Buffy - Season 6 impressions (episode 15)

[thalia_seawood]

I haven't posted any Jossverse reviews in ages due to a very busy RL which resulted in a lack of fannish motivation.
Then I spend an evening showing Buffy to my oldest friend hopefully winning another fan. (She liked the show and took season 1 with her for further watching.)
Anyway, rewatching episodes made me realise how much I care for this show.
Today I snuggled up on the coach and watched various episodes from season 3, 4 and 7.
I then decided that I want to finish my reviews of Buffy. There are "only" 30 reviews left after all and I enjoyed processing the episodes by writing. In addition, season 6 is actually my favorite season on Buffy. It deals with a lot of painful issues, but I heart it nonetheless. Season 7 isn't perfect, but without it season 6 would be incomplete. After all, the painful issues are resolved in season 7 and all the characters learn from their mistakes and grow so much.
Of course, I'm no longer a first time viewer now, but a second time viewer, so I will no longer speculate what may happen next and there might be spoilers for future events.

Regarding reviews for Angel: I will first focus on finishing my reviews for Buffy. If I still have energy left afterwards, I will continue my reviews for this show. Not sure I will cover all episodes, because the season 3 episodes felt mostly mediocre and I'm not sure I would like to rewatch them. Not right now anyway. We'll see.

Anyway, here are my thoughts for As You Were. I started this review *months* ago; time to complete it...


As You Were

What to say about this episode?

I was intrigued when I realised Riley would be back. Seeing how he interacts with Buffy after everything that happened would be interesting. However, this episode never delivers on this account. In fact, it feels like Buffy moved into a parallel dimension temporarily:

Riley doesn't feel like Riley, he feels like a Gary Stu persona. It is as if the script writer has over-identified with Riley and now hits us and Buffy over the head with the message: 'Hey, you all, do you finally realise how *cool* Riley is? Buffy, he could have been yours, but you rejected him. Now Riley is cool and you are working for a Burger Chain. That's what is called poetic justice, haha.'

And Spike is the Doctor? And runs a crime organisation?? Spike, the vampire who isn't keen on thinking things through, but rather charges into action??? Yes, I can see him making shady deals, storing stolen goods for money, but running a crime organisation in secret?
I can easily see Darla in that role. I can even see Harmony trying to take on that role - and failing spectacularly. Spike, however, is just not the type for this. He'd be bored to death by being subtle and secretive and organised.

During my holidays, I read this take on As You Were by elisi. I really like her attempt to make sense of this episode. I'm still not convinced the the writer put that much thought into the episode, but still elisi's interpretation makes me loathe the Doctor part of this episode less.

On to a closer look at some scenes:

- I noticed that in the opening scenes the characters are gently tip-toeing around one another. After the revelations in the last episode, everyone wants to be on their best behaviour.

Buffy still doesn't want to get close to Spike and yet their relationship feels oddly comfortable. There are no nasty words or blows exchanged, instead they feel surprisingly harmonious. Of course, the current harmony is most likely caused by Buffy being too lethargic for another fight. The relationship is definitely not a healthy one

Buffy tries to take care of her sister, bringing her a burger she "made herself".
Dawn tries to decline the burger gently, asks for permission to go out and promises to be back on time.

Willow apparently tries to spend more time with Dawn.
Oh, and it's nice to see Willow being cheerful and Willow-ish during the scene at the Bronze.

WILLOW: You know, when I was little, I used to spend hours imagining what my wedding to Xander would be like. And now I look at them... (shot of Anya and Xander at the bar) I just think... (mocking laugh) "Nee-hee-hee!

- Buffy in the meanwhile is having a hard time coping. She isn't accepted at college and plainly feels worn out by the thought that she has to show up at the Doublemeat Palace every day.
She also must have the impression that she isn't needed by anyone: Dawn is quite able to take care of herself, making breakfast for herself, making sure she's on time for school, ...

- Actually, so far the episode isn't bad. It turns surreal, though, when Riley appears at the Doublemeat Palace. In fact, Riley's interaction with Buffy is so odd that I felt transported back to the episode Superstar, only this time around Riley is the superstar and not Jonathan.

BUFFY: It's you.
RILEY: It's me.
BUFFY: You're here.
RILEY: I know.
BUFFY: And ... were you always this tall?
RILEY: (leans closer) Look, this isn't the way I wanted it. But something's come up, something big. We don't have much time. You understand?
BUFFY: (nodding) Not a word you've said so far.
RILEY: Right. I should have known, anticipated. You're working.
BUFFY: Well, just counter, not grill any more.
RILEY: I want to explain, I just don't have time. I've been up for 48 hours straight tracking something bad, and now it's come to Sunnydale.
BUFFY: My hat has a cow.
RILEY: (sighs) I know that I'm putting you on the spot, showing up like this, but ... but you know, here we are. I need the best. I need you, Buffy. (Buffy staring at him) Can you help me?

