I was going to skim the transcript to see if I could find wacky insights about this episode (which I admit is not one I've rewatched very much) but it's late, and I figure I should comment on this post before the upcoming #36 maelstrom buries it! (Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to get the comic tomorrow; I'm out of town and there are no comic places overly near. :( ! )
So onto the ep: Buffy's need for a male protective figure, a father figure, is interesting and it's not something I'd connected with this episode. At this point, Buffy tentatively accepts Giles but doesn't seem to expect that she has much to learn from him; but Dr. Gregory hits the right notes. Maybe it's because Gregory is emphasizing Buffy-the-human (the great student she could be!) whereas Giles, at this point, treats her as The Slayer? And I like the observation about Maggie Walsh.
Angel-as-seducer: someone (I think Spring Summers) pointed out the parallel between Mrs. French and Angel here. Angel is the cool older guy, a demon, in a mentor position, which is made explicit with Mrs. French--teacher (and with gabs' IOHEFY poll out today I'm reminded it's not the only female teacher/male student coupling used in the show as an Angel/Buffy analogue), demon, seducer. French kills her men after one coupling, which is what happens with Angel & Buffy--after one sexual encounter, he tries to kill her and she succeeds in killing him. The flip where Buffy is the good one, and the one who ultimately succeeds in killing Angel, is interesting and complex and I have no idea where to start talking about that.
Great comparisons between Xander and Angel (and Blaine-the-Angel-analogue!). It's noteworthy that Xander's status as virginity contrasts with Angel's (we find out) rather extensive background.
Lastly I was thinking about the way you characterize this episode (in "The Witch") as the Introduction to Xander The Demon Magnet. I know you have also described this as one of Xander's defining traits (e.g. in showing how the Trio reflect the Scoobies, via Andrew's demon magnet-ness). Xander's demon magnet-ness struck me as mostly a joke while the show was on. But I'm wondering if you think there's a more significant function it serves? Certainly his biggest romantic relationship in the series is with Anya, and his arc wrapped up in that. So if it's important that he's the demon magnet (so much so that the episode that first gives him close study points toward that), then why?
Off the top of my head (and these are not necessarily all entirely true):
1) Xander is ATTRACTIVE to demons, because he is the damsel in the show, as well as the primary representation of "ordinary humanity" which the demons are expected to prey upon;
2) Xander is ATTRACTED to demons because he himself has figurative demons--centred primarily around feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy due to his gender issues, his feelings of mediocirty and his terrible home life (played out in full with Xander & Anya); and
3) Xander is ATTRACTED to demons because (within the show's meta-structure especially) he is attracted, both sexually but more importantly abstractly, to Buffy and her power--and the demonic side to Buffy is the side that he can't deal with consciously, so it gets dealt with through demonic Buffy analogues (most obviously Inca Mummy Girl).
4) Xander is a demon magnet because this story is a foil and contrast to Buffy being a vamp magnet; Buffy is herself drawn to vampires even as she slays them, and her central romantic stories are with Angel and Spike. Xander & Anya plays out some of the same material as B/A and B/S (and B/R) but more under-the-surface, until Hell's Bells and Anya re-demonizes.
Is there more? Is there a deeper function, or a modification of the above that works? I think it's an interesting question. I have a feeling that Teacher's Pet will not itself hold the answer, the way The Witch (in some respects) implied so much about Willow's story. Maybe I'm overlooking something interesting here. At any rate, I'm looking forward to tracking this as the show develops.
no subject
So onto the ep: Buffy's need for a male protective figure, a father figure, is interesting and it's not something I'd connected with this episode. At this point, Buffy tentatively accepts Giles but doesn't seem to expect that she has much to learn from him; but Dr. Gregory hits the right notes. Maybe it's because Gregory is emphasizing Buffy-the-human (the great student she could be!) whereas Giles, at this point, treats her as The Slayer? And I like the observation about Maggie Walsh.
Angel-as-seducer: someone (I think Spring Summers) pointed out the parallel between Mrs. French and Angel here. Angel is the cool older guy, a demon, in a mentor position, which is made explicit with Mrs. French--teacher (and with gabs' IOHEFY poll out today I'm reminded it's not the only female teacher/male student coupling used in the show as an Angel/Buffy analogue), demon, seducer. French kills her men after one coupling, which is what happens with Angel & Buffy--after one sexual encounter, he tries to kill her and she succeeds in killing him. The flip where Buffy is the good one, and the one who ultimately succeeds in killing Angel, is interesting and complex and I have no idea where to start talking about that.
Great comparisons between Xander and Angel (and Blaine-the-Angel-analogue!). It's noteworthy that Xander's status as virginity contrasts with Angel's (we find out) rather extensive background.
Lastly I was thinking about the way you characterize this episode (in "The Witch") as the Introduction to Xander The Demon Magnet. I know you have also described this as one of Xander's defining traits (e.g. in showing how the Trio reflect the Scoobies, via Andrew's demon magnet-ness). Xander's demon magnet-ness struck me as mostly a joke while the show was on. But I'm wondering if you think there's a more significant function it serves? Certainly his biggest romantic relationship in the series is with Anya, and his arc wrapped up in that. So if it's important that he's the demon magnet (so much so that the episode that first gives him close study points toward that), then why?
Off the top of my head (and these are not necessarily all entirely true):
1) Xander is ATTRACTIVE to demons, because he is the damsel in the show, as well as the primary representation of "ordinary humanity" which the demons are expected to prey upon;
2) Xander is ATTRACTED to demons because he himself has figurative demons--centred primarily around feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy due to his gender issues, his feelings of mediocirty and his terrible home life (played out in full with Xander & Anya); and
3) Xander is ATTRACTED to demons because (within the show's meta-structure especially) he is attracted, both sexually but more importantly abstractly, to Buffy and her power--and the demonic side to Buffy is the side that he can't deal with consciously, so it gets dealt with through demonic Buffy analogues (most obviously Inca Mummy Girl).
4) Xander is a demon magnet because this story is a foil and contrast to Buffy being a vamp magnet; Buffy is herself drawn to vampires even as she slays them, and her central romantic stories are with Angel and Spike. Xander & Anya plays out some of the same material as B/A and B/S (and B/R) but more under-the-surface, until Hell's Bells and Anya re-demonizes.
Is there more? Is there a deeper function, or a modification of the above that works? I think it's an interesting question. I have a feeling that Teacher's Pet will not itself hold the answer, the way The Witch (in some respects) implied so much about Willow's story. Maybe I'm overlooking something interesting here. At any rate, I'm looking forward to tracking this as the show develops.