I actually don't mind Buffy/Satsu which is a surprise to me because I was a strong defender against the idea of Buffy ever turning gay or having a same-sex relationship. And I still would oppose the idea of Buffy turning gay because I don't think it'd take this long for her to do it. And given the
'Anywhere But Here' episode which shows her imagining Daniel Craig and Christian Blane, her sexy dream kissing Xander and the Buffy/Angel/Spike threesome I'd come up very strongly with the "Buffy is NOT gay" argument.
However, this isn't what happened here, Joss made it explicitly clear she is NOT gay now. Which immediately warmed me up to the idea.
I can buy the idea of Buffy sleeping with Satsu. She wanted to feel to the connection as she states earlier that episode and she gave it a try with someone whom she knew loved her. That's in character for Buffy, there are comparisons with Spuffy here in that she used Spike to feel, Buffy herself admits this. But this is NOT a repeat of Spuffy by any stretch of the imagination. Buffy cares about what Satsu thinks she views her as someone real, someone real enough to warn her about the dangers of getting involved with her. Whereas with Spike Buffy said he was just "convenient" at the time and as he even admits "a whisper on a dead man's ear doesn't make it real." She didn't value him enough that she could use him because she viewed him as an "evil soulless thing." Not the same with Satsu at all.
Buffy doesn't want to kick her out the first night, she's up front and honest with Satsu that it'll probably be nothing more than that, says she's going to remember the night fondly and is nice to Satsu since then. And there's a role reversal in the end. In Issue #12 Satsu *thinks* Buffy wants her out of her bedroom and goes to do so, no argument, no defending herself, she just gets up to leave. But in Issue #15 she tells Buffy she wants the new job at the castle, tells Buffy she can't be around her and basically gives herself a promotion.
It was a mature, honest break-up, possibly the nicest end to any of Buffy's romantic relationships ever. They were both very sweet to each other and didn't make it into a massive complicated mess. And it's very clear what it was. Buffy says that it was one of the best nights of her life. Personally I think she was swept up in the adorableness of the moment there, one of the best nights in her life, No. One of the best nights of her life in a very long time, yes. She states as much in Issue #12 anyway. And that's what it was or what it was supposed to be, and IMO resulted in. No messiness, no fuss, just a nice-uncomplicated relationship for Buffy, which as Drac narrates over their break-up scene is Buffy "finding the warmth whilst she can. Because there's a cold journey ahead."
Couple of things I'd like to comment on;
But the Buffy/Satsu thing just seems wrong. It was rushed, and hurried, and it seemed like it was just stuck in their to get ratings or exposure
Buffy season 8 is doing incredibly well for a comic book. It's the only darkhorse title to rate well against bigger marvel titles and is always in the top 20 comics for the month. The last comic rated at number 11 for the month. It's doing far better in comics than it ever did on television, so there isn't any reason why Joss would need extra ratings or exposure. Not to mention this goes against his character as a producer who's never been reduced to titalation to such extremes, epsecially in such sensitive issues.
or because Joss knew that Sarah probably would have never went for that storyline in the show, so he did it in the comics.
Sarah never enjoyed Buffy's development in season six at all. She didn't want to do the balcony scene and found the dumpster sex scene degrading. She also went to Marti towards the end of season six and expressed worry that the show was loosing its message. But Joss made her do it. If he wanted a Buffy/girl hook-up he would have done it, ultimately she has very little say in the matter.
Though I don't know why Sarah would be against the idea. She appeared in a television show many years ago and kissed another woman, kissed another woman in
'Cruel Intentions' and didn't seem unpleased by the news at the Paleyfest reunion when learning of the recent development. Actually the first thing she asked was "with Willow?" and said "good for Buffy"
Now that I think about it, I think the problem I have, well, one of the problems, is because, before they wound up in bed, Buffy was so adamant that Satsu should get over her, because nothing was going to happen...then the next second she jumping into bed with the girl, and 'experiementing'. I wanna know what happened to change her mind.
