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Buffy 3x21 (Extended) - Graduation Day (1) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-05-10 17:00:05
Edited:
2024-07-10 00:16:55
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

*Screams*

PS: Sorry this reaction sucks. I've been really anxious about not editing my extended reactions, so I've decided than once I start S4 I'm going back to (lightly) editing them (taking away awkward silences and stuff). I'll still keep some of the chaos cause that's me, but the lack of editing stresses me out too much so I'd rather have a more work and edit instead :)

Files

Buffy The Vampire Slayer 3x21 - Graduation Day (Part 1) .mp4

Shared with Dropbox

Comments

Todd Bolton

I like your perspective about Wes’s relationship to the council compared to Giles’. As you said, just as recently as “Helpless”, Giles would have been right there with Wes. So many people (both viewers and characters in the show) seem to think that Wes should have come with the hands-on experiences of Giles, already fully-formed, and ready to fight with our Scoobies, and thus he becomes a convenient scapegoat. I’ve seen these episodes nearly twenty times and I’m still trying to work out whether it’s weak writing, their perspective on Wes. Maybe they sacrifice too much to the humor of the role (though many seem to miss it). A great character. I’m always happy when I’m rewatching it and he appears. I appreciate you pointing out how great Alexis Denisof’s acting is.

Whisper_dvm

We’ll happily watch whatever you give us. It’s important to put something out that YOU are proud of/satisfied with. So you do you and we’ll love whatever form you give us. Now off to watch your reaction to the Faith vs Buffy fight!

Tim Pierce

"Trusty soda machine, I push you for root beer, you give me Coke." There's a minor theory on that. In season 2 during the Halloween episode Buffy shoves Larry against the machine, messing it up.

Ron Fehr

I actually never went to my graduation, although I did get my diploma. I had a religious event planned for the same day. However, I kind of made up for it when I graduated from college.

Ron Fehr

We have a soda machine at work that does the same thing. However, this is because of where the pop is placed inside the machine.

Tim Pierce

Domi, I don't know how much you remember about the script reading you all did last year, but at one point Shan showed off the red leather pants she had on. This is the first episode they make an appearance in.

Bri

That scene where the Mayor just strolls in bold as brass never fails to thrill me. Then when he turns on a dime and snarls "I'm gonna eat her", and Giles runs him through with the sword. Yes ma'am that's a good scene. I love the Anya/Xander and Willow/Ox of it all. And I love Buffy quitting the Council. Wes can bear the brunt as long as he's drawing a fucking cheque, in my book.

AlyAdmirer

Domi: "Where's Angel???" Me: "... your timing is SO impeccable." :-)

Domi E

YESSS i noticed!! as soon as i finished the episode i messaged her and i was like YO wait was that your outfit. i love it!!

Whisper_dvm

Ok now having watched it all, I can say 100% that your reaction did not suck at all! It was fabulous as usual. You are your own worst critic. 🙂

Veronika

Domi, I LOVE YOU!!! You are a machine, I don't understand how you upload so quickly...I'm very sorry that I don't normally comment, because I can't never put into words how much I enjoy your reactions. But I just had to say...you are my MOST favorite reactor (plus Alley...I really hope you guys will do more drunk rewatches, because that was freaking awesome!) I've watched many Btvs reactors, but your style is so unique and you are so damn smart! You have so many amazing observations and I just love to hear all your thoughts and predictions. There are so many little things that you notice just after you watch it for the first time and I'm always in awe that you catch it because not many people do. I can't believe that we are here..the season 3 finale! I'm sooo excited!

Ron Fehr

I agree with you in this case R J. I was just mentioning the reason for this on our machine.

Ron Fehr

In case you don't know, Xander's quote "We're gonna need a bigger boat" pays homage to the quote in the movie Jaws.

Samantha M. Quinn

So fun story... well not fun but interesting. Back in the day when this originally aired we were told that the finale was so sensitive they could not air it. Along with Earshot we had to wait months for Part 2 and Earshot to air. It was like this was almost a season cliffhanger, and you can imagine how hard it was to wait.

