Buffy Season Two Episode Seven

[koganbot]

"OK, but do they really stick out?"

"What?"

"Sore thumbs. Do they stick out? I mean, have you ever seen a thumb and gone, 'Wow! That baby is sore!'?"

"You have too many thoughts."

Episode starts real shitty, then turns relatively good. Problem is the script's heavy-handed insistence that Buffy is jealous and doesn't trust Angel, and doesn't trust her own appeal, etc., and that Angel is also insecure and jealous, and there's new guy Ford to be jealous of, and Xander's jealous in his usual way, and the show gets mired in all this exposition.

The reason it feels like exposition is that the show has never sold us on Buffy's insecurities or on her* and Angel being anything but trustworthy, in relation to each other and to everybody else. Now, irl it would make sense that a 16-year-old who has mastery in one part of her life might feel plenty insecure in others, or that someone who has a basic nonnormal aspect to his being might wonder if anyone would really want to get close to him, even if he is strong and handsome. But as I said, the show has never sold us on this, so Xander is the only one whose jealousy believably emanates from his personality (since he does get overlooked and he really is vastly more interesting than sensitively morose hunkboy Angel; but Interesting isn't what Buffy needs).

But then the episode finds itself, thanks to a genuine mystery about who Ford is and what he wants, leading us to a hilarious goth club and its sweet young things, enamored of "vampires," i.e., the misunderstood "Lonely Ones," and wishing to join them. And here the show becomes deft and funny, rapidly suggesting in demeanor and dialogue all sorts of history and petty resentments among the goth kids, as if walking into their club were like walking into an office. And back in the vampire lair, it is amusing to watch Spike as he realizes he has to deal with dorkboy Ford rather than getting to dispatch him instantly. Poor Spike, always reliant on the none-too-competent help of inferiors.

Meanwhile, aboveground, Angel almost makes a joke about his moroseness, and the scriptwriters continue to tease us with how and when Willow is going to blossom.

Ford's got a sad story that is introduced near the end, with just enough time and emphasis to make us feel pathos, but not enough to descend into sap.

*Is it "her and Angel" or "she and Angel"? I suppose it could be "her and Angel's," but the possessive doesn't feel right (though it would be fine if I put "their," so what's my problem with "Angel's"?). But I'm not sure if she's acting as subject or being an object in that sentence. "On her" versus "she being"? I am the master of many things, but the present participle is not one of them.

Comments

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

the reason it's a puzzle is that "[verb]ing" can be a present participle (viz an adjective) or a gerund (viz a noun): and they often don't have enormously different signification

"i can't bear angel being morose" <-- being is an adj
"i can't bear angel's being morose" <-- being is an noun

both of these are fine grammatically, and the meaning distinction is nugatory -- the second it's the mood you're reacting against, not the person, except same diff in the circs -- so you end up making the choice on rhythm and stuff like that

also:
"i can't bear angel, being morose" <-- the morose one is you
"angel, being morose, is unbearable" <-- the morose one is angel
"angel's being morose is unbearable" <-- it's the mood that's unbearable not angel

you've double up the puzzlement with "her" bcz (as you say) it's not clear if it's a possessive her or the accusative of "she" -- either works! but you can pick Angel or Angel's or indeed "she")

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

and from memory this is a terrific, very funny episode