Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Out of Mind, Out of Sight (1x11)

[fajrdrako]

The theme here was great; the anger of the outcast, and the procedure by which a person treated as invisible became invisible.

1. Loved Cordelia's assessment of "The Merchant of Venice": "That is such a twinkie defense. Shylock should get over himself. People who think their problems are so huge craze me. Like this time I sort of ran over this girl on her bike. It was the most traumatizing event of *my* life, and she's trying to make it about *her* leg! Like *my* pain meant nothing." So many levels of irony to this....

2. Soon after this episode began, Beulah said she thought Xander was cute. Since I don't think he's cute, I was amused. Cuteness being in the eye of the beholder. Giles? Now, *he* is cute.

3. I liked Willow and Xander laughing over the 'hat' story that they don't even tell. Gives us that sense of their history together.

4. I also enjoyed Xander's faux pas in saying only a moron would want to be May Queen, and then finding out that Buffy was just that, at her old school.

5. Love the improvised dialogue from Xander and Willow for Mr. Snyder's benefit:

Xander: Well, his dad is the most powerful lawyer in Sunnydale.
Snyder: Hold on. What have you two heard?
Xander: His dad, the lawyer. You haven't heard of him?
Willow: Other lawyers call him 'The Beast'.

And then the coda, when Harmony is pushed down the stairs and hurts her ankle and Snyder says, "Don't sue."

6. I love, absolutely love, the scene between Giles and Angel:

Giles: A vampire casts no reflection.
Angel: Don't worry. I'm not here to eat.
Giles: Buffy told me you don't feed from humans anymore.
Angel: Not for a long while.
Giles: Is that why you're here? To see her?
Angel: I can't. It's, uh... It's too hard for me to be around her.
Giles: A vampire in love with a Slayer! It's rather poetic! In a maudlin sort of way.

I like the way the conversation is guarded but not hostile. Neither is ready to trust the other, but neither is about to attack, either.

7. Beulah pointed out to me that the flashbacks were the Invisible Girl's point of view, not Cordelia's.

8. Loved the Men in Black loitering around the school. So... unsubtle.

9. I liked the way Xander didn't even recognize Marcie. Willow did; Willow is smart.

10. Why does Marcie attack Harmony and Mitch? Why not go straight for Cordelia? Is it that she wants to frighten Cordelia first? Or that she resents Mitch and Harmony for their roles in ignoring her, too? Of course, as we see at the end, Marcie is someone over-the-top, and attacks even Buffy, who never directly did her any harm.

11. Seems to me the LOOK and LISTEN messages were pretty clear. Why were they having difficulty interpreting them?

12. I really liked Cordelia's explanation to Buffy about why she acts the way she does:

Cordelia: Bummer for her. It's awful to feel that lonely.
Buffy: Hmm. So you've read something about the feeling?
Cordelia: Hey! You think I'm never lonely because I'm so cute and popular? I can be surrounded by people and be completely alone. It's not like any of them really know me. I don't even know if they like me half the time. People just want to be in a popular zone. Sometimes when I talk, everyone's so busy agreeing with me, they don't hear a word I say.
Buffy: Well, if you feel so alone, then why do you work so hard at being popular?
Cordelia: Well, it beats being alone all by yourself.

And then she cuts Buffy...

13. The flute music was nicely spooky. It reminds me of something - can't quite think what.

14. I loved it that Angel rescued Giles, Willow, and Xander.

15. I assume the Codex that Angel gave Giles will be significant.

16. Doyle and Manetti are terrific. The ending - straight out of X-Files.

So: another episode I liked. It was tighter and more structured in its composition than "Nightmares", but the theme wasn't quite as powerful - perhaps because there was no real attempt to build sympathy for either Cordelia or Marcie.


Terrific for its use of Angel and Giles, though.

Comments

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

The flute music was nicely spooky. It reminds me of something - can't quite think what.

Heh. It reminds me of grade nine. I played that piece.

I always wanted a follow-up story for Marcie and the others like her.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of grade nine. I played that piece.

Did you? Is it a classic?

I always wanted a follow-up story for Marcie and the others like her.

It would be interesting to see what the national security guys actually did with them.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

'Rehabilitiation' by national security forces...

I'll suppress a shudder and side with Buffy on the creepy.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yeah, well, it's scary however you look at it!

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

Did you? Is it a classic?

It is. I could even tell you what it's called, if my sheet music wasn't in storage on another continent.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I bet I could look it up! I'll see if I can.

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

I adored Cordelia, once I came to love her. She's got depth.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

She's got depth.

Not so far, but I can see a lot of potential.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

Cuteness being in the eye of the beholder. Giles? Now, *he* is cute.

I like your taste.
The able-bodied, somewhat goofy teen male would be a lot of people's definition of cute.
The reserved, stuffy, educated, older british librarian - that's cute to people like us.


I liked Willow and Xander laughing over the 'hat' story that they don't even tell. Gives us that sense of their history together.

I like background building of this type, that doesn't feel the neeed to spell out everything to the audience.


I also enjoyed Xander's faux pas in saying only a moron would want to be May Queen, and then finding out that Buffy was just that, at her old school.

