Buffy the Vampire Slayer (3x07) - Revelations

[fajrdrako]

Buffy 3x07 - Revelations

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I think of this as the Gwendolyn Post episode.

1. Willow and Xander are so busy being mutually attracted that they're being awkward. Xander tries to deflect this to talk abut Buffy's own awkwardness, which is basically because he doesn't know that Angel is back. Buffy, distracted? Wouldn't anyone be?
   
   
2. There's a bit of a sexual tease about Buffy/Faith going on - the dating joke, the "Really, we're just good friends." Hmm.
   
   
3. Gwendolyn criticizes Faith and Buffy, in a not-very-nice way. She disses Giles and his library. We do not like her. I predict she'll be (1) bad and/or (2) dead by the end of the episode.
   
   
4. The Labyrinth Maps of Malta. I want to read that.
   
   
5. So the demon Lagos is after something. Why would a demon be named "Lake"? And... I must confess, my reaction was to roll my eyes and think, "Oh no, not another lame-ass demon." Enough already.
   
   
6. Nice dialogue:

   Buffy: Interesting lady. Can we kill her?
   Giles: I think the council might frown upon that.

   Tempting, though. Don't worry, I think some vampire might get her. I can't help thinking it would be nice if it were Angel.
   
   
7. I like the scene where Angel and Buffy do Tai Chi. Especially since I'm planning on taking a course in Tai Chi as soon as possible.
   
   
8. Of course Buffy and Angel want to kiss. They're only human. Or not quite, but close enough.
   
   
9. The glove. Very Torchwood-ish.
   
   
10. Did Xander and Willow think Giles didn't see them kissing? Of course he saw them.
    
    
11. I like Faith's prurient curiousity, when every else is more polite. "You boinked the undead. What was that like?" Well, presumably, in this show, like boinking the living, except souls get lost.
    
    
12. I like Buffy's line, "All the Angel issues are still kind of with me." They sure are.
    
    
13. Gwendolyn is so snotty to Giles: "The pictures are fun to look at, Mr. Giles, but one really ought to read the nice words as well." He, in return, is not above lying: "I can assure you that Buffy is both dedicated and industrious, and I am in complete control of my Slayer."
    
    
14. Xander sees Buffy and Angel kissing. Direct analoque to the other example of illicit kissing, between him and Willow. I suspect Xander is blind to the parallel.
    
    
15. I like Willow's attempts at diplomacy: "This isn't about attacking Buffy. Remember, 'I' statements only. 'I feel angry.' 'I feel worried.'" I don't think this will work with Xander.
    
    
16. Good dialogue:

    Buffy: You were spying on me? What gives you the right? [Well, fighting vampires is their business, and Angel is a vampire... but I'm on Buffy's side in this one.]Cordelia: What gives you the right to suck face with your demon lover again?
    Buffy: It was an accident.
    Xander: What, you just tripped and fell on his lips?

17. And they bring a few unspoken things out into the open:

    Buffy: You would just love an excuse to hurt him, wouldn't you?
    Xander: I don't need an excuse. I think lots of dead people actually constitutes a reason.
    Buffy: Right. This is all nobility. This has nothing to do with jealousy.

    I can't help thinking Buffy is right here.
    
    
18. And Giles, rightly, is furious with Buffy. "You have no respect for me, or the job I perform." He is having a bad day.
    
    
19. Xander plots. Xander tells Faith that Angel is alive and has the glove. Faith has no reason to be sympathetic to Angel.
    
    
20. Gwendolyn compliments Giles. This has to be a bad thing. Yes, she then clobbers him. Again Giles gets hit on the head. He might want to work on his "magical defence against blunt objects" skills.
    
    
21. Interesting dialogue between Willow and Buffy:

    Buffy: It's weird, though. Now that my secret... Angel, it's all out in the open... I feel better.
    Willow: Well, *sure* you do. This big burden's been lifted. I mean, keeping secrets is a lot of work. One could hypothetically imagine.
    Buffy: You have no idea.
    Willow: None whatsoever. But... Can I ask you a question? When you were with Angel and nobody knew about it, did that make it feel, you know, sexier somehow?

    This implies that Willow's attraction to Xander (whatever its past history) is strong because it's secretive and it's trangression and that turns her on. Which says something somewhat surprising about Willow, but it's interesting that she has the self-awareness to know it. And that she is somewhat embarrassed by it but really not ashamed.
    
    
22. And then Willow almost tells Buffy, but they're interrupted by a demon.
    
    
23. We know Willow wouldn't open her SAT test five minutes early. The very idea.
    
    
24. Uh-oh: Angel, don't let Gwendolyn near the glove.
    
    
25. Why didn't Gwendolyn stake Angel? Is hitting people on the head all she knows how to do?
    
    
26. Buffy saves Angel. Yay!
    
    
27. Faith and Buffy fight. This was inevitable, from the first hint of sexiness between them. I sigh at the predictability.
    
    
28. Of course, Xander trusts Gwendolyn. I am out of charity with poor gullible angry Xander.
    
    
29. Good line:

    Oz: Sounds like we missed a lot of fun.
    Xander: Then we're telling it wrong.

30. Another good bit of dialogue:

    Buffy: The place looks nice.
    Faith: Yeah, it's real Spartan.

