#the episode is called Chosen and Buffy chose Spike

[elysianfieldsarchive]

21 years ago, Buffy chose her Champion.

21 years ago, she didn't go up those stairs.

21 years ago, Buffy chose the person she wanted to be with on what could have been her last night on earth.

"She'll tell you. Someday, she'll tell you."

21 years ago, she did.

21 years ago, Spuffy fans were gifted with the most romantic imagery from the whole damn show.

Happy 21 years of Spuffy being endgame.

[hello-nichya-here]

Just watched final episodes of Buffy and my spuffy heart is insanely happy about Spike's speech in touched and how Buffy finally seems to understand just how much she means to him.

And you right, the Bangel kiss was so forced and Buffy basically told him to get out of her show 'cause she had a new man lmaoooo

Spuffy in "Touched" is on a whole other level of greatness. Everything about Spike's speech to Buffy is perfect.

For starters, Spike told off everyone for being absolute dicks to Buffy and daring to kick her out of her own home and wander through a completely apocalyptic Sunnydale by herself. Not wanting to go along with her plan was one thing, but stabbing her in the back like that was horrible - and Spike calling them a bunch of sad traitors was PERFECT (plus, him giving Giles a piece of his mind after the plot to kill him was so satisfying).

Spike is just so sweet to Buffy during the entire conversation - with the ocasional "You're insufferable for not believing how awesome you are" and "Want me to kill Faith for you? 'Cause I would totally kill Faith for you."

(Compared to the time Angel told Buffy to get out of his show because he had a new slayer girlfriend, and it's just soooo clear who Buffy and Angel should be dating instead of each other XD)

The most important part of the speech is not even how it makes Buffy understand the depth of Spike's love for her, but how, like he said, he truly understands her like no one else did.

"I love what you are, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength, I've seen the absolute best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy"

Spike was Buffy's sworn enemy, reluctant ally, willing ally and supportive friend, toxic boyfriend, sweet boyfriend she mistreated, and now he is her champion, the one that will help her save the world - again. OF COURSE he knows her in a way nobody else did.

Him calling her "the one" - both as in "his one true love" and "the chosen one" - is also perfect, because Buffy's entire conflict is feeling she will never have a fullfiling life, with meaningful relationships, because, like the first slayer said "The slayer doesn't walk this world" and "death is your gift." She fears she's too much of a hero to be a person.

And then in comes Spike. The dude that regularly calls her just "Slayer." The guy she's treated worse than she ever treated anyone else (including herself, which is saying a lot) BECAUSE of her struggly to deal with being the Slayer AND in love with anyone, let alone a souless vampire.

And he just embraces both sides of her. The kind, vulnerable girl longing for connection. The ruthless, powerful hero that doesn't need anyone. He LOVES both sides of her.

But, more importantly, said love is at it's most selfless on that moment.

"I'm not asking you for anything. When I say I love you, it's not 'cause I want you, or 'cause I can't have you. It's got nothing to do with me"

It doesn't matter that Buffy isn't perfect, that she mistreated him in the past, that she feels she doesn't deserve him. Hell, it doesn't even matter if she can't reciprocate Spike's feelings (even though we know she does). He still loves her, and his love will always be hers regardless of anything and everything.

Spike is being incredibly honest and vulnerable in this scene - and it allows Buffy to finally accept not only his love for her, but to give him her heart too.

I've already said over and over that I don't think Seeing Red worked, but my God, it is such a big deal to have Buffy ask Spike to come to bed with her after it, especially since the episode deliberately compares it too all the other couples in the show having sex. It's the proof that she has not only forgiven him, but also managed to fully trust him to never hurt her again (remember her saying to Giles "You sent away the one person who's been watching my back" and her chosing him as her champion instead of Angel).

But THE thing that makes me insane about this moment, and that the Spuffy fandom surprisingly doesn't talk about nearly enough, is the implications of their conversation about their night of cuddles.

Everyone is always going on and on about how that was the best night of Spike's life, and how that would have been his moment of "perfect happiness" if he was under the same curse as Angel - yet I haven't seen nearly enough people going crazy over tha fact that Buffy then confirms to Spike that SHE FELT THE SAME WAY, IT MEANT JUST AS MUCH AS IT DID TO HIM.

Buffy went through hell that night, as being pushed away by all of her loved ones confirmed her worst fears - and it was still what led to her moment of "perfect happiness" just because Spike was there to support her through it all. She even goes as far as saying she only got the weapon that will help her defeat the bad guy because of the strength Spike gave her that night.

Also, the way she gently touches his face during that talk, AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Anyways, they are soulmates and if you don't agree, you're wrong.

[prose-for-hire]

Guardian of the lost soul

Pairing: Spike x reader

Request: if what the reader dress as an angel (kinda like Supernatural angels) and she finds the scoobies gang  in the haunted house with the costumes magically change them. (you know the episode ^-^)  only this time , Spike sees her wings and in angel terms that's a soulmate.

Requested by: @everlastingartist​

A/N: Kind of a soulmate au I think? I am not familiar with the Supernatural angels (yet - I plan on actually watching it soon) I did google them and I’m still none the wiser lol. So this is my own interpretation of what was requested! I chose a guardian angel, and twisted it in my own way. It is very made up but that’s what I’m here to do!

Also I mashed up two Halloween episodes together for this one but Spike doesn’t have a chip. Not even a soul. But he finds his soulmate.🖤🦇

You loved Halloween in Sunnydale, it never disappointed. The pumpkins were freshly carved, there was candy everywhere you turned and kids really did love dressing up and making a nuisance of themselves. Even when you were running for your life the mood always picked up somewhere after midnight. And hey, being friends with a very protective Slayer had its benefits.

You were basically skipping around the streets, you were excited about going to the haunted house. You had tried to convince Willow, along with buffy to take the ghost costume off but she flat out refused. Even when you begged all the way to the party. You wanted to get to the end so you could join the party with your friends and you waited briefly for everyone to show up so you could enter together. While you and Willow waited outside, a figure in a dark cloak pushed past you. There was something about them that you recognised but they muttered some insult at you for being in their way so you decided to just ignore them. Eventually, everyone arrived and you were able 

You had chosen to dress as an angel. A guardian angel. Not the stereotypical kind, one you had read of in some of Giles’ thick mythology books. You had been bored and the passages had been surprisingly interesting in an I’m-so-bored-I’d-read-the-back-of-a-cereal-packet kind of way. It spoke of the kinds of angels, of the truth about how they operate rather than those spoken of in popular culture. Some of your costume was white however as you wanted people to at least recognise what you had come as (although nobody except Willow had got it). 

You went through the various rooms together and had a laugh at some of the more ridiculous spooks in the house. There had been a slight tension a few words exchanged but mostly you were having a nice time. Everyone was squabbling over which way to go next and you had lost interest, managing to break away from the others.

As you did this, you saw the hooded figure again. You were sure you recognised the flashes you had seen of the person’s face. You left your friends for a moment to tap them on the shoulder and who should turn to face you but the big bad of the moment. Spike. You hadn’t faced him alone yet but he had always singled you out when you were with the others. The conversation always turned suggestive, which annoyed Buffy to no end and made you try to hide yourself when you were with the others.

You couldn’t lie and say you didn’t love the attention though. Hope that he would catch your eye. You longed for even a moment alone with him, although you were well aware of the danger. You couldn’t help like him but there was no way you would ever admit that to your friends. 

“What’re you doing here?” You asked, trying to suppress a smile.

“Thought I’d drop by… see what tasty… treats Halloween has to offer” He closed the space between you as his voice became a little huskier with every step. His hand was on the wall, palm flat against it. His arm blocking you in as he slowly scanned your body before returning to your face.

“What has the devil got in store for you this Halloween do you reckon pet?” He asked, the smirk audible in his voice, “Somethin’ naughty no doubt…” He added, biting his lip teasingly.

“I’m an angel. Always preferred them anyway” You shrugged. It had been a very low blow and when you saw his expression darkening into anger rather than lust, you backtracked – knowing better than to get him mad, “To the devil, I mean”

“Bollocks – where are the wings? The halo? And you’re not foolin’ anyone wearing that white-” he gestured wildly to the corresponding area where each item should have been with the hand that wasn’t leaning against the wall. You smiled, about to respond when someone interrupted.

