Hot Take: Buffy's Friends SUCKED

[AlphaFoxtrot]

It kind of makes sense. Sarah is a professional actress working on a tight schedule, whereas Charisma was a model trying to become an actress whom needed an acting coach and by accounts occasionally used cue cards. That would annoy me, if I was in Sarah's position. But again, just a rumor, I'm not vouching for it. To put it in Bigfoot terms, well, there are some size 14 tracks that have been sighted by the farmhouse, but the pie is still there, nothing to merit additional investigation.

 

[garfan]

This is sort of unrelated, but I always wished Buffy and Oz would have been closer. I think if he had stuck around they could have become pretty close friends. But him cheating on Willow ruined any possibilty of them becoming close.

I've argued this before on here, but it's Xander, not Buffy, that is and has always been Buffy's "best" friend. He has consistently been there for her, unlike Willow, who's self-serving and selfish behavior makes her unable to be a true friend to Buffy.

Willow's behavior is so self serving it turns her into Buffy's best weapon, when being a weapon is the thing Buffy fights hardest against

I definitely agree that Tara was a great friend to Buffy.

Post automatically merged: Mar 28, 2026

I disagree about Tara. Though we don't see them interact much on screen, I think the were closer than we realize. Remember it was Tara who Buffy confessed to about sleeping with Spike. You don't cry in someone's lap who is not a close friend.

you do if there was no one else

 

[hoponlilmama]

I disagree about Tara. Though we don't see them interact much on screen, I think the were closer than we realize. Remember it was Tara who Buffy confessed to about sleeping with Spike. You don't cry in someone's lap who is not a close friend.

As for Cordy, I'd argue they were never friends at all.

With all due respect, I disagree. It is the people she is a bit distant from that allows her to confess her problems in s6 - Spike, telling him she was in heaven, and to Tara that she's having sex with Spike. Tara likely suspects something prior (the Birthday party). They hover on the outskirts of the inner circle of the Scoobies, so that's why she feels she can confess to them.

She cried because the reality of the situation has finally hit her. She's talking to someone after bottling up everything for so long, and enduring all the abuse from Spike. I don't think after her resurrection she'd really cried.

As for them being closer than we realise - doubtful. Also, Tara - not that great of a friend. In s5 when they think Buffy is having sex with Spike, it's Xander and Willow who are more understanding and supportive, with Tara calling her "nuts". She also breaks her confidence by telling Willow that Buffy slept with Spike when Buffy specifically asked her not to.

I know people like to build up their friendship, but the evidence shows otherwise.

As for Cordy, I agree. I guess over time they might've been friendly towards one another but not formed an actual friendship. Wish they'd had a chance to see one another again after a few years though.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

After the attack on the school where Spike did not get the success he expected, his comment:

"A slayer with family and friends - that wasn't in the brochure."

says all I need to know about how effective the friends were. The Buffy story would have ended with the end of Season 1 without Xander.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Willow's behavior is so self serving it turns her into Buffy's best weapon, when being a weapon is the thing Buffy fights hardest against

Good point.

you do if there was no one else

She could have confided in Willow I think. Definitely not Xander.

 

[garfan]

She could have confided in Willow I think. Definitely not Xander.

sex with Spike, maybe. Her coming back wrong, when she came back because of Willow's magic, no. Also, she went to Tara to have Tara investigate the claim, Willow didn't need to be investigating magic

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

With all due respect, I disagree. It is the people she is a bit distant from that allows her to confess her problems in s6 - Spike, telling him she was in heaven, and to Tara that she's having sex with Spike. Tara likely suspects something prior (the Birthday party). They hover on the outskirts of the inner circle of the Scoobies, so that's why she feels she can confess to them.

She cried because the reality of the situation has finally hit her. She's talking to someone after bottling up everything for so long, and enduring all the abuse from Spike. I don't think after her resurrection she'd really cried.

As for them being closer than we realise - doubtful. Also, Tara - not that great of a friend. In s5 when they think Buffy is having sex with Spike, it's Xander and Willow who are more understanding and supportive, with Tara calling her "nuts". She also breaks her confidence by telling Willow that Buffy slept with Spike when Buffy specifically asked her not to.

I know people like to build up their friendship, but the evidence shows otherwise.

As for Cordy, I agree. I guess over time they might've been friendly towards one another but not formed an actual friendship. Wish they'd had a chance to see one another again after a few years though.

You make some great points here, and I definitely agree about Cordelia. She evolves so much in Angel, and as a character, and it would have been cool for her and Buffy to become friends as mature adults, and maybe even laugh at how much they disliked eachother in high school.

