#controversial buffy opinions

[dufrau]

I'm in a bit of a buffyverse mood today so: any thoughts on the female characters of both Buffy and Angel? Like, who's your fave, who do you think was underrated, who were the lesbians, how big of a crush do you think Cordelia had on Buffy etc etc that type of thing.

Oh man!

Cordelia is so good on Angel. She was great on Buffy but on Angel she is amazing and I love her so much. I do not think she had a crush on Buffy, I actually think Cordelia is very heterosexual which as you know is rare for me!

Fred was my favorite when I was younger and I still love her and the end of her story destroyed me extremely hard.

Angel was unkind to its women pretty much across the board. I love the show for those characters and also for Angel himself because I like that he is basically just a cringe grampa instead of an edgy sexy vampire? But the show was very mean to them!

Buffy and Anya are my favorites on Buffy.

And I love Faith on both shows.

I loved Willow when I was young. But. I am going to put this next part under a cut because i think this is the only fandom opinion that has actually ended friendships for me 😬

Like I get that it was a very different time in the world and in terms of what we had as representation on tv (basically we just had willow and tara tbh!) but like... i find it very strange the way that relationship has endured as nostalgic/fondly remembered?

If Willow's season 6 storyline happened now she would be immediately recognized as a full on villain. Again i forgive us for the way we rooted for them at the time! But in hindsight?

Tara's backstory is basically being mind controlled and abused by her cult family, and then she gets mind controlled by Glory.

And then when she raises concerns to Willow about her overreaching with her magic, Willow erases her memory. Which is more mind control. She does the exact thing Tara was already upset about but this time aims it at her specifically for the purpose of controlling her, in the same way that she knows Tara has been abused in the past.

Under Your Spell is really hard to watch when you take into account that Tara cannot and would not consent to it if she knew at that point what Willow had done.

And then when Tara DOES find out and points out how fucked up it is, Willow just does it again!

And all this is contrasted with the actual villains of the season whose turn from silly villains into serious villains is when they mind control a girl so she would be agreeable and willing to have sex with them (which is what willow did!) and wind up killing her.

It is very hard to watch these two storylines happening in the same season and see Willow as a redeemable character or this relationship as one that should have survived. Poor Tara, man! She died for this shit???

Anyway. I hate this opinion! i want to love Willow! But I hate her! She's a terrible person! I cant look at Willow/Tara and feel good about it at all! Tara deserved better from the show but she also deserved better than Willow!

[hexjulia]

i was looking for 60s-70s native american pop/folk musicians who are not buffy sainte marie and this is kind of nice...reminds me of something. The moody blues maybe?

by this guy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Ed_Davis

[genericaces]

if u did a tier maker of buffyverse ships i would enjoy it 🙏

This is tricky because ships are one of those things that people can get really passionate about, and I don't want to upset anyone. I try to steer clear of any drama when I can, but I also want to feel free to express my opinions, you know? Because god knows I have them.

I guess I'll say before I wade into any discourse that, disclaimer: my enjoyment of a ship doesn't mean I condone what goes on in it, and I can separate fiction from reality. I try not to moralize when it comes to fictional ships and approach them both objectively in terms of quality and also subjectively to my personal tastes. But I also believe that, at the end of the day, it's just fandom and people should do whatever floats their boat.

So with all that being said, here's my (highly personal!) rankings of the ships in Buffyverse:

C Tier:

ATS 1x09 - This is the ship with the bomb that Doyle sacrifices himself to disarm. Now it's a good episode, but this is really the only wide shot we get of the boat. I literally forgot that the climax takes place on the water. The interior is fun with lots of stairs and various apparatuses for fight scenes, but it could just as easily have been a basement or abandoned factory. Honestly, I wasn't too impressed by the ship factor. Rating: 4/10

B Tier:

BTVS 2x13 - You might be thinking, "You're ranking a BACKGROUND ship higher than an actual location?" but hear me out: because the ship is in the background, I actually remembered that this scene had a ship. There's a great fight scene in front of it where Buffy uses the chain along the docks to choke out a bad guy, and then she gets thrown into the water. The ship hangs out in the background the whole time and brings together the whole nautical-themed fight. Rating: Angel diving into the water/10

A Tier:

BTVS 3x15 - Now we're cooking with gas. We get a FULL shot of the whole ship on the dock. The establishing shots linger on the boat more because Buffy and Faith have a confrontation here. Not only do they have a conversation with someone visibly ON a boat, Faith starts out on the upper deck of the boat then swings herself OFF the ramp to argue with Buffy on the docks. Bonuses for a visually dynamic conversation and the boat representing Faith's plans to fuck off, interrupted by HER choice to get off and get in Buffy's face about it instead. Rating: Saving the girl that's supposed to be your enemy/10

S Tier:

ATS 3x22 - I know, we're getting into controversial territory here. But look how beautiful this ship is. Is it a boat? A schooner? A yacht? I don't know, but I DO care. Extra points for it being a plot-necessary boat, of course, since they had to get Angel out into the middle of the sea somehow. What's great about this ship is that it's really condensed all the ship elements into a smaller vessel, so you're aware throughout the tense emotional scenes that you're actually ON a boat in the middle of the sea. It really emphasizes Angel and Connor's isolation at this point in the finale, both physically and emotionally. And, I mean, look at this: we actually have a shot that has most of a boat AND most of a person in it. AND it's the climax of a season finale? THIS is the ultimate Buffyverse ship. Final rating: The misunderstanding-to-patricide pipeline/10

[spangelmybeloved]

Some of you might be wondering my opinion on the Spike/Buffy relationship.

I have a very controversial opinion about it.

And that opinion (which much of the fandom does not share with) me is...

The pairing should be called Bike and not Spuffy.

Good night.

[coraniaid]

🔥 honestly just let loose with controversial btvs opinions I’m ready

So ... I think I've probably said this before, but at the risk of repeating myself: I don't like the way the show treats the idea of Harmony as a vampire.  In particular, I really don't like the way the show depicts Buffy Summers finding out that Harmony is a vampire (in Season 4's The Harsh Light Of Day).  I don't think it's consistent with her character as established to this point, and I don't think it makes much sense logistically either.

