Steph, I'm not purposely ignoring your finale stuff. I'd love to participate in the finale discussion but I'm spoiled :)

Interesting idea, Steph. So one of them gives up their power to the other, creating a (maybe short-term?) SuperSlayer - a variation on what they did in to defeat Adam?

Oh, you know, I didn't think about that. Although maybe that, combined with the Fray!Axe, is what's needed to defeat the FE.

I'm not spoiled; just thinking of what SiT would REALLY irritate me to be Slayer.

Oh, come on! You don't want to start each Tuesday wih ASH saying, "Previously, on Hat Girl the Vampire Slayer?

BTW--we saw the girl who plays Vi on a commercial for Financial Planning Services. She was playing the cello!

I think Wood became twisted in his quest for his mother's killer but I still think he would have been justified in killing him.

I think the fact that Wood had to trigger Spike to return "monstrousness" is enough of a clue that Spike had changed so much that even Wood couldn't justify killing him.

Which leads me to a thought about where Buffy and Spike seem to be coming from about the same place, vis a vis Wood: the fair fight. Pre-chipping, Spike and Buffy saw themselves as fair targets for each other. As Spike put it in LMPTM, that's the game. Slayers vs. Vampires. When the rules changed, when Spike was chipped, it was no longer a fair fight. I can see why Buffy had problems staking him right off there.

Also, I've been thinking about the "Predator" Spike of Sleeper and the "Feral" Spike of LMPTM, and realize the difference now--in the earlier episodes, the FE was directly influencing brainwashed Spike. In the later one, Spike's got his demon up, but with nothing directing it.

Just thoughts. I need to go write now.

Is knowing how Fray starts being spoiled? because that really changes how I view the end.

I think the fact that Wood had to trigger Spike to return "monstrousness" is enough of a clue that Spike had changed so much that even Wood couldn't justify killing him.

I took it to be that since Spike was in vampface when he killed Wood's mother, that's what Wood wanted to stake. I don't think Wood had any clue how much Spike had or hadn't changed as he wasn't around to witness any change.

Here's my really corny idea for the finale. Buffy's power was forced on the slayer by the "shadowmen" so I think she's going to realize that she doesn't need it. That all her power comes from within and she's either going to reject the primal slayer power or she's going to release it back into the world and maybe transfer her power, not to Faith, but to every woman on the planet. We'll all get a little of it.

And then Anya and Xander realize that they still love each other and they run and get Caleb to marry them. It will be a beautiful ceremony.

For the end, totally unspoiled speculation: I think Buffy will ascend and become some higher-power/balance against the FE, incorporeal goddess type creature.

I took it to be that since Spike was in vampface when he killed Wood's mother, that's what Wood wanted to stake.

Trigger does not equal vamp face. Vamp face does not equal evil. The only thing Wood knew when he played the trigger was that evil Spike would emerge.

I don't think Wood had any clue how much Spike had or hadn't changed as he wasn't around to witness any change.

He had more than a clue. He'd been around Spike long enough to see trigger!Spike and good!Spike. You can't honestly say that Wood thought Spike was still evil when he started in on his mission to kill him.

Andrew needs to live through this and find someone.

And then Anya and Xander realize that they still love each other and they run and get Caleb to marry them. It will be a beautiful ceremony.

And there are tears in my eyes and did you know stifling snorts of laughter hurts?