Oz's Non-Victim Blaming Response to Willow's Self Blame - New Moon Rising

[itsnotmymind]

There's an exchange of dialogue between Oz and Willow at the end of New Moon Rising that I particularly like:

OZ: I mean, it turns out... the one thing that brings it out in me is you... which falls under the
heading of ironic in my book.
WILLOW: It was my fault. I upset you.
OZ: Well, so we're safe then, cause you'll never do that again.

What I love about this exchange is how neatly Oz counters Willow's self-victim blaming. I like that Oz doesn't dismiss Willow's active role in the events leading to the wolf's transition, going so over-the-top in trying to avoid victim blaming (as people often do) that he ends up endorsing it by implication. For example, if he had insisted that Willow's actions had nothing to do with Oz's transition to wolf, leaving the unintended implication that if her actions did (as they do), she would share responsibility. Instead, Oz just succinctly points out that Willow upsetting him is a normal part of a relationship, while his turning into a wolf is self-evidently not.

Comments

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Interesting way of looking at it. Fights and disagreements are normal; turning into a werewolf is a different matter.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

Yeah - and Willow's self-blame is so classic. And Oz just points out the obvious, totally laid back.

[kikimay]

I loved Oz/Willow SO MUCH.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

<3

As a Willow/Oz shipper who kind of resented Tara even before meeting her because of that, I was impressed with how good New Moon Rising was at portraying the depth of attachment between the two and yet making Willow's choice of Tara so convincing and inevitable that even I believed it was absolutely the right choice.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Huh. That's so true. I went to check, and it says Marti Noxon wrote that ep, but I wonder if that bit was somebody else. Doesn't matter, I suppose. It's brilliant.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

That easily seems like a Noxon line to me - she's good with the complexities of relationships. Do you think it's not her because of the alley beating or the attempted rape? Or is it something else?

[lokifan]

Very true! That's so cool.

[itsnotmymind.livejournal.com]

Thanks!