Eve of Destruction

[thedeadlyhook]

Generally resting up today - ankle slowly getting better, but not enough for long hikes through the park yet, even if the weather wasn't rainy crap anyway. So, sitting about, reading books, pondering what to cook for dinner. FX keeps playing previews for that Brendan Fraser movie Bedazzled, in which Elizabeth Hurley is the devil. Cute film, and with an actually coherent vision of the afterlife. Huzzah!

FX playing Buffy rerun "Bring on the Night," an episode which never ceases to amaze me on the following points a) the way everyone seems content to sit around for the bulk of the ep exchanging funny glances while Buffy talks about "rescuing" Spike b) Willow's magic coke-snorting scene in which The First tosses the Scoobies around the living room (gee, guess Buffy and the writers had forgotten all about that little hazard by "Get it Done") c) The First's not-exactly-logical persuasion toolkit for getting Spike to "choose a side" (beating and... more beating! You want to hang with us bad guys, right? this is fun, right? how about some more beating? and try some drowning too, although you're a vampire and don't need to breathe, whathfu-?), d) the pointless inclusion of Joyce, e) the pointless inclusion of Weirdly Chillly Giles, and f) the UberVamp. Like, we saw Buffy kick a hellgod's butt and she's getting her clock cleaned by a guy in a latex suit and elf booties? One new observation however - The First's rep in this episode is a Slayer candidate named "Eve." Hm.

I'd note also that the B/S undercurrents were probably never stronger than in this and its partner ep, "Showtime." Given where the series left off with that 'ship, no idea what to make of that. When the chips are down, she likes having him around, I guess. Does any of this still relate to current AtS plotlines? Dunno, except Spike sucks up a lot of torture in it. Strictly on the torture-meter, especially given "Damage" and the like, Angel's falling behind fast. Not sure what percentage that gets you in the AtS worldview.

Looking to update the Just Stake Me site. Especially now that Angel will be winding down, I feel the need for completeness. Need to finish up my episode reviews there, and compile a lot of my AtS thoughts into lucid reviews. Might undertake a redesign as well - the black background is starting to bother me, for some reason. Might turn over a new look in classic white. Hm. Contemplating pruning the guestbook, since it's mostly filled with random messages and even a suspiciously spamlike post, but having a hard time finding the heart to do it. Somehow, reading messages like "I have hotmail!!!!!!!! I rule the world!!!!! We are up and running!!!!!!!!!!" cheers me up, even though it has dickall to do with the site. Ain't the Internet fun?

Comments

[glassslipper.livejournal.com]

I'd note also that the B/S undercurrents were probably never stronger than in this and its partner ep, "Showtime."

Yeah. Whenever I'm in the right mood, I like to watch the group of three (Never Leave Me, Bring on the Night, and Showtime) and soak up the Spuffy vibe. Just those three are a great arc for it.

As far as current AtS plotlines (insofar as there are any ::muffled sob for end of AtS::) they still fail to really address the fact that either Buffy or Spike would make contact, were it real. In these episodes, and at the end, Buffy felt a real connection to Spike. To believe she could now just forget him is to believe in a Buffy that is less than many people want her to be (although myself, I'm not sure she's all that great, at least not all the time). Certainly she wasn't always particularly good to Spike, although she became quite loyal to him in season 7.

I am wavering a bit on this, maybe they wouldn't make contact, maybe they would both just dance around it for so long that they start to feel silly about it, and then let too much time go by. Nah. Buffy would come see Spike, or at least call, and maybe they'd have a misunderstanding, a silly fight, something, but not nothing.

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[nazlan.livejournal.com]

Sigh. I guess my heart is cold and black, because I can't stand those three episodes because of the Spuffy. In fact, that's one of the (many) things I dislike about Season 7. For me, Spuffy died on the bathroom floor in Seeing Red. I don't say this because I bought into "Spike's BAD and EVIL" line, but seeing how mutually destructive that relationship turned out, I couldn't get behind it again. Spuffy killed what I loved best about both characters: Buffy became heartless, and Spike became a whipped follower. Granted, this is entirely my opinion, and I know there are many who are Spuffistas to the bitter end, but the attempts in Season 7 to put Buffy and Spike back together in any romantic sense left a bad taste in my mouth.

