Our Buffy vs. Lost Girl series continues with a discussion of Lauren. Like Willow, Lauren brings the nerd cred to solving the mysteries of the week, keeping calm and carrying out experiments, but she actually has far more in common with Tara in regards to personality and her place within the Lost Girl world. We talk about the comparisons that can be made between Lauren and these two characters from Buffy.

Lauren vs. Willow

• When Stephanie first started watching Lost Girl and noticing the Buffy connections, she thought of Lauren as the “Willow” because the skills Lauren brings to solving the case of the week, namely her scientific knowledge and general intelligence, are similar to the skills Willow brought to the group in the early seasons of Buffy.
• A comparison could also be made between the storylines of Lauren losing Nadia and Willow losing Tara since both women were innocent bystanders who were “collateral damage” in a conflict between the heroines and a Big Bad.

Lauren vs. Tara

While Lauren and Willow do resemble each other in their “Stand back — I'm going to try science” approach, Lauren actually seems to have far more ready comparisons to Tara.

• When the characters are introduced, the audience is encouraged to doubt their motivations. Season one of Lost Girl suggests at times that Lauren's loyalties lay more with The Ash than with Bo, and when Tara is first introduced it is clear that she has a secret.
• Both of them have more reserved, somewhat socially awkward personalities. They also elicited similar polarized fan reactions — some people really like the characters, while others don't seem to trust Lauren and Tara. Kris speculates that it might be because their more reserved nature means that they aren't expressing their thoughts as much as the other more larger-than-life characters.
• Despite having more experience with the Fae or the supernatural, both Lauren and Tara are the outsiders of the main group.
• Willow's main story arc of the entire series of Buffy was her increasing fascination with power and ultimately her struggle to use it ethically. As demonstrated by Lauren's actions in season three, she is the opposite of Willow in that regard, and she is very concerned with the ethical use of power. Tara also represents this voice and clashes with Willow about ethical uses of witchcraft.
• Lauren and Tara may share this view because they both seem to have been witness to gross abuses of power. Lauren has been tricked into being an indentured servant to the Light Fae, and Tara was tricked into thinking she was a monster for much of her life. Because of these situations, they also both enter the world of the supernatural in subjugated positions.

Share your feedback or ask questions

• Send a voice message through your computer, iPhone, or iPad
• Call (972) 514-7223 to leave a voicemail
• Email us directly at feedback@drinksatthedal.com or use the contact form
• Tweet to @DrinksatTheDal

Connect with Drinks at The Dal

• Visit the Drinks at The Dal website for more content related to the podcast and Lost Girl
• Like the Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast in iTunes and Stitcher
• Follow @DrinksatTheDal