Giles & Xander

[Tome]

Ok, I'm not talking about a romance LMAO! The thing is... I always felt like Giles & Xander were the ONLY two characters in the core four who never really got close. Giles/Willow, Giles/Buffy, Buffy/Willow, Buffy/Xander, Willow/Xander... They all were pretty close. But not G and Xan. Why is that? To me it make no sense since Xander was pretty much always the only other guy on the team. Why wouldn't have they developed some kind of father/son or even friendly relationship? I'm not saying they disliked each other, just that there was never any special scenes between them. I think it was a missed opportunity for the writers. They both have been through a lot of shit together, just like with Buff and Willow, and the link should have been stronger. Could have brought new plots possibilities.

I could write a lot more about this(I always thought about it when I watched the show), but i'll wait for others to post their opinions to see if I'm alone to feel that way.

 

[xfivebyfive]

I see what you're talking about but I dont think Giles really liked Xander. I think he just tolerated him because he was part of the group. He always tends to get easily angry or annoyed at Xander.

 

[Wishing Oceans]

Well, there wasn't anything that really would've caused a strong bond between them.

Buffy and Giles were slayer and watcher, which I feel is equal to a daughter-father relationship. He trained with her, gave her moral support, taught her how to stay alive. Of course they would be close. 🙂

Willow and Giles could, like Kendra and Giles, bond through a connection- They were both geeky, really smart, bookish, and fond of rules. There were many times when they could have bonded through their love of intellect. Giles even said (in Doppleganger, about Willow), "She was truly the best of us all." Or something like that. (sw)

Xander and Giles, though often around each other, didn't really have any common ground. Xander was the goofy, kinda dumb guy, and Giles was the stuffy librarian.

 

[Tome]

Well, there wasn't anything that really would've caused a strong bond between them.

Buffy and Giles were slayer and watcher, which I feel is equal to a daughter-father relationship. He trained with her, gave her moral support, taught her how to stay alive. Of course they would be close. 🙂

Willow and Giles could, like Kendra and Giles, bond through a connection- They were both geeky, really smart, bookish, and fond of rules. There were many times when they could have bonded through their love of intellect. Giles even said (in Doppleganger, about Willow), "She was truly the best of us all." Or something like that. (sw)

Xander and Giles, though often around each other, didn't really have any common ground. Xander was the goofy, kinda dumb guy, and Giles was the stuffy librarian.

I get your point Riri, but your friends aren't always similar to you. Sometimes they are totally different, complete opposite. I just feel like they never explored Giles & Xand... They could have made the core four even more tighter.

 

[Wishing Oceans]

I get your point Riri, but your friends aren't always similar to you. Sometimes they are totally different, complete opposite. I just feel like they never explored Giles & Xand... They could have made the core four even more tighter.

Oh, I'm not sure about that. It reminds me of that infamous phrase, "Opposites attract". People who appear to be opposites often get along well, imo, because they both bring different things to the friendship. But it's endlessly integral to have SOME similarities. As far as I can see, their main similarity was saving the world. But I doubt that that would be enough to bring them together.

Also, Giles was, like, 50. He enjoyed quiet nights at home with a good book. Xander was this immature teen that went partying, and was constantly making stupid mistakes. 😛 Obviously it's different from person to person, but it doesn't exactly seem like a match made in heaven.

 

[NY State of Mind]

They were both guys who had nothing in common and each didn't have good relationships with their own father i'm guessing by what we've seen or heard...so they don't show much emotion with each other but that doesn't mean they don't care about each other..it just shows there guys!! Many guys are not comfortable with emotions towards other guys but with females its easy

 

[Tome]

They were both guys who had nothing in common and each didn't have good relationships with their own father i'm guessing by what we've seen or heard...so they don't show much emotion with each other but that doesn't mean they don't care about each other..it just shows there guys!! Many guys are not comfortable with emotions towards other guys but with females its easy

You do bring some good points. But to me, when you go through so many tough times, you fight for your life, you save the world... You should be developing something. Even if you have nothing in common with someone, you can change over time, you can get interested in something the other is.

This remind me of the scene in Xander's dream(Restless) where while watching Giles & Spike he says 'I was into that for a while.'. Was he talking about looking up to Giles and the whole watcher job?

 

[BuffyElevated]

I see what you're talking about but I dont think Giles really liked Xander. I think he just tolerated him because he was part of the group. He always tends to get easily angry or annoyed at Xander.

I agree with this, and I was always saddened by this. 🙁 Seeing as how Xander's dad was such a douche, it would have been nice if he and Giles had gotten along better.

 

[NY State of Mind]

You do bring some good points. But to me, when you go through so many tough times, you fight for your life, you save the world... You should be developing something. Even if you have nothing in common with someone, you can change over time, you can get interested in something the other is.

This remind me of the scene in Xander's dream(Restless) where while watching Giles & Spike he says 'I was into that for a while.'. Was he talking about looking up to Giles and the whole watcher job?

