Hey, we never managed to talk about this in our conversation, so I'll just write to you here instead ~ I have a lot to say about sixth season.
First: regarding the rape scene, that was just bad plotting by the authors. I read someone who wouldn't ever read a fic about Buffy getting raped, because she put, "yeah, like that's ever going to happen." She's stronger than Spike and yeah, it's just not going to happen, ever. I think what the point was, was for Spike to horrify himself -- to come to a point where he'd do something he never thought he was capable of. And with Spike's already established morality, it would take something truly horrible, like an impulse to force the girl he loves, for that to happen. (No, I can't ever picture him trying to rape Dru...but then, I can't ever picture Dru saying "no," either. It might have happened the other way around. There's a lot we don't know about Spike's past.) And again, I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that Spike finds a way to earn Buffy's forgiveness. I never 'shipped the two of them during season 6, but I started to at the end of season 7. It's okay. Trust me.
As for the chaos with Tara -- well, first of all, purposefully putting her in the credits just for the episode she gets killed off for, was just Joss's twisted sense of humor. The man is evil. Really.
I can say that he didn't kill her for being a lesbian, though -- he wasn't trying to be cruel, giving you those moments and then taking her away. Willow gets another girlfriend eventually (and we see ... um, certain things ... which I did not watch :D) and she does survive the series. I won't say any more than that, but that part will be okay. But of course, nothing could ever bring Tara back.
Tara was always one of my top favorite characters. She starts out so awkward and geekly ... and yes, bigger than Willow ... and that was one of the things I liked about her too. That she didn't fit conventional Hollywood beauty, but because of that, she was all the more beautiful for being who she was. Because in the midst of the worst breakup of her life, when she had to be the one to end the relationship, she found a way to be there for Buffy, she held herself together long enough for the sun to rise again, because ... in the end, she's Tara. If anything, it might have been a backhanded compliment by Joss -- she was the best, so he had to kill her.
It's odd how we found the precise opposite things to focus on in season 6. I never paid much attention to Willow and the magic addiction ... but given what I know of your life, it makes total sense to me that that would jump out to you. I was just so utterly focused on Buffy's journey.
When I watched the first three episodes of season 6 at Jeanine & Bill's, Bill turned to us and rolled his eyes and said, "Welcome to season 6," like he thought the angst was just over the top. And maybe part of it is me being an insane angst addict ... which I'm not really apologizing for, lol.
But so much of what Buffy said rang true to me. She got it right ... hopefully without going into too much personal detail ... that's exactly what it feels like to be unwillingly rescued from a suicide attempt. That the world is hard and cruel, and bright, that you've gone from knowing why you are, why you exist, to being uncertain again, from peace back into violence. And it's also a huge struggle to tell anyone that. Not because it's over-vulnerable, but because you're afraid of hurting them, you're afraid that you'll send the message that their attempts aren't enough -- so instead you hide it, the worst pain of your life.
I love the way Willow and the others found out in song, and then there was no attempt to hide or cover it ... there was the scene where they were talking about it among themselves and trying to rescue Buffy, and then just admitted there was nothing they could do. And I love the way that gradually Buffy finds her purpose again, and that when she finds out why she's back, then she's okay. Because that's what it's like too. You need that answer. You need to know why. Otherwise it's just sound and motion, everything meaningless under the sun, but once you know why, then it's all different, and no matter how painful, it's all possible.
Buffy's answer was that she wanted to see Dawn grow up. She wanted to show her sister the world. She cried in relief that she was going to go on after all. In my opinion, the entire season cumulates in that moment. When Buffy is alive and glad of it, and Dawn is united with her big sister and glad of it, and the world will continue to turn ... oh, yeah, and Dawn's just kicked some butt, and Willow is sobbing her heart out in Xander's arms.
But Tara's death was still very, very painful, and I don't mean to diminish that, or to put my season 6 gush in your lj instead of just using mine. But this season is really important to me, you know? I'd love to talk about it further. For now, I'll just honor Tara with you. Tara was beautiful, and powerful, and we'll miss her tremendously.
I loved parts of season 6- and I totally get Buffy's feelings about being back, and feeling lost- it was just hard to watch, and I hated the distance that had come up between them all.
Much of the last few eiposdes was hard for me because when Willow and Tara got back together, it was so beautiful- but I knew it wouldn't last. I knew what was coming (at least, in part).
But I have to admit that after Tara got blown away right in front of Willow, I really didn't care anymore about anything or anyone else. I kind of went to a dark place much like Willow, in fact.
I'll have to watch it all over again, someday, and maybe see things in a different light. Maybe...
The thing is...I dont know that one can understand the anger and the pain, of how Tara died, without being gay, and knowing the context and the history of how gays and lesbians have been treated in televsion and movies. Did you read the link I posted?
I mean with Xena it was a bit different, but still, it was another cliche lesbian death, followed right after the first maintext kiss between Xena and Gabrielle, water transfer cover-up or not, we all knew that Rob put that in intentionally.
Joss may not have killed Tara off because she was gay, but he did it anyway, knowing the cliche, and knowing how it would come across to the viewers.
