December 2002 posts
Xander
Harris - damsel, sidekick, comic relief. Part I &II(spoilers
Btvs 7.9, Ats season3) -- shadowkat, 19:17:18 12/16/02
Mon
Xander Harris ñ the damsel, the sidekick, and the comic
relief (spoilers to Btvs 7.9 & Season 3Ats)
First off what do I mean by damsel? The dictionary defines it
as a young woman or girl, a maiden. But in the horror genre and
action films ñ the damsel is the person who is in trouble,
the person fleeing from the villains or trapped in the tower waiting
to be saved. In most classic fairy tales the damsel is Rapunzel
trapped in the tower, Cinderella stuck doing horrible chores for
the evil stepmother, Sleeping Beauty sleeping her life away, or
Snow White stuck in a coma = all without exception waiting for
the handsome wealthy prince to save them. Hans Christian Anderson
is one of the few who created fairy tales where the girl saves
the guy and the prince is the damsel ñ The Little Mermaid,
where she literally sacrifices herself for him and The Snow Queen
where she goes on a lengthy quest to rescue him from the ice that
has frozen his heart.
Up until fairly recently ñ damsels in the movies were women.
Joss Whedon ñ when he created Buffy the Vampire Slayer
was NOT interested in creating another action/horror series for
adolescent boys. Being a bit of a feminist, at least according
to his interviews, he wanted to address two things that he felt
had not been adequately addressed in the horror genre: the horrors
of high school &/or growing up and the role of the female
heroine. He wanted to flip that role on its head.
ìWhere did the idea [for Btvs] come from? Thereís
actually an incredibly specific answer to that question. It came
from watching a horror movie and seeing the typical ditzy blonde
walk into a dark alley and getting killed. I just thought that
I would love to see a scene where the ditzy blonde walks into
a dark alley, a monster attacks her and she kicks its ass.î
Joss Whedon on The Buffy Movie (SFX, p. 37, The Vampire Special)
But flipping the concept on its head required a bit more than
just the girl, formerly the damsel, killing monsters ñ
it required the sidekick/damsel being the guy. Think about it
ñ how many tv shows, movies, comics and books have you
read where the guy is the hero and he has this sweet girl sidekick
who is constantly getting in trouble, wants to help out, loves
him dearly ñ but he never notices because he has it bad
for the femme fatale, defined as the alluring, mysterious woman
of dark sexuality, who in many ways is more his equal? Batman
certainly went there with Batgirl and Catwoman, Superman, and
Hercules the Series ñ who falls for the wicked Xenia, who
because of her relationship with him, sees the error of her ways
and starts fighting for good and eventually gets her own showÖhmmm,
reminds me of Angel the Series. (Hercules the series was similar
to Btvs while Xenia was similar to Angel ñ One series focuses
on the heroís journey, while the other focuses on the anti-hero
(a former love interest/nemesisí of the hero), journey
for redemption. Whedon just flipped the two ñ the hero
is now the heroine and the femme fatale is now a guy). Xenia even
had her own female damsel in Gabrielle. The list goes on. But
now the girl is the hero and the boy is the wimpy sidekick who
loves her from afar and watches as she falls for the male version
of the femme fatale ñ the vampire.
The role of the sidekick has often been one of comic relief ñ
when things get tough ñ the sidekick makes us laugh with
a well-placed joke or smart alec remark. He falls on his face.
He eats bugs and becomes Dracís minion.(Buffy vs. Dracula).
He makes light of the situation and often has the best lines.
The sidekick often is known for questioning the heroís
judgment, making the insensitive remark, yet coming through when
the hero needs him or her in the end. (Becoming Part I & II) Some
examples of famous hero/sidekick pairings in popular culture ñ
1. The Lone Ranger and Tonto
2. Batman and Robin, also Batgirl
3. Rio Bravo and El Dorado ñ had created the classic Western
sidekick of the rookie who either gave a wiseass remark or a song:
Ricky Nelson and James Cann
4. Hercules ñ Ionaus
5. Xenia ñ Gabrielle
Where would we be without the trusted sidekick ñ who fills
two needs ñ one backup and two comic relief. The best way
to do in the hero ñ was often to kill or compromise the
sidekick. Also ñ very important ñ the sidekick and
hero must never have a romantic relationship ñ screws up
the whole dynamic, besides the hero traditionally falls for the
femme or male fatale with the sidekick either having a hopeless
crush on them ñ if the sidekick is not of the same gender
or getting past the crush and forming the longer lasting friendship.
II. Xander Harris: comic sidekick and damsel combined:
From the beginning of the series ñ Buffy was always saving
Xander. She was his hero. As Anya puts it in her duet with Xander
in OMWF: ìWhen things get tough ñ he hides behind
his Buffy, Look heís getting Huffy because he knows that
I know.î Xander is the male equivalent of Batgirl or the
male equivalent of the girl sidekick, the damsel. Because in Buffy?
The damsels are the guys not the girls. But thatís not
his only role ñ he also acts as the comic relief, often
commenting on the enormity of the situation. The comic relief
role/side-kick traditionally works as a stand-in for the audience.
If you notice from the beginning of the series ñ Xander
of all the characters comments on the action ñ often wondering
aloud if this is just fiction, just a television series, not real.
Itís Xander in OMWF who sings: ìMove it along, nothing
more to see,î while looking at the audience beyond the fourth
wall. And Xander who states in Bargaining Part II ñ that
monsters arenít a common occurrence unless youíre
us. And in Welcome to The Hellmouth ñ it is once again
Xander who questions if Buffy is the slayer and vampires are real
ñ only to discover with shock, gasp they are. It is also
Xander in Harvest who wonders why no one else remembers that first
vampire attack at the Bronze outside the four of them.
Xander is also, amazingly enough, one of the most fully developed
sidekicks ñ Iíve seen on TV or elsewhere. He actually
has a job, a love life, and a family outside of the hero. And
each of these items has a great amount influence over his life.
On top of this ñ the writers have taken the additional
step of paralleling the femme or rather male fatale to the sidekick.
Angel was similar to Xander ñ in the fact that he too had
the disapproving father and the middle-class existence. Usually
sidekicks are given a cardboard background, such as Andrew and
Jonathan in Btvs ñ we never really meet Andrewís
family (unless you count Tucker) or Jonathanís for that
matter, never know they exist, never see the love interest (outside
of Warren), if they arenít with the hero? They have no
life. They donít even have much of an identity. Just enough
of one to be comical and make the hero look good. Not so Xander
ñ Btvs has whole episodes focused on this sidekick. I havenít
been consistently watching Smallville ñ but Iím
pretty sure that it has not focused one episode on the teen girl
sidekick of Superman, Chloe (I think her name is), and it took
Xenia at least two seasons to focus an episode on Gabrielle. (I
may be wrong on thatÖitís been a while since Iíve
watched Xenia. But Iím pretty sure it took awhile for Hercules
to focus one on Ionaus.)
Hereís a partial list of Xander-centric episodes, all tend
to be geared towards the theme of what itís like being
the comic relief, sidekick and damsel and all focus on paralleling
this experience to the heroís, while at the same time developing
Xanderís character beyond these roles.
Teacherís Pet (Season 1)
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered & Go Fish (Season 2)
The Zeppo (Season 3)
The Replacement (Season 5)
Hellís Bells (Season 6)
In each of these episodes ñthe sidekickís story
takes center stage, pushing the heroís to the background.
Each episode focused mostly on an emotional issue or problem of
the sidekick.
1. Teacherís Pet ñ Xander is the damsel in this
episode. The episode is a twist on the traditional gothic romance
ñ where the hero must save the virginal ingÈnue
before she is sacrificed to the monster, which has seduced her
in the form of an attractive man. The ingÈnue only fell
into its clutches out of the desire to make the hero jealous.
Xander acts like the ingÈnue in this episode, making all
the same mistakes. In order to make the hero, Buffy, jealous,
he flirts with the gorgeous teacher, goes to her house, and ends
up in her murderous clutches.
2. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and Go Fish ñ deals
with the comic sidekickís desire to be taken seriously
by the opposite sex, so he/she does something dangerous and gets
more than he/she bargained for. The first deals with the classic
love spell ñ the girl casts it and all the guys go crazy
after her, a la Shakespeareís Midsummer Nightís
Dream. In Btvs ñ Xander casts it and reaps the results.
Go Fish ñ the desire to appear worthwhile in Cordyís
eyes causes Xander to join the swim team, where he comically almost
ends up becoming a fish. The intrepid female reporter, think Lois
Lane, goes undercover and has to be saved by the hero. Except
in the Btvsí version Xander inadvertently ends up rescuing
the hero. Occasionally the sidekick gets the chance to do this.
Robin saves Batman. Tonto saves the Lone Ranger. Gabrielle saves
Xenia. But, as seen in this episode, with comic results.
3. The Zeppo and The Replacement ñ deals with the sidekickís
inability to deal with his current roles as the damsel and comic
relief in the drama. Every sidekick has had this epiphany moment.
Wait! What is my role in life? Am I just the heroís butt
monkey? The damsel ñ the hero has to save and protect?
(See beginning of The Zeppo where Xander almost gets killed) The
comic relief? (Buffy vs. Dracula and the Replacement). And why
the heck am I putting up with this nonsense. ìI will no
longer be anyoneís buttmonkey!î Xander shouts at
the end of Buffy vs. Dracula. Yet his insecurity regarding his
inability to escape this role is revealed with comic effect in
The Replacement, where he splits in two and believes that his
real self is the butt-monkey, the comic sidekick, and suavexander
is the monster.
4. Hellís Bells ñ the sidekickís romance
is ruined by his relationship with the hero or the sidekick is
afraid that heíll never have that lasting romance due to
his long-standing relationship with the hero. Xander and Anyaís
marriage in the future is on the rocks because Xander had to fulfill
his role as Buffyís sidekick and severely damaged his back.
The hero meanwhile counts on the sidekick to ride merrily into
the sunset and in this case, interestingly enough, with an ex-demon
because it provides the hero with the hope that someday she may
realize the same dream with the current male fatale of the moment.
The hero canít stop saving the world long enough to have
a life, but her sidekick can. Or so the hero believes. Hellís
Bells brilliantly showed from the sidekickís perspective
why this isnít necessarily so. We went into the head of
the sidekick and realized his fears. Not a comforting experience,
partly because the sidekick is traditionally a stand-in for the
audience who is also following the hero on her journey and depends
on the hero to save the day. When we fantasize about being in
shows like Superman, Batman or even Btvs ñ often we fantasize
about being the sidekick not the hero. Hence the need for the
sidekick role.
(Part II - IV to follow)SK
[> Part III:Xander compared
to Andrew/Angel/Lance/Jonathan/Giles/Wes/OZ -- shadowkat,
19:20:25 12/16/02 Mon
III. Xander compared to the other male damsels & sidekicks on
Btvs.
1. Andrew or Tuckerís Brother, the negative sidekick or
villainís sidekick
Of the Troika, we know the least about Andrew and have seen him
the least. He is the traditional concept of the sidekick. Tonto
on the Lone Ranger, who had very few lines, followed his master
faithfully without question, and didnít even appear to
have a last name. Other well-known cardboard sidekicks include:
Dick Grayson ñ who for the longest time was just Batmanís
ward. Lex Luthorís sidekick in the Superman movies. Number
1 on Star Trek Next Generation. And now we have Andrew- Tuckerís
Brother as Warrenís sidekick. He has no clear identity,
no one can place him, he acts in some ways like a cipher ñ
you can successfully compare him to almost all the characters
on the show but he doesnít stand well on his own. Ciphers
are characters that we often forget once they leave the screen.
They are non-entities.
Think about it ñ what do we really know about Andrew? When
Spike asks Buffy if he hurt anyone she says : ìAndrewÖî
and in response to his confusion ñ ìTuckerís
brother,î as if that explains everything. Itís not
all that different than Xander being referred to as Buffyís
boy. Or for that matter Dawn being referred to as Buffyís
sister.