Before Season 4, I think the show is actually pretty consistent in how it treats the idea of 'becoming' a vampire.  Yes, a vampire remembers their past life: we see that with Jesse as early as Season 1's second episode, The Harvest. And yes, a vampire's personality is heavily influenced by the person they were when they were alive: again, see Jesse's continuing obsession with Cordelia, and also what Angel (almost) says in Season 3's Doppelgangland about Willow.

(Indeed, this is really the only excuse for Giles repeatedly telling Buffy about the crimes various vampires she faces in the first three seasons committed while they were alive: which he does for Andrew Borba in Season 1's Never Kill A Boy On The First Date, for the Gorch brothers in Season 2's Bad Eggs and for Zachary Kralik in Season 3's Helpless.  Why bother doing that unless it tells her something about the vampires she'll now be fighting?) 

So yes, a vampire remembers being human and (at least sometimes) retains a lot of their former personality.

But equally, the show has also been consistent up to this point -- and, more importantly, it has consistently shown that the characters in the show believe it to be true -- that the human does die when turned into a vampire.  The vampire retains the memories and something of the personality, but something ineffable -- call it a soul, continuity of self, whatever -- is lost.  As Buffy tells Ford in Lie To Me, you categorically do not "become" a vampire:

"... that's not how it works.  You die, and a demon sets up shop in your old house.  And it walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life, but it's not you."

-- Buffy Summers, Lie To Me

This is why Buffy can't just let vampires turn people into more vampires, even if (as in Lie To Me) those people are willing for them to do so.  Because it's murder.  Because it's wrong.  It's something that's pretty much central to the premise of the show.  Not that it is necessarily a true belief about the world -- the show is fiction, after all, there is no objective truth to be found -- but that Buffy herself believes it.

And, at least for the first three-and-a-bit seasons of the show, she does believe it.  Ford gets turned by Spike, and -- just as she promised him she would while he was alive-- Buffy waits up by his grave that night and she stakes the vampire he has become.  She doesn't congratulate him on his plan to beat cancer succeeding because -- as far as she's concerned -- it did not succeed, it could never have succeeded, and her old friend Ford is already dead.  In Doppelgangland, after meeting the alternate reality vampire Willow, the gang all react as if their Willow has died: they speak of her in the past tense, they offer up eulogies for her.  They don't wonder why Willow has decided to 'become' a vampire.  They mourn.  Buffy blames herself, because (she thinks) her best friend has just died.

That's the other thing the show is consistent about.  By Season 2, if not earlier, Buffy has deeply internalized the notion that she personally has a duty to protect her friends and her classmates from harm.  And when she fails in that duty she blames herself.  Willow's a vampire?  Well, that must be because Buffy called her "reliable".  Angelus turned Theresa into a vampire?  Well, of course that's Buffy's fault: she's to blame for everyone Angelus kills, isn't she?  Buffy's new college friend Eddie's a vampire now?  Well, that's definitely her fault too, so she'll apologize to him even as she readies herself to stake him.

But then there's Harmony.

Granted, Harmony Kendall is not a particularly admirable person in life.  She's a bully, she's shallow, she's fickle.  She does not treat Willow or Marcie Ross or Cordelia kindly or well.  And when Buffy Summers, Class Protector, asks her to, she risks her life, just like all of the graduating class of 1999 - without powers, without destiny, without training -- to try to stop the Mayor's Ascension.  And we see on the screen how it ends.  One of the vampires she's fighting gets close enough to bite her; and that's the last we ever see of the human girl called Harmony.

Harmony is not a good person, but she dies a hero. She dies fighting to save the world.

And how does Buffy react to finding out that Harmony has been turned into a vampire?  Does she mourn her?  She's known her for over two years, by this point, far longer than she'd known Eddie.  Longer than she'd known Theresa or Jesse as well. We first see her in The Harvest, as part of Cordelia's clique, and so -- since Buffy tried befriending Cordelia when she arrived in town -- it's possible that Harmony was one of the first people Buffy ever met in Sunnydale.

Does Buffy blame herself?  It was her plan, after all, to have her fellow classmates arm themselves and fight the Mayor and his vampires.  She had to have known there would be casualties.  None of them have superpowers.  They'd just given her an award for protecting them.  This isn't like Theresa or (as she mistakenly thought) Willow.  There's no complex, convoluted chain of reasoning required here.  Harmony is dead because Buffy decided her best option was to ask her to risk her life.  Most of the time Buffy is wrong to assume it's her fault people have died, but this time I think she might have a point.

Just how does Buffy react to finding out that Harmony is a vampire?  Well, she says this:

"Harmony's a vampire?  She must be dying without a reflection."

-- Buffy Summers, The Harsh Light Of Day

She makes a joke of it. And ... uh, that's it. Although Buffy will run into Harmony again (and again, and again...) that's the most reaction we ever see.  We never see any suggestion that Buffy blames herself for Harmony's death: we don't even see her acknowledge the fact that Harmony is dead. There's no apology for Harmony.  At best, she's a punchline.  The fact that Harmony's dead is funny.

So yeah, I think that kind of sucks, frankly, and I don't think it's consistent with how Buffy was acting as recently as two episodes earlier.

But also ... how, exactly, can Buffy only be finding out that Harmony is a vampire now?  Graduation Day was months ago.  Buffy stayed up by Ford's grave in case he'd been turned.  Did she not bother to do that for the kids she talked into dying in a fight against the Mayor?  For that matter, how does Willow not instantly know that the 'Harmony' she runs into must be a vampire?  Did she not even bother to find out which of her fellow students died in the battle?

(Or, maybe, is the point meant to be that Harmony got bitten in the battle, didn't actually die at all, but then somehow got bitten again later that summer? Everything I've read online suggests Harmony was meant to have died in the Season 3 finale, but I guess it's not explicitly stated in the show that she did...)

More generally ... well, I think having one of Buffy's old classmates come back as a vampire is a solid writing choice.  I don't think it would have been a good idea to have it be one of the regulars -- that would have been far too depressing -- so a minor recurring character makes a lot of sense. Personally I'd have liked to see School Hard's Sheila come back in a later episode, but failing that Harmony is as good a choice as any.  And -- since the show has already established that a vampire's personality owes a lot to the human they were in life -- it makes sense (albeit it's a bit mean-spirited) to have Harmony as a vampire be vapid and self-absorbed.

