JOYCE
Joyce Summers, mother of the Slayer and the Key, ex-wife of Hank, and almost-love of Rupert Giles, ran or owned a gallery in Sunnydale, but of the gallery itself we knew little.
From our first sight of Joyce with her graceful aquiline neck, elegant profile, and frizzy bouffant, that awful top - we knew we would love her. For even then early character traits were apparent - the dry sense of humour, the love for Buffy, the silver jewellery. And, of course, her no nonsense determination.
For Joyce is not a woman to cross: Buffy was often the subject of her displeasure for her Slayer duties, or choice of boyfriend, or seeming lack of direction. The times when mother clashed with daughter are legendary: the instruction in that first episode to not burn down the school (not one which Buffy was able to comply with, as it turned out -although killing the Mayor-demon surely counts as mitigating circumstances.); the emotional intensity of 'The Talk' about Buffy having sex with Angel; the angry fight when Joyce discovered her daughter was the Slayer; and, of course, the angry fight at the party to celebrate Buffy's return. Under the influence of evil demons, Joyce was even resourceful enough to nearly burn her daughter at the stake! Of course, Joyce was otherwise a loving mom, and fiercely protective of her daughter too - as those who threatened her daughter found out - Spike felt the wrath of an axe-wielding Joyce when he tried to kill Buffy, Angel got a lecture for not ending what Joyce perceived (not without reason) as a doomed relationship, and Giles a hauling over the coals for his inability to track Buffy down during the summer she had run away from Sunnydale. Plus Joyce always gave as good as she got in fights, as Faith or the Quellar demon could testify.
However, much as Joyce loved Buffy (and Dawn) above all else, there were occasional glimpses of Joyce as she was before motherhood. Joyce the woman was an even greater character than Joyce the mother. Seeing
her at her flirty best getting her first beau in a homicidal Ted, attempting to seduce Xander
twice (under magical influences), having her wicked way (twice again!) with Giles on the hood of a police car, and losing her bra on her last date was awe-inspiring.
But as much as Joyce made us cheer and laugh, she made us cry. Her final illness and death provided the series' most emotional and painful episode ever in 'The Body', and the sight of Joyce's limp body on the morgue table was truly distressing.
(source : http://www.joyffa.co.uk)