She had connections. Angel, soul or no, is a vamp. Also She and Spike were reluctant allies at the end of season 2 and in lover's walk. then again (and more in seasons 4-5. ) but it wasn't what i meant here. i meant she isn't that controlled, more like repressed about her dark side.
Buffy wasn't repressed (although Faith thought that initially), she was
so controlled precisly because she can use that darkness inside her to beat the badguy.
See, Kendra was the one that was repressed (didn't use her emotions, couldn't even talk to boys), and Faith was out-of-control (brave but also reckless, uses guys for whatever, too in love with the darkness) they were both used to show that Buffy had the right slayer balance.
But not in S6, Buffy is unbalanced, uncontrolled. Her mind (Giles) has left her so she is unfocused, her spirit (Willow) is poisoned with darkness, and her heart (Xander) is distracted with internal fears.
Not saying they shag their slayees before slaying them. I meant slayers intimate with darkness, death and violence.
Right, but that's the same with all slayers/vampires. Their natural enemies but there's a duality there- creatures of darkness, demon and humanity in the same body and whatnot. The only difference is that Spike cannot be 'true to his nature' so he lasts longer than other vampires in a slayers company.
I still don't see how this translates into 'Buffy digs Spike' before S6.
But seriously, she played nice with Riley, sometimes too nice. I think if Riley had to deal with season 6 buffy, he'd be scared out of his wits. Souled Angel or Spike could handle it the best.
Eh, Riley saw S6 Buffy at exactly her lowest point- crap job, unfocused, shagging Spike- and what did he say? 'that doesn't touch who you are', just like that. He gave Buffy the best speech of that season and gives her the impetus to
start to get her life back together (dump Spike).
I think you're not being fair to Riley, but I see that a lot on these boards.
Now I actually see that Riley might've been able to do this
because he left and came back more confident. Maybe if he'd stayed and Buffy had somehow still dies and come back maybe that drift still would've happened anyway.
But maybe not- it all depends if Riley would've been in on the 'rip Buffy out of heaven' plan. If so then he's in the same boat as everybody else- distanced, but if not- well, Riley wants to be needed by Buffy, and S6 was Buffy at her most needy. I think he would've been there for her and I think it would've been less destructive.
But that's pure speculation, I acknowledge that.
🙂
No. There was something missing, they both felt it.
No, only Riley felt it. Show me where Buffy felt/knew that their relationship was in any sort of trouble until the shock of 'Into The Woods'.
'drifted apart' Let's be serious here. if your relationship and love is strong it'll survive a crisis. Even if there are problems, you'd want to solve them and keep going on. You fight for it. You don't give up easily.
Riley is the one who gave up and ran for the hills whilst Buffy was still reeling from his 'this is all kinda your fault' speech. What did Buffy give up? She ran after the damn helicopter and then mourned Riley's departure.
Everyone around Buffy kept repeating how Riley was good for her. Now was he? He admired her, but he never opposed authority like she did, he was a yesman.
I couldn't disagree more. Out of her three main boyfriends Riley was the one who stood up to Buffy the most, who called her on a lot of her crap ('Doomed' is a prime example, 'New Moon Rising' another).
To Angel Buffy was his salvation- he would help her and make a difference and to Spike she was his obsession- a creature of the dark like him. Until he gets a soul and then it was 'you're my salvation' all over again (hell, apparently she 'glows' when he sees her. I mean, come on!).
To Riley Buffy is a girl, a mystery, then the slayer who helps him through a tough time in his life, and then finally his first love. He moved on precisly because she wasn't
everything to him.
Let's say Buffy caught up with him and he stayed around her in Sunnydale. He is trained to be a soldier, and he is a good one. not a scooby. But let's say, he stays. and then what, patrolls with her? she doesn't need him patrolling with her. She hates that.
Riley got on well with the Scoobies better than the other two. He vibed with them fine. And while I do recognize that he wasn't quite Scooby material, he could've been if he hadn't self-destructed because of his own insecurities.
But if Buffy HAD relied on him, had reassured him just a bit more? He would've stayed and yeah, I think Buffy would've been happier. Happier not being abandoned by a guy she cared about. Happier about having another ally, somebody who wasn't a bad fighter and who had access to military stuff.
