Giles and Buffy: Too Close for Comfort

[BuffyElevated]

I was rewatching my Season 1 DVDs and listening to Joss' commentary on "Welcome to the Hellmouth" the other day and couldn't help but laugh when he made the comment about Giles being way too close and invading Buffy's personal space during that scene when he's got her up against the wall in the hallway, telling her "There's a reason why you're here and there's a reason why it's now", and then again when he comes over her shoulder in The Bronze's balcony scene. I laughed because I remember thinking the same thing the first time I saw that episode: "Eww... The old guy is wayyyy creepy!" LOL

Any thoughts or comments on this? Anybody out there ever think it would have been interesting if Giles and Buffy had ever had a thing? Or does the thought of it make you want to blow chunks?

 

[palabravampiress]

^ You know, I rewatched some of season one recently, and the early Giles/Buffy chemistry did spike the creep-o-meter a little bit. I think the actors probably lacked direction in where to take relationships for those first few episodes (which, sidebar, might also explain Angel's weirdo stalker boy behavior). The balcony scene was especially icky, as it brought to mind the time when Spike was, errm, let's call it "leaning" whilst telling Buffy to observe the folks on the dance floor below. Similar camera angles. Completely wrong mise en scene. Total eww factor. Hindsight's a bitca.

Anyway, is your question whether I would currently, as in during season 8, want a Buffy/Giles fling or whether I would have wanted the show to take that path from the beginning? Currently, I would be against a Giles/Buffy romantic connection. The show developed that one as a father/daughter relationship. It would be too creepy now. If they'd gone that way from the beginning, though, who's to say? It could have been interesting. It definitely would have highlighted the Ripper aspect of Giles' character and changed a lot of Giles' actions/motivations in later seasons. I have no idea how it would have influenced Buffy as a character. Mostly, I think the show would have been a lot darker overall if it had come right out of the gate with a teacher - student/ watcher - slayer affair.

 

[Airam]

Honestly even allowing my mind to for a second ponder a Buffy/Giles thing seriously makes me feel dirty inside. I agree with Palabra that it must have just been a lack of clear guidance to the actors, someone during the filming/editing process should have seen the balcony scene and said "hang on a sec, that should be reshot, its getting a little creeptastic." I don't think it ever would have been right to take their relationship to that level. Especially with Buffy having an absent father, it always seemed right to me to have Giles slowly build towards taking that role in her life, which IMO happened beautifully... even if he did screw it up slightly S7 with the being a tad overprotective, going behind her back and leaving her in the dark on "certain" descisions. Still not fully caught up on S8 *don't spoil me please* but I hope those were walls they will be able to break down, because for all intensive purposes Giles IS her father.

 

[hazzard]

if the show had come right out with a giles/buffy thing, i don't think it would have creeped me out. and it still doesn't, because it was totally possible, but i love the direction the show really took. giles is, for all intents and purposes, buffy's father, and i really love him in that role. i always thought the special slayer/watcher bond that buffy and giles had was different from what other slayers and watchers must have, and it worked so well. giles was kind of the father/teacher/watcher to all of them while simultaneously being sexy and cool in his own way. and i really loved giles with jenny calendar. i was so sorry to see her go--her character was so interesting and i wonder how the show would have been different in the 5 seasons after if jenny and giles had been together.

 

[Tueuse de Vampires]

The Giles/Buffy thing would creep me out even more than the Connor/Cordelia thing! And that means something, cos that was already very icky.First off, there's this huge age gap between them, and not in a vampire way.There there's the thing of Giles being Buffy's mentor and so on...ah, I don't wanna think about it any further, it's just way to ewww.

 

[sk]

When I watched season 1 the first time I never thought about Giles being a bit close and invading any personal space.

That was before I listen to the commentary though... now I do think about it everytime I see it. And, yeah, he really is close.

Regarding any Buffy / Giles thing, a huge no, no!

/SK

 

[Bluebird]

Hmm, I really didn't notice it. I know Joss talked about it in the commentary but I still don't notice it so much each time I watch it.::huh1::

 

[Lindsey McDonald]

He was waaaay too close, but I never actually saw it as creepy or icky. He was just an overeager watcher who's finally got him a Slayer. He didn't even see her as being of the feminine persuasion, she was "The Slayer", and that was it. I never ever got the vibe that they could be going down the Biles road.

And, yes, it's called Biles for a reason.

 

[white avenger]

I think that that might have been some of the old Ripper coming out, just like when he slammed Snyder against the wall in Season 3. Ov course, with the Slayer, he wasn't trying to be threatening, just persuasive (plus, if he tried to go quite that far with Buffy, she might just have dislocated one of his elbows)

 

[Lindsey McDonald]

I think that that might have been some of the old Ripper coming out, just like when he slammed Snyder against the wall in Season 3. Ov course, with the Slayer, he wasn't trying to be threatening, just persuasive (plus, if he tried to go quite that far with Buffy, she might just have dislocated one of his elbows)

Perhaps Ripper in the sense of "I need to make her understand and I'll get a little too agressive to do it", yes. Not if you meant Ripper in the sense of "Let's go find a police car" though. Cause that's just....no.

