Much Ado About Riley

[lunabee34]

I've been thinking a good deal about Riley's character and his place in slash fandom after last week's club_joss discussion of trepkos's "Moonstruck I." He's so often cast as the villain of a Spander or Spangel piece (and not just the villain, but the Villian LOL), that I had never read a slash story in which Riley played a positive role until emella pointed me to eliade's Reprise.

Many of the Buffyverse fandom classics (I'm thinking jameschick's Quantum Xander and Lazuli's Repossession) are built around the premise that Riley is really a huge, evil sadist. And I'm not saying that's wrong; I enjoyed reading both those stories very much. I think that pushing the boundaries of characterization is really what fanfic is about. For this same reason, I enjoy stories that explore Angelus equally as well as those that focus on Angel. One thing I think the Buffyverse hammers home is that we all have an inner Angelus just waiting to come out to play.

When I was watching the show, I never really felt very strongly about Riley's character; I don't like the actor all that much. He's never really pushed my buttons. But I certainly didn't hate him or anything. What I found after reading so much fanfic that cast him in a negative role is that I started to hate Riley's character unreasonably. When I found Reprise, I had to step back and think, "Now why do I hate Riley so much? He's really kinda goofy and noble." LOL

After that, I began to enjoy Riley more. I don't like Marc Blucas's execution of the character; that doesn't mean that the character isn't really complex and fascinating (guy living a double life, gives it all up for what's right, etc).

So, after that long-winded intro:
1. Riley as the slash bad guy
2. fanfic affecting character perception

Discuss!

Comments

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I agree. I think fanfic also taught me to be analytical about television, something that I often was not. I saw TV as more of an escape, a time when I could just mindlessly watch something and not pay attention to all the things I have to pay attention to when reading for class. But I've found I enjoy television more when I do "read" it as carefully as the books I'm teaching.

[executrix.livejournal.com]

I was once in a museum blasting through what seemed to me very boring rooms full of 18th century furniture when a docent came through with a tour group and started talking about the furniture--an object lesson to me in the extent to which things become interesting based on one's own investment in learning about them. (Which is why I used to sometimes bring drawing pads to museums--not because I can draw, but to increase my comprehension of the paintings.)

[lunabee34.livejournal.com]

I was once in a museum blasting through what seemed to me very boring rooms full of 18th century furniture when a docent came through with a tour group and started talking about the furniture--an object lesson to me in the extent to which things become interesting based on one's own investment in learning about them.

*hearts*