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Although the show's writers and producers received a minimal negative reaction from Willow choosing Tara over Oz, the response from viewers and critics alike was overwhelming towards Whedon for killing Tara, accusing him of homophobia.

Particularly because Tara's death came at a point where Willow and Tara had reconciled and were shown following an apparent sexual encounter, the writers were criticized for representing the consequences of lesbian sex as punishable by death.

Series writer and producer Marti Noxon — whose mother fell in love with another woman when Noxon was 13 years old — was unable to read some of the mail the writing team received because it was so upsetting.

To her, the pain expressed in viewers ' letters was a logical reaction to the lack of realistic lesbian role models on television.