“Because all the Scoobies deeply need therapy….” Truer words have never been spoken.

@dreadcthulhu5

2 жыл бұрын

Everyone in Whedon's works do as does he himself I suspect.

TPN's Buffy Guide are never late. Nor are they early. They arrive precisely when they mean to. Great stuff, can't wait to check this out!

@DrMaiXiang

2 жыл бұрын

...I get this refrence

@procrastinator99

2 жыл бұрын

**laughs Hobbitly**

@yuniq9gaming930

2 жыл бұрын

Test

@RealestKinga

Жыл бұрын

Quoting Tolkein doesn't make you not a normie

I can't believe you missed "You want credit for not feeding off of bleeding disaster victims?" "Well yeah." "You're disgusting." "What's it take?!"

@mizzymo64

2 жыл бұрын

Or thoughtfully directing Olaf to the hospital for some tasty babies. Spike really does appreciate the joy of eating.

@partycitydumpster

2 жыл бұрын

god, James' completely earnest frustrated delivery of "what's it take?" like he really can't believe that didn't work

@holi117

2 жыл бұрын

@@mizzymo64 “what you reckon, the, uh, hospital?” “Shuttup!” 😂😂

@lessismore8533

2 жыл бұрын

Yes I actually felt bad for Spike there. He really WAS trying to help and Buffy can’t see it. It takes tons of self control to resist things he’s not supposed to resist.

I know this is not the focus of the episode, but can we just take a moment to appreciate Spike's triple whammy of jokes during his interaction with Olaf? We have "I could do that, but I'm paralyzed with not caring very much," followed by "what do you think, the hospital?" and finally "they've got this onion thing." Overall, I think that scene is one of the funniest in all of Buffy (and also serves as a gentle reminder that Spike is soulless). :D

@MichaelPaumgardhen

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree. & who could forget gems such as " I've been way past midnight on the crazy clock. A real sackful of hammers." & "What's the matter watcher? Life pass before your eyes? Cup of tea, cup of tea, almost got shagged, cup of tea?" James Marsters' portrayal of Spike was sheer comedic genius.

@The_Wandering_Hobbit

2 жыл бұрын

@@MichaelPaumgardhen Yup! The list of zingers is endless! Definitely one of my favorite aspects of the show :D

@elenachristian9860

Жыл бұрын

@@MichaelPaumgardhen The cup of tea joke lives forever in my mind.

the troll monologue layered over riley's dumb argument.... oh my god.... genius ❤❤

In case anyone else perked up at that last line and couldn't remember why: Buffy: "I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much, but I knew...what was right. I don't have that anymore. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in a world where these are the choices. If everything just gets stripped away, I don't see the point." Another fantastic video Ian, well done!

@jdavis11576

2 жыл бұрын

To be honest anytime they mention Angel in a Buffy episode I get excited 🤷🏾‍♀️

Whenever I watch this episode I always wonder what the people in The Bronze are thinking. They were all having a nice night out until a giant man with a hammer ruined everything.

@ShawnPoulsen

2 жыл бұрын

He was on PCP. Probably gang related. You know. The usual.

@margaridabaptista3712

2 жыл бұрын

I think the people in the Bronze are probably used to it by now. "So, another monster at the Bronze. Must be Tuesday"

On the "Gay now!" line, I kind of read it as part of Willow's insecurity about her relationship with Tara, which comes up later on in the season, where she thinks Tara assumes she's "going through a phase" because she has only been in love with one woman. This doesn't seem to be the case--Tara doesn't bring it up; Willow does--but it seems to be on _Willow's_ mind quite a lot, so I can see her deciding that she's redefining her entire life, she's not that weird little nerd girl with the crush on Xander anymore. She's a cool, powerful gay woman who's found herself at last! It fits with a lot of Willow's behavior. She's not an ostracized computer nerd anymore, she's an awesome witch! (Never mind that Jenny established back in season 1 that you don't need to make it a dichotomy.) She's not "Hello, Jewish!" anymore, she's Wiccan and summoning goddesses. (Never mind looking for magic traditions in Judaism.) And previously, she'd defined herself as not being a nerd anymore because she was dating a guitarist. So for me, it seems very much in character for Willow to declare herself "gay now" as a repudiation of her former self more than as an actual singular orientation.

@mp_1231

2 жыл бұрын

I 100% agree with this

@whitb850

2 жыл бұрын

I don't think there's really a way to get around the show just not being very familiar with negative bisexual stereotypes and not knowing how to handle bisexuality. Because those reasons too for Willow wanting to identify strictly as gay just fall completely into common biphobia (I say that as a bi woman). This happens all the time with us, where both straight and gay people tell us that our bisexuality is just a phase, or being unable to pick a side, or that we're really just straight women wanting attention (while bi men are typically told they're gay men "not ready to come out all the way"). Willow could have had 15 boyfriends before Tara and 15 boyfriends after Tara and it wouldn't make her any less queer, or bisexual, or attracted to Tara. There is no need to have to "pretend to be gay so gay women think you're actually into them because they don't trust bisexuals as being truly into them" other than biphobia and not thinking bisexuality is real/legitimate. Willow could definitely have internalized biphobia, sure! She could think that she has to identify as a lesbian in order for Tara to think her feelings for her are legitimate, because being bisexual isn't "enough". But if the show wanted to go that way, they should have acknowledged that. Other characters could have said "but Willow, aren't you bi?", "you know, it's ok to be bi", "I'm not worried you aren't into me just because you had a boyfriend before", or whatever. Ya know? There's lot of ways to explore that/get it out there if that's what they intended.

@partycitydumpster

2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic observation. I didn't realize how often that particular phrasing and delivery of the line has occurred earlier in the series. Willow is always looking to reinvent herself, and shun the past as if it happened to someone else, thereby freeing her of any guilt or obligation to do better. Which is a dangerous but deeply understandable mentality. Man, Willow is written so well.

@babs3241

2 жыл бұрын

@@whitb850 I expect the way it was handled at the time was "Do we really need to chat about this?" It's perfectly in character for Willow (especially at that point in time), so I wouldn't expect anything else out of the show, since it was no one else's concern. (Maybe Tara's. Maybe after the fight in "Tough Love," if Glory hadn't brain-sucked her, they could have had that conversation.) Because, yes, while the show might have been hamstrung about her having another male love interest, the characters should not have been hamstrung about even discussing the possibility if the subject came up. There were points later on when it might honestly have come up. "Him" seems like a good one, but of course, they decided to play that for laughs (but come on, they couldn't have her say, "Hey, I liked the guy look on Oz, didn't I?"); or when Kennedy is first starting to woo her, and she did say she loved _a_ woman, not women in general. That could have been a point where she said, "I also loved a man very much, and both of them took a while for me to feel comfortable in, and I don't actually even _know_ you yet." So I could see the issue later on, but at this point, it seems to me so in character for Willow to go "I was that, now I'm this" instead of "You know, I'm an evolving human being" that the line doesn't seem off kilter here, especially in the context of defending herself to Anya. (The context here, of course, being, "How dare you suggest that I might have feelings... for the person I spent my entire childhood having feelings for, and for whom I destroyed his relationship and almost destroyed me own? That's not me! I wouldn't do that, or if I would it was _before_ so it doesn't count...")

