The huge Cordy/Xander/Willow/Oz fallout of S3 which literally ended the Cordy/Willow friendship in the show
Though I notice that of all the characters from 'Buffy' who went over to 'Angel', it's actually Willow and Cordy who stay in touch. Willow became the standard cross-over character when they needed someone from the other show on 'Angel'. (Which might have something to do with Alyson and Alexis being a couple, come to think of it; maybe Aly was often around on the 'Angel' set anyway?)
I mean, even her crush on Xander is telling to me. She gets a crush on the safest guy possible. Her best friend.
For that matter, look at Oz himself. The least pushy guy on earth, with an almost-unnatural lack of interest in kissing Willow or going to bed with her. It always struck me that she was less interested in him as a sexual partner and more as (a) a really close friend - someone who understood her perfectly and was intelligent enough to converse with her as an equal (b) someone she could boast to other people about him being her boyfriend, and convince herself she wasn't a socially inadequate loser after all.
Though whether the writers planned it that way, or that it was just a lucky coincidence once they decided to turn Willow gay in S4, is an open question. :-)
The girls she notices or crushes on. And she knows that talking about that stuff would bring up all sorts of issues, so she keeps it to herself.
I have been interested reading in your take on this; I've wondered myself about how Willow perceived her sexuality before S4. I agree with you that it's unlikely she suddenly became a lesbian. But did she know all along that she was attracted to women - as you have her here - but be unwilling to go public about it because it would be too scary? Was she in denial about it, trying desperately to convince herself that she preferred boys really, and her crushes on girls were just a teenage phase? Or was she actually unaware of her feelings, and until she met Tara she just thought "That's all there is to love, it's no big deal" then got blown away by the reality of it?
Spike is one of the most difficult POVs for me to write
I dunno, you've got the sarcasm down perfectly. You just have to work on being less PC and more British. ;-)
Yes. Perhaps something of their friendship surviving after all?
(Although if anyone in the two camps is going to stay in touch it kind of makes sense that it's those two, they were the only two that ever had a FRIENDSHIP friendship.)
The least pushy guy on earth
It occurs to me that, although they're very different otherwise, Oz and Tara take a similar approach to courting Willow. Neither of them seems to take a particularly active role. They're both just sort of there.
(As you mention below in another post, there probably wasn't any plan for Willow to be gay later. If we believe Joss's commentary, even as late as "Hush" they hadn't decided how far they were actually going in that direction--whether they would keep to "metaphor" or have an actual romantic relationship.)
actually unaware of her feelings
I tend to think that the way that we see the Willow-Tara relationship develop onscreen fits better with Willow being mostly unaware of her feelings until she actually started to fall in love with Tara. It just feels like a gradual development, to the point where even Willow might have trouble precisely sorting out exactly when she started thinking of Tara as a potential romantic partner.
(Although I think Tara had a bit of a crush on Willow from the beginning.)
However, I'm certainly open to reading a different perspective in a story, as long as it's interestingly written (such as in this series).
For that matter, look at Oz himself. The least pushy guy on earth, with an almost-unnatural lack of interest in kissing Willow or going to bed with her.
Yep yep. Oz practically has "Non-threatening" tattooed on his forehead.
But did she know all along that she was attracted to women - as you have her here - but be unwilling to go public about it because it would be too scary? Was she in denial about it, trying desperately to convince herself that she preferred boys really, and her crushes on girls were just a teenage phase? Or was she actually unaware of her feelings, and until she met Tara she just thought "That's all there is to love, it's no big deal" then got blown away by the reality of it?
I think cases could be made for any/all of those and more. Since the series isn't from Willow's POV, we get very little insight into what she's going through unless she tells Buffy. So the opportunity for gratuitous fanwank is enormous. :)
I dunno, you've got the sarcasm down perfectly. You just have to work on being less PC and more British. ;-)
:-(
The huge Cordy/Xander/Willow/Oz fallout of S3 which literally ended the Cordy/Willow friendship in the show
Though I notice that of all the characters from 'Buffy' who went over to 'Angel', it's actually Willow and Cordy who stay in touch. Willow became the standard cross-over character when they needed someone from the other show on 'Angel'. (Which might have something to do with Alyson and Alexis being a couple, come to think of it; maybe Aly was often around on the 'Angel' set anyway?)
I mean, even her crush on Xander is telling to me. She gets a crush on the safest guy possible. Her best friend.
For that matter, look at Oz himself. The least pushy guy on earth, with an almost-unnatural lack of interest in kissing Willow or going to bed with her. It always struck me that she was less interested in him as a sexual partner and more as (a) a really close friend - someone who understood her perfectly and was intelligent enough to converse with her as an equal (b) someone she could boast to other people about him being her boyfriend, and convince herself she wasn't a socially inadequate loser after all.
Though whether the writers planned it that way, or that it was just a lucky coincidence once they decided to turn Willow gay in S4, is an open question. :-)
The girls she notices or crushes on. And she knows that talking about that stuff would bring up all sorts of issues, so she keeps it to herself.
I have been interested reading in your take on this; I've wondered myself about how Willow perceived her sexuality before S4. I agree with you that it's unlikely she suddenly became a lesbian. But did she know all along that she was attracted to women - as you have her here - but be unwilling to go public about it because it would be too scary? Was she in denial about it, trying desperately to convince herself that she preferred boys really, and her crushes on girls were just a teenage phase? Or was she actually unaware of her feelings, and until she met Tara she just thought "That's all there is to love, it's no big deal" then got blown away by the reality of it?
Spike is one of the most difficult POVs for me to write
I dunno, you've got the sarcasm down perfectly. You just have to work on being less PC and more British. ;-)
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Yes. Perhaps something of their friendship surviving after all?
(Although if anyone in the two camps is going to stay in touch it kind of makes sense that it's those two, they were the only two that ever had a FRIENDSHIP friendship.)
The least pushy guy on earth
It occurs to me that, although they're very different otherwise, Oz and Tara take a similar approach to courting Willow. Neither of them seems to take a particularly active role. They're both just sort of there.
(As you mention below in another post, there probably wasn't any plan for Willow to be gay later. If we believe Joss's commentary, even as late as "Hush" they hadn't decided how far they were actually going in that direction--whether they would keep to "metaphor" or have an actual romantic relationship.)
actually unaware of her feelings
I tend to think that the way that we see the Willow-Tara relationship develop onscreen fits better with Willow being mostly unaware of her feelings until she actually started to fall in love with Tara. It just feels like a gradual development, to the point where even Willow might have trouble precisely sorting out exactly when she started thinking of Tara as a potential romantic partner.
(Although I think Tara had a bit of a crush on Willow from the beginning.)
However, I'm certainly open to reading a different perspective in a story, as long as it's interestingly written (such as in this series).
Reply
Yep yep. Oz practically has "Non-threatening" tattooed on his forehead.
But did she know all along that she was attracted to women - as you have her here - but be unwilling to go public about it because it would be too scary? Was she in denial about it, trying desperately to convince herself that she preferred boys really, and her crushes on girls were just a teenage phase? Or was she actually unaware of her feelings, and until she met Tara she just thought "That's all there is to love, it's no big deal" then got blown away by the reality of it?
I think cases could be made for any/all of those and more. Since the series isn't from Willow's POV, we get very little insight into what she's going through unless she tells Buffy. So the opportunity for gratuitous fanwank is enormous. :)
I dunno, you've got the sarcasm down perfectly. You just have to work on being less PC and more British. ;-)
Hmmm...well, I drink tea...
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And yet, ironically, I think having that tattooed on his forehead would make him look more threatening, not less. :-)
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