RE: Re: 'Welcome To The Hellmouth' Discussion

["danspector@xxxxxxxxx" <danspector@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well, I was hoping we'd get more, but then, I'm slacking myself.  So, 
belatedly&

1)  Darla

The very first scene of the series is important, IMO, not merely because 
of what it says about expecting the unexpected, but because the twist 
on gender roles indicates that our heroine will be different.  We're given 
the traditional scene of the guy dragging the little blonde girl into the 
spooky place, but it turns out she doesn't need him to protect 
hershe's the menace, she's the strong one.  The traditional male role  
of "protector" is subverted, and we learn that this is a show where little 
blonde girls don't need men, they can be strong and live full, healthy 
lives (or unlives) without them.  Before she's even been on camera, 
Buffy is already being coded as lesbian-the traditional male/female 
dynamic doesn't apply to her, therefore she can easily choose a female 
partner if she wishes.

2) "Try not to get kicked out"

When we meet Buffy for the first time, we learn almost instantly that, 
despite being young and healthy and (apparently) financially secure 
and beautiful, she's an outcast. We first see her in her room, having a 
nightmare, and then she wakes up to Joyce's voice and we see that 
she's dislocated from her familiar surroundings, not yet settled into her 
new life.  Then Joyce drives her to school, and under the cheery facade, 
we learn that she's worried because Buffy has already been kicked out 
once, she doesn't fit in.  And since we soon learn that this is because 
she's the Slayer, the "gay" metaphor fits some more.  Something 
happened to Buffy, something she couldn't control, and now she's 
different from other teenagers.  She doesn't do what other girls do, and 
she suffers socially because of it.

3) Buffy, yum!

When I first saw this ep (on the first FX rerun, 9/24/01) I was struck by 
how different she looked then the drawn figure in the pants I'd been 
seeing in S5.  Not only does Buffy have breasts (real, as various 
down-the-cleavage shots will show this year), she has big, wide, 
expressive eyes, and she dresses delectably, from the miniskirt to the 
deliberately-too-small sweater.  This not only explains why the Xanders 
of the world crash into stair railings at the sight of her, but shows that 
Buffy's separation from the popular life isn't because of anything she 
lacks, but because of what she is:  the Slayer, the misfit, the odd girl 
out.  

Plus, let me say again, yum!

4)  Buffy and Xander

Xander is instantly captivated by Buffy, so distracted he hurts himself.  
Buffy doesn't even know he exists.  The relationship, in a nutshell.  Buffy 
breaks hearts and barely thinks of boys.  (Gay, see?)

5)  Willow and Xander

When Xander says that Willow's "so very much the person [he] wanted 
to see", her face lights up.  (It's even more pointed in the script.)  The 
girl is starved for love, just waiting to blossom.  Imagine if some nice 
blonde girl started paying her attention&

A note to the W/X 'shippers:  we later see that Willow is wearing a 
bowling-pins-and-ball pin on her jumper.  As we learn throughout the 
series that Xander is an avid bowler (has his own shoes), the pin is a 
subtle sign of her love for him; his interests are hers.  (I bet he taught 
her how to shoot pool, too.)

6) Willow, yum!

It's a little strange that this outfit gets picked on as emblematic of 
Shy!Willow, as IMO she looks pretty good in it.  The jumper's  a little 
drab, but the white shirt and tights combo works, and it's a lot better 
than some of the over-busy stuff she'll wear later in the year.  And I
think 
her hair is gorgeous, brown with the slightly red tone, and shining like it 
was Dawn's&

7) New girl!

Buffy is already the subject of the day.  Is Willow jealous that some 
unseen girl is so on her Xander's mind?  Nope, she's eager to meet 
new people&open to new experiences?  Or maybe she already was 
planning on scoping out the new "pretty much a hottie"?

8) Buffy and Cordelia

At first they seem to fit together like two peas in a pod.  The scene with 
them sharing the book is cute upon cute, and because Cordelia is 
functioning as a plot device in the ep, she ends up acting in ways that 
can be considered subtexty.  Would Queen C pay so much attention to 
some new girl?  Well, maybe she "likes her" likes her.  I know, it's just 
to move the plot&

Buffy meanwhile is nervous.  She desperately wants to be the Buffy she 
once was, the Cordelia-type from Hemery High.  For her, Cordy 
represents all the things she used to have:  popularity, peace, parents 
who were still married.  But as the "cool test" goes on, Buffy's answers 
get more and more assured. She passed! She's in!  It's like the whole 
freaky Slayer thing was a dream, she can be with Cordelia (take that 
any way you want& *g*) and everything will be right again.

Boy, it's gonna take someone special to make Buffy give that up, huh?

9)  Willow and Cordelia

Again, because Cordy has to move the plot, she acts a little slashy.  
Why does she go out of her way to talk to Willow? (She could have just 
kept talking to Buffy and Willow would have been gone in five seconds.) 
Is there interest underneath all the barbs?  And Willow seems 
pleasantly surprised when Cordy compliments her dress.  Has she 
been waiting for this, hoping against hope for twelve years that Cordy 
will one day start to be nice to her?  Is there a quiet crush daring to 
wish that Cordelia has changed? (As IMO, teenagers often do as they 
mature.)   But the moment passes, and Willow is left sideswiped and 
speechless again, to the point where Cordelia actually has to ask her if 
she's done.  Oh, well, maybe there are other girls&

Like the one standing right next to Cordelia, for example&

More to come,

Dan

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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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