Episode Poll: 5.11 Triangle

[gabrielleabelle]

Is this the last true comedy episode of S5? I mean, there's Intervention, but that eventually turns all SRS BSNS. So yeah. Let's count this one as the last comedy eppie. Triangle!

Comments

[gillo]

1. It's always more complicated. Buffy's relationship with Angel was the love of a very young girl, and the age disparity alone would have doomed it - even the apparent age disparity (Angel mid-twenties when they met, Buffy sixteen.) Add the pesky curse - and how in hell could it have been Buffy's fault? As for Riley, they were both looking for what was not there - a "normal" relationship with someone non-super-powered who fit their ideas of what was appropriate. Both were quite damaged by the point where he left, and one or the other caving in would not have been enough to rescue the relationship. Riley was desperate to find the adrenaline highs he'd had in the Initiative, while Buffy just had so many worries on her mind that a boyfriend's needs were not so high on her list. Both at fault, but Riley more so than Buffy

[gabrielleabelle]

3. Haha!

4. Yeah. I ended up choosing "another answer" because, while I think he gets a round of credit in general, I don't think the Slayer should be too impressed by that, you know? Her job is to be a bit of a hard-ass to demons, after all.

5 & 6. Word.

[angearia]

3. Anya is slowly learning better people skills but still has a way to go, especially by CA standards. She might be fine as a grumpy shopkeeper in London, for example...

Indeed! It's shopkeeper discrimination to deny Anya the keys to the Magic Box just because she's not ~nice enough~. If that were a requirement, imagine all the shops going out of business (for reasons other than Wal-Mart and Big Business).

[beer_good_foamy]

What, no questions on OLAF? Personally I like to think that Olaf's big whiny "Just like you always did when we were dating!" is as much a parody of everyone's "Let's blame Buffy for poor Riley's shortcomings" as SMG's over-the-top blubbering. (Which I love for that exact reason.) There's an eye-rolling "God, we're really trying to sell THIS aesop to them?" feel to it.

5,6: My other answer is that both Willow and Anya love Xander, he means a lot to them both, and vice versa; which means they're both in a position to hurt each other that doesn't necessarily require demonic powers or lips. (Well, not for kissing, at least.) Anya doesn't need to be a demon to break Xander's heart, Willow doesn't need to sleep with Xander to have influence over him. Scratch the surface and it's a pretty standard Lover vs Best Friend scenario.

7: A 4. Not a great comedy episode, but it has OLAF, it has Hannigan and Caulfield on top form riffing off each other, so many fantastic lines... plus, the best shot of SMG's stunt double in the entire series. Good

[gabrielleabelle]

I couldn't think of any Olaf questions!!! *hands head*

Personally I like to think that Olaf's big whiny "Just like you always did when we were dating!" is as much a parody of everyone's "Let's blame Buffy for poor Riley's shortcomings" as SMG's over-the-top blubbering.

I'll take it!

7. Caulfield and Hannigan are PERFECT in this episode. Both such gifted comedy actors at their best.

When's the shot of SMG's stunt double?

[beer_good_foamy]

When's the shot of SMG's stunt double?

Right at the start of her fight with OLAF. (Sorry, I have to type that in capital letters.) She gets knocked on her ass and slides into a bookcase, and the camera pretty much holds on the stunt double's face for a second or two.

[gabrielleabelle]

Clearly, I need to rewatch this episode...

[local_max]

5,6. I like BGF's answer on this -- but, bottom line, they both have a big point. In particular, Anya does try to kill Xander in Entropy, and I do think that there is still a part of Xander that Willow can touch but Anya can't (not, like a body part): c.f. their intimate moment in The Body in the middle of the Scooby scene (the forehead kiss).

[I do think Anya is sincere in her "I'll never hurt Xander," but I think there is just a little bit of "I'll never hurt Xander, because he's better than those other men" implied in her thinking. The problem of course is that Xander, while basically decent, is not that essentially different from those other men, and until Anya gets to Selfless she is still in a position of being willing/able to return to vengeance when she is re-disillusioned about men. It's at Selfless where "men can be vicious assholes; but I guess it's still best not to have a spider rip their hearts out" is made explicit.]

[gabrielleabelle]

In particular, Anya does try to kill Xander in Entropy

Yeah. Willow ends up being...kinda right, so...

and I do think that there is still a part of Xander that Willow can touch but Anya can't (not, like a body part): c.f. their intimate moment in The Body in the middle of the Scooby scene (the forehead kiss).

Also agreed.

[local_max]

:)

to be less obviously Willow-partial, I should say that Willow is not that much more reliable, and Anya is right to be worried about Willow working to undermine the Xander/Anya relationship -- which she is totally trying to do. I don't think she wants Xander romantically now, but she is super terriorial and has years' worth of lingering resentments over Xander choosing not just women, but 'bad' (from Willow's POV) or literally demon women over her. Not to mention that by arguing over the Magic Box Willow is implicitly being territorial about Giles' affections too.

[gabrielleabelle]

*is being totally Willow-partial*

I think there's a distinction, though, in that after the conflict and fears get aired in this episode, Willow doesn't further try to undermine the Xander/Anya relationship. All's cool. Anya, as noted, does eventually try to hurt/kill Xander. So while Anya's fear that Willow will break them up doesn't pan out, Willow's fear does.

Not to mention that by arguing over the Magic Box Willow is implicitly being territorial about Giles' affections too.

Also, it wasn't just Willow arguing against Anya managing the shop. Buffy and Giles speak against it, too.

[treadingthedark]

Yay Polll!

1. Absolutely neither of those are Buffy's fault. Actually when you think about it, other than Spike, Buffy is always the dumped party in her relationships, through no fault of her own in my opinion.

2. There is some excellent comedy in this episode, but Buffy's crying brings it down for me. I hated that Riley had so much power to hurt her there. It was good riddance to him for me by then!

5. 6. Willow and Anya are both right to be worried about each other. Anya could obviously turn dangerous with her history, it's almost inevitable.

And Willow has a part of Xander that Anya may never touch. You know, emotionally.

[gabrielleabelle]

1. This is true.

2. I get that. For me, I prefer some maudlin crying from Buffy rather than a long, drawn-out mope a la post-Parker or Angel. Especially as the rest of this season is so angst. It makes things easier.

[zanthinegirl]

1) I know I'm that weird spuffy who loves Riley, but I don't think he's totally to blame. People grow and change and what they need from a relationship changes. I think it was time for both of them to move on. And there's two side to every relationship.I blame Riley more, but they're both at least a little at fault

[gabrielleabelle]

And it's hard to be the single one in a group of friends with significant others.

This is very true.

You totally miss having a poll question about how awesome Willow's hair looks in this episode. One of her best hair moments IMO!

AGREED!