From: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org (stillpt-digest) To: stillpt-digest@smoe.org Subject: stillpt-digest V3 #173 Reply-To: stillpt@smoe.org Sender: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-stillpt-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk stillpt-digest Tuesday, November 6 2001 Volume 03 : Number 173 Today's Subjects: ----------------- b/article ["David S. Bratman" ] b/musical press ["Donald G. Keller" ] b/talisman ["Donald G. Keller" ] Re: b/talisman ["David S. Bratman" ] Re: b/talisman [Dawn Friedman ] a/pregDarla ["David S. Bratman" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 14:42:12 -0800 From: "David S. Bratman" Subject: b/article Good article by Tim Appelo: http://slate.msn.com/?id=2058066 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 19:19:59 -0500 (EST) From: "Donald G. Keller" Subject: b/musical press SMG is on Jay Leno tonight, doubtless plugging the musical. There's a short behind-the-scenes article in this week's =Entertainment Weekly= (Britney Spears on the cover, SMG up on the corner), which has no real spoilers; the main thing I took away from it is that the cast spent a =lot= of time on it, and Joss Whedon even more; and we know the usual result of the boss' full atention. (He wrote all the music himself.) Just from seeing the promos a few times, I'm already sick of "Where Do We Go From Here?" but I rather like Buffy's song-- though I fear it's because I've got it mixed up in my head with a phrase from Kate Bush's "Kite." And that is SMG singing, =EW= says; she seems to have a pretty good voice. Only a day to wait. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 19:21:40 -0500 (EST) From: "Donald G. Keller" Subject: b/talisman Holy *@#&! It hadn't occured to me to even =wonder= what, exactly, Dawn had pocketed in the last episode; and though the glimpse of D'Hoffryn's talisman in "Something Blue" isn't enough (at least on my tape) for verification (as Wesley would say), the idea makes so much sense I'm willing to run with it. Several angles of contemplatio suggest themselves. Re Dawn's stealing, early in the 5th season there was the scene where Buffy yells at Dawn for taking her sweater (though it turned out Spike had stolen it for his mannequin); that made it clear that Dawn "borrowing" things was a longstanding issue in the Summers household. Then there was the filching of Anya's earrings late last season which several of us have noted; also, earlier this season Willow accused Dawn of appropriating her clogs (which Dawn denied through a mouthful of toothpaste). And now the talisman. It's been a minor but persistent theme. Also: what is Dawn going to =do= with the talisman? This brings up the larger question of magic power on =Buffy=: remember when Jenny Calendar first appeared she told Giles she wasn't a witch: "I don't have that kind of power," she shrugged. Obviously Willow does. Does Giles? He's performed a number of spells. Does Buffy? She did that magic-detecting spell all by her lonesome last season. And does Dawn? After all she did call her mother back from the grave (only to cancel it at the last minute). Before the 5th season there were "spoilers" that Dawn would manifest special powers; so far these have not appeared. We know she's the Key and can open dimensional portals; but we know no more. Somehow I'm guessing that the handwaving this season about the Key being "over" (or whatever the exact phrase) was a red herring; it seems plausible that possession of the talisman may mean some kind of next step for Dawn. Thinking about "Something Blue" again reminded me about the funk Willow wallowed in that episode: the fact that she had no patience with her emotional pain and tried (with disastrous results) to fix it with magic is =directly= relevant to her current state of using magic on the slightest pretext. We tend to think of "Something Blue" as a comic episode because, as Meredith pointed out, SMG's comedic talent is a match for her dramatic talent. But we shouldn't forget that the crux of the episode is D'Hoffryn offering to make Willow a vengeance demon: clearly he saw something in her that we would rather not. Nor should we forget "Doppelgangland," not only the Vampire Willow parts but also the earlier parts where Willow is in a snit; and remember the wrangle she got into with Anya that episode, which is the ultimate source of the ill will between them which still simmers, and boiled over in the troll episode. Add it all up (throw in that little threat to Giles) and it's clear that Willow's dark side is no picnic, and if she does go rogue (a very distinct possibility) it will be a grave problem. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 16:29:14 -0800 From: "David S. Bratman" Subject: Re: b/talisman About Willow I am just beginning to catch myself starting to think, "Something may have to be done about her." The last character I thought this about (in a more imperative form) was Faith. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 21:18:11 -0500 From: Dawn Friedman Subject: Re: b/talisman At 07:21 PM 11/5/01 -0500, Don wrote: >Thinking about "Something Blue" again reminded me about the >funk Willow wallowed in that episode: the fact that she had >no patience with her emotional pain and tried (with disastrous results) to >fix it with magic is =directly= relevant to her current state of using >magic on the slightest pretext. From Willow's point of view in that episode, though, it was her friends who had no patience with her emotional pain. She tried several classic adolescent remedies for grief (whining, brooding, dancing, drinking...) and got told off immediately. Sure, getting drunk wasn't a great idea, but why should Willow get cut off instantly because of Buffy's experience in Beer Bad? (Perhaps the gang feels more protective toward Willow than toward Buffy?) I think there was some justice in Willow's complaint that everyone was willing to be supportive as long as it caused them no inconvenience. If their sympathy had had more stamina, she wouldn't have been left to her own devices. >Add it all up (throw in that little threat to Giles) and it's >clear that Willow's dark side is no picnic, and if she does >go rogue (a very distinct possibility) it will be a grave >problem. That's certainly true. But I don't think her dark side is any darker than, say, Xander's. I rather thought the point was that power can seduce anyone, not that Willow has a particular talent for being bad. Dawn ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2001 22:14:00 -0800 From: "David S. Bratman" Subject: a/pregDarla (Do we have a special code for Angel?) I enjoyed tonight's episode. Let me count the ways: Despite the implausibility of an 18th-century vampire hunter with a goatee and granny glasses, the opening scene was more lively than the usual flashbacks. (It reminded Berni of an SNL skit, and she kept expecting Father Guido Sarducci to appear.) The pregnancy plot was handled with verve and twists. The "yet another mysterious evil prophecy" attitude of the characters was a nice wry meta-comment on the show. Gunn and Fred trying to figure out who Darla is was a great funny moment, and a cute sendup of all those confusing "Previously on" teasers. Lorn made a horrible pun. The 3 sirens, always a hoot, made a nice little cameo appearance. And lastly and not leastly, while she was gone, Julie Benz seems to have taken acting lessons. She actually delivered some lines with mordant humor, and as if a character were saying them and not some two-bit actress. Good for her: I look forward to further improvement. ------------------------------ End of stillpt-digest V3 #173 *****************************