Buffy and Giles

Is the Buffy/Giles relationship important to you?

  • One of the best things about the show.

    Votes: 9 39.1%

  • Provides a fair amount of enjoyment.

    Votes: 11 47.8%

  • It doesn't add anything to the show.

    Votes: 1 4.3%

  • I've never really thought about it.

    Votes: 2 8.7%
  • Total voters
    23
D

Diminished_9th

Scooby
Joined
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Messages
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Age
51
Location
Washington State, US
No, No, NOT Romanti--I can't even go there, yuck. I mean the Student/Teacher, Mentor/Mentee, Father/Daughter, thing they have. How important is it to the show, or more specifically, how much impact does it have on you as you watch the show?
 
It's important to the show, but I don't really like watching it, not my area of interest!
 
I think if Giles didn't exist it would be necessary to invent him.

Giles is probably the most important of the things working in the background of Buffy that make the series special.

He provides the moral compass to the series and makes sense of what are often nonsensical situations.

If you don't have that you wind up with something like "Birds of Prey", where there's a lot of cool stuff to look at on the surface, but overall it's silly and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

Giles is important even when he's not around. Do you remember at the end of First Date when the Scoobies are just hanging around goofing and joking about sexual orientation. That was fun. I was enjoying it, then Giles butted in and forced everyone to see the seriousness of their overall situation,

OK... I didn't understand the importance of a scene like that to the overall gestalt of Buffy until I saw the next episode, Get It Done. This episode was Gilesless. Fast forward to the Buffy lecture scene after she buries the girl in her backyard.

I agree with everyone who found that lecture scene a little tiresome and fragmented, but when you put it together with the Giles admonishment from the previous episode, you see where Buffy's coming from, and even though she's a big pain in the ass in that scene, you recognize the importance of what she has to say. I submit to you that the aura of Giles is present in your subconscious when you view that scene, even if you didn't notice the connection consciously.

When Giles leaves the series for too long you have chaos. You have Season 6. Does everyone remember the feeling you had at the end of Two To Go when Giles stood there in the doorway of the Magic Box dressed in a trenchcoat and not wearing his glasses. It was like "Ok...everything's going to be alright now. Daddy's home, and he's pissed".

But the question of this Poll concerned the importance of the Giles/Buffy relationship. Hell ya it's important, but first you have to take into account the general underlying importance of Giles.

Also don't you just love the chemistry Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Anthony Stewart head have together as actors. Watch their faces and they're saying stuff that isn't even in the script.
 
I was more interested in his relationships to Willow and Xander, because I felt they already explore the Buffy-Giles thing all they needed to. Yes, he loves her, and he's torn between affection and doing what's right. There's nothing more they can really ad, beside maybe a final goodbye should that happen.
 
I agree with everything nerd4hire said. I posed the question I did because I wanted to open a discussion about Giles, and I wanted to also discuss Giles relationship with Buffy, as well as the other scoobies. I figured you couldn't discuss the relationship without dicussing Giles, but you could discuss Giles without discussing the relationship. I didn't wanna do that. Make sense? Didn't think so.

I totally agree that Giles was sadly missed during season 6, and when he came back at the end, I think everyone cheered. I feel bad for ASH because from what I've read, he's ready to be in England and do Ripper, but he is so very needed in Buffy. I think that it's lucky timing that Ripper begins as Buffy ends. I think it would be very difficult to do several more seasons with no Giles.

So...maybe I should delete this thread and make it more broader?? Nah, but feel free to discuss all things Giles. His relationship to Buffy, to Willow and Xander. to Joyce, Individually...etc etc. I just think there's a lot of cool stuff there, but we often overlook Giles and just look at the romantic relationships.
 
Taking Willowto the coven in England to learn all about magic has established a new bond between those two and could also lead to a future "working" relationship should a Willow spin-off happen.
His experience with magic during his "wild London" days and how to cope with the aftermath "dark ages" has made him into the logical teacher for Willow too.
He is the one who always brings everybody "down to earth" again, bringing stability into the group, no matter who is in the gang.

I just hope he will be available for a spin-off other than Ripper, to give his support to the next leading lady.
 
I think the relationship between Giles and Willoe is also much like a father/daughter relationship. The way he helped her cope with her magic, and when I think of the Giles/Willow relationship I think of "Hush" when she gets out her writing board, writes frantically on it, and it says "Hi Giles" and he pats her shoulder.

Somehow I associate Giles' relationship with Xander with Xnader and Anya. Such as when Xander was split in two, and Anya wanted to take them both home, and have sex with both of them, and Giles says "Let's all pretend we didn't hear the disturbing sex talk" He just doesn't seem to have as developed a relationship with Xander.
 
Originally posted by Buffy Ann Summers
I think the relationship between Giles and Willoe is also much like a father/daughter relationship. The way he helped her cope with her magic, and when I think of the Giles/Willow relationship I think of "Hush" when she gets out her writing board, writes frantically on it, and it says "Hi Giles" and he pats her shoulder.
Click to expand...

true! but i voted for the second down from the top.
 
Why? Does something about it bother you, or does it just not interest you?

I find it very endearing that a teenager and adult can have the type of relationship that they have. I just like that there's a trusted adult who's not a villian or stupid. I was wondering how others felt about it. I guess it's just me though.
 
Originally posted by nerd4hire
Also don't you just love the chemistry Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Anthony Stewart head have together as actors. Watch their faces and they're saying stuff that isn't even in the script.
Click to expand...
That's a great way of putting it. You're always so good at that.


Well, Diminished_9th, I think you and nerd4hire said how I feel about the relationship. I can just remember everytime I watch the end of Helpless, and their scene together just shines. Giles brings something to the show that I'm no good at explaining, because I suck at it, but he's just the perfect icing on top of the BtVS cake.
 
While I love the show no matter what, I love it even more when Giles is there! The Buffy/Giles relationship is definitely at the top of my "favorite things about Buffy" list! They're just so cute together... plus, it's nice to see Buffy in a more vulnerable "daughter" role where she has Giles to take care of her, because she always has to be mature and in control of everything, being the Slayer. It reminds us that while Buffy does kick ass, she also still needs that paternal relationship where she can just let go and be taken care of, instead of being so macho all the time. If that made any sense.
 
I believe that the relationship between Buffy and Giles is one of the most important things on the show as well as Buffy's life. She needs him in her life as a father. He doesn't always have to be right there by her side. Father's at some point have to let the child take control, but just knowing that he is there for her I think is important. Their love is very strong.

Cate
 
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