“Spike!” Buffy shouted, having turned to find you in the haunted house. She was relieved to see you (as she had lost the others) but she was not pleased to see the vampire that still had you boxed in, pressed pretty close against you.

Buffy made light work of hauling him away and trying to throw him out of the house completely. She tried to find the front door but it had gone. You were now aware you were trapped inside this now truly haunted house. No, it was worse. It had turned into a murder house as half the student body upstairs had started to scare themselves to death almost before the real threat had.

Everyone was rushing past you and as Spike smelled fresh blood, he ran in the opposite direction to where the others were coming from, straight into the carnage. His stomach was rumbling and he was ready for a decent meal.

Everything was going on at once and you wanted it to slow down, or at least give you chance for a breather. There were too many threats at play tonight. As if the powers had requested it this way, a busy scene of threat and revelations for their own personal enjoyment. 

As you tried again and again to leave and to help find the others, things started to get worse. You had now lost Buffy and were trying to find her by (you guessed it) calling out her name which was the best way to attract anything other than good luck. You had to fight off some cobwebs and now, your own body it seemed. You were hurting, doubled over. Something was happening. You sunk to your knees, grimacing. Nothing was going your way. 

It was a strange night. The strangest Halloween you had experienced. The others were lost and at the same moment, Willow turned into a real ghost. Xander a real soldier and Buffy was now a genuine high society lady from the 1700s. It was spooky and not in a cute way.

You had managed to get to your feet, pulling on the cobwebs as they attacked your head again. As you looked down checking you had removed any stray webbing, you saw that you were glowing. Literally. You appeared human still - no wings or halos but there was a strange feeling that you had aged hundreds of years in just a few seconds. Not in appearance, that was still your skin and your face. But in knowledge. As if you had read every book known to man and then some. You felt powerful. Strange.

You walked around, able to know what was happening in every room. You managed to get places just by thinking about it. Able to protect people before they succumbed to the terrors the house had in store. You didn’t know how this was happening, but you knew better than to question it.

You had hope. You had a purpose and you were getting used to adapting to different people and their needs. That was until it came to something you needed. You turned and saw your friends through a two way mirror. They had all found each other but you couldn’t get to them. They were trying to remember who they were and come up with a plan. You started to panic, banging your fist on the mirror that you could see them through but they didn’t hear you. You hurriedly left through a side door to try and get to them seeing as your previous power wasn’t working. But you never made it to your friends. You had walked straight into someone. The one someone that you always managed to find, no matter what.

Spike had appeared. He seemed the same except... was that a heart beat? You frowned as he stepped towards you, the swagger still in tact.

 “You listened to me then, pet? About time” He muttered as you looked at him confused. You didn’t understand. You looked around for some kind of clue until he spoke again, “The wings. You put ‘em on. Knew it would complete the look… not that you need to be wearing any more clothin’ items” He added, the trademark smirk on his face as he almost prowled towards you further.

“I’m not wearing any wings…” You said slowly as he came to stand right in front of you, leaving not so much as room to breath between you. He frowned, and looked behind you before looking back into your eyes. He could see the wings as clear as anything. They had a large wingspan, it was kind of impossible to miss. He reached out the touch them and you felt his fingers. You frowned, checking behind you. There they were, bat-like rather than the feathered kind you had expected and almost translucent whilst appearing closer to your skin tone. He found them aesthetically very appealing. Almost as if it were a part of you. He just stared, almost in awe as he felt they were warm the texture as soft as your skin.

 It came to you suddenly. The folklore you had been researching. The mythology. The only one that may see the wings of the angel is their soulmate. Their one eternal love. It was said that every angel had a soulmate and that no matter how long they lived, they should find their soul no matter how seemingly impossible. No matter how many times they were lost, they would always be found. And you had found yours. Your love.

You and Spike had been less than useless during the fight to escape the haunted house and regain your own lives back. You were perfectly happy right here. Locked in each others gaze. A happiness neither of you had felt before until this moment. Until this revelation. You had been sharing. Talking so easily to one another. Him telling you stories of his past, and you surprising yourself with stories of your own. Ones that could match his. You felt an entrenched need to protect him. To hold you into him so that no harm could ever befall him. 

The chaos going on around you was now secondary to your story. You holed up in a room together, Spike never looking away from you. The guardian angel in you was screaming for you to help the others again, but your heart was set on him. On relearning of your love. You had faith in your friends abilities anyway.

He leaned in, his thumb trailing your face and lingering near your lips. He had thought about this for so long. His usual crude quips had been founded in truth. Forged to both show how he felt and camouflage them at the same time. He felt for you so deeply his soul had made an unwitting appearance back into his life. Whenever you were around his heart felt as if it may break free from his ribcage in the hopes of greeting yours.

You closed your eyes as he did, the build up to this kiss achingly slow. You could feel his breath on his face he was so close. His touch was warm and familiar, his lips made for yours. You could feel it. The anticipation almost became too much as he finally grazed your lips.

But, just as suddenly as it was cast, the spell broke. The feeling of danger returned to your gut as you were in Spike’s presence. Your kiss never deepening. Your stomach flipping as you snapped opened your eyes. Spike’s vampire instincts kicked back in and it was resoundingly telling him that he was hungry. Your scent was so enticing to him, his face changed of its own accord. His fangs so close to you but you knew he wouldn’t kill you. You knew it as if it were fact. As if it were gravity or the colour of the sky being blue. Spike loved you and wouldn’t harm you. They were each true sentences, you had never been so sure.

Buffy, however, now fresh from being bound in the sensibilities of a woman with no aspirations other than to be pretty was ready for a fight. She had fought to escape the haunted house and now she would fight the nearest big bad in sight. Spike. She wrenched him from your neck.

But when he drew back, he had the same look in his eye as he had only moments before. Your soulmate was still right here in front of you, there was nobody that could convince you otherwise. And believe me, Spike really tried since then.

Buffy and Spike traded blows. Neither became victorious, but you were able to leave the house and Giles had somehow managed to force Ethan Rayne into reversing the curse he had put on your costumes. 

After that long Halloween night, your mind barely stopped thinking about him. Sometimes you walked around after dark to see if he would come along and pretend to eat you as an excuse to just talk to you. He often wished to find an excuse to see you. Without knowing what it was, he felt it too. Deep within. Stronger since Halloween night. Sometimes he found himself standing around in places he knew you would frequent just so he could watch you. Catch a glimpse of you. Although, he had been doing this before Halloween as well.

You remembered so much more than that night, however. Memories that should have been long since buried of you and Spike finding each other over and over in other places and times still lingered as you wished his thumb still would along your jaw. You still remembered those memories and you wrote them all down before you could forget. They were like dreams, something you knew so well but struggled to recall in enough detail to satisfy.

You would forever carry a piece of his soul around with you now. That feeling just couldn’t go away, you wouldn’t let it. It was as if his soul were a locket hung around your neck. You would guard it with your life. Keep it close to your heart. 

He would come back to you, you were sure of it and you were happy to wait until that day came.

[buffster]

New Moon Rising (BTVS 4.19)

This is part of my ongoing Buffyverse Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the shows. You can find the BTVS list here and the ATS list here. Gifs are not mine.

It’s interesting to re-watch New Moon Rising, because the first time I saw it I was dreading it. At the time I hadn’t taken to Tara at all and did not want Willow to choose her and hurt Oz (I was already spoiled that she did). Who knew Willow and Tara would go on to become such an iconic couple from Buffy, right up there with Buffy and Angel? In the following season I grew to love Tara and the Willow/Oz relationship became a distant memory. 

I don’t entirely blame myself for these feelings, though. Tara wasn’t really much of a character at this point. Her main personality trait seemed to be shy. We knew Oz was stoic but internally a big thinker, quirky, and liked music, which is much more than we got on Tara. She seemed to exist solely to be Willow’s girlfriend for the fourth and even much of the fifth season (anyone else thinking of that out-of-nowhere Tara thinks she’s a demon plot?). 