@rileynewman-gatton8549

2 жыл бұрын

Wow this is a fantastic way to put this!

It's hard, as a queer person, to talk about Willow's sexuality without writing an essay, but I think you summarised it beautifully from the two, equally important, perspectives: the "Willow as a person" and "Willow as a construction". As you say, from a critical perspective, Willow's sexuality is an obvious example of Y2K-era bisexual erasure. But from her character's perspective, I loathe the need of some people to categorise people based solely on their body count, ignoring the person's own description of their sexuality (yes, including closeted people). It irks me because it applies in a wider sense to our real-life interactions. Sexuality isn't a set of neat boxes, but a line along which there are a million different points and we use labels like "straight", "gay" and "bisexual" to describe those points to the best of our abilities. But sexuality can also fluctuate over time as someone grows and explores different relationships. If someone has had mostly opposite-sex relationships but has a late-life same-sex or queer relationship and decides they identify as gay, they are gay. Similarly and possibly less popularly, if someone explores same-sex or queer relationships when they're younger but ultimately decides they are happier seeking out opposite-sex or 'straight' relationships, no one has the right to label them otherwise. We don't get to tell other people who they are. So-called "phases" are important, authentic and life-affirming experiences for many people and labels are just language - language that can help people find a sense of pride and identity, but ultimately less relevant than their own, constant and ongoing evolution that transcends the limits of that language. Oops I wrote a mini-essay.

@mjtpli

2 жыл бұрын

Yep. Also, “Phases” - well done.

@thegreatandterrible4508

2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely agree, but Willow as a lesbian makes her an even worse partner than she already is. Like, did she really have 0 attraction to Xander when she cheated on Oz?

@athena450

2 жыл бұрын

@@mjtpli Ahaha I didn't even catch myself on that!

@beachgirl4583

2 жыл бұрын

@@thegreatandterrible4508 , Athena spelled it out in her “essay”. “Hello, gay *now* “ explains Willow’s attraction to Oz and Xander (and Giles!). She thought of herself as straight in high school; now that she’s older and in college and not living with her mother, she’s free to explore her sexuality and has come to the conclusion that she’s gay, not bi. At least three gay women I know went through similar phases (dating boys for years until they figured out that they were more attracted to women). None of them considers herself bi.

@mrs.schmenkman

2 жыл бұрын

@@thegreatandterrible4508 well truthfully how does a 19 year old really know what the rules of gayness are? Its a fair statement and especially since at the time this scene was written, there were rumblings how writers were always making the characters bi-sexual because it was far more acceptable by straight people. Ya. Truth. At the time it was a huge deal that they were saying she WASNT bisexual even though by todays standards she would be. Deciding she was done with men would be logical especially since to her true love is something she gives into 💯 and would have ni intention of everfalling in love again. Which would technically make her gay. Also she says gay, not lesbian which is indeed something else to consider

Spike’s interaction with the Buffy mannequin is one of my favorite scenes in the show 😂 Also the part where he tries to take care of the injured people to impress Buffy 😂

@lessismore8533

2 жыл бұрын

Yes and Buffy STILL discredited him. Poor Spike. He wasn’t even trying to be bad there. She doesn’t know his sad history of constantly being rejected or used by women who failed him

@SuziQ.

2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think he was trying to impress Buffy when he made the victim more comfortable. It seemed like he was assuring Buffy that he wasn’t licking up victim blood (which was probably hard for him not to lick). Remember when he licked his own nose blood?

@cindytartt4048

2 жыл бұрын

@@lessismore8533 spike is NOT some poor dude. He’s a vampire who says many times “I’m going to slip in & have myself a real good time.” Or a “nice day.” Without a chip he would’ve tried to kill her multiple times -& attempted to bite Willow 3 times.

Giving Riley the voice of Olaf the Troll should not feel as appropriate as it does.

2:48 Well it is Xander "I will never get over Buffy not being interested in me" Harris we're talking about here. In his mind the failures of her relationships with men who aren't him are somehow her fault for not being with him.

@ms_scribbles

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. Classic "Nice Guy" misogyny.

@Brandyalla

2 жыл бұрын

...while he's in a relationship with somebody else. Yuck

@elenacarin9153

2 жыл бұрын

I’d take Angelus over Xander ANY DAY

@mschrisfrank2420

2 жыл бұрын

Except that he tried to convince her to work it out with Riley? That scene for me seems more about him and Anya ignoring all of the problems in their relationship by focusing on at least being better than Buffy and Riley-especially after the relationship parallels in The Replacement.

@BriaBella

Жыл бұрын

Yup I dont think anyone ever called him out on the show. Xander was a true hater of both Angel and then Spike. And does anyone remember when he had the audacity to blurt out to Dawn that Spike attempted to rape Buffy..the fact that he thought it was his place...you can tell it came from jealousy cause he found out she would rather be with Spike of all people than him once again. He is annoying to me never liked his character.

The Riley/Olaf mashup made me choke on my Mac and cheese.

@PassionoftheNerd

2 жыл бұрын

Death by mac and cheese is never my intention. Be safe.

@emclaire7027

2 жыл бұрын

Comedy gold

@Xehanort10

2 жыл бұрын

Even a murderous troll was better than Riley.

@EviIM0nk3y

2 жыл бұрын

Liar you should still be able to breath through the tiny tiny holes

Fun guide! I'm glad you highlighted my two issues with the episode which are (sadly) Willow's character. The thing that strikes me still about the series is it feels like the writers didn't consider that someone might have the other perspective? I feel like Anya is often the butt of Willow's jokes AND Xander's AND Giles' and even Buffy herself, but whenever Anya is on the offensive we're meant to see her as wrong. It goes somewhere with Selfless, which is a fantastic episode, but I can't explain it. In my last rewatch of the series, I found myself thinking "It's kind of sad Anya doesn't have any other friends, because the ones she has don't seem like they're very kind to her." Sure enough, the finale happens and...oof. She's barely a footnote there.

@jongon0848

2 жыл бұрын

Except in Season 7 Buffy does try to reach out to Anya as a friend after Selfless, and then we get that weird animosity from Anya where she says she's not Buffy's friend in Get It Done. I have no idea why they went that route with Anya but I sincerely hated how petty and bitchy they made her look towards the end of Season 7.

@YozoraHeart

2 жыл бұрын

@@jongon0848 I said the words "It goes somewhere with Selfless" but honestly Anya joins the gang in Season 3. Your reference for someone trying to be her friend in earnest is 4 years later. That's sorta my point.

@FadzaiSimango

2 жыл бұрын

@@YozoraHeart Hmmm... Anya joins the _show_ in Season 3. I don't think she joins the _gang_ until Season 4 (after she comes back to Sunnydale for Xander). But your point still stands.

@FadzaiSimango

2 жыл бұрын

Emma Caulfield herself once mentioned (during a _Buffy_ cast reunion, I think) that that "barely a footnote" thing bothered her too.

@Saan42

2 жыл бұрын

I mean, would you be Anya's friend? I agree they're not nice to her, but she is completely selfish and generally really rude and callous to people. Can't say I'd have much time for her tbh. I think they do ok with accepting her into the group, but it's a bit much to expect everyone to be warm and kind with her when there's no way she'd give anything back. I think Anya's death is perfect - brutal and strangely insignificant - exactly like the deaths that she inflicted on so many others for hundreds of years.

