#despite having not watched btvs yet

[kaizsche]

i have sooo much stuff to write, but i'm currently obsessed with spuffy so here is a lil snippet of my attempt at writing them both - featuring william! especially my boi william <333333

William had written her poetry the day her Papa died. It’s one of his first compositions, he said and she’d asked him what the others were about, if he would be willing to read them for her. 

“It’s nothing of importance.”  “Silly William.” She smiled at him even though her heart hurts thinking about Papa, and how she would never smile the same again. “Of course it’s important.” He hesitated, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. Elizabeth kicked the covers off of her body, sliding next to William with a soft nudge to his rib.  “Y–You won’t like it, Lizbeth.” She cocked her head at him. “I think I’ll like it all the same.”  He still hadn’t moved. The birds chirped outside, sunshine crawling through the cracks of her broken window. She remembered Papa’s crinkled brow as he scolded her for being a dashingly reckless child. Elizabeth knew then, after Mama’s resigned grunt that Papa wasn’t mad at her at all, and she even helped him patch it up like a good girl!  “Here.” William pressed a crumpled piece of paper on the inside of her palm.  Elizabeth laughed silly at some of them. She didn’t mean to, of course, but it was fascinating reading the words William managed to string up and called Poetry. At first, he was affronted by her reaction but later found himself chuckling with her as she pointed out some of the ridiculous words he used.  Then, after she’d gone through his works, she was sobbing on his shoulder, begging for her Papa.

[starchants]

hi! i don’t know if you write for spike (btvs) but could you maybe write dating spike hcs? sfw & nsfw?

hi my lil crow <3! i do most certainly write for our favorite lil bad boy spike, i hope you enjoy <3!

XOXO, CHESHIRE — depressingly this is shorter than my one with angel but that doesn’t mean that i don’t love him any less! i just literally ran out of headcanons at the moment cause my brain stopped working whoops! i could always expand upon him on a later date like i can with angel.

WRITING WARNINGS: lovely fluff, some hints of angst thrown in because of our beloved troublesome tortured poet and some nsfw content as well!

alright let’s state the obvious about our favorite troublesome poet : he will write tons of poems about you. his favorite topic to write about would be about love, at least i headcanon from his former human life, and so when he finds himself enthralled with you, you become his center focus in his beloved artship.

even if you do not like poetry, still please be supportive of him especially when you learn why he doesn't write his poetry as often as he used to when he was human. you see, in my personal headcanon, william (his human self of course) had been seen as too soft for a man as he liked the more feminine oddities such as : poetry, flowers, jewelry, fashion, and baking. mind you, this is all my personal headcanons as to why he was seen as soft.

so this vamp would adore you so so much more if you were to let him be himself and perhaps show interest in the oddities that he likes. obviously he would be the most supportive of you but if he was super supportive of you and didn't receive any back, i feel like he’d be put off of you despite how he feels towards you.

if you are an artistic soul like he is, spike would proudly marvel over your art — no matter how melancholy it might appear to be. he would goat about how his partner is the best at (insert your craft(s) here) and it would get to the point that the whole scooby gang would in-synchronicity claim "we know!" which would turn him into a blushing stuttering mess as he tries to play it off that he doesn't talk about your craft(s) that much. he contradicts himself sometimes as we all know.

he is the definition of a badass with a good soft heart. y'all get stuck out in the rain? he`s sacrificing his good leather and placing it over your head as he moves the pair of you underneath something where you would be dry and then y'all can watch the rain fall down upon sunnydale in a pretty lil art form. anyone happens to look at you in a wrong or potentially harmful way? spike is throwing hands with his vamp face out to scare them halfway to death before he even touches them. he`s a little protective over you, that`s all.

he’s obsessed with your touch. he’s severely touch deprived even if he doesn’t show it — please show him that he is capable of love, one that doesn’t surround around the madness of the woman who he believed to have been his soulmate before you came into his life. the man would be so touchy with you in private, especially if you did any hobbies of his that he loves — meaning baking of course! he would wrap his arms around your middle and use his hands to help you with anything you need for baking. definitely the type of man to put you on his feet and the pair of you penguin waddle together to put the trays in the oven for whatever you’re baking.

speaking of him being obsessed with your touch … time for a lil bit of nsfw 😈

spike is definitely a switch with a bratty sub lean, i mean literally just look at this vampire. he tries to act like a badass who is known for causing trouble over the years and yet if you play your cards just right you can turn him from a brat into your precious boy, but that takes a while. i tend to headcanon that even though drusilla loved him in the way she did, she never got to have him this way, and spike only trusts you to show this side of him. despite the trust, he will indeed make you work for it like i said previously. but you know how to handle your troublesome boy and how to practically turn him into a puddle with your mere touch overtime.

he’s definitely a mean service dom though when he is in a the dominant state of mind. man loves to torture you and deny your orgasms left and right only for a few turns though and then sends you over the edge quite a few times after that. he turns you into a total mess for his own pleasure but the aftercare is spectacular fr!

his version of aftercare is ; cleaning you up with a towel while smothering you with kisses all over as soon as he wipes down each and every spot upon your body, then he goes and gives you a drink (whether water or your favorite soda or alcoholic drink or maybe a blood bag if you’re a vampire like him — y’alls choice!) before he goes off to fill up a bath with the rainbow colored child bubbles that he found at the store the other day, and then he carries you in there once the bath is all filled. then he goes on to wash your body and hair for you while making sure that you’re genuinely alright with whatever occurred during your time together, then he asks you for whatever you want or need — his beloved flower’s wish is his command that he wishes never ends.

[thissharktypes]

Spike (btvs) x reader

Sensitive crybaby reader x bitchy Spike lol GN reader College age Scoobies and reader

You swing your legs back and forth on the kitchen counter, nibbling on a peanut butter drenched apple slice while you watch Buffy, Giles and Xander bicker back and forth about the best way to dispatch of yet another group of vamps. The door swings open and Spike stalks in, boots thudding loudly enough to pause the chatter before they resume bickering. You hop down and trot over to Spike with a big grin on your face and a handful of apple slices. “Hi Spike! How are you tonight?” you chirp up at him, your smile faltering only slightly when he scowls at you, rolling his eyes and dropping himself down on the couch. You follow suit, sitting on the edge to give him space, you hold out you hand “Do you want an apple slice?” his mouth curls down in disgust “Can’t you leave me alone? Everytime you’re around it’s talk talk talk,” he makes a talking motion with his hand “Starting to think you’re just drenching your panties every time you see me at this point.” you retract your hand and stand up “Sorry Spike! I’ll leave you alone.” Your voice still bubbly despite the tears clouding your eyes.

Blinking rapidly you duck your head and quickly maneuver into the kitchen, busying yourself with making dinner for the group. Focusing on cutting veggies and stirring pots, picking out spices here and there, all these little things help you brush off another one of Spike’s outbursts “Hey, you okay?” Willow touches your shoulder gently and you nod “It’s fine, really! I know he’s just cranky today.” she sighs “Y/N he’s always like that, why do you keep trying to be nice to him?” you shrug, suddenly finding your shoes very interesting “I guess,” you hesitate “I guess I feel a sort of connection to him?” you squint at Willow “Before I met you guys I had nobody, I was just the weird kid.” You laugh softly “I know that deep loneliness, Nobody deserves that.” you whisper. Willow lets out a soft ‘awwwe’ and throws her arms around you. Out of everyone she had always been your closest friend, stumbling across her in the college library and immediately hitting it off by bonding over your similar fandom shirts you had both worn that day.

After a plan had been agreed on you set out bowls and plates, Willow trailing behind with silverware and cups. A big pot of pastina, fresh bread and a wonderful salad decorated your table. Cooking was something you took pride in, always so happy to share with your loved ones. But your eyes flickered towards Spike who had taken a seat near the end of the table, a spoon tightly grasped in his hand. You know in your heart that Spike could be kind, but the fear of him insulting the only thing you felt like you could offer to the group was rattling around in your skull.

Despite your hesitation you give him the benefit of the doubt and settle yourself in a chair too, letting everyone grab what they want before you serve yourself. Praises and compliments of how good it smells and how pretty everything is make you beam with pride “Okay okay enough talking, everyone eat!” you flap your hands dramatically. Everyone seems pleased with the food and casual conversations spark up before a groan followed by the loud clattering of a spoon and a chair being pushed back “I know the little one doesn’t have any useful skills for your merry little crew, but the food isn’t that good.” he turns on his heel and leaves, the door slamming shut behind him. All eyes are on you while you desperately try and keep a smile on your face while choking back tears, a hand slides into yours, you already know its Willow “It’s really good Y/N, you always cook for us when we’re sick or sad and it always makes us better, we wouldn’t keep coming over for meals if we didn’t like it.” Xander nods in agreement “You know me, I can’t lie about food.” he says through a mouthful of pasta and bread. You let out a watery laugh “Thanks you guys, It’s okay, I’ll keep trying. One day I’ll make him like me!” you wipe your eyes, ignoring the frustrated looks the group passes each other, all of them knowing you had spent every moment you could fighting to make Spike happy despite how much they all hated him.

