I find your characterizations of Willow and Tara fans as angry or emotional lesbians to be insulting in the extreme.

I am a married heterosexual male, in my 30s, with children. I loved Willow and Tara, and Tara. I found her death to be reprehensible. I find Joss Whedon's and the [Mutant Enemy (M.E.)] staff's comments to the fans of Tara to be nothing less than hurtful and childish.

If you had been to boards as you claim, you would have easily realized that a full third of the fans of Tara and Willow are men. And we are not in it for the "girl on girl" action, as M.E. writer Steve DeKnight has put it. How could we be? Willow and Tara have been allowed to show on-screen intimacy once, and that was the episode in which she was murdered. I supposed there was that token kiss in "The Body." Yes, watching one lover comfort her grieving girlfriend really turned us on.

I stand by my group's claims. Joss did not just kill "a lesbian"; he killed Tara. There is a big difference. One is a label, something we never have used to encapsulate everything she was. Tara is a person to us. Many in my "lesbian" community are going through the stages of grief. Tara meant more to us than a mere lesbian, or one half of a wonderful relationship. To categorize us as such only confirms to me your level of ignorance. It is at such a level that in fact I question how you thought you could even write about this.

I also find the assertion that we are grieving for Tara because she was a lesbian to be reprehensible as well. Even if she wasn't, I would be enraged with M.E. Her character has never received equal or fair treatment. Amber Benson [the actress who played Tara] has appeared in the main credit once in her entire tenure at "Buffy"; every other significant other has appeared. You can blame contracts if you like, but the fact remains. Ms. Benson herself had expressed a desire to appear at the end of season four. This is a well-documented interview.

Every other significant other also got to walk away when their relationship was over: Oz, Riley (who is now happily married), Angel, Cordy, Anya, Parker, Faith, and Spike (who despite being a serial killer and attempted rapist gets redemption). The only one who is dead is Tara. Fair? Of course you will no doubt bring up Jenny Calendar. She was killed by Angel. OK, but she was in a heterosexual romance. Are there any other heterosexual couples on the show? Oh, yes, everyone else. And it is well known that Robia LaMorte wanted to leave the show. It is equally well known and well documented that Amber Benson did not want to leave. In fact, even after knowing her character's demise she still was out there plugging the show. She should have saved her time and looked for a better job. But, Ms. Benson has class above and beyond what anyone else at M.E. has.

I suggest you go back to those boards you claimed you looked at and actually read them this time.

-- Timothy S. Brannan, Ph.D.(ABD), MSEd.
University of Illinois at Chicago

I just wanted to compliment Ms. Zacharek for one of the most insightful reviews of any television show that I've had the pleasure of reading. While I'm a fan of "Buffy," I wasn't simply drawn to the review because of its positive bent. She responds to the show with thought, and while it seems clear that her emotional response is included, the analysis is in-depth and thorough, managing to cover what has become (in my opinion, at any rate) one of the most complicated shows on television to date. In what could have become a merely emotional review praising Joss Whedon, she makes a commitment to cerebral analysis, and a thorough one at that. My hat's off to you, Ms. Zacharek. You've given me things to think about when watching the show.

-- Matthew Chase

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