I have to really admire the respect Tara gives Willow during this whole scenario, though. She doesn’t get possessive, she gives Willow the time and space to make a clear choice, and just overall conducts herself with dignity. It’s behavior worth aspiring to. Especially since we don’t get even a moment of Tara feeling conflicted when Oz is in trouble. She does the right thing with the full expectation that she’s pushing Oz right in to Willow’s arms. Eventually they would decide Tara is a remarkably mature and level-headed person, but at this point I think they just used her as a plot device. Another note on the relationship: Tara knows the whole Oz story already, which contrasts with Buffy and Riley when it comes to Angel. 

Riley: Gotta say. I'm surprised. I didn't think Willow was that kind of girl.

Buffy: What kind of girl?

Riley: Into dangerous guys. She seems smarter than that.

Buffy: Oz is not dangerous. Something happened to him that wasn't his fault. God, I never knew you were such a bigot.

Riley: Whoah! How did we get to bigot? I'm just saying it's a little weird to date anyone that tries to eat you  once a month.

Buffy: Love isn't logical, Rye. People can't just be Joe Sensible about it. God knows I haven't been.

Oz’s return brings up an issue for Buffy and Riley: they have very different attitudes about supernatural creatures. I’d argue we could also have examined the fact that Buffy has told Riley nothing about Angel. It’s an early sign that she just hasn’t let him in. As I said, Tara knows all about Oz, and Riley and Buffy’s relationship has been developed over the season as much (if not more so) as Tara and Willow’s. I think Angel is to blame for this one. It looked like she was learning to fully rely on Angel as her partner, but when she had to kill him that cemented her role as slayer in her mind and therefore other. It’s hard to entirely blame her for distancing herself and treating her relationships as sort of a side item; after all, what if Riley gets possessed and she has to kill him? Or some other shenanigans? The circumstances won’t matter because slayer comes first. Buffy dealt with having to kill Angel, but I think she dealt with it by hardening her heart to ever being that vulnerable again. I’m not saying this isn’t an issue she could overcome, but it is an issue and we see her fall into these habits even more in the fifth season. 

Before I go full meta essay on Buffy’s romantic relationships (let’s save that for after both shows) let’s get back to Riley’s bigotry. He has to make a clear choice this episode between Buffy’s ideologies and the Initiative’s and he chooses Buffy’s. But I think it would be more accurate to say he chose Buffy over the Initiative. He’s able to return to them later and I doubt they’ve changed their attitudes that much. 

Buffy: Is that regulation or something? You have to do those every single morning?

Riley: No. I do them because it's a good way to start the day.

Buffy: Right. And then you have your perfectly balanced breakfast and call your mother.

It’s funny to hear Buffy react like this because it almost sounds like something Faith would say to Buffy. Hmm. I could have a theory that Riley was a really good match for pre-slayer Buffy and that was a big part of her attraction to him. Ultimately, the black-and-white worldview was broken for Buffy and she was forced to see the grey. Unlike Buffy, Riley actually gets the choice. We can’t say for sure, but I feel like after leaving Buffy he eventually goes back to his old ways. 

Willow and Oz finally get to talk. Willow says that Oz has done all these amazing things while she has just been in Sunnydale, but the truth is she is the one who has changed while he hasn’t. He got her a sari and kept her in his mind like a goal to get back to, but Willow had no idea if he was ever coming back and moved on with her life. Oz really needs to work on more communication in his future relationships.  

It was a little convenient that the Initiative showed up to save Tara from werewolf Oz. And then they just let Tara walk off like it’s no big deal? What happened to the undercover concept? Apparently that was just a plot device to play up the drama of Buffy and Riley learning each other’s identities. 

We get a look at the darker concepts of the Initiative when they torture Oz, but once again see that it’s the personal that drives Riley, not the principal. He’s all for killing the werewolf until he realizes he knows Oz and has a connection to Buffy. 

Graham: This can't end well, man.

Riley: You gonna start killing people?

Forrest: I'm thinking just one.

Riley: You and me trained together from day one, Forrest. But I always outranked you. Come after me, you're gonna find out why. 

Riley pulling out some BDE. Buffy and Riley end the episode hiding out together, and she finally decides to tell him about Angel. Convenient, given we’re going to see him next episode. 

Oz: But I couldn't look at you. It turns out the one thing that brings it on, is you. Which falls under the heading of ironic in my book.

I’d forgotten that it’s really Oz who decides to walk away, rather than Willow rejecting him. I think she always would have chosen Tara but couldn’t bear to hurt Oz. I don’t know; the vibe just seemed more regretful than torn throughout the episode. 

Willow goes to Tara and has sexy times right after, too, so that lends credence to the not-really-torn idea. 

Character Notes:

Willow Rosenberg: She considers herself a dog person, but she loves cats too.

Adam: Parts of him were a boy scout...yikes. He’s recruited Spike to his cause.

Buffy Summers: She makes a reference to William Burroughs. She plays dumb sometimes but is incredibly knowledgeable with her references. 

[itsclydebitches]

Buffy’s “Empty Places”: Deconstructing Merit, Luck, and Betterment

Anyone who’s spent five minutes with me knows that I love ranty metas, and Buffy’s “Empty Places” is something I’ve wanted to tackle since I finished it. However, rather than try to unravel the entirety of that shit-show conversation I want to focus in on what Anya says near the end.

You really do think you're better than we are. But we don't know. We don't know if you're actually better. I mean, you came into the world with certain advantages, sure. I mean, that's the legacy. But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it. You've never had anybody come up to you and say you deserve these things more than anyone else. They were just handed to you. So that doesn't make you better than us. It makes you luckier than us.

Here Anya lays out three important questions that I think are crucial to interpreting the Buffyverse.

Did Buffy “earn” her power? 

Is she “luckier” than her friends? 

Is Buffy “better” than her friends? And what exactly does “better” mean in this context?

Honestly, I still stand amazed that Anya can even voice the first two questions among Buffy’s friends and not get immediate, wicked backlash. Admittedly her use of “luckier” could be interpreted to mean “randomly,” but her word choice is still significant. Buffy is by no stretch of the imagination lucky. Does her calling give her purpose? Yes. Does it give her cool superpowers? Absolutely. But none of these benefits are free gifts—they’re balanced, even outweighed, by her responsibilities. This calling means that Buffy has no other options in her life, no career or family as a ‘normal’ person would experience it. Her powers are to keep herself and others safe, not to have fun with. Buffy didn’t win the freaking lottery here, this life was forced on her.

Throughout the entirety of the series we see the others’ (realistic) jealousy of Buffy: Cordelia views her as a threat to her popularity, Willow as the ‘cool’ girl she always wished she could be, Xander resents that Buffy always has the power to help, and Faith has a whole damn plot-line devoted to her jealousy, yet at no point does anyone acknowledge that Buffy is only the “lucky” one when things are going their way. They want to help, but they know she’s the only one who can finish things. Buffy announces that she’s the only one who can finish things… and everyone’s hackles go up. They don’t want her responsibility; they also don’t want to acknowledge that her responsibility makes her different from them. You can’t have it both ways. To say nothing of the fact that the rest of the Scoobies can leave any time they want. They can walk away from this life. Buffy can’t. She’s not the lucky one, she’s the one who’s trapped.

Now, did Buffy earn her power? Oh boy. Again, I don’t know how Anya can even ask that. Did she earn the power prior to receiving it? Perhaps not, but Buffy has absolutely earned her right to it since. She gave up the social life she desperately craved, a college education, she killed her boyfriend for the greater good, was ready to kill another friend (Anya) if the need arose, Buffy died, twice, and stuck around after she was wrenched out of Heaven to keep fighting the good fight. I honestly wanted to ask in that moment: what more do you expect of this girl?

Furthermore, there’s evidence that Buffy did ‘earn’ the Slayer power right from the start. She was chosen. Why? We don’t know exactly, but out of ALL the other Potential girls in the world Buffy was the one the legacy activated and I personally think she was chosen for a reason. It’s also telling that Season 7 throws Buffy into a houseful of other would-be Slayers and essentially let’s us compare them. One girl runs away. Another commits suicide. The others force out their leader and walk into a trap. Did Buffy make a lot of the same mistakes at their age? Yes, but it’s also worth considering that these girls aren’t ready in the same way she was at fifteen, that some might not possess the fortitude to be the Slayer, that seven years ago the magic chose Buffy for a reason. She was the one most suited for the position.

