"Buffy's Relationship With the Scoobies"

 

"BUFFY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCOOBIES"

Recently, I did a re-watch of (3.07) "Revelations", a Season Three episode from the fantasy series, "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER". I found myself thinking about the scene in which the Scoobies reveal to adolescent vampire slayer Buffy Summers their knowledge that her former vampire boyfriend, Angel aka Angelus, is still alive.

Back in the late 19th century, Angel had angered a Romani clan when he had killed one of their people. To punish him, they cursed with his human soul, leading to great personal torment and the decision to resist the evil impulses that come with being a vampire. After a century, Angel lost his soul in mid-Season Two, thanks to a moment of happiness he had experienced during sex with Buffy. Following the loss of his soul, Angel resumed his old persona of the ruthless and sadistic Angelus.

In the Season Two finale, "Becoming (Part 2)", Angelus decided to destroy the world by summoning the demon Acaltha. Buffy's friend and neophyte witch Willow Rosenberg manages to restore Angel's cursed soul at the last moment. However, Buffy was forced to kill him to save the world from Acathla and Angel was sent to hell. In the Season Three episode, (3.03) "Faith, Hope and Trick", an unknown party returned Angel from hell. Buffy found him and decided to keep his presence a secret from her friends and her Watcher Rupert Giles. In "Revelations", Xander discovered Buffy kissing a resurrected Angel, during his search for a mystical glove. After he revealed Buffy's secret to Giles, Willow and Cordelia Chase; all hell broke loose, and the quartet staged an angry intervention for Buffy.

Now, I realize that they had a right to be angry at Buffy. She had failed to tell them about Angel's resurrection. But for some reason, this intervention scene pissed me off. If there is one thing about Buffy's relationship with Giles and the Scoobies that has burned me for years was their penchant of putting Buffy on a pedestal and dictating her behavior and moral compass. Worse, Buffy had always given their behavior a pass, due to her own fear of losing their friendship. Had Buffy ever put such pressure on Xander, Willow or Giles? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I have no idea. For years, they put her on this pedestal called "THE SLAYER" and rarely allow Buffy to be herself or have her own life.

Xander was the worst offender of them all. I still do not know how this character came to be so beloved by the series' fans. Granted, Xander could be entertaining. But of all the Scoobies, he was probably the most self-righteous of the bunch. And he had allowed his self-righteousness, along with his jealousy toward Buffy's relationships with both Angel and another vampire, Spike, to compromise his own morals without any remorse. Good examples were his lie to Willow about Buffy's wish to re-soul Angel in "Becoming (Part 2)"; and his attempt to murder a chipped Spike in the Season Six episode, (6.18) "Entropy" for having sex with Anya, the fiancée he had dumped at the altar. Even in "Revelations", he had behaved in the most self-righteous manner about Buffy's lie regarding Angel. Yet at the same time, he was cheating on his girlfriend Cordelia with a series of sexual encounters (namely kissing). This means, Willow was equally guilty of being a hypocrite. Some would say that Xander and Willow's infidelity was never a threat. But their actions ended up hurting Cordelia in more ways than one, after the latter discovered their minor affair.

I believe "Revelations" proved to be the first time the Scoobies tried to enforce their will upon Buffy's moral compass. However, the pinnacle of Buffy's relationship transformed in their attempt to enforce their will upon her existence in the Season Six premiere, (6.01) "Bargaining (Part 1)". Following Buffy's sacrificial death in the Season Five finale, (5.22) "The Gift"; Willow, along with Xander, his new girlfriend and ex-demon Anya, and Willow's girlfriend Tara Maclay's assistance; brought Buffy back from the dead. They made this decision to resurrect Buffy without her consent or without informing Buffy's younger sister Dawn, Spike or Giles. The Scobbies had done this, because they had felt they needed "THE SLAYER" to deal with vampire and other demonic elements in Sunnydale, California. They believed that Sunnydale needed a Slayer. Despite the fact that Sunnydale had managed to exist without a Slayer for nearly a century before Buffy's arrival. Did Buffy ever complain about the Scoobies' resurrection of her? Once . . . when she had been briefly possessed by a demon in (6.03) "After Life". Otherwise, no . . . I cannot recall Buffy calling out the Scoobies for the resurrection.