    She learns fast.
    
    
31. Buffy tells Faith she can trust her. Faith is skeptical. If I were Buffy, I wouldn't be trusting Faith.
    
    
32. Still no Spike. I'm ready to whimper. Really, Gwendolyn was no substitute.
    
    
33. How many revelations do we actually have? Angel is revealed to be alive. Buffy is revealed to be loving him still. Gwendolyn is revealed as a renegade Watcher. Xander is revealed to be jealous of Angel still. No one reveals that Willow and Xander are secretly canoodling. Anything else?
    

Comments

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

9. The glove. Very Torchwood-ish.

Yah. Write a crossover! What could Captain Jack tell Giles about those labyrinths on Malta, hm?

13. "...and I am in complete control of my Slayer."

I see this as persisting wishful thinking of his part, actually!

2. There's a bit of a sexual tease about Buffy/Faith going on - the dating joke, the "Really, we're just good friends." Hmm.

Hah. They go back to this a few times. It gets... interesting.

I like the scene where Angel and Buffy do Tai Chi. Especially since I'm planning on taking a course in Tai Chi as soon as possible.

Are you? Lovely! (Tai kwan do too?)

15.: I had a huge problem with their "intervention." In part because I find such group actions to be, almost without exception, horridly arrogant, abusive, and hostile; in part because it showed Xander to be incredibly dense and cruel! Huh? He's back to being shallow? Wha'hoppen?

16. I Mi>really loved Cordy's "demon lover" line!

17. I can't help thinking Buffy is right here.

Oh, yeah. See my complaint re 15!

18. And Giles, rightly, is furious with Buffy. "You have no respect for me, or the job I perform." He is having a bad day.

Um. He's striking out at Ms. Post more than at Buffy, there. Poor guy. Venting. Or, also, giving it to Buffy for letting something happen so that Ms. Post can take more potshots at him!

21. I agree. Hm. I didn't think that they could pull of the "illicit Xander/Willow" thing when it started, but it did come through rather well. I didn't really see any basis for it... hm.

22. And then Willow almost tells Buffy, but they're interrupted by a demon.

Well phrased! I think this comment of yours should be put up there right next to Shakespeare's one stage direction: "Exit left, pursued by a bear."

27. Faith and Buffy fight. This was inevitable, from the first hint of sexiness between them. I sigh at the predictability.

Aw, c'mon! [g] Give in a little. It was hot.

And tragic. Faith was defending her new watcher, someone who gave the appearance of caring enough about her to force her to work out. Faith... ah, it hurt to see her crushed when she realized that she'd not really mattered to the woman after all.

28. Of course, Xander trusts Gwendolyn. I am out of charity with poor gullible angry Xander.

Ummmm... yep.

31. Buffy tells Faith she can trust her. Faith is skeptical. If I were Buffy, I wouldn't be trusting Faith.

Faith almost reached out, here. I think the only thing that kept her from it was the recent pain from Ms. Post burning her so badly. Faith really, really wanted...! And Buffy would have been the one, too. (I think a lot of their fanfic holds onto that.)

32. Still no Spike. I'm ready to whimper. Really, Gwendolyn was no substitute.

Oh, you silly. When Spike does come back, you will be so frickin' thrilled!!!

33. Any more? Yes: Faith's handful. She is revealed to be yearning for some of what Buffy has, but can't deal with having that revealed, so she pretends it's not there. And, maybe, Giles is revealed to be all hung up on how little like a traditional Watcher he actually is... although I think he does things just the way he should, given his own non-traditional make-up and Buffy's freewheeling style/attitude.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Write a crossover!

It's been done. This, of course, would never stop me from doing the same.

What could Captain Jack tell Giles about those labyrinths on Malta, hm?

Jack and Giles and Malta? With either Captain John or Spike? ooh.

I see this as persisting wishful thinking of his part, actually!

Naw, Giles is never so deluded. But he does think he has her trust, and he trusts her, which is why he's so angry she didn't tell him about Angel's return.

Are you? Lovely! (Tai kwan do too?)

Maybe eventually both, but Tai Chi looks like a good place to start this year - not too hard on the ankle, but strengthening. And good for balance.

it showed Xander to be incredibly dense and cruel! Huh? He's back to being shallow?

Did he ever stop being shallow? He was more sympathetic for a while, but I'm not sure he ever changed. He just had less reason to be cruel, so he wasn't.

I didn't think that they could pull of the "illicit Xander/Willow" thing when it started, but it did come through rather well. I didn't really see any basis for it... hm.

I liked it a lot, and I do (I think) understand the motivations. I have more trouble with the aftermath - but we aren't there yet, so I'll comment at the time.

I think this comment of yours should be put up there right next to Shakespeare's one stage direction: "Exit left, pursued by a bear."

Yes, same principle.

Aw, c'mon! [g] Give in a little. It was hot.

It was. I really wasn't complaining. It was predictable, but I didn't say I didn't enjoy it!

When Spike does come back, you will be so frickin' thrilled!!!

Meanwhile: impatient.

Giles is revealed to be all hung up on how little like a traditional Watcher he actually is... although I think he does things just the way he should, given his own non-traditional make-up and Buffy's freewheeling style/attitude.

I think they are a great match. Love them both.