I don't think it's quite as funny a joke as the writers obviously did though.  Funny enough for one episode, maybe two.  Not twenty-eight (across the full runs of both Buffy and Angel).

[nestaenthusiast]

My Btvs opinions part 1

Okay so I finally finished Buffy the Vampire Slayer and just wanted to share my opinions on all of the main characters throughout the season. Forewarning though, some of this might be controversial!!

Buffy

Ah Buffy. The most main character to have ever lived. She truly slays. Like I just love everything about her. She’s fucking iconic. Shes confident. She is a total badass. She has her insecurities. She can’t drive. She is totally bisexual. She has amazing one liners and amazing outfits to go with them. The list goes on and on forever. Buffy has taught me a lot about believing in myself. Believing in my power. I’ve made a post on this before but a common theme in this show is Buffy feeling like she can’t do something and then stops herself and goes “wait a minute? I’m Buffy. Of course I can do this” and then she does it. It was truly inspiring to watch. Since watching the show I’ve had moments where I’ve doubted myself and then I literally thought of Buffy and got a boost of confidence. Buffy is so inspiring. She is one of those characters that I think will live in me for a long time. She is very close to my heart and honestly gives me strength. Ironically she wasn’t the reason I started watching this show but she’s the reason I stayed.

Faith

I am not joking when I say Faith was the reason I started watching this show in the first place. I saw an edit of her on TikTok and she was so fucking hot I instantly fell in love with her. So I decided I HAD to watch the show. So maybe my expectations were too big because I hate Faith now. Don’t get me wrong Faith is a greatly written character!! She was only in 26 episodes and is one of the most impactful characters on the show. But I still hate her. If it was any other show where Buffy wasn’t the main character, I might love her and be in the pro Faith hashtag. But because of the way Faith treated Buffy, I just can’t with her. Especially after s7. Like she just fucking irritates me. She is always wallowing in her self pity and jealousy of Buffy. She pushed all of her insecurities onto Buffy and made her seem like some prudish stuck up bitch when that was just far from the truth. She didn’t even have a clear image in her head of who Buffy actually was cause of how much she projected onto her. And she was sort of a pick me girl. And no arguments or deep analysis from her supporters will change my opinions on her because my feelings are based on my utter love and devotion to Buffy. When Faith and Buffy were friends I loved her!! I loved their friendship and I would have probably shipped them romantically. But when Faith started treating Buffy badly is when my feelings for her changed.

Willow

Willow is probably my all time favorite Tv witch. So much so that she made me want to start practicing witchcraft again. She has so many amazing quotes like “Occasionally I’m callous and strange” and is such a sweetie pie. And I have a ginormous crush on her. But Willow season 6-7 I do not like. She became very egotistical and I also blame her the most for bringing Buffy back. It is honestly very hard to separate my feelings for Willow from s1-5 and s6-7 cause that’s how much she annoyed me. But before I watched s6-7 I truly loved Willow. And Alyson Hannigan is a truly terrific actress. Dare I say one of the best in the entire show.

Xander

Okay here is where things might get controversial. I actually like Xander. There are definitely episodes where I hate him but for the most part I really like his character. He has a lot of flaws like being a “nice guy” and his occasional sexism. But most of that I feel it is just a sign of the times. That was how they wrote guys in the 90s and early 2000s. The reason I like him despite these things is that I like his heart. Like what he brings to the group is stability in the form of food or repairing Buffy’s house or driving them around or babysitting Dawn. I just love how they didn’t give him superpowers or a lot of intelligence but was still needed in the group. Or maybe not even needed just wanted. He gave what he could cause he loves Buffy and Willow. And he is so fucking hilarious. Like maybe we just have the same sense of humor but I legit find him funny. And he is one of the few characters who I liked more in later seasons that in years beginning.

Giles

I love love love loved Giles. He was such a dad to Buffy and supported her through so much. In s3 he was one of the few to understand the pain she felt with Angel dying and running away. I love how he made mistakes with Buffy but always tried to do his best. He was always there for Buffy whenever she needed him and was there for Willow at her worst and helped her rehabilitation. And most importantly—I love his sweater vests. As with almost every character in this show, I started to not like him in s6. I know they had to write him off cause he needed to be with his family in real life but it still makes me angry that he left Buffy at her absolute worst. It was just so out of character for him and it made no sense. That’s really the only thing I don’t like about his character. Also teen Giles and demon Giles will never fail to make me laugh hysterically.

[sapphic-lottienat]

What are your thoughts on Xander?

ahh getting right into the controversy, are we?

background info: look, i don't want to offend any xander stans. BUT. xander can just be a bit... off sometimes. don't get me wrong, he has his moments, but i think he's just what joss whedon wanted himself to be like, with all of the same misogyny and unrealism.

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

best quality: his girlfriends :D

worst quality: his misogyny, his bad jokes, the way he treats his friends, this list goes on

ship them with: look i love anya but i feel like she was just too good for him, so no one i guess

brotp them with: HE WAS SUCH A BAD FRIEND TO SO MANY PEOPLE but i guess itd be willow if i had to choose since theyve been friends for ages and ages

needs to stay away from: girls

misc. thoughts: the scene in dead man's party when buffy comes back and hes the one whos leading the whole blaming buffy thing

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, May 5 & Monday, May 6

MS. BARTON: (smiles widely) Oh, I'm cool, Willow. (realizes) Willow... That's a tree. (giggles) You're a tree! Willow and Buffy exchange a look. MS. BARTON: (looks around) Yeah, uh, uh, are there any nachos in here, little tree?

