"I Said That - Weren't You Listening?" Off-Screen Conversations

[ThePoet's<3]

There was a thread like this on a LOST Forum that was pretty interesting.

There are moments within episodes where it becomes obvious to the viewer that the characters have been talking amongst themselves. These "off-screen" conversations usually cover a multitude of "writing sins"!

But sometimes it advances the storylines of characters without taking up too much time from the present storyline.

One of my favorite examples is the conversation Buffy and Spike at the end of "Fool for Love". (Please bare with me - yes I love Spike and Spuffy but this thread is for EVERYONE!)

His very intent is to blow her away, however he ends up sitting with her on the porch and offering the only comfort a Vampire (without a soul *sigh*) could give.

And Buffy tells Spike about her mother's illness and her appointment at the hospital the next day.

So, obviously the scene went beyond the ending we the viewer saw as evidenced in the following episode "Shadow".

Spike: Hey ... Hey! Hey! Hey!
Riley: Am I dark enough for you now?
Spike: Bloody pull me back in, you sod, I'm starting to sizzle!
Riley: You don't know anything about Buffy, you never did. I'm the one who knows what she needs.
Spike: Oh yeah? That's why you're with her at hospital right now, giving her what she needs.
Riley: (pulls Spike back inside) What are you talking about?
Spike: Don't you know, didn't she tell you?
Riley: You tell me.
Spike: Mum's sickly. Buffy took her to the hospital for a bit of prod 'n probe. Bite-sized one went too. (needling) You know, it's-it's funny her not calling you about that. I've known since last night.

Riley grabs Spike and shoves him outside. Sizzling noises.
Spike: (OS) Blanket! Blanket!
Riley kicks the blanket out and slams the door. He leans against the banister looking conflicted.

This advances our storyline of Buffy not including Riley in her life and he seeking someone who "needs" him - and ultimately their break-up.

So, I wonder if there are other "off-screen" conversations YOU have noticed which 1) advance the storyline or 2) give some unknown character iinsight?

[NileQT87]

buffy says in the episode angel that she invited angel to her house EVEN AFTER she knew what and who he was. meaning... buffy saw and invited angel over again after he fled through the window when he interrupted darla with joyce.

there's a missing scene there.

[vampmogs]

I would have liked to see Buffy tell Riley about her life with Angel just before 'The Yoko Factor' especially considering she left out how he lost his soul. Would have been interesting to see how she got around that.

Would have also liked to see the kind of things Buffy and Riley talked about as she says she's opened up to him in ways she's never opened up to anyone, including Angel, Willow or Xander. So it'd be interesting to see what she did tell him, perhaps she even told him about her stint in the assylum before coming to Sunnydale?

I'm sure there's a lot more, I just can't think of any right now

[Matt]

The whole "mansion on Crawford street" thing, we know that Xander never showed that place to Buffy in the show and so is therefore something that happened off-screen to further the plot.

[NileQT87]

or how xander knew where angel's apartment near the bronze was.

which brings me back to how buffy found angel to invite him back to her house after he fled the night before.

and clearly giles and angel swapped telephone numbers--probably circa out of mind, out of sight with the pergamum codex.

[Enisy]

"I watched Passions with Spike. Let us never speak of it." -- Giles (Real Me)

The off-screen Buffy/Angel meeting after Flooded, obviously.

There's a missing scene implied in Spike's "Put a little ice on the back of her neck. ...She likes that." (Normal Again)

The fade-to-black Spike/Buffy scene in Chosen.

[vampmogs]

I got a couple more;

Always would have liked to see the day Buffy/Willow/Xander/Oz and Cordelia spent on the pier. You see the photos in Cordy's locker and they all look like they're having a reall fun time. Would have loved to see Cordy in those scenes in particular, just to see how nice she can interact with the Scoobies.

And I'd have liked to see some of the conversations Xander and Cordy had. We know that he told her about how he spent christmas Eve outside because of his families drunken christmas fights. Now that's something Willow didn't even know, as he's lying to both Buffy and Willow when she calls him up on it. So Xander and Cordelia obviously had some heart-felt talks.

[blue_peroxide]

Also I would have liked to hear what Spike answered to Buffy when she asked, "So, what do you know about finances?" when sitting with him on the back porch in Flooded.

Edit: Also I would have liked to see how Buffy and Spike rode to the demon bar on Spike's motorbike in Life Serial. They did, because:

BUFFY: That van.
SPIKE: You wanna steal a van, I'm with you, luv, but we have got the motorcycle. (gestures behind them)

There's a missing scene implied in Spike's "Put a little ice on the back of her neck. ...She likes that." (Normal Again)

Yeah, plus it also shows that all Buffy/Spike encounters were not violent/sexual in S6. Obviously he suggested the ice because he knew it would relax Buffy and make her feel better. I like to think that there were quite a few sweet Buffy and Spike moments in S6 that we just didn't get to see on screen

[skinless]

If I had my choice I would want to see the Conversation in "Blood ties" between Buffy, giles and the scoobies when buffy tells them that Dawn is the key. We see buffy start it but we dont see the reactions of the gang. It be nice to see what the first reactions and Impressions were.

[lara]

Originally posted by Enisy

There's a missing scene implied in Spike's "Put a little ice on the back of her neck. ...She likes that." (Normal Again)

The fade-to-black Spike/Buffy scene in Chosen.

I'm right there with you. Those are some scenes I would have liked to watch too. And also, what happened when Buffy rescued Spike from the First at the end of Showtime, I'd like to see how she fixed Spike.

[KingofCretins]

I'd like to know what Xander was up to on the evening of November 12, 2002. Still the most infuriating omission in the history of the series. I even wrote a fanfic version of it.

Vampmogs, great catch on the photo. That's a wonderful one. And the scenes where she learned those details of his life.

I suspect that there had to be a conversation with Xander or Willow after "Innocence", since things were "not okay between (them)", per Willow. Or the first time they talked after "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered".

I'd like to know if the events of "Helpless" ever came up between Buffy and Giles... or if the details were ever shared with the others.

Buffy's (BS) version for Riley of her history with Angel between "New Moon Rising" and "The Yoko Factor".

Willow telling Kennedy about Tara.

Whatever the first round of conversations were between Joyce, Giles, and the Scoobies (in whatever combinations) as they realized Buffy had run away.

Whatever conversation took place to bring Spike into the folk the summer after "The Gift".

As for the ice on the neck, I always (and still do) took that as Spike, in a flash, applying knowledge learned during sexplay to an applicable circumstance -- trying to be helpful and intimate with what little useful information he had. I find little to suggest that their relationship would have included going to him for nursing care in Season 6... she wouldn't even admit to being in conversations with him.

The conversation Giles had with Dawn after "All the Way" in which he was forced into parenting duty.

Wow, there's a bunch once you start thinking about it.