Crush

Buffy Episode Review

In which there is Spike.

What Happened

There is much angst regarding Spike. Lord knows why.

What Did I Think?

Where exactly did this idea that Buffy likes dangerous men come from? I mean, if you look at the guys she's been attracted to, it just doesn't seem that way.

First, there was Owen (Never Kill a Boy on the First Date). He was shy and, okay, they described him as "being able to brood for fifty minutes straight," but broody doesn't exactly equal dangerous. The most unusual thing about Owen was that he actually read, like, books. In the end, Buffy didn't dump him because he was too dull for her; she had to stop seeing him because he wanted to be "Danger Boy."

Next came Billy Fordham (Lie to Me). Right, I guess you could argue he was dangerous, what with the whole trying to kill her thing. When Buffy was mooning over him in fifth grade, however, he must have seemed pretty normal. Before finding out he was "lying scum," she just seemed relieved that she didn't have to conceal being the Slayer. She wanted someone she could talk to, not someone who could help her patrol.

Post-Angel angst (we'll get to him in a minute), Buffy fell for Scott Hope. The boy oozed sweet and normal. He bought her a friendship ring and took her to movies. They nuzzled between classes and discussed with all seriousness whether they were pre or post-posey. Scott's danger level was in the negative numbers and Buffy was happy.

Parker (Harsh Light of Day) was scum in a whole different way than Ford, but he was articulate scum. He told Buffy exactly what she wanted to hear, and it didn't run along the lines of "let's go knock over a liquor store, babe." She wanted to hear that she was special in a way that had nothing to with being the Slayer. Parker confided in her. It may have all been a line of crap, but it was communication on the "I want to talk to you" level, not the "I want to kick your face in" level.

Which brings us to Riley. Let's remember that Buffy was attracted to him before she found out that he was soldier boy. Riley, the ordinary guy from Iowa who took her on picnics and showed concern when Willow was angsting over Oz taking off. Not the Riley who could take out vamps with his techno-toys.

So, where does the idea that Buffy needs a streak of violence in her man come from? I think, mostly from Riley and his identity crisis buying into it when Spike said so. ('Cuz Spike knows so much about it, and Riley was, well, a little dense for a psych major.) Spike's theory is that Buffy loved Angel, who was dangerous, so she must love the type.

There's just one problem: Angel wasn't the dangerous type! Sure, good 'ol soulless Angelus was a first rate stalk you and kill your friends psycho, but Buffy didn't love him. She loved Angel, the guy with the soul.

Angel, who wasn't aloof cryptic guy because he was trying to be mysterious, but rather because he had the social skills of a eight year old. Angel, who stood there, stuffed pig in hand, and listened to her when she talked about her Dorothy Hamill fixation, then suggested they go ice skating on their next date. That's what Buffy was attracted to, and it was memories of that guy that made it so tough for Buffy to dust Angelus.

I think Spike hopes if he says something enough times it'll come true. He managed to convince Riley (though that had a lot to do with Riley's own issues) and lucked out when Riley took the "Nobody loves me, I'll guess I'll go eat worms" approach to problem solving. I hope, however, that Buffy isn't going to buy it.