Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Oz and Willow
One of my favourite couples on television EVER. Don't get me wrong, I adored Tara and Willow together (the scene of them floating above the dance floor STILL makes me all weepy and happy) but there was something so sweet and wonderful about Willow's first romance. They were the perfect couple. He was "ironic detachment guy" and she was the wallflowery Wiccan that he helped bring out of her shell. And they adored one another. Before it went all wrong, of course.

OZ: I’m gonna ask you to go out with me tomorrow night. And I’m kinda nervous about it, actually. It’s interesting.
WILLOW: Oh. Well, if it helps at all, I’m gonna say yes.
OZ: Yeah, it helps. It creates a comfort zone. Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow night?
WILLOW: (cringes and slaps her hand to her forehead) Oh! I can’t!
OZ: Well, see, I like that you’re unpredictable.
WILLOW: Oh, it’s just it’s Buffy’s birthday, and we’re throwing her a surprise party.
OZ: It’s okay.
WILLOW: But you could come. If you want to.
OZ: Well, I don’t wanna crash.
WILLOW: No, it’s fine! Well, you could be m... my date.
OZ: All right. I’m in. (Willow smiles back, and starts away, smiling widely.)
WILLOW: (to herself) I said ‘date.’

WILLOW: Hey.
OZ: Hey.
WILLOW: Did you want to go first?
OZ: I spoke to Giles. He said I’ll be okay. I just have to lock myself up around the full moon. Only he used more words than that. And a globe.
WILLOW: I’m sorry about how all this ended up. With me shooting you and all.
OZ: It’s okay. I’m, I’m sorry I almost ate you.
WILLOW: It’s okay. I kind of thought you would have told me.
OZ: I didn’t know what to say. I mean, it’s not everyday you find out you’re a werewolf. That’s fairly freaksome. It may take a couple days getting used to.
WILLOW: Yeah. It’s a complication.
OZ: So... Maybe it’d be best if I just... sorta...
WILLOW: What?
OZ: Well, you know, like, stayed out of your way for awhile.
WILLOW: I don’t know. I’m kind of okay with you being in my way.
OZ: You mean, you’d still...
WILLOW: Well, I like you. You’re nice and you’re funny. And you don’t smoke. Yeah, okay, werewolf, but that’s not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I’m not much fun to be around either.
OZ: You are quite the human.
WILLOW: So, I’d still if you’d still.
OZ: I’d still. I’d very still.
WILLOW: Okay. No biting, though.
OZ: Agreed.
(Willow walks off with a smile on her face. Oz turns around and watches her go. He smiles. Then he looks surprised to see her rushing back. She looks at him for an instant and then plants a kiss right on his lips. He watches her with a smile as she goes off again.)
OZ: A werewolf in love.

WILLOW: What’s this?
OZ: It’s a gift.
WILLOW: What’s the occasion?
OZ: Pretty much you are.
WILLOW: (excited) It’s a little, uh, PEZ witch!
OZ: It’s kind of a theme present. Do you like it?
WILLOW: I like... I-I more than like. Oz, this is probably the sweetest... We have to find a little PEZ werewolf, so little PEZ witch can have a boyfriend.
OZ: I don’t think they make a werewolf PEZ. You might have to settle for a wacky cartoon dog.
WILLOW: This is... just so thoughtful.
OZ: Well, I think about you.
WILLOW: (suddenly disappointed) Oh... I don’t have anything to give you.
OZ: (smiles at her) Yeah, you do.

OZ: Willow? I got videos. (He comes into Willow's living room, where Willow’s got Barry White playing, dim lights, the works)
WILLOW: Hi. Why don’t you come s-sit down?
OZ: You ever have that dream where you’re in a play, and it’s the middle of the play and you really don’t know your lines, and you kinda don’t know the plot?
WILLOW: Well, we’re alone, and we’re together. I-I just wanted it to be special.
OZ: How special are we talking?
WILLOW: Well, you know, we’re alone, and we’re both mature younger people, and, and so... w-we could... I-I’m ready to... w- with you. (whispers) We could do that thing. (Oz stands) Where are you going?
OZ: No, I’m not going. Just a dramatic gesture. That’s, that’s pretty special.
WILLOW: (stands also) Oz, I-I wanna be with you. First.
OZ: I think we should sit down again.
WILLOW: Oz? I-I’m ready.
OZ: Okay. Well, don’t take this the wrong way... but I’m not.
WILLOW: (confused) Are you scared? ‘Cause I thought you had...
OZ: (shyly) No, I have, but this is different. I mean, you look great. You know, and, and you got the Barry working for you, and, and it’s all... good. But when it happens... I want it to be because we both need it to for the same reason. You don’t have to prove anything to me.
WILLOW: I just wanted you to know.
OZ: I know. (smiles) I get the message.

WILLOW: Could you just pretend to care about what’s happening? Please?
OZ: You think I don’t care?
WILLOW: I think we could be dead in two days time and you’re being ironic detachment guy.
OZ: Would it help if I panic?
WILLOW: (babbling) Yes, it would be swell. Panic is a thing people can share in times of crisis. And everything’s really scary now, you know, and I don’t know what’s gonna happen. And there’s all sorts of things that you’re supposed to get to do after high school, and I was really looking forward to doing them, and now we’re probably just gonna die and I would like to feel that maybe you would- (Oz leans forward and kisses her, slowly.)
WILLOW: What are you doing?
OZ: Panicking.

