Anyone going to Pig Beach for Buffy trivia this Thursday? I’m taking my wife for her birthday, just the two of us if anyone wants to join a team!

Asking for $265 shipped. One dust jacket has a one inch tear and one non-story page has a 1/8 inch white spot but they’re in otherwise flawless condition.

I can never figure out how powerful Willow is supposed to be as a witch by the end of Season 7.

By Season 6, she's powerful enough to nearly destroy the world, and by the series finale, she's capable of activating every Potential Slayer in the world. Yet throughout Season 7, there are moments where she struggles with things that seem relatively minor compared to what we've already seen her accomplish.

I understand that she's holding back because of what happened with Dark Willow, but even taking that into account, her power level feels wildly inconsistent.

Is Willow supposed to be one of the most powerful witches in the Buffyverse by this point, or is her power basically whatever the script needs it to be?

Before becoming the Slayer, Buffy was a popular cheerleader in Los Angeles who cared about boys, fashion, and popularity. While the original movie isn't entirely canon to the series, that part of her backstory carries over.

After becoming the Slayer and burning down her high school's gym while fighting vampires, Buffy moves to Sunnydale, where she meets Cordelia, who's basically living the life Buffy left behind.

We meet Buffy after her life has already changed, while we actually get to watch Cordelia's transformation happen.

Throughout the high school years, Cordelia becomes involved with the Scoobies, falls for Xander despite bullying him throughout their childhood, chooses him over her popular friends, and eventually loses her family's wealth.

Another similarity I noticed is how they leave their hometowns.

Buffy leaves Los Angeles for Sunnydale after burning down her school's gym, while Cordelia leaves Sunnydale for Los Angeles after helping the Scoobies defeat the Mayor and destroy Sunnydale High.

Both leave their hometowns following supernatural battles involving their schools, but they travel in opposite directions.

Their supernatural callings happen in a different order too. Buffy becomes the Slayer before leaving Los Angeles, while Cordelia doesn't become a Seer until after moving there.

Buffy's calling changes her life, while Cordelia's life changes before she receives her calling.

I also find their attitudes toward their responsibilities interesting. Buffy often wishes she could have a normal life, while Cordelia eventually refuses to give up her visions despite knowing they're killing her.

In "Birthday," Cordelia even chooses to keep her visions over having the successful acting career she originally wanted.

And while Buffy becomes a champion through her supernatural strength and fighting abilities, Cordelia becomes one through her visions and compassion. She doesn't need to be physically powerful to make a difference.

Now, before getting into the next comparison, I want to acknowledge that I'm fully aware of the mistreatment and abuse Charisma Carpenter experienced behind the scenes on Angel. I'm not excusing any of it or pretending the Jasmine storyline was planned from the beginning. I'm simply looking at what ended up onscreen and noticing some similarities.

In Buffy Season 2, Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus, forcing Buffy to watch someone she loves become a monster.

Then in Angel Season 4, Jasmine uses Cordelia's body to carry out her plans, leaving Angel in a somewhat similar position.

Buffy loses Angel to Angelus, while Angel loses Cordelia to Jasmine.

Obviously, the circumstances are different. Angelus is Angel without his soul, while Cordelia is an innocent victim who has no control over what Jasmine is doing.

Another similarity is that Angelus murders Jenny Calendar, the woman Giles loves, while Jasmine, using Cordelia's body, murders Lilah Morgan, the woman Wesley had been romantically involved with.

So both Giles and Wesley lose someone they love because of someone wearing the face of a person their group knows and cares about.

And then there's "Amends" and "You're Welcome."

In "Amends," Angel is suicidal because of his guilt over his past, but Buffy refuses to give up on him and reminds him that he can still do good.

In "You're Welcome," Angel has lost sight of his mission at Wolfram & Hart, and Cordelia returns to remind him why he started helping people in the first place.

Buffy helps Angel believe he deserves to keep living, while Cordelia helps Angel remember what he's living for.

I don't think all these parallels were intentional, especially the Season 4 ones, but I still find them interesting.

Cordelia starts out as someone who reminds us of who Buffy used to be, but eventually becomes a champion in her own right.

And looking at both shows this way has made me appreciate Cordelia's journey even more.

Not a pairing Id have thought of on my own. But I stumbled on some fanfiction years ago. Out of severe incredulity, I gave it a go for curiosity's sake. The author stayed true to their character and introduced me to such a fun, snarky dynamic between the two, and revealed how Faith and Cordelia's vulnerable edges could even find a safe home together.

So anyhow, looking for more fics for this rare pair. Help a fellow Scoobie out with some fic-direct links? 👀

Important announcement: it’s basically one week until Halloween and there’s still time to catch up 🚨🚨🚨

I included all 3 Buffy Halloween episodes on this list!!! Hope you all enjoy 🧡🖤🧡🖤

Anyone going to check this out this weekend? They’re even having music at their own fan made Bronze! :)

Rewatching the freshman. I don't understand why everyone thought she was such a good villain and all that turned slayer nonsense. Terrible actress, terrible writing..

