Tara as a character, and favourite episode?

[eponinethen]

There are a lot of Willow/Tara shippers on this board and around the world. A lot of people believe that Tara was Willow's "soulmate", or however you want to put it. And a lot of people admire Amber Benson for one reason or another. But how many people are actually fans of Tara? I was wondering what people actually think about Tara as a character, and not as Willow's "soulmate".

Family might be the most typical Tara episode, it's when we finally find out about Tara's background and when she officially becomes a Scooby. But in what episode do you like Tara the best? 'Cause I realized that there is no episode in which I love her as much as in Seeing Red. Might sound a bit, uh, strange, I don't know... But I really love her there.. Anyway, what do you really think about her?

[VisionGuy]

I don't have seasons 4-7 of Buffy so I can't really comment on the best Tara episode.But I really like Tara and not just because of her relationship with Willow.I mean she is so sweet and nice and she's pretty.She was probably the kindest character in the buffyverse.I was so torn up when she died because even though i didn't like her in season 4(because of the whole Willow/Oz thing)I grew to LOVE her in season 5.I also like the relationship she had with Dawn.Now that I think about it,my favorite Tara episode would have to be Family.That was the first time that she was really integrated into the scoobies.I also like how Amber played the vulnerability when her family were facing off with the scoobies.She thought that they would turn against her but they didn't.They accepted her as family.I also loved when Spike punched her in the nose.That was funny.

[Amber Benson]

I think my favorite ALL-TIME Tara moment, is definately Season 5 when she's thumb wrestling with Dawn... She's just so 'Motherly' to her... And caring... Awwww I love TARA!!! :love10:

[Edmund Blackadder]

Tara is my Absolute Favourite Buffyverse character.
From the second i saw her arrive in Hush i knew she would be special(i wasnt privvy to the new info so i was unaware that she was to be Will's girl - though by the end of that episode she do obviously is).
To pick one specific episode is tough. For me its the little roles she plays in an episode that endear her so much to me.
Who are You, with the Faith Confrontation then her being the one to know Its NOT Buffy.
New Moon Rising could have broken my heart...I loved Oz with Willow.....but For Tara to be the reason she never got back with him was tear jerking....
Tara: Whatever, you know, happens. I'll still be here. I'll still be your friend.
Willow: Of course, we'll be friends. That's not even a question.
Tara: But I'm saying, I know what Oz means to you.
Willow: How can you, when I'm not even sure? I mean, I know what he meant to me. But he left, and... everything changed. I changed, and then we —
Tara: What?
Willow: I don't know. I just — life was starting to get so good again, and... you're a big part of that. And here comes the thing I wanted most of all, and... I don't know what to do. I want to know, but I don't.
Tara: Do what makes you happy
this is a perfect sign of her pure love for Willow....she is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice....
I really didnt want to see willow break the heart of either.....but something inside me knew that Tara was the girl for her(maybe because i knew that Seth was only in as a one off...lol)
Restless...OK i know that Tara isnt the one in the dream....but it was so fitting that its 'Tara' that talks for the fisrt Slayer and that Tara is the voice of Premonition.
Real me again showed us a nice side to her, when Dawn feels left out, and Tara comforts her. She just has this sweet clamness that is perfect for the Buffyverse...contrary to the atmosphere of whats going on.
Family shows us a side to her. A side that makes us not feel sorry for her upbringing but genuinely inspired by who she has turned into...yes she is nervous and all...lacking self esteem...but she over comes that....a great example to many you women.
Triangle showed us a beautifully played playful side to Tara.....i love her in this episode.
If ever there was a perfect showing of the great timing and chemistry between Willow and Tara its in checkpoint this part makes me laugh all the time.
Nigel: "Well, I need to know a little bit more about the Slayer. And about both of you. Your relationship, whatever you can tell me."
Tara: "O-ou-our relationship?"
Willow: "We're friends."
Tara: "Good friends."
Willow: "Girlfriends, actually."
Tara: "Yes, we're girlfriends."
Willow: "We're in love. We're... lovers. Lesbian, gay-type lovers. (She puts her hand on Tara's leg.)"
Nigel: "I meant your relationship with the Slayer."
The Body showed us Adult Tara...she was the comforter of Buffy and Willow at possibly THE hardest time of both their lives....up to that point. From here on she took, for me anyway, the Role of Mother to the group. She is the person that Buffy turns too, because of the undersatnding and compassion that exudes from this.
The Mind-Funk arc is possibly the hardest for all the gang....When Glory addles her brain, its amazing the responce of Willow. Totally a forshadowing of whats gonna happen to Willow when Tara dies.
Plus Kudos to Amber...she totally shines as an actress with this loop.
I cried my eyes out when Willow brought Tara Back.(gosh im welling up now Just thinking about it)
Tara's eyes open. She looks at Willow.

