30 Days of Buffy, Day #22

[itsnotmymind]

Day #01: Favourite season
Day #02: Favourite episode
Day #03: Favourite song used in an episode
Day #04: Favourite female character
Day #05: Least favourite female character
Day #06: Favourite male character
Day #07: Least favourite male character
Day #08: Favourite friendship
Day #09: Favourite romance
Day #10: Least favourite season
Day #11: Least favourite romance
Day #12: Least favourite episode
Day #13: Favourite potential slayer
Day #14: Favourite female villain
Day #15: Favourite male villain
Day #16: Episode you like that everyone else hates - Favourite piece of monologue
Day #17: Character you relate to the most
Day #18: Character who didn’t get enough screen time
Day #19: Character you like that everyone else hates
Day #20: Best Spike-centric episode
Day #21: Best Willow-centric episode
Day #22: Best Xander-centric episode
Day #23: Two characters you wanted to get together that never did
Day #24: Favourite example of 90s special effects
Day #25: Favourite Buffyverse saying
Day #26: Favourite Scooby moment
Day #27: Cutest moment
Day #28: Character you love to hate
Day #29: Episode you hate that everyone else loves
Day #30: What you think made Buffy so great


Day #22: Best Xander-centric episode
This is a tough one. Xander episodes don't interest me as much as the episodes focused on the other characters. I might go for "Hell's Bells". I have a soft spot for that episode, but it is not a favorite. I like "The Zeppo", but like a lot of S3 episodes I find it fairly forgettable. "The Replacement" is good, but again, not a favorite. I'm not sure I have a favorite Xander-centric episode. Maybe "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", which is pretty good, even if it isn't one of Xander's best moments, what with the casting spells to get revenge on his ex-girlfriend.

Comments

[kikimay]

I also have a soft spot on Hell's Bells. I get that it's not a fans favourite and I can understand why, but it's such a interesting episode even if it's sad. And while Xander isn't a favourite character of mine - while Anya is - I'm sympathetic towards him in this particular episode.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

I'm sympathetic to Xander in this episode, too. Although I do prefer him over Anya.

But then, my favorite part of the episode is the Buffy/Spike scene, so I can't really name it as a favorite Xander episode.

[eveolina.livejournal.com]

I love Hell's Bells. I think for Xander it's like what Fool for Love is for Spike or Selfless for Anya - it makes everything about him make sense. I'm always surprised to hear that the episode makes people hate Xander. I sympathize with Anya, of course, but I couldn't imagine not sympathizing with Xander, too.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

I like Hell's Bells, but since my favorite scene is actually the Buffy/Spike scene, I don't feel right listing it as my favorite Xander episode.

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

I love all Xander's episodes, but then again he's my favorite. :)

I have to comment on Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered: Yes, Xander does do a bad thing, but IMO what matters is how he handled it. Unlike some of the bad things Xander did like lying to Buffy in Becoming and summoning Sweet, Xander takes responsibility for his actions and tries to do the right thing. He admits what he did to Giles and tries to find a solution. He accepts Giles kicking him out and Oz punching him with grace. And as seen in Lover's Walk, he clearly learned his lesson about unsupervised magic when he objects to Willow doing a de-lusting spell to fix their problem.

[lusciousxander.livejournal.com]

Oh, actually there's a Xander episode I hate, that is if we can call it a Xander episode: First Date! Of all the Xander issues and loose ends, this is what the writers chose to discuss about Xander in the very last season?

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

At the moment I can't remember First Date that well. I have a vague memory of Xander going on a date with a woman who turned out to be a demon and almost killed him. What it said about Xander as a character, I couldn't tell you. The end of Potential is more vivid for me, as far as Xander character moments go. Wish there had been more follow-up and examination of that.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

True - still not one of Xander's best moments, but he does manage to get his act together and learn his lesson.