On Xander and being offended on characters' behalves

[gryfndor_godess]

I’m not the only one who gets offended on characters’ behalves, right?  Normally I view canon in a Watsonian way- I try not to think of the characters as “written” and actually powerless to do anything of their own free will and, you know, fictional- but sometimes when I’m thinking about them in a Doyleist way, I get so offended by some of the choices that were made for them.  Prime examples:

1. I get really offended on Spike’s behalf about the AR because while I don’t think it’s necessarily OOC, I don’t think it was the only way to accomplish what the writers wanted, and in that case, how could you make him do that to the person he loved most in the world.

NOTE: I also get offended on Buffy’s behalf, obviously!  But I’m offended for Buffy’s sake whether I’m being Watsonian or Doyleist, whereas I’m only offended on Spike’s behalf when I’m thinking of the writers as cruel puppet-masters.

I’m also always offended on our, Spuffy fans’, behalf, because screw you, writers, for making us seem like de facto rape apologists and causing us occasional crises of faith about our ship.

But I digress.  Prime example number two-

2. I get really offended on Dawn’s behalf in “End of Days.”  When I’m Watsonian, I’m like, SCREW YOU, DAWN, HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO YOUR SISTER.  And when I’m Doyleist, I’m like, SCREW YOU, WRITERS, HOW COULD YOU MESS UP HER CHARACTERIZATION LIKE THAT AND HAVE HER BETRAY HER SISTER.

Other people feel this way occasionally, right?

The other major thing I get offended by, and the impetus for this post, is Xander’s regression is S6.  Here’s the thing: I think Xander’s characterization regarding the wedding is IC for S6.  BUT: I think his S6 characterization is not in-character with his S5 characterization.   I think his characterization by season makes much more sense in this order than in canon:

 S4 --> S6 --> S5 --> S7.

I’ve never really understood why Xander regressed so much in between S5 and S6.  You could point to Buffy’s death, obviously, but I think it would make more sense if the death of his best friend made him grow up, not regress.  Shouldn’t his best friend’s death at the age of 20 and the reminder that he could die any day have made him more sober and mature?  Shouldn’t it have made him appreciate more the important, precious things in life, like his fiancée?

(Note, I am not saying there’s only one way to react to death.  That would be pompous and stupid of me.  But I think it is a generally accepted narrative principle that death makes people grow up, and some things are cliché for good reason, and if you’re going to deviate from a GANP, I think there should be some damn good characterization to back it up, and I don’t see any in Xander).

You can also argue that Xander’s S6 characterization is plausible because he’s only 20-21, and wow, that’s so young to get married, of course he’s going to flake out.  Aside from the fact that lots of people do get happily engaged or married when they’re 20-22 years old, the show didn’t treat Xander as a normal 20-year-old in S5, so the writers have no excuse for basing his characterization on his age in S6.  He starts S5 feeling worthless and direction-less, but he ends it with a good job, a nice home, and a loving girlfriend whom he loves in return.  Even if the apocalypse prompted his proposal, he and Anya had been together for over a year, and the show stated unequivocally, multiple times, that Xander and Anya loved each other,* so claiming they were "rushing" to the altar doesn’t work for me either as an excuse for his regression.

*(It really is interesting to me now that I think about it how often the show stated in Clear, No Uncertain Terms that they were in love- "The Replacement," "Triangle, "The Gift".  It kind of feels like up until S6, the writers were pulling for them more than any other couple, including Bangel, Willow/Oz, and Willow/Tara.  And by the way, while this essay focuses on Xander, but I am equally offended by his S6 characterization as a Xander/Anya shipper).

So why regress Xander?  (Aside from the obvious reason that Joss apparently doesn’t like romance and anything that can be construed as a happy ending- I would pay to know which writers were pulling for Priya/Victor on DH and how they managed that coup.)

I’m guessing the answer is for Anya’s characterization. 

All of her characterization from “Hell’s Bells” through the entirety of S7 is predicated on Xander betraying her.  And you know, I love Anya’s characterization.  I love that she becomes a demon again and then chooses to give it up and that she chooses to fight with the humans until the bitter end.  I love Anya in S4 and S5 when she’s just socially inept and greedy and adorable, but she is more often than not used for comic relief and as the brunt of jokes.  I love how in S7 she really becomes her own character.  Despite her diminished screen time (at least it feels diminished, as it does for every Scooby except for Buffy and Spike), she’s no longer just Xander’s funny girlfriend.  The show would be sorely lacking if Anya hadn’t become a demon again.

