tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post1433710129425154601..comments2024-02-04T05:13:04.501-05:00Comments on Nik at Nite: Buffy Rewatch Week 5 Spoiler ForumNikki Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-65340766259180188882011-02-08T19:14:03.105-05:002011-02-08T19:14:03.105-05:00Oh, boy, I seem to have gotten myself into a pickl...Oh, boy, I seem to have gotten myself into a pickle with my choice of words. My "theory" about Giles being so different from what we would expect once we learn of his Ripper days is really more of a dancing demon in my mind, something I use to, as Blam says, "rationalize it" rather than "let it fester in an oddly masochistic accretion of nitpicks."<br /><br />In other words, it's not a grand theory that makes and backs up a convincing argument or anything. To me it just has to do with our eternal attempts to define ourselves in our own image and decide who we want to be, and how far we'll go to stick to the story and try and ignore or repress bits that don't fit what we think we should be.<br /><br />So in my logic, that makes the meta fact that the writers hadn't decided on Giles' backstory when he was first created become a grand story about Rupert Giles, horrified with what had happened with Eyghon as a result of his rebellion against his family's plan for him and subsequent delving into the dark arts, getting off on magic, does a 180 and transforms himself into the epitome of a Watcher. He stops all the magic, he cuts his hair and buys tweed suits, he disappears into the Council library and classrooms and becomes Rupert Giles, Watcher, leaving Ripper behind. <br /><br />He does this so well that he gets assigned the next Slayer. And he's back out in the real world. And at first he doesn't even have to worry about Ripper pushing through into his new persona because he's got him buried under so much Council-y Englishness that he doesn't stand a chance.<br /><br />So now Rupert Giles has to perform his role and be Rupert Giles in every circumstance of his life. And so Giles doesn't have the experience with women that Ripper does, and how would Ripper believe that someone like Giles acts when romantically interested in a woman? And so on.<br /><br />Just as almost every character in the show has to learn to integrate seemingly disparate parts of themselves into one, Giles has to eventually accept that he is still Ripper, will always be Ripper, but is not only Ripper. He also will always be Giles. The performance of either is not a true reflection of reality.<br /><br />So it works for me and avoids the aforementioned masochism, but I don't know if it holds water for everyone. I just imagine early Giles as something of a performance, not for other people, making it come off as fake, but for himself, a part he created to get past the chaos of his younger days, a part he's invested himself in for years before he comes to Sunnydale.Witness Ariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04640067376665953770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-56377450809177780682011-02-08T11:58:29.712-05:002011-02-08T11:58:29.712-05:00Re: Willow and orientation, I tend to think that i...Re: Willow and orientation, I tend to think that it's not one or the other for her as well. Willow had a good relationship with Oz, but then he left and she met Tara. I tend to think of as having to do with love more than orientation. But that could be due to the fantasy whedonverse in my head where Oz & Willow eventually get back together (Hey, I loved Tara, but she's gone).<br /><br />Re: Spike, I think he is the first villain I ever really developed an appreciation for. I was always very "villains bad, heroes good", but how can you not love Spike? As far as the whole Bangel/Spuffy debate, I wouldn't say that I am particularly attached to either one but...While I think Spike may actually be better for Buffy, once he gets his soul back (no pesky curse for one thing), Buffy and Angel have that whole "meant to be together" thing going on. Too bad about Riley marrying that other chick, he was a good dude. (As I duck and run for cover...)JavaChickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06816858010039395389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-86326255486113215272011-02-07T23:25:49.608-05:002011-02-07T23:25:49.608-05:00Well actually Blam, i would say the first time Gay...Well actually Blam, i would say the first time Gay Willow is mentionned is in Doppergangland with Vampire Willow, if i remember correctly, she says, while eying herself, I think i'm kinda Guy and then somebody says, something like shes a Vampire it has nothing to do with you and then Angel starts off on saying that actually a good part of who you are is transfered