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Enemies In Love
I think I've figured out why I love the Spuffy relationship so much more than I like Buffy/Angel.
And it's quite simple, really, because it's the same reason that I like almost all the couples I'm madly shippy about.
One's good, one's evil, and they're in love anyway.
It seems to be a fool-proof way of making me like a couple: put them on opposite sides, and then have them fall in love.
And that's definitely got to be the main reason I'm into Spuffy, because if you look at most of the other couples I like, they all fit the same pattern:
Darla/Angel - She's evil, he's good, and they just can't help themselves.
Wes/Lilah - Same deal.
And then there's Elizabeth/Darcy, Tru/Jack, Buffy/Faith, Angel/Lindsey, Wes/Illyria, Lilah/just-about-anyone... even Mal/Inara fits the pattern. Sure, they're not a straight good/evil pair, but they are very clearly on opposite sides - and they're still in love.
And as much as I liked Buffy/Angel, it was basically a good person in love with a reformed person. Which is fine - but not nearly as interesting as a good person in love with someone who's flat out evil.
The Buffy/Spike relationship, on the other hand, is insane. People just aren't supposed to fall in love with their arch-nemesis. Spike is horrified when he realises he's falling for Buffy, she's horrified in return, they both know how ridiculously stupid a relationship would be... and yet...
This is why, as much as I go nuts for Wes/Fred, I'm even more nuts about Wes/Lilah - and downright thrilled when Illyria comes along, because suddenly the relatively straightforward Wes/Fred relationship gets turned into another good/evil pairing. It's awesome!
This also applies from a friendship point of view. As much as I enjoy Crichton and D'Argo as friends, their friendship is nothing compared to Crichton/Scorpius. Ditto with the Doctor/the Master, House/Wilson, and, mostly inside my own head, Spike/Angel.
I just love it when two people are working from such completely opposing perspectives, and yet they keep being friends, because when it comes down to it, they can't not be.
This is why my version of Tru Calling will always include a very twisted Tru/Jack relationship, why I rewatch that phonecall between the Doctor and the Master again and again, and why my absolute favourite moment in the whole of Angel is Wes growling "He's necessary - for fighting people like you," and then wrestling Lilah to the floor...
*happy sigh of shippiness*
Questions? Comments?
And it's quite simple, really, because it's the same reason that I like almost all the couples I'm madly shippy about.
One's good, one's evil, and they're in love anyway.
It seems to be a fool-proof way of making me like a couple: put them on opposite sides, and then have them fall in love.
And that's definitely got to be the main reason I'm into Spuffy, because if you look at most of the other couples I like, they all fit the same pattern:
Darla/Angel - She's evil, he's good, and they just can't help themselves.
Wes/Lilah - Same deal.
And then there's Elizabeth/Darcy, Tru/Jack, Buffy/Faith, Angel/Lindsey, Wes/Illyria, Lilah/just-about-anyone... even Mal/Inara fits the pattern. Sure, they're not a straight good/evil pair, but they are very clearly on opposite sides - and they're still in love.
And as much as I liked Buffy/Angel, it was basically a good person in love with a reformed person. Which is fine - but not nearly as interesting as a good person in love with someone who's flat out evil.
The Buffy/Spike relationship, on the other hand, is insane. People just aren't supposed to fall in love with their arch-nemesis. Spike is horrified when he realises he's falling for Buffy, she's horrified in return, they both know how ridiculously stupid a relationship would be... and yet...
This is why, as much as I go nuts for Wes/Fred, I'm even more nuts about Wes/Lilah - and downright thrilled when Illyria comes along, because suddenly the relatively straightforward Wes/Fred relationship gets turned into another good/evil pairing. It's awesome!
This also applies from a friendship point of view. As much as I enjoy Crichton and D'Argo as friends, their friendship is nothing compared to Crichton/Scorpius. Ditto with the Doctor/the Master, House/Wilson, and, mostly inside my own head, Spike/Angel.
I just love it when two people are working from such completely opposing perspectives, and yet they keep being friends, because when it comes down to it, they can't not be.
This is why my version of Tru Calling will always include a very twisted Tru/Jack relationship, why I rewatch that phonecall between the Doctor and the Master again and again, and why my absolute favourite moment in the whole of Angel is Wes growling "He's necessary - for fighting people like you," and then wrestling Lilah to the floor...
*happy sigh of shippiness*
Questions? Comments?
no subject
I liked Buffy/Angel well enough on the show, and I felt for them, but I was never very invested - because they seemed more in love with the idea of each other, and while their connection was very deep, it wasn't very identifiable. (And, in the long run, I think she was far better for him than he ever was for her.) I'd be more interested in them now, I think, after both having grown apart from each other, into more mature people. At the time, Angel frankly didn't have as much of a personality.
Epic romance and soul mates and all doesn't really interest me, as much as, well, people, and you get that more in enemy ships too, I think.
My favourite sorts of ships are friends turned enemies - Doctor/Master, yes, and Dumbledore/Grindelwald, and Xavier/Magneto. When there's still a lingering fondness, an old respect, that they can't quite rid themselves of, even as they fight brutally. Of course this will vary with just how different they are, and how mentally stable. (Hi, Master.) And Angel/Spike, sort of! Although that ship had to go through a lot of changes as we learned more about their history.
...That was a bit long, wasn't it. > >
no subject
they seemed more in love with the idea of each other ... in the long run, I think she was far better for him than he ever was for her
Absolutely. And absolutely some more.
and Dumbledore/Grindelwald
Ackk! Knew I forgot someone!
no subject
Obviously my favourite ship is the one that was not actually in the books. :p
Also, since I was going to ask and forgot - what do you think of Buffy/Angelus?
no subject
Evil!Angel in love with Buffy would annoy me like nothing else - but this ficlet by snowpuppies is just superb...
Mostly, I think that the closest evil!Angel could get to being in love with Buffy is the sort of mad-stalker-killing-your-friend's-fish scenario we had in season 2 (although I do think he was in love with Darla). And there's no way I can see him actually trying to be with Buffy while soulless - so it could never really fit my favourite couple style.
no subject
Oh, yes. More in obsession - as Willow put it, Buffy is still the only thing he thinks about, and that was true in season two.
And. Wow. Ick. Yes, that. This is a pairing made to be disturbing - interesting, but...disturbing. If it doesn't send shivers down the spine it's not really working.
And! I also think he was in love with Darla. In fact, I think remembering himself killing her was part of what made him so...batshit insane in season two. (Which would explain why he never mentioned her, at least.)