So is she “better” than her friends?

After Anya gave her little speech I had one, significant sentence running through my head:

Buffy is the only one who hasn’t been corrupted.

To lay out just a few examples:

Giles rebelled as a teenager by summoning a horrifying demon that eventually killed his friends. Buffy rebelled as a teenager by demanding that she get to go to the prom or out on dates with Angel.

Willow takes away the consent of her girlfriend, her friends, nearly kills Dawn, and when she suffers the loss of a loved one immediately seeks revenge, going so far as to try and destroy the entire world (something I think the show let’s her get away with far too easily). Buffy loses her mom and though there’s no person to seek revenge on, she also doesn’t release her anger on other innocents.

Years ago Anya happily chose to be a vengeance demon. She spent a thousand years torturing and slaughtering who knows how many. After being left at the alter she immediately turns back to those ways and attempted to seek revenge on Xander (and please picture for a moment how she might be received if that episode hadn’t been played for humor. If the whole ‘you can’t seek your own vengeance’ rule wasn’t in place and Anya had succeeded in killing Xander). She proceeds to murder a group of college boys before turning back to the good side.

Faith’s entire storyline revolves around her going dark. We can come up with endless justifications for her—from a terrible childhood to not fitting in with the Scoobies—but the fact remains that she is a clear foil to Buffy: the ‘bad’ Slayer to Buffy’s ‘good’ one. Ultimately, no one forced her to adopt that role.

Andrew very happily goes along with all the tormenting Buffy/killing women/taking over the world stuff, showing not an ounce of true remorse. Despite all his claims of ‘coming over to the light side,’ the only reason we’re given for him joining the gang was because he killed his only friend, was kidnapped by them, and literally had nowhere else to go. He’s not necessarily a ‘good’ guy now, he’s a lonely guy sticking with the only people capable of protecting him.

Xander and Cordelia are outliers in that neither ever achieves any real, formidable power (at least not on Buffy), but what power they do accumulate they don’t use well. Xander casts love spells, the magic equivalent of roofying a girl, deliberately falls asleep while he has the responsibility of watching Oz, or lies to Buffy to help get Angel killed. Cordelia uses her social power to harm everyone around her, as often as possible. 

What I’m getting at is that most of Buffy’s friends go through the same sequence of events: free will + power = a decision that harms others to an extreme degree. The free choice aspect is important because I think there are only three core group members that don’t fit this pattern: Oz—who resists being a wild werewolf who would kill others if not locked up—Tara—who carefully controls the type and extent of her magic—and Spike—who never does anything of his own free will, if we buy into the Angel/Angelus dichotomy that the show initially set up (and then admittedly muddled with Spike). But if we go by that lore, everything he did post-vampirism was the demon. The women he killed with his soul was the First’s doing.

Notably, none of these people are in the room with Buffy to back her up.

Instead she’s surrounded by others who at one point or another are corrupted by the power they’ve attained. Buffy is living with a group of people who have willfully committed heinous deeds - deeds she’s forgiven them for - while they’re more than happy to toss her out the second she makes a mistake with actual consequences. Importantly though, Buffy never goes down the road they did. To my recollection the closest she gets is with Faith—“We are better than them”—but even then all Buffy does is loot a deserted store, playing at the ‘bad girl’ role without ever actually becoming her. Does she make mistakes over the years? HELL YES, but unlike the others they’re always made with good intentions. Buffy releases Spike because he’s needed and she honestly believes he’s not a threat anymore. She gets some of the Potentials killed because she’s trying to save the world. She pushes everyone away and acts ‘cruel’ because she’s told time and time again that that’s what they need—an unfeeling “general.” At every turn Buffy puts the greater good above her own needs and desires, from the small (dropping out of college) to the unfathomably large (killing Angel, dying twice). Is this ‘realistic’ characterization? Perhaps not, but it’s what makes Buffy the hero of the tale. No matter what she’ll always put others before herself and do whatever is required of her to keep them safe. 

Honestly, her friends can’t claim the same. 

So yeah, in this respect I’d say Buffy is “better.”

(Anyway, this all makes it sound like I hate these characters when in fact I love them all lol. Forgive the new Buffy fan still working through drama 20 years late. @thepinkrvnger​ I’m tagging you again not with the expectation that you’re gonna read any of this shit, but to let you know your previous Buffy response got me laughing. Kudos 👍) 

[fuckyeahamberbenson]

My first example of this is an announcement made by Joss Whedon himself on June 18, 2002 at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in which he explained that Buffy would be getting a new job in the upcoming season. The reason? 'Doublemeat Palace was the only thing we ever did to make advertisers pull out,' Whedon said. 'They did not like us making fun of fast food.' My second example is the following statement made by veteran Buffy actor James Marsters who played Spike in October, 1999 to Horror On-Line: 'Although the characters of Spike and Drusilla have become an integral part of the show, Whedon’s initial concept differed slightly James' role being a bit more disposable. He was supposed to die three to four episodes after being introduced,' James explained. 'Supposedly Angel was going to go bad and Juliet (Landau) was going to be his girlfriend, and Angel was going to kill me as his first bad-boy thing to do.' And as for Angel himself? Consider the following statement which had appeared in the February 25, 2000 issue of The Hollywood Reporter: 'Whedon went on to explain that they originally thought of Angel as a guardian for other characters but soon realized that the show’s audience wanted to know more about the mysterious good vampire.' My fourth and final example is a statement made by Joss Whedon during his interview with IGN.com in June of 2001 regarding the original plan to make Tara part-demon, as well as what led him to change his mind about that aspect of the story: 'Wood sprite family fell by the wayside,' Whedon said. 'It was like a bolt from the blue: Wait a minute, we’re doing this wrong! And that’s why when we lay things in, we keep ourselves open, to a sudden change or a better idea. We’ve often had ideas that we were like, “Oh, we could pursue this,” and then something much cooler came along, and we’re like, “OK, never mind.”' So, the above statements illustrate how the story can change directions based on the reactions of the sponsors, the writers themselves, or the audience. Mutant Enemy’s claims that the confines of the story had locked them into killing Tara simply do not hold up. Both Robert Black and The lesbian Cliché FAQ both point out that the Mutant Enemy writers had plenty of chances to send Willow down the path to Black Magic during the entire course of Season Six before Seeing Red was aired. (Plans were made for Willow to go evil as early as Season 3.) There was a whole variety of options open to Mutant Enemy, but it chose not to use them. For example, Willow could have been pulled into darkness by her own insecurity, or pride, or quite possibly both. As the FAQ states, 'Willow was clearly headed down this path early in Season Six when she raised Buffy from the dead, threatened Giles and fought with Tara. But the writers chose to change directions and occupy her with a physical magical addiction until May sweeps when they could kill Tara and send her on a quest for vengeance. Mutant Enemy deliberately chose the cliché when plenty of other possibilities were available to them.' The Lesbian Cliché FAQ goes on to say how Willow's Black Magic storyline is 'merely an extreme retread of Willow’s actions in Season Five’s Tough Love, 'in which she attacked Glory for brain-sucking Tara.' And they call this advancing Willow’s storyline? I don’t think so. The reason I feel this way is because this same scenario has been used once before on Buffy, but only with better results when Giles goes after Angel with a vengeance in Season Two’s Passion, in retaliation for Angel snapping Jennifer Calendar’s neck. Also, the FAQ argues that keeping a character alive and not evil is not the same thing as saying that a character is completely immune to problems or trouble. This fact has been demonstrated on Buffy several times.

(Continued)

Robert Black also talks about the choice made by Mutant Enemy to change the nature of Willow’s magic use into a metaphor for drug addiction in his essays. 

Black notes how that in the first nine episodes of Season Six Willow was growing largely dependent on her magic use, changing things to her liking, forcing her will onto other people, as well as making life simpler for herself. For instance, when Willow had an argument with Tara she cast a spell over Tara to make her forget about the fight. When Willow went with Tara to look for Buffy’s sister Dawn at The Bronze, she wanted to project everybody but Dawn into an alternate dimension to make the search easier. The temptations of how Willow could wield that power were exposing darker sides of her personality. In other words, the temptation of how to use that power proved to be intoxicating enough to the point where Willow thought she could do anything she wanted to with that power. The power gave her an adrenaline rush. And they say that with time having too much power can corrupt the individual using it. 