Steve Quast

"I'm not a huge action person. I don't like fight scenes all that much." Buffy: Hold my beer....

William Hult

"No father could be more proud". For me that is the line that explains the mayors power over Faith. Throughout this season we have seen Faiths inability to form meaningful relationships, especially with men. She rejects everyone who attempts to come near her, and whenever a man has attempted to connect with her she has pushed him away by implying that he only wants to have sex with her. In fact she does this with the mayor. After he gave her the apartment she called him her sugar daddy, to which the mayor responds by calmly and forcefully telling her that he isn't interested in her. The fact that the mayor is a non sexual character is what allows Faith to bond with him. The fact that a man cares about and praises Faith despite not being sexually interested in her makes the relationship incredibly powerful. Faiths need for this sort of relationship means that she could never betray the mayor. I also think there is a parallel between Buffys decision to cut ties with the council and Faiths increasing reliance on the mayor. Both the council and the mayor maintain patriarchal and controlling relationships with their slayers, but Buffy is able to break free, while Faith becomes ever more dependent. I think the key to this difference is in the fact that Buffy has meaningful relationships outside of the council, she isn't reliant on their approval for a sense of self worth. Meanwhile the totally isolated Faith is dependent on getting further praise from the mayor, which in turn makes her willing to do anything for him.

R J Walker (FumblesMcStupid)

I so love the Buffy and Giles dynamic as a contrast to the Faith and Mayor dynamic. There are so many similarities but the mayor and Faith is a twisted version. Buffy is the one who calls the shots but it's the Mayor who is in charge of Faith. And, omg, I love when Giles stabs the mayor, that whole scene tbh, it's so tense!! And, like you said, Giles supporting Buffy's decision to leave the Council with no hesitation. And Willow and Oz being so cute it should be illegal!! And Anya coming back for Xander <3 I, too, am annoyed that Cordelia is unceremoniously out of the loop. She was there for them for the whole of S2 and start of S3 and it's not HER fault that Xander cheated on her grrrrrrrr I think that Angel slipping in the doorway was a blooper that they decided to keep :D I also love Giles v Wesley fencing lmao, Wesley taking it all so seriously, perfect form, Giles casually reading a newspaper and yet still winning :D And, I've always wondered whether Giles actually knew about Buffy's plan to kill Faith. They say they are going to go and relieve him of Angel duty, but does he actually know BEFORE she sets off? I can't help but think he'd have a similar reaction to Xander but I'm not sure if he'd say anything, he's been doing everything he can to stand with her on her decisions since Helpless so I just don't know. And I'm just going to point out that Giles spent a good deal of time this episode looking after Angel, in the very place he was brutally tortured by Angelus, and kinda the last place he saw Jenny so, yeah, THAT'S how much he supports Buffy unconditionally!!!

Steve Quast

Wait a minute....are they finally possibly setting Xander up with someone that you actually approve of? .....to quote Giles: The Earth is doomed...

Steve Quast

I really hope this isn't the sign of a true apocalypse.

Steve Quast

Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, for becoming the most difficult demon in the universe to kill. The Mayor: You're welcome! That's the kind of courtesy we need to see nowadays!

Steve Quast

PS I think the only possible way to eat those spider creatures would be with bbq sauce.

zerofk

Thanks to this episode I can't hear the words "know what I mean?" without thinking "Seldom if ever." I know I've said this before but I love the mayor. The actor is sooo good. And his relationship with Faith is great. And that fight between Buffy and Faith was amazing.

zerofk

With regards to your first paragraph: there's also the way the mayor addresses Giles instead of Buffy, although she's the one who talked to him. To the mayor, Giles is the adult and Buffy is just a kid.

FernWithy

Or shrimp cocktail sauce. They look like Alaskan king crab sorts of htings...

