#i’ve been watching btvs recently

[auroracalisto]

hi all! hope everyone is well. i turn 22 in six days :’) thought i’d let you know that i’m actually alive, just not posting.

here’s a little run down if you wanna know where i’ve been!! i should be able to graduate with my masters degree this december, and i’m currently off from work for the summer, so i’m focusing on a few different classes rn. i’ll be traveling to europe on the 15th, and i won’t be back until the end of june, so i’ll be equally busy for that. i’ve been a lot better recently, but i really hope to get back into the groove of posting again. when i left, i was in a really bad place, mentally. remember to take breaks, and that it’s important to listen to your mind and your body!! miss you all and hope you’re well. ♡

[lesbianboyfriend]

tell me about this btvs sexual violence thesis…..

okayyy i’ve been talking around this on my blog forever bc i haven’t had the mental capacity to make a coherent post about it but let me try now!!! i have some older posts that touch on some of these ideas too—i’ve linked a couple of them where relevant but honestly i could not find a bunch of them…but they are somewhere in my btvs lb tag. also note: i’m definitely still workshopping these ideas so id love to hear thoughts/rebuttals/expansions/whatever !!! it’s also all right now mostly working off my own thoughts/observations so i definitely want to do some research….i hope to one day write an actual essay about this

basically the summation of the buffyverse sexual violence thesis is that there is a narrative of sexual violence that is haunting the story. it goes pretty much unaddressed by the narrative at large, but it’s the crux of almost everything that happens.

i think there are two very obvious standout moments in btvs that highlight this sexual violence (the theory at large also encompasses angel but as i’m not entirely done watching it yet im gonna focus on buffy here, though i did touch on it briefly in a recent post about cordy’s death) which are the first slayer story and the spike attempted rape scene. going to talk about the first slayer first cause i think it’s kind of the framework for everything but important to note in terms of info that we get we + the characters aren’t aware of the first slayer story until after the rape scene.

imo the story of the first slayer is deeply deeply coded as a story of sexual violence. it’s about a woman being violated by a group of men who literally chain her down and force something into her. already, we’ve seen how being the slayer has isolated and harmed buffy, kendra, faith….its treated as almost a desirable, enviable position of honor (somewhat similar to how being a victim of sexual assault is sometimes painted as meaning the victim was “desirable”) but particularly once given this context, it’s hard to view being chosen as the slayer as anything but an act of violence against these women.

this is important to note because in a sense, it’s the slayer who upholds the moral binary of the buffyverse where good=soul, human and bad=no soul, demon. now this binary pretty much falls apart upon the slightest examination, because the story would not be as interesting if it was that simple. so there are multiple demon or otherwise characters who straddle this moral boundary—INCLUDING the slayer who not only straddles but enforces it. the outlier characters are presented as just that, outliers to this system, not indicators of its flaws. they are only good insofar as their goodness is directed towards maintaining the system. assimilation, not liberation.

okay, so, the spike rape scene. what’s notable about this scene is that it is, to my knowledge (?), the only moment of sexual violence that is explicitly named as an act of sexual violence. even in angel, which i feel has more overt moments of sexual violence, it’s not actually usually named as such. but what happens in this scene is explicitly named as a rape attempt. it is by far the most significant moment of sexual violence in btvs. so what exactly is going on with this scene?

now, there’s a lot that could be said and discussed about like, spike as a character, his motivations, etc (currently cooking up some thoughts about this myself), but for the purpose of this analysis i want to look strictly at what role spike is playing narratively in season 6. so, looking at this on a doylist level but NOT to be conflated with me excusing his actions on a watsonian level. anyways if we think about it season six is kind of a rejection of the larger moral order previously presented by btvs…i’ve talked about this vis-à-vis the demon/human evil/good binary and how season 6 really troubles those binaries. a lot of the season is about buffy grappling with these notions that perhaps her moral worldview is not correct—which leads to her spike. she’s previously made allowances for spike in this worldview, so she uses him as a sort of vehicle for exploring alternate theories. unlike the other demons we’ve seen allowances made for, spike is not “good” in the sense that btvs posits goodness for demons. he has done “good” things and he can’t hurt humans, but he is pretty explicitly still doing a lot of evil stuff. so spike gets to exist in the greyest area of any btvs character—his chip troubles the binary of who is and is not good/evil, not to mention who is morally killable under this worldview.

through her relationship with spike, buffy joins him there in that grey area. HER humanity (goodness) is questioned, which is not something that’s previously been up for serious debate. i talked before about how the slayer inherently straddles that binary, but as i said, both the characters and the viewers aren’t aware of that at this point. all of a sudden, there’s a total moral upheaval that creates lots of conflict….and this rejection of the prior moral order and exploration of what lies beyond it is what makes season 6 so compelling.

BUT season 6 isn’t the last season. and as we all know, season 7 kind of sucked!!! and went seriously hard on reifying that good/evil binary. so how did we get that wild shift between seasons? the rape scene.

as we know, “real evil” is only done by demons despite the countless terrible things we’ve seen human characters do. when spike tries to rape buffy, it cements him firmly back into the realm of monstrosity. violence, evil, whatever, they’re all signifiers of a monstrosity that removes the character of their humanity. we see this argument time and time again irl when people argue that people who do bad things are no longer human, thus rejecting the idea that they themselves are also capable of those bad things. this is why it’s so important that this moment is named as rape, as sexual violence, unlike the other instances. with the attempted rape, spike is ousted out of his grey area, back into “evilness”. buffy, as his victim this time, necessarily returns to the opposite side of the binary as him. buffy stops fighting against her role as slayer—she stops questioning the veracity of the system. in fact, she goes on to expand it, violating even more women in the name of “good.” spike realizes he has to conform to this moral order in order to “have” buffy (much to be said about that another time lollll) and regains a soul, the necessary signifier of his “goodness” and willingness to support the system he once troubled so severely. thus, the moral order is restored through an act of sexual violence, highlighting exactly how it predicated on the very sexual violence it claims to abhor.

