Well I was waiting/dreaming eagerly for Buffy/Spike since mid season 4 when it originally aired, so I don't think you actually have to know what happens in the future to have that color your Riley hate. It just seemed right in a way that Buffy/Riley never could to me, they just had such good chemistry. Once they started the Spike's crush it seemed that they would have to eventually hook up. Otherwise why would they devote so much time to it, it would be such a waste.
And even if you didn't believe that Spike and Buffy would eventually happen, the show was always comparing Spike and Riley. And generally Spike came out looking better.
It doesn't seem like the show dwells on the relationship that much, but I think that is probably partly due to the speed at which we're seeing the episodes.
That's interesting, I wonder if was just fandom that was so obsessed with it. Or that I lingered on it too much since I was repulsed by it (by the end of season 2 the Buffy/Angel love theme literally made me nauseous). And then of course when I got my Buffy/Spike wish, I was living with a hardcore Buffy/Angel shipper so would never hear the end of it. Then again, long after all the other original ships were gone never to be mentioned again, Buffy/Angel stuff would crop up in the oddest places.
I am enjoying the season thoroughly, so it's very amusing to me to see people complaining about how Angel sucks now.
That's kind of how I feel about season 6 Buffy. All I heard on the boards was whining about how bad it was and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
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And even if you didn't believe that Spike and Buffy would eventually happen, the show was always comparing Spike and Riley. And generally Spike came out looking better.
It doesn't seem like the show dwells on the relationship that much, but I think that is probably partly due to the speed at which we're seeing the episodes.
That's interesting, I wonder if was just fandom that was so obsessed with it. Or that I lingered on it too much since I was repulsed by it (by the end of season 2 the Buffy/Angel love theme literally made me nauseous). And then of course when I got my Buffy/Spike wish, I was living with a hardcore Buffy/Angel shipper so would never hear the end of it. Then again, long after all the other original ships were gone never to be mentioned again, Buffy/Angel stuff would crop up in the oddest places.
I am enjoying the season thoroughly, so it's very amusing to me to see people complaining about how Angel sucks now.
That's kind of how I feel about season 6 Buffy. All I heard on the boards was whining about how bad it was and I enjoyed it quite a bit.