Riley Superstar has a scar and is dressed all in black and seems to be - OMG!!! - much taller. He just has this air of command swirling around him like a cloak. And Buffy is in awe. In fact, she's so incredibly awed that she's unable to make any intelligent statement during the entire dialogue.

Please bear in mind that I like Riley! I know that Riley has been shown as a James Bond like character at times, e.g. during Hush. Only there, it worked. Perhaps because Buffy wasn't in kneebuckling awe of Supercool!Riley.

What also doesn't feel like Riley at all:
Buffy mentions that she died and Riley does not ask for any details. Go figure... Now I understand that he's thinking about killing the ReallyIncrediblyDangerous Monster - and yet, it's just not in character for Riley to not enquire about Buffy or her mother.

- Sam, Riley's wife:
Oh dear. First, the episode establishes that Buffy is still attracted to Riley what with her drooling for him, crying "Riley" a lot and them sharing a moment. As soon all viewers know that Buffy still likes Riley, Sam gets her entrance. Yeah, the episode feels like the writers did their hardest to make Buffy feel like shit on all counts.

Sam is beautiful and tough (she takes on the Suvolte demon by herself - thank heavens it's not her who kills it, but Buffy).
Since Sam is introduced so suddenly and is pretty much shown as the perfect woman, she is very much Mary Sue-ish. (She isn't the competitive Mary Sue who wants to be better than the other characters, she is the understanding/admiring Mary Sue who gets along with all the character and dispends approval and advise. She openly admires Willow for no longer using magic, she has a heart to heart with Buffy, ...)

- Buffy talking to Sam apparently makes her realise how much she has lost. So she goes to Spike to get some self-esteem back asking him to tell her that he a) loves her and b) wants her.
Hm, not sure that losing Riley would make Buffy act this way. But even though I don't buy the motivation for the scene, the scenario itself I can see.

- Riley discovering Spike and Buffy in bed together:
What I like in the aftermath of this scene is that it forces Buffy to admit out openly to someone (apart from Tara) that she's sleeping with Spike. She usually tries to avoid this issue completely and covering up an established fact with lies doesn't make anything better. In fact, it makes everything worse.

- Once again:
There's no way Spike is the Doctor. For one, the nickname is not only unimaginative, it also would remind Spike of his season 5 nemesis "the Doctor" who caused him fail in saving Dawn and therefore Buffy. So why would he select this name? Apart from that, Spike never reacts to this name at all.
Now I do believe Spike's explanation "If I may, the thing of it is, I'm holding these for a friend, who-". I guess he's "just" storing the eggs in exchange for some cash, most likely never wondering how dangerous the content of the eggs may be.

- Buffy breaking up with Spike:
That's a scene that worked for me. Buffy has known the entire time that she was using Spike in order to get a relief from the rest of her life and it makes sense that she would address the issue sooner or later.

Her sleeping with Spike was provoked by her talk with Sam and her ending the relationship with Spike seems to be motivated by Riley telling her Buffy, none of that means anything. It doesn't touch you. You're still the first woman I ever loved ... and the strongest woman I've ever known. And I'm not advertising this to the missus ... but you're still quite the hottie. and Wheel never stops turning, Buffy. You're up, you're down ... it doesn't change what you are. And you are a hell of a woman..

Once again, I like Buffy's scene with Spike, but not the motivation that leads up to it.

Something else I find intriguing, but I'm not sure feels right is Buffy calling Spike "William" before she leaves the crypt: BUFFY: I'm sorry ... William.

I've been mulling over this sentence, but can't decide if I like it or if I hate it.
She addresses his human side here... so it's not Spike (more demon than man) that deserves her apology but the human part of Spike's persona, the part that's caring and has a potential for good? Maybe that's the explanation. I don't know. (Mostly because I feel the rest of the episode is so "off" that I'm wary to take anything that happens in it seriously.)

- One additional thought regarding Super!Riley that came to me right now:
Maybe portraying Riley as cool and powerful doesn't say as much about Riley as it does say something about Buffy. Buffy is so down that she *perceives* Riley as perfect and his life (fighting side by side with his wife) is exactly the life she would want to have. Not working alone, but having an equal by her side. (And of course, this is something that she will have in season 7 when she and Spike start really complementing one another.)
So the episode might work better if we don't see it as Riley = the Superhero, but watch it from Buffy's POV. It then tells us something about Buffy's loss of self-esteem and her trying to regain it.
The episode will never be a favorite of mine, but if I bear my last comment in mind I will probably start liking it better. :-)

Comments

[elisi]

Lots of good thoughts. If you want more of my Riley thoughts then there's these:

The problem with 'As You Were', Buffy/Riley. Lots of meta. (I must be insane...) and Buffy/Riley... why it didn't work.

