Buffy 1.11 Out of Mind, Out of Sight
P@rick
"Oh, hey, do you wanna come to our place tonight for dinner? Mom's
making her famous phone call to the Chinese place."
A girl turns completely invisible because she's ignored by everyone. How
far fetched is that? Not that far when you're living on a Hellmouth it
turns out. With the mystical energies coming from it anything is
possible. So when everyone treats Marcie like she's invisible, that's
exactly what she becomes.
But wait, there were lots of other girls and probably also boys in
assassination class. Did they live on a Hellmouth as well, or is there
another explanation for their invisibility. There probably is, which
renders the 'Hellmouth explanation' somewhat moot.
Some thoughts on Marcie. Of all people why did Marcie pick Cordelia and
her Cordettes to be friends with? That's like asking, no begging for
rejection. She became invisible because everyone ingored her. Does that
also mean that she can become visible when people start paying attention
to her again? I guess not, since all the other FBI recruits remained
invisible as well. Which makes it pretty hard for the FBI to keep track
of them by the way.
Cordy shows that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's not
the Queen of Subtlety; just look at the way she manages to insult Buffy
and her friends while she's asking for her help. And she's totally self-
obsessed, as she proves over and over in this ep. Cordelia is the
popular girl and is surrounded by her admirers, but she can still feel
very lonely. People want to be her friend to share in her popularity,
and Cordy is completely aware of it. The attention is nice (e.g. the
Cinderella dressmaking scene, with Buffy watching with a faint smile
of recognition), but it's mostly very shallow. Buffy knows how it feels
from way back when she was still popular.
And Buffy can still feel very lonely despite the good friends she has.
They try to help and support her the best they can. But in the end Buffy
is the Slayer, the one the world depends on. When Xander and Willow walk
off and discuss dinner plans together, Buffy is left with her Slayer
duties. The scene where Buffy feels left out because of the injokes
between Willow and Xander doesn't stick though. Buffy should know that
they have accepted her completely.
Cordy isn't born yesterday. She pretty much knows what Buffy and her
total loser friends are up to in that library of theirs, and she knows
that Buffy is the only one that can help her. Of course, if Cordy wasn't
fearing for her life she wouldn't even consider asking Buffy for help.
But it suits Cordy that she doesn't go into desparate begging mode
either. And it isn't beneath her to thank the Scoobies for their help.
As long as no one finds out about it. She shares a secret with the
Scoobies now. And whether she likes it or not, that creates a bond
between them.
Angel finally reappears. But this fact is kept from Buffy. Which raises
the question whether they have seen each other since 'Angel' or not. In
hindsight, Angel only warned Buffy when vampires posed an extra threat
to her her. So it's not strange that he hasn't been around much lately
because Buffy hasn't encountered many extra dangerous vampires in the
last couple of eps.
Nice scene between Angel and Giles. Think they'll ever become close
friends? Angel retrieving the Codex for Giles looks like a good start.
And we've learned some facts about the vampire with a soul (no, not
James Brown). He can smell gas (not a real shocker) and he doesn't need
oxygen.
Snyder is still on Buffy's tail. Smart thinking by Willow to mention the
magic sue word. And "There are no dead students here. This week". You
gotta love this man.
Xander comes through as research guy. Who would have thought! It's
immediately rewarded with a *very* sweet smile by Willow. It surprises
me that they still act like normal friends, with Xander inviting Willow
over for dinner. I mean, Willow has this big crush on Xander and he is
aware of that. Wouldn't that lead to some awkward tensions between them.
Don't they need to get it out into the open and talk about it. I guess
they just pretend that there's nothing going on. I wonder how much
Willow knows about Xander's awareness.
Just one ep to go this season. It won't surprise anyone that it will be
all about the Master. He will rise, and Buffy will try to stop him. But
what's the role of the Annoying one, besides just sitting there being
annoying and practicing his creepy voice. And what has the Pergamum
Codex to say about Buffy's future? I'm looking forward to a very
exciting ending of season one.
Bye, Patrick
--
Keeper of the Willowism, "And I'm eating this banana. Lunchtime be
damned!"
Keeper of the Wily Willow Charms
ThreadMaker [tm]
ReviewMeister [tm]
JOY:-)
>
> *** Buffy 1.11 Out of Mind, Out of Sight ***
>
> "Oh, hey, do you wanna come to our place tonight for dinner? Mom's
> making her famous phone call to the Chinese place."
One of my favourite recipes too...
> A girl turns completely invisible because she's ignored by everyone. How
> far fetched is that? Not that far when you're living on a Hellmouth it
> turns out. With the mystical energies coming from it anything is
> possible. So when everyone treats Marcie like she's invisible, that's
> exactly what she becomes.
> But wait, there were lots of other girls and probably also boys in
> assassination class. Did they live on a Hellmouth as well, or is there
> another explanation for their invisibility. There probably is, which
> renders the 'Hellmouth explanation' somewhat moot.
