Big Bads

This week, we discussed Big Bads in the Buffyverse. Obviously, Big Bads are the recurring enemies Buffy and the Scoobies face throughout the series (be it recurring in only a few episodes or throughout the series/season).

An outstanding fan favorite was Angelus. 
Angelus is interesting to me. He is one of the most twisted Big Bads that we see on the show. Angelus is known for tormenting his victims. He drove Dru crazy before he changed her. He killed Willow's fish (moment of silence for the fish). Angelus is insane. It's little wonder why the gypsy tribe cursed him. But the years of having a soul definitely did not soften Angelus' rough edges. Angelus is, in my opinion, one of the most complex Big Bads.

Another popular Big Bad was Dark Willow.
 Now this one is on my personal list. Dark Willow is another deeply complex Big Bad. Let's face it: the chain of events that led to Dark Willow would have been enough to break anyone. Willow lost a secondary mother figure (Joyce), her best friend (even if it WAS briefly), lived with a huge amount of guilt after realizing she had pulled Buffy out of Heaven and not Hell, and then? To top it all off, she loses the love of her life. Tara's death was the catalyst, yes. But I do not believe that the other events didn't add to it. Through Dark Willow, we got to see a more intense side of Willow. I am by no means excusing Willow for the deaths and near-apocalypse she caused. Instead, I am saying that I can understand how it feels to feel ABSOLUTELY broken. I honestly believe that Willow felt like she had nothing left to lose after Tara's death. Which is why it took Xander to pull her back from that edge. I don't think anyone else could have succeeded. Dark Willow is an example that we are all human. We all make mistakes. We all have a breaking point. It's how we come  back from rock bottom that makes us who we are.


The third Big Bad I want to discuss is The First.
The First is interesting in so many ways, even if it is not as complex as some of the others. Being incorporeal, the First cannot actually harm anyone. But it can drive others to harm themselves or others. Taking the form of anyone who has died is an interesting mechanism too. This, in and of itself, can be used to torture victims. But also, it can use the Ubervamps as its henchmen. The Ubervamps are nasty, and the First puts them to good use. And then, there are the Bringers. There are lots of interesting things I could say about them, but let's leave it at this: they creep me out. Badly. Right up there with the Gentlemen. It is interesting to see how the first evil still manipulates events, even in Amends. The First is an altogether interesting Big Bad.

And finally, let's talk about Glory.
How could I leave off the Hellgoddess trapped in a human body?  Glorificus wanted to get back to her own dimension, even if it meant destroying our world. No, I am not defending her by any means. Glory was a Goddess of Hell, and she was evil to the core. Nothing proves this more (in my opinion) than what she did to Tara. She even manages to corrupt Ben. After abducting Dawn, it is clear that Ben has decided to side with Glory in order to be free. Glory taints him. And in doing so, she actually brings about her own destruction. Because it is through Ben that they are able to destroy her. (Although, I still have my doubt about whether or not she actually WAS destroyed...but that's just me. :P ) Glory, like the First, even has her own set of minions. Again, it is interesting to watch the interaction between minion and Master (Mistress in this case).

Thanks for all the input from fans!! I look forward to next week's discussion! ~Buffy

Unconventional Ships

We hear all the time about the cannon ships. So I thought it might be nice to talk about the ships that are not usually brought up. Whenever you have a fandom so full of people of ALL different kinds, you are bound to have ships that stand out differently to people. It doesn't make the ships less important to the people that believe in their strength.

Let's start with Fuffy. For those that don't know, this is Faith & Buffy. 

It's well known that Faith and Buffy have had a love-hate relationship over the years. There has, canonically, been a certain amount of tension between the two Slayers. Heck, the very ideology behind the whole ONE Slayer thing is a big source of this tension. And yes, there is a certain ambiguity about it that leads one to wonder if it might not be sexual in nature. There's even a scene where Faith was supposed to kiss Buffy on the lips, but the network vetoed it and Faith kisses her on the forehead instead. Truthfully, I have to wonder if Fuffy wasn't actually intended to be more canon if the network hadn't been so fast to veto it. It's one of those Could-Have-Been things I often wonder about.

Next, let's move on to Spike and Xander, aka Spander. 

