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Post by Nickim on Dec 10, 2003 19:06:14 GMT -5
I know this is directed at Rob, but I was right there with you thinking that Xander's spilling the beans was not so much of an accident. I don't know if he was trying to hurt Buffy, Riley or Angel- but it seemed pretty on purpose to me. ITA. Seemed like some jealousy was still coming through.
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Post by SpringSummers on Dec 10, 2003 21:39:17 GMT -5
ITA. Seemed like some jealousy was still coming through. Well . . . I didn't think Xander did it "on purpose" - or - what I mean is, I don't think he consciously thought to himself "Here's an opportunity to put a wedge between Riley & Buffy, dis Angel, and get back a bit at Buffy for how neglected I've been feeling." But I think there is a suggestion, in the way the whole thing is handled - especially in Riley's "Does he hate me for some reason I don't know about?" comment - that Xander's subconscious was indeed reacting, in some part, to jealousy and resentments. I hope Rob sees this and weighs in, though TLV and Nicki, I appreciated your input too - seems like I wasn't the only one who thought something seemed a little amiss.
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Post by Rob on Dec 10, 2003 23:04:19 GMT -5
Thanks, Rob. Yes, Spike is Iago-like in his methods, in The Yoko Factor - interesting comparison. ROB: Would love your opinion on this - I didn't mention this in the analysis, because I wasn't sure what I thought of it, but what did you think of the way Xander let slip what happened between Buffy and Angel? And Riley's comment later (about the pants): "Does he hate me in some way I don't know about?" I had this feeling that we were getting a bit of a message that Xander may have (subconsciously) wanted to cause trouble between Buffy and Riley - and of course, he hates "the guts part" of Angel, so bonus in being able to put Angel in a bad light. I think the key word is consciously. If - and I emphasize IF - Xander wanted to cause trouble between Buffy and Riley, he could have done it much earlier...and more efficiently. It's pretty clear Xander liked Riley just fine, so I would lean toward it being unintentional. Whether he should have shared every detail is another matter. Buffy got pretty pissed at Xander for that, and I can't say I blame her...whether he was right to do it or not. I'll say this much: Buffy was being unfair to Riley by not telling him everything. Yes, I understand that in real life a man or woman has a right to privacy regarding previous relationships, but Buffy and Angel didn't resemble any kind of normal couple. Once Riley got all the info, it was clear to him that Buffy - if she'd had control over events - would still be with Angel. He was a convenient second choice; there is no getting around that. I completely understand Buffy's unwillingness to share that...but it didn't make her right. I think Riley deserved to know ALL the facts...and I think the writers felt that way, too. Mainly because it created better drama. History shows that whenever BTVS writers wanted something to slip out, Xander was the one they used to do it. Look at it logically: would Willow or Giles choose to share details like that with Riley? I doubt it very much. Buffy certainly wasn't going to share any more. Hell, the less she had to share, the better she liked it. I guess my final answer is sort of a cop-out, but here it goes: In this particular case, I don't believe Xander had any particular axe to grind. I think he was used as a tool to get the unvarnished truth out there because it was most consistent with his character to do so.
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Post by Rob on Dec 11, 2003 1:39:57 GMT -5
ITA. Seemed like some jealousy was still coming through. I'd probably agree with your negative view of Xander more readily if he'd been portrayed as "into" Buffy throughout Season 4...but that simply wasn't the case. Buffy and Xander were drifting away from one another, as the rest of the episode makes pretty clear. It's just as likely that Xander decided to tell Riley everything because he felt the relationship would have no chance if Riley didn't know all the facts. Buffy's omission of certain key points (one in particular, of course) was not a good sign for the future. Xander, seeing the writing on the wall, tried to help as best he could. Riley couldn't have worked through the Angel situation if the full truth was hidden, so Xander did what he thought was right to help them. As Season 5 demonstrated, Xander liked Buffy/Riley very much. Actually, I don't believe any of the rationale I just typed in those last two paragraphs. I think what I posted in response to Spring is the real truth. The writers wanted Riley to know, so they used Xander to do it...because no one else would (outside of Spike, who probably would've told Riley for cheap thrills if he'd known about the situation). I just find it interesting that people are always quick to assume that Xander always had some deep-seated (or is it seeded?) negative ulterior motive. More often than not, he simply spoke his mind...sometimes a bit more than he should. I think that's the case here.
