Re: A Second Look: BTVS S7D5

On Apr 30, 2:52 am, vague disclaimer <l64o-1...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
> In article
> <86183f0f-f016-42fa-9f08-05fe835d9...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>  Arbitrar Of Quality <tsm...@[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 Buffy=B9s side
>
> > > Huh? In what way forced? She was reckless bordering on the criminal,
> > > only one whistled ditty or unfortunately chosen radio station away
fro=
m
> > > 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

> 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.

He lets her walk away rather than refusing to let the problem be
brushed away as nagging.  He's not even taking ruthless Watcher action
so much as shrugging and playing along with Wood's plan, which he
knows to be equally reckless and blinded by emotion.  My problem is
that it really is a choice where it's possible to agree with either of
them, and then this episode goes and makes one of the parties conspire
to murder someone whom Buffy obviously cares deeply about, while
violating the trust she places in him.  I have to agree with those who
don't like the ****trayal - I don't buy post-S3 Giles being stupid
enough to think that it'll help the situation.

> And all Buffy had to do to defuse the situation was to keep Spike
> chained up (which he was perfectly willing to be).

That goes back to her whole story with him this season.  She follows
her heart, and refuses to kill him or keep him a prisoner, because (as
we've seen in the previous episode), she has a way of knowing what
people are capable of.  It's the kind of high-risk high-reward choice
that's both understandable and highly questionable, strategically.  I
think deserves a better denouement than we get.

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

When, at the end of the episode after he's betrayed her?  Generally,
the show seems to think she's right about that one; Giles's role
throughout S7 is notably lacking in useful contribution once
everyone's gathered.

-AOQ