Should Tara have been more confident?

[DeadlyDuo]

When we first meet Tara, it's clear that she wouldn't say boo to a goose, yet as we later find out she used to rebel against her father, stay out all night and ran away from home to go to UC Sunnydale. If Tara is capable of doing all that, particularly the first two, then why is she so timid in early Season 4?

In Season 6, we see a more confident Tara who not only stands up for what she believes in (even if how she presents her arguments are a bit over the top), but also jokes and winds up Spike during Buffy's party.

Surely Season 4 Tara should've been more like Season 6 Tara (albeit not quite as confident with a new environment and new people) given what she had done previously?

 

[HowiMetdaSlayer]

To be fair, she thought that she was still part demon. Also that was a big thing for her, and usually it takes time to become more confident. Baby steps...

 

[Octavia]

I agree @DeadlyDuo . I hate the "falls in love comes out of her shell" cliché. Taras backstory proves she was not a meek little thing needing a big strong red head to save her. I'd prefer radical evolution over baby steps for the sake of making a partner look stronger.

 

[Willow Tara]

Taras character is (imo) perfect just the way she is, as is her story. Except the part where she dies! She shouldn't have died!!! I love shy Tara and I love confident Tara. ♥♥♥ Just like I love crayon-breaky Willow and I love scary, veiny Willow. ♥♥♥

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

In S4, it was her first trip into the big world all on herself. Then she got a girlfriend who adored her and a group of friend who slowly started to accept her and then love her. It makes sense to me. I mean, you could run into me at two different parties and feel as though I was two different people.

My take on Tara is that she is strong willed but socially awkward. I know a lot of people like that. They seem really timid when they are around new people, but they are still fiercely independent and live their lives the way they want. And there are people who are comfortable in crowds and at parties, but who never have the guts to move or change jobs or partners or anything. If you look at Tara like that, she is quite consistent. She still gets awkward during tense conversations in S6.

 

[MarieVampSlayer]

I lkie that Tara is shy and I don't think it's because she is not confident just that she is a more quiet and timid girl. She was confident enought to go talk to Willow even thought she didn't know if Willow was gay or not. I found her confident just not loud.

 

[Willow Tara]

In S4, it was her first trip into the big world all on herself. Then she got a girlfriend who adored her and a group of friend who slowly started to accept her and then love her. It makes sense to me. I mean, you could run into me at two different parties and feel as though I was two different people.

Totally agree! Just yesterday I talked to a friend and we were like discribing each others personalities. And she said something like: That's so tough to describe your personality. It's like you are two different people, when you don't know someone so well and when you know someone and are good friends. (Not the best english right now, I know. I hope you still understand it.) and I think it's the same with Tara, or at least similar. She is shy and quiet when she doesn't really know the people, but when she knows someoneand knows she can trust the person, then she can be herself, completely. And that Tara is confident.

 

[Faith 2019]

Totally agree! Just yesterday I talked to a friend and we were like discribing each others personalities. And she said something like: That's so tough to describe your personality. It's like you are two different people, when you don't someone so well and when you know someone and are good friends. (Not the best english right now, I know. I hope you still understand it.)

Everyone is like two different people, the one that is outgoing and willing to go with the flow of their community of friends. The other is defending whatever they feel is being taken away from them and willing to attack their friends if they feel it is just.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

Well, if you showed up at Hogwarts, expecting witchcraft and wizardry and it turned out it was some weird eco-feminist clique that played Magic the gathering, and you are just as alone as you were before, you would be depressed and quiet too.

 

[joseph]

When we first meet Tara, it's clear that she wouldn't say boo to a goose, yet as we later find out she used to rebel against her father, stay out all night and ran away from home to go to UC Sunnydale. If Tara is capable of doing all that, particularly the first two, then why is she so timid in early Season 4?

In Season 6, we see a more confident Tara who not only stands up for what she believes in (even if how she presents her arguments are a bit over the top), but also jokes and winds up Spike during Buffy's party.

Surely Season 4 Tara should've been more like Season 6 Tara (albeit not quite as confident with a new environment and new people) given what she had done previously?

okay her father & Brother, use to abuse Tara watch family season 5 to see how afraid she is of her brother he is a bully and so is her father. love how the Scooby gang became Tara family in the above quoted episode.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

okay her father & Brother, use to abuse Tara watch family season 5 to see how afraid she is of her brother he is a bully and so is her father. love how the Scooby gang became Tara family in the above quoted episode.

I'm talking about how Tara said she used to rebel against her father and stay out all night. It takes guts to do that, more guts than season 4 Tara seemed to have.

 

[NeonSlayer]

I'm talking about how Tara said she used to rebel against her father and stay out all night. It takes guts to do that, more guts than season 4 Tara seemed to have.

She did that right after her mom's death. It was grief not her regular personality.