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I have read #36!
No, really, I've read the whole thing! And though I still don't even like the idea that the comics even exist (like I've said a thousand times, I'm perfectly happy with the "ending" we got the first time--Buffy, standing on the edge of the carter-that-was-the-hellmouth, smiling and full of hope, her whole life and endless possibilities ahead of her), and I doubt I'm ever going to love them (and I still think there are major, major pacing problems and my complaints about some of the feminism stuff still stand and I think it was a mistake to draw it out this long), I want to add my voice to those who say, "Buck up, kiddos! Things might just work out after all!"
But this isn't meta. It isn't even insightful, probably. I mean, while I have paid detailed attention to all that's come before, I've only read, like, two other installments. So I'm not exactly knowledgeable. This is just a bunch of random thoughts I had while reading, and many of them have been said better and more eloquently by other people. I doubt I have anything original to say.
+ First of all, there is no way we're supposed to be taking Buffy's interactions with Angel seriously. No. Way. The art is too over-the-top for me to even begin to. Buffy's face? Seriously? She never looks like that, all googly-eyed. She doesn't even look like that with Angel on the show--never in the earlier seasons, never when he comes back. Never with Riley, never with Spike. The only time she comes close is during "Something Blue." (Btw, I love you, SMG. You are fantastic, and I wish I could see you making these faces because I know if you were making them, everyone would acknowledge that this can't be serious. Also, you and your baby are adorable!)
+ The dialogue is ridiculous, too. To wit:
Yeah. Right. Even at her schmoopiest, this is not Buffy. Buffy doesn't say things like this, at all, ever. Not even to Angel. Contrast this with the cookie dough speech and the subtlety of the "Yeah, sometimes I think about it" in "Chosen." I think Joss picked the word "pronounce" purposelly, too: it just sounds so ridiculous (though I do love that it's kind of a wink at Buffy's intentional mispronunciation of everything that has more than three syllables. That's my girl!) Pair it with the "weirdest, bestest..." repeat, and yeah: that's not just Buffy. She is definitely being influenced by something.
She also says, "But you have my heart, so what I can I do?" Those are not words of free will speaking there. I think that's very significant.
+ Whatever this "higher power" is that's orchestrating all of this, it's weirdly obsessed with sex. First there's the space-frakkin'. Then there's the dog noticing his balls (which, okay, was pretty funny, if not nearly as funny as "Squirrel!" from Up!) and the lady offering to take Angel back to her place to thank him. I'm probably reading waaaaaay too much into this, but the other animal that the power uses to address Angel is a bird, which makes me think birds and bees. Okay, that last one is stretching it, but I wonder if the rest is significant.
+ Knocking over Big Ben: yes, Spike: funny. If this was real, it wouldn't be, but as a shout-out to him announcing his arrival by knocking down the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign? Hilarious. Also, I like the contrast between that being intentional for him and it being an accident that Angel knocks down the Hollywood "O." Actually, not even an accident: the power flings him towards it--he doesn't have a choice. Spike does. Which leads me to...
+ I absolutely love that Spike is going out, finding info for himself, putting the pieces together, asking around, calling in favors and that he figures out what's going on for himself. It proves that A) he's a pretty smart guy, no matter what Angel says, and B) he's still the captain of Team Free Will. Where Angel is prompted, prodded by any power that comes along and claims to be good, Spike makes choices, hurls himself into the battle that he wasn't necessarily invited to, and makes his own story. I always think of Whistler telling Buffy that no one ever saw her coming. No one ever saw Spike coming, either. And that is why I love him. Also, I find the white socks strangely endearing.
+ Angel getting his suit made by the little tailor guy made me laugh. I wonder what he's going to think of it when he's not under the influence anymore? He's always been metro; I think he'll be appalled.
