In all fairness, her father chose a work emergency over an outing with Buffy, and that is hurtful, but not potentially life ending. Giles chose Buffy’s life over his work, yes, but let’s not forget that he was complicit in putting her life at risk to begin with. He also chose Buffy over a job that he originally didn’t want, never excelled in, where he was being forced to do something that went against his conscience…and even then he went along with it until things went wrong. I love Giles, and I think it’s sad that Buffy’s dad is choosing work over spending time with his child, but the situations are far from equal.
This episode shows how the Council looks at the Slayers as disposable. They really don’t care if the Slayer survives the test or not. If they do, they will be a better Slayer and if they don’t another is called so there is always going to be a new one. The younger they are the easier they are to control.
And there is a bloodless logic to it. From their perspective it is the collective wisdom of hundreds of trained experts vs a teenager. After a few years of experience, the Slayer is probably getting pretty arrogant (she has super powers, AND is maturing into an adult) The test either kills her before she becomes a problem OR demonstrates that the girl and her Watcher are effective and obedient. Ask yourself, how many regular teenagers would you trust with a loaded gun. But now think about how traumatised a Slayer is. (Buffy exhibits PLENTY of signs of PTSD, and she SHOULDm, for the horrors she endures) How many TRAUMATISED teenagers would you trust with that loaded gun? So, while the Council is a sick cult who operate in a sanitised environment away from the blood and filth... Their attitudes aren't UNREASONABLE. I actually rather like it, from a world building perspectve. The good guys are not simply decent and kind. The bad guys do not all wear top hats and twirl their mustaches. SEASON7 SPOILER BELOW! ... I'd also point out that Buffy herself adopts an ALMOST IDENTICAL trial in Season 7. She takes a half trained group of potentials, with no super powers, and locks them in a crypt with a vampire. She knows, we the audience know, she has little choice. War is coming, and those girls are targets. And so, they MUST be tested.
Although in Buffy's case, another Slayer won't be called because she died before; Kendra was already called in her place and Faith in Kendra's place. But yes, they would probably try to bring Faith to heel and put her to the same test, maybe with a little extra weighting of the scales if she'd been difficult already.
That’s the thing though. The Watchers don’t want her alive. If she dies, they have Faith. If Faith dies, another one will be called. Young, scared and malleable. They don’t want generals, they want canon fodder.
I fully believe that when the 'test' was first invented, it was not meant to be survived. adult slayer = harder to control. Just killing them off could look bad, but a test with a high fatality rate can be spun.
I agree they probably pull the "test" with the slayers when they see that they're not agreeable, afraid and their watcher becomes too protective of them. I believe it's made up because otherwise Giles would have known about it, since he studied to be a watcher.
Kralik is easily one of the scariest 1 off bad guys in the show. Also on Faith not appearing, Eliza was 17 for the majority if not all of season 3 so by cali law she couldnt do the insanely long work hours the rest of the cast did.
its just for the majority. I think the episode 'The Zeppo" and onward, she's 18 and is in every episode after that for the rest of the season. I, without a doubt, believe Faith would have been in this episode if she wasn't 17. I just wish they would've explained her absence better, like she was busy somewhere else or the council gave her a mission to keep her away so she couldn't help Buffy. that would make sense, instead of her just being gone with no word.
Giles line about ‘if any of the other watchers still had actual contact with the Slayer…’ is SO interesting to me. So the watchers all knew the slayer at one point, helping her out, and now they just send one representative, and that watcher is lower down in the pecking order and has to follow their orders. If you were running things to make sure the power stayed with the watchers and not with the slayer (who is the one actually chosen to do this job), this is how you’d build it. Once you’ve got to this episode it starts to make sense why they never told Giles / Buffy about Kendra or Faith.
Being a watcher is a great responsibility, I was confused when I heard that it's the rejects of the group who are sent to do the actual work while the others lounge around in their fancy facilities. They seem to love having the slayer and her watcher in the dark so that they feel alone and dependent on them. Faith only came to Sunnydale because her watcher must have told her about Buffy. She must have hyped her up to Faith and been actually happy doing her job, because the others hate acknowledging slayers especially Buffy the only one that we know has survived death. And Kendra came to take care of hellmouth business, probably not knowing what to expect.
The council don't give a damn about the slayers they want control and when slayers are under 18 impressionable and dependent on their watchers they have full control I think the test is to make sure the slayer doesn't survive past 18 and if they did pass the test the slayer is so traumatised they can be controlled (or not survive for long after) and that the council have control of the watchers as well or they just get fired like Giles it's the ultimate power play for control
@TylerAlexander 😂I didn't think you was being backhanded lol I just hate the council in this episode so much 😂 they really do treat slayers as expendables as they know if they die they will get a newer younger girl to 'fight the war' its infuriating
Also I would just like to express my deep appreciation and love of you doing this show... I love that you deep dive into the relationships and themes of show I know you said before you wasn't quite sure whether you could commit in uploading the whole show I hope you do you have such an amazing insight and bring a humour to your reaction that I truly enjoy I don't comment much as I worry about accidently dropping spoilers but I did just want to you know all the hard work time and effort ypu put in is not going unnoticed thank you 😊
We just saw last episode how smart Buffy was and is more than her powers, in a town filled with angry people she was the only one that figured out there's something up with the dead kids.
Cordelia honouring the sisterhood - yes, girl, show me that character development. Giles is fighting an entire lifetime of grooming to be a Watcher. It is still a betrayal absolutely, I'm not denying that, but it's been 2 and a bit years he's known Buffy, and about 35 years since he found out he was to be a Watcher. His father was a Watcher, and his grandmother. It feels akin to people trying to escape oppressive religions, or cults. I'm fairly certain this episode was flimed before Dec 30 1998 - Eliza Dushku was still 17. The second half of the series she was 18 and able to be on set much more but you do kind of just have to accept that Faith's not around much in the first half. Zachary Kralik is a fantastic character! I almost wish we got to see more of him....
The Watchers Council is a Patriarchy that sees the Slayers as expendable. On their 18th birthday, the Slayer faces a test that very few survive. Those that do survive are terrorized in to knowing their place in the order of things. No Slayer has survived beyond their 25th birthday. Those Slayers that die in the test are replaced by younger and presumably more pliable Slayers. So the Patriarchy keeps its power .
Loved your thoughts on Buffy and Giles rebuilding their relationship in a better way - they're one of my favorite parts of the series overall. Excited to see your rest of the thoughts on the season!!
This episode feels like such a horror movie, and I think one of the reasons for that is that it does something that a lot of good horror stories do. It presents a relatable fear of something that could actually happen, and then finds a way to make it so much worse. It's scary enough when Buffy meets two normal guys on a dark, lonely street. . . and then she meets Zachary Krailik. I thought Quentin Travers' role was well played too. The way he's so comfortable wielding his power over Buffy and Giles, and the way he takes his righteousness for granted makes my skin crawl.
I remember when you did your first Buffy video, I was for a moment so worried this ep was going to be the middle one, but instead it was Gingerbread, which though good isn't as much of a major lore ep the way this one is. So I'm really glad you got to see this one through all the build up and moments we've been through with these characters! Also, Kralik is an excellent villain and putting Buffy in actual peril with a classic horror movie setting is a really great change up of form, even within such a heavy hitting, character-driven, emotional episode.
I agree with what another user said about this being a system of control over the endlessly expendable slayers. There's additionally a subtext coming from the slayers always being women. The universe or whatever gifts this power to young women, a group that has historically had very little. Then this group of men immediately swoops in and takes possession of that power so that it's no longer really hers, she's their tool to use. The ideology of sexism says that this is righteous, that a girl (and a teenage one at that) is incapable and even dangerous when left on her own. But see, the power is never really theirs no matter how hard they try, they arent the slayer. So once she is no longer a child, there is an increased risk of her taking ownership of her own power and seeing through the arbitrary and idiotic nature of the council's ideology, and simply saying no to it. And they cannot let that happen.
Yeah. They don't like Buffy because of what she's been able to achieve without them and she even survived death, her friends and watcher are resourceful on their own. I don't recall Buffy contacting them for anything. They don't like that Giles' loyalty now lies with her. They don't want younger slayers seeing her have her cake and eat it, Buffy has the option to live a normal life since the line no longer goes through her. They prefer a Kendra to a Faith/Buffy. I think if we had more time with Kendra her mindset about being the slayer would have changed after spending time with Buffy. Slayers can now game the system if they manage to "die" for a few seconds and be revived.
