Right, but that's the point - S4 S/E isn't trying to be romantic. It's blatantly dysfunctional and abusive, full stop, whereas S3 tries to walk that line between romantic and problematic.
When BtVS walks that line, I feel conflicted - I want Buffy to be happy and it breaks my heart when Angel(us) treats her so cruelly, while at the same time I also love how deliciously subversive it is. But S3 S/E tips so far into abusive that I lost that sense of inner conflict? It's just as dysfunctional as B/A, but lacks that edge of heartbreaking romanticism, even though the show clearly wants me to have romantic feels. Instead, I'm just all "GTFO Stefan."
And maybe the erasing of Elena's voice is part of that? Buffy's trauma is always on full display (even if she often blames herself for it). Elena either doesn't know or doesn't care that she's a victim of abuse, and so I feel RELIEVED whenever Elena acknowledges her trauma, not heartbroken, because it means she's finally showing some self-awareness and emotional self-preservation.
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2013-01-30 09:58 pm (UTC)When BtVS walks that line, I feel conflicted - I want Buffy to be happy and it breaks my heart when Angel(us) treats her so cruelly, while at the same time I also love how deliciously subversive it is. But S3 S/E tips so far into abusive that I lost that sense of inner conflict? It's just as dysfunctional as B/A, but lacks that edge of heartbreaking romanticism, even though the show clearly wants me to have romantic feels. Instead, I'm just all "GTFO Stefan."
And maybe the erasing of Elena's voice is part of that? Buffy's trauma is always on full display (even if she often blames herself for it). Elena either doesn't know or doesn't care that she's a victim of abuse, and so I feel RELIEVED whenever Elena acknowledges her trauma, not heartbroken, because it means she's finally showing some self-awareness and emotional self-preservation.