Did Jenny Calendar Actually Do Anything Wrong?

Did Jenny Calendar Actually Do Anything Wrong?

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JforJenny

JforJenny

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Sineya
Okay so I honestly am having a hard time understanding what Miss Calendar did wrong that caused everyone to feel so betrayed and I would love to hear other peoples opinions!

So this is how I see it:
Jenny was sent by her family to watch Angel TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T LOOSE HIS SOUL. I believe that the Scooby gang also wants this? ALSO in the episode where her uncle dies, the uncle makes it clear that they sent Jenny WITHOUT TELLING HER that happiness was the key to loosing his soul, so she wasn't even hiding any information that could have helped. All she was sent to do was watch him.

If Jenny wasn't in the show, nothing would have been different (except the cure would never have been found!), Buffy still would have slept with Angel and he would have lost his soul. So what did she contribute that was so evil?

The only thing I could figure was that she was hiding from her friends that she was sent to watch Angel. But I feel like thats not worth all the grief they gave her? I mean, Giles was sent to watch Buffy?

PLEASE SHARE THOUGHTS! IM VERY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY!
 
JforJenny said:
I believe that the Scooby gang also wants this?
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Not yet they don't because until he actually lost his soul nobody even knew it was possible.

They felt betrayed because they she did lie to them about who she was. They just thought she was a high school computer teacher with an interest in the supernatural, but turns out her history goes way back with Angel's. Keeping her true identity quiet also meant that they had no idea that there was any danger in Buffy and Angel getting too close - she may not have known about the happiness clause, but she did know something would happen. If she had told them why she was there, they could have investigated Angel's past more thoroughly which may have lead them to contact with Enyos and found out the truth about the curse earlier. Buffy may have also been able to interpret her prophetic dream differently if she'd been more aware.

I think Buffy was further hurt by the revelation that Jenny's job there was to make sure Angel suffered.

Tbh Jenny did a piss poor job of keeping them apart anyway. Up until Surprise she does absolutely nothing. It's obvious her role in the show was changed when they were actually writing the episode.
 
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Mr. Pole said:
In the episode where Buffy and Angel boinked I think. When Uncle Creeper visited Jenny.
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All that happened in that episode was Jenny took Buffy to her surprise birthday party, which Giles had instructed her to do. And they came across Drusilla's vampires that are collecting the pieces of The Judge. Jenny even tells Buffy not to fight them cause she wants to get her to the party. The only "suspicious" thing Jenny does in that episode is try to send Angel on the boat far away for a while, but that is also mostly because they have to get rid of the arm they found so Drusilla can't create The Judge. And I'm not even sure if it was Jenny's idea, I think she just encourages the idea. Buffy and Angel were going to the boat but were stopped by the vampires at the dock (after he gives her the infamous ring), and they go back to Angels place and have sex.

So the only "evil" thing she did in this episode was encourage Angel to get on the boat with the arm of The Judge so it would be far away from Drusilla. But that doesn't seem so terrible to me since it was also their only option.
 
Skanky Vamp
Skanky Vamp
I must have remembered it wrong. I thought for sure she set her up at one point.
I've always felt that Jenny's dismissal from the gang was poor writing, to be honest. Sure, Buffy was feeling (understandably) upset, but not a single person in her life (Willow, perhaps?) could sit her down and calmly explain that Jenny only did what she thought was the right thing? Lazy writing, seriously; just an excuse to plant seeds of discord between the gang and Jenny, probably because of her having the means to re-ensoul Angel and plans to kill her off.

Giles, I understand; they were in a relationship and she had been lying to him since the moment they met. He slowly began to forgive her and then Passion happened and you knew they'd get back together (if not for the death, of course).

Jenny was loyal to her family and I personal have much respect for her for that.
 
JforJenny
JforJenny
Thank you for adding to the discussion!
EarthLogic said:
If she had told them why she was there, they could have investigated Angel's past more thoroughly which may have lead them to contact with Enyos and found out the truth about the curse earlier. Buffy may have also been able to interpret her prophetic dream differently if she'd been more aware.
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I can actually understand this and agree! Even though Jenny was sent with almost no understanding, what she did know could have lead them to the truth much sooner.
 
Puppet said:
I've always felt that Jenny's dismissal from the gang was poor writing, to be honest. Sure, Buffy was feeling (understandably) upset, but not a single person in her life (Willow, perhaps?) could sit her down and calmly explain that Jenny only did what she thought was the right thing? Lazy writing, seriously; just an excuse to plant seeds of discord between the gang and Jenny, probably because of her having the means to re-ensoul Angel and plans to kill her off.

Giles, I understand; they were in a relationship and she had been lying to him since the moment they met. He slowly began to forgive her and then Passion happened and you knew they'd get back together (if not for the death, of course).

Jenny was loyal to her family and I personal have much respect for her for that.
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This is interesting because I had not considered Giles point of view before. But you are absolutely correct. And he did begin to forgive her which is great! And yes she was loyal to her family which is admirable.

I also agree about the writing!
 
Puppet said:
I've always felt that Jenny's dismissal from the gang was poor writing, to be honest. Sure, Buffy was feeling (understandably) upset, but not a single person in her life (Willow, perhaps?) could sit her down and calmly explain that Jenny only did what she thought was the right thing? Lazy writing, seriously; just an excuse to plant seeds of discord between the gang and Jenny, probably because of her having the means to re-ensoul Angel and plans to kill her off.
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I can understand it on an emotional level. If Enyos had been alive when Jenny took Buffy and Giles to him, they could have forced him to restore Angel's soul, but once that option is taken Jenny is all that's left. So when Buffy looks at her all she can see is the reason that Angel is gone. She probably knows on a rational level that it's not her fault, but it's not something she can process rationally at that point because she's in such pain. I don't think a calm explanation even from Willow would have done much good at that point.