I love your Buffy videos because you don't just react, you analyze what you're watching at the same time. I've watched this show 5+ times, but your in-depth critique always gives new light to something I love. You see things I haven't picked up on and help me build on my theories.
I just found you and binge watched all your Buffy videos. I love your analysis. Thoroughly enjoying going through one of my favourite shows ever with you!
"It's a time-honored right of passage." "It's an archaic exercise in cruelty." God even the term "right of passage" is like, we're doing this to you to see if you deserve to keep living. "Time-honored" is such a nothing phrase too, nothing about a tradition being upheld for centuries makes it inherently honorable.
I really enjoy your commentary and I absolutely love watching this younger generation watching Buffy for the first time and I love following comments about all the themes that people want to discuss. But the reason I subscribed to this channel was to watch you drum solo the intro music every Buffy video!
I also always thought Buffy forgave Giles too soon. I wish they gave it another episode. It was such a betrayal! But she needs a father figure so she has to forgive, I think. I loved this vampire villain too. Not even Angelus made me fear for Buffy this much. And I died laughing when Joyce said they need to get out and you went ''No shit''. Hilarious.
I love that both Buffy and Angel think of the literal meaning of "warming your heart with my own" - they're both too accustomed to gore to not think of it and it's one of the reasons I love BAngel - in many ways they fit so well (she just needed to be 15 years older, so there was less teenage drama)
I once did some very nerdy Buffyverse maths and figured out that, through the Cruciamentum alone, the Watcher's Council has likely murdered more Slayers throughout history than the entire species of vampires. A conservative estimate, when you consider how long the Slayer has existed and their average lifespan, puts the number of Slayers killed in this ritual in the tens of thousands. I like to imagine, at the end, when Buffy tells Quentin to "bite me", she's speaking on behalf of generations of Slayers before her who've been killed by The Council.
I think the lore is that "most slayers don't reach their 18th birthday" - implying that more are killed by vampires or other demons than actually have the "honor" of being taken out by the barbaric ritual at the hands of their own watcher. Of course they could be lying about the lore.
@ernesthakey3396 Even if 50% of Slayers die before their 18th birthday, half of them killed by vampires and half of them killed by other demons, the odds of surviving the Cruciamentum are astronomical. It's *designed* to kill off Slayers coming into their power. It's unlikely that half of Slayers that reach their 18th birthday (or 25% of Slayers overall) survive the Cruciamentum. Ergo, more Slayers would've been killed by the Cruciamentum than by the entire species of vampires. Theoretically. It's not perfect maths, but I'm just saying that it's likely. And like I said, it's super-nerd Buffyverse maths 😂
@@athena450 I think you are ignoring what percentage "most" accounts for, and I also think that far more slayers are killed by vampires than by other demons, because they active seek out vampires to fight, and they go to the places where vampires are the most common. The definition of the word: ----- most determiner greatest in amount, quantity, or degree. "they've had the most success" the majority of; nearly all of. "most oranges are sweeter than these" Similar: nearly all almost all the majority the bulk the lion's share the mass the preponderance Opposite: little few ----- Let's take a look at more realistic percentages. Let's say that "most" is 80%, ie 4 out of 5, rather than 50%, as 50% is only half, not most, definite not living up to the words that "most" implies. I think 80% is probably a conservative estimate, far more than 80% of the foes Buffy has fought have been vampires. And let's also say that between vampires and other demons, vampires kill 80% while random other demons account for 20%. Again, a conservative estimate in my opinion, but maybe reasonable since other demons could be harder to kill than vampires, and the Slayer specializes in vampires. So, out of 100 slayers: 100 x 0.80 x 0.80 = 64 killed by vampires before turning 18. 100 x 0.80 x 0.20 = 16 killed by other demons before turning 18. 100 x 0.20 = 20 make it to 18 and go through the cruciamentum. If they all die, that's still only 20 killed by the Council vs 64 killed by vampires. Your choice of 50% as qualifying for "most" is where you lost me. But let's try numbers a little more oriented towards your position. Let's go with 70% instead of 80% for my calculations. So, out of 100 slayers: 100 x 0.70 x 0.70 = 49 killed by vampires before turning 18. 100 x 0.70 x 0.30 = 21 killed by other demons before turning 18. 100 x 0.30 = 30 make it to 18 and go through the cruciamentum. If they all die, that's still only 30 killed by the Council vs 49 killed by vampires. And that is assuming no slayers actually survive the cruciamentum, which is a very generous assumption. We have seen non-slayers kill vampires, after all. And I suspect this particular vampire was atypical, as he defeated the watchers and was able to roam free, not something that usually happens, and that made him more dangerous than whatever vampires they would likely have used in most of the tests. Admittedly, we have no hard numbers to go on. But "most" is pretty descriptive and it doesn't mean "half". You picked "half" as a way of reducing the likely numbers of slayers killed by vamps, and then assumed "half" were killed by non-vampires, which to me sounds like you were picking your assumptions to make your point. I did just the same thing, but I think my assumptions are more likely to be in line with what we have seen in the show. Slayers primarily fight vampires, it doesn't make sense that half would be killed by non-vampires. 🤷♂️
@ernesthakey3396 um ok dude, this is a LOT. But seeing as you've given this the time, I'll take the time to respond. As you said, you're also making assumptions to prove your point. It's never stated that most Slayers die before 18, it's just heavily implied that a lot die. The most significant confirmation we get is in this episode, with Giles hesitating on "if". Therefore, all we really know in canon is that it's not a given that they reach 18, but we can assume a significant portion die before then. That could be half, less than half, more than half... So *any* choice, including both mine and yours, is arbitrary and incorrect. And Slayers, despite their name, do not in practice "primarily" fight vampires. More than half the bad guys in this season alone are non-vampires, including the Big Bad. All my numbers were meant to "prove" were that the Watchers have likely murdered tens of thousands of Slayers throughout history through this ritual alone (not counting the "wet works" we see elsewhere) and that they are probably an equal if not larger predator to Slayers than vampires and demons are. I think we agree on that?
@athena450 I think regardless of the particular numbers, we can definitely agree that the Watchers are MUCH WORSE than vampires in how they do it. The vampires are just being their natural demonic predator selves. The Watchers Council are, in my opinion, committing a gross act of betrayal of trust in order to maintain control of the young girls whom they use as disposable tools so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Ugh. It makes you wonder what the average life span of a Slayer is. A qualitative argument to be made is that if the average age of a Slayer when called is 15 or 14, they have to survive 3 or 4 years of slaying before reaching their 18th birthday. That's my biggest question - how many actually get there? Looking at the math, in order for the Watchers Council to have killed 10,000 slayers, that means at least 10,000 would have had to reach their 18th birthday. Also there is only one Slayer at a time, at least up until this point. So the slayer years are cumulative. If there are 6 slayers, and three die before 18, say, with 1, 2, and 3 years of duty, and the other 3 all died at 18 with a total of 12 years of service, that's 18 total years of time passing. Let's guess that a 3 year average time in service is about right - many die earlier but enough live long enough to get the average back to 3 each because your premise is that the Council is killing more than vampires so they have to make it to 18. In order for the council to have killed 10,000, and another 10,000 to have died beforehand, but not all to vampires, that's over a 60,000 time span. Humans have been on the planet about 300,000 years, though the first Slayer probably doesn't go that far back. My guess is the Council didn't create the cruciamentum ritual 300,000 years ago, or even 60,000 years ago. Writing first appeared in Mesopotamia about 3500 BC, about 5500 years ago. I guess my real point is that 10s of thousands more is too much of an exaggeration. But hey, I'm a math nerd, big time, numbers matter more to me than they should. So I agree with the spirit of your point, sorry for going off about the numbers. 🤷♂️ Have a great day!
