The Gift : Giles & Buffy

[Glenn]

No, this is not a shipping thread

What i am referring to is that these two characters both made big threats in this episode and i would be interested in whether you think they would have gone through with them.

The threats in question are, Giles making it clear that he would tae Dawn out to save the world, and Buffy saying that she would kill anyone who goes near Dawn.

So, would Giles have managed to go through with what he said. Yes he killed Ben to save the world but i imagine it would have been much easier for him to murder a man he didnt know to a young girl that he loved. If he had got up to the tower and had to look at her, would he have had what it takes.

And Buffy, if she saw Giles up there doing what he promised would she have killed him? Her own father as it were. Or would she have perhaps just broke some of his limbs.

Both grand threats, but would they have carried them out? Opinions pleeeease

[Lizzie]

Yeah, I think so. They're strong willed characters. Buffy 'killed' Angel, I think she would have the strength (beyond physical) to kill Giles. And any other person who tried to kill Dawn.

As for Giles - he is clearly capable of violent acts. He's killed before, and he will kill again! Dun dun duuunnnnnnnn....

PS: Ew at shipping those two. Disgusting!

[Deleted]

Yeah, I think they both would have followed through on their threats.

Giles has not only killed in the past, but has been trained and accustomed to a life as a Watcher and his job to protect the Slayer but, more importantly, the world. I think that some of the time he still had a "Dawn is a Key (read: object)" mentality--not the "She's a person now, even if the memories are fake" mentality that the others seemed to gradually take. And in that regard I think he'd be able to kill Dawn.

Buffy had grown quite close to Dawn and despite everything adopted that "person" mentality mentioned earlier. She had grown into the big sister role and what mattered wasn't that she had only existed for a little while, but that right at this moment she was here, alive, and her younger sister. I do think she'd do whatever it takes to protect Dawn, although I think she'd be more likely, as Glenn mentioned, to break someone's bones or knock them unconscious or something that wouldn't result in death, especially if it was someone she's close to.

[Beck]

Buffy would never have let Giles get in a position where he could kill Dawn. She would have knocked him out before he got near her. Which is good, because I believe Giles could have gone through with it for the better good of the world. I think Giles distanced himself from thinking of Dawn as real because of the fact he knew her death might be necessary. Buffy would never have been able to kill Giles, she couldn't even approve of Warren's death, but it would have forever changed her and she could eventually have become like the Buffy from Wishverse.

[Laura]

I don't know if Giles would have killed Dawn or not. Yes, he was a watcher, and yes he is trained, but in "Choices" they could have destroyed the Mayor's box and saved many lives, but Giles seemed unsure on doing this because Willow was being held captive. Plus, Dawn is almost like his other daughter, and I don't know if he could do that to Buffy especially after she lost her mother.

As for Buffy, I know she wouldn't kill her friends. She is against killing humans, especially her friends. I think she would have either knocked them out, or rendered them immobile. True, she killed Angel, but he was a vampire and he was evil. That's a completely different story.

[shred]

I believe Buffy wouldn't do it (kill Giles that is) but I do believe, however, that Giles would go through with his threat and kill Dawn when put in that situation.

I based this on the type of fighters they both are. Buffy tends to fight with her heart - her heart leading the way, thinking with her heart, being emotional etc. Giles, on the other hand, fights with his head, thinks with his head. That is why I think Giles was able to kill Ben and Buffy couldn't.

Buffy tend to go with her feelings but not Giles. He sees the bigger picture. He keeps emotions out of the way when need be. He makes sure he distance himself from emotional ties when it comes to battles like this. Not Buffy. It's also why he was able to have the mind to want to kill off Spike.

So, yeah, I believe Giles would go through with his threat but not Buffy. Buffy would do everything in her power to make sure that Giles doesn't be in the situation where he has to make a choice to kill Dawn. Like Beck said, she'll probably knock him out or lock him somewhere and take matters into her own hands.

[Kana]

Buffy found it difficult to be the general in Season 7 knowing that girls will die. She paid lip service but it really took its toll. Giles tends to adopt that Watcher Utilitarian big picture thinking of which Wes is also a product. Although he's a little less on that scale than most of them (see Helpless.)

[Nico]

I Dont think Buffy would have Killed Giles, but she would have stopped him from Killing Dawn, Giles would have definetly been able to kill Dawn for the good of the world like he said he swore an oath to protect this sorry world.

[Deleted]

I'm with the majority here when I say that Buffy wouldn't kill Giles if he tried to kill Dawn, she'd just knock him out or injure him so he couldn't get to her, but if the worst came to the worst and she had no other choice, either Dawn or Giles, I think she would kill Giles.

To Buffy, Dawn is not just her sister, but a part of her, that connection the monks manufactured was very powerful and I think it's power grew further after Joyce's death, as without Joyce, Dawn was the only blood family she had left and she didn't want to lose her.

But if Giles managed to get that far, I think yes, he would have killed Dawn if he had to, despite his feelings towards her, he'd have put them aside for the greater good. It's the kind of guy he is.

[Allan]

If necessary, Giles would definitely have killed Dawn. We know that it's in his nature to do what "needs to be done" for the greater good, and I agree with Beck that he distanced himself from Dawn emotionally, and convinced himself that she's not real to make it easier, should it have come to that. Giles would have done the deed, but it would have been the toughest thing he'd ever done - if not because of Dawn, but because of Buffy, who he loves like his own daughter.

Buffy, on the other hand, would not have killed Giles. She would have protected Dawn with her own life, and would have done everything in her power to stop Giles, short of killing him herself. And, really, given Buffy's "Slayerness", that would be achievable. Had Giles had powers, and the only way Buffy could have killed him to save Dawn, that would have been different, and probably a lot tougher to call. She killed Angel, but that was to save the world. If forced to, she probably would have killed Willow - again to save the world. I think that if it came down to Dawn or the world, Buffy would have probably chosen the world.