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thalia_seawoodMy thoughts on Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered behind the cut.
This episode is (mostly) a fun episde and as such I enjoyed it *a lot*.
The Xander/Cordelia relationship is developed by the great use of "show, don't tell". The characters never say "I love you." and yet you know that they've become *very* fond of one another.
Xander goes to great lengths to dress nicely for the Valentine dance and to have a present for Cordelia. Cordelia in turn notices that Xander has dressed up, comments in a positive way on it and is touched because he gets her a present. She then dumps him, but the way she does it makes it quite obvious that she's doing so to not lose her popularity. I found it sweet that she continued wearing Xander's present, even after she officially ended the relationship. It's quite amazing that she's pleased when she learns Xander was trying to win back her love by using a love spell. (I would have reacted quite differently here, because meddling with someone's free will is not the way to go.) But Cordelia is all flattered by it and so apparently has been kept as a trophy girlfriend, but noone ever seems to have made a real effort. And I *love* the way she stands up to Harmony in the end; of course, what she says to Harmony is also addressed to herself, because for the longest time she had exactly the same values as Harmony and it's entirely possible that Harmony tried to imitate Cordelia's value system in the first place.
A highlight of the show is that every female person in Sunnydale falls under the lovespell -- even Drusilla. ("How do you feel about eternal life.") Very, very funny.
The sinister counter-part to this episode is that we know Angel is plotting revenge against Buffy and that he's planning something very special.
By the way, would he still be able to enter Buffy's house. After all she did invite him once; I just don't know if the invitation is still valid after he got his soul back or if there's anything that can be done to make the invitation invalid.
If I didn't know Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia and Buffy's mother are alive later on in the show, I would think he'd first kill Willow (she invited him to her room once) and then would attack Buffy's mother.
But since I know that they are all well later on, a secondary character close to Buffy or one of her friends will probably die.
This episode is (mostly) a fun episde and as such I enjoyed it *a lot*.
The Xander/Cordelia relationship is developed by the great use of "show, don't tell". The characters never say "I love you." and yet you know that they've become *very* fond of one another.
Xander goes to great lengths to dress nicely for the Valentine dance and to have a present for Cordelia. Cordelia in turn notices that Xander has dressed up, comments in a positive way on it and is touched because he gets her a present. She then dumps him, but the way she does it makes it quite obvious that she's doing so to not lose her popularity. I found it sweet that she continued wearing Xander's present, even after she officially ended the relationship. It's quite amazing that she's pleased when she learns Xander was trying to win back her love by using a love spell. (I would have reacted quite differently here, because meddling with someone's free will is not the way to go.) But Cordelia is all flattered by it and so apparently has been kept as a trophy girlfriend, but noone ever seems to have made a real effort. And I *love* the way she stands up to Harmony in the end; of course, what she says to Harmony is also addressed to herself, because for the longest time she had exactly the same values as Harmony and it's entirely possible that Harmony tried to imitate Cordelia's value system in the first place.
A highlight of the show is that every female person in Sunnydale falls under the lovespell -- even Drusilla. ("How do you feel about eternal life.") Very, very funny.
The sinister counter-part to this episode is that we know Angel is plotting revenge against Buffy and that he's planning something very special.
By the way, would he still be able to enter Buffy's house. After all she did invite him once; I just don't know if the invitation is still valid after he got his soul back or if there's anything that can be done to make the invitation invalid.
If I didn't know Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia and Buffy's mother are alive later on in the show, I would think he'd first kill Willow (she invited him to her room once) and then would attack Buffy's mother.
But since I know that they are all well later on, a secondary character close to Buffy or one of her friends will probably die.
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Date: 2005-10-20 01:39 pm (UTC)I would have reacted quite differently here, because meddling with someone's free will is not the way to go.
Yeah, that was the one bit of the episode that kind of bugged me - but your explanation about no one actually making an effort for her in the past makes sense. Although if Cordy had known the spell was actually intended by Xander as a way to just hurt her, I'm thinking her reaction may not have been so flattered.
would he still be able to enter Buffy's house. After all she did invite him once; I just don't know if the invitation is still valid after he got his soul back or if there's anything that can be done to make the invitation invalid.
This is actually directly addressed in a couple of episodes, so I'll leave this question alone. As well as your speculations. *g*
no subject
Date: 2005-10-20 01:42 pm (UTC)Well, that's what Xander *says*, but I'm not sure he would actually go through with this plan.
Your icon is lovely! :-)
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Date: 2005-10-20 01:46 pm (UTC)Perhaps not, but if something had happened like Cordy overhearing Xander explaining his intents to Amy - I'm thinking she may still not have been too pleased.
Your icon is lovely! :-)
Thanks. :) Don't remember who made it, though...
no subject
Date: 2005-10-20 02:15 pm (UTC)Dru coming on to Xander was priceless. Note, though, that Willow-under-a-spell gets violent about her rejected love pretty easily. Worth knowing for continuity.
And yes, Xander/Cordy is all about the show, not tell. Again, my favourite romantic relationship for Cordelia.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-21 08:25 am (UTC)I also find it interesting that she keeps parts of Ted, the robot, even though he was homicidal. For her the search for knowledge is very important and it doesn't matter where it comes from.
I can understand her up to a point, but I think it's not that easy to take dark knowledge and then just use it for good. That's a lesson I learned from Star Wars, by the way. :-))
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Date: 2005-10-21 10:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-24 08:47 pm (UTC)From what I've seen so far, Buffy seems to follow the pattern that seemingly evil characters gain dimension and good characters gain shadows.