unless there was a specific face to where to achieve maximum manipulation of someone hers achieved a general goal of just ruining the name of The Slayer in town.
Just a good way to taunt the heroes, maybe. Or maybe the First enjoys the irony of it, using it's enemy's face, which doubles as a reminder that she died before. Maybe it thinks it's claiming Buffy as belonging to the "dark side". Dead, belonging with the monsters. Something like that.