the character i least understand: It's embarrassing because so many people FEEEEL him but I don't get Spike. First, I think I have a general distance from vampires or any being that's lived for hundreds of years and expects imortality. It's a zone of experience that I don't get. With Spike and Angel, it gets even more complicated with the Shanshu. I see them enjoying the hell out of the benefits of of being a vampire and having tremendous survival instincts at all time. However sometimes when the Shanshu or Buffy comes up, we're supposed to turn off our memories of them enjoying being a vampire to view their vampirism as the saddest and most horrible curse and root for them to become human as a reward???? To some extent, it's easier with Angel because this is the kind of "feel sorry for me until I unexpectedly use my superstrength to break your neck" con that Angel runs.
However, Spike is a bit of a mystery. It's hard to tell when the artifice and sincerity begins and ends. On the surface, Spike is hyped as hardcore authentic. Whether you see him as the rabble rousing vicious vampire, clumsy comedic relif whose plans are foiled, or adorkable poet. But yet, it's basically textual that Spike's image is calculated and phoney- see Fool for Love backstories. And that's also how I start explaining how he was able to wedge his way from Buffy's Enemy to "Spike is the ONLY ONE WHO HAS MY BACK", to the detriment of others in Buffy's circle. However unlike Angel, I get that there's a critical mass where you can't over-regard Spike as a smooth manipulative operator and socially skilled at knowing how to make it into Buffy's good graces because it strikes against his previous incarnations of sincerity and SO CONFUSING.
interactions i enjoyed the most: Definitely, the Core Four comes before all to me. With the sole exception of Xander/Giles which mainly feels like Xander reaching out and caring about Giles and Giles being mean to Xander so it's uncomfortable but also not developed enough to be a great dynamic. However basically all other permutations of the Core Four are great. Buffy/Willow, Buffy/Giles, Buffy/Xander, Willow/Xander, Willow/Giles. Then in threes, Buffy/Willow/Xander, Buffy/Willow/Giles. Actually Xander/Willow/Giles gets more worthwhile with the addition of Willow because it's interesting how those important characters but still side-kicks deal with Buffy when they're thrust together.
For non-Core Four, THERE'S STILL A LOT. To try to limit it to just Top Five Non-Core Four, I think Buffy/Faith, Willow/Faith, Xander/Anya, Willow/Oz, and Spike/Drusilla.
the character who scares me the most: To copy your answer to this meme, Angelus because of the abusiveness.
the character who is mostly like me: Probably Willow- even though she's not my favorite because of the typical I IDENTIFY WITH HER FOR NERDY REASONS even though there's some of that but really, I gravitate to Willow partly for her *strangeness* even as it exists in tandem with the girl-next-door parts of her that are easy to identify with and claim as similar to a fan. There's also quite a bit of Anya to me- but then, I think Willow and Anya are eerily similar.
hottest looks character: Wesley, even in his nerdiest, least sexy incarnation. Runner up for Giles even though he's not the Newest Model ahem. For the ladies, I pick Cordelia even though to borrow Roger Sterling's verbiage, when she moved to LA it was like someone turned out a light.
one thing i dislike about my fave character: I want to do one of those cop-out "actually a compliment" job-interview phoney things and say that I'm disappointed that Willow doesn't stand up for herself enough and in a way that I'd like to see when other characters are trying to take her down for being reckless or a baddie or somehow getting above herself. BECAUSE THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. It's a phoney compliment but it's also genuinely indicative that I think Willow's moral instincts have merit but actually, she doesn't think through all of the merits of her actions enough to articulate it. This can contribute to how she gets things genuinely completely and utterly wrong when her instincts aren't on point because of a temper tantrum or too strong a motive to be bad. She has warm and fuzzy morals a lot of the time, but disappointingly unsophisticated ethics relative to her genius brain power.
one thing i like about my hated character: If you look to the comics, Andrew's technically been on Team Good longer than I anticipated.a quote or scene that haunts me: HOW DO I BEGIN? Giles coming back to a police-scene house at the end of Passion, Buffy's monologue to Giles and Willow about having to kill Angel ("I told him I loved him...and I kissed him...and I killed him."), The Ballet of Death in The Wish, Willow's/Xander's/Giles's death scenes in Restless, seeing any of Glory's victims after her monologue to Tara about how miserable it is for brainsuck victims, The Body. For underrated, the Queller Demon and Joyce's insane episode especially after reading local_max's great thoughts on the subject
a death that left me indifferent: The Chosen deaths really lack impact. I love Anya- but you blink and you miss the quickie impaling. Plus, it was her time. I mean, more than a 1000 years of living. Like you, I also first watched spoiled that Spike would come back to AtS.