 

[luckystar]

when i started watching the show i never noticed the to close for comfort moments and so on it wasnt until spikes misunderstanding of buffy saying she was thinking about giles " you know i always wondered about you two" lol when i heard that i realised after looking back that it was a little to personal i wouldnt agree with it if they made them an item but i also wouldnt find it icky if it ever went that direction now since shes an adult she aint the teenage cheerleeder with the pom pom anymore, still though he will always be the main man in buffys life and it should syat at him been her father figure and nothing more

 

[BuffyElevated]

I, myself, was always WAY grossed out about the possibility of Giles and Buffy becoming a couple. I loved how the show developed it into a father-daughter relationship between them and always wished Giles and Joyce would have made it as a couple, actually. Wouldn't it have been even more gut-wrenching if they had become a serious item before "The Body"? (Awww... ) And I TOTALLY agree that now when I see that first balcony scene, my mind flashes to Spike and Buffy and I get a little nauseous thinking of it in the same respect. *shudder*
I haven't been reading Season 8 (with two little girls under the age of 6, it's kinda hard to read anything!) , but I'm not sure how I'd feel if they delevoped a romance between them in the storylines that are going on now... Buffy isn't a little girl anymore, yeah, but it would feel like some incestuous nastiness to me.

 

[kiben]

I noticed that too...but the thought of either of them acting on that makes me feel very uncomfortable lol Especially since he later becomes a father figure to her. A couple of my friends did point that out as well lol

 

[Randy Giles]

Giles and Buffy would be creepy, no matter what.

 

[Lily]

ok, so I've just finished Season 1 (for the 8 millionth time) and I STILL didn't get any ick vibes from Giles/Buffy thank god.
For me, he gave off that older borther vibe to begin with, and then it morphed into caring father-figure. Because so much of the first few episodes is Giles being all frustrated and annoyed at Buffy - then he starts to see her abilities and appreciate and work with her more in a guiding way by the end of the season - much less space-invading, but to go with my theory, brothers tend to get in your face whereas parents know more about distancing themselves (which is kinda sad if you think about it).

 

[BuffyElevated]

ok, so I've just finished Season 1 (for the 8 millionth time) and I STILL didn't get any ick vibes from Giles/Buffy thank god.
For me, he gave off that older borther vibe to begin with, and then it morphed into caring father-figure. Because so much of the first few episodes is Giles being all frustrated and annoyed at Buffy - then he starts to see her abilities and appreciate and work with her more in a guiding way by the end of the season - much less space-invading, but to go with my theory, brothers tend to get in your face whereas parents know more about distancing themselves (which is kinda sad if you think about it).

I can see what you mean, especially 'cause I have a big brother and cousins who are like that, but I still felt weirded out the first time I saw it. Of course, now, I know Giles' character and know that he is anything but icky. 🙂

 

[caitaintdead]

I still would have liked to have seen Giles spend more time with people his own age, in particular women! I've got to say that although I haven't always been a Joyce/Giles shipper, the more I watch Buffy the more I wonder what could have happened from Band Candy onwards if they'd taken it differently. Would this have changed any Giles icki-ness that people have ever felt between him and Buffy.

 

[Aleris]

I never got the creepy vibe off Giles/Buffy. I totally understand the comment on the episode where they're talking about the teacher/student distance problem they had, BUT, I never thought of that in an ick way more of a professionalism (and sure there's some child protection stuff in there too)

No offense (because I certainly don't mean any to anyone in particular or anything), but I kind of see this 'issue' as part of the reason I think society is totally effed up these days. Seeing ick where there just isn't any and looking into situations too deeply to find ick.

Ick never crossed my mind when I first saw this episode and ick never crosses it, still.

 

[Sweetescape]

Giles did have a creepy feel about him on the balcony scene. But over all i don't think he gave a creepy vibe. But one thing i never got was why didn't the other teachers/students notice that Buffy & co spent all her time at school with him!!!! that would have flashed big red sirens.

 

[Kali]

I never got the creepy vibe off Giles/Buffy. I totally understand the comment on the episode where they're talking about the teacher/student distance problem they had, BUT, I never thought of that in an ick way more of a professionalism (and sure there's some child protection stuff in there too)

No offense (because I certainly don't mean any to anyone in particular or anything), but I kind of see this 'issue' as part of the reason I think society is totally effed up these days. Seeing ick where there just isn't any and looking into situations too deeply to find ick.

Ick never crossed my mind when I first saw this episode and ick never crosses it, still.

I've never seen ick either - I think it's just 'shipping gone mad!

I agree with the earlier comment that it was more 'over eagerness' on Giles part. Also, as he was already starting to act like a 'father figure,' maybe his own relationship with his father involved an invasion of personal space (not the ick - not suggesting that!) so he felt this was the correct 'distance' to be when being authoritative.

I'll watch it again, but I'm sure there was no ick in my mind. The Spike scene? Well, that's another issue... (and word - ick is NOT what I think of when I see that! ::blush:: :censored: :spank🙂