Buffy - More Season 2 impressions (episodes 19 & 20)

[thalia_seawood]

Getting closer to the end of the season.



I Only Have Eyes For You
In the beginning of this episode I thought: Huh, another filler show. Nothing special.
I have to admit I underestimated it, it got stronger and stronger and had some powerful moments.

Loved how both Giles and Buffy are not able to look at the situation in an objective way.
Giles thinks at first that Jenny is behind what's going on, until he has to realise this has nothing to do with her whatsover.
Buffy totally despises the ghost (James) for what he did. When I heard her talk, I at first thought she identified with the victim, but the following speech gave me the impression that in fact she identifies with James and is suffering from a big dose of self-hatred:

Buffy: No. James destroyed the one person he loved the most in a moment of blind passion. And that's not something you forgive. No matter why he did what he did. And no matter if he knows now that it was wrong and selfish and stupid, it is just something he's gonna have to live with.

So it seems to me that she blames herself for what happened to Angel. Which makes sense and also makes her character even more intriguing.


Powerful emotional moments:
- Willow giving Jenny's rose quartz to Giles.

- Giles talking about forgiveness.
Giles: To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's, it's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it.

- Buffy and Angel reenacting what happened in 1955. And I was totally happy that Buffy is possessed by James whereas Angel gets the female part. Very nice! It's very ironic that Angel when possessed by Grace forgives Buffy-James at the end of this scene.
The possession thing seems to have been very unsettling for Angel seeing that he runs away right afterwards and sort of takes a shower. :-)


Go Fish
Not one of the best shows, but managed to surprise me. I really hadn't expected that the fish monsters *are* the missing young man.

When it came to the business of steroids are evil, I felt the show was a bit too preachy at times. Yes, steroids are evil, but the point was made so many times that I found it a bit irksome. Subtlety can drive the message home just as well, if not better.

My favorite moment is probably Cordelia talking to "Xander" when she believes that he's been transformed into a fish monster:

Cordelia: (very upset) It's me, Cordelia? I know you can't answer me, but... God, this is all my fault. You joined the swim team to impress me. You were so courageous. And you looked really hot in those Speedo's. (chuckles) And I want you to know that I still care about you, no matter what you look like. And... and we can still date. Or, or not. I mean... I understand if you wanna see other fish. (crouches by the edge) I'll do everything I can to make your quality of life better. Whether that means little bath toys or whatever.

That's without doubt the wackiest love declaration I've ever seen.


Thoughts on Spike and Angel
Spike as a soulless vampire is much more likeable than Angel. He is destructive and loves to bring chaos, but he isn't deep down malicious.
Characterwise, he's the vampire with whom you can most easily sympathize.

Right now things are tough for him: Drusilla is all of a sudden strong, while he is weak. Also Angel is wrecking the happy idyllic life he built for himself. Not only is Angel the cause for the fire in the factory, but he also takes Drusilla's affection away from Spike. I don't get the impression Angel does this because he cares all that much for Drusilla, but because he loves to annoy Spike. Those two have a lot of unresolved tension between them.

As for Angel: Without a soul, he is very much a monster. He's also still an absolutely fascinating character. You want to hit him, you want to kill him, but despite that he's very intriguing. And scenes likes this are delightfully filled with subtext:

Spike: Big deal. He won't do anything. Our man Angel here likes to talk but he's not much for action. All hat and no cattle.

Angelus: (grabs Dru's waist) I don't know about that. (turns her around) I think this whole Slayer thing has run its course. (crouches down by her) I'm ready to focus my energy elsewhere.

Spike: Really?

Angelus: Oh, yeah! What, with you being Special Needs Boy, I figure I should stick close to home. (walks his fingers up Dru's thigh and waist) You and Dru can always use another pair of hands.

The fun thing is: The way David Boreanaz plays the scene he's not only coming on to Drusilla, but in some underhanded way also seems to flirt with Spike - though it's certainly not a friendly flirt.

Considering Spike can walk by the end of I Only Have Eyes For You I guess there will be some confrontation between him and Angel regarding Drusilla.


Thoughts on Willow
Her character has grown a lot over the last episodes:
- She's teaching a class and apparently doing quite well. She definitely enjoys this task and has become a lot more self-confident.
- This self-confidence can also be seen by her volunteering to question people, e.g. the guy from the swimteam and the nurse.
- She's started to learn about magic.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Yes, Buffy definitely identifies with James. Self-loathing is something that starts with her this season, and continues. With you on the originality of the gender bender. This, incidentally, was the episode that made Joss decide David Boreanaz could carry a spin-off as an actor.

Angel and Drusilla: yes, it's a power demonstration. Mind you, as far as Dru is concerned, it's just a return to the olde days. She never saw something wrong with sleeping with Daddy and Boy Toy and Grandmummy at the same time. Doesn't mean she loves Spike less. But Spike is a romantic and had a near century where Drusilla was "his", as it were, and being suddenly reduced to the old status is unbearable.

Now you've got the finale two-parter, which is just superb. Becoming, both parts, was one of the stellar hours of the Jossverse. Can't wait for your comments.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

(reposted because of formatting)

It's funny: Spike appears very modern and ruthless at first, but he's quite an old-fashioned romantic who believes in staying faithful to one person. He's also much less ruthless than Angel.

What I like best about him, though, is that he stands up for the way he is. He's never apologetic. E.g. other vampires may laugh behind his back when Drusilla calls him "baby" or "kitten", he doesn't care. The Judge tells him he and Drusilla reek of humanity, because they feel love and jealousy and he says "What's wrong with that?". He just isn't embarrassed by his feelings and that's really quite impressive.

Now you've got the finale two-parter, which is just superb. Becoming, both parts, was one of the stellar hours of the Jossverse. Can't wait for your comments.

I watched it today between 0.20 and 2.00 am, so my thoughts on the 2parter will be up soon. Need to do some stuff around the house first and then on to typing my comment. :-)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Spike not being apologetic about his feelings: there is a wonderful quote on this, but I won't spoil you. You need to hear it in context, too. It's in his only season 3 episode, Lover's Walk.