to your Vampire self...which would mean that the writers thought about it at leat 1 season aheadAnnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-92127698764973040062011-02-07T08:52:29.772-05:002011-02-07T08:52:29.772-05:00What bugs me about "School Hard" is the ...What bugs me about "School Hard" is the lack of recognition the name Spike brings to Giles. Surely the name would automatically conjure up the vampire who killed not one but two Slayers (and one of those was in the recent past)?Hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06613756536055047713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-90418893202434698922011-02-06T19:41:50.330-05:002011-02-06T19:41:50.330-05:00@redeem147 said... "Season 3`s my least favou...@redeem147 said... "Season 3`s my least favourite - too much Faith and not enough Spike. :)<br /><br /> Though I do love me some Mayor."<br /><br />I thoroughly love season 3 ... for the very same reasons you don't. I loved watching Faith disintegrate, but was in awe/disgust at her relationship with the Mayor. It is like watching someone in free fall.<br /><br />I will discuss this more once we are there but I will say that having met the Mayor (and Mrs. Mayor) - a nicer couple you could not ask for. :)<br /><br />And then there is J. August ... are we onto Angel yet?? LOLSenexMacDonaldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-17126732086032120902011-02-06T18:23:12.490-05:002011-02-06T18:23:12.490-05:00Teebore: It's interesting how these early seas...<br><i>Teebore: It's interesting how these early season two episodes are almost like "season one done right". ...</i><br /><br />Yes to all of this... Well put!<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-4147659848890284582011-02-06T18:21:11.491-05:002011-02-06T18:21:11.491-05:00redeem147: When Spike mutters 'women' afte...<br><i>redeem147: When Spike mutters 'women' after Joyce clobbers him, it reminds me that love for the Summers women will be his downfall.</i><br /><br />Ha! I always enjoy your thoughts, but this was particularly well put. The actual scene, though, frankly makes little sense except in a "plot demands it" kind of way. The guy has killed Slayers in the past, he's fighting the current one to at least a standstill — with the upper hand, in fact, at the moment that her mom bonks him on the head — and just because Joyce (whose presence, if anything, makes Buffy more vulnerable) shows up he decides to cut out?<br /><br /><i>redeem147: And yes, I take notes while watching and wait with bated breath for 8pm on Tuesdays. :)</i><br /><br />Me too. Except that there's no guarantee that my crap Internet connection will let me post Tuesdays, and the past few weeks were so frustrating that I actually fell behind in starting Season Two. But I enjoy taking notes while watching, checking out Nikki's <i>Bite Me!</i> guide, and reading all the commentary here; it's much more fun to rewatch interactively.<br /><br />VW: <i>pallysfe</i> — Your best friend's stash of iron ore.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-23901604403726726192011-02-06T18:18:59.894-05:002011-02-06T18:18:59.894-05:00A couple of general spoiler-forum remarks:
Giles&...<br> <br />A couple of general spoiler-forum remarks:<br /><br />Giles' reaction to Jenny Calendar's experience at Burning Man is just more evidence that "Ripper" is a <i>huge</i> retcon. I'm looking forward to when that aspect of his past is introduced on the show, as well as to Witness Aria's theory surrounding the dichotomy. Maybe I'm forgetting an important part of the big picture, but right now the hindsight all but forces me to believe that Giles has some kind of psychic block altering or confining his personality to the mild-mannered, stammering Giles we see here.<br /><br />The same is true for Willow to a degree. If her relationship with Tara was a thing unto itself, fine, but the way she reacts when Oz comes back and the fact that her later relationships are exclusively with women make things more "problematic" from a continuity standpoint. I well know that sexual orientation isn't either/or; Willow is more than entitled to self-identify however she likes (or with no label of any kind) and it's not unlikely that after such a transcendently profound relationship as the one with Tara she'd stick to the sapphic side, but the fact is that for every little remark we pick up on early in the series that the writers really *didn't* intend there's gobs of frustrating anti-foreshadowing. Willow's infatuation with Xander could be explained away as a 16-year-old girl channeling her feelings where she thinks they ought to go because she hasn't considered anything other than heterosexuality as even an option to repress, but then there's Oz, not