#buffillow

[heldthesun]

shipping buffy and willow is going through 7 different tags because nobody ever really decided on a ship name for them

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

Buffy rewatch: S02E06

Well, this one was fun. I like Spike and Dru this season. Also, Ripper. That is some brilliant character building for Giles. Seeing him unleash some of what he got in him is genius. And, like, I have no idea how I didn’t pick up on that the first time around, but him and Ethan definitely used to go out. “Be seeing you...” It’s too bad he left the kisses off from the end. Their interaction screamed “former boyfriends who turned out to be very different people”.

Also, Willow dies? Like, she experiences death? And it’s never brought up again? That’s weird. And how did that vampire get into Buffy’s home?

But that’s of course not the important part. The important part is, we heard it here first,

Evidence: we have Willow with the rainbow backpack strap again. Talking about how boys are lame. And how Cordelia definitely isn’t Angel’s type. Angel’s. That’s definitely what she was talking about. That Angel doesn’t like Cordelia. Only Buffy. (3)

Next, we have Buffy and Willow talking about how pretty Darla is in that book. And we get to see Willow panic when she’s supposed to say something negative about her. (1)

Also Buffy said I want to see sexy Willow. “You’re a dish. I mean, really. [...] I can’t wait for the boys to go non-verbal when they see you.” Yeah, the boys. (2)

These two are crushing on each other so hard, it physically hurts. Which at least helps me through all the Bangel scenes, which also hurt, but in an unpleasant way.

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

Must I “work” and “study”, can’t I just think about Willow Rosenberg kissing Buffy Summers on the lips?

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

So yesterday I watched Buffy's Welcome to the Hellmouth, and... man, that first season was campy.

Anyway, since I plan to watch the rest of the show as well, I decided to compile a list of evidence for three main facts about the series, namely: (1) Buffy Summers isn't straight, (2) Buffy Summers is hot for Willow Rosenberg, and (3) Willow Rosenberg is hot for Buffy Summers.

Today's contestants are:

Making this face when watching a girl you literally met a second ago walk away. I'm filing this under (1). Buffy's thoughts at this point read: "I hope this doesn't awaken something in me."

The face Willow makes when Buffy sits down next to her in the school yard. (3)

And finally, when Buffy sees Willow at the Bronze and she immediately asks if she's single. (Technically, she asks if she's going out with Xander, but the way she asks makes you wonder why she's interested...) (2)

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

Buffy rewatch: S02E11

Oh. Wow. This episode is way stronger than I remembered. Even if it’s maybe a bit overambitious for a single episode.

Let start with saying how funny Buffy is at times. Ted was a serious episode, but the first part when Buffy was beating that vampire with a trash lid had me laughing out loud. These first two seasons, the writing isn’t always a hundred percent there, but it still manages to be really funny at times.

And now for the serious part. Ted. I felt that minigolf scene in my guts. Buffy’s face when she realises who he is. Not what he is, but who. Someone who threatens a seventeen year old girl over cheating at minigolf. And when she realises he’s got everyone else fooled.

This season will delve more deeply into the topic of abuse, but this is different. This is different because next time the show revisits the topic, it will be a lot more overt. This time, for the first half of the episode, only Buffy knows what’s going on. This is also a lot more down-to-earth. Ted could very well be a real person. I think all of us have met a few Teds. And because it’s so down-to-earth, within a show with fantastic element, we get to see one thing: the insignificance of power.

Later it turns out that Ted is a machine who can deal some serious damage. At this time, at the minigolf scene, neither the audience, nor Buffy knows that. In her mind, Ted poses no serious threat to Buffy. And it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter, because in your own home, you don’t want people you could overpower; you want people you don’t have to fight. It doesn’t matter because based on everything she’s seen so far, Buffy can correctly assume that if she ever hit back, it would be her treated as the aggressor, her being punished. That she’d either have to tolerate him threatening and possibly hurting her, or risk being blamed for defending herself.

And that is what happens. And here comes a shortfalling of the episode: the cookies. Did we really need them? I mean, what’s their purpose? In his first scene, Ted could conceivably woo Willow with his gadgets and Xander with his cooking, and Joyce is of course already on his side. And after he threatens Buffy, Joyce dismissing her is very in-character, Willow agrees to help her anyway, and Xander’s attitude towards Ted at that point is irrelevant. Yeah, the cookies will be the first evidence against him later, but they would probably have still gone to Ted’s house, and there’s more than enough incriminating stuff there already.

And now, for the third part. The confrontation between Ted and Buffy. That is brutal. And I forgot so much. I remembered that they were struggling and Ted fell down the stairs, but that’s not what happened. Ted hit her twice. One of those must’ve been really hard, because he knocked her down, but still, twice. And she went to town on him. It wasn’t a slip. It was deliberate. Buffy lost her temper, and she went ballistic. She wasn’t even aiming to subdue; she was aiming to hurt.

