They don't have anything to get beyond (that we know of). Or does the message of having the power to let go of the bullshit apply only to Buffy (who is of course the whole point of the show)?

She's letting go of the category of Special by sharing that Specialness with other people. By passing the power on. The problem is not the power itself, but what it means to people and how they use it.

The season opens with Buffy passing on her power/strength/Specialness in the way normal people do -- by teaching. She shares her power with Dawn by teaching her how to fight. The season closes with this becoming sharing her (literal) power via the show's metaphor of magic, with both signposts (sharing power with Willow in "Same Time, Same Place", working with Willow & Xander and training the SiTs during the Endless Expository Episodes) and speedbumps (aforesaid Endless Expository Episodes).

So, yesterday and today between watching some S1 Angel DVDs and watching F/X Buffy, I realized two repeat actors making appearances (I'm sure most people already know this, these are just my delayed "aha!" moments). Ken from Anne is also in Bachelor Party, and the more heavily featured pool playing girl who is rescued by Angel in City of is one of the girls in Xander's little gang in The Pack (and Cleopatra 2525, and one of the actresses to play Sara on General Hospital, but that's a little off thread, eh?).

Then I noticed Tamara Braun's name in the credits of Lie to Me, and sure enough, she's the vamp into whose mouth Buffy stuffs the cross ... and now she plays Carly on GH, so there's a tie back to GH after all, ha! See, what's the prob? All the GH crossing and they couldn't have gotten Sarah Brown to play Eve? IJS. (Oh, well, hell, then Cleo 2525 has the Jamine connection, so there you go, whole post is, well, at least on topic 'verse if not threadwise).

I'm digging the letting go metaphor, PMM.

t hearting Jen for helping me carry the Sarah Brown torch

The One True Eve. Raise the light high!

I interrupt to point out how much I hate this criticism of Chosen. This was said to keep women from getting the vote, to keep them out of the pulpit and public office, and the workforce, and from having a drink in goddamn public, to keep them from getting birth control, yada yada yada.

Of course there are risks, but it's worse to keep power from people to whom it rightfully belongs.

t hearting Cindy big and deep

Have I mentioned what a praise whore I am? No. Well then, this is the perfect time.

On with the hearting of me, I say!

::Nibbles at Cindy's tasty brain::

(Do other boards express admiration via cannibalism?)

I don't think this was a perfect solution. I think it was the only solution, and has already done more harm than good, because in the doing, they were able to save the world.

Er, Cindy, didn't you mean more good than harm?

Don't confuse me with facts when I'm drinking a nice Merlot, Matt (or Bruce, as I almost called you--who is Bruce?).

Yes, thank you. I meant it the other way around.

(Do other boards express admiration via cannibalism?)

There are other boards?

Ah. Misunderstanding crossed with duh-ness on my party.

They don't have anything to get beyond (that we know of).

I understood this as getting beyond their problems, not getting beyond their coping mechanisms.

Or does the message of having the power to let go of the bullshit apply only to Buffy (who is of course the whole point of the show)?

Lyra Jane gave a list here of the Scoobies getting over each of their issues.

I would say that no, we don't know that these girls have "Well, at least I can/am ____" coping mechanisms that hold them back somehow, but Joss demonstrated that each of the Scoobies did. This gets into "We don't know that the girls didn't have "Special" issues, either." The show is about Buffy, but also about things we all go through.

And, now that I think about it, one of my friends tonight (offline) reminded me of one of my particular "I'm special" issues and how it harms me. Huh. This is the part where I hear Giles in my head saying "a synchronicity bordering on predestination..."

****

A 'flutter' moment not mentioned, I think. When Tara and Willow joined hands and sent that drink machine slamming against the door.

Also, camera panning to reveal "Was it good for you?" scrawled in blood on the wall.