starryeyesxx

True, they did kinda write their way into a corner there....



☆☆☆☆☆

Tech Noir

^ Great moment!


Love that red lipstick on Tara!

VampDemos

Reference the friendship between Buffy and Tara, yes, Tara does mess up sometimes, like when she cast that spell to prevent her friends from seeing their enemies- that was kind of a dumb idea, but she had a reason that to her sounded like a good one, and, I personally think she was at least a tad scared, hence it's *presumable* that the First (perhaps to be thought of, due to, among other things, personality, as analogous to the evil spirit) played with her mind through her terror of being found out to be a demon- complete falsehood by the way- and she knew that her friends tended to *kill* that kind of creature, so she's terrified... also she doesn't want to lose her romantic interest, Willow, so she uses a spell to blind them due to her terror of being found out.
This was a dumb idea, and came back to bite her, as she was in mortal danger from the monsters that Glory sent after Buffy's kid sister- though she didn't know that Dawn's the one she wanted- and Tara found out her tragic error before the tragedy happened. That itself was a good in *that* regard; still don't think that use of occult practices is ever a good idea, though- even in the show; not the portrayal, but the decision to call on them.
I have, however, ran across some truly outstanding stories pairing Buffy and Tara, and there's even a yahoo group featuring those two paired together, so there're some quality works involving those young ladies relationship out there.
I don't really hate Tara by the way, often myself I found it fun to imagine her as a classmate of mine when I was bored inbetween classes in Community College, though she and I would disagree on just about everything- I think it'd be a useful friendship, if one could be established.
I'm referring to Tara using a spell to attack her friends as a dumb idea by the way, just to be clear.

Charmed Slayer Angel

It was a bad idea, yeah, but an understandable one.

As someone who practices Wicca, I'm going to ignore the comment about 'occult practices'.

VampDemos

I think the former point was largely what I was trying to say about her *choice* of how to reply... as for the latter point, and the matter of occult practices and our respective viewpoints thereto (or thereof), it's clear we disagree on that detail.
But on that regard, you may remember how Buffy once did a spell to go into a trance and see if, and how, someone was harming her mom, and if it was someone, or a natural happenstance that something went biologically wrong with her mom... and that led to her and Dawn getting into kind of a catfight. My point of this is thus, what if the First somehow, I don't know how, but somehow, hijacked her spell to make her see what it *wanted* her to see; thus triggering a "sisters catfight" for its own sick amusement.
We do disagree, the main obstacle for me in that regard is *proving* my point through logic and human reason.
Frankly, I see that kind of thing in the category of "gang deals" wherein someone makes a deal with the local "mafia don". Now, when anyone makes such a contract, the mafia works it out so that they effectively *own* them, as a direct result, via debt, the person winds up effectively a slave of theirs- through being perminantly in their debt.
You don't have to agree with me on this- there's nothing I can do to *make* you agree with me on *anything*, but I do want you to *see* where I'm coming from, and I trust that this'll work.
And you are exactly right, and to boot I'm sure that Tara would agree with you and me that it was a bad idea- on that you are exactly right. I don't know if "Colton" is your name, but if it is, you'll know who I'm addressing.
Sorry if I get it wrong, and the quotation marks were designed to specify the name, not to make it out as something it's not... if I hurt your feelings I apologize and am sorry for that emotional pain.

starryeyesxx

I always thought that Tara's spell in Family had gone wrong, that it was meant to specifically make them not see the demon side of her - not be blind to all demons, because she would have had to know that that would turn dangerous sooner rather than later

Charmed Slayer Angel

That's exactly what it was supposed to do, honestly.

starryeyesxx

Huh...you mean that was the intention of her spell? I guess she was pretty despearate then, because it's pretty clear to see that that was gonna be dangerous!

Charmed Slayer Angel

Yes, the intention is what I meant. I think what is really key to understanding Tara's thinking and the way the spell went wrong is all reliant on her state of mind at the time. The return of her family definitely shook her up, especially since she hadn't yet found out the 'Maclay Family Curse' wasn't real whatsoever.

I know that in Wicca, when you're casting things, your emotions have to be focused in order to cast correctly (depending on what form of Wicca.) Given Tara's fear over being found out by the others, I think it's safe to say that a spell that should have been simple and not harmful whatsoever got messed up, as we see in the episode itself.

As you said, the spell was only supposed to make herself invisible to the other Scoobies, not to all demons. The latter surely wasn't what she intended or wanted.

starryeyesxx

That's what I always thought, but this conversation has made me think that it was never really made clear in the ep - still, I think I'm gonna stick with the spell going wrong, because it really wouldn't made sense otherwise

Charmed Slayer Angel

That's exactly how I've always viewed it. Any other explanation doesn't exactly make sense

starryeyesxx

Yeah, it would just be way too stupid

wilywiccan

BtVS characters I think are pure innocent cinnamon rolls:

Buffy
Tara

BtVS characters I love:

Buffy
Tara

Charmed Slayer Angel

Agreed

starryeyesxx

I agree with that too, but I'd have a whole lot more on my list