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Post by SpringSummers on Dec 11, 2003 8:11:06 GMT -5
I'd probably agree with your negative view of Xander more readily if he'd been portrayed as "into" Buffy throughout Season 4...but that simply wasn't the case. Buffy and Xander were drifting away from one another, as the rest of the episode makes pretty clear. It's just as likely that Xander decided to tell Riley everything because he felt the relationship would have no chance if Riley didn't know all the facts. Buffy's omission of certain key points (one in particular, of course) was not a good sign for the future. Xander, seeing the writing on the wall, tried to help as best he could. Riley couldn't have worked through the Angel situation if the full truth was hidden, so Xander did what he thought was right to help them. As Season 5 demonstrated, Xander liked Buffy/Riley very much. Actually, I don't believe any of the rationale I just typed in those last two paragraphs. I think what I posted in response to Spring is the real truth. The writers wanted Riley to know, so they used Xander to do it...because no one else would (outside of Spike, who probably would've told Riley for cheap thrills if he'd known about the situation). I just find it interesting that people are always quick to assume that Xander always had some deep-seated (or is it seeded?) negative ulterior motive. More often than not, he simply spoke his mind...sometimes a bit more than he should. I think that's the case here. But I wasn't quick to assume. It would never have occurred to me to see it any other way than what you say, except for that line of Riley's, to Buffy: "Does he hate me in some way I don't know about?" Riley is, on the surface, talking about the clown pants. But this is, I thought, a very deliberate line - I mean, it seems very deliberately worded, and it is hard for me to see it as a meaningless, throw-away line. I think it is meant to make us wonder if deep-down unconscious resentments played a part in Xander's tell-all. I do agree that there were "good motives" involved as well. Xander is a complex character, and this is sort of a micro-version of his "kick-his-ass" in Becoming Part II. Does he do it to help Buffy keep up her confidence and determination, and therefore help save the world? Or does he do it due to jealousies and to doom Angel? Well, I think it is both -"it's all him" (to paraphrase him in The Zeppo). But mostly, I think Xander meant well, and in fact, personally, I think he made the right decision. Oh - I rewatched Becoming Part II and noticed how, right before he sends Buffy on her way with the made-up message from Willow, he has a big rock in his hand and says something about just being a guy with rock, but maybe he can help. Earlier, we hear Spike tell Angel the he (Angel) is just a guy with a rock - but that rock turns out to be Acathla, something powerful that could destroy the world. So I think the implication is that Xander is not "just a guy with a rock" either. He has power in his hands, at that point. He is a normal, good-hearted, but imperfect, human being. And I do think we are meant to wonder about subconscious motivations for him in The Yoko Factor.
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Post by Nickim on Dec 11, 2003 15:01:17 GMT -5
I'd probably agree with your negative view of Xander more readily if he'd been portrayed as "into" Buffy throughout Season 4...but that simply wasn't the case. Buffy and Xander were drifting away from one another, as the rest of the episode makes pretty clear. It's just as likely that Xander decided to tell Riley everything because he felt the relationship would have no chance if Riley didn't know all the facts. Buffy's omission of certain key points (one in particular, of course) was not a good sign for the future. Xander, seeing the writing on the wall, tried to help as best he could. Riley couldn't have worked through the Angel situation if the full truth was hidden, so Xander did what he thought was right to help them. As Season 5 demonstrated, Xander liked Buffy/Riley very much. Actually, I don't believe any of the rationale I just typed in those last two paragraphs. I think what I posted in response to Spring is the real truth. The writers wanted Riley to know, so they used Xander to do it...because no one else would (outside of Spike, who probably would've told Riley for cheap thrills if he'd known about the situation). I just find it interesting that people are always quick to assume that Xander always had some deep-seated (or is it seeded?) negative ulterior motive. More often than not, he simply spoke his mind...sometimes a bit more than he should. I think that's the case here. I don't think it was a conscious decision on Xander's part to hurt Buffy. Or even a bad thing, maybe Xander felt like Riley deserved to know. People tell their friends the bad things about the people they're dating all the time. "You can do better." "He doesn't deserve you." Maybe it's more of a "I know something you don't" kind of thing. There are people like that, they just can't stand not to be the one who spills the beans, so to speak. And you're right, the writers portrayed Xander that way a lot. Not fair to the Xander fans, but I guess they thought they needed someone in the group who liked to tell the secrets.
