ext_20961 ([identity profile] sinkwriter.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] frelling_tralk 2015-05-08 12:35 am (UTC)

Just chiming in from seeing the post over in my home page, hope that's okay!

Regarding this:

But when I started really thinking about those seasons when Joyce wasn't in the know of what Buffy was really getting up too, there still isn't all that much reason IMO to act so long-suffering about what trouble Buffy is going to get into next.

From what I recall (and it's backed up by a quick search on wikipedia), Buffy and Joyce first moved to Sunnydale and came to the new school because Buffy got into trouble for blowing up her old school. I'd say that gives Joyce plenty of reason to be frustrated with Buffy and wary of what trouble she might get into next. Blowing up one's school goes well beyond cutting class to go shopping or getting detention.

So I think going into the very start of the series, Joyce was already pretty tired of Buffy getting into trouble and wanted the new school to be a fresh start. But Buffy started getting into trouble again, ticking off the principal, sneaking out her window at night, coming home with unexplainable bruises or weird stories.

Obviously Buffy felt she couldn't tell her mom the truth, so a lot of Joyce's behavior seems unreasonable because Buffy's trying to do all these amazing things, but her mom has no clue. But I don't fault Joyce for that. I saw her as a parent who was fed up with her daughter, a woman who had had to give up a career, life and friends in a whole other city because her daughter blew up a school (!) and doesn't want a repeat of that. So perhaps she was overzealous (I know I was frustrated with her in the early seasons), but I still think from Joyce's point of view, she had good reason to be suspicious and frustrated with her daughter.

What I loved about the show's writing was that nothing was ever fully black and white. Joyce was right about some things, and totally wrong about some things. And the same could be said for Buffy, who made some terrible choices as she went along as well. They were both wonderfully human.

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