Yeah he does say that in Restless and just furthers the point that he does look up to him just doesn't really show it much..and they still hug when Giles leaves at first in season 6..I still think they care for each other just don't show it...someone says Giles gets easily annoyed by Xander which is true but I have plenty of family members that annoy me even some friends but still care for them..their relationship just isn't an ideal father-son but I wouldn't say there not close...if you spend yrs with someone your bound to get attached somewhat

 

[zobothehobo]

I see what you're talking about but I dont think Giles really liked Xander. I think he just tolerated him because he was part of the group. He always tends to get easily angry or annoyed at Xander.

Same. But I also feel Giles looked Xander over. I think part of the reason they didn't get close is because of the Giles not really liking Xander... and the other is the speech Xander gave to Dawn in Potential. He wasn't special... he didn't have much power. Giles didn't get really close to Willow until she started becoming a more powerful Wicca. I'm not the biggest Xander fan, but I feel bad he got looked over. He had more to bring to the table than people often gave him credit for.

 

[NY State of Mind]

Same. But I also feel Giles looked Xander over. I think part of the reason they didn't get close is because of the Giles not really liking Xander... and the other is the speech Xander gave to Dawn in Potential. He wasn't special... he didn't have much power. Giles didn't get really close to Willow until she started becoming a more powerful Wicca. I'm not the biggest Xander fan, but I feel bad he got looked over. He had more to bring to the table than people often gave him credit for.

I think he would of got close to Willow even if she didn't become a Wicca because he always seemed impressed with her...he wasn't as close to Buffy at first either..it all takes time...i think Xander is just like the son who doesn't turn out how his father wants...and its not just Giles that overlooks Xander! Giles was just annoyed by the slacking...has heart but for awhile was a slacker..he hated researching, always joking/childish, etc.

 

[MinwaraYana]

Why did I never think of this? We hardly saw Giles/Xander big interaction. My opinion for this is simple. They just have nothing to chat about. Giles doesn't read X-Men. 😀

And is it a little sad in Doppelgangland? When...

Giles: (About Willow)She was truly the finest of all of us.

Xander: Way better than me.

Giles: (nods decisively) Much, much better.

 

[sosa lola]

There's a clear distance between Giles and Xander -which is more on Giles' part. Giles is more Xander's friend instead of a parental figure, and while Xander does have a desire to see Giles as a surrogate father ("I was into that for a while," Xander says in Restless,) Giles clearly doesn't want that.

This is how Xander and Giles' relationship was mostly like:

 

[Tome]

Well Sosa... That was only ONE episode... I mean, come on! They could have had a few more about these two. I just can't understand how they didn't think about using these two together to add more layers to the plot as a whole 😀

 

[NY State of Mind]

Because with a good father figure to give Xander guidance then we wouldn't have the screw up Xander we all know and accepted lol

 

[zobothehobo]

Because with a good father figure to give Xander guidance then we wouldn't have the screw up Xander we all know and accepted lol

I don't think Xander was a screw up. He was just misunderstood.

 

[sosa lola]

Well Sosa... That was only ONE episode...

Actually two episodes. BB&B and What's My Line Part 1. Also, there are more episodes where Giles yells at Xander for screwing up, yet comforts Buffy for doing the same thing -sleeping on Oz watch for example.

I don't blame Giles for getting annoyed with Xander, I'd get annoyed with him if he's in my class. 😀

I loved the moment in Revelation when Giles gets hurt and Xander forgets all about killing Angel to be there for Giles. Aww. I love the way Xander touches Giles' face, very hot and slashy.

 

[Kana]

I read somewhere that the reason Giles is so impatiant with Xander is because he acts the fool when he knows he's more capable. He feels he's actually more mature and intelligent than he acts and he starts acting more maturely he treats him more like an adult. Could be wrong though.

 

[This Year's Girl]

I have thought about this too. I don't think there's any deep explanation for it really, I just think that they never connected. Everyone in a group doesn't. I have a gang I hang out with and I like everyone in it very much, but there are one person whom I'm not as close to as the others. It doesn't mean that I don't like her or that she doesn't like me, it's just the way things turned out. It would have been fun to see Xander and Giles connect, but I don't think they would've just over the fact that they're guys. They just didn't have that much in common.

I agree it would have been nice for Giles to have a son in Xander and for Xander to have a father figure in Giles, but just because someone is old and doesn't have a son and someone is young and has a crappy father doesn't mean that the two persons are going to connect.

Idk, I just don't think the chemistry were there between them. But I do think they liked each other.

 

[Ms.Trick]

I agree with Blixten!
It happens that in a gang, you like everyone and everyone like you, but you don't connect the same way. Some are going to be really close to you, some just less, but it doesn't mean you don't like them, just you don't have that special connection.

Now I saw this thread, I realize that...I can't remember any real moment between Xander and Giles. Giles was even more close to Anya in a way, than he was with Xand!

*Oh, I remember one moment between them! It was an episode about Oz being a werewolf, and Xander said a joke with the moon and Giles thought it was super funny. Otherwise...I don't remember any special connection between those two!*