Grrrrrr, arrggg... and a few snarls
Apr. 30th, 2003 11:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwyn Big spoilerin' for Buffy episode of April 29, Empty Places -- warning! Really! Lots of spoilery discussion!
One of the things I’ve tried to do when I write these stupid little reviews is to look at episodes in two ways. I’m not a big meta-analyst like Shadowkat or someone like that, I mostly try to discuss both my emotional reactions to ‘ships and characters, and to the filmic qualities of any given ep, since that’s my background and interest. While I’m heavily invested in the shows I watch, I do try to step back from my Spuffy-beatin’ heart, for instance, or whatever characters I’m interested in emotionally, to look at larger pictures. Some of my friend probably laugh at that statement; especially the Spike or Spuffy-haters, who think that’s probably the only thing I can see, and maybe it’s true, but I’ve been watching Buffy since day one and it’s been my big fandom for a long time, and I’ve always enjoyed being able to see both sides of the show since it’s one of those rare programs that give you both things — emotional attachment and high-quality production work.
Which makes episodes like last night’s especially hard for me to write about in anything resembling a coherent manner. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, mostly rage and annoyance, but also some serious tragedy, that I have a hard time saying anything about the filmic qualities. I can’t remember when an episode of Buffy made me so angry and so frustrated. I hated Showtime (I think it was Showtime) with a grand passion, except for those final moments when Buffy rescued Spike, but such emotional rewards are not usually enough for me to ignore the lower quality of the episode surrounding them. Last night felt like that for me — I was rewarded with the incredibly painful and gorgeous scene with Willow and Xander, which made me sob (I do not do that generally — I will cry, especially over AH’s crying, but I never sob like that. I can only figure that it has more to do with other things as well as the beauty of that scene: the show ending, the sacrifices and the loss, the way the storyline has progressed), and that incredible teaser (more below, in cutaways), which also made me cry, but then in between I was enraged and baffled.
Baffled because I do not understand this development of the rift with Giles (I need to write a separate rant about this, because it’s too long to deal with here), and how it is continuing without any attempt at working it out — especially in light of his refusal to back her up in any way last night, forcing her to try to push too hard when, if he would support her as he usually does, she might see the value in some careful planning and slower steps. Baffled because I don’t understand how they could contrive such a scenario that would have Buffy being kicked out of her own house by her little sister (how did Dawn suddenly become the “owner” of the house and have rights to do that?) and having everyone rise up against her, including the very people whose lives she’s saved over and over. And most baffled because I don’t understand why the “important question” is whether Buffy can follow. Since when has she needed to follow? Since when has being a follower been her job? Since when has sacrifice and loss and suffering not been part of her everyday existence? Why on earth would following be expected of her, ever, in any situation, least of all now? That has to be the single most asinine statement I’ve ever heard on this show.
This made no sense to me other than as a contrivance (which I despise) and some kind of badly written deus ex machina to get Buffy alone and on the outs. Now, if the reward is that Spike saves the day with her, I guess I should be able to get behind that, but I can’t — because how could that be a reward for enduring this sort of shit from fuckwits she’s protected with her life? Or does she find her courage on her own? Neither scenario rings right to me for Buffy, and what I hated was that the entire episode led up to this denouement that felt forced and fabricated out of nothing, and then we’re supposed to accept that Buffy would just walk away from it and tell Faith to lead them. I know it’s unfashionable to love Buffy — almost everyone I know hates her, but I still adore her, she’s still my girl, and listening to fuckwitted characters like Anya attack her for leading them into trouble and ignoring the fact that she is the leader and she does have to make the hard decisions really gets to me. Buffy was right, too, in that sending Spike away made it easier for them to gang up on her.