Now, for the sake of full-disclosure, I must admit that my Spuffy shipping heart aches a bit when I consider this ship. That's not to say it doesn't matter. I am in NO way saying it is unimportant. There are definitely people who love the idea of it. And there are quotes that make even me wonder. For instance, there's the scene in Beneath You. Nancy asks if there is anyone in the group that haven't slept together. Spike and Xander exchange a look, and then look away quickly. Neither one of them speak up. So sure, this look may mean absolutely nothing. (The majority of me, the hardcore Spuffy shipper, believes it didn't mean anything). Or, it could have been a hint of something. This is one that is best left up to interpretation. But remember this: just because someone sees it differently, doesn't mean they are necessarily wrong.

Sticking with the whole trend of three examples, I'll wrap up with Aniles (Anya/Giles)

Obviously, this one is technically the most canon. We witnessed what this ship might possibly be like during the course of Tabula Rasa. This ship would have been very interesting to see play out in the long run. The Watcher and the ex-Demon is kind of an interesting parallel. Moreover, it would have been very interesting to see how developing feelings for Anya had changed Giles' stance on demons. This is the non-ship I personally like to wonder the most about. What would have changed if Giles had fallen in love with Anya? Would his view of Spike or Angel or any of the other friendly demons they met have changed in any way? 

So there you go. There's my insight on three of the non-canon ships we discussed on Buffyverse this week. I will say this: yes, this was inspired a lot by opinion. Therefore, you have every right not to agree with me. But remember: that does not make you right, it does not make me wrong. 

Also, with today being the page's second birthday, I want to give a shout-out to anyone and everyone who has helped our page grow, be they admin, fan or former admin. We appreciate you all. Even if we don't constantly say it. 

~Buffy  

Unanswered Questions/Things That We're Left Going Huh?

So this week's blog post, I want to discuss unanswered questions and things that have left us going "huh?" even if they have been answered.

I'm going to start with the Cheese Man in Restless. There has been much speculation on why he was there. Joss himself has said the Cheese Man doesn't actually mean anything. But that hasn't stopped people from wondering, what was the purpose of this strange man? Most of the other things in the dreams meant something. 

TARA (softly): Be back before dawn.

This episode is packed with foreshadowing, and it's easy to see why people are still wondering about the Cheese Man and any special meaning. 

Moving on: why didn't the Master dust out like usual vampires? In season 2, we see his skeleton. Why would he have a skeleton and not dust out. Again, this is something we are left to wonder and come up with theories about. 

And finally, though I could go on a long time, what ever happened to Marcie? (Marcie is the girl from Out of Sight, Out of Mind). We know she was sent to a sort of government facility and trained for assassination.  What exactly was this secret government unit? Were they related to the Initiative? 

As I have said, there are so many more unanswered questions. I think there is a certain good side to this though. Even after nearly twelve years of being off the air, we are STILL talking about this groundbreaking show. We are still asking questions about it. I think that is exactly why not everything was wrapped up.

~Buffy  

On The Hatred of Characters

 ***Before I begin, I want to preface this by saying the following are all OPINION based***
So sure, we all have characters we might not like as much as others. Dawn, Xander, Kennedy, Riley, etc. But why is it so hard for us to see that these people have brought something to the show?
Let's start with Dawn. Yes, Dawn is known for being whiny and annoying. But let's dig a bit deeper. For a moment, I'm going to ignore the whole Key thing. Dawn was the younger sister of a Slayer. That in and of itself could not have been easy. Then, she finds out that all those memories she has aren't even real. Add to that personality crisis the fact that, biologically, she is a teenager, and I can't blame her for being whiny. Then, she loses her mother. OUCH. Let me tell you, that is not a pleasant experience. I lost my mother figure (my grandmother) the same year The Body aired. In fact, The Body helped me through that. So, I know what Dawn was feeling in that moment. But before she gets over that, she loses her sister. Buffy not only died, but she sacrificed herself to save Dawn. That HAD to of been a bad situation for her.
Let's move on to Xander. Unfortunately, Xander has this rap for being the mess up. It's true that he is sort of the comedic relief of the show. But I see Xander as so much more than that. Yes, he has made several mistakes. But he is a human. A human who was thrust very unexpectedly into the world of the supernatural. It is my firm belief that the reason Xander was written the way he was is to remind us that humans are utterly imperfect creatures. Xander is the epitome of an imperfect human being. He's so utterly imperfect that he is actually perfect. If all the characters in the Buffyverse were perfect and had it all together all the time, it would not be nearly as relate-able or enjoyable. Also, there is the whole Yellow Crayon thing. Xander saved the world, let us not forget. He did it through his love for Willow. And that means a lot.
Now for Kennedy. Yes, Kennedy. She's a brat. No one will doubt that. Heck, Kennedy herself says as much.