UTU49

Hahaha. I've only watched the first minute. Thoughts thus far: 1. I LOVE that you wore a graduation gown. I think it was a super cool and fun thing to do. 2. I love even more that you got self-conscious about it and took it off. You're so funny. :) 3. Thanks for brightening my day. 4. Bye, I've got something I need to do for the next hour and 25 minutes.

Jonathan Bruser

"These writers have a thing against happiness," Domi says. In time, you will learn that it's not so much the writers as it is just Joss Whedon as a general rule. I have a lot of thoughts about this episode, many of which others have already touched upon in the comments, but I have a few thoughts of my own that I'd like to throw into the ring. I think that Faith is so ready to kill for a few reasons. Her bond with the mayor is perhaps the only relationship with a man who hasn't looked at her in a sexual way, as someone else pointed out. But when Faith made a horrible mistake by killing a man by accident, everyone on Buffy's side rushed to judgment, or at least I can see Faith feeling judged. Then the Council tries to kidnap her. If everyone I knew was making me out to be the villain, I'd figure that there's no point in trying to be a hero, so I might as well embrace the villain inside that they already see in me. She tried to be a hero, but she was always measured up against Buffy and inevitably fell short. And then the Mayor gets her a very nice place to stay (and away from the 18 dollar a night motel where she had been before), and gave her the acceptance - and maybe even a twisted sort of love - that I don't think she's ever felt before. As for what Buffy did to Faith... Even if Faith didn't die, Buffy broke into her home with the intention of killing her, and then she acted on that intention. In the eyes of the law, that's (attempted) first degree murder. And why does she do it? To save Angel, who just broke up with her in the last episode, and who in his over two centuries of undeath has been the cause of innumerable deaths, even if he wasn't himself at the time. And there's nothing to say he might not revert in the future. And Anya is seven or eight centuries older than Angel, even if she doesn't look or act like it. Who knows how much havoc she's wrought over the years, some of which she gleefully recounts before talking about the ascension. Faith has killed three people that we've seen. The deputy mayor was an accident, the man with the box at the airport was clearly shady. Only poor Professor Worth was truly innocent. A few episodes ago, Buffy and Faith had each other at knife point, and Faith said, "What're you gonna do, B? Kill me? You become me. You're not ready for that." Then she kisses Buffy on the forehead and takes off with one last word. "Yet." So intent on stopping Faith, the murderer, Buffy even admitted to Faith that she had been right, that Buffy truly was just like her. As for 'letting Faith get away,' Buffy was on her back and couldn't see over the ledge. I don't think the truck was in her line of sight. The look on her face spoke to shock at just how far she had truly fallen. There was one other thing. "What's the matter? All that killing and you're afraid to die?" This line combined with Faith's story about jumping off the rock at the quarry made me think about Faith and her stories about her drunk of a mother. I think it was so easy for her to jump off that rock as a kid because if she died in the process, then it would be liberating for her. From what I can tell of Faith, her life is pretty crappy compared to Buffy's, and I don't think she's afraid to die at all. I don't believe she was when she was younger. As for right now? I think on some level, Faith does understand that she's a 'bad guy,' even if she's not ready to admit to anyone, not even herself. I think that by falling into the truck, she made a dual gambit. Gambit one was to get her blood away from Buffy, making her 'victory' count for nothing. Gambit two was, 'Maybe I die, and this crappy life is finally over with. No judging from Buffy, no Mayor wanting me to kill for him, just an end to it all.' That's just my personal headcanon, but it requires a lot of assumption about Faith's past that we have only glimpses into, not a full fledged window to see clearly. As for what happens next... Buffy has every reason to think that she just became a murderer, as in murder in the first degree, and Faith got away, making it all for nothing. Even if Faith does live, Buffy will have to deal with that stain on her soul, that she sought out another human being and deliberately tried to end her life. Chilling stuff, but the Mayor is still out there, about to ascend. And even worse, Buffy still needs her diploma!