The Scoobies' penchant for throwing Buffy's flaws and mistakes into her face; while at the same time, ignoring or making excuses for their own has been problematic for me. Perhaps Whedon had intended for this scenario as an example of Buffy's own insecurities. After all, she had allowed her friends to get away with this behavior for years - even in Season Seven. During the series' last year, the Scoobies and the Potential Slayers had rejected Buffy's leadership following their failure to deal with Caleb, a defrocked priest who had become the right-hand man for the First Evil in (7.19) "Empty Places". They had accused her of becoming emotionally remote and a poor leader. I never had a problem with the Scoobies and the Potentials rejecting Buffy's leadership. They had every right to do so. But what I could not accept was that in doing so, they kicked her out of her own house. And she allowed them to do this. And yet . . . Buffy quickly forgave them when they had decided to follow her again.

I am not saying that Buffy should not have forgiven the Scoobies for their hypocrisy and demands that she live up to their ideal of being the Slayer. I simply wish that she had not been so quick to do so. I wish she had not been so desperate to maintain their friendship, even when they failed to be a good friend of hers. I realize that a lot of the series' fans tend to regard Buffy's relationship with the Scoobies as among the greatest friendships depicted on television. Personally, I have always regarded her friendship with Willow and Xander rather questionable. And I wish that Joss Whedon had found the time to address it.

"BOTTLE SHOCK" (2008) Review

"BOTTLE SHOCK" (2008) Review

If someone had suggested I go see a movie about California wines and its impact upon the business in the mid-1970s, I would have smiled politely and ignored that person. As it turned out, no one had told me about the 2008 comedy-drama, ”BOTTLE SHOCK”. Two years would pass before I found myself intrigued by it, while watching the movie on cable television.

Directed and co-written by Randall Miller, ”BOTTLE SHOCK” told the story of Jim and Bo Barrett and how their Chardonnay became the first American-grown vintage to win a famous blind wine tasting contest now known as ”the Judgment of Paris”. The contest was sponsored by a British wine connoisseur named Steven Spurrier and held in France. Spurrier wanted to use the contest as a means to be accepted by the French wine connoisseur community. The movie also chronicled the Barretts’ difficulties in maintaining their vineyard, the Chateau Montelena, in the face of mounting debts, Jim Barrett’s reluctance to participate in Spurrier’s contest, and the efforts of a Barrett employee named Gustavo Bambini and his father to start their own vineyard. The desires of the Barretts, Bambini and Spurrier centered on the latter’s blind wine testing competition that made history for the Barretts and California wines.

While reading about ”BOTTLE SHOCK”, I discovered that the movie had received a standing ovation following its screening at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Personally, I believe that Miller and fellow screenwriters Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz did an excellent job in creating a heartwarming movie filled with sharp humor, adversity, human drama, some romance and a good deal of warmth and whimsy. More importantly, Miller, Savin and Schwartz, along with the cast, gave the movie such energy and drive that I found myself developing interest in the topic of wine growing – something that would usually bore me to tears. There have been complaints about some of the historical accuracy in the movie. Why bother? ”BOTTLE SHOCK” is a movie, not a documentary. I have yet to come across a movie or play with a historical backdrop that was completely accurate.

Cinematographer Michael J. Ozier did a marvelous job in capturing the warmth and natural beauty of Napa Valley, with its rolling hills and vast vineyards. With different lightning, he captured the cool elegance of Paris and the French countryside. And costume designer Jillian Kreiner had the more difficult job of capturing the basic styles of the mid-1970s. This was at a time when fashion was in a transition from the wild, Age of Aquarius styles of the early 1970s, to the more ersatz elegance of the latter part of the decade and the 1980s. By the way, one should keep an eye on Dennis Farina’s loud, leisure suits that seemed to symbolize the entire decade . . . at least for me.

