Even more interesting is that Jenny was sent to Sunnydale as soon as Angel revealed himself to Buffy and they started getting too close. At this point, her Kalderash backstory wasn’t even written, but the show got the greatest gift of the ultimate timing coincidence. There’s also the coincidence that Calendar has a vague similarity to Kalderash. Jenny arrived just then after being told that Angel’s pain was lessening and to separate him from the Slayer. Her infiltration one episode later from an in-canon perspective is not a coincidence.
At the time of Mutant Enemy finally deciding on Angelus as season 2’s Big Bad after Whedon’s underestimation of David Boreanaz’s ability to carry the role and the Anointed One as season 2’s originally-intended Big Bad not working out at all, the original intent was actually for Angelus to kill the new character of Oz. However, the popularity of Seth Green and the potential for the Willoz ‘ship eventually settled on Jenny being on the chopping block. It also was a greater emotional hit, as Angel had more of a connection to Jenny (saving her life), whereas he didn’t really know Oz at all. The audience also hadn’t known Oz for that long. There’s also the fact that Angel had saved Giles’ life (not to mention Xander and Willow’s) and a much more profound connection to him, even if Angel was also becoming fairly close to Willow before all that was snatched away.
It also gave Giles the most emotional storyline he ever had, on top of the extra cruelty was the fact that Giles actually liked Angel a lot prior to the Angelus arc, which Giles never forgave Angel for. It was Giles who originally told Xander that Jesse was no longer his friend, but rather the thing that killed him, but it becomes Giles who can’t make that separation between Angel and Angelus. And of course, Xander hated Angel long before Angelus ever showed up, as can be seen by his numerous jealous comments well before the reveal in 1x07.
They kept doing research together and Angel was one of the few other “adults” Giles could interact with. Giles was even fascinated by the maudlin romance of a vampire in love with a Slayer. He’s not against the relationship at all.
One of the non-canon tie-in novels even had Angel spending the entire summer saving Sunnydale with Giles and Jenny as Buffy’s replacement while she was at Hank’s house in L.A. That book tells us the probable context of how Angelus got that off-screen invite into Giles’ house.
After Angelus, Giles gave Angel some begrudging credit for having the mature foresight needed to leave Buffy, which was his criticism of Spike in Lies My Parents Told Me, but that is quickly dashed when it is Giles on the phone who Angel is begging for help to save Fred’s life, only to be utterly rejected and insulted with visits by Andrew. As much as I’m loathe to consider the comics canon, one of the few good calls was to have everything that came out of Andrew’s mouth be more lies that never came from Buffy, but unfortunately that doesn’t excuse Giles being on the phone call refusing to help Fred only because it’s Angel who made the call.
Again, as much as I’m loathe to acknowledge the comics, one of the only bright spots, despite the utter character-assassinating clusterfuck of how it got there (including Twilight!Angel killing Giles), was Angel saving Giles from having sold his soul to Eyghon, which also calls back to Angel (or, more accurately, Angelus) saving Jenny from Eyghon.
In later seasons, it’s interesting to go back to these early pre-Angelus interactions with Giles and Angel where they actually had a lot in common (two nerdy, well-educated bookworms, not unlike the relationship that developed between Angel and Wesley) and often had similar perspectives on what would be best for Buffy and Angel’s own impossible situation. Angel broadcast all his misgivings about the relationship in 1x07 and repeated all the reasons standing between them numerous times, so it really wasn’t just hearing it from Joyce (much is made of her having a better relationship with Spike and never getting past Angel taking her daughter’s virginity, despite the fact that they actually have more interests in common, most especially art and collecting, and were in complete agreement that the relationship was never a good idea) and the Mayor (a fellow immortal who lived out the same tragedy) that led to The Prom. It is Giles whom Angel tells concerning why he’s been so absent in Out of Mind, Out of Sight.
Angelus didn’t just destroy any future for Angel having a relationship with Buffy, but also destroyed most of the budding relationships he had in Sunnydale. Angel, Wesley and Cordy were thus the only characters at the end of season 3 who had nothing left to lose by leaving.
When Buffy couldn’t go to Giles for advice or use Willow as a kind sounding board (without Xander’s judgment), it was always Angel whom she ran to. Angel was whom Buffy ran to whenever what worried her was about her parents’ divorce, wanting to be a normal girl, not getting to live long enough to have a future (or the children Angel can’t have) or why they fight. Gingerbread has the philosophical precursor to the Epiphany speech. Buffy has an interesting history of replacement father figures (Giles being the most prominent) and Angel’s paternal tendencies are a huge part of his arc. He’s a Prodigal Son with another Prodigal Son, after all, not to mention his own often-paternal protector/provider relationship with his team at Angel Investigations. So, when Angel was taken from Buffy (blaming herself for killing the person she loved most, thus the connection of her to James Stanley), she also lost one of her biggest confidants. The whole season is having her relationships and reasons to stay in Sunnydale stripped from her.
