Buffy and Angel - Marc Blucas/Riley Finn Appreciation #2: "No, Sir. I'm an anarchist." - Page 6

Butterfly85 · 04-28-2019, 01:08 PM

Yeah, especially when he didn't do anything wrong and treated Buffy really well but everyone wants to love Buffy with Spike. Who tried to rape her and kill her many times but in general I've noticed people seem to be fans more of abusive, toxic pairings on TV and Spike/Buffy is no exception. I loved how genuinely happy she was with Riley. The hatred for Riley will always be something I will NEVER understand, it was bs.

**eternalfate** · 04-28-2019, 01:14 PM

^ Well I don't feel it's need to bring Spuffy into this.

Because I loved Spuffy however I didn't hate Riley like everyone else.

So I don't think that all Spuffy, Bangel or Bailey fans should fall under the same category since Bangel fans disliked Riley as well since he's directly after Angel... so should we saw that people shouldn't ship Bangel because Angel tried to kill her and everything Angelus did soulless?

When it comes to Riley, no shipping involved, I didn't understand the hate and unfortunately I'm not sure what could've changed to make people appreciate him more.

Probably if they did more slow burn with Buffy/Riley? although I believe they happened at a decent pace... so it's tough to really know.

Season 5 made matters worst.

Butterfly85 · 04-28-2019, 10:28 PM

I just brought up Spike since it's been his fans that have bashed Riley the most on here and in general, or brought Riley up out of nowhere to bash him. I also brought him up cause of the things he has done to Buffy and he's defended, but Riley treats her great and he's bashed for no reason. I just think it's hypocritical and ridiculous. As for Angel/Buffy I'm neutral on them but when Angel was himself (not Angelus which was someone else) he didn't get off on making Buffy feel low, try to kill her, or rape her. So that's where I was coming from but I loved Riley and his pairing with Buffy. I thought they were so cute together and I loved seeing Buffy genuinely happy and not in the darkness like she was with Angel and especially Spike.

**eternalfate** · 04-29-2019, 10:52 AM

^ Well I will say that ME... I am hardcore Spuffy however I don't hate Riley at all.

I'm one of those few fans who don't get the hate because as I mentioned, I saw fans from both fan bases Bangel and Spuffy bash Riley... probably from Bangel fans more since Riley came directly after Angel so he was automatically seen as the rebound. And than obviously the "The Yoko Factor" episode. lol

With Spuffy they were pretty much mortal enemies from season 1-4, so it wasn't suppose to be no grand love story than nor was it meant to be.

So, I'll have the Spuffy discussion for another day... definitely not on this thread.

I did feel that Riley/Buffy had a decent love story. No, it wasn't my favorite but it wasn't my least favorite. Buffy worst love interest in the entire series for me was Parker.

When it just comes to Riley the character, I was pretty much okay with him... no he wasn't my favorite character but I didn't have that hatred for him nor do I really get it.

Butterfly85 · 04-29-2019, 02:19 PM

That's cool, I'm glad your not like the others I've encountered. I'm cool with people not liking a pairing, I just hate hypocrisy at the end of the day. I thought Riley/Buffy had a nice love story too, and I do believe Buffy loved Riley. I believe the moments she showed it most was in S5 when she was worried about him when Riley was dying cause of The Initiative's drugs still in his system (her speech to him when she was saying no one knows her like Riley does) or the episode where he left, where she said she gave him her body and soul. She tried so hard to make it to him before he left and him leaving affected her for a while, and she was still not over him when he returned in S6. We definitely agree about that douchebag Parker, I hated him even more when I last rewatched the episodes. I loved when Buffy knocked him out twice with the tree branch and when Riley puched Parker. What made the latter better is it was after Parker "apologized" to Buffy in Beer Bad, then after that he was still bashing Buffy. He obviously didn't even mean it. So Riley deservedly punching that prick is just another reason I love him *claps*

**eternalfate** · 04-29-2019, 06:17 PM

^ Yeah I can understand you.

For me, I guess I just don't have an problem with what people think because I know everyone has their own opinion although I can agree with you that the Riley bashing even got on my nerves because I was just trying to understand why is he getting some hate?

And that's why I disliked that terrible storyline from Riley in season 5 of him getting bite from a vampire... it was just a storyline used to prove more viewers right.
Buffy didn't ever give her all to Riley and it probably was because she didn't 100% recover from Angel by that point...

I felt Buffy did show how much she cared for Riley at times but it should've been more. I believe if probably Buffy had caught Riley in time in the "Into the Woods" episode than their relationship would've become so much stronger!

Parker.... happy Riley punched him. lol I didn't even buy Parker's apologize. Happy Buffy knocked him out and than saved him.

**starryeyesxx** · 05-03-2019, 03:32 AM

I love Riley & I don't get the hate for him either. I know that people like to bang on about 'he had a problem with Buffy being stronger than him', but, that did come up at a time when he was dealing with losing a lot of his strength, & I think that he was self aware enough to have worked through it if they had stayed together. Plus, I think that if Angel & Spike had ever become human or lost their vampire strength, they would have had issues with not being able to fight alongside Buffy anymore either, & would have gone through the same issues of 'what's my purpose now'. Kinda like Buffy did too in Helpless, she didn't know who she was if she wasn't the slayer, & that was similar to what Riley was going through

People just hate him because they want to, doesn't actually matter what he did, they were gonna twist it around anyway.

Butterfly85 · 05-03-2019, 12:47 PM

Exactly, and even that reason is ridiculous cause Riley loved what a strong woman and fighter Buffy was. He's the one that first told her she was a hell of a woman. The "hate" is just robotic and pointless, especially when other men she was with on the show treated her WAY WORSE. Riley treated Buffy well, and I'm glad she had that relationship.

**eternalfate** · 05-03-2019, 03:41 PM

I think Riley just didn't feel Buffy need him for anything.

Even when it came to Joyce condition in season 5, she never confide in him! that's what Riley wanted, a partner, a person where he can share his feelings with.

**starryeyesxx** · 05-04-2019, 03:23 AM

I think that was the root of their problems too. Buffy wasn't as open to him as she thought she was, & Riley felt that. & like I said, it came at a time when he had lost all his purpose, he wasn't a soldier anymore, he didn't have the same friends, the same job, he'd lost it all because of how much he had believed in Buffy - but he never found good replacements. He was definitely having a crisis imo.

https://lumadreamland.tumblr.com/pos...ion-riley-finn

**eternalfate** · 05-04-2019, 10:29 AM

Oh yeah... I mainly understood Riley with that. If we see how Riley started in season 4, he was a light person with many friends and obviously his solider friends... and when he met Buffy all of that changed.

It's like suddenly he only had Buffy and no one else.

Butterfly85 · 05-04-2019, 05:31 PM

I can see that, he did kind of lose everything and felt lost. I felt bad for him around that time.

☆♥~Buffyverse_Lover16~♥☆ · 05-04-2019, 08:45 PM

I thought this character was a good character, but couldn't last with Buffy.

**starryeyesxx** · 05-06-2019, 12:41 PM

I felt bad for him too, everything he believed in was destroyed pretty much overnight.

I can understand why he felt like he needed to leave, he needed a 'mission', but I also think he could have made things work in Sunnydale, it's just one of those things where you need to admit the problems you're having, & the people around you will hopefully step up & help you move forward

**eternalfate** · 05-06-2019, 02:02 PM

Riley totally would've stayed if Buffy got there in time to stop him which was even more heartbreaking.

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Fan Forum > TV Shows - Past > Buffy and Angel > Marc Blucas/Riley Finn Appreciation #2: "No, Sir. I'm an anarchist."