I had felt a bit confused over the identity of the film’s leading man. I could not decide whether it was Alan Rickman, Chris Pine or Bill Pullman. In the end, I decided to view all three as the film’s leads. And they led a very fine cast that included Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Dennis Farina, Miguel Sandoval and Eliza Dushku. I had a ball watching Rickman’s portrayal of the sharp-tongued wine connoisseur, Steven Spurrier, who found himself dealing with a new culture in California wine country and the possibility that European countries like Italy, Germany and especially France were not the only places to produce fine wines. At first, Chris Pine’s portrayal of the young Bo Barrett reminded me of a possible dress rehearsal for his performance as a loutish James Kirk in 2009’s ”STAR TREK”. Thankfully, his performance as the younger Barrett proved to possess more nuance, as Pine revealed him to be a vulnerable young man that seemed unsure about whether he was ready to embrace his father’s passion for winemaking, as his own. My only problem with Pine was the blond wig that he wore. I found it atrocious and wished that he had been allowed to portray the character with his natural hair. I personally believe that Bill Pullman gave one of the movie’s two best performances as the complex Jim Barrett – the man who originally injected new life into the Chateau Montelena during the 1970s. His Barrett was a proud and stubborn man that was passionate about his vineyard and who masked his insecurities with a great deal of pig-headed behavior.

Also providing top notch performances were Dennis Farina (of the loud leisure suits), who provided a great deal of amusement and wit as Spurrier’s fictional American friend in Paris and fellow wine connoisseur, Maurice Cantavale; Rachael Taylor as Sam Fulton, the free-spirited intern at Chateau Montelena and Bo’s object of desire; Miguel Sandoval, who was deliciously sardonic as Mr. Garcia, another worker at Chateau Montelena; and Eliza Dushku, who gave an amusingly edgy performance as a local bar owner named Jo. At last, I come to Freddy Rodriguez, who portrayed the Barretts’ ambitious employee, Gustovo Bambini. He gave the movie’s other best performance, conveying not only his character’s ambition and wit, but also a raging passion for wintry and a short temper.

What else can I say about ”BOTTLE SHOCK”? I laughed, I cried and I managed to enjoy both the story and the performances, thanks to Randall Miller and the script he co-wrote with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz . But more importantly, I found myself surprisingly interested in a topic that I would not have usually wasted time even discussing. On that point alone, I would heartily recommend this film.

"BOTTLE SHOCK" (2008) Photo Gallery

Below are photos from the 2008 comedy-drama, "BOTTLE SHOCK", which was based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris". Directed by Randall Miller, the movie starred Alan Rickman, Chris Pine and Bill Pullman:

"BOTTLE SHOCK" (2008) Photo Gallery

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER"

Below is a list of my ten favorite episodes of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" (1997-2003), which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar:


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”



1. (5.07) "Fool For Love" - After a common vampire nearly kills her with her own stake, Buffy turns to Spike to learn how other Slayers met their end so as not to make further mistakes and in turn, discovers a lot about his past history as one of the undead.





2. (6.03) "After Life" - While Buffy deals with being alive again, the Scooby Gang fights a demon that appeared as a consequence of resurrecting her in this haunting episode.





3. (7.17) "Lies My Parents Told Me" - While the gang investigates Spike's trigger; Principal Wood and Giles team up to get rid of the vampire without Buffy's knowledge.





4. (4.08) "Pangs" - Angel secretly arrives in Sunnydale to protect Buffy; who is attempting to prepare a perfect Thanksgiving, while dealing with the hostile spirit of a Chumash warrior. A very funny episode.





5. (7.08) "Sleeper" - After a newly risen and slain vampire named Holden has told Buffy that Spike is his sire, she investigates the possibility that the vampire might be killing again.





6. (3.07) "Revelations" - Gwendolyn Post shows up as Faith's new Watcher and warns the Scoobies that a demon is looking for the Glove of Myneghon, a powerful gauntlet.





7. (3.08) "Lovers Walk" - A lovelorn Spike returns to Sunnydale and kidnaps Willow and Xander. Oz and Cordelia discover them kissing, while attempting a rescue.





8. (6.18) "Entropy" - In a pivotal episode, Anya seeks vengeance on Xander after he had abandoned her at the wedding altar, and finds comfort with Spike; Willow and Tara decide to reconcile by arranging a date.





