Buffy intuitively lived the lesson Whistler (a little) and Doyle (primarily) tried to impart to Angel. You can't live apart, in this solitary life, with your little secret super powers. You have to connect, get involved, love, trust and relate, even though sometimes, to do so is going to expose you to tremendous pain and damage.

Which Spike recognized almost from day one. "A slayer with friends??!?!?!?" and all that.

eta Or was that day one?

Frank, I can't remember. Might have been.

Also...

Okay, my hatred of the yellow crayon speech nonwithstanding, the guy who talked her down from destroying the world surely deserves a little more credit than that.

I meant to say, but forgot, I think all of those people are extremely important to and for Willow. Putting Xander last of the FORs, and 2nd to last of the TOs, doesn't mean I think he was unimportant.

I think Willow might still be mooning over Xander, in order to hide from the fish of the day, so to speak.

t loving Cindy for the "fish of the day" reference....

Despite the faction who believe gay is a switch and you can't flip it back to loving someone of the opposite sex, I still want Oz and Willow and the meetup in Istanbul.

Oh, and Willow should have blue hair from a magical encounter.

She'll meet Oz, and squeel, "Oz!"

He'll look at her, all sexy and the blue hair, and say "Huh."

Then she'll babble a bit, and they'll embrace. And after a minute, she'll say that it was just like she predicted, but not. "Waitaminute! I'm not old! I said I'd be old. I'm not old!"

But then I also want to see the Scoobies as a mature fighting team without so much self-doubt and self loathing.

Maybe a five year out storyline...

I'm kind of loving that this discussion exists.

Carry on.

Interesting discussion, this.

Let's see.

Importance FOR Willow: Buffy, Tara, Xander, Oz
Importance TO Willow: Tara, Xander, Oz, Buffy

Discussion:

Without Buffy, Willow is a nerd who goes to Harvard and/or is dead. She never finds out that her life is and should be fighting and/or being evil. She also never learns that her entire life is defined by and/or statements. (okay, maybe not.) But though she appreciates what Buffy brings to her life, Buffy herself is not all that important to Willow, comparatively. Any Slayer who treated her nicely could've done the same thing.

I might add discussion about my other rankings later. But right now, really need to shower.

Buffy herself is not all that important to Willow, comparatively. Any Slayer who treated her nicely could've done the same thing.

Well, not exactly the same thing

What Willow learns from Buffy: Carpe diem, Who is the boss of me, It's a good fight, you are supposed to use your powers for good (OK a little shaky on the last one)

What Willow would learn from Kendra: staying at home and doing my homework... and flossing... and dying a virgin.

What Willow would learn fron Faith: (did anyone else just go to a scary visual place?)

My visual place wasn't scary at all. Rather nice, actually.

Very nice, actually. I'm kinda digging it.