Re: A Second Look: BTVS S7D5

In article 
<86183f0f-f016-42fa-9f08-05fe835d9fd8@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
 Arbitrar Of Quality <tsmtsm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> On Apr 27, 4:23 pm, vague disclaimer <l64o-1...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
> > In article
> > <b0517048-3b35-42b1-a32e-71209c082...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> >  Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >
> > > the way the assholishness displayed by Wood and Giles forces the
> > > viewer to take Buffy¹s side
> >
> > Huh? In what way forced? She was reckless bordering on the criminal,
> > only one whistled ditty or unfortunately chosen radio station away
from
> > a massacre.
> 
> Buffy's been aware of both the danger Spike represents and the
> personal and tactical triumphs he could achieve for the good guys.
> We've been with her and seen her follow her heart and make her
> choice.  Not everyone should be expected to agree with that choice.
> That's where there should be moral ambiguity - kill now to possibly
> save others?  Instead, I feel like the show is apparently trying to
> make the other side as unlikable as possible.  Its tactics involve
> Wood attempting a killing of an ally motivated less by reason than by
> hot-blooded revenge, and Giles being passive while betraying Buffy's
> trust.
> 
> -AOQ

Wood is shaped by vengeance - having been played by The First, who knew 
exactly what buttons to push. 

Giles - to whom being a Watcher is a family calling and who has seen the 
Council under all-out attack and then destroyed - is still trying to 
"work" the Spike problem when Buffy, in an epic display of hubris, 
unilaterally declares it pointless.

Wood plays Giles well, but everybody here is out of their depth and the 
presence of the trigger does a splendid job of exploiting that.
And all Buffy had to do to defuse the situation was to keep Spike 
chained up (which he was perfectly willing to be).

And then she has the brass-bound audacity to declare that she has 
learned everything she can from Giles.

*Forced* to sympathise with Buffy? I don't think so.
-- 
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