Giles, ink, Ethan
Jun. 10th, 2004 05:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethWatched 'A New Man' again and realised Demon!Giles doesnt have the tattoo. Giles in other s4 episodes does. So, becomes significant?
It is interesting that Giles never removes that ink. It is demonstrably dangerous, being a beacon for Eyghon, who they are only mostly sure is destroyed.
It also seems to be the focus for some kind of psychic link between those who wear it. The dreams. Giles and Ethan share them, and then when Buffy gets the mark the dreams change so Buffy is included.
This is interesting.
Ethan was the one who knew exactly what the mark did, and yet didnt choose to remove it up until the moment we saw. I've said before that it isnt necessarily evil of him to put the mark on Buffy. She said she wanted to protect Giles without protecting Ethan. Giving her Ethan's mark allows her to do that. It is also using her to protect him, but using the slayer to protect humans from demons is precisely what Watchers have always done. So, sort of ambiguous.
But if the mark represents a connection...
Ethan keeps that connection, deliberately, despite the danger, through the years. Then Ethan gives that connection over to Buffy. Like he is handing Giles over to her? I've read a lot of fic that says Ethan hates the Slayer. Maybe. But, he does this. And then removes his mark with obvious pain.
Giles keeps the ink. Not just up until then, but after as well.
Buffy gets rid of it as fast as possible and it leaves no lasting mark.
hmmm.
In 'A New Man' Giles turns into a Fyarl demon. I think its debateable whether or not Ethan actually is the one who does it, because we never see him do it and when the demon crashes through the door he is all 'Giles?' and not 'Giles!'
Buffy recognised Giles by his eyes, by the way he was the only one in the world who could be that annoyed at her. In other scenes Buffy and Riley relate to each other by hitting each other, happy romantic couple that they are. Giles wants to hit Ethan. Ethan recognises Giles, big scary very annoyed at him demon guy.
And it is the *only* time he calls him 'Giles', when he is a demon. And doesnt have the mark. No connection?
If Ethan changed him into a demon then it says something like 'when you are all rage at me and have not the connection you are not really human, just the Giles monster'.
If he didnt do the change the lack of ink says something else. It must include that all the rage isnt about the old stuff- that doesnt even leave a mark on this.
Giles keeps the ink and we see it later when they are on the run from the Initiative. Consequences? Ethan warned them? Also just continuity but the way he moves shows it very clear, so maybe significance.
I dont think I've been entirely coherent but this particular thought cluster is still sort of smoky. Also its boiling hot in here today. Still. What was I trying to say?
If the ink represents a connection, Giles keeps his end even after Ethan gives it (in a way painful to both of them) to Buffy. Buffy gets rid of hers. And Ethan is willing to help Giles even after getting kicked around.
Whole lot of stuff between them and it cant be as simple as enemies.
It is interesting that Giles never removes that ink. It is demonstrably dangerous, being a beacon for Eyghon, who they are only mostly sure is destroyed.
It also seems to be the focus for some kind of psychic link between those who wear it. The dreams. Giles and Ethan share them, and then when Buffy gets the mark the dreams change so Buffy is included.
This is interesting.
Ethan was the one who knew exactly what the mark did, and yet didnt choose to remove it up until the moment we saw. I've said before that it isnt necessarily evil of him to put the mark on Buffy. She said she wanted to protect Giles without protecting Ethan. Giving her Ethan's mark allows her to do that. It is also using her to protect him, but using the slayer to protect humans from demons is precisely what Watchers have always done. So, sort of ambiguous.
But if the mark represents a connection...
Ethan keeps that connection, deliberately, despite the danger, through the years. Then Ethan gives that connection over to Buffy. Like he is handing Giles over to her? I've read a lot of fic that says Ethan hates the Slayer. Maybe. But, he does this. And then removes his mark with obvious pain.
Giles keeps the ink. Not just up until then, but after as well.
Buffy gets rid of it as fast as possible and it leaves no lasting mark.
hmmm.
In 'A New Man' Giles turns into a Fyarl demon. I think its debateable whether or not Ethan actually is the one who does it, because we never see him do it and when the demon crashes through the door he is all 'Giles?' and not 'Giles!'
Buffy recognised Giles by his eyes, by the way he was the only one in the world who could be that annoyed at her. In other scenes Buffy and Riley relate to each other by hitting each other, happy romantic couple that they are. Giles wants to hit Ethan. Ethan recognises Giles, big scary very annoyed at him demon guy.
And it is the *only* time he calls him 'Giles', when he is a demon. And doesnt have the mark. No connection?
If Ethan changed him into a demon then it says something like 'when you are all rage at me and have not the connection you are not really human, just the Giles monster'.
If he didnt do the change the lack of ink says something else. It must include that all the rage isnt about the old stuff- that doesnt even leave a mark on this.
Giles keeps the ink and we see it later when they are on the run from the Initiative. Consequences? Ethan warned them? Also just continuity but the way he moves shows it very clear, so maybe significance.
I dont think I've been entirely coherent but this particular thought cluster is still sort of smoky. Also its boiling hot in here today. Still. What was I trying to say?
If the ink represents a connection, Giles keeps his end even after Ethan gives it (in a way painful to both of them) to Buffy. Buffy gets rid of hers. And Ethan is willing to help Giles even after getting kicked around.
Whole lot of stuff between them and it cant be as simple as enemies.
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no subject
Date: 2004-06-10 03:34 pm (UTC)need to see if it reappears later
if it doesnt then new layers are added to the theory
because Giles had it removed when he left Sunnydale
if it does reappear then sadly its only a mistake
(or Giles had it covered with makeup!)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-10 05:22 pm (UTC)Beneath it all, the watchers are dark, dark, dark. Wes has this "dark underneath". Giles has it, too. They are relentless, terminator-like, in their dedication to what THEY see as The Path, The Right Way.
This is what enables Wes to shoot his father; this is what enables Giles to kill Ben and to conspire to kill Spike.
This is what keeps Giles attached to chaos....there's this tiny attachment....and "the tinies" all too often tell us all we need to know about a character.
Giles and Ethan have some kind of interesting bond, which fanfic writers have explored and keep exploring....
Finally, there's that old devil bond of "what we did when we were young and how our old sins bind us together." Giles and Ethan have that, and good on you for catching the tatoo giveaway.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-16 12:26 pm (UTC)Watchers see so much. You look into the abyss it looks into you. They hang out in the dark places so they end up pretty dark. But they do it I think to try and make sure no one else has to see that stuff. Which is interesting. They know it is damaging, but either they're like the alcoholic who thinks they can handle it, or they are just that willing to sacrifice their sanity to save others. Giles has had to phone a guy in the asylum for information before. People in this business break in interesting ways.
Everyone has their own ways of coping, their own little safety valve. Giles drinks, which is not a good method at all. But I think he also has something going on where he knows Ethan is out there being so much worse than him... I think theres something about that that actually helps keep Giles balanced. He can feel not so broken in comparison. And yet he knows he went part way there, went way too far in fact, so... I dont know, theres complicated stuff going on.
Or, you know, in my head there is. I'm never quite sure if I'm reading too much into things. Which is why its good you think the tattoo thing is a thing. Not me spinning smoke.