The message, I think, is that it is better to understand what led people down the road to doing bad things, rather than focusing on the bad things themselves -- because if those root causes can be addressed, they might genuinely be able to become better.
Interesting point about triggers. I've been thinking about this a lot lately...the unseen landmines or triggers in human relationships. For unexplainable, I or you or anyone really suddenly wants to blast someone. What triggers the anger? Why do we hate one character and adore another? Why did Angel fans forgive Angel everything but hate Spike? Why did Spike fans forgive Spike everything or almost everything, but hate Angel?
Selenak opined in a recent post that American stories overused the Daddy issue trope. What was up with that? Which is another trigger. In this case - it was Angel, Cordelia, Xander, and Buffy's - the Daddy figure who either abandoned them or denounced them. Darla even tells Angel that by killing his father, he'll never get past him. And he never does, just keeps replacing him with new fathers.
we have to know why Willow and William were so dependent on Tara / William's mother -- but it is about triggers; about the moment where they really lost themselves, more so than they had before that point.
The use of the sick mother or lost mother in the series fascinated me. We see it and the Daddy issues reflected in both the S3 episode Helpless and the S7 episode Lies My Parents Told Me, which in a way are echoes of each other on various levels. But the Mommy issues of the vampires in both are rather twisted. This is echoed by Willow's mother issues throughout the series - her own mother as we see in Gingerbread and various other episodes, is highly critical, goal oriented, and treats Willow as a project or trophy, there's no warmth or affection expressed. Buffy's mother in stark contrast, may not always be available but is ultimately supportive, protective and warm. Yet, she dies. Of an illness. That Buffy can't fix. William's mother appears to be a combination of Willow's and Buffy's - judgement/warm, clinging/distant, and dies of illness, that he can't fix.
Both Willow and Spike seek out substitute mothers in their lovers...Tara for Willow, Dru and Buffy for Spike. Just as Buffy and to a degree Angel seek out the substitute fathers....Giles/Angel/Riley/Wood/Spike for Buffy and Giles/Master/PTB/Wes for Angel. Buffy also has mother issues, but they are less pronounced.
In a way, the writer, Whedon, is exploring his own issues, as all writers do to a degree. Whedon's parents got divorced when he was young. His father remarried and had children by a second wife leaving Whedon with his sick and highly intelligent, not to mention superhero, Mom. (She was one of the founder's of the Women's Movement and heroically battled cancer). Whedon's mom seems to be a combination of Willow's and Buffy's just as Spike's was. Also a bit like Buffy herself. And his Dad, the successful script-writer, is reminiscent of Giles and Buffy's father -- off doing his thing. It's not exact of course - but I think a lot of what is explored in the story was from the writers own experiences, which is why it felt so geniune.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2016-02-19 03:53 am (UTC)Interesting point about triggers. I've been thinking about this a lot lately...the unseen landmines or triggers in human relationships. For unexplainable, I or you or anyone really suddenly wants to blast someone. What triggers the anger? Why do we hate one character and adore another? Why did Angel fans forgive Angel everything but hate Spike? Why did Spike fans forgive Spike everything or almost everything, but hate Angel?
Selenak opined in a recent post that American stories overused the Daddy issue trope. What was up with that? Which is another trigger. In this case - it was Angel, Cordelia, Xander, and Buffy's - the Daddy figure who either abandoned them or denounced them. Darla even tells Angel that by killing his father, he'll never get past him. And he never does, just keeps replacing him with new fathers.
we have to know why Willow and William were so dependent on Tara / William's mother -- but it is about triggers; about the moment where they really lost themselves, more so than they had before that point.
The use of the sick mother or lost mother in the series fascinated me. We see it and the Daddy issues reflected in both the S3 episode Helpless and the S7 episode Lies My Parents Told Me, which in a way are echoes of each other on various levels. But the Mommy issues of the vampires in both are rather twisted. This is echoed by Willow's mother issues throughout the series - her own mother as we see in Gingerbread and various other episodes, is highly critical, goal oriented, and treats Willow as a project or trophy, there's no warmth or affection expressed. Buffy's mother in stark contrast, may not always be available but is ultimately supportive, protective and warm. Yet, she dies. Of an illness. That Buffy can't fix. William's mother appears to be a combination of Willow's and Buffy's - judgement/warm, clinging/distant, and dies of illness, that he can't fix.
Both Willow and Spike seek out substitute mothers in their lovers...Tara for Willow, Dru and Buffy for Spike.
Just as Buffy and to a degree Angel seek out the substitute fathers....Giles/Angel/Riley/Wood/Spike for Buffy and Giles/Master/PTB/Wes for Angel. Buffy also has mother issues, but they are less pronounced.
In a way, the writer, Whedon, is exploring his own issues, as all writers do to a degree. Whedon's parents got divorced when he was young. His father remarried and had children by a second wife leaving Whedon with his sick and highly intelligent, not to mention superhero, Mom. (She was one of the founder's of the Women's Movement and heroically battled cancer). Whedon's mom seems to be a combination of Willow's and Buffy's just as Spike's was. Also a bit like Buffy herself. And his Dad, the successful script-writer, is reminiscent of Giles and Buffy's father -- off doing his thing. It's not exact of course - but I think a lot of what is explored in the story was from the writers own experiences, which is why it felt so geniune.