Buffy - Season 5 impressions (episode 6)
Dec. 27th, 2005 04:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thalia_seawoodFamily
A summmary can be found here.
I have to admit that I was disappointed by this episode. When it started I was happy that it would center around Tara and that we would finally get some background for her. I liked that they had prepared part of Tara's background as early as Goodbye Iowa when she makes sure a demon locating spell fails, but the actual plot they came up with was weak.
How comes nearly every character in Buffy or Angel has to have bad parents? There's Willow with her disinterested mother, there's Xander with his parents who apparently drink too much and fight each other regulary, there's Wesley who has in some form been abused by his father, there's Faith who's father was non-existent and who's mother didn't care for her. I could also count Angel who fought with his father on a regular basis. And now Tara has an evil family as well. Hmmm. If her family had been portrayed in a more layered way, I probably wouldn't even mind. However, her father, brother and cousin just appear and play the part of bigotted villains with no redeeming character traits whatsoever.
Another thing that irked me: Buffy and friends think Tara is nice, but apart from that have no connection to her whatsoever. But when there's the danger that Tara might be taken away by her family, they all stand up for her and even claim her as part of the scoobie family. Now I like that Buffy and friends stand up for Tara, it just felt to me that the change from friendly indifference to fierce defensiveness and friendship happened to easily and quickly.
So no, I did not like most of the Tara story line. Which is a pity since I like Tara.
On to the scenes I enjoyed:
- Tara telling Willow that she never feels useful. We've seen in the past that Tara is shy, insecure and feels as if she doesn't quite belong, so this admission made sense.
- It makes sense that Buffy only tells Giles about the secret surrounding Dawn. I still think that in the long run she should tell Dawn, but of course it's a difficult issue to approach. (Hey, Dawnie, you're not real, you're just some energy key made human.") Still, if Dawn finds out about this by accident it will be much worse.
- Buffy moving out of the student accomodation marks a new step in her life. She's no longer a carefree student but has to take care of her sick mother and her younger sister. She has to assume new responsibility.
- The dream fight sequence between Spike and Buffy is great. I love the choreography of the fight that resembles a vicious dance. I think that this is how Spike imagines their relationship. Well, I guess he wants more, but for now he would be happy with some "erotic subtext fights". :-)
- Harmony: What are you thinking?
Spike: All about you, baby.
Harmony: Aww. (Pulls Spike's head down to her shoulder) You're my little lamb.
Yeah, Spike's a "little lamb". [snickers]
- So Riley feels that Buffy is excluding him and thinks visiting Willy's bar will cheer him up. Odd choice of location, IMO. Either he enjoys the danger or he feels somehow connected to the demons in that bar. He also catches the attention of an attractive vampire girl, but refuses her advances.
- So Spike now has a secret relationship with the head of the Buffy mannequin. Well, unrequited love is a bitca. Seems to me he needs some counseling... He could take Riley along, too.
- The one bit I liked about the Tara plot is how her "make demons invisible" spell backfires.
Love the irony that Spike saves Buffy's life - even though he came to watch her die - and then she doesn't even see him doing it. In fact, she doesn't even realize he's there. Sometimes life sucks.
- Spike proofing that Tara is fully human by hitting her is a nice twist. I wasn't quite sure it's in character for Spike, though. Why would he do anything to help Tara? But then I watched the scene again and the way Marsters plays the scene it looks as if Spike does it out of curiosity. He has this idea of how he could figure out Tara's true nature and just goes through with it without thinking too much about it. His William part also might feel some kinship with Tara.
- Tara: Every time I- (takes a deep breath) even when I'm at my worst ... you always make me feel special.
I liked that line.
Tara and Willow flying over the dance floor was a bit much for me though.
A summmary can be found here.
I have to admit that I was disappointed by this episode. When it started I was happy that it would center around Tara and that we would finally get some background for her. I liked that they had prepared part of Tara's background as early as Goodbye Iowa when she makes sure a demon locating spell fails, but the actual plot they came up with was weak.
How comes nearly every character in Buffy or Angel has to have bad parents? There's Willow with her disinterested mother, there's Xander with his parents who apparently drink too much and fight each other regulary, there's Wesley who has in some form been abused by his father, there's Faith who's father was non-existent and who's mother didn't care for her. I could also count Angel who fought with his father on a regular basis. And now Tara has an evil family as well. Hmmm. If her family had been portrayed in a more layered way, I probably wouldn't even mind. However, her father, brother and cousin just appear and play the part of bigotted villains with no redeeming character traits whatsoever.
Another thing that irked me: Buffy and friends think Tara is nice, but apart from that have no connection to her whatsoever. But when there's the danger that Tara might be taken away by her family, they all stand up for her and even claim her as part of the scoobie family. Now I like that Buffy and friends stand up for Tara, it just felt to me that the change from friendly indifference to fierce defensiveness and friendship happened to easily and quickly.
So no, I did not like most of the Tara story line. Which is a pity since I like Tara.
On to the scenes I enjoyed:
- Tara telling Willow that she never feels useful. We've seen in the past that Tara is shy, insecure and feels as if she doesn't quite belong, so this admission made sense.