+ As Spike's ushering everyone onto the ship (once again, Buffy may say she doesn't trust him, but she trusts him enough to take care of the people she cares about--which includes Dawn. I would die of happiness if we got some Spike/Dawn interaction, even though I know we won't), they're giving him sideways glances. This could mean a couple of things: A) they still haven't taken his sacrifice in "Chosen" seriously or B) they've seen Buffy and Angel acting ridiculous and destroying the world, and here's Buffy's other big love, and they're wondering if he'll be affected as well. Personally, I think it's the later. At this point, soulful vamps who love Buffy aren't exactly to be trusted and last they heard (I think) Spike was working with Angel. It makes sense to me.
+ The bug thing is weird, and so is the steampunk ship, but! I do like the "glorious leader," "your majesty" thing. Someone please write me fic about Spike showing up on some bug world and them crowning him their king. Because that would be glorious.Even if it has ooky colonial overtones.
+ Dawn/Xander is cute. I still say that if you're watching S7, you can see the foundation for that pairing being laid. It makes sense to me.Even if I kind of think Dawn can do better.
+ Amy/Warren? WTF? Giles is throwing up? Silliness. I don't really need that, Joss.
+ Further proof that Buffy isn't herself: sending Angel to protect Slayers. AFTER HE'S BEEN THREATENING/KILLING THEM ALL ALONG. Yeah. Right.
+ "I got more powerful, not remotely mature." HAHAHA! Oh, Angel! True words were never spoken! What are you, twelve?
+ Frog!Angel! Hilarity! Also, "the man-bitch formerly known as Angel"! Oh, Faith. I like you so much now. I wish you and Buffy were BFFs. You totally are in my head!canon.
+ YET AGAIN Buffy makes Angel leave and has Spike beside her as she saves the world. Seriously, people, this is ship fodder right here: Buffy and Angel are face-to-face, waxing poetical about their love, but Buffy and Spike are side-by-side, facing what's coming, getting down to business, saving the world. And isn't that what we love about them? Also: SNARK! We get snark, they get schmoop. And it's not even real schmoop! We win. The end. /silliness
+ Now to the part you've all been waiting for. The Buffy/Spike interaction. I actually...kind of love it. It's actually very much how I wrote them being reunited in Basiare. No tears and sweetness and weeping. In that, I have both of them not being able to keep from hurting each other because they've always been able to make each other so raw. It's actually uglier than this interaction, because that was outright fighting.
This, however, is snark. Buffy storms up to him, all business, interrupting him. She does things in order, not letting him say anything. Favorite bit:
Seriously, that is so them that it kind of makes me flail. SNARK! Greatest thing ever!
And Spike is the one who gets through to her, who makes her realize what's going on, who makes her cry. How perfect is that? He's the one who tells her the truth and brings her back to reality.
So, no, this isn't probably what a lot of y'all wanted, and I get that. But think of how many post-"NFA" reunion scenes you've read. How many of them have her punching him in the nose? So many. Think of this as the initial punch. They're right in the middle of trying to save the world (TOGETHER!). They don't have time for anything but their banter, and boy do they ever. They don't have time to hash out the whole "Did you really love me?" thing. There isn't time. Instead, they interact just exactly as they always have, words flying, keeping up with each other, telling each other the truth.
And yeah, I think we might get something a bit softer and more personal later, especially if Emmie and I are right and Joss is setting this up so that Spike has to "betray" Buffy in order to save the day.
So I want to encourage y'all again. I really do think there's loads of hope here. No, I don't think Buffy will end up with Spike at the end of the season. I think she'll be alone, but hopefully healed (have y'all read Maggie's post yet? It's brilliant, and it's what I want Joss to be doing with this season). However, I think the way the plot is unfolding, it'll be clear (if you're willing to see it) that her relationship with Spike is a whole hell of a lot more healthy than the one with Angel. So while she may not technically be with either one of them, there's all kinds of hope for our ship. We aren't going to "win," but they aren't, either. We'll all be still standing at the end, and could we really expect more than that?
+ [eta] The Master! How could I forget? I don't actually have any thoughts on this, but I like moscow_watcher's. So go read hers!
Wow! That got long! And most of it is positive! Did you ever, ever, ever think you'd see the day where I wrote a S8 response post that was both long and positive? Really?