9. (4.09) "Something Blue" - A spell by a lovelorn Willow goes awry; blinding Giles, making Xander a literal demon magnet, and causing Buffy and Spike to fall in love and get engaged in this very funny episode.





10. (2.19) "I Only Have Eyes For You" - In this emotionally charged episode, a ghost possesses high school boys and Buffy; while his school teacher-lover possesses high school girls and Angelus.

“BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” – Who Is To Blame in (7.19) “Empty Places”?

"BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" RETROSPECT: WHO IS TO BLAME IN (7.19) "Empty Places"?

Seven ago, an episode viewed by many "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" fans as controversial, aired during the show’s final season. The name of that episode was (7.19) "Empty Places".

In this episode, the citizens of Sunnydale, California had finally desert the town in masse after realizing that their chances of surviving the upcoming apocalypse might be non-existent. Even demons like Clem had deserted. Vampire slayer Buffy Summers, the Scoobies, the souled vampire Spike, and fellow vampire slayer Faith Lehane and the Potential vampire slayers were still smarting from their defeat at the hands of a priest named Caleb and the demonic Bringers who followed him in the previous episode, (7.18) "Dirty Girls". To relieve the Potentials of their gloomy moods, Faith took them for one last night of fun at the Bronze, a local nightclub. The fun ended in near disaster, after an encounter with police. But when Buffy suggested that Caleb may be hiding something of great value in the vineyard – the scene of their last defeat – the Scoobies, the Potentials, Giles, Wood and Dawn finally turned their backs on her . . . and kicked her out of her own home.

I had found the general reaction to the characters’ actions in "Empty Places" back in 2003 rather interesting. I realize that I should not have been amazed, considering human nature. Yet, I was. Some fans came to the conclusion that all of the characters had reacted badly to the situation. These fans even managed to pinpoint the characters’ fears and flaws that led to their individual decisions. But the majority of fans seem determined to place the blame of what happened on either Buffy or on those who had rejected her. In regard to the latter, many fans had vented their ire on a handful of characters.

Personally, I believe they were all at fault. To be honest, Buffy had not a good leader throughout Season Seven. This became painfully clear after she had assumed leadership over the Potentials. Instead of resorting to the usual methods she had utilized when leading the Scoobies against the Big Bads at the end of the previous seasons – listening to her friends and considering their suggestions – Buffy resorted to behaving like General von Summers by insisting that should accept her views as correct, ignoring any advice given by others and viewing herself as the law whose word should not be questioned. She painfully reminded me of the Watchers’ Council at their worst. Which should not have surprise me, considering her only guide on how to be a leader came from a Watcher. Namely, her Watcher . . . one Rupert Giles.

Giles’ own actions before this episode had contributed a great deal to the schism between himself and Buffy. He had been the one who had insisted that Buffy lead the Potentials. Also, he had taught her to be a killer, instead of a leader. And when she failed to become an effective leader - no surprise there - Giles had constantly complained about her ineffectiveness. To make matters worse, he had betrayed her by trying to arrange Spike's death behind her back . . . and never expressed any remorse for his actions. Naturally this had pissed off Buffy. But when she finally rejected his role as her authority figure, he became resentful and even more critical . . . and stabbed her in the back, again. Yet, the fans had ended up expressing more hostility toward characters like the Potentials (especially Kennedy and Rona), Robin Wood, Dawn and the Scoobies than toward Giles. I guess as a long established authority figure, they had considered Giles as an exempt from their hostility. Well, from the hostility of most fans. There had been those who kept claiming that Giles had changed during Season Seven. And there had been those who condemned him as much as they condemned the others. By the way, I never thought think Giles had changed. Well . . . not much. I believe that for once, his fear had threatened to overwhelm him. And I believe Buffy's view of him had changed.

