Post by Zab Jade on Feb 6, 2019 17:57:06 GMT -8
Something I see a lot in fanfics is that Giles is rabidly anti-demon. The problem with that, though, is that it's canon that he isn't. In the season three episode "Enemies," there's a demon who pretends to take Angel's soul. The reason he only pretends to do this is because he knows Giles. Giles introduced him to his wife, who is presumably also a demon (if she is, then it's another demon friend that Giles has. If she isn't, then he's obviously fine with demons and humans being together). So, he's not anti-demon.
He's also not anti-vampire. When everyone found about Riley going to suck houses, Giles knew about them in general, though not that specific one. And he said that even if he'd known, he wouldn't have bothered to tell Buffy about it, because there wouldn't have really been any reason. They weren't attacking and killing people.
Even with Spike, he did give him leeway at times. He sat around and watched Passions with him. He tried to steer him towards good at one point (though it was too soon and a bit insensitive). He was actually understanding about Spike being in love with Buffy and didn't freak out about it until it became clear it was really bothering Buffy. And then there's the beginning of season six, where Giles, Spike, and Tara are a unit working really well together with a lot of chemistry.
In season seven, he gets a bit anti-Spike, but I think that be attributed to a stressful situation, letting himself be misled by Robin, and possible PTSD flashbacks to the only other souled vampire he knows and what happened to Jenny when that vampire lost his soul. And Spike would be all tied up in that anyway, because that's he was an active baddie in Sunnydale, and was being forced to play minion to Angel.
None of which fully gives his actions a pass. He really messed up in regards to Spike in season seven. It just wasn't because he's anti-demon or vampire. Any thoughts on this?
He's also not anti-vampire. When everyone found about Riley going to suck houses, Giles knew about them in general, though not that specific one. And he said that even if he'd known, he wouldn't have bothered to tell Buffy about it, because there wouldn't have really been any reason. They weren't attacking and killing people.
Even with Spike, he did give him leeway at times. He sat around and watched Passions with him. He tried to steer him towards good at one point (though it was too soon and a bit insensitive). He was actually understanding about Spike being in love with Buffy and didn't freak out about it until it became clear it was really bothering Buffy. And then there's the beginning of season six, where Giles, Spike, and Tara are a unit working really well together with a lot of chemistry.
In season seven, he gets a bit anti-Spike, but I think that be attributed to a stressful situation, letting himself be misled by Robin, and possible PTSD flashbacks to the only other souled vampire he knows and what happened to Jenny when that vampire lost his soul. And Spike would be all tied up in that anyway, because that's he was an active baddie in Sunnydale, and was being forced to play minion to Angel.
None of which fully gives his actions a pass. He really messed up in regards to Spike in season seven. It just wasn't because he's anti-demon or vampire. Any thoughts on this?
