Comments | buffyquestions: Who had right? Maybe both, maybe noone...

buffymods2 in buffyquestions

Who had right? Maybe both, maybe noone...

Oct 15, 2010 17:35

Y'all know how the Buffy/Riley relationship ended. This week's poll is mainly centered on the how of it . How two seemingly happy people broke up like that?
Have fun! :)

Your Mods,

Tabi and Pam
( Poll :) )

saturday polls

Comments 14

menomegirl October 15 2010, 14:50:02 UTC

Is there a chance you could make your poll multiple choice? Because I think they were both right and they were both wrong.

As it is, I'd have to check all four options.

(The comment has been removed)

menomegirl October 15 2010, 14:56:28 UTC

Hee! No problem; just please count my vote as a verbal "all of the above". :)

spiletta42 October 15 2010, 14:55:12 UTC

Buffy wasn't blameless when it comes to the problems in that relationship, and the responsibility for the fate of the world buys her only so much of a pass, but when someone in a relationship engages in dangerous behavior, the other party is always right to confront them.

Yes, Buffy was holding back emotionally in their relationship, but Riley lost all right to call her on it when instead of discussing their relationship issues openly and honestly, he instead went skulking off and involved himself in a self-destructive situation.

The fact that Riley loved Buffy more than Buffy loved Riley does not make Riley the victim. His actions are his own responsibility. Obviously, he got his act together and formed a healthy relationship with his next partner, while Buffy's next romantic entanglement was not the sanest choice ever, but in that specific story arc, Buffy belongs to the justified camp.

crevanfox October 15 2010, 15:31:08 UTC

I came here to say exactly this. Only I wouldn't have been so eloquent, so I'll just second everything here.

penny_lane_42 October 15 2010, 15:42:52 UTC

Amen.

artemis_ephesus October 16 2010, 05:36:33 UTC

Completely agree on all points. I chose "both were wrong", but when it comes down to it, Riley was still more wrong than Buffy. Even if it was only a little.

Thread 5

sidhlairiel October 15 2010, 15:10:00 UTC

I voted that they were both right. That said, I absolutely hated the transparent way that they wrote Riley out of this show. In season 4 Buffy was neglecting her friends because she was spending so much time with him and then suddenly she is never there for him? Nope. I'll never believe the lame way that they wrote this 'ship into the ground just because the character of Riley was unpopular with a lot of people. I started watching in mid-season 4 and just WTFed at what they did to the ship in the end ( ... )

laughslower October 15 2010, 15:50:34 UTC

After a lot of thought, I voted that they were both wrong. And I'm going to second sidhlairiel's comments about how the entire situation is the result of some really not-so-great writing that in my opinion, took Riley completely OOC ( ... )

angearia October 17 2010, 09:29:18 UTC

I disagree that Riley is OOC. By the beginning of Season 5, he's lost everything but Buffy. He's not in school anymore. He's not in the Initiative. He's not a superpowered human. All he has is Buffy and he freaks out ( ... )

hunenka October 15 2010, 16:07:26 UTC

I will probably be representing the minority here when I say that Riley was right...

Or not exactly right, but more right than Buffy was. They both made huge mistakes and I get that Riley's solution - going to the vamp nest - was really stupid, but...

I think Buffy was treating him terribly not only in S5, but also in S4. She never was completely honest with him, she always took him more as a thing than a partner. Not that I say she's the bad one either, because things were really tough for her, she wasn't really over Angel yet ( ... )

iamfitz October 16 2010, 18:37:53 UTC

Great comment, and I think you bring up a lot of valid points. I didn't really care for Riley when the show was on, but re-watching it has made me like him more.

Your comment also raises an interesting question about Buffy and her ability to love and be loved. While I don't think that love entered into her emotionally destructive relationship with Spike at all, one wonders if she's capable of having a healthy romantic relationship.

hunenka October 17 2010, 07:36:12 UTC

While I don't think that love entered into her emotionally destructive relationship with Spike at all, one wonders if she's capable of having a healthy romantic relationship.

I also don't think that Buffy loved Spike when she was with him. And that just supports what you said. But I think a lot of things changed for her in S7, when she finally made peace with herself and the past. I don't read the comics, but from what I've seen in S7, I'd say she might learn how to love again.