But what shocks me most is that we’re supposed to accept that their actions are prudent and we’re supposed to feel for them. If I hated Wood before, I hate him more now, and I am so frustrated with Anya’s continuing pointlessness and undermining of their work; the SITs need to all die and if Caleb smashed them all to little bits, I’d be happy. Amanda is the only SIT I don’t hate, but I’m not even fond of her now, and that Rona bitch… there are no words. See? This is what I mean by not being able to set aside my emotions — I can’t look at this episode through anything but red-colored glasses. I especially loathed Anya’s crap speech about how lucky Buffy is, when everything on this show for seven freaking years has been to show that Buffy’s life sucks beyond the telling of it and that she didn’t, doesn’t, want to be the chosen one, but to have a normal life. And then her sister acting as if she has the right to kick her out; Giles abandoning her for reasons I still don’t get, and that little pipsqueak bitch Rona’s nasty-ass comments… grrrr. I just don’t have any ability to care about these people, and I wish Buffy didn’t, either. ME made an egregious error in thinking we would care about these SITs; all they’ve ever been is whiny, selfish, childish, and stupid. It was hard to care for them before; now it’s impossible to want anything but for them to die.
If we’re supposed to be dragged into Buffy’s corner, and want to love her again, this is the wrong way to go about it because it’s false (especially when Will and Xander, and worst of all, Giles, are so far on the other side), cheap, and stupid. It would have been far more interesting and complex if Buffy had found information but because of her guilt and bad feelings about Xander and the deaths at the winery, would have been reluctant to share them, and gone off on her own (as she so often does) to find out the answers. I could have bought that far more as a method of getting her separated from the rest. She’s often done that and been made more vulnerable when she does (especially in Becoming, when Spike zeroed in on her need for help), and I think that could have had some cooler and more lasting consequences without being annoying.
Not that there weren’t some lovely moments — I especially loved Spike telling Andrew that if he ever told anyone about that conversation about the onion, he’d bite him, and later the way Spike figured out stuff about the priest despite Andrew’s sad attempt at bad cop. Everyone on the show always talks about how dumb Spike is, so I loved seeing him put some things together last night and forge ahead (and okay, because it’s about me, I loved seeing him read that inscription, too, because it reminded me of Dawn saying in one of my stories that Spike can read Latin and ancient Greek because of when he went to school). And again, that scene with Will and Xander made me sob uncontrollably. But. I still don’t understand Caleb and where he gets his power, what he’s trying to do, and I most of all don’t understand how they could dredge up this lame, annoying, and crap contrivance of getting everyone against Buffy in order to… what? I dunno. I’m too frustrated by it all to see sense in it. Very, very bad plotting, and how dare they tear down my gal. More about Giles later this week, not that anyone cares, but I have to try to order my thoughts somewhere.
And I know many people consider teasers spoilers, so I’ll cut this away, because I want to talk about that teaser. It gives me hope to go on and that maybe I’m not going to be stuck with this crap scenario for long. My god! I don’t give a rat’s about everyone else having sex, but the love and beautiful, adoring looks between Spike and Buffy in each other’s arms just made me cry even more, and scream, and yes, I’ve only played it back 300 times, why do you ask? The TiVo is wonderful for this — they have a little 8 second rewind button where you hit it and it takes you back 8, then 16, then 24 seconds, so I could just keep watching it over and over. When they’re in each other’s arms, they’re holding hands, and she keeps rubbing her thumb over his hand. Buffy has never touched him in such a loving, tender way, and if that’s all we get, well… yeah, it’s a tiny bit disappointing, but godDAMN, they’re looking at each other with such tenderness and regard in that clip. If nothing else sustains me, that will.
One of the things I’ve tried to do when I write these stupid little reviews is to look at episodes in two ways. I’m not a big meta-analyst like Shadowkat or someone like that, I mostly try to discuss both my emotional reactions to ‘ships and characters, and to the filmic qualities of any given ep, since that’s my background and interest. While I’m heavily invested in the shows I watch, I do try to step back from my Spuffy-beatin’ heart, for instance, or whatever characters I’m interested in emotionally, to look at larger pictures. Some of my friend probably laugh at that statement; especially the Spike or Spuffy-haters, who think that’s probably the only thing I can see, and maybe it’s true, but I’ve been watching Buffy since day one and it’s been my big fandom for a long time, and I’ve always enjoyed being able to see both sides of the show since it’s one of those rare programs that give you both things — emotional attachment and high-quality production work.
