I think part of why I'm so fascinated with Spuffy is because we don't see certain things, and it's left up to the viewer's imagination. The sexual relationship between Buffy and Spike in s6 in one such example. We only really hear about how violent it is, but don't actually see it. We only see Spike's crypt messy, or shots of them having sex. Other things are kind of implied, like the hand-cuffs for instance. It's really not until s7, in "Conversations with Dead People," that Buffy does admit how she wanted to be punished when she came back from the dead. She wanted it to hurt, and she let Spike take over at a certain point.
I have been doing yet another watch of Season 6 and particularly the triad of "Dead Things" "Older And Faraway" and "As You Were" which I see as all directly connected. This relationship and their journey story is so multi-layered and powerful, so filled with destructive violence and also so much love. Trying to see the Buffy-Spike Season 6 as only Buffy being Mega Depresso Girl is, IMO, simply not a useful perspective for trying to understand all that is being presented.
For instance the infamous brutal alley attack - that scene brings in the morality of Buffy taking the full responsibility for what she thinks is killing Katrina. But just as important is the theme of her responsibility to Dawn as her caretaker, Buffy's potentially just trying to use Katrina as an means to an end of escaping from all the emotional trauma she has experienced since her return. We also have the theme of Spike, as her object of sublimation, using him as an object for all her anger and confusion of how to take hold of her life again. Plus Spike, is also, IMO, a reflection of all her past experience with Angel/Angelus. Riley is her let's move on from Angel/Angelus and Spike is the slap-in-the-face throw back for all her good intentions and normal boy friend desires.
Spike in the alley scene is also another big complex theme for the character. On the one hand he is trying to protect Buffy but is totally wrong from the moral and ethical perspective. In the same scene we also have Spike allowing himself as Buffy's object of sublimation. The total scene encompasses so much more than trying to interpreted it as the more narrow "Buffy is depressed" and is engaged in self-punishment with Spike in Season 6. If we wanted to bring in even more layers, there is the mythic formulas of the work from Joseph Campbell and other scholars on symbolism and elements of the mythic forms and stories. Spike could be said to be going through his own trial to be the worthy consort of the heroine Buffy - he, by accepting her brutal attack, seeing Buffy in all her goodness and darkness and accepting everything that she is proves himself as the worthy mate/consort.
There is nothing about their relationship that, IMO, can be seen from a limited surface layer and give the viewer a full understanding of Buffy and Spike and their relationship.
---------- Post added at 10:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 PM ----------
1. - Looking foward to season 9...
What do you think is the likelihood of getting...
...an explanation?
...a kiss?
...an admission?
...some hope for the future?
I think there will be some attention to why Spike did not contact her post Sunnydale – the story needs it and we have the Willow crossover that makes it even more of something that needs resolution. As far as Good Things Spuffy, not so sure that Joss Whedon or Dark Horse want to go there anytime soon.
2. Is there any time during the entire relationship when you think Buffy loved Spike more than he loved her?
Sadly,No. Buffy never loved Spike on the same level that he loved her.
3. Did you ship Spike/Drusilla, Spike/Harmony, Xander/Buffy, Angel/Buffy or Riley/Buffy before you got into Spike/Buffy, or was Spike/Buffy your first 'ship involving those characters?
I was never interested in any romance in the series before Spike falls in love with Buffy. Willow and Tara are the other romance that I had a particular interest in -
4. What sort of scene do you wish they would have played out between Buffy and Spike?
I would have liked a transition scene post alley attack and the arrival of Spike and Clem at the birthday party. I would have like even Spike and Clem talking about what happened in that alley – this would have been a great counterpart to Buffy and Tara’s scene.
5. When the walls fell down around Buffy and Spike the first time they had sex in Smashed did you see it as a metaphorical destruction of things to come or breaking down the walls between them/a new beginning?
I wanted to see it as a metaphor for breaking down the walls between them – but it was always planned as the fore shadow of all the misery that was to come. Eventually, the metaphor that I wanted does come to fruition in their transformation journey. Both characters are broken down and damaged and eventually recreate and heal themselves; Spike in Africa and Buffy being able to start her healing from her Angel/Angelus history and resurrection/depression. This is of course, my personal POV, other people will see things differently.
