Drusilla (Buffyverse)
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 Juliet Landau as Drusilla |
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Drusilla (born c. 1840 in London) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television programs, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The character is portrayed by Juliet Landau.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Character history
In 1860, when Drusilla was about 18 to 24 years of age, she was a beautiful young Catholic woman who lived with her parents and sisters in London. She was "blessed" with foresight and she was capable of occasionally foretelling the future, especially tragic situations. However she believed this to be an evil affliction and wished to enter a nunnery to cleanse herself of them. Darla saw Drusilla and showed her to Angelus. Darla knew about Drusilla's psychic abilities and believed it would be in their best interests to choose her as their next victim. Angelus, however, sensed her purity and became obsessed with destroying her, as Drusilla had the potential for sainthood. Angelus harassed her for a long time, damaging Drusilla's fragile mental health. Often in the guise of a priest he would consult with her the matters of her visions, playing cruel mental games whenever she saught sanctuary. Angelus tortured and killed her entire family, causing her to leave for a convent in Prague. On the day she was to take her holy vows, Angelus made her watch as he killed every person in the convent, and engaged in sexual relations with Darla. The trauma of Angelus' atrocities drove her insane. Angelus chose to turn her into a vampire, as he considered her a masterpiece, a testament of his talent. After being sired, Drusilla, now a predator with a childlike sexuality, joined Angelus and Darla on their murderous travels.
In 1880, Drusilla sired the young poet William, who also joined the group. William, later Spike, and Drusilla shared an intimate relationship, though Angelus continued to engage in sexual relations with her, mostly to annoy William.
Drusilla's story before her appearance in Sunnydale unfolds in flashbacks scattered among numerous episodes of both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". They were not presented in chronological order. A guide to finding the flashback or flashbacks to a particular event is at Angel, Darla, Spike and Dru: Before 1997.
When Angelus is cursed with a soul and becomes Angel, Spike and Drusilla (unaware of the ensoulment) go their separate ways from Darla and Angel. At some point before the arrive in Sunnydale (1997), Drusilla is attacked and severely injured in an attack by an angry mob in Prague, leaving her in a weakened and frail condition. Spike cares for her and the couple travels to the Hellmouth in hopes that its energy will help to restore Drusilla's strength and health. When they arrive ("School Hard"), they also plot the downfall of the local Slayer Buffy Summers. When Spike discovers that Drusilla can be cured by the blood of her sire, he captures Angel and allows Drusilla to torture him until time to perform the ritual. Although Buffy and her friends save Angel's unlife, the ritual is successful. Drusilla, fully restored, now takes care of Spike, who has been temporarily crippled by Buffy's attack. When Angel reverts to Angelus, he re-joins the couple. Drusilla soon kills Kendra by hypnotising her and slicing into her throat. Kendra is the only known Slayer to be killed by Drusilla.
Drusilla is delighted by Angelus's determination to destroy the world, and encourages his ongoing sexual attention; both dynamics strongly disturb Spike, who wants Drusilla to himself again and does not particularly want the world to end. Spike decides to help the Slayer save the world in exchange for his and Dru's safe passage from Sunnydale, much to Dru's dismay. She resists his betrayal of Angelus and he attacks her, ultimately carrying her unconscious body from the fray. Drusilla and Spike flee to South America, where Drusilla becomes disillusioned with their relationship. His alliance with the Slayer, combined with her skills of foresight and perception, prove to her that Spike is now tainted (not "demon enough" for her), and that he is developing feelings for Buffy. She breaks up with him, and he rejects her offer to remain friends.
Drusilla does not reappear until 2001, when Wolfram & Hart bring her to L. A. to re-sire the resurrected Darla. Drusilla, who loves Darla like a parent, genuinely believes she is doing Darla a favour by siring her and is puzzled by Darla's brief rage before her renewed vampire nature kicks in. Reconciled, the two wreak havoc in the city until Angel sets them on fire. The two go underground to heal, but Drusilla, now the older vampire, leaves Darla, who is then protected by Lindsey McDonald. Drusilla returns to Sunnydale to persuade Spike to join Darla and herself in re-forming their "family" unit. However, Spike threatens to stake her to demonstrate his love for Buffy. Disappointed by her former love, Drusilla departs. Drusilla's current whereabouts and activities, if she is still "alive," remain unrevealed.
Drusilla's madness (as exhibited, especially, in her often-strange dialogue) results in her speech being peppered with non sequiturs; for example, like "Spike, do you love my insides? The parts you cannot see?".
In 2002, the First Evil impersonates Drusilla in a bid to finally tip Spike over the edge of the mental cliff.
