I hate watching Lover’s Walk with the best of them, but it’s actually a really tight, really great episode, and I see a lot of teen shows not try to emulate the same formula, and fail every time, and the problem is they lack emotional weight and audience investment. When Oz and Willow, Xander and Cordelia break up, it’s because Willow and Xander have been cheating, for at least 2 episodes now, and that all comes to a head when they’re kidnapped by Spike. The weight of their transgression is added in this episode because, we’re focused on them. But the thing that makes it suck so much, is because Ozillow/Xordelia haven’t just been...off screen somewhere not doing anything. We’ve seen them with Buffy, being couples. We’ve watched them both get together, make milestones in their respective relationships:
And then just being couples on screen:
So by the time we get to Lover’s Walk, when it’s clear that both Cordelia and Oz have gotten serious about their relationships, and the guilt Xander and Willow have bubbles over, the stakes of the breakup feels *real*.
Not to mention, Spike being at his BEST in BTVS when he just shows up and blows up every single one of the scooby’s lives. Xander, Willow, and then forcing Buffy to confront her feelings for Angel and putting distance between them, while he does shit like this:
is just so GOOD.
I also love the added detail that Cordelia gets impaled. Because based on their characters, Cordelia had just admitted to Buffy she loved Xander. And that was huge for her as a character. We see her as basically a man eater up until this point, and she really falls for Xander. So it’s arguable that, while the cheating hurt, like Oz, she could make her way back to him. But not after falling through the stairs and getting impaled trying to save Xander while he’s making out with Willow. The humiliation alone, would ensure that she could never go back. And it’s only compounded when she returns to school. Cordelia had the most to lose by dating Xander, and the show makes good on that loss.
This episode was *such* a good study on the characters and relationships of the show, and using everything we’ve seen up until now to put us through the ringer emotionally, while also making us laugh, and shows now are doggedly dragging us through an overcomplicated plot, that we have no investment in the characters, so attempting these kinds of character moments in a random episode doesn’t land, because there’s engagement and without engagement we can’t emotionally invest. BTVS leveraged our investment and threw us into these emotional rollercoasters every so often by following through on the consequences of the behaviour of the characters. That’s what makes a show iconic.
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forgot how absolutely hilarious xander and cordelia's first kiss is. the yelling. the music. the "we so need to get out of here". the hose. that's tension babey
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Currently watching the episode where Cordy breaks up with Xander on Valentine's day😭 Right after he gave her the necklace. It hurts.
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Beside Bangel, what's your favorite Buffy ship
Yeah, pretty sure I've said this somewhere but I'm a big fan of all the OG ships.
Oz/Willow
My thing with them is they go from adorable/sweet to extremely hot in like 0.1 seconds.
Xander/Cordelia
I love the enemies to lovers thing, it works for them, because they don't change as characters. They're fundamentally themselves and that generates enough friction/drama in their relationship, but it also makes them funny and cute.
Giles/Jenny
Honestly they just deserved more time.
Honourable mention: Willow/Xander as vampires
Because I like Xordelia and Ozillow, I can't get behind Xillow, but them as vampires was a lot and really creepy/hot.
I know this ask asked for a favourite, but tbh I like all of these equally.
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