Fun Fact: The writer, David Fury, said, in a TH-cam video called _Buffy Panel Discussion_ uploaded by George Kofos (don't watch _Buffy Panel Discussion_ if you haven't seen both _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ and _Angel the Series_ through to their completions), that he was a freelance writer when he wrote this episode. His intention was for Giles to be rehired at episode's end, until Joss latched onto the idea of it being permanant. David Fury stated this panicked him as a freelance writer, who also as a fan of the show, realized he could have long lasting effects on said show even as a freelance writer. Buffy learning Angel stalked her is one of the few times I see her coming off way too close to Bella Swan-like behavior. I think the only reason it works here is because of the mindset she's in at this time concerning her relationship with Angel. She is confused, and she's supposed to be that way. Hugging him while acknowledging her confusion made it work. If she learned about his stalking before their break-up and was all right with it, it would be 100% Bella Swan and undefendably toxic. I love that the camera holds on Buffy when Quentin Travers is saying Giles has "a fathers love for the child." It shows, to me, that despite Giles doing what he did, he and Buffy have a starting point to fix things now that she is aware he cares about her that way. And from _Never Kill a Boy on the First Date_ until Travers revealed said fact to Buffy, her and Giles's relationship has been about their dynamic as a watcher and a slayer. This episode shows that with her biological father not willing to be around, Buffy was hoping he would go to the show with him, but she didn't know, "[Giles] had a father's love for [her]." He just has to fix the mistakes he made with her. Quentin's words were a good first step in Buffy's eyes, I feel. Xander's last moment is meant to come off as comical, but whether the character realizes it or not, it isn't. If he had been able to open it, it would've been worse. Both his lines do and would've aged the joke, but him not being able to, showed how dumb it was to suggest "sometimes you need a big strong man." I couldn't see Tyler reacting any other way to the Patriarcy's way of handling the slayer and Giles on this one.
I always took this episode as how the Watcher’s Council keeps control of Slayers… at ‘Adulthood’ we take control of our decisions and think for ourselves more… we’ll push back against authority… what better time for a new Slayer to be called…
It's even more vicious knowing that the line no longer goes through her. They just don't want her being free from them with all that power and probably wanna test to see if another slayer will be called since her situation is unusual.
Doesn't excuse what Giles did but we learn in the first season that watchers are selected at a young age too. Giles was probably indoctrinated by these methods from a young age.
Yeah, good point, and in season one I think he said that his father and Grandmother were watchers? which helps explain why it’d be hard to go against their authority. Not to mention that when he did back out of being a watcher in his early 20s he ended up accidentally killing someone and retreating back to his ‘destiny’.
@@tanyaisonYT Yeah they made him feel like he was an irredeemable pos so that might be why he was working for their approval, obeyed blindly, never thinking they could be capable of evil bs like this. Someone who didn't see themselves that way and moved on from the past would have understood their plan with this "test". Giles realized it a little too late, but he came in to help right as she was about to get killed.
Great reaction. Yeah, we all agree, the Watcher's Counsel is awful, and Giles' behavior is not excusable. In the end, the proof is in the pudding: Most Slayers don't reach their 18th birthday. Buffy did. Most Slayers (probably) don't live right above the hellmouth, Buffy does. Most Slayers just fight some vampires but don't stop multiple apocalypses. Buffy did. So clearly, family & friends & fatherly Watcher seems to work out well.
“The Slayer is the apex predator” - Oh am I loving your reactions; and I can’t wait for more, especially you crying your eyes out to Jenny-death#17. ;) This is also one of the few episodes that end in an L-cut, where we get the audio finishing while we see the first card of the end-credits.
Helpless was a very good episode exploring trust and betrayal. Many were so angry watching this at the time that Giles could do such a thing. You can see the anger Buffy has towards both Giles and the highly irritating Council. This episode reminds us of course that Buffy is indeed human, and all the weaknesses and fears that go along with that. Even though she passes her test, we still feel cheated for her you can see Giles hates doing it too, and has nothing but contempt for Quentin Travers. This episode actually was a watershed for Buffy as she was now truly leaving her adolescence behind and becoming an adult. A very touching scene at the end when Giles tends to Buffy's wounds. A very good but disturbing episode.
My theory, ans its not based on future events, is that the watchers have this ritual in the hopes the slayer will die. This way the slayer is always a child being guided and never her own person, also avoids her reaching working age. It keeps the power with the watchers
I appreciate how this episode shows that no matter how educated and smart you are, or even how much you love someone, the weight of archaic traditions can still make you do the most awful things to the people you love.
can we please give a round for SMG's acting though??? everytime i watch that scene where she finds out it's Giles who's the cause of her helplessness, my heart shatters
Can't contact Faith because she's on another of her unannounced "walkabouts" which she clearly takes off for parts unknown without rhyme or reason. Also no cell phones.
I have seen someone else comment about the council wanting to keep control over the slayer and i 100% agree! But on the theoretical level the council is like the patricarcy keeping feminism movement in its place. Creating the narrative that they control her power, control what makes her her. And the end of the episode is buffy rebeling from the and saying its not right, and giles doing what he thought he should do and actually rebeling against everything he knows, and remembering buffy is human. And just just because he is a man doesnt mean he has to conform to patriarchy. Which i think is a thing forgotten in woke feminism. Ps also find it interesting and something your videos have highlighted to me, we have officially passed the halfway point and i feel this is an interesting episode to have after that point.
Your commentary, random thoughts, and attempts to unravel the many mysteries that makes BTVS thought challenging has made you one of my favorite entertainment/thinking sites on You Tube. You will receive many comments about the loathsome Council. For me this episode has a context of the very American culture conflict between the Administrative State( Government) and the free independent individual ( Buffy). It’s also significant that the story happens at the time Buffy turns18. In America the 18th birthday is a major moment in our life.We can vote, we can join the military, and we are no longer considered a minor. We are no recognized as an adult.Patents really have no more claim on their child. An 18 year old answers to the State and is bound to what the state allows EXCEPT those that only want the state to maintain a minimal order to allow the individual to flourish in their The Council must exist bound by their rules( this is the way for 12 centuries) and quash those that can flourish on their own merits The individual is the enemy of the collective. Emotionally secure does not need the collective. The system demands the individual succumb. The Bureaucracy can not function outside its power nor does it exist when enough people chose the way to individual sovereignty.
Others will also point out the behind the scenes reason for them having to explain faith not being as present in the show is because the actor was young she wasn't allowed to be filmed as much. Hence the flimsy excuses
Some have said that the Watchers' Council is a metaphor of the patriarchy, not sure if that was the intention by the writers but I can see what they mean.
I just realized that Faith also had to go through this when she turned 18; I am assuming that she is 18; she's either that or a VERY mature 17 year old.
She's officially younger than Buffy. However, she had a pretty rough childhood. She's not actually fully mature, just more wild, less sheltered, and she has had to grow up a lot faster than Buffy in some ways. So more experienced than Buffy in terms of having faced some pretty awful situations on her own, such as the death of her watcher, but still younger physically and emotionally.
I don't pay for ad-free YT. And in a strange coincidence, right after Buffy gets the tickets etc and says it might be nice to have a quiet birthday to cover her pain, YT interrupted the video with a couple ads, and the second add is a girl crying over something and the voiceover is "show your daughter you love her with this beautiful gift"... Timing, man...
As unpleasant as some aspects of this episode are (specifically the Council’s institutional cruelty), it’s one of my favourites of the entire series. It’s a rare one that leans properly into the horror movie angle - Kralik is a fantastic one-off villain - and has a wonderful anti-patriarchal conclusion. Yes, Giles was very much in the wrong, but he learned from his mistake and, in his love for Buffy being made explicit (naturally seen as a weakness by the Council), redeemed himself.
