Giles' Leaving

[white avenger]

Giles leaves Sunnydale during the first episode of the season. I realize that he wanted to return to England, what with his Slayer dead and all, but wasn't he kinda shirking his responsibilities? The hellmouth still needed to be guarded, and the only other Slayer was locked away in prison. Giles was the most experienced fighter there, and (arguably) the leader of the group. Granted, as he told them, he was "Only a phone call away," but still, he's walking away from what is certainly his moral duty, if not his actual duty as Watcher, whether currently employed by the Council or not.

I realize that his leaving was mostly a plot device, making the actions immediately following happen more easily, but, still, it just never seemed right to me that he would pack up and leave that way.

 

[Mozzymandias]

Well Giles was planning to leave at the start of Season 5. He only told Willow though. He saw it as everyone now was able to look after themselves and others, he only stayed because Buffy asked for his help in finding the true nature of the slayer.

After Buffy died i think Giles stayed only to seek comfort and to comfort the gang, they are the only people who truly knew Buffy and who she was so he could only share his feelings with them. After he had gotten over Buffy's death, and i use it loosely as i don't think any of them did, he felt that once again he needed to move on. Overall I think Giles feels that he is only useful to Buffy, probably some underlying Watcher state of mind. When in actual fact he is a great leader and all the characters look at him as a Father.

That's just what I think though, I'm interested in other views.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Giles had faith in the scoobies ability to protect Sunnydale without him there. He spent like 6 months with them after Buffy died and seeing how they worked together. So he felt comfortable with leaving them in charge. Espically with the Buffy-Bot up and operating. But they knew if they ever got in over their heads, they could call Giles and he would be there ASAP.

The hellmouth didnt even seem to be that active during S6 apart from Dark Willow trying to bring about the end of the world. So thats also another reason for him to feel somewhat ok with leaving.

 

[Fake Shemp]

i wish i had a Giles when i was growing up.... i wish i had a Giles now.....

I guess they had to write it in his character because of how Tony felt but he did spend season 4 feeling totally and utterly useless (much like xander did then too), remember the funny drunk in 'the yoko factor'. Plus i think it highlighted a major part of growing up, being without parents, and without him gone they wouldnt have gone through or probably felt as alone and abandoned as i think all the scoobies did in season 6, cut off from each other.

 

[Mozzymandias]

i wish i had a Giles when i was growing up.... i wish i had a Giles now.....

I guess they had to write it in his character because of how Tony felt but he did spend season 4 feeling totally and utterly useless (much like xander did then too), remember the funny drunk in 'the yoko factor'. Plus i think it highlighted a major part of growing up, being without parents, and without him gone they wouldnt have gone through or probably felt as alone and abandoned as i think all the scoobies did in season 6, cut off from each other.

With him coming back near the end, with me seeing him as a Father figure it kinda screams to me that family will always be there for you. In the same why Xander brings Willow back, like they say in season 5 they're all family

 

[chiigusa]

As someone mentioned, with the Buffy-bot technically protecting the populous of Sunnydale, Giles felt as though he could pack up and leave. There was nothing stopping him anymore. Buffy didn't need him, obviously being dead and all, and the others could take care of themselves as they had proved. Spike was still around and helping, Willow was becoming more powerful and helpful with fighting demons/vamps, so I think Giles was pretty confident everyone could along without him just fine.

It's basically the same with why he left after Buffy was brought back. He knew she needed to grow up and learn to care for herself, others, and the world on her own. She was still as powerful as ever and had learned everything she could about being the Slayer. So, Giles' presence was a little unneeded in his eyes (despite the fact that everything kind of went downhill after he left). So, I don't think it was exactly his duty anymore to protect the Hellmouth when there were so many warriors there already. He had done his job. He raised up (not from the dead) a very powerful Slayer and knew Sunnydale was in good hands.

 

[Kean]

What I have to question is how Giles could leave Dawn to the Scoobies. They were what? 20 years of age? College students, grieving for their friend who was almost the cornerstone of their lives are hardly the ideal gaurdians. No matter how grown up or devoted they are it doesn't make sense for them to raise Dawn. Giles' duty to Buffy shouldn't have ended with her life. Just as Nikki Wood's watcher took in her son I think Giles really was responsible for Dawn with both Buffy and Joyce gone.