Weeks pass, cookies laughed at, little clay sculptures insulted, clothing picked at, hair messed up, you took it all. Every last insult, every angry look, you tried so hard with your gifts, never giving up, until he took it too far.

Buffy had been gushing about some guy she met on campus, you and Willow sipping tea while the rest of the gang sat around the tv nearby “Ugh, I can’t even explain it!” she squealed happily “It’s like he’s perfect, and absolutely no vampy, demon-y, creepiness at all!” you and Willow give fake applause before you three melt into a pile of giggles “That just leaves you Y/N,” the red head wiggles her eyebrows “Everyone here has someone except you,” her nose scrunches “And crabby pants.” you swat her arm gently, laughing “I have a better chance at getting someone than that poor sod,” Spike shouts at the group “Nobody would pick such a boring creature like Y/N.” he snickers.

Your head swims, you have no idea why that hurt so much worse than anything he had said before. You stare at the table, trying to will away the sob that was bubbling up. Slowly standing, you push yourself away from the table, tears streaming down your cheeks. His grin drops as soon as he sees your face, but you’re gone, the front door flung wide open, silence falling over the room while your retreating figure gets farther and farther away. Willows fists clench, she had bit her tongue for the sake of you, but screw it “You fucking asswipe!” she chucks a plate at Spikes head, eyes wide, he ducks, just barely missing it “Every time Y/N does something nice you stomp on it! Do you know how hard they worked on every little gift for you?” her feet guide her in front of the now cowering blond man “And every single time you. made. them. Cry.” she jams a finger in his chest each time to punctuate her words “But they never give up, no matter how many times we all warn them about you they still pour their heart and soul into caring about you because they believed you deserved love and affection.” Willow snarls the last bit out, her rant more rage filled than any of her friends even thought she could muster.

Willows chest heaves, suddenly out of breath. She steps back, about to follow her friend outside before a hand stops her “I’m sorry. I’ll fix it.” Spikes face is hard as he leaves, unsure of how to handle the new information.

Over an hour of searching with no sign of you, he kicks a nearby tree, bark and wood splintering into the air “Bloody ponce!” he rakes his hands through his hair, aggravated “Such a bloody idiot!” Spike paces back and forth, a slew of self hatred spewing from his mouth. A twig snaps but he doesn’t even notice “Spike?” you sniffle, eyes puffy and red “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” he whips around to face you, drinking in your pouty, quivering lips, how you’re hugging your elbows and shivering, the mud staining your pants. All this and your first thought is to comfort him? He has you pulled into his arms, face buried in your hair, gripping you against him, before you can even repeat your question. A muffled ‘Oh!’ as your face is smothered in his chest. You both stand like that for who knows how long, Spike’s fingers carefully running through your hair, pausing to unravel tangles or pull out little bits of twigs or leaves. You squirm, your legs hurting from holding you up for so long after running. He shifts and suddenly you’re both on the ground, you on his lap, now swaddled tightly in his jacket. Spike presses kisses all over your face before guiding you to nuzzle into his neck, he’s rambling and you’re barely able to catch each word “I’m so sorry love, I truly am, I shouldn’t have been such a wanker to you.” he tucks his jacket under your chin “I was…” he swallows “Scared, I ‘spose. You were just so sweet, absolutely dotting on me pet, I’m not used to it.” your hand curls into a fist, gripping his shirt “I’ve been right smitten with you since you tried to give me that dinosaur band-aid,” you smile against his skin, remembering that day “You had said somethin’ about you having ‘Ello Kitty ones too but you didn’t want me to be embarrassed.” he pulls you even closer “I kept everything, ate all your little treats too, took everything in me to not beg you to cook for me.” you pull back and look up at him with such a soft look on your face his breath catches in his throat “Really?” your voice is so quiet he almost didn’t hear you, but he nods, his now messy hair falling across his forehead “Pet… You scared me when you ran off, Willow put the fear of capital G-O-D into me, threw a plate at me and everything,” he chuckles “Your friends love you, so vocal about how much they care, made me a bit jealous I think.” he nods “I could write a thousand sonnets about your kindness and it would never be enough to even begin to explain how much I cherish you.” your lips are pressed to his the second he finishes. Wrapped in each others arms, soft kisses, sweet nothings whispered in your ears, everything you could have hoped for and more.

[thequeenofsastiel]

It's funny, I was definitely very much into Spuffy while I was watching BTVS. And I'm still into them anytime I watch them together. But Spangel captivates me so much more, and I'm not sure why. Sure, maybe part of it is that it's gay, and as a lesbian I generally find gay/lesbian romances more compelling than het romances, but that's not always true. I was more into Janeway/Chakotay than Janeway/7, and more into Bellarke than Clexa. And Spuffy is a deeply moving relationship for many reasons. I didn't spend time gathering all the names and number of times Spike used those names for Buffy for no reason. But Spangel moves me more.

Maybe it's because of how long they knew each other and how much they've been through together. There's a certain kind of intensity to a relationship that only happens when you know someone for a long time and have a very intimate relationship with them. Spike and Angel spent almost twenty years together, traveling all over the world, bonding by killing together and both being incredibly brutal in their own way(and also they had sex at least once, though I'd be surprised if it was only once). Spike said when they first saw each other in BTVS that Angelus had been his Yoda. When they saw each other on that sub in the 1940s Spike was so happy to see him and so proud that he was with Angelus in front of those other two vampires. He was entirely obedient to Angel, something he never was to anyone else. He even agreed to swim eight hours to shore simply because Angel told him to, not even bothering to argue, let alone fight. Angel told Lawson with complete confidence that Spike would do anything Angel told him to do, and he was right.

Spike is the only vampire Angel's never been able to bring himself to try to kill. Angel killed Darla, the vampire he was in a romantic relationship with, and he set both her and Drusilla on fire, Drusilla being someone he felt incredible guilt for victimizing. And yet it's Spike whom Angel can't kill. The why of this isn't entirely clear. Soulless Spike had been a danger to both him and Buffy in the past. Soulless Spike has tortured Angel, and has definitely tried to kill Angel. But still, Angel couldn't bring himself to try to kill Spike. This devotion is so interesting. Where did it come from?

In s5 of ATS, anytime Angel was in danger, ensouled Spike was right there to protect him. And vice versa. Angel took a goddamn stake for him without hesitation. Despite the fact that they spent the entire season bickering and both claimed on multiple occasions that they didn't like each other(though they still ended up spending time with each other for no reason).

Their relationship is just so long-lasting and so complex. There's so much to speculate about their past and so many possibilities for where their relationship could go(though admittedly that last part is true for most ships).

So yeah, I think that's why I find it more compelling.

[this-thing-saved-me]

This Show Saved Me - BTVS 7x22

7x22 Chosen

I will never not find it funny that to stream Buffy I have to go to Disney+. Or the fact that the most recent episode I’d watched (whenever that was) was this one. Since I’m pretty sure I left my rewatch mid-season 3.

But that’s the thing about this particular episode. It’s practically a perfect finale. And felt like the right place to start, because who says everything should happen in order. That’s not always how life works. 

THERE WILL LIKELY BE ABUNDANT SPOILERS FOR A FINALE THAT AIRED OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO. There, that was your warning. And now for some Cole's notes “Story so far.”

Okay, so Buffy’s been through it by this point. The First has annihilated her self-confidence and Caleb has been on the warpath. Spike has told her she’s the one (!!!), whether she fully believes in herself yet or not. (SIDENOTE: yes, I ship Spuffy. Yes, there are very, very valid reasons not to. However I am a big fan of redemption arcs and where they land by the end of the comics feels like as healthy a place as possible with a very real love.)

And Angel shows up trying to be all tall-dark and forehead. Which I get, he’s Angel, he needs to be in the finale. But ultimately he's a delivery boy and he didn’t need to do it in person other than to prompt the first on my list of loves for this episode. 

Which is what I lovingly refer to as the "Cookie Speech." Buffy knows she has more growing to do and she’s self-aware enough to share that with the first love of her life. She’s come a long way from the season of post-resurrection depression, but she’s still not quite ready for what Angel might like her to be (granted he’s JUST lost Cordelia so the fact that he is back at Buffy’s door is a rant for another post.) The idea that things aren’t working for her romantically because she’s not done baking. She hasn’t figured out all that she wants to be. While I love love LOVE this analogy, I wonder if there’s ever really a time in our lives where we are done baking? Besides the end of course. We’re supposed to evolve. We’re supposed to grow.