Wesley, of course, was written entirely as Giles’ mirror when first introduced. He’s there to make Giles look cool and hip by comparison. He was even more of a bookworm than Giles ever was and had much faster recall, more readily having information without all-night research. The only character who challenges Angel for the character with the biggest eidetic memory database concerning history, languages and demonology is Wesley. It’s often Angel who has all the answers in the first season and a half that Giles often doesn’t (the Hellmouth, the Harvest, the Master, the Pergamum Codex, what the Anointed and his followers are up to, Spike, Drusilla, the Judge, etc…). Witch not only lies about Giles’ spell casting history, but it turns out Giles’ entire tweedy persona is a big lie and that he’s actually more street smart than book smart. Wesley is the exact opposite initially, though ends up so brutal that he gives Angel a run for his head-over-heart, big-picture-thinking tendencies. Wesley and Angel end up mirroring each other as well, and you can see the start of it as early as Wesley’s willingness to sacrifice Willow to stop the Mayor.
A few gifs per episode | Buffy - 5x16 - “The Body”
ANYA:I don’t understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she’s, there’s just a body, and I don’t understand why she just can’t get back in it and not be dead anymore. It’s stupid. It’s mortal and stupid. And, and Xander’s crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch ever, and she’ll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why.
A few gifs per episode | Buffy - 5x15 - “I was made to love you”
BUFFY: It all looked pretty tame to me. JOYCE: Well, I suppose by your standards it could seem pretty … Oh dear. BUFFY:What? JOYCE: I left my bra in his car. BUFFY:Mother! JOYCE: I’m joking. BUFFY:(sighs) Good god, that’s horrible. Don’t do that. JOYCE: I left it in the restaurant!
what drives me wild about this screenshot and just the set dressing of this entire shot in general are the COLORS. i mean just look at this shot. the summers home is overall pretty neutral and light (symbolizing buffy’s goodness)… yet spike seems to fit in so well here.
why is that?
well when you look at the set from left to right there is a subtle change in the lighting and coloring of the furniture and architectural features. in spike’s little corner you start to see the house conforming to his darker color scheme(that being his literal wardrobe scheme and a figurative representation of his vampirism). the chair he’s sitting in, the fireplace behind him, the side table and accessories,, even the plant behind him are all dark–darker than the rest of the living room.
it’s like he’s bleeding into the space. his essence is seeping out and mixing with buffy’s.
and don’t even get me started on the spikecore joyce is wearing!
i love to look at everyone’s wardrobes here bc they really are a unit – especially (specifically) in this set.
obviously when looking at this scene from a narrative standpoint this is an extremely crucial scene/moment/development for the buffy!spike relationship, buffy!joyce relationship, and the summers!spike dynamic.
i mean this is buffy’s coming out!! and her first acceptance of spike into her home and life… And the first joyce and spike friendly interaction.
this scene is jam-packed!!
but what makes this scene even better for me, is that you can SEE these dynamics in the set design and in the wardrobe. mrs. joyce is in her spike uniform, and buffy…… buffy is literally in the middle – she’s transitioning,morphing,accepting,integrating.
her pants are the neutral, light color that represents her normal and base buffy-ness. but her top is dark, black – like spike. buffy is the bridge between the summers home and spike. buffy is the glue of this entire dynamic of spike, joyce, and buffy.
together they are a unit.
fwiw this is almost the outfit that I’ve usually draw her in for twenty years
142 assorted dash icons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (don’t read into my choices, I just grabbed some caps I liked, I wasn’t trying to make any point) featured: Buffy, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Faith, Spike, Drusilla, Anya, Joyce, Giles
They are on 100x100 canvas either as square icons (taking all the space) or as smaller different shapes with transparent background (and most have glows or colors around them)
Don’t take credit, like or reblog if you take or simply to share, so I can get a little more visibility - and a reminder that I’m as always in bad shape financially so commissions or donations on ko-fi are always welcomed <3 Backgrounds by me!
tfw you accidentally domesticate the local vampire and now hes in your house and he just. wont. leave. he keeps coming back. hes having cocoa with your mom
Sorry. I need to go to bed but I’m still laughing about this. Just Spike repeatedly showing up at Buffy’s house when she’s NOT EVEN THERE. Just to chill with her family.
Like I wish this had been a bigger running gag than it already was. POV, you go home from college to visit your mom and your literal mortal enemy who’s job is to kill you and vice versa is chilling on the sofa eating popcorn and watching soap operas. He knows where everything in the cupboards and linen closet goes. He knows what brand of laundry detergent to use for the washing machine and how to work the coffee maker and that your sister has a big science project on Tuesday. Your mom says he’s invited to Christmas Eve dinner. You didn’t even know she was planning one.
