On Apr 7, 5:30 pm, chr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> In alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer One Bit Shy <O...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> >>> BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
> >>> Season Seven, Episode 1: "Lessons"
>
> > I don't think Buffy's reaction was really out of character. There
wasn't
> > time for anything but surprise and wondering what the hell is wrong
with him
> > before the phone rang and the matters of the moment demanded
attention.
>
> True, Buffy had no time to think. They still found time for her to
> tenderly part Spike's unbuttoned ****rt, though. And it wouldn't have
> taken any extra time for her to flinch or pull away when Spike stroked
her
> face. No matter how shocked and confused she is at that moment, it
feels
> wrong that Buffy doesn't show any such reaction. That should have been
> pure reflex (as it is in the next episode, when Spike accidentally
touches
> Buffy). This wasn't the right moment to get into the issues around
> Spike's return, so the scene was instead intended to set the groundwork
> for getting into it later, but it fails to hit all the necessary points.
> A new viewer wouldn't even realize that Buffy and Spike parted on, um,
bad
> terms.
>
> > Be that is it may, I still agree with you that it's unsatisfying to
the
> > audience. In character or not, there's still all the baggage left
from last
> > season that isn't being dealt with. That's what people want to know
about.
> > Not drive-by Buffy and obscure babbling from Spike that makes no
sense.
> > (Not to mention Spike's ghastly hair.)
>
> Definitely unsatisfying. Lessons not only fails to deal with all that
> baggage, which is understandable -- as you said, it's not time for that
> yet, and sometimes delayed gratification is good. But it fails to even
> *hint* at the baggage very much, which is disappointing. Of course
anyone
> who's seen S6 probably has that baggage in mind anyway, so Joss might
have
> thought the hints would be redundant. But IMO the lack of hints also
> makes Buffy's part less in character.
Everyone has specialized skill sets, and one of yours appears to be
being even-handed but incisive as you pin down exactly why that
particular scene from "Lessons" has never worked for me.
-AOQ
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