Seriously, how ridiculous is it no one financially helped Buffy?!

[Skanky Vamp]

Yeah, Anthony wanted out, his fault...

He could be in trouble because of his Ripper times so he would have to be back in England to solve it. Or something to do with Eyghon... Buffy's death gets him thinking about his own soul - a propertie of Ehygon - so he decides to leave to deal with it. It is still a selfish motivation, but at least, a understable one. Or he is sick, or thinks he is sick, and will die soon, and leaves to spare the Scoobies of another death.

Lame, I know, but I'm not very creative.

Those aren't lame, but they would still need the actor to be involved to 'solve' his crisis. He couldn't just leave over 'life and death circumstances', the audience hear nothing from him and then show back up in the final episode without an explanation. Him being heartbroken and going back home was the most realistic thing they could do in those circumstances.

 

[gite63]

Him being heartbroken and going back home was the most realistic thing they could do in those circumstances.

I can agree with you, but it damaged the character...

 

[EVIL UU]

You are being to harsh with Buffy!

Nah. Angel managed to turn demon hunting into a successful business. Riley and his freaking wife hunt demons for a living. Giles has his watcher salary. Even Anya sells living mummy hands and magic books and shit. Basically, everybody who wants to make money out of the occult makes money out of the occult. Except Buffy, the hellmouth's very own apex predator.

Come on.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Basically, everybody who wants to make money out of the occult makes money out of the occult. Except Buffy

It did not even have to be in the occult milieu. She could have been a bouncer at the Bronze. A security guard. She could have wrestled Bonesaw for a few bucks. Oh yeah.

 

[thetopher]

While the Scoobies could have been callous with Buffy when she returned, Giles was really a selfish bastard - his Slayer died, leaving a sister without a mother and father, and he packed his things and went back to England

Dawn was a 15 yr old and living in a house with two mom-type figures who she loved and loved her in return. She also had a Father out there already who (presumably) would've taken care of her is he had realized that she had no family. Dawn also had Xander and Spike looking after her- at the start of Bargaining its very much a family set-up.
But Giles has no place there, he is clearly not needed (Anya even wants him to go). He has been a Watcher for almost his entire life (since what, 12? 14? Barring his Ripper rebellioin its all he's known) and no his slayer, his reason, literally his life's purpose is dead.
And you call him selfish for wanting to go and find something for himself, for once?

When Buffy came back, then he should've stayed, because it was his job and he loved Buffy most of all. But beforehand? No way.

I think you're being way harsh on Giles.

 

[gite63]

I think you're being way harsh on Giles.

And you call him selfish for wanting to go and find something for himself, for once?

He has been a Watcher for almost his entire life (since what, 12? 14? Barring his Ripper rebellioin its all he's known) and no his slayer, his reason, literally his life's purpose is dead.

It's hard to accept that a Watcher leaves the Hellmouth to be guarded by three young people - two of them witches, I know - but still. He knew that they were covering Buffy's death; that they would keep the fighting with a robot and that strategy eventually would fall apart - as it did.

As a father figure, he didn't give any thought about Dawn, her safety at the Hellmouth or the risk of her being taken by the State.

If his life purpose was dead, a new purpose could have been to stay and fight along her friends and take care of Dawn.

 

[thetopher]

It's hard to accept that a Watcher leaves the Hellmouth to be guarded by three young people - two of them witches, I know - but still. He knew that they were covering Buffy's death; that they would keep the fighting with a robot and that strategy eventually would fall apart - as it did.

Huh, you forgot about Spike, slayer of slayers, who was also helping guard the Hellmouth.

The stratagy 'fell apart' because the Scoobies were dumb enough to have the Buffybot patrol alone even though she acts pretty strangely and is fragile to certain forms of attack (weapons/sharp objectts).
If any one of them had been patrolling with her (like they were all doing at the start of the episode) then the Hellions wouldn't have invaded the Hellmouth.

I guess Giles thought they were all smarter than that.

As a father figure, he didn't give any thought about Dawn, her safety at the Hellmouth or the risk of her being taken by the State.

Dawn was already well cared for, which is my point. She had a loving family already, Giles wasn't needed so he went to find out where he would be needed.

If his life purpose was dead, a new purpose could have been to stay and fight along her friends and take care of Dawn.

He did say, specifically to Dawn at the airport 'If you need anything I'm just a phonecall away. It's not like he abandoned her in the wild or anything...

