What perfect timing in posting this, s5 is going to start up on reruns on TNT on Monday. So now I'll have this to think about when I re-watch it all.
I pretty much totally agree with your thoughts on Fred. She annoyed me all through s3. And then pretty much amazed me in s4, especially at the beginning. Her zapping Connor with the "You're gonna pay for what you did to your father!" is one of my favorite moments. And I loved in Ground State when she yells at Charles for dying and leaving her all alone cause it shows how even though she's becoming stronger as a person, it is still taking a toll on her cause she's only human. And I thought it was interesting that they chose her to be the first one on her own in the Jasmine arc. And then s5 came and Fred was just a pair of legs for the guys to look at and completely ruined her character. I thought Illyria was uber cool, lol. I wish we could have had s6, just for more Illyria. I think she could almost fit into the storyline. When Wes first shows up, on Btvs, as the new watcher, he is like the complete opposite of the Wes we know, you would hardly even recognize him. But he fails in his watcher duties as Faith goes off with the Mayor and Buffy quits the Council. Then you have Faith returning on Ats s1 where she tortures him, etc. Finally in s4, Faith comes back and they finally work as a team, but it's definitely not in a slayer/watcher dynamic, with maybe the exception of when he taunts her to get her ready for Angelus. And possibly, his relationship with Lilah was really partly him trying to save her from herself, from W&H. And then Illyria shows up. Clueless, pretty much powerless. After Wes sort of recovers from Fred dying in his arms, we see him take her under his wing, mainly cause neither one really has a place to go. But then in the end we get a weird mix. Illyria is no longer the emotionless god-king and I don't think Wes dislikes her as much as we're lead to believe. I think he wants to, but he can't. He guides her and in the lead, when he goes out fighting, she's there comfort him and then avenge his death. So in the end, he finally had a girl to guide and he succeeded.
I guess in the end, I always saw s5 as a very LotR-like view. Taking on the dragon seems a lot like the diversion at the Black Gate in RotK. Hope in the face of overwhelming odds? Doing what is right because that's what you have to do even if you die trying? ::shrugs:: I don't know, blame too much Tolkien if you will, but that's what I got out of it.
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Date: 2004-09-23 05:07 pm (UTC)I pretty much totally agree with your thoughts on Fred. She annoyed me all through s3. And then pretty much amazed me in s4, especially at the beginning. Her zapping Connor with the "You're gonna pay for what you did to your father!" is one of my favorite moments. And I loved in Ground State when she yells at Charles for dying and leaving her all alone cause it shows how even though she's becoming stronger as a person, it is still taking a toll on her cause she's only human. And I thought it was interesting that they chose her to be the first one on her own in the Jasmine arc. And then s5 came and Fred was just a pair of legs for the guys to look at and completely ruined her character. I thought Illyria was uber cool, lol. I wish we could have had s6, just for more Illyria. I think she could almost fit into the storyline.
When Wes first shows up, on Btvs, as the new watcher, he is like the complete opposite of the Wes we know, you would hardly even recognize him. But he fails in his watcher duties as Faith goes off with the Mayor and Buffy quits the Council. Then you have Faith returning on Ats s1 where she tortures him, etc. Finally in s4, Faith comes back and they finally work as a team, but it's definitely not in a slayer/watcher dynamic, with maybe the exception of when he taunts her to get her ready for Angelus. And possibly, his relationship with Lilah was really partly him trying to save her from herself, from W&H.
And then Illyria shows up. Clueless, pretty much powerless. After Wes sort of recovers from Fred dying in his arms, we see him take her under his wing, mainly cause neither one really has a place to go. But then in the end we get a weird mix. Illyria is no longer the emotionless god-king and I don't think Wes dislikes her as much as we're lead to believe. I think he wants to, but he can't. He guides her and in the lead, when he goes out fighting, she's there comfort him and then avenge his death. So in the end, he finally had a girl to guide and he succeeded.
I guess in the end, I always saw s5 as a very LotR-like view. Taking on the dragon seems a lot like the diversion at the Black Gate in RotK. Hope in the face of overwhelming odds? Doing what is right because that's what you have to do even if you die trying? ::shrugs:: I don't know, blame too much Tolkien if you will, but that's what I got out of it.