season 6, ep 4

I agree. If anyone should be paid, it should be Buffy. I think Willow helps around the shop sometimes, and Tara always watches Dawn all the time, but they aren’t doing much for Buffy especially when she’s struggling.

Thank you for being the only reactor to mention the watchers get paid. Like wtf do they get paid and slayers don't. Also where does the money come from for the watchers? lol. And thank you for bringing up that Angel gets paid to help people as well. I always hate that everyone dismisses Anya and Xander rarely sticks up for her. Also I love Willow and Tara, but they've been staying at that house for free not contributing.

Corey

Agreed. I was talking more specifically with her magic use, but yeah there's been red flags earlier than that in the series. One of the reasons Willow is my favourite character, along with Giles, they have layers and complexity to them.

Claire Eyles

Even before season 4, go back to season 1 and Willow is hacking government databases just for fun. She has no understanding of boundaries or personal responsibility.

David Meadows

I totally understand good auntie-ing, but also there is a VERY important ep coming up soon and so any delays in the preceding eps are legit torture LOL. On that please ensure that your episode run time for S6 E7 is significantly longer than normal, so you know you’re not watching an abridged version.

Renee Pope-Munro

Agree! Also how she uses magic for quick fixes for things she doesn't like instead of working through them - a de-lusting spell for her & Xander in season 3, her will-be-done in season 4

Cáit ní Bhriain

Hey there! When you were trying to think of the word for the Willow/Giles interaction, I think the word you were looking for, and what just came to me after how many years after seeing this ep (plus my opinion!) was gratitude. I think Willow was expecting gratitude from everyone for what she did and was upset when she didn't get it. At least that's my opinion :)

Patrick Lyke

Not an expert, but I'd say yeah that might fit as well, although I think the more likely explanation is still major depression (triggered by a traumatic event) for reasons that might be spoilery.

Claire Eyles

Hi Claire, just wondering what your thoughts are on Buffy potentially presenting with Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood or mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct?

Scarlet

I think the stuff with Willow is really just a natural progression of her character. Of course 'After Life' established there are consequences for magic, so we still have to wait and see what those consequences, if any, will be (or if the Thaumogenesis ghost thing was the consequence by itself). Anyway Willow has always been insecure, and she has issues with facing and dealing with negative emotions, but she has also an arrogant streak and a desire for power that stems from her insecurities. Think back to season 4's Halloween episode when Willow wants to do a guiding spell and Buffy says no; her response to that isn't to try and reassure Buffy that she can do the spell, it's to yell that she's not Buffy's sidekick. That was an early indication that I don't think Willow always uses magic simply as a tool, like Tara does, but that it's also part of her wanting to prove herself & a desire for power to cover over her deep seated insecurity. Oz expressed concerns over Willow's attitude to, anduse of magic in season 4; Tara in season 5 expressed concerns over Willow's growing power; last episode there was also a brief moment where Tara looks a bit shocked and worried when Willow breaks away from their combined spell and just does it on her own. This has been a theme for a number of seasons, except no one has ever really fully called her out on stuff, not at least until Giles does in this episode.

Claire Eyles

So at this point I think it's fairly obvious that Buffy is suffering from clinical depression, one of the reasons I absolutely love this season because her depression is depicted as more than just being mopey and crying. They actually took the time to show the symptoms of depression better than any other series had at that time, and that was pretty awesome to see (obviously from a writing point of view, not a Buffy having depression point of view).

Claire Eyles

This episode makes me dislike a few people's choices but I also wanna highlight my hatred for somebody (or something) that wasn't even mentioned in the episode. The Watchers Council. You're telling me that a slayer can risk their life, fighting your fight, all for the greater good. And you don't even pay her?? And it's not like the Watchers Council is some crafty underground organization. They are VERY clearly well off financially, somehow. Giles getting paid however much he was paid was fantastic but like... Hi hello Buffy is the one out here fighting whatever the plural of apocalypse is! That's at least deserving of a six-figure salary and full insurance coverage

Ritchie

This season, or at least this part of the season, is one of the best of the series, but also suffers a bit more than others from age and changes in perspective, I think.

Andrew Pulrang

Enjoy nationals, and good luck to your niece!

Neil Silverman