by CaptMurdock » Wed May 22, 2002 9:27 am
Ohh, I know I am [i:6fc0a8b643] so[/i:6fc0a8b643] going to get whacked in the mouth for some of the things I am going to say here....
Let me preface this by saying that [b:6fc0a8b643] in no way[/b:6fc0a8b643] is Tara's death justify this story arc. There are plenty of ways, some of which have been mentioned previously on this thread, that Willow could have gone down the Dark Path without necessitating the brutal murder of a character that was rapidly becoming one of the mainstays. Killing Tara also killed much of the joy that I have for this series, and I don't see how I am ever going to get that back. Virtuall nothing ME can do at this point is ever going to erase what has been done.
However...
As fully spoiled about the finale as I was, I decided to watch it anyways. I have to say, it was not, IMHO, as bad as I thought it was going to be -- if only because this marvelous cast who could turn goat piss into gasoline pulled this finale out of the garbage disposal.
For the most part. Sorry, Ms. Gellar, but even you couldn't pull off the "I want to show you the world" epiphany scene. Nope. Sorry. That said, the laughing breakdown scene, which seemed dumb on "paper" and rather disrespectful to the whole situation, actually worked, again because SMG and ASH have the talent to pull it off. I mean, there are some situations where you've gotten to the place whether you have to laugh or go completely bonkers...if not both. Trust me on this, they were [b:6fc0a8b643] there.[/b:6fc0a8b643]
And, please try to not hate me to hard for this, but...Xander's Yellow Crayon. I can't say that I hated it or that it was stupid. Again, more due to Nick Brendon (and for the love of God, people, if you bag on the Bronzers for calling Amber fat but keep making reference to Xander's "mantits," you are truly no better) than David Fury's writing. Personally, I would have done at least one instance of Dark Willow snarking something like:
"Oh, you [i:6fc0a8b643] love[/i:6fc0a8b643] me. Well, that makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? Was this what you said to your fiance before [b:6fc0a8b643] you left her at the alter?[/b:6fc0a8b643]"
To which I would have had Xander agree that she was right and that he was stupid for what he did and she can say whatever she thinks will hurt him and he'll still love her.
Still, this finale was not the best work ME has done. Definitely not. Definite plotting problems (e.g. how can Anya go from "I can't read a word of this" to chanting up a shield even Dark Willow can't blow through?) and for all the effects money that they blew on this, the visuals are far from impressive. That fireball effect -- blech. The satanic temple looked total cheeseball, although the CGI hurricane winds blowing around Willow were kinda cool. The story was very disjointed, the pacing was extremely uneven; at times I was going "Oh, get on with the smackdown, already!" Just not up to par.
As for the Spike denoument (sp?): You guys act like getting a soul -- effectively, a conscience, the ability to feel remorse -- as some kind of reward. A lot of Kittens hate Spike for what he tried to do to Buffy (not without justification). Well, if I'm right, he's about to hate himself far worse. This, and probably just to see how Willow might be faring in the aftermath of this shitstorm, is probably the only thing that will make me tune in next season (on a trial basis, I assure you).
Like I said, this season ender does not make me forgive and forget about Tara. Joss' assertions aside, I feel bad for Amber, that her main source of exposure (something just about any actress needs), not to mention income, is gone. Even though the writer in me agrees with Joss that there is no tragedy in killing off a character with no potential and that people don't love, I can't stand back far enough to be objective about this. I loved Tara. She will live in my heart, and the hearts of everybody on this board.
[b:6fc0a8b643] Okay, lay into me now. Really let me have it...[/b:6fc0a8b643]