a character i wish died but didn’t: Hmm, I don't really think like that. I don't think I can answer this meme for any show. I wish it was the reverse- a character I wish didn't die! That'd be much easier. JENNY CALENDAR.
my ship that never sailed: There's a big part of me that ships all permutations of Willow/Xander/Buffy. Willow/Buffy, most of all. You can have your Buffy/Faith, your Spangel- that's my favorite gay subtext! Actually, you can add Faith to the mix too. I ship all permutations of Buffy/Faith/Xander/Willow, with a reservation on Xander/Faith that her attempted rape/murder would need to be better dealt with.
Oh God, Anya's death is actually traumatizing to me? It feels like a proper "battle death". Those things you read in History books where the soldiers just blink and die or the Emperors are stabbed in the back by the pretorians or something. I found utterly heartbreaking Xander not seeing her body (Really, such a proper battle death! I'm impressed)
Of course, she was 1000+ so she lived her life. But still.
Instead I don't care about Jenny Calendar. I'm sorry, but just the whole technopagan stuff ... I'm lost XD
LOL, thank you for doing this! Amazing XD I gave you lots of work, please take your time! XD
Your take on Spike actually reminded me why I love him so much. He's such a mystery and he's the most performative asshole out there. So fascinating. I also FEEEEEEL for him so much. I think that's partially because of JM's great acting (Literally, watch his eyes and you SEE THE EMOTIONS) but also because he's such an emotional mess and a spaz. I can be an emotional mess and I'm definetely a spaz, so.
I think Willow and Anya are eerily similar.
TOTALLY OMG! So cool you pointed that out. I think that Willow is so hostile to Anya because, on a certain degree, she identifies in her some of her flaws (Being "weird" and not truly understanding the reasons behind certain social norms)
Aw, I'm glad my take on Spike brought out the love-feelings. He's not my guy but I do think he's a successfully written character because he's complex but set up to understand and feel very intuitively and so many do.
I've had Willow = Anya feelings for awhile. But yeah, they have a similar weirdness and a similar instinct to graft onto Xander's normality as a way to comfort themselves that they, too, are normal All American Girls. I think it's also part of Anya's hostility against Willow. Anya basically thinks that Willow's just as lost as she is when it comes to being a Normal Girl so Willow has no high ground to stand on when it comes to critiquing Anya.
the character i least understand: It's embarrassing because so many people FEEEEL him but I don't get Spike. First, I think I have a general distance from vampires or any being that's lived for hundreds of years and expects imortality. It's a zone of experience that I don't get. With Spike and Angel, it gets even more complicated with the Shanshu. I see them enjoying the hell out of the benefits of of being a vampire and having tremendous survival instincts at all time. However sometimes when the Shanshu or Buffy comes up, we're supposed to turn off our memories of them enjoying being a vampire to view their vampirism as the saddest and most horrible curse and root for them to become human as a reward???? To some extent, it's easier with Angel because this is the kind of "feel sorry for me until I unexpectedly use my superstrength to break your neck" con that Angel runs.
However, Spike is a bit of a mystery. It's hard to tell when the artifice and sincerity begins and ends. On the surface, Spike is hyped as hardcore authentic. Whether you see him as the rabble rousing vicious vampire, clumsy comedic relif whose plans are foiled, or adorkable poet. But yet, it's basically textual that Spike's image is calculated and phoney- see Fool for Love backstories. And that's also how I start explaining how he was able to wedge his way from Buffy's Enemy to "Spike is the ONLY ONE WHO HAS MY BACK", to the detriment of others in Buffy's circle. However unlike Angel, I get that there's a critical mass where you can't over-regard Spike as a smooth manipulative operator and socially skilled at knowing how to make it into Buffy's good graces because it strikes against his previous incarnations of sincerity and SO CONFUSING.
interactions i enjoyed the most: Definitely, the Core Four comes before all to me. With the sole exception of Xander/Giles which mainly feels like Xander reaching out and caring about Giles and Giles being mean to Xander so it's uncomfortable but also not developed enough to be a great dynamic. However basically all other permutations of the Core Four are great. Buffy/Willow, Buffy/Giles, Buffy/Xander, Willow/Xander, Willow/Giles. Then in threes, Buffy/Willow/Xander, Buffy/Willow/Giles. Actually Xander/Willow/Giles gets more worthwhile with the addition of Willow because it's interesting how those important characters but still side-kicks deal with Buffy when they're thrust together.
