See, "tracking" suggests to me stalking. When he says he's been tracking her, I don't think he means in that specific instance but in a general, "I've been keeping an eye on you" way.
Ah! Well I think that's probably why we interpret this differently because I do think he means it in that specific instance. When I think of “tracking” I think of all those times in AtS when we see him hunting down somebody by smelling their blood, talking to informants, following a body trail etc. I don’t think of it as him keeping a watchful eye on someone.
He specifically says "it's a dangerous time", but it's no more dangerous than it had been at the end of the last episode when Buffy called for a break.
IMO, he was probably getting agitated sitting around in his mansion thinking that Buffy could be in some kind of danger. I think he was trying to respect her wishes at the end of the last episode but I’m sure he was concerned.
Why's he approaching her then?
Well, why approach her at all? If he'd really been stalking her for a period of time why would he decide to go speak to her then when he'd been happy spying from a distance?
I mean, if the character didn't have a history of stalking her, I wouldn't be so quick to assume as such. But...Angel stalks. He wanders in through Buffy's bedroom window. He tracks her. That's what he does. I don't see the need to give him the benefit of the doubt in this particular case.
I can see what you're saying, however, if he were stalking her like all those other times why wouldn't they just show it? In episodes like Angel, or Passion, or Pangs we see him stalking her in the shadows. In episodes like Consequences we even see him spying on Faith in the dark or keeping an eye out on the crime scene. But here he just comes straight up to her on the street and we never see him keeping an eye on Buffy whatsoever. That's why I think it's different. IMO, a more accurate comparison would be in Bad Girls when he approaches Buffy in the street and says “I’ve been looking for you” and then tells her Balthazar has Giles.
But I definitely think it has to do with our different interpretations of what Angel means by "tracking." That seems to be what’s causing us to see this so differently :)
Heh. Don't know that we're gonna reach an agreement given we're coming from opposing premises (That's okay. Agreement isn't required). :)
But just to clarify one thing.
Well, why approach her at all? If he'd really been stalking her for a period of time why would he decide to go speak to her then when he'd been happy spying from a distance?
It almost doesn't matter to me. It's ambiguous, to be sure, but it's creepy regardless. If a homegirl of mine called a break with her boyfriend and the dude started checking on her in such a manner, I'd think he were being a creeper. You were specifically challenging the "stalker" label, though, so that was a bit outside the bounds of the debate to bring in. :)
I don't think it's unreasonable to think that he'd been stalking her, noticed she was looking upset about something (the essence of the demon thing), and so decided to approach her to see what was up.
I can see what you're saying, however, if he were stalking her like all those other times why wouldn't they just show it?
But they did. Buffy even says, "I didn't see you so I should have known you were there," which is a reference to Angel's stalking habit.
Isn't Buffy the one coming up with the world tracking? I always thought he just went out to see her (which wasn't respectful of her wishes but not stalking)and just went along with her choice of worlds.
Ah! Well I think that's probably why we interpret this differently because I do think he means it in that specific instance. When I think of “tracking” I think of all those times in AtS when we see him hunting down somebody by smelling their blood, talking to informants, following a body trail etc. I don’t think of it as him keeping a watchful eye on someone.
He specifically says "it's a dangerous time", but it's no more dangerous than it had been at the end of the last episode when Buffy called for a break.
IMO, he was probably getting agitated sitting around in his mansion thinking that Buffy could be in some kind of danger. I think he was trying to respect her wishes at the end of the last episode but I’m sure he was concerned.
Why's he approaching her then?
Well, why approach her at all? If he'd really been stalking her for a period of time why would he decide to go speak to her then when he'd been happy spying from a distance?
I mean, if the character didn't have a history of stalking her, I wouldn't be so quick to assume as such. But...Angel stalks. He wanders in through Buffy's bedroom window. He tracks her. That's what he does. I don't see the need to give him the benefit of the doubt in this particular case.
I can see what you're saying, however, if he were stalking her like all those other times why wouldn't they just show it? In episodes like Angel, or Passion, or Pangs we see him stalking her in the shadows. In episodes like Consequences we even see him spying on Faith in the dark or keeping an eye out on the crime scene. But here he just comes straight up to her on the street and we never see him keeping an eye on Buffy whatsoever. That's why I think it's different. IMO, a more accurate comparison would be in Bad Girls when he approaches Buffy in the street and says “I’ve been looking for you” and then tells her Balthazar has Giles.
But I definitely think it has to do with our different interpretations of what Angel means by "tracking." That seems to be what’s causing us to see this so differently :)
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But just to clarify one thing.
Well, why approach her at all? If he'd really been stalking her for a period of time why would he decide to go speak to her then when he'd been happy spying from a distance?
It almost doesn't matter to me. It's ambiguous, to be sure, but it's creepy regardless. If a homegirl of mine called a break with her boyfriend and the dude started checking on her in such a manner, I'd think he were being a creeper. You were specifically challenging the "stalker" label, though, so that was a bit outside the bounds of the debate to bring in. :)
I don't think it's unreasonable to think that he'd been stalking her, noticed she was looking upset about something (the essence of the demon thing), and so decided to approach her to see what was up.
I can see what you're saying, however, if he were stalking her like all those other times why wouldn't they just show it?
But they did. Buffy even says, "I didn't see you so I should have known you were there," which is a reference to Angel's stalking habit.
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