I think what bothers me about the whole "relationship debris is piling up on the Buffy highway" conversation is that, yes, Buffy's relationships have gone poorly, but she has had TWO boyfriends! TWO! Three if you count Scott Hope (and a one night stand with Parker certainly doesn't count). THAT'S NOTHING! If Buffy was having regular relationships that were all failing for the same reason, maybe this conversation would be valid (although still very judgey and a touch slut shame-y) but it just feels so out of nowhere. I get that the writers are wanting to show that Buffy is feeling this way, that the break ups are her fault, but my God there must be a way of communicating that with a touch of grace.

@lessismore8533

2 жыл бұрын

Well the Riley thing wasn’t her fault unless the blame is partially on him. He was with those vampires

@notwallace8557

2 жыл бұрын

@@lessismore8533 Indeed. But my point was that the writers were trying to communicate that Buffy feels it was her fault (and I think in a certain way the writers do hold Buffy responsible for that, even if we as viewers can see that's silly) and that they were trying to communicate how Buffy feels in these scenes, rather than actual 'facts'.

@SuziQ.

2 жыл бұрын

What’s worse is that Xander said it. Xander, whose “relationship debris” is much higher than anyone else’s. Mantis teacher, Inca Mummy girl, Cordy (and he cheated on her with Willow, so), Willow, Faith (one hour stand?), Anya… … and season 7 that hadn’t happened when he said that about Buffy.

@cindytartt4048

2 жыл бұрын

@Angel Alexi exactly. My feeling too . To me, Xander comes across as smug & superior. He’s living a swanky life, adores that Anya adores him, feels relieved that he’s lectured Buffy because “oh boy I needed to tell her a thing or two that she needed to hear” & desperately wants to be the comfortador from Restless. He feels lucky -mainly because he feels Buffy isn’t. It’s a case of schadenfreude. His lack of perceptiveness is incredible. Buffy at 17 handled the Angel situation with a maturity some women of 40 have trouble doing & during none of this exchange does Xander allow for Glory besting her, or her mom facing a deadly brain tumour as well as seeing her college dream literally go up in smoke. Xander doesn’t cut her any slack. It’s as tiresome as the Cheese Guy. (Edit: sorry! This turned into a ramble amble).

@dreadcthulhu5

2 жыл бұрын

@@SuziQ. Yeah, Xander has no right to judge anyone else's dating history.

Someone pointed out that the gag about Anya learning to drive doesn't make sense because she knew how to drive in The Wish, which just reminded me how much she was retconned throughout the show. She starts off extremely cunning and ends up being the comic relief with no social skills. Like, come on, I get she hasn't been human in centuries but being a vengeance demon meant she spent most of her time pretending to be human, befriending people from all over the world and tricking them into wishing for things. If anything she would be extremely adept in social situations, knowing exactly how to act around every given person and telling them exactly what they want to hear. I guess she should have been more like Spike, who wasn't really a genius manipulator until he got back to Sunnydale and fell in love with Buffy.

@GosieKin

5 ай бұрын

Hear hear!

Ah Spike and his one true love, The Blooming Onion!

@lessismore8533

2 жыл бұрын

What onion?

I never connected Olaf trying to force Xander to make an impossible decision as a foreshadowing / analogue to the choice Buffy is forced to make at the end of the season. I love how even in the silliest episodes, Buffy always tries to slip in its most pivotal thematic messaging -- it really makes every episode of the show feel like a vital piece of a coherent whole. Most episodes, anyway. As always, your videos bring really wonderful insights that make me appreciate this show all the more. Thanks Ian!

Calling "Into the Woods" like kale chips is a deep insult to kale chips.

The Parks and Rec bit in the intro was beyond perfect. Thank you.

"Maybe it won't happen to us because it's all about her messing things up." Wow that aged well.

Thanks for pointing out the bi erasure that went on with Willow's character, it definitely aged poorly. Even though through the behind the scenes stuff we know the real reason why they had her call herself gay, if we still had to look for an in-universe motivation, maybe we could think of Willow herself being unfamiliar with the bisexual identity as many people were in the last 90s/early 2000, back when it wasn't too uncommon for bi people too to have internalized stereotypes about bisexuality (such as its non-existance) and call themselves gay even though they weren't.

@NeoLithiumCat

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate you saying this. I'm bi, but for years I didn't even know it existed, so I just kept putting off figuring out what I was. I actually went through identifying as asexual before bi, since in both you don't really have a difference between male/female and I hadn't been able to progress in my self understanding because I was missing that crucial piece that bisexuality could explain things.

@FadzaiSimango

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. This is now my head canon.

@matthewkoch6937

2 жыл бұрын

I want to echo this. As someone who is bi, I can say even now many people don't get us. Back in the early 2000s, I always heard it used as a synonym for sexual experimentation, not viewed as a legitimate orientation. I also feel that Willow's innate insecurity leads her into black-and-white thinking, this poor choice of words being yet another example.

@partycitydumpster

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I kind of side-eye Joss' explanation of the network just not being as woke as he is, because that's something he does a lot. I think it's definitely true for some things (like the stuff in the Body) but I just don't see him being that aware of bi-erasure in fucking 2001. I do understand pushing extra hard to 'legitimize' Willow's queerness by labeling her a lesbian, as that is super common in real life, I just don't think bisexuality was that carefully considered until people criticized the show for it.

@Angria_Ra

2 жыл бұрын

@@matthewkoch6937 I agree with what you said about Willow. It's also worth noticing that Sunnydale's a small town that doesn't seem to have a thriving queer community or anything like that. Barring her two girlfriends (who were both lesbians), I don't think she was close to any other LGBT people, let alone specifically bisexual folks

For some reason I always liked how Olaf actually complimented Xander's fighting skills even commended him for his bravery. Although he is a tiny man.

In defense of Willow in the episode: Willow is a student who get no money to reimburse her routinely risking her life without any real safety net. On TOP of that she is, in Anya's view, expected to pay for all the reagents that she uses to do said job out of her own pocket. Because yeah, a ball of sunshine WOULD be a great help in slaying vampires. This episode is actually a great example of the fact that everyone expect Willow to always be able to perform whatever magic is necessary but no-one is willing to help her deal with the consequences of learning magic by trial-and-error because Giles was too stupid to hook her up with a proper magic tutor in the last couple of years. Secondly, she has *no* reason to trust Anya. Anya tried to have Willow killed *twice* the first time they really interacted and never really apologized for it and she routinely becomes waxing nostalgic about the torture and mayhem she inflicted on people. So I *get* that Willow is kinda wary of her best friend potentially becoming one of those victims. SPOILER: And Willow is proven 100% right in S6. Just saying. Thirdly, Anya used to be a witch. Or a Seidh, I wager, being Norse and all. She should have *known* that if a witch is in the process of casting a spell and ask for her to not interrupt the casting then she should shut the hell up for a minute. Sure, Willow shouldn't have cast the spell by the register (and some of the stuff she does beforehand isn't entirely on the up-and-up) but jfc putting all the blame on Willow is just wrong.