And she did. Which is honestly a very, very bold thing to do, and maybe a little bit too much for an episode in the middle of a season. Buffy killed a man. Alright, she didn’t really, but she thought she did, and even the end of the episode doesn’t change much. Ted could’ve been a human. Maybe some part of her knew he wasn’t, because she felt his strength, but still, she can’t be sure that if he was some just regular guy, she wouldn’t have done the same.

And when I say Buffy Summers is a hero, I mean a lot of things, but part of it is that at seventeen, she took responsibility for killing someone when she had a very clear way out. I have no idea if I could’ve done that. At seventeen. She’s the slayer, she’s been told she was special for years now, and still, she takes one look at things and says no, it doesn’t matter who she is, she can’t be allowed to take a life without facing up to the consequences.

Again, I think the consequences part is brushed to the side, which is what happens when you need to wrap up the whole story in forty-five minutes. Ted should’ve been brought up in later episodes. A lot. All the way up to season seven. It’s a shame that while Buffy usually doesn’t shy away from the consequences of its plot, it rarely explores the effects of all these traumatic events on Buffy’s life. We get a few glimpses of the really big ones, and the whole of season six of course, but Buffy taking a human life should be way more influential.

Anyway. The scene when Buffy goes back to school is chilling. And bless the heart of all her friends who immediately rush to dig up anything on Ted to help Buffy. Cordelia of all people stayed in late to do research, and then the three of them went to the house of a suspected serial killer alone, because they were worried about their friend. Bless them.

All in all, I don’t hate the Ted is a robot twist. I get that you have to take away the edge. And since we only find out in the last few minutes, it doesn’t really take away the impact of the episode for me. It could’ve been better, sure. A lot better. But what could’ve made it better is if it had left an impact on the show going forward. If we could’ve seen the shadow of Ted looming over Buffy in later seasons.

(PS: Buffy asking Willow very nicely trumps Ted’s tranquilizer cookie. Possible (3), as far as I’m concerned.)

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

Buffy rewatch: S02E15

So, writing in-depth reviews is a bit exhausting, especially since I know other people have done a far better job then me. So I’m gonna stop reviewing each episode.

The whole reason I started this is to compile all the Wiffy moments, i. e. all moments that can be considered as proof to the fact that (1) Buffy Summers isn’t straight, (2) Buffy Summers is hot for Willow Rosenberg, and (3) Willow Rosenberg is hot for Buffy Summers. In short,

So, from now on, I’m gonna only occasionally post about my rewatch, whene there’s enough Wiffy moments for one post, or if I have Thoughts™ on an episode.

For today, we have: the fact that closeted gay Larry looked at them and thought, “These two should be getting it on” (2, 3), and of course, the mandatory Buffy giving the wholse speach to Willow how no giguy could resist her “wily Willow charms”. Projecting much? (2)

(And yeah, I know, Larry was just trying to be hyper-masculine or whatever, but you know, the idea somehow sprung to his mind, and it wasn’t because he’d find it exciting at all.)

Also, what’s up with completely changing the werewolf design? It looked good in this episode, you didn’t need to mess it up.

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

Buffy rewatch: S01E03

So... Witch. Honestly, not a bad season 1 episode, just... not really memorable. Willow saying “slayerettes” is cute, her getting jumpy when Xander gives Buffy that bracelet is... interesting, let’s say. She’s jealous for sure, the question is, is she jealous of Buffy or... She clearly doesn’t want her to get together with Xander, and she probably thinks that’s because she likes him, but I don’t think that’s the truth... (3)

Also, Cordelia’s characterization in this one is a lot more consistent with the character she will grow into, and that’s good. She’s still an asshole, but it’s important that she’s an asshole, so that’s okay.

Another thing is that Buffy almost died and nobody seemed to make a big deal out of it, including her? That looks like a missed opportunity right there.

And... that’s it. I don’t really have anything else to say about the episode.

[three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat]

Buffy rewatch: S01E05-06

So Never Kill a Boy on the First Date happened. I... don’t have much notes on it. Except the humour. I didn’t remember the first season being this funny, but most of the jokes are spot on.

But, boy. The Pack. Buffy flirting with Willow in the Bronze. Willow being not jealous at all of Angel.  Buffy being protective of Willow when Xander is being possessed mean. Buffy and Willow holding hands in the end. I repeat, Buffy and Willow are holding hands. (2, 3) Heaven.

I mean, otherwise the episode was pretty mediocre. What was that dodgeball scene? Anyway, see you in the next one.