Don't know if I'll be up at 1am local to watch this, and I happen to have made notes on this before. So, here be the notes
Giles centric notes
he collects newspaper clippings relevant to Watcher business
recognised Buffy- by her being new? Or by a picture?
Introduced himself as 'Mr Giles. The librarian.' Not Giles the Watcher, which would have made more sense. Why? Assumed she would know the Watcher part? Bit flustered? Still settling in to the secret identity (like a teenager practicing the d.o.b on their fake ID)?
Also assumed 'I know what you're after.' And pulls out a VAMPYR book with a big grin.
Clever librarian-watcher knows a trick... kinda showing off? Having fun with her somewhat?
Then confused when she says 'That's not what I'm looking for'. But takes her at her word and puts the book away, goes back to ready to help librarian guy.
First impression of Buffy, apparently, is puzzling.
Willow's first impression of Giles- new librarian is really cool. ... He was a curator at some British museum, or, or The British Museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies
(Note, very big difference between 'some' and 'THE', in status as well as available pieces. The British Museum has all the best toys, and presumably all the best staff. I don't know how famous Giles is in his field.)
I'd almost forgotten but Giles stutters/stammers quite a bit in the early days. Ripper never does. Not used to talking? Lost confidence?
Buffy gets all confrontational in the library, like finding the dead guy meant G was up to something.
Giles: I was afraid of this.
vs
Giles: You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning.
Okay, Giles, make up your mind- was it just you were afraid a dead guy would turn up, or do you have the big preordained foreknowing? Or was he 'afraid of this' about something other than the dead guy- Buffy's attitude? But then he says 'I really don't understand this attitude.' So he couldnt have been afraid of it. Afraid someone would turn up dead before he could contact his Slayer? That fits better.
Giles: Dig a bit in the history of this place. You'll find a, a steady
stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a
center of mystical energy, (comes back with four books) that things
gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere.
Like zombies,werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!
Fun little speech. Despite the episode name, he doesnt use the term Hellmouth. And talking to an experienced Slayer about 'dreaded was under your bed' emphasises he sees her as a child and is a tad bit condescending, even given her attitude.
I left the two parts seperate because closer inspection shows when he gets to 'like zombies' he stops stammering. once he gets to 'under your bed' he is looking right at her, up close. This is something he knows, and is passionate about. So, lack of hesitation.
Hmmm, passionate and bed references- do I want to note all the Buffy/Giles subtext? Because I see it plenty, tho all from Giles, and I'm a slasher not a het fan.
Sent away for the Time-Life series and the calendar.
What a Giles childhood looks like? Or is this a grown up thing to do?
also choosing calendar over phone- scheduling and organisation over communication (okay, overanalyse much)(also it might have been pre phone as gift)
also also Jenny joke goes here :-)
Giles: I'm a Watcher, I haven't the skill...
Which puts a spoke in any Ripper hunted vamps for fun theory. Doesnt it? But he fibs about Ripper related stuff later, and also has decided since then that they were fools. So, maybe he did but changed his mind about the feasibility.
Also he says he hasnt the SKILL, not the strength or speed, and given that he is going to train the slayer in martial arts and therefore has more skill than her, this is either a mistake or a fib.
I don't like to say lie about Giles, but his inconsistencies leave little choice sometimes.
Giles: A Slayer slays, a Watcher trains her, prepares her...
How Giles sees his calling- as a teacher, though he doesnt use that word. To train and prepare is like a military version of teaching, yes? BUT he DOESNT use that word despite being in a school. So, not a word he was taught to use?
Says 'Damn' quietly when she is leaving- when he thinks she cannot hear? Keep track of Giles swearing.
When she makes it about her personal life he gets lost, blank face, but not stony blank, more like lost for words surprised blank. Also a bit deer in the headlights. Buffy takes it all so personally from him and I very much doubt thats how he was trained to approach a Slayer. Not a professional relationship right from the kick off.