some loose notes on other working parts of the thesis:

-general historical connection of vampire stories to sexuality (carmilla, dracula, etc)

-vampirism as sexual predation (penetration, vampires picking victims by seducing women at clubs)

-mystical pregnancy (in angel especially: cordelia, cordelia again, darla, cordelia…..) as a violation in and of itself and also a vehicle towards death

-angel and buffy in general. him being attracted to her since she was. 14

-sex with buffy returning angel to evil? not sure exactly how this would fit in yet but. there’s something there

-spike’s entire attitude for women

-xander’s whole deal

-as a matter of fact the way that pretty much every male character is misogynist

-episodes ted and billy (angel) -> presenting violence against women as stemming from an inherent monstrosity (billy somewhat contradicting this? but also reifying it. it’s left unclear tbh)

-darla in angel season 2 as a parallel to buffy in season 6…need to think more on this one as well

-dana….

[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.)

[cora-writes-things]

WLW media plans <3 early 2023 edition

You may have seen my first edition of this post; now that 2023 has begun in earnest, let’s see where I’m at!

Media I’m currently in the middle of consuming:

The 100 (I know that I said that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch this show cuz I’m tired of tragic wlw, but a friend suggested we watch it together, so here I am)

Clear and Muddy Loss of Love (an AMAZING web-novel!!! I can’t stop reading it! Clear and Muddy Loss of Love, original title 泾渭情殇 (Jīng wèi qíng shāng or JWQS), is a Chinese GL web-novel by Please Don’t Laugh (请君莫笑). Read and buy the original here (here’s a guide on how to use JJWXC so you can support the author), and the English translation by melts (@meltesh28 on Tumblr / @meltsmelts on Twitter) can be found here (thank you so much for your hard work, melts!))

Nevertheless (solely for the crumbs of Sol/Ji-wan content, and you know what? It’s been worth it, even if the main male lead, Park Jae-eon, makes me want to throw my laptop across the room. Seriously, JAE-EON SUCKS SO BAD. NA-BI, WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIING. DO-HYEOK IS RIGHT. THERE!!!)

Warrior Nun (I started watching this show both because it has wlw AND because Alba Baptista is so gorgeous that I can’t stop looking at her. So disappointing that it was canceled recently :()

Media I plan to start (or continue) consuming:

A League of Their Own (for the canon wlw AND all the wlw vibes)

Arcane: League of Legends (I’ve seen enough gifs and fanart for Caitlyn/Vi that I ship it and haven’t even watched the show yet)

Batwoman (for the canon wlw AND all the wlw vibes)

Black Lightning (ditto)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS was available on Amazon Prime for a while but is now on Hulu, so I don’t have access to it at the moment)

The Expanse (I’m taking a break from watching the show to read the books, but I’m also consuming a lot of other media at the moment, so I don’t know when I’ll get back to it)

The Half of It (the premise sounds so freaking relatable I can’t wait to feel some type of way about the constant sapphic pining I experienced in high school & didn’t even know about at the time because of comphet yay)

The Handmaiden (I’ve been trying to get into more international media lately, as you can see by some of the other pieces of media in this post, and this movie looks too good to pass up)

Killing Eve (up to the finale but stopping before the end cuz my queer little heart can’t take YET MORE bury your gays in the year of our lord 2023. also the book series. maybe)

The Legend of Korra (once I finish ATLA)

The Owl House (currently waiting for the next episode. Also, I’m still so mad this show was canceled by Disney >:()

Paper Girls (science fiction combined with middle-grade fiction and queer characters? Sign me up!)

Sense8 (for the queer vibes in general)

The Wilds (for the canon wlw AND all the wlw vibes)

Yellowjackets (ditto)

Media I might consume but haven’t decided yet:

Huge shout-out to @femslashrevolution (abbreviated as F.R. in this post from now on) for introducing me to a lot of these pieces of media with active-ish wlw fandoms through their reblogs!

Astrid & Lilly Save the World (I don’t know much about it, but the gifs reblogged by F.R. look promising)

Harlem (I’ve heard mixed reviews about the wlw representation in this show, but there’s also a distinct lack of black queer shows out there, so I’m considering trying it out anyway)

House of the Dragon (partially because I haven’t finished GOT yet, but also because I don’t want my heart to be broken by the tragedy)

I Know What You Did Last Summer (this show doesn’t have the best reviews, but the actresses in it are so pretty that I might watch it anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Kevin Can F*** Himself (seems like an interesting premise, I just don’t know if I’ll personally enjoy the show itself or not)

Legends of Tomorrow (Idk what it’s even about tbh, I’ve just seen a lot of wlw-centric and wlw-adjacent gifs reblogged by F.R.)

Lost Girl (it's included on a lot of rec lists of wlw shows, I just don’t know if I’ll actually find it interesting)

Once Upon A Time (a classic wlw fandom, but Idk if I’ll find it interesting enough to actually watch it)

Orange is the New Black (ditto)

Orphan Black (ditto)

Runaways (ditto)

Supergirl (ditto)

Willow (Idk what it’s even about tbh, I’ve just seen some cute wlw gifs reblogged by F.R. recently, so why not?)

Media I've already finished consuming:

Couple of Mirrors (SO GOOD!!! A (sadly heavily censored, but still very well-done) GL-based Chinese drama that is slated to get a second season depending on the support, so please go watch and support it! It also has a manhua (read the original here and the English summaries here))

First Kill (campy with pretty horrid music choices, but I still enjoyed the watching experience even though the show was kinda bad. Who doesn’t like a little bit of camp every now and again?)

