thetopher
Member of the Church Of Faith
Both relationships have an age gap; the question should really be how much agency does the younger partner have in said relationship? How are they shown to set the terms of the relationship? Is there a weird power dynamic at play? Are there signs of coercion and/or manipulation? What about blackmail or emotional abuse? (by the older partner)
If all of these things are done by the older person on the younger then the age gap should matter much more, because that is what people in the real world often watch out for with those 'May to December' affairs.
I mean, the size of the age gap should be a factor but so should the relationship outside the romance; are they co-workers? Mentor and junior? Professor and student? Therapist and patient? All of those are incredibly sketchy because of the power imbalance outside the romance stuff.
If all of these things are done by the older person on the younger then the age gap should matter much more, because that is what people in the real world often watch out for with those 'May to December' affairs.
I mean, the size of the age gap should be a factor but so should the relationship outside the romance; are they co-workers? Mentor and junior? Professor and student? Therapist and patient? All of those are incredibly sketchy because of the power imbalance outside the romance stuff.
NotASlayer
Oddly, given that Riley is in a position of power with relation to Buffy, that's the only relationship she has any real agency in, especially as she has absolutely none with Spike.