WILLOW: Tara?
TARA: W ... Willow?
WILLOW: (smiles hopefully) Tara?
TARA: (tearfully) Willow ... I got so lost.
WILLOW: (smiling) I found you.

Willow kisses Tara all over her face, then hugs her. They both smile happily.

WILLOW: I will always find you.

Long shot of the two of them embracing.
I think that this is one of the most beautiful scenes in the show.
This would not even be a Tara comment if i didnt mention Once More with Feeling. The true love exhibited here is undeniable, BUT the total heartbreak of what she discovers...i feel it too.....i love her...
Tabula Rasa aswell...the wanting to believe...the holding onto hope...just to have it withdrawn......Tara is just perfect.
Dead Things shows us again that Buffy has a fantastic relationship with Tara....As she confesses her relationship with spike to her....and the way that Tara is so understanding...
Older and Far away...The Playful side of her at the party....the disappointed face when Willow admits to having magical stuff....and the pride she obviously feels for Willow because Willow said no to Anya about Magic.
The Final few episodes of Tara are some of the finest....the maturity of the woman, mixed with the joy of being in love makes her magnificent....the reaction of Willow when Tara is killed, and Dawn who had began to look at her in a 'motherly' fashion due to the absence of Joyce and Buffy.
Dawn even suggesting that Warren deserved what he would get......i dont blame her.

If your not bored by now i too have a theory on why we dont see Tara in season 7 as the first(I know its because Bensen was not willing to do it), But I like to believe its because The First Evil can only take the form of someone with Evil in them. Tara, to me, was a pure soul, a good person. No evilness, maliciousness ever seen by her....The First Evil cant go where even a small amount of Evil does not lie....

Now if i HAVE bored you im sorry.....BUT i LOVE LOVE LOVE Tara....just be thankful i didnt do a TOTAL epi by epi break down...though its close.

[Edmund Blackadder]

Dang 40 minutes it took to write that and find the quotes....lol....and i totally agree with what VisGuy and Amber said...


THOUGH on a personal note it could be im biased to Tara because i got to spend 10 hours in the company of Ms Benson.....though i think its because Tara is a marvellous character....

[VisionGuy]

I'm so happy that Amber decided not to come back as The First in season 7.I couldn't stand to see tara being evil.Amber definetly made the right choice because it left the memory of her character pure.

[Joamna]

My favorite Tara is in season 6, when and after she and Willow splits up. For me it feels like she grows a lot with that experience, gets more secure and I like her personality much better there.

But I also like her with Buffy, like the scene in The Body where they are left alone and she tells Buffy that she has also lost her mum. And when Buffy tells her about her releationship with Spike, and the small remarks Tara makes at Spike for the rest of the episode is just wonderful: How's that cramp, Spike? Still bothering you?[...]Maybe you, uh, wanna put some ice on it.

[Wanabee-slayer]

I really liked Tara in OMWF especially on the bridge she was just so loving towards Willow it was really sweet.

[StuckinTraffic]

My favorite Tara is in season 6, when and after she and Willow splits up. For me it feels like she grows a lot with that experience, gets more secure and I like her personality much better there.

But I also like her with Buffy, like the scene in The Body where they are left alone and she tells Buffy that she has also lost her mum. And when Buffy tells her about her releationship with Spike, and the small remarks Tara makes at Spike for the rest of the episode is just wonderful:
I agree. Altho, I loved Willow and Tara together, it seems like Tara grew stronger as a person when she and Willow broke up. Like she wasn't in Willow's shadow anymore, and nothing was going to put her back there again! It was so sweet when she came to Willow and let her know that she wanted to be with her, and I felt like she was doing that on her own terms.

LOL about her comments to Spike during the party at Buffy's house......she was so coy!

