#we talk about buffy wanting giles to be her dad but this adds a WHOLE LAYER to it

[theajaheira]

so i watched prophecy girl recently and i HAVE to say -- once again i am left with so many buffy and giles thoughts! this was indisputably their season, and i think viewing it through that lens has actually added such a special and incredible layer to the whole thing, but i was also FUNDAMENTALLY HEARTBROKEN and here is why.

the intimacy between buffy and giles has been something that’s been building since the very first episode. i really feel like a lot of the metaphor this season when it comes to buffy and giles is about the process of realizing that your teenager is not actually just a mindless automaton, and that your goals for your kid are not going to always line up with what your kid wants to do with their life. we’re introduced to him handing her a manual and saying let’s go, i’ve got this, take my hand and i will walk you through it and her pretty much responding with fuck you, asshole, you don’t know what it’s like for me. i think it is really fitting and also really heartbreaking that that’s the note we END the season on as well.

because this is, i think, the only situation we see in the show where giles tries to treat buffy like a little kid instead of the one and only vampire slayer! and the episode itself reveals WHY giles never does this again! it’s a full-on role reversal: giles spent the first episode demanding that buffy face and accept her calling, and now he’s spending this season’s last episode refusing to let buffy face and accept her calling. meanwhile, buffy spent the first episode squaring up with giles in an effort to get him to leave her alone, and the season finale is about her squaring up with giles in an effort to get him to...well, leave her alone.

all of this highlights the essential ways that both of them have developed. spending time with buffy, watching her try and fail to be a kid when her slayer duties always end up taking priority, seeing how desperately she wants to be a little girl and how keenly she feels the loss of her childhood innocence, has made giles grow beyond his clinical role as a watcher. he’s come to understand that buffy does deserve better than dying at sixteen, that he doesn’t want buffy to die at sixteen, and that he will do whatever he can to keep buffy from dying -- which is not actually his job. his job is to train buffy and fight evil. but buffy has taught giles that there are things more important than the mission.

buffy’s decision to come into her own and face the master is motivated largely by willow, and wanting to make the world safer for her, but i do think that it’s significant that she ends up actually doing what giles was asking her to do at the very beginning of the show. she doesn’t flinch away from her destiny. she stares it right in the eye. she is given the out that she begged the world for in welcome to the hellmouth and she makes the conscious choice not to take it. AND she still does it on her own terms! still flips off these old patriarchal forces telling her that there is no way to get around her dying! it’s so important that it’s willow who gets her to go down and fight the master and it’s xander who saves her life. the fact that she’s sustained these friendships has made her the slayer that she is.

but the thing that really got to me is, like i said, the fact that this is the ONLY time we see giles try to do something that can very easily be labeled as fatherly. this is indisputably what a dad would do in this situation. a dad would flat-out refuse to listen to destiny and prophecy, firmly tell his kid to sit the fuck down, and fight the monster himself. there is a quiet, implicit dialogue between buffy and giles in their confrontation: giles places himself in a paternal role, the only time he does this in the show, and buffy removes him from it. 

and shining a light on this moment adds a whole layer to the later seasons -- particularly the fact that buffy very clearly wants giles to step into a paternal role, and giles very clearly will not. he got punched out when he actually tried to be a dad. he knows on some level that this won’t work if he is her dad, regardless of how desperately buffy wants him to be her dad -- but his attempts to draw lines with her are so blurry and hesitant and informed by his own trauma that they muddy the waters even more than before.

[ifeveristoday]

we have always sent children into war

Something I’ve appreciated about Jordie’s writing for the Boom!verse is how consistent she’s been with building on characters and themes - when I think she’s dropped a plot point, it asserts itself in the next issue. While there have definitely been threads that are a little too exposition happy, or heavy-handed attempts at Whedonesque dialogue, on the whole - she understands and sees the earnest heartbeat of the show and infuses her own spin on Sunnydale and its inhabitants. Buffy was a show about human fears and anxieties given form as monsters and curses and a hero’s journey paralleled with a coming of age story.

But it was also a story about a war - the Slayer versus the darkness. Over seven years, Buffy and her friends and family fought and tested their own boundaries and capabilities for darkness and the pursuit of power.

In the Boom!verse, the idea of legacy has been stated from issue one - Buffy has her obvious calling, and Giles has his life long training to be a Watcher, and then Buffy’s watcher. Neither of them is automatically good at it and they’re still figuring what their legacies will ultimately be.

In issue 11, legacy comes back in the form of a conversation between Rose, Kendra and Robin.

Rose is a military brat from a military family - her father and her grandfather both chose it as a career. She shrugs off Kendra’s admiration for her family history by saying that it’s all become second nature and there’s really nothing special about it.

Then she asks Kendra about her father - and Kendra dismisses him as a deadbeat that she doesn’t care about because he didn’t care about her. That she’s discovered there are more important things that concern her - namely her calling as a Slayer.

Robin’s sudden interjection that if there are more important things, why are Rose and Kendra chatting away like besties on a date than - getting to the bottom of the fuckery that’s beset Sunnydale?

Rude, Robin. Also sometimes people just want to live and not dwell on the horrors of life, okay?

It’s also clearly projection: Robin has a loving dad who cares deeply about him - but he also has an apparently long-festering resentment over 1) his mom dying because of her Calling and leaving him, 2) despite ‘Slayer blood running through his veins,’ none of his training matters because the Council didn’t choose him to be a Slayer (is that even possible? #releasethelorejordie) and instead he’s...settled into being a Watcher. His legacy isn’t to follow his mother’s path, and his second nature doesn’t make him ‘special’ enough to do so. So to listen to Rose and Kendra being so casual about their own legacies --- well, it triggers his insecurities, which I’m sure is not helped by the evil toxic masculinity Rage Sweats that have been infecting all the men lately.

Is it a super heavy-handed metaphor for how performative/peer pressured ideals of masculinity is damaging to everyone? and to have the Hellmouth emit evil pheromones causing this a gloss over for real societal problems? 

Probably.

But also TVBuffy fought a literal penis headed monster and Xander ate part of his school mascot while under the influence of a wild hyena spirit and also split into two selves trying to figure out which one was the real him and whatever the fuck the episode Billy was, so I’m going to give Jordie a pass here.

When Kendra calls him out on his overreaction, yet still calling him Mr. Wood (acknowledging her more traditional character and respect for the Council), he loses it completely when she tells him to not go off on his own - it’s dark and also it’s Sunnydale where people die in inexplicable evil-adjacent ways.

He retorts that he doesn’t need a mother and that he doesn’t need you -

hello, Parental issues. It wouldn’t be a Whedonverse adjacent property without someone’s parental issues. Robin is wrong of course - he does need Kendra because he’s her Watcher, and he’s (understandably) mad about his mother.

Rose and Kendra puzzle over Robin’s sudden hulk rage, but go back to figuring out what’s rotten in Sunnydale and how much Buffy’s absence is felt - even though they’re auxiliary Scoobies at this point, Buffy is what brought them together. Kendra brings up the general loneliness of a Slayer - she has to keep her identity secret, she doesn’t generally ask for help re: Life things, and the regimented nature of Slayerhood really makes me think about the similarities to a soldier’s life.

And Rose being a soldier’s child would be the perfect person to empathize with. I don’t have personal experience, but I do have friends who have served in different branches - and when I was living overseas, the country I lived in had mandatory army service for the men. 

I’m not going to get in too deep about the whole troubling military complex that America has and how the business of war built this country or how it preys disproportionately on POC and lower-income people, or how when veterans come back, the services in place for them are lacking and how in general soldiers are good people who believed in the ideals of peace and protection while the realities don’t often match up with the propaganda...but you know. 

Slayers are child soldiers who are sworn to protect a world at large that doesn’t know they exist or what they really do. But it also goes along with the real-world tradition of sending children into war - in the US [currently], you can legally join at 18 without a parent’s permission or 17 with a parent’s permission.

