Okay, I knew the behind-the-scenes reasons why Tara didn’t come back to Willow, but I thought the explanation they used in the episode worked even better than if Amber Benson had been back. For one thing, I teared up when Willow was just talking to the air and crying (What was it Joss said in the commentary for Innocence? “There is nothing sadder in this world than when Aly makes her big eyes” or something like that?). It would have completely changed the energy if Amber Benson had been there instead of Azura Skye. Plus, and this is what really sold me on the idea, having Tara urging Willow to commit suicide would have been even more unbelievable and less convincing to Willow. When Cassie said that, after her death, Willow could see Tara, it provided at least some motivation for WIllow to end her own life. I don’t know, I thought it worked, but, after seeing all this, it seems like I was the only one.
I think this is the first ever episode that Xander has not been in. It’s weird that they’d wait ‘til season freakin’ seven to make him a second-tier character. I didn’t actually miss him that much, but the Scoobies weren’t, well, The Scoobies without the three high school friends. Maybe Nicholas Brendon just wanted the week off…
I’m tired of fluffy-puppy-with-bad-teeth Spike and I hope he’s evil! There! I said it! I really have never understood the Spike worship that goes on in the fandom, and on these boards when Thea Logica and pepperlandgirl (amoung others) get going. Spike was much cooler up 'til the end of season four, when he was, y’know, actually evil. I think it was right around the time that he fell in love with Buffy that I stopped being interested in not only him, but also in Buffy’s love life and, really, Buffy herself.
For the record, Dawn is either sixteen or seventeen now (she supposed to be fifteen when she was created) and Michelle Trachtenberg is very definitely seventeen. Wait a year, and then you (and I) can lust after her.
Here’s my vision of a Buffy-less Buffy future: Wes and Lilah kidnap Fred from Angel. While they’re on the lam, they meet Willow who’s off, I dunno, doing something adorable with Faith. The four of them, with the possible inclusion of a non-whiny Dawn, go off to fight evil somewhere um… Ooo! Somewhere tropical, so that the womenfolk would have to wear lots of bikinis. Yeah. And then Willow helps Faith and Fred explore their depest desires, yeah… And then-- Wait, when did this become slash?! Oh, it would be cool if they were, like, hunting a newly re-evilled Spike, though. Spike and Angelus! I really liked Angelus! Okay, I’m just going to go ahead and admit that I have no clue what they could do without a Buffy, but I’m willing to put faith in Joss.
Anyway, to summarize: Conversations with Dead People good. Anchovies not. Anchovy song good. Silly toothless Spike not. Willow’s conversation good. Lack of Xander not good, but not all that bad. Lack of Anya good, though.