For non-Core Four, THERE'S STILL A LOT. To try to limit it to just Top Five Non-Core Four, I think Buffy/Faith, Willow/Faith, Xander/Anya, Willow/Oz, and Spike/Drusilla.
the character who scares me the most: To copy your answer to this meme, Angelus because of the abusiveness.
the character who is mostly like me: Probably Willow- even though she's not my favorite because of the typical I IDENTIFY WITH HER FOR NERDY REASONS even though there's some of that but really, I gravitate to Willow partly for her *strangeness* even as it exists in tandem with the girl-next-door parts of her that are easy to identify with and claim as similar to a fan. There's also quite a bit of Anya to me- but then, I think Willow and Anya are eerily similar.
hottest looks character: Wesley, even in his nerdiest, least sexy incarnation. Runner up for Giles even though he's not the Newest Model ahem. For the ladies, I pick Cordelia even though to borrow Roger Sterling's verbiage, when she moved to LA it was like someone turned out a light.
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one thing i like about my hated character: If you look to the comics, Andrew's technically been on Team Good longer than I anticipated.a quote or scene that haunts me: HOW DO I BEGIN? Giles coming back to a police-scene house at the end of Passion, Buffy's monologue to Giles and Willow about having to kill Angel ("I told him I loved him...and I kissed him...and I killed him."), The Ballet of Death in The Wish, Willow's/Xander's/Giles's death scenes in Restless, seeing any of Glory's victims after her monologue to Tara about how miserable it is for brainsuck victims, The Body. For underrated, the Queller Demon and Joyce's insane episode especially after reading local_max's great thoughts on the subject
a death that left me indifferent: The Chosen deaths really lack impact. I love Anya- but you blink and you miss the quickie impaling. Plus, it was her time. I mean, more than a 1000 years of living. Like you, I also first watched spoiled that Spike would come back to AtS.
a character i wish died but didn’t: Hmm, I don't really think like that. I don't think I can answer this meme for any show. I wish it was the reverse- a character I wish didn't die! That'd be much easier. JENNY CALENDAR.
my ship that never sailed: There's a big part of me that ships all permutations of Willow/Xander/Buffy. Willow/Buffy, most of all. You can have your Buffy/Faith, your Spangel- that's my favorite gay subtext! Actually, you can add Faith to the mix too. I ship all permutations of Buffy/Faith/Xander/Willow, with a reservation on Xander/Faith that her attempted rape/murder would need to be better dealt with.
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Of course, she was 1000+ so she lived her life. But still.
Instead I don't care about Jenny Calendar. I'm sorry, but just the whole technopagan stuff ... I'm lost XD
Yay on Buffy/Willow. SO MUCH POTENTIAL TBH.
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Your take on Spike actually reminded me why I love him so much. He's such a mystery and he's the most performative asshole out there. So fascinating. I also FEEEEEEL for him so much. I think that's partially because of JM's great acting (Literally, watch his eyes and you SEE THE EMOTIONS) but also because he's such an emotional mess and a spaz. I can be an emotional mess and I'm definetely a spaz, so.
I think Willow and Anya are eerily similar.
TOTALLY OMG! So cool you pointed that out. I think that Willow is so hostile to Anya because, on a certain degree, she identifies in her some of her flaws (Being "weird" and not truly understanding the reasons behind certain social norms)
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I've had Willow = Anya feelings for awhile. But yeah, they have a similar weirdness and a similar instinct to graft onto Xander's normality as a way to comfort themselves that they, too, are normal All American Girls. I think it's also part of Anya's hostility against Willow. Anya basically thinks that Willow's just as lost as she is when it comes to being a Normal Girl so Willow has no high ground to stand on when it comes to critiquing Anya.
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