 

[gite63]

Huh, you forgot about Spike, slayer of slayers, who was also helping guard the Hellmouth.

But I think that Spike didn't count much on Giles's book...

If any one of them had been patrolling with her (like they were all doing at the start of the episode) then the Hellions wouldn't have invaded the Hellmouth.

I guess Giles thought they were all smarter than that.

See, Giles shouldn't have left!

He did say, specifically to Dawn at the airport 'If you need anything I'm just a phonecall away. It's not like he abandoned her in the wild or anything...

Yeah, I don't doubt that if they needed him, asked for help, he would have come back immediately.

 

[Slay me]

Resurrect Buffy, tell her to put her happy pants on, and dump a pile of bills on her. Welcome back!

There is really no justification for the CoW not providing support for the Slayer. She has no choice about her calling, and she's essentially slave labor.

Willow and Tara were loyal friends for staying with Dawn after Buffy's death; however, the motivation for bringing Buffy back seems more than a little selfish. They should have offered to pay rent if they were going to stay after Buffy came back. Their cluelessness was just annoying.

 

[white avenger]

I can agree with you, (Giles being heartbroken and going back home) but it damaged the character...

Plus, that's pretty much what Angel did, only he went to a monastery someplace. Can't have Angel and Giles both doing the same thing.

It's hard to accept that a Watcher leaves the Hellmouth to be guarded by three young people - two of them witches, I know - but still. He knew that they were covering Buffy's death; that they would keep the fighting with a robot and that strategy eventually would fall apart - as it did.

As a father figure, he didn't give any thought about Dawn, her safety at the Hellmouth or the risk of her being taken by the State.

If his life purpose was dead, a new purpose could have been to stay and fight along her friends and take care of Dawn.

I would say that trying to maintain the illusion that Buffy was still alive, well, and fulfilling the duties of Slayer, for several reasons, should have overruled any simple desire by Giles to return home. He was needed at the Hellmouth more hen than at any time in the past, and he, above all of the others, should have known that. With that in mind, his absence should have been portrayed as something beyond his control. That could be anything from being taken prisoner by some enemy to being put in a coma or being sucked into another reality for some reason or other. Maybe he had to get Dawn out of town before Social Services declared the Buffybot an unfit parent. (That would explain why neither he nor Dawn had any clue as to what Willow and the others were planning to do) Anything, absolutely anything, but "I just have to go home. Drop me a line sometime.'bye." Any of that would have given Anthony the opportunity to return home and save the integrity of his character as a man who sees his duty and does it, up to, and beyond, his best efforts.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

We never established that Willow/Tara did not pay anything towards the upkeep of the house. They may have used what they would have paid into a dorm at the university if it was a new school year. Joyce's life insurance payment would have gone into an estate account that they would not be able to get at since Buffy would be the beneficiary. I doubt Dawn would have been able to get at any money since she was still a minor. In the 148 days Buffy was gone, there is no sign that power or water was turned off or property taxes were overdue so somebody paid something. When Giles came back, he wrote a substantial cheque to Buffy. There was some indication that the amount may have been $25,000 as discussed in another thread, but I don't know how they arrived at that number.

We were told that Kendra was given to her watcher at an early age, in which case the Watcher would have paid all of her costs, so maybe a slayer with family did not get the same treatment. The Watchers' Council may have arranged the art gallery job for Joyce or a low house cost. We are told they are powerful with the ability to get a wetworks team into any country or to get Giles deported, so there may have been some funding behind the scenes, even if it was just the purchase of art from Joyce's gallery at a price higher than it was worth. Also, there was no indication that the Watchers' council would have recognized Buffy as the slayer since the line passed through Kendra to Faith (who also wasn't supported).

The problem is, the nuts and bolts of running the finances of a household is not drama and the writers have to concentrate on the drama. This falls into the category of a plot hole rather than lack of financial help.

 

[gite63]

Joyce's life insurance payment would have gone into an estate account

The life insurance was used to pay the hospital bills.

 

[thetopher]

I never got why Buffy just didn't work at the Magic Box. I'm positive that the pay would've been a lot better (The Magic Box is a successful business and the staff is Giles/Anya with nobody else to pay), there wouldn't be the meat smell all over her, the awful uniform/hat, the patronising co-workers. Plus she might actually get to learn more about the supernatural biz and have a nearby space to kick back andf relax.
Honesty, I think she could've lived without the free burgers.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I never got why Buffy just didn't work at the Magic Box.

