Why do so many people dislike Tara?

[gillianmorsee]

I hear quite a few people say that Tara was horrible to Willow and that Tara was useless to the show. I heavily disagree - Tara was definitely important - especially to Buffy in Season 6. Tara was the only one who Buffy actually opened up to besides Spike. Most of the other scoobies(except Dawn) probably had no idea that Buffy was even depressed. Without Tara to open up to, Buffy could have felt a whole lot worse bottling everything up.
And as for people who say Tara was a bad girlfriend to Willow, I have to disagree with you, there, too. Tara broke up with Willow because of her magic addiction, yes, instead of trying to help her. But I really can't blame her for it. Since magic=drugs, just imagine if your girlfriend started using heroin all the time, every day, to the point where they seemed past helping. Would you stay with them? After telling them time and time again that they're doing too much and they need to stop? Also, at the point that Tara broke up with Willow, Willow didn't want help. She thought magic was just fun with no dangers involved. Only after the episode where Willow takes Dawn to Rack's does she actually begin to want to stop doing magic.
Not to mention, Tara is just a really kind person. She's almost always the one comforting people or telling people that things will be okay. Even coming from a horrible family, Tara still managed to be an angel.
So I'm wondering how people can dislike Tara?

 

[Buffy Summers]

On my initial watch through, I found her dull, but on my current rewatch, I feel like she may be the one good person on the show lol - and I think her purpose is to contrast with Willow.

 

[NikonTheVampire]

What?
Tara is a pivotal character in the Buffy fandom.
She helped Willow transcend in ways the character could not do on it's own
It also brought gravitas and a new sense of peril to the scoobies.

 

[Monkey Pants]

I don't think there are a lot of people, mainly just me and maybe a few others.
I've written about this a few times before so I will keep it brief.
I dislike Tara, but not because I think she's a bad person, she's just not for me.
First of all, I find her extremely boring. She had an interesting backstory but it was never utilized. I often find her hypocritical and irritating. Her super sweet, calm personality is just not one I enjoy watching. I don't tend to like characters who are written as "perfect". To me she often comes off as self righteous.
I think she made my favorite character (Willow) a lot more boring and annoying than she used to be. Willow's personality got reduced and altered to allow Tara to come into the show. If Tara had never gotten with Willow, I might have liked her more. I think she was used to much as a plot device to show how "bad" Willow was becoming instead of a person in her own right.
And I don't think she was a necessary character for the story, or for Willow herself (as I actually think she cause Willow to regress.)
I will stop myself from rambling further. Ultimately I just am not a fan of her, or anything that happened due to her joining the show. I know she had some good merits but that doesn't make me like her.
Amber Benson is cool though.

 

[Athena]

Tara's a gem. I find her very relatable and easy to watch. She's a very sweet, kind person, but not in a sickly sweet way. I also love her relationship with Dawn in S6, they seem to be very close. She's just cool. I disagree she's portrayed as too perfect, she has her own issues, it's just that we don't dwell on them.

 

[NikonTheVampire]

And I don't think she was a necessary character for the story, or for Willow herself (as I actually think she cause Willow to regress.)

Let me ask you something. And this is not a question in an accusing way. It's just to understand better your point of view. How would you have handled Willow's lesbianism in the show without Tara?

Mind you that I don't think the sexual orientation defines a character, but it centers it. I think that in Willow's sexual awakening with Tara, she found how strong and independent she really was. Tara helped Willow grow as a character.

How do you think Willow's growth could have been handled without Tara at her side?

 

[Priceless]

I think she was used to much as a plot device to show how "bad" Willow was becoming instead of a person in her own right.

I don't hate Tara but I do think she was bought in not to show how 'bad' Willow had become, but how much she had changed and grown. Tara was Willow from S1 an we'd already seen the shy sensitive girl, we didn't need a re-hash.

 

[vellavu]

How do you think Willow's growth could have been handled without Tara at her side?

We Billow shippers don't consider this as a problem at all.

 

[NikonTheVampire]

We Billow shippers don't consider this as a problem at all.