As for the business with The Doctor, then peasant_ wrote the best post I've ever read: I Can Explain - Spike in 'As You Were'.

About Sam, then this fic really made me re-evaluate her: Miss Perfect by honorh. (Sadly takes the Doctor stuff at face value, but it's excellent character exploration: Meeting your husband’s ex-girlfriend is enough to make any woman nervous, but add in the fact that she’s also 1) his first love, and 2) perfect, and you’ll find yourself turning into a quivering mass of insecurities.)

Anyway, I should go... *is very sleepy* I'll look forward to your reviews, whenever they come! :)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Seconding the rec for honorh's "Miss Perfect", which is a great story and makes it impossible to dismiss Sam as a Mary Sue afterwards.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've missed your episode recaps/meta! I never, for one moment, bought the idea that Spike was the Doctor. It's been discussed a lot, so I won't go into it here, but I definitely agree that it's totally out of character and makes no sense for all the reasons others have listed. I totally agree with your additional thought about Super!Riley, which sort of negates my quibble with an earlier point of yours.

You said, Oh dear. First, the episode establishes that Buffy is still attracted to Riley what with her drooling for him, crying "Riley" a lot and them sharing a moment. I was planning to add that I didn't feel it established that buffy was still attracted to Riley, as much as she was attracted to the idea of Riley, and what he represented to her. Her actual relationship with Riley wasn't good enough that she would even consider asking him to stay until Xander talked her into it; in the time that he's been gone, her life has gotten so bad, with being unwillingly resurrected to having to parent dawn to having to earn a living in a crap job and still function as the slayer, that the idea of Riley as a normal guy who loved her and could helptake over some of her burdens, of whom all her friends approved, is what is motivating her - not Riley himself. But you pretty much got there in the end.

Looking forward to more of your essays.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

I forgot to add that Riley's little speech: Buffy, none of that means anything. It doesn't touch you. You're still the first woman I ever loved ... and the strongest woman I've ever known. And I'm not advertising this to the missus ... but you're still quite the hottie. and Wheel never stops turning, Buffy. You're up, you're down ... it doesn't change what you are. And you are a hell of a woman. left me unmoved. He hasn't been around for ages. He has no idea what herlife - or death - was like. The speech mirrors Spike's to Buffy in Touched, but Spike was actually there - he saw everything she went through and how she coped even when she was stressed out or tired or cranky and just wanted to be warm and loved and finished with the job, and tried to help when he could. So, it meant something coming from Spike. From Riley, who left her because he wasn't feelin' the love when she was stressed out or tired or cranky . . . not so much.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on all counts. I'm not fond of Riley's speech myself. Like I said I didn't like it as Buffy's motivation for ending things with Spike.
What I can't figure out about this episode is:

Are we supposed to *not* be moved by Riley's speech? Because Buffy is at a point in her life where she can't really feel anything; she just tries to feel things and to react accordingly? So: Does the episode dump us in Buffy's brain?

Or is the whole episode just sloppily written? You see, I can interpret a lot into it when I'm trying really hard. I can make it work in a way. But all the same it feels off. Mostly because I can buy Buffy seeing Riley as her dream man since her self-esteem is so low at this point; but I *hate* that Riley what triggers her to break up with Spike.

And, of course, now I could argue that Spike caused Buffy to break up//argue with Riley - and this episode mirrors this. I can also argue that in both cases, the presence of the other man/vampire makes her realise what's going wrong in her current relationship.

I think this episode does have some fascinating elements, but there are so many illogical factors that you have to want to make sense of it all.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

IMHO, the episode is sloppily written, but BtVS fans are not shallow people; we tend to look for the meta, even when it's not intentionally there, so it makes perfect sense to *see* the episode as Buffy's fantasies about what she claimed she always wanted, and what she could have had - a normal relationship with a normal guy. Of course, when she actually had it, it didn't come close to meeting her needs, but viewed through the severe depression she experiences throughout S6, she *remembers* it as a better relationship than it was. And Riley is no longer getting sucked off by vampire whores - he has a productive job (in which he gets to wear cool black kevlar rather than traffic cone orange), he has a stable relationship with a demon-hunting wife/partner (instead of a 'dirty little secret' that could have been a relationship with a demon-hunting partner if she wasn't terrified of rejection by her friends), so the fans choose to believe that the episode dumps us into Buffy's brain, and events are seen through her skewed viewpoint.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Re: As You Were in general - mediocre episode, absolutely, but what cracks me up about it is something meta: until this episode, Doug Petrie was revered as as demi god among (some) Spike fans because he wrote Fool For Love. Afterwards, there was much "how can he write Riley Superstar, the traitor", and apparantly it hadn't occured to people until then Doug Petrie also wrote The Initiative and spend a good deal of his Fool For Love commentary praising good old Riley. *veg*

More seriously: I saw the episode as basically from Buffy's pov and about her self perception, absolutely. Regarding her calling Spike William, I always liked that and the scene, because she spent a good deal of her sexual relationship with Spike trying NOT to see him as someone other than a demon. Here, she changes that, and it goes back to their pre-sex relationship and Spike telling her, in The Gift that he is a monster, but she treats him as a man. So she tries to give him that again when leaving him. Hence William.

