Annoyance of the day:

[lirazel]

People who flat-out say that Buffy didn't love Spike despite the fact that she said she did.

She said she did. The only reason we have to believe that she didn't is one thing Spike said, and since when do people believe anything that comes out of Spike's mouth? Boy can speak the truth that no one else will, but he also says a ton of b.s., and everyone knows it.

I just hatehatehatehatehatehate all of these people sitting around telling a woman (and it would be a woman--if a man said, it I think a lot less people would disagree with her) who finds it nearly impossible to say the words "I love you" even to people she regards as family (remember "Intervention"? That's canon) that she doesn't love someone when she said she did.

I don't have a problem with people quibbling over the nature of her love. You can argue that she didn't love him romantically or as much as she did Angel or whatever (I would disagree with the first one and re: the second, I would remind you that, as the_royal_anna says, we don't love in amounts. We love in ways). That's legit. But to say, flat-out, that she didn't love him even though she says she did takes agency away from Buffy in a way that I am entirely uncomfortable with and that DRIVES ME CRAZY, OKAY. If she had said she loved Riley (she didn't, did she?), I would be pissed at people saying she didn't love him, either. Uuuugh why does this annoy me so much?

Comments

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

No, Buffy attempts to date Wood, but when Spike offers to leave and she tells him she wants him to stay, and he indicates that that wouldn't work if she is going to try to be dating Wood, she never tries to date Wood again.

Yes. This is such an interesting, subtle way to read that scene. I love it. I've always struggled a little to figure out what Buffy's expression means when she looks at Spike after he asks where Wood fits in if he stays in town. And I love this read. That she's figuring out, even as she's asking Spike to stay, that Wood doesn't fit in. That she won't be dating him again.

AND. More about the jealousy (because I'm excited to think about this)! It's interesting to me how when Buffy's dating Wood, Spike is jealous (I mean, duh--the poor guy is crushed)--but he's willing to play it cool and back out and not cause waves. But by the time Angel strolls into town, he's actually secure enough in her affection/feelings for him, that he's willing to confront her about the kiss. And he's willing own his jealousy. To me, that shows that there is something beyond the flicker of jealousy one might feel at seeing an ex move on or what 2 friends would feel. Because if he thought there was nothing real between them, he'd have hid his feelings, like he did when she was going out with Wood. But as it is, he feels like he has a legitimate grievance.

And Buffy. She justifies his brazen display of jealousy. Because right away, she feels guilty (and I think she sort of does in First Date, too--when Spike comes into the restaurant and sees Wood feeding her. I think she feels like she's betraying Spike--which tells me that she thinks that there's something substantial between them too). But back to Chosen--she starts making excuses and dodges right from the beginning of their Angel-kiss conversation. She stops short of actually apologizing--but she stops just short of it. They both know that there's something between them. It's tangible.

Also: I'm going to friend you if that's okay. Because I've seen you around a bit lately, and I love reading your comments.

[boot-the-grime.livejournal.com]

Of course it's OK :)

I'm friending you right back :)