Going to respectfully disagree.
Willow, Oz, and Xander are in the hospital. She starts out doing the spell of her own volition, but there’s a point when her head snaps back, her eyes roll up, and she starts saying the spell. At this point I think it’s very explicitly implied that she’s been posessed by the spirit of Jenny. Especially given the level of witch she was at the time, that seems the most likely occurance.
Mightybigtv.com agrees with me. 
Ahh, but you miss the Gestalt that is Buffy. The Big Bad rarely appears on the scene early in the season - and, in fact, the Big Bad is usually sprung on us by a trick - what appears to be the Big Bad usually turns out to be simply a Little Bad. The format is not always followed, but is usually.
First Season - No true Little Bad. The season is largely expository, and the Big Bad - The Master - is established from the get go.
Second Season - the ultimate in head trips. The heir apparent to Big Bad-dom is the Chosen One, until he is summarily executed by the Next apparent Big Bad, Spike and Drusilla - the psychotic psychic vampire and her lover who has killed two Slayers in the past. BAM!! Suddenly, Angel goes bad, and becomes the Big Bad.
Season 3 - Mr. Trick appears to be the Big Bad. Suddenly, the Mayor, always a background figure before, arises.
Season 4 - looks to be a battle between the Scoobies and the Big Bad Government, represented by Maggie Walsh and the
Initiative. Allda sudden, Maggie is unceremoniously killed by the real Big Bad - Adam.
Season 5 - doesn’t follow the pattern. No true Little Bad emerges, and the Big Bad (Glory) is pretty much known from the get-go. It was also one of the weaker seasons (until the end).
And they ain’t the Big Bads - they’re the Little Bads, who have always had at least some element of comic relief. My betting is that the Big Bad will turn out to be Willow (which would flow into the theme of betrayal often surrounding the Big Bads).
Sua
I’m betting on Spike, myself. Buffy actually does reject him, and he goes all stalker ex-boyfriendy on her. (And the echo of Angelus there is another demonstration of how Spike’s doomed to follow in the footpaths of his sire/big brother.)
The can hurt Buffy/can’t hurt her friends aspect makes it potentially very interesting. I’d also guess that he’ll ally with someone else – Amy perhaps?
Of course, I could be very, very wrong indeed.
And they ain’t the Big Bads - they’re the Little Bads, who have always had at least some element of comic relief. My betting is that the Big Bad will turn out to be Willow (which would flow into the theme of betrayal often surrounding the Big Bads).
Sua **
[/QUOTE]
Speaking of stereotyping, I find the trio a yawningly obvious portrayal of The Banality of Evil.
I’m going for a radical interpretation here and putting Glory down as the season’s Little Bad. The real Big Bad is…DEATH. Joyce dies, Ben dies, Buffy dies. Glory’s the Little Bad that triggers most of the Big Bad, and also sets up this season’s Big Bad, Willow and her “Darkest Magicks.” She’s a pan-seasonal Little Bad. Joss is so much deeper than all of you and only I truly understand him.
You may all jeer me now.
I would, however, like to point out that no one has touched on the greatest tragedy of last night’s episode. I am, of course, speaking of ANYA’S HAIR. What the hell is going on with that girl’s head?
Is anyone else getting some serious cognitive dissonance watching the FX eps immediately before the new ep? Yesterday on FX we have Willow talking about how she’s mastered the basics of Wicca (levitation, etc.) but hasn’t been able to break through to the next level (transmogrification, “making something from nothing”) and Oz is talking about how concerned he is about the idea of her trying to make that breakthrough. An hour later she’s Willow with the Big Pupils and the Jones for the Wrack Spells.
Listen close: I’ll tell you instead. You may think your example hurts the noble vampire theory, but on the contrary it lends the theory some credence. Spike was pacing back and forth, struggling to get up the nerve to bite her, saying ‘Damn right I’m evil, I’ll show Buffy I’m not neutered, etc.’ But he clearly isn’t all that eager. He’s turmoiled. His heart’s not in it anymore (but if it could beat it would break his chest). The orchestra swells…
He’s done very well as a fiend from Hell
But lately we can tell
He’s just going through the motions
Faking it somehow
He’s undergoing a metamorphosis. The evil is there but receding. Even if he had succeeded in feeding on Alley Lady, he never would have killed her. Dig?
I saw the Gem of Amara episode on FX last night, and I swear Marsters was doing some of the fighting. He did the ‘spring to feet from supine position’ move, and some of the roundhouse kicks. So he can act, fight, sing, play guitar, all the while looking like an ultra-lean James Dean? Not too shabby. And from the look on Buffy’s face (her O face) he can lay the pipe right as well.
