Matt Stone
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2000
- Messages
- 9,063
- Real Name
- Matt Stone
I just re-watched the episode last night, and it re-affirmed my original beliefs. She turns down the power when she understands the shadow men's MO (fundamentally changing a girl to suit their own needs...even if they serve a greater good). Buffy turns down the power, and in response the head shadow man shows her a vision of the uber-vamps gathering in the Hellmouth. Buffy sees this as a revelation, and later tells Willow that she regrets turning down the power. This has nothing to do with Buffy being unwilling to "sink to the level of the enemy," because at the time she turned it down, she didn't know who the enemy was exactly.
My reasoning for seeing gender as a major issue is the first Watchers specifically being identified as shadow men, and Buffy commenting on what they did to that girl (the first slayer) all those years ago. Based on that, it could be relatively gender neutral, but considering the underlying girl-power theme that's always present on Buffy...I don't think it is.