Which makes episodes like last night’s especially hard for me to write about in anything resembling a coherent manner. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, mostly rage and annoyance, but also some serious tragedy, that I have a hard time saying anything about the filmic qualities. I can’t remember when an episode of Buffy made me so angry and so frustrated. I hated Showtime (I think it was Showtime) with a grand passion, except for those final moments when Buffy rescued Spike, but such emotional rewards are not usually enough for me to ignore the lower quality of the episode surrounding them. Last night felt like that for me — I was rewarded with the incredibly painful and gorgeous scene with Willow and Xander, which made me sob (I do not do that generally — I will cry, especially over AH’s crying, but I never sob like that. I can only figure that it has more to do with other things as well as the beauty of that scene: the show ending, the sacrifices and the loss, the way the storyline has progressed), and that incredible teaser (more below, in cutaways), which also made me cry, but then in between I was enraged and baffled.
Baffled because I do not understand this development of the rift with Giles (I need to write a separate rant about this, because it’s too long to deal with here), and how it is continuing without any attempt at working it out — especially in light of his refusal to back her up in any way last night, forcing her to try to push too hard when, if he would support her as he usually does, she might see the value in some careful planning and slower steps. Baffled because I don’t understand how they could contrive such a scenario that would have Buffy being kicked out of her own house by her little sister (how did Dawn suddenly become the “owner” of the house and have rights to do that?) and having everyone rise up against her, including the very people whose lives she’s saved over and over. And most baffled because I don’t understand why the “important question” is whether Buffy can follow. Since when has she needed to follow? Since when has being a follower been her job? Since when has sacrifice and loss and suffering not been part of her everyday existence? Why on earth would following be expected of her, ever, in any situation, least of all now? That has to be the single most asinine statement I’ve ever heard on this show.
This made no sense to me other than as a contrivance (which I despise) and some kind of badly written deus ex machina to get Buffy alone and on the outs. Now, if the reward is that Spike saves the day with her, I guess I should be able to get behind that, but I can’t — because how could that be a reward for enduring this sort of shit from fuckwits she’s protected with her life? Or does she find her courage on her own? Neither scenario rings right to me for Buffy, and what I hated was that the entire episode led up to this denouement that felt forced and fabricated out of nothing, and then we’re supposed to accept that Buffy would just walk away from it and tell Faith to lead them. I know it’s unfashionable to love Buffy — almost everyone I know hates her, but I still adore her, she’s still my girl, and listening to fuckwitted characters like Anya attack her for leading them into trouble and ignoring the fact that she is the leader and she does have to make the hard decisions really gets to me. Buffy was right, too, in that sending Spike away made it easier for them to gang up on her.
But what shocks me most is that we’re supposed to accept that their actions are prudent and we’re supposed to feel for them. If I hated Wood before, I hate him more now, and I am so frustrated with Anya’s continuing pointlessness and undermining of their work; the SITs need to all die and if Caleb smashed them all to little bits, I’d be happy. Amanda is the only SIT I don’t hate, but I’m not even fond of her now, and that Rona bitch… there are no words. See? This is what I mean by not being able to set aside my emotions — I can’t look at this episode through anything but red-colored glasses. I especially loathed Anya’s crap speech about how lucky Buffy is, when everything on this show for seven freaking years has been to show that Buffy’s life sucks beyond the telling of it and that she didn’t, doesn’t, want to be the chosen one, but to have a normal life. And then her sister acting as if she has the right to kick her out; Giles abandoning her for reasons I still don’t get, and that little pipsqueak bitch Rona’s nasty-ass comments… grrrr. I just don’t have any ability to care about these people, and I wish Buffy didn’t, either. ME made an egregious error in thinking we would care about these SITs; all they’ve ever been is whiny, selfish, childish, and stupid. It was hard to care for them before; now it’s impossible to want anything but for them to die.
