1. Why do Buffy and Spike belong together rather than Buffy and Angel? They belong together more so than Buffy and Angel because it is a mature relationship based on mutual respect that has grown into love. And in Spike's case, it is an enduring and deep emotion. And because Angel is too easily sent off the rails. Having said that, Buffy belongs with whomever she chooses to spend her life with. She's not obligated to be with either one, but if she does choose a vampire for her SO, then I can more easily imagine Spike sharing her life than I can Angel. He just seems to "work" better with her.
2. Do you miss the villain side of Spike? Sometimes. Not so much as a villain, but I like him to be that brave, cocky, kick-ass guy from time to time. As a Spuffy FF writer or Fan - how do you reconcile the history of Spike as the evil Big Bad with his transformation journey due to falling in love with Buffy? Easy, peasy, actually. Spike never lost his ability to love, and William was always lurking there. The chip gave him a chance to spend enough time around humans as non-prey for his own humanity to make an appearance. And he always wanted to go down fighting (or with a big bang). How do you top dying to save the world and the woman you love? It's right up his glory-seeking alley.
3. Who or What do you think is Buffy's nemesis? I'm not sure she has one. Obviously Angel/Angelus is a weak spot and always will be, but I don't know that it reaches the point of nemesis. Is Buffy perhaps her own worst enemy due to her character traits when it comes to her love relationships? Sometimes she is. For a beautiful smart girl with superpowers, she can be very insecure. Which has caused her to cling to relationships that weren't right, and try to deny the one that is.
4. How did the Buffy and Angel/Angelus love relationship effect Buffy in her future romantic relationships or with Spike? I believe the star-crossed-lovers aspect of it gave the relationship a dramatic aspect that it didn't really have. She felt a need to cling to that image of them as forever lovers who couldn't be together. Meaning she had a hard time loving anyone else. And when the other person in question was another vampire.... yeah. Spike had to overcome her perception of what a soulless vampire is like (based on Angelus) in order for her to see him as he really was. Angelus/Angel pretty much convinced her that soulless = evil all the time.
Q1. Which Buffy romance didn't work and why? (this doesn't include flings or mistakes like Parker although Parker was connected as a response to finding a human alternative to Angel relationship) She only had one - with Riley, who couldn't see past her being stronger (physically and to some extent emotionally) than he was. And he didn't understand her calling. The one with Spike did work... eventually.
Q2. Do you like or hate Bangel? (if you hate it or have some negatives please state why) I don't like it for adult Buffy because it just doesn't work for me. I was all for it while it was happening (just as I was hoping Riley was the one when she started dating him). In real time, I was supportive of and in favor of whomever Buffy was with (not Parker, obs). However, she moved on (eventually), and so did I. I liked Spike's character immediately, although it took until the end of season 5 for me to see him as a possible romantic partner for Buffy. I wanted her to like him, but... I liked them when they were developing a friendship just as much as I did when they started having sex. Would have preferred to see more of that friendship as I think it was the basis of the relationship. Something she never had with Angel. That was all drama and angst.
So, yes, now I dislike Bangel because I think it is both unrealistic for them, and does Buffy and her emotional maturity a great disservice.
Q3. What romance in fiction do you compare Spuffy to? (example Bangel = Romeo and Juliet or Spike and Drusilla = Bonnie and Clyde or Syd and Nancy) I can't say I have ever done that. Romeo and Juliet is pretty obvious for Bangel, two teenagers whose whirlwind romance gets a lot of people killed, but I don't know who I would compare Buffy and Spike to. But then, I don't read a lot of romance fiction.... ETA Thanks to sunalso, I am reminded that Spuffy is very much a Beauty and the Beast relationship - if Beauty was little bitchier, and Beast was a bit snarkier...
