FIRST POST - PLEASE HELP

Wash

Townie
Joined
Oct 6, 2009
Messages
2
Hey, y'all, new to the forum. Not much of a message board guy but I am writing a report about Xander and I need a little help. I don't have the time to rewatch all 7 seasons, just the first couple.

Anyhoo, here's what I need help with. Everyone knows Xander's homelife is less than perfect and his family is a little dysfunctional. Can anyone suggests particular episodes that feature more detailed looks into Xander's family life. Episode names would be most helpful so I can seek them out quickly.

Anything (besides wikipedia and Buffywikis) that have analysis of Xander would also be a great help. Most Buffy articles I find focus on her and the whole female empowerment stuff.

Perhaps links to interviews or articles where Joss goes into inspirations for Xander. My google searches have been turning up squat.

Any help would be great appreciated. 🙂
I would prefer any replies be sent to my email ( BryanLeeWasher at gmail ) so I might see it faster.
 
"Amends", I think it was, goes into some detail about the dysfunction of the Harris family during the holiday season. Haven't seen it in awhile but I'm pretty sure that's the one I'm thinking of
 
Offhand, the best Xander episodes for character analysis I can think of are The Zeppo, The Replacement, and Hell's Bells. The last one especially for the family stuff. Also, his speech to Dawn at the end of Potential.
 
First of all, welcome to the Boards 🙂

Episodes I would look at for some Xander family stuff would be basically the ones around the wedding (so that Hell's Bells and As You Were mostly). Also, The Replacement where the guys are watching a movie in the beginning and we hear Xander's family member getting home and having a fight.
 
Thanks for the click replies and all the suggestions. If you can think of more, keep em coming! :lmao:
 
Hey and welcome to the board!! Xander's home life is very said. Everyone has already mentioned the episodes I was thinking of, so watch those and you'll be good to go, I believe. 🙂
 
Paramour - Your list is great, but I would include "Restless" as well.

Wash - Post your Xander paper on here when you're done! I'd love to read it. 😉

btw, Welcome to the boards! I know you say you're not a forum person - but I think you'll find you'll love it here.
 
Also, Restless where he kept winding up in the basement as his father was coming down to give him a spankin'
 
Yes, I concur - Restless is key as is Hells Bells. The Replacement might be useful too.

Welcome to the boards 🙂
 
I'd like to read it! 😀

There are quotes from different episodes:

Season 1, Nightmares:

Buffy: I just can't believe a kiddie league coach would do something like that. [beating a child]

Xander: Well, you obviously haven't played kiddie league. I'm surprised it wasn't one of the parents.

(This can be taken as Xander admitting his father hit him because he lost a match.)


Season 1, Out of Mind, Out of Sight:


Xander: Oh, hey, do you wanna come to our place tonight for dinner? Mom's making her famous phone call to the
Chinese place.

Willow: Xander, do you guys even have a stove?

(Shows that Xander's mom can't cook)



Season 2, Inca Mummy Girl:

Xander: My dad tried to sell me to some Armenians once. Does that count?

(This is too disturbing)


Season 2, Surprise:

Xander: (on the phone) Mom, hi. [Who's this?] Xander.

(Xander's mom doesn't recognize her only son's voice on the phone. Too drunk perhaps?)


Season 2, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered:

Harmony: God! (looks Xander up and down) Y'know, I'm glad your mom stopped working at the drive-through long enough to dress you.

(His mom's job. I'm guessing his father was able to get a job at this point and his mother doesn't have to support the family anymore.)


Season 3, Amends:

Xander: (with false heartiness) Well, I'll be enjoying my annual Christmas Eve camp-out. See, I take my sleeping bag outside and I go to sleep on the grass.

Willow: Sounds fun.

Xander: Yeah, I like to look at the stars, you know? Feel the whole nature vibe.

Cordelia: (smiling smugly) I thought you slept outside to avoid your family's drunken Christmas fights.

Xander gives her a look like he expected no less from her.

Xander: Yes. And that was a confidence I was hoping you would share with everyone.

(This one is interesting. It seems Xander told Cordelia about his problems with his family, and he didn't tell Willow, his best friend. Does that say something about Xander's feelings for Cordelia? Did he trust her more than Willow at some point during their relationship?)


Season 4, the Freshman:

Xander: Basically, I got as far as Oxnard and the engine fell out of my car, and that was literally. So, I ended up washing dishes at 'The Fabulous Ladies Night Club' for about a month and a half while I tried to pay for the repairs. No one really bothered me or even spoke to me until one night when one of the male strippers called in sick and no power on this earth will make me tell you the rest of that story. Suffice to say I traded my car in for one that wasn't entirely made of rust, came trundling back home to the arms of my loving parents, where everything was exactly as it was except I sleep in the basement and I have to pay rent. How's college?


Season 4, Living Conditions:

Buffy: What's the deal Xand, parents not feeding you?
Xander: Sure they do, for a price.


(Xander is also expected to pay for the food he eats from his parents' refrigerator.)


Season 4, Restless:

XANDER: (whispers) That's not the way out.

(The door bursts open. Xander looks down at himself, then back up the stairs.)

VOICE: What the hell is wrong with you?

(Xander looks chastised.)

(We see a man silhouetted in the doorway above. It's Xander's dad.)

DAD: You won't come upstairs? What are you ... ashamed of us? Your mother's crying her guts out!

XANDER: You don't understand.

DAD: No. You don't understand. (Starts down the stairs, stomping angrily) The line ends here with us, and you're not gonna change that.

(Xander looking down, unable to look at his dad.)

DAD: You haven't got the heart.

(Suddenly Dad shoves his hand into Xander's chest.)


Season Five, the Replacement:

Upstairs we hear a door slam.

XANDER: (looking up) Ah, I guess the folks are back.

We can hear voices yelling at each other. Xander, Anya, and Riley look uncomfortable. Buffy is oblivious.

XANDER: No, no, I was wrong. Just incompetent burglars.

More yelling from upstairs. Then there's a bang (another door slamming?). Plaster dust from the ceiling drifts down onto Anya.

XANDER: Yeah, maybe it's definitely time to start looking for a new place. Something a little nicer. Buffy, you've been to Hell. They have one-bedrooms, right?


Season 5, Forever:

XANDER: You going home?
WILLOW: I'm gonna stop by my mom's first. Been doing that a lot lately.
XANDER: Yeah. I actually might stop by your mom's too. (she looks at him) Well, I'm not going to *my* place. Those people are scary.



These are some quotes from seasons 1 to 5. Most of S6 is about Xander being scared of becoming his father. S7 has only one quote in Him where Xander says that fighting reminds him of Christmas at his parents' house.


Hope I helped. I'm sure I missed a few quotes here and there, though.
 
Back
Top Bottom