As You Were: Jealous Buffy?

[Wishing Oceans]

So, thinking about As You Were and Buffy's reaction to Riley being married, do you think that Buffy was jealous of Sam?

Personally, I think it was a pride thing. It seemed to me that the thought of Riley ever moving on, ever finding anyone that he liked more than her, never occurred to Buffy. She thought that Riley was the one who would always love her and her alone, and even though she, the stronger one, had already moved on to different relationships, Riley would spend the rest of his life pining over her. I can imagine her thinking "What? I thought he loved ME! 🙂

And so when she saw that not only had Riley gotten married, but his wife was a pretty darn amazing women that he had a great relationship with, unlike her unhealthy secret relationship with Spike, her pride was probably a bit wounded.

Thoughts?

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

I don't think she was jealous. She got back from Heaven, she felt like there in no one for her there, she had sex with Spike, and she had done all the things BHB (before Heaven Buffy) would never do. And then puf, there was Riley. And when she saw him, she saw one thing that had any sense to her, one old thing that was beautiful, and that is back. And then she founds out he is married. That one thing was gone, so she was back at zero. I never thought she was jealous, she was just unhappy.. season 6 is all about that. Unhappy Buffy realising that there is a place for her in the world, that she has to live.
And that made her realised that she is using Spike like she said to him. She remembered that that thing she had with Riley was nice, and with Spike back then it was just sex.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I agree with PrincessBuffy on this one. I think she might have been jealous on some level, but mostly I think she was just sad. Here she was, in a violent, confusing, and dysfunctional relationship with someone she didn't love - one who she was in fact using for sex - and then comes along Riley the Sam, happy marriage extrodinaires. I think she was just sad that she couldn't be in an equally happy and fulfilling relationship. Also, a part of her I think regretted not asking Riley to stay.

I think she was also quite taken by surprise at his arrival. I'm sure the least thing she expected was to see Riley show up at the Doublemeat Palace and ask for her help in catching some demon called "The Doctor" after not seeing him for over a year.

 

[Flannen]

I'm not sure if jealousy is the right word. I don't think she was jealous as such. I think it just bought back to her the mistake she made. Don't forget that she had already realised, but it was just too late. She wanted Riley to stay, she went to tell him that. So I think that when she sees him again, there's a glimmer of hope for her that she might be able to make amends. And then when she finds out about Sam, she's just aware of that mistake again. Riley has come back a very mature, better man and I think she sees Riley coming back as a way out of the downward spiral she is in, and that maybe if she'd made it to him in time when he first left, she might not be in that spiral at all. So, yeah, I think it's just another knock for her, another bad decision that she can't take back and she's 'gutted'. I guess that's how I'd describe her feelings!

 

[ubi4soft]

As You Were: Buffy at her lowest moment in S6: she sees Riley happily married with a strong woman, probably she pictures herself in Sam's place, she gets more insecure as ever, so she turns back to the one "thing" that never rejected her and ask him "tell me you love me, tell me you want me". Buffy already knew from Dead Things that she was using Spike and it was the wrong thing to do it, but in here she ...I don't understand her anymore, I have totally lost her..and in the end of the episode she broke up with Spike because "it was killing her"?

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

As You Were: Buffy at her lowest moment in S6: she sees Riley happily married with a strong woman, probably she pictures herself in Sam's place, she gets more insecure as ever, so she turns back to the one "thing" that never rejected her and ask him "tell me you love me, tell me you want me". Buffy already knew from Dead Things that she was using Spike and it was the wrong thing to do it, but in here she ...I don't understand her anymore, I have totally lost her..and in the end of the episode she broke up with Spike because "it was killing her"?

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying...

 

[ubi4soft]

Buffy should broke up with Spike after Dead Things after she realized that she was using Spike, I don't understand why she didn't.

So when she's insecure about herself she goes back to using him again "tell me you love me" I see this as extremely selfish, "tell me you want me" Spike wasn't bothered by the smell as we saw the random vampire at the beginning of the episode (the mighty Riley shouldn't even mention the smell thing to Buffy)...so it's a series of "me Buffy I feel bad about myself", "me Buffy I need something to feel good about myself", culminating with "me Buffy I broke up with you because when I feel bad about myself you make me forget about feeling bad about myself and this is a bad thing and it's killing me"

 

[Summerlilly]

I think you guys pretty much summed it up. I don't think she was necessarily jealous of Riley's new wife but rather she was in envy of a seemingly perfect relationship from an outsiders perspective. Maybe she could have had that with Riley....

 

[white avenger]

I don't think she was necessarily jealous of Riley's new wife but rather she was in envy of a seemingly perfect relationship from an outsiders perspective. Maybe she could have had that with Riley....

I think that Buffy was more envious of Sam and Riley's happiness together than in any way jealous of Sam. After the brief few moments at the beginning if the episode, I think that she pretty much accepted the fact that what she and Riley had was over. Riley could never have been happy with Buffy, because he could never feel that he was her partner, and pretty much her equal, and Buffy undoubtedly knew that. I think that she also knew that she could never be happy on a long term basis with a man, ANY man, who couldn't be at least on a level of power fairly close to her own. Spike pretty well summed it up when he said that Buffy needed a little monster in her man, he just confused "monster" with "champion," or maybe even "super hero." Ultimately, Buffy Summers will never really be content with a normal human, regardless of how well trained a demon fighter he is, will never be as strong, as fast, or as proficient a warrior as she is. That's really why Angel rejected his humanity in "I Will Remember You," and that's why I remain skeptical of the whole Shanshu thing, but that's a discussion for another time and place.

