Why doesn't Xander feel worse?

[SoBlind]

I didn't get that whole Xander summoning Sweet thing anyway. The way they did it with Xander only caused an "Um, what now?" effect (at least for me). They could have just said 'Ok, that demon that's making people sing and dance until they die is here. Go deal with it.'

 

[Lindsey McDonald]

I never liked this either. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that all the others spoke the truth in their songs: it seemed impossible to lie even when the character wanted to, like in I'll Never Tell, and Life's a Show. Notice Xander's lines in "I've Got a Theory", however:

I've got a theory we should work this out...

It could be witches, some evil witches,
which is ridiculous 'cause witches, they were persecuted, wicca good and love the Earth and woman pow'r and I'll be over here.

Hardly indicative of someone who knows they did it. For one, he doesn't really want them to work it out. Plus, it can't be witches, some evil witches...it was him. He knows this.

Due to the inconsistencies and the fact that they were hard pressed to get any exposition in at the end at all, I'm guessing something more coherent was cut or replaced, resulting in what we have. Not perfect, but plot was always going to be put to the back for character progression in this episode.

 

[T.I.P]

Xander was sick of living in everyones shadow, so he summoned Sweet in the hope he would kill the rest of the Scoobies.
But when his plan failed he just played dumb. He also considered joining the Trio.

 

[Whistler]

First off, when did this turn into a Xander bashing thread? Granted Xander is my fave character but that's because I identify a lot with him. He's immature, just like me, but he's got a huge heart and truly loves his friends. He does let his jealousy get the best of him but really, who hasn't? I think you're all being way too hard on him. The way he's been treated over the years he deserves a pass.

As for the summoning Sweet thing this was my take: Xander didn't realize until just then. Sweet said something like "You're wearing my talisman" to Dawn and then Xander saw it. It probably just clicked right there that he was playing with it in the magic box because it said something about dancing and singing. He probably played with it, put it back down and didn't give it another thought. We've all seen many times in the Buffyverse that magic can get triggered by the simplest things. So that's my take on it.

 

[Blondie Bear]

^ Except that he says, "I didn't know what would happen! I just thought there'd be dances and songs! I just wanted to make sure we'd work out. Get a happy ending."

Indicating that he did it entirely on purpose.

 

[Atren]

Xander is not viewed as smart, or maybe responsible is better word, as Willow. Xander is not expected to be as thoughtful as Willow who should have far better acknowledgement over consenquences of her actions. As Giles told her after returning -- you were the one person he expected to be responsible (or something like that).

 

[Girl with Sword]

I truly believe that Dawn did it. Not only did she not tell Sweet that she didn't do it while they were alone. When the scoobs came, I think Dawnie doth protest to much. It seems more like something she'd do. Xander was just covering for her. I think Xander does get picked on by us for the things he does even though there not as bad as what some other characters do because
1. He never gets called on it by the gang
2. It almost never comes back to bite him
3. He's usually so nice that those moments stick out
But there are things that I do not forgive for. "Kick his ass" is most offensive to me, and I'm a Spuffy. I just think it was pettiness in a serious situation.

 

[Da Letter Jay]

Yeah, I kinda always thought he was covering for Dawn too.
Regardless of who really did it, Xander saying that he summoned Sweet actually saved Dawn, because Sweet didn't swing that way.

 

[PurplePoof]

Xander never really took responsibility for his actions...yet he was always quick to jump on others when THEY messed up.

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

I truly believe that Dawn did it. Not only did she not tell Sweet that she didn't do it while they were alone. When the scoobs came, I think Dawnie doth protest to much. It seems more like something she'd do. Xander was just covering for her. I think Xander does get picked on by us for the things he does even though there not as bad as what some other characters do because
1. He never gets called on it by the gang
2. It almost never comes back to bite him
3. He's usually so nice that those moments stick out
But there are things that I do not forgive for. "Kick his ass" is most offensive to me, and I'm a Spuffy. I just think it was pettiness in a serious situation.