Season 6 is my favorite as well. I found this show shortly after it had finished. I was going through a pretty deep depression and a friend of mine basically moved into my apartment to make sure I didn't spiral too deep. He loved this show and got me watching it. Season 6 was the best therapist I had ever been to. And yes, for anyone who likes to malign the middle of the season, I mean that part too. In fact that was the most important part for me as I had been in an extremely toxic relationship that was a big factor in my depression.

In this episode Anya forgets she had a car in Graduation Day and in this her victim is not turned back human but instead banished to another world. That's what happens when you play her victims for laughs

Emma said on a panel I saw that when she was auditioning for shows, someone said they weren't sure she could do comedy. They weren't sure *she* could do *comedy* !

@jamie7398

2 жыл бұрын

They were wrong in my opinion.

I love that you finish the episode with a clip of Buffy beating up Riley lol

What is interesting about the whole Xander- Willow thing is that Xander has a Fearful-avoidant attachment style. Which explains a lot of his behaviour. Fearful- Avoidant's crave intimacy and being close to people yet fear they are inferior or unworthy of that and when they get close to people self sabotage. This is like we see with Xander. 1. He is into Cordelia when he is just kissing her out of passion when they feel they are about to die. He makes no effort to define the relationship, and it's Cordelia who progresses it. He starts to develop actual real feelings for her, and that's when he freaks when she also starts developing actual feelings for him shown through her putting pictures in her locker. That is when Xander self-sabotages with Willow, and it makes sense subconsciously with that attachment style. 2. We see the same with Anya. He never moves to define the relationship she initiates every time. He proposes when he thinks the world is going to end (despite his speech his fear is there. In the song "I'll never tell" we see his doubts. In restless we also see the way he views relationships and his fear of intimacy through his dreams. And then obviously the epitome of Xanders Fearful-avoidance is in Hell's Bells. The demon shows him his worst fear that he will mess everything up and he is not deserving of a relationship. He has a really good thing that he doesn't believe he deserves and so self sabotages by Running away. 3. We get our attachment styles from our parents. We don't know that much about Xanders childhood or family but we get a few hints. For an avoidant attachment style- the parents are either Cold, Dismissive, Authorative or Abusive. And sometimes more than 1. So is this true for Xander? Well I think so. He rarely talks about his family, but an indication we get is in Amends when Xander sleeps outside on Christmas eve when it snows which for that to happen it has to be between -2 and 2 degrees Celsius (idk about Fahrenheit) but it's cold. The next hint is in Restless when the first Slayer takes on the role of his dad in his dreams. It definitely appears that he had a traumatic time with his family especially his dad, and he always fears that he will be the boy in the basement (the basement representing his feeling of inferiority- the boy that will never be good enough). This is common with a Fearful- avoidant attachment style I think with the Riley episode (i have a theory that the episode is from Riley's perspective which is deluded- which is why there's a lack of female perspective) and that break up in general Xander could be projecting. Assuming that Buffy is the one self sabotaging because Xander himself always self sabotages. And lacks the ability to think critically and more objectively at the situation Buffy is Facing. I just find the Psychology behind the characters super interesting. And as you said all of the characters are in deep need of therapy. I actually really like Xander as a character and think Willow can be just as bad as him at times. He's conflicted, but he defiantly has great moments too. I find it interesting to delve into the world from a characters perspective. He makes some bad choices, but that doesn't make him a bad person and to me understanding why a character does the things they do is very interesting.

@thompur

2 жыл бұрын

@Meg on Cloud9 Beautifully said! I have always defended Xander based on his family life and childhood, But have never been this articulate and organized in my thoughts. Thank you. Can I cut and paste this for future use?(With proper attribution of course).

@Meg_intheclouds

2 жыл бұрын

@@thompur yeah sure! And I agree. He defiantly gets more hate than he deserves when you consider his childhood- he clearly didn’t have a healthy example of relationships in his life and so yeah his view is warped. And plus like it’s not like we’re defending an actual bad bad person (like Warren for example who was like redeemable till he killed his ex- girlfriend). One of the main themes of Buffy is choices. Xander makes bad choices- but he’s not a bad person. All the scoobies make bad choices. And when you consider the psychology behind those decisions those choices aren’t bad at the time for that person. Like Xander acts on his fears, insecurities, desire and misbelief like all the characters and acts on them. He is simply human.

@basharic3162

2 жыл бұрын

Something that I feel often gets overlooked in analysis of the later seasons is the Scoobies were 16 when the show started. At season 5 they are roughly 21. While they have definitely seem some crap, they are still barely adults. They really shouldn't be expected to have strong emotional maturity yet. We've all aged with the show and they've been with us so long we tend to think of them as functioning, competent adults when they absolutely are not. Especially the human ones not named Buffy. Her responsibilities age her more than the others but even she's still a damned kid. Personally I didn't start to realize some of my patterns and their sources until well into my 40s. I'm 48 at the time I'm writing this and still working on dealing with them. It's not just the Buffster who is cookie dough. They are all pretty far from being done baking. The cookie analogy itself reinforces their youth as once you get older you realize you're never really done baking until you die.

"Who would want to live in a world, if these are the choices" - I see what you did there.

I felt incredibly sorry for Anya in the episode. She put a big portion of her self worth in working at the magic shop and Willow stomps all over it. Despite the fact that Anya so quickly fitting into society and getting a job, even doing well at it, is incredibly commendable. As much as Emma Caulfield was great for comedy, I feel like sometimes the way Amya was treated needed addressing from a serious point of view more often. I would have liked it if this episode ended with Xander saying how much he valued Anya in more depth/ seriousness (and I guess similar dialogue on Willow for balance), instead it's all about how heroic Xander is because he won't choose between his girlfriend and friend. It feels very much a self congratulatory Joss Whedon insert and it rubs me the wrong way. It reminds me a bit of that time he had Xander get thanked by Buffy because he didn't take advantage of her when she was under a spell. To me there are sad undertones to the comedy around Anya. I see a lot of Autistic traits in her character and she's yet another 'strangely literal' character that is laughed at, not laughed with. There's a sad side to being the 'strangely literal' one that is looked down on, secretly mocked and never understood or appreciated for their honest and unique take on the world.