And as far as Riley and Sam having the perfect relationship, I never really saw that, and I doubt that Buffy did, either. They were pretty much equals, which I said before was something that she would envy, but I think that Buffy and everyone else on the show realized by the end of the episode that Sam was just too good to be true. But, again, that's a subject for another time and place.

 

[Tammarie]

I think it was just kinda upsetting, that after Riley was so in love with her, or so he said (not saying he was lying), and then the whole thing with him leaving and her running and being too late to stop him, and how sad she was after. And then he's married to a nice woman and living happily, while she's all screwed up. It's just like everything went bad just after Riley left, and then he came back happier then before.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Buffy should broke up with Spike after Dead Things after she realized that she was using Spike, I don't understand why she didn't.

So when she's insecure about herself she goes back to using him again "tell me you love me" I see this as extremely selfish, "tell me you want me" Spike wasn't bothered by the smell as we saw the random vampire at the beginning of the episode (the mighty Riley shouldn't even mention the smell thing to Buffy)...so it's a series of "me Buffy I feel bad about myself", "me Buffy I need something to feel good about myself", culminating with "me Buffy I broke up with you because when I feel bad about myself you make me forget about feeling bad about myself and this is a bad thing and it's killing me"

Hah, I belive your right. Spike was closest thing to death, but at that time he was keeping her alive. At that time Buffy wanted to go back to Heaven, and having sex with the undead thing, I thing that was her conection to death. She was using him, we all know why. He made a mistake. He was selfish, he wanted her and didn't care what is that doing to her. That wasn't good for her, because then she needed a will to live, not conection with death.

 

[Summerlilly]

I think that Buffy was more envious of Sam and Riley's happiness together than in any way jealous of Sam. After the brief few moments at the beginning if the episode, I think that she pretty much accepted the fact that what she and Riley had was over. Riley could never have been happy with Buffy, because he could never feel that he was her partner, and pretty much her equal, and Buffy undoubtedly knew that. I think that she also knew that she could never be happy on a long term basis with a man, ANY man, who couldn't be at least on a level of power fairly close to her own. Spike pretty well summed it up when he said that Buffy needed a little monster in her man, he just confused "monster" with "champion," or maybe even "super hero." Ultimately, Buffy Summers will never really be content with a normal human, regardless of how well trained a demon fighter he is, will never be as strong, as fast, or as proficient a warrior as she is. That's really why Angel rejected his humanity in "I Will Remember You," and that's why I remain skeptical of the whole Shanshu thing, but that's a discussion for another time and place.

And as far as Riley and Sam having the perfect relationship, I never really saw that, and I doubt that Buffy did, either. They were pretty much equals, which I said before was something that she would envy, but I think that Buffy and everyone else on the show realized by the end of the episode that Sam was just too good to be true. But, again, that's a subject for another time and place.

I don't think Riley and Buffy would have worked out either, but I think Buffy thought about it. She saw what they had and probably wondered if she would or could ever have that too. I disagree that she didn't envy there relationship (if even just for a moment). I thought that they portrayed their relationship so that it was supposed to make Buffy think about what it could have been like if she had done things differently with Riley. Or what it could be like to have a relationship with a "normal" guy like Riley. Yes, maybe by the end of the episode it did seem like Sam was too good to be true and so did their "perfect" relationship.

 

[white avenger]

I disagree that she didn't envy there relationship (if even just for a moment). I thought that they portrayed their relationship so that it was supposed to make Buffy think about what it could have been like if she had done things differently with Riley. Or what it could be like to have a relationship with a "normal" guy like Riley. Yes, maybe by the end of the episode it did seem like Sam was too good to be true and so did their "perfect" relationship.

I did say that Buffy envied the happiness that Riley and Sam had, which is basically another way of saying that she envied them their relationship, so we agree there. But I think that what she mainly envied was not just the relationship itself, but the fact that it was a partnership of two equals, not one super powered chick and one pretty proficient human demon fighter. Buffy and Riley could never have that sort of relationship unless he became super powerful like she was or she lost all of her enhanced abilities. Buffy and Riley together would have been just as desasterous as Buffy and human Angel. She would have to spend more time protecting him than she did slaying, which would have eventually proved disastrous for one or both of them.

 

[Summerlilly]

I did say that Buffy envied the happiness that Riley and Sam had, which is basically another way of saying that she envied them their relationship, so we agree there. But I think that what she mainly envied was not just the relationship itself, but the fact that it was a partnership of two equals, not one super powered chick and one pretty proficient human demon fighter. Buffy and Riley could never have that sort of relationship unless he became super powerful like she was or she lost all of her enhanced abilities. Buffy and Riley together would have been just as desasterous as Buffy and human Angel. She would have to spend more time protecting him than she did slaying, which would have eventually proved disastrous for one or both of them.

I guess I never really thought too much about how Sam and Riley were equals. To me it made it seem like a life spent fighting demons could still contain a healthy relationship for two people. But you are right. It could only work if they were equals.

 

[Buffy Lehane]

I think Buffy was very jealous of Sam, I mean Buffy wanted to be with Riley, she tried to stop him from leaving but was too late. So to see him in the arms of another woman must have thrown her up inside.

 

[Megalita]

Also, imagine if you had just ended things with your ex and you see him again, but oh he's married. Over him or not, I'd be a little "WTF!"