As a Bangel, how do you feel about the inevitable Spuffy ILY?

[Mrs Gordo]

As I understand it, all signs point to the fact that Buffy's inevitably going to say those three little words to Spike in the last season of Season 11. It seems like an inevitability but if you disagree please discuss below. But if you agree that the words are coming next month, how do you feel about that?

Neither Buffy nor Angel have ever told another romantic interest "I love you" with the exception of Chosen when Spike was dying (and to which he dismissed her words). Buffy threw the word "love" around with Angel in the first few seasons quite a bit. She said it to him in Lie to Me, Surprise, Innocence, Becoming Part 2, Amends, The Zeppo, The Prom (I can't recall any others in the early part of the seasons - of course she emphasizes that feeling in Selfless). She never used that word with Riley and as stated above used it when Spike only upon his approaching death. And she has not said it to Spike in the comics although she was about to when he told her to wait.

How do you feel about the inevitable ILY? Do you not care? Will it bother you? Will Buffy saying those words elevate the Spuffy relationship?

 

[Mylie]

I don't care much because the comic's version of Buffy Summers isn't the version of the character I love. She feels like such a different character at this point that I'm not really that invested in her arc anymore. Though I'm still reading the comics.

I'm kind of looking forward for it to happen just so they can move on to a different thing. This does Buffy love Spike? dynamic between the 2 has become ridiculous at this point. I don't understand how it's such a big deal. They've been together for years now... at one point the amount of dramatic given to those 3 words becomes ridiculous. Yes, I'm aware that this is coming from a Bangel shipper but at least Bangel is very much aware of how melodramatic it is and it's played upon.

 

[BuffyBot22]

I don't read the comics so a part of me is like "Whatever, I don't care. They're not canon."
But then another part of me feels sick/angry about it because I know the comics are technically considered canon.
So I have mixed feelings on the subject.
I mean it is okay to be in love with different people throughout your life. Most people do fall in love more than once.
It's just what Bangel had was supposed to surpass that. They had this elevated intense everlasting kind of love. And I just don't think they have fallen out of love with each other. I know some people believe you can be in love with 2 people at the same time, but I just don't think this is true at least not in my personal experiences. I have to have fallen out of love to fall in love again. And it seems like that's how Buffy and Angel both feel, since they haven't been able to say those 3 words to anyone but each other. So to me if she tells Spike she loves him, it will feel like to me it's the moment Buffy has finally let go of Angel, and that's going to make me very sad.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

I just don't like Spuffy full stop, I think Spike should've stayed with Dru because they were happy together, great together especially with the chemistry, and it would be ironic that the longest most committed relationship in the show is between a pair of vampires.

I think Bangel are endgame. You don't set up a couple like they did with Bangel, separate them and then not have them eventually reunite. They've both got their own titles so the Will they/Won't they is still going on because they're still focal chaaracters. Spuffy is just temporary.

I don't read the comics either so for me the Buffyverse ended at the end of Angel Season 5.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

They had this elevated intense everlasting kind of love. And I just don't think they have fallen out of love with each other.

I don't think they have either. Certainly Angel has not fallen out of love with Buffy. And in Season 10 she appears conflicted on her feelings about him.

So to me if she tells Spike she loves him, it will feel like to me it's the moment Buffy has finally let go of Angel, and that's going to make me very sad.

I kinda feel this way too and it's bothersome. Like if she says the words it will mean something, a "letting go" of sorts? I feel like there is a part of her that has been holding back on other relationships since Angel. And then also, narritavely if she says ILY to Spike it would be STUPID for her to go back to Angel. If she some how stopped herself from saying it, for some internal conflicted reason then maybe I could stomach a reunion but what I don't want to see is:

Buffy: I love you, Spike.
::spike dies::
Buffy and Angel reunite, Buffy: I love you, Angel.

Because no, Angel is no one's consolation prize.

Can you be in love with more than one person at a time....? I think you can love many people in your life but in different ways. I have been in relationships where I felt a deep affection and a love but being "in love" is quite different and I can't imagine being "in love" with two different people. Never has been my personal experience.

I have a friend who reads the comics (he is not into the online fandom), but he was telling me that to him Season 10 "old demons" when Buffy told Angel she was with Spike and they hugged at the end was the final goodbye for the Buffy/Angel arc. And I argued with him on this until I was blue in the face lol. I wonder if any of you all who read the comics felt that way?
 

I think Bangel are endgame. You don't set up a couple like they did with Bangel, separate them and then not have them eventually reunite.

Unless of course, you are an evil little troll man named Joss Whedon. LOL.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

Unless of course, you are an evil little troll man named Joss Whedon. LOL.

He'll have them reunite for a day then Buffy dies. Angel then has to live alone until they can be reunited in the afterlife.

I don't want a titanic moment where Rose lived a full life and had kids and grandkids, then when she died she went to be with Jack in the afterlife. What about your husband, Rose? Don't you think he might be waiting for you since you spent your life with him?