~~Band Candy~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

MedWhump May 2024 Day 4: Sedated (Angel/Maggie, T) by MadeInGold

MedWhump May 2024 Day 5: "Stay With Me" (Angel/Riley, T) by MadeInGold

The In Between Moments (Spike/Drusilla, T) by NAOA

Cavalry (Spike/Buffy, E) by HollyDB

A Soul to Steal (Darla/Lindsey, E) by lindseymcdonaldseyelashes

The Best Laid Plans (Buffy/Spike, T) by EllieRose101

Never Let Me Go (baby & Daddy) (Angel/Spike, E) by CoffeeHunt

Dusty Drabbles (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Indi_Shaw

Redemption (Buffy/Spike, R) by Spikelover4ever

A Very Bad Man (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dusty

The adventures of an unlikely duo (Buffy/Spike, G) by JSBirsa

[Chaptered Fiction]

Mr Pratt Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ClowniestLivEver

The Transfer Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Blackmysteria

Like A Hole In The Heart Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Geliot99

Secret Obsession Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

Afterburn: In The Dark Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

A Ripple In Time Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten

Something Lingers Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by goodbyetoyou

Meow Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten

Gargoyle Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by ClowniestLivEver

Something Lingers Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by goodbyetoyou

Haunted Hearse Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by simmony

Spike Has A Girlfriend Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever

Love Lives Here Chapter 58 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Passion4Spike

To All We Guard Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by simmony

Dusk Rising Chapter 44 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by HappyWhenItRains

The Boyfriend Swap Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

An odd Couple of grumpy old Brits Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Julikobold

Lightning in a Bottle Chapter 4 (Spike/Buffy, T) by violettathepiratequeen

Chasing Gold Chapter 4 (Faith/Buffy, M) by Gale_Weathers_the_storm

From Dancing to Dating Chapter 3 (Jenny/Giles, T) by Bobbie23

[Fandom Discussions]

Who did you root for in Destiny? by The Whirlwind

Fred's death and Angel's unique selflessness by The Whirlwind

If Faith betrayed the Mayor by The Whirlwind

Do you think Spike deserves to be seen as heroic for not giving up Dawn? by The Whirlwind

Was Angel a good father? by The Whirlwind

Angel and Lorne killing Lindsey by The Whirlwind

Would you rather be a member of? by The Whirlwind

Did Buffy and Spike make love the night before the final fight in "Chosen"? continued by multiple posters

Angel and Cordelia seeding in Buffy season 1? by Hecate25

Controversial opinion - The Body is overrated by Joshua

Anybody felt the same? by EfferV3sc3nt

Buffy skills by sadhungryandvirgin

Glory's Ritual by Primary-Commercial64

Do you think we will ever get a full feature length documentary on Buffy? by shocked_the_monkey

Buffy's martial art by FoxIndependent4310

Buffy in "Dead Things" (B 6.13): "You always hurt the one you love." by beeemkcl

Spike and the end of s6... by Substantial_Raisin80

I just realized Spike was named after Boris Karloff by redtert

Who brought Angel back? by BiggTS

just rewatched 6x07, I forgot how good it is by JumpBetter7861

Anya’s lack of empathy by BetterFriend9895

What are some dark what-if's of the show? by brwitch

What's your favorite Connor moments and why are they his monologues in Peace Out and Home? by mbene913

Spike’s mom by diamondapple17

What buffyverse character is this? by melaniemoth13

What Is Your Best and/or Worst of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 2? Any Thoughts? by Big-Restaurant-2766

Riley Does Not Resent Buffy Being Stronger by Moon_Logic

Becoming a Vampire and The Ship of Theseus by Moon_Logic

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[juniperhillpatient]

i think i just really enjoy human villains in fantastic settings when it’s done right. because possibly my most controversial buffy opinion is that the trio are the best villains narratively (rivaled closely by angelus & faith). of course glory & the mayor are more powerful & make for better fight scenes. but the trio is scarier in a way that makes you think, & gets under your skin (at least in my opinion).

having three goofy nerdy guys, the kind who’s predatory views on women would have been played for laughs during the early seasons (see: ‘go fish.’ see: half of what comes out of xander’s mouth) as the main villains in a season focused on the horror of depressing mundanity is just SO scary in a way that monsters & vampires can’t be. not in this season, not after watching glory defeated. season 6 is all about how buffy has to face the music that she’s a grown up now. she has to work a boring fast food job. she has to worry about finances. she has to take care of her little sister. ‘normal again’ is so explicit about the way the horror of this season is the lack of monsters where they should be. and that makes SO much sense after season 5.

buffy has fought a god. she’s died to save the world. you really can’t ramp it up from there in terms of scary monsters. so truly it was just narratively genius to not even try in season 6. instead we see what happens AFTER you save the world & that’s somehow darker than the prospect of dying to save the world in itself. ‘once more with feeling’ is pretty explicit about this theme with lines like ‘now the battle’s done & we kinda won so we sound our victory cheer. where do we go from here?’

buffy can fight vampires or a hell god or a monster snake or an evil government agency & win. but what about a guy with a gun? what about the crushing reality that even people who are charming or funny (andrew), even people we’ve been kind to in the past (jonathan) can be influenced by people who are fundamentally cruel (warren) to do dark & twisted things? the moment in ‘dead things’ where katrina accuses the trio of attempted rape is such a turning point. the trio think of themselves as silly menaces. comic book villains. super villains with a super hero rival. but they’re none of those things. they’re 3 human men who represent the type of guy that most women have encountered & that makes them so much more disturbing to watch than any monster

[dufrau]

Your take on Willow makes me really curious as to your take on Spike and whether or not you seen him as redeemable?

This is a complicated question that I don't think I have a satisfactory answer for. It's complicated because of the way they wrote Spike and his vampirism.

Angel was written like a completely different person than Angelus. Like it was acknowledged that he had been sort of a shithead before he was turned but the Angel we know in the two series is a person with a soul who is trying to atone and be good, whereas Angelus is a soulless monster who only wants to hurt people.

Spike isn't written that way. He is written as a more thoughtful character than Angelus even when he was still a villain, and he was softened even pre- initiative brain chip with his whole capable of being in love with Drusilla thing. And then he was played for comic relief, and then the Spuffy stuff which was helped along by the chip but the chip was never a soul, you know?

So it's harder to separate the Spike without a soul from the Spike with a soul because he acts like he has a soul a lot of the time even when he doesn't.

Not having a soul is Angel's excuse for every awful thing he ever did. Is he redeemable? Of course that's the whole plot of his show but it hinges on the viewer believing that yes, he is.

By the rules of the show, Spike should therefore be redeemable. But the vibes of my morality tell me I should not forgive him. But I do find myself forgiving him? What part of that is the desire to forgive the angsty bad boy and what part of that is earned by the narrative? I honestly don't know!

