Giles in Season 3

[psychoadept]

Apologies for the delay on this and Giles in Season 4. I decided I was going to write this one two days before Season 4 was due, and it took me longer than I expected to complete. Unfortunately, Season 4 will be delayed a bit more yet due to the fact my computer has to be sent off for repairs, but I will get it done as soon as the computer comes

Comments

[nikitangel]

Very interesting analysis. Thanks!

[psychoadept]

You're welcome. :)

[psychoadept]

Thanks! *blushes*

[tweedisgood]

Have to say, I take issue with your use of the word "maliciously" in reference to either Helpless or LMPTM. Where's the "malice", meaning hatred, bitterness, rancour? The deception was conscious, was deliberate (for reasons he thought acceptable at the time, rightly or wrongly), but was definitely NOT "malicious"...

But then IMO in s 3 especially there is far more fault on the other side of the equation. Buffy hid Angel not out of any consideration for Giles' feelings, which she seemed to have little interest in until it was rubbed in her face. That whole scene in Beauty and the Beasts where she invites Giles to share her dream that Angel might return was unsurpisingly (we're talking teengager here, Slayer or no), but also stingingly callous in its lack of sympathy/imagination for how he must be feeling at the prospect. On a meta level, check out ASH's face during that scene - turn the sound off, even. Damn good acting...

[psychoadept]

Well, I guess by maliciously I mean that he does so with the full knowledge that his actions are not necessarily in *her* best interests, not that he has any desire to do real damage. In the case of Helpless, he sees it as a necessary evil forced on him by the Council, and in LMPTM he believes that Buffy isn't thinking clearly and chooses to work around her, and in both cases she is justifiably angry with him. I'm look at those instances in contrast to, say, The Dark Age, where he tries to hide what's going on from her out of his own shame and a misguided attempt to protect her and the others.

I whole-heartedly agree with you about the conversation in Beauty and the Beasts, which I actually wrote a couple of paragraphs on that didn't make into the final draft. She hid Angel because she didn't want to have to deal with Giles getting upset, not because she wanted to protect his feelings. I should probably clarify that.

[tweedisgood]

Well, I guess by maliciously I mean that he does so with the full knowledge that his actions are not necessarily in *her* best interests, not that he has any desire to do real damage.

But that is what "malicious" means: the deliberate desire to do damage, hence my problem with the term. Also, in LMPTM I think he honestly believes his actions ARE in her best interests, albeit she does not agree. I differ from you in thinking her behaviour towards him after that is UNjustified (not the immediate snit, which was petty but spur-of-the-moment understandable: the childish, snotty and rude snubbing/insulting of him for several eps afterward, contrasted with his amazing forbearance with her over the Angel and disappearing act issues in s2-3). I wanted to shake her, and ended up seriously disliking her as a person by the end of s7, hero or no. But YYMV.

[tweedisgood]

I meant YMMV, of course.

Dyslexic fingers ;-)

[lostgirlslair]

Wonderfully done! (I can use it at Watcher Love, Yes? Please? :-D )

One bit I wanted to comment on:

This is one of those unfortunate places where canon contradicts itself. In “The Dark Age,” Giles tells Buffy that his rebellious phase began at age 21, meaning that as a teenager he was still a studious young Watcher-to-be. The contradiction is fairly easily resolved by a loose interpretation of events.

You know, I'd never seen it as a contradiction. Giles says that he left Oxford at 21, but I never took that to mean his rebellious period began then and I'd assumed that the 'Ripper' in 'The Dark Age' was a pre-magic, pre-Ethan-and-the-gang Ripper, if that makes any sense, which was why he didn't just stay in and teach Joyce some fun spells.

Thanks so much for writing this, sweetie!

[psychoadept]

Of course you can use it. And interesting point. I guess somehow I've always taken his leaving Oxford as a fairly sudden change, like he just kind of snapped one night, but there's nothing in canon to say one way or another.

[lostgirlslair]

Thank you! Exactly. ::sigh:: I wish there had been more about Giles and his history in cannon. While it's fun to be able to make thins up, I would have loved to have seen him given more screen time.

[singer_d]

Thanks for writing this, I enjoyed it.

[psychoadept]

You're welcome.