This is a beautifully written, acted and filmed episode. Kralik is one of the top 10 villains of the series. But it makes absolutely no sense. The insistent fan theory that the Cruciamentum is all but a deliberate murder of the Slayer in order to "control" her fails on a logical basis. First and foremost, the Council has been all but indifferent to what Buffy and Giles have been up to. They provide no support, send no directives, demand no updates, perform zero oversight or inspection tours. In fact, they're more guilty of indifference. They warned neither Giles nor Kendra's watcher that either was in service for months. This led directly to a near Blue on Blue incident that easily could have left both Slayers crippled or killed. They didn't notify Giles that Faith was called. They've literally ignored Faith in every way possible. And I sincerely doubt they sent a memo about Gwendolyn Post. "Control"? When have they shown ANY interest? If this were a rite of passage, with the Slayers voluntary consent, then it would make perfect sense. It would be in line with many warrior traditions that produced a certain number of expected casualties. You characterized The Slayer as an Apex Predator. That's exactly correct. She is a tigress with opposable thumbs and a three digit IQ. This one has fought dozens of superhuman creatures to the death and averted four world ending apocalypses through courage, skill, ferocity, and a terrible WILL. And now she's mightily pissed off at the Council. That's the bestest idea ever! The Council really comes across as a poorly thought out last minute plot device after the Watcher/Slayer dynamic was changed away from reincarnation in the movie. Sort of a half assed explanation of where Giles gets all his books. It still doesn't explain why the hand to hand training of an apex predator is left to a middle aged academic with yard sale equipment and conducted in a high school library. But that's another rant.
The Watchers... Enough has been said in comments about their motivation in this "test". I can Almost understand testing a Slayer to see if she can manage without her powers, but Not keeping it secret from her. What gets me are two points left vague. Furst, I know the adrenal supressors sap Buffy of her strength and probably affect her speed and reflexes and stamina, but she has been training now for three years. Surely she still knows the skills she was taught with hand-to-hand and weapons. She should still be able to throw a knife with some accuracy. Second, why does a vampire require medication? Shouldn't the vampiric transformation cure/remove any physical ailments? If not, Ford would have still had brain cancer and his whole plot was pointless. I feel the pills were an easy out for the writers to let Buffy win without any actual combat. We have seen Giles's love for Buffy: at the end of season 1 "Buffy's not going to face the Master, I am", his endless searches for her in "Anne", the way he got her to open up about killing Angel, and many more subtle times. If he refused to cooperate with the test, the Council would have just fired him earlier and replaced him with,well, you'll see🙄🫤😖😝🤐
This is all speculation, but I just have not had a good feeling about Jay Z being on tour with Linkin Park and Chester not too long before he was found d3a.d? I mean I know they did a tour together;and I know that Chester was personally working on and was an activist personally about child trafficking and abuse, As he was abused as a child for years apparently by his uncle or grandfather who is a public figure. This is just what I heard. but I'm the only person that's ever said anything about the connection between the two of them and his death before. Immediately was very suspicious as soon as I just learned more about Jay Z and Beyonce (this is last year before Diddy stuff.) I just was getting really bad vibes about them. Then I heard what Chester was doing before he was found dd, which included a tour recently with Jay Z who is a weirdo clearly. I mean, he and Beyonce are OK with a church that WORSHIPS his wife. it's not too big of a stretch. This is all my speculation, of course. But I have been known to have mad crazy discernment for getting things right like this..
Never really enjoyed this episode, it really is a betrayal from Giles that just seems too much of a stretch. I dislike when a character is forced to do something out of character just for the big "shock" of it. More interested in what you were saying regarding the helplessness of change in life, going from child to adult. Reminded me of one day when I was walking home after work, my first job so I would be about 17, just thinking about the world and my place in it. I can remember the realisation suddenly hitting me that there is no magic in the world, no mysticism, nothing I would deem interesting. No guiding powers or sheltering entities. No destiny, no fate, no power of love etc. No purpose, just the mundane run of the mill world, exactly as it appears. Stuff I already knew, but that moment was the acceptance of that really hitting home. That depressed the hell out of me. I remember realising I'd been standing still for about 20 seconds whilst I processed this, pulled myself together and continued on my walk home, feeling like I now had a hole in the middle of me where once there used to be something else. God that sucked.
I think Buffy didn't get Faith mostly because she doesn't trust Faith. Like yes, it's true Faith didn't seem to cross her mind at all... but I think it's because she sees Faith as an unreliable wildcard, and therefore Buffy would never think to trust Faith with something so important as saving her mom. As for Giles, I think this episode also goes a long way towards explaining why he views Faith as an afterthought or an annoyance. Because to him she is. Not that it's her fault she was called... but he was never supposed to have two slayers, never formed a bond with her, and certainly doesn't love her. So when she never made an effort to train, he never made an effort to make her. Unfair and wrong and maybe childish of him, but yeah... If it'd been Faith turning 18 I doubt he'd have had a crisis of conscience.
I haven't watched this video yet, but if you are wondering why Buffy didn't get Faith to help, it is stated at the beginning of the episode. Buffy says Faith is on one of her, (I think she says), "unannounced walkabouts". Faith ghosted and Buffy has no idea where she is located.
@chaptereight2639 I disagree about buffy not trusting faith I think buffy is just used to depending on herself she didn't think to get Angel to help either... and with Giles dismissal of Faith this episode I think it was due to the test was for solely buffy not buffy and faith so he wasn't encouraging of faith to join in 'training' as he needed buffy alone to carry out his side of test
@NicolaColey-nx2wq I agree that Buffy is self reliant, but this isn't a one-episode issue. It's a virtually every single episode and situation issue. Buffy almost never asks Faith for anything or even mentions her. The number of times Giles has can be counted on one hand and they're almost always dismissive. Angel makes sense because they have literally been discussing staying away from each other for several episodes now, including earlier in this episode.
@@keriwebb6988 Faith is an unreliable wildcard. Exactly. In a crisis she doesn't even cross Buffy's mind, because she probably isn't around anyway. (And even if she were, she's undisciplined and unpredictable so you can't trust what she'll do.) Notice it didn't even cross Buffy's mind, that we're told, to see if Faith was back when she almost died or when she found out about Giles or when her mom was taken.
@chaptereight2639 but I don't think it's a trust issue I think the last mention of Faith and her in the episode was amends? Buffy went to her then and asked Faith to watch out for her mom when she went off after Angel shows Buffy reaching out/trusting Faith I'm discussing in the context of the episode that Buffy never thought to go to Faith she was focused on going after her mom and even if they discussed staying away buffy and Angel are yet to stay away from each other, buffy even went to him to discuss losing her powers if she wasn't just acting on her immediate instinct she would've gone to Angel and Faith for help to fight a vampire when she almost got staked earlier in the episode Buffy just wasn't thinking it through just acting on instinct
This episode makes us mad, but it's so good too. Also, I love Kralik, and I wish we had a prequel with his story =D And I understand him: migraines are the worst! It's also always fun for me when there are some Trek actors in Buffy =)
Re. your comments on the watchers: Preach!!!! I hate them so much. That said, I’d have loved it if there’d been a spin off about them - I think they would have been an interesting group to delve into, and Giles cannot be the only decent one.
Cordelia saying she'll drive Buffy home without a moments hesitation will always be such a moment for her.
Yeah, it's one of the numerous scenes that make me like Cordi even more than Buffy.
I read that moment as Cordelia assuming that Giles had tried to assault Buffy. Which was close to the truth
This episode also shows how Buffy's father choose work over her and Giles choose Buffy over work.
In all fairness, her father chose a work emergency over an outing with Buffy, and that is hurtful, but not potentially life ending.
Giles chose Buffy’s life over his work, yes, but let’s not forget that he was complicit in putting her life at risk to begin with. He also chose Buffy over a job that he originally didn’t want, never excelled in, where he was being forced to do something that went against his conscience…and even then he went along with it until things went wrong. I love Giles, and I think it’s sad that Buffy’s dad is choosing work over spending time with his child, but the situations are far from equal.
@@maddwitch Yes, Giles chose work over Buffy first, and her father probably does plan on making it up to her.
This episode shows how the Council looks at the Slayers as disposable. They really don’t care if the Slayer survives the test or not. If they do, they will be a better Slayer and if they don’t another is called so there is always going to be a new one. The younger they are the easier they are to control.
And there is a bloodless logic to it.
From their perspective it is the collective wisdom of hundreds of trained experts vs a teenager.
After a few years of experience, the Slayer is probably getting pretty arrogant (she has super powers, AND is maturing into an adult)
The test either kills her before she becomes a problem OR demonstrates that the girl and her Watcher are effective and obedient.
Ask yourself, how many regular teenagers would you trust with a loaded gun.
But now think about how traumatised a Slayer is. (Buffy exhibits PLENTY of signs of PTSD, and she SHOULDm, for the horrors she endures)
How many TRAUMATISED teenagers would you trust with that loaded gun?