 

[Mylie]

I have a friend who reads the comics (he is not into the online fandom), but he was telling me that to him Season 10 "old demons" when Buffy told Angel she was with Spike and they hugged at the end was the final goodbye for the Buffy/Angel arc. And I argued with him on this until I was blue in the face lol. I wonder if any of you all who read the comics felt that way?
 


Unless of course, you are an evil little troll man named Joss Whedon. LOL.

I'll be honest... I kind of had the same impression as your friend. 🙁

Please do not kill me, I'd love to be proven otherwise. It's probably the pessimist in me talking but I honestly think that at this point spuffy is too powerful (both in terms of shippers and writers on their side) for anything else to be the endgame. I feel like if Spuffy doesn't end up together, Buffy won't end up with anyone.

 

[GraceK]

It doesn't bother me actually. Angel has not been a serious part of her life since she was 18. Buffy has changed and gone through so much, and to be honest Spike was the one who was there for most of it. I think Angel and Buffy will always love each other, but there is nothing wrong with finding love again. And I really don't doubt that Buffy DOES love Spike. It would be unnatural honestly for Buffy to be carrying a torch for 8 years . That's stagnation IMO. As a Bangel at heart I will always wish that they will find each other again... but if they don't and Buffy is happy I will be ok with
It. 🙂
 
Please don't stone me!!

 

[Mrs Gordo]

I'll be honest... I kind of had the same impression as your friend. 🙁

Please do not kill me, I'd love to be proven otherwise. It's probably the pessimist in me talking but I honestly think that at this point spuffy is too powerful (both in terms of shippers and writers on their side) for anything else to be the endgame. I feel like if Spuffy doesn't end up together, Buffy won't end up with anyone.

It's a valid read, admittedly. I went back and read the issue after he and I fussed at each other and I can see where you all are coming from. But I did see alot of conflict in Buffy during that volume, they clearly don't want to close the book on Angel but maybe that is just making sure they leave themselves the narrative space for it if they want to come back to it. But if the writers intended to give me closure, they didn't succeed! I remain in denial, I suppose lol.
 
Now I'm depressed - I'm gonna go watch some BTVS Season 2... circa Bad Eggs - LOL.

 

[Grace]

Count me among the conflicted! On the one hand, the comics will always be "canon" (in scare quotes!) to me, and they're mostly bad, so even if Buffy and Angel did reunite, it would probably be pretty underwhelming. The role available in the comics right now for Buffy's boyfriend is not one that I would want Angel to fill.

On the other hand, given the amount of time Buffy and Spike have now spent together, I agree with @Mylie that if Buffy doesn't end up with Spike, she won't end up with anyone. So that's sad. I guess I'm glad that comics Buffy still doesn't remember the day in IWRY, so she'll never know what she could have had. 🙁

 

[Mylie]

Count me among the conflicted! On the one hand, the comics will always be "canon" (in scare quotes!) to me, and they're mostly bad, so even if Buffy and Angel did reunite, it would probably be pretty underwhelming. The role available in the comics right now for Buffy's boyfriend is not one that I would want Angel to fill.

On the other hand, given the amount of time Buffy and Spike have now spent together, I agree with @Mylie that if Buffy doesn't end up with Spike, she won't end up with anyone. So that's sad. I guess I'm glad that comics Buffy still doesn't remember the day in IWRY, so she'll never know what she could have had. 🙁

There's a lot in this post that I relate to!

Especially the bolded...

Seriously, even though Spuffy shippers get to see their ship together at the moment, I wouldn't trade places with them. Spike basically has no other purpose other than being Buffy's boyfriend. He has no storyline outside of that relationship. I love Bangel but I care about the characters first and would never want them to be together at the detriment of their individual arcs/growth. At least Angel still has his own storyline, he's his own person, his character is still being explored and I value that over my ship being together.

The IWRY thing : I sometimes get bitter just because I feel like things would be so different if she knew/remembered it. But that's probably why the writers know she can't remember it. There's no way she'd want to be with anyone else if she did remember that day. So I'm torn on wanting her to remember it because it would also be cruel? I don't want to see her sad but the whole thing makes me sad.

 

[BuffyBot22]

I don't think they have either. Certainly Angel has not fallen out of love with Buffy. And in Season 10 she appears conflicted on her feelings about him.



I kinda feel this way too and it's bothersome. Like if she says the words it will mean something, a "letting go" of sorts? I feel like there is a part of her that has been holding back on other relationships since Angel. And then also, narritavely if she says ILY to Spike it would be STUPID for her to go back to Angel. If she some how stopped herself from saying it, for some internal conflicted reason then maybe I could stomach a reunion but what I don't want to see is:

Buffy: I love you, Spike.
::spike dies::
Buffy and Angel reunite, Buffy: I love you, Angel.

Because no, Angel is no one's consolation prize.

Can you be in love with more than one person at a time....? I think you can love many people in your life but in different ways. I have been in relationships where I felt a deep affection and a love but being "in love" is quite different and I can't imagine being "in love" with two different people. Never has been my personal experience.