---------- Post added at 10:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:43 PM ----------
I think part of why I'm so fascinated with Spuffy is because we don't see certain things, and it's left up to the viewer's imagination. The sexual relationship between Buffy and Spike in s6 in one such example. We only really hear about how violent it is, but don't actually see it. We only see Spike's crypt messy, or shots of them having sex. Other things are kind of implied, like the hand-cuffs for instance. It's really not until s7, in "Conversations with Dead People," that Buffy does admit how she wanted to be punished when she came back from the dead. She wanted it to hurt, and she let Spike take over at a certain point.
I have been doing yet another watch of Season 6 and particularly the triad of "Dead Things" "Older And Faraway" and "As You Were" which I see as all directly connected. This relationship and their journey story is so multi-layered and powerful, so filled with destructive violence and also so much love. Trying to see the Buffy-Spike Season 6 as only Buffy being Mega Depresso Girl is, IMO, simply not a useful perspective for trying to understand all that is being presented.
For instance the infamous brutal alley attack - that scene brings in the morality of Buffy taking the full responsibility for what she thinks is killing Katrina. But just as important is the theme of her responsibility to Dawn as her caretaker, Buffy's potentially just trying to use Katrina as an means to an end of escaping from all the emotional trauma she has experienced since her return. We also have the theme of Spike, as her object of sublimation, using him as an object for all her anger and confusion of how to take hold of her life again. Plus Spike, is also, IMO, a reflection of all her past experience with Angel/Angelus. Riley is her let's move on from Angel/Angelus and Spike is the slap-in-the-face throw back for all her good intentions and normal boy friend desires.
Spike in the alley scene is also another big complex theme for the character. On the one hand he is trying to protect Buffy but is totally wrong from the moral and ethical perspective. In the same scene we also have Spike allowing himself as Buffy's object of sublimation. The total scene encompasses so much more than trying to interpreted it as the more narrow "Buffy is depressed" and is engaged in self-punishment with Spike in Season 6. If we wanted to bring in even more layers, there is the mythic formulas of the work from Joseph Campbell and other scholars on symbolism and elements of the mythic forms and stories. Spike could be said to be going through his own trial to be the worthy consort of the heroine Buffy - he, by accepting her brutal attack, seeing Buffy in all her goodness and darkness and accepting everything that she is proves himself as the worthy mate/consort.
There is nothing easy or able to be seen only on a limited surface layer about this relationship.
1. - Looking foward to season 9...
What do you think is the likelihood of getting...
...an explanation?
...a kiss?
...an admission?
...some hope for the future?
I think there will be some attention to why Spike did not contact her post Sunnydale "“ the story needs it and we have the Willow crossover that makes it even more of something that needs resolution. As far as Good Things Spuffy, not so sure that Joss Whedon or Dark Horse want to go there anytime soon.
2. Is there any time during the entire relationship when you think Buffy loved Spike more than he loved her?
Sadly,No. Buffy never loved Spike on the same level that he loved her.
3. Did you ship Spike/Drusilla, Spike/Harmony, Xander/Buffy, Angel/Buffy or Riley/Buffy before you got into Spike/Buffy, or was Spike/Buffy your first 'ship involving those characters?
I was never interested in any romance in the series before Spike falls in love with Buffy. Willow and Tara are the other romance that I had a particular interest in -
4. What sort of scene do you wish they would have played out between Buffy and Spike?
I would have liked a transition scene post alley attack and the arrival of Spike and Clem at the birthday party. I would have like even Spike and Clem talking about what happened in that alley "“ this would have been a great counterpart to Buffy and Tara's scene.
5. When the walls fell down around Buffy and Spike the first time they had sex in Smashed did you see it as a metaphorical destruction of things to come or breaking down the walls between them/a new beginning?
I wanted to see it as a metaphor for breaking down the walls between them "“ but it was always planned as the fore shadow of all the misery that was to come. Eventually, the metaphor that I wanted does come to fruition in their transformation journey. Both characters are broken down and damaged and eventually recreate and heal themselves; Spike in Africa and Buffy being able to start her healing from her Angel/Angelus history and resurrection/depression. This is of course, my personal POV, other people will see things differently.