- It makes sense that Buffy only tells Giles about the secret surrounding Dawn. I still think that in the long run she should tell Dawn, but of course it's a difficult issue to approach. (Hey, Dawnie, you're not real, you're just some energy key made human.") Still, if Dawn finds out about this by accident it will be much worse.
- Buffy moving out of the student accomodation marks a new step in her life. She's no longer a carefree student but has to take care of her sick mother and her younger sister. She has to assume new responsibility.
- The dream fight sequence between Spike and Buffy is great. I love the choreography of the fight that resembles a vicious dance. I think that this is how Spike imagines their relationship. Well, I guess he wants more, but for now he would be happy with some "erotic subtext fights". :-)
- Harmony: What are you thinking?
Spike: All about you, baby.
Harmony: Aww. (Pulls Spike's head down to her shoulder) You're my little lamb.
Yeah, Spike's a "little lamb". [snickers]
- So Riley feels that Buffy is excluding him and thinks visiting Willy's bar will cheer him up. Odd choice of location, IMO. Either he enjoys the danger or he feels somehow connected to the demons in that bar. He also catches the attention of an attractive vampire girl, but refuses her advances.
- So Spike now has a secret relationship with the head of the Buffy mannequin. Well, unrequited love is a bitca. Seems to me he needs some counseling... He could take Riley along, too.
- The one bit I liked about the Tara plot is how her "make demons invisible" spell backfires.
Love the irony that Spike saves Buffy's life - even though he came to watch her die - and then she doesn't even see him doing it. In fact, she doesn't even realize he's there. Sometimes life sucks.
- Spike proofing that Tara is fully human by hitting her is a nice twist. I wasn't quite sure it's in character for Spike, though. Why would he do anything to help Tara? But then I watched the scene again and the way Marsters plays the scene it looks as if Spike does it out of curiosity. He has this idea of how he could figure out Tara's true nature and just goes through with it without thinking too much about it. His William part also might feel some kinship with Tara.
- Tara: Every time I- (takes a deep breath) even when I'm at my worst ... you always make me feel special.
I liked that line.
Tara and Willow flying over the dance floor was a bit much for me though.
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I Always Enjoy...
Date: 2005-12-27 04:06 pm (UTC)Re: I Always Enjoy...
Date: 2005-12-27 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 04:17 pm (UTC)I guess the gang stood up for Tara, because Willow loves Tara.
I think that at this point, Spike hates himself but he really wants Buffy to notice and love him. I know that Spike has ulterior motives for anything good that he does, but in my mind, I don't think helping Buffy is a bad thing, no matter what his motivation. I figure the thing with Tara was more of the same.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 05:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 05:42 pm (UTC)I am really enjoying reading your first time take on these episodes.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 04:38 pm (UTC)Bad parents in the Jossverse: you can add Simon's and River's parents who aren't stellar, either. Mind you, there is a season 3 of AtS episode where the ME scribes make fun of themselves and their fondness for this cliché because everyone assumes a new character's parents are bad and the shocking secret she has about them is that they're actually darling, lovely people and she has a great relationship with them. As to why, safe for the obvious drama possibilities (the Siskos are the only harmonious family in the Star Trek universe as well, remember) on tv? Well... in this very interesting report of Joss and Tim Minear talking about Firefly, Buffy and Angel which you can read yet because it has no spoilers, here:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/_eb/83667.html
there is this quote:
Q (to Joss): Did you find that having a father in the business opened some doors while closing others?
A: “It closed some emotional doors. How many times did I kill my father on Buffy?”
His father did get his agent to read one of Joss’s specs. It meant a lot to him when his father told him he had talent. He soon got his first job on Roseanne.
She's no longer a carefree student but has to take care of her sick mother and her younger sister. She has to assume new responsibility.
Yes. That is, I think, why season 4 is the "lightest" of all the seasons in retrospect. A breath of freedom before... Of course, Buffy has always had to bear the responsibilities of the Slayer but now has to shoulder some of the toughest "real life" responsibilities as well. And it's not going to get easier.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-28 09:42 am (UTC)Thanks for the link!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 05:13 pm (UTC)I'm really fond of this ep -- the family may be a bit over the top, but I have to say that I have known people in similar situations with their families, and could actually relate to it more than some of the other parental situations in the verse.
My best explanation for Buffy standing up for Tara is that she's still at the point of figuring out the Dawn situation -- she's coming to a realization that though Dawn isn't actually her family, she is becoming part of it, and so adopting Tara in is part of the same thought process for her, if that makes any sense. Also, I don't think it matters how much Tara means to them personally -- Willow has brought her into the family, and so Buffy realizes that that makes her part as well. Also very teling, I think that Riley's not in this scene.
Anyway, Buffy saying "we're family" is a moment that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I can understand quibbles with this ep, but it totally works for me. And I love the Spike bits, and Xander wrestling with Riley.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-27 05:37 pm (UTC)Thanks for giving me your interpretation! Especially your take on Buffy works for me! This makes it a lot easier for me to enjoy the episode in the future.