to mention the exchange in "Some Assembly Required" when Xander says, "Look at those legs!" as a gam-flashing gal walks by and Willow replies, in sleepy/singsongy cute Willow voice, "No thanks..." and not in a way that suggests denial. <br /><br />I know that as long as the stories are good and the characters are ultimately true to themselves in fundamental ways, it's unfair to quibble about consistency in certain areas over the span of a 7-season-long TV series. Plenty of shows have reused actors from limited talent pools in NYC or Vancouver. Heck, <i>Star Trek</i> couldn't even decide on the name of the organization that Enterprise belonged to early on, never mind plenty of other discrepancies over the course of 40 years of episodes and feature films. It's still impossible not to notice this stuff, though, and either try to rationalize it or let it fester in an oddly masochistic accretion of nitpicks.<br /><br />VW: <i>sumsab</i> — Total enrollment in New York's School of Ballet.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-84029934592460008892011-02-03T20:58:37.801-05:002011-02-03T20:58:37.801-05:00Witness Aria: Great analogy to the minister's ...Witness Aria: Great analogy to the minister's daughter, I love it! I mean, when we finally meet Liam's father we kind of go, "Huh. Ok. I would have killed the guy, too." <br /><br />Wait, that was just me who said that? ;)Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-31437131058305711042011-02-03T20:57:12.964-05:002011-02-03T20:57:12.964-05:00Zoe: I have always thought that the reason the sea...Zoe: <i>I have always thought that the reason the season openers aren't usually the best episodes is that they have a different purpose than the all others. They don't advance the story so much as set the scene and bridge the story from last season.</i><br /><br />Very well put, and I agree completely. It's the case with many shows, actually... there's a wrap-up in the season opener, a new direction in the second or third episode, and then by the fourth it's up and running. <br /><br />Michael Holland: I agree with you completely about how even a bad episode of Buffy is better than 99% of what else is out there. I used to say that all the time. ;) I'll take "Beer Bad" over... well... anything else on TV right now. ;)Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-37313822489720478752011-02-03T20:52:41.621-05:002011-02-03T20:52:41.621-05:00Suzanne: Oh, I love your comment about being a Spu...Suzanne: Oh, I love your comment about being a Spuffy vs. loving Spike... it's so hard to explain, but that's what I mean. I LOVE Spike... I love him more than Angel. But I like Buffy and Angel together more than Buffy and Spike. Hm. Maybe it's because I want Spike for myself, haha!Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-49876419215997027962011-02-03T20:50:07.500-05:002011-02-03T20:50:07.500-05:00Senex: Interesting idea that Buffy may have glimps...Senex: Interesting idea that Buffy may have glimpsed heaven! I'd never thought of that before... I like it.Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-24503627313754564312011-02-03T20:49:11.055-05:002011-02-03T20:49:11.055-05:00redeem: I would argue that we don't see a char...redeem: I would argue that we don't see a character shift in the other vampires because they'd never been ensouled. Angel is different from Liam because he's Angelus + conscience. If we had no conscience, no internal voice telling us certain things were bad, what's to stop any of us from becoming monsters? But imagine being asleep for years, only to wake up and realize that while you were unconscious you murdered innocent people and destroyed lives. Your personality would probably change pretty drastically. You wouldn't be the monster anymore, but you wouldn't be your earlier self anymore, either. You'd be a whole different entity. And that's Angel.Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-22303180664751376222011-02-03T20:38:16.609-05:002011-02-03T20:38:16.609-05:00Suzanne, thanks! And I like the extension of that ...Suzanne, thanks! And I like the extension of that idea to their differing relationships to prophecy. I hadn't thought of it in those terms.Witness Ariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04640067376665953770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-14857682303045297492011-02-03T19:10:12.770-05:002011-02-03T19:10:12.770-05:00Witness Aria, your insights into Angel and Spike a...Witness Aria, your insights into Angel and Spike are really great. I, too, never really saw Liam as a monster as much as an immature jerk. He definitely seemed to suffer from issues related to his father, and your analogy to the "minister's daughter" is perfect. <br /><br />This dichotomy