Amber Benson Opens Up About The Real Reason She Never Returned To Buffy
former feminist icon, LGBTQ+ fans had reason to harbor very complicated feelings about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. On the one hand, the show introduced audiences to one of the most beautifully crafted same-sex love stories ever with the relationship between teen witches Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson).
On the other, it unceremoniously brought that same relationship to an abrupt end by killing Tara off in season six, when she was hit by a stray bullet fired by villain Warren Mears (Adam Busch).
This decision is often cited as a prime example of the “bury your gays” trope, in which queer characters are more likely to be killed off than straight ones because they’re seen as more expendable.At the time, there was a major outcry from the show’s queer audience demanding that Tara be brought back.
She never made a reappearance, however, despite seemingly obvious opportunities to do so — and even a scrapped proposal to resurrect the character in the show’s final season.