I don't believe that Dawn summoned the being, however it does seem pretty rushed that Xander did do it and not at all in line with the rest of the episode.

While I agree that Xander has rarely been taken to task over what he has chosen to do, I must say that if he had been covering for someone, maybe Dawn, that would have come out - even if it had been a little scene with Xander and Dawn. There was no follow up so its fair to assume as implausible as it seems, he did summon Sweet.

Was it a 100% cert that Willow would have restored Angel?
Not at all. If Xander had gone with that message Buffy might likely have tried to fight without the fire she needed to beat Angelus and he very possibly could have used that against her.

Xanders reasons may have been wrong(even then I am not sure they were) but his action was correct in the situation. Buffy didn't need to be fighting her own doubt at the same time as Angelus.

Xander never really took responsibility for his actions...yet he was always quick to jump on others when THEY messed up.

Well thats true of most people. Can't fault him for being human.

Yeah, I kinda always thought he was covering for Dawn too.
Regardless of who really did it, Xander saying that he summoned Sweet actually saved Dawn, because Sweet didn't swing that way.

Yes, but didn't you notice the subtext between Sweet and Xander?

 

[PurplePoof]

Well thats true of most people. Can't fault him for being human.

No, but I can fault him for being an asshole. Tons of people are at a level where they can acknowledge they made mistakes. AND lots of people are able to allow others the same courtesy without attempted verbal annihilation and attacking them.

 

[fly on the wall]

I never liked this either. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that all the others spoke the truth in their songs: it seemed impossible to lie even when the character wanted to, like in I'll Never Tell, and Life's a Show. Notice Xander's lines in "I've Got a Theory", however:

I've got a theory we should work this out...

It could be witches, some evil witches,
which is ridiculous 'cause witches, they were persecuted, wicca good and love the Earth and woman pow'r and I'll be over here.

Hardly indicative of someone who knows they did it. For one, he doesn't really want them to work it out. Plus, it can't be witches, some evil witches...it was him. He knows this.

Due to the inconsistencies and the fact that they were hard pressed to get any exposition in at the end at all, I'm guessing something more coherent was cut or replaced, resulting in what we have. Not perfect, but plot was always going to be put to the back for character progression in this episode.

Just because they DO speak the truth in their songs, doesn't mean they CAN'T embellish, mislead, or lie. Look at Buffy during this same song.
I've got a theory, it doesn't matter...What can't we face if we're together? What's in this place that we can't weather? Apocalypse...we've all been there...the same old trips, why should we care? etc
To the casual observer (and the Scoobies, except Giles, who it takes a little longer to convince) it seems she's rallying the troops, brightening their spirits, rah rah, so on and so forth, but in actuality she's saying, "I don't care what's going on because I don't care about anything, I'm just going through the motions." But she doesn't SING that, does she?

Xander didn't sing, "I didn't do it!" He sang, "It could be witches..." Not exactly a bold-faced lie. Just like Buffy's verse wasn't.

Anyway, I definitely don't think he was covering for Dawn. For one thing...why didn't Dawn steal the amulet after she summoned the demon? Why leave it on the counter, and steal it later? For another thing..why would Xander cover up for Dawn if it meant he might have to be Sweet's queen (something he seems to be genuinely concerned about)? Why not just have Buffy kick the demon's ass?
Plus...remember in "Selfless", the flashback to OMWF and Anya's song? Xander's sleeping and murmurs, "Just wanted...a happy...ending." Which supports the fact that he summoned Sweet.

 

[cryptwarmer]

I think this issue is sort of a loose string. It doesn't make any sense to me that Xander did this. I mean, there is no context for it, no real motivation.

It makes more sense to me that Dawn did it, albeit accidentally, when she stole various things from the Magic Box and tossed them together in her jewelry box. That is what my husband and I assumed, that she had summoned the demon without any knowledge, by having the amulet and coin together in her jewelry box.