But Giles specifically keeps saying '*a* mystical convergence of
energies', not *the*. I.e., there could be other places where mystical
energies converge and generally screw up the ethereal atmosphere or
whatever. I mean seriously, anyone who has ever watched American tv
knows the whole country is strange, right? ;-)
> Some thoughts on Marcie. Of all people why did Marcie pick Cordelia and
> her Cordettes to be friends with? That's like asking, no begging for
> rejection.
But they are the most popular people, and I think she
(unrealistically) hopes that by talking to them, she will also become
popular. Too bad that's never going to happen. Although I thought it
was cute how Cordelia stole her comment. I.e., she was listening, but
Marcie was just too far beneath her to acknowledge.
BTW, it surprised me that she didn't make any friends in band. Those
guys are usually really clannish, the flute players especially.
> She became invisible because everyone ingored her. Does that
> also mean that she can become visible when people start paying attention
> to her again? I guess not, since all the other FBI recruits remained
> invisible as well. Which makes it pretty hard for the FBI to keep track
> of them by the way.
I like the way they just sort of lurked around until the crucial
moment. How do those guys pick up on the signs of invisible students?
Do they have a national database that goes, yep, we've had another
unexplained attack with a baseball bat today, that's another invisible
schoolgirl?
> Cordy shows that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's not
> the Queen of Subtlety; just look at the way she manages to insult Buffy
> and her friends while she's asking for her help. And she's totally self-
> obsessed, as she proves over and over in this ep. Cordelia is the
> popular girl and is surrounded by her admirers, but she can still feel
> very lonely. People want to be her friend to share in her popularity,
> and Cordy is completely aware of it. The attention is nice (e.g. the
> Cinderella dressmaking scene, with Buffy watching with a faint smile
> of recognition), but it's mostly very shallow. Buffy knows how it feels
> from way back when she was still popular.
> And Buffy can still feel very lonely despite the good friends she has.
> They try to help and support her the best they can. But in the end Buffy
> is the Slayer, the one the world depends on. When Xander and Willow walk
> off and discuss dinner plans together, Buffy is left with her Slayer
> duties. The scene where Buffy feels left out because of the injokes
> between Willow and Xander doesn't stick though. Buffy should know that
> they have accepted her completely.
But that doesn't mean she feels a part of their past. She's just had
it rubbed in that her involvement in her own past is completely over,
but she hasn't really found something to fill the emotional gap. Yes,
she has good friends who have totally accepted her on a level I doubt
I could manage (IRL I'm a bit more skeptical), but they don't have the
same history yet. But hey, it's early days. By the end of season 2,
they have so much shared history they wish it would just go away!
JOY:-)
(still here, just quiet)
P@rick
> "P@rick" wrote:
> > But wait, there were lots of other girls and probably also boys in
> > assassination class. Did they live on a Hellmouth as well, or is there
> > another explanation for their invisibility. There probably is, which
> > renders the 'Hellmouth explanation' somewhat moot.
>
> But Giles specifically keeps saying '*a* mystical convergence of
> energies', not *the*. I.e., there could be other places where mystical
> energies converge and generally screw up the ethereal atmosphere or
> whatever. I mean seriously, anyone who has ever watched American tv
> knows the whole country is strange, right? ;-)
Oh my god! Bush jr. is planning to open the Hellmouth! All those
grammatical errors we laugh so hard at, they're not errors at all!
They're part of an incantation he slips into his speeches. A secret
spell to open the Hellmouth!
But yeah, it's not said that Sunnydale is the only place with a
Hellmouth. So are we to believe that all those other kids were living on
a Hellmouth as well? Or are there other explanations for their
invisibility. I understand that there wasn't any time left to go into
that. But I'd really like to know. Now they've just left us guessing.
Especially since they haven't touched the subject again to date.
> BTW, it surprised me that she didn't make any friends in band. Those
> guys are usually really clannish, the flute players especially.
I don't think she was in a band. She just played the flute. Maybe they
didn't want her in the band or something.
> I like the way they just sort of lurked around until the crucial
> moment. How do those guys pick up on the signs of invisible students?
> Do they have a national database that goes, yep, we've had another
> unexplained attack with a baseball bat today, that's another invisible
> schoolgirl?
I guess it must be something like that, yeah. looking for telltale
signs. Although they have to look very hard in Sunnydale to distinguish
them from all the other supernatural events.
> > The scene where Buffy feels left out because of the injokes
> > between Willow and Xander doesn't stick though. Buffy should know that
> > they have accepted her completely.
>
> But that doesn't mean she feels a part of their past. She's just had
> it rubbed in that her involvement in her own past is completely over,
> but she hasn't really found something to fill the emotional gap.
Okay, it was a combination of things. I get it now. She wa reminded of
the good old days back when she was May Queen (but they didn't call it
that). Which is basically a closed book, and a part of her past she
shares with no one in Sunnydale. And then Willow and Xander sharing
funny memories is rubbing it in Buffy's face.
Bye, Patrick
Mattia Valente
> JOY:-) wrote:
> > "P@rick" wrote:
> > > But wait, there were lots of other girls and probably also boys in
> > > assassination class. Did they live on a Hellmouth as well, or is there
> > > another explanation for their invisibility. There probably is, which
> > > renders the 'Hellmouth explanation' somewhat moot.