Dipper

Faith WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!? (halfheartedly bops to theme music) LOL :)

Bri

Here's my question. Did the Mayor, who gave Faith the poison to use on Angel, know that draining a Slayer for her blood is the cure? If so, is he sacrificing Faith in service of this distraction?

GenU

Domi, I see you seemed to have settled in to using mirror images of yourself in the reactions now. That's fine but you should be aware that it comes with some issues. Any text or images you hold up or on T-shirts will also be reversed. Although, it was fun trying to figure out what the reversed text on your T-shirt said.

Cayden C

Great reaction, as ever. I think one of the things we see with Wes here (and especially in Choices too) is that he's not just another Giles. Giles has learned to go with his heart over his head whereas Wes is the one who is ruthless and pragmatic enough to make the difficult decisions when they're required.

Domi E

Ahh yes, it’s what’s working for me given my new set up but I can try switching back. The shirt says “Welcome to the Hellmouth” hehe :)

GenU

Ha. I got the Hellmouth part but it was a little hard to read the smaller reversed script. I've kinda gotten used to seeing you on the right side of the inset image so you might have to switch things around to maintain that if you switch back to normal again. At any rate, do what you feel best doing. I will watch you react even if you stand on your head.

Jordan Haddow

Nice points. My personal take on Faith is quite similar. Yes, Faith's life before Sunnydale was mostly terrible. Her mom was a drunk who died early, of that we've been told by Faith. Her dad's position in her life has been implied. She never really mentions him, plus her terrible track record with men really spells out daddy issues. Basically he wasn't a good guy. A lot of Faith's makeup is played out in subtle gestures and looks, but basically I've taken the point that she lived a life where she couldn't do anything right. At least from the perspective of anyone who had the authority to tell her she did something right. It can be a type of hell to live a life where everything you do, no matter how hard to you try, is thrown back in your face as something wrong or worthless. Then she becomes a Slayer. She can now fight and kill to gain the approval of her Watcher. That is, until not long after she gets her powers she's put in over her head and (in her mind) gets her watcher killed. So, now, the only thing she's ever had positive feedback from, she's screwed up. Plus, this uber strong vampire is hunting her. She flees to Buffy for help. Buffy helps while Faith (again in her mind) fails as a Slayer. The one thing she finally was able to do right and she needed another to fix the situation for her. Now, Buffy is like a big sister, so Faith kind of wants to gain her approval. At the same time, Buffy is doing the one thing Faith did good at, better than she can. So Faith at the same time hates Buffy for stealing the one good thing in Faith's life. She doesn't even get a Watcher really, because Giles is Buffy's Watcher first. Then, no one can relate to her, so she's an outcast again. Finally she cracks, she gives up on trying to gain approval and lets loose. A guy ends up dead and everyone hates her (in her mind). Buffy wants to help, but in a judgy way that allows Faith to just hate Buffy for stealing Faith's life as a Slayer. In the end, the Mayor is willing to give Faith the one thing she's been after all her life. She can finally do something right for once in her life. Despite how she may feel on the inside, his constant approval is enough to keep feeding that little kid inside that just wanted to be told she did something good. Sorry if it just seems like a rehash but Faith is such a great character I think it's hard not to love having a personal take on her.

UTU49

My favorite thing about Domi is that she is so emotionally attached to the characters. So everything stresses her out. I love watching reactors, because having seen this before multiple times, I no longer feel the intensity of it.

