The Uniqueness of Spuffy

[Doppelgang]

I've just started a season 7 rewatch and I thought this would be a good theme to consider in relation to it, looking at the little subtle things that make their relationship unique.

Firstly about season 7, I like the way it starts out in the first episode because straight away you can see it taking things in a new direction. Buffy is more grown up, Xander is more grown up, Willow is coming to terms with her use of magic, Dawn is at high school but also beginning to learn the ways of the adult world, such as the moment training against the vampire who they have to help out of the grave cos its foot is stuck on a root 😀 And Spike is in a tormented state having got his soul back. And Anya under pressure to be more active as a vengeance demon from her colleagues.

The first good Spuffy moments come in the second episode, beneath you. Spike trying to be like his old self, but failing badly, having to keep Anya quiet who notices the soul in him. Then he realises he can't be his old self when he nearly kills that person. Buffy sees that something different is going on here and chases after him. Then there is the moment of realisation for her of what he did. This, for me, is such a heart-rending moment, with Buffy's realisation and Spike going over to embrace the cross that scolds him. It's one of those moments that makes Spuffy such a unique thing for me. He does something like that for Buffy, but doesn't then expect anything back from her for it, accepting it as his own destiny now to have to live with that pain.

I'm sure there's a lot more to be said about what makes Spuffy unique, and I'll try and make some more points as I continue my rewatch, and anyone else can feel free to make their own points about it aswell 🙂

 

[StarSlayer]

I'm actually working on a meta going through many of these Spuffy moments in s7. 🙂

For me, what makes Spuffy unique is how their story is unlike anything I saw on a TV show. I never thought I would love them so much after watching BtVS, but I did. I just fell in love with them. 🙂

 

[prophecygrrl]

I don't know if this is exactly unique, but another reason Spuffy is special is that they don't need to get together at the end to have a happy ending. I mean, I'd LOVE if they DID get over themselves and get together already 😛, but I really like what the relationship did for them. For both of them. Spike became a champion because of Buffy, and Buffy got her fire back because of Spike. They didn't need all the fanfare and the 20,000 proclamations of love to be a great, complex, and beautiful couple, and they don't need that to have a great ending either. I think they have a more important connection than all of that, and it'll be there no matter what happens in their future, together or not.

 

[Aphra]

Well this is why Spuffy is unique for me personally... I feel a lot of the ingredients of the Spuffy love story are things I've seen many times in films, TV shows, e.t.c. But still, for me Spuffy is unique in so many ways. There are many love stories that I adore, but Spuffy is my favourite now above all. To be honest I have no complicated reasoning as to why... but for me simply the length, the depth and complexity of it is mindblowing, and although there are other love stories out there that follow a similar pattern to Spuffy, they always seem a kind of watered down version. For me I think the individual characters of Buffy and Spike MADE the love story, they absolutely brought it to life and made it unique. I love Spuffy but I also adore them both as individuals of their own merit and not because of what they are as a couple.

Also I think relating to the last point, that these two characters weren't created for a love story between them. They weren't thought up as Spuffy, and created purely to fall in love with some filler story to flesh it out. I know that's down to the show as a whole, that it's a supernatural drama and not a romcom, but I've discovered I think that's what I prefer; a magical love story playing out against a larger backdrop which adds so much complication and reality to it.

And it's the reality that also is what absolutely speaks to me, and the Spuffy love speaks to me as an individual, because its the kind of love I adore. I am a wannabe writer and have been creating characters and love stories for years now. In the beginning my couples used to see each other and BAM, that was it. It was all doves and harps, soulmates, love at first sight, and that's what I loved. Then I grew up, and realised that was fantasy, and my tastes have totally changed. Now I roll my eyes at Romeo and Juliet and will passionately argue to anyone that they were over-sexed teens in lust and would've been divorced before the year was out. I hate those kind of stories now, they just make me gag *cough* Bangel *cough*. They don't exist in my world, and I accept there are people out there that love those stories but me, I love what feels real, the sort of love that exists here and now.

