Any Buffy fans around to discuss some things that have annoyed me on rewatching?

[MrsBertMacklin]

Posting in Chat because this doesn't warrant a permanent thread. I fully admit to overthinking the issues below, I've been binge watching and may have lost perspective.

• Faith was made a slayer when Buffy died the first time. When she dies in Season 5, no mention of a duplicate Slayer, correct?
  

• The Principal in Season 7 talks to Buffy about how he's looked through her file, why is her response not, 'you creepy fuck, what a breach of privacy, I left school 5 years ago'?
  

• Neither Buffy or Willow have regular jobs (Willow is never seen in employment). Who pays for Willow's flights to England for rehab, their weapons, various house repairs (don't tell me Buffy could get insurance for accidental damage / civil unrest with her claims history), Dawn's school books etc.?
  

• When Spike goes to get himself restored to his former self: why exactly does that Demon con him and actually give him his soul? If it was a good demon I could understand it's ultimately setting him on the road to redemption, but it's not.
  

• Why did Joss Whedon make Angel Irish, when it must have been obvious within 5 syllables that David B's Irish accent was the worst thing in the world?
  

• Kennedy: I was all for Willow finding someone else after Tara, why on earth did they make that person such an utter knob? Is she meant to have some redeeming features / be perfect for Willow and the actor ballsed it up?
  

• After Joyce died, why didn't Buffy's dad make a single appearance, surely they could have found some reason / decent plot to make this happen, it's so clanging for me that a parent, no matter how absent, wouldn't even stop by once after his childrens' mother died suddenly.

[thatstoast]

If you only rewatch seasons 1-3 you avoid a lot of these issues. And you can forgive D-Bo's accent as he's super hot.

Season 7 is a mess, don't make me think about it! Pretty much all the new characters they introduce are unlikeable. Nothing about the first evil and the potentials really make sense. The finale is great but it's hard work to get there.

[LaurieJuspeczyk]

I've only seen up to halfway through season 6 so can't answer most of your questions, but I think there's no duplicate Slayer after Season 5 because Faith is still alive so she's still the Slayer. Buffy wasn't able to contact her dad after Joyce died, IIRC, so who knows whether he's even aware that she's dead?

Hopefully someone who's seen the whole thing can answer the other questions, apart from the one about Angel being Irish which is an eternal mystery that no-one will ever understand.

[tabulahrasa]

"- Faith was made a slayer when Buffy died the first time. When she dies in Season 5, no mention of a duplicate Slayer, correct?"

Nope - because a new slayer would only be activated if faith died.

The next two...yep, they were a bit rubbish.

Spike and the soul...I think, it's been a while mind, that actually he didn't con him...that we were supposed to think he was there to restore himself but actually he was after his soul all along.

Angel - if I remember right wasn't really supposed to be in it as long as he was when he was first written, so I suspect they comittee themselves to the back story and then went, damn it, his accent is bad...but it was too late.

Kennedy I suspect was supposed to be feisty and a contrast to willow and Tara...but was just annoying instead.

Buddy's dad was not just absent but well, rubbish and it would have caused plot complications and if course giles was filling the dad role...but yeah, he should have come.

[tabulahrasa]

Autocorrect was not happy with that post, lol

[MrsBertMacklin]

Thanks ref. Faith, thought Slayers were replaced on a like for like basis, have just read the Slayer Prophecy and it's 'one girl in all the world'.

Giles being the father figure, why did they even bother with the throwaway line about the number Buffy had for her dad in Spain not working. Annoying.

[thatstoast]

Also, just to defend David boreanaz some more...surely Kendra's accent is the worst thing in the world?

[Iwantobreakfree]

Faith was made as layer because Kendra died,not Buffy.

Because Buffy had already (technically) died once,dying again would not create another slayer.

[holmessweetholmes]

Agree with OP about DB's accent, annoying Kennedy and absent father.

Yy to Spike intending all along to get his soul restored. When he says "Right, I'll show Buffy!", you're supposed to think he means show her that I'm a proper vampire and can kick her ass. Whereas he really means show her I can be a good person and be worthy of her love (i.e. with a soul, like Angel).

[Micah]

Kendra was made slayer when buffy died the first time.

Faith was activated when kendra died. No new slayer was activated when buffy died the second time as her replacement had already been activated.

I think angel was Irish as vampires were pre-USA, and originated in Europe. therefore they travelled over with other immigrants. Perhaps db 's English accent was even worse, or they struggled with the concept that unless he was upper class, he'd have had a regional accent.

[LillyBugg]

Stop stop stop ruining Buffy! Yes it has flaws. But don't all TV shows? I just watched it all again for the eleventy billionth time.

I believe there is much chat online about Kendra's accent. Something to do with a very specific regional accent when she was training or some such.

[LineRunner]

Did DB have a faux Irish accent?? It sounded American to me.

But I didn't really watch it sober all that much.