Jordan Haddow

Great reaction. Also, don't worry so much. You are doing great and your setup is fine. Also, we enjoy that in the moment discussion of what you are feeling. As such, we expect that it's impossible to prepare what you are going to say and thus expect it to be a stream of consciousness discussion. The type that inevitably comes with meandering points and pauses so you can process your thoughts. Don't feel bad about it. :) Anyways, Faith seems to be discussed at length, so I'll focus on another point. I love that you are so into Anya being such a crucial character in the fight against the ascension. One of my favorite things about this show is how they have the "little" episodes have such a big impact. So many times people hate episodes like Ted for not including the big bad or furthering the season story arc, but they do things that are sometimes much bigger. Anya was born from the Wish, which was a fun little side episode. Now, she may have been the thing that gives the team an actual chance to fight the ascension. In the same way, Ted has had a major influence this season. First with Bad Girls/Consequences, the original question of what happens when a Slayer kills a human was brought forth. Now, it's not only touched on again, but furthered. Buffy had learned a powerful lesson when she killed Ted. Now, she's ignored that and stabbed Faith with the intent to kill her. True, things aren't the same. Ted, at the time she killed him, seemed to be a really annoying, pushy, aggressive man trying to push his way into Buffy's life. She had no notion that he was a killer though. Faith on the other hand, has proven not only capable of killing, but that she has the intention to keep on doing it. So Buffy has that bit of logic working for her. Yet, look at Buffy's expression after stabbing Faith. All the way up to the end up of the episode, her face mirrors the expression she had right after killing Ted. Small side episodes may not be fan favorites, but they are usually my favorites. Looking forward to the next episode. I won't say one good or bad thing about it. Too easy to let a spoiler slip by. Enjoy.

UTU49

Great comment. I've noticed that some reactors wonder about a sexual element of the relationship between Faith and the mayor. They seem to miss the significance of that moment when Faith says, "Thanks, sugar daddy." and then the mayor shuts her down IMMEDIATELY. He makes a very strong statement about the nature of their relationship. I'm basically just reiterating what you said, in my own thoughts.

UTU49

"Now Faith. I don't find that kind of thing amusing. I'm a family man."

Domi E

Aw thank you!! You're too kind!!

Domi E

OMG LOVE THIS THEORY!!

Domi E

Aw at least you got to make up for it!

Domi E

LOL. Always makes me giggle when that happens!

Domi E

Thank you so so much Veronika, this just made my day! Don't worry about not commenting much, as long as you're enjoying I'm happy. Thanks for sticking around!!!

Domi E

And aw thank you both so much too!! Don't know what makes you think I'm stressed out by this show. Stressed? ME?!

UTU49

If he did know, he could also be trying to put Buffy in the messiest situation he can.

UTU49

"I will watch you react even if you stand on your head." I am very much looking forward to that.

Domi E

Oh my god I can't imagine how stressful that must have been! I do wanna be faithful to the Buffy experience, so I'm guessing that means I should wait 2 months to post Pt. 2 so you guys can feel the way you did back in the day? :P

Domi E

Yep yep yep.. Exactly how the scene went!

Domi E

Wow! Absolutely great points William!!!

Domi E

The last sentence..... RJ do you not get tired of attacking me?

Domi E

HAHA. It could be.... S4 apocalypse coming up ;)

Domi E

He really is too freaking fantastic!! And the fight was epic!

Domi E

You're too sweet, thank you :D

Domi E

Wow Jonathan, absolutely great points! Thanks for sharing!

Domi E

Damn also great points about the Buffy/Faith dynamic, Jordan!

Domi E

Its their fault for making a catchy intro song haha

Domi E

Great question. I guess maybe it never even occurred to him that Buffy would actually try and kill Faith.

Domi E

Hahaha coming soon, upside down reactions. (But thank you I'm flattered)

UTU49

To do a "good job" at reacting, all you have to do is love the characters, experience the story, and share your thoughts. You're awesome at all of those things. If you want to deliver a historically impactful speech on the themes of the show, that would be great, but it's not necessary. If you want to watch the show while juggling cats, that would be very entertaining, but completely unnecessary. If you want to come up with a wise or funny comment for every scene, I'm sure we would enjoy that, but it's not necessary. I'm just having fun now. Just enjoy the show and don't worry about whether your reaction are "good". I love your videos!

GenU

Right. You know she'll probably just cheat and flip the image vertically, don't you!

Domi E

Aw thank you Jordan! And wow LOVE the Ted comparisons, that's so true I totally hadn't made that comparison!

