But what she got off on was never the actual magic -- it was the effects of that magic. Willow was hung up on how easy magic made things for her, not on how the magic made her feel inside. So suddenly she's floating on the ceiling and acting all woodstock-doped-up-flower-child and it's all about the feeling, and we're being asked to believe that the change is just a matter of degree, not a whole new phenomena.

Yeah that too. Willow's whole involvement was what magic enabled her to do. What is did to her was not so much fun - headaches, nose-bleeds, vomiting snakes - At most "You get used to it."

~t, The writeres may have been going for "Willow being recharged" but I never saw it as convincing. In the past, Willow has managed industrial grade magic (teleporting Hellgods, setting up a barrier that kept out the Knights Who Say Key for several hours, even with Heckle and Jeckle tring to tear it down) without running dry. Now Amy introduces to her Rack "I know this guy ... and he knows spells that last for days. And the burnout factor is like, nothing."
And within a day, even though Willow has cast no major spells, she goes back to the rack-house.
That's not recharging "magic use as addiction" metaphor; It's an actual magic is drugs car crash.

This discussion has actually become relevant to one of the things I found interesting about S6 that I wanted to write about.

Although it was way underdeveloped, something I found fascinating while watching the whole season in four days was the Trio.

Warren is human. He's a psychopath, but he's human. And that was the first time (not really counting Faith here) they had dealt with the villainous qualities of regular human beings. In "Dead Things," especially, I found Warren a very intriguing character.

And then there are Andrew and Jonathan, who willfully follow him. It was interesting, and a bit disturbing, to see them agree to these morally depraved plans about making women their love slaves. And Andrew slowly grows to accept Warren's evil ways, whereas Jonathan begins to realize this isn't what he signed up for.

I want to write more, but I'm realizing the writers didn't really give me much to work with. There was a nice skeleton of an engaging storyline there, though.

I do think the writers wanted to make a distinction, that the kind of magic Rack offered was a shortcut (Just like drugs!). And that particular shortcut had bigger and darker consequences, unlike the "earned" magic which Willow had practiced before and which she would reclaim by "Chosen." But I don't think they made that distinction very well at all.

I'll also reiterate my Willow Defense Point #1, which is the notion first expressed by Giles in "Becoming Part 2" that accessing the big magic would open doors in Willow which couldn't be closed. A better metaphor than addiction, might have been the idea of being exposed to harsh industrial toxins and then developing environmental sensitivity. But I think the writing stuff understood addiction better and wanted to touch on that issue. To them, I expect, it was perfectly in keeping with the darker tones of S6, and Buffy's self-destructive sexual relation with Spike.

I'd concur with PCow, that the Trio was one of the strengths of the season, particularly since they were the only consistant comic element in a bleak season, and that the joke fell away perfectly in "Dead Things" to reveal the moral rot at the core of their adolescent power plays. That was one instance where their attempt to drop metaphor and dig into Real World Adult Issues got it right.

I'd concur with PCow, that the Trio was one of the strengths of the season, particularly since they were the only consistant comic element in a bleak season

The humor was hit-or-miss for me, but I almost fell off the couch laughing at Andrew's Ocean's Eleven reference. I'm not sure I even caught it before.

Andrew jet-packing into the roof was one of my biggest BtVS laughs ever. Also, Buffy effectively threatening them by snatching up their Boba Fett figure.

Andrew jet-packing into the roof was one of my biggest BtVS laughs ever.

Totally. That's just a classic gag. Never fails.

I also love "We're your nemesis..es."

Also, Buffy effectively threatening them by snatching up their Boba Fett figure.

Wasn't that Spike threatening Mister Fett?

Yes, that was Spike. . . in "Smashed", an episode that I remember very well.

Yes, that was Spike. . . in "Smashed", an episode that I remember very well.

Many of us remember the last few minutes very well...

I mean, train wreck or no train wreck, I'm human, and that was pretty freakin' hot.

Once, when I was trying to rewind the end of Smashed for rewatching purposes, I accidently hit record, so now there are a few seconds of WWF wrestling mixed in with the bringing down the house sex.

Also, I have to of course chime in with my agreement with Susan about the Spike redemption. I also really think there was a time when they were unclear about him AND season 5 being the first season I watched AND me being a sucker for redemption through love or will I completely though Spike would grow a soul. Or, since they introduced Warren, a BAD being with a soul-- they could show a a GOOD being without a soul.

Whatever. I was wrong.

Although I really, really wish Spike's story had ended with Chosen, because at that point I did think he was redeemed. He made his choice to stay not at all for Buffy's love. And I think in that once second when she said it, Buffy did love him. Not before and not after, but for that second. And I liked that ending and found it satisfying.