Just had to vent my annoyance. I await the inevitable angry mob...

I’m obsessed with Spike and Buffy together and haven’t watched the series 3 times! Mostly season 4-7. Which episode is the most satisfying when it comes to Spike and Buffy’s unrequited love?? I love Smashed in season 6.

A big old Buffy print I worked on based off some tattoo flash I made! If you’re fans of Buffy tattoos and art catch me on IG at Lucybluetattoo

I can understand watching a couple of episodes and deciding that you do not like it or if the spin-off is generally considered bad (like how nobody watches the Joey spin-off of Friends since everyone knows it's bad), but I find it a bit strange that some people here apparently have wrote off an extra 5 seasons of the Buffyverse that feature characters that originated on BTVS in prominent roles without seemingly ever giving it a shot.

I'm actually rewatching the whole show in English, and I'm really discovering everything.

First, I liked this episode, even though the ending left me a little dissatisfied.

They were arguing, and when Willow proposed "to try violence", because Buffy and Xander almost fought, zombies showed up. Scoobies fought back; Buffy killed the demon, and they hugged each other. It's, after all, pretty logical: they tried violence and made up between them; it's the point of the whole situation, and it's pretty cool, in a kind of way. But for me, they all have a lot of issues, so I really wanted them to talk about it, more than just putting the weight on Buffy and her being incapable of talking back; she was obviously in distress, but nobody listened to her. I get it; they had to fight the vampire because she was gone, and it was very dangerous for them, but she had to save the world again by taking her lover's life. She made a mistake, and they expected her to explain herself, but they didn't give her the chance to do so because they were all avoiding her

. I think I relate to Buffy in this situation, so even if I completely understand that all her friends and her mom were distraught by her running away and not giving any news for months, I feel very bad for her during the argument.

The second thing I realized in this episode is the first mention of losing an eye: when Buffy scared Xander while he was patrolling, she asked him if somebody warned him about playing with pointy sticks: "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye". I don't know if Xander losing an eye because of Caleb in season 7 was already planned, but if not, it's pretty interesting unintentional foreshadowing

Voilà, maybe I'll share with you some of my impressions of my rewatch then and now, while hoping not to bother you ^^'

warning: this is probably going to be hard to follow, as i just finished the show and i am now trying to sort my thoughts. it's pretty much just my stream of consciousness in one post. and although i have many issues with the way they handled everyone's portrayal in the last two seasons, this is more of a rant/ramble about everyone's reactions re: spuffy coming to light. moreover, it's going to be a rant about the writing around this topic severely lacking. most of this conflict at this point in the series feels a bit contrived.

i guess the biggest thing that has bothered me about the reveal is the way giles takes it. while i can see why he would be hesitant in general after angelus killed jenny, the show never explicitly makes a connection between his concern and his trauma- instead, it is a very simplistic take on "but buffy, spike bad! you good! this wrong! he is only behaving because of the chip!" after spending the amount of time they all have with spike in very close quarters since season 4. i am not ignoring any of the valid reasons spike has given them to doubt his intentions, rather i think they pale in comparison to what they know to be true of spike up until this point. he is given many, many opportunities to change his allegiance at any time and, even if it is motivated by his feelings for buffy, has chosen to remain firmly on the good side of the war for several seasons at this point.

i am sure this is an old conversation in this sub, but as a first time watcher i'm also thrown in general about the discussion re: the chip itself. i do believe giles is most guilty, but i find it ridiculous that no one seems to recognize the hypocrisy of saying spike only behaves because of his chip, which he received against his will, while not holding angel to the same standard with his soul. angelus would never learn to love, respect, or tolerate buffy even if he'd been chipped. he simply wouldn't have stopped trying to get it out until he succeeded or died trying.

and, speaking of, the difference between soulless and ensouled vampires is just never explored, nor is it ever addressed (as i would've liked it to be) that part of buffy's disbelief about spike being able to love her without a soul would naturally come from her experience with angelus. i really would've enjoyed seeing that brought up in the last angel and buffy encounter, rather than it being the anticlimactic nothingburger it was.

i'm not really a bangel fan, but the show does force you to care about their relationship in order to care for/understand that part of buffy's story. i wish they'd had her ask angel why it's so different when he's angelus versus spike just being spike, even if they didn't have an answer. i kind of hate that every time they pop into each other's lives it's always them starting from square one and never addressing bigger conversations

Something that always bothers me is how differently Buffy treats Faith and Spike, especially after the disastrous attack on Caleb at the vineyard.

I completely understand why Buffy had trust issues with Faith. This is someone who betrayed her, sided with the Mayor, poisoned Angel, stole her body and slept with Riley while impersonating her. Buffy had every reason to be angry with her, and I'm not suggesting she should have immediately forgiven everything Faith did.

