What would Joyce have thought about?

[Silver]

Recently I watched the death of Joyce again, real heart ripper. But I got around to thinking what if Joyce had lived?

How she have reacted to the death of Buffy? And secondly to Willow and the gang bringing Buffy back?

Even though Joyce never really accepted Buffy's nocturnal escapades against the vampires and demons she did love her. I think that she would have laid a lot of the blame on Giles. Then some blame on Xander and Willow for not stopping her getting into the fight with Glory and co. Finally, there may have some anger and hatred against Dawn because she was the key.

As for when Buffy came back, I can't think of much accept that she would have freaked out big time, and not accept that it was possible.

Any other ideas on how Joyce would have reacted?

[Tea - Total]

I think as a mother she would be proud that her daughter sacrificed herself and saved the world and her sister. But as for bringing back Buffy would she like Buffy alive, i think she would.

[PJ]

Jul 6, 2010 18:25:19 GMT -5 SOMNAMBULIST 2.0 said:

This is a good question. If she did live, I think she would have reacted like you said; angry at Dawn for causing Buffy's death, since that's human, though she would still love her. There is many things that would have had to change if Joyce hadn't died.

i do not agree with this. Joyce would have been no where near being angry with Dawn. It was not her fault that she was the key, and that Buffy took her life instead of Dawn.
I think that Joyce would have been more angry with the gang for brininging Buffy back. She would have been in complete grief for the loss of Buffy, but she would have been more upset to get her back and in the state she was in at first, i don't think Joyce could have handled seeing her like that.

[Silver]

I agree that she would have been angry with the gang because she would have thoughtthat they could have kept out if trouble. But i still feel she would have been angry with Dawn even if she did love her, don't forget by this time Joyce knew that Dawn was not hers, infact not real in the human sense nad so saw her as the reason. I agree that Joyce would have been really proud of her daughter, she sactrificed her life admittedly more for Dawn than the human race in this case, making her more the target for vented anger. My problem is that I never found Joyce to be the most rational of characters.

[PJ]

Still, think of the reason WHY Buffy sacrifised herself. Not just to save the world, but to save Dawn. Throughout the whole season we saw how much Buffy cared for Dawn, and I think Joyce loves her just the same. I would hope that Joyce would care for Dawn more than Buffy, and look how much Buffy cared for Dawn.

[tkts]

Jul 7, 2010 18:34:37 GMT -5 PJ said:

Throughout the whole season we saw how much Buffy cared for Dawn, and I think Joyce loves her just the same.

I agree. Even though she knows Dawn was only recently created, she remembers being her mother for 14 years.

Which is why this line has always bothered me:

"I have to know that you'll take care of her, that you'll keep her safe. That you'll love her like I love you."

I think it should have been written to end "like I love both of you," or "like I do," or something to that effect, to avoid the inequality in Joyce's feelings for her daughters that can be inferred (depending on how you interpret it).

Getting back to the original question, I think Joyce's biggest reaction to Buffy's death -- beyond extreme sadness, obviously -- would have been guilt. Not just the normal survivors' guilt, but I think Joyce would feel that if anyone were to die to save Dawn, it should have been her -- the mother, not the sister.

If she were to direct anger at anyone, it would most likely be Giles, the father figure who, it could easily be argued, led Buffy down the path that eventually led to her death. (Remember her reaction to Buffy being AWOL at the beginning of Season 3.)

As for her reaction to Buffy's resurrection, I think she would be deeply concerned, but also overjoyed to have her back.

[Tea - Total]

Joyce reaction was a surprised to me and that speech when she stated to Buffy that she has to protect her, only that Dawn was fake but her memories of dawn felt real so basically Joyce obviously cared for Dawn and aware of Dawn situations as the key, so she would aware of any kind of situation and she knew that protecting Dawn came consequence.

JOYCE: She's ... she does belong to us, though.
BUFFY: Yes, she does.
JOYCE: And she's important. To the world. Precious. As precious as you are to me.
JOYCE: Then we have to take care of her. Buffy, promise me. If anything happens, if I don't come through this-
BUFFY: Mom-
JOYCE: No, listen to me. No matter what she is, she still feels like my daughter. I have to know that you'll take care of her, that you'll keep her safe. That you'll love her like I love you.
BUFFY: I promise.
JOYCE: Good. Good.

[Scarygothgirl]

As for her reaction when the guys bring her back, I think it would be sort of like at the end of season two where she tells Buffy never to come back if she does go off to save the world and everntually wishes she never had done. It would be sort of like that in the way that she'd be incredibly angry for the way they tamper with the natural order of things, but would everntually give in to how happy she is to have her daugter back.

I don't think she owuld have been angry at Dawn, I think she would have understood that Buffy did it to save Dawn and everyone else, and that without her sacrifice the world would have ended.

[buffyfan21]

I don't think Joyce would have really liked the idea of Buffy's friends trying to bring her back. She was never much for the supernatural side of Buffy's life, preferring instead to go on treating her daughter as normally as possible. As painful as it would no doubt be for her, I think ultimately Joyce would want Buffy free from that life, because as her mother, Joyce would know how hard it was on Buffy, and what a toll it took on her day in and day out. She would want her daughter to finally be at peace. That said, I think that if Joyce had been alive when the gang succeeded in resurrecting Buffy, she, like everyone else, would have been over the moon with indescribable joy and happiness. Her indifference to and dislike of supernatural forces wouldn't have stopped her from being glad her daughter was alive and well.

It's interesting to think about how the events of S6 would have played out had Joyce not died. How would she have reacted to Buffy's death? Would Buffy still have carried on an affair with Spike in S6? I think things would have played out so differently had she still been in the picture.

Whomever said they think she would have blamed Giles, I agree with this. She did that once in S3 and I could easily see her falling back into that pattern again. After all, her daughter has just died, she would need someone to blame, why not Giles? Not saying it's right or that I agree, just saying I think it's what she would do. She did see Giles as the catalyst for "making Buffy who she is" after all.

One thing I don't agree with, though, is that Joyce would blame Dawn. No way no how do I see this happening. Besides, how was it even Dawn's fault? She was the victim. Joyce loved Dawn and finding out about her true origins didn't change Joyce's feelings. No way she would place the burden of blame on her youngest daughter.