[ApologiseForAnotherDay]

I've just watched The Body and the next episodes a couple of days ago and Buffy says the number she has for her dad isn't working. It carried on the whole theme that her dad didn't really care - didn't turn up for her birthday to take her to the ice capades remember?

Kennedy - no idea. Maybe she wasn't written annoying and it was the way the actress portrayed her?

Spike and his soul - I always took it as deep down that's what he wanted, he just didn't consciously realise it. He knew that would be the only way he could ever really have Buffy.

No new slayer as Buffy didn't count in "dead" terms it would need to be Faith.

The money - I think Giles subsidised then with his wages. I know that wouldn't be enough either, but it's the way I justify it

David B accent - maybe Joss has never heard an Irish person speak?!

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

I heartily agree about Kennedy.

Though, frankly, I never really 'got' Willow and Tara. They have about as much chemistry as a wet lettuce. Lovely friends, sure.

The accents drive me nuts. Though, I think Dru's mockney is more grating than the others.

[MrsBertMacklin]

Let's face it apart from Darla, all the original quartet's accents are rubbish, but Drusilla clearly just went for really camping it up, Spike is forgiven because he is otherwise brilliant, but DB is just terrible (and don't get me started on the shit wig).

So Spike went with the express intention of getting his soul restored? Or has JW written it ambiguously on purpose so people can argue online about it?

[JointheJoyride]

The accent as Angelus was terrible! In fact I find his character unlikeable throught Buffy both as Angel and Angelus. Spike was a far better fit for Buffy. All her human boyfriends were never a match for her.

I agree with whoever said that Kennedy was supposed to be fiery but I think the actress was poor and Kennedy just came over as someone you'd happily slap in the face.

[Butterflyface]

Buffy's dad was always absent after he split from Joyce, iirc he doesn't show up to take Buffy for the holiday once, and then there's some mention of Joyce? trying to get hold of him, and failing, so it's assumed there's no contact, and I think there's a mention of someone trying to get hold of him when Joyce dies, and not being able to - I have the impression that he swans off somewhere with a secretary?

And yes, the more the seasons go on, the less involved Whedon was, and ... well.

The principal was technically her employer, and therefore had a right to see her school records, especially it being her first job, I guess. That's a bit thin, but understandable once you know his involvement.

[Figster]

Kennedy
That is all

Sorry couldn't be more constructive

[JeanneDeMontbaston]

Spuffy is indeed a thing, and has been for, ooh, at least half my lifetime.

Crikey, that's a terrifying thought.

[SleepIsOverrated]

The slayer lineage was passed to Kendra when B died, so wasn't passed on again next time round.

Principal - I was assuming because she found him kinda hot and so got girlishly distracted, flutter flutter, adding to mild angst when he and Faith got it on.

Giles funded Willows flights and rehab. Giles is a man of independent means. He also handed huge wishes of cash to Buffy for the house fund. Entirely possible he actually set her up for life.

Although vvvvvvv unfair the Watchers get paid and the Slayers don't - I reckon possibly there is a Slayer benevolent fund we just don't hear about.

Spike wanted his soul. B calked him an evil soulless thing. And loved Angrl, who has a soul. So Spike set out to regain his soul. He knew what he was doing. Except of course that he didn't. More to the point - did that demon tie Spike in to the amulet and to Wolfram and Hart?

Is DB's accent any worse than Minnie Driver's in oh that Maeve Binchy film, can't remember the name? Maybe Joss can't hear an Irish accent and thinks it sounds ok to US ears?

Kennedy. Agreed. Horrid. Fair enough go for someone deeply different to Tara. But go for someone with depth and inner beauty still please! Not just that Knis different to Tara; she's different to Xander and Oz too - Willow liked the oddballs not the brats!

Buffy's Dad disappeared and didn't communicate once Joyce died. Makes sense he was still too selfish to come over once B had too. Although I think the whole point was that no one knew?

And never mind him - more to the point, Giles would never ever have left. He was her father in every way which mattered. And her watcher. And her security. No way would he just have sold up and gone. Never ever.

Why didn't they have mobile phones apart from Dawn? Why did they need a Dawn, come to that - irritating child? Why was she so incapable and childish on starting high school, when willow and Xander and Buffy were deemed so adult at the same time? How did the strength of vampires vary so wildly so that sometimes they could be killed multiply in seconds, and other times it took a gang forever?

Loved the Xander Anya stuff but why why why with hurting Cordelia so much? That was a fun relationship too.

Ah Buffy...

[TheIncomparableDejahThoris]

After Buffy's death, I think Dawn either chooses not to contact him or not to tell him that Buffy is dead, because she doesn't want him to take her to live with him.

[MrsBertMacklin]

Giles is a man of independent means.

Still get annoyed that the Giles / Ripper spin-off didn't get off the ground.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Oh I really liked tara and willow together shame willow git all big for her boots though. tara was so lovely.

I too cringe at all the accents