between Angel and Spike would also explain very well the reason why, as someone else mentioned earlier (sorry, I can't remember who), Angel takes the Anointed One so seriously, and Spike mocks him from the beginning. Since it appears that Spike can see the gray areas so much more clearly than Angel, of course he would not be the one to take ritual and prophecy seriously either. This tendency in Spike continues throughout both series since he resists being defined by his "role" and resists allowing prophecy to dictate his choices. Angel, on the other hand, very much allows himself to be controlled by the prophecies, the Powers that Be, and many other outside forces throughout much of both series and maybe until the very end (I haven't read the comics and don't plan to do so, but I don't mind being spoiled about them).Suzannenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-57594189625295254012011-02-03T13:01:45.954-05:002011-02-03T13:01:45.954-05:00Re: Angel/Angelus/Liam.
I've always thought A...Re: Angel/Angelus/Liam.<br /><br />I've always thought Angel suffered from minister's daughter syndrome. When we get a glimpse of 17-year-old Liam in Spin the Bottle, he's naive and shy and talking about his father saying this and that is evil and sinful. Then when we see Liam a few years later, he's in full-on rebellion mode against his father, drinking constantly, fighting in bars and bedding every woman he can.<br /><br />Which leads him to Darla and Angelus, the extreme version of that Liam. When he gets his soul back, I think he tries to return to his old innocent self to keep the monster at bay. He is always seeing things as extremes, black and white, when he's on Buffy. It's only once he gets past season 2 of Angel that he starts trying to accept and balance his extremes within himself.<br /><br />Some other humans who have this kind of binary good/bad way of looking at things who become vampires may have the same dramatic shift as Angel did. Other humans, who see things a little less strictly divided, may not. <br /><br />Spike, although he was a shy, nerdy mama's boy, was basically a pretty stable person, and a Romantic, so he would acknowledge the dark and the light as not so oppositional. His change as a vamp was just to stop being shy about things and become the rebel I'll bet he always dreamed he could be. He can flip between good and evil because that's not what's important to him.<br /><br />That's something of how I see their differences. I know the debates about vampires and souls and what each is and isn't in the Buffyverse are fascinating but non-ending, so I don't really want to retread that ground.<br /><br />Enjoying revisiting season 2 very much.Witness Ariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04640067376665953770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-63574209024688835702011-02-02T18:15:14.504-05:002011-02-02T18:15:14.504-05:00@ Zoe re the Season Openers --
WELL SAID! THANKS...@ Zoe re the Season Openers --<br /><br />WELL SAID! THANKS! :)<br /><br />Cheers ...Michael Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01797521109592845165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-83519387953530936752011-02-02T18:02:21.515-05:002011-02-02T18:02:21.515-05:00I have always thought that the reason the season o...I have always thought that the reason the season openers aren't usually the best episodes is that they have a different purpose than the all others. They don't advance the story so much as set the scene and bridge the story from last season. I think that the dual nature - wrapping up an already completed narrative (because just because the story arc is complete doesn't mean you pretend it never happened) and introducing a new one doesn't leave much room for anything else.<br />Also, dealing with the consequences of whatever happened in the previous season finale always seems the make all the characters cranky, and crankiness isn't all that fun to watch. But the fact that there are emotional consequences (and the crankiness, actually) is a big part of what makes these characters so real.zoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07782801848822931416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-89980993636489569032011-02-02T17:58:35.983-05:002011-02-02T17:58:35.983-05:00Season 3`s my least favourite - too much Faith and...Season 3`s my least favourite - too much Faith and not enough Spike. :)<br /><br />Though I do love me some Mayor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-52666254795220323072011-02-02T17:06:16.457-05:002011-02-02T17:06:16.457-05:00One thing that is often missed in 'When She Wa...One thing that is often missed in 'When She Was Bad' is that the bitcaness of Buffy can actually be explained by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Anyone who has dealt with someone who has suffered a grave trauma, and a near-death experience would qualify, would recognize her anger, fear and meanness.