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[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of both minds at once, if that's possible. Maybe it's because I could relate to the way Spike was trying so hard to better himself or sake, but knowing how it turned out.. yeah, problems there. Buffy never really redeemed herself for me after S6. She became a horrible bitch, and never really got better. I can't really watch S7 without an overwhelming sense of how lame that character had become, how little moral high ground she really had. Her neither-here-nor-there epiphany about her relationships was pretty much the last straw in that regard. Not even as much courage in her as the gay couples who got married this Valentine's here in SF.

So, I dunno... I can still tolerate Spuffy, I can only believe it with enough angst stirred in to make it seem realistic. Way too many issues left to work out there.

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[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

maybe they wouldn't make contact, maybe they would both just dance around it for so long that they start to feel silly about it, and then let too much time go by.

I thought your Valentine's fic represented this state of mind very well, particularly from Spike's point of view. And it's about the only take that makes sense to me as a viewer at this juncture, since I remain completely at a loss to define exactly what Buffy was supposed to be feeling in "Chosen" (and I'm pretty sure that was intentional - Joss hedging his bets to satisfy both B/A and B/S camps). I guess that's why the idea of resolving the situation either one way or the other on the show makes me cringe these days, even if that means we have to make our own closure. I just feel sorry for both Spike and Angel at this point. Poor babies! (hugs them)

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[glassslipper.livejournal.com]

Thanks (and here I am pimping my Spuffy fic again!) Yeah, Spike has got to have a bit of a clue, with a little distance between him and the situation. But I do so love having them together, or really, Spike with anyone if they could make it feel real (which now there won't be much time for, sadly).

and I'm pretty sure that was intentional - Joss hedging his bets to satisfy both B/A and B/S camps

I agree completely. Otherwise it was just wishy-washy.

I haven't read much of the recent commentary on the ending, but I certainly hope they don't try to resolve the B/A or B/S issues. Hard to see how, given SMG not being on the show. And why end it by angering a whole segment of fans? Hopefully Joss can come up with something more imaginative, inspiring, or at least not divisive!!

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[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

And why end it by angering a whole segment of fans?

I'd almost rather be angry be angry than feel quite so... I dunno, patronized, which is how "Chosen" made me feel. The way they decided to play the 'ships as a choose-your-own-adventure just made everyone involved look lame, Buffy most of all. That being the case, I think avoiding the topic completely might be the best available option.

There's a weird part of me that almost wants to see Spike get back together with Harmony and treat her nice this time.

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[glassslipper.livejournal.com]

OK, guess I'm still not signing off. Yeah, patronized is a good word. The cookie dough speech was just too stupid. And I just don't believe she would kiss Angel. She's seen him lots of times before (well, at least a few) and didn't kiss him, not even after her mother died (when indulging in some cuddles would have been understandable).

I like the idea of Spike/Harmony at times, but they'd have to make some kind of allowance for her not having a soul, work that into the mix better. And Spike really doesn't treat her well, he'd have to make some serious inroads into viewing her as a person, not just a little pack of mentholated smokes (or whatever that hilarious line was).

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[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

And I just don't believe she would kiss Angel.

Me either. It just made her look... cheap, I guess. Look, watch me slobber over my high school boyfriend! In my experience, a person usually has to be drunk to do that.

I kinda like the idea of Harmony not having a soul. But then again, I'm one of those people who found Spike pretty acceptable without one. The real issue would be his treatment of her, like you said. If he could learn to be the perfect boyfriend to Harmony, then he really would be a saint, wouldn't he? ; )

I'm not serious. I just like Harmony. She deserves some twu wuv too, dammit!

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[liliaeth]

Which is why I want to see Harmony with Angel, they're soo perfect for one another.

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[glassslipper.livejournal.com]

I like Harm too, I admit. And I agree -- Spike without a soul was a pretty good guy, when he cared to be. Kind of like real people are -- you can choose to be evil, or to treat people well, and sometimes you do have to put some effort into it, that's just the way life goes. This is a little too simplistic, given that vampires want to eat people, and clearly Spike had the chip to help him out, but I think that if he had had the chip removed in season 6 he could have chosen not to kill, if he wanted to.

Which was something that didn't fit too well with the "Angelus is pure evil" bit, and always (to me, and I am clearly biased) indicated a real difference between Angel and Spike.