Buffy/Tara friendship.

[YummySushiPJs]

What do you think of it?

I think in season 4, apart from polite conversation, scooby stuff, and a friend in common (Willow), they didn't really hang out.

At the start of season 5, Buffy and Xander talk about how they don't really get Tara ("but she's super nice"). Nonetheless Buffy stands up for Tara against her father, though to be honest, you get the impression she'd do the same for anyone in that situation. She does call her "family" but we don't really have any future Buffy/Tara scenes to back up this newfound love for Tara.
Then at the end of season 5, Tara sacrifices herself (well, her sanity, but she could have been killed altogether) in order to protect Dawn. Buffy hugs Tara at the hospital and as far as I'm aware this is the first time she showed any real closeness to Tara. I think this was the point Buffy saw how special Tara was because of what she did.
Tara only gets her sanity and conversational skills back at the very end of the season so we don't see any more scenes between her and Buffy until season 6, but I think amost immediately (Buffy's back-from-the-dead shock aside), Buffy seems much closer to Tara, even before they start having their heart to hearts.

The scoobies as a group are so close-knit and you get the impression incredibly hard to break into as a new person. Anya never really managed it, and with Tara to be honest I don't think Xander ever really moved on from "I don't get her, but she's super nice". But she did seem to form a special bond with Buffy which I think is really sweet.

In conclusion, I think Tara protecting Dawn's identity from Glory (and getting brain-sucked) is what made Buffy realise what a true friend Tara is.

What I think sucks, is that Buffy didn't react more to Tara's death. I know she was consumed with trying to stop Willow but you'd think she'd choke back a few tears at least, somewhere along the way.

Anyone agree/disagree with all/any of the above? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[tec]

Somethings are done in the inbetween lifes everyday we only get glimpses of scoobie life.
I can exsept that though out S4 S5 The gang hang with Tara more and more to the point she gave her mind to protect Dawn.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Friendship, like trust is earned not given. Tara may have proved herself a friend and more to Willow. But apart from a few instances she didn't really prove her friendship to all the others.
Maybe, if there had been a Damon (The Vampire Diaries) in BTVS, then Tara would have been referred to as Judgey on several occasions by several people.
Tara was often 'there' in spirit for others, but she was not an extrovert in that sense.
I got the feeling that her religious beliefs, like her sexual beliefs, were unshakeable.
From what I saw, the scooby's (not including Anya) were 'okay' with Tara's sexuality.

I'm not too sure about the hug Buffy gave to Tara after the protecting Dawn thing. When my daughter needed a bit extra help and my 'ex' came through for her, I hugged my 'ex'. But there was no closeness involved. If anything the closeness was for my daughter. So I saw that hug as being for Dawn not Tara.

Why would Buffy react over Tara's death, she would have liked to have been there for Willow, but Willow was somewhere else, emotionally at the time. In the Willow/ Tara relationshipm Willow was the friend, Tara was just the other person.

 

[YummySushiPJs]

^But didn't Buffy and Tara develop a friendship of their own through season 6. Buffy went to Tara for help (this was when Tara was seperated from Willow) when she was confused about Spike. Admittedly this was partly because she was not as close to Tara as the rest of the gang so found it easier to talk to her about her guilty secret. But she then made sure Tara was invited to her birthday party (it is mentioned, by Xander I think, that Buffy made special mention that she wants Tara there). She then gives Tara big hug when Tara arrives. I think by this point in season 6 they had become quite good friends and this is why I expected Buffy to react more to Tara's death. If Tara had died, say, midway through season 5, I wouldn't have expected Buffy to care.

 

[tec]

Dont forget Tara and Buffy opening up in The Body as they both lost there mothers theres a diffante connect there

Also dont remeber anyone remotely haveing an issue with Tara sexualty

 

[EVIL UU]

I think that their friendship was deeper than it might seem. Take a look at the closing scene in "Dead Things". I think this is probably the most mysterious and downright weird scene in the entire show. Buffy is dressed like she's on a date or something, she's on her knees, begging Tara not to forgive her? Why Tara of all people? It's just so out of place.