So, while the Council is a sick cult who operate in a sanitised environment away from the blood and filth... Their attitudes aren't UNREASONABLE.
I actually rather like it, from a world building perspectve. The good guys are not simply decent and kind. The bad guys do not all wear top hats and twirl their mustaches.
SEASON7 SPOILER BELOW!
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I'd also point out that Buffy herself adopts an ALMOST IDENTICAL trial in Season 7.
She takes a half trained group of potentials, with no super powers, and locks them in a crypt with a vampire.
She knows, we the audience know, she has little choice. War is coming, and those girls are targets. And so, they MUST be tested.
Although in Buffy's case, another Slayer won't be called because she died before; Kendra was already called in her place and Faith in Kendra's place. But yes, they would probably try to bring Faith to heel and put her to the same test, maybe with a little extra weighting of the scales if she'd been difficult already.
That’s the thing though. The Watchers don’t want her alive. If she dies, they have Faith. If Faith dies, another one will be called. Young, scared and malleable. They don’t want generals, they want canon fodder.
Spoiler? ( Unsure)
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And its been that way since the beginning...
I fully believe that when the 'test' was first invented, it was not meant to be survived. adult slayer = harder to control. Just killing them off could look bad, but a test with a high fatality rate can be spun.
And if they survived they’d not trust their watcher and are much more likely to die soon after.
I agree they probably pull the "test" with the slayers when they see that they're not agreeable, afraid and their watcher becomes too protective of them. I believe it's made up because otherwise Giles would have known about it, since he studied to be a watcher.
I knew you were going to hit the roof on this one and you didn’t disappoint.
"You know I don't like to rag on Giles"
Babe, you've got a storm comin'
Kralik is easily one of the scariest 1 off bad guys in the show.
Also on Faith not appearing, Eliza was 17 for the majority if not all of season 3 so by cali law she couldnt do the insanely long work hours the rest of the cast did.
yep, we are 1.5 episodes away from her turning 18 and being able to participate full time
its just for the majority. I think the episode 'The Zeppo" and onward, she's 18 and is in every episode after that for the rest of the season. I, without a doubt, believe Faith would have been in this episode if she wasn't 17. I just wish they would've explained her absence better, like she was busy somewhere else or the council gave her a mission to keep her away so she couldn't help Buffy. that would make sense, instead of her just being gone with no word.
@@HelloXrancidkitteh she was not 18 in The Zeppo (the crew joked about calling the police on Brandon during a certain scene).
He really is, because he was just as evil as any vampire as a human
Giles line about ‘if any of the other watchers still had actual contact with the Slayer…’ is SO interesting to me. So the watchers all knew the slayer at one point, helping her out, and now they just send one representative, and that watcher is lower down in the pecking order and has to follow their orders.
If you were running things to make sure the power stayed with the watchers and not with the slayer (who is the one actually chosen to do this job), this is how you’d build it.
Once you’ve got to this episode it starts to make sense why they never told Giles / Buffy about Kendra or Faith.
Being a watcher is a great responsibility, I was confused when I heard that it's the rejects of the group who are sent to do the actual work while the others lounge around in their fancy facilities. They seem to love having the slayer and her watcher in the dark so that they feel alone and dependent on them. Faith only came to Sunnydale because her watcher must have told her about Buffy. She must have hyped her up to Faith and been actually happy doing her job, because the others hate acknowledging slayers especially Buffy the only one that we know has survived death. And Kendra came to take care of hellmouth business, probably not knowing what to expect.
The council don't give a damn about the slayers they want control and when slayers are under 18 impressionable and dependent on their watchers they have full control I think the test is to make sure the slayer doesn't survive past 18 and if they did pass the test the slayer is so traumatised they can be controlled (or not survive for long after) and that the council have control of the watchers as well or they just get fired like Giles it's the ultimate power play for control
@@NicolaColey-nx2wq that's an interesting theory 🤔👀
@TylerAlexander slayers are the ultimate replaceable chess pieces aren't they the council will never run out
@@NicolaColey-nx2wq just to clarify, I didn't mean interesting to be back-handed polite, I mean it genuinely 😂 I find it very believable.
@TylerAlexander 😂I didn't think you was being backhanded lol I just hate the council in this episode so much 😂 they really do treat slayers as expendables as they know if they die they will get a newer younger girl to 'fight the war' its infuriating
Also I would just like to express my deep appreciation and love of you doing this show... I love that you deep dive into the relationships and themes of show I know you said before you wasn't quite sure whether you could commit in uploading the whole show I hope you do you have such an amazing insight and bring a humour to your reaction that I truly enjoy I don't comment much as I worry about accidently dropping spoilers but I did just want to you know all the hard work time and effort ypu put in is not going unnoticed thank you 😊
We just saw last episode how smart Buffy was and is more than her powers, in a town filled with angry people she was the only one that figured out there's something up with the dead kids.
Jeff Kober is absolutely phenomenal as Zachary Krallix. He’s had a long, successful career and just won an Emmy in the last few years.
He is super creepy!
Cordelia honouring the sisterhood - yes, girl, show me that character development.
Giles is fighting an entire lifetime of grooming to be a Watcher. It is still a betrayal absolutely, I'm not denying that, but it's been 2 and a bit years he's known Buffy, and about 35 years since he found out he was to be a Watcher. His father was a Watcher, and his grandmother. It feels akin to people trying to escape oppressive religions, or cults.
I'm fairly certain this episode was flimed before Dec 30 1998 - Eliza Dushku was still 17. The second half of the series she was 18 and able to be on set much more but you do kind of just have to accept that Faith's not around much in the first half.
Zachary Kralik is a fantastic character! I almost wish we got to see more of him....
Welcome officially to the "We Hate The Watchers Council Club" 🙃🙃🙃
Season * is not canon 🙅🏽
I RESPONDED TO THE WRONG COMMENT OMG
The Watchers Council is a Patriarchy that sees the Slayers as expendable. On their 18th birthday, the Slayer faces a test that very few survive. Those that do survive are terrorized in to knowing their place in the order of things. No Slayer has survived beyond their 25th birthday. Those Slayers that die in the test are replaced by younger and presumably more pliable Slayers. So the Patriarchy keeps its power .
Loved your thoughts on Buffy and Giles rebuilding their relationship in a better way - they're one of my favorite parts of the series overall. Excited to see your rest of the thoughts on the season!!
This episode feels like such a horror movie, and I think one of the reasons for that is that it does something that a lot of good horror stories do. It presents a relatable fear of something that could actually happen, and then finds a way to make it so much worse. It's scary enough when Buffy meets two normal guys on a dark, lonely street. . . and then she meets Zachary Krailik. I thought Quentin Travers' role was well played too. The way he's so comfortable wielding his power over Buffy and Giles, and the way he takes his righteousness for granted makes my skin crawl.
I remember when you did your first Buffy video, I was for a moment so worried this ep was going to be the middle one, but instead it was Gingerbread, which though good isn't as much of a major lore ep the way this one is. So I'm really glad you got to see this one through all the build up and moments we've been through with these characters! Also, Kralik is an excellent villain and putting Buffy in actual peril with a classic horror movie setting is a really great change up of form, even within such a heavy hitting, character-driven, emotional episode.
I agree with what another user said about this being a system of control over the endlessly expendable slayers. There's additionally a subtext coming from the slayers always being women. The universe or whatever gifts this power to young women, a group that has historically had very little. Then this group of men immediately swoops in and takes possession of that power so that it's no longer really hers, she's their tool to use. The ideology of sexism says that this is righteous, that a girl (and a teenage one at that) is incapable and even dangerous when left on her own. But see, the power is never really theirs no matter how hard they try, they arent the slayer. So once she is no longer a child, there is an increased risk of her taking ownership of her own power and seeing through the arbitrary and idiotic nature of the council's ideology, and simply saying no to it. And they cannot let that happen.
Yeah. They don't like Buffy because of what she's been able to achieve without them and she even survived death, her friends and watcher are resourceful on their own. I don't recall Buffy contacting them for anything. They don't like that Giles' loyalty now lies with her. They don't want younger slayers seeing her have her cake and eat it, Buffy has the option to live a normal life since the line no longer goes through her. They prefer a Kendra to a Faith/Buffy. I think if we had more time with Kendra her mindset about being the slayer would have changed after spending time with Buffy. Slayers can now game the system if they manage to "die" for a few seconds and be revived.
