Re: Implications in the canon?

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Apples and oranges, IMO.  First, Willow was single and they were casting
about for new relationship possibilities, so the W/Anya and W/Fred
teases served a purpose (remember, at the time of "Orpheus", there was
discussion about bringing Willow to "Angel" for S5) beyond  a mere
"shoutout".  The fact that they ultimately didn't go there doesn't
affect the fact that they were looking for new Willow/f 'ship
possibilities. (BTW, in both of these cases, the flirtage came from the
non-Willow side.)

Whereas Joss (despite Sarah and Nick's joint plea for B/X, early in S7)
was wedded to the "romantic", "gorgeous" Buffy-boinks-her-rapist
storyline, and wouldn't have done anything on the B/W front, no matter
what he felt about Willow's feelings.  So I wouldn't read anything into
that.

Yeah, the "wrestle in mud" line got cut, but Buffy's "once you fall for
Willow" line was strengthened between Gutierrez's script (where it's
"once someone falls") and the aired "Normal Again", so I'm not so
certain it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage B/W subtext.  And let's
not forget that S6 brought us the scene in "Gone" where the social
worker thinks that B/W are having a relationship, and Buffy's denial is
very weak (all "we&don't gay" means is they're not going at it now;
it says nothing about Buffy's sexuality or whether she has feelings for
Willow or whether they've been involved in the pastjust that right
now, no smoochies).  Far weaker than the definitive "he's NOT my
boyfriend!" Buffy insists on when Doris first focused on Spike. :)

Indeed, one could argue that it was an awareness of B/W subtext that was
responsible for the distance and muting of the B/W friendship:  once the
reveal was done on Willow, they had to keep her locked away in Tara's
room so that the audience didn't draw the logical B/W conclusion.

I could also argue that Joss implicitly acknowledges B/W in "Hush",
where he gives them their first *scripted* hand-holding as they walk
down the street, foreshadowing the W/T "powersharing" in the laundry
room, and in effect "handing over" Willow to a blonde with whom the
subtext can become text, in ways that the network would never allow with
their female lead.  (The comparison of the B/W and W/T handclasps in the
ep has been made by non-'shippy sources, btw.)

And Howard, while it's nice that you notice when Aly's eyes go a-roaming
(btw, don't forget "Teacher's Pet"), the idea that it's one-way seems
silly to me.  Whereas Willow loves Xander openly and honestly from Day
1, Buffy can't bring herself to be attracted to a human male, and only
admits an interest in Angel after Willow practically beats her up on the
subject in "The Pack" and "Angel" (something for which many B/X fans
have never forgiven Will, alas).  It's Buffy who shows massive jealousy
in "I Robot, You Jane", who (IMO somewhat-possessively) takes Will's
hand in "The Pack" and "Some Assembly Required" and her arm in "Inca
Mummy Girl" and "Passion", who calls Willow "a dish" and "a hottie" and
"cute" and says that no man can resist Will's charms.

Willow loved one man and had a sexually satisfying relationship with
another.  Buffy has **in canon** admitted chosing relationships she knew
could never work, because she doesn't want a successful relationship
with a man, and the only human men she ever dated were the ones Willow
pushed her into.  (Not only did Riley have Willow's seal of approval,
but Buffy only kissed him after Willow said it'd kind of be like Buffy
was kissing her <g>) I'm not going to put all (or even most) of the
subtext on Will's side here, not at all.

Dan

"&and so far, the only thing I know [Buffy] likes is you."  Riley
to Willow, "The Initiative"

(Re the Angel/Spike stuff:  Uggh.  For some reason, Joss decided that
"Angel is gay" jokes should be a running theme, and at the two times
when he was heavily involved with that show [Early S1 and all of S5]
larded it up with puerile, unsubtle, unsexy, and unconvincing "Ha!
Angel's GAAAY, geddit? Geddit??" bits that are, for me, more HoNay! that
HoYay.  

Give me the Angel/Wes subtext any day over any of the S5 cheapness.  

**thinks about going to watch "Couplet"**)



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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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