If we’re supposed to be dragged into Buffy’s corner, and want to love her again, this is the wrong way to go about it because it’s false (especially when Will and Xander, and worst of all, Giles, are so far on the other side), cheap, and stupid. It would have been far more interesting and complex if Buffy had found information but because of her guilt and bad feelings about Xander and the deaths at the winery, would have been reluctant to share them, and gone off on her own (as she so often does) to find out the answers. I could have bought that far more as a method of getting her separated from the rest. She’s often done that and been made more vulnerable when she does (especially in Becoming, when Spike zeroed in on her need for help), and I think that could have had some cooler and more lasting consequences without being annoying.
Not that there weren’t some lovely moments — I especially loved Spike telling Andrew that if he ever told anyone about that conversation about the onion, he’d bite him, and later the way Spike figured out stuff about the priest despite Andrew’s sad attempt at bad cop. Everyone on the show always talks about how dumb Spike is, so I loved seeing him put some things together last night and forge ahead (and okay, because it’s about me, I loved seeing him read that inscription, too, because it reminded me of Dawn saying in one of my stories that Spike can read Latin and ancient Greek because of when he went to school). And again, that scene with Will and Xander made me sob uncontrollably. But. I still don’t understand Caleb and where he gets his power, what he’s trying to do, and I most of all don’t understand how they could dredge up this lame, annoying, and crap contrivance of getting everyone against Buffy in order to… what? I dunno. I’m too frustrated by it all to see sense in it. Very, very bad plotting, and how dare they tear down my gal. More about Giles later this week, not that anyone cares, but I have to try to order my thoughts somewhere.
And I know many people consider teasers spoilers, so I’ll cut this away, because I want to talk about that teaser. It gives me hope to go on and that maybe I’m not going to be stuck with this crap scenario for long. My god! I don’t give a rat’s about everyone else having sex, but the love and beautiful, adoring looks between Spike and Buffy in each other’s arms just made me cry even more, and scream, and yes, I’ve only played it back 300 times, why do you ask? The TiVo is wonderful for this — they have a little 8 second rewind button where you hit it and it takes you back 8, then 16, then 24 seconds, so I could just keep watching it over and over. When they’re in each other’s arms, they’re holding hands, and she keeps rubbing her thumb over his hand. Buffy has never touched him in such a loving, tender way, and if that’s all we get, well… yeah, it’s a tiny bit disappointing, but godDAMN, they’re looking at each other with such tenderness and regard in that clip. If nothing else sustains me, that will.
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no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 11:30 am (UTC)*g*
Yes, last night was contrived, the whole betrayal. But it was inevitable, if you think about it,w hat with all the chatter about this being a war and Buffy being a general. There was just bound to be a mutiny. I don't think we were supposed to feel for the group and think that they were doing the prudent thing. This was just a continuation from the episode before of "The Fall of Buffy". This happens pretty much every season. She gets torn down and has to build herself back up. And yay! Spike is the one to build her up next week with his well-muscled arms and adoring looks and...
*ahem*
I do think it was cheap. I'm not surprised by the SITs revolting. However, I'm just fucking shocked that they dared to make her leave her own home. Even if they disagree with her plan, they owe her respect and that was a complete lack of. The only person i was appreciating in that scene was Faith, because she was honestly not trying for something like this to happen and was searching for a better way to do things. She was actually redeeming herself. Which was...refreshing.
But I'm sad to see the Scoobs turning against her. The only thing i cna say to that is that the writers have ceased writing them according to character. That they are only really focusing on developing Spike and Buffy at this point, since they seem to be the only ones with a plotline as of late, anyway.
