When you see this, quote Buffy in your LJ

[selenak]

HOLDEN: Buffy, I'm here to kill you, not to judge you.

With my thing for the fannish underdog, I had to go for a season 7 quote. Plus I do love Conversations with Dead People to bits. It's an episode which in theory should not work at all because in addition to the two scriptwriters credited on screen, it was co-written by two more, Joss Whedon and Marti Noxon; according to Jane Espenson, the division of labour went: Dawn scenes for her - which was a surprise for the fans because they were sure she'd written the Andrew and Jonathan scenes until she told them otherwise -, Buffy and Holden scenes for Joss, Willow and First Evil scenes for Marti and Jonathan and Andrew scenes for Drew Goddard. The last time an episode was written by that many writers, it was the less than stellar Doomed in season 4. And yet, with Conversation with Dead People, it makes for a beautiful whole.

Plus the Buffy and Holden scenes are among my favourite scenes for Buffy the character, full stop, and Holden is the best vampire to be introduced since season 2, which means you're getting a more extensive quote from their dialogue:


HOLDEN: I just think you're in some pain here. Which I do kind of enjoy 'cause I'm evil now, but you should just ease up on yourself. It's not exactly like you have the patent on bad relationships.

BUFFY: Wouldn't it be cool if I did?

HOLDEN: And what - are you supposed to be settling down already? At 21? You know, my girlfriend at college, she's so sweet. We have this great thing, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna go vampify her just so we can be together forever.

BUFFY: Sire.

HOLDEN: What?

BUFFY: The word? When you turn a human into a vampire? it's you "sire" them.

HOLDEN: Cool.

BUFFY: It's a noun too.

Comments

[elisi]

As a fellow S7 lover, I just had to state my appreciation of this post. :)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

And I would like to state my appreciation for your icon. Did you make it yourself, or did someone else? It's terrific.

[elisi]

It's terrific.
Isn't it just? It was made by cleapet specifically for azdak, but I managed to get her permission to use it. It's one of those I will *never* be able to delete.

[ruuger]

Another S7-lover joins in ;)

I'm not as big a fan of "Conversations..." as most people - it's brilliantly made, but it just doesn't click for me emotionally (I have the same problem with "Hush") - but Holden is probably my favourite one-off character in the whole show. Actually, I was just the other day browsing the Holden archive and lamenting the fact that there isn't more fic about him.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

There is a Holden archive? And aw, but I think the problem for many an aspiring writer would be that either you go AU with him to let him survive beyond that conversation - and not everyone likes writing AUs - or you write about human Holden, which also has its charm - a Sunnydalian who was neither a friend or an enemy of Buffy's, and could provide a kind of Everyman pov to the supernatural goings-on in Sunnydale, for example - but again wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.

You know which story I would kill for? The AU in which Holden - who since he was sired by Spike is sort of related to the Fanged Four - is allowed to cut loose his psychoanalytical skills on all four of them. Or failing that, at least does it for Spike and Angel in s5.

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

That would be a brilliant story.
I share your love of "Conversations.." and your appreciation of S7.

[ruuger]

There is a Holden archive?

Yes, though unfortunately it's quite a small one. I recommend DebXena's "Past and Present" in the archive for a third possible way to write Holden - though that one's an AU as well ;)

[neutralalienist.livejournal.com]

Conversations is one of my favourite episodes full stop. That whole conversation is quotable. Oh, Holden. You should meet your new family. The issues their issues have have issues.

I generally feel about season seven as I do season four - it didn't live up to its potential (see what I did there), and overall is mediocre, but there are some brilliant episodes.

Also, Dawn shines in it, and she is one of my favourites.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Oh, Holden. You should meet your new family. The issues of their issues have issues.

*g* Sometimes literally so. *points to icon* And yes indeed, he should. He'd never run out of material!

I love Dawn as well, and am always glad to find others who do. (Given that the media still bash her. Recently someone told me she got voted among the "most annoying characters on tv". Grrr. Arggggh.)

[neutralalienist.livejournal.com]

XD Oh, he wouldn't. And Connor - Connor has more issues than any of them, I think.

I think it's because she was too realistic, and reminded too many people of themselves. :p Never mind that a lot of that screaming was perfectly justified. That girl had to deal with a lot.

[butterflykiki.livejournal.com]

I love that ep, though not most of S7 - Dawn and Buffy's bits especially. "We had a moment, it got personal, I tried to bite you, I'm sorry." *snicker* For all of us that yelled 'get therapy' at the TV during S6, this was a very amusing comeback from the writers.

"Slayer. So is that like a job?"

"More of a calling."

[selenak.livejournal.com]

As is said above, that entire situation is quotable. (How does Joss do that?) So, more of same: "I commit. I'm committed. I'm a committee" and:

HOLDEN: Oh, my God!

BUFFY: Oh, your God what?

HOLDEN: Oh, well, you know, not *my* God, because I defy him and all of his works, but... Does he exist? Is there word on that, by the way?

BUFFY: Nothing solid.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

Ah Holden, yet another reason why I think Jonathan Woodward is probably one of the best of Joss's re-used actors. I always find it interesting that Holden is one of the few vampires we don't ever see slayed on screen, possibly because he is that sympathetic.