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Post by Rob on Dec 12, 2003 0:35:21 GMT -5
But I wasn't quick to assume. It would never have occurred to me to see it any other way than what you say, except for that line of Riley's, to Buffy: "Does he hate me in some way I don't know about?" Riley is, on the surface, talking about the clown pants. But this is, I thought, a very deliberate line - I mean, it seems very deliberately worded, and it is hard for me to see it as a meaningless, throw-away line. I think it is meant to make us wonder if deep-down unconscious resentments played a part in Xander's tell-all. I do agree that there were "good motives" involved as well. Xander is a complex character, and this is sort of a micro-version of his "kick-his-ass" in Becoming Part II. Does he do it to help Buffy keep up her confidence and determination, and therefore help save the world? Or does he do it due to jealousies and to doom Angel? Well, I think it is both -"it's all him" (to paraphrase him in The Zeppo). But mostly, I think Xander meant well, and in fact, personally, I think he made the right decision. Oh - I rewatched Becoming Part II and noticed how, right before he sends Buffy on her way with the made-up message from Willow, he has a big rock in his hand and says something about just being a guy with rock, but maybe he can help. Earlier, we hear Spike tell Angel the he (Angel) is just a guy with a rock - but that rock turns out to be Acathla, something powerful that could destroy the world. So I think the implication is that Xander is not "just a guy with a rock" either. He has power in his hands, at that point. He is a normal, good-hearted, but imperfect, human being. And I do think we are meant to wonder about subconscious motivations for him in The Yoko Factor. I actually didn't say anything specific about you assuming anything, Spring. I was being deliberately general, in fact. I've always considered your opinions regarding Xander to be remarkably even-handed. Unfortunately we'll have to agree to disagree regarding Xander in "Becoming Part 2" and "The Yoko Factor." Xander had a lot of conflicting emotions in the former; clearly that one is deliberately left open for interpretation. His character was important to the events that took place. Moreover, Season 2 had all kinds of setup to Xander's moment of decision. In the case of Buffy/Riley/Angel, I'd like to believe you're right. I wish there'd been some sort of intent from the writers to show us some insight regarding Xander's character...thing is, there's not one solitary thing done in Season 4 to set something like that up. Of course, if there ARE examples in Season 4 out there I'd love to be wrong...but I really believe Xander was nothing more than Joss's tool here. That was done more than once, actually. If I were making a case to back me up, Exhibit A would be the rather pointless usage of Xander as "the thoughtless idiot" in Once More With Feeling. That made no logical sense; NO Season 6 Scoob in their right mind would summon a demon for any reason. But hey...someone had to do the silly thing to shake things up on occasion. For better and for worse, that was usually Xander.
