Whose Eyes Do You See The Shows Through?

[Kean]

I've been thinking about how I see the show through Angel's, and to a lesser extent, Buffy's eyes. I understand their motivations. I feel for them and their stories more, but mostly I empathise with them both.

I can find a satisfactory explanation for pretty much everything they do. I can find reason in it. Even when it is something I hate; I never hate them.

However, this doesn't translate with other characters. There are things that Spike and Willow do that literally make my explode. Even when people like Buffy, Angel, Faith and Giles do similar things.

I think we all have those characters that we see the show through, and I was wondering who your characters are? And who are the characters you cannot handle at all, even when you know you aren't being fair?

 

[caritas08]

I can always empathize and see the show though the eyes of Giles, Buffy, Angel, Spike, Faith,Tara, Xander,Cordelia,Joyce, Wesley,Gunn, Fred and Lorne, Darla, Gwen, Lindsey, Dawn, Lilah, Jonathan, Oz and Andrew.

I sometime have trouble sympathizing with Willow (magic addiction, Lover's Walk, Lethe's bramble with Tara,Kennedy)

I almost never sympathize with Riley, Conner, Kennedy, Justine, Kate and Eve.


If the characters are having arguments...

On Buffy I usually side with Buffy, Giles, Faith and Tara.

On AtS I usually side with Cordelia, Wesley and Lorne.

 

[Zeppo]

It's funny you should bring this up as I was just thinking about how strongly people watch the show from a certain character's POV and treat it like they are the title character, which is fascinating to me!

I'm like you, totally. I see it through Angel and Buffy's eyes. To a lesser extent Xander and even lesser Willow's. I'm always right there with Buffy and her decisions - very few I've disagreed with - and Angel never fails to remind me why he's my favorite male of the series. He turned me into seeing things through his POV.

 

[zobothehobo]

I see the show pretty much entirely through Spike's eyes. From the second he comes in in season 2...

I also see it through Buffy's eyes in the later seasons... and to a lesser extent, Willow in the whole series.

I like the way you said even though you hate the things Angel and Buffy do sometimes, you don't hate them. That's how I feel about Spike. There's never been a point in either show where I hated and/or disliked Spike. I disliked his actions, but I never disliked him.

The characters I can't see it through there eyes are pretty much Angel and Faith. I don't get either one of them. They do things and say things and I'm always like "huh? You don't even make sense! Go away and get off of my screen!"

 

[sisterofmercy]

I see things through Spike's point of view rather a lot. I understand his motivations moreso than other characters like Xander.

It's weird though as I cannot make myself see things from Willow's perspective, possibly because it's a little close for comfort. I understand the whole wanting to be the best thing, but I can't understand how she justifies her actions when attempting to achieve greatness. When she messes up I can't forgive her as readily as I can for other characters, maybe because it's like acknowledging that wanting to be the best is a bad thing.

Obviously I can also see things from Buffy's perspective, as that's how the show is formatted.

 

[sosa lola]

Probably Buffy and Xander. I actually understand the other characters and try to see their POV. But I've always been more interested in Buffy and Xander's POV on things. Love to see things from their eyes.

Sometimes Spike's know-it-all attitude gets on my nerves. Like being all righteous about bringing Buffy back from the dead when last season he was helping Dawn bring Joyce back. And so many more incidents in which he'd annoyed me.

 

[Tome]

Honestly, I try to see it from everyone's point of view. It all depends on the scene, 'cause sometimes there are multiple characters engaged in a difficult situation. Sure it's easier(imo) to see it through the main character' eyes, but when Willow was going through hell, I tried to see it from her pov. Another good example is when Wes *kidnaps* Connor... I think I weighed more on Wes' side, but then I saw everything that went on, while Angel, Gunn and Fred didn't. So it was understandable for them to be shocked and Angel to feel betrayed.

In conclusion, I don't see either show through a character's eyes in particular.

 

[brinkster130]

I see the shows mainly through Angel and Buffy's point of view (although Angel more so than Buffy). Not only are they the main characters (which I feel makes them easier to sympathize with) but they are also two of my personal favorites so find myself feeling loyal to their decisions and understanding of their actions. I don't know that there is anything Angel could do to make me not empathize with him.

Other characters whose point of view I often see things through are Faith, Riley, Cordy and Lilah.

I have trouble seeing things from Xander, Joyce, Wesley and Spike's point of view. I am in fact very unfair to both Xander and Wesley; I almost never sympathize with them. (But S8 Xander is growing on me 🙂 )

 

[wickedtiger86]

Hmm. I guess I see it mostly through the eyes of Buffy and Spike. I relate to Buffy and the responsibility she carries and I relate to Spike because of how passionate he is. I always understand each of them.

I do, however, try my very hardest to understand every character and how they are reacting in each scene. What their motivations are, how they are feeling, why they feel that way, that sort of thing.

That's what I find so interesting about people to begin with and I try my hardest to understand everyone that I come across in life. So it only makes sense that I'd do the same thing in the shows I watch.