Think about back in history, before 18 was considered a legal adult.

So we have always sent children into war - but Jordie really emphasizes that the Scoobies are children fighting something they don’t really understand, and there are no adults around (hello, Show also did this but also because Adults are not actually people in the 90s) to guide them, which adds to the anxiety.

Giles is all Rage Sweated out, Jenny is probably taking well deserved time for grading papers and chilling with her cat (h/t @jenny-calendar) and it’s up to Xander and Willow, as the OG Scoobies to figure out what to do, now that Buffy’s disappeared.

And oh, her disappearance has taken an emotional and physical toll - Xander’s been patrolling every night, with some assistance from Willow - it doesn’t seem like she’s been doing it nightly though. He’s tired and upset, and Willow’s upset she didn’t get to say goodbye to Buffy and they’re both hurting in their own ways and also not talking about what’s really bothering them, which is only tangentially connected to Buffy’s disappearance.

Willow and Xander’s bond has always been a key element to their characterizations and relationships with others - they’ve been ride or die from childhood, and now that they’re sharing a soul has made this closeness even more significant.

Which means when they fight, it’s to the bone. Xander’s previous issues of feeling lonely and ignored by others - and not being listened to manifests itself against Willow’s need to share and vent, but not actually listen - it gets ugly really fast.

Xander accuses Willow of being selfish and the reason she broke up with Rose is that she couldn’t handle the mundane realities of working hard at a relationship when she had the more exciting side-gig of fighting at Buffy’s side - which Willow angrily denies. Xander then rips into Willow’s need to be praised and liked, and suddenly brings up the possibility that she’s doing this to impress Buffy, which is stupid because she’s not here and also, she won’t ever make the gay love with you -

and Willow calls him out on his need for love and validation, that he falls for any girl who’ll give him ‘the least amount of attention.’

And Xander vamps out - if this is what Willow really thinks, that she’s always seen him something pathetic

which snaps both of them out of their fight.

Xander admits he only goes vampface when he’s really angry and he can’t always control it, but when he is - he feels better. Which is really concerning.

Xander goes on to say when he’s human, the anger has been harder to ignore, that there’s something dark calling to him and it makes him want to hurt Willow - and she confesses that she’s been feeling weird all the time as well.

Is their soul tie working against them? 

And the fact that Xander in vampface feels more comfortable than when he’s being human and more prone to Rage Sweats -- that’s gotta be significant.

Kendra interrupts their heart to heart and tackles Xander to the ground, which leads to a few bits of hilarious misunderstandings, but also the bombshell that Buffy is dead.

According to Robin, a new Slayer is only called when the previous one dies - which means Buffy must have died.

There goes my whole ‘they are a slayer theory’ but I was expecting it to go that way. In an earlier post - or possibly just a conversation with @jenny-calendar, I was thinking out loud that because Buffy has passed into the Hellmouth, she is no longer of the living plane, so she’s considered ‘dead’ aboveground. Obviously, she is not dead no matter what the misleading summaries future comics say, but she is not among the living.

Semantics aside, everyone is fucked up from hearing this - Willow and Xander turn on Robin, insisting he’s wrong and that it’s a sick joke, which causes Robin’s final form: teary-eyed Rage Hulk Hellmouth McGuffin. He says he didn’t ask for any of this, that he’s already lost so much - his mother, Buffy (which seems rather strange considering he was blanking her the whole time after he infiltrated her friend group and there didn’t seem to be any more flirting/sparkage in the lead up to Hellmouth) and more importantly - his chance to be a Slayer.

He’s railing against the fact he’s stuck with a Slayer that doesn’t know what a real vampire is, that there’s nothing special about her - and it’s obvious that even though his words are coming from a dark ugly place, there’s the feeling that Robin feels entitled to his rage and disappointment.

Kendra’s aware something’s gravely wrong with Robin and tells him calmly that she doesn’t want to hurt him but like every villain at the peak of missed-redemption moment, he says he feels perfect. And the last bits of rationality exit his body and he calls on the Evil Bro Squad to surround the Scoobies.

And triggers Xander’s kill switch - apparently the darkness that Xander’s human side was feeling? That’s because his demon soul is tied to the soul that infected all the men of Sunnydale and turned them into misogynistic meat puppets.

Dunn dun dun -- it’s the Hellmother.

Xander pushes back, but he’s disturbed by how strong it feels and what’s keeping him from going completely evil Frat boy?

Kendra tells them they have to fight and they’ll figure out the details later - and they’re doing their last stand in some stunning colored horror-inspired panels and it doesn’t look good for our heroes when....

WHACK.

Anya brains Robin with a croquet mallet like some white-suited queen of hearts and snarks, “Great. Now I have to fight teenagers to save the world again.”

A surprise boss appears - is Anya going to be the final Adult and help the Scoobies out of the mess they’re in?

Did she even really leave? Was that rabbit that was skulking in the grass from earlier issues really her?

Once more, Jordie leaves us on a cliffhanger.

[fluteydeservedbetter]

Season 1

Season 1 is so nice and short. I always kind of forget about it because it’s the first one, but there are some real gems in here! Let’s take a look shall we?

12. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

This one is quite possibly more forgettable than Teacher’s Pet. Literally the only thing that happens here is that Angel gets jealous of Buffy for the first time and also we are introduced to the Annoying One, sorry, the Anointed One. Other than that though, Owen isn’t even all that attractive so I’m not sure why Buffy and Cordelia are all over him. Ugh I just can’t handle this episode.

11. Teacher’s Pet

Poor Xander. He never gets a break ever. And it starts so early on for him too! This episode has always been kind of meh for me. It’s our first monster character that Buffy has to defeat, it’s our first time Xander falls for someone who is evil. But other than that, it’s very forgettable. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the scene between Buffy and the old biology man teacher. He’s so sweet to her and teachers are always so mean to her so it’s really nice to see him. Too bad he dies.

10. I Robot, You Jane

Ok tbh this episode is not great, but it’s not the worst of Season 1! JENNY IS INTRODUCED HELLO!!! We finally get more character growth for Giles!! They are end game. I love them and they deserved SO MUCH BETTER! Anyways, watching them flirt for the first time is incredible. Poor Willow, this was her turn to fall in love with evil. At least she ends up in two of the best relationships of the show. Also that moment at the end when they all realize that all of their future relationships are doomed is HILARIOUS.

9. The Harvest

We have our first major character death! In the second episode! Poor Jesse. He deserved better. Also Xander deserved better than accidentally killing his best friend lol I am a firm believer that he should have had to for real kill him. But I never noticed that Xander saves Cordelia in this episode?! I’m team Cordelia and Xander 5EVER!!! Anyways, this is the first of many times that we see The Master press against that weird barrier and then he fails to be free. It gets boring after a while. Also very clever having Angel in the crypt during the day trying to hide the fact he’s a vamp. Go Joss!

8. Welcome to the Hellmouth

The one that started it all. I forgot HOW 90S THIS SHOW IS OH MY GOD. Willows dress. Buffy’s hair. XANDER’S hair. Giles isn’t funny yet (which is tragic in itself). But it starts off everything! The Master is introduced! Angel is introduced and looks fine as hell! Darla is also fine as hell but also a lot more annoying as a vampire than I remember. So cheesy. So good. It’s just such a good opening episode.

7. The Pack

Wow ok I’ve never appreciated this episode until now. It’s not like any other episode, but in this case it really works! I LOVE dark Xander. He’s such an underappreciated character so I love when episodes feature him and Nicholas Brendon can actually show off what he can do. Also. PRINCIPAL FLUTEY AND THE PIG DESERVED BETTER!! Honestly probably the two most innocent characters that get killed on this show. RIP.

