There was an episode of Buffy I didn't like today.
I just had the first ever episode of Buffy that I really didn't like. I mean, I liked part of it...the Spike and Riley tossing a bottle of cheap alcohol back and forth was funny...but I really, really didn't like the end.
Ok, I knew Riley had to go. I never particularly liked him for Buffy- I like him as a character, and really always have, but I have never for a moment thought of him as being right or good for Buffy- just easy and convenient for her. She clearly didn't love him enough, clearly wasn't willing to risk getting hurt again for him, didn't want to give up that part of you that you do when you love someone totally.
The thing is, I think that's ok. It's ok to not love someone as much as they love you. And it's ok to let a relationship like that end when you realize it's not going to work - which is what happened in this episode. If that had happened, it would have been a good ending. If Buffy had come to terms with the fact that she wasn't ready for Angel-level fiery anguish, it would have been fine.
But instead, she randomly, suddenly, decides she is ready, and wants to try to make a new start. And this, actually, is the first thing that threw me- largely because I've been in Buffy's position there and did make the decision to give up on the relationship, and largely because I've clung with all my heart to Buffy/Angel this whole time- but I would have been willing to accept it. If she had gotten the chance to talk to him, and told him she wanted to try. But instead, he leaves before she gets the chance to tell him, and this just really deeply unsettled me.
I checked IMDB- Riley's not coming back anytime soon. This is going to be a longstanding unresolved, things left unsaid, emotions left unsettled plot point. And that bugs me. Because there was no closure. Not only was there no closure, Buffy didn't even come to terms with her own emotions. She still doesn't know how she actually felt/feels about Riley.
And while the lack of closure bothers me, I could live with that. It's a life lesson, like in OotP or HBP- people suddenly, irrevocably leave and there's no chance to say goodbye or let out the things left unsaid. But it wasn't just that here- there was an out-of-character action that wasn't resolved.
When Buffy decided to chase after Riley, she was going out-of-character, or at least out of the character she's been having for the entire relationship. And because she never caught up, Buffy never got to say WHY she went out of character. If they had talked and Riley had left anyway, that would have been ok. But suddenly slipping into distraught girlfriend mode the way she hasn't since Angel left- and then not explaining what changed- that bugs me.
I just don't get it- she NEVER, at any point, loved Riley the way she loved Angel. So why, all of a sudden, when she's about to lose him, who she decide that she does?
And I don't think I'm going to get any closure on this. That annoys me. Ok, rant ending now.
Actually not, because it also bugs me that all of a sudden Riley turns into the victim in the relationship, and Buffy has to chase after him to apologize to HIM, when he was the one cheating on her. Yes, she didn't love him as much as he loved her- but that doesn't make the breakup her fault. He could have talked to her, discussed how he was feeling, instead of running around behind her back- and then trying to blame her for his infidelity. In fact, that's just about as jerky as a guy can get- and yet he leaves with Buffy feeling like she betrayed him.
Seriously, EVERYTHING about the ending of that relationship bugged me, except the actual fact that it ended.