                          "In fact, this may have escaped your keen notice, but, I'm kind of a brat. I've always sort of gotten my way."

 But here's the thing. Kennedy's main problem as a character is the fact that she replaced Tara, a very beloved character. It's unfortunate, but Kennedy did serve a purpose. She helped Willow through her grief for Tara and helped her see that things would be okay if she moved on. That isn't an easy position to be in, but Kennedy did it. Even more importantly, she helped Willow find the inner strength to do the spell that turned all the Potentials into full Slayers. If it hadn't been for Kennedy, I'm not entirely sure she would have found that strength. 

 And finally, Riley. There are more characters I could cover here, but I chose not to at the moment. Riley is (aside from Parker) the least popular of Buffy's love interests. He certainly is down there on my list too. But even so, he definitely served a very important purpose. As the only human Buffy had a long-term relationship, Riley gave Buffy an idea of what it would be like to have a "normal" life. I feel that she certainly learned a lot about herself and what she really wanted in the time that they were together. Riley was another imperfect human being, especially after his involvement with the Initiative. And Buffy, despite her continued pleas for a "normal" life, realized that she had spent far too long enjoying the darkness. She only realized it because of her relationship with Riley. If he hadn't been there, she might not have realized this. 

 So here's the point: even the least popular of characters served a purpose in the show. And I can almost guarantee you that there is someone out there who loves a character you might hate. On Buffyverse, this is the reason we are so adamant about acceptance. 

Please remember, this is my opinion. You are entitled to your feelings of dislike/hate for any of these characters. However, I will ask that you refrain from commenting negatively.
Thanks for reading anyway! ~Buffy

Black and White

In the early seasons, everyone in the Buffyverse was very convinced that everything was black and white. Vampires were evil. There was no room for dispute. Demons were all evil. 

Xander: I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good.

Of course, as time continued, this changed. Angel played a big part in this, as the first ensouled vampire the Scoobies encountered. Granted, not everyone was as open to accepting Angel. But by the time the Scoobies graduated high school, things were definitely seen as being shades of grey and not as black and white. 
Heck, by the time that we get to season seven, the group often get assisted by demons. (Spike and Clem specifically). Even Xander's black and white ideals changed. He went from the boy who hated anything not-human to the man who fell in love with a (former) vengeance demon.
The shades of grey is a recurring theme throughout the series. It's one of the biggest sticking points in the dispute between Buffy and the Watcher's Council. By the time she turned 18, Buffy had come to learn that things are not as black and white as everyone would  like them to be. 
For someone who has actually grown up with the show (I was seven during the first season), this changing viewpoint of what it is to be evil became a vital part of how I see the world. I spent a great deal of my formative years alongside Buffy and the Scoobies.
Is someone evil because of what they are? No. They are evil because of what they DO.
As a child, I was always told that actions speak louder than words, a lesson I have carried with me. In life, things can't always be black and white, but it's the shades of grey that make us all unique anyway. (Remember my blog post about respecting our differences?) Instead of fearing the shades of grey that surrounded their everyday lives, and trying to live in a fantasy world where everything was either good or evil, Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed that nothing is black and white. And it's yet another on the LONG list of reasons why I am very grateful to Joss Whedon, the writers, and the cast.
~Buffy

School Hard/Introductory post

So I just realized a few things that happen in the episode School Hard (S2, Ep3) 1) Spike growls in when he is in the place with the annotated (annoying) one. 2) Dru says everything she touches dies and I randomly realized that, that so includes Spike, as she sired him. And 3) Spike was only ever really evil wen he was in the fanged four. (Though I knew this but I felt there should be a three) This is admin Spike by the way, I couldn't figure out how to do an introductory blog so here it is. ~Spike

The Continuity Errors, and How They Can be Endearing

Particularly, in Season One, there are quite a few continuity errors. I personally find these little errors kind of endearing. Let me explain.
The writer's are only human. Continuity issues remind us of the fact that these God-like beings *"We are as Gods!"* are not in fact God-like.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a perfectly imperfect show.  To me that makes it so much more appealing. After all, I don't want a show where everything is perfect 100% of the time.
Also, consider this. Nothing in life is completely without flaws. Even the most beautiful of gemstones is liable to have a flaw here and there. Continuity issues happen to the best of writers. As a writer, I can attest to the hard work that goes into making sure everything is running smoothly in your story. So sometimes, it's easy to overlook things here and there.
Here's the point:
Instead of complaining about these things, how about we cut the writers some slack and enjoy that these moments exist? Pobody's Nerfect after all.

