Post by porphyria on Sept 3, 2020 8:47:26 GMT
A lot of it stems from what I think is Gage's insistence on shaping the relationship into something more "palatable" for those fans who have issues with it. So a lot of what they say to each other kind of doesn't sound all that necessary or true to their characters but feels more like a thesis to iron out everything considered "unhealthy" from the past.
On one level, I can work around it - yes, there's progression and growth. But the way they come together I've always had slight issues with. To come back to the main topic: the "missed Spuffy breakup". I didn't for one second think that was what Spike REALLY wanted. I didn't think it was really going to happen. Spike breaking up with Buffy? Does not compute.
BUT, sometimes insecurities can paralyze a person - maybe after all their history, he was genuinely scared he'd be left shattered in pieces again if it ended badly, and he was angry at the Angel taunt, and he had insecurities about whether they'd work out and if she even wanted to be with him as much as he did with her. It's possible he didn't think he could ever get over her like that, if it came to them parting in a bitter way... So he'd rather STAY in her life as a friend rather than have it blow up and risk losing her completely.
But I also think - and here I completely agree with Sweet - that the real reason was that part of him was seeking reassurance from her. He was slightly testing her to see if she fought for them - fought for the relationship, for them to stay together. To *show* that she had feelings for him too, to say "No, I want us to be together and I love you." Now, given that we know what happens (*spoiler alert here*) at the end of S11, he does eventually get that reassurance and validation from her (yay!
) But her reasons for being "all business" at first was probably two-pronged. a) she's the Slayer so it's kind of in built to be strategic and focus on defeating the obstacle. But b) I think it was also a way of putting off the break up and buying time, too. I think Spike saying they should break up really threw her, and I think she felt emotionally crushed by it and didn't want to lose him, but wasn't in a frame of mind to try and convince him to stay and of how she felt.
Hence the "I don't have the time now, are you in or out". And maybe there was some anger there too, but instead of being all "Fine, maybe you're right, we should break up" in a fit of hurt, she decided to redirect her attention to the other situation / solving it while trying to clamp down on a more knee-jerk, 'don't do this, I can't lose you."
Because obviously she does have serious feelings for him and would be devastated if she lost him, romantically. To be honest, I think in what followed they BOTH were written to sound annoyingly "mature" in a way that didn't sound like either of them, lol. But she says she doesn't want to give up on them without a fight, and given how S11 goes, I think there's plenty of passion:) But I agree about Gage's writing being very on the nose and while I'm sure they privately addressed all the post-Chosen issues, I wish we got to see it damn it! Lol.