Spike is her Champion, not Angel. They’ve seen the best and the worst of each other, remember? He knows she needs someone strong, someone with a soul, and despite the bad, she knows he’s earned the right to the title through growing and atoning. Motivated people can change, and that’s something I believe that Spike has shown.

“He had to split” - the joke is LHF and I love it. Does its utterance deserve a place on this list? Yes. Because it's very me-coded. I’d have a very hard time not making the same joke if I had just rendered a man from stem to stern. But I digress. This episode is serious and still silly. It’s the epitome of BTVS episodes. I mean Spike waking from a dream yelling “I’m drowning in Cool Whip,” come on. It’s akin to “the cheese wears me” in off kilter nonsense. Plus Anya later finding her strength in her hatred for "floppy, hoppy bunnies" will never not kill me. (Or her, again spoiler.) I adore Emma Caufield.

Willow is afraid to use magic because of her history with the darkness. Not knowing if she’s stable enough. I can identify with her at this moment after clawing back from my own mental health blip a couple years ago. She went dark. (I went, arguably, nuts) She’s regained her balance but how secure? It’s going to turn out to be really secure because “Oh my goddess” she’s got this. AND…

The fact that Kennedy is there for Willow to help keep her grounded. Her very presence supports Willow but isn’t the deciding factor for victory. Willow needs to believe in herself that she won’t go back over that edge. She touched the darkness and it freaked her the f out. (Once she came back down from the overwhelm and shock of her grief.) I lived in that fear for a long time. And I’m grateful for the grounding I’ve found outside of the support of others, but within myself.

Just for fun, let’s chat about the DND session. Even the scoobies needed to disassociate before the big thing. And self-permission to have fun during challenging times is key. It can’t all be doom and gloom. Sometimes you recharge that nervous energy through Trogdor the Burninator references and that’s more than okay.

Ultimately we have the’ shared power’ speech. “Here’s the part where you make a choice” more specifically. Because they could easily choose to let the First and its legions overwhelm the world and finally be the apocalypse they couldn’t handle. It’s easier to stay down. It’s easier to say I can’t. But where does that get you? Making that choice to take your power back and say I am more than what wants to overwhelm me is a beautiful moment. This moment, where all the Potentials get their piece of the power pie is tremendously moving. I get shivers just thinking about it. Male or female, we don’t need the permission of Slayer power to take back our own. To say ‘no more’ and get back up off the ground. (Although Slayer strength would be badass, let’s be real.)

The bottom line, this episode epitomises what I love about Buffy and the Whedon-verse. Real characters in a fantastic world who battle larger than life caricatures of the demons we fight in our daily lives. This show saved me in a lot of ways. My very first boyfriend got me to watch it back in 2005, which he may have regretted as it CONSUMED my brain for most of grade 12. It was the perfect time for me to experience this show. I credit it for helping me find my voice offline. I was always a nose-in-a-book girl or heavily distracted with FanFiction. I was one of the quietest in my friend group, not really feeling like there was a value to what I had to say. The message that we can choose to be strong and fight back? That’s one that I’ll eternally be grateful for and will carry with me, always. What’s your favourite episode? And why is it “Once More With Feeling”? ;)

(Honourable mention goes to this eye contact where my headcanon is convinced he sees she really does love him despite him telling her otherwise seconds before. THOSE SMG EYES! I can't.)

[frolis-maneuver]

commission for @absolutely-flabbergasted for his spike digiAU :] as a bonus, two more spikes that you can consider semi-warmups for the comm lol

im a sucker for digiaus and despite having yet to watch btvs in any capacity i have discovered that spike is very fun to draw so i enjoyed working on this commission a lot! thanks rook!

[tuiyla]

Time for another Buffy and Angel retro

Sigh, so I really should have done a BtVS s5 and AtS s2 retro before watching the following seasons of both those shows but oops, here we are. For my own peace of mind I will write an unstructured random something so I can do a whole series (so far) summary for both shows before diving into Buffy season 7.

Buffy Season 5

Such a strong season that pretty much immediately became my favourite of the first 5. After the somewhat stumbling season 4 with its college storyline and, sigh, the Initiative, here was a show more confident in itself and feeling free to explore new things and lose dead weight (Riley). From the very start it wasn’t afraid to mix camp with the stronger storytelling that made previous seasons so successful. Season 5 just feels so sure of itself and no wonder, what with that finality that it was leading up to. And I did expect yet another Buffy death to feel kind of cheap but no, the impact was more than fully there (and appropriately heavy in season 6). Dawn’s introduction, while not seamless went a lot smoother than I think could be expected, and I personally like the character so it all worked for me. And I do have to admit, big sister Buffy became my favourite and I felt myself loving her much more throughout this season. It’s not like I wasn’t a fan of Buffy’s character before but this is when she really arrived of rme.

I don’t need to introduce any BtVS fan to the impact The Body can have on a person or how well Glory works as our Big Bad for the season. The stakes are so high this season, with Buffy herself risking and losing so much not only to the highest of forces but also the mundane, depressing realities of life. Despite this, season 5 is very much about family in a way I don’t think even previous seasons were. Sure, the Scoobies always have been a family but put into this much more suburban setting with a young girl to look after, plus our core characters growing up it’s hard for me to deny that this is where they’ve truly arrived for me as a unit. This setup of the Scoobies also just works rather well, with the core four being complemented by Anya, Tara and, well and truly now, Spike. Yes, they serve as love interests to the three main “kids” (well, Spike not quite yet, I suppose) but in their best moments they also stand on their own two feet. Even Tara, the only character not getting the main title treatment has come into her and arguably had a bigger arc than even her girlfriend, Willow.

Speaking of. The only “complaint” I would have about the season is a minor one, and then another, so far half-baked thought. Complaint one is that Willow didn’t have much of an arc this season, or at least less so than other main characters and I thought that was a shame. Sure, she’s become so powerful that she ended up taking on a god and that leads us nicely into season 6, but I would have expected at least one episode to have a decidedly Willow A plot and that never truly came. And then my half-baked thought is that, for all its confidence and standout episodes and overall strong arc, season 5 did miss something of a spark for me. Maybe that’s the curse of being consistently strong with very few subpar moments, I’m not sure. I think it might be that I just went with the flow so well I didn’t take the time to process everything, because the pieces were all there and it all led to a stunning conclusion. Maybe I’m just a messy bitch who likes the despair of season 6 just a little bit better. Speaking of.

Buffy Season 6

In all fairness, season 5 was praised to me whereas I was warned to lower my expectations for season 6 so there was already a difference there. But season 6 came by swinging and I’m not saying it never missed, the “Big Bad” being a particular pain point for me, but it was messy in delicious ways and I enjoyed the darker tone the season set for our heroes. Buffy’s afterdeath was handled much better than I thought it would be, by which I mean it wasn’t just retconned and everyone on their merry way. Buffy’s death and the undoing of it at Willow’s hands sets not only the tone of the entire season but the very DNA of it. We’re also dealing with the harsh truths of life this season, from the financial reality of a(n officially) jobless orphan looking after her little sister to destructive relationships and, yes, addiction. And I know Willow’s storyline is a point of contention in the fandom - one day, I might even bring myself to try and stand in defense of it. But for now I’ll just say that the many metaphors of BtVS are versatile things and it was about time Willow’s journey hit a big milestone.

In fact, it’s that very fact of the season being primarily about Buffy’s and Willow’s struggles that I appreciate. They’re mirrors this season in all the ways they don’t see. If only they’d seen the director’s cut of Tara and Giles’ reprise of their solos, they’d see the parallels. Of course, I can’t praise season 6 without mentioning that Once More, With Feeling is indeed as great as everyone hypes it up to be. If it results in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cast making it into my top 5 artists in this year’s Spotify Wrapped I’m gonna be mad, but only because the songs genuinely slap and the story is so well-handled through them. That said, I think it’d be a mistake to reduce season 6 to the one standout episode. While inarguably the most unique, it’s far from being the season’s only great episode. And even more than standouts, it’s the overall consistency that I appreciate. Some may frown upon episodes like Doublemeat Palace and the whole storyline of Buffy getting a fast food job, but I’m a seasoned ex-maccies worker who’s bene there and found odd catharsis in the show finally acknowledging financials. Call me Anya, but I care about money - some logistics of money in my shows, anyway.

