WARNING! CONTAINS SEASON 5 SPOILER!
A New Man
Midlife crisis in seven inch platform boots.
BBC
: A New Man is, of course, the big Giles episode of the season. What was the writing team's overall plan for Giles this year?
Doug Petrie: Well, we felt that Giles was a little bit underserved at this point in the season and wanted to give him something to be doing. It's always fun to have Ethan Rayne back in the mix. Really, this is Giles' mid-life crisis episode. It was the first time that we got to deal with a metaphor that was that adult, not teen-orientated at all, and quite a bit of fun. After this, he gets a fancy sports car!
This was kind of a launching pad for season five - and again I get to tease a little bit [about] season five - wherein we reinvested in the character of Giles as Buffy's Watcher because he's been at sea all season. This is where he kind of hits rock bottom and rebounds from here. That was the impetus behind that.
BBC
: Why the demon metaphor? Were there other ideas considered as a means of exploring Giles’ crisis or was it always intended that he would become a demon because Ethan Rayne had the power to make it happen and it was fun?
Doug Petrie: There were a couple of ideas kicked around. We were talking about a portal. We were talking about him becoming younger, him becoming older, him kind of recapturing his youth by becoming - I don't think seriously - but I know Jane Espenson was kicking around the idea of getting teenage actors to play teenage versions of Giles and Ethan and to have young Ethan try to seduce Buffy. That was an intriguing idea but ultimately we went with a pretty straight-on metaphor of his questioning himself in the middle of his life and he's turning into a monster. By the way, Tony Head walking around the offices in full blown demon makeup on these seven inch platform shoes was terrifying and hilarious!
BBC
: You mentioned the new car. Had the idea of Giles and his old Citroen run it's course?
Doug Petrie: Yes, time for a new car.
BBC
: Are we going to see more of Ethan Rayne or is he still being held at the government's pleasure somewhere near Nevada?
Doug Petrie: Well, all I can say about that is that he is under special arrest, but being Ethan he can break out at any time...
Read our episode guide to A New Man >>
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