Xander fears being a cipher, someone who is only recognized through
Buffy ñ when Spike describes Xander as ìher boyî
or the ìslayerís boyî, Xander gets riled.
Just as he gets riled for being Dracís minion or the zeppo,
the weak link as Andrew is. Andrew is Xanderís worst nightmare.
Andrew is every boyís worst nightmare. The non-entity who
is only referred to or introduced with an infamous or famous relativeís
name attached to his own, in this case his brother, which in a
sense is not all that different than being just a sidekick.
Andrew like Xander is sick of being the sidekick, he wants to
be the cool guy in the leather jacket or the male version of the
fatale. After all the fatale gets to a)fight the hero and b) boink
the hero, (see Catwoman through Xenia for examples). Xander to
VampWillow in Dopplegangland: ìSo I was a kickass vampire
in your dimension? Cool!î And with Lance ñ so it
was the jacket that made Lance cool all along? Buffy to Xander,
ìAnd you werenít tempted to take that jacket yourselfÖî
Xander: ìWell no, but only because it didnít fit.î
Xander to Buffy in The Pack ñ ìYou like dark guys,
well guess who just got dark!î Xander fears being like Andrew
- a cipher, no true personality of his own. Just the comic relief.
2. Jonathan ñ the perpetual damsel in distress
Looking back over the high school years of Btvs ñ Jonathan
was consistently used as the damsel. Almost killed in Whatís
My Line, Mummy Girl, Earshot, and numerous other episodes. If
you blinked you missed it most of the time. And like most damsels
ñ he barely got a chance to thank the hero before she trotted
off with her pals. It is fitting that it is Jonathan who presents
Buffy with the school defender trophy in The Prom ñ since
after all it was Jonathanís life Buffy probably saved the
most. In the Gift ñ the boy running away from the vampire
into the alley could be a stand-in for Jonathan, or a perfect
double of Danny Strong who played him.
Even as a villain ñ Jonathan had to be saved. If it werenít
for Buffy in Seeing Red ñ Warren and Andrew would have
eventually killed him. His life expectancy according to Warren
was the same as a carton of milk. Prior to Jonathanís decision
to join the Trioka, Buffy had to save Jonathan from himself in
Earshot where he attempts to commit suicide and in Superstar where
his doppleganger attempts to destroy him. (a doppleganger that
looks vaguely reminiscent of the demon Willow accidentally summons
in Wrecked).
In Btvs ñ both Willow and Xander take turns playing the
damsel. Willow eventually grows out of it ñ as we see Jonathan
attempt to. While Xander falls repeatedly back into it, in Two
to Go (where Jonathan saves him from Andrew) and Seeing Red, (Jonathan
saves him from Warren). Oddly enough itís Jonathan who
saves Xander ñ a former damsel saving another damsel.
Btvsí depiction of the damsel is interesting ñ because
in most, not all cases, the damsel is given an opportunity to
save himself. And the damselís worst enemy tends to be
himself.
Xander fluctuates between being damsel and heroic sidekick, just
as Willow does. Jonathan remains more or less a damsel until Season
6, where he gets the chance to move slightly out of that role
ñ only to finally come to a sad end in Season 7. The damsel
finally dies. May he/she rest in peace. The irony is once again
ñ Jonathan has placed himself at risk ñ in traditional
damsel fashion he fell for the villainís line and let himself
be sacrificed for the villainís cause. Except irony of
ironies ñ the villain killing the damsel isnít the
head villain but the cipher, the sidekick ñ who the villain
in his spiritual form must operate through.
Like Andrew ñ Jonathan operates in Btvs as Xanderís
and even more so, Willowís, ultimate fear of being the
powerless damsel always at the mercy of the villain, never able
to save himself.
3. Lance/Angel/Spike ñ the cool dude in the jacket or male
fatal
Lance is actually the focus of this section because heís
Xanderís stand-in. Lance who we only meet in HIM (Season
7 Btvs), has handed his jacket down to his brother, AJ, who up
until now was probably just known as Lanceís brother. Very
similar to Andrew, who is just known as Tuckerís brother.
Xander tries on the jacket ñ weíre told ñ
and it doesnít fit. Xander tries on the cloak of demon
possession in The Pack ñ but he doesnít get the
girl like Angel does, he doesnít get to be the male fatale.
The femme fatale. She is traditionally the unknown quantity, the
forbidden. In movies she has been played by dark sultry actresses
and sings sultry songs. The misunderstood girl. Men crave her,
women hate her. Catwoman was Batmanís femme fatale. Darla
is Angelís. Lilah is Weselyís. Faith was Xanderís.
Drusilla was Spikeís. Anya is the femme fatale for Xander
ñ the sidekickís version of the lost soul who wants
to be redeemed.
What I find fascinating is that guys who lust after the femme
fatal and want the male hero with her and want more of her ñ
despise the male version of the fatal and whine endlessly about
women who like him. (Think about it ñ how many guys love
Anya but canít stand Spike? Or loved Harmony and Drusilla
but canít stand Angel?) Women who love the male fatal despise
the female version and whine endlessly about men who like her.
(Hate Lilah but loved Angel?) Can we say? HYPOCRIT! This is of
course a generalization, not everyone is like this.
What Btvs has done is made the male fatale a main character not
the femme. Theyíve flipped it. In the vampire television
series, where the hero is a vampire and a cop, Forever Knight,
the femme fatale was the saloonkeeper, a female vampire and a
reoccurring character and btw far more alluring than any other
female on the show. In Angel ñ Lilah is the femme fatal
ñ she wears better clothes and delivers better lines than
any other woman on the show. Just as Darla did before her. And
Drusilla. In Btvs ñ the fatales have been Spike and Angel
respectively.
The successful fatal gets redeemed and starts fighting for good,
at first with an ulterior motive. In some movies and tv shows
the fatal is the lead and becomes the anti-hero: Angel and Xenia
for example. And they in turn get their own versions of the fatale
ñ Angel gets Darla (a female vampire) and Xenia gets Aries
(a dark war god). If youíre a fan of the series 24? The
fatale is Nina ñ the coworker who has an affair with the
hero and subsequently turns out to be the mole in the organization
that kills his wife.
Lance and his brother (AJ) and Andrew represent Xanderís
hidden desire to be the fatale. The desire of every guy or gal
as the case may be to be the fatale. Letís face it ñ
itís more fun. You can be evil and good. And look sexy
while doing it. Far more fun than being a sidekick or comic relief.
Anya is an example of the fatale becoming the sidekickís
love interest and eventually comic relief, she is in a sense Xanderís
anti-Buffy. The sidekick will often end up with the shady lady
or shady informant when he/she canít get the hero. The
old ñ letís go for the exact opposite of what I
canít have approach. Buffy may indirectly be doing the
same thing ñ hunting her polar opposite. This is what makes
the fatal so fascinating ñ the conflict and chemistry is
much more charged onscreen or in literature between two opposites.
As is the suspense ñ will the hero reform the fatale? Will
the fatale pull the hero down to his/her level? Who will win the
tug-of-war between the two?
Angel is an example of the tug of war being won by the hero and
the fatal taking off for heroís own good to complete his
own journey. Xenia is another popular culture example of this
occurrence. After falling for Hercules ñ she takes off
in her own series to find her own path to redemption. As is Catwoman
in the Batman comics.
The Season 6 Spike/Buffy relationship is an example of the hero
being pulled into the fataleís world and almost losing
the battle. Similar occurrences of this happened in well Superman
III, when the red kryptonite turned Superman evil, or the seduction
of Jean Greyís Phoenix by Mastermind in the X-man comics.
Another example is the Dracula-Mina relationship in Bram Stokerís
novel or Lestate and Louisí relationship in Ann Riceís
novels.
Lance/AJ is an example of the sidekick craving this role through
the use of a costume.
4. OZ/Riley ñ the heroic boyfriend/sidekick/love interest
OZ and Riley represent the ideal guy ñ the one the sidekick
envies and wants to be. OZ who is the epitome of cool or as described
by Joss Whedon in an old interview ñ the boy in the band
he always wanted to be. OZ gets the sidekickís female alter
ego, Willow, the other sidekick in the series. The one that Xander
believed would always be waiting in the wings for him. Oops guess
not. OZ also has the darkness Xander craves to be interesting
and accomplishes the heroic acts ñ Xander wishes he could
accomplish. In The Zeppo ñ OZ is still included, Xander
is exiled ñ due to damsel status. OZ is dangerous, Xander
only has the memories of being dangerous. OZ is also at the same
time good. A perfect combo of ideal and fatale.
Riley on the other hand is the ìidealî guy. The perfect
boyfriend from the ìguyísî perspective. Brave.
Stoic. Polite. With a cool career and lifetime benefits. Xander
not only envies Riley, he wants to be Riley. Riley is Xanderís
fantasy self. Way back in Halloween ñ Xander gets a custom
as Army Guy and due to a chaos spell briefly becomes the confident
Army Guy and is the makeshift leader/hero in that episode. In
Fear, Itself ñ he plays James Bond with the hopes that
if another spell occurs, heíll really be James Bond. Riley
at different points in the series takes on both these roles. In
Season 4 ñ he is Army Guy, in Season 6 ñ he is Secret
Agent Guy. He rides to the rescue like John Wayne in Rio Bravo
with Xander as Ricky Nelson, his trusty sidekick. But like all
fantasies, Riley is a bit of a cipher as well ñ we know
so little about him. He comes from Iowa. He has a family ñ
we think. He loved Buffy. He is now married to Sam. And he joined
the military. Actually sounds like quite a bit, what do you mean
not well drawn, but waitÖis it? Think about it. What do we
really know about Riley Finn thatís not a time-worn clichÈ
taken out of a military drama or war movie that Xander has watched
a million times? Which makes Riley the perfect sugary version
of the fantasy hero. The guy that Xander believes should be with
the hero. The ideal. And like all idealís? He disappears
in a puff of helicopter exhaust. Because the ideal ñ does
not exist, except long enough to cast doubt on Xanderís
role. Can Xander ever measure up to someone like Riley? Does Xanderís
life have meaning? Riley has the perfect life right?
Itís interesting that both OZ and Riley leave their first
loves in the lurch to find themselves. And both have hidden dark
sides that threaten to consume them. Ozís werewolf persona,
Rileyís Initiative past and vamp trulls. Possible evidence
the what lies on the surface, the ideal, may not be any more real
than AJís prized jacket in HIM or Xanderís costume
in Halloween.
5. Wes/Giles ñ the wise mentor/information resource/invaluable
guide
In Season 4 ñ Xander tries to become Gilesí protÈgÈe.
He tries to learn what Giles knows and take on the Watcher duties.
But it doesnít work out. He canít take over the
role of the mentor and guide. A traditional role in fantasy genre
filled by Gandalf in Lord of The Rings to Frodo, Glinda the Good
Witch in Wizard of Oz, and Alfred in the Batman series. The kind
old mentor passes his wisdom on to the hero then quietly fades
into the sunset or sunrise as the case may be. The reader/audience
always misses him because in a sense he was our surrogate father
too.
This role is less of a sidekick or damsel ñ although the
mentor often finds himself captured or comes to the rescue as
both the damsel and sidekick do. Giles in Becoming is captured
by Angelus and tortured ñ playing the damsel. In Fear,
Itself ñ he comes to the gangís rescue.
But Giles partly due to age and experience ñ remains outside
the sidekick role and in the role of mentor, teacher. When he
is finished ñ he will disappear as all mentors eventually
do.
Wes in contrast to Giles ñ is the damsel in Btvs and the
comic relief. He would like to be the mentor, but he neither has
the age nor the experience to fulfill the role. Xander and Wes
have a lot in common ñ both men have troubles with Daddy,
neither want to be their father yet both crave the fatherís
approval. Xander craves Gilesí approval. While Wes craves
his biological fatherís approval. Later, when Wes moves
to Angel ñ he first plays the comic relief role than slowly
moves to the Giles role, an example of the comic sidekick moving
to the wiser more developed role. But to do it, he must at some
point break with the hero, which he does more than once on the
series. Just as Willow moves from sidekick to information role
on Buffy, slowly taking Gilesí place on the series and
manages it by also breaking with the hero and doing her own thing,
requiring the heroís forgiveness in the process.
