Buffy/ riley isn't my favorite ship, but I liked riley, I think he was what buffy needed. He really loved her, and I think Buffy was self absorbed, and I think she loved him, but she waited to long. I was a bit pissed he never came back for her, to see.. To make sure she didn't love him. He just showed up married and I was like *******! I liked Riley, and Buffy, but the timing was off, if they had gotten together later, or when Buffy was more open to it, I think they could have worked. I don't think Riley was below Angel, I think he was to almost good for buffy.. He was human, and everyone sees that as week or less but really that's what everyone wants in the show. To be a plain normal human. Riley hit some low points with the vamp chick and everything, but he was a interesting character, and he developed the show, plus made the contrast for spike, cause buffy going from angel right to spike would have changed the dynamic I think. The spike buffy thing would have lost something, so all you spuffy shippers actually owe riley for setting up buffy for her relationship with spike. Anyways, I'm not a full out riley buffy shipper but I think their relationship had purpose, and I didn't hate it.