Girlfriend Project Day 1 (cute, short little fake dating GL K-drama that is slated to get a second season if they can raise the funds for it! Watch it here)

More than or Equal to 75 Celsius (≥75°C) (short GL K-drama, very aesthetic, and the actresses are beautiful! Watch it here)

Zero Photography (short spin-off GL Thai drama that features Ink & Pa from the bigger BL series Bad Buddy. Definitely worth the watch!)

Have I missed any must-watch/must-read/must-consume pieces of wlw or wlw-adjacent media that y’all love? Please let me know in the reblogs and give me your recommendations!

[chdarling]

Do you have any non-Harry Potter ships you love or used to love? I'm so grateful for all the wonderful Jily you've put out into the world. Thank you. ☺️

I don’t think there’s ever been a ship that caught hold of me as deeply as jily did, but a few that I’ve always really enjoyed include: Zutara (ATLA), Korrasami (Legend of Korra), Ned/Chuck (Pushing Daisies), Willow/Tara (BTVS), Peter/Harriet (Lord Peter mysteries), and I recently fell deeply in love with Vi and Caitlyn from Arcane.

I mean LOOK AT THEM

Ugh I should watch this show again.

Oh, and even though I’m not really in the Stranger Things fandom, I have become very enamored with Robin/Chrissy, thanks to @hilarychuff. 🥰

[sapphicscholar]

Giving myself a slow start to this rainy morning and decided to accept the “anyone who wants to do it” invite from @chainofclovers for a nice end of 2022 meme

3 ships: Ava/Deborah (duh, but also currently writing three WIPs for them + running a Hacks fic event, so they’ve taken over in a major way haha); Ana/Mariana (I just finished S3 a couple days ago and really need fic to flesh out Mariana’s interior life in the final season in particular bc I can understand why she did some things she did, but we definitely weren’t shown why); and let’s go with the old favorite Supercat standby 

First ever ship: first ship I read fic for was Willow/Tara (came to btvs and fandom late), but first ship where I was watching a show live and actively hoping for them to get together was definitely Rizzles (#dontmakequeerbaitliketheyusedto)

Last song: huh probably whatever was playing at the climbing gym yesterday... but I’ve got Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust playing on CD in the car so realistically something from there

Currently reading: Sally Bellerose’s Fishwives (though I’ve had to pop a bookmark in it to focus on rereading a few 19th C. novels I’ll be teaching in my upper-level lit seminar this semester) 

Last movie: Finally watched Glass Onion last night, and it was a delight! Not my usual genre, but very fun!

Currently consuming: Assuming this is about food, nibbling at some salted caramel chocolate I got for Christmas (yes, it is 10am, shh I’m stressed about everything I have to do for the semester which is precisely why I’m on tumblr) 

Currently watching: Just caught up on some TV during break (Wednesday, the new season of MSHD) but still need to find time to catch up on this most recent season of TLW: Gen Q and to watch the final couple episodes of Dead to Me (someone on Twitter spoiled the ending the DAY the new season dropped, so I’ve been dragging my feet a little bc now my wife doesn’t want to watch it). Oh and So Help Me Todd and Abbott Elementary come back soon! 

Currently craving: Hot cocoa, which I’m trying to wait to have as a reward for finishing and publishing my course canvas page later today

--

Likewise tagging anyone who wants to participate! I’ve been pretty mia from tumblr of later, so I’ll refrain from tagging specific people in case you’ve all already done it!

[michellemisfit]

9 People I Want to Get to Know Better

Thank you @energievie for tagging me 🥰

3 ships: Merlin/Arthur (BBC Merlin), Magnus/Alec (Shadowhunters), Mickey/Ian (Shameless)

1st ship: Buffy/Spike (BtVS)

Last song: Was at work this morning, doing heavy lifting and tidying with no clients, so put on a playlist (the ‘Driving’ one), and the last song played was Lovecats by The Cure.

Last movie: I’m not a movie person, and I haven’t been to the cinema in forever 🤔 I watched The Giver about… 6 to 9 months ago? Genuinely cannot remember watching a movie since then.

Currently reading: I decided I was going to re-read @loftec’s None The Wiser, but haven’t actually started yet, as I got distracted by MeganWrites’ The Rod of Asclepius.

Oh books you mean? Yeah, I don’t really do books anymore… 😬 got some for Christmas. Who knows, I may even read them… eventually.

Currently watching: The Good Place, The Office (literally on in the background right now), Partner Track, Gilmore Girls, The Bold Type…yep, I need a lot of shows on the go, as they’re all for different days of the week/times of the day/moods/company lol

Currently consuming: Literally consuming? Basically anything left over from Christmas. We’re leaving London on Thursday, so the fridge needs to be empty, meaning that every meal is basically an episode of Ready, Steady, Cook right now.

Currently craving: I’ve been eating nuts all day, thinking I’m craving salt, but it’s not been hitting the spot, so honestly, your guess is as good as mine 🤷🏽‍♂️

—

I recently tagged a lot of people in another meme, so it gonna tag everyone again, but if you see this on my timeline then please do play and make sure to tag me so I can read your answers ☺️☺️

[flamingostalker]

Are you a long time btvs fan or are you just now watching it? :)

Been watching it w my bestie @rabbitrah for the first time recently actually! But they’ve been showing me a really good selection of (mainly spike being pathetic) episodes. I’ve mainly seen season 2, 5, and 6 of buffy and exclusively season 5 of angel💀

Definitely was like oh that’s gar’s media! Cant wait to figure out who Tara and Willow are😂💪

[girl4music]

@im-secretly-a-frog Well I didn’t know it was possible.

