Notes on Buffy 3.15: Consequences

[2maggie2]

Standard disclaimer: I'll often speak of foreshadowing, but that doesn't mean I'm at all committing to the idea that there was some fixed design from the word go -- it's a short hand for talking about the resonances that end up in the text as it unspools.

Standard spoiler warning: The notes are written for folks who have seen all of BtVS and AtS.

Comments

[angearia]

Woo! Notes!

Okay, so my reply to y'all's notes this time around is less in direct opposition to anything in particular (though one line does start off as a point to diverge and the rest follows from that starting off point). I'm more just trying to formulate and share my perspective. Hopefully it makes sense.

Indeed, Buffy will later defy the Council, without losing her sense of duty. So, Faith’s flirtation with the feeling of being above the law is not a sign that she has tipped over into evil. I don't see the two as the same actually. Faith feels she's above the law, that the law doesn't apply to her. Buffy feels she is the law ("I am the law") and as such, she feels an even greater burden to adhere to and uphold the law. Faith talking about being an UberSlayer is about breaking rules because they shouldn't apply to her -- Want. Take. Have. -- where as Buffy's "I am the law" duty-bound acts are more about self-denial in serving a greater good

[angearia]

Rather, I think Buffy's nature of bearing the weight of the world and shouldering the blame, the danger, the responsibility (until she snaps and runs away/leaves town) is why she thinks of herself as a killer and uses that word with Faith. Buffy in this instance is less about intentions and more about consequences -- because that's what it means to be a Slayer. If a Slayer fails, people die. And Buffy's gotten so used to even thinking that failing to save people = killing them that when Faith actually delivers the blow herself through recklessness -- well, it's a special form of Slayer manslaughter. And yes, it's an accident, but it's an accident that will happen again and again unless Faith changes her M.O (I'm also reminded of people being injured on construction sites and it being called "an accident" -- but there's different degrees of accidents, aren't there?). An extremely powerful martial artist who's also extremely reckless -- she's gonna get people killed. Those are the consequences Buffy is fixating on, the

[2maggie2]

Just two replies, since we see this all quite differently and have vetted the issue ad nauseum

[angearia]

My tendency is to write my own comments before going extensively through the comments, so I didn't read the vetting until after the fact. ;)

I thought I'd acknowledged that I wasn't seeking to re-open the epic debate again -- with good humor, no less. I didn't mean to make anyone defensive. I was just sharing thoughts and hoping to formulate and express my POV. I understand that it can feel like you're getting a lot of pushback. I was just trying to share my thoughts and perspective -- and sometimes a person wants to say what they think and feel, even if small aspects and points resemble another person's argument (essentially, I had thoughts and was hoping to talk about them with people in a non-accusatory, contemplative manner).

Obviously I disagree with the framing of the actions in Ted, the only reason I brought it up was because it was being used as a juxtaposition for the Buffy/Faith comparisons. I think we have different measures of control and what that means

[2maggie2]

I totally got that you weren't arguing! I just wanted to correct the one thing, and try to sharpen my own take on the second.

I'm sorry if I came across a prickly. It is true that I haven't been enjoying my own comment section for some time. But that's just me being depressed and therefore not in a good space for dealing with criticism/argument. Anyway, sorry my tone came across harshly. Most people are framing their remarks in a friendly way and that includes you. Maybe when we get to season 4 people won't be so unhappy with my take on things and this can become fun again.

[angearia]

*hugs*

I understand. Been there myself. I love fandom A LOT, but sometimes the full immersion can be a bit polarizing, especially when one is sensitive to other people's tone and argument style (which I really really am! :P).

*uses final Faith icon*

I totally got that you weren't arguing! I just wanted to correct the one thing, and try to sharpen my own take on the second.

I'm glad! :)

[2maggie2]

lol! Great icon.

If I were an icon virtuoso, I'd give you a huggy friends one. Someday maybe I'll get ambitious about hunting the cool icons!

Cheers!

[strudel2]

I really like your point drawing a distinction between being the law vs. being above the law.

I think from your later comments we are all on the same page that Faith's recklessness is definitely a flaw, and that the killing is not therefore something she can just wash away.

[angearia]

Ta! :)