Apparently it was originally planned for us to see the build up. But Drew went to Joss and said, how about we just open up to them already doing the sex and deal with the consequences of that, not the build up we usually get. Personally I don't mind that approach. It actually worked out rather well for me, I could see the lead on. We leave Buffy/Satsu at the end of
'A Beautiful Sunset' holding hands saying that they'll get through this together. Feels like a natural continuation for me to see them wind up in bed together and come up with the reasonable assumption that whilst comforting eachother Buffy thought "why not."
PLUS!! This girl looks up to Buffy, Buffy is Satsu's leader. It just seems to me that Buffy's abusing her power a little, taking advantage of the young woman's feelings. Would she have done that with any of the Slayers who were in Sunnydale with her? Probably not.
This seems to be part of Buffy's storyline in this season. Scott Allie said it's entirley reasonable to see comparisons between how Buffy is running her slayer army and how the Council ran operations. In
'The Long Way Home' in her dream Buffy says "I'm afraid of the dark!" in which Xander replies "You are the dark" Buffy says "That's what I meant!" We also had her rob a bank so she could fund her operation, something she knew ultimately was wrong which is why she tried to hide this from Willow and later pondered the ramifications of this with Xander. Twilight's an enemy that is supposed to have good points and bad points, his concerns about the slayers aren't completely unfounded, and they were never meant to be. We see Buffy reassesing her previous verdict on killing humans in
'No Future For You' saying she'll cross that bridge when she comes to it which worries Willow and there's clear comparisons about how Faith chose all the right options in
'No Future For You' whereas Buffy looked ready to kill Gigi with the sword after seering in anger after learning Gigi killed a slayer. To quote Faith "Are you the bad slayer now? Am I the good slayer now?" The Buffy/Satsu abuse of power is just another peice of the puzzle. Scott Allie said in the lettercol for Issue #15 in reference to Buffy/Satsu that no one incident should be judged just on its own and that's it's just one peice of a far more complex puzzle.
When Willow developed a relationship with Tara it wasn't on the basis of 'being with a woman', or 'going gay'. It was her falling and becoming involved with this amazing person she suddenly found herself having intense feelings for who just HAPPENED to be a woman. The situation could have easily involved another guy, but it happened to be Tara, a woman, instead.
I don't see how this is any different to Buffy/Satsu? Scott Allie already said you have to look at the numbers and the fact Buffy is surrounded by so many girls in comparison to one guy. You don't think if there was another guy at the castle who Buffy knew was madly in love with her, Buffy wouldn't have attempted to feel the connection and jumped his bones? The fact Satsu is a girl is rather irrelevant for Buffy, it's what Satsu represented as a person which made her accessible to her.
With Batsu it seems to be all about the 'going gay'. Or 'going gay for a couple of nights/the comic equivalent of May Sweeps' or 'going bi'...whatever, my point is, it's just not conceivable because Buffy has never shown gay tendencies before-
Joss explicitly stated Buffy is NOT gay now.
I will not accept the Fuffy subtext argument as the subtext only ever seemed to come from Faith, who while we're on it, I could imagine having a gay fling because that would fit Faith's go with it attitude-
Notice again the mirror reflections of Buffy/Faith this season? How Faith made the right choices whilst Buffy didn't? How Faith had a "want.take.have" approach in season 3 when she stole the longbow, and how Buffy adopted this same approach by robbing the bank? Not very coincidental I don't think.
and she hasn't fallen for Satsu or found herself having inexplainable feelings for the girl which culminated in them sleeping together. It was sex now, complications later, shock forever. This seems to be all about a May-Sweeps-esque shock factor that has no basis upon which no previous foundations have been set to allow to us suspect it or at least reason it (Beyond she's doing a Spuffy again)
Buffy did say how she found it sweet. And we know that she wanted to feel a connection and was geniugly friends and impressed with Satsu before this.
there's no precendence or hintage or anything. (At least Willow had the 'And I think I'm kinda gay')
Buffy sees Willow's affair with the snake demon in
'Anywhere But Here' and states that Willow's bad looks way more fun than her own
😉
