Post a Reply
Back to the Forum
OK. An interesting take, most of which I disagree with; and I'll tell you for why.
Giles lays it down in The Gift: He is a Watcher. He has sworn an oath to protect the world, and this means he has to do the things that no-one should rightly be forced to do. The point is reiterated in Flooded, when he calls Willow an amateur, and that is what this battle will come down to. We _know_ that Willow is more powerful than Giles, but he is a professional. He does this for a living, and he knows his limitations. Willow is raw power, and she blasts it out without restraint. Ripper had some similarities to this, but lacking the raw juice he would be flattened by Willow in moments (c.f. his reckless attempt to fight Trick in Band Candy).
While I could maybe buy Ethan freeing Willow - he does worship chaos after all, and so doesn't really need a motivation - I doubt he'd be so careless as to stand nearby when she got out. Plus as far as we know, he's in US military custody still, sharing a cell with a Taliban soldier and listed as Prisoner X.
Also, why should Dawn be able to control the energy of her essence. Can you?
The Key's energy is it's lifeforce; even if the could find a way to manipulate it, every burst of energy she released would see her dying by inches. The only other use besides keeping her alive is to openthat door, which is neither a good thing, nor a controlled thing, and would require the spilling of the blood again.
*
Since I would feel churlish spitting ot this critique without giving you a chance of a return shot, here are my rough ideas, sparse as they are. Most of them will probably be contradicted in Grave anyway.
*
Giles does return to England, gutted and boned by the necessity of participating in what he believes to be the utter destruction of one of his children; of his protege, no less. Xander, Buffy and Dawn are mired in a black funk, haunted by Willow's turn, each blaming themselves for what happened.
For the first few episodes, Spike will be their enemy, but not trying to kill them. Instead, he will be committing a series of seemingly unconnected and senseless crimes. It will emerge - perhaps from Clem - that Spike is serving some new power in the underworld, although he sees it as using the relationship to further his own ends.
Maybe seven or ten episodes in - somewhere in the second quarter - we learn that Spike's master is a mistress; and the mistress is Willow. Crippled and broken, but still a seething cauldron of power, she is using Spike to gather materials for a restoration spell which will see her return to her full-on Dark Phoenix glory.
For the third quarter, the Scoobies attempt to stop Spike from completing the spell, but they fail and Willow rises. Her first attempt to destroy her foes is thwarted however, when Spike sacrifices himself for Buffy, finaly earning his redemption in a 'take a lightning bolt for the woman I love' moment of clarity. This will also flash Willow back to the time when this was done for her - Oz taking a bullet for her, in another peculiar parallel to Tara's wound - throwing her off her game.
Willow falls back to regroup, and maybe goes after Oz, either killing him to purge her humanity, or locking him into his transformed state with some mystical collar to be her twisted werewolf cuddle-monkey, to the same end.
In the final confrontation, the Scoobies work to remind Willow of her humanity. She has a moment of pause, as she did before, and in that moment when she is truly Willow - and maybe her hair flushes red and her skin goes healthy to prove it - Buffy kills her dead.
Everything ends in pain, death and bitterness, and they all live really miserably ever after.
The End.
(Edited by The Prophet 27/05/2002 09:49)
(Edited by The Prophet 27/05/2002 10:17)
I feel I have to point out here that Giles' grim determination is not a reversion to his Ripper persona. Ripper was a bad boy, a loose cannon, but he was unfocused. The Giles in the doorway of the Magic Box was Rupert Giles, Watcher; the same man who murdered Ben to protect Buffy. A man produced by the same training, and the same devotion as the Wesley Windham-Price who was prepared to send men - even to send Angel - to almost certain death in order to achieve the ultimate victory. Ripper would probably just want to get it on with evil Willow.
by Alf
Giles returns for good to England swearing not to use magic again as it nearly converted him back to his wild "Ripper" personna.
Giles lays it down in The Gift: He is a Watcher. He has sworn an oath to protect the world, and this means he has to do the things that no-one should rightly be forced to do. The point is reiterated in Flooded, when he calls Willow an amateur, and that is what this battle will come down to. We _know_ that Willow is more powerful than Giles, but he is a professional. He does this for a living, and he knows his limitations. Willow is raw power, and she blasts it out without restraint. Ripper had some similarities to this, but lacking the raw juice he would be flattened by Willow in moments (c.f. his reckless attempt to fight Trick in Band Candy).
As has been noted before, if Spike gets his soul back without a gypsy curse, it risks invalidating Angel's very existence. I don't think the outcome of his trials could be anything so straightforward.
Spike returns with his soul intact but Buffy rejects him! He keeps trying!
Xander might leave, but I don't see it lasting. He's felt useless many times before, but he has always come back and pulled through for his friends, and has saved each of their lives on more than one occasion.