Giles appears from behind a bookshelf. So does Xander. Probably even the same bookshelf, accounting for camera angles. X doesnt look like the guy who can find a book on his own. Does G know he's there? Then why the big speech? Severe lack of care about the secret identity thing. Seems to be treating the library as private rather than public space.
It is also a really ineffectual introduction- I mean he doesnt find her, say 'I'm your new Watcher, this is a Hellmouth, we're about to face an apocalypse, this is the plan to stop it.' He stays in the library and waits for her to come to him (why would he expect her to? Just being the geek kid for whom the library really was the first place to check out in a new school?). He introduces himself as the librarian, and he doesnt mention the apocalypse until she's walked away from him TWICE already. Also says 'crucial mystical upheaval', which is vague and academic, rather than evocative like apocalypse.
When Giles turns up at the Bronze apparently the lyrics are talking about love and faith and belief. Interesting combination for Giles and Buffy. Especially with the later scene on the balcony with Spike... okay, okay, not an intentional association but what sprung to mind (enough to make me lol when he moves around to stand kinda behind her)(although the only repeated line is 'look at them', and the emphasis on Buffy being in a seperate world) but relevance is- up there is the more private space. So, getting private with Giles. But immediately accusing him of being 'skanky'. Again, making it personal.
Giles: Oh, right, this is me having fun. Watching... clown hair prance
about is hardly my idea of a party. I'd much rather be at home with a
cup of Bovril and a good book.
Bovril. Urrrgh. But very British of course.
See the turn about from Ripper. He doesnt see a fun club, he sees 'a perfect breeding ground for vampire activity. It's dark, it's crowded...' He really has outgrown the fun and turned into the guy who sees the world through his work (Xander quote from S4 about Xander, but describing Giles so very much at this point).
Talks about the people in the club 'throwing themselves around, completely unaware of the danger that surrounds them'. Buffy is with the wistful, but G is a bit annoyed. Maybe at Buffy, maybe at the clubbers- blaming them for being blind?
Then he is sarcastic at Buffy 'Its not as if you've been having the nightmares.' rather than just asking her. Sniping and sarcasm arent words I associate with Giles but once I think on them they do fit fairly often. Acerbic maybe.
He's so prissy! Feeeed. Accent fine, attitude all eeew.
'This.... din' okay, old guy surrounded by music, daft librarian attitude. Ripper is so very of the past.
He tells her she should be able to feel vampires, but then he's all 'you don't know' when she apparently does sense one. Is he doing the Watcher trick with the impossible test? Or is he just putting her down?
Okay, jewellery obsessed much- he is wearing a ring on his little finger. It looks to be the flat sort, signet? Gents ring with a stone, basically black, I think. Has it got a symbol? Why wear it? Does he ever stop wearing it? Do we see other Watchers wearing one?
Not bound but not free- rings have meaning.
And where you wear them has meaning too-
Okay, one of the first pages I pulled up for that has PINKY RING Another fashion very prevalent during the 50s, 60s and early 70s. Some believe it has ancient roots and mythical qualities because the little finger represents spirituality
The funny being its on a page of gay & lesbian symbols.
Ah, the one I was thinking of about the language of rings- If, however, the gent desires to tell the fair ones that he not only is not "in the market," but he does not design to marry at all, he wears the signet upon his little finger, and all ladies may understand that he is out of their reach!
www.42ndva.org/love-customs.htmlMeshes with what I've read before.
So either queer or not in the market at all. Kinda figures.
Then B goes to hunt the vampire stalking W, misses, but when she gets back to G he assumes she got it real quick. So, not entirely condescending. But then 'I need to come with you, yes?', like she couldnt go alone. But that could be because of her earlier why don't you speech. He is so mixed message-y. Kinda officious, kinda reticent, kinda not knowing how to approach her or the work yet. Balance and poise and self possession are so the words I would never associate with this guy. I'm comparing to later moments like the chainsaw and he changed so, so much.
I have posted most of this before and a lot of it has been answered before. But now it will be filed under relevant episode name.