6. The Puppet Show

Ok this is just a really good episode. Also has anybody else noticed that there are like no vampire centered episodes for a lot of this season? Or maybe this was just a big stretch of monster focused episodes. Anyways, this is a great episode, where the thing you think is the monster is actually the hero! The end half of season 1 is actually so good I love it. Also I side with Buffy, dummies are terrifying. Also this is when Principal Snyder shows up for the first time and I truly love to hate him. OH MY GOD ALSO WHEN THEY SHOW THE CREDITS BUT ALSO THE THREE OF THEM DOING THEIR TERRIBLE SCENE HAHAHAHA!!

5. Witch

Ok so things get really serious in the THIRD episode of the entire series. Honestly I like this because it really makes the magic thing work for the whole rest of the series. Introduce it early, people get used to it right away. Amy is a great character but she turns annoying after this episode for sure. This episode is a huge for firsts! First magic, first eyes go black magic, first time someone is for real out to kill Buffy, first time we see Amy. This episode was a lot more enjoyable this time around.

4. Nightmares

BABY JOSEPH GORDON LEVITT!! Aside from that, this episode is awesome. Nightmares coming to life? Genius! My heart breaks for Buffy when her dad says she’s the reason for the divorce. Xander and his clown are hilarious. I DIE when Willow is terrified to sing and just kind of squawks out a note. It’s just so clever and everyone gets their moment, even Cordelia! A solid penultimate episode for the first season. Probably the cheeriest penultimate episode of any season.

3. Out of Mind, Out of Sight

This is another episode that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it during this rewatch! I always love Cordelia episodes. She’s honestly one of the most underrated characters on this show. I miss her. Also she thinks Buffy is in a gang which is HILARIOUS. But also we really start to get to know her this episode which is about damn time. When she talks about how lonely she is I FEEL for her. This episode also makes her start to realize the consequences of her actions and how she treats the people around her. AND it’s also the first time Cordelia is actually a part of the Scooby Gang and she honestly just adds such a hilarious dynamic to the group. My only complaint is like...where did Marcy go? What happened to that crazy school she went to? Is she watching me right now?

2. Angel

BUFFY AND ANGEL 5EVER!!! Ok I just had to get that off my chest. I love Spike, but I will always be Team Angel. He and Buffy are just so good. This episode is so good. Mainly because SHIRTLESS ANGEL but also because we finally get to know who this mysterious man is! We also lose Darla, aka The Master loses Darla aka his right hand woman. This is by far one of the best episodes of Season 1. This is when people can finally commit to watching the whole series because you can’t help but want to see more Angel. Always. Every episode please. Ok I’m done now.

1. Prophecy Girl

Ok wow this is such a good episode. I laughed, I cried, I loved. It’s the perfect Season 1 finale. BUFFY DIES IN THE SEASON 1 FINALE GUYS DO YOU KNOW HOW CRAZY THAT IS?! I literally have no words for ths. That speech she gives when she finds out she’s going to die? It brings me to tears every single time. And Angel still loves her so much and he’s so sad but there’s nothing he can do. The Master is underwhelming as a villain compared to all of the other Big Bads, but he’s not bad for a first season!

[jenniferstolzer]

Buffy season 1 disk 2

ep 5 Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

this is the second vampire in the show that looks like Trakis

Wait you came here for Buffy not B5 references? So sorry they aren’t stopping.

Buffy’s hot for mysterious poetry boy in the library. It’s a cute scene of her showing some vulnerability. Then she ends by asking Giles if her dress makes her look fat. Fat girls are gross you guys. Girls should always be worried about if they’re fat. Boys don’t like chunks man, especially when they’ve got 0 body fat. No Im not going to stop, it pisses me off. Get back to the vampires. 

Holy shit Xander “for kissing you and telling the school how easy you are.” Buzz off bro. I’m staggered. 

Willow was worried about Giles, which she had reason to be b/c now he’s locked in a bathroom. 

Angel is pretty much Tuxedo Mask. He arrives as sexy as possible, says little, helps not at all, leaves mysteriously.

omg take Owen to the funeral home. He’s so excited. You can leave him by the coffin displays and he’ll be occupied for hours trying them all on for size.

I like action Giles even if he’s really bad at it. And.... knocked unconscious! He’s def gonna be my fave. 

Oh come on, buff vampire, you jumped right into that incinerator, that was so easily avoided. 

Owen is an adrenaline junkie and only wants to date Buffy b/c nearly got him killed. And he reads Emily Dickenson. Maybe he should see the councilor from the last episode. 

I’m glad Watcher is not a gender specific job like Slayer. Also Giles wanted to be a fighter pilot. And he’s such a good dad. and Buffy is worried about getting him hurt. Omg I’ve found my platonic duo. The show has officially nabbed me. 

6 The Pack

There are were-hyenas in this. I’m in. 

“You haven’t had a crush lately?” “No, not lately.” Buffy... it was last episode. Also Angel is way too old for Buffy, even not being a vampire. 

I’m not going to point out every time a fat joke gets made. Just assume there’s at least one per episode.

I love Herbert. And the principle. I like them both :) 

Xander’s moodier than usual. They have to work really hard to show that b/c he’s moody all the time. Lol that pig is totally not making those noises. 

I hope Xander gets eaten. I won’t miss him. DONT YOU DARE EAT THAT PIG HE IS THE LIGHT OF GOOD!

Lol Buffy complains to Giles that Xander’s being a jackass. Giles is like “Xander’s just like that.” I knew you were my favorite, G. NO HERBERT OH NO YOU MONSTERS! The principle is upset b/c you ate his pet and he SHOULD BE BECAUSE HE LOVED THAT PIG!

HOLY SHIT THEY ATE THE PRINCIPAL, TOO! This ep is brutal! That poor animal loving man. 

DO NOT EAT THE LADY WITH THE INFANT

Hyenas will track the missing member of their pack until they find them. Well how terribly convenient. Established in this ep that Hyenas call your name. Maybe they should have been possessed by a parrot. 

Giles do not go in the hyena house alone. That zookeeper is sketch as hell. He’s standing in there and he’s like “Oh damn I stumbled into it again.” It’s great watching him realize he’s messed up. Then he gets beaten up again. I’m glad (most) the characters are not dumb.  

RIP Herbert and Herbert’s dad

7 Angel

The Three are like Blade in Triplicate. Also a Fumigation Party is hilarious. 

Everyone learn from Buffy. If you’re in a pissy mood, you probably need to go to bed. Say goodnight, it’s the responsible thing to do. 

She shouted “Get in, come on!” but it sounded an awful lot like an ADR line. I think they did that when they realized Angel just came in uninvited then told her vampires can’t come in uninvited. In universe, though? Very very lucky Buffy shouted “Get in!” when she did or he’d be torn apart by evil Blades. 

“Angel?” “Yeah?” “Do you snore?” I thought that was really cute ^^

“We’re not going to be fighting Friar Tuck.” Shut up Buffy, you don’t know that. 

Angel admits to being a cradle robber. 

I like the way vampires work in this universe. They’re demons that take over peoples bodies. They steal your identity, but once you turn you’re dead b/c you lose your soul. I like that a lot. I predict it gets ret-conned. 

That tattoo was 200 years old? Heck no, unless he was in for a really recent touch-up. 

The Master or whoever is reminding me so hard of G’Kar right now, lol. It’s b/c he’s posturing like a diva and shaking his head around a lot. The way his makeup wrinkles doesn’t help the likeness although G’Kar is far handsomer. 

Misunderstanding. Come back from commercial and Angel’s tossed out a window. That was an excellent transition. 

I love Giles sitting with Buffy’s mom talking about parenting concerns since they’re pretty much her parents. Does Buffy’s mom have a name? 

So Angel was cursed to have his soul back by gypsies. Somehow both a trope and a subversion of a trope? And speaking of tropes, blonde chick saunters in wearing another school girl uniform like its a fetish. 

The Master then has a room-trashing temper tantrum shouting. “She was my favorite for four hundred years!” and he officially sheds his G’Kar and becomes the new Radu.

