I figured Giles, not only being forced to turning to the 'royal' bloodlines, but also growing to believe that it's an essential part of proper watcher material, might be because his changed relationship with Xander (and of course Willow). Nice to see it confirmed.
Willow always held (and in bizarro world still holds, if the fact that she's still alive is a clue) a special place in Giles' heart and probably seemed prime watcher material even back in high school. Her star would have definitely crashed and burned with the whole insanity and world end-age though (can we say, no more civilians in demon hunting people).
Xander didn't seem nearly as promising. Especially not during puberty. He really did go out of his way to get under people's skin, even if he probably didn't particularly mean to (if you look back at S2, the girls and Giles are brushing off his jokes to get back to business a LOT :). With Xander not part of the joining spell the group dynamic wouldn't have recovered (which to me makes Xanders 'desertion a lot more understandable. You were probably hinting at this before, but it didn't really hit until now) Xander found his feet, but Giles wouldn't have been there to see it. And during the time that he was, you had Riley, the other 'human' fighting the good fight, outdoing him at every turn.
With Willow evil and Xander quiting, the Scooby way that worked so well in the canon world, really didn't pan out in bizarro world at all! No wonder Rupert went old school again.
Loved how all those essential facts about the changed world where so naturally known in Bizarro world. Wes as CO of Evil inc. rocks and then there is Xander's shame(?), guilt(?) at his alternates desertion, with his Giles reassuring him. You also nicely explained how in Angel canon the council turned their backs on the fang gang so carelessly with the Angel-Faith argument and 'Melody' playing both sides.
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Willow always held (and in bizarro world still holds, if the fact that she's still alive is a clue) a special place in Giles' heart and probably seemed prime watcher material even back in high school. Her star would have definitely crashed and burned with the whole insanity and world end-age though (can we say, no more civilians in demon hunting people).
Xander didn't seem nearly as promising. Especially not during puberty. He really did go out of his way to get under people's skin, even if he probably didn't particularly mean to (if you look back at S2, the girls and Giles are brushing off his jokes to get back to business a LOT :). With Xander not part of the joining spell the group dynamic wouldn't have recovered (which to me makes Xanders 'desertion a lot more understandable. You were probably hinting at this before, but it didn't really hit until now)
Xander found his feet, but Giles wouldn't have been there to see it. And during the time that he was, you had Riley, the other 'human' fighting the good fight, outdoing him at every turn.
With Willow evil and Xander quiting, the Scooby way that worked so well in the canon world, really didn't pan out in bizarro world at all! No wonder Rupert went old school again.
Loved how all those essential facts about the changed world where so naturally known in Bizarro world. Wes as CO of Evil inc. rocks and then there is Xander's shame(?), guilt(?) at his alternates desertion, with his Giles reassuring him.
You also nicely explained how in Angel canon the council turned their backs on the fang gang so carelessly with the Angel-Faith argument and 'Melody' playing both sides.