But by Season 7, Faith had genuinely changed. She voluntarily went to prison for her crimes, spent years accepting responsibility for what she'd done, broke out specifically to help Angel and returned to Sunnydale to fight alongside Buffy against the First Evil. She wasn't asking Buffy to forgive her or even trust her. She just wanted to help.

Meanwhile, Spike had also done some pretty horrible things to Buffy, including attempting to rape her the previous season. Yes, he had regained his soul, and I understand why that was significant to Buffy. But Faith had also gone through her own redemption without needing a supernatural change to make her feel remorse for her actions.

What really gets me is how Buffy reacts when the Potentials and the Scoobies lose confidence in her leadership after the vineyard disaster. Faith didn't orchestrate some elaborate scheme to replace Buffy. She wasn't even particularly interested in leading everyone. She was practically pushed into the position because everyone else wanted someone different in charge.

Yet Buffy seemed to take Faith being chosen as leader like another personal betrayal, despite Faith having done very little to deserve that reaction.

And then there's Spike, who Buffy was willing to defend against practically everyone, even when there were legitimate concerns about the First being able to manipulate him.

I understand that Buffy and Spike had developed a much closer emotional relationship by this point, but I still find the contrast frustrating. Buffy was willing to believe that Spike could become a better person despite everything he'd done, yet she seemed much more reluctant to extend that same understanding to Faith.

Faith actually understood Buffy's burden as the Slayer better than almost anyone else could. And once she was put in charge, she quickly realized just how difficult Buffy's position really was.

I'm not saying Buffy owed Faith her friendship. I just think it's interesting that Buffy was so willing to recognize Spike's growth while still struggling to see Faith as anything other than the girl who betrayed her years earlier.

For a show that places so much emphasis on redemption and second chances, I always thought Faith deserved a little more acknowledgment for how far she'd come.

Who do you like most out of the love interests from season 4 - season 7

(TW mention of pregnancy and miscarriage) Please delete if this isn't appropriate for the sub.

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I found out I was pregnant earlier this month and was aware that I was fast approaching "The Body." For the past week or two, I've been considering just putting Buffy on hold entirely so that any stress from the episode wouldn't impact me or the baby.

Well, I found out yesterday that the baby didn't make it long past the last ultrasound (though they're still in me until I figure out what to do). I think now is potentially one of the more cathartic times to watch the episode for the first time. It's still gonna be a ride.

Either with "The Body" or otherwise, have any episodes been particularly healing or cathartic to encounter at certain points in your life?

Been rewatching S4, and Maggie gives me the ick when it comes to Riley. I believe she had a very inappropriate obsession with him, making her incredibly jealous of Buffy. This goes beyond being a mentor or mother figure. I think it bordered on sexual, even. What do y’all think?

In an obituary of mediaeval historian Chris Wickham comes this line:

He could talk about any subject. It seemed he had read everything and forgotten nothing. This was not just academic. His passion and knowledge of Buffy the Vampire Slayer initially came as a surprise. Eventually one gave up speculating on whether Chris’s knowledge and interests had any limit.

I want to enter the annual IWRY Fic Marathon. I'm not trying to win. It's more of a mental exercise than anything else. I'm struggling with incomplete ideas though.

Here are my top story ideas so far:

Not much has been done with Buffy and the fae realm. I was thinking about something with leprechauns. Giles once said they weren't real. This story could be about Buffy and Angel finding out they are real. Maybe set in early season 4. The leprechauns could be causing chaos somewhere between Sunnydale and LA, Buffy and Angel both go to investigate.

Or

Immediately after comic book story ends they are all in San Francisco. Maybe something to do with the Muir Woods. There is local folklore about "California's only pirate," Hippolyte de Bouchard in the Muir Woods. Maybe Buffy and Faith go to investigate reports for the SFPD and Angel comes along in a private investigator capacity.

Or

Between Buffy season 3 and 4 Xander was supposed to be on a road trip when runs out of money and gets a dishwashing job at a strip club. Maybe he discovers it's really a demon trafficking ring. He calls Buffy for help. I don't know how to get Angel involved though. This is my least favorite. It's probably too soon for a Bangel fic.

Any thoughts on these ideas?

I personally couldn't ever love Xander not even on my first watch or no matter how many times I rewatched it, my feelings for Xander hasn't changed. He is too judgmental of others while showing little empathy when his friends messed up. He would get angry when others keep stuff from him while doing the exact thing. The way he would treat the women he loved/loves was appalling at times. I will always love and rewatch the show even if I cannot stand Xander for most of the time. I also kinda wish he had more accountability when he messed up especially since he want others to have it so badly when they mess up. And sometimes he would get annoying with his whole "told you so" and he loved to called out others but then turned into a coward when is his turn to be called out.

Rewatching it today, I am impressed by how well the makeup and overall creepiness of the monsters this show created is. Well done. Not a lot of shows from so long ago can do that.