As it so happens, I saw your post referenced on another blog, but your argument was basically reduced to "Xander is a poopyhead" and I agreed that the argument was pretty lame sounding.
Of course, you make a serious, cogent argument. But I still disagree with most of it.
I'm not going to go point by point, I'm too lazy for that for one thing. Instead I'm just going to ramble around here.
Xander as liar/manipulator. Let's forget Becoming for a sec (I'll get to that later on). I would suggest that Xander's problem is the opposite. Not only doesn't he lie, he also doesn't know how to look at things from anyone's pov other than his own. When Xander is angry or frightened, he's a blunt instrument. Look at him in the season 2 opener. When he fears that Willow is in danger, he turns his anger on Buffy. It's not totally misplaced, but that doesn't mean what he's doing is helpful. This is pretty much a preview of how he's going to act all through the season once Angel loses his soul.
Xander doesn't say anything that isn't true - every day that Buffy doesn't kill Angel, more people are losing their lives. But what Xander doesn't take into consideration is Buffy's guilt over this and how it's eating her up. Xander is (rightly) terrified and it causes him to lash out. That's his modus operandi.
In season 3, when Xander see Buffy and Angel kissing, I don't blame him for jumping to conclusions at first. For Angel, it's been hundreds of years. For Xander, Angel's reign of terror was only four months ago. That's not sexual jealousy, that's fear. His statement that What [were you waiting for]? For Angel to go psycho again the next time you give him a happy?” is anger pure and simple. Xander is a hothead and as far as he's concerned, Buffy doesn't act rationally around Angel. (And Buffy's opinion is much the same. Note that she yells at Angel after the kiss as if it was all his fault.)
Also, while Xander is quick to anger, he also is willing to admit mistakes. In this same episode he basically sics Faith on Angel. But note that when he spots Giles, he immediately says this isn't the work of Angel and asks Faith to wait. (She, of course, doesn't. Faith never thinks beyond her immediate impressions.)
Now, how Xander views Buffy. I agree that in season 1 and 2, he still desires her sexually. But by season 3 I believe that fades. Don't forge tthat in Restless, Xander views himself as Buffy's "big brother". He sees himself as trying to protect her (and failing, both in the dream and in RL).
It's getting late here, so for now I'm going to talk about "the lie" and wrap this up. Point number 1, is it doesn't make a difference. Angel removes the sword before Buffy starts to fight him. Next, to claim that Xander's sole motivation is jealousy is to turn Xander into much more of a simpleton than he is. It is part of his motivation? Yes, I would say so. So is anger that Angel is a stone cold sadistic murderer and deserves to die. So is fear that Buffy will be killed if she thinks she could get Angel back and tries to stall him. None of us do things for staight forward reasons (well, rarely), why should Xander be any different?
I think the real damage the lie does is that Buffy now believes that Willow also wanted to see Angel dead. I think season 3 is where Buffy really starts to pull away from her friends emotionally and I think Xander's lie is a big part of that. Plus I think it also was a big factor in her running away. I think she felt that none of them could possibly sympathize with her grief.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-07-24 03:59 am (UTC)Of course, you make a serious, cogent argument. But I still disagree with most of it.
I'm not going to go point by point, I'm too lazy for that for one thing. Instead I'm just going to ramble around here.
Xander as liar/manipulator. Let's forget Becoming for a sec (I'll get to that later on). I would suggest that Xander's problem is the opposite. Not only doesn't he lie, he also doesn't know how to look at things from anyone's pov other than his own. When Xander is angry or frightened, he's a blunt instrument. Look at him in the season 2 opener. When he fears that Willow is in danger, he turns his anger on Buffy. It's not totally misplaced, but that doesn't mean what he's doing is helpful. This is pretty much a preview of how he's going to act all through the season once Angel loses his soul.
Xander doesn't say anything that isn't true - every day that Buffy doesn't kill Angel, more people are losing their lives. But what Xander doesn't take into consideration is Buffy's guilt over this and how it's eating her up. Xander is (rightly) terrified and it causes him to lash out. That's his modus operandi.
In season 3, when Xander see Buffy and Angel kissing, I don't blame him for jumping to conclusions at first. For Angel, it's been hundreds of years. For Xander, Angel's reign of terror was only four months ago. That's not sexual jealousy, that's fear. His statement that What [were you waiting for]? For Angel to go psycho again the next time you give him a happy?” is anger pure and simple. Xander is a hothead and as far as he's concerned, Buffy doesn't act rationally around Angel. (And Buffy's opinion is much the same. Note that she yells at Angel after the kiss as if it was all his fault.)
Also, while Xander is quick to anger, he also is willing to admit mistakes. In this same episode he basically sics Faith on Angel. But note that when he spots Giles, he immediately says this isn't the work of Angel and asks Faith to wait. (She, of course, doesn't. Faith never thinks beyond her immediate impressions.)
Now, how Xander views Buffy. I agree that in season 1 and 2, he still desires her sexually. But by season 3 I believe that fades. Don't forge tthat in Restless, Xander views himself as Buffy's "big brother". He sees himself as trying to protect her (and failing, both in the dream and in RL).
It's getting late here, so for now I'm going to talk about "the lie" and wrap this up. Point number 1, is it doesn't make a difference. Angel removes the sword before Buffy starts to fight him. Next, to claim that Xander's sole motivation is jealousy is to turn Xander into much more of a simpleton than he is. It is part of his motivation? Yes, I would say so. So is anger that Angel is a stone cold sadistic murderer and deserves to die. So is fear that Buffy will be killed if she thinks she could get Angel back and tries to stall him. None of us do things for staight forward reasons (well, rarely), why should Xander be any different?
I think the real damage the lie does is that Buffy now believes that Willow also wanted to see Angel dead. I think season 3 is where Buffy really starts to pull away from her friends emotionally and I think Xander's lie is a big part of that. Plus I think it also was a big factor in her running away. I think she felt that none of them could possibly sympathize with her grief.