There is no way I can be threatened by him or his Damien. 

8 I Robot... you Jane.

I’m excited for this one b/c it promises to have a robot in it. 

SHIT THERE’S A DRAKH IN THIS!!! KILL IT WITH FIRE!

Recall from the whole Na’Far thing back in episode 4 that the same makeup/special effects shop worked on both Buffy and Babylon 5 so it may just be a Drakh, I mean who the hell knows? They’re definitely using the same design language for the vampires they did for like every alien in Crusade. 

OMG Giles’ name is Rupert. And hearing all this 1997 technology scare is just HILARIOUS. What would Rupert say if he knew I had a computer in my butt pocket that could run the space shuttle? Also Miss Calendar is flirting so hard with Giles it’s like the little boy pulling his crush’s pigtails on the playground. 

Dangit! There’s no robot! It’s Tom Riddle. 

OMG Miss Calendar’s crimped hair is atrocious. 

lol and if Buffy knew about the future and how online dating is like the #1 way to meet people in the 2010s she’d be saying much different things. Buffy is right about the chemistry thing though. Having a relationship based on personality is great but when you meet in person and there’s no chemistry that’s a thing that needs to be dealt with and OH MY GOSH THAT LAPTOP OH MY LORD

Tonight on this very special episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, cat-fishing, gaslighting, and you. 

Good thing this late-90s computer has a speak and spell function so Willow and Malcolm can speak all their lines. 

Miss Calendar just pulled the race card for some reason? “You think knowledge should be kept in depositories were only white guys can get them.” Like... in the 90s were poc not allowed in libraries? I mean women obviously are b/c Miss Calendar’s there. She came in there specifically to fight with her boyfriend Giles over whether or not books suck -- which they don’t. And neither does the internet. If she is a computer and Giles is a book their kids are going to be well educated. 

Buffy was saved by her rubber soled shoes. 

lol the one computer guy is named Dave. “I’m sorry Dave” says the computer. Then he pens Dave’s suicide note. That was done on purpose and I love it. PS the Internet is scary! SCARY OOOH DANGER! DANGER! FEAR!

We get to see Willow’s room! Also I love 90s fantasy tech.

Miss Calendar is a self-proclaimed techno-pagan. “There are more of us out there than you thin.”

OMG THERE IS FINALLY A ROBOT IN THIS EPISODE AND ITS A FREAKIN ROBO DRAKH! I gotta find a way to put this guy in Babylon 6. He’s a riot. 

“I don’t dangle a corkscrew from my ear.”

“That’s not where I dangle it.” 

Giles: 

Okay disk 2 is over. I’m liking the show even more as the edges continue to wear off. The datedness is hilarious and doesn’t spoil a thing about it. It adds a richness and layer of entertainment not even intended by the original team.

[lilbreck]

Title: Chapter 4: Twenty-Five to Life Characters: Angel, Anya Jenkins, Charles Gunn, Cordelia Chase, Faith Lehane, Fred Burkle, Rupert Giles, Spike, Tara Maclay, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris Rating/Warning: FRT Word Count: 4,178 A/N: Though I list a lot of characters, and some of them actually do get dialog, some of them just pass through.

Read Elsewhere: Personal Archive \ LiveJournal \ InsaneJournal \ Dreamwidth \ AO3 \ FF.net

"I just want to make sure we're all on the same page here. The one with the insane writing that tells us bringing a convicted murderer back into town is a good idea."

As much as she loved Xander, he really did not know when to quit. Giles, unlike most times, was doing nothing to dissuade his ranting. Willow listened with only half her attention as Tara explained –for the third time that night alone—why they needed to bring Faith back to Sunnydale. The rest of her attention was focused on the bag she was packing. Granted, she wouldn't need much in the way of clothes since she was only planning on being gone for a few days at most. The rest of her bag was full of various spell ingredients she might need.

When Anya had protested taking the items, Willow had tried to explain that she might not be able to find them in Los Angeles. That hadn't worked either, but before Willow could even draw a breath to argue even more, Spike had thrown down a wad of cash on the counter which put a smile on Anya's face and silenced her. Willow didn't even bother to ask where he'd gotten the money –she probably wouldn't like the answer—and only sent him a silent thank you.

As she zipped up her bag, she could hear Xander's condescending reply, "Perhaps you missed the part where she killed a man and is now in prison."

She could see Tara ready to once again explain something that should have been unnecessary to explain in the first place while Giles continued to stand silently by, staring at the floor. Something in her just snapped. She barely recognized her own voice.

"Enough. Buffy is gone. Bringing her back would be too cruel. We need a slayer for the Hellmouth. The spell I put on the town yesterday will only hold for a little bit. After that it would have to be redone."

When Xander made to argue some more, Willow interrupted, already knowing what he would say, "The spell may keep demons peaceful, but it would only take someone vaguely interested in magic to find out what the spell is and they could break it. We need the Slayer. We need Faith."

He stared at her mulishly, so Willow tried softening her tone, "I understand why you wouldn't want to be around her, Xander. I get that it can be hard being around someone who tried to kill you…"

Xander didn't look mollified at all when he said, "Maybe you forgot, but she tried to kill you, too."

Willow had managed to downplay any danger that Faith would pose to her from Tara until now. By the nasty expression Xander wasn't trying to hide from her, he realized it and was all too happy to change that.

"Honey, are you sure you should be going to get her? I mean, if she's tried to kill you before…"

Willow faced Tara with her best reassuring smile. "Faith turned herself in. She's not the same girl who accidentally killed a man." The last was said with a pointed look at Xander who looked unrepentant.

"Besides, Red won't be going alone."

Willow glanced at the door to her room where Spike stood, a small bag of his own at his feet. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or upset that he had joined in the conversation. Tara's expression said she was more than sure she didn't like the situation.

"If Faith really isn't a threat, maybe I should go with you."

As much as Willow would love to spend time with Tara –they really hadn't had a lot of quality time lately—this just wasn't the right time for it.

"I'm not sure we'll get back before the spell needs redone. If we can't, I need you and Giles here to cast it. Besides, Spike isn't going because of Faith. There are demons in LA"

Tara –and Xander—had nothing to say to that, and followed her and Spike to the front door. As she stepped off the porch, Willow turned back to face her girlfriend.

"While we're in LA, you should start packing up your stuff."

While Tara seemed to know exactly what was going on, Xander seemed lost. With a sad smile, she explained, "With Buffybot gone, we're going to have to report Buffy missing. After a while, her dad is going to probably want to sell the house."

She could see the same grief on Xander's face that she had experienced when she had realized that Buffy's home wasn't really Buffy's home now. Perhaps sensing that she didn't want to talk about it anymore, Giles chose then to walk up to her and wrap her in a warm and much-needed hug.

His voice was soft and understanding when he whispered, "Take care of yourself, Willow."

Without saying anything more, she turned and walked to the curb where Spike was waiting by her by her parent's car. He held his hands out for the keys, but she shook her head, causing him to roll his eyes and make his way to the passenger seat. Her parents may have left the car for her use while they were out of town, but she was sure they wouldn't want her driving to LA with it. No need to add the offense of letting someone they didn't know behind the wheel as well.

Willow made it a point to pay close attention to her driving until the house on Revello Drive was out of sight so she had an excuse not to see Tara staring after her. More and more, she was getting the feeling that her girlfriend was not happy with their situation. She just didn't know how to fix it. And, so, she was being avoidy girl.

Spike, for his part, was more than ready to let the ride go by in silence. Though he would kill for a smoke. It's not that he was afraid of seeing Angel, he just really wasn't too keen on the notion that the gelled wonder would find out about his little electronic leash. Theoretically, he could have stayed in Sunnydale –Willow was damn well capable of taking care of herself— but he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time with just the two of them.

Unfortunately, he had already agreed to go before he dawned on him that their time alone would be spent with Angel and his hapless band of do-gooders. He held his peace for the whole two-hour drive, right up until they pulled in behind the hotel where his absentee grandsire was making his home.