Black says that if this storyline had been pursued further, Willow could have emerged as a villain all on her own and Tara wouldn’t have had to die or necessarily have been present at all. What had essentially been a story about the temptation of power all of a sudden was transformed into a story about addiction and recovery. 

It is important to note that up until the tenth episode Wrecked there had been no references of any kind used to disguise the magic as a metaphor for drug addiction. Black goes on to state that, “Willow went through a long recovery process, during which time Buffy had to take away Willow’s ‘magic weed’ and get rid of all the candles in the house, because ‘to witches, candles are like bongs.’” Black also notes that by the time Seeing Red rolled around, Willow was close to a complete recovery and that since she was essentially free of magic, it did require Tara’s death to send her back into black magic. But we can also see that the decision to kill Tara was brought about due to the fact that Mutant Enemy had made the choice to change the nature of Willow’s problem into a metaphor for drug addiction. 

The only reason that Mutant Enemy destroyed the Willow/Tara relationship in the first place, Black argues, was not because the writers couldn’t avoid it, but rather that Mutant Enemy wouldn’t avoid it. 

It is also important to note that Robert Black has suggested a different way of approaching the goal of having Willow become The Dark Phoenix without needing to sacrifice Tara. Black points out that if Mutant Enemy had chosen to continue with the depiction of Willow’s magic dependency as a metaphor for power and how wielding too much of that power can sometimes corrupt the individual using it over a long period of time, the season could have turned out differently. 

Remember how Willow had taken over the leadership role of The Scooby Gang at the beginning of Season Six? Well, this is how Robert Black described his alternate version of Season Six in his essay, “The Executive producers New Clothes.” "Willow had been in charge of the Scooby Gang for months, and there was Buffy mopping around instead of taking the leadership role back," Black argues. Perhaps Willow would have tried to step in-- just to help until Buffy was back on her feet, of course. Perhaps she would have used magic to make up for the fact that she didn’t have Slayer strength. The forget—spell on Tara would still have occurred. Tara still would have left in Tabula Rasa. Buffy and Willow may have even started to clash over which best course of action really was worth taking when battling the forces of evil. 

Black goes on to state that by the time Smashed or Wrecked rolled around, instead of seeing Willow become a “crackhead,” we may have seen the conflict which had been raging between Buffy and Willow during the past several months start to escalate. Willow could have felt that magic was the best and only way to get the job done quickly and easily. Black also argues that instead of helping Buffy out, Willow might have begun to feel like she could replace Buffy as the leader of the pack. When Willow saw the attempts by her friends to reduce her use of magic, she could have perceived this course of action as a threat to her authority as well as a ploy to remove her from being in charge of the Scooby Gang. Willow would not have wanted to give up the leadership role because she would feel that her methods of using magic really had been the best way to combat the forces of darkness. 

Black points out that by the time February sweeps would come around the conflict between Willow and the gang could have reached a breaking point. A crises probably would have emerged that might have involved the three nerds. Willow would think the only way to get anything done was to delve deeper into black magic. Buffy would object, but Willow probably would do it anyway out of spite or anger. At that moment, something would have gone terribly wrong with the spell that Willow was performing. Hence, it would have been a situation that might have brought about the transformation of Willow from good into evil. 

Think of it, Black says. Black Magic Willow emerges during February sweeps. Not with only three episodes remaining in the season, but with roughly one third of the season still to go. Imagine what Mutant Enemy could have done with a storyline like that? 

Willow might have killed all the nerds or even could have made them her henchmen. Imagine Warren the male chauvinist on his knees bowing before Willow. Warren could still have ended up dead either way, the victim of his own resentment over having been controlled by a woman. Willow would have also kept fellow witch Amy around, too. Willow could have made “adjustments” to Amy, changing her hair color or her personality to resemble Tara. In other words Amy could been viewed by Willow as a replacement for the woman she loved and missed. And what about Buffy? Black says that she would have been forced to deal with the task of figuring out what to do: Fight Willow? Join her? Bring her back into the fold? Buffy would have been forced to come out of her depression in order to meet the challenge. 

And Spike? Black argues that Buffy could have still been sleeping with him. Spike’s attempts to have Buffy join him as “a creature of the night” could have prompted Spike to have a debate with Buffy over what she should do. Maybe Spike would have tried to make Buffy consider whether or not Willow had been right all along. In other words, there would have been more to the relationship between Buffy and Spike rather then just the endless cycles of violent sex that we kept seeing on screen. 

And Tara? Black argues that sooner or later Buffy would have required the services of a magic expert to counter what Willow was doing. Plus, when you add the fact that Tara wasn’t nearly as powerful as Willow, it probably would have made the story more suspenseful and think of the drama that would have unfolded. Imagine what Amber Benson, being the talented actress that she is, could have accomplished by having Tara go through this endless roller—coaster ride of emotions and inner conflicts of trying to figure out what to do in which she would have been facing the most difficult challenge of her life: The possibility of having to do battle with the woman she loved. After all, you have to consider that Willow was someone to whom Tara had given her heart, body, and soul to. Someone whom Tara loved wholly and completely with all her heart. Perhaps Tara would have even thought that maybe she would have to kill Willow for The Greater Good if the circumstances were necessary. Perhaps Tara would have gone to Buffy for advice on how to deal with the situation. When you consider the fact that had Willow actually turned on Tara it would have probably added even more suspense and drama to the story. 

Black points out that none of that would have required Tara to die. Black even argues that Tara could have been a vital component in Willow’s recovery from Black Magic, and would have aided her in her eventual return to the Scooby Gang. 

“So there you have it,” Black argues. “A way to achieve Dark Magic Willow without killing Tara.” A way to give Joss Whedon the “cool” Dark Phoenix imitation he wanted while being socially responsible at the same time. 

Black then raises two important questions: “Would it have been better than what we saw? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But aren’t you at least a little sorry that we’ll never get to find out?”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Did Joss Whedon learn from his mistakes? 

In his interview with The Advocate in the August 20, 2002 issue, at first it sure sounded like he did. “When you kill a character like Tara, statistically speaking, (lesbians) are underrepresented and so people have a legitimate reason to say, ‘It’s not the same.’” 

However, appearances can be deceiving. 

Read the following article that had appeared in an issue of Buffy Magazine regarding Amber Benson’s decision not to return for Season Seven: 

“Despite promises from Joss Whedon and Marti Noxon, Amber Benson will not return to Buffy this season. Joss announced they were unable to reach an agreement over terms for future appearances. It was a question of negotiations, as it is sometimes is,” Joss told TV Guide Online. “It’s sad, because I love Amber, but that’s between her and Fox.” “She’s very proud of her work on the show, but ultimately, we couldn’t work out the right deal,” Amber’s representative announced. 

Amber told E! Online, “I miss Buffy. It was an amazing group of people and a lot of fun. I mean, I had a really good go.” 

But next consider the following statements Joss Whedon had given during his interview with FilmForce on June 23, 2003 about why Willow got a new girlfriend in Season Seven as well as the Willow/Tara reunion he originally had in mind. “Kennedy (Willow’s new girlfriend) is, as she herself said, ‘a bit of a brat.’ What I wanted was an anti-Tara. I wanted somebody who was as different from Tara as possible. Tara was very reticent, and she was somebody that Willow caused to blossom. What I wanted was somebody who was further on down in dealing with her sexuality than Willow ever was. Somebody who was totally confident, who was totally not earthy-crunchy, who was a completely different person. What I wanted to explore was the concept of Willow moving on. We did that with the first kiss, that turned her into Warren. The first time they had sex, the things Willow had to deal with emotionally, her fear of her power and stuff, and Kennedy’s kind of involvement in that. That was Kennedy was for.” 

