Shark demon: this was also a tongue-in-cheek challenge to the fans who were at that point complaining that Buffy the show had "jumped the shark", i.e. gone bad. So Buffy the character jumps the shark.*g*
This time around I'm quite upset with Giles. Sorry Giles, but things don't work that way. If someone is traumatised and depressed you don't just leave and tell them it will make them stronger. It's rather like telling a drowning person that they just have to tread water harder so they won't drown.
Yes. As spikeylover points out, there was a meta reason for this - i.e. Tony Head wanted to live in England with his family again and hence was only available for some guest star episodes - but as opposed to S., I do think it's a decision which is in character. Completely wrong, but in character. Because Giles has done this before, only in milder forms, see season 4, The Freshman, for example, and because Bargaining in some sense via the scene between Giles and the Buffybot lays the groundworks. If you ask me, Giles just couldn't stand the prospect of Buffy dying again, and he knew that in her current state, that was very likely. Of course, this was not a reason he could face, and hence, because it was selfish, and hence, he repressed it and came up with the "must help you stand on your own feet" thing instead.
Giles' decision turns him into another person in Buffy's life who pretends to know what's good for her. In the past, Xander, Angel and Willow have also made decisions on Buffy's behalf with which she wouldn't have agreed.
And Riley left her for her own good as well... there will be a later point (in season 7) where Giles will make a decision for Buffy which will lead to a very serious reaction from her.
Things are so hard for Buffy. Here she finally voices how deeply upset she is and gets interrupted by Willow's memory spell. I wonder if things might have turned out differently if Giles and the other Scoobies had been given the chance to listen and react to Buffy's words.
They might have. It's the one point where Buffy just can't do the stoic facade thing anymore and spills in front of her friends, and of course she gets cut off. Which leaves Spike as the only emotional release, which is fatal. If you ask me, this episode leads to what Buffy does to her friends in Normal Again, where those feelings do get vented, but in a more serious fashion than just verbally.
During this episode, Buffy rediscovers her Slayer identity and is enthusiastic to be a super hero. As a result it is clearly extremely painful for her when her memory returns: She now remembers what things used to be like when she started to work as a Slayer, yet is tossed back into a life when Slaying and life in general is a burden to her.
Tabula Rasa at the same time shows us Buffy's quintessential character traits if she's not burdened by memory - she's a protector, both of Dawn and of "Randy" or anyone else threatened, she has fun fighting, she's witty - and then contrasts this with the present. And the disastrous thing is that when her memories do come back, all the progress Buffy made between Bargaining and now in terms of dealing is undone because she's essentially put through the same thing again in a rapid pace. Hence her lying on the ground as if suckerpunched.
"Desperate-for-a-shag" Giles: yes, that was priceless.*g* And then Spike reinventing himself as Angel, after all the Giles interaction. No, he doesn't have Daddy issues at all.*veg*
Giles and Anya: yep, no incest taboo as with the other Scoobies.
Willow: yes, it's appalling. And the unfortunate logical consequence of two different ongoing character traits - one is Willow's inability to deal with direct conflict as a part of a good relationship (see also her reaction when Buffy returns to Sunnydale at the start of season 3, for example), let alone to deal with breakups (see also: Oz), and the other her increasing tendency to use magical fixits if things get bad.
As you know from reading my other meta, I see what she does here as a direct parallel to what Warren does to Katrina in Dead Things. Warren will get paralleled with Willow a couple of times more...
Interesting and true that you compare Willow and what she does to Tara with Warren/Katrina. I wonder if Whedon, Hannigan or Benson see it quite that way as they are often held up as the most healthy relationship. (Which causes me to scratch my head)
I bet Willow would have turned you into a rat for suggesting such a thing. ;)
Mmmm, I don't know. I'm currently rewatching season 7 (quite a pleasant experience, I might add, I had forgotten how many episodes and aspects I liked), and The Killer in Me is a quite clear indication that the writers at least were very conscious of the Willow/Warren parallels.
In the new Buffy DVD sets (with the one extra disc) They talk about relationships, and it's very clear that the writers and Benson feel Willow/Tara were the one to be held up, to which I disagree completely..
Well, you have to consider the uproar which followed the (spoiler), after which they were accused to be homophobes. (I always liked the retort by Drew Greenberg best, who said that nobody bothered to ask whether any of the writing staff were gay before making that accusation, and he was, thank you very much, and (spoiler) was definitely treating W/T like any of the straight couples in his eyes.) So they're defensive about it.