[Black Eye Guy]

Ditto to everything DDLM said, I love Tara, I love her character and I loved watching her grow as a Character.

[Cordelia]

It took me a little bit to warm up to Tara, but I really liked her once she found her place in the group and began to assert herself more.

[StuckinTraffic]

It took me a little bit to warm up to Tara, but I really liked her once she found her place in the group and began to assert herself more.Yeah, that's what I meant to say! Hee - never use one word when you can use three.

[eponinethen]

How's that cramp, Spike? Still bothering you?[...]Maybe you, uh, wanna put some ice on it.
Even though it's so sad when Tara and Willow are not together, this is one of her best moments, I very much agree.

At first I really loved Tara, only 'cause of the Tara/Willow thing. Later on I loved her because I admired Amber Benson so much. Then I started realizing that I actually don't like tara that much as a character. Maybe she is too much like I used to be (oh so very shy), or maybe we just don't get to know her enough, I'm not sure.. But now I have finally started to like her as a character, but only in season 6, and her clothes still really bother me.. I just don't get it.. hm..

[sweet_witch]

Tara was a good character, for, like, many reasons. Like, I didn't first like her at all. But when she and Willow became closer, I became closer to to the relationship. They are mainly the reason people were pulled to it at the end. Because they made the best.

[Araminta Tyler]

Dead Things. In this episode, at the end when she comforts Buffy she shows how caring she is, a good listener, and always helping people feel better.

[ChaosBleeds]

I just fell in love with Tara. I had never seen an episode of Buffy my entire life, then one day my friend forced me to watch OMWF and from the first time I saw her she was my favorite person on the show and I instantly became addicted to BTVS.

As for my fav Tara episode, it would have to be "Older and Far Away" a bit of and odd choice but this just shows how much she has changed since the split with Willow. Esp. in the scene with Anya wanting Willow to do magic to get them out of the house:


Tara:
You're gonna back off. Now. She
said no, and that's it, you're not
gonna make her do something she
doesn't want to.
And if you try, you'll have to go
through me first. Understood?

[eponinethen]

I just fell in love with Tara. I had never seen an episode of Buffy my entire life, then one day my friend forced me to watch OMWF and from the first time I saw her she was my favorite person on the show and I instantly became addicted to BTVS.
Heh, that's sort of what happened to me. Not with OMWF but Hush, that's when I started loving BtVS.. I'm glad your friend forced you to watch it ;)

[Xander]

You guys listed so many great Tara moments and now im kinda blank. Although I gotta say my favourite Tara line is "Can we just skip it, can you just be kissing me now?" That whole speech was really great, but that final line just stuck with me.

[master kenobi]

i totaly loved taras charature....she was the only real inosent one in the show... i loved it when she stood up for willow.....that was like wow!!! go tara, being so used with her being the quiet one....was gutted when she died....

[eponinethen]

Is it just me or was Tara super cute in Checkpoint? Like, unusually cute I mean?

[Araminta Tyler]

No, it's not just you!

[master kenobi]

basicaly..... taras a great charature :) her story line was brilliant, shes sweet careing, loving, funny, weird or how she likes to say quirky :D then in further episodes we got to see how strong her charature was ( buffy and spike) (problems with willow) all aspects to be loved in a charature :) i loved her story line from start to finish... :( oh did i not mention hot too ;) man that woman can be soooo cute... little half smiles she does ;) well this ones for her :D.

http://files.tagworld.com/b98f9c6342ac966d4bc798bf6cec0d585ba1.bmp

[iluvcosmo14]

Probably the scene in season 6 when she's talking to Dawn about the really big shake, and then she blurts out the fact that she'll always be there. That and the scene in Seeing Red where she tells Willow not to get used to clothes. Or any scene in season 6, really. I love Tara!

[ILLYRIAN]

Tara had a really good singing voice, lovely shoulders and an intensity in the eyes that was thought provoking.
The episode I liked her best in was Restless. I wrote a bit of fanfic based from what she said, 'They will find out, you know, about you'. [to Willow]

[Elithustra]

One of my fav Tara moments was in Hush - she was already developing more courage then. Wasn't it Tara who first offered her hand to Willow to help magically move the pop-soda machine against the door? Tara branched out, seemingly stepped outside her comfort zone, so to speak, and it was just magical, in more ways than one.