~Buffy

Roleplaying In the Buffyverse

Roleplaying in the Buffyverse

 Before starting the page, I had never roleplayed. But I agreed to give it a try, and I have to tell you I'm so glad I did. It has helped me learn quite a lot about myself. In fact, I would even go so far as to say you can tell more about someone after you roleplay with them. 

Buffy is an interesting character to rp as. In example, she is strong, not just physically but mentally as well. She's also fiercely loyal. This is something I like to think I have picked up from her. Yes, she has weaknesses. And sometimes, her friends can prove to be a weakness. They are the people the demons can use to get to her, that's true. But it's deeper than that too. Her friends can also hurt her the worst. (I.E. the way she felt at the end of End of Days when they kicked her out.) This is something I have learned too.

Admin Spike has also noted certain ways she is similar to her character. So this leads me to wonder. Are we adapting to our characters? Or did we choose them without fully understanding the parallels that were already there?
I have a few other characters that I roleplay as, but none that I feel quite as close to as Buffy. Sure, I might understand Hermione Granger a bit better. But I cannot seem to get into her mind quite as well. And forget Rose Tyler. She may be one of my favorite characters, but I fail at roleplaying her. The demon named Ruby from Supernatural is probably the closest to Buffy as far as my roleplaying skills, but that is basically because I have made the character my own in the way I portray her.

Back to the main point of this:

The group of people in the Buffyverse community that roleplay is a pretty decently sized one. We all have vastly different ways of portraying the same characters. But I like to think we all do it in a great way. Roleplaying is supposed to be fun. If we are restricted, it isn't quite as much fun. The thing I like about the Buffyverse, and rolepalying in it, is that there aren't a ton of restrictions when you are playing a Slayer, or a vampire, or a demon. Or even someone that's human but is a friend of the Slayer's. 

So take this from me. If you want to roleplay, don't let fears of restriction stop you.
By the same token, do me a favor. Don't hate on someone for playing a character different than you would/think they should. Things would go so much more smoothly, and therefore more fun if you just accept those who roleplay as they are.

Thanks for reading! ~Buffy

Mini-Rant

First off, this is not spurred on by anything that has happened recently. It's just a general "this bugs me" post. Second, let me say that I LOVE the community of Buffyverse fans. In general, we are all very understanding and amazing.
Now, let's get down to business to defeat the Huns. Oops, wrong fandom. :P
I understand there are characters that we all hate/dislike. Hell, I could make a list of mine. There are ships we might not like as much as others. That's a part of being human. If we all agreed on something 100% of the time, life would be boring. *cue the identical grey blobs that we'd all resemble if we were all 100% identical in all aspects* So why do we get nasty when someone has an opinion different than ours?
I don't fully understand this attitude. I ship Spuffy. I am NOT a fan of Angel when he was on Buffy. BUT that does not mean I automatically hate anyone who ships Bangel. I honestly have nothing wrong with the ship. There are reasons why it is appealing to people. Hey, I get it. But I prefer Spuffy. End of story. Nothing you can say can change that, so do me a favor? Don't get nasty with me for stating AN OPINION. I have not said Spuffy (or Spike) is better. For one simple reason. An opinion is not a fact. 
I have had someone tell me that Spuffy shippers "cannot see past their own noses" simply because we choose to have an opinion DIFFERENT than those of Bangel shippers. This, needless to say, was extremely insulting to me. On Buffyverse, we try to incorporate all aspects of the show, regardless of our own personal feelings. Saying we "can't see past our own noses" when quite a few of the admin team (at least the head admin team) are Spuffy shippers who go out of our way to accept EVERYONE is pointlessly nasty.
Same goes for individual characters. Not everyone likes Dawn or Riley or Kennedy. That doesn't make them any less important to the show. Here's the thing. There is someone out there who likes each of these out there. It doesn't make them WRONG. It makes them DIFFERENT. (Keep the grey blob scenario in mind). 
The point of this post would be this: Telling someone they are wrong because they think differently than you is nasty. There is no such thing as a wrong opinion because IT'S AN OPINION. We need to try to accept others even if they are different than us.
End of Rant. Thank you for listening. ~Buffy 

Welcome!

This blog is where we, the admins of Buffyverse (www.facebook.com/Buffyverse314) will post our thoughts on episodes or characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series.

This first post is simply me welcoming our lovely fans. Hopefully, we will have more posts for you soon! 

~Buffy