Great love is wild and passionate...

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Well, I'm one of those people who believes in initial passion above all else. I believe that there has to be a strong connection initially - not that it can "develop" a whole lot. I question how strong their connection was. That's just me projecting my personal experience with relationships into my interpretation of these characters 🙂 (This is why I'm so against Bander...if Buffy didn't see him as more then a friend for 7 years, I highly doubt she's going to all he sudden want to jump his bones).

I'm not saying there wasn't sparkage! There was, of course. She thought he was cute and a nice guy, and he was what she "needed." I just don't believe that there was any level of passion between those two that there was with her and Spike or even her and Angel.

I'm not ragging on Riley. I don't hate the guy. More so, I felt and still feel bad for him. He loved her heart and soul, and gave up everything for her...and she just simply didn't return his feelings.

There's a lesson in this: don't go out with people because you think they'll be "good" for you or because it's what you "need." It never ends up well. Someone always gets hurt.

 

[thevikingsgirl]

I think Buffy was totally dysfunctional when she was with Riley. They did have chemistry/passion, and he was also a good, stable, ALIVE guy. I think she associated love and pain. And obviously kept doing that after Riley left, too. Some therapy might be good...

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Well pain is the big part of love. If you don't know what's bad, how you're gonna know what's good?

 

[thevikingsgirl]

Pain is not necessarily a part of love. Or at least, it shouldn't be a major part.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Not a major part, but a part it is. I think every good love has a second of pain, if not more. If pain comes in big boxes then that's not love, it's hate.

 

[sosa lola]

No, Buffy and Willow are definitely talking about Riley in the context of their conversation. Willow asks about him, and Buffy says he's nice, and she likes him, and there's "sparkage"...but she wonders if a safe relationship with someone like Riley could have passion in it, as well.

She decides to date Riley because she thinks it's safe and that he won't hurt her. It's pretty clear though, considering what she said to Willow, that there's minimal passion there. That's not me putting one 'ship above the rest, I'm simply going on what Buffy said and implied. 🙂

From Goodbye Iowa:

Willow: It'll be ok Buffy, Riley's just confused, that's all.

Buffy: I don't know. It just seems like things could get heavier.
His whole world's falling apart.

Anya: And after everything you've been through with Angel. You really
should get yourself a boring boyfriend. Like Xander. You can't have
Xander!

Buffy: That was the idea. Riley was supposed to be Mr. {{Joe Guy.}}
We were going to do dumb things like hold hands through the daises
going tra-la-la.

Willow: Poor Buffy. Your life resists all things average.

Anya: So dump him. But you can't have Xander!

Buffy: I'll try and remember that. It's too late anyway - I'm already
at the I hurt when he hurts, I smile when he smiles stage.

Anya: I hate that part.

Buffy: I'll just have to make it work.


*Buffy expected Riley to be different than Angel, yet he was quite similar. He's not really normal, he's also special. And along with it comes complicated.

I think they were passionate in bed, I saw passion there, until Riley decided that he wasn't good enough and tried so harder to be more than who he was.