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