All of this is not to say I think the season was perfect by any means. Some of the Spuffy shitshow was rough to watch, some of it really rough to the point of harrowing, and I’ll miss Tara as much as the next Sapphic. It’s in the Trio’s mere existence where you’ll find my reasons for potentially debating whether this really is the best season. It’s not that I hated them; you are generally supposed to hate villains. It’s that they’re annoying even at the best of times heinous at the worst, Warren in the lead of course but the two lackeys as well. I’ll say it, the show should have let Jonathan go. I don’t hate the concept inherently and I think the show does a fair enough deconstruction of why nerds aren’t always so innocuous but that doesn’t change the fact that was just plain unpleasant to watch them take up screentime in a season where Tara’s clock is ticking and our main characters are desperately trying to hold their lives together. No fun. I might rant about it later.

But that aside, I’ll proudly proclaim season 6 as my favourite and right now there are few questions about it. It’s the one that made me feel the most in any case and that’s what matters in my eyes. Dark Willow, I’ll never forget you, nor will I overlook Xander’s best moment in the entire series anytime soon. Unless he does something very stupid in season 7, which is entirely possible and in fact expected.

Angel Season 2

The two shows began diverging so much that it feels strange to even jump into Angel the Series here but let’s do so anyway. Not exactly sure what the reason is since I watched them parallel but for some reason, Angel season 2 feels even more distant now than Buffy season 5. Maybe it’s because of how much has changed in the series and how far it has come from its origins. Maybe it’s because I practically binged Angel season 3 and then Buffy season 6, so I’ve now spent more time away from AtS. Whatever it may be, I’ll have fond memories of Angel’s second season and how, just like BtVS season 5 felt so confident in itself, so too did the spin-off grow more sure of its own strengths and structure.

The big appeal of the season is the return of Darla, far too unceremoniously killed off back in BtVS season 1 Darla. Julie Benz is far too great in the role to be limited to just flashback and so, here she is in all her glory, tormenting Angel and then herself with the new-old soul she has. Darla has now had two human and two vampire lives and it’s fascinating to follow her progress through those lives and deaths. AtS season 2 did a great job at further establishing the messy but deep Angel and Darla relationship we only got a hint of previously. She was the perfect villain to elevate Angel the Series above what it was in its first season. Also in the antagonistic role the ever-present Wolfram & Hart and the delightful albeit short return of Drusilla, which together made for one heck of a challenge for Angel.

I’d even say that I enjoyed Angel’s momentary slip into lone wolf jerk territory because of course what Wolfram & Hart put him through landed him there, of course. Constantly atoning or not, Angel will never not be a flawed character and season 2 gave us so much of his ups and downs. Some highlights include his 50s flashback and the Darla episode glimpse at just how much of a pathetic meow meow he was even after first getting his soul. My only complaint about Angel’s arc is a self-indulgent one, that being that his should have continued his prison chats with Faith. Not just because I’m a slut for Faith first and foremost but because the two have developed such a beautiful connection and I would have loved to see that continue as a through-line in season 2 and beyond. Oh well, see you in season 4, Faith.

In terms of other characters, I think this season was most significant for Wesley, beyond Angel and Darla. He got to take a leadership role and prove how capable he can be when he believes in himself, and that was wonderful to witness after how far he’s come. I do feel like Cordelia got more to work with than the more lowkey development (up until the end) of season 1 but it still wasn’t quite there. Maybe at the very end, again, as she demonstrated her growth when refusing to give up the visions in Pylea. The girl who snogged every mouth she saw when first getting the visions from Doyle has come far indeed. Speaking of Pylea, let me just highlight the last four episodes’ adventure as an excellent way to end the season. So different for the Buffyverse, almost Doctor Who-like in its premise but a welcome change of pace after the heavy Darla stuff that the rest of the season covered.

I wish I had more to say about Gunn joining the team or even Lorne’s introduction and subsequent steady presence, but now that I’ve also seen season 3 I just feel like there’d be little point in me trying to force myself to gather thoughts on them in season 2. And not that they had an awful lot to work with, either. Like I said, apart from Angel it was mostly a Wesley season in my eyes.

Angel Season 3

Where there is more to say about Gunn, Lorne, and more is season 3, even more of a departure from BtVS than season 2 was. Part of that is the different network situation and I can’t pretend I didn’t feel baited and betrayed when a crossover post-Buffy resurrection was teased and then done with offscreen, but maybe that’s for the best. Angel’s life is now so distinct from the going ons of Sunnydale and that is okay. Imagine Angel telling Buffy about getting Darla pregnant who then gave birth by staking and poofing herself and the baby growing up in a hell dimension only to... do all of that to his bio daddy. Man, this season was wild. And no I won’t let them live the staking and poofing down.

If I’m honest, if season 2 was Darla’s well deserved chance to shine her return here felt lackluster and her second vampire death even more ridiculous and unworthy than her first. Yes, yes, she died for her son, a noble moment from a soulless vampire, blah blah. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pregnancy storyline and how sidelined Darla herself felt in it but anyway, let’s not get into that tangent. The point is, Angel’s suddenly a dad this season and that fundamentally changes the status quo. I feel like I’ll have more to say about Connor is later season and it is perhaps best if I don’t dwell on him as a character for now, and instead highlight that stakes have indeed been raised and, if nothing else, I appreciate the bold direction.

There’s much to say about the way Angel Investigations changes this season, particularly with Wesley’s well-intentioned but catastrophic betrayal but, again, maybe something I’ll return to later or in another post. I will say that Wesley’s clearly starting to go down a dark path and I would hope he finds redemption on a show all about atonement but you never know. In other AI team news, Fred is here! I had no idea Amy Acker would be more than a late season 2 guest star but I welcomed her addition to the main cast. Fred brings a different kind of dynamic to the team, even if love triangles can be tedious, and she’s a refreshing presence overall. I know I said Gunn has more to do in season 3 but I still don’t think there’s a ton to say about him. And that is a shame, but maybe now that Wesley’s gone and Angel’s at the bottom of the ocean he’ll step into more of a leader role.

The highlight of the season is Cordelia for me, which is something I’ve been waiting to be able to say since BtVS season 1. I’ve always had a feeling BtVS was never giving her her dues and I was warned AtS wouldn’t exactly be kind to the character either. Season 1 did take the piss on occasion and I mostly just wanted more of her in season 2, but now that she’s on her sixth Buffyverse season the Cordelia I always knew she could be is finally here. Not only does she have a solid arc, her moments of compassion are emotionally poignant and her relentless support of Angel in particular is heartwarming. Now, the romantic aspect of their relationship is just another one of those things you’ll have to ask me about later because... I don’t hate it, but I also don’t think it was necessary. The imagery of the season ending with Angel sinking to the bottom of the ocean and Cordelia ascending to the heavens is striking, though. But personally I do hope the whole higher being thing doesn’t last forever for Cordy. She’s needed right here on Earth.

I feel like I’ve strained far from the season overview style I started with BtVS now but Angel season 3 is just a lot to process. I haven’t even touched on Holtz, an overall underwhelming Big Bad if not for the Connor of it all, or Lilah’s increased role now that Lindsey’s gone. But season 3 feels less about the antagonistic forces Angel has to face than about the concept of family, found family and what we choose to do with it. And with the cliffhanger and so many relationships with question marks at their portmanteau's, I don’t think the season offers many answers, as such. Just that this is life, albeit to a heightened extreme and this is what you can make of it. Now, I’ve heard whispers about how badly the last two seasons drop the ball and I’m hoping that’s not true. All I can say for now is that season 3 was a wild ride and even though I think it had more issues for me than AtS s2, it still proved that this spin-off has more than earned its right to exist and continue on.

Aaaaand that is it for now, folks! I shall now reluctantly begin the end of BtVS and venture forward with Angel’s last two seasons. I’m scared and sad but shall savour it while I can.

[womanaction]

cangel

What made you ship it?

I shipped them from BtVS (specifically 2x6 Halloween) because Angel LAUGHED, y'all. I love Cordelia and did pretty early on but I wasn't super interested in Angel until we started to see this other side of him, and Cordelia was a big part of that. Then on AtS they formed this really beautiful friendship and I'm such a sucker for friends to lovers so I started shipping it more seriously.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

(idk why the numbering got messed up whatever) I love how they're really friends first, which means a lot of things. It means they make each other laugh. They call each other on their shit. They've seen the good and the bad, they really know each other and they love each other not despite that but because of it! they're teammates and co-parents and both just gigantic dorks who make each other better.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

hmm I haven't been in Cangel-y circles of late but I do have a lot of thoughts and feelings since I'm rewatching. I know a lot of people who don't necessarily ship it feel that it comes on a bit suddenly in season 3 and I will agree with that a little, especially considering there's no offscreen time with them in between seasons 2 & 3 since Angel is away mourning Buffy. It doesn't especially bug me because I think the realization of feelings is much slower and more organic, but trying to watch it with fresh eyes I agree it feels a little odd there.

um...otherwise, I guess I don't feel like Angel's behavior in S5 is too contradictory with his feelings for Cordelia, at least from my last-watch memory (not there yet). I think it's been part of his character development to learn to move on a bit more and not beat himself up for it like he did when first moving on from Buffy, and I think it's healthy and fine for him to date someone less seriously. way more healthy than most of what he does that season tbh. I don't love what we see in his BtVS crossover at the end of season 7, although we'll see how I feel about it on rewatch. ugh. now I'm just angry about what could have been with Cangel again. not unpopular opinion: we were robbed.