I guess it's also easier for me to forgive him because that scene was staged and played so horrifically that there was no ambiguity as to what it was, and he actually directly sought punishment/redemption for it. Whereas the Willow/Tara scene was wrapped in a happy disney princess musical number and I don't feel like either Willow or the show ever really reckoned with it? And because even Spuffy shippers acknowledge it was fucked up whereas Willow/Tara shippers largely do not?

Anyway. I dont have an answer. I have thought a lot about it for years and years and my conclusion is i dont know!

[tuiyla]

I’m not big on hot takes so I don’t mind if most of my strong-ish Buffy opinions aren’t controversial or anything. I’m fairly certain no one will stone me if I say I rolled my eyes every time Riley was on screen. The opinions could be the most polarizing, from what I’ve seen so far:

Season 6 is the best season (keeping in mind that I haven’t seen season 7 yet)

Dawn is a realistic teen girl and a likeable character

Angel is a good ch particularly on his own show

Cordy was great in BtVS, too, not just in ATS

season 3 of BtVS wasn’t nearly as cohesive as it could have been and dare I say the storyline would have been better executed in something like season 5 (with alternations of course)

Willow’s addiction storyline was interesting and more or less well done, if too on the nose and simplistic as an allegory

[itistimeforusalltodecidewhoweare]

Buffy Summers, Natasha Romanoff aaaand Elizabeth Swann for the character ask game 👀

you should've seen the way i just started grinning in class <3

Buffy Summers

How I feel about this character i love buffy so much. i've been stuck mid season 5 on my rewatch for ages because i don't want things to happen. it's rough out here

All the people I ship romantically with this character zero controversy here i think because it's angel, spike and faith

My non-romantic OTP for this character buffy and willow mean everything to me. but also giles!!! 😭

My unpopular opinion about this character idk if this is unpopular but i thought buffy forgetting everything after "i will remember you" was increddibly satisfying from a narrative perspective (even if it hurt like a bitch). also sarah michelle gellar is such an underrated actress.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. i wish we'd gotten more time/interactions of buffy with other slayers!!! introducing the concept of "there always needs to be a slayer" for a main character that dies in season one only to underutilize it should be criminal

Natasha Romanoff

How I feel about this character sometimes i forget how much i love nat and then i watch an instagram reel or something and i'm like HER

All the people I ship romantically with this character … see, no one actively. i see steve and nat in a sort of schrödinger's ship way where i both like them and don't like them at the same time. i'm very neutral about buckynat, but then i've never read many of the comics.

My non-romantic OTP for this character steve, yelena, clint. probably in that order.

My unpopular opinion about this character i liked the black widow movie!! a lot!! even if it came 5+ years too late!!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET NAT BACK OR AT LEAST AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF HER. WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE GET ALTERNATE GAMORA BUT NOT ALTERNATE NAT. i will never forgive endgame's sins

Elizabeth Swann

How I feel about this character honestly one of the reasons i'm bi probably. love of my life. made me consider pirate as a job prospect at eleven years old.

All the people I ship romantically with this character it's gotta be will turner. gotta be. as much as i love both norrington and jack as characters, nah. canon did right with that one

My non-romantic OTP for this character the dynamic she has with barbossa in at world's end is a delight to watch—as is the slightly awkward "we used to be engaged and because of me your life went to shit" situation with norrington in dead man's chest

My unpopular opinion about this character okay like this is me being nitpicky about realistic things in a fantasy action film but like. sword fighting is hard. as is firing a musket. why (apart from her short fumble with the decorative sword in the first movie) is she naturally good at all these things? we couldn't have gotten a side remark of her training between movies or something if we don't get to see it happen?? anyway this might be my love for training sequences speaking

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. never. do you hear me. never not in a million years would elizabeth swann, elected pirate king, stay on a goddamn island for ten years. are you goddamn insane?? no!!

give me a character;

[coraniaid]

In case you hadn't guessed, my most controversial Buffy-adjacent opinion is that I think vampires are pretty boring and that romanticising them is kind of silly (and I think the show itself worked much better when it remembered that).

[buffy-targaryen]

What is the most selfless act Angel has done?

In my opinion he has done two selfless acts, and one sort of selfless act.

Controversial opinion maybe, but I think IWRY he was technically selfless in what he did, but there was also a kind of ironic selfishness as well? Angel can’t be happy unless he is unhappy, he will never be free of his guilt, and by becoming human (especially whilst Buffy is still the Slayer), he can’t help people and will still be stuck with what he did as a vampire. I think the only way he could ever really be happy with Buffy was if they both got to be normal people, so whilst I think he made the right choice for good reasons, ultimately I think it was the best choice for him as well.

The next most selfless thing he did was to give up the Shanshu prophecy in order to take out Wolfram and Hart and Blackthorn. After all those years of fighting, he willingly gave up his only hope to take down evil and that was selfless of him.

I personally think he was the most selfless when he gave up Connor though. Angel loved Connor and it was heartbreaking seeing what happened to his son and how Connor ended up hating him. Everything his son went through, all the mistakes Angel made and he willingly gave up his only son to give him the life he always should have had, and then once again took on the memory when no one else was allowed to. Even when Connor came back and said that he now remembered but he didn’t want to take their relationship past a casual acquaintance, Angel never pushed Connor.

Idk I just think he’s a really good guy and he gets so much shit when he doesn’t deserve it ☹️ he does good things and gets punished at every opportunity and it hurts 💔

[viviane-lefay]

Fandom Meme

I guess this here needed an update. It’s been a while ... several years to be precise.

If you want to do this, too, feel welcome to. ^^

—

FAVOURITE …

LITERATURE

Fantasy & Sci-Fi

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, etc.

M.Z. Bradley’s Avalon-Novels & Firebrand

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter

Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles

Medieval & Antique Literature, Myth & Folklore

Ovid’s Metamorphoses

The Edda

Nibelungenlied

works of Walther von der Vogelweide

Arthurian Romances - like Erec, Iwein, Parzival, etc.