Xander remains the sidekick and unlike Cordy on Angel ñ
does not get promoted to romantic love interest. The difference
may be gender ñ while the female sidekick can get promoted
to this role ñ see Gabrielle on Xenia as another example,
the male sidekick may be considered too comical and inept to reach
this role, Ionaus certainly didnít get it in Hercules.
The only male sidekick Iíve seen make the transition was
possibly Pike in the BTVS movie. There may be others. Of course
the more likely reason is unlike Cordy and Wes and Willow, Xander
has never quite broken with the hero and sought out his own path,
heís never quite betrayed her or had to leave her for a
time due to some type of betrayal.
Part IV to follow...SK
[> Part IV: Where is Xander
Headed? -- shadowkat, 19:24:33 12/16/02 Mon
IV. Conclusion: So Where is Xander headed? (Future Spec)
The one thing Xander has yet to do in his traditional sidekick
role is turn on the hero, betray her. Willow did it last year
and afterwards moved beyond the sidekick role. In order to develop
past a sidekick and eventually find your own place in the world,
the sidekick must at some point break with the heroís path.
In Batman ñ Dick Grayson finally rebels, stops being Robin,
and becomes Night Wing. Similar to Xanderís Night Hawk
in Anne and Dead Manís Party when he attempts to take over
Buffyís role with his friends. But this is short lived
ñ Buffy quickly takes back the role when she returns demonstrating
with a few kicks and a lung how inept Xander is.
Outside of possibly the Pack and OMWF, Xander has never truly
turned his back on or betrayed the hero, he has remained trusted
sidekick. Now Willow has ñ and her character as a result
finally confronted the hero regarding this role and broke free
of it.
Wes and Cordelia have both accomplished this task on Ats. Wesely
did it first in Sleep Tight and left the hero or in this case
anti-heroís fold, forming his own crew and finding his
own identity as a result. An identity that is separate yet parallel
to Angelís and as a result - becoming a better-rounded
character in his own right. Cordelia did it recently by sleeping
with Connor. Interesting ñ in both cases the betrayal involved
Angelís child. First by kidnapping the child for itís
own good. Second by providing it with sexual comfort.
The series Xenia had a similar betrayal, which served to strengthen
the Gabrielle character. Gabrielle against Xeniaís orders
did not kill her demon child and as a result the demon child lived
to kill Xeniaís innocent son.
The betrayal by the trusted sidekick serves to strengthen and
advance the hero on their journey as well. For they are forced
to come to grips with 1) how theyíve used and relied on
the side-kick over the years, 2) that the side-kick is a person
in their own right, and 3) forgiving someone close to them and
through it realizing that evil can be done by those we love the
most, itís not limited to the fatale or the demons. And
in realizing this, the hero finally learns how to forgive themselves
for not being perfect or gods.
Last year Buffy had to face a betrayal by her spiritual sidekick
ñ Willow. This year she may have to face a similar betrayal
by the sidekick that represents her heart or her humanity ñ
Xander. In Season 3 ñ she had to face betrayal by her parents
and authority.
In fantasy, particularly horror, the hero must often pass through
the fire of betrayal to reach enlightenment.
For Xander ñ such a betrayal would aid him in three ways
1) breakage with the hero and discovery of his own identity, 2)
recognition of his own capacity for evil, 3) finally coming to
grips with his own resentment and anger towards the hero.
I also believe Xanderís forthcoming betrayal has been foreshadowed
by the series and developed. Like Willow was at the end of Season
5 and beginning of Season 6, Xander saves the day, appears on
a superficial level to be confident and in control of his future
and heroic. But Willow falls off the cliff, goes nuts in Smashed
and Wrecked, goes through what appears to be rehab, saves Buffyís
life a few times, only to go wacko when she loses Tara. Xander
similarly saves the day at the end of Season 6, finally reaches
success with his company, and seems to be a recognized and necessary
part of the Buffy slaying machine. YetÖhe tells Andrew in
Never Leave Me that his heart is gone and in itís place
is darkness and thereís nothing to look forward to. He
tells Nancy in Beneath You that his ex is still affecting his
life. And in Selfless ñ he turns on the hero, literally
pushes the hero aside, to save Anya, the femme fatale. Selfless
is the first time Xander breaks with the hero, choosing someone
over Buffy.
In the episodes Him, Beneath You and Lessons, the writers have
gone out of their way to have Xander either save the day or help
in a crucial way. Even in Selfless, Same Time Same Place, and
Never Leave Me ñ Xander supports the decision to think
first before killing a friend. Heís the one who stops Buffy
from killing Anya in Selfless, heís the one who believes
in Willow in Same Time Same Place, and he figures out that Spike
is not responsible for the killings in Never Leave Me but rather
being controlled by an outside force. This is similar to Willowís
investigative work in Double Meat Palace and Gone last season,
as well as her activities in the beginning of the year.
In order for the sidekickís betrayal to work ñ the
audience must feel that the sidekick can and should be saved and
forgiven. The sidekick needs to build up a record of good deeds.
We have to be rooting for the hero to bring the sidekick back
from the dark side, otherwise the betrayal lacks suspense and
emotional impact. Also the hero must feel that the sidekick is
salvageable. So as a writer ñ you build up a record or
score sheet of good deeds. But, at the same, you also show the
cracks.
So what are the cracks in Xanderís faÁade? Well
in Same Time Same Place ñ Xander is called ìher
boyî by Spike, is treated like a second banana and the brunt
of a few quips.
ìOr we could do the smart thingÖSorry Xander.î
Later in Him ñ we see that Xander does want to try on the
evil jacket. In Selfless ñ Anya voices Xanderís
fear ñ of being a nobody of having nothing ñ a fear
he echoes in Never Leave Me.
How about foreshadowing? In the Replacement ñ we see the
war between the two Xanderís buttmonkey and SuaveXander.
In the Zeppo ñ we see Xander flirt with the dark side,
by running with the evil dead and having rough sex with the dark
slayer. In The Wish ñ we see what Xander would be like
as a vampire. And in the Pack ñ we see who Xander is without
a conscience or a suppressed one. Then of course we have Andrew
ñ Xanderís doppleganger. Is it too big a leap to
see the First Evil jump from Andrew to Xander??
Xanderís break with Buffy may not be as drastic as Willowís,
it doesnít have to be in order for the character to grow
and Buffy to advance to the next step in her journey. Xander could
do something as simple and as well-meaning as Wes does in taking
Connor or Cordelia does in sleeping with Connor. He could even
do something he truly believes is right ñ like Gabby does
in Xenia Warrior Princess, by not killing her child. The possibilities
are endless. All that is required is that Buffy perceives his
actions as a cruel betrayal.
Ok - not sure if any of that makes sense. Agree? Disagree? Feedback
appreciated as always.
Shadowkat
[> [> For Btvs - spoilers
up to NLM 7.9. For Ats Spoilers up to Rain of Fire/ApocalpsyNowish
-- shadowkat, 19:26:15 12/16/02 Mon
[> [> [> no future
spoilers in above, just speculation!! promise! -- shadowkat,
19:30:19 12/16/02 Mon
I'm not spoiled on anything regarding Xander.
[> [> [> [> Eep
-- JM, 19:46:27 12/16/02 Mon
I have to go to bed, but I will definitely be back to talk about
one of my new favorite characters.
[> [> Highly interesting!
-- HonorH, 20:16:48 12/16/02 Mon
Think you've got a great overview of Xander Harris' character
going there. I have a different take on the betrayal thing, though.
I really don't think he'll ever betray Buffy, or that he needs
to break with her. He's got a career, he's got friends, he's got
purpose, and he may even have a chance to patch things up with
his ex. Who could ask for more? That's just me, though.
Then again, there could be an Impending Death Situation that makes
him think sleeping with Dawn is a good idea. Egh. That's a little
too scary to contemplate, isn't it?
[> [> [> STOP
-- Tchaikovsky, 03:02:14 12/17/02 Tue
Any more of your crazy 'shipping suggestions and I'm never going
to be able to look at the characters again without blushing! I'm
sure you're only reflecting the dark, crazy world which is fanfic.
Remind me never, never to go there.
TCH
[> [> [> Continuing
our discussion..... (Spoilers to 7.9) -- Sophist, 10:06:02
12/17/02 Tue
The other Xander thread fell into the archives before I saw your
last post. Ya know, there's so much Xander discussion here, the
posts that really interest everyone are suffering. :)
I think the passages I quoted do show that Xander is blaming Anya.
In NLM, he says he has a darkness where is heart used to be. And
why does he suffer from this? Because Anya did it to him out
of vengeance. Wrong --he did it to himself.
In BY, the entire context is that Nancy's ex is ruining her life.
Xander agrees that he knows exactly what that's like. Again wrong
-- Xander is at fault, not Anya.
Xander is blaming Anya for his current unhappiness, but it's his
own fault. That's not the behavior of a grownup.
You're overstating the extent of Xander's acceptance of blame
for the wedding fiasco. In Entropy, Xander never tells Anya the
real reason he bailed on her at the wedding:
ANYA: I just ... don't understand what happened.
XANDER: I do. I'm an idiot. All I had to do was say something
earlier. (Anya looks surprised) I could have spared you from that
... that nightmare.
Through this speech Anya begins to frown and look hurt again.
She backs away a few steps and folds her arms.
ANYA: Said something about what?
XANDER: (makes "uh-oh" face) No, no! I mean, you know,
if I were, like, more ... self-aware. Because, with the whole
idiot thing.
ANYA: (arms still folded, angrily) If you had been more self-aware,
you would have what? (Xander looking alarmed) Been able to stop
the wedding?
XANDER: No no, it's not like that, that's not what... (pauses,
frustrated sigh) Okay, see, I didn't practice this part.
ANYA: (firmly) Do you still want to get married?
Close on Xander's face. He hesitates, looks unsure. Anya looks
upset.
ANYA: (very quietly) Oh.
XANDER: Ahn, it's a very complicated question.
ANYA: (getting teary) No, actually, it's really not. It's kind
of an either-or deal. Do you want to get married?
XANDER: Someday, yes, very much. When we're ready. (Anya looking
very hurt) I don't want you to take this as a bad thing. It's
good. (Anya looking resigned, annoyed) I love you, I love you
so much, I'm just trying to be honest with you.
ANYA: (angry) Yes, honesty *now*. Congratulations, Xander, on
being honest now. I wonder what the medal will say.
XANDER: (confused) Okay, clearly I'm not handling this well.
ANYA: (yelling) Well, duh!
This explanation shows no sign of recognition of the problem except
for the timing of his decision. It naturally left Anya feeling
like Xander never really loved her (and she accused him of that
in Grave). He never has come clean on this; he's concealing from
her his own fears about becoming like his parents, plus his concerns
about the role of Buffy in his life. Until he admits both of these
to Anya, he is not accepting responsibility, he's avoiding it.
And he's hurting Anya in the process.
[> [> [> [> Re:
Continuing our discussion..... (Spoilers to 7.9) -- HonorH,
13:30:31 12/17/02 Tue
Okay, I think we're just yelling at each other about the NLM speech.
I've given you my perspective--that he's not blaming Anya, he's
just expressing that he feels empty without her in the context
of intimidating Andrew when he knows full well that Anya didn't,
indeed couldn't, wreak vengeance on him, and that the BY conversation
was another example of him saying he feels the shadow of Anya
on everything he does--and I'm just not buying your perspective.
As for the blaming, I go to Psyche and the transcript for "Normal
Again":
XANDER: I don't know how stuff got so mixed up! (sighs) I blew
it.
BUFFY: No. Well ... maybe it wasn't the best time to break up
with her, but...
XANDER: No. It wasn't about breaking up. I love her, and god,
I miss her so much.
WILLOW: So, you left her at the altar, but you still wanna-
BUFFY: You still wanna date?
