One Buffy The Vampire Slayer Theory Changes Everything About The Summers Family

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is arguably most remembered for Sarah Michelle Gellar's eponymous character taking the fight to bloodsucking fiends and monsters. However, the show contains moments of emotional human drama, as evidenced by the heartbreaking death of Buffy's mom, Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland), due to a brain aneurysm in Season 5's "The Body." It's one of the rare deaths on the show that doesn't seem to involve supernatural shenanigans; however, a fan theory posits that Buffy's little sister was inadvertently responsible for their mother's death.

Redditor u/neelhtac notes that Dawn Summers' (Michelle Trachtenberg) arrival coincides with the death of Joyce. The younger Summers sibling originates as a mystical form of energy known as The Key, who's ultimately turned into a human teenager to protect her from dark forces. Afterward, monks magically implant Joyce and Buffy with new memories to sell the illusion, but did the spell used to accomplish this have a deadly effect on the mom? It's an interesting theory that has its supporters and detractors. With that in mind, let's examine what other "Buffy" fans have to say on the matter.

This theory is divisive among the fan base of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but it has spawned some debates. Its advocates believe that the timing of Dawn's arrival and Joyce's illness aren't coincidental, and the magic required to give the Summers matriarch new memories could have killed her.

Reddit user u/Gneissisnice supports the idea that magic caused Joyce's illness and subsequent death. "She would have been the person who required the most fake memories, and the only other person who would have been close is Buffy, who is the Slayer and therefore probably has some protection against it." This sentiment was also expressed by u/Complete-Average-303, who noted that Joyce showed no signs of illness before the monk's spellcasting session.

That said, the theory may have been disproved by Joss Whedon. One Redditor said that the "Buffy" creator explained why the death isn't magic-related during a commentary track, stating that it was written to be a learning experience for Buffy. "Joss meant for her death to be something that Buffy has to rise above and realize that she can't just kill a baddie and have everything go back to normal." Regardless of which side is true, it's a debate that will surely rage on for as long as the show attracts viewers. This is a world where magic has consequences, and nothing is ever that simple.