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Post by SpringSummers on Dec 12, 2003 8:48:45 GMT -5
I actually didn't say anything specific about you assuming anything, Spring. I was being deliberately general, in fact. I've always considered your opinions regarding Xander to be remarkably even-handed. Unfortunately we'll have to agree to disagree regarding Xander in "Becoming Part 2" and "The Yoko Factor." Xander had a lot of conflicting emotions in the former; clearly that one is deliberately left open for interpretation. His character was important to the events that took place. Moreover, Season 2 had all kinds of setup to Xander's moment of decision. In the case of Buffy/Riley/Angel, I'd like to believe you're right. I wish there'd been some sort of intent from the writers to show us some insight regarding Xander's character...thing is, there's not one solitary thing done in Season 4 to set something like that up. Of course, if there ARE examples in Season 4 out there I'd love to be wrong...but I really believe Xander was nothing more than Joss's tool here. That was done more than once, actually. If I were making a case to back me up, Exhibit A would be the rather pointless usage of Xander as "the thoughtless idiot" in Once More With Feeling. That made no logical sense; NO Season 6 Scoob in their right mind would summon a demon for any reason. But hey...someone had to do the silly thing to shake things up on occasion. For better and for worse, that was usually Xander. Actually, I think we agree on more than we disagree - I do agree that Xander is used as the "shake-'em-up guy" and that OMWF thing was just . . . strange and came off very contrived. It was not completely without precedent for Xander to try to use magic to make things work out with a girl - so I can't see it as ENTIRELY out-of-character - but still, he is no longer in HS, and it is much harder to swallow, by the time we get to S6, that Xander just thoughtlessly uses magic (summoning a demon!) to force a happy ending for him & Anya. And then, not telling that he did it, after he finds out people are dying?? WHAT?? Even in HS, he had the good sense to go fess up to Giles after he tried a dangerous spell on Cordy. Since when was Xander that creepy and uncaring? After this, Xander had "blood on his hands" in a very different way than ever before. And even that would have been OK, if it had been used somehow - and not dismissed and ignored. For example, it could have been used when Xander was defending Anya to Buffy in Season 7 - we could have seen Xander mention his guilt and regret, and use it to try to help persuade Buffy that Anya deserved some mercy from them. But no - it is like Xander is not important enough for us to worry about the fact that he has done things that killed other human beings!!! We see Willow dealing with her guilt, and Spike dealing with his, and we know how Giles handles justifying the "Ben" thing, and we see Faith dealing with her guilt, and Angel with his - but Xander? I was very disappointed in the way the whole thing was handled. I sort of "fan-wanked" that Xander faced up to it all later in Season 7, possibly with a sympathetic Anya giving him some comfort - and that it helped him in making the change toward Spike that he did exhibit (it is low key, but Xander truly seems to forgive Spike all his transgressions, and adopt and "live and let live" attitude). My theory on why Joss chose to go the "Xander conjured the singing demon" route: If he'd chosen one of the women (say Anya or Dawn), the demon would have insisted on taking her back as his queen. Spike and Giles made even less sense than Xander - Spike isn't at a point with Buffy where he might even begin to consider magical solutions, and Giles would have zero motivation . . . so :"Xander trying to force a happy ending for him and Anya" is by default. I do think The Yoko Factor is all about simmering resentments inside the Scoobies, including Xander, so I don't see the idea of internal resentments playing a part in Xander's tell-all as similarly contrived. I see it as well "set-up" by Season 4 in general and set-up also in the episode itself. Buffy herself mentions to Willow that she's been spending so much time with Riley it has taken away from quality Scooby-time. That Willow & Xander's resentments might include a little (totally irrational, but perfectly human) resentment toward Riley is not surprising or "not set up" (to me).
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Post by Reetta on Dec 12, 2003 12:31:20 GMT -5
I may be completely off the loop here but... While I don't think that Xander deliberately wanted to hurt Riley, or that he had any deap-seated agenda to break Buffy and Riley apart, there might have been an unconscious reaction on the works here. In addition to Willow and Xander's resentments being partly due to Buffy spending too much time with Riley and them feeling neglected, I think this is one of the occasions in which Xander compared himself to Riley. Riley was the one closest to a normal guy there was ever going to be in Buffy's life, the man most like Xander himself. At a certain level Xander felt close to Riley and genuinely liked Riley (as evidenced also in S5 and in As You Were - a little too much there actually) but on the other hand he was sort of jealous of an idea. Maybe the resentment is not so much directed to the current situation but about Xander looking at his own situation in retrospect and seeing Riley occupy a place that just maybe could have been his in the past. Or maybe I'm just reaching...