[evilwickedme]

who are the top 3 characters from any fandom(s) that you or others hc as Jewish, and who are your top 3 favourite canonically Jewish characters from any fandom? also please tell us why!!

Oh this is a delightful ask thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to answer this!!!

My longest lasting Jewish headcanon is for Lily Potter nee Evans, for several reasons. One is she gives me the Vibes. Secondly, I love a good angsty story about Petunia choosing to assimilate and punishing Harry for trying to reconnect with his heritage later on. I also think James converted for her and just... Fell in love with Judaism, as a religion, as a culture. One day I will write a fic with all of these headcanons put together but as of right now all I have up (on ff.net, not ao3) is a short chanukah fic that is honestly not worth reading. Also this headcanon is to spite JKR specifically

My next hc isn't so much a headcanon as much as an affront to God it isn't text yet. We all know Peter B Parker steps on a glass at his wedding making him Jewish - and also the only canonically Jewish Peter Parker. There is no version of Peter Parker that isn't Jewish, even Tom Holland's, who, when asked, outright said Peter Parker isn't Jewish, creating an enemy for life. You know the story of that guy who got hired to draw for marvel comics and the first thing he did was fix the slightly crooked M in Spider-Man that had been bothering him his entire life? Me forcing marvel to hire me to write for them and then making Peter Parker both Jewish and bisexual fite me

Another big one I used to be more involved with is Crowley of Good Omens. If you look far enough back in my Good Omens tag - like shortly after the show released - you'll see a bunch of really good posts by other people explaining why, but basically the same reasons Crowley is a demon are the reasons he'd be a fantastic Jew.

As for canon, Willow Rosenberg might be shitty jewitch representation, but BTVS is so important to me and seeing any sapphic representation at all when I was that young, let alone that of a Jewish one, was so so so important to me as a 12-13 year old. And still now, even as I grapple with the shittiness of having Willow hang crucifixes in her room or the bi erasure of the character.

Another one I like despite its problematic~~~ aspects is Annie Edison from Community. It's one of my comfort shows, and the way she insists on her Jewishness specifically in the context of Shirley's bigotry is often very satisfying to watch. I'm not personally a Shirley hater, fyi, but you can't deny she's an evangelical asshole whenever she encounters anyone who doesn't believe exactly the same as her. It's an underrated dynamic to watch.

I have mixed but mostly positive feelings for the Jewish rep in Crazy Ex Girlfriend. I feel like it doesn't try as hard to deconstruct Jewish stereotypes as it does sexist and ableist ones, but I appreciate that it's coming from the lived experiences of a Jewish woman at the narrative helm.

Bonus: I can't remember if the Jewish rep in ASOUE is canon or not. Somebody tell me so I know how to feel about it lmao

Anyway thank you for asking this was a fun question to think about!!!

[we-pay-for-everything]

I ship Bangel and Roey too, so of course I love your blog! I haven't watched TVD in awhile but would love to hear what you see as the main differences between Spike and Damon and, if you're up for it, the main differences between Angel and Stefan!

Are you the Rogan/Roey shipper, and you also ship Bangel? That's great! Thank you for loving my blog (even if you aren't the Friends anon haha) <3<3<3

Spike and Damon

I explained some of their differences here.

I honestly don't think they have much in common. Spike didn't have a soul until season 7, so he wasn't capable of understanding, feeling or expressing emotions in full before that. It doesn't even make sense to compare him to Damon. Spike couldn't grow because of his demon, whereas Damon was essentially a normal person. They also served different purposes in their respective shows. Morality was a big deal on BtVS, not so much on TVD.

Obviously, Spike and Damon were the "bad" vampires to Angel and Stefan's "good". They fell in love with the main character, Buffy/Elena, who was good and "pure", though the "good" vampires Angel/Stefan fell for them first, and had previously been madly in love with another "bad" vampire, Dru/Katherine. They were also fun, funny, smartasses, "honest", charming, dangerous, reliable yet unreliable, surprisingly protective and trustworthy at times, took pride in being bad, loved leather, alcohol, sex, violence, etc.

But those are all superficial similarities imo. Spike was a kiddie pool compared to Damon. He was a soulless vampire (for the most part), in a series that didn't clearly, or consistently, state what that meant or entailed, yet expressly limited the range of emotions and actions a soulless vampire was capable of. Damon/TVD didn't have that issue. Damon's vampiric nature didn't limit him one bit. His personality and past may have, but, as long as his emotions were "on", he could feel, understand, express any kind of emotion - at least, as much as the next guy; and his actions were always his own. Also, his relationships with himself and others were far more complex than Spike's. He only had a handful of meaningful relationships, but Damon had a much bigger social network, which included Elena, Stefan, Alaric, Bonnie, Liz, Katherine, Jeremy, Caroline, Enzo, and even Matt and Tyler. All those relationships were different and complex in their own way.

Damon was a well-rounded, interesting character, capable of growth, though, like any person, he often fought change and hid in what was familiar. His self-hatred always got in the way of his growth; not that he was a good person, but he was still capable of improving, and his behavior and mentality were easily explained without trying to piece together very complicated and contradictory lore (ie. the Buffyverse vampire lore). I would say humanity switch off Damon was like Spike, but that's not true at all, because evil Spike cared about Dru, Buffy, Dawn, Joyce, and emotionless Damon didn't care for anyone. I think Spike was a giant mess, what with the chip and becoming Buffy's lover and an honorary Scoobie, but Damon was very well-written imo.

Also, as far as what motivated them, for Spike it was a love of chaos and destruction (as with all soulless vampires), Buffy, and, later, a somewhat vague desire to help and "redeem" himself. If I were to compare ensouled Spike to Damon, they had in common the desire to impress the woman they loved and even to genuinely improve as people, but Damon hadn't been interested in redemption in the broader sense of the word like Spike had been on Angel. Damon was initially driven by a desire to be reunited with Katherine, but, after, it was his love for Elena, Stefan, and for the life he built in Mystic Falls - which included the friendships he made - that gave his life purpose and drove his actions. Those made him want to be a slightly better person, even despite himself, though his personality, temperament, and past got in the way of him becoming the person others wanted him to be, and who he had to be, to keep those he loved in his life.

Angel and Stefan

I wrote about them many times: x.

Stefan and Angel were just different! Personality wise, they were very different. Both may have been martyrs at times, especially in the beginning (Stelena ripped off Bangel quite a bit), but Stefan had a dry sense of humor, was often sarcastic and sassy, had an outgoing personality, was usually confident and cool, etc. whereas Angel was not quite as sassy and sarcastic, and was often goofy and awkward, avoided people, sometimes struggled to connect with them, and was overall more immature than Stefan (hot take!). Stefan generally knew what he was doing and wasn't as petty or vengeful as Angel could be. He had a much better handle on relationships and on understanding and expressing his emotions. Angel was often immature though he wasn't an immature person, and lived more in the extremes (I know Ripper Stefan existed, but that's a separate issue).

But Angel had a bigger purpose in life, a dream he was aspiring to; he was motivated by a desire to redeem himself and help others. While Angel and Stefan both hated their past, Stefan didn't really make it his mission to atone for past sins. He was compassionate, forgiving, strong, selfless, like Angel, but, in the end, he had looser morals and just wanted to take care of those he loved and live a peaceful life. Angel was a lot more restless and conflicted than Stefan, and had the noble goal, and responsibility, to help not only his loved ones - who he had to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good - but humanity at large. He was driven by ideals. Angel needed something bigger than himself to give purpose and order to his life, to motivate him and help him grow. Angel needed his life to have some sort of meaning and wanted to make a real impact in the world. Stefan only needed a few good people and to protect Mystic Falls.

It's actually very hard for me to describe Angel. Stefan was heroic, yes, but also flawed and built like a normal person. Angel was way more than just a person or character. He represented the unique and basic human struggle to find meaning in the world, in the absurd, and the fears, questions, hopes, dreams that characterize our existence. He was so much deeper than Stefan, Damon, or Spike. Like most AtS characters, he embodied the main themes of the show. He was all of us yet none of us. He was unlike any person, but we could all relate to him: to his love for humanity and his belief that we all deserve better, which warred with the knowledge that humanity is rotten and almost beyond saving; his sadness, helplessness, and confusion in the face of those facts; his need for life to have purpose, and how he fought for his to have a meaning that he could quantify and grasp, and that transcended life itself, while knowing there was no such meaning to be found; his loneliness, self-hatred, anxiety, and all his mistakes; his desire to be normal, to have love and a family.