But that doesn't answer the question though. How does Willow's character grow without a female lover to bring the woman out. Within the canon, Tara helps Willow transform from girl to woman. How can this be handled without Oz or Tara? This a canon wise philosophical question

 

[Monkey Pants]

Let me ask you something. And this is not a question in an accusing way. It's just to understand better your point of view. How would you have handled Willow's lesbianism in the show without Tara?

Mind you that I don't think the sexual orientation defines a character, but it centers it. I think that in Willow's sexual awakening with Tara, she found how strong and independent she really was. Tara helped Willow grow as a character.

How do you think Willow's growth could have been handled without Tara at her side?

Well first of all I think with Tara, Willow found a false sense of strength and independence, fueled by her magic powers and Tara's adoration. She clearly is still full of doubts. I don't think she actually became stronger as a person than she had been in the early seasons. She actually might have become more weak. I think she experienced the opposite of growth, and instead her moral center crumbled, so I guess that is why I can see Tara as not being helpful or necessary. I think it wasn't until she was with Kennedy that she was a stronger person.
As for how to handle Willow realizing she is gay, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. I would have preferred her get with someone more confidant who would not fuel Willow's vanity.

 

[Priceless]

Plus, and this is nothing about the character, but Amber Benson walked with her shoulders so far back she always looked really awkward to me and that put me off the character

 

[Spanky]

Well first of all I think with Tara, Willow found a false sense of strength and independence, fueled by her magic powers and Tara's adoration. She clearly is still full of doubts. I don't think she actually became stronger as a person than she had been in the early seasons. She actually might have become more weak. I think she experienced the opposite of growth, and instead her moral center crumbled, so I guess that is why I can see Tara as not being helpful

I totally agree with this. Her strength was all subterfuge.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I don't dislike Tara. I think she's better in s6 when she leaves Willow. She has a few good moments in s4 and s5 but mostly I find her boring. She's really only there to be Willow's girlfriend. I don't think she was bad for Willow, in some ways she was good. I just don't think she was a well developed character.

 

[GwenRaiden]

I don't dislike Tara. I'd say I'm indifferent/not massively invested. I dislike Willow.

 

[bespangeled]

I love Tara - but it's in the sense of Tara as a real person. I would love to just hang out with her.

 

[Iwearthecheese]

Tara's okay- very likable and nice to be around I guess, but she's not that diverting or intriguing to me. I like characters with rough edges and faults. Tara seems to idealised to be real.
I can also see the faults with Tillow and how it progressed, and so I liked the idea of Willow trying to move on, but I'd rather it hadn't been with the first lesbain that showed a passing interest.

 

[Dolores]

I'm rewatching season 4 and I adore Tara at first. I'll have to see how I feel as I continue to watch but I've always really liked her character and I can't understand what there is to dislike about her.

 

[cryptwarmer]

Over all, after watching the series a few times, I like Tara, but I hated how she acted when she first came on. She wasn't just shy, the way they played her was annoying. And after Glory's mind wipe, it was like we went back to the beginning but this time we spoon applesauce into her. Gag me.

But, when she was playing her core character, and not overplaying some layover the writer's told her to, I liked her.

 

[ChaseRules]

I like Tara . Some people think she too sweet but I look at the bigger picture . She had a horrible childhood & got the strength
to leave it plus she came out as Gay which was not easy to do yet was still friendly & kind to everyone.

I blame the writers for not making her better because there was so much they could have done with her .
I not touching on her & Willow because while they were sweet together she was just as great by herself.

Lastly & this is just a question . What if Tara had gone out with Buffy instead of Willow ?

 

[Scooby Corps]

Tara was pretty cool in S06. But before, she was mainly an accessory to Willow. Her death sucked since I really had liked to see her further development. What I never understood, though, is why everybody thought it's a good idea for Tara to be Willow's teacher in magic. I don't mean her lack in power but she missed authority and assertiveness. Furthermore are mentor/student relationships not compatible with romantic relationships. One is about listening and obedience (mentor>student) the other about mutual respect and equality (lover1=lover2).

Lastly & this is just a question . What if Tara had gone out with Buffy instead of Willow ?

Then I'd hope Willow would find another love interest (Faith!!!) and wish Tuffy all happiness in the world. Basically, I have nothing against the Tuffy ship. I'm just a bit damaged because they tend to be Willow bashing in fictions. I haven't read one which had held my interest.