@doctorwholover1012

2 жыл бұрын

Yea, i defo feel like Anya’s markers of achievement (stable romantic relationship until being left at the alter, stable employment at the magic box, stable group of peers to socialize with in the scoobies) are kinda dismissed by the group in general because their group doesn’t place as much value on them as society at large, bc they’re more focused on the magic-demons-slayer-watcher-witch sort of thing. Anya, Tara, Dawn and to a lesser degree Xander all kinda fall into the same section where they do have interesting “mojo” stuff happening (anya being an ex demon, dawn being the key, Tara being magic, not so much for Xander) but because all of their “mojo” things are either not the main focus of their character (anya being a EX demon, and Tara being the backup witch after willow, and dawn is only the key for 1/3 seasons she’s in the show) or over with during the majority of their runs on the show, their development kinda takes a backseat to the more “mojo” active members, like Buffy the active slayer, willow the main witch, Giles the watcher etc. Anya’s character could really have done with a single episode at least that was hers, that didn’t involve cordelia or buffy’s relationship issues or Xander leaving her at the alter. Hell, Tara got a full episode to herself (the one where her family come to take her home bc she’s part demon) and while it’s not as in-depth as Xander or willow’s focused eps, at least she gets one! I can’t think of a single episode that is about Anya without being filtered or mostly focused on Xander or another scooby member, and that sucks, bc she’s not just Xander’s girlfriend, just like how Tara isn’t just willow’s girlfriend. They could have done some really interesting things with her character, and her dynamic with spike as the two ‘mostly-demon’ partners of their respective scoobies, and her dynamic with Giles as her employer and later co-owner of the magic shop. Like, we could have had Buffy go to Anya during her depressive episode during S6 and ask her for advice or help on functioning in the ‘adult’ world of employment etc as she’s got the most experience out of all them bar Giles (to my knowledge willow doesn’t ever get a job during the runtime of the show? Aside from helping out at the magic shop when asked? Idk if her mother is paying her way or what she’s up to tbh) and that would have been a really interesting way to have both of their characters develop as individuals + develop their dynamic, bc what the show gives us is Buffy just kinda…… existing in the same friend group with Anya as her friend’s girlfriend, being a bridesmaid, and then trying to kill her, and then Anya kicks her out of her house, which isn’t the best 🤨

@getluv

2 жыл бұрын

@@doctorwholover1012 Anya had her own centric episode in ‘Selfless’. Which was probably one of Season 7’s best episodes.

@doctorwholover1012

2 жыл бұрын

@@getluv selfless in S7 is a really good episode, but to me it doesn’t really develop Anya as an individual as much as I’d hoped; the backstory via flashbacks of Anya’s life is really interesting + enjoyable, but considering it comes in S7, when she’s been in the show since S3, having a single episode that focuses mainly on her backstory instead of forward development, while sharing the screen time with willow, Xander and Buffy and all their drama. I just wish she’d gotten more ‘current’ development as the show was ongoing; even Tara’s episode, while being about her relationships with the scoobies and heavily prioritizing Buffy screen time, was about current events and dynamics - her family showing up is the catalyst for her to take action immediately, and when it’s resolved, Tara’s dynamic within the group is more solidified and so is her character - we learn that she grew up in an abusive home (without any flashbacks of the abuse - and I love flashbacks so I’m not hating on them) and her relationships with her family, we learn how far she’s willing to go to stay with her friends (the medium-high grade dangerous spell she casts on Buffy + the gang) and where she stands within the group after they defend her. In Anya’s we learn that she turned her husband into the troll Olaf due to being dissatisfied with his cheating, became a vengeance demon, became friends with D’Hoffryn and Halfrek, spent centuries Vengeance-demoning it up with them, recapped the wishverse episode where she lost her powers/became human, a quick slideshow flashback of her and Xander’s relationship up to that point (and basically no scenes or flashbacks of her dynamic with the other scoobies - her supposed friends), and that she’s unwilling to undo the Fratboy murder because she already undid the worm boy murder and it’ll cost her life (halfrek then dies for her). The catalyst for Anya undoing her fratboy spell isn’t the love from her friends (willow tried to talk D’Hoffryn out of killing Anya for undoing the spell, but is mostly doing it for Xander, as she doesn’t care for or like Anya really) as Buffy tries to kill her under her Slayer code, and Xander begs her to undo the spell and for Buffy to not kill her. Anya ends up trading her (Halfrek’s) life for her relationship with Xander ONLY - her relationships with the others barely existed before this episode, and after it they’re in tatters, so I’m entirely unsurprised when Anya is ready to kick Buffy out in the last few episodes. She’s honestly just a character-limpet stuck to Xander’s side. Before her and Buffy have the showdown in Selfless, the most interesting (and of any depth) relationship Anya had with anyone was with her competition/resentment of Willow for having dated Xander and mocking her strangely literal speech patterns/opinions. And that’s not exactly a warm friendly kind of relationship 👀

@gwenivercall

Жыл бұрын

Spoiling for Season 6 here: To be honest, I never had much time for Anya, but then Season 6 came along, and I was suddenly angry at everyone for how they treated Buffy, EXCEPT for Anya. See, I've always been super-irritated by the 'Buffy's poor now' arc, especially after Willow and Tara move into Buffy's house, with nary a hint of them paying for anything which they're using and then tell a visibly depressed and traumatised Buffy that she has to find some way to come up with cash or else she's gonna lose the house. And then Anya, who's the only one who at least suggests something, is made fun of and shut down; I mean, sure, Buffy can't charge for slaying, I mean, she couldn't open a detective agency dealing with with weird cases, call it something like 'Summers Investigations', ' We help the helpless' (our rats are low) . . . hey wait a minute! No, no, someone in the writers' room (can't remember if it was Espenson or Noxon) thought it would be HILARIOUS if the Slayer had to sling burgers, so hey presto: Buffy's poor. People are still living at her house, using her water, electricity, eating her food without contributing a cent. But it's ok, because funny hat with a cow on it. Yes, Season 6 is still my favourite season. But that was very frustrating to me.

@cindytartt4048

Жыл бұрын

@@gwenivercall brilliant! I never saw it like that but you’re absolutely correct. They _do_ act judgemental: most certainly so the theme of Buffy working in an unskilled, low paying job can be “explored” all the while remembering back to S5 where Xander & Willow claim (during The Body) they’ll be “there always & help, however they’re needed” yet in S6 they’re [mostly Tara & Willow] doing nothing of the kind except (virtually) ignoring her & her obvious tribulations.

One of the most underrated episodes. So much fun! I wish Buffy were here. I'm here!

@RachL87

2 жыл бұрын

I wish I had a million dollars. Just checking 😄

@jamie7398

2 жыл бұрын

I do like that part it was pretty funny.

When I first read _The Cat in the Hat_ to my own daughter, I joked to my mother that I'd just read a horror story. The many times I'd read it before, either to myself or to my younger siblings, I'd never thought of it that way. So yeah, Fish Anya is a better person than Cat Willow.

@HuntingViolets

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that cat was awful.

wrt identifying with Spike losing an argument against... himself... I always find it funny, how Xander is Whedon's self-insert-y "everyman" character that the viewer is supposed to relate to, and yet consistently, people instead manage to relate to everyone BUT him, and ESPECIALLY relate to Spike.

@Xehanort10

2 жыл бұрын

Relating to Xander would make me ashamed of myself because I can't stand him. Thankfully I don't.

I really take issue with the viewpoint that Willow's sexuality is an example of bi-erasure. To me, this is a prime example of the current trend of holding older media to unreasonably high standards by examining it through a modern microscope. This show was one of the first *ever* to feature a complex, respectful depiction of a same-sex couple. It was massively progressive and ahead of its time in that regard. It seems incredibly unrealistic to expect the writers to have addressed bi-erasure as well, considering that this was a concept that 99.9 per cent of people weren't even familiar with at that time. If Willow had gone back to men at any point or claimed that she was bisexual, the prevailing takeaway would absolutely have been that her relationship with Tara had been a bit of experimentation before she 'headed back to boys' town.' In the cultural climate that existed in the late 90s and early 2000s, making Willow lesbian instead of bisexual was not only what the audience was most likely to accept, but also an important step forward for LGBT visibility. I also think it's absurd how many people argue that Willow's feelings for Xander and Oz represent unassailable evidence of her bisexuality. An enormous number of gay people have emotional and sexual feelings towards members of the opposite gender before coming to terms with their true sexuality. And these relationships can be extremely meaningful and important for them. So not only do Willow's relationships with Xander and Oz not somehow 'prove' her bisexuality, but on the flipside, her eventual declaration that she is a lesbian does not somehow negate the feelings and love that she had for the men in her life. Don't get me wrong, I get that bi-erasure is a thing, and I'm all up for more bisexual representation in the media, but I think it's inherently unfair and misguided to expect at 20+ year old show to have tackled this in a way that will hold up to modern scrutiny, especially when such a show was already so ahead of its time in regard to its depiction of same-sex relationships.