Gregorius

Aeneasroman

Iliad & Odyssee

Murasaki Shikibu’s “Genji Monogatari” (the language is really beautiful, but I can’t stand the protagonist, old philanderer that he is)

some Classics

Pride & Prejudice

Wuthering Heights

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

The Picture of Dorian Grey

Dracula

Faust I+II

Macbeth

The Life and Opinions of Tomcat Murr

works of the Brothers Grimm

Siddharta

some “regular” novels

Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”, “Brida”

Nobara Takemoto’s “Shimotsuma Monogatari”

some fanfiction

“Father’s Heart” & “Process of Elimination” by Fern Withy

“Antiquity’s Corollary” by gonnabefamous

biographical books

Mineko Iwasaki’s “Geisha of Gion”

Paramahansa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi”

Baird T. Spalding’s “Life and Teachings of the Masters of the East”

interesting non-fiction

such as science-related books / websites

those of a more metaphysical & occult subject matter

or those about more controversial topics, such as Extraterrestrials, so-called “conspiracy theories”, and the like (Problem!? Your loss. I don’t see why I shouldn’t look into these topics. It certainly is interesting, and it’s quite arrogant to assume we have it all figured out. Besides, no one says you have to believe anything you read, but it sure can’t hurt to approach things with a more open mind, and to just look where evidence leads us, when it presents itself.)

SHOWS

Fantasy

Game of Thrones (until D&D started messing things up)

Princess Fantaghiró

Buffy

Wednesday (it`s not too bad, but still quite entertaining)

Sci-Fi

Star Wars - The Clone Wars

The Mandalorian

Star Trek TOS

Doctor Who

some Asian dramas

Gou - Himetachi no Sengoku

Atsu-Hime

Ryomaden

Neko Samurai

some Animé

Avatar - The Last Airbender

several works of Hayao Miyazaki

Leiji Matsumoto’s “Queen Millenia” & “Maetel Legend”

Sailor Moon

Naruto  (not anymore, but I still keep it here, for nostalgia reasons)

FANDOM QUESTIONS

DO YOU PREFER REAL-LIFE OR ANIMATED SHOWS?

Both, although there is a definite bias towards the former.

With the latter it greatly depends on the overall quality of the show, as well as the style in which it is presented.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FANDOM?

As a child I had quite some:

Disney Ducks, Pippi Longstocking, Ronja Rovarsdóttir, Princess Fantaghirò, Queen Millenia, and The Addams Family.

While I never was a gamer myself, I very much loved to watch others play games - especially the classic Sonic games, as well as the Super Mario ones … which you can (somewhat) call a childhood fandom of mine, too.

WHAT’S THE LONGEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN IN A FANDOM? WHAT FANDOM WAS IT?

I'm in the Star Wars fandom since the age of twelve, which, in fact, was some years before the prequels came out. (yes, I'm a little older than most of you here, just in case you were wondering ... the same age as RotJ to be precise)

WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU EVER CONTRIBUTED TO A FANDOM?

A drawing of Princess Leia, if I remember correctly.

A PERSON WHO GOT YOU INTO A FANDOM. WHAT FANDOM DID THEY PULL YOU INTO?

@mikeilo got me interested in Prince Phobos (W.I.T.C.H.) several years ago, but to say that I was “involved” in the fandom is a bit too much. It was more about this particular character, though.

NAME A FANDOM YOU DIDN’T CARE / THINK  ABOUT UNTIL YOU SAW IT ALL OVER TUMBLR.

No idea.

Tbh, I hardly search for fandom stuff on Tumblr - given experience showed me that the majority here and I don’t get along, taste-wise.

HAS TUMBLR CAUSED YOU TO STOP LIKING ANY FANDOMS? IF SO, WHICH AND WHY?

No, why should I let a community affect my love for a fandom!? It’s not the fandoms’ / characters’ / authors’ fault that some people are just plain disagreeable and obtrusive.

If anything, it has just reinforced my aversion against the things I disliked from the get-go - especially if there is some “activist” fanaticism, connected with aggressive, proselytizing behaviour involved.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM(S)?

Ambivalent.

There are some obnoxious brats, which should be ignored at best. Drama is a waste of time and energy!

Then again, there are also some very nice people out there.

Most of the time I prefer to have just a few contacts, anyway - i.e. like-minded ones I & my preferences & convictions get along with. Those, I do appreciate greatly, though.

5 FAVOURITE CHARACTERS FROM 5 DIFFERENT FANDOMS.

Star Wars

Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa, Padmé Amidala, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade-Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan Kryze, Merrin, Asajj Ventress, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Dagan Gera, Santari Khri, Cal Kestis, Arc Trooper Fives, Captain Rex, Hondo Ohnaka, Greez Dritus, Firmus Piett, Chewbacca, R2D2

Tolkien

Mairon / Sauron (but only my headcanon version), Nienna, Aulë, Olórin, Aiwendil, Rúmil of Tirion, Finrod, Glorfindel, Maglor, Thranduil, Tauriel, Lúthien, Galadriel, Nerdanel, Haleth, Eowyn, Faramir, Aragorn, Kili, Samwise

Harry Potter

Severus Snape, Luna Lovegood, Fred & George Weasley, Hagrid, Andromeda Tonks, Regulus Black, Leta Lestrange, the genuinely nice Slytherin students that JKR forgot to mention, Queenie Goldstein, Newt Scamander

Avatar - The last Airbender

Ozai, Ursa, Zuko, Iroh, Katara, Toph, Suki, Sokka, Ty Lee, Aang, Kyoshi, Roku, Master Piandao, Cabbage Guy, Appa

Legend of Zelda

Link, Zelda, Midna, Impa, Purah, Robbie, Urbosa, Riju, Patricia, Revali, Teba, Tulin, Kass, Mipha, Sidon, Yona, Dorephan, Daruk, Yunobo, Bludo, Deku Tree, Terrako, Epona, some Koroks & Bokos (they're a bit anoying, but cute)

Only five characters per section, wasn’t it!? … Nevermind.

A CHARACTER YOU USED TO DISLIKE BUT EVENTUALLY LIKED

Jaime Lannister (book version)

A CHARACTER YOU USED TO LIKE BUT EVENTUALLY DISLIKED

Loki

THE CHARACTER EVERYONE ELSE LOVES THAT YOU DON'T

Melkor

James Potter

Sheldon Cooper

AN EXAMPLE OF A CHARACTER YOU RELATE TO AND WHY

There are many characters I can relate to for one reason or another - my fav villains, for instance, but I think I'll choose a completely different example here (one not even from a fandom of mine), because of an aspect we share, also in regards to rl experiences. It's about something we both did to achieve a desired end, even though the means were a bit different.

