 Rupert GilesGiles is first and foremost Buffy's Watcher, and his relationship with her is probably the closest one he has among the Scoobies. It's not a matter of Dad playing favourites, if Giles notices Buffy's problems while Xander (or Willow, or Riley, etc) is floundering -- it's what he's there to do. He has an emotional bond with Buffy, a unique one. Sometimes that bond can blind him to things that are going on with his other friends -- but he does consider her friends his own. He's alternately irritated with and amused by Xander -- angry with his stupidity in casting a love spell in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," impressed by his carpentry skills, amused by joking with him about how much he doesn't like to research. "Do you have any books on robots?" "Oh, yes, thousands of volumes... No, I've got squat. I just like seeing the look on Xander's face when I say that..." (I paraphrase, from "I Was made To Love You.") Giles is very impressed that it's Xander who saves the day at the end of Season 6; one almost gets the feeling that he was expecting it. Is he a father figure? He could be, to Xander; he's certainly a much better example than Xander's own father. But Giles has repeatedly made comments and choices that indicate he doesn't want to be a father figure to Buffy or her friends -- he wants to be an equal -- or at least more of an older, wiser friend who's still capable of making mistakes, but has been around the block before, and could show them where the potholes are. (Ah, if only he could show them where the plotholes are...)
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