So when Xander claims responsibility at the end, we were scratching our heads...I mean, why? It doesn't make sense? But it's as if they needed some explanation and just threw that in...blame Xander for a silly spell, kind of thing. But really, I think it would have been better if it had been Dawn and that had been a way for them to discover her klepto tendencies, and for concern to grow around her.

I think they either ran out of time and left our something that would have supported why Xander did it, or they just tossed that in last minute, but somehow it was not really fleshed out.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I always saw it as Xander covering for Dawn.

Interesting point. I always thought that whole exchange was pretty strange. I bet it was Dawn who summoned him.

Interesting Xander trivia I found on Wikipedia:

Brendon has an identical twin brother, Kelly Donovan, who is three minutes older than he, and served as his occasional stand-in on Buffy. Kelly also played the part of Xander's double in the episode "The Replacement"[6] when the two Xanders were on the screen at the same time, and when Nicholas fell sick with pneumonia, he played Xander in most of the fight scenes in the episode "Intervention".[7]

 

[BuffyElevated]

I think he felt bad, and everyone was pissed they he had summoned this demon that killed people by making them dance till they exploded, but I think the revelation that they ripped Buffy out of Heaven kind of overshadowed what Xander had done. He summoned Sweet without knowing what was really going to happen, and it is horrible that Sweet wasn't exactly the happy song demon Xander thought he was when he summoned him. But I think the knowledge that Buffy had been happy in Heaven and they had taken her away from that was a little too much for them to deal with on top of disciplining Xander for summoning him.

 

[Skytteflickan88]

I figure that it was a complelety out of character moment for him that was written so we could have the "Do I have to be your Queen?"-joke.

It should be reflected on the writers, not Xander. And taht he didn't get punished afterwards... I think the "I was in Heaven"-fact hit them all over the head so they could think of nothing else. And in the light of Willow's magic abuse, I bet that was nothing for the Scoobies. They all seemes to be in denial over that.

But one day, I want to see Xander's reaction to it. Maybe Dawn could do something dumb in Season 8, Xander would yell at her, and she yelled back; "Atleast I haven't danced any people to death." And then we see Xander ashamed and Dawn and Xander would be unfriendly for a while, until they worked through it.

And about Xander covering for Dawn.... Maybe, but I don't think so. We did see her find the amulet, not do magic with it.

 

[LorneyTunes]

I think they just loved the singing and dancing that much they just forgot what he did. Blinded by the musical romance.
Also then punishing themselves with deep dark thoughts on what Buffy sings in the end. What Xander did is no concern they are more attentive to Buffy because she might have been in heaven.

 

[sosa lola]

But one day, I want to see Xander's reaction to it. Maybe Dawn could do something dumb in Season 8, Xander would yell at her, and she yelled back; "Atleast I haven't danced any people to death.".

Actually it happened in Older and Far Away, when the gang were accusing Dawn of locking them in the house, Xander says,

XANDER: Well, 'cause you know, sometimes we do something that seems like a good idea at the time, like, say, invoke the power of a musical amulet? And it turns out, you know, not so much.

 

[Skytteflickan88]

Oh, I didn't remember that. It's great that it was mentioned, at least once in a semi-serious way.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

I truly believe that Dawn did it. Not only did she not tell Sweet that she didn't do it while they were alone. When the scoobs came, I think Dawnie doth protest to much. It seems more like something she'd do. Xander was just covering for her. I think Xander does get picked on by us for the things he does even though there not as bad as what some other characters do because

I always saw it as Xander covering for Dawn.

Yeah, I kinda always thought he was covering for Dawn too.
Regardless of who really did it, Xander saying that he summoned Sweet actually saved Dawn, because Sweet didn't swing that way.

Interesting point. I always thought that whole exchange was pretty strange. I bet it was Dawn who summoned him.

I first heard the theory here, and it makes sense to me. It makes a lot less sense that Xander would trick everyone even after he stopped liking the music and people started dying...