The transphobia comes in the fact that the reason why Willow wants to make RJ into a girl is because he has a penis. He does not have “female” genitals when a man can absolutely have female genitals. This is not the only time where this happens although it is the most egregious time to me. There’s several times where the dialogue from characters are about body genetalia as to be what belongs to a “man” and “woman” or “male” and “female” and a majority of the time, it is Willow that makes these comments that I personally feel are transphobic. Sometimes Tara as well or some other character that identifies as a lesbian/gay/queer. While I acknowledge that Buffy was produced and aired in the 90’s/early 2000’s and therefore ‘BtVS’ is a product of its time, it’s obvious the creators behind it have a specific worldview or even agenda that is less than friendly to and understanding of transgender and non-binary individuals. Don’t take my word for it because I’m not transgender or non-binary. I’m just an ally. There’s a video about this on YouTube that I agree with that explains this much better than I ever can and if you want to know more, I’d suggest checking that out rather than reading my rantings because I only ever speak on what I personally feel. And I do not have the right to tell you what you should personally feel. So it’s better to learn this same perspective from someone who identifies as transgender or non-binary. Not me.

The biphobia isn’t so much in the fact Willow is a lesbian. I always honor the declaration of her sexuality. What makes it biphobic is the fact that the narrative makes it out to be because RJ is a man why Willow wouldn’t be attracted to him when she clearly is. Love spell or not. The spell wouldn’t affect her if she couldn’t be attracted to him. The narrative is giving mixed signals all throughout the episode because the writers for it do not know how to properly address and explore sexuality fluidity. As a bisexual person, I am personally insulted even if the character is a lesbian because it’s practically stating that sexuality fluidity doesn’t exist or isn’t what’s really going on. It comes off as bierasure if not biphobia at the least. Again, not because Willow identifies and declares herself as a lesbian. But because she’s magically attracted to RJ and she shouldn’t have to change his sex to justify it. It’s bad writing. It just is even if it’s meant to be funny because queer people are always made the butt of the joke rather than are allowed to be apart of the joke. I’ve been recently watching a show called ‘Wynonna Earp’ where this whole subject is subverted and it’s made clear that jokes about queer people aren’t because they’re queer. I was absolutely floored by it.

does anyone else remember that time Willow almost magically transed a guy because of a love spell?

The others were like "Willow, you're gay. He's a guy" and she just went I can fix that.

[folksy]

i obviously have to also ask you your hottest btvs/angel takes, bc i am very interested in knowing them

oh boy I really put my foot in my mouth sending you that ask huh haha keep in mind I’ve only been through one watch of each show!!! I got into buffy over the summer and watched angel in the last few months

biggest hot take. spike in seeing red. although like everyone involved regrets it I honestly don’t even think it’s out of character for him to assault buffy. he literally has this obsessive relationship with her where he has this shrine of her things, drawings of her, his buffy sexbot, fantasizes about fucking buffy, and stalks her/breaks into her house. then they do start a volatile sexual relationship that she is literally ashamed over and he gloats about. I really don’t think it’s out of character for a guy with these traits to force said woman into sex no matter how likable you think he is or his "character development." people are upset because it’s a sexual assault scene which is a very real and horrific type of thing to experience (as opposed to in the pack where xander gets all touchy with buffy but it's through a supernatural lens as he was possessed and had this literal animalistic urge), and one from a favorite character.

stemming from above I am so tired of the angel versus spike arguments and how people try to MORALIZE it. they are both bad lol just say you hate angel instead of doing this weird moral superiority thing with spike as if buffy and spike are not known as one of the most toxic fictional couples (which I am obviously not saying you cannot be into such things). I hate seeing people being like "angel is such a creep going after a teenage buffy while spike treats dawn as the kid she is!" like cool buffy and angel and dawn and spike are completely different dynamics because they mean differently to each other. angel is meant to be the older mysterious hot guy buffy falls in love with and I really do not think there's any way to "morally" portray a high schooler with a vampire love interest unless they are the same age, as in the vampire was recently turned. and dawn is buffy's sister of course spike is going to view her that way as buffy is the one he wants. you have to think of what they mean narratively and what the purpose of each character is in the show. also I have seen some people say spike respects buffy more than angel does as if spike doesn't demean buffy especially in regards to her sexuality as he knows that that is an easy way to irritate her and angel. like I literally saw a gifset by a buffy/spike blog that had parallels of angel having doubts about buffy whereas spike was giving compliments being like oh look at how crappy angel is to buffy like I could easily make the same thing about angel being supportive of buffy while spike was demeaning. I will say I do like spike and buffy's interactions on screen together but idk I have just become increasingly irritated on them as a couple but it's mostly because of takes online because I can understand the appeal of them. can you tell that I have the spuffy tag blocked. I have only been into buffy since the summer but I am Done. godspeed to people who have been fans and involved with the fandom for years.

I do not dislike xander as much as everyone else. I know he's very much a "nice guy" but I think it takes a lot for me to not like a character and I do find him likable. he's (initially) a teenage boy and acts like a messy teenage boy who pines after his friend he cannot get. I am also able to understand why he leaves anya at the altar even though it broke my heart- he's afraid they'll become like his parents. I feel that's a very real fear to have! I am also able to identify with him as I have been def been the funny or normie one of a friend group (I would say that now in one of my friend groups I am the "smart" one but like all my friends in middle/ high school were the smart kids lol so I was the shy one) and I struggle a lot with fearing I am not really good at anything like he does

okay for angel's show takes:

I love cordelia and angel’s friendship! I really do but to me (at least on a first watch) it feels like their romantic relationship really hinged on her being thee main female character of the show so they wanted to push a relationship between them. maybe this could change if I were to rewatch angel but I am not totally on board with them as a couple

honestly connor is A Lot but I don't dislike him. I can see why people don't like him and feel he's wishy washy as a character but damn has this kid been through it. I am a sucker for a troubled kid who hates his dad but is literally like his dad as a teen and even more fucked up. stemming off of this I felt like darla's pregnancy has pro-life undertones once they find out that it has a soul which I liked the plotline but I def cannot ignore that aspect of it.

