I used to hate you, but now I love you!

[strawberryeve]

Are there any characters that you originally couldn't stand but they eventually became one of your favorites? Who are they and was it a particular episode, arc, event or trait that made you come around?

My list is:
Willow - gosh she got on my nerves with her nerdy-cuteness and her self-defeating attitude but the girl grew on me and so did her nerdy-cuteness, evil willow, Doppelgangland, Tabula Rasa and her magic 'addiction'

Lorne the Host - Why is this guy singing all the time? and his penchant for "calling Angel pastries" But he has a true heart and the way he handled his final mission by doing it but not wanting to do it made me love him even more! (and I don't mind the singing so much anymore)

Harmony - do I need to say why I don't like her? But she's become so fun to dislike and her turn on AtS gave her character an awkwardness that endeared her to me

Darla - This chick has a weird voice and she was Angel's ex and I was like, "yes!" the first time she died. She's the 'other' woman to me: so easy to dislike. I think it was Julie Benz' strong acting and season 3 of AtS that made me grow to love seeing her on screen

Angel - I didn't like him at first! I can't believe I'm even typing this! The whole angsty brooding thing completely turned me off, plus I didn't really 'get' what made a worldly 240-something so crazy in love with a vapid 16 year old. Now he is one of my very favorite characters of all time and because he is so angsty, so brooding, so hot, so dark, so dedicated, so clever, so... Angel

So who have you grown to love?

 

[BuffyElevated]

The only person I started out hating was Illyria. At first I was like "She is pointless! They killed off Fred to make room for this character? WTF?" but after I rewatched Season 5 of "Angel" a couple times, Illyria grew on me.

 

[Dagenspear]

Tara: I'm ashamed to admit, that I was a little suspicious of her in s4. She seemed too... Perfect. Then came that spell that she threw on purpose. But boy oh boy was I ever wrong. And by s6 I was totally and completely head over heels.

 

[Ripper666]

I hated Darla in BTVS and in the beginning of season 2 of Angel. But she made a big development and now I love her! I think she can play the helpless woman not as good as the big bad vampire!

 

[Taake]

Riley - I didn't like him at first but everytime I re-watch the show I like him more and more 😀

 

[SlayerFest]

Willow- The opposite sort of happened. I loved her for years and then suddenly I couldn't stand her. Mostly in the later seasons...the way that she spoke drove me nuts all of a sudden. Then I started to like her again and recently I'm just sort of eh about her. I just hate that she sort of got a pass for killing Warren. I was whatever about that when I first watched seasons 6 and 7, years ago, but now I'm thinking that everyone else (Angel, Faith, Anya) who killed someone was treated like a cold blooded killer at least once in the series but Willow was always sweet old Wil. No.

Angel- I could not stand him on Buffy for awhile. I loved him on Angel and now I don't roll my eyes as much when I re-watch some of the super cheesy Bangel scenes 😉 I love when Xander mocks how dramatic they are in...ahh I can't remember which episode it is exactly.

 

[Summerlilly]

Dawn for sure. God, she had the annoying little sis act down pat! Despite her many teenage angst tantrums and self centered sob stories she eventually came to be a brave fighter who would do anything for Buffy. In a way she centered the scoobies by giving them something to protect and look after. Much of Buffy's themes are about redeeming yourself and growing as a character. I feel like Dawn did that for me. Imagine you find out you're....a key!😛

 

[This Year's Girl]

Like others above me I'm going to say Angel. I didn't h a t e him, but I disliked him in Btvs. I thought he was way overprotecting and broody. But as soon as I started watching Angel I fell in love with him! He really got a chance to shine in his own show and turned out to be a really sweet and funny guy! I love it when he tries to be all cool and fail. Like in season 1 in the beginning when he is going to be all cool and hop in to his own car and start following a guy and realises he's jumped in a car that looks the same and is parked right next to his and is all sad about it! My heart! 😀

I also think baby Connor was pretty dull. Of course I didn't dislike him, but I thought the whole thing with Angel being a father was going to drag the show down and make it a little boring. But then teenage Connor came a long! I know this is a pretty unpopular opinion, but he's one of my favourites. Probably in the top 2 of all time favourite characters of a Whedon show. His character is so interesting and the actor that plays him does it so well. I really feel his pain and confusion and was really rooting for him to have a better life and self image.

 

[RipperGilesFan]

Andrew. I never really hated him, just didn't do a thing for me. In season 7 he was one of the very few things I actually liked.

 

[Jay Jade]

Andrew, Cordelia, Dawn, Wesley, Angel, Faith, and Darla...

It's kind of funny how most of them changed on Angel. Amazing how that show can make me love characters I didn't before.

 

[dexeded]

Wesley. I disliked him in BtVS, what with the general prickness and the odd romance with Cordy, but he's one of my favourite characters in AtS.

Angel. Then in AtS, he got a personality.

 

[strawberryeve]

Andrew, Cordelia, Dawn, Wesley, Angel, Faith, and Darla...