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

And now one wonders exactly *how* much of FFL Petrie actually wrote. It seems that most of the best scenes in favorite episodes were tweaked by Joss, and sometimes entire scenes re-rwitten (the church scene in "Beneath You" comes immediately to mind), and there were many others I remember reading about at the time. It almost suspends belief to think that the same person wrote "Something Blue" and "Beer Bad", without some Joss help on the former.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I think I really have to check out which author wrote which episodes because I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to this.

"Beer Bad" was an episode a lot of fans disliked, wasn't it. (I found it very funny, though. Have to rewatch it; SMG's performance alone is worth it.)

I just read the alternate version of the church scene in "Beneath You", however, and was not impressed. It lacks subtlety.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Here I have to jump at the chance to defend my favourite hated underdog among the writers - no, not Tracy M. of "Something Blue" and "Beer Bad" fame, but Marti Noxon, because she, like Joss, did a lot of uncredited rewrites of crucial scenes. For example, Jane Espendson and Ultimate Drew are credited as writers for Conversations with Dead People in s7, but we know via interviews the episode had actually four writers - Joss wrote all the Buffy scenes, Marti wrote all the Willow scenes, Jane wrote the Dawn scenes (to everyone's surprise when she revealed this, because we all had thought she wrote the geeks!), and Drew Goddard wrote Andrew & Jonathan.

Marti also did uncredited rewrites of the occasional Angel episode, like, famously, Dear Boy in s2. David Greenwalt's original scene between Darla and Angel at the climax wasn't nearly as good and very unsubtle (it was online for a while, when all the shooting scripts were), whereas the Marti-penned broadcast scene is one of my favourites on either show, containing one of my all time favourite lines.

All of which is my way of saying: yes, Joss did a lot of editing and rewriting on many an ep, but he wasn't the only one, and as Marti gets regularly vilified for what people don't like about the later seasons, I'd like to position - given she was ex. producer from s5 (not just s6) onward - that she is a good alternate condidate for the good stuff as well.

Re: Fool for Love specifically, though: someone forwarded the writers special on the complete BTVS set (I bought the individual seasons thus don't have the complete set) to me, you know, where several of the crucial scriptwriters sit together and talk about the show, and they start by introducing each other via naming their favourite episodes of the respective other. Jane E. introduces Doug Petrie via "Fool for Love" and the rest of the bunch fangirls/boys him over that one, which I doubt they'd do if he hadn't written most if not all of the episode - Joss is sitting right there in the conference as well, after all.

(David Fury's introduction - forget which other writer does it - amuses me most, though, because he's presented via his Emmy for "Walkabout" (the - truly fabulous - Lost (i.e. neither BTVS or AtS) episode he wrote!

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

and it goes back to their pre-sex relationship and Spike telling her, in The Gift that he is a monster, but she treats him as a man.

Yes, this explanation works for me. Thanks for sharing.

Reg. Doug Petrie:
Has he ever said what his intention were in "As You Were", i.e. was it supposed to be a subtle glimpse into Buffy's state of mind, was it supposed to be an ode to Riley? :-)
Has Joss given any insight into this episode?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Nope, can't recall anything, beyond the one obvious point that Buffy needed to finally do something about her awareness that she was using Spike and that the relationship wasn't good for either of them. (Which it wasn't at that stage; they both needed to change for it to become different.)

[my_daroga]

Hmm. I like that last point, that Riley/Sam is almost seen through Buffy's eyes. That makes it more palatable, because yes, the Mary Sue is strong with these two. And while I don't like Riley, I have to admit he was a soldier. Even so, that shouldn't make Buffy--who, if you recall, made a rather belated and half-hearted attempt to get him back to begin with--trip all over herself in seeing him again.

I'm glad there's someone else around who likes S6. I love it, too.

[thalia-seawood.livejournal.com]

I think on my flist a lot of people enjoy season 6. E.g. elisi or selenak. Both have written some great essays for Buffy/Angel.

I do enjoy all seasons of Buffy, but season 6 is were things previously hinted at become big issues. I have a thing for heroes who have flaws and fail - and then get up again. And this is exactly what season 6 and season 7 deal with.

[my_daroga]

Not to mention displaying relationships--damaging ones--in ways we never get to see on television. Or even, a lot of the time, in movies.

Glad there are others, though.