okay god I am going to bring spike up AGAIN but I can definitely see why people think he regresses in character once he comes onto angel because he does, he acts a lot like earlier spike. however it's like. most of that change in character was sparked by buffy and she's not around- why would he act that way when the woman who influenced that isn't around? like people say him going to the strip club is out of character like? he's supposed to be the cool guy who likes earthly pleasures such as eating and fucking. why would he not partake in that just because he has made changes sparked by buffy? also I know he was brought onto the show to help viewership but I do enjoy him and the existential questions he has about being brought back. I also just like angel and spike bickering so I am a fan of him returning to angel after his buffy death because the in-universe reason is not even that bad. it could have been way worse lol

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

2022 MOVIE OF THE WEEK #29

jurassic world: dominion. this one was not previously on my list. i watched the first jurassic world in theaters but even now haven’t the seen the second one--the first one took the world to such a monster movie/horror place that i was not a fan. but @actuallylukedanes​ loves this one and wanted me to see it, so it was our most recent hangout film. and there was a lot i liked about it!

to get it out of the way, though, here’s what i didn’t like: the continued focus on dinosaurs as monsters, by taking the story to an extreme that forced humans and dinosaurs to be sharing the same lands, along with dinosaurs from different eras that weren’t meant to coexist. dinosaur fights-to-the-death, dinosaur ‘dog fights,’ and most scenes where carnivorous dinosaurs had to be hurt or killed so the human characters could survive. 

i logically agreed with, and completely understood, leander reminding me that the humans were acting defensively. but i flinched anyway whenever the dinosaurs were hurt, and cried through at least one bit where the caption on the dinosaur was ‘whimpers.’ which just tells me i’m not the target audience for movies like this because i can’t shut off the part of me that’s overly sensitive to animals experiencing pain and to me the dinosaurs are animals, who didn’t ask to be brought into a modern world and don’t have nefarious intentions like some humans--they’re just following their instincts.

the plot actually made sense to me, as depressing as i found it. i think we have good reasons to believe that if humans could make dinosaurs, they would do so with terrible consequences, and i think that if we were then forced to coexist with dinosaurs, things like black market breeding and poaching and treating them like an invasive species when we’re the ones who unleashed them...all of that would be likely. and sad. 

i could see what the filmmakers were going for with the beginning and end of the movie though (we watched the extended cut) in showing a more peaceful coexistence and the beauty of all kinds of dinosaurs--i just don’t think that wrecking everything for the whole rest of the movie was the only or best way to be able to then contrast a happy ending. like, ‘we broke it, everything’s horrible now...oh look we fixed it, isn’t that nice?’ felt as much like a way to revel in the horror bits as a path to the conclusion. and personally, i would’ve been happy with less horror bits--but again, i accept that i’m not who the movie was trying to entertain. 

all that having been said, i enjoyed this movie more than i could have. i’m not a chris pratt fan and just sort of waited out the parts that were centered around him...luckily for me his importance was mostly based in his created family, and i liked maisie in a ‘teenage girl who’s trying to figure out if she exists’ way--i connected with a similar storyline on btvs when i was a teen so it’s one that will always resonate with me. i’ve never loved bryce dallas howard much in anything (i’ve got no problems with her, i just can never seem to connect with characters she plays), but she gives great final girl energy here.

and by far, the best of what this movie has to offer comes from the return of the original trio. not only is it a super fun reunion in every combination, with the actors sparkling at each other across their genuine AND fictional history, but once everybody comes together--new cast and old, totally random rebel pilot ally 1000% included in what makes this movie better--the ensemble is really better than its parts. 

you get maisie constantly witnessing ellie/alan tension, kayla basically rolling her eyes at alan and owen sharing a Protective Men Moment, and (one of my true favorite parts of the whole film) ellie and claire giving up on ian’s attempts to tell them how to destroy a thing--just going full feral and taking it out with violence instead. the layers to that of wordless teamwork and men being useless and those two women in particular being so. very. done. with near-death experiences...i loved it deeply.

the ways they mixed and matched the new and old characters was full of so much potential, i actually think the movie’s need for constant action held that back. it could have been even better than one-line nods to shared trauma and fanboys of science, but the story they were telling just didn’t have room for (and wasn’t interested in) slowing down to explore and indulge in that. i would have enjoyed as much extra depth as they’d given us, if they’d gone that way.

i would watch this movie again, though, and it is the only jurassic world one i feel that way about. i would also happily watch a spinoff movie starring kayla (which i guess is a thing that might happen?), who didn’t just hold her own in this very white established world but came in and took up space and made it better. honorable mention also to dichen lachman, who i love in everything and whose character survived this movie and could theoretically therefore be a returning villain in a future spinoff. 

honestly, give me the ellie & maisie & kayla & dichen lachman post-disaster dinosaur movie i deserve! but in the meantime, i’m glad i saw this.

[herefortheships]

Honestly I don’t know why I turn to watch BTVS when I’m feeling depressed, because this show is depressing af. Like, I’m currently rewatching season 5 and I hurt because of how Buffy treats Spike ☠️ and then there’s that episode that I’ve only ever watched once because I said I’ll NEVER watch again, “The Body”. and it just goes downhill in mood from there. Season 6 I loved it but Tbh that season is even more depressing than season 5 (which is also another favorite of mine for some reason?? Maybe that reason being Spuffy, Idk lol, but as I said, she treats him so bad this season and tbh it’s not justified most of the time??? Unless I look underneath and read Buffy’s anger toward Spike has more to do with her own attraction to him and what that says about her Idk). 

And then season 7 is an unwatchable mess, saved only by the Spuffy scenes. Literally the only thing worth watching at the end is Spike and Buffy’s relationship and how it heals and becomes something beautiful. But then we can’t even have that because Spike sacrifices his life for the world that hated him at the end. And then he couldn’t even believe Buffy’s “I love you”... ! And we didn’t even have enough of them.