And then... Willow finds him in a cage with another werewolf. A girl werewolf.
OZ: Willow...
WILLOW: Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
OZ: I know what you saw. It wasn’t-- I had to. I had to lock her in there with me.
WILLOW: I bet.
OZ: She’s like me. A wolf.
WILLOW: Well, I knew you two had a lot in common, but... Don’t touch me! (She jerks back.)
OZ: She was gonna hurt somebody. I didn’t have a choice.
WILLOW: But you did. You could’ve told somebody. Your solution... Just put you two together in a room all night?
VERUCA: Girl’s got a point.
OZ: (Angrily.) Leave.
VERUCA: I’m just saying--
OZ: (Shouts) Now! I’m sorry. I know.
WILLOW: I knew, you jerk. And you sat there, and you told me everything was fine? And that’s as bad as... As... (Now crying.)
OZ: I know how it feels. I remember.
WILLOW: Oh. So what, this is payback? I had this coming?
OZ: No. It’s not--
WILLOW: Because I thought that was behind us. And you know, what happened with Xander, it doesn’t compare. Not with what you and I had. Not with whatever you’ve been doing with her.
OZ: I don’t know what Veruca and I have done. When I change, it’s like, it’s like I’m gone and the wolf takes over.
WILLOW: But before this, when you were regular Oz, you had feelings for her, didn’t you?
OZ: No. I could sense something, but...
WILLOW: But you wanted her... Like in an animal way? Like...More than you wanted me? (She runs off, tears streaming down her face.)
OZ: Willow!

WILLOW: What are you doing?
OZ: I’m going.
WILLOW: Now?
OZ: Mm-hmm.
WILLOW: That’s your solution?
OZ: That’s my decision.
WILLOW: Don’t I get any say in this?
OZ: No. Veruca was right about something. The wolf is inside me all the time, and I don’t know where that line is anymore between me and it. And until I figure out what that means, I shouldn’t be around you... Or anybody.
WILLOW: (Crying.) Well, that could be a problem ‘cause people... Kind of a planetary epidemic.
OZ: I’ll find someplace.
WILLOW: Well, how long?
OZ: I don’t know.
WILLOW: Oz... Don’t you love me?
OZ: My whole life... I’ve never loved anything else.
WILLOW: Oz... Oh, god. Oz...

And then Oz came back. But things were different.
BUFFY: I wanna hear about you and Oz. You saw him, right?
WILLOW: I was with him all night.
BUFFY: All night? (Grins) Oh my god. Wait. Last night was a wolf moon, right?
WILLOW: Yup.
BUFFY: Either you’re about to tell me something incredibly kinky, or-
WILLOW: No kink. (Smiling) He didn’t change, Buffy. He said he was gonna find a cure, and he did. In Tibet.
BUFFY: (smiling) Oh my god. I can’t believe it. (Pause) Okay, I’m all with the woo-hoo here, and you’re not.
WILLOW: No, there’s “woo” and, and “hoo.” But there’s “uh-oh,” and... “why now?” And... it’s complicated.
BUFFY: Why complicated?
WILLOW: (sighs, steels herself) It’s complicated... because of Tara.
BUFFY: (frowns) You mean Tara has a crush on Oz? No. Oh! Oh. Um... well... that’s great. You know, I mean, I think Tara’s a, a really great girl, Will.
WILLOW: She is. And... there’s something between us. It-it wasn’t something I was looking for. It’s just powerful. And it’s totally different from what Oz and I have.
BUFFY: Well, there you go, I mean, you know, you have to - you have to follow your heart, Will. And that’s what’s important, Will.
WILLOW: Why do you keep saying my name like that?
BUFFY: (with false cheer) Like what, Will?
WILLOW: (sits up) Are you freaked?
BUFFY: What? No, Will, d- (stops herself, sighs) No. No, absolutely no to that question. I’m glad you told me. What did you say to Oz?
WILLOW: I was gonna tell him ... but then we started hanging out, and ... I could just feel everything coming back. (Buffy looks sympathetic.)
WILLOW: He’s Oz, you know?
BUFFY: Yeah. I know.

OZ: I shouldn’t have come back now.... I just thought I’d changed.
WILLOW: You have changed. (Smiles) You stopped the wolf from coming out. I saw it.
OZ: But I couldn’t look at you. I mean, it turns out... the one thing that brings it out in me is you... which falls under the heading of ironic in my book.
WILLOW: It was my fault. I upset you.
OZ: Well, so we’re safe then, (sarcastic) cause you’ll never do that again. But... you’re happy?
WILLOW: (smiles) I am. I can’t explain it-
OZ: It may be safer for both of us if you don’t.
WILLOW: I missed you, Oz. I wrote you so many letters... but I didn’t have any place to send them, you know? I couldn’t live like that.
OZ: It was stupid to think that you’d just be... waiting.
WILLOW: I was waiting. I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you. Like if I’m old and blue-haired, and I turn the corner in Istanbul and there you are, I won’t be surprised. Because... you’re with me, you know?
OZ: I know. (Pause) But now is not that time, I guess.
WILLOW: No. (pause) What are you gonna do?
OZ: I think I better take off.
WILLOW: When?
OZ: Pretty much now.

2 comments:

The Chapati Kid said...

Oh... weep! WEEP! I miss watching Buffy.

Nikki Stafford said...

Oh, you want the true weepers, tune in later this week. As I was going through them, I literally started crying. Sometimes I hate Joss... And then I remember I love him.