Angel is too complete to put into words. He is everything (to me).

Anyway, this took a turn. Sorry! Thanks for the ask and for your support!

[jennycalendar]

ok I’m trying to get my friend into btvs and I’ve come to realise. Jenny is the River song of btvs. what do other people think about this like she’s the “cool strong woman” type that really just doesn’t get to exist as a character in her own right rather being mostly just like written in as a cool love interest for the nerd man character. also they’re both lesbionic despite not being lesbians and they’re both characters that despite not having any real depth written into them (at least. not on purpose)I still Jenny slate scream if I think about them for more than 2 seconds

no this is what i have been SAYING FOR YEARS!!!!! literally i can just point to my eighth grade river song obsession and go like. that primed me for jenny calendar. they are the same fucking picture.

i think jenny's held my attention so consistently though because river's arc is the more logical outcome wrt what happens when you write a sexy lamp and subsequently try to use her to amp up the drama. it's sort of this messy mishmash of parts that just Do Not Make Sense. like river being held in prison for a murder she was very clearly forced to commit against her will, river being set up as this Enigmatic Assassin and consistently framed as a Sexy Mystery when she was instead this abused and brainwashed child who was literally tailor-made to kill the doctor, that kinda thing.

like honestly i kinda think that's akin to the idea of jenny falling in love with angel in the buffyverse, yk? that's the kind of thing we're working with there. this level of "he has consumed every part of my life and his existence has made me what i am and my love for him is my one defining quality." but dw frames river and the doctor as this Great Romance while the doctor is actively a dick to river a good percentage of the time, which is OKAY if you're watching and she's still this sexy mystery who Might Have Killed The Doctor, But Is Being Coy About It -- but it becomes, like, so retroactively uncomfortable to watch the doctor yell at and berate river when her full backstory is taken into account.

which again is what happens when you're just throwing drama at the story without a clear game plan in mind! literally do not even get me STARTED on the ponds like there's genuinely so much good stuff in the pond era that just does not get fully dived into -- the idea of amy and rory "getting to raise mels after all" because they GREW UP with her and then that's just IT!?!?!? and the matt smith/alex kingston chemistry is DELICIOUS and i will love river/doctor till the end of time, but. god. they are at times so messily written.

and jenny SHOULD HAVE ENDED UP LIKE RIVER which is why she drives me up the wall! like the choices that were made for her came from the same river-y place of "we want to create some drama, so let's give jenny a convoluted and poorly-conceived backstory," but instead they created direct parallels between her and giles and ended up with this fascinating and horribly tragic story about a woman who repeatedly and fiercely chooses kindness and love instead of duty and obligation -- one that pairs so insanely well with giles's story, which is about a man who repeatedly and fiercely makes the EXACT OPPOSITE CHOICES and repeatedly pays the price. like i should be coming back to jenny the same way i come back to river five years later and go "this is a mess, writing-wise, and watching it makes me feel weird and sad even though i always love it" but i come back to jenny and i'm like "she has a whole fucking character arc. she is shown repeatedly to be a woman of substance and compassion and courage. she gives up her life because she believes in the goodness of the monster she was raised to hate -- the monster who KILLS HER in the end."

tl;dr yes jenny is so much like river but the places where they diverge make me insane forever. they were both written SO poorly, and yet jenny's character arc is THERE and TEXTUAL and ROCK SOLID. im gonna lose my shit.

[comradesummers]

Top 5 buffy characters and top 5 angel characters?

Hi, thanks for asking!

Pretty sure that I’ve answered some version of this before but I’m not going to pretend I’m even remotely consistent about these things, so here we are.

Buffy Characters:

5. Rupert Giles

Giles is one of those characters that frustrates me a lot. He’s part of an inherently exploitative system and I’m not sure that, until the final episode, he ever truly extricates himself from that system. The best parts of Giles are his rebellion against the council and the worst parts of him are his ideological ties to them. But that’s what makes him so interesting. Because the man who defies what he’s been taught and loves this group of misfit children like a father is always at odds with the ruthless utilitarian he thinks he has to be. It’s a fascinating series long conflict, and though it’s not always handled as well as I would like, it does always make for a wonderfully flawed but thoroughly lovable character.

4. Willow Rosenberg

Willow is a character I struggle with because she’s the one that reminds me the most of myself. Some of these similarities are rather superficial: we’re both Jewish lesbians that pride ouselves on our academic merits. But on a deeper level, I find Willow’s insecurity and her desperate need to appear strong and important and worthy at all costs to be so painfully relatable that I have a hard time engaging with her at all. I don’t need to explain how incredible her storyline is over seven seasons, how much she grows and changes and evolves, because you know all that already. There’s no denying she’s an incredible character. And the fact that she resonates so deeply with me to the point that she makes me uncomfortable is maybe the best demonstration of what a good character she is.

3. Faith Lehane

Faith was initially introduced as the dark mirror to Buffy (which is why I believe her to be fundamentally tied to BtVS in a way that she isn’t to AtS). But her great accomplishment throughout Buffy and Angel was her evolution into her own character, separate from Buffy. And that’s also Faith’s character arc. At first, she is only able to compare herself with Buffy. She’s angry and jealous of Buffy because she believes that Buffy has everything that she never had and rightfully deserves. And, in many ways, she’s right to be angry. Yet her choice to direct her anger and resentment towards Buffy, as opposed to the real culprits (the council for one, along with all of the adults in her life) is what leads her to destroy herself. It’s only after she’s able to recognize her own self-worth outside of Buffy that she can truly do good and be good and be with Buffy. It’s a remarkable journey to behold and I love her so much.

2. Tara Maclay

I liked Tara well enough before season 6, but season 6 was when I fell completely in love with her. She becomes the show’s anchor that season as the only responsible adult who’s making good decisions, even when those decisions are extremely painful for her, like breaking up with Willow. And in a season dedicated to every other character fucking up, she’s truly a breath of fresh air. But more than just her function as a contrast to the other characters, season 6 really emphasized for me how beautifully and subtly she had developed throughout the show. Her ability to stand up to Willow is such a stark contrast to the Tara who was unable to stand up to her father (not that I’m blaming her for not being able to confront her abuser, I’m just pointing out how the contrast between these scenes demonstrates amazing growth on Tara’s part). Tara initially has no sense of self-worth, but as she develops, she comes to understand her own value and refuses to allow anyone to diminish it. It’s a beautiful, lovely story, and I will forever be bitter that she didn’t get the happy ending she so richly deserved.

1. Buffy Summers

Buffy Summers is my favorite fictional character of all time, as is evident by pretty much every single post on this blog.

Angel Characters:

5. Winfred Burkle

I have some issues with Fred. This is mainly because Joss Whedon’s obsession with this particular type of nerdy and adorable female characters makes me uncomfortable. But Amy Acker is a great actress and I can’t help but find her charming regardless. I think the episode that really sold me on Fred was Fredless. Like, the idea that she can’t face her parents because she doesn’t want to admit to them or to herself what she’s gone through is really heartbreaking. It’s the first time I was able to see Fred as more of a character than a caricature and I realized that I really liked that character. Also, fuck the writers for killing off their only remaining female character just so that Wesley could manpain about it.

4. Lilah Morgan

Lilah is by far the best villain on the show. She was, with very few exceptions, one of the only bad guys who was actually fun to watch. I particularly love that the writers never felt the need to redeem her in order to make her sympathetic. And she is sympathetic. You feel for her a whole lot, probably because Stephanie Romanov is such a pro. But she’s still a terrible, evil person through and through and I love that for her. Why the writers thought it would be a good idea to kill her off is truly beyond me.

3. Lorne

Another character who deserved better (sensing a theme here). Lorne is such an interesting, layered character with a wonderfully bizarre backstory and an interesting way of seeing the world. Yet, despite how wonderful he is, he was always pushed to the background to further another character’s story. And that’s not even mentioning whatever the writers thought they were doing with him in season 5. Also, why couldn’t he have been openly queer? Anyway, RIP Andy Hallet, who was an absurdly talented man who managed to create this incredible character in spite of all the writers’ bullshit. 

2. Charles Gunn

Gunn was never just the muscle. The man ran a neighborhood watch/vampire hunting ring while he was still in his early 20′s (I assume? Do we actually know how old he is?). He’s a strategist and a leader in his community. He’s funny and charming and a good man and he deserved so much more love and care and development because he’s truly a fascinating character. But all the writers saw was a black guy who made quips and I am still so angry about it. Anyway, I love Gunn, he is, by far, the best man on the show and possibly in the entirety of the Buffyverse.

