I Might Need A Parrot
I think the scene of Caleb gouging out Xander's eye is the only scene in Buffy the Vampire Slayer where I was genuinely squickified. The Gentlemen were creepy as anything and Warren was one of the most disturbing characters but that scene... that was great. In a very disturbing way.
Any scene that can genuinely freak me out is amazing. Whether it be fear or nausea, if I can forget myself enough to be unnerved, it means someone's doing something very right.
I'm also really glad that Xander has never regenerated a new eyeball with magic, or gotten a robot eye that's even better than the real thing! or anything along those lines.
Again, it helps me feel that the show is believable. Anyone can die, and anyone can take real, genuine, lasting damage. It doesn't matter if they're one of the good guys, or if they're one of the main characters, they can still get hurt just the same as everyone else, just like in real life.
However, the Whedon works aren't perfect at this. While Xander does prove that the character shield is not indestructible, he is the only character to receive an injury that looks like it could be a lasting disability and to NOT recover.
Both Spike and Lindsey eventually throw off their crippling injuries, though Lindsey did originally look like he wouldn't.
I think it would have been more interesting if they hadn't, but I don't write the show, do I?
(Originally posted on Neopets.com 10/10/12)
(Okay, obviously Bennett and Dr. Saunders don't throw of their injuries, but they both received those before the series even started and it was always a part of their characters and back-stories, so it kinda doesn't count here.)