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Post by SpringSummers on Dec 12, 2003 13:21:06 GMT -5
I may be completely off the loop here but... While I don't think that Xander deliberately wanted to hurt Riley, or that he had any deap-seated agenda to break Buffy and Riley apart, there might have been an unconscious reaction on the works here. In addition to Willow and Xander's resentments being partly due to Buffy spending too much time with Riley and them feeling neglected, I think this is one of the occasions in which Xander compared himself to Riley. Riley was the one closest to a normal guy there was ever going to be in Buffy's life, the man most like Xander himself. At a certain level Xander felt close to Riley and genuinely liked Riley (as evidenced also in S5 and in As You Were - a little too much there actually) but on the other hand he was sort of jealous of an idea. Maybe the resentment is not so much directed to the current situation but about Xander looking at his own situation in retrospect and seeing Riley occupy a place that just maybe could have been his in the past. Or maybe I'm just reaching... I don't think you are reaching at all. In fact, I think Rob has made this point before - I mean the point that "if Buffy was going to be with a regular guy, why not Xander?" And it is not a stretch at all to think that such a thought might have crossed Xander's mind. I agree that Xander genuinely liked and admired Riley, even a bit too much, at times. But that doesn't preclude the idea of a few irrational resentments being there as well. I mean, do any of us ever like anyone so much that all our feelings are completely and always positive? Xander felt neglected by Buffy in Season 4, and in the past, he felt rejected by her, romantically. So even though he genuinely likes Riley, and he's genuinely moved forward from his HS rejected feelings, it makes sense for him to have some resentments toward the guy Buffy is spending all her free time with (and whom Buffy is dating.) Heck, I kinda resented Riley for Xander's sake, myself.
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Post by Reetta on Dec 12, 2003 14:29:57 GMT -5
I don't think you are reaching at all. In fact, I think Rob has made this point before - I mean the point that "if Buffy was going to be with a regular guy, why not Xander?" And it is not a stretch at all to think that such a thought might have crossed Xander's mind. I agree that Xander genuinely liked and admired Riley, even a bit too much, at times. But that doesn't preclude the idea of a few irrational resentments being there as well. I mean, do any of us ever like anyone so much that all our feelings are completely and always positive? Xander felt neglected by Buffy in Season 4, and in the past, he felt rejected by her, romantically. So even though he genuinely likes Riley, and he's genuinely moved forward from his HS rejected feelings, it makes sense for him to have some resentments toward the guy Buffy is spending all her free time with (and whom Buffy is dating.) Heck, I kinda resented Riley for Xander's sake, myself. I agree with you. I don't think there has ever been nor will there ever be a relationship that does not include a few irrational resentments. So no, I don't think that we ever like anyone so much that our feelings are completely positive about them. Even if we pretended that we had that kind of relationship, it would not be very healthy for the relationship itself. Heck, every time I actually have an idea (which does not happen very often) all my brain energy goes to putting it in English and I always forget to mention some aspect that I was thinking about. (This latter part was a little off- topic. I apologize.)
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Post by Sarah on Dec 12, 2003 18:02:11 GMT -5
I agree with you. I don't think there has ever been nor will there ever be a relationship that does not include a few irrational resentments. So no, I don't think that we ever like anyone so much that our feelings are completely positive about them. Even if we pretended that we had that kind of relationship, it would not be very healthy for the relationship itself. Heck, every time I actually have an idea (which does not happen very often) all my brain energy goes to putting it in English and I always forget to mention some aspect that I was thinking about. (This latter part was a little off- topic. I apologize.) Reeta, you do realise, don't you, that your English is so good that if you hadn't told us that it isn't your first language, no one would have known? And you seem to have plenty of brain energy left over for the actual ideas ...