1. Cordelia Chase

Cordelia was pretty much the only reason I decided to watch Angel. She’s the best part of the whole show, her character growth is absolutely phenomenal, and I love how she grows as a person while still remaining wholly herself. I love her so much and I’ll forever be bitter about what the writers did to her and how terribly Whedon treated Charisma Carpenter.

[peroxidepoems]

I need to say something

I was thinking, as of late, about the structure of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sure, I’ve mentioned in the past on why consequences and characters dealing with tragedy are high on the list of “Why the show is great”. Why those two underlying points really hold the integrity of the series (including ANGEL), and not just the humor.  I started watching the show after the series had ended. I was a little too young at the time to watch episodes as they released. I was four when the pilot episode premiered on TV, for example. Still, once I did begin to watch it during my teen years — a friend had the whole boxset so we often binged it when I visited — I quickly noticed something. Something I’ve grown to overlook as I continued to watch other shows.  BTVS did something not often seen during its running. It had a main story arc, an end goal. And, though it didn’t always revolve around that with smaller “big bad of the week” taking up screen time, it still reached it by the last season. Besides that, the smaller arcs offered character development so they were great on their own as well. I think a lot of the newer generations giving the show I watch overlook these points now. They are used to more modern day TV series already offering that enrichment. And, sure, BTVS was not entirely the first — BUT it was the first to do it great.  For a long time, shows had shorter stories — arcs that simply disappeared after they finished and life magically went back to normal, but BTVS held on to them. Take the fact we are informed of the Hellmouth in season one. On top of being introduced to the whole Slayer lore, and the “you can’t be a normal girl and you’ll learn that the hard way” arc for Buffy. Then we move to season seven with how the Hellmouth is resolved in the last episode. All the while Buffy has entirely accepted her role, played it, and gave potentials the power do the same. The Slayer lore is, at that point, rewritten and Buffy did it her way.  That’s only the tip of the iceberg, the bare bones of what the story evolved into over time, and had to offer to the audience. And, compared to what used to be shown prior to its airing, was ground breaking. So many title BTVS as a teen drama — that only teenage girls can really enjoy it, and that’s simply untrue. Modern day viewers might even say “not another Twilight”, without realizing they are trying to compare two things together that don’t fit the same puzzle. Yes, vampires are heavily involved, but that’s it. The only show I can even remotely give comparisons to BTVS is Supernatural. A show that picked up two years after BTVS had run its course.  There are multiple episodes in different seasons that I can put down as examples to why BTVS is not a teen drama. Despite the protagonist starting off as a high schooler. The topics, the metaphors, and scenarios would say otherwise, is my point. Especially as the fourth season hits and onward. I don’t blame anyone for finding the first two seasons, particular individuals who have become adjusted to modern media, hard to digest. It embodies the 90s from settings, attire, lingo, and more. Yet, if you look past the time capsule that is BTVS visually, you can see really good story telling. The show started off rough, a little simpler, Josh knew he was trying out a new ball game and didn’t want to scare viewers off. All while balancing a very low budget. When the show really started rolling, pulling in viewers and money, you can see the show truly take off.  These structures of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is what makes it a great show. Even if deemed outdated visually in some regards. AND, if you are a fan of Supernatural and don’t mind a ragtag team of misfits as the protagonist, definitely give BTVS another go.        

[zalrb]

sorry! i was the anon who asked bout xander and willow....i forgot to explain why....

well i don't condone cheating at all, i just want to know if you think it was understandable since willow liked xander for so long despite of ozwillow being the sweetest thing ever.

and as for their chemistry....i actually just started btvs (i knew bout ozwillow before i satrted watching the show since i saw it on your blog and only realized it was from btvs when i saw willow on the screen lol) and i don't exactly see a charged romantic pulse or sexual tension yet. i believe they have nice platonic chemistry cos i love their vibe like how they play around one another but still care for each other very much. i love the scene in which xander says "nobody hurts my willow" and willow even knows his heart rate and they both get very worried and protective over one another like when xander crushes on that teacher who was a giant preying mantis or when xander gets super iffy about "malcolm"

i also like the cute hugs and connection in their friendship. (however, i do think xander is a bit of an arse. moreover, the stuff he did when the hyena possessed his soul was just.....disturbing.) do you also think they have good platonic chemistry?

anyway my main question is, when you saw it, did you get a vibe that their friendship could transcend into a relationship? or did you only think that they have platonic chemistry...

i am so sorry that this is so messily explained and it is not exactly precise. i am pretty new to tv shows and on screen chemistry...

Hi, anon! Thank you for this, not messily explained at all :)

I’ll start with Willow and Xander’s chemistry. One of the reasons why BTVS stands the test of the time and why I talk about it so much is that for the most part, and especially in seasons 1-3, everyone had the exact right chemistry with each other, everyone worked incredibly well together. I say this because Alyson and Nick do have non-platonic chemistry, and I was surprised because you don’t see it until you’re meant to see it, which is literally the moment they cheat. Although I think you see a glimpse of it in When She Was Bad

But Nick and Alyson are very fluid because it starts super friendly

and then they change and then they dance and it’s like a flip has been switched which is what happens narratively, they put on a dress and a suit and are like whoaaaa and are drawn together

and I see them being drawn and then their kisses are like, good deep kisses

There’s the scene where they can’t help but kiss in the library and I get that because look at that kiss

he starts off by rubbing her temples and she tells him to stop but the moment he does, she grabs him by the face and their attraction is supposed to be this kind of chemical thing and I think they did it well

And when they have to play a dark vampire couple, I mean it’s like they relish it

and I mean, I speak about BTVS friendships all the time, if you want something more in depth, there are posts in the SE masterlist under TVD friendships, but they absolutely had I’ve-known-you-forever-you’re-my-best-friend chemistry

it all works.

In terms of their storyline, I understood it.  Willow had been in love with Xander since they were kids and the show is really good at portraying this crush as something that was kind of second-nature for her to have by the point we meet everyone

like when Xander’s love spell goes wrong and all the women in Sunnydale are infatuated with him, first of all Oz punches him because Willow is crying over Xander

second of all, Willow can’t even speak to him after that because she was already in love with him and then he did this

and Xander deeply loves Willow like a friend and it’s genuine

like my favourite Willow and Xander moment, Willow isn’t even physically there, he’s had enough of Buffy’s “issues” and is like

plus I love the moment between them in Inca Mummy Girl when Ampata is going to suck the life out of Willow and Xander’s just not having it, even though it’s an episode that sort of shows Willow’s romantic feelings getting trampled on

(and hope because of Oz’s ‘who IS that girl???’) we also see that Xander loves Willow and when it comes down to it, he will always choose her

but Xander is also a typical boy so he wants Willow when he realizes someone else actually finds her attractive and actually wants to be with her,

that’s when he’s like omg, you’re a girl and you’re pretty!

Like he literally makes out with Cordelia and whines about Willow and Oz while they’re kissing

so I don’t blame Willow for giving in and being “weak” despite the fact that she’s with Oz and loves Oz because even if she had moved on, a part of her had been waiting for this for forever and it’s finally happening so these things combined with the fact that I actually believed their chemistry once it turns lusty makes the narrative make sense to me even if I hate Willow cheating on Oz.

[cullxtheherd]

oh my god I haven't thought about BtVS in so long fdjsaio tell me some of your Angel/Angelus headcanons (insert eyes emoji here)

jhbjghljkghkfgl; oh my GOD i honestly never stopped loving AtS or BtVS!! bgut i did stop watching originally when Doyle perished cause?? sorry but he is babey and though i do understand why the actor was let go from his role, it's still super upsetting. i hate the episode Hero and also love it to pieces- just watched it yesterday and screamed ALLEN FRANCIS NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO for just. so long. tbh i was thinking about adopting him as a muse but tbh with you Angel and older 90s/early 00s muses don't get much attention anyways so i haven't yet skdjksds maybe after Harry from Resident Alien later tonight gets added I'll think about it again ksjdksjd. ANYWAYS THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU ASKED FOR KSJDSkfsd ON WITH IT!! just be aware there is no way i can include all the headcanons here so i'll just hlglhkglkhlgk about the ones i can think of asap

𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵

in the show (both buffy & angel) they are constantly telling us through dialogue, scene setting, etc that the reason Angel and (later) Spike hate killing and feeding suddenly is because "killing humans = bad ☹ grr, arrgh." i think it runs deeper than this. i think they are not solely repulsed because it is the morally wrong thing to do. i think they are disgusted in?? an almost obsessive way because of how badly they'd still like to do it despite knowing better and having control over themselves. certain episodes the way Angel and Spike's portrayals go: yes definitely they are giving us that and barely highlighting it. but i really. i don't remember either show ever coming out and saying it outright.

