Monster Mash Volume. 2

With Halloween right around the corner what better time to introduce you to my favorite monsters. My hope is to write two posts a week until Halloween, outlining the amazing beasties that have nestled their way into my heart. They will be from books, movies, and TV.

Without further ado, I want to share with you one of my all time favorite Buffy the Vampire episodes, featuring a ghost that I love with all my monster loving heart. <3

The episode is called: I only have eyes for you. Season 2, episode 19. It aired on 04/28/1998. Written by Marti Nixon, and directed by James Whitmore Jr. I have to give these two individuals an extreme amount of credit. The episode was beautifully done- masterfully written and directed. Story telling at its finest. 

Before I dive into this episode, I need to give you a little backstory so that you can understand why it is such a powerful story. 

Buffy-the chosen slayer- has fallen in love with a vampire, Angel. Also known as Angeles. Angel has a reputation of being one of the most brutal, cruel, and blood thirsty vampires...ever. In the Buffy universe, vampires do not have souls. A demon inhabits their bodies, allowing them to commit atrocities without a conscience.

Years ago, Angel made the mistake of killing a young gypsy girl. To punish him, the family cursed him by giving him a soul. With the presence of a soul Angel could feel the horror of the things he had done. He became doomed to live with his regret, feeling anguish over the innocent lives he had taken and the torment he caused. The gypsies wanted him to be punished forever-an eternity of penance. The curse was intended to make him suffer. However, a moment of true happiness would break the curse and remove his soul from his body, returning him to the evil creature that he once was.

Fast forward-Angel and Buffy fall in love. And they do not know that a moment of true happiness will undo the curse. Their romance deepens, one thing leads to another, and they share an evening of passion & intimacy.

He crawls out of bed without her knowing, falls to the ground, and screams as his soul leaves his body. Angeles has returned, evil, violent, merciless. The following episodes are brutal as Buffy realizes the man she loves is now a monster. Angel proceeds to torment and kill those around her, toying with her, drawing it out. Which is his MO. Angel doesn’t just kill his victims. He makes them suffer first. The things that he does are terrible, and the season creates incredible tension as you realize that eventually Buffy will have to kill him.

Buffy’s only interaction with Angel-after she slept with him (and it was her first time, double whammy, no pun intended)- are moments of tension and terror as he is harming her loved ones. The man she loves has disappeared, a demon now wearing his face.

Now that I have painted the picture, let’s dive into the episode. I only have eyes for you is a ghost story. But it is so well done because it masterfully weaves into the current tension between Buffy and Angel.

The poltergeist in question is the ghost of former student James Stanley, from the class of 1955. He and his teacher, Grace Newman, were having an affair. I know...tsk tsk. Buffy dreams of them, and sees visions of their romance, dancing with each other in the music room to a song by The Flamingos-I only have eyes for you.

The couple’s relationship comes to a bloody end. Ms. Newman attempts to end things with James on the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance. This moment is heart wrenching. He is unbelievably distraught.

Grace looks at him, clearly torn. “I just want you to be able to have some kind of normal life. We can never have that, don’t you see?”

James: “I don’t give a damn about a normal life! I’m going crazy not seeing you. I think about you every minute.” He raises a hand to her cheek.

Grace: “I know. But it’s over. It has to be!"

She turns to leave. James chases after her, grabbing her arm. “You don’t care anymore. Is that it?”

Grace responds, sobbing. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what I feel.”

James: “Then tell me you don’t love me. Say it!”

Grace: “Is that what you need to hear? Will that help? I don’t. Now let me go!”

James: “No. A person doesn’t just wake up and stop loving someone.”

Grace looks at James. He takes a step back, pulling a revolver. “Love is forever. I’m not afraid to use it, I swear! If I can’t be with you...” He says, aiming it at her.

“Oh my god.” She whispers. Grace runs from him, out of the hallway onto a balcony.

“Don’t walk away from me Bitch!” He screams, chasing after her. 

