Comments on: Vampires are vampires. And my job description is pretty clear

By: 30 Days of Buffy: Day 12Let's Fold Scarves | Let's Fold Scarves

30 Days of Buffy: Day 12Let's Fold Scarves | Let's Fold Scarves — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:44:58 +0000

[...] July 2010 by Hazel Day 12: Least Favourite Episode“Dead Man’s Party” or “Into the Woods” are the episodes that I always think are my least favourite. Certainly my reaction to them [...]

By: 30 Days of Buffy: Day 7Let's Fold Scarves | Let's Fold Scarves

30 Days of Buffy: Day 7Let's Fold Scarves | Let's Fold Scarves — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:09:29 +0000

[...] was the nadir that was "Into the Woods" which is an episode that I dislike so much that my rant about it almost embarrasses [...]

By: Hazel

Hazel — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:05:07 +0000

Alissa (ap, right?): that is a really interesting take on Xander's behaviour and it does make sense. I still don't like his attitude though. Stephanie: that is rather clever dialogue (Marti can write that well). I can imagine Bible study invoking a few "oh gods".

By: Alissa

Alissa — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:53:25 +0000

Enjoying your commentary, as always. Here's a perspective on self-righteous Xander. Maybe he's not self-righteous. Maybe he's still in love with Buffy. He wants so badly to BE Riley that he puts himself in Riley's shoes, and at that point, he has to want her to love him. Xander doesn't give a hoot about Riley - he wants his beloved Buffy to be the kind of girl who can love a normal guy, thus leaving hope for Buffy to love him. He'll never be over her.

By: stephanie b

stephanie b — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:11:44 +0000

There are hints of them bonding. They roughhouse at the beginning of "Family" (which I think you meant) and they share a moment at the end of "The Replacement" when Riley tells Xander that he knows Buffy doesn't love him. But you're right -- the writers never suggested that Xander liked Riley enough to stage the elaborate intervention that he attempts in this episode. And Xander does not have a great track record of liking Buffy's love interests. A bit of dialogue that I like from this episode:

Buffy: And I'm sure [Riley]'ll come over later looking for a little...Bible study. Joyce: Well, good. I mean just as long as two of you are spending some quality time with...the Lord.

So that's what young folks are calling it these days...

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:52:57 +0000

You know what (else) bothers me about this (and the opening of Triangle) is at what point did Xander and Riley become so chummy that Xander cared so much about HIM (and it does seem to be a care of Riley rather than a care of Buffy). Thinking about it now, friendship beyond the primary characters is something that doesn't seem to be treated seriously (maybe it's too complicated to introduce this added layer of relationship) - I think maybe if we'd seen Xander and Riley building a friendship then Xander's intervention may have been more effective.

But without that it's just annoying, inappropriate and wrong.

By: Hazel

Hazel — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 23:04:58 +0000

Wesley. Okay, maybe not in the credits major but still important to the Buffyverse. If you care enough to look, this is how much I disliked Dead Man's Party.

By: stephanie b

stephanie b — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:21:03 +0000

OK, I've been thinking really hard, but I'm still puzzled. Who is the fourth male character to leave? Angel, Oz, Riley, and...? Are you including Giles in this count even though he leaves later on?

And I meant to say before, who makes plastic, wood grain stakes? Riley should have beat him up or killed him instead of that stupid mislead. Noxon was just desperate for an act break.

By: stephanie b

stephanie b — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:53:31 +0000

Post-season three I have no use for Marti Noxon. I even have little use for her during two of her season three scripts ("Dead Man's Party" and "Beauty and the Beasts"). While I don't find "New Moon Rising" that incoherent, "Wild at Heart" is nearly ruined (thank god for Alyson Hannigan) by the trademark Noxon disjointedness. The woman can go from zero to maudlin in under 10 seconds. See, I'm incensed by the Buffy-Riley ultimatum scene and only confused by the scene with Xander. While I actually don't blame Riley for leaving Buffy, he is being a selfish, hypocritical prick about it. Yes, Buffy did cut herself off emotionally, but hello! she was dealing with a sick mother. Riley does the same thing and starts visiting vampire prostitutes, but Buffy is expected to forgive him? Whatever. Xander's speech...I have no idea where that comes from. While he seems to like Riley, his displaying that much support for a love interest of Buffy occurs to me as wildly out of character. I tend to think that he is projecting a lot of what he thinks about himself and his affection for Buffy onto Riley. And as sweet as Nick Brendon is in that last scene with Anya, I just don't buy it. I think that Xander believes what he is saying, but I could never see Xander and Anya's relationship as anything very serious.