Also Whedon talks in the same interview about how Kennedy was a Plan B and that bringing back Tara was Plan A. When the interviewer had told him about the failed discussions about the plan to bring back Tara, this is how Joss responded: “Amber didn’t want to do it. She wanted to do other things. I had a whole–– I used to tell people about it. We’re going to have her in a couple flashbacks, keep her alive, and then in the end... I had a whole show figured out that ended with the return of Tara. I used to cry every time I pitched it. It was going to be Tara’s her one true love, people are going to be totally blown away, they’ll never see it coming––except on the internet––and it’s going to be the biggest thing. Quite frankly, Amber just didn’t want to do it––which is her decision. I was like, 'Okay, the thing where I cried, and we all cried, and I told you about? That’s gone. So, instead we’re going to go and find somebody really hot, and we’re going to make this about moving on, because that’s the only option we have. I don’t want Willow stuck in gay celibacy on TV. I’m interested in where her heart will go once she’s lost her true love, so let’s do that instead.’ So you know, hence Kennedy.” 

In fact, according to information that I found in the current June/July, 2005 issue of Buffy Magazine: “Joss Whedon’s original plan for bringing the character of Tara back involved Buffy being given the chance to play a mystical ‘get of jail free’ card— “One completely reality-altering thing that she could have––she could bring Angel back to her, she could have anything she wanted,” noted Joss at a recent convention appearance. “At the end of the episode she basically comes to Willow and says, ‘Look at these shoes I got!’ and Willow’s like, ’What?’ ‘I got these really awesome new shoes. I wanted them, and now I have them!’ and Willow’s like, ’You... used... the wish... for shoes?’ and Buffy says, ‘Of course not, you idiot,’ and walks out of the room and Willow turns around and Tara’s standing behind her.” 

So, it would seem at first that it would have been a solution that would have been beneficial to the fans, Joss Whedon, and Amber Benson alike. 

So what happened? Why didn’t Amber Benson return for what possibly would have provided real closure to this controversial issue? 

According to both Joss Whedon and a representative for Amber, it was a matter of negotiations between the actress and 20th Century Fox and that they couldn’t work out the right deal. However, information provided by Amber Benson during her appearance at the FedCon in Germany last year would reveal that she also had personal reasons for not returning to the show. 

She openly spoke at the convention about how Joss Whedon had approached her about bringing Willow and Tara back together again. But she didn’t feel like she could trust him enough not to mess around with the storyline at the last minute. “Joss never meant to hurt anyone,” Benson said, “but he did. He hurt a lot of people and I didn’t want to be part of this anymore. Sometimes you just have to do what your heart tells you and it just didn’t feel right.” 

In fact, Benson would also reveal in several interviews that Joss had another completely different agenda in mind altogether. At the Moonlight Rising Convention back in 2003, Amber had this to say about one of the other personal reasons that had prevented her from returning to Season Seven: “I didn’t really watch much of the final season,” Benson confessed. “I knew what was going to happen, Joss told me the whole story, I knew all the plot twists, and I didn’t want to get sad and cry. It’s the reason I didn’t want to come back as Tara on Season Seven. I’d really debated, though. I knew that they were having the story with The First, (Buffy’s main villain for Season Seven) and Tara would only come back as The First in disguise and I thought it would be upsetting, for me and the fans. (Tara’s death) was so upsetting, I didn’t want to go through that, or put people through that. I was miserable after Tara died. People really cared about this character. So in the end, it was it was mutually decided that it would be easier to let her rest in peace. Bringing her back is still an option–– though I don’t think Tara would work well on Angel. I think she’d get really annoyed by everybody.” 

(In fact it is now believed that there was no such plan to bring Tara back at all and that the reunion storyline was merely a cover story concocted by Joss in order to deflect the fierce criticism he was taking for killing Tara in the first place. It is also important to note that many fans have rejected this “Reunion Storyline” because it didn’t seem to exist prior to this point. And no other Buffy writers have confirmed this. Plus, Amber herself seemed to have been unaware that such a storyline even existed.)

–– The Strange And Incredible Saga Of Willow and Tara On "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Part 3. An Editorial by Erick R. Voshel, August 23, 2006.

[dancergurl3000]

Painting a hopefully pretty picture of what I want to hopefully direct someday. An essay.

OK, if you haven’t read my blog lately, I will leave you five seconds before I spoil, ok, three, two, one, OK SO. Last week I wrote a specific “dream” of mine to be able to direct an episode of Television one day where Buffy and Spike try Molly, or “MDMA” and talk about “feelings” in a “Buffy” reunion, and now, at least, I have two things on my side about this. For one: “Broad City” just did an episode where Abbi and Iilana take MDMA right before they are about to see a Lil Wayne concert. And NOW, tonight, Saturday, March 23rd, 2019, I have the first song that I would use in this episode of TV where Buffy and Spike enter their chosen nightclub for the evening. It’s in the third episode of season one of “GIRLS.” In the beginning episode, Hannah goes to Adam’s apartment, and calls him so he can unlock the door. It’s Vex Ruffin’s “Would you take it?” I chose this song for a number of reasons. The first is the most obvious one. The song speaks to an anxiety that many young people feel RIGHT before they like WANT to try a new drug. The second reason why I chose this specific song is because of the lyrics. “If I gave you all I want, would you take it?” Is pretty on the nose when it comes to shipping this specific TV couple. And then I think it’s important for the NEXT song to be “I can change”, by the LCD SoundSystem. I chose this song because the nightclub that they ultimately choose to enter, I DO sort of want it to look like that gallery that “Marnie” hosted and worked at that night that same episode of TV in which she meets Booth Jonathon. I want them to be in the night-club at this point, but the look and feel of it should be with this play-list, I have a feeling that when they enter and start dancing with each other, I AM wondering how long I should like “wait” to direct both actors before the “Molly” starts to kick in. I’m thinking like at most, 30 minutes.  I want them to actually be IN the nightclub when “I can change” by the LCD Sound-system starts playing. And then I want them to dance, and they will be dancing to Robyn’s “Dancing on my own” which hopefully will make the Molly Kick In. I really want to emphasize that you want to like “ease” them into doing “Molly”, and this would be the perfect way to do it. I’m trying to make it “fun” and “interesting” here. I think it would be fun and entertaining if “Buffy” started to mock dance at “Spike” here in a corner and then she tried to seduce him by kissing his cheek and throwing her arms around his neck. SO: obviously we need to have “slow songs” here don’t we? My suggestions would be either one or both: “Pretty Baby” by Vanessa Carlton, and “Sway” by Vanessa Carlton, both are by far my favorite Vanessa Carlton songs. I’m thinking she can rest her head on his shoulder. With “Sway” I do want them to continue getting into it with each other, maybe during “Sway” he can give her a twirl. I want them to start whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears. But in terms of a good-play list, I’ve got at least four songs here. 1. Vex Ruffin’s “Would you take it?” 2. “I can change” by the LCD Sound-System, 3. “Pretty Baby.” 4. “Sway”, by Vanessa Carlton. Let’s keep going. I think what should come next should be “Better” by Khalid. I think the slow songs will make this scene like “sing.” I think I want her to at one point at least “lip-synch” I think after “Better” the song “Back to you” by Selena Gomez to “Spike” at one point during the night. I want them to continue holding each other, and I will end the night where they leave with “Spike” carrying “Buffy” out of the night club, and he rides away on his motorcycle to “Buffy’s” apartment and tucks her in. But I would love to direct a scene like this with them. It would be a dream of mine, because what may be important to show in this scene is the “domesticity” in their relationship which was shown when they WERE together neatly and nicely in the comics. To recap:

BUFFY/SPIKE NIGHTCLUB PLAYLIST

1. Vex Ruffin’s “Would you take it?”- Entering Night Club

2. “I can change” by the LCD Sound System

3. “Dancing on my own.” By Robyn

4. “Pretty Baby” by Vanessa Carlton

5. “Sway” by Vanessa Carlton

6. “Better” by Khalid.

7. “Back to you” by Selena Gomez.- Leaving Night-club.

(I want to come back to this post, and add a couple more songs)

8. “Everywhere” by Michelle Branch.- On the way Home.

9. “Burning” by Maggie Rogers-In bed.

(IDEAS FOR SONGS if they ever walk down the aisle: 1. “Appointments” by Julien Baker. Walking down the aisle). (Note: depending on how long she takes TO walk down the aisle, you can interchange or move on to “Turn out the lights” by Julien Baker, as these two songs can be used interchangeably as songs used to walk down the aisle).

2. (First dance: “I like me better”, by Lauv.)

3. (Second dance: ‘Reflecting Light” by Sam Phillips.)