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Post by Rob on Dec 12, 2003 22:36:32 GMT -5
I may be completely off the loop here but... While I don't think that Xander deliberately wanted to hurt Riley, or that he had any deap-seated agenda to break Buffy and Riley apart, there might have been an unconscious reaction on the works here. In addition to Willow and Xander's resentments being partly due to Buffy spending too much time with Riley and them feeling neglected, I think this is one of the occasions in which Xander compared himself to Riley. Riley was the one closest to a normal guy there was ever going to be in Buffy's life, the man most like Xander himself. At a certain level Xander felt close to Riley and genuinely liked Riley (as evidenced also in S5 and in As You Were - a little too much there actually) but on the other hand he was sort of jealous of an idea. Maybe the resentment is not so much directed to the current situation but about Xander looking at his own situation in retrospect and seeing Riley occupy a place that just maybe could have been his in the past. Or maybe I'm just reaching... No, this is actually very interesting and perceptive, Reeta. I think that is certainly possible. Xander felt neglected by everyone in Season 4; it definitely played a role in the increased seriousness of his relationship with Anya. Whatever else she may have been, she wanted and accepted Xander as he was...and he took advantage of it. Unfortunately that isn't a great foundation to start anything, no matter how much one tries. In the end, Xander broke her heart. Sadly, I don't really think Willow and Buffy loved or respected Xander any less. They stuck with him, even as he flailed around in rather pathetic fashion, trying half-heartedly to find some sort of direction. No...the alienation he felt was self-generated. No one was truly neglecting Xander from what I saw. At least no more than usual; Buffy always took him a bit for granted. Based on that, it fits his character to have some unconscious resentment toward Riley. Now I've managed to give the appearance that I've reversed my position about that "Yoko Factor" scene. Dammit! No, really I haven't. I think he was just the truth-telling tool (hey...alliteration. Kudos to me). However, your intuition makes perfect sense, Reeta. It would fit for Xander to feel as if he weren't being given a fair shake. I think it took him a good while to come to terms with Buffy's feelings toward him. It didn't make him any less of a man in her eyes at all...but it made him FEEL she looked at him that way. I'm not sure that made any sense. Let me take another run at it. Maybe it's different for a woman (though I doubt it's a gender thing), but when a man is told that someone he's in love with doesn't reciprocate those feelings, it is terribly demoralizing...especially if he grew up in an environment where everyone (except Willow, God bless her) supported the notion that he had no worth. It takes anyone a good while to get over something like that; in Xander's case it literally took YEARS. Just about everything we see from him in Seasons 1-3 happens as a result of that moment in "Prophecy Girl." Actually, one could make the argument that it never totally left him until Season 7. In Season 7, I think he at last came to terms with his place in Buffy's heart. She never considered him inferior at all; it was simply a different kind of love. I don't know if a person can see something like that objectively until they learn to like the guy in the mirror. Funny thing about Xander; most would agree that when it came to growing up and learning to accept themselves, he had the furthest to go. Yet, of all the Scoobies, Xander is the one who got there first. He emerges fully formed at the end of "Potential." Sorry for the ramble.
