Without a doubt, my favorite part of "Storyteller" is Andrew's quest for redemption. He wasn't an evil person, just a weak person who made some bad decisions. I think it was important that this is the episode where he finally comes to terms, and admits to the fact that he killed his best friend Jonathan, because he's documenting the way "heros/heroines" are acting. When he sees the things that Buffy has to do for the common good, and how self sacrificing the majority of the others are, he realizes that he has to cut the crap, stop trying to be heroic, and admit that he's done something wrong.
In a similar way, although it's during her "act" that Andrew has to die, when Buffy points out that she's sick of acting like everything is going to turn out okay, because it's not, and people are going to die, she has to admit that no matter how much of a hero she is, she can't save everyone. While she feels guilt (it seems) that she can't save everyone, she understands that it's more important for the greater whole to survive than certain specific individuals.
I'm sorry that post had no tangible train of thought.
I sort of disagree with your statement that Buffy's "good" is what causes Andrew "to cut the crap." To me, it seems as if he merely apologizes as a final hope of attaining mercy so that Buffy won't use him as a human sacrifice to open the seal. I also think that it's difficult to make the declarative statement that Andrew isn't evil, just weak. At a certain point, when one kills their best friend, even if it is because of a moral "weakness," this becomes evil, regardless of the person's original character.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, Andrew was acting solely out of fear. He begged for his life, which while very human, does not forgive the terrible things he did. I think it is an interesting idea that Andrew is not evil, rather weak, because that was something I did not even consider. However, I wish you had adressed the counterargument, because his character, much like Buffy, is not black and white.
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with Annelise that Andrew is weak as opposed to evil and that he realizes his mistakes. Sure, he begs for his life out of fear, but afterwords in his little sum-up of his documentary he says "I killed my best friend". The fact that he admits this for a second time when his life is no longer in danger shows that he has finally acknowledging his mistakes (and I do realize the irony here of referring to murder as a mistake). Even so, in my mind he did own up to it.
ReplyDeleteAhh, the old evil debate. I tend to agree with Sydney on the topic of Andrew's moral compass. I regard Andrew's come-to-Jesus moment more along the lines of an act of self-preservation. Joss Whedon often focuses on the long struggle necessary in order to redeem one's actions (the basis of an entire series of his, in fact). Buffy, as well, while maybe the only one of the major characters not to go evil, is not merely "good" but the complex mixture of her dark and light sides maker her capable of killing and defeating evil.
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