4. (Third Dance: “A thousand miles” by Vanessa Carlton.)

5. (Fourth Dance: “Light on” by Maggie Rogers.) THEN Transition to the rest of the wedding:

6.  “Sway” by Vanessa Carlton

7. “Papa” by Vanessa Carlton.

8. “Burning” by Maggie Rogers

10.  “Samson” by Regina Spektor

11. “Better” by Khalid

12. “East Side” by Khalid, Halsey.

13. “Carousel” by Vanessa Carlton

14. “Willows” by Vanessa Carlton

15. “Back to you” by Selena Gomez

16. “My best” by Vanessa Carlton

17. “Come undone” by Vanessa Carlton

18. “The one” by Vanessa Carlton

19. “Home” by Vanessa Carlton

20. “More than this” by Vanessa Carlton.

[ljones41]

"The Meaning Behind the First Evil"

Season Seven of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" has been a favorite of mine for years. But it has been rather unpopular with many fans of the series and television critics. And I suspect that this unpopularity may have centered around the character and main villain of Season Seven – the First Evil:

  "THE MEANING BEHIND THE FIRST EVIL" If there is one nemesis that has baffled fans of "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" during its seven seasons run, it would have to be the First Evil. This entity first made its appearance in the Season Three episode, (3.10) "Amends" and became Buffy Summer’s main nemesis in Season Seven, the last season of the series. In a nutshell, the First Evil was an incorporeal entity that manifested from all of the evil in existence. It could assume the form of any person who has died, including vampires and dead persons who have been resurrected. Because of this, it had appeared in various forms over the course of the series as a method of manipulating others. For this reason, the First had appeared as Buffy Summers to the Slayer and her allies. But it also assumed the forms of Jenny Calendar, Warren Mears, Spike, and Jonathan Levinson on multiple occasions, and a variety of other forms less frequently. It was also able to merge with a corporeal individual, as it had done with a serial killer named Caleb and provide the latter with immense strength. The First Evil’s only real weakness was that it was non-corporeal and could not inflict any real physical damage. However, it was an expert at psychological manipulation, and could act through its servants such as the Bringers, Turok-Han, Caleb or whomever it could manage to control. As I had stated earlier, the First Evil made its debut on "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" in the Season Three episode, (3.10) "Amends". It tried to drive Angel into killing Buffy by appearing to him as Jenny Calendar and other people he had murdered as a soulless vampire. The First Evil told Angel that it was responsible for his return from "Hell" and that he could end his sufferings by turning evil again. Whether or not this was true is unknown. In any event, it did not mind when Angel chose to kill himself, via a sunrise instead. Fortunately, Buffy's confrontation with the First Evil allowed her to stop Angel from committing suicide. Using Buffy’s second resurrection in the Season Six premiere - (6.01) "Bargaining, Part I" as an excuse, the First Evil returned in full force in Season Seven in an attempt to eliminate the Slayer line permanently. Using servants such as the defrocked serial killer Caleb and the Harbingers of Death (or Bringers), the First Evil not only brought about the deaths of many Potential Slayers and Watchers, it also destroyed the Watcher’s Council (no loss there) and nearly came close to killing Buffy, Faith, the Scoobies and Spike. It used both Andrew Wells and Spike to raise the Turok-Han (a race of ancient powerful vampires stronger and fiercer than the regular vampires). It manipulated Spike by using an old English folk song - "Early One Morning" - into killing again, hoping his actions would attract Buffy’ attentions. According to sources from the "All Things Philosophical on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Angel the Series’" and "Buffyverse Wiki" sites, the First Evil wanted to seize the opportunity to upset the balance between good and evil whenever the Slayer line was disrupted. It tried to manipulate Angel into committing suicide in "Amends" about a year-and-a-half after Buffy’s brief death and resuscitation in (1.12) "Prophecy Girl". And about a year following Buffy’s resurrection in "Bargaining", it made its move to manipulate Spike and destroy the Slayer line and upset the moral balance permanently. Many fans did not like the First Evil as Buffy’s main antagonist in Season Seven. From what I could gather from many message boards, forums and blogs; they seemed confused about the First Evil’s intentions or what it represented. Nor did they seemed impressed that it was the one Big Bad that Buffy could not destroy in a physical manner. Some fans even accused "BUFFY" creator Joss Whedon of writing himself into a corner with the creation of the First Evil. Personally, I disagree. I do not feel that Whedon had written himself into a corner by bringing the First Evil back in Season Seven. It is easier to identify a nemesis that is solid enough for someone – namely Buffy - to physically kill or fight. Nemesis like the Master, Angelus, Mayor Wilkins, Adam, Glory, Warren Mears or even Willow Rosenberg. But the First Evil was a different matter. It symbolized a continuation of the theme from Season Six - namely "You are your own worst enemy".In other words, I believe that the First Evil symbolized the spirit of Evil that existed in everyone - from Buffy to some minor demon minion or some housewife. I must be one of the few fans who actually enjoyed Season Seven. But even I had one or two issues about that particular season that did not sit right with me. One of those issues was the appearance of a supernatural being called Beljoxa's Eye in (7.11) "Showtime". Rupert Giles and Anya Jenkins visited the being to learn everything they could about the First Evil. Instead of fulfilling their wishes, the Beljoxa’s Eye told them that that the First Evil cannot be destroyed and that it made it presence known due to a disruption in the Slayer's line, which was in fact, caused by the Slayer. Both Giles and Anya concluded that Buffy’s second resurrection brought about the return of the First Evil. This did not make sense to me. One, I found it hard to believe that the First Evil existed because of Buffy’s resurrection. It had already existed before the events of "Bargaining". In fact, I believe that it had already existed before "Amends". Why? As I had stated earlier, I believe the First Evil was . . . or is the spirit of evil itself. It was all of the negative thoughts, emotions and impulses that reside within all living beings. And the late Joyce Summers hinted this during Buffy’s dream in (7.12) "Bring On the Night": BUFFY: Something evil is coming. JOYCE: Buffy, evil isn't coming, it's already here. Evil is always here. Don't you know? It's everywhere. BUFFY: And I have to stop it. JOYCE: How are you gonna do that? BUFFY: I-I don't know yet, but— JOYCE: Buffy, no matter what your friends expect of you, evil is a part of us. All of us. It's natural. And no one can stop that. No one can stop nature, not even . . . Joyce would eventually be proven right in (7.22) "Chosen", the series finale. When Buffy, Spike, Faith, the Scoobies, Robin Wood, Dawn and the Potentials battled the First Evil’s army of Turok-Han vampires inside the Hellmouth; all they did – especially Spike – was ruin the First Evil's plans to upset the balance of good and evil in the mortal world. In my personal opinion, that imbalance already existed before Buffy’s first death in "Prophecy Girl". It never made any sense to me that a balance between good and evil had been maintained by the presence of one Slayer against a slew of vampires, demons and other forms supernatural evil for centuries. I suspect that the First Evil saw the presence of more than one Slayer and a vampire with a soul as a threat to that imbalance. Like many others, the First Evil believed that only one Slayer should exist. And as I had earlier stated, I found this belief rather ridiculous and I am glad that Buffy proved that it did not have to be so at the end of the series. Would the Watcher’s Council or the African shamans who had first created the Slayer line approve of the idea of more than one Slayer in existence? I rather doubt it. I suspect that they may have feared the idea of dealing with more than one Slayer . . . or even more than two. I suspect that controlling the Slayer or wielding her as a weapon mattered more to the shamans and the Watcher’s Council than the idea of more than one warrior against the forces of Evil. And I would not be surprised if the First Evil – or their own inner darkness – prevented them from considering this possibility. And I believe that is what the First Evil represented in Buffy’s story – the inner evil or negativity that she, her sisters and friends all harbored within themselves . . . and which they had to learn to acknowledge. Buffy’s conversation with the vampire sired by Spike – Holden Webster – forced her to face and acknowledge her own negative traits. By (7.15) "Get It Done", she also realized that her two most powerful allies – Willow and Spike – needed to face their own personal demons as well: BUFFY: The First isn't impressed. It already knows us. It knows what we can do, and it's laughing. You want to surprise the enemy? Surprise yourselves. Force yourself to do what can't be done, or else we are not an army - we're just a bunch of girls waiting to be picked off and buried. (Spike stands and walks toward the door) Where are you going? SPIKE: Out. Since I'm neither a girl, nor waiting. All this speechifying doesn't really apply to me, does it? (walks away) BUFFY: (calls after him) Fine. Take a cell phone. That way, if I need someone to get weepy or whaled on, I can call you. SPIKE: (turns to Buffy) If you've got something to say - BUFFY: Just said it. You keep holding back, you might as well walk out that door. SPIKE: Holding back? You're blind. I've been here, right in it - fighting, scrapping... BUFFY: Since you got your soul back? SPIKE: Well, as a matter of fact, I haven't quite been relishing the kill the way I used to. BUFFY: You were a better fighter then. SPIKE: I did this for you. The soul, the changes - it's what you wanted. BUFFY: What I want is the Spike that's dangerous. The Spike that tried to kill me when we met. SPIKE (angrily): Oh, you don't know how close you are to bringing him out. BUFFY: I'm nowhere near him. The above conversation was one of the most interesting I have ever come across during the series’ seven seasons run. A vampire Slayer – someone considered the epitome of "goodness and light" – encouraging a former killer to face that darkness that made him such an effective killer. She even gave a similar speech to Willow, who as "Darth Willow" nearly came close to destroying the world in the Season Six finale, (6.22) "Grave". Many fans had thought Buffy may have lost her mind. I understood what Buffy was trying to say. During Season Seven, Spike and Willow had spent most of it wallowing in guilt over certain acts they had committed in Season Six. I could probably say the same about Buffy. Like Spike and Willow, she learned to face her past treatment of the blond vampire in the episode, (7.08) "Conversations with Dead People". But duties and the re-emergence of the First Evil made her realize that she had no time to wallow in her guilt. Her rants against Spike and Willow in "Get It Done" expressed her own impatience with their guilt and tendencies to hold themselves back in fear of releasing the inner evil that made them fearsome. She forced both the vampire and the red-haired witch to realize that they can only be fully effective by learning to face their personal demons . . . and controlling it. By facing the many aspects of their nature, Spike and Willow could learn to develop as individuals. The First Evil’s activities forced Buffy to develop in another path. She had to start learning how to evolve beyond her inferiority/superiority complex and learn to connect with others . . . when the situation demanded. Thanks to her former Watcher, Rupert Giles, she tried to use this aloofness to become an authority figure to the many Potential Slayers that had arrived on her doorstep. She also had to learn not to allow her insecurities and fear (traits that originated from the negativity within) of being alone to give others like her former Watcher Rupert Giles and even her friends a chance to dictate her actions and behavior. Like Spike and Willow, she had to learn to become her own person. She had to stop being afraid to connect with others and at the same time, allowing them to dictate her behavior. In the end, I found Season Seven to be very complex and mature on a level that may have eluded certain viewers. Before the season first began, Whedon and Mutant Enemy had announced that the series would take viewers back to how it used to be during the earlier seasons. And perhaps that was what they had been looking forward to . . . simply recapturing the past. Season Seven did just that . . . but with a twist. The season reminded viewers that no one can recapture the past. Not really. In a way, Spike and Willow tried to recapture their former selves – the mild-mannered Victorian gentleman and the shy computer geek. And Buffy, at Giles’ orders, tried to enforce her authority upon the Potential Slayers as the Watchers’ Council had done to her in the past. Even the fans got into the act. They wanted Whedon to take this season back to what "BUFFY" used to be, failing to realize that would never happen. Buffy and the Scoobies could never go back to being what they used to be. Too much had changed for them over the years. They had changed. And so had the series. Not only did Buffy and the Scoobies' conflict with the First Evil - namely their own inner demons - made them realize they could not recapture their past. They may have learned something else. Battling the First Evil was like battling a part of themselves. And in battling themselves, they ended up battling their worst enemy. By allowing the characters to do so, Whedon continued the theme that had been prevalent throughout the series’ run . . . namely growing up.

