Re: OT: "Normal Again" shooting script, Act 2

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Okay, remember this was a looong Act 2.

Changes and cuts not quite so significant as in Act 1, but still some
fun stuff.

During the scene when Buffy tells about how she was in an institution,
they cut a nice "Willow, hopeless optimist" bit, where she goes: "For
higher learning?"

And then Xander gives the speech about why wouldn't Buffy think this is
real, with the vampires, etc, and the sister who used to be a big ball
of universe-destroying energy--and in the script he stops short
realizing he's the only normal one--

--the B/Xers somehow thought this was a slam at Xander, but I think
it's the most pro--Xan moment; Buffy had to give her "imaginary
friends" superpowers to keep them compelling and real to her, but not
Xander, he was important all by himself--

--so Xander goies, "Well, I'M real." and Dawn cuddles against him and
says "and the former ball of energy's glad your back." (the editing
suggests this was filmed, then cut for time).

Aww. I've decided, to go with my B/W, if I can't get Cordy back for
Xander, then I want him with Dawn. (Which would cutely make that
"someday I'm going to marry that girl" line from "All the Way" be
correct, after all.) Is there an X/D list somewhere? I went looking,
couldn't find it.

Later, in the asylum, the doctor blames everything that's wrong with
Season 6 on Buffy:

>"Buffy, we want to help you get better. And I think you want that,
too. Isn't that why your friends are doing these horrible things to
each other?"

So, assuming the asylum is all in Buffy's mind, she's decided that the
only reason Willow would do something so awful as what she did to Tara
is because she's a figment of Buffy's imagination and Buffy's
subconscious was trying to break the hold Willow has on her.
Essentially Buffy's saying "the only way Willow could ever do something
bad is if she's some dream girl my mind made up and I'm trying to make
her be bad so I can snap out of the fantasy." Awww.  

(And like I've said before, more proof that Buffy needs to grow up and
understand that she can be angry at Willow, re: the resurrection, and
still love her. Seems like Buffy's been having a nervous breakdown all
year because, having witnessed her parents' bitter divorce, she's afraid
if she gets angry at her "wife", Willow will leave her, so she's
surpressing all her feelings.)

Meanwhile, while hunting the demon alongside Spike, Xander starts to
wonder if Buffy isn't a figment of HIS imagination:

>"You know, things really weren't this strange before Buffy showed. I
mean regular people, they don't know about demons. I, on the other
hand, mysteriously keep falling for them. And Willow, a Wicca? I mean,
please. I can still remember when magic was just tricks, bunnies, and
hats. And then it's giant snakes at graduation, secret government
agencies?and what the hell was Adam's plan supposed to be. anyway,
cause I still haven't figured out--" Heh. Nice slam at Season 4,
there.

Lastly, the script makes it plain that it's Spike's ultimatum that
pushes Buffy over the edge:

>"After a moment, she goes calm, as if Spike's words had helped her
decide something. She looks at the mug of antidote in her hands?and
then pours it out into the trash." Way to go, Spike-ums.

Okay, I may turn in if there's a lot to cover in Acts 3 and 4, but I'm
definitely grooving on the script.

Dan