I know he comes back to life, I know he meets Buffy again in the comics and they’re basically endgame, but?? Why couldn’t Joss Whedon give Buffy a happy ending in the show?? Because she did not have a happy ending. No way in hell that was a happy ending. Anya died, Spike died, and then Buffy’s just staring in the distance at Sunnydale and it just feels so empty and unnecessarily tragic. Neither Buffy nor us the audience get to grieve the characters that sacrificed their lives... And don’t get me started on how out of character it was when her friends turned their backs on Buffy and even DAWN in that episode they sort of kicked her out of her own house?? Spike was the one that stood by her. Anyway I will always hate Joss Whedon for ending the show like that. And writing such a messy final season. There was so much going on in that final season, it’s incredibly annoying how they still squeezed in some nonsense filler episodes and also tried to develop that gross character of Kennedy and the bunch of other new side characters... It’s just frustrating how after all that, then the ending itself is at best “bittersweet” though leaning more toward devastatingly sad. A show that was so emotionally heavy by the end, I think that a happy ending would have balanced it better than a bittersweet ending. 

Anyway, rant over. I’m being emotional these days and I’m rewatching Buffy as I usually do when I’m like this. This time I decided to do a full rewatch instead of just watching some of my favorite episodes only. But yeah, I’m finishing my rewatch early because I know how it ends and I’m not even there yet and I’m already feeling super sad about it and even angry... I never rewatch season 7; only the Spuffy scenes on YouTube. But yes recently the only seasons I rewatch have been seasons 1, 2, and 6. This time I wanted to do a full rewatch, but nope. I think it’s making my depression and anxiety worse because rewatching from the start made me care a lot again especially about Spuffy and I know their ending in the show is super tragic and I can’t handle it tbh. 

[thirstworldproblemss]

Tagged by:  @miceenscene (here) thanks, love!

Rules:  tag a few people you want to know better; make a new post, don’t reblog!

Favorite color: I love basically all shades of blue-green, but I also tend to like the way colors look and mix together better than any one single solid color

Currently reading:  I can’t even pretend like I’m reading a real book right now (I think the last one was It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey last October or so 😅🙈 it was fantastic btw).  I have been working my way through the  IPCC’s most recent report on climate change and the Captain Awkward archives.  I’ve also been reading a metric ton of fanfic (as always)

Last song:  K-319 & Alan Walker - Ignite

Last series:  Moon Knight  (I refuse to count the endless, non-stop medley of Kratts’ Creatures/Wild Kratts I was treated to while the littlest kidlet was home sick from school all last week)

Last movie:  Marvel Eternals

Sweet, spicy, or savory:  sweet!

Coffee or tea:  yes please, but energy drinks are my one true caffeine

Three ships:  Ahahahaha.... three???  This is tough one for me because I’m more of a multishipper--I always want to read/explore all the possibilities for characters and/or media that I’m into

Even for the three I’m most into right now, I’m gonna have to cheat and lump Pedro Pascal character(s) x reader into one, and then let’s say.... hm... Francisco Morales x Boa (ofc) x Santiago Garcia (from @astroboots’ brilliant Homecoming ‘verse) and Javier Peña x Steve Murphy x Connie Murphy (almost certainly @alwaysbethewest‘s fault)

First ever ship:  I’m tempted to steal Mice’s answer and say Anne and Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables books, but I’m pretty sure it was actually Chip & Gadget from Rescue Rangers. (First one I went down the fanfic rabbithole on was Spike x Buffy from BtVS)

Currently working on:  our taxes : /  but also... p2 of Red Flags

Favorite piece of clothing:  I have this one dress that hits the near-mythical intersection point of comfy enough to be lounge wear but dressy enough to pass for business or semi-formal attire with the right accessories.  I wear it sparingly these days because it’s older than some of my children and I will probably cry when it finally gives up the ghost

Comfort food:  This is a tough one. It’s been a couple of years since I discovered that my body is happier when I don’t eat dairy, and a lot of my old comfort foods were cheesy (mac & cheese, pizza, cheezits, grilled cheese sandwiches... enchilada casserole, my beloved 😭😭 not to mention just straight-up cheese 😢)

I can still have tacos though (as long as I leave off the cheese), so lets go with that!

Favorite time of year: That bit between Christmas and New Years when all the holiday prep and big family celebrations are over with but the kids are still out of school, and we can just shlub about in cozy jammies all week playing board games and watching movies while subsisting entirely on leftovers

Favorite fanfiction:  Okay, look, I have a whole damn list of favorite authors for a reason. I have waaaaay too many favorites to list them all, but....

Stories that have been holding my attention (and/or breaking my heart) in the last few weeks: - Between the Raindrops by @jazzelsaur (Frankie) - Locked Down by @something-tofightfor (Dieter) - In the Dark by @frannyzooey (Ezra) - The Sweets Series by @oonajaeadira (Javi G)

Perpetual Favs I’ve reread recently: - Hotel Hobbies by @loversandantiheroes (Whiskey) - the way you put that smile upon my face by @keeper0fthestars (Din) - Don’t Look and It Won’t Hurt by @mourningbirds1 (Javi P) - Querida by @yespolkadotkitty (Tovar)

No pressure tags for peeps I would like to get to know better:  I have no idea who has done this folks, so sorry if I’m double tagging anyone: @alwaysbethewest @thosewickedlovelies @oonajaeadira @something-tofightfor @javier-pena @highsviolets @mourningbirds1 @frannyzooey ....and anyone else who wants to!!

