Why was there no back story about Tara's parents?
- Thread starter ILLYRIAN
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Stake fodder
What about my me?
Probably because no character's parents got much storyline. But do we think that Tara's mom was really a demon? I thought that was just the family's religious way of talking about it.
famicommander
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We know, definitively, that she wasn't a demon. That's what the whole thing with Spike punching Tara and getting the chip shock was about. Spike even spells out that calling them demons was just a sexist way the men controlled the women.
TheXandyman
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AlphaFoxtrot
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They are hill people with inherited magical powers, I'm sure some ancient blasphemous ritual involving a half demon sits somewhere in the ancient past. However, Tara mentioned both a mother and a grandmother, so, as they didn't transform into monsters, no, it probably won't happen to her. "Family" was an after school special episode, I wouldn't take the world building too seriously.
The other thing to remember, this was Gen X, and was built off the experiences of people who lived in LA during the 80s and 90s. That generation was the first to live through divorce, and were just emotionally distant from their parents. You just didn't talk to your parents a lot in your twenties then, partially due to pain, but partially because they were busy raising your half siblings. It's one of the blind spots of the show.
The other thing to remember, this was Gen X, and was built off the experiences of people who lived in LA during the 80s and 90s. That generation was the first to live through divorce, and were just emotionally distant from their parents. You just didn't talk to your parents a lot in your twenties then, partially due to pain, but partially because they were busy raising your half siblings. It's one of the blind spots of the show.
NotASlayer
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The entire "demon" thing as presented is shown to be just a way in which the Maclays abused Tara, and before that her mother, in order to keep them in line. When Anya questioned them about what type of demon, it was clear they knew absolutely nothing about demons. And then Spike ran with that.
Ethan Reigns
Scooby
Everyone had a mother and father but they do not have to be in the story. Tara's family story was adequately served in Family and showed that she was forced to hide her true identity in a parallel to her lesbian story which a lot of girls have to hide from their families. They appeared to be standard rednecks with close family ties and the story line that says all the women of the family become demons at age 20, just so the men can keep them in line.
TriBel
Scooby
They don't need a backstory - you can infer it from their "demonization" of women. They're an extended metaphor for hegemonic oppression.
AlphaFoxtrot
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P.S. Seriously, the episode has a character named "Cousin Beth," that's WWF levels of Character development. Unless there was some Sailor Neptune stuff going on...
The other thing is, Tara has two back stories, the one where she needs to come back home in time for Deer season, and the one where her mother recently died, and taught her everything about witchcraft. I mean, I don't remember either one crossing.
So yeah, characters in season 4-7 didn't get convincing backstories, and the events of family don't really connect with the other dots.
The other thing is, Tara has two back stories, the one where she needs to come back home in time for Deer season, and the one where her mother recently died, and taught her everything about witchcraft. I mean, I don't remember either one crossing.
So yeah, characters in season 4-7 didn't get convincing backstories, and the events of family don't really connect with the other dots.