[edit] Powers & Abilities
Drusilla has the standard powers and vulnerabilities of a vampire. She is immortal, regenerates damage, drains human blood to survive and is stronger than most human beings. Her technique in combat, however, is somewhat awkward and she is involved in very few fight scenes, usually relying on the protection and superior skill of Angel or Spike. She is vulnerable to holy items and sunlight and can be killed by decapitation or a stake to the heart. She cannot enter the home of a living human without being invited by someone who lives there first. Drusilla is a seer with minor psychic abilities. She receives vivid visions that contain possible glimpses of the future and can also see into people's minds and project false imagery into them, including inside dreams[citation needed]. She had these powers since before being made a vampire; their source or cause is unknown. Drusilla is also capable of hypnotising people, mesmerising her prey and rendering them helpless, which she achieves by catching their gazes, pointing her fingers towards her victim's eyes and whispering to them ('Be in me'). She uses this technique to murder Kendra in "Becoming, Part One", and earlier in Season Two taunts and threatens Spike's academic minion with her talents. The Master uses a similar skill to paralyse Buffy in "Prophecy Girl". She also induces Giles, weakened by Angelus' torture, to perceive her as his murdered love Jenny Calendar ('See with your heart'), and obtains the essential information to complete the ritual of the wakening of Acathla.
[edit] Romantic Relationships
- Angelus - Drusilla is sired by Angelus after he kills her entire family and drives her insane. As a vampire, she and Angelus have a sexual relationship, and she often refers to him as her "bad daddy." Their sexual relationship continued even after she sires Spike. When Drusilla and Spike later capture the ensouled Angel, Drusilla tortures him, reminding him of all the horrible things he did to her. After Angel loses his soul in Buffy season 2, they resume their intimacy, putting a strain on her relationship with Spike.
- Spike - Drusilla was romantically involved with Spike for over a century. They were a devoted couple; while vampires do not usually experience love for one another, Spike and Drusilla did, as was noted by the Judge (who found their relationship to reek of humanity). They traveled around the world, keeping each other company and enjoying themselves. While Spike was single-mindedly devoted to her, Dru was never consistently faithful; she maintained a sexual relationship with Angelus despite Spike's obvious jealousy and discomfort, and (along with Darla) fornicated with The Immortal. She became disillusioned with Spike after he betrayed Angelus and allied himself with the Slayer, and she perceived Spike's growing feelings for Buffy. Drusilla cheated on Spike with a chaos demon ("All slime and antlers!") in South America before breaking up with him, sending him into an extended drunken depression ("Lovers Walk").
- The Immortal and Darla - Drusilla had a threesome with the Immortal and Darla, much to the dismay of both Spike and Angelus, who claimed that the girls "Never let them do that" ("The Girl in Question").
- Xander Harris - She had a crush on Xander Harris when he accidentally put all the women of Sunnydale under a love spell ("Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"). She relentlessly pursues him until he enters Buffy's house; she is unable to follow him in because she is not invited.
- Rupert Giles - After Giles withstands significant torture at the hands of Angelus, Drusilla hypnotizes him and appears to his eyes as Jenny Calendar. She gently pries the necessary information from him, and kisses him for an extended period of time. Spike and Angelus protest the length of the kiss, and she notes that she had been "in the moment" ("Becoming, Part Two").
- Chaos Demon - After becoming disillusioned with Spike, Drusilla makes out with a Chaos Demon; he has no idea that she is seeing somebody, and is distressed when a jealous Spike arrives ("Lovers Walk", "Fool For Love").
- Fungus Demon - Harmony (while in a romantic relationship with Spike during Season 4) mentions briefly that Drusilla "Left him for a fungus demon. It's all he talks about most days."
[edit] External links
- Dolls: Frequently updated Drusilla dedication site
- Insane Drusilla: A currently updated Juliet Landau/Drusilla fansite
- Charm School: A frequently updated Drusilla fansite
[edit] Appearances
Drusilla has appeared in:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 2 (1997, 1998) - "School Hard", "Halloween", "Lie to Me", "What's My Line, Part One", "What's My Line Part Two", "Surprise", "Innocence", "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", "Passion", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "Becoming, Part One", "Becoming Part Two".
Season 5 (2000, 2001) - "Fool for Love" (flashbacks), "Crush".
Season 7 (2002, 2003) - "Lessons" (as The First), "Bring on the Night" (as The First), "Lies My Parents Told Me" (flashbacks).
Angel
Season 2 (2000, 2001) - "Dear Boy" (flashbacks), "Darla" (flashbacks), "The Trial", "Reunion", "Redefinition".
Season 5 (2003, 2004) - "Destiny" (flashbacks), "The Girl in Question" (flashbacks).
