How exactly did the Scoobies defeat the demon? He congratulates them because they “beat the bad guy,” but I didn’t catch what they did.
Vanquished him through the power of love and friendship?
…
I always took it as satire along the same lines as the rest of the episode, which had been spoofing the “we have real problems but since narrative convention demands we wrap it up, into the closet they go!” conceit. Like Anya and Xander singing about their (very real and problematic) communication issues, and then falling into pillows and giggles at the end of the song. “Well, you didn’t really do anything to fix the problem, but it’s the end of the episode, so off I go!”
I always thought that it was that Sweet was straight ( :dubious: ) and didn’t want to take Xander as his bride, so he went back to his Kingdom and waited for someone with good skin and perky boobs to summon him.
Also; he seemed satisfied that he’d caused enough mayhem already. And besides, why stick around a Hellmouth? He was a big enough fish didn’t need to bother with the competition, or deal with the annoyance of a pesky Slayer trying to cut him every week.
Agree with lola, and add to it that rather than face down a Slayer and two powerful witches by himself Sweet availed himself of the better part of valor. After all he didn’t ever exhibit any real power beyond being able to make people break into production numbers; heads up against Buffy, Willow and Tara he didn’t look to stand much of a chance.
Well, he DID almost kill Buffy via Dance Overload. That was his best chance to make his mark by getting rid of a Slayer. Once that failed, yeah, there wasn’t really much more point to sticking around.
I doubt very much he left because of the power of love and friendship. He looked distinctly satisfied when Buffy announced she had been in Heaven and everybody looked devastated. I figured he knew he wreaked all the havoc that could be wreaked, and left the group in emotional shambles…
I agree with pepperlandgirl. Sweet accomplished what he hoped to accomplished, more or less. If he couldn’t kill Buffy, he could just leave her totally ineffective and isolated from her support base.
I cling desperately to my not-entirely-justifiable belief that Xander was in fact just covering up for Dawn and her little shoplifting problem, because that seems so much less silly.
- Daphne
Before Season 7’s “Selfless,” you might have had a shot. But there, in a flashback to the night of OMWF, we see Xander asleep and mumbling “Just… wanted… happy… ending…”
Since this happens BEFORE he and the gang meet Sweet, he would have had no idea about having to cover for Dawn. Ergo, Xander was the one that summoned Sweet.
Rick:
Or it was the writers trying to cover up. Occam’s razor.
You’re not alone, DaphneBlack, no matter how much Bricker tries to harsh our buzz.
:dubious:
You mean aside from the guy that danced until he spontaneously combusted?
That’s possible without magic?
I gotta stop exercising…
As a result of being made to break into a production number.
And all of you claiming that Xander didn’t summon Sweet are deluding yourselves.
I was mostly kidding with my first response, so here’s my real response:
Are you saying that Sweet’s only power was making people break out into song and dance, and the fact that they burst into flames was none of his doing?
Again, with the :dubious: .
Well, it has been established that Xander ‘sees’ things. Obviously, Xander is a latent clairovoyant, and was dreaming of his adventual taking of the fall for Dawn.
It’s sort of ambiguous. First of all, his intent seemed to be, as many people stated, to mess with the crew more than destroy anyone. When Buffy confronts him, she challenges him to kill her, which he nearly does at the end of “Something to Sing About” until Spike stops her combustion dance.
Willow scares him with her “powers”, but ultimately it was Xander’s confession, and Sweet’s (not his real name, BTW) acknowledgement that he didsn’t want Xander to be his Queen:
Hence my favorite line in the show–Giles singing “the battle’s done, and we kinda won.”
A little anticlimactic, but I suppose it’s better than one of the Scoobies bursting into flame.
Sweet’s last song explains his reasons for leaving, as well…
What a lot of fun
You guys have been real swell
And there’s not a one
Who can say this ended well
All those secrets you’ve been concealing
Say you’re happy now,
Once more with feeling.
Now I gotta run
See you all…
In hell!
What I’m saying is that Sweet’s power was to impose the production numbers, and that the end result of that power is sometimes, but not always, the combustion of the performer.
Clearly not everyone afflicted by Sweet combusts, otherwise the entire cast would have gone up in the first five minutes. There is no real indication whether the combustion is random or whether Sweet has the ability to impose it. The closest we see to on-screen evidence that Sweet can force his victim to combust is when Buffy almost goes up, but considering that she at that point has a death wish and considering that she with Spike and Dawn’s help was able to overcome it, it’s unclear that Sweet’s power includes the ability to spark the fire.
Don’t forget the first guy we see burst into flames after dancing. Sweet’s standing right there. “That’s entertainment,” he says.
I think it’s fairly clear that Sweet’s the one choosing who gets enough jitterbug juice to burst into flames. I can’t see why the writers would want to misdirect us on this one; besides, it’s less about Sweet than it is about everyone dealing with their inner (and semi-outer) turmoils.
I don’t think so, Skip. Sweet says “some people” end up combusting. I think it is all based on internal rage, strength, guilt, karma, something other than Sweet. He just brings in the song…what happens next depends on the people involved. Personally, I tend towards the guilt explanation. That would explain Buffy, and who knows what the first guy was guilty of.