XANDER: I guess. I know that I'm a better person with her in my
life. But things got so complicated with the wedding, and with
my family, and with her ... demons, and ... what if it all goes
to hell, a-and forever? (the girls looking sympathetic) But then
I left ... and ever since ... I've had this painful hole inside.
(Buffy looking pensive) And I'm the idiot that dug it out . .
. I screwed up real bad.
The conversation you bring up in "Entropy" is frankly
another example to me that Xander knows he's at fault. He tells
Anya he wishes he'd brought his Issues up before, and that they'd
waited to get engaged. He doesn't get time to discuss those Issues
because Anya ends the conversation. She's still too angry to even
talk about it, and no, I don't blame her. And he keeps telling
her he loves her, too. It doesn't matter--no matter what he told
her, she'd feel that way. Being dumped at the altar does that
to you. Yes, he should talk with her about his fears. Of course
he should. And maybe he can now that they no longer have the immediate
emotion.
An addendum: last time Xander had a nasty breakup, Cordelia used
her knowledge of his family issues to hurt him. That could be
why Xander doesn't discuss them with Anya. Hey, maybe his agreement
with Nancy in BY was him talking about Cordy.
[> [> [> [> [>
Okay...don't mean to butt in but... -- shadowkat, 15:15:42
12/17/02 Tue
I think the point isn't so much that Xander hasn't admitted the
problem to himself - he hasn't admitted or discussed it with anyone
else.
This btw is similar to Willow's problem. Willow is afraid everyone
will just see her as a geek - so she hides underneath all the
power and sexuality and numerous costumes.
Xander is terrified of becoming his parents, of being Andrew or
Jonathan or Warren, a heartless geeky loser like Lance. Yes -
of course he's not. WE know that. But Xander doesn't. Not yet.
That's why he keeps ending up in the basement with his dad pulling
out his heart, and why he keeps tagging along after Buffy like
a little puppy dog and being her sidekick or boy.
In all the textual discussions you guys keep quoting back and
forth with Xander and Anya - the one thing that hits me as odd
is that Xander NEVER states to Anya, to Buffy, to anyone else
- why he didn't think he and Anya were ready to get married. Why
he broke off the wedding. He NEVER tells them what he saw in his
vision.
Buffy, Willow, Anya and Dawn probably believe it was for the usual
reasons- Anya's an ex-demon or Xander is insecure about marriage.
They don't know what we're privy too. They may never know. Or
maybe B and W do, but Anya certainly doesn't. Anya thinks it's
because of her - it's what she tells Spike in Entropy. Xander
NEVER gives her another concrete reason. He just says it wasn't
you - which of course makes no sense to Anya. Until Xander can
get past his fear of becoming his father or of reliving his parents
nightmare - he'll never be able to actually climb those basement
stairs and walk proudly past his parents to the second floor.
We see Xander's maturity and capability - we see SuaveXander,
but inside? Xander sees himself as the damsel, the buttmonkey,
the heartless loser. A nobody. He doesn't know who he really is.
He's listening to his head, his fears, not trusting or listening
to his heart.
This is why he must in some manner break with Buffy - do something,
risk something - so that he can finally climb those steps instead
of getting his heart torn out or running every time he looks up
the stairs. He has to stop fearing the energy sucking vampires
he believes lie in wait for him, the energy sucking vampire he
is afraid he could become. His father is a metaphorical vampire
- an alcoholic who sucks the life from his marriage with alcohol
and negativity. Just as his mother is a type of vampire - someone
who sucks the life from her marriage and family with complaints
and verbal abuse. Xander fears that type of relationship - its
the one he saw in his vision. But he has never shared that information
with Anya. He can't - he can barely stand to see it himself, so
he pushes it in that other room out of sight and out of mind.
In Whedon's commentary on Restless - Whedon states it succintly:
Xander is afraid he's a Harris, he isn't of course, but Xander
doesn't know that.
Now relate that metaphor to our own lives? How many times do you
feel insecure about your role in life, if you really are a capable
person or just a buttmonkey, a joke, with nothing worthwhile?
That's Xander. It doesn't mean he can't rise above that - it just
means he hasn't yet..
Having a good job, an apartment, friends = surface stuff if you
hate yourself inside. If all you're doing is going through the
motions. Remember Xander's speech to Andrew in NLM? That's what
is at the heart of it...he feels as if he failed b/c instead of
striding up the steps, confiding in Anya, facing his parents,
he stood frozen at the bottom and let his own heart be ripped
out by his own hands - which he admits to, but does nothing to
remedy. He thought he could go back in time, back to the boy of
Season 5 before he proposed to Anya, before the world almost came
to an end...the boy he believed had finally moved out of the basement.
But by never telling Anya he's fears - never revealing them and
making them less real - he's ended up in the basement again, deep
inside the scared little boy hiding beneath a calm facade of happy
bachelorhood. Xander's big mistake - was NOT calling off the wedding
or his timing. His big mistake was not explaining to Anya why
he had to - not telling her, the woman he supposedly loves, why
he felt they shouldn't get married, why he wasn't ready.
Until he comes to grips with those reasons...I'm not sure Xander
has a chance with anyone, Anya, Nancy or whomever comes next.
I'm not sure Xander can make it up those stairs.
The story isn't over yet - he still has a chance to remedy the
situation. He still has that chance to climb the stairs, to face
his fears, and to tell anya what it was that caused him to call
off their marriage.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> Keep your butt in. -- HonorH, 15:28:42 12/17/02
Tue
Sophist and I are just going round and round the same argument
and failing to convince each other (and you're still wrong, Soph
;-). You've nailed it, s'kat: Xander needs most of all to break
with his past. I don't think this means he needs to break with
Buffy, but he definitely needs to look his father in the eye,
say, "I know thee not, old man," and walk away. He needs
to declare that he is *not* heir to the Harris legacy and forge
his own path.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> Thanks for butting in. -- Sophist, 09:13:33 12/18/02
Wed
You made exactly the point I was trying to make at the end of
my last post, and you did it much better than I managed.
I think Xander is hiding the truth from himself by his statements
in BY and NLM. If he can blame Anya for his current inner turmoil,
he doesn't need to examine himself. If this is the season for
the SG to examine their inner fears, this is Xander's task. Until
he stops blaming Anya, he can't face that fear. Until he faces
that fear -- by letting Anya know his real reasons -- he can't
accomplish his task.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> Re: Thanks for butting in. -- Malandanza, 22:20:01
12/18/02 Wed
I think Xander was sincere when he returned after the wedding
disaster -- as the passage HonorH quoted shows (the "idiot
that dug it out" line). However, I think that Xander has
done some serious backsliding since then and has gone from blaming
himself for allowing his own insecurities to control him to, if
not blaming Anya, then at least absolving himself of most of the
responsibility. I also think it's pretty typical behavior not
just for Xander, but for most of the Scoobies.
The last time Anya complained of being left at the altar (BY),
Xander told her that that excuse will only work for so long. He
was right, of course. But Xander has the same attitude toward
the Anya/Spike sex -- because Anya had sex with Spike and hurt
Xander, Xander believes his current and past actions are justified.
Willow blames Warren (although she "feels responsible"),
Spike blames being "used" by Buffy for his current suffering.
Each of the characters is still living in the past season, still
blaming other people instead of themselves.
[> [> Re: Part IV: Where
is Xander Headed? (In Xanders Defense) -- Wolfhowl3, 20:47:23
12/16/02 Mon
This is only a comment about Xander and his Night with Faith in
"The Zeppo"
I don't think it really counts as the forshadowing that you have
classified it as simply because Xander never really made a choice
about sleeping with Faith. Go with me for a second here.
You have a Teenage boy with some serious identiey issues, and
this Sexy woman throws him down to do the nasty. What boy is going
to turn it down. For it to be a real forshadowing of a future
betrayal, he would have to made a choice, (even the smallest one)
at some point.
I think a scene the fits better that has not been mentioned was
when Buffy was marching in to face Angelous and Dru at the end
of Seson 2, and Xander delivers the "Message" Kick his
Ass. Xander made a choice not to give Buffy the vital information
that Willow was trying the Curse again.
I happen to agree with all other point that have been made, and
if someone doesn't agree with me, remember, I'm not that smart.
:)
Wolfie
[> [> [> Re: Part
IV: Where is Xander Headed? (In Xanders Defense) -- LittleBit,
22:10:50 12/16/02 Mon
I tend to agree that Xander's one-night-stand with Faith was not
something Xander actively chose to do, but something that, once
Faith initiated it, he went along with. It should also be remembered
that this incident occurred before anyone realized that Faith
was turning dark, so even if it had been an active choice, it
would hardly have been a betrayal of anything except Willow's
long-standing crush on him.
I'm also one who agrees that the withholding of the information
from Buffy when she was heading to confront Angelus was a betrayal
of her trust. Whether the decision was made to keep her from having
potentially conflicting agendas, or made from sheer spite regarding
Angelus, the end result, for me, was that Xander made the decision
that Buffy wasn't to be trusted to show good judgment in the situation
if given all the relevant information.
[> [> [> That's always
puzzled me... -- Shiraz, 22:12:52 12/16/02 Mon
And I'll finally ask:
Why was Xander's unwise dalliance with Faith considered such a
betrayal by the rest of the gang? After all, Faith was, at this
point, still a good guy.
Furthermore, neither of them was seeing anyone else, so it couldn't
be treated like infidelity, and Willow was back with Oz, to stay.
I know, Willow appeared in the episode just long enough to tell
Xander she loved him, but in such a way that the 'not in that
way' was perfectly clear.
I'm probably being an insensitive male here, but it seems to me
that once you let a fish off the hook, its free to snap up the
next bait that comes along. (O.K., so I suck a metaphors).
-Shiraz
[> [> [> [> I don't
think that anyone except Willow regarded it as a betrayal...
-- Helen, 02:50:23 12/17/02 Tue
And even she didn't really seem to feel betrayed - just hurt and
a wee bit jealous (sobbing in the bathroom) as she was when she
found out about Xander and Cordy's trists. Buffy and Giles were
just surprised I think, and Buff a bit concerned that Xander felt
this meant he and Faith had made a meaningful connection (which
he haoped would make her confide in him about Deputy Mayor Allan),
when as Buff full knew, Faith didn't regard the guys she slept
with as very important.
So no, you're not an insensitive male, unless I'm an insensitive
female (entirely possible).
[> [> [> [> [>
Wolfie, LB, shiraz: Good Points..but...uhm I never said it
was a betrayal -- shadowkat, 06:36:01 12/17/02 Tue
Went back to look, because it seemed strange that I would mention
it that way - since I always saw it more in the way Little Bit
and Wolfie did.
In the Zeppo ñ we see Xander flirt with the dark side,
by running with the evil dead and having rough sex with the dark
slayer.
Granted I can see why you read it that way - since I started the
paragraph with "How about foreshadowing".
(Bad me, should have been clearer - sorry). What I meant was it
was evidence of the character's desire to flirt with the dark
side. While Faith was still considered good at that point, the
sex was unlike the sex Xander has with anyone else - it's rough
and kinky and not necessarily safe (See Consequences). And it
is JUST sex. I don't see it as a betrayal of the other characters
as "maybe" a betrayal of his own dignity letting her
use him that way, although that's pushing it. No the flirtation
with betrayal is the brief flirtation with being part of the evil
dead's gang, which wasn't exactly his choice.
As to the "kick his ass" comment in Becoming? Didn't
mention it because still on the fence about it being a true betrayal.
Although it does work better than the comment about sex - so perhaps
will add it before I post the essay to my site or elsewhere.
Thanks for the comments! SK
[> [> [> [> [>
[> Re: about "kick his ass" -- Jay, 10:13:43
12/17/02 Tue
I think Xander was being loyal to the Slayer by trying to keep
her focus on the battle at hand. And in doing so, he betrayed
the girl.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> Re: about "kick his ass" -- Shiraz,
15:19:01 12/17/02 Tue
I thinks its important to note here, that whatever you might think
about Xander's lie to Buffy in Becoming part 2, you have to acknowledge
that it did not have any negative effect on the outcome of Buffy's
confrontation with Angelus.