I really can't think of a popular (or semi popular) ship in Jossverse that didn't go through hell.
I don't know about the big spoiler yet, so I have a feeling what will happen. Even though the accusation doesn't make sense to me: So far we have seen so many heterosexual relationships not work out: Xander/Cordelia, Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Giles/Jenny, Buffy/Riley. In all cases, the couple either went through a very difficult time before the breakup or the relationship ended with a tragedy.
I guess the writers should be accused of hating heterosexual couples. *g*
Nice review; I like to think of "Tabula Rasa" as a sort of remix of OMWF -- episodes that basically take the characters to the same place (by the end) in very different ways. As wrong as Willow is here, I love from a storytelling perspective that she doesn't "learn her lesson" from OMWF but that she keeps repeating the same bad behavior out of desperation.
Buffy's quintessential character traits if she's not burdened by memory
This is such a nice way to put it, and it highlights one of the strengths of Jossverse characterizations -- that they generally ARE burdened by their memories and past experiences, which is one of the things that television, as a narrative long-form, can explore the way few media can, but that they rarely bother to do.
i.e. Tony Head wanted to live in England with his family again and hence was only available for some guest star episodes - but as opposed to S., I do think it's a decision which is in character. Completely wrong, but in character.
Yes, though Giles' departure pains me, I do buy it -- not just as Giles personal character, but as part of the Council philosophy that Giles is still burdened with. The Watcher is not "supposed" to provide an emotional/familial support network for his slayer. He's supposed to throw her in the water and see if she can swim and, if she doesn't, wash his hands of the whole thing because that's just the way the system works. Cruciamentum is the most extreme, but hardly the only, example of this philosophy at work. I recently rewatched "Untouched" (the Bethany episode of "Angel") and it occurred to me that -- given the right training and socialization -- Lilah would have made exactly the kind of watcher that Quentin Travers (and probably Wyndam-Pryce Sr.) would have approved of.
Also, I'm probably the only person in fandom who thinks "Willow said 'kick his ass'" was the right thing (or at least the pragmatic thing) for Xander to say.
This is such a nice way to put it, and it highlights one of the strengths of Jossverse characterizations -- that they generally ARE burdened by their memories and past experiences, which is one of the things that television, as a narrative long-form, can explore the way few media can, but that they rarely bother to do.
So true, and one of the things I love about the Jossverse characters. They really do develop throughout their respective shows.
Lilah as a Watcher in regards to her treatment of Bethany: yes indeed. And how to put it in an unspoilery way... a certain method your boy uses in season 4, Release would indicate that you know, he's, too.
Also, I'm probably the only person in fandom who thinks "Willow said 'kick his ass'" was the right thing (or at least the pragmatic thing) for Xander to say.
Nah, you just don't hang out with enough Xander fans. I've heard it justified quite a lot. My own take: I think Buffy, if informed there was another resouling attempt in the offering, would still have fought as hard (and of course still would have had to go through with the stabbing), but I can see why Xander, given her previous encounters with Angelus, would have reasonable doubt. Otoh, quite apart from the fact he was hardly objective given his feelings re: Angel(us), it wasn't his call to make, it was hers.
But the whole thing came to bitchslap him in such an elegant way in one of my favourite BTVS scenes in season 7 that I really can't wish he'd have done something else.*veg*
It may have been a defensive strategy, but I don't buy Xander would have used that strategy if he hadn't distrusted/been jealous of Angel in the first place. E.g. if Riley had been in Angel's place, I think Xander woud have acted differently.
But the whole thing came to bitchslap him in such an elegant way in one of my favourite BTVS scenes in season 7 that I really can't wish he'd have done something else.*veg*
As wrong as Willow is here, I love from a storytelling perspective that she doesn't "learn her lesson" from OMWF but that she keeps repeating the same bad behavior out of desperation.
Yes! While I hate her behaviour, I love the fact that she doesn't learn her lesson easily. It's way more realistic this way. I know that I'm aware of many of my character flaws and still will make the same mistakes again and again. I think we also have the tendency to twist things in such a way that we tell ourselves "well, doing this is really not *that* bad". *g*
Repeating your mistakes seems to be a general theme in season 6. Buffy and Dawn definitely follow the same pattern so far.
Lilah would have made exactly the kind of watcher that Quentin Travers (and probably Wyndam-Pryce Sr.) would have approved of.
Love that insight! I can totally see Lilah as a Watcher. I can just see her and Lydia scheme over a cup of tea.
