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Sometimes, even for the Slayer, a prom is just a prom.
Thats actually the whole point.
Really, its the central conflict of the shows high-school years as a whole.
But theres a reason this episode specifically is so beloved.
It was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Theres something about it that really stuck with people, he said.
The episode pivots the show toShes All Thatterritory, where there isnothingmore important than a school dance.
Thats part of what makes the familiar heartbreak in The Prom all the more relevant.
How telling that Buffy describes her heartache as something fatal.
Im just trying to keep from dying, she tells her best friend, Willow, through sobs.
I cant breathe, Will.
I feel like I cant breathe.
Buffy dispatches the hellhounds with ease, allowing her friends to have the prom they deserve.
Its a stunning moment, followed immediately by Angels surprise arrival at the prom.
It all comes down to stakes.
Its a lot easier to worry about the latest demon onslaught when you care about the would-be victims.
And yet none of these shows ever let the audience forget that these are teenagers with everyday teenage concerns.
One day Archie is recovering from a mauling; the next, hes stressing about the SATs.
As Angel tells Buffy in The Prom, You deserve something outside of demons and darkness.
And yetBuffyalways allowed for hope, infusing even its darkest stretches with moments of humor and joy.
I had no idea, he says, that children, en masse, could be gracious.