I love your Buffy videos because you don't just react, you analyze what you're watching at the same time. I've watched this show 5+ times, but your in-depth critique always gives new light to something I love. You see things I haven't picked up on and help me build on my theories.
I just found you and binge watched all your Buffy videos. I love your analysis. Thoroughly enjoying going through one of my favourite shows ever with you!
"It's a time-honored right of passage." "It's an archaic exercise in cruelty."
God even the term "right of passage" is like, we're doing this to you to see if you deserve to keep living. "Time-honored" is such a nothing phrase too, nothing about a tradition being upheld for centuries makes it inherently honorable.
While I do agree with your point, it's "rite of passage" not "right of passage"
Rite as in ritual
The play there, right vs. rite- very thought-provoking. The Watchers viewing the rite as their right. Even though it's clearly wrong.
Oh shoot you're right ! that's what I get for commenting at 3am
I really enjoy your commentary and I absolutely love watching this younger generation watching Buffy for the first time and I love following comments about all the themes that people want to discuss. But the reason I subscribed to this channel was to watch you drum solo the intro music every Buffy video!
I also always thought Buffy forgave Giles too soon. I wish they gave it another episode. It was such a betrayal!
But she needs a father figure so she has to forgive, I think.
I loved this vampire villain too. Not even Angelus made me fear for Buffy this much. And I died laughing when Joyce said they need to get out and you went ''No shit''. Hilarious.
I love that both Buffy and Angel think of the literal meaning of "warming your heart with my own" - they're both too accustomed to gore to not think of it and it's one of the reasons I love BAngel - in many ways they fit so well (she just needed to be 15 years older, so there was less teenage drama)
I once did some very nerdy Buffyverse maths and figured out that, through the Cruciamentum alone, the Watcher's Council has likely murdered more Slayers throughout history than the entire species of vampires. A conservative estimate, when you consider how long the Slayer has existed and their average lifespan, puts the number of Slayers killed in this ritual in the tens of thousands.
I like to imagine, at the end, when Buffy tells Quentin to "bite me", she's speaking on behalf of generations of Slayers before her who've been killed by The Council.
I think the lore is that "most slayers don't reach their 18th birthday" - implying that more are killed by vampires or other demons than actually have the "honor" of being taken out by the barbaric ritual at the hands of their own watcher. Of course they could be lying about the lore.
@ernesthakey3396 Even if 50% of Slayers die before their 18th birthday, half of them killed by vampires and half of them killed by other demons, the odds of surviving the Cruciamentum are astronomical. It's *designed* to kill off Slayers coming into their power. It's unlikely that half of Slayers that reach their 18th birthday (or 25% of Slayers overall) survive the Cruciamentum. Ergo, more Slayers would've been killed by the Cruciamentum than by the entire species of vampires. Theoretically.
It's not perfect maths, but I'm just saying that it's likely. And like I said, it's super-nerd Buffyverse maths 😂
@@athena450 I think you are ignoring what percentage "most" accounts for, and I also think that far more slayers are killed by vampires than by other demons, because they active seek out vampires to fight, and they go to the places where vampires are the most common.
The definition of the word:
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most
determiner
greatest in amount, quantity, or degree.
"they've had the most success"
the majority of; nearly all of.
"most oranges are sweeter than these"
Similar:
nearly all
almost all
the majority
the bulk
the lion's share
the mass
the preponderance
Opposite:
little
few
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Let's take a look at more realistic percentages. Let's say that "most" is 80%, ie 4 out of 5, rather than 50%, as 50% is only half, not most, definite not living up to the words that "most" implies. I think 80% is probably a conservative estimate, far more than 80% of the foes Buffy has fought have been vampires.
And let's also say that between vampires and other demons, vampires kill 80% while random other demons account for 20%. Again, a conservative estimate in my opinion, but maybe reasonable since other demons could be harder to kill than vampires, and the Slayer specializes in vampires.
So, out of 100 slayers:
100 x 0.80 x 0.80 = 64 killed by vampires before turning 18.
100 x 0.80 x 0.20 = 16 killed by other demons before turning 18.
100 x 0.20 = 20 make it to 18 and go through the cruciamentum. If they all die, that's still only 20 killed by the Council vs 64 killed by vampires.
Your choice of 50% as qualifying for "most" is where you lost me. But let's try numbers a little more oriented towards your position. Let's go with 70% instead of 80% for my calculations.
So, out of 100 slayers:
100 x 0.70 x 0.70 = 49 killed by vampires before turning 18.
100 x 0.70 x 0.30 = 21 killed by other demons before turning 18.
100 x 0.30 = 30 make it to 18 and go through the cruciamentum. If they all die, that's still only 30 killed by the Council vs 49 killed by vampires.
And that is assuming no slayers actually survive the cruciamentum, which is a very generous assumption. We have seen non-slayers kill vampires, after all. And I suspect this particular vampire was atypical, as he defeated the watchers and was able to roam free, not something that usually happens, and that made him more dangerous than whatever vampires they would likely have used in most of the tests.
Admittedly, we have no hard numbers to go on. But "most" is pretty descriptive and it doesn't mean "half". You picked "half" as a way of reducing the likely numbers of slayers killed by vamps, and then assumed "half" were killed by non-vampires, which to me sounds like you were picking your assumptions to make your point. I did just the same thing, but I think my assumptions are more likely to be in line with what we have seen in the show. Slayers primarily fight vampires, it doesn't make sense that half would be killed by non-vampires. 🤷♂️
@ernesthakey3396 um ok dude, this is a LOT. But seeing as you've given this the time, I'll take the time to respond.
As you said, you're also making assumptions to prove your point. It's never stated that most Slayers die before 18, it's just heavily implied that a lot die. The most significant confirmation we get is in this episode, with Giles hesitating on "if". Therefore, all we really know in canon is that it's not a given that they reach 18, but we can assume a significant portion die before then. That could be half, less than half, more than half... So *any* choice, including both mine and yours, is arbitrary and incorrect.
And Slayers, despite their name, do not in practice "primarily" fight vampires. More than half the bad guys in this season alone are non-vampires, including the Big Bad.
All my numbers were meant to "prove" were that the Watchers have likely murdered tens of thousands of Slayers throughout history through this ritual alone (not counting the "wet works" we see elsewhere) and that they are probably an equal if not larger predator to Slayers than vampires and demons are. I think we agree on that?
@athena450 I think regardless of the particular numbers, we can definitely agree that the Watchers are MUCH WORSE than vampires in how they do it. The vampires are just being their natural demonic predator selves. The Watchers Council are, in my opinion, committing a gross act of betrayal of trust in order to maintain control of the young girls whom they use as disposable tools so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Ugh.
It makes you wonder what the average life span of a Slayer is. A qualitative argument to be made is that if the average age of a Slayer when called is 15 or 14, they have to survive 3 or 4 years of slaying before reaching their 18th birthday. That's my biggest question - how many actually get there? Looking at the math, in order for the Watchers Council to have killed 10,000 slayers, that means at least 10,000 would have had to reach their 18th birthday. Also there is only one Slayer at a time, at least up until this point. So the slayer years are cumulative. If there are 6 slayers, and three die before 18, say, with 1, 2, and 3 years of duty, and the other 3 all died at 18 with a total of 12 years of service, that's 18 total years of time passing. Let's guess that a 3 year average time in service is about right - many die earlier but enough live long enough to get the average back to 3 each because your premise is that the Council is killing more than vampires so they have to make it to 18. In order for the council to have killed 10,000, and another 10,000 to have died beforehand, but not all to vampires, that's over a 60,000 time span. Humans have been on the planet about 300,000 years, though the first Slayer probably doesn't go that far back.
My guess is the Council didn't create the cruciamentum ritual 300,000 years ago, or even 60,000 years ago. Writing first appeared in Mesopotamia about 3500 BC, about 5500 years ago. I guess my real point is that 10s of thousands more is too much of an exaggeration. But hey, I'm a math nerd, big time, numbers matter more to me than they should.
So I agree with the spirit of your point, sorry for going off about the numbers. 🤷♂️ Have a great day!