Q4. Do you think that Buffy loved Spike as a friend and not as a boyfriend? By the end of the show, yes. She was loving him as a friend, and also has her main supporter. However, I think she would have gone on from there (had he not burned up), once the immediate threat was over, to allow herself to love him as a lover. It would have been inappropriate and a distraction while they were in crisis mode, and Buffy wouldn't have permitted herself that luxury. But, that passion and heat during season 6 didn't come from nowhere, no matter what she chose to tell herself, so I think once she could relax, she would have been happy to go back to loving him as a lover. How did the comic books effect your perspectives on the relationship if you follow the comic book seasons? I actually think they did pretty well (ignoring the Twangel dust sex). I would have preferred her to be happier to see him initially, but given that they've worked their way back to a relationship via being friends and co-warriors, showing Spike's patience and the depth of his devotion, and Buffy's willingness to be vulnerable to him.... Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with it. Which means it's probably going to go boom shortly. LOL
2. Do you miss the villain side of Spike? Sometimes. Not so much as a villain, but I like him to be that brave, cocky, kick-ass guy from time to time. As a Spuffy FF writer or Fan - how do you reconcile the history of Spike as the evil Big Bad with his transformation journey due to falling in love with Buffy? Easy, peasy, actually. Spike never lost his ability to love, and William was always lurking there. The chip gave him a chance to spend enough time around humans as non-prey for his own humanity to make an appearance. And he always wanted to go down fighting (or with a big bang). How do you top dying to save the world and the woman you love? It's right up his glory-seeking alley.
3. Who or What do you think is Buffy's nemesis? I'm not sure she has one. Obviously Angel/Angelus is a weak spot and always will be, but I don't know that it reaches the point of nemesis. Is Buffy perhaps her own worst enemy due to her character traits when it comes to her love relationships? Sometimes she is. For a beautiful smart girl with superpowers, she can be very insecure. Which has caused her to cling to relationships that weren't right, and try to deny the one that is.
4. How did the Buffy and Angel/Angelus love relationship effect Buffy in her future romantic relationships or with Spike? I believe the star-crossed-lovers aspect of it gave the relationship a dramatic aspect that it didn't really have. She felt a need to cling to that image of them as forever lovers who couldn't be together. Meaning she had a hard time loving anyone else. And when the other person in question was another vampire.... yeah. Spike had to overcome her perception of what a soulless vampire is like (based on Angelus) in order for her to see him as he really was. Angelus/Angel pretty much convinced her that soulless = evil all the time.
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Additional Questions:
Q1. Which Buffy romance didn't work and why? (this doesn't include flings or mistakes like Parker although Parker was connected as a response to finding a human alternative to Angel relationship) She only had one - with Riley, who couldn't see past her being stronger (physically and to some extent emotionally) than he was. And he didn't understand her calling. The one with Spike did work... eventually.
Q2. Do you like or hate Bangel? (if you hate it or have some negatives please state why) I don't like it for adult Buffy because it just doesn't work for me. I was all for it while it was happening (just as I was hoping Riley was the one when she started dating him). In real time, I was supportive of and in favor of whomever Buffy was with (not Parker, obs). However, she moved on (eventually), and so did I. I liked Spike's character immediately, although it took until the end of season 5 for me to see him as a possible romantic partner for Buffy. I wanted her to like him, but... I liked them when they were developing a friendship just as much as I did when they started having sex. Would have preferred to see more of that friendship as I think it was the basis of the relationship. Something she never had with Angel. That was all drama and angst.
So, yes, now I dislike Bangel because I think it is both unrealistic for them, and does Buffy and her emotional maturity a great disservice.
Q3. What romance in fiction do you compare Spuffy to? (example Bangel = Romeo and Juliet or Spike and Drusilla = Bonnie and Clyde or Syd and Nancy) I can't say I have ever done that. Romeo and Juliet is pretty obvious for Bangel, two teenagers whose whirlwind romance gets a lot of people killed, but I don't know who I would compare Buffy and Spike to. But then, I don't read a lot of romance fiction.... ETA Thanks to sunalso, I am reminded that Spuffy is very much a Beauty and the Beast relationship - if Beauty was little bitchier, and Beast was a bit snarkier...
Q4. Do you think that Buffy loved Spike as a friend and not as a boyfriend? By the end of the show, yes. She was loving him as a friend, and also has her main supporter. However, I think she would have gone on from there (had he not burned up), once the immediate threat was over, to allow herself to love him as a lover. It would have been inappropriate and a distraction while they were in crisis mode, and Buffy wouldn't have permitted herself that luxury. But, that passion and heat during season 6 didn't come from nowhere, no matter what she chose to tell herself, so I think once she could relax, she would have been happy to go back to loving him as a lover. How did the comic books effect your perspectives on the relationship if you follow the comic book seasons? I actually think they did pretty well (ignoring the Twangel dust sex). I would have preferred her to be happier to see him initially, but given that they've worked their way back to a relationship via being friends and co-warriors, showing Spike's patience and the depth of his devotion, and Buffy's willingness to be vulnerable to him.... Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with it. Which means it's probably going to go boom shortly. LOL
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