Bangel vs Spuffy Affected by when you watched the show?

[Dogs of Winter]

After series viewer who has always been a Bangel fan.

I did watch all of Angel before I started watching Buffy so I was probably destined to enjoy Bangel, but I loved it from the start and especially in Season 2 when it went from the classic fairy tale romance through the Angelus arc to the heartbreaking end of Becoming.

I also enjoy all the post Graduation Day contact between Buffy and Angel and how they reflect different stages of their post break up relationship.

I can understand why people may prefer Spuffy. Spike was more integrated into the show whereas Angel was often only there to be Buffys boyfriend and wasnt fully fleshed out until he got his own show. But personally I was never a big fan of Spuffy. Partly as it always seemed a bit toxic, but also I preferred Spike when he was playing off all the other characters like in season 4 rather than just obsessing over Buffy

 

[Faded90]

Bangel - original viewer. In fact from the very first episode!

I was hooked from their first encounter and that was it. Loved their relationship through the first three series even the Angel/Angleus arc from series two. I just found SMG and DB to have amazing, believable chemistry.

When the last two series (6&7) happened, it left me with a stronger dislike for it because of what had happened which was even more than when Buffy and Riley had their relationship. I just didn't believe that the storytelling was authentic and organic and that the narrative had change unrealistic simply because of the popularity of a certain character.

Years later on re-watch and in particular the first series, I was surprised at the lack of screen time for Buffy and Angel and yet some how I still became heavily invested in them.

Watching the Buffy and Riley relationship again, I didn't hate it at all and had some sympathy for him (which apparently is uncalled for?!) seeing how she never truly open herself up to him given all she had gone with with Angel.

My feelings about the other slayer and vampire relationship did not stay the same, in fact I despise it even more. But then again I never connected to Spike as a character and have always felt he served his purpose in the second series and for me his character was push into the show too much at the expense of other characters I prefer. JM is a good actor but I've never been that overly impressed by what he brought to the role. Yes there a moments that did have me sympathetic to Spike but really he's a character I could take or leave and I'd rather leave him to others to enjoy because he just not for me in any shape or form.

Being older now and having gone through life and relationships myself, while I hold onto the tiniest bit of hope that Bangel can have a somewhat happy ending, I'm realistic to know it is very unlikely to be possible.

So I can now be at the point of seeing Buffy in a relationship in the comics if it makes her happy and would be delighted if it was a well written new character as I feel they should show there is more out there for her than any of the characters we already know.

I just know I'm in the A.B.S club when it comes to Buffy's love interests.

It’s actually the smaller screentime that I like about Bangel. I’m not a huge ‘shipper’ of characters, I couldn’t care less about Willow/Tara or who Fred ends up with. The romantic relationships is a lot of the time my least favourite part of the show which I think is why I hated Angel S3/4 so much because as Gunn himself says ‘I feel like I’m in a turgid supernatural soap opera’ 😂 I hated love triangles and drama based almost entirely on will they/won’t they. It says a lot that my main ship Fuffy didn’t have a single ‘romance’ scene 😂. Although Bangel can be very melodramatic (although the show and characters acknowledge this which I like, it’s never taken too seriously) they have a lot of times where they’re just bubbling in the background doing their thing without taking over. Whereas by S7 particularly it felt like every single episode needed to have some kind of Spuffy ‘moment’ just to really force it down our throats. Spuffy takes over Buffy as a characters story whereas I actually don’t feel like Bangel ever did and that’s why I like it so much

We know Giles doesn’t like Buffy being with either Angel or Spike but with Angel Giles quietly tells Buffy what he thinks about it and the danger in S3 and Buffy acknowledges it and reassures him she’s being careful whereas with Spike in S7 it has to be a huge dramatic thing that basically destroys Buffy/Giles relationship for a while and takes over entire episodes. Honestly this kind of sums up both relationships for me

 

[r2dh2]

I watched BTVS when I was in high school, I don’t remember much tbh, except crying a lot when Buffy had to kill Angel, so I guess I must have loved them together a lot. But I rediscovered the show two or three years ago, specifically I rediscovered S6 Spuffy. I was at the end of a long period of deep depression that started when a long relationship ended, and I was alone in a new city. At first, I was attracted to their insane chemistry, but as I started watching S6, I suffered so much, ugh… I desperately wanted them to love each other, instead of mutually abuse each other. I think that S6 and S6 Spuffy were somewhat cathartic for me (I was never in an abusive relationship, I think that the feelings that their relationship evoked on me were therapeutic or liberating somehow) and I moved to S7, then I worked my way back to S1.

I’m still a Spuffy lover, but I do enjoy a lot her other relationships as other people have mentioned here. I think that I outgrew the Bangel story, personally it feels paternalistic. Tbh, I have no issue with their age difference at all, it’s the dynamic between them that I’m not a fan of. Having Angelous in S2 forced Buffy to grow up a lot, but in S3 part of that growth was reversed. Angel’s departure, which coincides with end of high school, feels seismic and I sympathize a lot with Buffy, but it allows the show to keep exploring her personal growth outside the shadow of Bangel.

