Re: Re: OT: Warning, More Bitterness Ahoy!

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Well, I don't mind a take-charge Willow, that's just the character
growing stronger, but I don't think psychotic evil is the logical
endpoint of that. Of course now, the "Evil Willow" decriers use every
time Willow got up from the long table as an indication she was doomed
for EEEVIL. She pulled the "deliver" prank on Cordelia in "The
Harvest"? Vindictive! She took charge of the situation in "Halloween"?
Power-hungry!

I like my Willow strong and confident and growing (I liked her just fine
in Season 5, because I was too dumb to understand that she was already
EEEVIL), I just don't like to see that used against her.

And not to discount Willow's feelings for Oz, but I always thought that
seeing his picture meant that her fond memories of him overwhelmed her
current anger at him; that it was about Willow's strength of character,
not that Oz is so wonderful no one could ever curse him. Let's not
forget that Oz is a bastard Willow eight-and-a-half separate ways in the
ep, so I have to feel that it's more about Willow's nature being more to
love than hate, rather than Oz being special because he's Oz.

However, to be fair, I never liked Oz or Tara. 

***Warning!! Oz-bashing ahead!!! (and some Tara)****

I have a wide range of Willow-'ships (in rough order, Buffy, Xander,
Cordy, Giles, Faith, Angel [only if Buffy's either really happy with
someone else or dead and if they both still love her as a friend], Riley
[hey, at least the Spud had chemistry with her, unlike him and Buffy],
Dawn, Percy, Amy, Wesley and possibly Jenny, although I'm concerned
about putting Willow with her role model), but the canon-pairings always
seemed to be about putting Aly with some quiet, nice person who would
never overshadow or hurt her (so dull) and who was so wonderful that
eventually they existed only to tell us how bad Willow was. Mind you,
I'm on Oz's side in "The Wish", but I got so tired of him always
deciding what was best for them and her practically having to grovel for
sex.  

When Willow screws up and kisses Xander, it's because Willow is bad (not
because she loves Xander, although there's plenty of canonical support).
But when Oz screws up and apparently kills people ("Beauty and the
Beasts") it's still played like it's Willow's fault, because she doesn't
trust him and doesn't understand his wolfy pain. Name one moment in the
relationship between "Phases" and "Wild at Heart" where we're encouraged
to take her side? He didn't graduate? Aw, heck, he thought it'd be
cute (and besides, they needed to somehow keep him on the show, so the
audience was encouraged to take his side), she's just freaking out. He
sabotages the dinner party in "Dead Man's Party"? Gosh, he just wanted
to have some fun, Willow was the bad friend who yelled at Buffy. He
vanishes for a couple of days and doesn't bother to tell her where he's
going ("Doppelgangland")? Oh, she's just overreacting, Oz will always
love her. Whatever.

(Also, I totally hate the "incredibly unflappable cool guy" persona.
Yeah, that's real. Show a pulse, damnit!) (Mind you, it makes for the
occasional nice joke; just don't expect me to root for him in a
relationship.)

Ditto Tara "I lied to you for the entire first year of our relationship
and put a spell on you and nearly got everyone killed, but let's never
mention that again and if you do one thing wrong you are out of here,
missy!" Maclay. After "Family", Tara is never wrong again, except for
defending Willow (like I said, "After Life" makes her look guilty by
association).

Well, okay, she finked to Glory about the Key. But that was only
because she was brainsucked and she was left alone because Willow picked
a fight when Tara was completely right about Buffy needing to discipline
Dawn. It's weird, but over the last year-plus (again, since "Forever"),
the Willow/Dawn vibe has changed from "best friend trying to reconcile
Buffy and her sister" to "those two irresponsible brats trying the
patience of long-suffering single moms Buffy and Tara". (Hence the
rather bizarre, out-of-nowhere, B/T friendship.) Well, at least Buffy
doesn't sleep with her "daughter". Yet.

And that's why, when Willow is on the magic crack, she's suddenly
lusting after Dawn (see "cutie" in "Wrecked" and "Two to Go"). See,
she's the bad friend who gets Dawn into trouble. Dawn "grows up" and
becomes "powerful" because Buffy finally learns that it's All About
Dawn, but since Willow's "mommy" is dead, she just freaks out and goes
crazy evil. 

***************END BASHING**************

...so I may be discounting the role of W/O affection (I won't call it
love until she does) in the ep. Perhaps it's meant to show us that
Willow is EEEEVIL and only the great and powerful Oz is holding her
back, but I'm not for that interpretation.

And her revenge on Warren was coldly planned, cruel and unnecessary
(they had an ironclad murder rap on him, eyewitnesses included). I
don't discount it on "oh, she missed Tara". Like I've said before,
these people know where the line is: Giles didn't dust Angel in
"Amends", no one smothered Faith in her coma. When Faith breaks
Willow's heart in "Consequences", Willow has already read the black
magic books (as we find out in "Enemies"), but she doesn't punish Faith
with a spell.

Oh, but of course, nobody but Tara ever made Willow feel loved, so this
is different. Yeah, right.  

My grandmother could have bought a gun, walked into court and offed the
armed robbers who killed my grandfather (and got off with a very light
sentence, btw), or the drunk driver who killed my great-aunt (her
sister-in-law and best friend). She didn't. It's not like there aren't
plenty of well-provoked people deciding not to kill this very instant.
Because it's wrong; because it dishonors the dead (you know, the girl
they had Willow leave to rot like a sack of meat, just so Marti could
have her gratuitous Dawn-trauma scene). To make Willow the lowest,
pettiest, most amoral vigilante killer on the show is vile, IMO.

Dan

PS--my omission of Willow/Spike from my list of 'ships actually has
very little to do with morality; I just always thought it was a weak
attempt to copy Buffy/Angel. (Heck, you could say that about Willow/Oz:
"I too know the love of a taciturn man") Ditto Willow/Graham for
Buffy/Riley. Just my opinions, you mileage may vary.