Fun Fact: The writer, David Fury, said, in a TH-cam video called _Buffy Panel Discussion_ uploaded by George Kofos (don't watch _Buffy Panel Discussion_ if you haven't seen both _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ and _Angel the Series_ through to their completions), that he was a freelance writer when he wrote this episode. His intention was for Giles to be rehired at episode's end, until Joss latched onto the idea of it being permanant. David Fury stated this panicked him as a freelance writer, who also as a fan of the show, realized he could have long lasting effects on said show even as a freelance writer.
Buffy learning Angel stalked her is one of the few times I see her coming off way too close to Bella Swan-like behavior. I think the only reason it works here is because of the mindset she's in at this time concerning her relationship with Angel. She is confused, and she's supposed to be that way. Hugging him while acknowledging her confusion made it work. If she learned about his stalking before their break-up and was all right with it, it would be 100% Bella Swan and undefendably toxic.
I love that the camera holds on Buffy when Quentin Travers is saying Giles has "a fathers love for the child." It shows, to me, that despite Giles doing what he did, he and Buffy have a starting point to fix things now that she is aware he cares about her that way. And from _Never Kill a Boy on the First Date_ until Travers revealed said fact to Buffy, her and Giles's relationship has been about their dynamic as a watcher and a slayer. This episode shows that with her biological father not willing to be around, Buffy was hoping he would go to the show with him, but she didn't know, "[Giles] had a father's love for [her]." He just has to fix the mistakes he made with her. Quentin's words were a good first step in Buffy's eyes, I feel.
Xander's last moment is meant to come off as comical, but whether the character realizes it or not, it isn't. If he had been able to open it, it would've been worse. Both his lines do and would've aged the joke, but him not being able to, showed how dumb it was to suggest "sometimes you need a big strong man."
I couldn't see Tyler reacting any other way to the Patriarcy's way of handling the slayer and Giles on this one.
“It’s never too early to stab things.” Words to live by.
I always took this episode as how the Watcher’s Council keeps control of Slayers… at ‘Adulthood’ we take control of our decisions and think for ourselves more… we’ll push back against authority… what better time for a new Slayer to be called…
It's even more vicious knowing that the line no longer goes through her. They just don't want her being free from them with all that power and probably wanna test to see if another slayer will be called since her situation is unusual.
Buffy saying “bite me” always showed to me she see the council the same as a vampire
Doesn't excuse what Giles did but we learn in the first season that watchers are selected at a young age too. Giles was probably indoctrinated by these methods from a young age.
Yeah, good point, and in season one I think he said that his father and Grandmother were watchers? which helps explain why it’d be hard to go against their authority. Not to mention that when he did back out of being a watcher in his early 20s he ended up accidentally killing someone and retreating back to his ‘destiny’.
good point!
@@tanyaisonYT Yeah they made him feel like he was an irredeemable pos so that might be why he was working for their approval, obeyed blindly, never thinking they could be capable of evil bs like this. Someone who didn't see themselves that way and moved on from the past would have understood their plan with this "test". Giles realized it a little too late, but he came in to help right as she was about to get killed.
Totally agree about Jeff Kober who plays the vampire in this episode- he makes a very scary but fun villian!
Great reaction. Yeah, we all agree, the Watcher's Counsel is awful, and Giles' behavior is not excusable. In the end, the proof is in the pudding: Most Slayers don't reach their 18th birthday. Buffy did. Most Slayers (probably) don't live right above the hellmouth, Buffy does. Most Slayers just fight some vampires but don't stop multiple apocalypses. Buffy did. So clearly, family & friends & fatherly Watcher seems to work out well.
“The Slayer is the apex predator” - Oh am I loving your reactions; and I can’t wait for more, especially you crying your eyes out to Jenny-death#17. ;)
This is also one of the few episodes that end in an L-cut, where we get the audio finishing while we see the first card of the end-credits.
Has he already reached that ep on Patreon? Otherwise, major spoiler.
Helpless was a very good episode exploring trust and betrayal. Many were so angry watching this at the time that Giles could do such a thing. You can see the anger Buffy has towards both Giles and the highly irritating Council. This episode reminds us of course that Buffy is indeed human, and all the weaknesses and fears that go along with that. Even though she passes her test, we still feel cheated for her you can see Giles hates doing it too, and has nothing but contempt for Quentin Travers. This episode actually was a watershed for Buffy as she was now truly leaving her adolescence behind and becoming an adult. A very touching scene at the end when Giles tends to Buffy's wounds. A very good but disturbing episode.
My theory, ans its not based on future events, is that the watchers have this ritual in the hopes the slayer will die. This way the slayer is always a child being guided and never her own person, also avoids her reaching working age. It keeps the power with the watchers
I appreciate how this episode shows that no matter how educated and smart you are, or even how much you love someone, the weight of archaic traditions can still make you do the most awful things to the people you love.
can we please give a round for SMG's acting though??? everytime i watch that scene where she finds out it's Giles who's the cause of her helplessness, my heart shatters
This is such an underrated episode
Can't contact Faith because she's on another of her unannounced "walkabouts" which she clearly takes off for parts unknown without rhyme or reason. Also no cell phones.
I have seen someone else comment about the council wanting to keep control over the slayer and i 100% agree! But on the theoretical level the council is like the patricarcy keeping feminism movement in its place. Creating the narrative that they control her power, control what makes her her.
And the end of the episode is buffy rebeling from the and saying its not right, and giles doing what he thought he should do and actually rebeling against everything he knows, and remembering buffy is human. And just just because he is a man doesnt mean he has to conform to patriarchy. Which i think is a thing forgotten in woke feminism.
Ps also find it interesting and something your videos have highlighted to me, we have officially passed the halfway point and i feel this is an interesting episode to have after that point.
Your commentary, random thoughts, and attempts to unravel the many mysteries that makes BTVS thought challenging has made you one of my favorite entertainment/thinking sites on You Tube. You will receive many comments about the loathsome Council.
For me this episode has a context of the very American culture conflict between the Administrative State( Government) and the free independent individual ( Buffy). It’s also significant that the story happens at the time Buffy turns18.
In America the 18th birthday is a major moment in our life.We can vote, we can join the military, and we are no longer considered a minor. We are no recognized as an adult.Patents really have no more claim on their child. An 18 year old answers to the State and is bound to what the state allows EXCEPT those that only want the state to maintain a minimal order to allow the individual to flourish in their
The Council must exist bound by their rules( this is the way for 12 centuries) and quash those that can flourish on their own merits The individual is the enemy of the collective. Emotionally secure does not need the collective. The system demands the individual succumb. The Bureaucracy can not function outside its power nor does it exist when enough people chose the way to individual sovereignty.
Others will also point out the behind the scenes reason for them having to explain faith not being as present in the show is because the actor was young she wasn't allowed to be filmed as much.
Hence the flimsy excuses
Some have said that the Watchers' Council is a metaphor of the patriarchy, not sure if that was the intention by the writers but I can see what they mean.
Would Faith pass the Kralik test?
Only taken me 25 years to think of this question.
I was angry with the WC before. But watching you react to this has me newly revived livid...
17:30
...She was 15.
Excellent reaction to an excellent episode. And yes we all now hate the Watcher's Council.
I just realized that Faith also had to go through this when she turned 18; I am assuming that she is 18; she's either that or a VERY mature 17 year old.
She's officially younger than Buffy. However, she had a pretty rough childhood. She's not actually fully mature, just more wild, less sheltered, and she has had to grow up a lot faster than Buffy in some ways. So more experienced than Buffy in terms of having faced some pretty awful situations on her own, such as the death of her watcher, but still younger physically and emotionally.
Always wondered if Giles had been so compliant with the council orders here if Gwendolyn Post hadn't showed up a few episodes back
I don't pay for ad-free YT. And in a strange coincidence, right after Buffy gets the tickets etc and says it might be nice to have a quiet birthday to cover her pain, YT interrupted the video with a couple ads, and the second add is a girl crying over something and the voiceover is "show your daughter you love her with this beautiful gift"... Timing, man...
