Hey no worries! I never realised that the post could be seen as anti-Giles particularly, that was certainly never my intention. See this post is just the lastest in a whole line of S7 posts I've been writing as I've been re-watching S7, and have put forth a lot of my Giles thoughts already and didn't want to repeat them.
But for you here's a bit from my 'Bring On The Night'/'Showtime' post:
I think as much as anything, in S7 Giles needs Buffy to be able to cope, because she is the world's last hope. Buffy sees this, but wants him to be the one for her to depend on. But he’s not - he’s the one who’ll send her out to fight, and possibly die. That’s the job of a Watcher.
GILES: We could make plans as we always do, but the truth is, Buffy was our plan. There is no back up.
This line I think more than any other is the key to Giles in S7. Buffy is the world’s only hope, and although he has great faith in her (as well as a lot of affection), he is also far too aware of her limits and (what he perceives as) her weaknesses. The thing is, he is pretty much useless, and he knows it. Which of course is something else that ties back to the beginning:
Buffy: Why don't you kill 'em? Giles: I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill... Buffy: Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight... It's like falling off a log. Giles: A, a Slayer slays, a Watcher... Buffy: ...watches? Giles: Yes. No! He, he trains her, he, he, he prepares her...
He cannot research The First, because there is next to nothing written about it. He cannot train Buffy further, or prepare her more than she already is. He also knows that his love for her can be used as a weapon, and could be fatal if so employed. This is why I think he distances himself so very sharply, knowing that he might have to do anything, and that love might be a hindrance:
Quentin: Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment. You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause.
Giles is The Council now, and although he might have disliked them intensely, and not trusted their judgment or methods, he believes in the cause. As mariposas said in one of the AOQ threads: The Council was made for war, and it has to be viewed in that light.
Wesley: You're the one who said take the fight to the Mayor. You were right. This is the town's best hope of survival. It's your chance to get out. Buffy: You think I care about that? Are you made of human parts? Giles: Alright! Let's deal with this rationally. Buffy: Why are you taking his side?
Giles and Wesley came together here, briefly, in their shared belief of always doing what’s best for the majority. It was only a moment, but it came back in The Gift, and caused a huge rift between Buffy and Giles, one I think he’s more aware of than ever in S7:
GILES: If the ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death ... including Dawn. BUFFY: Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her. GILES: You'll fail. You'll die. We all will. BUFFY: I'm sorry. [...] GILES: But I've sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that means saying and doing ... what other people can't. What they shouldn't have to.
S7 has that moment stretched out over most of a season. Giles is worried that Buffy will let her heart rule over her head - and that because of that she’ll fail. And die. And doom them all. It’s not nice, but it’s not out of character.
no subject
But for you here's a bit from my 'Bring On The Night'/'Showtime' post:
I think as much as anything, in S7 Giles needs Buffy to be able to cope, because she is the world's last hope. Buffy sees this, but wants him to be the one for her to depend on. But he’s not - he’s the one who’ll send her out to fight, and possibly die. That’s the job of a Watcher.
GILES: We could make plans as we always do, but the truth is, Buffy was our plan. There is no back up.
This line I think more than any other is the key to Giles in S7. Buffy is the world’s only hope, and although he has great faith in her (as well as a lot of affection), he is also far too aware of her limits and (what he perceives as) her weaknesses. The thing is, he is pretty much useless, and he knows it. Which of course is something else that ties back to the beginning:
Buffy: Why don't you kill 'em?
Giles: I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill...
Buffy: Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight... It's like falling off a log.
Giles: A, a Slayer slays, a Watcher...
Buffy: ...watches?
Giles: Yes. No! He, he trains her, he, he, he prepares her...
He cannot research The First, because there is next to nothing written about it. He cannot train Buffy further, or prepare her more than she already is. He also knows that his love for her can be used as a weapon, and could be fatal if so employed. This is why I think he distances himself so very sharply, knowing that he might have to do anything, and that love might be a hindrance:
Quentin: Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment. You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause.
Giles is The Council now, and although he might have disliked them intensely, and not trusted their judgment or methods, he believes in the cause. As mariposas said in one of the AOQ threads: The Council was made for war, and it has to be viewed in that light.
Wesley: You're the one who said take the fight to the Mayor. You were right. This is the town's best hope of survival. It's your chance to get out.
Buffy: You think I care about that? Are you made of human parts?
Giles: Alright! Let's deal with this rationally.
Buffy: Why are you taking his side?
Giles and Wesley came together here, briefly, in their shared belief of always doing what’s best for the majority. It was only a moment, but it came back in The Gift, and caused a huge rift between Buffy and Giles, one I think he’s more aware of than ever in S7:
GILES: If the ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death ... including Dawn.
BUFFY: Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her.
GILES: You'll fail. You'll die. We all will.
BUFFY: I'm sorry.
[...]
GILES: But I've sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that means saying and doing ... what other people can't. What they shouldn't have to.
S7 has that moment stretched out over most of a season. Giles is worried that Buffy will let her heart rule over her head - and that because of that she’ll fail. And die. And doom them all. It’s not nice, but it’s not out of character.