The fact that Giles is slowly able to forgive her is the counter to that. We're not supposed to agree with Jenny's exclusion from the gang, just understand it. Her reconciliation with Giles emphasises that she is a good person, which of course makes her death all the more agonising.
 
EarthLogic said:
I can understand it on an emotional level. If Enyos had been alive when Jenny took Buffy and Giles to him, they could have forced him to restore Angel's soul, but once that option is taken Jenny is all that's left. So when Buffy looks at her all she can see is the reason that Angel is gone. She probably knows on a rational level that it's not her fault, but it's not something she can process rationally at that point because she's in such pain. I don't think a calm explanation even from Willow would have done much good at that point.

The fact that Giles is slowly able to forgive her is the counter to that. We're not supposed to agree with Jenny's exclusion from the gang, just understand it. Her reconciliation with Giles emphasises that she is a good person, which of course makes her death all the more agonising.
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I didn't mean immediately, btw. After some time, Willow would sit down and talk it through with Buffy. I absolutely understand Buffy not immediately understanding or forgiving Jenny, I just felt it went on for too long. Even in Passion, she was giving Jenny attitude.
 
EarthLogic said:
If Enyos had been alive when Jenny took Buffy and Giles to him, they could have forced him to restore Angel's soul, but once that option is taken Jenny is all that's left. So when Buffy looks at her all she can see is the reason that Angel is gone.
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oooooooo! Interesting point. I like your point about Buffy, and emotionally that makes sense. I also had forgotten that Jenny had taken them to see her uncle. That also makes me feel even more inclined to think that Jenny was ready to make it right immediately after learning the truth behind why her family had sent her. I feel like she was always trying to do the right thing.
 
Puppet said:
I didn't mean immediately, btw. After some time, Willow would sit down and talk it through with Buffy. I absolutely understand Buffy not immediately understanding or forgiving Jenny, I just felt it went on for too long. Even in Passion, she was giving Jenny attitude.
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RIGHT?! I feel like they just gave her too much grief. Like as if she did it to them on purpose, which they knew she didn't at that point.
 
She deceived the people who trusted her enough to let her be part of their group. In Giles' case it's even worse since the two were in a relationship with each other. After she cut off Giles because his past hurt her, it's a shame she couldn't be bothered to come clean before her history hurt people. She also did a piss poor job regarding her assigment. How can you not ask questions as to why you were send to ensure someone continues to suffer (which is effed up in it's own right)? Isn't that a basic detail one should know?
 
brinkster130 said:
The information she withheld was pretty important. And her reason for coming to town and getting close to Giles wasn’t exactly honest.
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This is true.

But I think we are also told that she didn’t know about he moment of perfect happiness clause so she didn’t realize how precarious the situation was.

It was uncool of her to be dishonest with Giles. And I question her motives (and also question whether the writers always had this in mind because when I never really got the impression she knew anything about Angel so I wonder if it was a last minute change).

But I voted it’s complicated because she didn’t understand the real danger to Angel’s soul.
 
dcai0830 said:
This is true.

But I think we are also told that she didn’t know about he moment of perfect happiness clause so she didn’t realize how precarious the situation was.

It was uncool of her to be dishonest with Giles. And I question her motives (and also question whether the writers always had this in mind because when I never really got the impression she knew anything about Angel so I wonder if it was a last minute change).

But I voted it’s complicated because she didn’t understand the real danger to Angel’s soul.
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Despite Jenny making a mistake. I don't think she deserved to get her neck snapped 🙁
 
I think this is a good question. I've wondering the same thing.

My feeling is that Jenny never really took the mission she got from her family that serious.
That she never really believed in it. So not telling about it didn't seem necessary to her.

Never got the impression that she started the relationship with Giles as a way to keep an eye on Angel either.
That was something the just happened anyway and therefor she still never got around to tell about her past immediately.

Later, when things actually started to happened. Angel lost is soul and so on, it obvious was too late.

But I'm not sure either what difference it would've made if she had told them.
She didn't know Angel would loose his soul after all.
What would the scoobies actually had done differently if they knew Jenny was from that gypsy clan?

I feel that the scoobies overreacted. They needed someone to blame and Jenny was the one that got the heat.
Think they failed to see things from her perspective (as people often do).

But overall I also think that's a fairly natural response.
So I actually voted "It's complicated" in the poll.

/SK
 
T
thrasherpix
I voted the same, and you summed up why for me
Well she never blatantly lied. But she did conceal information. The thing is Jenny didn't actually know enough to have things be her fault. It's really Enyos who allowed Angel to lose his soul, as he was the only person who knew the science of the curse. However Jenny knew that Enyos knew. What she should have done, after she had established herself in the group, was taken Giles to see Enyos. Giles could have helped Buffy understand the situation. He was probably the only person other than Angel himself who could have protected Buffy from getting too close to Angel.
 
Jenny was doing what her clan instructed her to do, which is where her loyalty should lie. She broke trust with Buffy, and due to the nature of the Slayer-Watcher Relationship, Giles had to go with Buffy, as the mission required him to. I don't think being more open with Buffy about who she was would have made a difference, I doubt Buffy would have listened to her anyways.
 
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