fajrdrako: ([Buffy])
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Buffy 3x12 - Helpless

~ ~ ~

Interesting story here because of Giles' role. It is interesting to Buffy being helpless; a hint of what she would be like if she were 'normal', with dangers still to deal with; and a hint of how thoroughly she has accepted her identity as a slayer.
  1. I like scenes of Angel and Buffy practising martial arts together. It's the kind of thing they can and should do; and it's nicely physical, as a sex-substitute. And their 'satisfied' conversation was cute.

  2. Why does Buffy have to study vibratory stones? Isn't that more Willow's line? How can cleansing her aura help Buffy fight vampires?

  3. I like Buffy's line (contrasting herself to Faith): "I hate being the good one."

  4. Buffy is not feeling well and Giles is not helping. I like the way Giles seems tense and out of sorts.

  5. I love Buffy's enjoyment of skating.

  6. And I love Oz's philosophical attitude: "Ice is cool! It's water, but it's not."

  7. And I like Willow's comment on Buffy's 18th birthday: "But eighteen is a big one, Buffy. I mean, you can vote now. You can be drafted. You can vote not to be drafted." Buffy's reply, and Xander's reply to her reply, are delightful:
    Buffy: I think I'll choose to celebrate this one with quiet reflection.
    Xander: Where is it written that quiet reflection can't be combined with cake and funny hats?
  8. Then Buffy's father bails on the outing. I find myself wondering how often she sees him. Is this an 'only on the birthday' thing, meaning it will be a year till she sees him again? Or does it mean that she might see him in a few weeks or months?

  9. I found it touching and sad that Buffy wanted Giles to take her in her father's place, and he acted oblivious. I know he couldn't explain; that makes it all the worse.

  10. Amy has a wheel and a bell. Lucky Amy.

  11. So we find out from Quentin Travers that this is 'cruciamentum', in which the Slayer is tested (maybe to the death). So Slayers not only have demons and vampires trying to kill them, they have Watchers doing the same. Charming.

  12. Why are they not hunting down Faith and doing this to her? Okay... it's not her birthday. Bust she's bound to have a birthday sometime.

  13. Kralik. Another demon with a Highlander-type name.

  14. Love the kryptonite conversation between Xander and Oz. Sometimes I love those guys.

  15. Blair is a gullible sucker.

  16. I like it that Angel gave Buffy Sonnets from the Portuguese - do we ever get a reference to that again? I like it that he's reassuring: "Buffy, you could never be helpless or boring, not even if you tried." Also loved his speech about her heart, whether it was romantic or gross.

  17. Then Kralik attacks Buffy and Giles confesses everything to her. He should have done it sooner. It's not like Giles to do the wrong thing under orders. "In matters of tradition and protocol, I must answer to the Council." He's not often so obedient. What did they do to he who was once Ripper, to make him so devoted to their rules?

  18. Cordelia: "Oh, God. Is the world ending? I have to research a paper on Bosnia for tomorrow, but if the world's ending, I'm not gonna bother." For once, I like her priorities.

  19. Again Joyce is kidnapped by the villain. Hmmph. I'm not too fond of that. I suppose she isn't, either.

  20. Kralik said, "I have a problem with mothers. I'm aware of that." Is he a foreshadowing of Jubal Early?

  21. So Giles says to Quentin, "I don't give a rat's ass about the Council's orders. There will be no test." Why didn't he say that a lot sooner? Like before Kralik got away? Giles, Giles, your timing stinks. Love his line: "This is not business."

  22. Buffy pulls the old trick with Holy Water on Kralik. Hee. It's an old chestnut, but I always love that. Remember when John Constantine did that to the Devil?

  23. Nice lines:
    Quentin: We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers, we're fighting a war.
    Giles: You're *waging* a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference.
    Good thing Buffy is not doing this in order to please the Council. The balance of power between Watchers and the Slayers always confuses me.

  24. Giles is fired. Is there any reason he should care? Did the Watchers Council pay him a huge salary to buy occult books?

  25. When Xander said to Buffy, "Give you a hand with that, little lady?" I think he was lucky to escape with his life.


So: I really, really enjoyed this episode and I'd be cheering about how it was my third-favourite of the season or something, except for the trouble I had with Giles' role. On the one hand, I love it all the more because the story is centred on Giles and his dilemma: is his allegiance to the Council, or to Buffy?

But the story isn't told as being that of Giles' dilemma, it's told as being that of Buffy's betrayal by the Watcher she trusted, which is heart-wrenching but not quite the story I wanted to see - it's what one would expect. I'd rather know why Giles felt it proper to go along with the Council's nasty test in the first place. How he went from being the powerful rebel-magician he was in his youth, to being the meek servant of the not-so-wise Council, even at the expense of Buffy's welfare.

If it was easy for him to change his mind when Kralik was out and hunting, why didn't he change him mind earlier, when he knew it was going to happen?

I like these questions. It's fun to play with the answers. I just wish the episode had dealt with these questions, too.


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