the direction of giles character in s6 and s7 annoys me for so many reasons
i don’t necessarily think it is out of character. giles has shown problems with feeling unneeded and feelings of wanting to leave before s6 (mainly in s4 and s5), what bothers me is that so many interesting plot ideas are planted and then not executed
early in s6, giles says to the buffybot that he got buffy killed. this aligns with previous thoughts that he is responsible for buffy as her (kind of) watcher. he seems to feel a level of guilt over buffy’s death, especially since his claim that dawn needed to be sacrificed (if it came to that) led to buffy’s realisation and self-sacrifice. it then makes sense (for the character) that he leaves dawn and the scoobies. how could he face them and help them if he feels he lead their sister/friend to her death?
then we get to buffy’s resurrection. giles returns and is initially happy. then he feels that buffy relies on him too much. this is where my problems start. i understand what they are trying to do. a lot of season 6 is about adult problems, money, addiction, learning to stand on one’s own. in that framework, giles, as the steady adult presence, needs to leave. especially since ASH wanted to spend more time with his family. my problem is that while it fits into the theme, it does not fit in with the broader context of the show. buffy has clawed her way out of her grave, she has been ripped from heaven. of course she needs to rely on the one parental figure she has left.
it would have made more sense if the writers had continued with what they planted in the beginning of the season. giles feels he pushed buffy to her death. if he stays, maybe he will fail again? this would have the same effects on the story and in real life. buffy would have to stand on her own and ASH could spend more time with his family. in my opinion this would have been a more cohesive and satisfying (if tragic) storyline
then, when giles returns during the dark willow arc, buffy and giles could have their laughing heart to heart in the training room where giles reveal why he actually left. because of guilt. it wouldn’t fix anything but it would open a door.
then s7 happens. giles obviously can’t be in s7 that much for the same reason as in s6, but mentions of him could have been made. buffy could mention that she talks to him on the phone occasionally, trying to mend what was broken in the previous season.
when giles comes to sunnydale with the potentials, buffy takes on his role. she trains these teenagers, she guides them. perhaps she could have developed a deeper understanding of giles, she could understand how he helped her and how he failed her. this could have been a simple throw-away line. it wouldn’t fix anything but it would have planted the seed for the audience.
then in ”lies my parents told me” (an episode i have many issues with but i won’t get into that here) buffy’s statement that giles has taught her everything she needs to know would hit harder. the audience would have a stronger idea that buffy has been in his shoes, she has done what he has done but found a different path (she didn’t really find a different path in the show but in my idealised version she did). they are, for the first time, acknowledged equals. but giles does not see this yet, although he might be getting there.
the following episodes could have shown this in small moments. buffy talking and giles listening. giles only offering his opinion if asked. they have their own expertises and this is respected. slowly the gap between them closes.
finally, the last episode explicitly acknowledges buffy and giles as equals. then it wouldn’t feel so out of the blue when buffy says that she ”will always want his opinion”, it would in my opinion feel more earned.
not everything would be fixed, but they would be on their way. a satisfying conclusion to their arc within the show while still leaving a door open for future comic books.
instead we get a rushed and incomplete arc in s7 that isn’t solved until the comics, a continuation that a lot of buffy fans haven’t read
the most frustrating thing is that i can see what the writers were trying to do, it just falls so flat to me. which is sad since the dynamic between buffy and giles is so central to the show