Willow having another gf (hey-spoiler!) doesn't mean anything within the context of Tara dying, to me anyway.
I love that Buffy treated homosexuality so openly and matter of factly- and I give big kudos to Joss for that. I'm grateful that we got Willow and Tara, at all, but it still feels like a total slap in the face.
Oh, I wanted to add- I'm already a bit into season 7, so I know what Spike is doing and going through. I really feel for him....how can you not? So it will be interesting to see how his character develops over the season.
First: regarding the rape scene, that was just bad plotting by the authors. I read someone who wouldn't ever read a fic about Buffy getting raped, because she put, "yeah, like that's ever going to happen." She's stronger than Spike and yeah, it's just not going to happen, ever. I think what the point was, was for Spike to horrify himself -- to come to a point where he'd do something he never thought he was capable of. And with Spike's already established morality, it would take something truly horrible, like an impulse to force the girl he loves, for that to happen. (No, I can't ever picture him trying to rape Dru...but then, I can't ever picture Dru saying "no," either. It might have happened the other way around. There's a lot we don't know about Spike's past.) And again, I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that Spike finds a way to earn Buffy's forgiveness. I never 'shipped the two of them during season 6, but I started to at the end of season 7. It's okay. Trust me.
As for the chaos with Tara -- well, first of all, purposefully putting her in the credits just for the episode she gets killed off for, was just Joss's twisted sense of humor. The man is evil. Really.
I can say that he didn't kill her for being a lesbian, though -- he wasn't trying to be cruel, giving you those moments and then taking her away. Willow gets another girlfriend eventually (and we see ... um, certain things ... which I did not watch :D) and she does survive the series. I won't say any more than that, but that part will be okay. But of course, nothing could ever bring Tara back.
Tara was always one of my top favorite characters. She starts out so awkward and geekly ... and yes, bigger than Willow ... and that was one of the things I liked about her too. That she didn't fit conventional Hollywood beauty, but because of that, she was all the more beautiful for being who she was. Because in the midst of the worst breakup of her life, when she had to be the one to end the relationship, she found a way to be there for Buffy, she held herself together long enough for the sun to rise again, because ... in the end, she's Tara. If anything, it might have been a backhanded compliment by Joss -- she was the best, so he had to kill her.
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When I watched the first three episodes of season 6 at Jeanine & Bill's, Bill turned to us and rolled his eyes and said, "Welcome to season 6," like he thought the angst was just over the top. And maybe part of it is me being an insane angst addict ... which I'm not really apologizing for, lol.
But so much of what Buffy said rang true to me. She got it right ... hopefully without going into too much personal detail ... that's exactly what it feels like to be unwillingly rescued from a suicide attempt. That the world is hard and cruel, and bright, that you've gone from knowing why you are, why you exist, to being uncertain again, from peace back into violence. And it's also a huge struggle to tell anyone that. Not because it's over-vulnerable, but because you're afraid of hurting them, you're afraid that you'll send the message that their attempts aren't enough -- so instead you hide it, the worst pain of your life.
I love the way Willow and the others found out in song, and then there was no attempt to hide or cover it ... there was the scene where they were talking about it among themselves and trying to rescue Buffy, and then just admitted there was nothing they could do. And I love the way that gradually Buffy finds her purpose again, and that when she finds out why she's back, then she's okay. Because that's what it's like too. You need that answer. You need to know why. Otherwise it's just sound and motion, everything meaningless under the sun, but once you know why, then it's all different, and no matter how painful, it's all possible.
Buffy's answer was that she wanted to see Dawn grow up. She wanted to show her sister the world. She cried in relief that she was going to go on after all. In my opinion, the entire season cumulates in that moment. When Buffy is alive and glad of it, and Dawn is united with her big sister and glad of it, and the world will continue to turn ... oh, yeah, and Dawn's just kicked some butt, and Willow is sobbing her heart out in Xander's arms.
But Tara's death was still very, very painful, and I don't mean to diminish that, or to put my season 6 gush in your lj instead of just using mine. But this season is really important to me, you know? I'd love to talk about it further. For now, I'll just honor Tara with you. Tara was beautiful, and powerful, and we'll miss her tremendously.
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Much of the last few eiposdes was hard for me because when Willow and Tara got back together, it was so beautiful- but I knew it wouldn't last. I knew what was coming (at least, in part).
But I have to admit that after Tara got blown away right in front of Willow, I really didn't care anymore about anything or anyone else. I kind of went to a dark place much like Willow, in fact.
I'll have to watch it all over again, someday, and maybe see things in a different light. Maybe...
Reply
I mean with Xena it was a bit different, but still, it was another cliche lesbian death, followed right after the first maintext kiss between Xena and Gabrielle, water transfer cover-up or not, we all knew that Rob put that in intentionally.
Joss may not have killed Tara off because she was gay, but he did it anyway, knowing the cliche, and knowing how it would come across to the viewers.
Willow having another gf (hey-spoiler!) doesn't mean anything within the context of Tara dying, to me anyway.
I love that Buffy treated homosexuality so openly and matter of factly- and I give big kudos to Joss for that. I'm grateful that we got Willow and Tara, at all, but it still feels like a total slap in the face.
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