“Stop it! Don’t make me!”

Grace stops at the balcony, facing him. “You know you don’t want to do this. Let’s both just...calm down. Give me the gun.” She holds out her hand.

James, still pointing the gun at her: “Don’t. Don’t do that dammit. Don’t talk to me like I’m some stupid...” The gun accidentally goes off. The shot hits Grace in the chest. She stares at him, surprised, and then falls backwards over the railing. She lands on the steps below, blood blossoming across her blouse.

James is frozen in shock. He stares for several moments at the spot where Grace had just been standing. He then walks, slowly, almost dreamlike into the music room. He turns on the record player. The song, I only have eyes for you, fills the small space. There is a mirror on one wall. He gazes into it, his face a pathetic mess of shock and tears. He then raises the gun to his head and pulls the trigger.

This interaction is shown creatively in various stages. Throughout the episode you see fragments of what happened between the couple, but you don’t learn until the end of the episode that he did not mean to shoot her.

The episode starts in present day (1998) and it is the night before the Sadie Hawkins dance. The ghost of James Stanley kicks into gear. He begins possessing people that pass through the hallway where his argument with Ms. Newman occurred in 1955. He takes over the body of a man and a woman and replays the argument. As the argument intensifies, a gun appears in the hand of the man he is possessing. The scenario plays out in full and the phantom gun that appears solidifies into a real weapon, killing the poor girl trapped in the hypnotic playback. As soon as she dies, the man possessed snaps out of it, with no recollection as to what happened (poor guy).

Tensions in the school rise as the spirit of the poltergeist becomes increasingly angry. A teacher giving a lecture inadvertently writes on a chalkboard, “Don’t walk away from me bitch!” The spaghetti served in the cafeteria turns to venomous snakes, attacking the students. And my personal favorite – Xander opens his locker and a decayed zombie arm reaches out, grabbing him by the shirt and repeatedly smashing him into the locker. 

The scooby gang go into research mode. Eventually they learn about the murder/suicide that occurred in 1955. And from the way James continues to possess a man and a woman, forcing them to recite the exact words that he and Grace said all those years ago, the gang determine that he is restless, regretting his actions even in death. The spirit is seeking forgiveness and cannot move on.

Willow finds a spell that should bind the spirit of James Stanley, forcing his malevolence back, inhibiting him from harming anyone else. But the spell goes wonderfully wrong. Paranormal pandemonium ensues, and it is incredibly awesome. My favorite is when the linoleum floor turns into liquid and a pair of arms grab Willow’s ankles and attempt to drag her under. So great. Finally, a cloud of locusts gathers and swarms down the hall, forcing the scooby gang to leave the school.

The malevolent spirit of James Stanley has claimed the High School. The gang has retreated to Buffy’s house to determine their next move. I love the conversation that takes place between Giles and Buffy in this scene. Giles states that the spirit is seeking forgiveness. Buffy is adamant that he does not deserve it. As the audience, we understand her point of view. She is clearly projecting her situation with Angel onto the deceased couple.

Giles says, “To forgive is an act of compassion Buffy. It’s-Its...it’s not done because people deserve it. It’s done because they need it.

Buffy: “No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment of blind passion. And that’s not something you forgive. No matter why he did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and selfish and stupid, it is just something he’s gonna have to live with.”

Xander: “He can’t live with it, Buff. He’s dead.”

Buffy storms out of the room, retreating into the kitchen, alone. And this is where the most amazing genius perfect wonderfulness of the episode happens. Buffy becomes compelled by the spirit of James Stanley. The spirit identifies with her. Why? I think because he senses her pain. The fact that someone she loved has hurt her, deeply. He senses her unwillingness to forgive, her anger. Buffy returns to the school, under the thrall of the spirit.

As does Angel.

He shows up, with an intent to harm her. The two of them meet in the ill-fated hallway. And then they both become possessed by the ghosts of James and Grace. BUT HERE IS THE BEST PART. James possesses Buffy. And Grace possesses Angel.

