Great Buffyverse Rewatch of 2015: Phases

[gillo]

After the excitement of last week you might think the show would slip back into MOTW form. No such thing, however - another brilliant episode, in my not-so-humble opinion, in which the relationships develop, the season arc progresses a little and astonishing things happen.

Comments

[velvetwhip]

Larry - one minute he’s a thug with a posse of bullies. Then he comes out to Xander and we don’t see him again with his gang. Is this credible?

In the USA in the 90's? Being out as a gay person at school in a public school was not a popularity-contest-winner. Bullying is still rampant and horrible here. Not much progress at all.

Gabrielle

[gillo]

Yeah, but he didn't come out to his gang, so why is he suddenly without them? We know that his orientation is not common knowledge even a year later, because Amy deratted hopes to go with him to the Prom, so where are his nasty crew who help him to hide from the truth? And does he carry on picking on people to maintain cover? And if not, how does he handle the former members of his gang who would surely be at least as unpleasant as the Cordettes in BB&B?

Bullying is rampant almost everywhere, I fear. I just don't get how a former bully switches un-noticed to being a nice guy.

[kikimay]

I don't like this episode mostly because werewolves in Buffy are kinda lame, also due to the fact that you can tell it's a bad costume. I adore Oz and they could have focused the plot on him, instead with get hunter guy and I couldn't care less about him. Meh.

Male sexuality is seen as dangerous and intrinsically violent. Angel has sex and becomes an asshole, Oz is quiet but hides this monster inside him ... it's a recurring theme with Buffy. And Xander gets to play the "Nice guy".

Anyway Oz/Willow is so adorable! My favorite Willow ship.

Buffy's hair starts to get super straight but mostly of all ANGELUS VS THE WEREWOLF = I laugh everytime. Angelus' face is supposed to be scary and dominant? LOLOLOL.

[gillo]

The werewolf is lame, but Oz is adorable.

Xander plays 'Nice Guy', though he's not always very nice about it. He's terrified of being identified as gay and quite turned on by the idea of animal violence, for example.

Uncontrolled male sexuality is threatening, mainly because it seems to require displays of power and potential violence, as in Larry's single entendre. Cain is very similar, which is why it's so nice that Buffy shows him where to get off.

[gillo]

I quite like the scene, but I do think we are expected to accept a huge change in his conduct. He used to be always with his gang, making crude, insensitive jokes. Now he's friendly and decent to the school nerd group. Surely his posse would notice and give him hell? (Much as Cordy's gang did in BB&B.)

[trepkos]

I have questions:
Since when does ANYONE in Sunnydale High confuse Buffy with a girly girl?
What on earth gave Xander the - apparently correct - idea that HE could force a confession out of someone who beat HIM up for years?
Why would they want werewolf pelts in Sri Lanka of all places?
Buffy tells Giles she had to do some slayage - but Xander killed Vamp! Theresa.
I don't REALLY understand Xander's nervousness about what happened with Larry ... I always assumed it was just that he didn't want to have to break a confidence, but I seem to have been mistaken. It's not like they did anything other than talk.

[gillo]

In S2 I think everyone was at least pretending there was nothing special about her - especially the teaching staff.

Xander always does seem to assume he can achieve more than is reasonable. Sometimes he's right. Sometimes he just becomes a victim again - the real Buffyverse damsel.

Xander is nervous because a ridiculously large number of young men are terrified of being thought to be gay. And of gay people - they have this stupid assumption that any gay of their own gender will instantly try to jump them. I've seen it in RL too often, but it's a pity to see it in Xander. Still, he will learn.

[shapinglight]

Have to admit I don't really like this episode much. I find it a bit...boring, and the 'lesson' of the week a bit laboured.

Oz and Willow are cute, though. Also, I agree with chasingdemons that Larry's coming out scene is quite well done, and Xander's subsequent gay panic around him is probably quite realistic.

It's possible - not very possible, but possible - that Larry's position as star of the school American football team gave him some protection from homophobic bullying?

I don't like Cain. I think he's a bit of a cliche. It is nice seeing Buffy turn his hunting rifle into a pretzel, though.

Angelus as a threat in this episode is a joke, IMO. Is killing Theresa really the best he can do?

[gillo]

I do like this episode despite the lamp werewolf costume. I like the way the various stories interweave, and Oz is always adorable.

I doubt if Larry ever came out to the rest of the team, frankly.

Angelus just enjoys toying with Buffy. He's building up the tension. This episode's appearance does very much feel like the contractual minimum for a regular, though.

[shapinglight]

I doubt if Larry ever came out to the rest of the team, frankly.

I dunno. That doesn't really seem to jibe with his comment to Xander in season 3 about being so out his own grandmother is setting him up with guys.