So, my pick is Yennefer of Vengerberg.

Why!?

There is a lovely fanmade song about her, and there is one line that describes it quite nicely.

No more explanations here - I'll just let the lyrics speak for themselves:

"I paid in blood so I'd be beautiful"

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE FEMALE / MALE SHIPS?

Mairon & Morvanië (an OC of mine - the “Vani” I happen to mention sometimes)

Finrod Felagund & Amarië

Beren Erchamion & Lúthien Tinúviel

Aragorn Elessar & Arwen Undómiel

Anakin Skywalker & Padmé Amidala

Dagan Gera & Santari Khri

Cal & Merrin

Obi-Wan Kenobi & Satine Kryze

Spock & Uhura

Ivo Robotnik & Adelia Sigrún Sharpe (another OC)

Ozai & Ursa

Zuko & Katara

Link & Zelda

King Boo & Hellen Gravely

Hades & Persephone

Vlad Dracula & Mina Harker

Gomez & Morticia Addams

Rhett Butler & Scarlett O'Hara

Mr. Darcy & Lizzie Bennett

Spike & Buffy Summers

Severus Snape & Lily Evans

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MALE / MALE OR FEMALE / FEMALE SHIPS?

Albus Dumbledore / Gellert Grindelwald

Willow Rosenberg / Tara Maclay

I can’t say that I’m all that emotionally involved in any of these, though, other than finding them somewhat interesting regarding the dynamic between the characters.

If these weren’t canonical pairings already, I would probably never even have thought of them as a romantic shipping constellation at all, as it’s a theme that neither concerns, nor interests me when it comes to the dynamic between characters of the same sex.

Friendships are an entirely different matter, though. But that wasn’t the subject of this question here, was it!?

DO YOU HAVE ANY 3-WAY SHIPS? IF SO, WHAT?

No! I don’t like this theme at all.

A PAIRING YOU SHIP THAT YOU DON’T THINK ANYONE ELSE SHIPS.

My OC / canon ones … alas. T_T

WHAT’S A SHIP THAT YOU WANT TO SHIP PUBLICLY, BUT EVERYONE ON TUMBLR HATES IT, SO YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT ABOUT IT?

I’m just doing my thing. If anyone doesn’t like it then that isn’t my problem.

EXAMPLES OF NON-SEXUAL/-ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS THAT YOU LIKE

PARENT & CHILD

Darth Vader & Leia Organa - The father / daughter dynamic between these two has always fascinated me a lot.

Mairon & Alcanis - The "vaniron" kid, also a complicated case. (OC headcanon)

Ozai & Zuko - Dramatic ...

Severus Snape & Harry Potter - I love the snily ship, so I headcanon Snape as Harry's biological father, because why not ... it's interesting.

CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS

Anakin & Obi-Wan & Ahsoka

Luke & Han

Cal & Cere & Greez & BD-1

Cal & Dagan

Frodo & Sam

Finrod & Beren

Fingon & Maedhros

Ratbag & Ranger (from the Tolkien-based "Shadows of War" game - the only known orc friendship)

YOUR FAVOURITE THEMES / FANDOM TRENDS.

fantastical / mythological elements

As someone who has always been fascinated by ancient myths, I can’t help but love this stuff.

occult / magical elements

Given I am interested in these subjects, I very much like to see, and incorporate, these themes in the fictional universes and characters I like.

anachronistic elements / fusion of different historical period styles

For example, say, Cyber Victorian (garments that combine Victorian era designs with a Matrix style twist, plus futuristic technology, and a setting in a likewise futuristic world)

scientifically sound elements and reasoning

I think this is a quite important aspect, especially in sci-fi.

philosophically inspiring + visionary elements

Such as caste-free social structures & natural law anarchy (not to be confused with the “rule of force” one, let alone the woke version).

scientists, explorers, philosophers & (martial) artists

I just happen to enjoy seeing these types of characters.

sarcasm, dry humour & banter

It certainly adds some “spice” to the mixture.

characters with a scorpionic & virgoan influence

Many of my faves have this, especially the scorpionic one.

depth and complexity in character portrayal & a well thought-out backstory

Should be a given, but unfortunately isn't, more often than not - especially these days. Shame!

complicated, long and well thought-out redemption arcs

If not canon, I’ll do it myself.

I've always been fascinated by the concept of redemption.

In connexion with my favourite villains, it is a theme I am quite obsessed with and can't do without, as I find evil as such not appealing at all.

In fact, what makes these characters attractive to me is their power & potential, and not their misuse of it. The process of redemption finally brings said potential out and puts it to good use, which I find deeply satisfying.

Plus there is also the element of defying the forces of darkness, who always twist and pervert - and this is the ultimate solution to it, making everyone and everything whole again. Redemption arcs are a great "f**k you" to said forces & I love them all the more for that!

happy developments & outcomes for my faves

Because I simply can't have it otherwise.

villain/anti-hero & (anti-)heroine pairings (or vice versa)

It’s a dynamic that I find particularly intriguing - always have - also regarding the redemption theme.

partners that are of equal rank in a relationship - plus healthy relationships, for a change

Especially where you least expect it (see pairing constellation), and where both partners had to work on themselves to achieve it (i.e. realism doesn’t hurt, now does it!?).

happy and loving (not to mention enduringly passionate) committed relationships / marriage

Just like Morticia & Gomez ... *sigh*

monogamous unions + fidelity

Guys as committed as Anakin, Snape, and Gomez are the best!

eternal love / twin flames / soulmates / however you want to call it

Regarding OTPs this theme is an absolute must!

het content

Why yes, that’s just my personal preference, as that is something I can actually relate to.

not overly sexualized portrayals of relationships

I just don't want to see the explicit content (graphic description of genitals, for instance). Most of the time it's enough when it's just hinted at.

Or if you want to write about the sexual act, then at least express yourself in a more pleasant manner - it doesn't always have to be this crude, pornified language.