Shark demon: this was also a tongue-in-cheek challenge to the fans who were at that point complaining that Buffy the show had "jumped the shark", i.e. gone bad. So Buffy the character jumps the shark.*g*
Interesting tidbit! *g*
If you ask me, Giles just couldn't stand the prospect of Buffy dying again, and he knew that in her current state, that was very likely. Of course, this was not a reason he could face, and hence, because it was selfish, and hence, he repressed it and came up with the "must help you stand on your own feet" thing instead.
Love your theory and find it completely convincing.
If you ask me, this episode leads to what Buffy does to her friends in Normal Again, where those feelings do get vented, but in a more serious fashion than just verbally. I will watch this episode this weekend. I'm really curious now!
Tabula Rasa at the same time shows us Buffy's quintessential character traits if she's not burdened by memory - she's a protector, both of Dawn and of "Randy" or anyone else threatened, she has fun fighting, she's witty - and then contrasts this with the present. Very well put. That's exactly it.
This time around I'm quite upset with Giles. Sorry Giles, but things don't work that way. If someone is traumatised and depressed you don't just leave and tell them it will make them stronger. It's rather like telling a drowning person that they just have to tread water harder so they won't drown.
Yes. As spikeylover points out, there was a meta reason for this - i.e. Tony Head wanted to live in England with his family again and hence was only available for some guest star episodes - but as opposed to S., I do think it's a decision which is in character. Completely wrong, but in character. Because Giles has done this before, only in milder forms, see season 4, The Freshman, for example, and because Bargaining in some sense via the scene between Giles and the Buffybot lays the groundworks. If you ask me, Giles just couldn't stand the prospect of Buffy dying again, and he knew that in her current state, that was very likely. Of course, this was not a reason he could face, and hence, because it was selfish, and hence, he repressed it and came up with the "must help you stand on your own feet" thing instead.
Giles' decision turns him into another person in Buffy's life who pretends to know what's good for her. In the past, Xander, Angel and Willow have also made decisions on Buffy's behalf with which she wouldn't have agreed.
And Riley left her for her own good as well... there will be a later point (in season 7) where Giles will make a decision for Buffy which will lead to a very serious reaction from her.
Things are so hard for Buffy. Here she finally voices how deeply upset she is and gets interrupted by Willow's memory spell. I wonder if things might have turned out differently if Giles and the other Scoobies had been given the chance to listen and react to Buffy's words.
They might have. It's the one point where Buffy just can't do the stoic facade thing anymore and spills in front of her friends, and of course she gets cut off. Which leaves Spike as the only emotional release, which is fatal. If you ask me, this episode leads to what Buffy does to her friends in Normal Again, where those feelings do get vented, but in a more serious fashion than just verbally.
During this episode, Buffy rediscovers her Slayer identity and is enthusiastic to be a super hero. As a result it is clearly extremely painful for her when her memory returns: She now remembers what things used to be like when she started to work as a Slayer, yet is tossed back into a life when Slaying and life in general is a burden to her.
Tabula Rasa at the same time shows us Buffy's quintessential character traits if she's not burdened by memory - she's a protector, both of Dawn and of "Randy" or anyone else threatened, she has fun fighting, she's witty - and then contrasts this with the present. And the disastrous thing is that when her memories do come back, all the progress Buffy made between Bargaining and now in terms of dealing is undone because she's essentially put through the same thing again in a rapid pace. Hence her lying on the ground as if suckerpunched.
"Desperate-for-a-shag" Giles: yes, that was priceless.*g* And then Spike reinventing himself as Angel, after all the Giles interaction. No, he doesn't have Daddy issues at all.*veg*
Giles and Anya: yep, no incest taboo as with the other Scoobies.
Willow: yes, it's appalling. And the unfortunate logical consequence of two different ongoing character traits - one is Willow's inability to deal with direct conflict as a part of a good relationship (see also her reaction when Buffy returns to Sunnydale at the start of season 3, for example), let alone to deal with breakups (see also: Oz), and the other her increasing tendency to use magical fixits if things get bad.
As you know from reading my other meta, I see what she does here as a direct parallel to what Warren does to Katrina in Dead Things. Warren will get paralleled with Willow a couple of times more...
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I bet Willow would have turned you into a rat for suggesting such a thing. ;)
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And now I have to be totally vain and have to ask whether you've read me making making the point in fictional form?
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In the new Buffy DVD sets (with the one extra disc) They talk about relationships, and it's very clear that the writers and Benson feel Willow/Tara were the one to be held up, to which I disagree completely..
