I'm gonna argue for Smidge here. The subtlety and quiet grief Buffy has in the later seasons would be really, really wrong for early!seasons Buffy. And the OTT end scene to Amends pretty much kills me every time for Buffy's face, her tears and the way her voice carries pain when she can barely say the words, "how you can hurt me so much" and "I know what you did because you did it to me."
Buffy in the early seasons was bouncy with 99% less pain. But the fact that that 1% of pain was so crystal clear from the beginning is important for me. For Buffy, in the beginning, it's not about oozing pain through her pores with every breath she takes, because Buffy isn't in pain like that, but it's about vulnerability beyond the perky and the harsh denial. And all that Buffy needs to be, all that Buffy is then, is there from the get go.
I dunno. I think it's fair to say Smidge got better as time went on, but I don't think this post is about an actor getting better, is it? Because I think Charisma Carpenter fits this ideal and frankly, I think she got worse as time went on (see: end of Season 3 and all of Season 4). I kinda think Charisma was only good at playing exactly Cordy--which means she's perfect for Cordy, but she's a bit lacking in other areas.
I remember some commentary about Welcome to the Hellmouth specifically the scene with the Principal and it's focus on how SMG's eyes go so wide as she's rambling and she makes herself adorable while awkward. That vulnerability again, that added depth. We have Kristy Swanson playing Buffy and then we have SMG and I think from the get go, the depth and vulnerability were there for SMG while with Kristy it just... wasn't. SMG outdid Kristy in the Valley Girl speak and the rambly at superspeed, but she did it with that look in her eyes like she just didn't want to be hurt and the way her eyes emoted compassion for others.
I'm gonna stop rambling now. I think pretty much no one agrees with me, but I think SMG was the character from the get go and the show settled around her.
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Buffy in the early seasons was bouncy with 99% less pain. But the fact that that 1% of pain was so crystal clear from the beginning is important for me. For Buffy, in the beginning, it's not about oozing pain through her pores with every breath she takes, because Buffy isn't in pain like that, but it's about vulnerability beyond the perky and the harsh denial. And all that Buffy needs to be, all that Buffy is then, is there from the get go.
I dunno. I think it's fair to say Smidge got better as time went on, but I don't think this post is about an actor getting better, is it? Because I think Charisma Carpenter fits this ideal and frankly, I think she got worse as time went on (see: end of Season 3 and all of Season 4). I kinda think Charisma was only good at playing exactly Cordy--which means she's perfect for Cordy, but she's a bit lacking in other areas.
I remember some commentary about Welcome to the Hellmouth specifically the scene with the Principal and it's focus on how SMG's eyes go so wide as she's rambling and she makes herself adorable while awkward. That vulnerability again, that added depth. We have Kristy Swanson playing Buffy and then we have SMG and I think from the get go, the depth and vulnerability were there for SMG while with Kristy it just... wasn't. SMG outdid Kristy in the Valley Girl speak and the rambly at superspeed, but she did it with that look in her eyes like she just didn't want to be hurt and the way her eyes emoted compassion for others.
I'm gonna stop rambling now. I think pretty much no one agrees with me, but I think SMG was the character from the get go and the show settled around her.