<br /><br />I see this as different from season 6 where Buffy is suffering more from a detachment to the world and a general depression - also potential symptoms of PTSD.<br /><br />Of course this being television, and Buffy being Buffy, she is able to find catharsis by simply crushing the Master's bones into powder. Real trauma isn't so easily cured.<br /><br />Nikki - thanks for the re-watch, enjoying it and the comments. Personally, I like seasons 3 & 5 better the season 2 (I first started watching during season 3, so it could be that there were so few surprises when I finally saw season 2).Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-92054697169140368772011-02-02T16:44:22.734-05:002011-02-02T16:44:22.734-05:00My understanding was that the Annoying One was toa...My understanding was that the Annoying One was toast because the actor was suffering from Walt is getting too big disease.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-18622012953562314902011-02-02T15:47:18.829-05:002011-02-02T15:47:18.829-05:00Also, I hope we're not being too harsh on The ...Also, I hope we're not being too harsh on The Season Openers. I think -- and not just because they're typically Whedon episodes (well, maybe) -- they're all good, for their own reasons, specifically for their own seasons (as they should be). <br /><br />Without delving into a much longer article, I think "Restless" and "Buffy Vs Dracula" actually make a great two-part episode. Hmmmm, so much so in fact, I might have to write that article. Anyway ...<br /><br />'When She Was Bad' works for all the reasons everyone has said so well here. And 'Anne' works because how do you NOT detach Buffy that much after what she went through at the end of Season 2? While at the same time appeasing the fans as well as (what every show hopes for) fresh eyes? 'The Freshman' works because it resets the scene for, much like the episode itself, an underrated season (which I only "rediscovered" after multiple viewings). Five, six, seven, same thing, but we'll get there.<br /><br />A lot of people say that bad Woody Allen is still better than most films out there. Same can be said for consistently good TV. Remember, they're putting these out EVERY WEEK, in this series to the tune of 144 episodes in seven years. That Whedon & Co did so so well that we're here rewatching as fans?<br /><br />Well done indeed.Michael Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01797521109592845165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-5714929396272794102011-02-02T15:12:12.948-05:002011-02-02T15:12:12.948-05:00First of all, Ms. Wilcott, so well written. I was...First of all, Ms. Wilcott, so well written. I was reminded of the now famous -- if you’re a fan of this site, though shouldn’t everyone be – debate between Nikki and Professor Pateman, in which Nikki alludes to their spark igniting between his academic approach while hers is more fan based. Both intelligent and well presented – and both necessary to fandom – therefore, both so enjoyable. And here you have both in your grasp. <br /><br />“When Spike and Dru share that first moment in which he offers her his coat, the world belonging only to them, I felt a pang. That pang, yes, but also the fear that these two would never live up to their initial chemistry. I didn’t trust that two characters could imprint themselves so immediately. I started to miss them as soon as we’d met.”<br /><br />Cut with --<br /><br />“Ahh, foreplay. You know, years ago, a woman stepped from the shadows in a bar and I actually had a little up chuck in the bathroom, I was so racked with nerves. We dated for a year.”<br /><br />Cut with --<br /><br />“Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs . . .”<br /><br />Joyce is frustrating, though not in an uncaring way; and perhaps more so as we rewatch than in the show’s initial viewing. Because we’ve grown up since then? Perhaps.<br /><br />“The Annyoing One.” God, so true. I often wonder if, as Season 1 didn’t yield too much with him, that Whedon & Co solely kept him around – and kept him annoying -- just for the great moment in the cage with Spike. <br /><br />And then to crystallize the SERIES so well with, “… what may seem like an obscene gap in logic at first … the things we work hardest for won’t be the things we’re ultimately graded on—said the agnostic—[but] are, in fact, the things that ultimately yield survivors and heroes.”<br /><br />Indeed.