Here is the series of events in question as I recall them:
1. Buffy meets Xander on the way to the factory. Xander gives
the infamous "Kick his ass" line.
2. Angelus prepares to start the ritual, in the room are Angelus,
Spike, Drucilla, and one random henchvamp.
3. Buffy bursts through the door and starts fighting the nameless
henchvamp. Spike gets out of his chair and starts walloping Angelus
with a poker.
4. Drucilla jumps Spike, freeing Angelus. Buffy is still fighting
henchvamp.
5. Spike and Drucilla fight. Angelus quickly cuts his hand and
starts the ritual to wake Alcatha. *Note, from this point onward,
the only thing that will stop the ritual is Angel's blood.*
6. Xander punches his way past henchvamp and goes to rescue Giles.
Spike and Drucilla fight.
7. Xander frees Giles. Buffy kills henchvamp and moves to fight
Angelus.
8. Angelus and Buffy fight, Angelus seems to have the upper hand.
9. Angelus comes close to killing Buffy. Spike knocks Drucilla
unconsious and drags her out.
10. Buffy turns the tide on Angelus outfighting him and nearly
killing him, when...
11. Willow completes the soul-restoration spell, turning Angelus
into a very confused Angel. Alcatha awakes.
12. After a tearfull reunion, Buffy notices the Vortex which will
destroy the world, tells Angel to "close his eyes",
stabs him in the chest and throws him into the vortex. Thus she
saves the world at the cost of her true love.
My only point here is this,
While Xander may be guilty of lieing to Buffy, he is not ultimately
responsible for sending Angel to hell. The only one truely responsible
for that is Angelus himself.
-Shiraz
[> [> [> [> [>
[> I know you didn't; -- Shiraz, 13:07:07 12/17/02
Tue
Its just something that's been bugging me for some time, and I
didn't think it was worth starting a thread over.
I think it came from reading too many angst-ridden fan-fics during
the summer rerun season.
Shiraz
[> [> You've done it
again! You are so the LAT Goddess! -- Haecceity, 21:51:48
12/16/02 Mon
This is *marvelous*, shadowkat!
Love the way you look so clearly at Xander's *function*. I've
been thinking a lot about this analysis POV lately, and your post
really illustrates, for me anyway, the insights to be gained in
looking at a character in a more form/function manner, rather
than just as a persona. Will print this out for more in-depth
study and try to get back to you. Sorry I've been so slapdash
with the posts lately--in a definite transition phase of life
at the moment and pulled in too many directions, but have enjoyed
reading your posts immensely, as always.
---Haecceity
[> [> Re: Part IV: Where
is Xander Headed? -- Shiraz, 22:37:52 12/16/02 Mon
Great post,
but I think you've missed one other role Xander has played throughout
the series, and that is:
(wait for it)
Dum-da-DUMMM
EXPOSITION BOY!!
This character, exemplefied by AC Doyle's Dr. Watson, is the one
who, through their own clueless questions, explains the plot to
the audience.
(Hyothetical example)
Xander: "So we're facing the dreaded Exian order of the Demons
of Whyvia; can't we just hit them over the head with something
heavy?"
Willow: "Xaaandeeerrr, if you'd read the 33 (to the 3rd power)
volume of the Watcher's diaries, you'd know that Whyvian demons
can only be killed by a special mixture of Jagermeister and Goldschlager
sprayed over the beast's nether regions!"
Buffy: "Yeah, get with the program!"
Xander: "Really?"
(others nod)
Xander: "and here I thought Oz was just covering for Giles."
But enough of my senseless ramblings. (HonorH, where can I find
a nice sturdy demon alter ego cage?)
-Shiraz
P.S. So all this time Hercules was in love with a small hippy
town in Southwestern Ohio? (Xenia)
[> [> Fury commenting
about Xander (Succubus spring 2002) spoiler speculation --
Rufus, 00:56:34 12/17/02 Tue
Candy: There have been talks of huge Xander story arcs every
season and we kinda don't ever get it. We get little ones and
here and there. Can you tell us anything about what's up your
sleeve for Xander, next year. This was a big Willow Buffy year.
David Fury: Xander's been the one guy who, before the others,
was living in the adult world a little bit. He was actually on
the road... he was actually more on the road to maturity than
the others. More into living as an adult and I imagine we are
going to further a lot of that and take that a little bit further.
We've talked about some of the things that might occur with him,
that might pan out. I'm gonna be vague, just because we're vague
on it right now. We're looking for something really great for
Nick to do, because he deserves it. It's not from lack of trying,
he's great. A lot of it is we sort of have to serve the Buffy
arc. Ultimately, even though we are playing out an arc that's
about Willow going evil, this whole season has been a Buffy arc.
All the shows have really inherently been about Buffy. Finding
time to get in an important arc about the other characters is
tricky without turning them evil. What are you going to do
unless... ya know Xander's evil now. And you don't want to do
that, you want to give them something else. But it's tricky. Do
you give them powers? Well now their the X-men. It's the Witch
and the Slayer... and he stops being the every man character,
that makes him wonderful.
Xanderís break with Buffy may not be as drastic as Willowís,
it doesnít have to be in order for the character to grow
and Buffy to advance to the next step in her journey. Xander could
do something as simple and as well-meaning as Wes does in taking
Connor or Cordelia does in sleeping with Connor. He could even
do something he truly believes is right ñ like Gabby does
in Xena Warrior Princess, by not killing her child. The possibilities
are endless. All that is required is that Buffy perceives his
actions as a cruel betrayal.
I think Fury is right.....to give any other character time they
have to either put them next to Buffy as a romantic interest,
or turn them evil so there is enough conflict to translate over
many episodes. Do you think that they will turn Xander evil so
close on the heels of doing the same thing with Willow?
[> [> [> Re: Fury
commenting about Xander (Succubus spring 2002) spoiler speculation
-- shadowkat, 06:47:29 12/17/02 Tue
I think Fury is right.....to give any other character time
they have to either put them next to Buffy as a romantic interest,
or turn them evil so there is enough conflict to translate over
many episodes. Do you think that they will turn Xander evil so
close on the heels of doing the same thing with Willow?
Well going back to what you just quoted from my essay:
"Xanderís break with Buffy may not be as drastic as
Willowís, it doesnít have to be in order for the
character to grow and Buffy to advance to the next step in her
journey. Xander could do something as simple and as well-meaning
as Wes does in taking Connor or Cordelia does in sleeping with
Connor. He could even do something he truly believes is right
ñ like Gabby does in Xena Warrior Princess, by not killing
her child. The possibilities are endless. All that is required
is that Buffy perceives his actions as a cruel betrayal."
Which sort of happened in Becoming - if you think about it.
Buffy even calls him on it Selfless. They don't have to turn him
evil - that's not required for a break to happen to further both
characters. It could realistically be something that at the time
appears to be a betrayal a la Giles in Helpless and in retrospect
is anything but.
Possibilities?
1. Xander helps Spike escape against Buffy's wishes.
2. Xander tries to stake Spike or tells Buffy he's dead. (which
has sort of already been done with Angel, so doubt they'll do
that unless it's to metanarrate)
3. Xander helps Dawn against Buffy - similar to Cordy helping
Connor against Angel
4. Xander goes against Buffy to help Anya
5. Xander teams up with Giles against Buffy
See? You can do it without pulling a Willow and bring him back
in the space of two episodes, further Buffy's story the whole
time and keep the focus on Buffy. Not tough at all. And if you
read Fury and other writers comments closely - I think they'll
do something like that...but will not obviously state it before
hand b/c what would be the
run in that?
[> [> [> [> Re:
"Selfless" -- Philistine, again with the parentheses,
01:47:37 12/18/02 Wed
Yeah, Buffy killed Angel. We do remember that. But do we remember
that she had months to get used to the idea, and only went through
with it when her only other choice was to watch the entire world
get sucked into Hell? She smacked Xander in the face with the
idea of killing Anya, then grabbed her sword and went hunting.
(Yes, Xander did deserve to get called on that - certainly he
was always right there rooting for Buffy to dust her evil dead
ex-boyfriends. But I'm not trying to get at what the characters
"deserve" here.) Xander didn't have much chance of facing
down Angelus mano a mano - he had to wait for Buffy to force herself
to it. Buffy did not have to wait for Xander to make his peace
with the idea of killing Anya. So the two situations Buffy tried
to equate in her speech to Xander and Willow? Apples and oranges
at best; possibly apples and wombats.
[> [> the other show..
Lorne as Damsel -- neaux, 05:35:19 12/17/02 Tue
I hope to see you compare the two Lorne and Xander.. but as you
have stated, Xander is or was the most fully rounded fleshed out
Damsel.
Lorne could be the infant Damsel if that makes sense. Lorne's
running joke of being tied to a chair or getting knocked unconscious..
he does make the perfect damsel. Also on ATS, his character has
(in my opinion) yet to be "full-fleshy" like Xander's
is. But lets hope they make some more Lorne centric episodes this
year.
[> [> [> Lorne/Xander,
Lorne/Jonathan? -- shadowkat, 07:02:33 12/17/02 Tue
Hmmm I think you're right - I forgot about Lorne...got burned
out on all the other ones.
Lorne is the damsel as demon, which is an ironic twist, because
the other characters appear to almost reluctantly rescue him.
Which reminds me more of Jonathan than Xander - the other characters
reluctantly rescue Jonathan.
It's never - oooh Lorne's in danger - we must rush to the batcave
and save him now. It's usually...ooops, poor Lorne, it never occured
to us that they would go after you. Why did they by the way? The
damsel as comic relief.
In the Pylea arc - poor Lorne gets beheaded and comically restored.
While his head is detached - people hit him, spit on him and slap
him.
In The House Always Wins - the gang has gone to visit him not
rescue him...they never understood his cry for help.
And Angel pushes Lorne to read Cordy - only to end up with an
incredibly ill and tortured Lorne.
Reminds me of Jonathan - who also is always in the wrong place
at the wrong time.
In Earshot - Buffy didn't mean to save Jonathan from himself,
she was attempting to save the other students from Jonathan.
In Superstar - she's not trying to save Jonathan from the demon,
so much as the reality from Jonathan's tampering - she ends up
saving Jonathan almost as an after-thought.
In Inca Mummy Girl - Xander unwittingly saves Jonathan from Impata's
fatal kiss.
Hopefully Lorne will not meet the same fate as Jonathan.
Lorne does however fit other Xander like functions on Angel, he
is humor man or comic relief, he does the exposition lead ins
and comments on the show as a sort of chorus or outside narrator
- see Spin the Bottle as an example - a similar role to Xander
in OMWF.
The Xander character appears to be a constant in Whedon's writing.
A comical/sidekick that Whedon creates to either comment on the
action or bring a note of comic relief to the proceedings. The
class clown - if you like.
In Firefly - Wash fits this character, comical, sidekick, and
at times damsel. Often lightening the serious mood with a quip
or a joke.
In Angel - it's Lorne - who tells everyone to lighten up.
and In Btvs - it's Xander.
[> [> [> [> very
right indeed!! Thanks SKat! -- neaux, 07:32:11 12/17/02
Tue
[> [> [> [> Slight
question with Superstar... -- KdS, 06:27:27 12/18/02 Wed
I thought Jonathan actually saved Buffy in Superstar. Buffy's
fighting the augmentation monster (Jonathan flipping between brave
and cowering as each gets the upper hand), the monster seems to
be about to throw her into the crevice, and Jonathan finally develops
a conscience and pushes the monster in.
Seemed up til S6 to be the point that Jonathan's arc ended heroically
- real pity that he backslid under Warren and Andrew's influence
(interesting sudden thought - could Andrew have been the guy he
was in group therapy with who gave him the spell?).
[> [> Damsel, sidekick
and the buttmonkey issue -- KdS, 07:15:50 12/18/02 Wed
Really nice series of posts, as usual SK. My question - can't
"damsel" and "sidekick" be wrapped up in "heroine"?