I love complicated love. Love that takes ages, that is full of arguments, pitfalls, missed moments, misunderstandings. Love that has it's really bad patches and is really put through the mill, often love where one person loves first and the other takes time to catch up. But ultimately a love which will change those people for the better and bring them together to create something which is beautiful, but REAL, a love based on knowing the person inside out, their good points and their bad, being totally themselves with each other and a love that is worked hard for. And Spuffy was all that and more, it was the ideal imperfect love and as near as a fictional couple will get to my idea of perfection, which is why it's unique to me.

And finally, my gut tells me so... Underneath all the complicated dissection and 'head' stuff, I know myself and for me at least I KNOW this love story was unique, I felt it in my heart. It made me FEEL like no other love story ever has; I invested in this so much, invested in the characters; I was and continue to be obsessed with Spuffy, and when watching the whole series for the first time last year I was HAUNTED by it, dreamed about it (I still do 😉 ) It was the most brilliant, wonderful, sad, funny, gut wrenching, heart rending story that had me both screaming, laughing hysterically and clapping my hands gleefully to full on sobbing. At my most basic level this story pulled me in and put me through the wringer emotionally, I honestly felt I was LIVING the story with the characters. No other fictional love has done that to me, therefore for me it has no parallels. Spuffy forever!

(P.S I'm sure I repeated points and observations made many a time before on the board but it's my first proper post so all my bottled up Spuffy thoughts have been kind of leaking out- forgive me 😛 )

 

[Doppelgang]

In the episode him we start to see how Buffy wants to help Spike by getting him out of the basement and talks to Dawn saying that she feels for Spike but can't explain how exactly. There is still a nervousness between them as we see when Spike grabs Buffys arm to say something to her, but they seem to be starting to overcome this.

This highlights another way in which Spuffy may be unique in that Buffy helps Spike at a time when she could easily take advantage of her current position of power over Spike to hurt or humiliate him. In most standard/regular relationships when one person has the upper hand they use that advantage for all they can get to put down the other person and then the tables turn and it goes round and round. Spuffy begins to avoid that circle of bad karma, in S7, that most relationships succumb to, based on a developing compassion they have for each other in their weaknesses alongside the love they have for each other in their strengths.

---------- Post added at 08:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 AM ----------

I'm actually working on a meta going through many of these Spuffy moments in s7. 🙂

That will be interesting to see, let me know how you're getting on with that 🙂

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I'd say the most unique thing about their relationship is the scope of it.

They started as enemies, fell into an uneasy alliance, developed into lovers, evolved into best friends, and ended up in love.

For two people to go from "What happens on Saturday", "I kill you" to "I love you" is incredible, if you really think about it.

 

[KellGreen]

I love complicated love. Love that takes ages, that is full of arguments, pitfalls, missed moments, misunderstandings. Love that has it's really bad patches and is really put through the mill, often love where one person loves first and the other takes time to catch up. But ultimately a love which will change those people for the better and bring them together to create something which is beautiful, but REAL, a love based on knowing the person inside out, their good points and their bad, being totally themselves with each other and a love that is worked hard for. And Spuffy was all that and more, it was the ideal imperfect love and as near as a fictional couple will get to my idea of perfection, which is why it's unique to me.

Oh, I couldn't have stated it better! The fact that their relationship is a journey and evolves and changes vs. the "instant puppg-dog variety" is something i love too. I love the intensity of it that can exist because they are equals, in physical strength as well as their ability to love. His ability is so strong that he's able to be the anomoly among vamps that he is, with his retained humanity and ability to love her enough to seek out his soul to be "what she deserves." Buffy, of course, often has her ability to love and sacrifice for others mentioned. He is the only one who is strong enough to be there for her in what ever capacity is needed (something I sure wish I had), and likewise, she is only one who matches him. His speech to her in that house (I think the ep is End of Days?) is the best example of true & unconditional love I have ever heard or read, etc.

 

[Marisa]

I actually don't think their relationship in general is so unique I think the way it is went about is. For example it wasn't just overnight it took seasons for them to be able to talk, then slowly he was around. So it took some time I think that alone makes them great. I think Spuffy is one of those relationships where if they are or aren't together does not matter. It is just that no matter what you know they will there for each other that is one reason why I love them it is so much bigger than are they a couple question.

 

[Goby]

Could these be the greatest lines said in 7 years of Buffy? I remember the tears flowing when I hear this for the first time. How did Joss, SMG, and James pull this off? If you told me in Season 2 what would be happening in Season 7, I would have never believed it. But the writers and actors of BtVS made it perfect.

