Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Storyteller: Self-Portrait By Hunter Maxin ScoopMe.com

TEASER:

When Andrew attempts to record the life of the slayer, he ends up turning the lens on himself.

ARTICLE:

When the world finally ends, will there be a record?

Who will keep it?

Will it be the truth?

Will it even matter?

All and all, the idea of recording - visually - the exploits of arguably the most important force for good in the history of the world is a good one. Simply as a training tool, the tapes would be invaluable. But, let’s be honest, as a permanent record of, perhaps, the end of the world, for those who did survive, it would be so much more.

Mythology, both "real" and imagined, is rife with tales of would-be heroes being instructed by their predecessors. We all believe Buffy to be the last protector of the Hellmouth - she was told as much last week
 but what if she’s not. Mythology is also full of tales where the signs and prophecies are misread, misinterpreted.wishful thinking.

Already, in our little circle, in our little show, with its little prophecy, we have serious questions about the vampire with a soul who would be champion.

Is it Angel, as we always assumed, or Spike?

It has been my feeling for some time that Spike’s path to redemption, specifically his intention to be redeemed against his nature, is more worthy of the prophecies. That Angel’s mantel was forced upon him, and, no matter how strong a force of good he may be, he is not as worthy.

Or, perhaps, worthy enough.

I only write all of this to defend what, to many of you (at times myself included), may have been indefensible. Andrew’s pet project, whatever its intentions, did come off as a tad silly, if not more than a tad off-putting.

More simply put, my initial reaction was, and is, "Huh?"

Andrew may have believed he was recording history, but what he was really doing was re-writing it. Ultimately, Buffy saw through his charade, and to positive effect, but it didn’t change how disorienting the process was. On one viewing of the episode, as it unfolded, it was hard to reconcile, at times, what we were seeing with what we thought we knew.

There is a lesson here, of course, about perspective and how it affects events. The "who" is as important as the "what" of a thing. But you knew that, and it need not be our focus today. Because, even as Andrew turned the focus onto himself, the role he played, and the role he might still play, he still managed to catch insight into the world around him.

To wit...

Kennedy and Willow are very close and, now, very public. On one hand, this is simply nice for Willow, and, since we care about Willow, that is good thing. However, there is a downside to all of this. I’m reluctant to bring it up - I’ve apparently walked the wrong side of line ith the gay and lesbian community for my point of view on Tara’s death but Kennedy is becoming something of a problem, both for the gang and the show.

I plan on covering this in more depth in my promised "Buffy Goes To War" special, but it bears mentioning here and now: Kennedy has overstepped her bounds, and in a big way. There is no clear chain of command, at least in a traditional sense, with the Buffy Army, but there are some rules that are understood.

Buffy is in charge.

Right or wrong, she must be seen as the head of the entire operation. What happens behind closed doors, between Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, and, maybe, Spike, is for them and them alone, and the instant one of the soldiers, in this case Kennedy, attempts to undo that, you have a recipe for disaster.

The problem here, specifically, is that, because Kennedy is now clearly Willow’s girlfriend, the slayerette believes that she has an equitable seat at the table. Even if that were true (and it shouldn’t be) she still needs to understand that you don’t argue with the titular boss in front of the grunts, as she did last week.

The other problem is that, when she isn’t channeling the dark magiks, Willow has a tendency to be too nice. She doesn’t have the confidence in who she is and what she has done - for the gang, for the world - and it plagues her. She waffles. She hems. She haws.

When Kennedy found her voice, Willow needed to stop her, either right then (preferable) or in private. There can be no confusion here, because lives can be lost.

My bet is, if the Kennedy situation isn’t fixed, and fixed soon, Willow is going to have a second lover to mourn in just under a year, and I’m afraid what that will do to our gal’s complexion.

Anya and Xander has run its course - with a nice, touching, and private payoff - but why is a little less clear. The way I understood it, Xander left Anya at the altar not because he didn’t love her, but.well, why exactly? Because he wasn’t sure how their love could grow against the backdrop of their work? Their mission? Because his feelings for Buffy, even if they aren’t feelings of amorous love, are complicated. Whatever they may be, they are still greater than his love - true as it might be - for Anya.

It’s a shame, in a way. People like Anya and Xander aren’t destined for traditional happiness with traditional people. Perhaps, after this is all done, and their time as champions are passed to others, they might be able to settle down to a quiet life elsewhere.but I don’t think so. If they survive, things will never be the same for them anyway. I was just hoping they’d find a little slice of heaven for themselves in the middle of it all.

But most of all, Buffy still surprises. Inside, she is a born leader with an understanding of her job and its possibilities that are unparalleled in her line. Her handling of Andrew, as brutal as she appeared initially, ultimately hit the right notes. Just when you count her out, she mixes pressure with understanding, and voila.results.

But does this mean Andrew has finally achieved his much sought after redemption?

The Other Side of Tuesday...Wood tried to kill Spike, plain and simple. The fact that evil, in the guise of a temporary agent of the first, saved Spike is probably coincidence, but it does bear remembering, just in case. Either way, this situation between the two main men in Buffy’s life needs to be resolved, and soon. The fact that even Andrew could sense the tension, misinterpreted as it may have been, means that the others, Buffy in particular, should sense the gravity of the situation.

To say that Buffy and the gang need a focused Wood on their side is an understatement. The end is nigh, people, and we need everyone on the same page, plain and simple.