Ships are a very personal thing. It’s all about feel, if you will. You turn on the TV, see two characters and for some reason; fall in love with their interaction. The reasons why are personal. So is the pairing. And, more often than not, there will be others who just won’t see what you see.

But we’re all friends here. Friends, who can, occasionally, disagree. So, we’re starting a new series where our writers will discuss and debate the ships they’re most passionate about.

For our very first “Ship Wars” we’ve decided to tackle Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and her two main canon loves, Angel and Spike. Maybe we’ll convince you of one side vs. the other. Maybe we won’t. Either way, we’ll have fun trying!

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Ashley: I’ll start us off by saying that I think both ships make sense, but I’ve always been on Team Spike. I think that generally, he treated Buffy more as an equal, instead of trying to do things “for her own good.” He also grew so much as a character, which was ultimately because of Buffy’s influence on him.

Lizzie: On paper, both ships “make sense.” In truth, Buffy/Spike never had a chance to grow. Buffy never gave them that chance. Spike changed because of Buffy, yes, but that doesn’t mean they belong together. And ultimately, the reason they don’t is because Buffy herself decided against it, again and again. In that last episode, when Spike was sacrificing himself for her, she was talking to Angel about being cookie dough. So, really, in Buffy’s heart, there was always just Angel.

Christine: I agree with Lizzie in that Buffy and Spike never had a chance to grow. She was never going to love him the way she loved Angel, and she shouldn’t have, that’s the beauty of your first love. But there’s something to be said about the chemistry and sexual tension between Spike and Buffy. Buffy and Angel’s chemistry just didn’t compare, which is odd, because they literally had sexual tension. They COULDN’T have sex. Spike and Buffy on the other hand…

Jen: I think Spike represented the darker parts of Buffy, which is ultimately why they shouldn’t be together. I adored Spike. He was one of my favorite characters, but the fact that he didn’t have a soul is huge for me. It was always problematic why Spike was able to “love” without a soul and it muddied the waters for me a bit. I could never really get behind Spuffy Season 4-6 for that reason. I think the reason Spike chose to regain his soul is because even he acknowledged there was only so much he could love. There was a piece missing.

My issue isn’t so much Spike. He was a vampire and he never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. The problem is Buffy. She chose to be with Spike because he represented a darkness inside herself. In many ways, sleeping with Spike helped Buffy feel more alive, but in other ways… it was a manifestation of her self-hatred. Buffy hated herself because she craved death more than life. She felt unworthy of her friends and family’s love. So she chose a love once thought to be unworthy.

Christine: At one time, he absolutely did, I totally agree Jen. But after Spike regained his soul (by CHOICE, mind you, not by CURSE like Angel) there was something else that he brought out in Buffy. They had such a deep friendship, one that leaned a little on the love side. He gave her strength and confidence, when everyone else around her abandoned her. Unfortunately for Spike, she was already too damaged by him pre-soul to ever truly consider a romance with him, and that will always be sad, to me.

Lyra: Agree with Christine here. Buffy was way too damaged by pre-soul Spike. Sure they shared a bond, but a relationship wasn’t in the stars for them. Their toxic beginning set them up for failure even before they could start. As for Angel *shrug* didn’t care for him much. But tall and brooding, what’s not to like?

Jen: I totally get that Spike got his soul in Season 7, by choice, and it was completely admirable. But…I couldn’t help but feel Spike’s entire Season 7 storyline was one intended for Angel if he had stayed in Sunnydale, or if the spin off ever failed. It just felt like Angel 2.0 and I could never shake that feeling, so I had a hard time supporting Buffy and Spike in Season 7. That’s more my issue than the shows though. I agree Buffy was incredibly damaged by their relationship in Season 6. There are just some genies you can’t put back and the bottle. I was not a fan of the rape story-line… at all. BTVS didn’t handle it well and it was a confusing message to send to young girls. Since Buffy was sleeping with Spike “un-souled” it made the delineation between good & evil much more difficult to discern. As opposed to Angel/Angelus and Jenny Calendar. I’m a grown woman and it still confuses me.

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