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I really can't think of a popular (or semi popular) ship in Jossverse that didn't go through hell.
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I don't know about the big spoiler yet, so I have a feeling what will happen.
Even though the accusation doesn't make sense to me: So far we have seen so many heterosexual relationships not work out: Xander/Cordelia, Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Giles/Jenny, Buffy/Riley. In all cases, the couple either went through a very difficult time before the breakup or the relationship ended with a tragedy.
I guess the writers should be accused of hating heterosexual couples. *g*
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Buffy's quintessential character traits if she's not burdened by memory
This is such a nice way to put it, and it highlights one of the strengths of Jossverse characterizations -- that they generally ARE burdened by their memories and past experiences, which is one of the things that television, as a narrative long-form, can explore the way few media can, but that they rarely bother to do.
i.e. Tony Head wanted to live in England with his family again and hence was only available for some guest star episodes - but as opposed to S., I do think it's a decision which is in character. Completely wrong, but in character.
Yes, though Giles' departure pains me, I do buy it -- not just as Giles personal character, but as part of the Council philosophy that Giles is still burdened with. The Watcher is not "supposed" to provide an emotional/familial support network for his slayer. He's supposed to throw her in the water and see if she can swim and, if she doesn't, wash his hands of the whole thing because that's just the way the system works. Cruciamentum is the most extreme, but hardly the only, example of this philosophy at work. I recently rewatched "Untouched" (the Bethany episode of "Angel") and it occurred to me that -- given the right training and socialization -- Lilah would have made exactly the kind of watcher that Quentin Travers (and probably Wyndam-Pryce Sr.) would have approved of.
Also, I'm probably the only person in fandom who thinks "Willow said 'kick his ass'" was the right thing (or at least the pragmatic thing) for Xander to say.
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So true, and one of the things I love about the Jossverse characters. They really do develop throughout their respective shows.
Lilah as a Watcher in regards to her treatment of Bethany: yes indeed. And how to put it in an unspoilery way... a certain method your boy uses in season 4, Release would indicate that you know, he's, too.
Also, I'm probably the only person in fandom who thinks "Willow said 'kick his ass'" was the right thing (or at least the pragmatic thing) for Xander to say.
Nah, you just don't hang out with enough Xander fans. I've heard it justified quite a lot. My own take: I think Buffy, if informed there was another resouling attempt in the offering, would still have fought as hard (and of course still would have had to go through with the stabbing), but I can see why Xander, given her previous encounters with Angelus, would have reasonable doubt. Otoh, quite apart from the fact he was hardly objective given his feelings re: Angel(us), it wasn't his call to make, it was hers.
But the whole thing came to bitchslap him in such an elegant way in one of my favourite BTVS scenes in season 7 that I really can't wish he'd have done something else.*veg*
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yes, yes, absolutely.
re: Xander --
Otoh, quite apart from the fact he was hardly objective given his feelings re: Angel(us), it wasn't his call to make, it was hers.
point taken. maybe Xan-man has some Watcher in him too.
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Even more curious now.
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Yes! While I hate her behaviour, I love the fact that she doesn't learn her lesson easily. It's way more realistic this way.
I know that I'm aware of many of my character flaws and still will make the same mistakes again and again. I think we also have the tendency to twist things in such a way that we tell ourselves "well, doing this is really not *that* bad". *g*
Repeating your mistakes seems to be a general theme in season 6. Buffy and Dawn definitely follow the same pattern so far.
Lilah would have made exactly the kind of watcher that Quentin Travers (and probably Wyndam-Pryce Sr.) would have approved of.
Love that insight! I can totally see Lilah as a Watcher. I can just see her and Lydia scheme over a cup of tea.
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Interesting tidbit! *g*
If you ask me, Giles just couldn't stand the prospect of Buffy dying again, and he knew that in her current state, that was very likely. Of course, this was not a reason he could face, and hence, because it was selfish, and hence, he repressed it and came up with the "must help you stand on your own feet" thing instead.
Love your theory and find it completely convincing.
If you ask me, this episode leads to what Buffy does to her friends in Normal Again, where those feelings do get vented, but in a more serious fashion than just verbally.
I will watch this episode this weekend. I'm really curious now!
Tabula Rasa at the same time shows us Buffy's quintessential character traits if she's not burdened by memory - she's a protector, both of Dawn and of "Randy" or anyone else threatened, she has fun fighting, she's witty - and then contrasts this with the present.
Very well put. That's exactly it.
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