There's an ongoing line about Buffy being a Cordy-type before destiny hit her. And she sometimes wants some of it back. That's why she tried for the cheerleading squad for instance.


I love, absolutely love, the scene between Giles and Angel:
I like the way the conversation is guarded but not hostile. Neither is ready to trust the other, but neither is bout to attack, either.
I will keep my mouth firmly shut.


Seems to me the LOOK and LISTEN messages were pretty clear. Why were they having difficulty interpreting them?
You have more background knowledge than the characters?


I really liked Cordelia's explanation to Buffy about why she acts the way she does.

Yes. Cordy has layers. Also, by way of parallels, gives you food for thought re Buffy and her popularity transition.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The able-bodied, somewhat goofy teen male would be a lot of people's definition of cute.

Not my type. It was particularly not my type when I was a teen.

The reserved, stuffy, educated, older british librarian - that's cute to people like us.

That's for sure! Frankly, if I were Buffy, I'd be ignoring Angel and throwing myself at Giles' feet, or at least worshipping him from afar. But I'm not Buffy,and just as well.

[ceruleancat.livejournal.com]

Not my type. It was particularly not my type when I was a teen.
That type has never been my type either.

If I were any character on that show, I'd be seriously crushing on Giles. There were certainly no crush worthy people on staff anywhere I've ever attended.

There's plenty of Giles/Buffy fic, of course, if you're that way inclined. BtVS fic was always very varied. There's almost any pairing you could think of.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

If I were any character on that show, I'd be seriously crushing on Giles.

Well, even as a character just watching the show, I'd be crushing on him. And if I were one of the students at his school.. Sigh. I wish.

I can think of one crushworthy teacher at my school. Grade 13 English. Woo.

I don't think Giles/Buffy would be my pairing of choice - too het¹, among other things - but we shall see. I do like their interaction on the show.

¹ Which is not to say I never like het pairings, and I'm sort of writing one right now, but... well, never say never.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Giles is NOT "cute"!

Giles is fucking gorgeous, impossibly sexy, totally hot, completely shaggable..... and OK, maybe sometimes he's ocassionally cute. :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Giles is fucking gorgeous, impossibly sexy, totally hot, completely shaggable..... and OK, maybe sometimes he's ocassionally cute.

All of that and then some.

Frequently cute, but it doesn't stop there.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Oh hey - did you notice that Marcie was played by Agent Hanson from Heroes? I spent every episode of Heroes she was in wracking my brain to try and remember why I knew her face and voice so well until I finally got the lightbulb moment.

Love the improvised dialogue from Xander and Willow for Mr. Snyder's benefit

That bit was funny - and the coda to it was great. Wasn't this the episode where Snyder goes something like:

"Dead? Of course he's not dead. There are no dead students on campus. This week."

I liked the way Xander didn't even recognize Marcie. Willow did; Willow is smart

I think I missed that bit - when did Willow recognise her? If it's the bit about sharing classes, she looks her up on the printout. I'm pretty sure they don't even see a picture of her until Cordelia shows up.

I really liked the bit about the yearbook where everyone has written "have a nice summer" and Giles teeters on the edge of the generation gap.

I really liked Cordelia's explanation to Buffy about why she acts the way she does [...]
And then she cuts Buffy...

Well, of course. I liked that she went off with her minions at the end again and was still mean. It would have been way too fast and cliched if she'd suddenly wanted to be friends.

I assume the Codex that Angel gave Giles will be significant

Nah... red herring ;-)

Hmm. I liked this episode, but I don't have much to say about it really.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh hey - did you notice that Marcie was played by Agent Hanson from Heroes?

Clea DuVall? Oh good heavens - no - she looked familiar, but her being so young through me off. How sharp-eyed you are! I not only liked her as Audrey Hanson, I liked her as Sofie on Carnivale.

And she was Marcie too. Very, very cool.

Wasn't this the episode where Snyder goes something like: "Dead? Of course he's not dead. There are no dead students on campus. This week."

LOL. Yes. He does get great lines.

If it's the bit about sharing classes, she looks her up on the printout.

I thought they were looking at her photo in the yearbook at the time, so I thought Willow recognized her. Might have misinterpreted.

It would have been way too fast and cliched if she'd suddenly wanted to be friends.

True, but I was left with the impression that she valued or admired Buffy more than she let on, and had mixed feelings about turning her back on her.

Though I liked it too, I also found I didn't have a lot to say about it.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

How sharp-eyed you are!

*preens*

Eh - not so much though. It took me weeks to place her, and it drove me nuts every time she was onscreen! The actor who plays DL was in Buffy too, but not for a few more series.

I was left with the impression that she valued or admired Buffy more than she let on, and had mixed feelings about turning her back on her

I think so, yes. I think it would have been too quick a turnaround for her character to acknowledge it publicly - I should have been clearer on what I meant there. She obviously sincerely appreciated what Buffy had done, but Cordelia is not yet ready to leave the safety of the popular zone and have people see her be friendly to those outside that zone.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The actor who plays DL was in Buffy too, but not for a few more series.

I'll have to look for him. I thought DL turned out to be boring, but I loved his looks.

Cordelia is not yet ready to leave the safety of the popular zone and have people see her be friendly to those outside that zone.

With Cordelia, vanity is a kind of paranoia.

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