Buffy is a genuine female hero - surely we also have a male heroine
to balance it out - emotion over reason, nurturing over violence,
confortador over conquistador?
I hope this doesn't strike anyone as too PC, but I'm a little
worried about the enthusiasm with which everyone's throwing the
"buttmonkey" phrase around without considering the unpleasant
derivation. That whole speech in BVsD is filled with anti-gay
slurs - manbitch, buttmonkey.
Xander does seem to have come to terms with his heroine role,
but given his father's sexism he'd be superhuman not to feel his
masculinity being in question to some extent - as pointed out
in his "moral ambiguity" section on Masq's site he never
seems really comfortable with Larry. Not suggesting he's secretly
in the closet, or even that it's a major issue in his personality,
but it's there.
[> [> [> Regarding
the "buttmonkey" issue... -- cjl, 09:49:26 12/18/02
Wed
Well...you're probably right. It is politically incorrect (TM)
to throw a phrase like buttmonkey around without sounding insensitive
to the gay community. I think I'll scale it back a little.
But, having made my peace, I would like to defend the term when
it relates to defining Xander. Xander very often sees himself
as someone who gets screwed over by life (in a metaphorical sense),
and has little control of his own destiny. The term "buttmonkey"
in this instance refers to his sense of helplessness, of worthlessness,
and the self-pity-fest that usually accompanies those feelings.
Until he stands up and takes control of his life once and for
all (i.e., stops hiding behind Buffy or sneaking out the back
door of his weddings), he's always going to be a bit of a doormat,
a second banana, and...a buttmonkey.
[> [> [> [> Sorry
cjl... -- KdS, 12:55:46 12/18/02 Wed
Please don't take this as a criticism of you persoanlly, but your
response got me thinking.
If we see being sexually penetrated as *the* metaphor for powerlessness/victimhood
(buttmonkey, screwed, f***ed, f***ed over) isn't it a sign of
how screwed up our sexual politics are?
[> [> [> [> [>
No problem. And you have a point. -- cjl, who's now going
to be self-conscious about those terms, 13:36:33 12/18/02 Wed
[> Sidekicks: Xander, Gabrielle,
Iolaus, etc. (Hey Rob! Xena/Herc talk! + boatloads of spoilers)
-- cjl, 23:04:57 12/16/02 Mon
Ah, sidekicks. No hero can do without them. The audience loves
'em. And I've never seen a group of sidekicks as multidimensional
or just plain fun as the sidekicks in Sam Raimi and Joss Whedon's
universes. Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Wesley, Gabrielle, Iolaus
and Joxer the Mighty (stop me before I sing the damn song!) often
provide more entertainment than the hero on the title because
the sidekick can be mortal, fallible and endearingly clumsy, while
the hero has to be upright and on top of things at all times.
(Uh, that's why they're the heroes.) As you said, we enter the
world of the hero through the sidekick; and if we admire the hero,
aspire to that ideal, we relate more to the more human individual
at his or her side.
Let's take them one universe at a time. Raimi's first....
Joxer: I have to admit it, he's a big favorite. A clown who considers
himself a warrior, a buffoon with a heart of gold and a tragic,
unrequited love for Gabrielle, you had to root for the poor shlub.
He's probably the closest we have here to the traditional sidekick--the
Xenaverse incarnation of Falstaff with a touch of Don Quixote.
When Gabrielle was given more background and complexity as the
series went on, Joxer assumed the role of comic foil, his vanity
and utter goofiness dropping him into constant danger, and he
maintained his entertaining two-dimensionality until the final
season. As with most traditional sidekicks, not a lot of personal
background; we got a little of Joxer's family history, but it
was mostly done for comedy. The only time Joxer broke free of
his role was when the series didn't need him anymore. When Xena
and Gabrielle awoke out of their 25-year sleep, he'd married and
had a son. Of course, meeting Xena and Gaby again, Joxer was drawn
back to his sidekick role. As all Xena fans know to their sorrow,
he really should have stayed home with the wife....
Gabrielle: The Xena analogue to Willow, and in some ways, even
better developed. As noted above, once Raimi and Xena exec producer
Rob Tapert saw that the character had the juice to be a near-equal
rather than a sidekick, they dumped the comic foil duties on Joxer
and starting filling in the details of Gabrielle's life: her family,
her developing skills as a warrior, her doubts about violence
as a solution to problems, and her remarkably complex and ambivalent
relationship with Xena. Yes, Xena was the star, but there were
times when the two women's storylines reflected each other so
beautifully that it was impossible to tell who was providing a
mirror for who. In fact, the much-despised final episode suggests
that Xena's destiny was always to sacrifice herself for her past
sins, and the hero's jounrey we were watching was Gabrielle's
all along....
Iolaus: Michael Hurst's Iolaus was the perfect sidekick for Kevin
Sorbo's Hercules: a bantamweight monster fighter with no special
powers who could nevertheless mix it up with the big boys. Hurst
brought such swashbuckling verve to Iolaus that the role was amped
up considerably in later seasons, leading to major plotlines like
a hot romance with a Babylonian pirate/warrior queen (the indescribably
yummy Gina Torres), and the character's death--which, paradoxically,
led to a fascinating study of the relationship between a hero
and his sidekick, especially when a possessed-from-beyond-the-grave
Iolaus then turned up as a major supervillain. When Iolaus died,
Sorbo's Hercules gave a beautiful speech at his gravesite: Herc
didn't love Iolaus because he made him laugh (even though he did),
or was a great fighter (even though he was); Herc loved him because
even though Iolaus had no powers, he went in and fought the same
fight as Hercules, the son of Zeus. "You were my hero,"
said Herc, and it was a rare instance when the sidekick was shown
to be the moral beacon of the series...
Two a.m.?! Crap. Gotta get to sleep. Xander and the Jossverse
tomorrow. I promise... (Maybe.)
[> [> Son of Sidekicks:
Decision time for Xander (Xena/Hercules, BtVS spoilers) --
cjl, 09:29:21 12/17/02 Tue
Continuing my thoughts on Xena and Hercules' sidekicks (which
were interrupted by bedtime), I'd like to note a previously unnoticed
(by me, at least) similarity between Iolaus' and Gabrielle's plotlines.
In Shadowkat's essay at the top of the thread, she noted that
the best, most highly-developed sidekick characters eventually
reach an existential breaking point where they: (a) seriously
question their role as the sidekick, and (b) break with the hero,
going out on their own. (In bad fantasy literature/TV/movies,
this is a superficial break, and is usually resolved in the space
of one ep. Think "a spell temporarily turns sidekick evil,"
sidekick and hero fight, hero wins and sidekick snaps back to
normal. "Good to have you back, old friend...")
Gabrielle and Iolaus are pushed to their breaking points by the
same outside influence: the extra-dimensional demon known as Dahak--the
Raimiverse's version of the First Evil. And just like the First
Evil, this incorporeal entity achieves its purposes by manipulating
people and taking advantage of their vulnerabilities. With Gabrielle,
it's her overpowering faith in the goodness of all people. Dahak
impregnates Gabrielle, and the result is Hope, an adorable blond
bundle of joy, and a demonic hellspawn of the first order. But
Gabrielle could never believe that her child could be irredeemable,
and she keeps Hope alive (hmmm), in defiance of Xena's ruthless
but practical advice. The results of Gabrielle's misplaced mercy
are nightmarish: Hope kills Xena's son--and sets off the famous
"Rift" plotline of S3 (which climaxes in the first ten
minutes of "The Bitter Suite," where Xena and Gabrielle
are literally at each other's throats).
Dahak ensnares Iolaus from another direction. He approaches Iolaus
on the border between life and death, and preys on a feature of
the sidekick's personality which Xander-fans should be well-acquainted:
not enough power. Dahak both flatters and mocks Iolaus, telling
him that, as a mortal battling the whims of the Gods, he's got
ten times the courage of Hercules--but just hasn't got enough
juice to get things done right. He sets up a trial situation where
Iolaus could have the power of life and death, and--worn down
by Dahak's relentless temptation--Iolaus chooses the power. Dahak
has him. He possesses Iolaus' body, rises from his tomb and sets
off to kill Hercules and ruuuuuule the world.
I was thinking about the trials of my favorite sidekicks from
the Raimi-verse and wondered if sidekicks in the Buffyverse were
following a similar path.
Willow definitely follows Iolaus' plotline, although Joss eases
us into "sidekick-as-supervillain" far more gradually,
allowing us to see the de-evolution of Willow's character over
the course of three seasons. On the other hand, Raimi and company
don't wimp out and give Iolaus an "out" with a "magic
as addiction" patch. Under heavy demonic pressure, Iolaus
clearly makes a monumentally bad choice, and when Herc finally
enters Iolaus' mind to defeat Dahak, Iolaus asks for forgiveness.
Herc wonders why Iolaus even has to ask. They team up one last
time, drive the demon out, and Iolaus goes to his Just Reward.
Similarly, after her near-genocidal lapse in judgment, Willow
comes back to Sunnydale, unsure whether Buffy and her friends
would ever forgive her. But the hero is always willing to embrace
the sidekick and welcome her back into the fold.
Which brings us to Xander.
In all of the examples above, the sidekick is driven to the breaking
point by his or her great weakness or blind spot. Most of the
time, it's the sidekick's eternal sense of inadequacy, of not
measuring up to the ideal of the hero. (Gabrielle is obviously
the exception.) This is where I think Xander is going--although
not in the way everybody else thinks.
We've been following Xander for seven years, and he's probably
adjusted to the adult world better than any of the other Scoobs,
he's got the cool job in construction, he's had the mature, adult
relationship--and even though that went down in flames, he's shown
with Buffy and Dawn that he's willing and able to take on the
role of breadwinner and man of the house. But despite all that,
Xander is still Buffy's boy, the flying buttress of support, Mr.
Back-Up, the cavalry as Scared Guy with a Rock. He doesn't make
any of the big decisions. Professionally, he's a subcontractor,
implementing another person's designs; domestically, Buffy is
still the head of the house. And when he was faced with the biggest
decision of them all--getting married--he bailed out. (Saving
Willow and the world in "Grave" doesn't count--there
was no "decision" to be made. He went to Kingman's Bluff
to die with Willow, not to save her.)
"Selfless" clearly shows me what Joss is going to do
Xander this season: he's going to put Xander in Buffy's shoes
and he's going to make him squirm like an eel. In "Selfless,"
Xander rails against the arbitrariness of Buffy's justice, sparing
her vampire lovers and putting the woman Xander loves on the hit
list the minute she steps out of line. Buffy counters that Xander
and Willow have no idea what it means to be the Slayer, the last
line of defense in a battle unknown to most of the world. Well,
I think Xander is about to find out. Somehow, someway, Joss is
going to force Xander into a situation where he has to make the
big decision--without help from Buffy, Willow or Giles--and it's
going to be a BITCH. A no-winner. Whether or not it involves a
formal "split" from Buffy and the rest of the Scoobs
is unimportant. He's going to have to make the choice, and it
will be his final crucible on the path to adulthood--one that,
I'm willing to bet, will leave him permanently scarred.
Great post, s'kat. As you know, I always enjoy the Xander talk.
[> [> [> I like your
spec cjl! -- ponygirl, 11:59:39 12/17/02 Tue
Though I'm picturing it as Xander going against Buffy, not in
a turning evil sense but a major opposition to her decisions/methods,
Selfless on a larger scale. His actions from Grave on have given
him a taste of what it's like to save the day, but without any
of the gut-wrenching price that Buffy has had to bear.
Nice post, cjl! And you too, SK!
[> [> [> [> Supporting
my opinion: "The Enemy Within" and "The Replacement"
(Trek and BtVS S5 spoilers) -- cjl, 14:25:14 12/17/02 Tue
If you need further proof that Xander's big plotline in S7 will
be the Big Decision, go back to S5 and his turning point episode,
"The Replacement." In this episode, Xander is accidentally
split in two, resulting in ButtMonkey!Xander and Suave!Xander.