I feel like Giles left Buffy down horribly both in her death and her resurrection. He clearly had a stable income, I don't understand how he could watch Buffy struggle so horrifically with money. It was clear that Buffy was hanging on by a thread from the very beginning and his absence only confounded her desperation. He wasn't standing in her way...she very much needed him there to catch her. I struggle to see how such and observation and intuitive man could not see this. I mean this is the same guy who knew that Buffy had killed Angel and not Angelus in Season 3 and knew that she needed to talk about that. I can't figure out how he couldn't see how much she needed him in season 6. Especially when he left AFTER she told them she had been in Heaven. His actions could almost be described as callous.

 

[palabravampiress]

Like all of the other characters, I think that Giles was going through his own crisis in the wake of Buffy's death and wasn't thinking very clearly. He was needed, but he neither felt needed nor had any understanding of his new role as a parent figure to adults. He had been struggling with this since season 4. Actually, I think his exit would have made a lot more sense in season 4. After he started the Magic Box and became Buffy's watcher once more, he really seemed to find a new niche within the group.

Really, I think it all boiled down to ASH's desire to leave the show; however, I think Giles' poor decision and the disastrous effects thereof were in tune with the idea that, in season 6, the Scoobies' own mistakes and shortcomings were the real danger.

 

[Amicelli]

but if Giles hasn't left Buffy and the others wouldn't have learned how to handle the things on their own. and I think it's very important to learn independence. and when you see that your decisions were right you will get more self confidence and you don't think that you are dependent on somebody

 

[Kean]

but if Giles hasn't left Buffy and the others wouldn't have learned how to handle the things on their own. and I think it's very important to learn independence. and when you see that your decisions were right you will get more self confidence and you don't think that you are dependent on somebody

The Scoobies had been learning how to be independent since they were 16. I am all for independence, in fact it something that I make a priority in my own life but this was possibly the worst time in the gang's life. They needed each other.

I don't think there was any huge lessons that the gang learned in season 6 that they are better off for afterwards. Did Willow and Buffy really need to be faced with black abyss of themselves? Are they better people for that? I don't know. I don't think so. If anything I think the doubts, worries and insecurities that the Scoobies had about themselves and eachother were confounded by season 6 and there was no greener grass on the other side of it. All of pain could have been avoided. I'm normally a learn from your pain kinda gal...but I'm not convinced at all that anyone needed to know the things they garnered from season 6.

 

[white avenger]

but if Giles hasn't left Buffy and the others wouldn't have learned how to handle the things on their own. and I think it's very important to learn independence. and when you see that your decisions were right you will get more self confidence and you don't think that you are dependent on somebody

Learning independence is wonderful, but not at the expense of your friends' lives. Giles was leaving a group of people barely out of their teens in the care of a vampire who he didn't really trust and a robot that was never really designed for combat and therefore somewhat fragile.

The hellmouth was a war zone, and Giles was the acting general of the defending force. He deserted under fire.

 

[sk]

I have mixed feelings about this as usual.

When he left before Buffy's resurrection I think it was because he truly felt that he wasn't needed anymore.
If that was true or not is another question though. He probably underestimate how important he his for the gang.
I can actually understand this one easier than the second time.

After Buffy's comeback it felt more like a desperate move to force Buffy to take care of things.
Giles probably didn't see any other way to do it. Don't think that he actually wanted to leave this time.
But there must have been some other, better, way to deal with Buffy's problem me think. At least he should have given her a bit more time.

To be fair though. Giles did admitt that he shouldn't have left when he came back in the episode 'Grave'.

For my very own personal reason I don't think he would have left either. Because he is really missed in season 6...

/SK

 

[olol]

I dont understand either why he had to go in s6.

Buffy was back from heaven, her mother died just a while ago, she is alone with her sister, she has huge money problems, she had to give up college and has to work in such a terrible place and she has to save the world every now and then.

So what's the best thing a father figure could do? Ya! Go away. Let her face her terrible life alone. I really think, that's what friends are for. I wouldn't want to be alone in this situation. You can't deal with this problems alone. And she was only 20 years old. A lot of people at this age can't live alone without their parents helping them and they dont have half the problems Buffy had.

Buffy would have needed back-up. So would Willow.

 

[cryptwarmer]

but if Giles hasn't left Buffy and the others wouldn't have learned how to handle the things on their own. and I think it's very important to learn independence. and when you see that your decisions were right you will get more self confidence and you don't think that you are dependent on somebody

I disagree, many of us grow up just fine without our parents moving to the other side of the planet! He could have stayed and been a support without being a crutch.