IT. LIIIIVES.

Apr 24, 2013 19:24

Hey there, flist! Haven't seen you in a while. I'm actually more often found on tumblr these days, so if you wanna follow me, feel free! Slight warning, these days I have become a Buffyholic. That's right, I am neck-deep in all things Buffy and it doesn't look to be getting better anytime soon. You might expect some Buffy-related things in the future. MORE WARNING: I ship awful gross things like Buffy/Spike with a tragic amount of ferocity, so you may expect that also.

Okay you know what I'm just gonna lay down the law in the land of Vallish Buffy-stanning:

- SPUFFY 5EVA they just hit like 100% of my storykinks ok it's like Anotsu/Rin actually happening
- I do not actually hate Bangel. Or Briley, for that matter. IDK I'M NOT BIG ON HATING. (Except Parker. Parker hate is permitted. To the extent that Parker is significant enough for hate.)
- Buffy/ladies is VERY FINE too (Fuffy & Buffy/Satsu yes plz)
- basically Buffy/everyone
- in case you couldn't tell I LOVE BUFFY this surprises no one
- Dawn Summers is awesome. Fight me.
- I love Spike but I think he is extremely gross a lot of the time
- an overabundance of Buffy-blaming really hits my sore spot
- basically I love all the ladies by default anyway because I am a lady-lover hurr
- I love sisships, broships, friendships and all varieties of 'ships
- I'm one of those people who just LOOOVES S6 because depression storyline. I can identify.
- I also love S7!
- not sure I'm loving the comics rn though :| DON'T HURT MY PRECIOUS [name redacted] OR I WILL HURT YOU.
- I do not think the show or the writers are these SUPER DUPER FEMINIST PARAGONS and there are some things where the series seriously falls short, but there are also things it gets right imo.
- anything I have forgotten will pop up in time.

So, yeah! I'm probably gonna post some of the stuff I've been putting on my tumblr over here (mostly for red_satin_doll's convenience; cookies were mentioned) over the next few days or so, beginning with a bit of meta I wrote a while ago on the S7 episode Help, and why I like it and think it does work for me quite well.

Because I’ve just been thinking about this. And it’s not even that the episode gets a lot of hate - from what I’ve seen, it’s just not regarded as especially awesome, and I’ve seen a few people say it’s just clichéd and trite and overwrought. Which… yeah, I can see the point. Buuut I personally like it quite a lot, and I’m in the mood for waxing poetic on why.

First, I just enjoy the shots of Buffy in her new work environment! I love Buffy to pieces, so I’m happy to see her in a job she’s excited for and enjoys (even if some of the kids annoy her), and that I think she does have some talent for and could excel at if she ever has the opportunity to get herself a degree in youth psychology. This calls back her psychology class in college, which we hear she didn’t do too shabby at, considering her limitations. Moreover, this episode and the first part of S7 in general sort of make the series come full circle: it’s back to basics, with Buffy at Sunnydale High, helping students with their problems both mundane and supernatural (remember that she used to make a habit out of intimidating bullies). It makes me think especially of S1 Buffy, particularly in “The Witch”, where we see her really reach out to Amy. It’s nice to see Buffy re-realizing her own potential for empathy, and in that way, the episode connects beautifully to her season theme of gaining back the ability to love and connect to others.

Also I love that she includes Dawn in her plan to help Cassie, because I love Dawn, and I love their relationship and I enjoy seeing Dawn getting more involved in helping others out and sort of stepping in Buffy’s footsteps. In that way, even if Dawn is not a Slayer, she is part of the season outcome of monster hunting being passed on to the next generation. (If there had been a miniseries “The Awesome Adventures of the Truly Terrifying Summers Sisters”, I would’ve watched that. Because yes, I think they could’ve developed that storyline more.)

And I think the episode works in a “part of a greater theme” way because I see Cassie as an obvious parallel to a young Buffy. Both know, at age sixteen, that they will die soon and that no one will be able to stop it. Both have friends who are largely unaware of this and feel they can’t tell anyone, but clearly feel the need for their despair over this to be heard. Buffy’s ultimate failure to save Cassie, then, is very significant. It represents one of the most viscerally harrowing aspects of her own destiny: that of the girl who is destined, who indeed is made to die, to be destroyed, no matter how much she rails against the unfairness of it all. This lays the groundwork for Buffy’s fear this season, the fear of not being able to overcome this fate, this structure of a Slayer’s life and work, and the fear of not being able to save the Potentials.

(FTR, I think a lot of Buffy’s hardliner behavior later that season is grounded in that fear and sense of futility. She knows she’s going to lose some of them, she can’t get through this battle and pull everyone through, and it terrifies her. So she thinks she has to pound a sense of self-preservation and self-responsibility into them with harsh and cruel words, and she thinks she has to be hard and matter-of-fact because if she showed weakness and vulnerability, it would cause the girls to freak out. Which, no, not the right approach to things, but my point is that I’ve seen S7 Buffy described as a “cold, commanding bitch” and I think that is just plain untrue.)

And that is also the groundwork for the solution she finds in “Chosen”. And whether that works is another issue/post entirely. Okay, not really, but for the moment I’m deciding to treat it as such because I want to talk about “Help” specifically.

So, uh, yeah. Thoughts, I has ‘em. Disclaimer: I’m someone who likes to come down on the hugs and puppies side of things I love. BASICALLY I want to love on Buffy, and Buffy cares in S7, even if she sometimes fails spectacularly at expressing it, but then if she didn’t do that sometimes, in Spike’s words: wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.

And... that's it. HOW ARE YOU, FLIST? Talk to me. Yes, non-Buffy things allowed.

I may be slightly hyper right now.

hugs and puppies, season seven, meta, dawn summers, help, sometimes i have thoughts, tumblr, buffy summers, buffy cares, alliteration party, buffy the vampire slayer, spike why must you be so quotable, cassie newton

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