I don't know why she didn't go back to construction. If Xander supposedly did so well at it, I am sure she could do much better.

 

[sosa lola]

I never got why Buffy just didn't work at the Magic Box. I'm positive that the pay would've been a lot better (The Magic Box is a successful business and the staff is Giles/Anya with nobody else to pay), there wouldn't be the meat smell all over her, the awful uniform/hat, the patronising co-workers. Plus she might actually get to learn more about the supernatural biz and have a nearby space to kick back andf relax.
Honesty, I think she could've lived without the free burgers.

I agree. Especially with Giles being gone, Anya could use another helping hand.

 

[bespangeled]

I always wondered why the love of her life - Angel - didn't pitch in. He was doing reasonably well by then. He knew about the money in the Hyperion, and he had bought himself a hotel. He knew Buffy was back, and that her mother was dead. What is love all about if not things like that? In theory, Buffy and Angel had a commitment to each other that was stronger than that of an adult slayer and her watcher.

It's hard to accept that a Watcher leaves the Hellmouth to be guarded by three young people - two of them witches, I know - but still. He knew that they were covering Buffy's death; that they would keep the fighting with a robot and that strategy eventually would fall apart - as it did.

As a father figure, he didn't give any thought about Dawn, her safety at the Hellmouth or the risk of her being taken by the State.

If his life purpose was dead, a new purpose could have been to stay and fight along her friends and take care of Dawn.

Agreed - particularly since one of the witches was extremely powerful and completely untrained.

Huh, you forgot about Spike, slayer of slayers, who was also helping guard the Hellmouth.

The stratagy 'fell apart' because the Scoobies were dumb enough to have the Buffybot patrol alone even though she acts pretty strangely and is fragile to certain forms of attack (weapons/sharp objectts).
If any one of them had been patrolling with her (like they were all doing at the start of the episode) then the Hellions wouldn't have invaded the Hellmouth.

I guess Giles thought they were all smarter than that.

Oh, right - because nothing goes wrong at the hellmouth - controlled circumstances as proto-Wesley said.

I never got why Buffy just didn't work at the Magic Box. I'm positive that the pay would've been a lot better (The Magic Box is a successful business and the staff is Giles/Anya with nobody else to pay), there wouldn't be the meat smell all over her, the awful uniform/hat, the patronising co-workers. Plus she might actually get to learn more about the supernatural biz and have a nearby space to kick back andf relax.
Honesty, I think she could've lived without the free burgers.

Maybe Anya didn't want to hire her? 🙁

 

[sosa lola]

I always wondered why the love of her life - Angel - didn't pitch in.

But Angel is out of her life at the moment - other than the occasional visits - I won't hold him responsible with him being in a different town with people under his charge who needed to be paid for their services and all.

Not to mention that Buffy didn't know about her money issues until after she and Angel met. So, Angel wouldn't have known.

Maybe Anya didn't want to hire her? 🙁

I doubt it. If Anya had any objections, she'd have voiced them before when Buffy worked for her and Giles.

 

[bespangeled]

But Angel is out of her life at the moment - other than the occasional visits - I won't hold him responsible with him being in a different town with people under his charge who needed to be paid for their services and all.

Not to mention that Buffy didn't know about her money issues until after she and Angel met. So, Angel wouldn't have known.

She got together with Angel at the end of Flooded - the episode about how poor she was. And I don't think that Angel was ever supposed to be out of her life - true love, soul mates, that whole thing. Yes, Angel owns a successful business - it seems he could send her something monthly.

I know it's different networks and the constraints of dealing with that problem but Buffy and Angel didn't seem to communicate a lot about important things. I mean all it would take is a line or two in one show or the other. (If Angel wasn't sending us what he can we wouldn't have lights on, or computers!)

 

[sosa lola]

She got together with Angel at the end of Flooded - the episode about how poor she was.

You're right. My bad.

And I don't think that Angel was ever supposed to be out of her life - true love, soul mates, that whole thing. Yes, Angel owns a successful business - it seems he could send her something monthly.

Perhaps she didn't tell him. I think it's very in character for Buffy to keep something like that a secret from her ex. Because if she did tell him, I'm pretty sure Angel would have helped.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Also The Magic Box might not be able to support another employee. It is a small business.