However, was regressing Xander really the only way to accomplish that?

Obviously, I’m going to say no.  Here’s another idea for how it could have happened:

Xander and Anya get engaged.  Anya becomes pregnant unexpectedly.  She’s really excited because to her, making babies is the natural progression in their relationship.  Xander’s more terrified than happy because wanting to get married and wanting to be a father are two entirely separate things, and he’ll love the baby, but he’s scared of turning into his own father.  Either before or after they’re married (it doesn’t matter which), Anya is injured in a fight in a run-of-the-mill MoW episode and miscarries. 

She is utterly devastated.  Xander is unhappy, but for a split second he also registers relief; not relief that his child is dead but relief that he’s not going to be a father (I want to make it very clear, I’m not saying Xander would be happy about the miscarriage; he would just feel a perfectly realistic, involuntary moment of relief that the source of his panic was gone, and then he would probably despise himself for it).  Anya sees that relief, though, and knowing that Xander was always reluctant in the first place, accuses him of being happy that their baby is dead.  She’s heartbroken and not entirely rational, and Xander is not great at the comfort.  Anya says she need to get away from it all and leaves him.  She becomes a demon again because she feels betrayed by mortality, having lost her child, and wants nothing to do with humanity anymore.

Voila, you get a messed up Xander/Anya relationship, you get cynical, bitter, demon Anya, and you don’t have to regress Xander at all.

I would really have appreciated that version, because (a) nicer Xander characterization, (b) more potential for reconciliation in S7 because neither betrayed the other, and (c) narratives that deal with miscarriage sensitively are really rare in shows and movies.

So thus is my much-longer-than-expected rant about Xander’s S6 characterization.  It was inspired by Mark Watches’ recent review of “The Replacement,” an episode I adore and which cements for me the fact that Xander became so much more than the insecure, jealous, sexist teenager he was in the early seasons.  Here’s the quote from the review that particularly struck me:

“His certainty is just hidden behind so much distrust and hatred for himself. So now I’m curious to see how Xander is going to change in season five. I’m glad this episode is so early on in the season, as it sets up a fascinating character arc for him. Will Xander realize he’s a whole lot better than he thinks he is?”

Well, yes and no, Mark.  He’ll realize it in S5, and then in S6, for no apparent reason, all his metaphorical demons will come back and he’ll start feeling immature and insecure again and won’t trust himself.

And that’s why I’m offended on Xander’s behalf.

Comments

[gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I would agree that S5 is "stable." From an outsider's perspective, the group's dynamics are certainly more stable than in S6, but there was a lot of upheaval in S5, too (Riley left, and I think we're supposed to assume he and Xander were friends; Joyce died, and that affected all the Scoobies; they learned one of their family wasn't even real; Glory had them more scared than any previous villain), and given how everyone tries to put on a good face in S6, I'm not sure someone living it would realize/react to, 'oh, this year is so much worse than last year!'

Arguably Giles leaving had a big impact on Xander, but I never got the impression that Giles much cared for/liked Xander in the first place and was a father figure to him. Also arguably, maybe the fact that they don't think they're in a lot of danger (because they don't really see the Trio as a threat) for the first time in years makes Xander regress because for the first time he's faced with the prospect of actually living a long-ish, healthy life and facing the consequences of all his choices.

There are certainly arguments for both sides, but for me, personally, I saw his regression as more contrived than natural, and I thought it was a cheap cop-out on the writers' part.

[browneyedkat.livejournal.com]

Well, to me at least, season five had a very family feel to it, and season six was more that family gradually growing apart and falling apart. Which I think would have regressed Xander because his childhood was made up of this toxic family surrounding him constantly, and season six was the contrastingly safe clique turning into that, not to mention his own return to family-issues-that-he-can't-talk-about, just this time with his trusted friends, his makeshift family that replaced his family before that.

But, like I said, I do get what you're saying, and it does make sense. I never felt put-off or taken out of the story by his regression, but I can see the argument you're making.

[gryfndor-godess.livejournal.com]

but I can see the argument you're making.

Same here!

[browneyedkat.livejournal.com]

Haha glad to know we're on the same page, even if we are on different sides of it :)