Suave!Xander is smooth, self-assured and makes decisions with
confidence--which convinces BM!Xander that he's evil, evil, evil.
But we learn that Suave!Xander isn't evil at all. In fact, you
can look at Suave!Xander as the eventual result of Xander's maturation
process and BM!Xander's panic attack as the realization of his
eventual extinction. (I've covered this territory in other threads;
sorry about the repetition.)
Another clue about S7 comes at the end of "The Replacement,"
when the two Xanders (now disturbingly similar) make the same
Star Trek joke: "You'll have to kill us both, Spock!"
This directly refers to the climax of a ST:TOS episode, "Whom
Gods Destroy," when Spock is confronted with two Kirks--the
real James T. and a chameleonic madman who wants to shanghai the
Enterprise. The real Kirk says the line so Spock would know that
the safety of the Enterprise is his highest priority. Spock phaser-blasts
the impostor and the episode ends swimmingly.
But it also indirectly refers to another ST:TOS episode, "The
Enemy Within," where Kirk is split in two just like Xander,
both halves equally real. In this episode, Sulu and a survey team
are trapped on a frozen wasteland of a planet, and the transporter
is out. Kirk has to make a decision whether to beam them up via
a possibly defective transporter or leave them to die. (No explanation
as to how all the Enterprise's shuttlecraft disappeared. Sorry.
Nitpicking.) The "good" Kirk, deprived of his "negative"
or "primal" half, slowly loses the confidence to make
decisions, and he vacillates pitifully for most of the episode.
Only when the two halves reunite, does he have the force of will
to order Sulu and the rest transported up...
The parallel is not exact. As I said, Suave!Xander isn't the same
thing as Dark!Kirk--we had that in Hyena!Xander. But if BM!Xander
is the goodhearted-but-weak part of Xander, and Suave!Xander is
the half in touch with his manly essence, the only phase of Xander's
story that remains unfinished is for Suave!Xander to break through.
To stop hiding behind his Buffy and take the reins of his own
life, no matter what the cost.
And, knowing Joss, there will be an enormous cost.
[> [> [> [> [>
Re: Supporting my opinion: "The Enemy Within" and
"The Replacement" (Trek and BtVS S5 spoilers) --
shadowkat, 15:55:24 12/17/02 Tue
If this were Star Trek and not Btvs? I'd have hopes for a less
tragic dark ending. But overall? I generally agree - I think it
has to be a BIG decision for him. And if you look at the list
in my foreshadowing and even at the old Xander-centric episodes,
you'll note it's always a decision with Xander.
Which is why I'm not so sure of the whole "sleeper"
idea.
Unless they use it as a metaphor for Xander breaking out his routine.
But if you think about it isn't Xander sort of sleep-walking now?
Going to work. Helping Buffy. Going Home.
Isn't that what he's talking about to Andrew?
No...I think the big flip/break/whatever you want to call it for
Xander will be a decision that he makes which may be counter to
the group.
Here's a list of past Xander decisions and their effects:
1. Harvest - Xander makes the decision to join buffy and save
Jesse against Buffy and everyone else's wishes.
2. The Pack - Xander makes the decision to go in alone and save
the boy from the other kids and gets possessed as a result.
3. Prophecy Girl - Xander decides to go to Angel to help Buffy
and saves Buffy's life
4. Go Fish - Xander decides to join the swim team on his own
5. Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered - Xander decides to do a
love spell and convinces Amy
6. Becoming PArt II - Xander goes against Willow and tells Buffy
to kick his ass and decides to help Buffy save Giles with just
a rock, she gives him a stake
7. The Zeppo - Xander decides to stand up for himself and save
the school from exploding and not getting Buffy to save him this
time.
That's a partial list. Xander unlike Willow has no supernatural
powers - his mistakes and great acts are often from a decision
he makes against the advice of others.
I predict that his decision will be counter to what everyone else
wants, have a price, seem bad at first and be better in long run.
Or seem great at the time but have a horrible price attached and
be bad in the long run. Knowing ME probably the latter. He won't
turn evil - he'll just make a decision that may not work out for
the best and cause him to be on the outs with Buffy? Not unlike
Gunn's decision in Supersymmetry when he broke Seidel's neck.
Actually I see Xander's decision being more like Gunn's then necessarily
like Wes or Cordy's. Since in many ways Xander's character is
more parallel to Gunn's - normal human, some muscel, smart but
not watcher smart.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> The Unbearable Lightness of Xander -- cjl, 11:15:23
12/18/02 Wed
Shadowkat writes:
"Here's a list of past Xander decisions and their effects:
1. Harvest - Xander makes the decision to join buffy and save
Jesse against Buffy and everyone else's wishes.
2. The Pack - Xander makes the decision to go in alone and save
the boy from the other kids and gets possessed as a result.
3. Prophecy Girl - Xander decides to go to Angel to help Buffy
and saves Buffy's life.
4. Go Fish - Xander decides to join the swim team on his own.
5. Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered - Xander convinces Amy
to do a love spell.
6. Becoming II - Xander goes against Willow and tells Buffy to
kick his ass and decides to help Buffy save Giles with just a
rock, she gives him a stake.
7. The Zeppo - Xander decides to stand up for himself and save
the school from exploding and not getting Buffy to save him this
time."
In all of these instances, the decision is a relatively easy one
for Xander. He doesn't consider the possibility of consequences,
epsecially negative consequences, and there is no "burden"
of decision, the way there is for Buffy (e.g., the price of balancing
love and duty).
In the Harvest, PG, Go Fish, the Pack and the Zeppo, his first
impulse is to help his friends and fight for survival. This is
always an important choice (and...yay Xander!)--but it's nothing
like the choices Buffy is forced to make during the series. (The
entire student body of Sunnydale High makes the same choice in
Graduation Day, and we're not giving them high fives, either.)
In Becoming and BB&B, he is partly (or entirely) blinded by
self-righteous anger at Angel and Cordy, respectively, and doesn't
consider the consequences of his actions. Eventually, both decisions
come back to bite him on the ass (although it takes a looooooooong
time for the first one!), but that doesn't eliminate the essential
"lightness" of his decision at the time it is made.
The one time Xander has a major decision on his hands, where he
can see the possible consequences and has to shoulder the responsibility
for those consequences--he bails. Sneaks out the back door in
his tux, and wanders off into the rain. He would rather subject
Anya (and for that matter, himself) to loneliness and heartbreak
than make a bad choice and ruin their lives. I can understand
cold feet--but this is the reason why Xander is still merely Buffy's
sidekick, rather than the hero of his own life.
I say he will have to make a huge, gut-wrenching decision near
the end of S7. A decision of consequence. A decision with WEIGHT.
No more hiding behind his Buffy, and no more bailing out.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> Great post. Agree. -- Sophist, 12:47:53
12/18/02 Wed
In other words, he'll have to grow up. And I further agree that
he'll pay a big price along the way.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> [> Xander's inability to make the hard choice,
part 2 (Firefly spoilers) -- cjl, 06:44:58 12/19/02 Thu
In Triangle, Olaf offers Xander a "Sophie's Choice"
between Willow and Anya: I can kill the witch or the demon--your
call. Xander, quite rightly, calls Olaf's "generous"
offer to spare one of the girls "insane troll logic"
and refuses to go along, refuses to make the hard choice.
As a Xander fan, my first instinct is to say--come on. In that
situation, who WOULDN'T call the rules of the game into question
and refuse to make the choice? Would anybody in the Jossverse
actually choose one beloved over another?
And then, lo and behold, we get the Firefly episode "War
Stories," where Zoe (the worship-worthy Gina Torres) is asked
to choose between her husband and her captain/best friend. She
chooses her husband. In less than an eyeblink. Of course, she
knows she's going to come back with guns blazing to get the captain
(or, as they say, die trying); but she also knows very well that
the madman (mwhahahahaha) torturing Mal and Wash could easily
kill the captain before she gets back. The choice is very real.
She makes it without hesitation.
This makes me think about Xander's non-choice in a different light.
I think he was absolutely right in refusing to play Olaf's little
game. But does it also illuminate a key aspect of his character?
The inability to make the hard choice?
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> Personal spec... (unspoiled re the future, spoilers
for broadcast S7 eps) -- KdS, 10:37:02 12/19/02 Thu
OK, this is getting really dark (as my speculation usually tends
to be), but I have a feeling that Xander's karmic atonement for
the "kick his ass" thing, and lack of past decision
making, will be more in the line of "kick my ass".
There's a great deal of suspicion floating around about Xander's
connection to events in the past S7 episodes (evil!Xander, sleeper!Xander,
sleeper-for-Powers-of-Good!Xander) and I wonder if Xander will
end up lying to Buffy in a near-reverse of Becoming.
My speculation: Xander is suborned to the Dark Side by brainwashing/possession,
in the manner of Ben knows that it might happen again at any time,
and pretends to Buffy or other Scoobies that he betrayed her willingly
or that he's irredeemably possessed/corrupted, so that they won't
have any trouble killing him.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> [> I don't think they're going to go that way.
(Spoilers and personal spec) -- cjl, 11:02:16 12/19/02
Thu
I expect the main four Scoobs--Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles--to
come out of this season alive. (I think Spike and Dawn are going
to make it, too, but...focus!) The series has been about Buffy's
journey from childhood to maturity, and all these characters have
been an integral part of her journey, as well as individuals with
journeys of their own. We want to see--we NEED to see--Buffy confronting
the darkness at the core of Slayerdom and coming through it; Willow
finally integrating the geek and the dark witch; Giles reconciling
his duty and his unrequited passion for life; and Xander taking
the reins of his own life and making the final leap to adulthood.
Anything else, and I think Joss would be cheating himself. He
ain't gonna do it.
As for Xander--martyrdom? Probably not. I think you're on the
right track, though. With "Selfless," Joss is broadcasting
that Xander is going to get a "Becoming"-level comeuppance,
but I don't think he's going to be in Angel's shoes--he'll be
in Buffy's. He's going to be faced with Buffy's choice between
doing your duty and killing (or letting go) of something he truly
loves. There are a number of options of what that "something"
could be:
1) Anya
2) Buffy's friendship and Dawn's love
3) Willow's friendship and love
Before last season, I would have bet money on Anya, but they're
exes now, and it wouldn't be gut-wrenching enough. Joss could
spend the next ten episodes putting 'em back together just to
rip out our viscera...but I dunno. The second could entail Xander
betraying the Scoobs for whatever oblique reason, and number three--would
Joss dare put Willow together with Kennedy and then make Xander
as the instrument of her death?
So many possibilities for pain, so little time.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> [> [> [> Re your last suggestion... -- KdS,
11:31:53 12/19/02 Thu
No, 'cos then ME's offices would get firebombed by the Lesbian
Avengers.
[> [> [> [> [>
[> We may not have as long to wait for major plot progress
as I thought (Spoiler 7.14) -- cjl, 14:01:19 12/18/02 Wed
Rumors on various spoiler sites that 7.14 will be a Xander-centric
ep written by Jane Espenson ("The Replacement")! Yes,
I'm excited. (Can you tell?)
[> [> Thanks for directing
me to this post! -- Rob, 10:48:04 12/17/02 Tue
"In fact, the much-despised final episode suggests that Xena's
destiny was always to sacrifice herself for her past sins, and
the hero's jounrey we were watching was Gabrielle's all along."
That is actually the major theme that I loved in the last episode,
and is what saves it, IMO. The episode reinforced over and over
that X & G were complete equals, an evolution which took an incredibly
long time. "Xena" is not given enough credit as a work
of art, IMO. The character development of Gabrielle was slow-building
over the course of six years, and it was admirably subtle and
realistic. Watch any random episode from each season, and you'll
find the growth in her character to be quite remarkable. The last
year especially reinforced how much Gabby has changed. In a particularly
symbolic episode, "Legacy," the former bard accidentally
kills an innocent man; he was actually a messenger and the weapon
she thought he was aiming at Xena was actually a scroll, with
a proclamation of peace. How's that for irony? In "To Helicon
and Back," Gabrielle herself leads an army of Amazons, drawing
from what she has learned from Xena over the years and her own
philosophy. In fact, Gabrielle's quest for spiritual growth and
development and her constant questioning of her place in the world
and her position as a warrior is just as rife full of philosophical
questions as any number of "Buffy" episodes. Now, that
is not to say that, on the whole, it was a better show than "Buffy."