Think of the scene earlier, the one that took place in 1955. And now add that to what you know of Angel and Buffy. The fact that Buffy cannot speak to the man she loves because of the monster that has taken over. Finally, Finally, they speak, and the emotions pour out of them both. Yes, it is under the influence of deceased spirits...but the pain, the turmoil of being separated from someone you love, the anguish...it’s all the same and extremely relevant to their current situation.

When Angel walks away and Buffy screams, “Don’t walk away from me, Bitch!” Tears streaming down her face, her hand shaking around the gun. Damn. 

Angel runs to the balcony, mimicking the actions of Grace exactly. Buffy follows. The scene plays out, resulting in Buffy shooting Angel in the chest. Angel tumbles over the railing, landing on the stairs, motionless. As the scene unfolds, the camera is cleverly switching from the James and Grace in 1955 and then cutting to the present with Angel and Buffy. The editing is superb, and the effect is powerful.

After Angel goes over the railing, Buffy walks into the music room, still under the influence of the ghost. She looks into the mirror, and slowly raises the gun to her temple. And then, before she can pull the trigger, Angel arrives, stopping her just in time. He is still possessed by Grace.

What follows is a touching display of brilliance by the writer and director. James and Grace speak to each other from beyond the grave. James apologizes again and again, devastated by his actions. Grace forgives him and the two kiss. And damn...the kiss is so amazing. Your heart is singing for the deceased couple, finally reunited in their love and forgiveness, and for Buffy and Angel because as a fan of the show, you know their love transcends the current evil that surrounds it. Bright light appears above them as the kiss deepens, a symbol that the souls of James and Grace are now free. 

I love so many things about this story. One of the things that I greatly appreciate is the way the roles of the ghosts are transposed at the end to Buffy and Angel, with James possessing her and Grace possessing him. I love this for two reasons.

1.) Its effective and powerful. James identifies with Buffy and watching her express her pain and turmoil to Angel is heart wrenching. 2). It’s fucking brilliant. In the previous segments that showed James possessing people, the result was always the same. The woman dies, just as Grace does. This results in his continued torment, as he acts out a murder he never intended to commit. But the fact that the roles are transposed, and Angel is now Grace, is hugely significant. He is a vampire. A gunshot wound won’t kill him. Because of this, Angel is able to get up and walk into the music room, stopping Buffy (James) from committing suicide. Thus, allowing the couple to achieve reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace.

The other reason I love this story is because it finally allows Buffy to talk to Angel. Again, since he lost his soul and became evil, the man she loves is gone. There is no comfort. No closure. Her pain is so acute and raw, without a window of hope, without an opportunity to speak to the person she once loved. It’s so shitty. And this is shown directly after the blazing light erupts above them. As the ghosts depart, Angel and Buffy return to themselves while still locked in a kiss. Buffy looks up at him and whispers, “Angel?”

Angel immediately breaks away, snarling. He shoves her, roughly, and leaves. Buffy sits down, stunned, her face showing the range of emotions swirling within her heart. It’s like you can actually see her crumple in on herself with despair. Again...damn.

And this is why I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer so much. Yes, it has cheesy moments, and can be campy at times. That contributes to its charm, in my opinion. But the writing and directing on some of these original stories, is just so good! And they are incredibly original. James and Grace are well rounded characters, their story is well developed and real. The directing and editing are phenomenal. The acting by SMG and DB is amazing. And this story has so much impact to the overall arch of the story and the characters.

If you haven’t seen this episode, go watch it immediately! All episodes of BTVS can be found on Hulu. <3 I hope you enjoyed this post. In the next Monster Mash, I will talk about one of my favorite original monsters from the show, Supernatural.

Stay weird! And if you would like to read my debut novel, Dark Touch, it is available through the B&N website! 
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-touch-elle-lewis/1129755237?ean=9781684331765