Enemies In Love
I think I've figured out why I love the Spuffy relationship so much more than I like Buffy/Angel.
And it's quite simple, really, because it's the same reason that I like almost all the couples I'm madly shippy about.
One's good, one's evil, and they're in love anyway.
It seems to be a fool-proof way of making me like a couple: put them on opposite sides, and then have them fall in love.
And that's definitely got to be the main reason I'm into Spuffy, because if you look at most of the other couples I like, they all fit the same pattern:
Darla/Angel - She's evil, he's good, and they just can't help themselves.
Wes/Lilah - Same deal.
And then there's Elizabeth/Darcy, Tru/Jack, Buffy/Faith, Angel/Lindsey, Wes/Illyria, Lilah/just-about-anyone... even Mal/Inara fits the pattern. Sure, they're not a straight good/evil pair, but they are very clearly on opposite sides - and they're still in love.
And as much as I liked Buffy/Angel, it was basically a good person in love with a reformed person. Which is fine - but not nearly as interesting as a good person in love with someone who's flat out evil.
The Buffy/Spike relationship, on the other hand, is insane. People just aren't supposed to fall in love with their arch-nemesis. Spike is horrified when he realises he's falling for Buffy, she's horrified in return, they both know how ridiculously stupid a relationship would be... and yet...
This is why, as much as I go nuts for Wes/Fred, I'm even more nuts about Wes/Lilah - and downright thrilled when Illyria comes along, because suddenly the relatively straightforward Wes/Fred relationship gets turned into another good/evil pairing. It's awesome!
This also applies from a friendship point of view. As much as I enjoy Crichton and D'Argo as friends, their friendship is nothing compared to Crichton/Scorpius. Ditto with the Doctor/the Master, House/Wilson, and, mostly inside my own head, Spike/Angel.
I just love it when two people are working from such completely opposing perspectives, and yet they keep being friends, because when it comes down to it, they can't not be.
This is why my version of Tru Calling will always include a very twisted Tru/Jack relationship, why I rewatch that phonecall between the Doctor and the Master again and again, and why my absolute favourite moment in the whole of Angel is Wes growling "He's necessary - for fighting people like you," and then wrestling Lilah to the floor...
*happy sigh of shippiness*
Questions? Comments?
And it's quite simple, really, because it's the same reason that I like almost all the couples I'm madly shippy about.
One's good, one's evil, and they're in love anyway.
It seems to be a fool-proof way of making me like a couple: put them on opposite sides, and then have them fall in love.
And that's definitely got to be the main reason I'm into Spuffy, because if you look at most of the other couples I like, they all fit the same pattern:
Darla/Angel - She's evil, he's good, and they just can't help themselves.
Wes/Lilah - Same deal.
And then there's Elizabeth/Darcy, Tru/Jack, Buffy/Faith, Angel/Lindsey, Wes/Illyria, Lilah/just-about-anyone... even Mal/Inara fits the pattern. Sure, they're not a straight good/evil pair, but they are very clearly on opposite sides - and they're still in love.
And as much as I liked Buffy/Angel, it was basically a good person in love with a reformed person. Which is fine - but not nearly as interesting as a good person in love with someone who's flat out evil.
The Buffy/Spike relationship, on the other hand, is insane. People just aren't supposed to fall in love with their arch-nemesis. Spike is horrified when he realises he's falling for Buffy, she's horrified in return, they both know how ridiculously stupid a relationship would be... and yet...
This is why, as much as I go nuts for Wes/Fred, I'm even more nuts about Wes/Lilah - and downright thrilled when Illyria comes along, because suddenly the relatively straightforward Wes/Fred relationship gets turned into another good/evil pairing. It's awesome!
This also applies from a friendship point of view. As much as I enjoy Crichton and D'Argo as friends, their friendship is nothing compared to Crichton/Scorpius. Ditto with the Doctor/the Master, House/Wilson, and, mostly inside my own head, Spike/Angel.
I just love it when two people are working from such completely opposing perspectives, and yet they keep being friends, because when it comes down to it, they can't not be.
This is why my version of Tru Calling will always include a very twisted Tru/Jack relationship, why I rewatch that phonecall between the Doctor and the Master again and again, and why my absolute favourite moment in the whole of Angel is Wes growling "He's necessary - for fighting people like you," and then wrestling Lilah to the floor...
*happy sigh of shippiness*
Questions? Comments?