elisi: (Girl with a sword by sandy_s)
elisi ([personal profile] elisi) wrote2019-02-03 06:00 pm

The very slow Buffy re-watch

Finally got to Revelations & Lover's Walk.

Revelations
Suffice to say, the girls are not taken with Buffy/Angel, or Buffy's twee outfits. They like Faith, but Faith hasn't really *done* much yet. They were all eagerly hoping for Gwendoline Post to die and cheered when they found out she was actually evil. They HATE the Willow/Xander subplot.

What struck ME on this re-watch, is how very VERY hostile Buffy's friends are. There is this thing in fandom where people think that Angel just gets let off the hook for everything, whereas Spike gets blamed for stuff, even after the soul, but I think that is very much a fandom perception, or viewpoint. The CHARACTERS very much blame Angel, and don't seem to make much of a distinction:

Buffy: (looks up at Willow) It's not what you think.
Xander: Hope not. Because I think you're harboring a vicious killer.
[...]
Giles: (interrupts) Be quiet. (slowly turns to face her) (sternly) I won't remind you that the fate of the world often lies with the Slayer. What would be the point? Nor shall I remind you that you've jeopardized the lives of all that you hold dear by harboring a known murderer. But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me... for hours... for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me, or the job I perform.


And then Xander recruits Faith to kill Angel... (And never apologises for any of it. Xander being a dick is hitting me a lot harder this time round.)

To be honest, Spike probably has an easier ride in S7 (OK, insane and living in the high school basement and it takes a few weeks before Buffy decides to properly look after him), but everyone is a lot older and a lot more aware of their own failings. Also they know Spike a lot better than they ever knew Angel, and he hasn't killed any of them.


Lover's Walk
Since Revelations didn't do much for them, I had to just TELL them that this one would be worthwhile... And so it proved to be. They loved drunk, love-lorn Spike (Darcy declared Spike the only redeeming feature of the show, which... I'll take it.), loved all the comedy and loved his speech best of all probably. (Love's bitch wins again!)

Also, my other half is rather savage. Prime example:

Buffy (to Angel): What I want from you I can never have.
Darcy (drolly): Just get a cardboard cut-out, you won't notice any difference.

Almost best of all, then Cordelia's fall had them completely fooled and they were VERY upset at the show killing off such an awesome character... And then the camera pans from the funeral to Willow & Buffy talking about how Cordy is going to be OK, and they were v impressed. :D

I think that's all as my brain is rather frazzled. But this show is very very good and I love it. <3

[identity profile] itsnotmymind.livejournal.com 2019-02-06 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I once took a quiz where you were supposed to guess if a quote came from Angel or Edward Cullen. One quote was from soulless Angel in Buffy season 2 - I selected "Angel" without look at the other options. Turned out I was supposed to check "Angelus" and, per the quiz creator, I'd gotten the wrong option. I was so irritated I stopped taking the quiz - but that is very telling in how much fandom as so internalized the Angel/Angelus divide that they've forgotten it was a retcon.