"Angelus always did have a taste for the dramatically gothic. Right then, Red, here's the plan… we roll in, throw a jab or two at Angelkins, then nab the slayer. No need to go bringing up my pesky little chip."

Willow just looked at him for a moment in obvious confusion before he could see understanding slowly come to her. Shaking her head, she tried to reassure him.

"I'm sure Angel's friends wouldn't…" She quickly lost steam as his eyebrow raised. As she looked toward the hotel, he could see the moment when she gave up. Her shoulders dropped along with her expression and she gave a resigned sigh.

"Maybe we should just avoid talking about all things Initiative and their experiments."

When he only hummed in agreement, she nodded her head and climbed out of the car. Knowing he didn't really have a choice since he'd foolishly agreed to come, he climbed out after her. For Willow's sake, he really hoped Angel didn't make things difficult. Though, he would love to see her put the old man in his place.

While he was aware that Willow knew exactly where she was going –she'd been there before after all – she still looked nervous and unsure. However, just before they got to the doors where any of Angel's little merry band could see them, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. He could still hear her slightly elevated heart rate, but she could probably fool someone who wasn't paying attention. Maybe.

When they walked into the lobby – leave it to Angelus to decide he needed an entire hotel to live in – the four people at the front desk off to the right didn't notice them at first. While he only knew three of them through Willow's detailed babblings from the other night, he easily recognized the cheerleader and couldn't resist the urge to rattle her a bit.

"Cordelia! Still as smashing as ever."

Cordelia looked tense but not ready to go for a weapon, so he could only assume that she at least knew he had been working with the Sunnydale chapter of the white hat brigade. The other three only looked mildly curious. Honestly, how people with such shoddy instincts managed to not only survive but also slay a few demons was beyond him.

"Spike, still trying to bring back the Billy Idol look, I see."

He could see Wesley's panic clearly written in the man's eyes and he looked on the verge of scrambling for a weapon when he heard Spike's name. Gunn, though he tensed up, looked far more calm and ready for a fight if it should come to that. Angel at least had one good fighter on his team. Fred looked relaxed though extremely curious. It could be she had never heard of him or those years in the demon world that Willow had told him about made a vampire seem like a small threat.

While he was assessing her crew, Cordelia seemed to finally notice that Willow was standing there with him.

"Willow. Oh, no, who died this time? Is it Xander?"

He could hear Willow's heartbeat beat just a bit faster as she hurried to reassure Cordelia, "No, no. No one's dead."

Spike tuned out Willow's explanation and focused on Angel who had come out of what looked to be the hotel's office. Angel, in turn, was focused on him. There was a strong urge in him to simply attack the vampire he'd both hated and… liked on and off for nearly as long as he could remember. However, he'd made a promise to Will, and he was going to stick by it. Angel's expression was unreadable which irritated Spike to no end.

Both vampires were broken from their silent staring contest by the sound of Cordelia's less than dulcet question.

"Why the hell would you want to get her out of prison? What kind of brain damage do you have that makes getting Psycho Slayer out of jail sound like a good idea?"

Her little tirade seemed to help the baby watcher grow a spine and he pipped in with a condescending, "We simply cannot allow you…"

There was a sense of dread that started to well up in the pit of Spike's stomach and he took a step closer to Willow, ready to try and calm her down if necessary. Her voice was cold and hard when she answered and it didn't put him the slightest bit at ease.

"We didn't come here to ask permission, Wesley. We were simply paying you the courtesy of letting you know that Faith would no longer be in jail. Now, if we're through here, I need to find a place to stay so I can get some rest before I talk to Faith tomorrow."

Before she could turn to leave, however, Angel tried to salvage the situation. His voice was soft and in no way confrontational. If Spike didn't hate the bastard so much, he'd almost be grateful. Dealing with a cranky Willow was not how he wanted to spend his night.

"Just, hold on a minute, Willow. We're all just in a bit of a shock. How bad is it?"

Like she so often did when no longer feeling attacked, Willow reverted to her sweet and accommodating self. Though, she didn't bother to sugar-coat what had happened.

"Hellions attacked the other night. They had us all cornered. We lost the Buffybot and we almost lost everyone."

Angel, of course, latched onto the one part of Willow's explanation that Spike didn't want him to. His brow furrowed and Spike could see the question before he asked it, so he interrupted, hoping to quickly move past it.

"Three geeks, good with electronics, long and boring story."

Nodding his head, Angel let it go and turned his attention back to Willow.

"There's no reason you have to go somewhere else for the night. We've got over sixty rooms here, we can spare a couple."

He could barely tell what Wesley and Cordelia were trying to say as they spoke over each other. He could only tell they didn't like the idea of him staying there.

Angel's voice was brooked no arguments when he said, "Cordy, Wes, Gunn, you guys go ahead and take off for the night. Maybe take tomorrow off as well."

While both Cordelia and Wes stalked off the way he and Will had come in, they still gave him wide berth. He had to admit, it did his ego good. It had been a while since any humans he encountered were afraid of him. Gunn held back, giving Angel a serious look.

"You sure about this, Angel."

When Angel simply nodded, Gunn turned and left the same way his friends had, though he didn't go out of his way to go around Spike and even tipped his head to Willow, giving a little wave. Honestly, he could start to like the bloke.

When it was just the four of them left, Angel gave some ridiculously cheesy smile and told Willow she could pick any room she wanted. Spike was only half listening as he prattled on about making sure it had a bed and wasn't falling apart. He rolled his eyes and followed Willow when she turned back and headed up one of the sets of stairs by the door they entered. Before he could set foot on the first step, however, he felt his arm grabbed.

The better part of a year living with a chip in his head had trained Spike to not randomly strike out before knowing who he was he was attacking. Instead, he turned and found Angel, though the older vampire was watching Willow continue up the stairs with a serious look. Before he could ask what the bloody wanker wanted, he heard Willow's asking, "You're not planning on starting a fight with him, are you?"

He recognized that tone in her voice. It was the same one she used when she had lost all patience with Xander's picking and Anya's whining. Apparently, Angel was smart enough to know that tone wasn't one to be messed with.

"No fighting, Willow. Promise."

When Willow was out of sight, instead of the fight he expected –he didn't put any weight in his sire's promises – Angel only asked, "How bad is it?"

Spike didn't bother to hide his disbelieving huff when he answered, "Bloody Hellions showed up. Did you miss that conversation, Peaches?"

Angel didn't rise to his bait, only said, "No. I mean, how bad is it with Willow?"

As much as Spike wanted to tell him to fuck off and that they didn't need him to come riding into save the day or any such nonsense… he was tired. He was damn well tired of being the only one who saw how close Willow was to cracking.

"I caught them about to go against any sort of natural order and bring Buffy back from the dead. I managed to convince Willow to at least check that the Slayer was in some sort of Hell and that they wouldn't be yanking her out of paradise or some nonsense.

"She's drowning, Angel, and she's desperate for any sort of lifeline. Her useless friends and dishrag of a girlfriend keep expecting her to have all the answers and barely even raise an eyebrow at all the red flags she's sending up."

Angel looked troubled. Or maybe hungry. It really was hard to tell with this souled version of the vampire he knew. Either way, seemed to reach some sort of decision, if the firmly nodded head was any indication.

"If Faith turns her down tomorrow, I'll have a talk with her. Maybe she'll listen to me."

Angel opened his mouth to say something probably pathetic and sappy by Spike's estimation. However, he was interrupted by a soft and solemn voice.

"It's a good thing she has you to look after her. It's hard enough to try and lead a normal life, I mean if she's still going to college and all like she said the last time she was here. If you add on fighting off demons, and vampires, and whatever Hellions are, I can't imagine anyone being able to handle that all on their own. And the way you tell it, the rest of her friends aren't really the best at supporting her either."

