Another amazing episode, this time thanks to Xander and Spike?! Marti does well when the episode revolves around real world relationship stuff, and issues that a strong parallel can be drawn with Buffyverse material, usually having to do with addiction or mental problems, and this episode is nothing but those, and it comes through really strong. It's also another episode that feels like a season finale.
I, however, still don't like what this season,and partly last season have done to Buffy's character. Riley and Dawn, and the irrational and idiotic decision to have Giles retire have taken a chunk out of the dynamic that supports Buffy as a character, and it doesn't make sense that she should always know what to do, like characters in several episodes have said.
She's not strategist or even a tactician. She could become one, but the show hasn't done the work to develop her into that. She's essentially a one-girl-army skirmisher. She fights alone, with a support team, and sometimes alongside her support team, but they tried to pretend like she could take over the role as her own watcher? That doesn't make any sense. For taking out vampire nests-- sure, she's more than fit -- but apocalyptic threats and demons, most with unknown properties? That's half of the point of a watcher. It's like they're setting her up to be a young unwed mother with the forced adulthood with inadequate experience, knowledge, or resources. Did the showrunners start to hate Buffy or something?
Review by LNeroBlockedParent2022-06-06T06:19:38Z
Another amazing episode, this time thanks to Xander and Spike?! Marti does well when the episode revolves around real world relationship stuff, and issues that a strong parallel can be drawn with Buffyverse material, usually having to do with addiction or mental problems, and this episode is nothing but those, and it comes through really strong. It's also another episode that feels like a season finale.
I, however, still don't like what this season,and partly last season have done to Buffy's character. Riley and Dawn, and the irrational and idiotic decision to have Giles retire have taken a chunk out of the dynamic that supports Buffy as a character, and it doesn't make sense that she should always know what to do, like characters in several episodes have said.
She's not strategist or even a tactician. She could become one, but the show hasn't done the work to develop her into that. She's essentially a one-girl-army skirmisher. She fights alone, with a support team, and sometimes alongside her support team, but they tried to pretend like she could take over the role as her own watcher? That doesn't make any sense. For taking out vampire nests-- sure, she's more than fit -- but apocalyptic threats and demons, most with unknown properties? That's half of the point of a watcher. It's like they're setting her up to be a young unwed mother with the forced adulthood with inadequate experience, knowledge, or resources. Did the showrunners start to hate Buffy or something?