Twillow

"I'm under your spell"

- Tara to Willow

Twillow is the femslash ship between Tara Maclay and Willow Rosenberg on the WB series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Canon
Willow and Tara met during a group session between the members of UC Sunnydale's Wicca group. Tara was quick to notice Willow appreciation and aptitude for real magic, however, the rest of the group did not share the same values on witchcraft.

Though the pair attended the Wiccan session, they did not properly meet until the Gentlemen arrived in Sunnydale and stole everyone's voices. With hopes that she and Willow could solve the issue, a now-mute Tara visited Willow's dormitory but is chased by the Gentlemen on the way. After hearing Tara violently knock on her door, Willow aided Tara in escaping the Gentlemen. The pair held hands and used their combined powers of telekinesis to levitate a vending machine and blocked the door from the Gentlemen. Once Tara and Willow's voices were returned, they discussed witchcraft and Tara tells Willow that she is special.

After this, Tara and Willow saw each other more regularly. They practiced spells in Tara's dorm room. During one session, they managed to float a rose, however, the spell went awry and spun out of control. The pair continued to have "magic sessions". These sessions were intimate with hand-holding and arguably lustful and romantic gazes. During one session, they attempt to contact the goddess Thespia to detect demonic activity in the area. However, Tara sabotages the spell in an attempt to hide her presumed demonic heritage. Before the spell, Willow tells Tara how much she appreciates her friendship and their time together, suggesting deeper feelings regarding their relationship on both sides.

Reception from fandom
Tara and Willow's relationship gained international attention for its exploration into LGBT relationships. During Season 4's broadcast in 1999 and 2000, the relationship gained attention from both the fandom and the Tara/Willow relationship became one of the most popular femslash ships in the fandom.

After "Hush" was broadcasted on December 14, 1999, some fans noticed a lesbian subtext occurring between the pairing and argued that the hand-holding scene implied that a lesbian storyline would occur in the series. Other fans were more doubtful regarding the pairing and believed that Willow was heterosexual and so the relationship would stay platonic. "It's not just that they held hands. It was the entire scene -- Willow is startled by Tara's touch, Tara's hand slips underneath hers, they lace their fingers, Tara has this "dare I hope?" expression on her face. The lesbian claims are not just wishful thinking. They might not be right, but neither are they completely without basis."

- alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer

"Is this the wetdream of little Buffy fanboys? I watched "Hush" last night and didn't derive any lesbian hinting whatsoever. Willow found a "kindred spirit-witch" and a good friend, that's all. Ok fanboys, here's a lesson on women...just because they hold hands, hug, or even kiss does not mean they are lesbians."

- alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer

The next episodes of Season 4 showed more development of the relationship between Tara and Willow. Due to the lesbian subtext becoming more evident in the series, the ship gained a larger fanbase, though some fans continued to deny the existence of the Tara/Willow ship. In late January 2000 (after the broadcast of 'A New Man'), Joss Whedon confirmed on the Bronze Posting Board that the lesbian subtext between the characters was intentional. This gained a mixed reaction from the fandom:

"Willow will never be gay for me. Watch Innocence and see how she reacts to Xander. And I don't buy her being bi either. This whole storyline reeks of a cheap soap opera."

- alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer

Articles and meta

 * What people were saying about Willow/Tara back in 1999...
 * "How Buffy the Vampire Slayer depicted one of TV's first lesbian relationships" by Juliet Bennett Rylah (Nerdist)
 * "Homosexuality in Buffy: Willow and Tara’s Relationship" by Carl Eden (Vada Magazine)