The writers have completely lost the plot with Giles. He seems so significantly different, it irks me. And Anya? She's a stand in. Last time we saw real Anya was in Selfless, since then she is there for uncomfortable laughs and irritating commentary. To call Buffy lucky is just so...Well, i just have to say stupid, since emotions are getting in the way of my vocabulary. yes, Anya, she's been very lucky with sacrificing her life, her loved ones, all to save the world you seem to shit upon. So, yes, you are write. Why don't you get back to the sex talk, since that seems to be all that you are capable of recently?
So, um, yeah, basically i just ranted in your journal to really say that i agree with you whole-heartedly about this ep and i kinda wish that all this shit had gone down in the first half of the show and the Buffy comfort from Spike that happen next week had happened in the latter half. You know, cause then she would be all empowered and we wouldn't have to see Buffy wander off into the lonely night AGAIN!
no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 11:35 am (UTC)The glorified blob of green energy. My dear, you've been alive for only 2 years and you've contributed nothing to this house other than testing out the endurance of the doors when you slam them and how loud you can scream without glass shattering. That is not your home. Without Buffy, you would either be living with your absentee papa, in foster care, or hello? Dead.
And you're afraid that Buffy won't choose you? Um, she sure as hell won't be choosing you now, sweetheart.
*g*
hee! That was fun:)
no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 12:24 pm (UTC)The thing is, I was liking Dawn this year for the most part. After hating her in S6, and learning to like her, mostly because of her friendship with Spike, in 5, I was surprised how much I enjoyed her this year, till now. Sigh.
And yeah, I agree with your earlier points that this was all a step in a direction and the whole fall of the general thing, but... dammit, I'm cranky! It feels weird to be so cranky, especially when the show is coming to a close.
I guess maybe that's partly to blame, too... The fact is, I've always trusted Joss to do the right thing when it comes to balancing tragedy and love. He did it before in Becoming and The Gift and other eps (even though he didn't technically write Passion, it has his mark all over it, everywhere), and I just am afraid that this is leading in a direction where I won't like how they do it. I want the ending with the tragedy I expect from him to be earned and to be balanced with the love, the way it was in Becoming. There was good and bad for everyone there, and I need that. This ep makes me worry that with so little left ahead of us, it's just going to be like being hit with a ball-peen hammer instead.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 11:34 am (UTC)Yes! Word! I actually said, "Do you pay rent?" while watching that. I'm turning into my parents. Last time I checked, Dawn didn't pay the bills, pay rent, buy food or contribute at all.
I don't get Giles this season. So, I'll stick to my original theory, Giles is a pod person.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 12:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 12:59 pm (UTC)See, gwyn, I've never felt pressured to "accept" their actions. And I don't feel that it's all that contrived. I can make a case for it being exactly what we've been headed for since the beginning. This Slayer's got links to the world. It's been her strength and it could be her undoing. She has no one to guide her through this because it's never been done before (or possibly it has and was then expunged from the Watcher chronicles, those twits).
But from day 1, there's been the constant collision between Buffy's Slayerness and her interaction with the rest of the world. Maybe that's why Slayers are alone, no friends, only kill. Maybe it's because it's so hard to fight when your heart is broken.
Time and again, Buffy has tried to resist the inclusion of her friends, mostly to keep them safe. Xander showed up anyway in "Welcome to the Hellmouth" - why? Because Jesse was his friend and Xander felt he had a right to be there. Oh, and also to help Buffy.
How many times has Willow gone off on Buffy for wanting to act solo? There's all this pressure for inclusion--and just as much pressure for exclusion. Giles has always been uncomfortable with so many people knowing about her calling, although in the beginning his objections were more pro forma. Buffy is terribly guilt-ridden. For example, I just know that she still blames herself for Ford's demise in "Lie To Me". He was a desperate boy, and her very existence constituted an irresistible lure to him. Ergo, her fault.
Over and over, Buffy has indicated that she's conflicted about her role and her power. She was never more specific about it that with Holden in CWDP. It's made her do self-destructive things, or at least it's left her vulnerable to such things. (BTW, I see this as a tragic flaw, not something substandard about her.) She's let people get away with some awful things as a way of somehow compensating for her special power.
