Family

[Wishing Oceans]

So, I was watching Family the other day, and I'm slightly embarrassed to say that it actually made me start crying, whch doesn't happen a lot. 😀 I also realized that it was another example of poor family in the Buffyverse. It does seem quite odd, to me at least, that Willow, Xander, and Tara all have questionable families, and Buffy and Dawn's father isn't exactly the best. Another thing I found intriguing in this episode was the real love of friends, beyond all else. But that's just my view on the episode. The real question is, what do YOU guys think? 🙂

 

[MinwaraYana]

The scene in the magic shop was powerful. If I were Tara, I would run to hug everyone. I love this scene not only because the Scoobies stood up for her, but also because they did it even they didn't know her very well(Buffy and Xander said that when they were talking about buying her presents).

p.s. Amy Adams, anyone? Who knows she would be Gisele. 😀

 

[thevikingsgirl]

I love this episode. I LOL'd when Spike punched Tara to prove she was human. I have never seen a show where people hitting each other was funny. anyway. It is interesting that none of them really have a good, solid, stable family life. Buffy's mom is reliable and a good mom, and look what happens to her...

 

[Professor Walsh]

Well, the world is, sadly, full of parents who doesn't handle that rà´le too well. They may focus too much on their work (as I think is the case with Willow's parent's), their power over their children (Tara's dad), money (in Cordelia's case) or just not be able to handle their own lives, much less the lives of their children (in Xander's case, and also Faith). I think the constellation Joss shows here, where one fairly competent parent extends her care to a degree to the friends of her children is fairly common. I recognise it a little from my own childhood and youth, where my (divorced, and absolutely not perfect) always had a supper, a bed or a cup of tea for their children's friends.

 

[anyatara]

Family has always been up there in my favourite episodes. I adore it for so many reasons (Mainly because it's the first episode which is really about Tara, and I love her), but at the same time it makes me cry, too. Buffy's one of those shows which centers around the main characters rather than their families, and I think that's why the parents etc are never around, other than Joyce when she's alive, rather than that none of the character's parents care..? In a twisted way, Mr Maclay did care, he just wanted Tara to be at home with him, it wasn't necessarily that he was being cruel.
On a completely different note, I love the fact Amy Adams is in this episode, I love her.

 

[DetectiveYeslew]

I always found Family to be a very underrated episode, especially since it's written and directed by Joss himself. For me it tells a story about one of the most important parts of the Buffyverse, which is the familial relationship between the Scoobies, but I just love how moving and beautiful the episode is and the final scene with Willow and Tara dancing is without doubt one of the most romantic I have ever seen on television. Always brings a wee tear of happiness to my eye.

 

[Grey Ghost]

I have always thought of this being a powerful episode, even though Tara was still an outsider in many ways, the gang not only acted as friends but they proved it by standing up to her family. They proved to be more of a family than her actual family ever could. But I feel Tara always remained slightly outside of the circle but at least she had their protection (as far as they could give it, Glory proved a little hard to contend with) till the day she died.

 

[Fredsicle]

I love all the Tara-ccentric episodes.
This one is really a great one. When Buffy said, "go ahead and take her", I thought, "Wow. Bitch move." But then I saw what happened and suddenly had new respect for Buffy.
And Spike punching her in the face showed he did actually have affection for her. I notice that everyone Spike likes dies. Hmmn.

 

[WillowAndTara]

I cried too!!:thumbs_up

 

[Summerlilly]

I love all the Tara-ccentric episodes.
This one is really a great one. When Buffy said, "go ahead and take her", I thought, "Wow. Bitch move." But then I saw what happened and suddenly had new respect for Buffy.
And Spike punching her in the face showed he did actually have affection for her. I notice that everyone Spike likes dies. Hmmn.

Yes, I too had a new respect for Buffy. It was exactly what needed to happen for Tara to finally be part of the Scoobies. It was like her intiation episode, even thought she had been around for a while....It showed the caring side of Buffy and the courageous side of Tara. And it did let Spike be the nice guy for a moment, even if being the nice guy meant punching her in the face! lol

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Hmm, Family?
When Buffy said we are her family now! What were her real thoughts on Willow and Tara's romance? If Buffy thought of them all as family, in her eyes was their relationship incestuous? and what about her on again off again (?) bonking sessions with Spike?

 

[thevikingsgirl]

I don't think she would've thought of Tara and Willow as incestuous. I can think of a couple as family to me, but that doesn't mean they're like, sister and brother or anything. I also don't think she thought of Spike as family in season 5.

 

[Joamna]

Hmm, Family?
When Buffy said we are her family now! What were her real thoughts on Willow and Tara's romance? If Buffy thought of them all as family, in her eyes was their relationship incestuous? and what about her on again off again (?) bonking sessions with Spike?

What? Why would she think it was incestuous? The comment about them being a family to me is just about them choosing their family, among their friends, because they are indeed more important than any "real" family.

 

[eponinethen]

Hmm, Family?
When Buffy said we are her family now! What were her real thoughts on Willow and Tara's romance? If Buffy thought of them all as family, in her eyes was their relationship incestuous? and what about her on again off again (?) bonking sessions with Spike?

Yes, 'cause I'm sure that by family she meant that they're all related 😉
Or, maybe she just meant that – like many people I know – they all value their group of friends a lot, just as much as someone else might value their moms and brothers and whatever. That they share their lives with their friends, the "family" that they have chosen.

(Also, what's strange about thinking of the person you're having a sexual relationship with as "family". I think many people – especially married ones – do.)