@beachgirl4583

2 жыл бұрын

This ^ You said it better than I can articulate.

The way Buffy grieves over Riley is why I never thought she really loved Riley. Look how she cried her heart out in Innocence when Angel (Angelus) broke up with her, and when Angel broke up with her right before the Prom or in “I Will Remember You”. I’m sure she felt as though she lost a great guy who she felt a connection with, but Riley was by no means the love of her life. Just look at how in the episode “Forever”, Angel LITERALLY kisses Buffy under a tree in the graveyard and she had only been broken up with Riley for like maybe 2 months or so. Lol

@elenacarin9153

2 жыл бұрын

Angel is Buffy’s soulmate… Riley was just a normal boyfriend who at least had enough self awareness to know he could never compare to a vamp with a soul.

I think this ep sets up Buffy's low key dependency on the success of Xander and Anya's relationship. She starts to kinda idealize it, esp in season 6, because it appears stable. Probably has something to do with Xander being her symbolic heart. I don't believe it's a coincidence that Normal Again-Buffy's rock bottom, imo-is the episode immediately following Hells Bells.

I feel like your editing is getting better and better, which I didn’t even think was possible as it was already so good! Excellent as always, Ian

As a bi woman, i am also of two minds. My critical mind knows these lines were likely bi erasure and ignorance coming from the writers/producers/etc. But looking at Willow as a person it actually really bothers me when people scream bi erasure. Compulsory heterosexuality is a very common phenomenon. Many people, including me, go through long journeys to figure out if what they think they like is learned behavior or if it’s true attraction. This is not the only time Willow calls herself gay, she does it constantly. If she identifies herself as such, who are we to say “no actually, you’re bi.”

@lucasvosch2594

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this sentiment, I agree and think it should resonate more within the online discussions surrounding Willow's identity and sexuality. Regardless of how the writers had intended to handle her character differently, I find it very nuanced and compelling how her journey towards self-discovery was portrayed, including her recurring acknowledgements about her sexuality after breaking up with Oz.

@ethancharles2189

2 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU!! I completely agree. Willow went from a teenage, "i think im kinda gay." To an adult "Hello I am gay." This shows a trajectory that many gay people have followed. To question her journey is a bit regressive in my opinion.

Nice! This episode holds a special place in my heart because it's the first one I watched all the way through on a rerun while the season was airing in real time. I instantly fell in love with the show and Anya, and the rest is history. And since I only had a passing knowledge of the show I was team Anya because Willow was stealing and felt she needed to be called out. And maybe arrested.

Was very excited for this one!! Olaf is one of my favorite One-off characters. And the fact that he (or his weapon) proves to be a game changer in the Finale.

"I wish I had a million dollars," is my favorite joke in all of BtVS and always will be. Yes, it's dumb, but the timing and delivery are flawless and I love it more than most things.

As much as I want to enjoy this episode the Willow and Anya conflict frustrates me so much!! I feel like this should have been an s4 issue, its odd that so far no one has really opposed anya joining the scoobies until now.. Though perhaps what really upsets me about this episode is Willow. this is the beginning of certain events that will cause me to fall out of love with who has so far been my favourite character in the series 😢💔 I never noticed the parallels between here and Angel S2, well spotted!!

As a bisexual man I really appreciate the discussion around bi-erasure, thank you. It doesn't ruin the show for me or anything but I think it's clear Willow is bisexual and it used to irritate me. However what you said about Willow being allowed to identify as whatever she wants is a point I'd not thought of before. I shouldn't put labels on people for them (fictional or not). Well done for making me see a part of the show in a different light yet again, even a part I really thought no one could change my mind on.

my perspective on willow and her sexuality has always been that, speaking from experience, compulsory heterosexuality can be incredibly strong and confusing and difficult to realise is comphet and not genuine attraction to men, and it's quite common for lesbians to not realise they're lesbians until after they've had longterm serious relationships with men because of it. there's always been enough of a grey area with willow to me that i feel like the argument could be made either way for whether she's bi or a lesbian

@lucasvosch2594

2 жыл бұрын

Same

Why can't Willow simply have realized she likes girls MORE, having now been in relationships with both sexes?

@missnaomi613

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! This makes sense,as a bi person myself with a preference.

@margaridabaptista3712

2 жыл бұрын

Well, she can, but I think there's also a difference between "preferences" and "sexuality". "I'm usually more attracted to girls" is not "I'm only attracted to girls". We've *seen* Willow and Oz be together. We *know* it was extremely meaningful for her. Saying she's only, exclusively attracted to girls now feels like invalidating a huge part of who she is and what she's been through. I think that also raises other issues of biphobia, like bisexual people just being "indecisive" and simply needing to choose one gender or the other and they'll be "healed". The point of bisexuality, and eliminating bi erasure, is that there's nothing wrong with being attracted to both genders, nor anything invalidating about one relationship or another because the lover was masculine or feminine.

Yes! What a surprise to find on a Saturday morning! Thanks for making so many wonderful analysis videos! I hope that everything is well with you!

I don’t know how many times I’ve watched Buffy, but every time I get through one of these guides I always end up screaming because I discover something new. Holy Moly!!! 🤯

It`s a real treat to watch these videos, looking forward to the next one as always!

so glad to have you back!

Ian my friend, you're a real life super hero with the power to make a dull day shine. After a shite day at work this is just what I needed. Now gonna double down and re-watch the entire episode. ;)

Yay! I'm a brand new subscriber and I'm so happy to see that you're continuing these videos. This show is so freakin good that even 20 years later there are still people like you putting out brilliant new insights that have never occurred to me in my decades of watching. I cannot WAIT for you to get to Bargaining part 1...

Yay, this is one of my favorite episodes ever! Excited to watch your take on it!

What you describe of the trilogy of past episodes represents for me the whole season, that is the saddest of all for me. Somewhere else I read that Buffy was really strong because it used metaphors to show real life problems, but S5 is so realistic in the difficulties (taking care fo Joyce, mainly) that is very close to a soap opera. S2, 3 y 6 achieve the metaphors much better and are less depressing than what we see here.

As a bisexual person I have thoughts and feelings about Willow's "gay now" comment. Sexuality is difficult to label sometimes and I know at least a few lesbians that had trouble getting to a place where they felt comfortable openly admitting to being lesbians. Social expectation can be a hell of a drug especially when society is telling you that any feelings of love or any desire for intimacy you have for a member of the opposite sex *must* be romantic. However as a bisexual person I also know that there is a lot of pressure from all sides to "pick one" and "stop being greedy". Before Willow said she was "gay now" I had mentally labeled her as bisexual afterwards I labeled her as a lesbian who needed some time to figure out her sexuality.

