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Date Posted: 07:55:15 05/06/02 Mon
Author: Dyna
Subject: Sad as it is, I'm glad I'm not the only one disappointed and confused.
In reply to: Ixchel 's message, "I've read the BtVS spoilers, now I'm somewhat despondent..." on 08:41:20 05/02/02 Thu

Thanks to you all for sharing your feelings on this. I've been feeling bad since I first heard the spoilers about Spike's actions, and struggling to understand what the writers could possibly be thinking, but hoping for the best, only to have the wildfeed for SR confirm my worst fears. I'm so disappointed in the writers, that they've chosen the most exploitive and emotionally-charged method possible for disposing of what appeared to be a very promising plotline.

All season I've been waiting for the full meaning of Buffy's actions and what they mean to her to become clearer--for her to finally have to confront something instead of running away, and by doing so for her to start healing some of what it is that makes her so insecure and repressed. I was looking forward to the way the season's theme of "grow up" would turn out to apply to Buffy--you know, to having her recognize her role in what happened with Spike, and accept it, not in the sense of "I'm using you and it's so wrong," but really accept; accept and start to look at whatever it is inside her that drew her to him, and let her connect with him. In other words, to learn a lesson from the experience that's about *her,* about who she is and what she wants in life, and where she's going. But now, with next week coming, all I can think is that entire discussion will *never happen.* It's over--whatever lessons I thought Buffy could learn about herself from the Spike situation will never be learned, because it turns out the only consequence the writers could think of was to have the lesson be about *Spike.*

And what is the lesson? What are we, as viewers, or Buffy, as a character, supposed to be learning from this? Because shouldn't that be the point of any plot development? Is it "don't trust anyone?" Is is "people can't change, so don't try?" "Hold tight to your prejudices, because sometimes you'll be right?" Whatever the writers are trying to say here, the effect can only be to shift the entire relationship irrevocably into the unspeakable, unexaminable column, where we will never be able to even raise the issue of what Buffy might have done wrong--and neither will the writers. Which may be okay for Beverly Hills 90210, but I expect a mature show like Buffy to take an intelligent and honest approach to its heroine's flaws--to make her suffering and her journey mean something.

I don't even want to think about how they're treating the death of Tara. I have strictly unspoiled friends who I know are going to be horribly upset, and I can't warn them. I can understand shows that have a history of treating violence like comedy feeling like they have to make amends by "showing the reality of death" in a really gruesome way once in a while, but Buffy is not one of them. Again, it feels like exploitation for shock value, and I'm disconcerted and very very sorry that the writers felt like this was a direction they should go in.

I can't even find much hope in the recent Joss interview where he said that next year's theme will be "Buffy Year One" and that it will be back to the happy, quippy heroine we love. WTF? It's obvious that there are huge conflicts remaining unresolved at this point, which can't possibly be brought to any kind of conclusion before the season's end. I don't see the "growing up" having happened yet--just a lot of the same repression, denial, and emotional dishonesty that's plagued our Scoobies as they've struggled through this year. I know it's way too early to get bummed out about thoughts of next year, but I for one will be extremely disappointed if next year the implications of everything that's happened this year are swept under the rug in service to a "happier" tone. I want to see the characters happy, but not at the expense of honesty.

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