The relationship of Giles and Roux continues to be complicated and the situation with Seed continues to be problematic. In the end, the resolutions come at a large cost, but at least Giles looks towards the future with renewed vigor and determination. If only he could get a happy ending.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
This issue served as an ending, but also a new beginning. Seed was taken care of, but it cost Giles the loss of someone he could have had a potential future with. I’m still unsure how I feel with the wrap-up, considering how complex Roux was as a character, but at least her sacrifice was not for naught. I just wish there could have been a way to have everyone live through the battle.
The main thrust of Giles’s mission, taking care of Seed, got its time to shine. After investigating Seed’s cave with Addy, there seemed to be a way to outsmart Seed with his own power. While he has been using weaponized telepathy, and potentially on his way to achieving a level that would deem him unstoppable, Addy might have been able to reverse engineer the process and find a cure. That is, if he didn’t get possessed Seed and force Giles to knock him out, sending Addy off in an ambulance. But at least Addy leaves him with a clue. One area to focus his attention — figuring out where Seed might be headed next, to tap into the power needed for his ultimate upgrade. That would be the total eclipse scheduled for that day, and the highest point to reach this source was the bridge. So, Giles needed to get there and confront Seed before he could gain more power and more control.
But the whole Roux situation complicated matters throughout. Giles was unsure about trust, Willow warned him to be on guard, and Roux seemed determined to fight for companionship or die trying. Her heart appeared to be in the right place as she explained why she had to kill Crowe, lending a helping hand to Blue. And she didn’t technically kill Ms. Wong, though she didn’t stop her either. And her plan to protect Blue by turning her into a vampire came across as logical in Roux’s mind, even though it was a step too far for Giles. But even the fight and sequestering of Giles was all a ploy to protect him, too. And, in the end, she sacrificed herself to do just that.
Seed’s gone, but so is Roux. Now Giles is alone to fight the good fight. Even after all these issues, I’m not sure if Young!Giles can carry a series on his own. But it’s been interesting to see him navigate high school and the difficulties of relationships. Perhaps one day the man and boy will join as one and a balance will be achieved. Until then, it’s a war Giles will have to fight through in order to discover who he really is.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