The most romantic scene in BtVS had nothing to do with sex. It had to do with love, respect, and history. Oh, I love this scene.


SPIKE: Last night was... God, I'm such a jerk. I can't do this.

BUFFY: Spike?

SPIKE: It was the best night of my life. If you poke fun at me, you bloody well better use that cause I couldn't bear it. It may not mean that much to you but..

BUFFY: I just told you it did.

SPIKE: Yeah, I hear you say it but I've lived for soddin' ever, Buffy. I've done everything. I've done things with you I can't spell but I've never been close to anyone. Least of all you. Until last night. All I did was hold you, watch you sleep and it was the best night of my life. So yeah, I'm terrified.

BUFFY: You don't have to be.

SPIKE: Were you there with me?

BUFFY: I was.

SPIKE: What does that mean?

BUFFY: I don't know. Does it have to mean something?

SPIKE: No, not right now.

BUFFY: Maybe when

SPIKE: No, let's just leave it.

BUFFY: Okay.

 

[kittenpoker]

Buffy sees that something different is going on here and chases after him. Then there is the moment of realisation for her of what he did. This, for me, is such a heart-rending moment, with Buffy's realisation and Spike going over to embrace the cross that scolds him. It's one of those moments that makes Spuffy such a unique thing for me. He does something like that for Buffy, but doesn't then expect anything back from her for it, accepting it as his own destiny now to have to live with that pain.

I love what he says in that scene...asking buffy over and over if they can rest now. It's not, can I rest now, it's we.

 

[Litheran]

Hey folks; haven't been around much lately. Finishing up some screenplays and projects as well as fleshing out some of my Buffy fics. If I have energy after that I drag myself to the gym to lose wight for the army.

I can point out the uniqueness of Spuffy with a quick story. I had a friend named Matt in high school who was also a Buffy fan. I remember staying over at his house one night towards the end of season five and sneaking into his dad's fridge in the garage to steal beer; getting drunk and playing the Buffy board game. (Obviously we altered the Spike card so that he was a good guy.) Almost a year later I was watching the end of OMWF when the kiss happened; I called Matt raving like a freaking nut about the awesomeness of it all. That was ten years ago folks; I've lived over a third of my life since that day. But when I'm driving home from work in the early morning hours and nothing good is on the radio I always end up humming to myself.

"The curtain's closed on a kiss god knows we can tell the end is near..." or "I can lay my body down but I cant find my sweet release..."

I was "William the Bloody Awful Poet" in high school; so maybe I was living vicariously through Spike; hoping he'd get the girl where I didn't. Lately, when I get a case of the blues; I just remember that there's gonna be a new comic season and Spike's in it. Is it foolish to believe that Spuffy will prevail; perhaps. But this relationship came into my life at a time when I doubted that love could exist, and at the absolute minimum it made me want it to.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Hey folks; haven't been around much lately. Finishing up some screenplays and projects as well as fleshing out some of my Buffy fics. If I have energy after that I drag myself to the gym to lose wight for the army.

I can point out the uniqueness of Spuffy with a quick story. I had a friend named Matt in high school who was also a Buffy fan. I remember staying over at his house one night towards the end of season five and sneaking into his dad's fridge in the garage to steal beer; getting drunk and playing the Buffy board game. (Obviously we altered the Spike card so that he was a good guy.) Almost a year later I was watching the end of OMWF when the kiss happened; I called Matt raving like a freaking nut about the awesomeness of it all. That was ten years ago folks; I've lived over a third of my life since that day. But when I'm driving home from work in the early morning hours and nothing good is on the radio I always end up humming to myself.

"The curtain's closed on a kiss god knows we can tell the end is near..." or "I can lay my body down but I cant find my sweet release..."

I was "William the Bloody Awful Poet" in high school; so maybe I was living vicariously through Spike; hoping he'd get the girl where I didn't. Lately, when I get a case of the blues; I just remember that there's gonna be a new comic season and Spike's in it. Is it foolish to believe that Spuffy will prevail; perhaps. But this relationship came into my life at a time when I doubted that love could exist, and at the absolute minimum it made me want it to.

I always enjoy your posts, Lith. Glad you're back. I've been busy, too. But I always come back to this place...how could I resist? 😉