Was Buffy Right To Run Away in the End of Season Two?

Joyce pretty much covered my thoughts on the matter... I don't think she was being a whiny bitch, its understandable after enduring months of her boyfriend trying to kill her and her friends only to wind up being the one that has to kill him in the end that she'd want to get a way, take a little time for herself to put herself back together emotionally, BUT for months and making herself completely unreachable? I think that makes her selfish and irresponsible and its wrong of her, not to mention careless... by making that choice she very well could have gone back to Sunnydale only to find all her friends and her mother and Giles dead because something came and she wasn't there to stop it... and how would she have felt then?
 
Maybe isn't right or it is..But If I was be her I would do the same because the situation was enough critical...: erm :
 
Even though it worked out in the end, Buffy running away was probably not the best thing that she could have done. It did give her time to adjust to what she had done, and it gave her mother some time to come to terms with who her daughter was (and hopefully it gave Giles some time to at least try to explain to her just what being a Slayer involved). It gave the authorities to investigate the events that led to Kendra's death, and exonerate Buffy. So everything ultimately worked out. Luckily. But running away from her problems didn't actually solve anything, it merely put off the solution for the weeks or months that she was away. It caused her friends unnecessary worry and grief and could very well have made her a fugitive for the rest of her life. If she had stayed and faced her problems immediately, there's a very good chance that they could have been resolved more quickly and less painfully for everyone concerned. Running away at the end of the season, then returning at the beginning of the next one had greater dramatic affect, and it allowed the audience to actually see everything resolved, but it could just as easily have made matters much, much worse.
 
I think the whole idea was that she was wrong in doing so: Reasons being: 1) We were shown her friends and Giles inoecently woundering where she was.
2) Her mothers upset in DMP-Xanders comment "You should have seen what you put her through"
3) All her friends made good points at her selfishness in leaving everyone in the lurch just cos of some boy trouble.
 
I can't say that I agree that it was either right or wrong in general. But it was probably right for Buffy at the time. Did she need the time away? Probably. Should she have let everyone know where she was? Also probably...I won't say definitely because we're looking at a girl who has an isolation/superiority complex who a way too much happen at once. Yes, she made her friends and family worry unnecessarily. But if she hadn't spent that time away, would she still have learnt the lesson that you can't run from life? Probably not.
 
Vtheslayer said:
I think the whole idea was that she was wrong in doing so: Reasons being: 1) We were shown her friends and Giles inoecently woundering where she was.
2) Her mothers upset in DMP-Xanders comment "You should have seen what you put her through"
3) All her friends made good points at her selfishness in leaving everyone in the lurch just cos of some boy trouble.
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I really don't think what happened can be summed up as "just some boy trouble"

Personally, I see where she was coming from, I see how she felt. I on't think taking the moral high ground is really a way to understand it.

Buffy: Get out of my shoes!
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I agree with Joyce in that I, too agree with all the characters. Except for Xander because, as DoI was saying to me a little while ago, His defense mechanism is to hurt the people around him. He puts up walls. It's not that he's insensitive, it's that he's overly sensitive.

Which I agree with, which is why thre are a few scenes in which i do not like him. This is one of them

So! In conclusion (see, I can do it too!) I think no, buffy wasn't right in running away and leaving everyone wondering what happened to her, but I can see why she felt she needed to do it.
 
definition of insane
definition of insane
Oooh, I remember that convo! :)
I thought Xander was great in this expisode- he gets to express himself and not follow Buffy around agreeing with her every move. "What you did was incredably selfish and stupid" Fact.
Sure Buffy was sad and that led led her to run way but that is a typical selfish teenage reaction that hurts more people.
 