As unpleasant as some aspects of this episode are (specifically the Council’s institutional cruelty), it’s one of my favourites of the entire series. It’s a rare one that leans properly into the horror movie angle - Kralik is a fantastic one-off villain - and has a wonderful anti-patriarchal conclusion. Yes, Giles was very much in the wrong, but he learned from his mistake and, in his love for Buffy being made explicit (naturally seen as a weakness by the Council), redeemed himself.
Joyce must be pretty angry with Giles at the end of this episode.
This is a beautifully written, acted and filmed episode. Kralik is one of the top 10 villains of the series.
But it makes absolutely no sense.
The insistent fan theory that the Cruciamentum is all but a deliberate murder of the Slayer in order to "control" her fails on a logical basis.
First and foremost, the Council has been all but indifferent to what Buffy and Giles have been up to. They provide no support, send no directives, demand no updates, perform zero oversight or inspection tours. In fact, they're more guilty of indifference. They warned neither Giles nor Kendra's watcher that either was in service for months. This led directly to a near Blue on Blue incident that easily could have left both Slayers crippled or killed.
They didn't notify Giles that Faith was called. They've literally ignored Faith in every way possible. And I sincerely doubt they sent a memo about Gwendolyn Post.
"Control"? When have they shown ANY interest?
If this were a rite of passage, with the Slayers voluntary consent, then it would make perfect sense. It would be in line with many warrior traditions that produced a certain number of expected casualties.
You characterized The Slayer as an Apex Predator. That's exactly correct.
She is a tigress with opposable thumbs and a three digit IQ.
This one has fought dozens of superhuman creatures to the death and averted four world ending apocalypses through courage, skill, ferocity, and a terrible WILL.
And now she's mightily pissed off at the Council.
That's the bestest idea ever!
The Council really comes across as a poorly thought out last minute plot device after the Watcher/Slayer dynamic was changed away from reincarnation in the movie. Sort of a half assed explanation of where Giles gets all his books. It still doesn't explain why the hand to hand training of an apex predator is left to a middle aged academic with yard sale equipment and conducted in a high school library.
But that's another rant.
The Watchers... Enough has been said in comments about their motivation in this "test". I can Almost understand testing a Slayer to see if she can manage without her powers, but Not keeping it secret from her. What gets me are two points left vague. Furst, I know the adrenal supressors sap Buffy of her strength and probably affect her speed and reflexes and stamina, but she has been training now for three years. Surely she still knows the skills she was taught with hand-to-hand and weapons. She should still be able to throw a knife with some accuracy. Second, why does a vampire require medication? Shouldn't the vampiric transformation cure/remove any physical ailments? If not, Ford would have still had brain cancer and his whole plot was pointless. I feel the pills were an easy out for the writers to let Buffy win without any actual combat.
We have seen Giles's love for Buffy: at the end of season 1 "Buffy's not going to face the Master, I am", his endless searches for her in "Anne", the way he got her to open up about killing Angel, and many more subtle times. If he refused to cooperate with the test, the Council would have just fired him earlier and replaced him with,well, you'll see🙄🫤😖😝🤐
This is all speculation, but I just have not had a good feeling about Jay Z being on tour with Linkin Park and Chester not too long before he was found d3a.d? I mean I know they did a tour together;and I know that Chester was personally working on and was an activist personally about child trafficking and abuse, As he was abused as a child for years apparently by his uncle or grandfather who is a public figure. This is just what I heard. but I'm the only person that's ever said anything about the connection between the two of them and his death before.
Immediately was very suspicious as soon as I just learned more about Jay Z and Beyonce (this is last year before Diddy stuff.) I just was getting really bad vibes about them. Then I heard what Chester was doing before he was found dd, which included a tour recently with Jay Z who is a weirdo clearly. I mean, he and Beyonce are OK with a church that WORSHIPS his wife. it's not too big of a stretch. This is all my speculation, of course. But I have been known to have mad crazy discernment for getting things right like this..
Never really enjoyed this episode, it really is a betrayal from Giles that just seems too much of a stretch. I dislike when a character is forced to do something out of character just for the big "shock" of it.
More interested in what you were saying regarding the helplessness of change in life, going from child to adult. Reminded me of one day when I was walking home after work, my first job so I would be about 17, just thinking about the world and my place in it. I can remember the realisation suddenly hitting me that there is no magic in the world, no mysticism, nothing I would deem interesting. No guiding powers or sheltering entities. No destiny, no fate, no power of love etc. No purpose, just the mundane run of the mill world, exactly as it appears. Stuff I already knew, but that moment was the acceptance of that really hitting home. That depressed the hell out of me. I remember realising I'd been standing still for about 20 seconds whilst I processed this, pulled myself together and continued on my walk home, feeling like I now had a hole in the middle of me where once there used to be something else. God that sucked.
Love this episode and loved your reaction!
I think Buffy didn't get Faith mostly because she doesn't trust Faith. Like yes, it's true Faith didn't seem to cross her mind at all... but I think it's because she sees Faith as an unreliable wildcard, and therefore Buffy would never think to trust Faith with something so important as saving her mom.
As for Giles, I think this episode also goes a long way towards explaining why he views Faith as an afterthought or an annoyance. Because to him she is. Not that it's her fault she was called... but he was never supposed to have two slayers, never formed a bond with her, and certainly doesn't love her. So when she never made an effort to train, he never made an effort to make her. Unfair and wrong and maybe childish of him, but yeah... If it'd been Faith turning 18 I doubt he'd have had a crisis of conscience.
I haven't watched this video yet, but if you are wondering why Buffy didn't get Faith to help, it is stated at the beginning of the episode. Buffy says Faith is on one of her, (I think she says), "unannounced walkabouts". Faith ghosted and Buffy has no idea where she is located.
@chaptereight2639 I disagree about buffy not trusting faith I think buffy is just used to depending on herself she didn't think to get Angel to help either... and with Giles dismissal of Faith this episode I think it was due to the test was for solely buffy not buffy and faith so he wasn't encouraging of faith to join in 'training' as he needed buffy alone to carry out his side of test
@NicolaColey-nx2wq I agree that Buffy is self reliant, but this isn't a one-episode issue. It's a virtually every single episode and situation issue. Buffy almost never asks Faith for anything or even mentions her. The number of times Giles has can be counted on one hand and they're almost always dismissive. Angel makes sense because they have literally been discussing staying away from each other for several episodes now, including earlier in this episode.
@@keriwebb6988 Faith is an unreliable wildcard. Exactly. In a crisis she doesn't even cross Buffy's mind, because she probably isn't around anyway. (And even if she were, she's undisciplined and unpredictable so you can't trust what she'll do.) Notice it didn't even cross Buffy's mind, that we're told, to see if Faith was back when she almost died or when she found out about Giles or when her mom was taken.
@chaptereight2639 but I don't think it's a trust issue I think the last mention of Faith and her in the episode was amends? Buffy went to her then and asked Faith to watch out for her mom when she went off after Angel shows Buffy reaching out/trusting Faith I'm discussing in the context of the episode that Buffy never thought to go to Faith she was focused on going after her mom and even if they discussed staying away buffy and Angel are yet to stay away from each other, buffy even went to him to discuss losing her powers if she wasn't just acting on her immediate instinct she would've gone to Angel and Faith for help to fight a vampire when she almost got staked earlier in the episode Buffy just wasn't thinking it through just acting on instinct
This episode makes us mad, but it's so good too.
Also, I love Kralik, and I wish we had a prequel with his story =D And I understand him: migraines are the worst!
It's also always fun for me when there are some Trek actors in Buffy =)
14:14 Gwendolyn Post
Not suprised makes them feel RELEVANT....and as usual was not always the way but why not make it a tradition.....what could GO WRONG....
Re. your comments on the watchers: Preach!!!! I hate them so much. That said, I’d have loved it if there’d been a spin off about them - I think they would have been an interesting group to delve into, and Giles cannot be the only decent one.
Re: fairness
"Life's not fair" the favorite thought terminating cliche of every old reactionary / conservative who doesn't want to see progress
❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍
Sometimes I feel like watching this channel is the closest I’ll ever feel to what a woman feels when they’re being mansplained to.
OMG! Deep analysis of the obvious to waste our time and you earn money.
If you knew how triggering this episode is , maybe you wouldn't keep trying to be a comedian. No offense. Just not one I would've revisited.