And Buffy completely loses it, breaks down and cries her heart out. Something like this happens exactly 3 times in the series, with Willow in season 3, with Dawn in season 5 and with Tara in season 6. This is a sign of an absolute trust. For Buffy, to open up to someone like that, to allow herself to be so vulnerable? It's huge, OK?

What I think sucks, is that Buffy didn't react more to Tara's death.

Why would she do that? Buffy died, she knows what happens after death. Tara's in heaven and she's happy, what's wrong with that? I know it sounds strange but Buffy's attitude towards death post season 5 is kinda, well...medieval. On one hand, you're sad because your loved one died, but on the other you're happy because your loved one is in heaven. Except Buffy doesn't have faith, she has knowledge so it's even stronger, right?

Or maybe she simply knows what Tara really is, you know, an actual, ancient goddess so it's not like a death can stop her.

In conclusion, I think Tara protecting Dawn's identity from Glory (and getting brain-sucked) is what made Buffy realise what a true friend Tara is.

When you look into it, protecting is what Tara generally does. Apart from that one time in "Family", whenever she takes a direct action she does so to protect someone. Every damn time, I kid you not.

It's almost...inhuman.

 

[YummySushiPJs]

Dont forget Tara and Buffy opening up in The Body as they both lost there mothers theres a diffante connect there

Also dont remeber anyone remotely haveing an issue with Tara sexualty

Me neither, I'm not quite sure why that was mentioned?

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Me neither, I'm not quite sure why that was mentioned?

I think maybe they're talking about when Buffy and Xander were talking about Tara and Willow's Wiccan friends but they were talking about it in a manner as though they were alluding to Willow and Tara's sexuality and how they were supportive but still kind of distant and awkward about it.

 

[Kendra371]

<3 Tara/Buffy friendship

The relationships Tara started to develop in season 6 is the only thing I liked about that season besides the introduction of Halfrak (?) whose hilarious.

Tara proved that there's more to her than being Willow's tail. She started to grow and develop into her own person. I don't think any of the scoobies viewed Tara as being nothing more than Willow's girlfriend whose "super nice." It wasn't until the end of season 5, where I believe Buffy started to see that there was more to Tara as an individual. Tara confided the death of her own mother to Buffy, which she only shared with her. She also risked her life to protect Dawn's secret from Glory.

If you look at the events of season 6, when Buffy was resurrected, did anyone notice that Tara was the only one who didn't bombard Buffy? The only thing I ever saw Tara do was ask Buffy if she was OK. Unlike Willow, Xander, and Anya, who crammed her with unpayed bills, slayer duties, etc. Not to mention Dawn just being completely ridiculous all throughout season 6.
Tara formed a relationship with Dawn which was a beautiful in my opinion. While Dawn might have felt neglected by the others, Tara was always there for her. She would take her out and spend time with her. Talk about things, etc. This would certainly gain Buffy's respect.

Tara wasn't so overwhelming as the others, wasn't judgmental like Xander or Selfish like Willow. She proved to be more than a friend. And I think What made Buffy see Tara as a great friend was when she told her about Spike. Tara's reaction was more nurturing than anything. I think at a crucial point in her life (Buffy suffering from depression) she needed someone to nurture her and be understanding. Tara provided that for her. Since Willow was on her magic binge, and Xander most likely would have grilled her to death as usual. I could see that Buffy was happy having her around after that, especially the hug that she gave her at her birthday party. It was nice to see Tara embraced that way. Unfortunately she got killed shortly after...

Now as far as Buffy not really mourning Tara, it wasn't a good time for it. You can tell Buffy was saddened by her death, but she also had to be consciously aware of Willow misusing magic again but this time trying to kill someone. It was the circumstances in which Buffy couldn't really sit and soak up what happened. She had to hurry and stop Willow form destroying herself.