Domi E

Aw thank you so much UTU49! Cat juggling sounds super do-able so I might implement that on my vids ;)

Domi E

Hahaha I’m laughing cause I totally hadn’t thought of that 😂that sounds a lot easier

UTU49

I think 3x1, 3x4, and 3x5 were some of the earliest episodes I saw. I enjoyed them enough to not even be thinking about how much I enjoyed them. I was just immersed in the story. It was not, however, until 2 things that I got truly hooked on this show. The first thing was Willow's line "Say. You all didn't go and do a buncha drugs, didja?". The 2nd was this fight between Buffy and Faith (not Willow, as I originally wrote... cuz of brain crampiness). Even without knowing the context, it was so clear that these 2 had a complex history. [edited to add] [edited due to brain malfunction]

Samiah

I also don’t comment much but I came here to support you and tell you that your reaction was great. I don’t want you to doubt yourself. 🥰 Thank you for staying up late and watching this show and then sharing it with us when you are all tired and whatnot. You are the best! That is all I came here to say!

Superplin

Really @UTU49? I've seen every episode at least 10 times, and I still feel the intensity! I think some scenes will always make me cry, no matter what.

R J Walker (FumblesMcStupid)

And you know what ALL of us were thinking when we saw the gown - 'domi is going to be so thrilled when she realises it's the same colour' :D

R J Walker (FumblesMcStupid)

Makes you wonder if the Council had actually sent a competent replacement Watcher immediately if things might have gone differently. Faith would still have the issues related to her first Watcher but she seemed pretty OK with getting in with Post so I think she'd have given the new Watcher a chance. Of course, Post betraying Faith and, worse, making her look stupid and incompetent, was a huge blow. NOT sending Faith a Watcher seems to be a rather calculated and callous move on the part of the Council (what a surprise!!). Both Buffy and Faith have lost their first watchers and, arguably, Giles is not that well respected by the Council (Watchers' Retreat anybody? :/) so it seems to me that they've pretty much given up on the Sunnydale trio at the beginning of S3 and only bother with a new Watcher because they HAVE to once they've fired Giles.

R J Walker (FumblesMcStupid)

Yeah, I know there are obvious similarities (and that Giles might even be alarmed by those similarities) and we don't know anything about Wesley's youth but we know what Giles was like and I think those rebellions early on have made him a very different person and a very different kind of Watcher.

Bri

There's a lot of thought that goes into how Faith was failed by her parents, by the Watcher's Council, and by the Scoobies, within the fandom, and I think that's great (and they all did fail her to some degree). One thing that sometimes gets missed, though, is that before Faith's collusion with the Mayor is revealed, we get to see what arrangement was finally negotiated between Buffy and Giles (and Wes?) on the one hand, and The Watcher's Council on the other. It goes without saying that the Council's bargaining power was compromised by the attempted kidnap. Basically, the arrangement was a programme of rehab that consisted of a psych test and a training schedule. That seems like a pretty non-judgemental and sensible approach. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of failings, but I think it's important to note that when the dust settled Faith wasn't treated like she'd murdered someone. She's treated like someone who at most commited a negligence based manslaughter, which is pretty appropriate.

UTU49

Hey! Check it out everyone. I made one of those mysterious brain-typos. Yes, I meant Buffy and Faith.

Antonio

Hi Domi, I hope this is OK to ask but is there any chance you could turn the video volume up a fraction for future vids, by any chance, please? Your voice is coming over loud and clear, but am struggling to hear the dialogue. Sorry and thanks!

Domi E

Hey Anthony! Of course. If there are ever fixable things you guys want to suggest, never hesitate to tell me!! I'm sorry the episode volume is too low, I'm still getting used to the new settings and editing with different headphones. I made 4x01 a bit louder and I might make 4x02 even louder. We'll see. I'm still playing with the settings so I apologize in advance.

Domi E

LOL I totally missed that Buffy/Willow fight I guess :P

Domi E

Thank you so much Samiah you are too kind and it means the world!!

