av Mr Chase » ons mar 03, 2004 21:25
Mr Chases recension av BBB:
28. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
Wow, as a die hard X/C-er this is an absolute favourite of mine. Probably one of the best "filler" episodes ever made on "Buffy" it nevertheless manages to bring in a little story arc. Like the "love triangle" between Angelus, Drusilla and Spike (the real heart was so cool, if icky). But what is so terrific is that it takes the Xander/Cordelia relationship to new heights -- but not after hitting some new lows.
Buffy: "Sorry to say, Xand, slaying is a tad more perilous than dating."
Xander: "Well, you're obviously not dating Cordelia."
How very true as this episode shows us.
If Xander previously had seemed to be indecisive about Cordelia he has now come to his senses and wants to make them more official. And what better way to do that than to give his gal a nice heart shaped necklace on Valentine's Day. But Cordelia has been getting the cold treatment from her "friends" since word has spread about her and Xander the geek, so she gets cold feet.
Xander: "I've been thinking a lot about us lately. The why and the wherefore. You know, once, twice, a kissy here, a kissy there. And you can chalk it all up to hormones. And maybe that's all we have here. Tawdry teen lust. But maybe not. Maybe something in you sees something special inside me. And vice versa. I mean, I think I do. See something. So... (gives her a box)"
Cordelia: "Xander. Thank you (holds up the necklace). It's beautiful. I wanna break up."
Xander: "Okay, not quite the reaction I was looking for."
Cordelia: "I know. I'm sorry. It's just... Who are we kidding? Even if parts of us do see specialness, we don't fit."
Xander: "Yeah! Okay... Do you know what's a good day to break up with somebody? Any day besides Valentine's Day! I mean, what, were you running low on dramatic irony?"
Poor, poor Xander! It is quite clear that they both have moved from stealing smoochies in the closet to something deeper but alas that doesn't help. This is what peer pressure can make you do.
And it's not easy for the viewer to hate Cordelia for it. It is obvious from her facial expressions that she is torn about her decision, acting against her better judgement and true feelings. I guess the moment she really knew what she felt was the moment she dumped him.
I think the most moving scene of all was when he asked for the necklace back and we see that she is actually wearing it. And they both try to pretend that it doesn't hurt. Awww...
But Xander is in no position to notice that so of course he is going to retaliate -- hard.
Xander: "Blackmail is such an ugly word."
Amy: "I didn't say blackmail."
Xander: "Yeah, but I'm about to blackmail you, so I thought I'd bring it up."
He wants to put a love spell, with a little help from Amy ("The Witch"), on Cordy so that he then can dump her. If he only knew that he didn't need a spell to get Cordy to love him. That is probably why the spell back-fired. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) Invoking the goddess Diana was probably also not a good idea. She's not goddess of the hunt and love. In Roman mythology she's the goddess of nature, fertility and the moon. Amy should have tried Venus instead.
So every other women in Sunnydale gets the hots for him. And not in a good way. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" wrote William Congreve and imagine the combined furies of love-sick Sunnydale women gaining in on Xander.
Willow moves in on him (sucking his earlobe, grrr). As does Buffy, dressed only in a *very* short raincoat and high heels (yum!) and Ms Calendar ("I guess Xander's just too much man for the pimple squad."). Even Drusilla the vampire comes on to him.
Drusilla: "Your face is a poem. I can read it."
Xander: "Really? It doesn't say 'spare me' by any chance?"
Drusilla: "Shhh. How do you feel about eternal life?"
Xander: "We couldn't just start with a coffee? A movie, maybe?"
Well, he sort of deserved it, meddling in magic and all, but he quickly comes to his senses and runs to Giles for help despite his funny line "It's time for me to act like a man. And hide."
Cordy is also in danger since by now the love-spelled Cordettes can't forgive her for breaking up with Xander. Enter Xander to the rescue but it is a close call in Buffy's house where even Joyce put the moves on Xander.
Cordelia: "(to Buffy's mom) And keep your mom-aged mitts off my boyfriend. Former! Why has everyone gone insane?"
Xander: "Insane? Is it so impossible for you to believe that other women find me attractive?"
Cordelia: "The only way you could get girls to want you would be witchcraft."
Xander: "That is such a... Well, yeah, okay, good point."
Cordelia is actually very moved when she learns that the spell was meant for her, even if it was a way for Xander to take revenge. If he's smart he'll *never* bring up that tiny little detail. Of course at the time he didn't think that she cared for him, but if you know what's good for you Xand, you please keep quiet about it! And blackmail Amy some more so she doesn't spill the beans.
The end is very fulfilling when Cordelia faces the Cordettes (soon to be renamed Harmonettes?) down for Xander's sake, calling them sheep and everything: "And you know what? I'll date whoever the hell I wanna date. No matter how lame he is." And then she walks away with Xander. Awwww... One of the greatest impossible possible couples in TV history.
Rupert Giles: "I'll be back in the Middle Ages."
Miss Calendar: "Did you ever leave?"