He hardly "agrees with her every move"

but he definitely could've behaved differently. He does hurt the people around him when he himself is hurting
 
DrusillaRox said:
No, I'm really not sure, But I'm just saynig I don't like the way he behaves in certain situations
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I think he meant that it's also not healthy to follow Buffy around agreeing with everything she does and says (something Willow does with Buffy so often)

Why wasn't it right? They shut her out long before she left, she didn't owe them anything.
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They didn't show her they cared, and she didn't owe her anything, you're right.
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When did the Scoobies shut her out and show her they didn't care in Becoming?
 
Vtheslayer said:
"What you did was incredably selfish and stupid" Fact.
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Not fact, opinion. I wouldn't call Buffy's actions "stupid." And perhaps it was selfish, but technically everything you do for yourself is selfish. Personally, I think Willow and Xander behaved incredibly selfishly in this episode.
Sure Buffy was sad and that led led her to run way but that is a typical selfish teenage reaction that hurts more people.
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Everyone has the right to deal with their emotions. Though sometimes they don't choose the best way to do so (and we already know Buffy doesn't always cope with things the best way..."When She Was Bad" showed us that), I think Buffy NEEDED to leave. Willow and Xander intend well, but they tend to have a way of pretending everything's fine until it is. I don't think Buffy could have handled that. I don't think she could have faced anyone or talked about what happened with Angel. I don't think she was ready to face her mother, who didn't understand her and had pretty much said outright that she couldn't do so.
So I wouldn't describe Buffy's actions as selfish or stupid. At least not with the negative connotations that Xander did.
 
I like what fly on the wall says about this situation, and I agree.

For the question, "was Buffy right to run away?" I say no it wasn't right. But Buffy had every right to do what was necessary at that point for her to be able to breathe properly,and think clearly. The line between right and wrong becomes blurred when someone is already overwhelmed, and feeling alone.

Maybe if Joyce had actually gone and looked for Buffy that night, and, or, stayed up on the porch, Buffy would not have the opportunity to just pack and leave. They would have argued again but Joyce would have had the chance to make Buffy understand that her words were said in anger, and fear for her child. The sight of Joyce waiting up for her may also have made Buffy realise that imperfect though Joyce may be, she was there.
 
fly on the wall said:
Not fact, opinion. I wouldn't call Buffy's actions "stupid." And perhaps it was selfish, but technically everything you do for yourself is selfish. Personally, I think Willow and Xander behaved incredibly selfishly in this episode.

Everyone has the right to deal with their emotions. Though sometimes they don't choose the best way to do so (and we already know Buffy doesn't always cope with things the best way..."When She Was Bad" showed us that), I think Buffy NEEDED to leave. Willow and Xander intend well, but they tend to have a way of pretending everything's fine until it is. I don't think Buffy could have handled that. I don't think she could have faced anyone or talked about what happened with Angel. I don't think she was ready to face her mother, who didn't understand her and had pretty much said outright that she couldn't do so.
So I wouldn't describe Buffy's actions as selfish or stupid. At least not with the negative connotations that Xander did.
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It IS a fact that running away from her family and friends for months on end without calling once, was wrong. I mean come on? It WAS selfish because she put her mother through all that worry. How would you like it if your kid did that to you? It is irrelevent that she NEEDED to. If she wanted to take off then she should have called. No, this is not subjective, what she did was wrong. period.
 
Vtheslayer said:
It IS a fact that running away from her family and friends for months on end without calling once, was wrong. I mean come on? It WAS selfish because she put her mother through all that worry. How would you like it if your kid did that to you? It is irrelevent that she NEEDED to. If she wanted to take off then she should have called. No, this is not subjective, what she did was wrong. period.
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I wouldn't say that what someone really needs to do is irrelevent. That seems a bit strange to me.
Was it selfish? Sure, it looks like most of us thinks so. But is it really that bad to be a bit selfish after such a huge event in your life that Buffy just had?

I'm not saying she did the right thing. I don't think so, she should probably been better off if she stayed and talked about what happend instead.

But yeah, perhaps she wasn't really thinking clearly after sending her big love to hell...

/SK
 
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