If anything, make the characters make love - with all the emotional intensity, intimacy, and tenderness that should be there - and not just plain fuck, like mere beasts.

portrayal of female characters where being badass and being feminine isn’t mutually exclusive

Because it is NOT!

physical beauty / perfection + humility

I can't stand it when people are smug about something such as winning the genetic lottery - be proud of your actual achievements, but not about something like this ... if anything be grateful for your luck.

the apotheosis theme

Mortality sucks ... and who wouldn’t want to ditch everything awful that comes with it!? Like diseases, aging - begone!

INVENT A RANDOM AU FOR ANY FANDOM (WE ALWAYS NEED MORE IDEAS).

Star Wars

Darth Vader doesn’t die and gets the chance for an actual redemption arc, atoning for his ill deeds as the Dark Lord - as an act of purification and reclaiming his original, true name - as well as helping the Alliance free the galaxy. (given how powerful he is, his contribution would be immense)

more importantly - he finally has the opportunity to make up with and actually get to know his children - especially Leia. That has always bugged me a great deal. Ani didn’t even get the chance to talk to his daughter. There is just too much focus on the father-son dynamic anyway. Nothing against Luke – love him, but it’s just not right that Leia was being left out of it almost entirely. Plus she is the one that resembles her father more (personality-wise) after all. I’d so have loved to see a confrontation of these two. (not to mention some cute father-daughter moments, eventually)

~*~

I also made an AU for an OTP of mine (Dagan Gera & Santari Khri) from the Jedi : Survivor - Game

[three-seperate-johns]

Eight shows to get to know you :) I was tagged by @thetideseternaltune

I’ve taken the ‘getting to know me’ part to heart - I don’t even follow tags for all these shows on tumblr. They are not necessarily my favourite right now, nor are they the shows I write/read fanfic for.

In no particular order:

Numb3rs - I grew up without a tv, so numb3rs was the first show I really picked out for myself, and I started watching it when I was ~15. It’s the only show I’ve ever gone out and bought every season of for myself. It’s just a really solid monster of the week detective show, with subtle and charming characters who are not too closely involved in the plots they investigate. Which is exactly my jam. One of my friends watched Numb3rs and chatted with me briefly about it, but I’ve otherwise never fangirled over it with anyone. Even though I still count it as one of my favourite shows of all time 15 years down the track. I’ve actually never read fanfic for Numb3rs, and I know next to nothing about the making of. I wouldn’t recognise the names of the actors or any of the showrunners, which is actually my ideal media consumption experience xD 

Buffy - First show I ever watched while surrounded by people who are obsessed with the show, and I had an excellent time with it. It was interesting because all my friends were teenagers when they watched it for the first time, but I was in my early twenties, and it was really interesting to see where my experiences of the show diverged from theirs. I don’t usually read Buffy fanfic, and some of my Buffy opinions are pretty controversial :P I think seasons 4-6 are the best, and I love Riley which seems to really bother some of my friends xD

Fallet - This show is a fucking fever dream. It took me a whole episode to work out that it was a comedy, it had some real ‘Douglas Adams’ vibes at the end, which was fun. It’s a murder mystery set in sweden that uses a mix of swedish and english, and it is best described as ‘kooky.’ My only IRL friend who watched it (after much nagging) did so while slightly feverish with covid. They seemed to have a good time, but I would not recommend doing this xD It’s wild enough without the delirium.

Vera - the quintessential ‘slow moving, episodic, british murder mystery.’ Vera is awesome (especially in the early seasons) for just being really fucking good. My favourite thing about this show is the leading lady - Vera is a grumpy, frumpy, middle aged woman without a maternal bone in her body. I am so sick of women needing to be kind and selfless to be a protagonist.

VGHS - now for something completely different! It’s a show made by a youtube special effects guy about a high school where you learn to play videogames. And it made me cry. A death notification set to an in-universe laugh track? Sign me up! It’s mostly super goofy, and the main character is way less interesting than all his friends, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Probably the closest thing to a pure comedy I will watch, but it makes it oddly poignant moments all the sweeter. Also, 10/10 ending. I don’t read fanfic of it either, and these days I’m waaay too old for the characters personally. I definitely had a bit of a thing for the main character’s gf tho. Ngl.

Shetland - I do this thing where I avoid looking at fan content for a show if I’m enjoying it on its own merits, because I want to experience it without the brain rot. Kinda weird, but it works for me. Shetland is funny because I could immediately see a pairing I wanted to explore, but I waited years for the show to go downhill before I let myself open ao3. Luckily, I think they caught up with the books, and changed hands around season 4ish, because the quality nosedived and I have read and written so many things for Jimmy/Duncan, and do not intend to stop xD I actually haven’t had the heart to watch the latest season, because I don’t think I’ll enjoy it all that much. Cool theme song though! And everyone should watch the early short seasons.

Capitani - I hate the hays code. And not just because of the moralising and the homophobia - it makes storytelling predictable. The impact it continues to have on all english speaking media is never more obvious than when you watch something from another part of the world and are completely blindsided by the emotional arc. Capitani fucking killed me. I’ve read that Capitani is Luxembourg’s only globally successful media product. I don’t know if that’s true, but I wasn’t sure if Luxembourg was a country or a city before I watched it, so it’s probably not far from the truth. I now have a fun little rap song in Luxembourgish on my spotify playlist! It won my heart forever when they set up a joke and completed it four episodes later without any call backs. Imagine having that much faith in your audience! I would read the shit out of fanfiction of the fucked up love story between Capitani and Karla, but unfortunately, there is none :(

MASH - My ex step father owned every season of MASH on DVD, and when I was 14 my friend and I would rush to my house to watch them while having sit-up competitions. I don’t know why this was a fun activity for two 14 year old girls, but I have so many fond memories of this time. It was the first tv show I ever watched sequentially, and the first show I ever watched start to finish. It was also the reason I beat all the boys in my class when we had to do those fitness tests in PE! xD I’m personally a bigger fan of the show post-season 3 when they had the big tone shift. While there are definitely funny scenes, the image in my head when someone mentions MASH is always Charles smashing up his record player. So while it’s famous as a comedy, that’s not really how I remember it. I keep meaning to go look up the show on ao3, because I am sooo curious about what the common pairings are, and what kind of tone the fics take.

I had a lot of fun with this :) Thanks for tagging me! I’m way too shy to tag eight people, but would love to hear about the viewing past of: @republicofgaypirates @galadriel1010 @leliesblou @scullyverse @justplainsalty