HAND GESTURES DISCLAIMER (anti-Offspring): I've been obsessed with watching actors' hand movements ever since seeing "Escape," the episode of La Femme Nikita where the director focuses on their hands for two whole minutes. And I've noticed a trend: television actors have begun to move away from acting with their faces (assuming that it's a close-up shot or something...) and have begun throwing in hilarious little things that really make it very entertaining! So here we go ... the one -- the only -- Hand Gestures Page! Sheesh. Btw, the episodes are all in order. The Pack Xander keeps rubbing his chest during his whole conversation with Buffy in the Bronze. Xander, at the end, when he asks Buffy if he did anything else that they're not telling him. This one takes the cake! He taps his lips, then his chest, and points quickly to the right before he circles his fingers around each other. It's bizarre and yet appropriate to what he's saying. It also makes me wonder if I should brush up on my sign language ... it looks suspiciously like he's actually saying something (but of course he's not). Angel Ok, technically this is not a hand gesture but it's weird anyway so deal. In this episode, when Buffy and Angel and Joyce are all having their little riff at the stairwell, Angel's in the background and he's doing something funky with his lips. Does the actor not know how to keep still when the focus is not on him? School Hard The scene where Xander is going through Buffy's backpack looking for her stake. This is more of a Chaplin-esque comedy routine then something more subtle, but it's still worth pointing it out. Especially when he does the juggling act with the tampon. Becoming Spike, looking for a cig (aka fag) during his diatribe. Pat, pat. Also, the whole time when Buffy and Spike speak and then hit each other ... talk, talk, smack, smack. Must be love. I swear if those two ever get together it's going to be a total S&M relationship. When Spike mimes Joyce hitting him over the head with the axe. I love it! Hesitant vampire bashing imitation. When Giles and Angel are talking about the latter's inability to wake up Acathla, Angel does a funny thing with his right hand. His body language (i.e. hand) seems to say that's he's really nervous and unsure. Of course, we know that's not true. Weird. Anne Ok, *what* is with the Communist overtones? Buffy beats on the bad guys with what looks like a hammer and sickle. Joss, resolve your Soviet issues and move on. Dead Man's Party In the contractually obligated dream sequence, Angel speaks. His face moves (somewhat) and his hands are clutched together grasping each other as if he's nervous. Bizarre. Lover's Walk Here's another fab example ... the scene where Spike and Joyce are hanging out and Angel shows up. Spike taunts him by making all these faces and evil hand gestures behind Joyce. Like he's about to attack her. That's it Spike! Point at her! Ooh, the villainy. Ack! This ep's full of them. The line: "The last time I looked in on you two, you were fighting to the death. Now you're back making googly-eyes at each other again like nothing happened. Makes me want to heave." At 'googly', he waggles his fingers like they're octupi trendles. Fit of giggles erupt from the audience. The Harsh Light of Day In the Dark Wild at Heart Ok, this was more of a sound, but I had to mention it. In the teaser, Spike's AARGH! was priceless. Once again, focusing on the hands as Veruca and Oz clutch hands and morph to werewolf-ness. The Initiative Hee hee. When Spike's talking to Willow about her 'fuzzy pink number with the lilac underneath', he does some finger wagglin' that looks like he's trying to scratch the underbelly of a cow. Same scene. Spike's chattering about how he hates being obvious; on the 'rrrr' part he does the two-fingered prong attack that he did to Joyce in "Lover's Walk."