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Post by Rob on Dec 12, 2003 23:06:16 GMT -5
Actually, I think we agree on more than we disagree - I do agree that Xander is used as the "shake-'em-up guy" and that OMWF thing was just . . . strange and came off very contrived. It was not completely without precedent for Xander to try to use magic to make things work out with a girl - so I can't see it as ENTIRELY out-of-character - but still, he is no longer in HS, and it is much harder to swallow, by the time we get to S6, that Xander just thoughtlessly uses magic (summoning a demon!) to force a happy ending for him & Anya. I know it's a little too convenient for me to just dismiss it...but honestly, Xander was used so often as the moron for cheap chuckles I had to learn to look the other way. That's why the writers did nothing to pursue what should have been a ton of remorse from Xander for his actions in OMWF. Another (even more annoying) example of Xander as the convenient dupe is"Gone." What, he didn't see Spike's ear being nibbled? Of course not...Xander is the funny moron, remember? Look, stupid Xander thinks a total hottie like Spike has to masturbate to get his jollies. What a simpleton. Ha ha. I mean, sure he knew Buffy was invisible, and anyone with a pulse would've put it together...but this is Xander we're talking about here. He's especially stupid, and should be taken advantage of as often as possible. Not only is that insulting to Xanderfans - no other character was ever treated in such a condescending manner - it's completely inconsistent. There are many examples I can give that Xander was actually highly perceptive and intelligent (even about vampires, whether one agreed with his stance or not). No, it was just Xander being played for laughs. From what I hear, it worked. A lot of people laughed at Xander that night. Oh, and before I hear the argument that he had a "blind spot" when it came to Buffy having carnal relations with vampires, let me say this: Stevie Wonder would have figured it out based on a clearly audible Buffy moving underneath Spike. If one can honestly believe that Xander was so deluded he couldn't have figured out what was actually going on in there, then I give up. 'Cause you really must believe he's an idiot. One last point while I'm on this rant: let's assume for an insane moment that Xander really did channel Helen Keller and completely lose his sight and hearing for a minute. Even Helen had a sense of smell. And on that rather uncomfortable note, I rest my case.
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Post by SpringSummers on Dec 13, 2003 10:44:41 GMT -5
I know it's a little too convenient for me to just dismiss it...but honestly, Xander was used so often as the moron for cheap chuckles I had to learn to look the other way. That's why the writers did nothing to pursue what should have been a ton of remorse from Xander for his actions in OMWF. Yes, that was truly, truly awful. I gotta disagree that teh "Gone" thing is worse than ignoring Xander having done something that killed people. Also - it was done in a lame way, and I like Xander, but I didn't have that reaction to him in "Gone." He helps save the day in "Gone," after all. He's the one who realizes Buffy is gonna die! I thought Xander's "blind" reactions to finding Spike & Buffy in the kitchen, and then in bed, were meant to be a very literal, in your face, representation of what we see from all the characters in Season 6 - they are so self-involved, and into fooling themselves, that they don't see what is right in front of their noses. I mean, really, Willow doesn't realize what's up with those two when Spike comes smoking into the kitchen? And in a later episode, when they have sex in the front yard, and Buffy comes in with grass stains and makes major slip-ups in her conversation? And Buffy, in Smashed doesn't realize how far gone Willow is with the magic (in this, Xander and Anya do realize)? No one notices that Dawn is stealing and feeling horrible and neglected? Etc. It's a theme in Season 6, and actually, a very realistic one for people who have been through a lot, and are at that age, etc. So I just saw the Xander-blindness in "Gone" as part of a Season long theme that included everybody (possible exception of Tara). Xander does seem idiotic, but I say again that he was "just one of the crowd" in the self-deluded blindness that afflicted everyone in Season 6 (think of Willow's reaction to Giles telling her she is a "rank amateur" or Giles talking himself into leaving, or Buffy telling herself and Spike that Spike does NOT make her hot . . . puh-leeze!!!) The idea is not that these folks are being idiotic - really, don't you know people -smart people, perceptive people - who indeed do have areas where they "don't notice the ear-nibbling?" Especially when they are that young? I mean, I was nearly that stupid and willfully blind about some things at that age. Think of what it would mean for Buffy to realize that Spike DOES make her hot, or for Xander to let himself see and understand the ear-nibbling. When something is that devastating to your long-held perception of yourself, your loved ones, and the world around you, it is not so unusual for it to take time to penetrate, despite the real world's continual attack on your senses. On the sense of smell - hee. You are pretty funny. But I would say that Xander's belief that Spike was . . . entertaining himself could account for some olefactory sensations, and Xander didn't get all THAT close to Spike & Buffy . . . OK. I don't think I'm going to think about that anymore . . .
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