@kaitlyngarner740

2 жыл бұрын

This is exactly how I feel. Whilst it could be seen as Bi-Erasure, I've known lots of people who are Lesbians (in fact I'm engaged to one) that started off thinking they were Bi or straight and often had good, healthy relationships with guys that they loved. Later on in life they then realise who they are. Hell we've heard lots of stories of people who've been married for years and only in later life do they figure out that they're 100% gay and they actually don't feel any attraction to the opposite sex and a lot of what they felt before was a mix of wishful thinking, societal pressure and mistaking fondness for attraction. Willow is a lesbian, it just took her some time to fully realise it after having a really nice relationship with Oz

This is so awesome , Another great one in the books, Ian did I mention I love your guides if not , well I do

@PassionoftheNerd

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Russell!

@beachgirl4583

2 жыл бұрын

Hey, Russell! I figured out (stumbled upon the answer) why your nerd icon is pink. You’ve been a nerd for longer than I have. I’ll be pink, too, when it’s a year since I became a nerd. ;)

Always brings a smile to my face when I see a passion of the nerd video in my subscription box

thank you so much for this new episode! :D best wishes

the "...meanwhile, over on Angel Season 2" cut away in response to "a lot of people never got Dru" is truly, truly perfect

This made my weekend 😃 Thanks again Ian! Great analysis as per usual

Yeah! This made my day brighter. I love these.

Oh man, what a fun episode!

Thank you so much for bringing up the bi-erasure. I think coming to the realization that I was bi would have happened a lot earlier in my life if there would have been more bi representation and buffy would have been a perfect place for that considering I was the same age they were.

Season 6 delivered one of the greatest scenes of the show. Buffy tells Spike she was in heaven and was pulled out by her friends. That was so perfectly done.

This channel deserves more attention!

Brilliant commentary, as always Ian

Regarding the "bi-erasure" debate, I totally get where people are coming from there and would also never presume to act like an expert on the topic, but FWIW I have more than one friend who now would define themselves as gay as opposed to bi and yet had hetero relationships back when we were all in high school/college. I think for many people, that's just part of the journey of finding themselves particularly as our society still tends to be very heteronormative.

Willow's sexuality is a complex topic but I think in some ways we could still relate to her words today. For example a dear friend of mine has dated men for most of her life, then in her 20s happened to fall in love with a woman. Now, she wouldn't exactly define herself as gay, but she also states that she wouldn't date men anymore, therefore she struggles calling herself bisexual as well... I think for brevity's sake she might approve Willow's word choice in a similar situation. I think we still need to update our language (and our knowledge of ourselves) to better reflect these orientations. So I can't really blame the show for not phrasing Willow's sexuality well 20 years ago. Then again, I'm not a non-straight-sorta-bi woman so Willow's dialogue doesn't really affect me too much - but I respect if someone feels personally "attacked" by it, especially if it leads them to constructive discussions and innovations of the language!

@Henrik_Holst

2 жыл бұрын

@Ciara Milne But what if you suddenly just lost all attraction to men (in this case), can you still identify as bisexual? Not that I know if such a thing can happen or have happened (way out of depth in my expertise here).

@Henrik_Holst

2 жыл бұрын

@Ciara Milne Thanks for your explanation! I knew that I was out of my depth and this proved that I was.

Only just got to the titles and already epic. Excellent editing! 😂😂

Thank you for talking about bi erasure here! I have been kinda screaming about it in the comments for the Guides, sorry about that 😅 but only because it is something that means a lot to me, so it means a lot to me too that you addressed it 😄! It really is a complex issue, exemplified not only in the video but by great comments already posted down here, and I think you did a great job of portraying it

Wasn't expecting S6 praise but I am *here* for it. Almost 20 years defending that season as the one that hit every emotional mark it was aiming for dead-on. I'm not sure whether I prefer Grave or The Gift as a season finale.

@drownednkk8137

2 жыл бұрын

While s6 is my forever favorite season, I have to give The Gift the place of being the best season finale. The reason being, it's just so fully fleshed out. It was meant to be the last episode of the series and it just shows. They built up the moment since season three. Some could even argue that the building up started from the very first episode. It showed just how far Buffy had come. From the "I'm sixteen, I don't want to die" to the woman who with a smiling face jumped to her death, feeling like her job was finally done. Love Grave too, don't get me wrong, it's just that The Gift is the most thought out season ending that there is and sometimes I just kinda wonder should they have ended it there, since no finale could top that again.

The cut to Dru was perfect

Yay, a new Buffy video!

@beachgirl4583

2 жыл бұрын

I really love the Riley/Olaf, Buffy/Anya mashup you did. Hearing Olaf’s voice while watching Riley was fun, like this episode. Emma is the comedic genius in the series, much like Charisma was in earlier seasons. Willow’s inner bully bugs me. I don’t think Giles would mind if she used shop supplies to help fight evil. He would probably object to her using magic that’s dangerous or beyond her skills. We don’t have any reason to think that a ball of sunshine would be dangerous. Willow’s attitude is immature and petty and slightly cruel. It’s like she’s regressed from the responsible high schooler/tutor/substitute teacher to a junior high school boy. Is that a “natural” flow in loss of integrity that comes with some addictions? ... or are the writers... Migraine too bad to think/type. I’ll finish the guide (I’m at 10 minutes in- the Riley/Olaf “I did NOT cheat!” scene) tomorrow. So far, it’s phenomenal.

I always thought Emma Caulfield was the funniest actor. “Insane troll logic” lol

@jongon0848

2 жыл бұрын

For me it was James Marsters. He just nailed the delivery whether it was sarcastic, deadpan, ironic, over the top, or subtle.

@jamie7398

2 жыл бұрын

@@jongon0848 Why I wanted more Anya and Spike interactions. They did not have enough scenes together.

Best KZread channel hands down

Excellent as always

Yaaaay! Glad we have a new video. And what a fun, bouncy episode it is too. One of my favourites for it's cute silliness of S5! Not sure if you're being a bit hard on Willow in this ep. I love the way you narrate it from an immediate reaction as you would when watching, then get into it more and flesh out what the content means. But still, I don't think Will has been written out of place or arrogant. I guess not everything we say reflects who we are, all the time. Sometimes it's out of stress or defensiveness. And Anya was causing her plenty of stress, and vice versa. God I love this show!