I have a friend who reads the comics (he is not into the online fandom), but he was telling me that to him Season 10 "old demons" when Buffy told Angel she was with Spike and they hugged at the end was the final goodbye for the Buffy/Angel arc. And I argued with him on this until I was blue in the face lol. I wonder if any of you all who read the comics felt that way?
 


Unless of course, you are an evil little troll man named Joss Whedon. LOL.

What I bolded, yes I agree 100% on that. If that is how they reunite, I wouldn't want it.

What needs to happen is either:
1. Angel becomes human
2. Angel's curse is lifted

Once Buffy finds this out, she has to make a final decision once and for all, because at this point the only thing keeping them a part is the curse, bc she clearly doesn't care about the vampire/human dynamic part.

 

[BibliophileAnn]

I am glad I don't read the comics since I wouldn't want to read Buffy telling Spike she loves him. Buffy and Angel should be together and if they are not I would rather they were not with anyone else; even if it meant that they were alone.

 

[brinkster130]

As long as it’s taken, I don’t care. So much buildup to something so small. I really don’t think her saying ILY changes all that much.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

I really don’t think her saying ILY changes all that much.

Curious, you don't think it changes how she feels about Angel? Or you don't think it makes a difference because she feels whatever she feels regardless of what she says.

I'm going to go ahead and not be the bigger person here. I won't lie, I will be very upset if/when Buffy says "I love you to Spike." To me these words are significant. It is significant for Buffy to say them and its significant on the part of whatever crack pot team of writers they have over there and it will mean that Joss is giving his seal of approval on her saying it, even if he is knee deep in Justice League and Super Girl he has to at least recognize that this would be a big deal and it would mean he endorsed it. I feel like those words will be the official end to Buffy and Angel ever getting back together. And while I seem to be of the minority here and apparently all together naive in this regard, I have maintained hope that Buffy and Angel were endgame despite the Adventures of Spike and Buffy. It seems like an awful long time but if you think about it, it was only 2ish years ago Buffy and Angel were screwing a universe into existence and 3 years since she told him "sometimes." Its not all ancient history, the history is recent and its relevant.

Blah blah blah, they belong together and I won't stand for anything else, the end. Here endeth my immature rant. 🙂

 

[Skanky Vamp]

So much buildup to something so small.

Story of my life.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

Story of my life.

😛😀 Ba Dum Tsss

 

[brinkster130]

Curious, you don't think it changes how she feels about Angel? Or you don't think it makes a difference because she feels whatever she feels regardless of what she says.

Both.

You can’t change history, and no matter what happens in the future what Buffy and Angel had will always be significant. Some loves just stick with you and the feelings remain deep down; IMO Buffy and Angel will always have some of those feelings for each other.

And yeah, I think she loves Spike so whether or not she says it doesn’t seem that important to me. Although, her hang up on saying it does seem a little odd; I wonder if her saying it will be the end of them. Like, putting it out there will force the two of them to acknowledge that they know they aren’t a forever type of couple.

 

[BuffyBot22]

Both.

You can’t change history, and no matter what happens in the future what Buffy and Angel had will always be significant. Some loves just stick with you and the feelings remain deep down; IMO Buffy and Angel will always have some of those feelings for each other.

And yeah, I think she loves Spike so whether or not she says it doesn’t seem that important to me. Although, her hang up on saying it does seem a little odd; I wonder if her saying it will be the end of them. Like, putting it out there will force the two of them to acknowledge that they know they aren’t a forever type of couple.

Maybe that's why she hasn't said it, she feels like saying it would mean that she would have to acknowledge that this is a real thing and that they are going to last. It would basically elevate Spike from just being convenient to being someone important. I just don't know if Buffy sees him as anything more than a convenience. It's easy because he is right there, listens to whatever order she throws at him, worships her, and she can release her tension with him (i.e. sex) which she couldn't do for Angel.
Idk how the comics portray it, but in the show and from everything you guys have said, it just seemed to me that Buffy was with Spike bc he was there (convenient). Basically it was just better than being lonely and the reason they have lasted so long is because she doesn't want to be alone and she wants something easy without the complicated feelings that comes long with Angel.


I hope this made sense, I'm half asleep and trying to study lol.

 

[Mylie]

Maybe that's why she hasn't said it, she feels like saying it would mean that she would have to acknowledge that this is a real thing and that they are going to last. It would basically elevate Spike from just being convenient to being someone important. I just don't know if Buffy sees him as anything more than a convenience. It's easy because he is right there, listens to whatever order she throws at him, worships her, and she can release her tension with him (i.e. sex) which she couldn't do for Angel.
Idk how the comics portray it, but in the show and from everything you guys have said, it just seemed to me that Buffy was with Spike bc he was there (convenient). Basically it was just better than being lonely and the reason they have lasted so long is because she doesn't want to be alone and she wants something easy without the complicated feelings that comes long with Angel.


I hope this made sense, I'm half asleep and trying to study lol.

I read the comics and that's pretty much how I read the couple. Spike would never ever leave Buffy and comics Buffy needs someone she knows worships her and would never ever leave her. So really, I can't imagine the ship ending (unless by death) because neither of them would be able to break up with the other. At this point, Spuffy is safe at the detriment of both characters.