Watching the early seasons, I'm always kind of intrigued that Xander has so much to say in English class, compared with the sometimes cartoonishly oafish guy he's played as later on. It's a great peek at his "one who sees everything" status - if Xander can be convinced that it's worthwhile or relatively risk-free to do something, he's actually a pretty good observer and interpreter of people and structures. He isn't stupid, he just crumbles under intellectual pressure.
As for Cordelia, this is the episode that makes it harder for me to get on board with Cordelia's later "I think it, I say it" stance. Without it I could buy that she is just vapid until she grows up a bit. If she's bright and empathetic, she knows exactly what she's putting people through. Even if she did love being popular, she's rich and pretty and her competition is Harmony. That's not vapidity or honesty or self-preservation, it's sadism. It's a disservice to write that off. She eventually becomes admirable, but I really dislike the idea that bullying is a result of honesty, because it doesn't have to be.
Like, stomping all over Buffy's May Queen history? Cordelia knows Buffy is cool, because she's the first one who tried to befriend Buffy when she moved to Sunnydale, and Buffy passed all her trend-girl tests with flying colors. Shoving something inconvenient out of mind (SEE WHAT I DID THERE??) isn't exactly honest. Cf Spike/William both pre-and post-vamping, whose actual honesty leads to him getting picked on and rejected and second-best with Dru, whether it manifests as poetry or fists-and-fangs brawling; he doesn't become a hero, or even a well-liked guy, until well after he's learned to bluff - and even then, he can't not notice enough to put together the truth.
If anything I kinda lose sympathy for her here - just because she gets attacked, like everyone else in Sunnydale has and usually without Buffy babysitting them, doesn't make her blameless or likable either. I very much dislike the idea of violent attack as redemption anyway, and my low opinion of her at this point aside, I'm not sure being a Mean Girl requires redemption. A little maturity and repentance, sure, but not this.
the latest page in the comics devoted to Angel portrays him as Captain Hammer
This cracks me up. I kind of think Angel has always been Captain Hammer. The stakepretentious weapon collectioncar hammer is his penis.
I can never take the main plot quite seriously. Clea DuVall has such a distinctive voice, Marci is just always that girl from But I'm a Cheerleader to me.
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Date: 2010-09-27 06:37 am (UTC)As for Cordelia, this is the episode that makes it harder for me to get on board with Cordelia's later "I think it, I say it" stance. Without it I could buy that she is just vapid until she grows up a bit. If she's bright and empathetic, she knows exactly what she's putting people through. Even if she did love being popular, she's rich and pretty and her competition is Harmony. That's not vapidity or honesty or self-preservation, it's sadism. It's a disservice to write that off. She eventually becomes admirable, but I really dislike the idea that bullying is a result of honesty, because it doesn't have to be.
Like, stomping all over Buffy's May Queen history? Cordelia knows Buffy is cool, because she's the first one who tried to befriend Buffy when she moved to Sunnydale, and Buffy passed all her trend-girl tests with flying colors. Shoving something inconvenient out of mind (SEE WHAT I DID THERE??) isn't exactly honest. Cf Spike/William both pre-and post-vamping, whose actual honesty leads to him getting picked on and rejected and second-best with Dru, whether it manifests as poetry or fists-and-fangs brawling; he doesn't become a hero, or even a well-liked guy, until well after he's learned to bluff - and even then, he can't not notice enough to put together the truth.
If anything I kinda lose sympathy for her here - just because she gets attacked, like everyone else in Sunnydale has and usually without Buffy babysitting them, doesn't make her blameless or likable either. I very much dislike the idea of violent attack as redemption anyway, and my low opinion of her at this point aside, I'm not sure being a Mean Girl requires redemption. A little maturity and repentance, sure, but not this.
the latest page in the comics devoted to Angel portrays him as Captain Hammer
This cracks me up. I kind of think Angel has always been Captain Hammer. The
stakepretentious weapon collectioncarhammer is his penis.I can never take the main plot quite seriously. Clea DuVall has such a distinctive voice, Marci is just always that girl from But I'm a Cheerleader to me.