Yes. The fact that it was treated as simply a matter of course made it all the more powerful. These were two women in love helping each other through grief in a perfectly natural way... which automatically puts it light-years ahead of most of those others.

In fact when I first saw it, it was so natural I almost didn't notice it. A matter of, "Of course Tara would kiss her... surely we've seen it before?"

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | October 13, 20:14 CET

I wouldn't call it a "steamy" kiss, but yes, it was the most powerful of the lot, by far.

Enisy | October 13, 20:31 CET

No argument here! :-)

Dana5140 | October 13, 20:47 CET

That wasn't a steamy kiss; it was comfort between two people who had a real relationship. It wasn't a stupid ratings stunt to pull in boys who want to watch the hot chicks do it. Honestly, it makes me a little ill to see it included with most of the others on the list.

ActualSize | October 13, 20:51 CET

ActualSize; Point taken. Perhaps "steamy" can be viewed as a relative term . . . .

Wonder if we'll ever see the outtakes . . . .

But if this list can just be viewed as a roubnd-about way of lisitng "the best," then all I can say is "Yay!"

DaddyCatALSO | October 13, 21:15 CET

Wonder if we'll ever see the outtakes . . . .

Way to make my point. :) If the authors really wanted to talk about steamy kisses between Willow and Tara, they could have cited Entropy.

ActualSize | October 13, 22:00 CET

When talking about steamy kisssin Im quite ashamed to say that Kennedy and a videorecording Andrew comes to mind. But Willow and Tara in OMWF is hard to top.

Satai (with Punsch) | October 13, 22:23 CET

Steamy can be between two people who love each other. I say it's steamy.

Brian Lynch | October 13, 23:30 CET

Steamy can be between two people who love each other.

Of course it can. I just don't see this particular kiss under the circumstances as steamy. YMMV.

ActualSize | October 14, 00:13 CET

Wow, thought for sure Inara and the Counselor would be on that list.

mutt999 | October 14, 00:14 CET

"Way to make my point" I don't care whose point I make as long as Joss releases 'em someday.

More seriously, ActualSize, are you contending that straight males whose interest in Willow with Tara included an element of "Sometimes I think about two women doing a spell" were a somewhat (this word is too strong but I can't think of another) undesirable part of the audience mix?

DaddyCatALSO | October 14, 01:40 CET

Under the guidelines seemingly laid out here by the choices, you'd think Inara and the (actual) Ambassador's scene together in Inara's shuttle would count, but maybe because it's a business transaction and not an expression of honest lust or love? Leaves a person wondering, it does...

BlueEyedBrigadier | October 14, 02:38 CET

I just find this whole list and the whole concept of the list to be demeaning.

streetartist | October 14, 04:59 CET

This was all they could come up with? Really? Only two of the kisses on this list were between actual lesbian characters. The others were just straight girls messing around for the sake of ratings. What about 6 seasons of "The L Word"? I can even remember an experimental, non-sensationalized kiss between Holly Marie Combs' character and another girl on "Picket Fences" that would be better than most of this list. Boo on Buddy TV and their list. BOO. >:-(

fictionfiend | October 14, 12:29 CET

DaddyCatALSO, whatever audience members may take away from Willow and Tara's relationship, I can say with near certainty that Joss Whedon didn't intend its depiction to be primarily shocking and/or titillating. The authors of this list point out over and over that most of the other entries had precisely that intent.

I'm with fictionfiend: "This was all they could come up with? Really? Only two of the kisses on this list were between actual lesbian characters. The others were just straight girls messing around for the sake of ratings." Including Willow and Tara on the list, particularly considering the context of the kiss they chose to highlight, is like surrounding a diamond with a bunch of mica chips.

ActualSize | October 14, 14:42 CET

"like surrounding a diamond with a bunch of mica chips. " Wonderful image (and I haven't even gone thru the list yet.)
Not really familiar with reader-response theory (and as an old paleo-con I probably wouldn't buy the philsophical underpinnings) but I do share the idea that if you put something out to an audience, there will always be sane & moral people who take it differently from what was intended.
I admit my interest was originally a "typical guy" interest, plus the whole wish that audience-favroite Willow could achieve soem happiness. but it became more personal. During the latter part of S-5, I was in a position where many of my own family relationships were failing and I was ready to ebcome very cynical abotu them. Seeing Willow and Tara interact in "The body" and Willow's attack on GLory in "Tough Love" remidne dm e that love had to eb real or they couldn't write about it so convincingly. Over the next year, I became convinced they were the most perfectly matched (in the sense of being complementary, one going out where the other went in) couple I'd ever seen on screen. And I still think so. Plus I have a ridiculous fanboy's crush on Amber

DaddyCatALSO | October 14, 20:34 CET

I wish there were more steamy 'stunt' boy-on-boy kisses. In the meantime I guess I'll just bust out my Torchwood DVDs.

Green Queen | October 15, 14:01 CET

Green Queen: The world has an unfortuante tendency to remain what it is. While I don't share your feeligns as such, I sympathize; there are any number of things I'd like to see and can't seem to hope them into being.

DaddyCatALSO | October 15, 17:29 CET