Buffy - Season 4 impressions (episode 19)
Nov. 30th, 2005 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodNew Moon Rising
Click here for a sumary.
Not a bad episode, but it didn't capture my attention as much as the resolution of the Faith arc on Angel. Like the last episode on Buffy is deals with relationship issues, but where the last ep was played for humour this one is much more serious.
What I particulary enjoyed about this episode is that it draws parallels between certain relationships:
- Willow/Oz and Willow/Tara:
Both Oz and Tara are proverbial quiet waters. They feel deeply, but have a hard time expressing their emotions.
Whereas before Oz being stoic was more along the lines of keeping his cool in the past, it has now become absolutely necessary if he wants to control his werewolf side.
Tara on the other hand is laid back, because she's shy, not because she's a stoic or needs to be in control.
When Willow was together with Oz she was in some way in his shadow. What I mean by this is that she defined herself over her boyfriend: 'I'm not a nerd, because my boyfriend plays in a band.'
In her relationship with Tara, Willow gains new confidence. Oz loves her, but Tara doesn't only love her, she also admires her greatly. In addition to this, Tara and Willow are extremely talented in the same field and when they work together are even more powerful.
- Willow/Oz and Buffy/Angel:
Liked Buffy defending Willow's relationship with Oz to Riley. Makes a lot of sense as Angel's control over Angelus can be compared to Oz trying to control his inner werewolf.
- Oz has to experience over the course of the episode that you cannot turn back time. I felt sad for him, but also thought that he if had stayed in touch with Willow and his friends things might have turned out differently. I mean why not write postcards or phone, just to let Willow know that he's all right and that he still cares for her. Willow moved on, because she had to: Oz seemed to be able to live without her, so she needed to do the same.
- Buffy finally finds out about Willow & Tara. She spent so little time with Willow that she didn't see this coming at all.
- Riley's character grows over the course of the episode:
He finally sees that not all demons are the same and that it makes a big difference if you know a demon personally.
He's defying orders again, but on a much larger scale. Hitting a superior officer is just the last step towards making his own decisions.
- Spike decides to work together with Adam. Makes sense. While Spike prefers to operate independently or at least to be in charge, Adam can help him to get rid of the chip.
I'm not quite sure why Adam sends Spike to help Buffy when she frees Oz. I guess he tries to establish himself as an acceptable ally.
Click here for a sumary.
Not a bad episode, but it didn't capture my attention as much as the resolution of the Faith arc on Angel. Like the last episode on Buffy is deals with relationship issues, but where the last ep was played for humour this one is much more serious.
What I particulary enjoyed about this episode is that it draws parallels between certain relationships:
- Willow/Oz and Willow/Tara:
Both Oz and Tara are proverbial quiet waters. They feel deeply, but have a hard time expressing their emotions.
Whereas before Oz being stoic was more along the lines of keeping his cool in the past, it has now become absolutely necessary if he wants to control his werewolf side.
Tara on the other hand is laid back, because she's shy, not because she's a stoic or needs to be in control.
When Willow was together with Oz she was in some way in his shadow. What I mean by this is that she defined herself over her boyfriend: 'I'm not a nerd, because my boyfriend plays in a band.'
In her relationship with Tara, Willow gains new confidence. Oz loves her, but Tara doesn't only love her, she also admires her greatly. In addition to this, Tara and Willow are extremely talented in the same field and when they work together are even more powerful.
- Willow/Oz and Buffy/Angel:
Liked Buffy defending Willow's relationship with Oz to Riley. Makes a lot of sense as Angel's control over Angelus can be compared to Oz trying to control his inner werewolf.
- Oz has to experience over the course of the episode that you cannot turn back time. I felt sad for him, but also thought that he if had stayed in touch with Willow and his friends things might have turned out differently. I mean why not write postcards or phone, just to let Willow know that he's all right and that he still cares for her. Willow moved on, because she had to: Oz seemed to be able to live without her, so she needed to do the same.
- Buffy finally finds out about Willow & Tara. She spent so little time with Willow that she didn't see this coming at all.
- Riley's character grows over the course of the episode:
He finally sees that not all demons are the same and that it makes a big difference if you know a demon personally.
He's defying orders again, but on a much larger scale. Hitting a superior officer is just the last step towards making his own decisions.
- Spike decides to work together with Adam. Makes sense. While Spike prefers to operate independently or at least to be in charge, Adam can help him to get rid of the chip.
I'm not quite sure why Adam sends Spike to help Buffy when she frees Oz. I guess he tries to establish himself as an acceptable ally.
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-01 11:29 am (UTC)Oz has to experience over the course of the episode that you cannot turn back time. I felt sad for him, but also thought that he if had stayed in touch with Willow and his friends things might have turned out differently.
Yes. Men who make their dramatic exits deciding to keep the woman they love save just have to face the fact said woman won't just be frozen in time until they reconsider. And makes her own decision about the relationship.
I also appreciate that nobody reacts perfectly - Riley is first wigged out by the idea of Willow/Oz once he learns Oz is a werewolf, and by human/supernatural creature in general; Buffy tries not to be thrown by Willow being in a same sex relationship but obviously is somewhat. In (bad) fanfiction, they'd react in a perfect Stu'ish or Sue'ish way. (You know, the "I'm gay!" "Yay, you! I always knew!" cliché.)
Note for future importance: Riley's phrasing - "I didn't think Willow was that kind of girl" - which Buffy obviously relates to herself and her own relationship with Angel - will turn up twisted around, when a certain bleached blonde vampire tells Buffy "I know what kind of girl you are".
In either case, it touches, imo, on one of her post-first-night-with-Angel fears, that there is something wrong with her sexually, and she reacts strongly to this every time.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-01 10:14 pm (UTC)Yes. Men who make their dramatic exits deciding to keep the woman they love save just have to face the fact said woman won't just be frozen in time until they reconsider. And makes her own decision about the relationship.
Oh yes, I've continued watching and I've seen that Angel has to make the same realisation.
I also appreciate that nobody reacts perfectly
Yes, liked that a lot, too. In fact, they all have a hard time making the right decisions - and at times, there is no perfect decision to be made.
When I read your comments, I realised that this episode deals with growing up. Things in Buffy started out in black & white, but decision making, discovering who's on your side and what is important to you, becomes more and more difficult.
"I know what kind of girl you are".
This is a tricky statement even when it's not about sexual orientation. Comments like these try to push you into a neat little box. Only people aren't that easily classified.
Someone once tried to psychoanalyse me after meeting me for the first time and constantly told me: "I think you are the kind of girl who..." Despite missing the mark again and again, he made me feel insecure and extremely annoyed at the same time.
I guess we value our being individual and telling someone you know just who they are or what they need takes away that individuality.
Hope this makes some sense...