> >
> > But Giles specifically keeps saying '*a* mystical convergence of
> > energies', not *the*. I.e., there could be other places where mystical
> > energies converge and generally screw up the ethereal atmosphere or
> > whatever. I mean seriously, anyone who has ever watched American tv
> > knows the whole country is strange, right? ;-)
>
> Oh my god! Bush jr. is planning to open the Hellmouth! All those
> grammatical errors we laugh so hard at, they're not errors at all!
> They're part of an incantation he slips into his speeches. A secret
> spell to open the Hellmouth!
That explains a lot. is he going to turn into an even dumber snake than
the Mayor was? We can use the same 'get him to follow the slayer into
the library and blow it up' trick, since I bet he thinks Buffy is evil,
satanistic, and unfit for anyone's viewing pleasure. And did I mention
immoral? (reading this, I fear the worst as far as out of context
quoting is concerned..;o)
> But yeah, it's not said that Sunnydale is the only place with a
> Hellmouth.
We've got one here in holland. My mom grew up on it. Y'know, Helmond.
> So are we to believe that all those other kids were living on
> a Hellmouth as well? Or are there other explanations for their
> invisibility. I understand that there wasn't any time left to go into
> that. But I'd really like to know. Now they've just left us guessing.
> Especially since they haven't touched the subject again to date.
It's the quantum mechanics. Possibly, a hellmouth isn't necessary. Giles
may think so, but then again, nobody's ever heard of this happening, and
there seem to be a good number of pupils at the 'Happiness is a Warm
Gun' school of assasination.
> > BTW, it surprised me that she didn't make any friends in band. Those
> > guys are usually really clannish, the flute players especially.
>
> I don't think she was in a band. She just played the flute. Maybe they
> didn't want her in the band or something.
She was in the band room practicing. It's very unusual to play flute and
not play in a high school band. I don't know of any flute players at my
high school that weren't part of the band as well. If she played any
sort of stringed instrument, I'd be inclined to agree. And btw, school
bands? Not something they can kick you out of or prevent you from
joining. It's a free for all, no auditions necessary.
> > I like the way they just sort of lurked around until the crucial
> > moment. How do those guys pick up on the signs of invisible students?
> > Do they have a national database that goes, yep, we've had another
> > unexplained attack with a baseball bat today, that's another invisible
> > schoolgirl?
>
> I guess it must be something like that, yeah. looking for telltale
> signs. Although they have to look very hard in Sunnydale to distinguish
> them from all the other supernatural events.
Those guys (who's undercover skills are even worse than 'Roswell' FBI
agent's skills, which is no mean feat..) must be really really
busy...then again, a lot of the supernatural activity isn't school
related. They're probably looking for specifics.
> > > The scene where Buffy feels left out because of the injokes
> > > between Willow and Xander doesn't stick though. Buffy should know that
> > > they have accepted her completely.
> >
> > But that doesn't mean she feels a part of their past. She's just had
> > it rubbed in that her involvement in her own past is completely over,
> > but she hasn't really found something to fill the emotional gap.
>
> Okay, it was a combination of things. I get it now. She wa reminded of
> the good old days back when she was May Queen (but they didn't call it
> that). Which is basically a closed book, and a part of her past she
> shares with no one in Sunnydale. And then Willow and Xander sharing
> funny memories is rubbing it in Buffy's face.
Yep.
Mattia
ReplyMeister[tm]
I'm not always wordy..
thedeadparrot
We've got one here in the Uk too. Well, we've got a Sunnydale at
least - It's near Derby.
>
>> So are we to believe that all those other kids were living on
>> a Hellmouth as well? Or are there other explanations for their
>> invisibility. I understand that there wasn't any time left to go into
>> that. But I'd really like to know. Now they've just left us guessing.
>> Especially since they haven't touched the subject again to date.
>
>It's the quantum mechanics. Possibly, a hellmouth isn't necessary. Giles
>may think so, but then again, nobody's ever heard of this happening, and
>there seem to be a good number of pupils at the 'Happiness is a Warm
>Gun' school of assasination.
>
>> > BTW, it surprised me that she didn't make any friends in band. Those
>> > guys are usually really clannish, the flute players especially.
>>
>> I don't think she was in a band. She just played the flute. Maybe they
>> didn't want her in the band or something.
>
>She was in the band room practicing. It's very unusual to play flute and
>not play in a high school band. I don't know of any flute players at my
>high school that weren't part of the band as well. If she played any
>sort of stringed instrument, I'd be inclined to agree. And btw, school
>bands? Not something they can kick you out of or prevent you from
>joining. It's a free for all, no auditions necessary.
Not at my school it wasn't - you had to be good to get in.
Neil Crosby aka The Dead Parrot
--
saifai.co.uk - For Buffy, McBeal and Monty Python
--
"And sooner or later as he lurked and pried on the
borders he would be caught, and taken in for examination."