What Episodes of Buffy do you watch as a Writer?

[hobgoblinn]

I know I have a lot of very talented writers on my f-list. I was just re-watching an episode of Buffy to get back in the mind-space, and I wondered--

What episode(s) do you re-watch for
*getting a character mannerism just right
*reminding yourself of a particular theme
*checking a particular relationship dynamic

Or some other thing? I'd really like to know. Obviously, for Ethan Rayne, my options are limited, and yes, I know those.

Oddly, what got me thinking about this was some of Spike's exploring Glory/Ben's place in the first half of "Spiral" (S5)-- just the way his body moves, the mannerisms, the easy grace, the quiet, deadly efficiency. I don't write Spike much, but that was kinda nifty.

On a related note, are there fanfics you turn back to, to get your mind in writing/ creative space again?

Comments

[rahirah]

(And also, I think, I'm not so much in the headspace of the show as in the headspace of my own AU, which has gotten big and complicated enough that it spawns its own new stories out of the consequences of what's come before. Though I consider the show invaluable as a resource for background and character info and stuff, my versions of the characters have gone off in very different directions than tha canon characters did. My challenge is more to ensure that a reader can look at my version and say, "Yes, I can see Buffy acting like this, given the experiences she's had in this series.")