The mythology was far too inconsistent, and the conflicting styles--one
week campy, next week high, operatic drama--did not gel as well
as the comedy and horror do on "Buffy." That's just
a few of the problems. But for what it was, a syndicated action
series called "Xena: Warrior Princess," it was pretty
darn brilliant.
I loved in the last episode that the idea that this whole series
was really about Gabrielle's journey makes perfect sense. The
series began and ended with Xena laying down her sword. From the
start, Xena was ready to die. She was at her wit's end, not thinking
she'd ever be able to atone for all the evil she had done. Gabrielle
stopped her and helped her stay on her path and continue to seek
redemption. But although Gabrielle helped her do this, the change
in Xena really began in the "Hercules" episodes where
she was introduced. Xena does not have much of a fundamental change
throughout the course of the series; Gabrielle does. Gabrielle's
metamorphosis, when one watches the series over from start to
finish, is what guides and dictates the course of the story. In
an major epic, it is the main protagonist that one assumes will
change the most in the course of the story. By this definition,
it is definitely Gabrielle, who goes from wide-eyed, peaceful,
peasant bard to well-seasoned warrior for good in the space of
a six year period.
Rob
P.S. I didn't have a major problem with the idea of Xena dying
in the last episode, by the way. My problem was in the execution
(pardon the pun).
[> Outstanding job, SK!!!
-- Sophist, 09:43:11 12/17/02 Tue
I have just 3 comments.
I think you should include the Becoming betrayal. Buffy's reference
to it in Selfless pretty much makes it necessary. Note that the
betrayal is on at least 2 levels: Buffy's point about her friends
urging her to kill her lover; and LB's point that Xander didn't
trust Buffy to use the information.
One point for the future is that the sidekick's actions generally
harm the hero in some terrible way. In Xena, Gabby's refusal to
kill her daughter leads to the death of Xena's son. My gut (just
spec, no spoilers) tells me that Xander's actions this season
will cause someone's death.
Finally, while I think Xander fits the sidekick role perfectly,
I'm not so sure about the "damsel" part. Yes, the comparison
is there. OTOH, I don't see Xander as the one constantly being
rescued. It's like Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane -- Lois gets rescued,
Jimmy either helps or gets in the way. On BtVS, Willow gets rescued
(in fact, JW makes this point on the S2 DVDs), Xander "helps".
[> [> Thanks for your
comments. Generally agree. -- shadowkat, 11:55:27 12/17/02
Tue
After thinking about it for a while - I decided you were right
about the betrayal in Becoming.
Here's the test I applied to see if it really worked as foreshadowing
or a betrayal:
1. Were there negative reprecussions? Did Xander's actions have
a negative affect on the characters or events?
Yes - Xander's actions as we finally learn in Selfless, assuming
we didn't pick up on it before then, caused Buffy to believe that
X and Willow were against her. That they both wanted her to kill
the man she loved - not Angelus, but Angel. Why would she believe
that? Angel got his soul back at the last minute. Willow knew
she was trying the spell again - even told Buffy as much after
the fact - but according to Xander wanted Buffy to kick Angel's
ass. Instead of giving Buffy reassurance - that if she failed,
Willow might be able to turn the tide, Xander made Buffy feel
it was entirely up to her. While at the time this act could be
viewed as positive - Buffy didn't hold back, last time they tried
the spell she did... the act had negative consequences. Buffy
left after she killed Angel - she believed that everyone was against
her and she couldn't confide in them. Prior to Xander's comment,
Buffy believed she still had Willow on her side. When Buffy returns
- the comment causes Buffy not to confide in Willow and to hide
Angel from her friends. If Xander had given Buffy the message
Willow intended - Buffy may not have left town, may have confided
in Willow earlier and the events of Revealations may not have
occurred.
2. Would this act be perceived by Buffy, Willow or Giles as a
betrayal? Would they at some point have to work to forgive him
for it?
We learn in Selfless - that Buffy considers this a betrayal.
As does Willow, who learns too late what Xander did. Xander, perhaps
unintentionally, damaged Willow and Buffy's friendship.
3. What was Xander's motivation? Was it self-serving? (Doesn't
matter as much as the first two.)
Yes - Xander hated Angel and wanted Buffy to kill him. Whedon
goes out of his way to show this in Becoming. At the end of Becoming
Part II - Xander hopes that Buffy killed Angel, while Willow hopes
that Angel got his soul back and Buffy didn't have to and they
are together.
So yep - it works as a betrayal. I changed my essay slightly to
reflect that.
Regarding the damsel? I think Xander perceives himself more as
a damsel than anyone else does. Sort of like Lorne in that fashion.
This comes across in many of the Xander centric episodes - where
Xander fears that he is always the one in danger. The Replacement
shows this fear as does the Zeppo. In reality - Xander is more
like Joxer in Xena and Jimmy Olsen in Superman. The sidekick who
provides comic relief while getting in the way.
Willow and Jonathan are actually better dopplegangers for each
other. Willow - the character everyone wants to save.
Jonathan the character they accidentally save.
As an aside - the most interesting damsel on Ats and Btvs is the
fatal - Darla, Angel and Spike. A holdover from noir genres. Saving
the fatal or using the fatal as a damsel is far more suspensful
because the hero must first decide if they should rescue/save
the fatal, 2) can they save them
3) will they save them and finally 4) what are the consequences
if they do. Saving Angel in What's My Line had far worse consequences
than saving Jonathan or Willow or even Xander ever did. Also the
hero must often fight her friends and sidekicks to save the fatal,
which makes the whole enterprise much harder.
So for narrative purposes? It's probably more interesting to put
Spike(Season 7) or Angel(Season 3) or Darla(Ats Season 2 and 3)
in jeopardy then it is to put Dawn or Xander or Willow. Because
you don't know if the hero will attempt to save them or if the
hero should.
Hopefully this will post. Fifth Attempt! ugh! anyone else having
troubles with voy today? SK
[> [> [> shadowkat,
regarding Buffy and Willow's friendship... -- Ixchel, 16:32:03
12/17/02 Tue
(Note: I wasn't sure exactly where to post this, because it refers
to some of your above responses as well.)
I'm not sure I agree about the damage caused by Xander's Becoming
lie.
Regarding any feelings Buffy had about Willow at the end of Becoming
2:
Though Buffy could, possibly, have felt that Willow was cruel
to restore Angel's soul, it seems unlikely that Buffy would've
perceived it as deliberate cruelty. It would be a very strange
thing for Willow to do. Also, Willow had been very pro-Angel up
until that moment. Her words and body language during the library
confrontation support Buffy and resouling Angel without question.
Regarding Buffy's interactions with Willow in S3:
Buffy seems on the verge of telling Willow about Angel's return
several times, IIRC. And after Revelations, Willow is demonstrably
pro-Angel once again. And their friendship seems very strong in
The Prom, when Buffy cries about Angel.
Not that any of the above means that what Xander did didn't cause
harm. Willow trusted Xander to convey important information to
Buffy and Buffy trusted completely Xander's words, that he chose
to lie means something.
Excellent post BTW.
Ixchel
[> [> [> [> Re:
don't forget Choices... -- Jay, 19:18:35 12/17/02 Tue
you you, when Willow decides to go to UC Sunnydale? Willow and
Buffy were rolling around on the grass at SHS celebrating that
they were going to be together for another four years, fighting
whatever evil may come.
A rant about
plot-mandated stupidity ***SPOILERS*** -- Corwin of Amber,
18:15:42 12/17/02 Tue
Ok, in an otherwise good episode, the ending where the slayer-in-waiting
runs off to be slaughtered REALLY ANNOYED ME. It seems like the
writers got to the third act and just didn't know how to finish,
so they have a random character contract terminal brain freeze.
That's normally Xander's role (think OMWF) so I suppose I can
be thankful it wasn't him running like a girl at the writers whim.
That particular slayer-in-waiting had been portrayed as the calm,
competant one, so whats the logic in having her run off? GRRR!!!
ARRGGH!
[> One Possible Explanation:
-- Finn Mac Cool, 19:13:03 12/17/02 Tue
The First Evil appeared to her as the Uber-Vamp, or possibly even
a homicidal Buffy (so that she'd run even faster when Buffy gave
chase). Frighten one of the potential Slayers out of the house
so that your minion can kill her. Would make sense. Not sure if
that's what the writers had in mind, and, even if it was, how
would they show it retroactively?
[> [> another possibility
-- anom, 21:44:55 12/17/02 Tue
Giles is the First. He got Annabelle alone & told her something
that led her to run out of the house. Plus she's really stupid.
[> [> Re: One Possible
Explanation: -- Deb, 07:15:20 12/18/02 Wed
All I can think of is that she is the one who had the books and
files that Giles stole, so possibly she was familiar with them,
and she is the one who took notes, and she is the one that did
research. Maybe she read something she couldn't handle?? Maybe
she read her horrorscope and decided it was a good day to die??
Maybe she was running out for food?? Maybe she wanted to be the
First in form?
[> [> [> "Spike
and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row" tie in... (Spoilers natch)
-- Briar Rose (way past "fan"), 17:03:24 12/18/02
Wed
I saw it in a completely different way having read the above mentioned
book and noticing a sort of theme that *I* believe was borrowed
from it.
In the book - it is Spike and Dru killing SITs and planning to
destory the CoW in quest of a certain littel bauble that will
make Dru able to see herself in a mirror. They make a deal to
take out all the Slayers and SITS, and the Watchers (which the
Deamon they contract with blows the Council Building to H e llo!
But doesn't kill all the Watchers or SITs staying there.)
I believe that Annabelle wasn't running away. As in the book,
in this scene I see it as there is one SIT that believes she has
a better handle on what to do about the 'Big Bad" than everyone
else does. So she runs with that look of defiance and intent on
her face.... Right into the hands of the 'Big Bad' (In this case
Grey Vamp) that kills her because she isn't as all knowing as
she assumes herself to be. This is basically what happened in
the book.
I would have liked to have seen some more of this scene, an explaination
would have been very nice... But I didn't notice Annabelle looking
too fearful or desperate in the beginning of her run. She looked
determined. And determination could be about a lot of different
things. Anything from determined to get away to determined to
fix this before everyone dies, since Buffy hadn't come into her
"We are declaring war..." stance at that point.
[> Re: A rant about plot-mandated
stupidity ***SPOILERS*** -- Juliet, 19:13:14 12/17/02 Tue
Maybe she saw the First, and it told her to run, or chased after
her.
I think the scene was mainly to set up the fact that a) ubervamp
was really strong and b) it's working for the first in the same
way the bringers are...notice how it mirrors the 1st scene in
lessons?
[> The calm, competent one
-- parakeet, 20:51:57 12/17/02 Tue
Yes, she appeared to be such. I thought that she was laying it
on a bit thick, though. Over-compensating? Repressed her fear,
reached a breaking point and freaked out, maybe? This observation
might be annoying to some, but...Realism does require a degree
of irrationality, at least in narrative (theoretically, one could
account for all the variables, and all actions would make sense).
I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, so I'll just stick
with: I think she was wound too tight and snapped.
The other responses to this post are probably more useful as an
unseen appearance by the First would satisfy a need for empirical
logic.
Oh, well, I'm really just trying to avoid thinking about Giles
not touching things.
[> [> I vote for your
answer....it's always the quiet ones...;) -- Rufus, 04:10:52
12/18/02 Wed
Her outward confidence was only a front for the fear she must
have felt. It's one thing to be a potential.....another thing
to be in a War Room.
[> [> [> Likewise
here. -- OnM, 12:31:08 12/18/02 Wed
In fact, as soon as I saw her running, I thought "Uh-oh--
the one who's busy telling everyone else to control themselves
just completely freaked out".
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