[sofreddie]

Friday Feature: June 4, 2021

Welcome to the Friday Feature, where every Friday I feature a different Fanfic Writer’s blog. This week’s Feature Blog is:

Link to Masterlist

About the Author:

My name’s MJ. I’ve been writing fic most of my life (started in the 80s with passing notebooks with friends) in multiple fandoms. I’ve posted works for BTVS/Angel, Twilight, TWD, SPN, MCU, and varied real person fics. I’m a Capricorn, queer, she/her, married, dog + cat mom, witch, Gen X — how many other labels can I cram in here?It took me far too long to find my way to Dean Winchester (started watching on Netflix in 2016) and I’m in denial of 15.20 except the domesticity. 🐶

Author’s Fave Personal Fics:

Wait Till My Brother Gets Home

Summary: She wants to lose control and Sam knows just what she needs in order to do it.

Why the author likes this fic:

I love writing Winchester threesomes. I’m obsessed with comparing and contrasting them. I’ve written several (as well as a J2 poly series) and every time I’m able to find a new facet that I didn’t think about before. With this fic, I tapped into a sort of ephemeral yet languid, dreamy state of absolute decadence. It’s not a love story, but it’s still intimate and I fell in love with the brothers all over again writing this!

Triptych

Summary: Dean’s on a case and meets two beautiful women. One of them is recently divorced and the new couple invite Dean to help them kick-off their new life together.

Why the author likes this fic:

As much as I love the dynamic of threesomes and polyamory, I’ve mostly written MMF! This came from a prompt when I still had a Patreon. I love the relationship between the women and how they trust Dean. The way he unfurled in my mind under the premise of giving these women something they wanted was really beautiful and fun to write!

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Summary: In the books, Soldier Boy calls out the names of US states when he fights. What if live-action Soldier Boy made his sex partners list all 50 states and the federal district in alphabetical order before he lets them come, and if they slip up or pause for too long or say anything other than the name of a state in the correct order, he withholds and makes them start over?

Why the author likes this fic:

I wrote this last year without any idea what to expect from Jensen’s Soldier Boy, but man was it fun to imagine! I’m a big fan of power exchanges and orgasm denial/delay kind of fascinates me. Writing out something as you imagine how it feels is kind of a head trip! Still not sure quite what to expect from Soldier Boy when he finally graces our screens, but I’ll always love this one regardless.

Discord & Rhyme

Summary: The demon is on the prowl.

Why the author likes this fic:

Like many people, I love Demon Dean. I love watching him, reading about him, talking about him, writing about him — you get the picture. I also love writing erotic horror and Demon Dean is prime material for that. This was a bingo square for 2019 kink bingo #scent kink and I went a little crazy with the sensory experience but I swear to god it’s like a 5-course meal or something.

Seasons

Summary: She is his safe haven, untouched by his world.

Why the author likes this fic:

Every time I think of Dean Winchester my first reaction is :dreamy sigh:, second is :KEYSMASH:, last is :VIOLENT SOBBING:. He deserves everything good and right in the world and I want to give it to him whenever I can. While this fic gets a little angsty in spots, it’s just to round it all out, make it feel a little more real — nothing’s perfect, but wouldn’t normal be great for him? I loved creating a world where he could disappear if only for a few hours.

Author’s Fic Recommendations:

Dear Mr. Fantasy by @itmighthavebeenintentional

Summary: Sometimes when he sleeps, Dean sees flashes of other Dean Winchesters, in other universes.

Why the author likes this fic:

This is another one of those Dean deserves everything good and right fulfillments. Val is a vivid and loving storyteller and this 2k word snapshot of an alternate universe Dean Winchester as a devoted husband, aging gracefully and content (if even for the recent, confusing dreams) is like a wooby. It’s achy and soft and swoony and heart wrenching all at once. As a Ride Or Die Dean girl, I am always awed by Val’s characterization of Dean. This is just so gorgeous.

Envy by @there-must-be-a-lock

Summary: One of the seven deadly sins featuring snippets of a dying dream.

Why the author likes this fic:

I love every word that Lou chooses to grace us with so it wasn’t a simple task to choose one of the many, but this is exquisite and unexpected. There are very few writers who can craft beauty around such dark content, but Lou’s able to do that with care and flourish. This is terrifying and sexy and dramatic in a way that takes my breath away with each read.

Look, About Last Night by @littlegreenplasticsoldier

Summary: You and Dean have an excellent hunt and you go out and get drunk and “celebrate”. It’s a disaster, but neither of you remember it, so I graciously fill you in on that and then sit back to watch Dean lose his shit.

Why the author likes this fic:

Ali is so fucking funny. This wasn’t the first of hers that I read, but it’s the one I randomly think about when I’m in line at the City Market and burst into laughter, embarrassing myself and scaring the shit out of the cashier. Seriously, it’s hysterical — until it’s suddenly very, very hot. Like toe-curling sexy, spot-on characterization, witty and hilarious dialogue. Just read it. lollllll

Dutiful by @stusbunker

Summary: ‘It wasn’t that he needed to touch her, it was just that he knew what his hands could do to those thighs. It wasn’t about him, sure they would be smooth and thick in his hands, but that wasn’t why he kept staring. She needed something and he could give it to her.’

Why the author likes this fic:

Stu’s been coming for my soul since 2019 and I’m not mad about it. Her turns of phrase are breathtaking, insightful, and sexy. Her characterizations ring true and are full of color. This fic holds the trademark edge of desperation, fight or flight, like much of Stu’s work and it’s beautifully claustrophobic. I find myself scrolling right back to the top sometimes after reading it because I don’t know what else to do with myself. It’s fucking fantastic.

The Things We Lost In The Fire by @lastactiontricia

Summary: What does it really take to survive in SPN Land? What does it take to survive Dean?

Why the author likes this fic:

This is a dark, beautiful mind-fuck. Trasha is one of the most generous creators I’ve experienced. Her words and rhythm are utterly unique and magical. This fic comes with warnings to be sure. It’s a beguiling What If..., a wild ride, and you won’t think about Dean Winchester the same way after reading it.

Thank you for checking out this week’s Friday Feature. Be sure to check out MJ’s blog, follow, send asks, go crazy! Check out all the fics linked and be sure to REBLOG and COMMENT!