Domi E

Yeah that's a good point, I mean she does seem to need some help. I guess they just approached it all wrong!

Antonio

Thanks Domi, much appreciated! I know I can't speak for everyone, obviously, but it has seemed a little bit lower since you got the new setup. Thanks again!

Domi E

Sorry! I’ll try and fix it!!

cruzinbosco

I agree with Anthony, the dialogue has been rather low lately. My only "complaint" (I hate using that word 'cause I am so grateful for the reactions) is your lips have not been syncing up with what you are saying. It's not a major issue tho. I am so glad you've enjoyed this season!!!

Domi E

Ah yes somebody else mentioned this and helped me fix it so thankfully that problem should already be revolved! Though I filmed 4x01 with the old settings but by 4x02 we should be all good!

palisade

I doubt it. It sounds like the references to a cure are pretty obscure so he either didn't know or didn't think the Scoobies would figure it out. Don't forget that shooting Angel was Faith's idea, not Wilkins.

palisade

Maybe we're watching mirror universe Domi (no 'cause she doesn't have a beard) 😂

palisade

I just finished watching your reaction and I feel I need to talk about the whole Faith/Wilkins dynamic. The Mayor absolutely cares about Faith but in a fatherly, non-creepy way. As UTU49 reminded us he shut her right down when she called him her sugar daddy. He's serious when he says he thinks of her as a daughter. He's like the old time Mafia Don who can be in charge of a huge crime syndicate and order people killed but still put his family first before any of that stuff. One of my favorite quotes from The Godfather is when the titular character says that "a man who doesn't spend time with his family is no man at all" It's the dichotomies of the Mayor that make him so fascinating. Someone who can can offer to take Faith out for ice cream and in the next sentence talk about how they are going to kill Willow......and be completely serious about both things (while smiling). Someone who can do unspeakable evil but still be obsessed about straightening up Faith's apartment. An immortal evil sorcerer who gets upset if you swear. He's also probably the first male in Faith's life to ever pay her any positive attention. As was also mentioned by others she had a horrible childhood, her Watcher was a women and as much as I love Giles he did a horrible job of integrating her into the group. Think about it: She's was 16 years old. She was living in a hotel and not a nice one. She didn't have a job so how was she paying for it? For that matter how was she eating? (robbing vamps before she dusted them maybe). How did Giles miss this? You asked these same question about Anya but she has probably managed to accumulate some resources in her thousand plus years. No one ever seems to ask them about Faith. Unfortunately by the time anyone offered her any help or sympathy they had lost her trust. Nothing can absolve her of the bad things she has done or the bad choices she has made but I understand why she made them. Buffy was more right than she knew when she said that under different circumstances she could have been just like Faith.

Bri

Respectfully, guys, about Faith/The Mayor. Yes, the Mayor thinks he has real feeling for Faith. Just like many abusers think they care about their victims. That doesn't mean we have to buy into abusers' delusions on this subject. If you care about someone, you don't try to get them to do morally disgusting things, manipulate their vulnerability for your own ends, etc. I can see how Faith buys into it- she's desperate for love and affection. Doesn't make it real. It's a fascinating belief for them both to have, and it makes their relationship dynamic very interesting. But it's a simulacrum.

