I don't mind the magic being an addictive thing. I can totally see that. Having it map directly to drug abuse, to the point where we suddenly have magic junkies, however, is just dumb.

So far, "Wrecked" is the only episode I've had a problem with, though the fallout in "Gone" where Buffy and Dawn have to remove anything that could be used for magic from the house grates as well.

Having it map directly to drug abuse, to the point where we suddenly have magic junkies, however, is just dumb.

Even worse -- no set up. No warnings when Willow was just starting out. Or even when Giles went ballistic over the resurrection of Buffy. Just all of a sudden, oops, magic can be addictive.

Having it map directly to drug abuse, to the point where we suddenly have magic junkies, however, is just dumb.

God, yes. Amy breaking in to steal SAGE?? For the love. Like D. said, it took the whole interesting backstory of Willow's issues with using magic inappropriately and sent it screaming off the tracks. It was stupid, cliched, and came out of nowhere. oy. I do think that Dark!Willow was a great place to go with that storyline, but I dearly wish they could have avoided the whole junkie bit altogether and gotten there some other way.

No warnings when Willow was just starting out.

I disagree, there were warnings -- the werewolf ep where she was going to do a spell against Veruca, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered -- all indications that she was misusing magic, and showing a lack of judgment with the power.

Well, the issue is it went from being an abuse of power to being a direct mapping of substance abuse.

-- all indications that she was misusing magic, and showing a lack of judgment with the power.

But if they'd run with that, I think it would have been a lot better. They laid the groundwork for Willow pushing boundaries, beginning to cross ethical lines - but it wasn't about the magic, it was about the result.

all indications that she was misusing magic, and showing a lack of judgment with the power.

Misuse, yes, addiction--no. Making it an addiction problem gives her an out, whereas being irresponsible and power-hungry are character issues that have interesting connotations.

Making it an addiction problem gives her an out, whereas being irresponsible and power-hungry are character issues that have interesting connotations.

that's an interesting thought, although I'm not sure that addiction is really an "out', they just made it seem that way. Like when people miraculously quit drugging/drinking when someone ODs.

all indications that she was misusing magic, and showing a lack of judgment with the power

What the others have said. There weren't any warnings that magic was addictive, as opposed to a power that could be abused.

The point where I was expecting some sort of magical backlash was in the episode where Buffy went back to see the first Watchers. Willow's trying to open a portal, and when the spell isn't working she just calls up raw power and demands that the powers obey her. I thought, "Honey, the universe does not appreciate being ordered around." I was surprised there wasn't some mystic backlash.