(Review) BtVS 8.14 'Wolves at the Gate' Part 3

[stormwreath]

Joss, you bastard.

Or possibly, Drew, you bastard.

Whoever thought this plot twist up, they're making a pretty good job of turning Toru and his gang into the sort of villains you really, really hate. So even though I urgently want to see them receiving a righteous smackdown in the next episode, I'm also kind of hoping they escape to return again in

Comments

[sl_podcast]

sigh - no one can be happy in a relationship.

...no one.

[stormwreath]

Kennedy and Willow!
:-)

[snowpuppies]

You know, I am actually starting to question this. For the 'woman that [she] loves', Willow sure is spending a lot of time away from Kennedy and with the scoobies. *eyebrow*

It just seems funny.

[beer_good_foamy]

Not to mention having sex with giant snakes. ;-)

[beer_good_foamy]

Great read as always!

maybe she honestly thought she was making the best tactical decision by leaving Satsu in charge of the Japanese Slayers, and didn't realise how it would be perceived.

The more I think about it, I think that's precisely it - except it's more than just tactical. She's setting Satsu up to be her successor, and she seems to think the best way is to give Satsu the same experiences that Buffy herself had in s7 - taking care of the less experienced Slayers, handling burial detail, etc. Buffy is trying to delegate, to mould Satsu in her image. Whether it's the right way of doing it... Satsu doesn't seem to see it that way. I can't blame her.

I'm beginning to worry about Rowena, we haven't seen her for months

She was in #12, wasn't she?

Now, I've not read any other reviews before writing this, in order to remain unspoiled. But I'm willing to bet that there's already a controversy brewing over two facts, namely 1) "How predictable, Joss killed off a character's love interest just as they were getting close." (2) "How

[stormwreath]

Thanks! (And I've just caught up with the other reviews, including yours

[novin_ha]

I love your icon!

I can't wait for the next issue.

[stormwreath]

It's specially designed to annoy the sort of people who are themselves annoyed by those who get 'canon' and 'cannon' mixed up. ;-)

Thanks!

[moscow_watcher]

Great review, as always.

1) "How predictable, Joss killed off a character's love interest just as they were getting close." (2) "How predictable, the black woman was the one who got killed." Am I right?

Actually, my thought weas "in the show it was sex that triggered badness and death. In comics writers went further - a simple kiss is does it".

As to #2:

SPIKE
Okay. These two are dead. Why?
RONA
'Cause the black chick always gets it first?

[stormwreath]

To be fair, I don't think it's either sex or kissing - I think it's simply one character becoming emotionally attached to another which triggers the badness and death...

Thanks!

[alixtii]

But then "A Hole in the World" could have just as easily come before "Smile Time."

[satsux]

I don't think Joss should get any form of crap for the Black Chick gor killed thing. I agree that just cause Satsu and Renee aren't white doesn't mean they don't get to get the established bad luck of the verse. And sadly in both Buffy and Angel, dating people, or even liking people from the core scoobies puts them in the position to be in danger. It's a lesson that goes as far back as Season 1, with Owen

[stormwreath]

I agree, pretty much - they're fighting life and death battles, they can't all expect script immunity.

And while Slayers seem to count as human for most purposes, they're certainly demonic-fuelled killing machines, so I think Renee fits in the fine Xander Harris tradition.

Everyone complained about Buffy and Satsu sleeping together when A Beautiful Sunset seemed to indicate things were pretty clear and over

I didn't, because I got the exact opposite message from 8.11. I read that as Buffy trying to convince herself (and Satsu) that there was nothing between them, while all the time her body language was saying the opposite. See icon. :-)

[shapinglight]

Sadly, I found the whole issue so blah! I'm not sure I can even be bothered to write a review.

[stormwreath]

You can borrow mine, then. :-)