But this isn't meta. It isn't even insightful, probably. I mean, while I have paid detailed attention to all that's come before, I've only read, like, two other installments. So I'm not exactly knowledgeable. This is just a bunch of random thoughts I had while reading, and many of them have been said better and more eloquently by other people. I doubt I have anything original to say.
+ First of all, there is no way we're supposed to be taking Buffy's interactions with Angel seriously. No. Way. The art is too over-the-top for me to even begin to. Buffy's face? Seriously? She never looks like that, all googly-eyed. She doesn't even look like that with Angel on the show--never in the earlier seasons, never when he comes back. Never with Riley, never with Spike. The only time she comes close is during "Something Blue." (Btw, I love you, SMG. You are fantastic, and I wish I could see you making these faces because I know if you were making them, everyone would acknowledge that this can't be serious. Also, you and your baby are adorable!)
+ The dialogue is ridiculous, too. To wit:
This is the weirdest, bestest, weirdest best day of my life. What you've done for me, I can't describe. I can't PRONOUNCE. You gave me perfection, and you gave it up. Jesus, Angel. That's not just the love of my life. That's the guy I would live it with.
Yeah. Right. Even at her schmoopiest, this is not Buffy. Buffy doesn't say things like this, at all, ever. Not even to Angel. Contrast this with the cookie dough speech and the subtlety of the "Yeah, sometimes I think about it" in "Chosen." I think Joss picked the word "pronounce" purposelly, too: it just sounds so ridiculous (though I do love that it's kind of a wink at Buffy's intentional mispronunciation of everything that has more than three syllables. That's my girl!) Pair it with the "weirdest, bestest..." repeat, and yeah: that's not just Buffy. She is definitely being influenced by something.
She also says, "But you have my heart, so what I can I do?" Those are not words of free will speaking there. I think that's very significant.
+ Whatever this "higher power" is that's orchestrating all of this, it's weirdly obsessed with sex. First there's the space-frakkin'. Then there's the dog noticing his balls (which, okay, was pretty funny, if not nearly as funny as "Squirrel!" from Up!) and the lady offering to take Angel back to her place to thank him. I'm probably reading waaaaaay too much into this, but the other animal that the power uses to address Angel is a bird, which makes me think birds and bees. Okay, that last one is stretching it, but I wonder if the rest is significant.
+ Knocking over Big Ben: yes, Spike: funny. If this was real, it wouldn't be, but as a shout-out to him announcing his arrival by knocking down the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign? Hilarious. Also, I like the contrast between that being intentional for him and it being an accident that Angel knocks down the Hollywood "O." Actually, not even an accident: the power flings him towards it--he doesn't have a choice. Spike does. Which leads me to...
+ I absolutely love that Spike is going out, finding info for himself, putting the pieces together, asking around, calling in favors and that he figures out what's going on for himself. It proves that A) he's a pretty smart guy, no matter what Angel says, and B) he's still the captain of Team Free Will. Where Angel is prompted, prodded by any power that comes along and claims to be good, Spike makes choices, hurls himself into the battle that he wasn't necessarily invited to, and makes his own story. I always think of Whistler telling Buffy that no one ever saw her coming. No one ever saw Spike coming, either. And that is why I love him. Also, I find the white socks strangely endearing.
+ Angel getting his suit made by the little tailor guy made me laugh. I wonder what he's going to think of it when he's not under the influence anymore? He's always been metro; I think he'll be appalled.
+ As Spike's ushering everyone onto the ship (once again, Buffy may say she doesn't trust him, but she trusts him enough to take care of the people she cares about--which includes Dawn. I would die of happiness if we got some Spike/Dawn interaction, even though I know we won't), they're giving him sideways glances. This could mean a couple of things: A) they still haven't taken his sacrifice in "Chosen" seriously or B) they've seen Buffy and Angel acting ridiculous and destroying the world, and here's Buffy's other big love, and they're wondering if he'll be affected as well. Personally, I think it's the later. At this point, soulful vamps who love Buffy aren't exactly to be trusted and last they heard (I think) Spike was working with Angel. It makes sense to me.
