At this point, Mercedes McNab would have to be on an episode for 20 minutes before I'd even accept it as a spoiler, nevermind truth. She's been floating rumors that she was coming back since Disharmony.

eta - not that I've heard rumors this time. I haven't.

Eh. Okay.

Somebody told me about MM* on Angel in all earnestness. As it is, I never consider casting spoilers to be terribly spoilery, but if you guys aren't worried about it, it's fine with me.

(*MM in this case meaning Ms. McNab, not Mr. MiracleBorn)

I can't make Xander fit, though. Poor guy.

Xander's power is that of the Comfortador. He embraced that his power was that he was the heart. He started this journey at the end of S6 when he saved the world with his mouth. But during the year he also comforted Dawn by acknowledging how extraordinary she was. And he rallied the potentials for Buffy in Dirty Girls. And he even did Buffy's bidding to remove Dawn. Also he let go of his anger/bitterness with Anya. It was emotional growth and acceptance of what kind of man he was going to be.

Yeah, but he was also ripped off. Or rather, we were ripped off on Xander's story. Makes me sad. There was a lot to tell, there.

Spike's annoyance/anger/hatred towards Angel definitely seems more of the petty sort than the "burning with the passion of a hundred suns" sort and vice versa. Which insinuates to me that they once did like each other. I mean, people who bitch about "he wears lifts" and "I did it first" aren't the sort to try to kill each other on sight.

I mean, people who bitch about "he wears lifts" and "I did it first" aren't the sort to try to kill each other on sight.

Pre-Chip Spike was the sort who hated Angel in a more violent way.....

He's mellowed, then.

And ... delurking - well, for the second time in many months - to say how much I enjoy, uh, lurking. Y'all are a good read. And comforting in these last two days.

Also, had to lie about explain to a passing co-worker what I was talking about when I yelled, "Oh, man! That's perfect!" about Oz and "Huh." It's now a scene in my mind, so, thanks for that!

The Key. See, I would have had Dawn's status as the (former) Key come into play. For example, I am not much taken by the idea that all that that was necessary for all the Potentials to have the Slayerness was for a powerful witch to make a spell with the Scythe. I would have required Slayer blood to make the spell work. Blood from all existing slayers. That would be Buffy and Faith. But there would need to be a blood from Dawn – she is of Slayer blood -- and that blood is not mixed with another human (unlike Principal Wood) but with pure energy. It would take all of that to make the spell work.

But Dawn's blood isn't mixed with pure energy. It's just blood. She's just normal, with a super-ordinary pedigree.