I lost this thread! I'm still loving my fast forward of this, my 4th trawl through the show.
I like Xander this time around, and i feel sorry for him. Neglected and/or bullied by his parents, bullied at school, largely ignored for his contributions in the gang but heavily relied upon and always steps up even when discredited.
I think the analysis upthread of the bathroom scene is really interesting. I haven't got to it yet, but the idea that we are her when watching the show makes sense. I do find myself very unsympathetic towards her treatment of Spike though.
I too have noticed the different healing times for different wounds of Buffys, but also when Buffy beats up Spike his wounds stay across episodes.
My least favourite character is tara, someone uploaded called her a wet blanket and i couldn't agree more. And i can't stand it when Willow, in any bed scene or moment of vulnerability, uses a little girl halting form of speech. I know the character is a very young woman, but still.
And the adult in me is also annoyed with the sentence structure used so often. I'm dyslexic, poorly educated and not a pedant, but "I'm sorry i was all angry girl", really stands out to me.
I really love the show though, it's such amazing writing and the acting is great. I even liked Riley this time around because he gives a different, more typical perspective (demons are bad) and reminds us i think of our less fantastic more normal selves.