It's kind of funny how most of them changed on Angel. Amazing how that show can make me love characters I didn't before.

Completely!
I was hesitant about the series as a whole but there are times I can appreciate the darkness and deeper character development on AtS - for this I find myself re-watching Angel more than Buffy

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Are there any characters that you originally couldn't stand but they eventually became one of your favorites? Who are they and was it a particular episode, arc, event or trait that made you come around?

Xander, believe it or not.

First time around, I wasn't a fan. I thought he was selfish, arrogant, and un-forgiving. But after giving it some serious thought, and many re-watches later, I've come to appreciate and love him. Especially in S7-8. He truly is the heart of the group. I find his relationship with Buffy really endearing.

Runner-up goes to *gasp* Conner. While I still dislike him, I realized that he's actually a very interesting character with complicated motivations.

and third place to ....

Faith. She's hard to love. I think we all know that...and that is precisely why she's interesting, maybe even one of the most interesting in the 'verse, though she's not one of my personal favorites.

 

[strawberryeve]

Xander, believe it or not.

First time around, I wasn't a fan. I thought he was selfish, arrogant, and un-forgiving. But after giving it some serious thought, and many re-watches later, I've come to appreciate and love him. Especially in S7-8. He truly is the heart of the group. I find his relationship with Buffy really endearing.

Runner-up goes to *gasp* Conner. While I still dislike him, I realized that he's actually a very interesting character with complicated motivations.

and third place to ....

Faith. She's hard to love. I think we all know that...and that is precisely why she's interesting, maybe even one of the most interesting in the 'verse, though she's not one of my personal favorites.

Oh! Those are good ones - Xander is hard to love but he is like a Wesley in that he is the most like a real person, if that makes any sense? I loved him after The Zeppo and then reverted to not liking him again after Hell's Bells (interestingly enough though, now that I think about it, it was the realism of that episode, the whole nagging and dark side of marriage, that made me uncomfortable - so Xander being too like a real person, that makes me feel so icky when I watch that ep)

Connor - totally agree - still hasn't won me over either. I so so so didn't get what Joss saw in Vincent, didn't see any resemblance to Angel, yada yada yada - he has definitely grown on me and so has Vincent as an actor but that whole arc was a "jump the shark" kind of moment for me

 

[Kean]

Riley.

I didn't get him. I certainly didn't get him and Buffy. And I will never understand his 90s curtin/bowl haircut.

Then again, that was when the show originally aired, I was 14 and he had the audacity to not be Angel. How very dare he! 😛

Ten years on, Angel is still my boy but I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry a Riley. Today, I struggle to think what I don't like about him. He's a man. Witty. Intelligent, and kind, he won't take anything less than what he believes he deserves. He is honourable and loyal. He is just a good human being, trying to make the best of what he has got and leave the world better than what he found it.

Ahem...lost the run of myself there.

In sum: YAY Mr. Kean RILEY!

 

[Skytteflickan88]

Spike. I thought he was ugly, rude, aweful and in no way charming for the first seasons that he was in. That started to change in season 5 when I started to reluctantly like him. This dislike lasted until he got his soul, when I really started to like him. Now I admire him, think he's charming, hot, funny. Even his annoying traits don't seem that bad. it's still painful to see him in season 6 though, when the worst parts of his personality were shown.

 

[brinkster130]

Tara. The first time I watched the show I found her character dull and pointless; but after a few re-watches I began to see her strength, wisdom and grew to appreciate what she brought to the show.

 

[Goby]

I hated Wesley, and I still hate Wesley BtVS.

But I love Wesley AtS from about half way through the first season until the very end.

 

[babyjagger1993]

Spike-
I always thought he was slimy and disgusting and pale and dull and full of crap.
Plus His ramones albums were gross.
Plus His passions addiction was weird....Until I saw the show and fell in love with it.


Dont get me wrong....I still dont think he should be within 10 feet of Buffy Anne Summers.

He's a lot more sensitive and lovable in Season 8.
He's matured and less of a moron and he's a bit cuter.

 

[EvilWillow]

I always thought he was slimy and disgusting and pale and dull and full of crap.
Plus His ramones albums were gross and That blonde hair made him look so gay.
Plus His passions addiction was weird....Until I saw the show and fell in love with it.

Well he was a vampire....he's supposed to be pale. Disgusting? That man could never be disgusting.
The Ramones are not gross. Awesome band and legendary. The blonde hair was distinctive and I thought it was sexy.
He watched Passions because he had nothing else to do because he had the chip in his head and hadn't discovered his greater purpose.

Dont get me wrong....I still dont think he should be within 10 feet of Buffy Anne Summers.

And what exactly makes Buffy so perfect that you think people are beneath her? She's no angel.



I disliked Tara. She bugged me at first, mainly because I was bitter about the Woz break up, but once I heard her sing Under your spell, I liked her very much. It's unfortunate she died shortly after. :/