What Broke Buffy
Apr. 23rd, 2007 01:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
botiasIt's not an uncommon opinion that Angel 'broke' Buffy.
I'm not sure I agree. I would have to go with losing her mom/becoming responsible for her sister, specifically a sister that was the brass ring for the bad guy. Family is Buffy's weakness, not her love life. Season 5 attacked her family and Buffy ended it catatonic, arguably suicidal, and ultimately dead. I don't think the Buffy that came back in Season 6 was really all that much worse off than the one that flung herself into the portal after telling Dawn that she thought the survivors were the ones who had it tough.
Where was the Angel brokenness? Buffy didn't seem to have much trouble trusting Angel again when he showed up, feral and nasty in season 3. She didn't seem to have much trouble trusting Spike way too much, or with giving him another shot when he showed up all insane and sniffly, or even when he was all fangy and minion-making. She tries and succeeds in reconnecting with her friends at the end of season 6 instead of, I don't know, whatever it is that people do when they can't function emotionally; I suspect it generally involves lots of isolation and self-medicating. Heck, she even reconnects with Riley, talks about her regrets about how they broke up, and they part as friends.
I think Buffy circled the wagons when her mom became seriously ill, and was certainly pretty broke by the end of Season 5. I honestly think she ended Season 7 not-broke, and don't think she was ever 'broken' from a specifically romantic standpoint. As much as the cookie dough speech was awkward, it's nevertheless an excellent point that not having it all figured out romantically and/or finding a good, long-term match by the age of 22 doesn't mean there is something wrong with Buffy. Indeed, plenty of folks rate their romantic success, not by the duration of their relationships, but whether they are still friends with their previous lovers. Buffy seems like she ended Season 7 with a pretty good score in that regard, especially given her unique challenges.
I'm not sure I agree. I would have to go with losing her mom/becoming responsible for her sister, specifically a sister that was the brass ring for the bad guy. Family is Buffy's weakness, not her love life. Season 5 attacked her family and Buffy ended it catatonic, arguably suicidal, and ultimately dead. I don't think the Buffy that came back in Season 6 was really all that much worse off than the one that flung herself into the portal after telling Dawn that she thought the survivors were the ones who had it tough.
Where was the Angel brokenness? Buffy didn't seem to have much trouble trusting Angel again when he showed up, feral and nasty in season 3. She didn't seem to have much trouble trusting Spike way too much, or with giving him another shot when he showed up all insane and sniffly, or even when he was all fangy and minion-making. She tries and succeeds in reconnecting with her friends at the end of season 6 instead of, I don't know, whatever it is that people do when they can't function emotionally; I suspect it generally involves lots of isolation and self-medicating. Heck, she even reconnects with Riley, talks about her regrets about how they broke up, and they part as friends.
I think Buffy circled the wagons when her mom became seriously ill, and was certainly pretty broke by the end of Season 5. I honestly think she ended Season 7 not-broke, and don't think she was ever 'broken' from a specifically romantic standpoint. As much as the cookie dough speech was awkward, it's nevertheless an excellent point that not having it all figured out romantically and/or finding a good, long-term match by the age of 22 doesn't mean there is something wrong with Buffy. Indeed, plenty of folks rate their romantic success, not by the duration of their relationships, but whether they are still friends with their previous lovers. Buffy seems like she ended Season 7 with a pretty good score in that regard, especially given her unique challenges.
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Date: 2007-04-24 04:09 am (UTC)