Fannish change is a good, right?
Man, I've been in fandom a while. The other day, I was rereading an older fic that I had read long ago when first getting into Buffy fandom. It's...kinda weird how my thoughts on the show have changed.
1. I used to view the show with a very Spike-centric tunnel vision. Everything was about Spike, and I expected the other characters to cater to his emotional needs. It was a mark against them when they didn't. As such, my opinion on Buffy ranged from apathy to intense dislike. I only shipped her with Spike cause that's what he wanted. My assessment of the other characters was largely based on how they treated Spike.
Now, after some rewatches and changed life circumstances, I still understand and sympathize with Spike in all things, but I've managed to broaden my vision and gain the perspective of the other characters. I now understand and sympathize with where they're coming from, even when it conflicts with Spike's emotional well-being. It's a big sympathy fest for me.
2. I used to abhor Willow's addiction storyline in S6.
Now, I still think there's some clumsy execution in it, but I think it works quite well when the addiction subplot is taken as an intentional red herring. Taking her problem with magic as a drug addiction obviously wasn't The Answer as...it didn't work. Willow rapidly spiraled out of control when a conflict arose, even after having abstained from magic for months.
3. I thought Buffy/Angel was one-dimensional, overly melodramatic, and cloyingly traditional in its presentation.
Well, I still think that, but now I think it's intentionally subverted throughout the series. It's meant to critique the Twilight-esque tropes it appears to invoke.
4. I used to think that both Buffy and Riley were equally "at fault" for the break-up in S5.
Now, while I think that the relationship was inevitably doomed, I don't think much can be pinned on Buffy for how it broke down. I think Riley was growing increasingly out of whack with his perspective on things. I also don't think Buffy was too distant or emotionally unavailable. I think Riley's expectations were unrealistic and that, compounded with his skewed perception of events and his out of control behavior, led to the catastrophic ending of the relationship.
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What have you guys got? Share!
1. I used to view the show with a very Spike-centric tunnel vision. Everything was about Spike, and I expected the other characters to cater to his emotional needs. It was a mark against them when they didn't. As such, my opinion on Buffy ranged from apathy to intense dislike. I only shipped her with Spike cause that's what he wanted. My assessment of the other characters was largely based on how they treated Spike.
Now, after some rewatches and changed life circumstances, I still understand and sympathize with Spike in all things, but I've managed to broaden my vision and gain the perspective of the other characters. I now understand and sympathize with where they're coming from, even when it conflicts with Spike's emotional well-being. It's a big sympathy fest for me.
2. I used to abhor Willow's addiction storyline in S6.
Now, I still think there's some clumsy execution in it, but I think it works quite well when the addiction subplot is taken as an intentional red herring. Taking her problem with magic as a drug addiction obviously wasn't The Answer as...it didn't work. Willow rapidly spiraled out of control when a conflict arose, even after having abstained from magic for months.
3. I thought Buffy/Angel was one-dimensional, overly melodramatic, and cloyingly traditional in its presentation.
Well, I still think that, but now I think it's intentionally subverted throughout the series. It's meant to critique the Twilight-esque tropes it appears to invoke.
4. I used to think that both Buffy and Riley were equally "at fault" for the break-up in S5.
Now, while I think that the relationship was inevitably doomed, I don't think much can be pinned on Buffy for how it broke down. I think Riley was growing increasingly out of whack with his perspective on things. I also don't think Buffy was too distant or emotionally unavailable. I think Riley's expectations were unrealistic and that, compounded with his skewed perception of events and his out of control behavior, led to the catastrophic ending of the relationship.
*
What have you guys got? Share!