Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains an important piece of media. It’s a great segway into the horror genre, while also offering some great role models for children.
We all know that Buffy Summers is one of the best role models out there. There’s another character who shows what being a great friend is all about. When you want a role model for your children to follow when it comes to friendship, show them Tara Maclay.
Tara wasn’t introduced until the fourth season, where she was a recurring guest star all the way up until one episode in season 6. And yes, we’re all salty that it was her death episode that was her series regular title. This isn’t about her death, though. It’s about the friend who Tara was to Buffy.
Tara didn’t judge in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy Summers did not have the best of friends in the series. They were judgmental and mean to her. When Buffy needed help, they weren’t there unless it was about the end of the world. As the Slayer, it was like they expected her not to have everyday teenage problems and not to need someone to support her.
Bring in Tara, who was the non-judgmental friend Buffy needed. After Buffy came back from the dead, Spike was the one who helped her feel again. He was the one she could turn to, but she knew it was wrong. Part of her felt dirty for it. While all her other friends judged her and commented on her bad choices, Tara didn’t. Tara made it clear that Buffy’s actions were okay and normal. Buffy wasn’t broken, and Tara was going to be there if Buffy needed someone to talk to.
Tara kept her promise to be a friend in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Yes, when Tara said that she was a friend, she meant it. Buffy did turn to her a couple of times, and Tara listened. When she offered advice, it was to share what she would have done, but not in a way that told everyone else how to do it.
Even when Tara and Willow broke up, Tara remained there for Buffy and others. In a lot of breakups, the friend group chooses the one who was there the longest, but that wasn’t the case with Tara. Buffy knew the kind soul that Tara was and latched onto it.
Maybe it was that Tara had been abused by her family her whole life. She was made to feel afraid of what she was, and Buffy was the one to stand up for her despite not really knowing her. Tara knew what it was like to be judged and have no one, and she didn’t want Buffy to feel the same way.
Tara wasn’t a pushover in Buffy
A lot of the time, the kind-hearted character is a pushover. They end up in trouble and need saving all the time, or they allow abuse to continue. We don’t want our children to be that friend. While we want our children to be a great friend, we want them to stand up for themselves.
Again, Tara is the character who is a role model in this. At first, Tara is timid and shy. That’s a trauma response, and we see that with healthier relationships, there is a chance to repair some of that damage. Tara learned how to stand up for herself.
Look at when she found out that Willow was using magic to wipe out her memories, she confronted Willow about this. Tara made it clear that it wasn’t okay, but that she realized Willow needed help. When Willow couldn’t stop, Tara made the difficult choice to walk away. Sometimes, staying with someone is enabling them, and Tara understood that.
So, when you need a role model on TV for your kids to look up to, turn to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Give your kids the chance to meet and get to know Tara Maclay.