Yeah, what Anya said was total nonsense, but we know Buffy sort of believes it. That's why it's so effective. And Buffy's exhausted, grieving, anguished about Xander...and she's never been adept at calling people out. Remember in "The Yoko Factor", when they are all screaming at each other? Buffy says, "This is stupid!" Xander says, "Well, at last you're coming right out with it!" "No! I'm not saying you're stupid!" cries Buffy. "So stop being an idiot and let me fix this!"
Let me fix this. Now they are even taking that away from her. Can't you hear Angelus's voice taunting her in "Becoming II"? Everything's been taken away. Over and over, for seven years.
I guess what I'm saying is that I really liked this episode. I don't feel herded into anything by bad writing or poor plotting. I'm not surprised that the last scene has Buffy leaving her own home. This was a vicious, interventionist-y thing to happen....and it has plenty of precedents in the show. This didn't come out of the blue. Buffy has regularly gotten marginalized and punished by those closest to her. Even Joyce - Buffy couldn't look at a suitcase without Joyce making some comment about how Buffy was going to run away again.
Oh, now I'm hijacking your LJ. I should probably continue this in my own. To summarize: yeah, I hated a lot of them last night, but I'm still totally enthralled. And I love my Buffy more than ever.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 02:11 pm (UTC)I think I can't quite get to where you are right now and the more I think about it, it has to do with a) Giles, because I'm deeply disturbed by what they're doing to him right now, and for me the Giles and Buffy relationship has been the integral, foundational element of my love for this show; no Spuffy or B/A or anything else touches me the way their relationship has; and b) I just feel too much right now. I know how dumb I sound when I say this, but I'm just 24/7 Buffy right now. Every freaking minute I think about Buffy, it's why my writing circle time has devolved completely into fanfic writing time. ;-) I just can't not think about it and I feel so much for it, I usppose it's easier than dealing with real life, but this thing that's been very important to me for 7 years is going away, and anything that feels like a threat about that makes me crazy.
I never said I was sane.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-30 06:25 pm (UTC)I'm seriously loving Faith this year, between Angel and her role here. I wanted to kiss her for following B out onto the porch, and for what she said. I never imagined I would want to see *more* of her!
God knows I loved NF in FF, but Caleb is just fucking *heinous*, and I want him to die slowly, tasting his own blood. (g) Just what I needed, a misogynistic, fundamentalist Christian preacher baddie to push all of my "ick" buttons at once. Isn't it bad enough we have something close to that in the freakin' White House? I have to listen to Caleb prattle on, too? Blech!
I can't wait to see B&S next week, but everyone else rutting? Uh... yeah, well, uh... thank god for ff buttons.
Jill
no subject
Date: 2003-05-02 02:25 pm (UTC)Damn ME to a fiery level of hell for misusing and miswriting my poor Giles as they are. I'm right there with you when it comes to the complex and compelling relationship between Buffy and Giles (as you know) and watching the last three episodes has disturbed me in a way nothing else on the show ever has. I really, really am looking forward to what you will write about Giles.
I came across a ficlet last night, a conversation between Spike and Giles post-Lies. I have mixed feelings about it but it was the most positive look on the new "Pod Giles" (*tm Ali) I've found. And that's what I want. I want someone to explain this to me in a way that makes sense where there seems to be no sense. I don't want to think that they're just throwing away 7 years of developement of an amazing character who relates to the lead in a way no one else can. That's how it feels to me, like they're just saying, "nyeh, oh well" when it comes to linear developement of Giles and also, Anya.
Anyway, if you're interested in the ficlet, it's here: http://archive.shriftweb.org/archive/16/atarms.html
We'll have to do coffee, if for no other reason than to bitch about the treatment of Giles this season. I went off a bit at the con; Sass said I was actually pouting. But... they are so lucky, they've written this amazing character and have this amazing actor to play him and they are totally wasting the opportunity to write greatness. *grr*