Joyce Summers
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Joyce Summers (1958-2001) is a fictional character played by Kristine Sutherland on the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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[edit] Character History
In Los Angeles, as Joyce experiences marital discord with her husband, Hank, their daughter Buffy informs them that she has been chosen as the Slayer, and that her destiny is to fight demons. Joyce and Hank, concerned about their daughters mental health, place Buffy in a psych ward. She is soon released, and the matter is never revisited. Joyce's marital problems continue, and Buffy later notes that she believes that her father was unfaithful ("Conversations with Dead People"). Buffy begins to get into more trouble, culminating in an event where Buffy burns down the Hemery High School gymnasium. Buffy is expelled from school, and Joyce moves with her to Sunnydale for a fresh start after she and Hank divorce.
[edit] Sunnydale
In Sunnydale, Joyce owns an art gallery and maintains a close relationship with Buffy, although she has been disappointed by some of Buffy's behavior. Joyce is a protective and loving parent, and she also becomes a maternal presence in the lives of Buffy's friends Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris. When vampires attack Sunnydale High School on Parent-Teacher Night ("School Hard"), Joyce protects her daughter by attacking Spike (a vampire) with an axe after the other survivors fled the school. She is concerned about Buffy's poor academic performance, but she is proud to realize that Buffy is a strong leader who can take care of herself.
Joyce is disturbed when her daughter's boyfriend Angel turns into a stalker (after losing his soul), and is even more upset to later learn ("Passion") that Buffy had lost her virginity to him. Joyce becomes increasingly frustrated with the distance between herself and her daughter. Later, when police officers visit the house and inform her that Buffy is a murder suspect, Joyce fears the worst ("Becoming, Part One"). She meets Buffy, who is accompained by Spike, outside their house ("Becoming, Part Two"). Buffy initially tries to convince her mom that she and Spike are in a band, but the three are attacked by a vampire, which Buffy stakes in front of her mom before leaving to save the world. Joyce, stunned by this revelation, demands that Buffy make time to explain things to her: "If you walk out of this house right now, don't even think about coming back." Buffy, taking her at her word, leaves town and spends several months in Los Angeles trying to escape her Slayer destiny.
While Buffy is gone, Joyce works with Giles and the Scooby Gang to locate her. She develops a close friendship with Pat, a woman from her book club who is soon killed by zombies ("Dead Man's Party"). She is relieved when Buffy returns and wants things to go back to normal, and she tries to support Buffy's extracurricular activities while also encouraging her to think about her future. After accompanying Buffy on patrol, Joyce falls under a demon's spell that drives her to lead Sunnydale on a witch hunt ("Gingerbread"). She and others attempt to burn Buffy, Willow Rosenberg, and Amy Madison at the stake, and she is later horrified at her actions. Spike stops by for a visit when he returns to Sunnydale, and she lends an empathetic ear as he relates the details of his recent break-up, earning his perpetual gratitude ("Lovers Walk").
Joyce Summers' only biological child is Buffy. However, in Season 5, a new daughter named Dawn mystically appears in her home, and her existence is suddenly interwoven into the memories of all the characters. Joyce's health deteriorates, and she is diagnosed with a brain tumor ("Shadow"). Pressure from the tumor interferes with her mind, and she temporarily loses mental clarity ("Listening to Fear"). At this time, she recognizes Dawn's anomalous nature, and confirms with Buffy that Dawn is not her daughter by birth. She loves and accepts Dawn as a member of the family, and urges Buffy to do everything in her power to protect Dawn.
Joyce's health improves after a successful surgery, although her life is soon in danger again. Glorificus, a Hellgod, seeks a mystical Key that can open interdimensional portals. Although Glory does not realize that the Key is, in fact, Dawn, she knows that Buffy protects it; she threatens Buffy's family, and Joyce and Dawn temporarily stay with Spike for protection ("Checkpoint"). She continues her friendly relationship with Spike, and they watch a soap opera together. Soon afterwards, Joyce suddenly dies from a brain aneurysm, an effect of the disease. The following episode ("The Body") details the aftermath of her death, featuring only diegetic music. Dawn, with the assistance of Spike, successfully resurrects some form of Joyce; however, realizing the inhernent dangers of what she has done, Dawn breaks the spell before Joyce enters the house ("Forever").
[edit] Relationships and Romantic Interests
Joyce rarely dates after her divorce, with notable exceptions:
- She briefly falls for Ted, a robot played by John Ritter ("Ted"), but his behavior becomes psychotic and he tries to kill Buffy.
- She flirts with Xander Harris while all the women in Sunnydale are under the influence of a love spell ("Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered").
- She has sex with Buffy's Watcher Rupert Giles twice on top of a police car under another spell ("Band Candy") that reverted them to their teenage personalities; although they remain friends, their collective embarrasment over that experience ensures no further intimacy.
- She is excited about her fledgling relationship with a new man named Brian and her daughters help her prepare for their first date. He subsequently sends her flowers, which arrive the day Joyce dies.
[edit] Personality
Early in the first season Joyce was portrayed as a stereotypical "Californian" mother; distant and reliant on "pop-psychology" techniques in raising her daughter (albeit well-meaning). As the series wore on and she became more of a central character, however, Joyce became more competent and sympathetic (as exemplified when she attacked Spike with an axe in order to protect her daughter). Joyce is typically portrayed - particularly after she discovers Buffy's true identity - as a warm, loving mother figure with a deep reserve of inner strength and a highly cynical and sarcastic streak (clearly inherited by her daughter). She often banters with Buffy and even held her own with Faith when the rogue slayer held her hostage (sneering "are you planning on slitting my throat anytime soon" in the middle of Faith's monologue). She is a fan of the soap opera Passions, which she watches with Spike, the movie Thelma and Louise, art (particularly African), and is a competent seamstress. She hates potlucks (which she gives as a reason for not wanting a wake) and Jello (which, she confesses while in hospital, "creeps her out").
[edit] Appearances
Joyce Summers appeared in the series premiere "Welcome to the Hellmouth" as the mother of title character Buffy. She appeared in 58 episodes, at least once per season -- one of the few outside the core cast to do so.
Kristine Sutherland appeared in Buffy four times after Joyce's death: ("The Weight of the World") as Willow witnesses Buffy's memory of baby Dawn being brought home by Joyce and Hank; in an alternate reality where Buffy remained a mental patient and her entire life as the Slayer was all an elaborate delusion ("Normal Again"); as a manifestation of the First Evil, visiting Dawn in the guise of Joyce's ghost ("Conversations with Dead People"); and in Buffy's dream ("Bring on the Night").
