I second aurelia's recommendation of Prisoner or Trebekistan. I didn't know any of that backstory, and I was so touched by how much he digs Jane. And he's friends with Danny Strong! Plus, it's a hilarious book.

Thirding the rec of Prisoner of Trebekistan. Loved that book.

Just read something odd on whedonesque and rather than piss people off over there I came here to ask a question.

There were people who didn't like Illyria? Really?

I thought it was the most impressive Acker has ever been. I was blown away (both by Amy and by the poster at whedonesque).

I recall disliking the story. My disbelief couldn't suspend. But by that point, there was the whole St. Cordelia thing with the you're a champion, Angel, and the schtuping Connor and the ascending and the champion and the Angel/Cordy and the champion and then I was cooked.

See, I can completely understand having issues with the whole Cordelia thing and/or Connor. I can't comprehend someone not liking the character of Illyria. Amy rocked that part. I guess I just don't get someone feeling betrayed over Fred's death (or whatever), but then I will never in a million years understand the vagaries of Buffyverse fandom.

The Firelfy folks, I get. Not that I always agree, but I get them. The Buffy fandom, baffles me.

I didn't miss Fred at all, lord knows. The only thing funnier than Fred dying was Wesley dying. And Amy Acker was very good in the role.

But Illyria, the character, was still a boring, cliched waste of time. I mean, honestly. What was the point of all that?

Strega, I bawled when Wesley was killed and I loved Illyria. My suspension of disbelief is alive and well, I guess.

In retrospect, I like Illyria, but I didn't at the time. I'm not sure why, although I think it was probably something along the same line as Allyson, with the whole suspension of disbelief being overworked. Part of it may also be that I connect Illyria and cancellation in my mind. Or, as I think about it, perhaps it's just that I didn't like Wesley with Illyria. In any case, I agree that Amy's acting was outstanding, and it wasn't that I felt bad about losing Fred (well, yes, I cried during the eps because of the skillful tugging at heartstrings, but still), as I never was much into Fred, and kind of gave up on her when she and Gunn broke up.

I liked Illyria. I get the suspension of disbelief thing though. I couldn't imagine her working as a regular in the earlier seasons, interacting with characters like Doyle and Kate (ignoring the fact that would be impossible, continuity-wise). Similarly, seeing Number Five delivering mail in the Wolfram and Hart offices while Holland is deciding whether to kill Lindsey in "Blind Date" would be just as jarring, tonally.

At the moment I'm now trying to get to grips with the fact that the same Buffy from small town California who partied at the Bronze is now jumping out of helicopters and vaporizing force fields with guns.

I never took to Fred. There were moments I felt differently, but on the whole, I never understood her presence in the story, in the first place. I felt terribly sad when she died -- but in a way that made me feel emotionally manipulated. Storytelling involves emotional manipulation, but it shouldn't make you feel cheap and easy, the morning after.

I thought Amy Acker knocked the Illyria role out of the park, but that the character of Illyria wasn't worth it. Suddenly, we didn't have to deal with the fallout of Wes/Fred/Gunn. We just had to look at someone who posed like a bug. A lot.