The other characters' actions did not serve them very well. Fellow Scoobies Willow Rosenberg and Xander Berkeley seemed resentful of Buffy’s growing distance from them. Despite enjoying their friendship with her, both had occasionally demanded that she live up to her role as "the Slayer" for several years. Willow and Xander had constantly put Buffy on a pedestal. Yet at the same time, they had demanded that she remain as a close friend as long as possible. Buffy's younger sister, Dawn Summers, had harbored insecurities that had originally spawned from her own encounter with the First Evil in (7.07) "Conversations With Dead". Dawn's main fear had led her to wonder if Buffy cared more about being a Slayer than being her sister. This fear eventually led Dawn to finally reject Buffy’s role as authority figure in this episode. I am not saying that Dawn was wrong. She had every right to reject Buffy’s authority. Only, she did it by insisting that Buffy move out of the house . . . her sister’s house. I would not be surprised that Robin Wood still maintained a resentment against Buffy for choosing Spike – the vampire who had killed his mother in 1977 – over him in (7.17) "Lies My Mother Told Me", forgetting that he tried to get revenge against an individual who had changed from the vampire who had killed Nikki Wood. As for Faith . . . well, she had never really rejected Buffy’s authority. She only questioned it.

But the characters who has received the greatest ire from many fans over what happened in this episode were the Potentials – especially Kennedy and Rona. A good number of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" seemed to resent Rona for openly expressing doubt toward Buffy’s skills as a leader. Then again, many of the fans had been expressing hostility toward Rona since her first appearance. Why? She was sarcastic, always questioning Buffy's decision and was portrayed by African-American actress, Indigo. Apparently, a black Potential had even less right to question Buffy's authority than a white Potential. Yet, even more fans had resented Kennedy for not being Willow's new lover, following Tara Maclay's death in Season Six.
Unlike Willow, Tara and Willow's previous love interest - Daniel "Oz" Osbourne – Kennedy was an extrovert. Worse, she had an aggressive personality that many found offensive. Which I found a bit hypocritical, considering Willow's tendency to be the dominate partner in her previous romances. But the single biggest criticism that many fans had laid at the Potentials’ feet was their decision to reject Buffy as their leader. For some reason, many seemed to harbor the view that they had no right to reject Buffy, let alone question her decisions. They seemed to believe that the Potentials should have blindly followed Buffy, regardless of how they felt about her.

You know, I never fail to be amazed at how hypocritical people can be. Honestly. Take the relationship between Buffy and the Potentials in Season Seven for example. In the past seasons, Buffy's continuous attempts to maintain a personal life and resist Giles' attempts to turn her into a single-minded Slayer had drawn cheers from the viewers. When she had resisted and finally rejected the Watchers Council’s authority over her in Season Three’s (3.12) "Helpless", the fans cheered. When she had continuously questioned Professor Maggie Walsh and the Initiative’s demon hunting actions and encouraged boyfriend Riley Finn to do the same in Season Four, the fans cheered. And when Buffy had made it clear to the visiting members of the Watchers Council in Season Five’s (5.12) "Checkpoint" that they no longer had any power over her, the fans had erupted into rapture.

Then in Season Seven, Buffy became an authority figure. Actually, she became one following her mother’s death in late Season Five, when she became Dawn’s only guardian. But her interactions with the Potentials led her to become an authority figure on the same scale as Giles, Maggie Walsh, and the Watchers Council. And like those before her, Buffy made some very questionable judgment calls – including her decision to attack Caleb at the local vineyard without any real reconnaissance in "Dirty Girls". As Buffy had done so in the past, the Potentials rejected her as their authority figure. But since their authority figure happened to be Buffy . . . many fans had condemned them for not blindly following her.

Apparently, it was okay for Buffy to resist or reject the authority figures she had faced. But when she became an authority figure herself - and not a very good one at that, many fans decided that "no one" - especially the hated Potentials - had the right to resist or reject her. I hate to say this, but this could easily be construed as a bad case of double standards by those fans. They had no problems with Buffy rejecting authority figures. But they had refused to accept the Scoobies and especially the Potentials' rejection of Buffy as a leader. The fandom's waffling reeked of hypocrisy to me. What I found even more offensive is that after twenty years or so, many willing to condemn those who would do the same to Buffy after she became an authority figure reeked of hypocrisy to me. Although there are many fans who are beginning to understand that the Potentials and the Scoobies had every right to reject Buffy as their leader, there are still a good number of fans who believe otherwise. From their view, the main protagonist is always right.