What the Hell was that episode last night? Wicca Madness? Sorry, but years of heavy handed, manipulative, and dishonest anti-drug propaganda made it really difficult to accept last nights episode. Ick. I hate the magic=drugs idea. It’s too simplistic, too easy. I wanted a heroic struggle with the dark side, epic hubris, pride followed by a lot of falling, not this after school special crap. Anyway, Spike and Buffy were great, so there’s still that to look forward to.
Speaking of which, the “only hurt the one you love” idea is nice, but Spike has repeatedly hurt Buffy since he realized he was in love with her, and it always used to set the chip off.
And I agree with Billy Baroo, Spikes attack on the woman in the alley shows he’s getting gooder (“Better” doesn’t sound appropriate), as did the scene last scene in the Bronze with Drucilla. Look at his face before he feeds on her. That’s conflict, that is. Obviously, he still has a ways to go, but I think he’s pointed in the right direction.
Maybe I just blinked at the wrong time, but did anyone else notice what happened to the demon? One minute he was there kicking so ass, and the next he randomly bursts into flames and is gone. 
Man, I hope so. Because I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing sexier on earth than the Slayer gettin’ nasty with a vampire…especially if it’s Spikey.
Okay, I’m obsessed, I know. Just be glad I’m not 14 years old, cuz then I’d be really scary.
stoid
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Ethilrist *
**
He also got pretty violent with Buffy – beating on her because he could. Sounds like an abusive relationship to me.
It’s not abuse if she likes it, and she very clearly does.
Willow messed up the demon with some magic that made her eyes all wide and black. She either unsummoned it or killed it.
Here’s my take on it. They’ve spiraled up, up, and up.
Season 1: Badass vampire
Season 2: Two badass vampires (ah ah ah - The Count)
Season 3: True demon
Season 4: Demon/vampire/cyborg hybrid
Season 5: Demi-god
Realistically, who can pose a threat that tops last season? Zeus? Thor? Baalzebub?
Nope. So what do you do?
You go back to the basics. Time to deal with friends doing bad things, facing up to reality, your own mistakes, and generally growing up. In other words, things that can’t be solved by kicking them real hard. Far more difficult, in its own way, than beating up legions of vamps.
I think most people agree that the best parts of Buffy were when they dealt with Angelus. This way, they can work with some of those old plotlines in a fresh way, and get really good while they’re at it.
Oh, and The Devil’s Grandmother? Thanks for the link. I was so sure I was right…still, I can’t find any reference to how he/she died. Anyone know?
Justin
Wanna hear something spooky? I was just watching the recordings I made of this weeks FX episodes [they come on during class]. The halloween episode in which that frat house goes all crazy and Anya’s wearing a bunny suit was on. They eventually allow this ittle-bitty demon named Gaknar to materialize in their reality. Right before Buffy steps on him, being that he was 7 inches tall, he tells her, “they’re all going to abandon you, you know” refering to Anya, Xander, Giles, Willow, and Oz.
Weeeeell… Oz left awhile ago, Willow seems to be on the edge of a slippery slope, and Giles went back to England. That’s 2.3 for 5.
Any thoughts?
The fear demon was just harping on what frightens Buffy. I don’t think he had eerie insight, I think that this season is pitting her against her fears. Everything about her world is being torn apart.
She’s starting a relationship with a monster, a real monster. Her best friend who was supposed to be a bastion of rationality and normality has been swept away by uncontrollable forces. Her other best friend is going to be less accesable as he is getting into a very serious adult relationship. Her Watcher has abandoned her. Finally her sister is doing a bit of the drifting thing.
Right now what she needs the most is some actual enemy. Someting to Slay, to give her and the scoobs some focus. Since Joss likes punishing his character they probably aren’t going to get that.
Yeah, that definitely seems to be wahts going on. I just thought it was a rather odd coincidence of plot bits. 
Maybe Wrack’s the Big Bad?
As for the demon, as the camera panned to Willow, after he flambed, Willow had magicish sparks wriggling from her hand, so she offed it.
E-Sabbath, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Wrack seems like a great big-bad to me, highly powered, with a hold over Willow. Maybe the scoobs with have to fight magic w/o magic, if Willow is disabled, Wrack could be a really Big Bad. Just a theory.
No Buffy until January… cries
Or, you could go with the real answer, which is that he was tormenting Alley Woman to terrify her before her impending death.
So the pacing to and fro, and the indecisive visage and speech were his way of terrorizing Alley Lady? That makes no sense as you stated it; maybe you need to elaborate. Or you could stick to the episode synopses and leave the speculation to me. Real answer - pardon me while I snort derisively.
I can go to the tape to make sure, but IIRC he was all “Yeah, that’s right, you’re scared - as well you should be. I’m a scaaary monster. I’m evil. I’m no lapdog.” It was halfhearted, as if he were trying to convince himself of those facts. Also he was testing out his chip for the purpose of gloating to Buffy. He desperately wants to let her know that he can still be a forceful virile presence. He said it himself: he’s love’s bitch.