personally i think that the Buffy/Angel romance seems waaaayyy super crazy rushed in the show and i'm not really sure if they/joss even meant it like that! it just really be seeming that way af!!! logically the whole affair lasts about/just shy of three years if we are doing the maths and technically?? it really took 1.5 years before they even did the ol squelchy welch. which lmaooa jksdhkdjsfd can you imagine?? any young adults in a consenting relationship actually waiting that long?? yeah ekjnbswedsdxfks anyways. i just? idk. loved AtS and BtVS very much but his departure seemed super rushed and so did their romance bye sjhdbfs

speaking of?? while i am very much a buffy/angel ship supporter as an adult i do find it so freaking weird he?? was made by Darla in 1898 and theennnn spent 171 motha fuckin years parading around as Angelus- didn't even know about Buffy Summers until he was already 269 (nice) and when acathala SHAT his ass back out he was already 371, she was a juNIOr in higHSCHOOOLPLK ANNNDDD i have a hEAdache i gotta goooOO

no but really i. skhjfjhgf as an adult i am weirded out but?? idk it's one of my childhood ships i gotta pry it from my OWN cold dead hands i guess smh

personally i think Angel keeps trinkets from the people he's saved over the years. and i don't mean at random Investigations via his detective agency or, later, Wolfram & Hart. i mean?? the cases we see like?? the episode 'are you now or have you ever been' that takes us back to the 1950s and the Hyperion Hotel in it's heyday. angel aided a woman named Judy Kovacs- albeit rather reluctantly to try and escape and THEN a literal MOB beat and lynched his ass and thennNNNN, in present time, he fights against the same life-sucking chaos-causing Thesulac demon with his friends/colleagues. after all of this he finds Judy somehow still in her room (214) surviving just a few doors down from his (217) so many years ago just?? waiting. and while canonically the show has Angel in room 312? I disagree. i think he would have taken up residence in 214 or 217...... 214 cause i'm feeling sappy. check his bathroom cabinets i bet you it's got at least a few of her accoutrements living inside.

i think?? despite?? darla not being able to take his soul via the big squelchy that he and Angelus really did care about her- heck!! in the early?? 1900s he DID try to return to her and adapt to her violent way of life he just couldn't do it

while i am?? verryyy willing to write buffy/angel ship stuff i really do think after the events in I Will Remember You it would take a literal set of miracles to get him to even attempt being with Buffy again. i think that while he will always love her no matter what that he has learned that?? things that are or seem too?? good or pure for a creature like him genuinely are. though he is/was the Powers That Be-s-es-es?? ES favorite ensouled boy-toy i really, genuinely do think that a happy ending is just NOT in the cards for our boyo

if buffy wasn't evidence enough of that fact?? cordy. Skip really came and took her just like that. then the whatevers that WHOEVER shat her back out to really just give birth to jasmine and connor and i rrepwsrenbjhdfbskdjnsf worst. season. EVER. i refuse i fucking REFUSE TO EGHV ADBAKJSDFALKFNKSADJF???!?!?!?! i hate it so much. i hate it. so. m u c h. connor and cordy should have never EVER been a thing and i will erase it from history if i have to give birth to myself to do it

𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤

hoo babey. while angel is?? reserved and doesn't?? really mention any kind of explorative or wild side with any regularity in the show this wild child leather-pants-wearing abomination gives NO shits. he is very, VERY pansexual and you can fight my spirit on top of my grave about it.

regarding the last thing i said: there was definitely a polyamorous relationship happening between Angelus, Darla, Spike and Drusilla in my book. there are certain... jealous scenarios- heck!! just LOOK at episodes with Spike where he's being pouty about not getting the proper attention he deserves. if you think this is just about Dru i am begging you to reconsider

also?!?!?!?! PENN?! Penn was so obsessively and grossly in love with Angelus his sire I can not EVEN BEGIN TO FIUBNFDAKJSDFN

i think?? there are times in Angel's day-to-day where he not only misses but craves the presence of Angelus and visa versa. Angelus obviously seems a bit more openly repulsed by his softer side cause like?? each half is SO strongly suited to one extreme and?? as much as Angel and Angelus would both loathe my next statement: two halves do make a whole.

i think that while?? Angel may be cursed with a soul, that's not all. Angelus doesn't have regular control any longer, for sure, but i really do think it is oftentimes a daily battle to tune him out. why?? the orb of thesulah is only used to summon and store a human soul until it is re/tethered to a body. the ritual that the "Gypsies" and Willow performed didn't?? do anything with the actual demon. it didn't send it back to whatever Hell dimension it came from it just?? gave angel a soul- it gave what was left of Liam (O'Connor if you follow fan-lore) control over himself and the demon inhabiting his body. though the show never depicts or portrays this i am willing to bet real money that somewhere, deep down Angelus is on the inside rattling his mirror against the bars screaming: IM HENRY THE EIGTH I AM I AM!!! over and over an over and ov-

angel, however, when not in control seems to go into some semi-mostly dormant state as evidenced by the fact that he was entirely gone during their time in Acathala and relied on solely the demon half to get him through, but?? i'm 56% sure he is there sniveling in the ether when Angelus is driving he's just?? clearly not as strong mentally.

while?? Angel is a very respectable creature who cares about and loves his friends/found family i really do think that Angelus loves NO ONE. i think he cares about a few entities but i do not think he is capable of love proper as we think of it- both shows continuously remind us that number one in Angelus's world is, in fact, Angelus which means...

i doubt he really cares about pleasing his partner/s where that is likely Angel's main objective and lskjdnfjd i really have to go before this gets super raunchy

[enibly]

ok so i lost my of the moment reaction i typed up on the testimonials about j*** wh***n and his abuse of so many people, especially young actresses, and on his sets, and by other ppl on those sets, and how disturbing all those testimonials were, depicting just such a horrible toxic abusive environment that continued to repeat and persist for decades. and im not gonna try to recap my initial horror because im exhausted now and it doesnt need to be said- it was horrible, it should never have happened and it should never happen again.

but i did have some thoughts on btvs that i hadnt articulated before and i’ll try to rewrite here.

btvs was a very formative show for me- i was in my late teens and trying to understand myself and the world and how to live in it, and btvs gave me strength and comfort and insight and hope in many ways. however, it also paired all of that with some characters’ abusive actions going completely unchecked, fetishization that i was too young to realize was happening, and actual manipulation of the audience (killing characters in sudden and traumatic ways for example). and all of it together created a powerful drug- I would watch an episode and feel miserable and moved to extreme degrees. all that intensity of emotion, even if some of it felt bad, that’s just what real life (aka grown up life) really feels like, right? NO that is NOT what life should feel like! i should never had have had to put up with feeling miserable and horrified at characters i loved being tortured on screen, just to get good moments with them. and i should not have had to force myself to be ok with characters that were creepy and manipulative and mean and TOTALLY unchecked, just cause they were “part of the gang”. what im describing here, now that im putting it into words, sounds like the mental gymnastics abusers put into the heads of their victims! and given that j*** w has been revealed as verbally abusive and heinous, this is very telling!!

art is very much a reflection of its creators, and i was young then so i didnt realize that discomfort with parts of the art is directly connected to discomfort with the creators and what they think is acceptable or desirable that i dont feel comfortable with. now i am older and if something feels creepy to me, i try to acknowledge it to myself and retain suspicions of the creator and ppl involved. but i was younger and more naive then and hadnt learned that lesson yet. it was also before #MeToo (though i dont know if things would have been so different even if it was after. popular culture and mass culture are a powerful force on a naive person, and the culture still idolizes ppl and celebs and shows. young ppl especially are looking for role models and ways of being outside their own small spheres and so mass culture means a lot to them in particular- but mass culture is not protecting them or loving them back.)

anyways, i feel sorry for my younger self and everyone else who loved btvs being subjected to the abuse fantasies and "hidden” fetishes and behind-the-scenes power plays on actresses that that show has on screen. and i feel sorry for the people working on the show who were subjected to actual abuse at their job (especially the young women and teenagers who should never have had to be around this toxicity at all, much less been the prime targets of it). fuck btvs and the people who used it to manipulate anyone who encountered it.

even through all of this, i still love buffy the character dearly, for everything she symbolizes and her best moments and how much she meant to me and still does. i suspect that i will always cherish her character, despite the increasingly clear hideousness of the show. but i dont need to watch full episodes of that show ever again. buffy lives in my heart outside of that show, and ill take my memories and the bits and pieces that mean something to me but FUCKKKK Buffy the Vampire Slayer the show. i loved you and you treated me and other ppl like we were less than human and not worthy of actual love and respect