Characterization In The Buffyverse — ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Season 5, Episode 3

This is part of a bi-weekly series concerning the characterization of Buffyverse characters. The first installment in this series can be found here. Arguably the best place to begin reading this series is at the beginning, but that is up to each reader. As a reminder this column will cover major and some minor characters from the shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and Angel (1999-2004). Other Buffyverse media, such as the graphic novel Spike: Into The Light (2014) are not pertinent to this series. Also there will be no referencing real world events that have a direct relation to either show in this bi-weekly series.

This week: The Scooby gang literally sees double. Meanwhile Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) prepares the Magic Shop.

(Warning of spoilers from this point on!)

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) engagess more with studying history when it contains violence. This may be more to do with her growing desire this season for a good fight of her own. She and Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) also display irresponsible behavior at the showing for the apartment Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon and Kelly Donovan) is considering. Whether this behavior is more the fault of her or Riley is unknown. Also: she has a seemingly unconscious view of Riley being less intelligent. This comes up when she mistakes Thoth’s (Michael Bailey Smith) name for a slang version of the word “idiot.”

Riley, meanwhile, tries to connect with Buffy and the Scoobies through his attempts to be funny. Since no one laughs — or really acknowledges his jokes — one can assume he is failing. He also shows very bad judgement by confiding his relationship worries to Xander instead of Buffy. This is bad because Xander could relate it back to Buffy in a way that makes things worse. It even shows a lack of faith in Buffy since Riley is not allowing her to give input on the matter. Lastly, his toxic masculinity is on display via his suggestion that that he is the only one able to take out Toth, and acting threatening to Spike (James Marsters).

Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) is primarily a sounding board for the weaker version of Xander. She is also acts as a plot device by giving information to let Buffy and the others that helps stop Xander from killing himself.

Anya (Emma Caulfield Ford) is recovering from an injury caused by an earlier encounter with a vampire (Season 5, Episode 2,  “Real Me”). This is important not just because it demonstrates continuity, but the argument with Xander that it is a point of relevance. In that argument, she is really saying that she wants to have a life together with Xander. However, she sees his reluctance to meet any of his potential. Specifically: moving out of his parents’ house. There is also mention during the disagreement of her having her own place, which leads the viewer to question how she can afford it. She also imagines what they could do as a group at Xander’s place. While a throwaway bit of dialogue, it does show her planning a future with Xander.

Rupert Giles acts as both a font of exposition and a gag character. Other than these two bits of characterization, there is no purpose or growth to him this episode.

Xander sees two sides of his personality on literal display in this episode. Yet, it is primarily the insecure side that viewers bear witness to. This side of him seems very idiotic as he assumes that no one will believe him. Of course, the plot follows a lot of clichès and tropes involving doppelgängers, such as making the audience unsure who is who. In fact, the plot does so to the point that the entire main cast believes that Thoth is trying to steal Xander’s life. Xander also displays his insecurity by mimicking Riley and attempting to give a shoulder massage to Anya while she is injured. Lastly, before the merging of the two Xanders, viewers see the less mature one having a terrible effect on the other version’s personality traits.

Dawn Summers (Michelle Trachtenberg) is just filling the role of an annoying younger sibling. Thus, there is no real purpose to her in the episode.

Spike saves the day in an unintentional way by pointing out Toth’s ambush. Without this moment, Thoth’s plan would work. As for the dumpster diving way of scrounging for stuff, it makes him relatable in that he goes for what he can afford. Personally, this writer thinks this behavior is probably even more relatable currently to viewers in this modern Gilded Age. As for the Slayer doll he now has: it represents the stalker behavior he will exhibit in the near future (Season 5, Episode 9, “Listening to Fear”).

Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland) talks about “headaches” in a way that both foreshadows her cancer and shows her frustration with her quarreling progeny. Other than these two things, there is nothing of real relevance about her character in the episode.

Thoth is arguably a joke of a villain since he hurts himself to make his weapon and does not appear for most the episode. Thus, Toth is comparable to the fear demon Gachnar (Adam Bitterman) in that his presence amounts to nothing (Season 4, Episode 4, “Fear, Itself”).

The Building Manager (Cathy Cohen) and the Foreman (David Reivers) exist to illustrate the difference between a confident version of Xander and one who doubts himself. Of the two, the Manager is the closest to being an actual character, but she is not one because she lacks a name and enough traits.

The episode does rather well in terms of characterization, at least when it comes to continuity. Yet, it is like a certain other Xander-centric episode (Season 3, Episode 13, “The Zeppo”) in that the rest of the cast sees little actual focus. Despite the poor plotting, the events depicted here are definitely a metaphor for how one’s insecurities can get in the way of achieving goals. And it is because of these events that Xander moves up a level in both his profession and living space. Unfortunately, he fails to truly learn anything that will show back up subsequently, minus Riley’s confiding about having relationship doubts. This failure to learn is at its most obvious when he walks away from Anya (Season 6, Episode 16, “Hell’s Bells”).