Please can you just sit and do the whole series and make my Christmas 🤣🤣🤣

SPOILERS The opening with Xander and Anya would be correct and not the smug and judgmental it comes off as if Riley hadn't of done all his toxic masculinity crap over the issues with Buffy not loving him that he couldn't handle. It isn't all Buffy's fault as Ian later mentions in the video. Buffy had a right to not love Riley. And Riley had no right to do everything he did from _Family_ to _Into the Woods._ Anya makes a little progress though by realizing that some of the girls she helped could have been part of the problem, but she is still missing a key factor in that non-communication is a big reason behind most breakups. Her main point along with Xander is still putting all blame on Buffy. I loved Olaf's speaking about his cheating being laid over Riley trying to poorly defend himself to Buffy. Really showed the parallel point well. Giles has concerns over Anya running the store, but no character in the group is realizing this is just another stop on the _Willow's addicted to magic_ train. Willow definitely is the cat. She doesn't get scolded for by anyone except the fish (Anya) for her being the problem maker. Xander deflecting is in character is in character, but it is also part of the problem between his romantic relationship with Anya and his friendship with Willow. He was correct to not play the "game" Olaf told him to, but he should have talked to both of them long before this episode. Willow trying to deny to Anya how Xander and Cordelia and her and Oz broke up bugs me, especially as it is the entire reason the current episode is happening aka Anya is in the group aka anyone in the group know who Anya is. Willow commenting on not being surprised Anya is dating a troll also bugs me. These two things are just more things in a long list showing how Anya is never really part of the group. Buffy defending the relationship isn't about Anya or even Xander. It's about Buffy dealing with herself and Riley, which was hard on the fanbase watching because most fans were happy to see him go. That was why this episode wasn't well liked, in my opinion. 11:46-11:53 makes no sense when you take into consideration that she was willingly the other woman of a lesbian relationship in the comics. I think Willow being gay or bi or any other label other than lesbian is more about the fact that at this point pop culture and real life were struggling with those concepts, their realities and how to deal with them. As long as the show was written AND took place in-universe during that time it makes total sense that Willow says, "Gay now." That is what most people said for most labels or they just ignored the other labels they knew of because they knew even less about them than they knew of the l part of lgbtq community, which didn't exist back then as it does now. Spike's flower-shaped onion thing is my favorite part of the episode. It (along with the other food he eats that was mentioned) really does make him seem more human than he actually is. Many of Spike jokes in the series show more of his soullessness than his attitude does. In this episode's case "What do you think, the hospital" is a great example. On any other show a character saying this would be a joke. On this show Spike truly doesn't care. Fans tend to forget because the actor plays it as a joke and fans recognize it as one due to it being one in so much other pop culture. Same for Spike groping. He's soulless, so it was never supposed to work. It was always meant to be gross. I don't think it was a good idea to keep Dawn in the dark about being the key. Not telling her drove the proverbial car to Glory finding out. 7:45-8:00 is a point I have never really been able to figure out either. But I enjoy the show more because I can't. It took me year to realize the troll was the same actor as Jerry from _ER._ I never felt torn over Anya and Willow because Willow just bothered me in this episode. She is very judgmental and hypocritical in this episode. Ian is right and there is no defensible position for her, which is why she falls back on the idea that the group as a whole don't like her and only put up with her for Xander. Poor Giles on coming back to the shop as it was at the end.

You know, i used to just chill, watch your reviews whenever they came out...but now we are getting closer and closer to my favorite episodes and i just get sooooo unpatient i check your chanel nearly every day..;)

@FadzaiSimango

2 жыл бұрын

_Same, gurl_

You summed up my feelings on Willow's queerness so well!! Thank you for making these, every time I see a new one is up it absolutely makes my day

love it. Great job

Yessss love these!

I love the way you foreshadow.

Ive always seen the discussions between Xander/Anya as foreshadowing of their own relationship. This is very common IRL. The things you judge in others etc.. plus she makes him promise to warn her before he ever decides to leave. Setting up the reason she is so livid when he suddenly and without warning ON HER PART does exactly that.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss I’m so happy 😁 Edit after watching: that was magnificent. Thank you 🙏😍

Very good review! Most excellent use of Ron Swanson!

Love your videos!

that Olaf-voiceover in the Riley-scene ...yes hunny!

I know Jane Espenson wrote this episode, but Olaf's dialogue reminds me a lot of Thor in the first two Avengers movies. I wonder if Joss either wrote some of his dialogue or was inspired by this episode when writing Thor? Riley is so much better with Olaf's voice. And Emma Caulfield as Anya is gold. Whenever she and Willow interact, its rare but always hilarious just like "Same Time, Same Place"

@TheSwordThain

2 жыл бұрын

On one of the commentaries, Joss said that they all write as a team. Then they either take turns with the Written By credit or bestow it on a person if they really worked hard on that episode. So all the writers have a hand in each episode. There are rarely truly solo efforts.

Yay - I get such a boost in my day when I see a new Buffy Guide has been uploaded! Also, thank you Ian for specifically addressing the bi erasure of Willow's storyline/identity. As a bi woman who watched BtVS growing up, the queer representation of Willow & Tara always meant so much to me. I love those two with all my heart and was/am grateful for getting them. They were literally the only female couple I saw anywhere at that time, and Willow herself being a main character in a show who was openly attracted to women was such a big deal. That can mean the world to people when we just really don't have that anywhere. And Buffy & the gang supporting them, it being normalized and not made into this big self-loathing or gay bullying or family-rejection storyline which is also all we ever got with LGBT characters - THAT was so important & incredible. The show just let them be and didn't treat them any differently. Media is still often terrible about all that. But I do wish they would have acknowledged that Willow was bi and not acted like it doesn't exist, as if the moment she realized she's also attracted to women she's "suddenly gay". Those past scenes of vamp Willow show that the show/Willow herself were erasing bisexuality then too because vamp Willow may have been licking girls but she was also very clearly with Xander. There's also evidence that Giles & Ethan were together sexually back in the Ripper days, and clearly Giles is also attracted to women. If the show were filming now, I'd like to think they'd let Willow and Giles be bi. They might also be more open to Angel & Spike being portrayed as bi, given their bi experience/s together (I think that was talked about on Angel's show iirc?). Though unfortunately the Evil Bisexual is a pretty tired trope. Buffy actually already leaned into it even without openly acknowledging bisexuality, because Giles' experiences with Ethan were during his dark magic days, Willow's first hint at being bi was as an evil vamp temptress, and Angelus & Spike went at it during their soulless amoral massacring days. But as we know, BtVS/the Buffyverse has never been great at portraying sex positively in general.

I've been doing my annual rewatch and am currently on Buffy season 7 and Angel season 4. Strangely, I keep thinking you've already done the episode guides for these seasons when I watch them, and hearing my own inner commentary in your voice...

Olaf's voiceover for Riley is inspired! Do you think Anya has kept the crystal nearby this whole time, then? If Olaf is still stomping around her brain, making her mad? Didn't Olaf also kinda put it in her head how much the townspeople thought she was odd (Aud... lol)?

I’ve started to read the “Gay now!” comment as literal. I head canon Willow as actually being sexually fluid, but not being able to recognize that due to the era she lives in. Attraction can be really hard to pin down, and it would make since for her to conflate sexual attraction with romantic, so when she’s in love with a man she sees herself as straight, and when she’s in love with a woman she sees herself as gay.

THANK YOU! Thank you for talking about the bi-erasure!

I’m surprised you didn’t do more spike coverage in this episode because he was consistently on top form throughout

" they have a beautiful love"😥😆😆 I feel bad for buffy and can't stop myself from laughing

Love your perspectives. 👍❤

Awesome review.

In my opinion, Willow is both at the same time, depending on which lens a viewer chooses. She's bisexual through the lens of previous intimate relationships with men and she's lesbian through the lens of compulsory heterosexuality. Whatever the case, you're totally correct in that, if Willow were an autonomous person, she's allowed to have a fluid sexuality and if she says she's gay now then that isn't invalidated by any past experience.