Angel Vs. Dracula

In response to Sydney's post, I think it is really great to have people who aren't Buffy-obsessed in our class because it reminds us that Buffy wouldn't be the brilliance that it is without the texts that it is derived from. Watching Buffy Vs. Dracula, now that I have read Dracula (I knew the folk lore surrounding Dracula prior but had never read the novel) was much more fulfilling and made me appreciate Buffy as a show even more. That being said, I want to use my post to explore things that are, well, literary, but mostly based on the show.

I want to talk a little bit about relationships between vampires and slayers. Sure, Dracula has a sexual thrall over all women (Lucy, Anya and Willow are examples) but there is something deeper when he envokes his thrall over a slayer. Buffy is able to break out of Dracula's, but this episode is very reminiscent of Buffy's relationship with Angel. In the 4th season episode "Restless" we begin to see the source of a slayers power, and how her strength is derived from a demon from the very beginning, and she is tied to the darkness more than she knows. Dracula sees this and points it out, but we also have this pointed out earlier in the series by Faith. Faith is overcome by the power and by the darkness, contrary to Buffy, but Faith importantly points out that Buffy is under a sort of thrall with Angel, and attributes this to Buffy's craving for darkness that she doesn't release elsewhere. While Faith lets her darkness show, Buffy supresses it. Now, I recognize that Angel is "good" but he is also dark and broody and sort of pathetic, like Dracula. He follows Buffy, and in the beginning of the series, plays the role of teacher to Buffy the pupil. Buffy's friends make comments in the third season about how she can't help but lie when it comes to Angel, and that she will always protect him. Though that is not a gypsy thrall, it demonstrates the sexuality between slayer and slayee. In "Buffy Vs. Dracula" we see Dracula take this role, contrary to Angel, and later in the series, we see it with Spike as Buffy finds she has demon and undead-ness in her and can't be protected from his chip. It is like Buffy is attracted to the paradox of the unknown mixed with what is a huge part of her. It makes me wonder if there is a similar paradox in Stoker's novel. Does Lucy perhaps have darkness inside of her? And what in Lucy draws Dracula, the teacher, to her? Is it her romantic notions of life? Does he want to show her that she can be powerful through her sexuality and rather than cry over the three men who love her, she should use it to her advantage? It seems a little far fetched, but it makes sense with the idea of turning her into a glam vamp to teach her a lesson.

To bring it back to the book, I want to talk about eyes. In the book, Dracula has red eyes, and in the show they are piercingly blue, but either way, the writers make a point to say that his eyes are both frightening and entrancing to his victims. For my final thoughts, I want to ask you all, what do you think the significance of this is? We know the significance of blood and the ceremonial removal of the head (or mind) to stop evil, but what is the power of eyes? Perhaps a play on seeing is believing, a little gothic play on the suspension of disbelief? Or perhaps it is just saying that when you make eye contact with someone, you feel an instant connection, be it positive or negative, and that connection sticks with you, like it stuck with Lucy when she saw the sunset in the man's eyes and was afraid it was Dracula.