[sulietsexual]

Your opinion on the way buffy the vampire slayer ended? (the show, not the comics, seeing as they haven't ended lol :)

Alright, so I’m going to preface this by saying that I truly believe BtVSshould have ended at Season 5. It was honestly the perfect place to end theseries, thematically and narratively, and, in my humble opinion, The Gift is afar superior episode to Chosen. Not only did The Gift wrap up the overall arcof the season beautifully, it alsoexplored and portrayed ongoing themes of the show and for Buffy herself, withher realisation of death being her gift and her journey as the Slayer coming tocompletion. It would have been a spectacular end for a great series. Alas, thiswas not the case, and instead we were given Chosen, which is nowhere near aseffective as a series finale.

Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely positive aspects to Chosen asan episode. It’s well-written and nicely paced, it contains some decentcharacterisation and features an epic finalbattle, complete with one of the most amazing scores ever composed for BtVS.But narratively and thematically, I really felt the episode fell short.

There is a running theme regarding power in Season 7. The First talks ofit constantly, Buffy herself is struggling with the power she acquires over theseason, Willow is (initially) struggling with her power issues from Season 6and the Potentials are learning what it means to have and wield the power ofthe Slayer. There is also a running theme of choice in Season 7, the Potentialschoosing to stay and fight, Buffychoosing to lead, Faith choosing to return to the Scoobies etc. Both of thesethemes get absolutely steamrolled inthe finale, even though the episode tries to convince you otherwise.

At first glance Chosen looks likeit’s about power and choice, with Buffy offering the Potentials the chance to takeon the literal power of the Slayer and join the fight because they choose to. It’s a nifty idea and woulddefinitely have worked within the themes of power and choice, except for oneglaring narrative choice. Instead of having Buffy activate only the Potentials in her care, i.e. the girls who actually could consider their options and freelymake their own choice to “be strong”,the writers chose to have Willow’s spell activate every Potential, including dozens upon dozens of young girls andwomen who hadn’t made the choice totake on the mantle of the Slayer, essentially stripping all these girls of theiragency and autonomy.

Buffy basically does to these girls what was done to the First Slayer –turned them into Chosen Ones against their will and opened up a completely newworld to them, which they may not have been ready for or even wanted. Insteadof being empowering, the Activation Spell is actually the opposite, as it completelytakes away these girls’ choices. And, as we see with the psychotic Slayer Danain the AtS episode Damaged, not every girl who has been activated as a Slayeris equipped or ready to handle such power and responsibility. It’s really quitedisheartening when you think about it.

Even if we ignore this glaring narrative choice, I still don’t feel thatChosen is a great end to the show. A series finale should emphasise a show’sprimary themes and focus on its’ protagonist (or protagonists) and show thecompletion of their journey, or the start of their new path. Its’ focus shouldbe the characters who have been with the show from the beginning, and it shouldcontain call-backs and echoes to the Pilot, if not narratively then at leastthematically. Aside from a brief scene echoing a scene from The Harvest, Chosendoes none of this.

Because of the screen time sucked up by the Potentials over the courseof Season 7, the finale is mostly given over to them, with Willow, Xander andGiles all ignored and passed over, their storylines and narrative arcsforgotten or clumsily patched together. Dawn and Anya, later-season characterswho are also central to the show and narrative, are also passed over. But thereal insult is Buffy herself and the complete lack of focus on her as acharacter, as her thematic arc becomes all about Spike.

I’ve spoken before about how Spike’s narrative and thematic arc takesover the show in the final two seasons, completely to the detriment of Buffy asa character, as well as her own thematic arc. This is never more glaringlyobvious than in Chosen, which ultimately is about Spike’s journey and sacrifice and his saving the world. Whereas TheGift focused on the completion of Buffy’s journey into what it meant to be aSlayer and ended with her beautiful sacrifice to save the world, Chosen focuseson the journey Spike has built on the back of Buffy’s pain and trauma, andbecomes about his sacrifice to savethe world. Even Buffy’s final moments are focused on Spike, with her giving himhis “reward” by saying I love you and her final word of the entire series is his name. In her own finale, Buffy is usedto prop up and further Spike’s story,with the episode barely giving her own journeyand narrative a second thought.

So, tl:dr, I really don’t like the way BtVS ended and believe that abetter finale and farewell to the series would have been The Gift.