HMPC 0313 - The Zeppo

[hellmouth]

I will be recording the podcast for the Zeppo this week... Any topics that you want me to discuss? Any ideas you want to share about the episode? Or maybe just want to post a


YEA XANDER!

[bigmoneygrip]

If the concern of Buffy, and the others is for Xander's safety, why wait this long to address it?  I think it is unwarranted.  To paraphrase Han Solo talking to Luke "He's pretty good in a fight.  They can use him."

Big complaint of mine . . . Giles tells Xander "Uh, Xander, I think in the future perhaps it would be best if
you, you, uh, h-hung back to the rear of the battle, you know, for your own sake", but as I recall, Giles got his ass kicked pretty good by the demon they were fighting.

I'm such a Buffy nerd, and a lot of the episodes I notice one thing, one quick scene, one quote, that utterly defines the episode and, perhaps, the Buffy series as well.  That quote, in this episode, is when Willow said "I love you, Xander".

I got some dust in my eye when Willow said "I love you, Xander"  Why did she say that to him, and at that particular time?  I could be wrong, but I think that is the first time she said that to Xander, or anyone.  My take on this is that this is the point that Willow "transformed" her love for Xander from a "romantic" love, what she wished for, to the kind of love she knew she had for Xander, and probably had all long, that is the powerful, never-to-stop love of a kind that is between a family.  At some point, and maybe it was there all along, Xander reciprocated 100% with that kind of love for Willow.  In my opinion, that kind of love is stronger and more powerful than "romantic" love, and was the ONLY way for Xander to rescue Willow from the incident on Kingman's Bluff.  But why'd she say that to Xander, at that particular time?  Maybe if she thought the world was going to end, she wanted to tell him that before it was too late?  Maybe she felt regret at how Xander was being treated and wanted him to know that she wasn't part of the crew that was treating him that way.

I'd be remiss if I didn't speak of, once again, Xander's willingness to sacrifice himself for others.  How many times did he do this?  There was this epsode, "Inca Mummy Girl", "Grave", of course, and "Triangle" . . . there may be more.

[FaithLehane]

@BigMoneyGrip

Xander Saved Buffy's Life In 'Prophecy Girl'
Xander Told Buffy what she had to hear to Kill Angelus(Lying about what Willow said) In 'Becoming'
Xander Was kinda pivotal(Buffy even calls him the Key to the plan)In 'Grad Day'
Xander Was the Heart Part Of Super-Buffy In 'Restless'
Xander Bowled Glory Down In 'The Gift' so that Buffy could regain the higher ground.
Xander Told Willow he Loved her So she wouldn't destroy the World In 'Grave'
I always get stuck with S7 and I know this is reaching but he got the Newly powered Slayers out of the High school In 'Chosen'
Thats Xander as a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON In ALL 7 Finales
No-One ever gives him the credit he deserves

[FaithLehane]

I'm at the part in the Podcast where you guys are discussing your shock that Xander & Cordy didn't go further than Intense Make Out Sessions.
Back when this first aired I was thinking the same thing.
But as the show went on and Angel became a series.......you realise Cordy was lying her way to the top of the little group she was apart of(and eventual Leader Of)She tells Buffy in 'Out of mind, Out of Sight' .....that the Cordettes don't know her and don't care to know the Real Her(Buffy S5 Quote Really??Lol)She also expresses feelings about Harmony that make it sound like she wouldn't do half of the things Harmony has said she'd done(wether those were lies too. is a whole other matter).I remember in High School you'd say you'd done more with a Boy/girl than you really had...It's part of the Bullying.
Anywho......in S1 of 'Angel' Ep 12 'Expecting' Cordy admits that, that was her 1st time.
Buffy,Xander and even Willow were sexually active long befor that point.
Who'd a thunk Cordy had Values??Lol

[smartgirl63]

Good points about Cordy. Hey, another "fun fact" about the episode: they reuse old footage of the cafeteria. As Oz and Xander move through the food line, you can see Xander at a table behind.

[hellmouth]

One of the things that we talked about in the podcast that I would really like to see continued here in the forums is whether or not Xander changed after the Zeppo episode. This was the first episode to feature a lot of scenes of Xander by himself. When I started getting ready to do the podcast for this episode, I started thinking about all of the ways that Xander has changed, how this was a milestone episode for him. While I do think that he has changed, I don't think there are any drastic changes, mostly subtle changes.

What do all of you think?

[beth]

This is an interesting question.  Certainly Xander's changes are not as dramatic as, say, Willow's, or Spike's, or Buffy's, or Angel's (in AtS). I think this is due, in part, to the fact that Xander repeatedly makes progress, but than backslides.  For example, he seems to gain confidence in this episode, but will struggle through much of season 4 feeling insecure and unconfident.  And then we see him go through very similar issues to this episode in season 5 in the Replacement.  I think when I first watched the show, I sometimes got impatient or annoyed with Xander for not making bigger leaps in his personal growth, but now I like the fact that his changes come slowly and don't always "take" right away.  Xander is really the most "real world" of the characters in that he lacks supernatural powers -- the character most like us in that sense.  So I think it's appropriate that, like for most humans, change comes slowly for Xander. Certainly, in the real world, a single experience of confidence-boosting achievement, like Xander has in this episode, is unlikely to permanently overcome deep-seated feelings of insecurity or inadequacy.  But I certainly think that by the end of the series, he is much more secure with himself and with others.

[ringpops]

Just listened to The Zeppo which means I'm finally all caught up on the podcast!! YAY!!!

Missy, you're a legend and a genius!   I love R&G Are Dead and am teaching it to my Year 12s next year- SO showing them The Zeppo!!!!

xoxox

[FaithLehane]

Just listened to The Zeppo which means I'm finally all caught up on the podcast!! YAY!!!

Missy, you're a ledgend and a genius!  I love R&G Are Dead and am teaching it to my Year 12s next year- SO showing them The Zeppo!!!!

xoxox

Me A Genius?!?, I always thought So
I Still Have A Couple Of S2 Eps To Listen Too, I Keep Stalling Because I Love S3 Lol
To Bad I'm Not 17 anymore I'd Love To Be In A Class Where I Get To Watch 'The Zeppo'.