NotASlayer In fairness, I think Xander was influenced by his own attraction to Spike... 😀

OKAY, so I know this comment wasn't for me but I COMPLETELY AGREE 100 PERCENT

 

[fauxindigo]

Buffy's only real friends were Tara, Oz, and sometimes even Cordy. If you need an explanation as to why; Dead Man's Party.

Dead man’s party ? Where Cordelia says “I’m Buffy- freak of nature-naturally I choose a freak for a boyfriend and he goes psycho and starts murdering people..”
clearly I love Cordelia but she wasn’t a good friend to Buffy - when Buffy calls Cordelia a friend to Wesley in Bad Girls, Cordelia says “let’s not exaggerate.” Cordy was a legit part of the Scooby gang but she was nowhere near a good friend to Buffy as Willow and even Xander were. Oz was only there bc of Willow and Tara I’ll give you bc she remained friends with Buffy even when she and Willow broke up. And Willow was very flawed but that’s part of what makes her interesting and a great character and it doesn’t mean she wasn’t a good friend. Even though she wiped everyone’s memories, I don’t think that makes her a bad person per se… weak, lazy, inconsiderate maybe but not big bad. Of course we know willows mindset that allowed her to erase her friends memories led to Dark Willows emergence so maybe I’m just being the devils advocate. I still think the pros of Willows friendship far outweigh the cons.

 

[hoponlilmama]

You make some great points here, and I definitely agree about Cordelia. She evolves so much in Angel, and as a character, and it would have been cool for her and Buffy to become friends as mature adults, and maybe even laugh at how much they disliked eachother in high school.

You know, now that we're talking about more, I think Cordy and Buffy might've actually struck up a genuine friendship.

NotASlayer In fairness, I think Xander was influenced by his own attraction to Spike... 😀

Well....he is strong and mysterious, and sort of compact but well muscled... 😉

😀

 

[Ethan Reigns]

You know, now that we're talking about more, I think Cordy and Buffy might've actually struck up a genuine friendship.




Well....he is strong and mysterious, and sort of compact but well muscled... 😉

😀

Buffy and Cordelia worked well together in Slayerfest 98 and in Helpless, she offered a ride home for Buffy when she was at her lowest. They work together well but that doesn't necessarily mean they could be friends.

Xander's statement is not necessarily about being gay for Spike, he is just jealous of him. He figures that if he was like Spike, Buffy would want him.

 

[hoponlilmama]

Buffy and Cordelia worked well together in Slayerfest 98 and in Helpless, she offered a ride home for Buffy when she was at her lowest. They work together well but that doesn't necessarily mean they could be friends.

I agree. But I think with time passing and both of them maturing, they might think differently of one another. Who knows? One can only speculate.

Xander's statement is not necessarily about being gay for Spike, he is just jealous of him.

Just kidding about - but I guess there's a reason why there's a number of Spander fics out there! 😉

He figures that if he was like Spike, Buffy would want him.

I think that's a bit of a stretch. Maybe if this was s1 or s2. Xander's moved on at this point.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

You know, now that we're talking about more, I think Cordy and Buffy might've actually struck up a genuine friendship.

I totally agree that it's a shame it never happaned. ALSO IT OCCURS TO ME, was Buffy ever told that Cordelia was in a coma?

Well....he is strong and mysterious, and sort of compact but well muscled... 😉

😀

You can say that again, lmao 😉

 

[hoponlilmama]

I totally agree that it's a shame it never happaned. ALSO IT OCCURS TO ME, was Buffy ever told that Cordelia was in a coma?

You can say that again, lmao 😉

NotASlayer I think the coma thing is one of those bits that is never told but can safely be assumed to have happened.

I just wish they'd at least mentioned that Cordy had passed away over on BTVS.

Post automatically merged: Apr 1, 2026

@NotASlayer Darn, yes, that's what I meant! Thanks for the correction!

 

[whatdBuffyDo]

I think Buffy's relationship with Willow and Xander is more familial and flawed, they bicker and are allowed to be selfish at times. They might even seem to grow apart but they never actually do and find their ways back to each other. Their fates are somehow intertwined. I don't think Buffy's ties with Tara and Oz are that strong, the emotional stakes are lower and their relationships wouldn't survive the similar quarrels Buffy had with Willow or Xander. Usually this kind of friendships result in better boundaries and less ego clash. This is why they seem to be better friends for Buffy. But I don't think they are closer to her than Willow and Xander.