 

[Gum Gnome33]

So at first the obvious answer for me was that I see it through the eyes of my favorite characters, (because they are my favorite characters for a reason!) But now that I think about it, I think that's primarily true but that it often changes.

I will identify with different characters, for different reasons, as scenes go by. I see it through their eyes, then. Certain experiences or moral standpoints of mine are examples of things that inspire this.

Also, as I get older and re-watch the show, I see things differently--with a different perspective. For example, (just opened a thread about this), I saw the scene in which Angel drinks from Buffy through Angel's eyes, when I was 15. I couldn't understand how Xander reacted how he did. I see it differently now.

I saw season 7 through the eyes of Dawn when I was younger. Now I see it through Buffy's eyes. And so on!

When I argue about/ analyze the show on here, I really try to look at it objectively, and base my thoughts on canonical examples. It may not seem like that to some, but there it is. 🙂

 

[Abby27]

I a lot of time see things the way Xander sees them. In season 2 when he says "I think you wanna forget all about Ms. Calendar's murder so you can get your boyfriend back." Honestly, it was exactly what I was thinking and I don't think Xander was being too hard on Buffy. I think he's reaction to Buffy sleeping with Spike was completely warranted. When Buffy says, "Who I sleep with is none of your business" and his response of, "Well, it used to be." I feel him! I tend to side with Xander because he really does see things for how they are.

 

[NY State of Mind]

Yeah I can usually see from everybodies POV so I don't really hate or misunderstand anybody except maybe Riley 😛 i wouldn't use hate but just don't get why he's so lame lol

 

[OhWow]

I suppose I see through the eyes of

BtVS

Buffy & Spike & Anya & Tara

Ats

Wesley & Cordy

I cannot handle

BtVS

Faith

Ats

Angel & Gunn

 

[white avenger]

Probably somebody like Jonathon or Willie the Bartender, or, on Angel, one of the minor demons who pass in front of the camera occasionally without attracting much attention. Somebody on the outside looking in, far enough back from the action to not be swept up in it. That way, I can see a lot of the mistakes the main characters make.

(Thought I was gonna say Spike didn't you, Miss K?)

 

[Kean]

That way, I can see a lot of the mistakes the main characters make.

There must be a Spike-shaped blind spot on that window.

(Thought I was gonna say Spike didn't you, Miss K?)

Sir, if you think you don't see the show through Spike you need those glasses checked 😛

---------- Post added at 10:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 AM ----------

So at first the obvious answer for me was that I see it through the eyes of my favorite characters, (because they are my favorite characters for a reason!) But now that I think about it, I think that's primarily true but that it often changes.

Yeah, I'd agree with this. Whilst Angel and Buffy are the pillars of my understanding and empathy in the verse, I also have similar feelings towards Cordy, Faith, Gunn, and Oz, even though they are not explicit favourites of mine. I always understand them and how they come to make certain decisions.

 

[white avenger]

There must be a Spike-shaped blind spot on that window.



Sir, if you think you don't see the show through Spike you need those glasses checked 😛

I am not going to say anything about Angel shaped blinders. I am not going to say anything about Angel shaped blinders. I am not going to say...

"SIR"? My, my, aren't we formal today. I'll just take that as well earned respect for an older and much wiser fan...

And I'll have you know, I just got these glasses last month.

I think that if you try to see the show through the eyes of any of the featured characters' eyes, there's a real temptation to also see everything from their viewpoint, which sometimes isn't as unbiased as it should be. Ideally, we should probably try to see everything through Joss' eyes, since this is, after all, his universe. We just get to visit once in awhile.

But, ultimately, I think that we're all to one degree or another guilty of the same thing. We tend to see the shows, not through any character's eyes, or even our own, as much as we see it through our hearts. That's why we care about Spuffy, Bangel, and Cangel, and whether or not Faith actually had a crush on Buffy. Our eyes tell us that Angel left Sunnydale because he had finally accepted the fact that they could never really be together. But our hearts, at least some of them, say that there is always hope for Buffy and Angel. Our eyes tell us that Spike tried to rape Buffy, but our hearts tell us that he was acting more out of confusion, trying to re-initiate an affair with her in the same way that it had been initiated in the first place. Through violence and pain. Our eyes tell us that Giles and Wood were sincere in their desire to protect the group from the potential danger that Spike posed, but our hearts tell us that it was more the action of an over protective father figure and a man obsessed with avenging the death of his mother at the hands of a monster who no longer existed.

It's what we see through our hearts, not our eyes, or anyone else's, that ultimately make us fans of the show.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

just don't get why he's so lame lol

Because he was just meant to be the rebound guy but the character could have actually been a character, so he was lessened to prevent that from happening.

---------- Post added at 08:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 AM ----------

Our eyes tell us that Angel left Sunnydale because he had finally accepted the fact that they could never really be together.

Then your eyes are blind and you are missing the whole point, additionally, the storyline itself did not say that. That had nothing at all to do with why he left. I think your heart tells you he left for that reason because the eyes and the story sure didn't.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Trough Buffy's eyes, I'm sure.

Whenever something is happening to her, I wonder how she's feeling, and what she's going to do. I'm almost always on her side and can understand her feelings.