Ok, i'll go first....
A few thoughts on that picture:
Firstly, it was a bit of a shock. I know Scott Allie said it would be memorable and he was certainly not lying.
Second reaction, I found it pretty funny. What with the erupting volcano, trains entering tunnels, stakes, flowers, cupids all such stereotypical sexual symbols. It reminded me of that episode of the Simpsons when all the town’s adults are taking the love tonic and Bart and Lisa go to the stock film footage festival and they see rockets taking off, a train going into a tunnel, and hot dogs. Funny stuff.
Third, my Spuffy heart was both happy and disappointed. It was proof (that I personally didn’t need) that Angel and Spike hold a very similar place in Buffy’s heart. There is little distinction between the two. She is facing slightly towards Angel, maybe expressing a slight preference, although that also could be because Angel’s arm is possessively around her waist pulling her towards him. The physical contact between Angel and Buffy could be described as more traditionally romantic (around the waist, clutching his upper arm), while that between Spike and Buffy is more intimate or erotic (hand on her upper thigh, hand on the back of his head). I also have to observe that Angel is actually looking at Spike while Buffy’s are closed and Spike’s are looking down. Don’t know what that means. I’d like to make some interpretations but don’t think I can as we don’t know what Buffy knows about Angel and Spike at this stage. That is, does she know spike is alive, does she trust Angel, is it before or after not fade away? We just don’t have the answers to those questions yet so it is hard to make any meaningful analysis of the dream – if dreams give insight into a persons mind and relationships.
I freely admit, I’d love Angel not to be there but I was not surprised that he was there. I think it’s fair to say that many Spuffies have a certain acceptance of Buffy’s relationship with Angel that some Bangle’s don’t have for Spike and Buffy. Many deny it even existed. Seeing Buffy’s dream was at least evidence that she has feelings for them both.
More disappointing for me as a Spuffy was the fact that Spike didn’t seem to feature in any of Buffy’s memory cubes. I looked and looked and I can see her friends, giles, joyce, dawn, angel, joss, various baddies but no Spike. This is really weird and I’m sure many will take this as proof that she doesn’t love him at all. I myself have not given up hope. I still think it’s weird that Ethan Rayne keeps using words that are associated with Spike, (love, pet, lamb) and prior to the big reveal of Ethan, we were made to think it was Spike. I think there’s more to come on this yet… But hopefully no more saucy dreams, I can live without those.
