Friendship and Growth - Buffy, Xander, and Willow
This is the beginnings of a much longer essay that I haven't written yet.
I've been thinking about the Scooby scene in Chosen and how it relates to the scene at the end of the Harvest.
The most significant difference in the two scenes is the place of Xander. In the Harvest, as they walk off, he and Willow orbited Buffy, which only made sense since she was their doorway into this new world. When they leave Giles in Chosen, Xander is the centre, the anchor, which again makes sense as after seven years, they know Buffy's world and need to center their group around their link to the 'normal' world.
This made me start to think about the way the Scooby friendship developed over the years (Giles' is a whole 'nother essay on his own). In the beginning, it was Willow&Xander and Willow&Buffy, with Buffy and Xander as close but not quite as close friends (possibly due to his crush, as we know from episode 3, the Witch, that Buffy does feel close to him as a friend). Willow was the primary connection between the three friends.
Starting in S3, which is where the gang had their first major fight (Dead Man's Party), things started to shift. The group started to break apart a bit. The next year, we do see them disintegrate and then reunite. They start to do this more often, but come together more quickly. Xander and Buffy, especially, tend to blow up and then forgive each other quickly, with no apparent grudges on either side (examples of this - DMP, the Spike affair in S6). Willow, on the other hand, let things build up until they burst in Season Six, after Tara's death.
It's in Season Six that I would argue that Xander became the primary friend to both Willow and Buffy. Possibly as early as The Freshman in S4 (thanks, selenak).
And that's all I have until I rewatch the episodes. It'll happen!
A bit connected but without a place yet: Gah. I nearly die every time that I see Buffy with the picture after Xander's been hurt. She strokes her finger right across the image of his eyes.
ETA: And if you have any thoughts on the Scooby friendships, I'd love to hear them! When we share, we grow together.
I've been thinking about the Scooby scene in Chosen and how it relates to the scene at the end of the Harvest.
The most significant difference in the two scenes is the place of Xander. In the Harvest, as they walk off, he and Willow orbited Buffy, which only made sense since she was their doorway into this new world. When they leave Giles in Chosen, Xander is the centre, the anchor, which again makes sense as after seven years, they know Buffy's world and need to center their group around their link to the 'normal' world.
This made me start to think about the way the Scooby friendship developed over the years (Giles' is a whole 'nother essay on his own). In the beginning, it was Willow&Xander and Willow&Buffy, with Buffy and Xander as close but not quite as close friends (possibly due to his crush, as we know from episode 3, the Witch, that Buffy does feel close to him as a friend). Willow was the primary connection between the three friends.
Starting in S3, which is where the gang had their first major fight (Dead Man's Party), things started to shift. The group started to break apart a bit. The next year, we do see them disintegrate and then reunite. They start to do this more often, but come together more quickly. Xander and Buffy, especially, tend to blow up and then forgive each other quickly, with no apparent grudges on either side (examples of this - DMP, the Spike affair in S6). Willow, on the other hand, let things build up until they burst in Season Six, after Tara's death.
It's in Season Six that I would argue that Xander became the primary friend to both Willow and Buffy. Possibly as early as The Freshman in S4 (thanks, selenak).
And that's all I have until I rewatch the episodes. It'll happen!
A bit connected but without a place yet: Gah. I nearly die every time that I see Buffy with the picture after Xander's been hurt. She strokes her finger right across the image of his eyes.
ETA: And if you have any thoughts on the Scooby friendships, I'd love to hear them! When we share, we grow together.