I enjoyed seeing her with Riley is S4, I think it was a good transition away from Angel precisely because it doesn’t feel memorable. It was a good re-bound, they were simply mismatched.

And I truly love Spuffy in S7, there is a lot of acceptance both in Buffy and Spike regarding who they truly are as individuals, and there is a lot of growth for both of them that allows them to have a healthier relationship. It is still not where I would like to have seen them end the show as a couple, but it was a good beginning. I haven’t read the comics tho.

 

[Leo]

Spuffy after it ended. Started watching in S7 with a friend.

 

[Stake fodder]

I'm a new viewer, and not a Bangel or Spuffy, but thought I would comment because your premise does seem to apply to me. I watched the whole series in about 18 months, and originally I rooted for their relationship when Angel was on the show, but he left and I wasn't watching his series (still haven't yet). So I eventually got interested in the more complex character arc (IMO) of Spike. In short, I moved on... but without sleeping with Anya.

 

[thetopher]

I'm not a shipper but I remember when I first watched that I disliked Buffy/Angel in S3 and Buffy/Riley (really just Riley actually) in its entirety and was indifferent to Spike/Buffy- though I remember liking did Spike's journey in S5.
By the end of the season I didn't really prefer one to any of the others, Buffy was single at the end and to me that was significant; she was young and had her whole life ahead of her and could go on to someone new.
I also enjoyed Angel better on his own show and so naturally didn't want him to get back together with Buffy.


After the show ended and several re-watches I found that Bangel is the journey that I respond to the most, primarily because its about two epic, heroic characters who were in love but are now fighting their own battles separately from each other, trying to live and move on. I like it in theory but still don't really ship them. They should be a 'could've been' rather than a 'gonna happen one day'.
A genuinely think that Buffy ending up with a vampire is her worst option.

 

[Faded90]

I'm not a shipper but I remember when I first watched that I disliked Buffy/Angel in S3 and Buffy/Riley (really just Riley actually) in its entirety and was indifferent to Spike/Buffy- though I remember liking did Spike's journey in S5.
By the end of the season I didn't really prefer one to any of the others, Buffy was single at the end and to me that was significant; she was young and had her whole life ahead of her and could go on to someone new.
I also enjoyed Angel better on his own show and so naturally didn't want him to get back together with Buffy.


After the show ended and several re-watches I found that Bangel is the journey that I respond to the most, primarily because its about two epic, heroic characters who were in love but are now fighting their own battles separately from each other, trying to live and move on. I like it in theory but still don't really ship them. They should be a 'could've been' rather than a 'gonna happen one day'.
A genuinely think that Buffy ending up with a vampire is her worst option.

Well, I wish you kids the best, I really do, but, uh, if you don't mind a bit of fatherly advice, I, uh, I-I just don't see much of a future for you two. I don't sense a lasting relationship. And not just because I plan to kill the both of you, but you got a bumpy road ahead.

Buffy Summers : I don't think we need to talk about this.

Mayor Richard Wilkins : Yeah, and that's just *one* of the things you're gonna have to deal with. You're immortal. She's not. It's not easy. I married my Edna Mae in aught three, and I was with her right until the end. Not a pretty picture... Wrinkled and senile and cursing me for my youth. Wasn't our happiest time...

[scoffs]

Mayor Richard Wilkins : I mean, come-come on, what kind of a life can you offer her? I don't see a lot of Sunday picnics in the offing. I see skulking in the shadows, hiding from the sun. She's a blossoming young girl and you wanna keep her from the life she should have till it's passed her by. And, by God, I think that's a little selfish...

Honestly this speech can be copied and pasted into any ‘shipper war’ argument and it’s basically for me the ultimate reason why Bangel and Spuffy would both be a pretty bleak ending for Buffy. Buffy’s very visible reaction to it tells its own story as well

This speechwhen Ifirst watched I thought ‘don’t listen to him!’ And now I completely agree with it. The same as Joyce’s incredibly respectful conversation she has with Angel in The Prom. Now I’m older I totally get it and agree with both of them

 

[Moggin]

Mayor Richard Wilkins : Yeah, and that's just *one* of the things you're gonna have to deal with. You're immortal. She's not. It's not easy. I married my Edna Mae in aught three, and I was with her right until the end. Not a pretty picture... Wrinkled and senile and cursing me for my youth. Wasn't our happiest time...

[scoffs]

Mayor Richard Wilkins : I mean, come-come on, what kind of a life can you offer her? I don't see a lot of Sunday picnics in the offing. I see skulking in the shadows, hiding from the sun. She's a blossoming young girl and you wanna keep her from the life she should have till it's passed her by. And, by God, I think that's a little selfish...

Honestly this speech can be copied and pasted into any ‘shipper war’ argument and it’s basically for me the ultimate reason why Bangel and Spuffy would both be a pretty bleak ending for Buffy. Buffy’s very visible reaction to it tells its own story as well

I don't know. I may have to disagree with the Mayor in one respect. A lot of older people still enjoy a hot young bod, my gran included. How would old wrinkled Buffy really be losing out with either of these studs still caring for her? If my gran could arrange her entire nursing staff from Chippendales she probably would.