Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Pangs
Spike really condenses modern American guilt over Thanksgiving into a sentence or two and takes us to task for politically correct sentimentalism. This episode is one of the classic “monster of the week” episodes of the early seasons of the sci-fi dramedy. In this case, the week’s “monster” is the spirit of an aboriginal Chumash tribesman and a lot of cliche “Indian” references ensue. Though as Willow points out, the correct term is Native American. (It is also the origin of Xander’s “funny syphilis.”) Willow is the voice of political sensitivity and historical accuracy throughout the episode, though in the end the spirit is eventually slain. (After all, it’s not Buffy the Defender of Native Peoples.) There are some really funny Spike moments and a lot of exploration of his soon to be changing role in the group. The whole reason the gang is celebrating together in the first place is because Buffy’s mom is going to be out of town, which she is resentful about, and presumably the rest of the group has largely absent biological families. They are their own family — a sentiment that a lot of us have adopted as we’ve started to create our own Thanksgiving traditions.
