Why didn't Buffy and Faith never talked about losing their Watchers?

[Joshua]

Both Buffy and Faith lost their former Watchers to vampires, so why didn't they ever connect together on that? Also why didn't Buffy ever speak about her former Watcher?

 

[white avenger]

It's probably because both events are experiences each girl sees as very tragic and personal, something just not to be shared. On the other hand, we never see any real heart to heart chats between the Chosen Two on any subject, except maybe the "Faith, you KILLED A MAN" conversation in Season 3, and Faith telling Buffy in Season 7 that she had been jealous of Buffy's happy home, good friends, and hot boyfriends. Anything else of that nature that was ever shot probably ended up being edited from the final presentation.

 

[Priceless]

I don't think Faith and Buffy were ever friendly enough to have a deep and meaningful. The mistrust was there from their first meeting, so neither would be willing to open up to the other about anything personal. Really it's a shame, because if the two of them had bonded over anything, especially shared pain, they would have been ustoppable

 

[Athena]

In Fool for Love, when Buffy is searching Giles' books for history on how the other slayers died, Giles mentions that the reason there is no account of past slayers demises, is because the Watchers' probably would have found it too painful to recollect.

I expect it's the same for Slayers' about their Watchers'. Just something too difficult talk about.

 

[Iwearthecheese]

Buffy told her friends about her Watcher in 'The Origin' comic- sort of a retelling of the movie. If that's canon, I'm not sure. But I coan't imagine Willow and Xander not asking about Buffy's LA life, buring down the gym and stuff.
I doubt Buffy would've confided in Faith about that though, maybe eventually but she seemed to have trouble ovening up about most things.

I could maybe buy Faith telling Buffy or Giles about her previous Watcher- if they'd ask, but I can't picture them asking at all. They were usually preoccupied with other stuff rather than Faith.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Why do people have this idea that talking about a traumatic experience helps you get over it? Talking about a traumatic experience forces you to relive it. There is a reason soldiers who have been in battle are the quietest people on earth. It would be an astounding act of cruelty to force people to talk about the unspeakable.

 

[vellavu]

Why do people have this idea that talking about a traumatic experience helps you get over it? Talking about a traumatic experience forces you to relive it. There is a reason soldiers who have been in battle are the quietest people on earth. It would be an astounding act of cruelty to force people to talk about the unspeakable.

It's the Freud nonsense that was backed up by his fake data, tampered record, and being creative about what experiment results can be thrown away.

The recent consensus of medical psychology is that, mostly, none of these talking methods works. Lifestyle changes and drugs are the way to go. Since real lifestyle changes are very rare, drugs are practically the only solution.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I always wondered that too. I like to think that after Kakistos, Buffy told Faith that she had a watcher that died too. I don't think we know how Merrick died. While we know that Faith had to watch Kakistos do unspeakable things to her watcher. That's much more traumatizing then if Merrick was just killed on patrol by accident by some random vampire. Buffy being Buffy probably feels responsible that she couldn't stop it and it would make sense that she represses it. I just think it's a bit of a missed opportunity for character exploration for both Buffy, Faith and Giles. It could also have explored the Watcher's Council and how they operate.

I think the real life reason is that the show wanted to distant itself as much as possible from the movie but still making the fact that she had a first watcher canon. Also, the story narrative is focused on Giles as Buffy's watcher. He IS her watcher even after he was fired. Obviously, Giles must know something about Merrick, didn't he say he knew Kendra's watcher. I don't think I like the idea of Willow and Xander not knowing that Buffy had a first watcher. It just adds another level of tragedy to the slayer life.

 

[thetopher]

I think it could've happened if Buffy had asked, and I think that the very fact that, had she asked, it would've shown Faith that Buffy cared about what had happened to her.
The could've bonded over yet another thing about their calling that they had in common, to add to all that other stuff.
Missed opportunity.

 

[Professor Walsh]

Neither of them opens up easily unless they are talking with somebody who manages to lead the way into a topic like that. They wouldn't get there with eachother, I think.

Why do people have this idea that talking about a traumatic experience helps you get over it? Talking about a traumatic experience forces you to relive it. There is a reason soldiers who have been in battle are the quietest people on earth. It would be an astounding act of cruelty to force people to talk about the unspeakable.

To speak of the unspeakable with peers who share relevant experiences is of use for a lot of people. It is not for everyone though, and we should respect that.

The recent consensus of medical psychology is that, mostly, none of these talking methods works. Lifestyle changes and drugs are the way to go. Since real lifestyle changes are very rare, drugs are practically the only solution.

Would you count cognitive therapy as a lifestyle change? This statement seems a bit simplistic to me. While I am not a psychologist, my impression from my country is that the consensus is that the combination of psychofarmaca and therapy often is the way to go. Anectotes are not evidence, but I know that I have friends who would not be alive were it not for both factors.