Also, totally pervy, but Restless' dream-sequence where Will's painting Tara's back. Sent shivers down my spine, that's for sure!

[WatcherByBirthright]

Favourite episode for me will always be 'Family'. Love her duet will Giles in 'Once More With Feeling', and her gentle mocking of Spike in 'Older and Far Away' reveals a side of the character that should have been explored more.

[Bangelxx]

I loved Tara! she was so sweet and caring. Amber is a great singer. I guess you could call me a Tara fan! and a tillow fan!:)

[Starlet]

I love Tara! She was so sweet and loving,like a mother to Dawn,great friend ... Her character has also developed much throughout the series. It's so bad that she was killed off in "Seeing red". I was like "And that's it? I want more Tara!" I'd love to see who would she become if she wasn't killed...

My favourite moments of Tara:
*"Family"- especially the first ( I just adore Tara's story) and the last scene
*"Older and and far away" (with Spike)
TARA: How's that cramp, Spike? Still bothering you?
SPIKE: What? Oh. Yeah.
TARA: Maybe you, uh, wanna put some ice on it.

*Seeing Red- when she and Willow come downstairs. She looks so happy:)

[UlaGan]

Yeah, Tara was sweet at the very first moment. She was way positive and radiant girl.
My favorite moments of her were in:

doing Magic with Willow (any time);
in Restless - she was so enigmatic;
and I like her alot when she read palm of Willow: What fo you see? - Willow's Palm. (Aw, that was sooo sweet)...


I grieved a lot when she was shot by Warren.

[The Ferg]

I absolutely love Tara. BUT, I adore her in S6. Not so much in S4-5. Partly just because she was never on the show, and when she was, it was a very small appearance. So anyway, my favorite moments were:

S4: Hush:
When we first see Tara in the Wicca group and that girl asks her if she has something to say, and she just smiles, and ignores her. That was great. Then also in Hush when they hold hands and move the vending machine.
S4: New Moon Rising:
The whole ending when she blows out the candle.

S5: Family:
I think it's kinda obvious.
S5: Checkpoint:
"Magical Proficiency Level?"
"5!"
(I haven't finished S5 yet, so there probably will be some more moments)

S6: Once More, With Feeling:
Tara singing "Under Your Spell" That was beautiful.
S6: Entropy:
"Can you just be kissing me now?"

[littlewilly]

at first i thought Tara was just ok, but s6, especially from once more with feeling i started to really like her, dare i say it, even a bit more than Oz.

[caitaintdead]

A wonderful moment that sprung to my mind "I'm cured! I like boys!" From OMWF. I wish we had of had the chance to see more of Tara joking around.

[~angelic slayer~]

I think Tara was probably one of the most real characters on the show, I really have respect for that character for sure.

She showed true, human fear in "Family"-- she wasn't trying to hide a secret to fool anyone, she was just taken advantage of and scared like so many people are everyday.

She fell in love with Willow and was always there for her and the gang ("The Body" sticks out in my mind for this one, how she was there for Buffy even though she was almost the "odd one out", and she was always trying to make Dawn feel that much more included, somehow understanding her situation).

She also knew when to broke it off. I really respected her in "Tabula Rasa" when she did end it with Willow. It's something that a lot of people can't do in relationships, and I've seen a lot of lives go down hill because of it. She recognized that she was in something that wasn't healthy, and that it had to stop before it got anymore out of hand. Even though she loved Willow, she had the courage to leave. And not in the "I hate you I never want to talk to you again and hope you burn in hell b**ch!!" kind of way. She was still always concerned with how she was doing, not hateful just had a grasp on reality.


In my opinion, she's always been one of the most emotionally grown up characters on the show. She was rational and seemed to have this "human connection" to everyone in some way that you couldn't deny. She was the greatest friend: someone who would just listen without judging, who would help you out if you're in need (whether you asked for it or not) and she really had a deep respect for all the people she spent time with. And I think that because of what happened in her relationship with Willow, it really showed a very adult decision that made her perhaps one of the bravest characters on the show. She knew when it was time to leave, and she did it the right way. Without dragging everyone else into it, without all the drama, and not without warning. She gave Willow a chance, Willow blew it, and that was it. She was brave enough to walk away.

I'm a huge Tara fan, think I can also identify with her kind of shy exterior. Without a doubt though, my favourite character of the Buffyverse. :)