Authors love to know what you think about their work - not just praise, but constructive criticism as well.

Constructive criticism is a helpful way of giving feedback that provides specific, actionable suggestions. Rather than providing general advice, constructive criticism gives specific recommendations on how to make positive improvements. Constructive criticism is clear, to the point and easy to put into action.

Shout out to @talesmaniac89 for the beautiful dividers she created and offered up for us for free! Check out her other resources here.

Would you like your blog to be showcased in a Feature Friday?

Maybe you have a fic you’ve written that you’d like to be included in the weekly Fic Recommendations?

Something you’ve read and loved?

Tag me! Send an ask! Drop a DM!

And as always, Happy Fanfic-ing!

Want even MORE? Check out the Friday Feature Masterlist!

Forevers:

@sis-tafics

@lyarr24

@calaofnoldor

@hobby27

@spnbaby-67

@fangirlxwritesx67

@jarpad24

@flamencodiva

@flashxspn

FRIDAY FEATURE:

@deanwanddamons

@itmighthavebeenintentional

[leonard-cold]

thank you @coldflasher for tagging me 😊

Rules: Tag a few people you want to know better; make a new post, don't reblog!

Favorite color: black

Currently reading: gumiho by kat cho (YA/urban fantasy novel about korean fox spirits)

Last series: watched russian doll s2 and heartstopper back to back. would not recommend doing this haha, VERY different shows

Last song: not discuss it by st. beauty

Last movie: my gf and i recently rewatched moonlight. beautiful movie but it’s a little disappointing that trevante hasn't had a ton of chances to show how good he is since then

Coffee or tea: coffee

Sweet, spicy or savory: sweet

Three ships: look i’m sorry all i can think of is coldwestallen, coldflash, coldwest 😂 i tend to move on from ships and fandoms fairly easily but these three got their claws in me it's a problem

Currently working on: i've been working on a coldwestallen time travel/future fic for the better part of a year now, after nearly seven years of not writing a single word... ngl that one got away from me a little, it's already over 50k which may not seem like a lot to everyone but it’s a lot for me and i still have no idea when or if it'll ever be finished because it has grown so much plot while i wasn't looking 😭 oh and i've been making coldflash gifs because i miss them always

First ever ship: in hindsight it was probably buffy/cordelia from btvs, although i didn't realize i was shipping them until years later. the first ship i ever wrote fic for was veronica/logan from veronica mars when i was maybe 13? needless to say it wasn't great 😂

Favorite piece of clothing: i don't think enough about my clothes to have a favorite piece haha, if it fits me and there's no holes in it it's good enough for me

Comfort food: my grandma's chocolate buttercream cake

Favorite time of the year: probably spring

tagging some of my mutuals i'd like to know better, but pls don’t feel obligated to do this at all if you don't feel like it: @crestfallercanyon @eaion @leonardsnartsskinnyjeans

[takaraphoenix]

I see you like TVA and BTVS both. I’ve read the Vampire Diaries books but didn’t watch much of the show but I heard someone recently say that it was better than Buffy. First thought was to puff up and be offended for the show, because from what I’ve seen and read I still don’t feel this is true, BUT I am very curious to see how someone who *has* watched both feels on this topic? What do you think?

Sorry for the book above lol, just curious! ☺️

*offended BtVS fan noises* It is NOT better than Buffy what the fuq.

Like. It's a good show. It is genuinely, after BtVS, my favorite vampire show. There certainly are parallels to be drawn where you can tell the author definitely watched BtVS. But it's not better than that.

The fact alone that this show shelved its lead for an entire season and awkwardly shifted POVs gives it quite some point reductions, imo. And sure sure there are people who claim that that's not the case because Stefan is the "real" protagonist but... he's not. Not in the narrative this show had built up. It was always centered around Elena and the boys were always the two ends of her love-triangle and Stefan had never had the equal level of protagonist-focus as Elena.

That would have been as if BtVS would have had a whole season between 5 and 6, where we just follow the Scoobies around without Buffy while she's dead, until they bring her back. Sure, as a die-hard BtVS fan I would have actually watched the hell out of that (and I still demand they give me at least a comic run about that time), but it'd have felt majorly off and just... wrong, to do that to your lead.

(And don't at me about how this wasn't really planned and about IRL stuff and the actress. The show, genuinely, could have ended that season too, imo. It was about the money and making more.) Another major-major reason why TVD is inferior to BtVS is the queer rep. BtVS had two main characters who were lesbians, one of them one of the three core members of the show that stuck throughout all of its run, the other who admittedly did get bury-your-gayed (which I still consider one of BtVS’s biggest flaws), but they introduced another queer character after her death and didn’t just have that be it. TVD had two throwaway minor wlw characters and one mlm character who were introduced late in the show, lasted less than a full season and were all killed off (not counting the SUPER minor gays in either because... let's be real, they barely count anyway). Not one queer character survived the entire show (or, heck, a whole season), much less was an actual main character. To be en par, Bonnie should have been queer, presently queer too. But Bonnie, even as a straight character, barely had a love-life, compared to the constant drama around her white co-leads' love-lives. Both shows have Bianca Lawson looking gorgeous though. But at this point in time, I also think that Bianca Lawson's presence is like a must for a supernatural show. *looks at Teen Wolf* So yeah, I don't want to turn this into a twenty slide power point presentation on why BtVS is the superior show and I do think that tastes differ and to some people, TVD might genuinely be more enjoyable and come off as better, but I do think that in writing/execution, BtVS definitely has TVD beat. But I love them both and think that we shouldn't really pitch what few female-led shows in general - much less so in the supernatural genre - we have against each other. Seriously, this genre is very "strong man kill monsters/strong man struggles with being a man and a monster" dominated and I just love to see women thrive and see some female friendships and women lead a supernatural show.