Dipper

So I want to put in my two cents as a reaction watcher, and humbly suggest that you not do the light editing of the episodes in Season 4 like you're planning. Your channel, of course, and if you do then so be it, but let me offer my counterpoint: I know that awkward silence might be the kind of thing that makes you anxious, but the thing is, awkward silence is still a reaction. The subtle shift in your eyes while being attentive, the body language of the moment, these are things that can convey just as much meaning to someone reliving a first viewing with you as loud boisterous laughter and shock are. This is doubly true when it comes to moments that have a bearing on future episodes - which by definition, as a first time watcher, you won't really know for sure when editing in the moment whether or not something qualifies as such a moment. Finally, not gonna lie, the paranoid part of a viewer's brain could choose to believe that you *really* reacted in a way that was super cool/amazing and just edited out the cool reaction because you were embarrassed by it - they can be 99.9% sure that you wouldn't do that, but the .1% will naaaag at them. (Indeed, I've noticed little jump pauses in the current videos, and had those fleeting thoughts, which have detracted from things briefly.) Again, not the end of the world if you choose to start extended edits, but I thought you'd benefit from the perspective of a reaction viewer addict. Awkward silences never seem awkward to me; I honestly didn't even notice whatever it is that you're self-conscious about concerning this episode, and I *can* think of at least two spots where the look on your face was all the reaction I needed in the moment to remember how it felt to watch for the first time. Which is, of course, the feeling I'm trying to reclaim by watching you, so thanks for providing it. :)

Domi E

Great points Andrew! They’re both really dynamic and interesting characters!

Domi E

Yep that’s a really interesting POV, I totally agree with you!

Domi E

Aw thank you Dipper!! Don’t worry though, I don’t plan on making any cuts in the actual reaction to the episode itself. When I talk about editing out awkward silences I mean in the commentary part of the vid so don’t worry, many silent facial expressions still to come I’m sure!!

Dipper

Oh! Well nevermind me then. :) Thanks for the reassurance! Also, since I have your ear, two things to share: 1) I'm obviously droooooooling for your reaction to the season finale! :) Big hype! 2) I take care of an elderly parent with pretty severe memory problems, and one of the things I do to pass the time when I'm downstairs keeping an eye on her is throw up my treasure trove of reaction videos. Occasionally she'll catch a moment that she remembers from her viewing of the show, but of course her memory is fragmented and she doesn't really understand the concept of reaction videos so she'll get to thinking that you're one of the characters, and start worrying for your safety! She was so happy you got away after Angel killed Jenny, she breathed a sigh of relief for you. :) So, y'know, thanks for being a recurring Buffy character for my mom to worry about and giving me cute moments with her. :)

palisade

Oh I completely agree with you Briony. That's what makes the character so fascinating. A character like the Mayor has to do the most incredible mental gymnastics to reconcile their own hypocrisy if he even bothers to try. He is clearly not a good guy regardless of if he understands this about himself or not. And he is most definitely using Faith even if he can convince himself he's not. It's just that he's manipulating her with kindness and by taking care of her needs which is a type of manipulation she has no defense for, being something she isn't used to. If Faith had let herself realize she was being used and tried to get out I have no doubt he would have tried to kill her. Of course the whole dynamic becomes something of a caricature when you add in the whole evil sorcerer thing. It's what makes him one of my favorite villains.

Richard Ashton

I've watched "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun" and so can read backwards - Domi can't fool me ;)

Richard Ashton

I'm not sure about her age - no details anywhere but there is info that suggests that a slayer can be called from age 15 upwards. If she is living alone in a motel and wandering off solo occasionally, it would be reasonable to consider her at least 18, if not 20. A character with no detailed background but able to function, to some extent, on her own. It seems reasonable to infer she had some sort of paid work.

Bri

Yeah, it's definitely interesting how someone could believe they love someone who they're harming so much, Andrew, and it's definitely one of the reasons he's a compelling villain.

Domi E

Aww this is so absurdly kind and heartwarming <3 thank you so much for sharing.. So glad you get to create these special memories!

UTU49

For some reason, when I was young (teen?), I started encouraging myself to try to read things when I was looking at them upside down... like for instance if I'm sitting across the table from someone who has a textbook on the table. I can therefore read upside down reasonably well. It came in handy when I was doing a lot of Math tutoring years later. I don't think I ever could have foreseen that.

UTU49

Superplin. After reading your comment, I realized that I continue to fully feel the intensity of the emotional content of the show... but not the intensity of action content or suspense content. That's where it's really nice to live vicariously through these reactors stressing out over Buffy and Faith fighting... and things like that.