Improving As You Were

[itsnotmymind]

As You Were is one of the most unpopular Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes, and I get why. Riley and his wife are too perfect, and Spike as the Doctor doesn't really make sense. But from when I first watched it, all I could think of is how a few minor changes could make it a great episode.

Take Riley's perfect life: as many have suggested, the appearance of perfection could partly be from the Scoobies' perspective. They see Riley's life as perfect because their lives are doing so poorly. But Riley's speech also has a hint as to why Riley, who was such a mess when he left in season five, could be doing well now: "Wheel never stops turning, Buffy. You're up, you're down...it doesn't change who you are."

Imagine how much more resonance the episode would have if Riley had explicitly applied it to himself. If, instead of nobly telling Buffy she didn't need to apologize, he instead pointed out that he was a doing badly when she last saw him, and look how well he was doing now. Pointed out that the same could happen to her. Just one small change would make the whole episode so much better.

Comments

[stolenglimpse.livejournal.com]

I don't like that episode because of the Riley being married and that being all perfect is too much, too fast? Like they're in their honeymoon phase still or something. They kinda were, or just out of it or so. And Spike as the Doctor... I'm definitely on Spike's side here that he's definitely not but he didn't act right with those eggs for sure...

I have a feeling this episode kinda didn,t fit with the whole season... like everyone,s having a shitty time but, hey, it's not enough and let's shove it in everyone's face how happy some people can be. Also? Let's have someone discover Buffy's secret.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

Riley/Sam does seem fast, but we only get a limited to view of them, and I bet if we actually saw the build-up of the relationship it wouldn't seem so bad.

At least one fan has suggested the Spike was telling the truth when he said he was holding the eggs for a friend. So he was involved but not actually the doctor.

[stolenglimpse.livejournal.com]

I was never a fan of Riley/Sam but, it's alright since all of it happened off screen. Maybe I would have another opinion otherwise if it had been shown. We'll never know.

A friend or an aquaintance or something. I believe this a lot more than Spike as the actual doctor.