The Girl in Question

[jetpack_monkey_ljarchive]

GREAT episode. Fabulous. They took the fact that they couldn't get SMG and they turned into a massive strength. The episode wasn't about "resolving Buffy" - it was about resolving Spike and Angel.

People move on. It's what they do. The healthy thing to do after a relationship ends, given a certain amount of time for mourning, is to move the fuck on. You never forget what the old relationship gave you, in terms of both joy and pain, but you have to get on with your life.

Buffy Summers, a 23 year old woman, moved on. Let's face it - this isn't the first time. Riley was a major moving on thing. After Season Six, she moved on from her destructive relationship with Spike, and was even able to afford him forgiveness for his awful actions in Seeing Red, and yes, love. Sure, there's still some feelings there for both men, but that's just human nature.

Spike, at over a hundred years old, and Angel, at just this side of 250, haven't moved on. They find themselves incapable of doing so. And because of that, their emotions regarding Buffy have long shifted from reasonable to a self-centered need to have something they cannot. Even Spike, who begrudgingly accepts that she might never love him, seems wrapped up in his own Buffy issues, rather than an actual love of Buffy. Because if they loved Buffy, really loved her? They would have moved on a long time ago.

So, this episode then brought this lack of motion into sharp relief. You didn't need Buffy because it wasn't about her. Angel and Spike's emotions weren't about her, not really. They were about themselves, and, in a competitive sense, each other. It didn't help that the guy that took her was their arch-nemesis from way back when ("Those were MY nuns!").

The episode itself was funny as hell. "Ciao!" "Have you read his book?" "...which I'm told he's climbed several times." "Gypsies! Filthy things! (spits) We will speak of them *no* more!" Angel's whole anguished cookie dough thing. The fact that Boreanaz has gotten so puffy that Mutant Enemy will no longer allow him to appear shirtless (thank god). The fact that Marsters is still hot enough to appear shirtless (thank god). "Concurrently." "You never let us do that."

The fact of the matter is that Spike/Angel is still the most interesting and funniest non-romantic 'ship in the Whedonverse (and yes, laden with Hoyay). And Marsters tends to make Boreanaz a better actor, I think just because they have good chemistry and DB brings up his game a bit. So an episode of, essentially, nothing but Spangel goodness? Rockth.

I will admit the placement is a bit awkward (three episodes left and all of that) - but I get the feeling that this episode was intended for February (especially since 1943/Why We Fight seemed awfully fillertastic for Sweeps) and that they held off on doing it until they were sure they couldn't get SMG. Which is ridiculous, of course, because Sarah was not only not necessary, but I'm almost positive she would've had a negative impact on the episode.

At this point, I'm pretty giddy. I've been saying since "Buffy" ended that it would make a lot more dramatic sense for the character if she ended up with neither Angel or Spike - but somebody new and interesting. I'm not saying that's The Immortal - I get the impression that he's something of a "Summertime"-like fling (minus the whole aging spinster angle) - but it could be somebody we haven't met at all... Or maybe she just figures this chica's doin' it for herself. In any case, it would be really ridiculous to presume that she'd go back to old relationships just because they're the ones that did work at one time in her life - that way rarely leads to goodness.

Comments

[qkellie.livejournal.com]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure you could have. You just haven't yet. ;)

[qkellie.livejournal.com]

Nah, you know what I'll probably do instead? Just take up _jealousy_'s challenge to write a Spike tax evasion fic. ;)

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

Seems like everybody's either challenging or writing it. Hee.

[airawyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah. What you said. :)

But, yeah. Very funny ep, placement a bit off, but what can you do. I figured they wouldn't put Buffy with either one of them, but it's good to see it confirmed.

And the Spike/Angel. When I first heard that Spike was going to be on Angel, I was hoping we'd get a lot of Spike-Angel interaction, and not just in the hoyay! sense (though that's good, too). They play off each other really well.

Ok, just kind of rambling on, now. Yay Spangel! :)

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

Yay ramble!

[cyperian.livejournal.com]

I enjoy this interpretation of the episode. It shines new light on a part I hadn't really thought to consider. However, I would have liked to see resolution... I mean Buffy never knowing Spike is alive? She may have moved on, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't care. Besides, she and Angel have vicarious interaction between the psycho!slayer and other things like it. It just doesn't make sense that they'd never come across each other in life again. It is healthy that Spike and Angel are now more or less moving on, but many people need closure in order to do that. There is nothing but loose ends here, and while that is life, and things are rarely tied up neatly, I for one would have liked to see a Spike/Buffy reunion. Not to see them get together necessarily, but at least a recognition. Le sigh. But you brought up many excellent points, and I think you already know them. So I don't feel the need to list them off for you to re-read. ^_~ Excellent review.

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

Meh. A Buffy/Spike reunion would be complicated, and require too much emotional presence from a character whose show this isn't. I remember SMG's S1 appearances on Angel and how jarring I Will Remember You was - Sarah's energy, her general emotional delivery... it just didn't fit in with the feel of the show, and I imagine it would be even less applicable now (she was better in Sanctuary where her part was briefer and more organic to the show - but she still felt off).

So, I'm happy that whatever resolution those two get happens off-screen. Even if there was an Angel S6, that should probably run like Angel and Buffy's meeting just before Fredless and Life Serial. I'm more Spuffy than I am Bangel, but that's only speaking in proximity of time - that relationship has a better chance because it's fresher, but in all honesty, I can't see either working.

And I agree that she'd care. And she'd be pissed the fuck off. "Hello, Buffy. Sorry 'bout that whole not-tellin'-you-'bout-my-resurrection bit." "You ASSHOLE!" Because, let's face it - he IS being an asshole. He's denying information that Buffy would need in order to make informed choices about her life - and for what reason? So he can still be viewed as some kind of glorious hero? Yes, Spike fucked up. And he'll have to pay. And that? Is what fanfic is for.