"Buffy's Relationship With the Scoobies"

I have something of a problem with Buffy's relationship with the Scoobies:


"BUFFY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCOOBIES"

I am watching the Season 3 episode, (3.07) "Revelations" right now. I am watching the scene in which the Scoobies reveal to Buffy that they know that Angel is still alive and she had been keeping his presence a secret from them. Apparently, Xander had decided to spy on Buffy, due to her secretive nature and found her kissing Angel.

Now, I realize that they had a right to be angry that she failed to tell them about Angel being alive. But . . . God, this scene pissed me off! If there is one thing about Buffy's relationship with Giles and the Scoobies that has burned me is that she has allowed them to dictate her behavior and moral compass, due to her own fear of losing their friendship. Has Buffy ever put such pressure on Xander, Willow or Giles? I wonder. For years, they put her on this pedestal called "THE SLAYER" and rarely allow Buffy to be herself or have her own life.

Xander is the worst offender of them all. I do not know how this character came to be so beloved by the series' fans. Granted, Xander can be entertaining. But of all the characters, he is probably the most self-righteous of the bunch. And he has allowed his self-righteousness, along with his jealousy toward Buffy's relationships with both Angel and Spike to compromise his morals without any remorse. Good examples would be his lie to Willow about Buffy's wishes regarding Angel in (2.22) "Becoming - Part II" and his attempt to murder a chipped Spike in (6.18) "Entropy" for having sex with the fiancee he had dumped at the altar. Even in "Revelations", he was behaving in the most self-righteous manner about Buffy's lie regarding Angel . . . yet, at the same time, was kissing Willow behind Cordelia's back. Some would say that at least his infidelity with Willow was not a threat to anyone. But his and Willow's actions ended up hurting Cordelia in more ways than one.

The Scoobies' attitude toward Buffy reached its pennacle in Season 6. In (6.01)"Bargaining - Part I", Willow, with Xander, Anya and Tara's assistance, brought Buffy back from the dead . . . without her consent or anything. An act that led to a year long depression for for the Slayer. And they did this, because they needed "THE SLAYER". They believed that Sunnydale needed a Slayer. Despite the fact that Sunnydale had managed to exist without a Slayer for nearly a century before Buffy's arrival.

Is it any wonder why Buffy began to emotionally distance herself from her friends" in Season 7?

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "ANGEL"

Below is a list of my ten favorite episodes of "ANGEL" (1999-2004), which starred David Boreanaz:


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF “ANGEL”



1. (1.19) “Sanctuary” - The second of a two-part episode about a burnt out Faith’s appearance in Los Angeles. Following her breakdown, Angel discovers that the Watchers Council and Buffy are after her.






2. (2.07) “Darla” - Angel tries to find a way to save a human Darla from the clutches of Wolfram and Hart, while she remembers her past as a vampire.






3. (5.11) “Damage” - Angel and Spike hunt down a psychotic Slayer who has escaped from an institution and believes that Spike is the man who drove her insane.






4. (2.02) "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" - In this send-up on the post-World War II Communist witch hunts, Angel recalls a traumatic experience during the 1950s at the Hyperion Hotel.






5. (1.18) “Five by Five” - The first half of Faith’s appearance in Los Angeles has the rogue Slayer being recruited by Wolfram and Hart to assassinate Angel.






6. (3.09) “Lullaby” – Holtz, a demon hunter from the past, hunts down Angel, while Darla endures a difficult labor.






7. (4.10) “Awakening” - In an attempt to bring down The Beast and restore the sun, Wesley brings in a dark mystic to extract Angel's soul.






8. (5.08) “Destiny” - Spike is recorporealized, and the two souled vampires battle it out to drink from the "Cup of Perpetual Torment" to settle the renewed conflict of the Shanshu Prophecy.






9. (4.16) “Players” - Gwen Raiden enlists Gunn's help to steal a device to control her electrical abilities while Lorne attempts a ritual to restore his empathic powers.






10. (4.04) “Slouching Toward Bethlehem” - Cordelia inexplicably returns from her higher dimension, but she has no memory of who she is and who her friends are; and Lilah Morgan develops an interest in her reappearance, as well.