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />And, Nikki, just have to say, never really thought about why Buffy had more power after reviving in Prophecy Girl. I just chalked it up to, “Hey, you were dead, now you’re not, that’s gotta feel good.” But, knowing the chain -- yes, to quote the great Season 8 issue – that begins there, you make a very interesting point.<br /><br />Cheers all around …Michael Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01797521109592845165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-46436994136422295932011-02-02T13:48:12.526-05:002011-02-02T13:48:12.526-05:00@Nikki: "Uh... for the AWESOME, that's wh...@Nikki: <i>"Uh... for the AWESOME, that's why</i><br /><br />Haha! I love it. That's way better than my "shut up, that's why!" response to those kinds of questions. <br /><br /><i>Liam was a monster before he was turned; William wouldn't have hurt a fly. </i><br /><br />I have always been terribly fascinated with this idea. It's such a neat fit for why Spike, even as a soulless vampire never seems *quite* as fiendishly evil as Angelus at his worst. <br /><br />It's interesting how these early season two episodes are almost like "season one done right". There's a definite shift in quality from season one to season two, but then there's a shift in tone and structure after "Surprise/Innocence". <br /><br />As result, the first half of season two feels very much like the monster of the week/high school as horror metaphor first season, but jazzed up a little bit. Clearly, Joss and the writers had gotten a better handle on the characters and what worked (and gotten some audience feedback), then tried to do season one style stories with a more deft hand before really blowing things open.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-83736005196565250532011-02-02T13:16:59.804-05:002011-02-02T13:16:59.804-05:00Regarding the comments about Spike's entrance ...Regarding the comments about Spike's entrance in School Hard and the treat that the new viewers might not know they are in for in terms of his importance to the show, I have to say that the first time I saw School Hard, my husband, son, and I all reacted strongly to Spike's entrance. We were blown away by that episode and by the beginning of it. We instantly loved Spike and Dru (but especially Spike) as Big Bads. It was the point in our watching this show where we committed to it fully and decided we were in for the long haul. From that point on, all we could think about with each episode we watched was "will Spike be in this one?" Of course, we loved a lot of other aspects of the show, adored almost every character (maybe not Dawn) for what they brought to the show, but we were all about Spike most of the time! We even loved Season 5 of Angel the best because of Spike. I wonder if any of the other new viewers are feeling the Spike love this quickly? It will be fun to see what they say about it in upcoming episodes.<br /><br />As for the discussion about Angel's different personalities, I can see both sides of this. First of all, I do think that many of the vamps we have seen exhibit vastly different characteristics after they turn. What about Jessie? We didn't see much of him in the pilot, but he seemed mild mannered and just like an average, nice teenage boy. Then when he turned, he became something very different and kind of frightening. <br /><br />Also, when thinking about Angel/Angelus, we really need to consider the unique position he holds (at least at this point in the series) of being cursed with a soul. He has been tortured with guilt for a very long time with nobody to confide in about it. I think that many of these factors make his case a little different. However, I agree that the way he changes so much (even in the series Angel, where it seems a different Angel persona appears every quarter of every season at some points in the series)can be annoying. I do think that some of this can be attributed to DB's acting and the way it matured over time. He definitely doesn't have the acting chops of many of the other actors or at least not until much further into the series.<br /><br />Also, like Nikki, I don't like to think that Xander wasn't the one to revive Buffy. Even though I agree that the scene could have been tighter, believing that Xander did bring her back is very important to the friendship theme, to the idea that Xander is the heart of the group, and to the idea that Buffy is part of a team even though she must assume a leadership role.<br /><br />Lastly, I also find it hard to fully commit to be a "Spuffy" as much as I love Spike. There is something about the romance of Buffy and Angel that draws me in even though I love Spike so much more than Angel. I kind of like the idea of her being able to have both guys, though! (This is a fantasy show after all. ;) )Suzannenoreply@blogger.com