Has anybody noticed this about Buffy/Faith & Tara/Willow?

[Joshua]

Willow and Tara's relationship with Magick was the same with Buffy and Faith's slaying
Faith just wanted to do it because she had the power like Willow did and Buffy was more respectful and cautious about slaying and saw the bigger picture like Tara did. Am I reaching?

 

[thrasherpix]

Not at all, IMO. I could quibble on this and that, but overall I saw the "Dark Willow" arc as the "Wiccan (*) equivalent" to Faith's own dark journey, and that her corruption was more of hubris (as Faith experienced) rather than addiction.

And let me add that as someone raised for the most part by 2 wildly dysfunctional alcoholics, and someone who has been around addicts, including the homeless kind, about the closest you'll get to the Reefer Madness nonsense in the real world, that the "magic addiction" arc came off as painfully stereotypical to me that just didn't resonate with my own experiences with addicts, including with an old homeless (and wanted by the law) heroin addict at rock bottom that I'd formed a close bond to in my youth. Let me also add that I've never been an addict, and never even experimented with hard drugs like heroin, so I was on the outside looking in, just as I was as a viewer of season 6 Buffy.

(* As should be obvious, I mean "Wicca" in the Buffyverse than the real world, though I know at least a few Wiccans seem to try to learn Wicca from the show...pretty cringe-worthy stuff, though I was intrigued by an experiment one was thinking of doing, one that essentially drew upon a character like others would draw upon a god, but as I think they're all Archetypes anyway, I thought it might work.)

 

[white avenger]

Willow and Tara's relationship with Magick was the same with Buffy and Faith's slaying
Faith just wanted to do it because she had the power like Willow did and Buffy was more respectful and cautious about slaying and saw the bigger picture like Tara did. Am I reaching?

Now that you mention it, yes, they do seem quite similar. I guess that raises the hopes of the Fuffy shippers.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

That's a good point. Both Willow and Faith were corrupted by their power, and wanted to use it for personal gain. Whereas Buffy and Tara respected the power more and wanted to only use it for good. Another thing is that neither Faith or Willow wanted to be seen as Buffy's sidekick or second best to her. They both wanted to be Buffy's equal.

I guess that raises the hopes of the Fuffy shippers.

Not really, Willow and Tara's relationship ended tragically.

 

[Klaus Kartoffel]

Willow and Tara's relationship with Magick was the same with Buffy and Faith's slaying
Faith just wanted to do it because she had the power like Willow did and Buffy was more respectful and cautious about slaying and saw the bigger picture like Tara did. Am I reaching?

To a large degree but not completely and it's, of course, a bit more complex. I strongly disagree with Tara seeing the big picture of magic, though. Her arguments, especially in S05 but as well previous to the mindwipe, were mostly altruistic bullshit and she was inconsequent and opportunistic. What she saw correctly is the addiction, that Willow more and more depended on using magic. But not at all the rights and wrongs of using magic appropriately in general.

 

[white avenger]

Not really, Willow and Tara's relationship ended tragically.

Well, yeah, but don't all Buffyverse relationships end badly? It's practically the First Sacred Rule Of Whedon. Nobody gets a "Happily ever after," no matter how popular the coupling is, and Twillow was probably the most widely loved, and longest running, ship Joss ever created. Fuffy doesn't have anywhere near as many supporters.

 

[thrasherpix]

Yes, Joss rabidly hates any moment of "perfect happiness" that involves romance or sex (and not just in Buffy). But (being silly now), it would've been hilarious to me if they'd made Willow (or even Tara) do an "Angelus" at the moment of perfect happiness in place of Tara getting shot right in front of Willow (by the don't-bet-on stray bullet).

 

[Sternbeeere]

I strongly disagree with Tara seeing the big picture of magic, though. Her arguments, especially in S05 but as well previous to the mindwipe, were mostly altruistic bullshit and she was inconsequent and opportunistic. What she saw correctly is the addiction, that Willow more and more depended on using magic. But not at all the rights and wrongs of using magic appropriately in general.

Buffy did not see the big picture of slaying either, she just did not see slaying as her main purpose and wanted to have a normal life, whereas for Faith slaying was her main purpose, because that is what made her feel better in contrast to her "normal" life. Also Buffy simply had a different attitude towards humans and other people (not-human) in general than Faith had. At the second point she is similar to Tara having a different attitude to the outside world, humans, people in general than Willow.

Not at all, IMO. I could quibble on this and that, but overall I saw the "Dark Willow" arc as the "Wiccan (*) equivalent" to Faith's own dark journey, and that her corruption was more of hubris (as Faith experienced) rather than addiction.

And let me add that as someone raised for the most part by 2 wildly dysfunctional alcoholics, and someone who has been around addicts, including the homeless kind, about the closest you'll get to the Reefer Madness nonsense in the real world, that the "magic addiction" arc came off as painfully stereotypical to me that just didn't resonate with my own experiences with addicts, including with an old homeless (and wanted by the law) heroin addict at rock bottom that I'd formed a close bond to in my youth. Let me also add that I've never been an addict, and never even experimented with hard drugs like heroin, so I was on the outside looking in, just as I was as a viewer of season 6 Buffy.

(* As should be obvious, I mean "Wicca" in the Buffyverse than the real world, though I know at least a few Wiccans seem to try to learn Wicca from the show...pretty cringe-worthy stuff, though I was intrigued by an experiment one was thinking of doing, one that essentially drew upon a character like others would draw upon a god, but as I think they're all Archetypes anyway, I thought it might work.)

I have only seen psychological addictions and soft addictions (cigarettes, gambling, shopping, anti-depressants, barbiturates etc.) and Willows addiction does not resonate with my experiences either. But then every person and addiction is different maybe.

 

[Samuel Reyes]

You could actually liken this to many character relationships. You have the carefree friend/mortal enemy trying to get their responsible counterpart to loosen up and be more like them.

Responsible vs. Irresponsible:

Buffy / Faith
Tara / Willow
Angel / Spike
Giles / Ethan (in modern times)
Anya / Halfrek
Oz / Veruca
Willow / Amy (when Willow is trying to go cold turkey)
Kendra / Buffy (for a variation where the 'irresponsible' Buffy is actually right)

 

[black cat]

I think that we can see, season after season, how (almost) every character must "understand", accept and being able to resist to the "charming" of the dark side of the power! And, above all, the " irresponsible characters", in my opinion, were very useful to explore and show how power, too much freedom and arrogance can make you weaker and "not so charming"🙂

So, I think, that the Buffy/Faith contrast is like the start, or the measure of comparison, for the other characters with different abilities or lifestyle/attitude.... Like " Yin and Yang".... Evil and good must "learn" from each other....