Brief thoughts on Willow (Seeing Red - Grave)

I had forgotten how good of an actress Alyson Hannigan is. Re-watching The closing arc of S6, I also forgot how much I hated the angry, whiny, I am so tortured and angry bitchiness of Dark!Willow. I forgot how very badly I wanted Buffy to kick her ass or for someone to just kill her already. I mean, I do get it. I get that she's deep in the soul hurt, but her response to that pain is so beyond the boundaries of the acceptable that I just wanted her ass kicked, but good! Re-watching S4-S6, I see, very clearly, the path that got us to this place and none of it (possibly with the exception of Oz leaving) makes me sympathetic to Willow. Which is odd, no matter how much I disagree with Buffy or with what she does, I am pretty much always sympathetic. Same thing with Xander. But Willow in the moments post-Seeing Red, I pretty much hate. There is the theory that Willow and the magicks have merged into an independent personality, but I don't totally buy it. I think that Willow's addiction to magicks is an addiction to power by the powerless. She is afforded a control beginning in S4 that has been missing her entire life and over time as she realizes how powerful she is, she becomes obsessed with feeling in control. Not to diminish Tara's death, but Willow's reaction reads ,in a very real way as an uber tantrum because she can't get her way. It is fueled by her grief over Tara, which she refuses to actually experience, that feeds into rage, I think as a way to protect herself.

Then Xander shows up on the cliff and the cracks crack and then I feel sorry for Willow. Very, very, very sorry.

So, yeah, my amateur psych evaluation. Oh, Logo, thanks for bringing back Buffy. I hadn't forgotten my love, but, well, I find that I'm falling in love all over again.

oh, and I am reminded that I do not remember at time during which I did not love Anya. That trend continues.