Spike could only stare at her wide-eyed for a beat or two. It was more than possible she could give Willow a run for her money in the babble department. Though, unlike his witch, she was apparently as silent as any vampire when she wanted to be. Perhaps it was too much time spent with white hats, but he couldn't bring himself to snip at her, instead just replying, "I try my best, pet."

When he turned a questioning look on Angel, he only gave a small smile and said, "She's Fred. She does that."

Not bothering to wish them goodnight, he walked up the stairs and followed Willow's scent. He was stopped in his tracks halfway down the hall however, when he heard Fred ask Angel, "So how long has your friend been in love with Willow?"

He didn't bother to stick around to hear whatever Angel would say after he got past his shocked stuttering. He heard Willow moving around behind one of the doors as he came upon it. He knew that she'd want to go over tomorrow's plan just one more time. Part of him hesitated out of some irrational fear that she'd take one look at him and somehow be aware of what Angel's newest little pet had said. Bollocks. If she hadn't bloody well figured it already, she wasn't going to do so now. Making up his mind, he knocked on her door.

Willow was grateful that Spike was there to listen to her go over her plan for the millionth time without complaint. Granted, it's possible he tuned out whatever she was saying, but he made it so she could think out loud and not have anyone look at her strange. People really overlooked how important that could be. In the pre-dawn hours, as she made the roughly five-hour drive to the prison in Stockton, she found herself wishing Spike was there with her so she could go over the plan at least one more time.

Not that she was nervous.

She kept telling herself that as she parked in the visitor's lot at the prison. She almost believed it by the time she had convinced the staff there that, not only was she Faith's lawyer, but that she actually had an appointment to see her. Willow was sure that Tara wouldn't approve of the bit of magic she used to do so, nor would she approve of her plan to use magic to alter people's memories to get Faith released.

Honestly, though, it was either that or a jail-break with Faith hiding out as a wanted fugitive. That wouldn't really work for their plans seeing as Sunnydale would probably be one of the places they'd look for a runaway Faith. If Tara asked, she would calming explain. Willow was sure her girlfriend would eventually see that it was necessary.

As she saw Faith walking toward her through the prison bars, she suddenly realized that, in all her planning, she had never actually come up with a conversation. She looked confused but not angry, which Willow took as a good sign. She picked up the phone on her side as the slayer sat down across from her on the other side of the glass. Once she had picked up the phone, Faith didn't bother with small talk.

"They told me my lawyer was here to see me. I don't remember hiring you."

Her voice, while still a bit husky and sarcastic, lacked the anger that Willowed remembered from their last encounter. Well, the last encounter when it had been Faith in her own body. Oh, and look, there she was just staring through the glass, waiting for Willow to say something.

"Well, uh, Faith…"

Apparently, her time in prison had not given her infinite patience. Looking for all the world like this was a conversation she didn't want to have, she interrupted, "Look, Red, if this is about Buffy, you're about five months too late. Angel already filled me in."

While Faith may have been wrong about why Willow was there, it still provided just the opening she needed.

Keeping her voice relatively quiet, she began, "No, actually, this isn't about Buffy. It's about Sunnydale. Without a slayer, the demons are getting out of control. We need a slayer, Faith. We need you."

Looking less than moved, Faith leaned back in her chair and shot back, "Well, I'm about one year in, so why don't you check back with me in twenty-four years. A little less if I'm a really good girl."

As she had been doing a lot recently, Willow lost her calm. There went her Zen right out the window. It also might have been the more than likely bullet or shatter proof glass between them giving her a bit of courage.

"You know, Faith, coming in here I knew you were a lot of things. A probable boyfriend stealer, a best friend stealer, and a murderer. I just figured you'd gotten past that whole 'running with your tail between your legs' phase after Kakistos. Guess I was wrong."

Suddenly Willow could see a bit of the old anger in Faith. Maybe that's what they really needed. At least, she hoped that's what they needed and not just a sign that she'd chosen the wrong tact.

"You wanna run that by me again, Willow?"

Since she had already started, Willow couldn't really find it in her to even want to stop. She might have a bit of resentment still built up from when Faith had tried to kill her that one time. Two, if you count graduation.

"I was more than happy to let you sit in your little cell and hide away while you did what you needed to pay for your sins or whatever. But you're the slayer, and now you're the only slayer. Me and you don't have the luxury of you sitting pretty while the world burns."

Fight back tears and struggling to keep her voice lowered, Willow leaned in and continued, "Hellions rode into town, Faith. They had all my friends chained up and we were all going to die. It's a miracle I managed to throw enough magic to get them to run. I don't know what's gonna happen the next time. Just… We need you, Faith."

Faith looked very uncomfortable as she looked everywhere but at Willow. Finally, eyeing up the glass between them, she asked, "So, what's the plan then? I just bust through here and we take a dive through the window and make a run for it?"

Willow could feel her eyes go wide and she held up her hands almost as if that could prevent Faith from doing just what she'd said.

"N-no, no! Tonight, I'll do a little work on the computer and a little spell, and tomorrow we'll come to pick you up. You can walk out of here free and clear because, as far as anyone will know, tomorrow will be your release day for a far lesser charge."

She could actually see Faith physically relax before she said, "Cool, 'cause I wasn't looking forward to going full on fugitive."

Willow could see her mentally struggling with something before she leaned in closer and looked Willow in the eyes.

"You doin' okay, Will? Like, really."

It was on the tip of her tongue to give the standard 'right as rain' type of answer, or maybe even shoot Faith's own 'five by five' at her. What came out, however, was the truth. And possibly a few tears.

"Not really, no. I think I'll get there, but right now it's hard."

Faith appeared as emotionally drained from their visit as she was, so Willow told her she'd be back to get her tomorrow and quietly said goodbye. She could only hope she'd been telling the truth when she'd said that she'd get there because, right about now, she would really love to be doing okay again.

[kevoreally]

#BuffyAt20 - S03E05 “Homecoming”

AND HERE WE ARE! I am finally caught up on #BuffyAt20 with this liveblog! Very exciting. Season 3, Episode 5, “Homecoming.”

> It’s weird to see these kids talking about something normal like a dance. Not funny weird. Weird weird.

> Why is Willow talking about this being their “last homecoming” as if they’ve ever been the types to celebrate homecoming? (Didn’t Cordy almost get Bride Of Frankenstein’d at last homecoming or something?)

> Is it homecoming or Homecoming? I’m not going to get it right, that’s for sure.

> I actually don’t think going in Oz’s van is the dumbest idea. It's at The Bronze, not The Plaza.

> Why are they talking about a limo for homecoming anyway?? Is this a thing? I thought that was just Prom. And yet I remember no mention of a limo once we get to the actual Prom.

> Wow, in a rare instance, Cordelia’s tactlessness is actually useful. I mean, she’s not calling out Scott in defense of Buffy so much as from a complete lack of social awareness, but it still proved useful.

> “The judge will accept that as a yes.” Bless Oz forever.

> Okay, Buffy is still a little zoned out, but she’s a fairly decent girlfriend in that first scene.

> Was that Angel dramatic curtain pull really as intense as the music tried to tell us? Probably not.

> I actually loved and still love the “Buffy hiding Angel” arc. I think it makes a lot of sense. I think it could’ve been better executed at times, but I still enjoy it more than, say, XILLOW.

>This smash-cut to the break-up is actually almost laughable. Who wrote this one? … Written AND directed by Greenwalt? Huh.

> This was such a weird three-episode arc, this Scott Hope thing. We literally never see him again after this episode, and he’s only mentioned again I think once in Season 7.

> He barely gives a reason for dumping her! YOU AGREED TO GO TO HOMECOMING WITH HER LAST NIGHT! What a chump. You can do better, B.

> Woof. The Twins. Hello, boys.

> Them watching her is such an interesting note to close the teaser on, because it still yet doesn’t give away any of the SlayerFest stuff, you just think “assassins.”

> No, seriously, every week this theme song gets me.