+ The bug thing is weird, and so is the steampunk ship, but! I do like the "glorious leader," "your majesty" thing. Someone please write me fic about Spike showing up on some bug world and them crowning him their king. Because that would be glorious.
+ Dawn/Xander is cute. I still say that if you're watching S7, you can see the foundation for that pairing being laid. It makes sense to me.
+ Amy/Warren? WTF? Giles is throwing up? Silliness. I don't really need that, Joss.
+ Further proof that Buffy isn't herself: sending Angel to protect Slayers. AFTER HE'S BEEN THREATENING/KILLING THEM ALL ALONG. Yeah. Right.
+ "I got more powerful, not remotely mature." HAHAHA! Oh, Angel! True words were never spoken! What are you, twelve?
+ Frog!Angel! Hilarity! Also, "the man-bitch formerly known as Angel"! Oh, Faith. I like you so much now. I wish you and Buffy were BFFs. You totally are in my head!canon.
+ YET AGAIN Buffy makes Angel leave and has Spike beside her as she saves the world. Seriously, people, this is ship fodder right here: Buffy and Angel are face-to-face, waxing poetical about their love, but Buffy and Spike are side-by-side, facing what's coming, getting down to business, saving the world. And isn't that what we love about them? Also: SNARK! We get snark, they get schmoop. And it's not even real schmoop! We win. The end. /silliness
+ Now to the part you've all been waiting for. The Buffy/Spike interaction. I actually...kind of love it. It's actually very much how I wrote them being reunited in Basiare. No tears and sweetness and weeping. In that, I have both of them not being able to keep from hurting each other because they've always been able to make each other so raw. It's actually uglier than this interaction, because that was outright fighting.
This, however, is snark. Buffy storms up to him, all business, interrupting him. She does things in order, not letting him say anything. Favorite bit:
Buffy: Two, what do you know and how can you help? No jokes, no snark, no British slang that just means something dirty.
Spike: One, under all that demon viscera, you still reek of him, and that's not a treat for me. But it can't be Buffy if she doesn't bonk the bad guy, right?
Buffy: Snark!
Spike: Comes with the sizable package. Two: you can under no circumstances trust him.
Buffy: Can everybody just agree not to trust anybody and you get to the frikkin point?
Seriously, that is so them that it kind of makes me flail. SNARK! Greatest thing ever!
And Spike is the one who gets through to her, who makes her realize what's going on, who makes her cry. How perfect is that? He's the one who tells her the truth and brings her back to reality.
So, no, this isn't probably what a lot of y'all wanted, and I get that. But think of how many post-"NFA" reunion scenes you've read. How many of them have her punching him in the nose? So many. Think of this as the initial punch. They're right in the middle of trying to save the world (TOGETHER!). They don't have time for anything but their banter, and boy do they ever. They don't have time to hash out the whole "Did you really love me?" thing. There isn't time. Instead, they interact just exactly as they always have, words flying, keeping up with each other, telling each other the truth.
And yeah, I think we might get something a bit softer and more personal later, especially if Emmie and I are right and Joss is setting this up so that Spike has to "betray" Buffy in order to save the day.
So I want to encourage y'all again. I really do think there's loads of hope here. No, I don't think Buffy will end up with Spike at the end of the season. I think she'll be alone, but hopefully healed (have y'all read Maggie's post yet? It's brilliant, and it's what I want Joss to be doing with this season). However, I think the way the plot is unfolding, it'll be clear (if you're willing to see it) that her relationship with Spike is a whole hell of a lot more healthy than the one with Angel. So while she may not technically be with either one of them, there's all kinds of hope for our ship. We aren't going to "win," but they aren't, either. We'll all be still standing at the end, and could we really expect more than that?
+ [eta] The Master! How could I forget? I don't actually have any thoughts on this, but I like moscow_watcher's. So go read hers!
Wow! That got long! And most of it is positive! Did you ever, ever, ever think you'd see the day where I wrote a S8 response post that was both long and positive? Really?