Let's get one thing straight- Buffy's character dichotomy isn't between light and darkness, not really. It's between duty and freedom- slayer and normal. There is no evidence that Buffy needs some 'monster in her man' as Spike put it. Spike and Angel are not similar cases and (I think even Spuffies can agree with me on this) her feelings towards one were not the same as the other.
I think Bufyf would like 'an equal', somebody who maybe could share her jb with her. It's not required, but it is a nice bonus. I mean, if she hated a boyfriend who had a similar job to her then what the hell is Spike doing in the comics?
now how she reacts? She feels she is a failure, doing her fast food job, she is depressed, in an unstable relationship. in short, not normal.
And what does Buffy do after the initial shock? She starts flirting with Riley right there- reminiscing about his toys and outfits, getting physically close to him on the dam.
That wasn't nostalgia, that was real.
She, since season 1 wanted a normal life. With Riley he had a guy both Willow and Xander approved of, willow acutally persuading her to pursue the relationship.
I disagree, Willow helped
Riley, not Buffy. She helped engineer an introduction but afterwards Buffy did all the persuing without any friend help. In fact her friends are all worried about the Initiative and what it means, and also the amount of time Buffy is spending with Riley. It isn't resentment, but nor is it encouragement.
And she does, and determined to make it work. She was left once,
it hurt like hell, but she was told by her great love that it's for her own good and that she needs a normal guy. So here he is, and Buffy tried really hard. And failed.
*sigh* I have to disagree in the strongest terms. Buffy DID NOT fail in their relationship. Riley is the one who, ultimately, torpedoes their relationship and flees before it even has a chance to be put right.
Again, She needs him, she determined to make it work. And here her main purpose is to prove to him how much
he is needed and loved for himself, so she could drag him to the doc.
She could've dragged Riley to the doctor without the out-poring of emotion- she's stronger than him after all. I have to take what she says at face value because he's doing the same- they're baring themselves to each other emotionally. I don't
like the scene but I do believe it is authentic.
As about the sex - buffy was pretty unexperienced (angel 2x times one of which never happened and parker.)
Then Riley. Let's mention Riley had sex with Faith in Buffy skin and was so impressed after that said he loved her.
Buffy said that Parker 'was nice' and seems more that satified with Riley- as is amply demonstrated time and again. Because, and here's a thing, if Buffy wasn't satified with Riley then she wouldn't want to do it as often because she wouldn't rate his performance that highly.
But she continues and acts very much like she enjoys it.
Now you can say 'well Spike is a vampire so of course he's better at "the sex" because Bufyf didn't know what she was missing' or whatever theory you want to come out with, but there's no evidence for that and even a bit of evidence to the contrary.
I never saw Buffy looking bored when she was making love with Riley, for example.
Oh, and here's something. Anya had sex with Xander (a lot and enjoyed it a lot) then later she had sex with Spike. And then she went back to having sex with Xander and, I know this is gonna seem crazy, she wasn't overwhelmed with disappointment. So mortal/immortal sex doesn't seem that different, not really.
Strange that.
😉
I am sure the sex was nice, but nothing to write home about. Both played too nice.
This is just your opinion and there's nothing to indictate that it wasn't 'anything to right home about'. Basically you have a theory because you like one relationship more than another.
Buffy needs someone as strong as she is, She needs someone who is as sharp as she is. She needs someone who understands the darnkess in her, but who also can drag her out of it. Riley none of those things.
I never saw Spike as being as strong as Buffy (neither physically or emotionally) their relationship is never equal. Unless you think mutual abuse is equal and even then...
Another thing, as becomes clear in S6 and S7, just because Spike kills a couple of slayers, and sleeps with another one, doesn't mean he knows anything about what its like to be a slayer. Almost everytihng he says about it is either grossly skewed in some way or out-and-out wrong. He has ZERO insight.
You wanna see amorally ambigous character who knows Buffy and says things that are actually accurate (as in 'come to pass' for her) then that is Faith not Spike.
i just realized i can't stand Riley.
I got that. I, on the other hand, can't stand Spuffy. So lets agree to disagree.
🙂