> THE MAYORRRRRR!!!!!!!

> Also Deputy Mayor Allan. Love him. Was he Deputy Mayor? I suppose I’ll be reminded soon enough.

> The germophobe stuff was such an odd and interesting quirk to add to this villain.

> “Dirt. And germs. And mayonnaise.” This performance, man.

> “You have all my faith.” HA!

> It’s cute that these senior portraits were used in the “official” Sunnydale High Yearbook. (Which I own, of course. (It’s… not great.))

> “Open to all mankind.” There’s that slut-shaming again.

> Xander actually does occasionally show emotional concern for Cordy and it’s… almost nice? But then this is the episode where he starts cheating, so… nvm.

> Eddie’s friend Nicole on #FreshOffTheBoat looked just like Faith and I loved it.

> See, and now here Buffy and Faith are talking about being sexually empowered. Isn’t that so much nicer than slut-shaming?

> UGH, the scene where Buffy’s favorite teacher doesn’t know her. I feel this too hard.

> I find it hard to believe any teacher has not heard of Buffy. THAT NAME ALONE.

> Also hard to believe there’s no make-up dates for senior portraits. And seriously? When Buffy didn’t show up after Cordy said she’d get her, no one else went?? 🤬

> “just because you were Guacamole Queen when you were three” - is that in response to Buffy saying she was Fiesta Queen a moment ago, when Cordelia wasn’t present?

> Yeah, my IG post had me wonder if Buffy should’ve backed off, since this is all Cordy has, but no. This is actually great. I root for Buffy all the way. Go for blood.

> "...and whatever the hell you are, my brother. You got them  spiny-looking head things. I ain't never seen that before." "I am Kulak, of the Miquot Clan." "Isn't that nice." Loool.

> “Ladies, gentlemen, spiny-head-looking creatures.” Seriously, Mr. Trick was great.

> OH NO, IT’S HERE. The dreaded Xillow.

> Seriously, can I just blackout during this?

> There’s even a soft pop hit playing in the background. STOP TRYING TO BE #DAWSONSCREEK.

> I’m sorry - eighth grade COTILLION? WHAT? (Meanwhile, I was in seventh grade when this aired.)

> Xander asking Willow how far she and Oz got is only inappropriate because of what comes next. It would’ve been so nice if they could’ve been comfortable opposite-sex friends who could talk about those sorts of things.

> This whole scene is so painfully awkward. Who actually wanted this? STOP DANCING.

> Okay it’s over bye, bye, byeee.

> This whiteboard reminds me of #CabinInTheWoods

> Okay, Buffy. Like. Why do you think anyone is going to laugh at you making fun of Cordy? We all know it’s beneath you.

> “A lot of people came to my welcome home party.” “They were killed by zombies.” “Good point.” HA.

> Okay, you know, Willow and Xander’s guilt pushing them to work harder for Cordy almost makes it worth the moment in THIS episode. But its continuation after this is just dumb.

> Like. At the very least, can’t Willow let Buffy see her database too? Wtf?

> “As Willow goes, so goes my nation” is something I say a lot, except with Nico.

> I straight up thought Buffy was just drinking directly from a bottle of wine just now.

> I like this song during the compaign montage. And hey, it’s Fastball! https://youtu.be/e97XbcKy8ZU

> I liked the Lisa Loeb song from earlier, so I may as well link to that too: https://youtu.be/NDdivQ8n5Ug

> Aww, it was so nice of the promo department to lend Buffy a headshot to use for her campaign posters. 🙄

> Remember last week when Scott’s two oldest friends were both killed, including one by the other? And we were supposed to, like, feel sympathy for him?

> How long is this campaign going on for? Where is Buffy getting the funding for all of this?

> WHY WOULD WILLOW *NOT* HAVE SHOWN BUFFY THE DATABASE? Sigh.

> JONATHAN!!!

> Cordelia only gave Jonathan $6? Even in 1998, that was nothing. At least make it $10!

> Vulcan Death Grip - that’s not the right name, right? I feel like even I know that one.

> “is that any more tacky than your faux ‘I’m shy but deep’ campaign posters?” “...yes.” Ha. And, yes.

> ”How can you think it’s okay to talk to people like this?” SERIOUSLY, BUFFY. I’m finding it hard to understand how liking Cordelia at this point in the series.

> Like right here. Cordelia *purposely* goes to physically push Buffy, assuming the Slayer would never push back. The moment Buffy actually defends herself, Cordelia calls her “sick.” That’s uncanny.

> Okay, “vapid whore” wasn’t great. But. ...Y’know. 🤷🏻‍♂️

> For real, I still keep expecting it to turn out there’s some kind of horny homecoming ghost that’s going to be revealed as the source of this Xillow nonsense. But no. Never.

> “I’m talking about us.” Loooool, of course you are, Willow. Watch out for anvils, everyone…

> “The limo was not cheap, work it out”? What the fuck? 🤭🤣

> Okay, but for real, the setup here of how Cordelia came to be mistaken for Faith? I actually do find that amusing. And it was 1998, so you could still just barely get away with the Germans making that mistake without saying, “Okay, but all that tech and they got it wrong?” It was a magical time.

> Their dresses are gorgeous and timeless, by the way. And the color scheme evokes thoughts of #TRON for me, that orange and almost-teal green.

> Omigod, it’s a TV in the woods, hooked up to a VCR. Maybe it wasn’t such a magical time after all, haha.

> I want a SlayerFest T-shirt.

> I vividly remember “She’s a Slayer, I’m a Homecoming Queen” from the commercials.

> Faith just hanging out at this dance is so cute. There weren’t nearly enough stories with Faith actively involved as a good guy.

> I haven’t ever listened closely to “She Knows” by Four Star Mary, I don’t know how much sense Oz writing it for Willow makes, but believe I’ll be looking into it before I blog it.

> Giles psyching out Willow and Xander is friggin’ adorable. I love that Giles starts to loosen up this season. Is it a response to seeing the change in his returned Slayer? Hmm.

> I love Buffy just lobbing a bear trap at someone.

> I can’t tell if the hunter is cute. I wanna say mostly. I wonder if this was supposed to be Whats-his-name from “Phases”?

> Okay, it’s vindictive, but Faith’s revenge on Scott still makes me giggle. What?? That was a very unceremonious dumping.

> And we never saw Scott again. Who was his date anyway? What became of Scott after this? Other than, y’know. Gay.

> Giles is so on point in this episode. He’s fun and caring and charming. What a wonderful highlight in a lot of mess.

> Omigod, I almost forgot about Cordy’s spatula.

> Hm. This making Cordy realize she loves Xander is… interesting.

> And then her fortifying after Buffy goads her - and being smart enough to recognize that’s what she’s doing. Huh.

> Oh wait, she forgot to mention the telephone, nevermind, she still dumb.

> “No, this is better, for - oh.” Ha, tho.

> Buffy is leaving a voicemail on Giles’s landline. Lol.

> The spiny demon offering to cut off the hunter’s leg is actually kind of a nice gesture. New OTP.

> Wait, Buffy’s voicemail actually went through? Interesting.

> “I spent a year’s allowance on this dress.” And the muffins?

> Loving Buffy’s “pick up a yearbook and prove I went to high school” speech here, tbh. Writing and performance.

> How did this guy not just turn around and stab Cordelia while she was swatting him?

> “Cordelia, the spatula.” Haaa.

> This tech is some real #VRTroopers-looking shit.

> How have I not yet mentioned the Gorch reappearance here? And how much I love it? So fun.

> Wow, Buffy goes down hard when she gets hit with that stand. Damn.

> I do sort of love Cordelia talking Gorch into fleeing. He’s just stupid enough for this to work here.

> “I don’t recall them mentioning corsages” - that’s what tips them off? Sigh.

> “I need some wet toilet paper.” “Yeah! That’ll help.” Okay, lul.

