Re: FIC (sort of): Where there's fire?

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Jason,

>>Is it just me or have [Xander and Spike] not been getting as much
bickering time as they should this season?

Oh, no, bro, it's not you. I'm on anti_buffyspike, and we've got a
couple of S/X 'shippers who are upset that they no longer get screen
time together.

Last year, you had the marvelous scenes in "Triangle", and then in every
ep from "Crush" on, except for "The Body" (no Spike) and "Tough Love"
(they didn't meet).

This year, you've had "After Life" and "Gone" and that's been it.

This season has fallen into the trap of only giving characters scenes
with their s.o. or primary focus. Just Buffy/Spike, Willow/Tara,
Xander/Anya, Buffy/Giles, Buffy/Dawn, for the most part.

Heck, as far as I can tell, Spike hasn't spoken a single word to Dawn
since he saw Buffy alive in "After Life". So much for the S/D dynamic.

When Willow and Tara were together (the first eight eps) we got exactly
one B/W scene (the training room, in "Flooded"). Once they broke up, we
had B/W in every ep from "Smashed" through "Dead Things" (and saw Buffy,
who can't be bothered to think about anything, checking to see if Will's
okay in the last three). Then "Older and Far Away" was the big
"W/T--back together?" ep, and so Buffy said four lousy words to Will
the whole dang ep. (actually, two grunts and two words)

This is the same problem we had in Season 4--everybody's got a date,
and the date is a one-dimensional appendage.

Want scenes that are about Willow/Riley interacting? None once he
starts dating Buffy (and after all that good stuff earlier).

Xander and Riley? Not until "The Yoko Factor".

Giles and Riley? Not until "Buffy vs. Dracula"

Buffy and Tara? Not until "The Body".

Xander and Tara? Not until "After Life". 

Giles and Tara? Still waiting, really.

Anya is somewhat luckier, since she did get a scene with Buffy in
"Superstar", and interaction even earlier, and she has a long history
with Giles and Willow, going back to "Doppelgangland".

Also, there have been Anya/Spike scenes, and Anya/Tara scenes. (no
Anya/Riley, though).

And aside from the punch he planted on her in "Family", "Older and Far
Away" contains the first actual Spike/Tara interaction we've seen. What
the hey, it's only been 48 eps since Tara appeared on the show, can't
rush these things.

**sigh**

>>I'd forgotten about Angelus's dream moustache. Perhaps it was a
disguise?

Well, let's just say it was as real as David Boreanaz's accent, okay?

Thanks for the kind words, and sorry about the slightly OT ramble.

Dan