Xander leaves Sunnydale feeling useless and trying to forget Anya who keeps up the Magic Shop and helps Buffy now and then.
No-one really understands the source of the Slayer's power. I don't believe it would be possible to mystically strip Buffy of her heritage, and if it was attempted, Dark Willow would probably have nothing to look forward to but a life of eternal wakefulness, trying not to fall into sleep where the First Slayer could get her.
Willow is freed by Ethan Rayne who she kills for his trouble. She goes after Buffy and (I initially thought kills her - but Buffy dying has been done to death!!! so..) perversely decides to make her as helpless as she has been and removes her Slayer abilities!
While I could maybe buy Ethan freeing Willow - he does worship chaos after all, and so doesn't really need a motivation - I doubt he'd be so careless as to stand nearby when she got out. Plus as far as we know, he's in US military custody still, sharing a cell with a Taliban soldier and listed as Prisoner X.
Okay; the Order of Dagon was utterly annihilated. Plus, after eight centuries they hadn't come close to finding a way to use the power of the Key to do anything but open the door. The only group remaining who might have some knowledge of The Key would be any remnant of the Knights of Byzantium.
Needing a power boost after this incredible feat she turns to Dawn to suck up the energy she is containing which triggers a battle of wills between them as Dawn finds she has some control over the energy (which is basically her essence after all!)
Enter Xander who has actually come across the order of the monks who brought Dawn into existence. He is able to help Dawn use part of her power to banish Willow to another dimension (probably Hell 'cos after all she has killed!).
Also, why should Dawn be able to control the energy of her essence. Can you?
The Key's energy is it's lifeforce; even if the could find a way to manipulate it, every burst of energy she released would see her dying by inches. The only other use besides keeping her alive is to openthat door, which is neither a good thing, nor a controlled thing, and would require the spilling of the blood again.
Never going to happen. Xander loves Anya; this has been made abundantly clear. Furthermore, in Restless, he clearly recognises that his role in Buffy's life is as her brother. He is a protector - especially in the realm of emotion, where she is most vulnerable and her Slayer abilities can not help her - and a true and stalwart friend, but he can never be her lover.
They realise Dawn now has the potential to become quite a powerful demon dispatching heroine. Spike stays to tutor her and become a sort of "Watcher".
Buffy now has the opportunity to leave Sunnydale and get a life. She suddenly realises that she has no idea how to do this but any life without Xander would be meaningless.
He gets his ultimate desire and he and Buffy ride into the sunset to live happy ever ...?
*
Since I would feel churlish spitting ot this critique without giving you a chance of a return shot, here are my rough ideas, sparse as they are. Most of them will probably be contradicted in Grave anyway.
*
Giles does return to England, gutted and boned by the necessity of participating in what he believes to be the utter destruction of one of his children; of his protege, no less. Xander, Buffy and Dawn are mired in a black funk, haunted by Willow's turn, each blaming themselves for what happened.
For the first few episodes, Spike will be their enemy, but not trying to kill them. Instead, he will be committing a series of seemingly unconnected and senseless crimes. It will emerge - perhaps from Clem - that Spike is serving some new power in the underworld, although he sees it as using the relationship to further his own ends.
Maybe seven or ten episodes in - somewhere in the second quarter - we learn that Spike's master is a mistress; and the mistress is Willow. Crippled and broken, but still a seething cauldron of power, she is using Spike to gather materials for a restoration spell which will see her return to her full-on Dark Phoenix glory.
For the third quarter, the Scoobies attempt to stop Spike from completing the spell, but they fail and Willow rises. Her first attempt to destroy her foes is thwarted however, when Spike sacrifices himself for Buffy, finaly earning his redemption in a 'take a lightning bolt for the woman I love' moment of clarity. This will also flash Willow back to the time when this was done for her - Oz taking a bullet for her, in another peculiar parallel to Tara's wound - throwing her off her game.
Willow falls back to regroup, and maybe goes after Oz, either killing him to purge her humanity, or locking him into his transformed state with some mystical collar to be her twisted werewolf cuddle-monkey, to the same end.
In the final confrontation, the Scoobies work to remind Willow of her humanity. She has a moment of pause, as she did before, and in that moment when she is truly Willow - and maybe her hair flushes red and her skin goes healthy to prove it - Buffy kills her dead.
Everything ends in pain, death and bitterness, and they all live really miserably ever after.
The End.
(Edited by The Prophet 27/05/2002 09:49)
(Edited by The Prophet 27/05/2002 10:17)
Posted: 09:46 May 27 2002 
). I'm sure he *wants* to be Big Bad, but maybe if the demon has a malicious sense of humour he'll end up as the BAP instead. You should always be specific when asking favours from demons.
Everything seems so fragmented right now, it's hard to see how it can be pulled together.