> NOOO, goodbye, hot German twins! RIHotness.

> Seriously, cute plan tho, making them fire on each other. I wonder if their Dad/Handler ever got his money. Also, so like, what happened at school the next day, with this shot-up wall?

> The Mayor immediately offers his hand to Mr. Trick, that’s endearing. He’s a very endearing villain.

> “This is a very important year for me.” “Election year.” “Something like that.” Snerk.

> “The children are our future. We need them. I need them.” Like, does he mean ‘to eat’ here? I don’t think so, actually. He talks in Season 4 about having a children’s museum dedicated to himself.

> HA, SEE, I KNEW IT: “long story,” “got hunted,” “apparently not that long.” And also written by David Greenwalt. Gotta watch those, brother!

> Oh hey Devon!

> This scene does completely make me laugh still, not gonna lie. When he’s switching the crown over the two winners’ heads and our girls just walk off. Classic.

Speaking of classic - next week, a very classic episode, with another character reappearance, “Band Candy!” Looking forward to it. Especially now that I’m finally caught up! :D :D :D

[ifeveristoday]

Amazon releases the Boom! Buffy a day earlier than its published date - I thought it was just a fluke with the first digital copy, but I preordered the second issue and it happened again.

Buckle down internets, here are some mildly quick reactions to issue 2 of the Boom! reboot

okay, so the preview panels are fun to guess about and theorize but wow, dialogue really puts everything in context and all of the supposed drama that I was thinking/okay reading other people’s thoughts re: what was going to happen -- I was wrong about pretty much everything except for Buffy disliking Joyce’s boyfriend. Of a year. 

who is probably most likely not evil or going to die in a horrible fashion ...right?

Nice meeting you Eric.

The pacing of this issue is just as quick as the first one - I feel because there are so many characters and such a rich mythology to draw from, that there’s going to be a long run of introducing all of them into the Boom!verse before there is a long sustained arc - that we meet 2-3 new characters each issue and then get a corner piece of the overall puzzle.

This is both good and bad - because it can be overwhelming to a new reader who may not have seen the show and is experiencing Buffy for the very first time in comic form, but for a long time fan like myself - these little introductory drips make me really impatient for what comes next. I just want to collect all the Scoobies and get to the story!

The new additions - Eric and Rose don’t strike me as anything more than love interests currently and are appropriately supportive of Joyce and Willow. 

They’re more like cameos but I hope they will get fleshed out in future issues.

Onto canon characters-

Cordelia, Cordelia, Cordelia. In full Queen C/Tracey Flick mode. The twist is that there is no animosity between her and Willow, and Cordelia is that rare popular person who’s actually nice to everyone which is so not how popular media portrays high school to be. I know! Willow envies Cordelia but it’s not due to any messy romance issues, it’s because she thinks Cordelia is so much nicer, smarter and more beautiful. Rose sweetly reminds her that she is all that too.

So for everyone who was worried that just because Willow wears crop tops now she isn’t the awkward insecure muppet skinning sweetheart from the show --- she still is.

Cordelia’s confidence and charisma have been amped to 11 in the Boom!verse - she’s running for class president and already has been Ms. Sunnydale 2017 and 2018. In a conversation with Spike, she also reveals that she doesn’t care what other people think about her.

It’s interesting in this introduction of Cordelia- she’s the most overtly confident, with it character so far - Buffy has that whole secret identity she’s poorly keeping and burgeoning slayer powers, which leads to prickly independence and sassing of authority figures and also a remarkable lack of knowing how to read a room, Willow has self-doubt about her own worth, and Xander -- well those blue boxes were his blogs and feelings of alienation the entire time. They’re three separate characters that are drifting alone in the same direction, whereas Cordelia has the appearance of popularity, beauty, and connecting to others. So ...pretty parallel to the show actually.

Robin - similar to Cordelia in the confidence department - he’s also super smooth - the closing distance between him and Buffy in each descending panel was a nice touch. Buffy, who is already on edge for inadvertently showing off her slayer speed to the track coach, mistakenly thinks Robin is flirting with her - which he neatly turns around into a compliment and a flirt. It was cute, but I want to know why he fell off a roof.

But back to that other meet cute - Cordelia spots a few of her campaign balloons floating around Sunnydale woods and because she’s environmentally minded, runs to catch them.

Spike is lurking in the woods. As you do.

This dialogue:

What’s a nice British guy like you lurking around high school campuses for?

Luring girls like you into the woods.

What big eyes you have, Grandmother.

Cordelia does not interrogate Spike further about why he’s hanging out in the woods and even offers him a ride -- but this is brushed off due to Cordelia’s belief that paranoia is pointless - “..what’s the point in assuming everyone is out to getcha?”

Oh you sweet summer child.

They’re all so young, Gandalf. *sniff

And Spike knows her name, so that’s going to end up real well.

I thought it was both believable and telling that Xander’s blog box wrote “Girls don’t even have to try to be likable. A friendly smile, and they have anyone wrapped around their finger.”

Spoken like a boy who doesn’t know anything about girls. But he’s in pain and we’ve seen what happens when people are in pain and don’t reach out - as quickly as the Scooby Gang assembled in the first issue, they are distant from each other in this issue as other characters are introduced. Xander is constantly shown as an outsider looking wistfully at Willow/Rose and Cordelia. And the chat group with Buffy/Willow, he really feels left out. I honestly hope they don’t go down the path Jonathan did in Earshot with Xander’s characterization, but that last ominous blog box - When am I gonna finally get what I want? <shades of school shooter I’m just saying there’s media precedence>

And finally, to Anya and Drusilla - they’re the keepers of the Spooky and hint at an arc - what brought them to Sunnydale in the first place. Drusilla knows Anya is a demon and can’t be tortured or killed, and Anya tricks Drusilla with a psychology trick, which -- I’m not sure I like, but I will admit I laughed at Anya’s smug expression in the last panel. Bet you feel real dumb right now -- indeed. I’m going to calm down on the theorizing of future previews because they are misleading without dialogue. 

So future issue: JENNY CALENDAR (Year Book Club will now be meeting in Ms. Calendar’s classroom in Room 106), the school play is Phantom of the Opera (could be worse. could be Cats.) and there’s a sinkhole in the Science Wing.

And there’s a gossip girl style bulletin at the beginning of the issue:

Ok, guys, NEW SCHOOL YEAR UPDATE! There’s a new student named Buffy and she seems SUPER cool, but also, like, super introverted? Btw I am GREAT at talking to introverts, but she spends all her time in the library with the hot dad librarian. Weird. Also, I hear she walks around a lot at night STABBING PEOPLE. Who does that? Maybe she just needs a new friend to show her that stabbing is bad!

Immediate headcanon: this is Harmony writing these updates. Also Xander’s blog has only three followers. 

Final verdict - they’re still hammering out characterizations and the tone of the story, but I dislike that the Scooby Gang has basically evaporated in the second issue and that the cameos of the love interests don’t really add anything to the story except to announce their existence. Eric is totally not going to bite it at any time.

Buffy basically only hangs out in the library and hasn’t attempted to make any other friends besides Xander and Willow, there is no Dawn (and no Mr. Gordo, this is outrageous), Cordelia’s charm offensive makes me think she’s going to reveal herself as a Mayor Wilkins type later on but until then, shine on you crazy diamond. Giles is there to be annoyed at Buffy and I find myself in that odd position of being both on their sides but mostly like Giles, get your feet off the table, Buffy. I was hoping to find out more about when Buffy started training with Giles - they’re definitely not close yet, still very much in the I’m just doing this because I have to and why don’t you take your sacred calling more seriously, you frivolous American teenage girl phase. But yeah, she’s bratty to both Joyce and Giles.

Willow and Rose were there to be cute, and that’s appreciated but again - Rose didn’t really bring anything meaningful to the storyline.

Also yeah there’s a giant bat monster that kills vampires loose in Sunnydale.

Must be Tuesday.