6/10: Wrecked

[Techno-bot]

Written by Marti Noxon
Directed by David Solomon
Air date: 11/27/01

A near-fatal accident makes Willow realize she must give up her addiction to magic, even as Buffy realizes she must give up her addictive relationship with Spike.

[Kate (K8)]

Thought lots of people would have commented by now and already mentioned any of the little things I noticed. Instead I get to look real clever by getting in first.

To get us started:

The way Willow asked Buffy for help then is all wrapped up in a blanket reminds me of Spike in season 7.

Nice to see Spike looking after Dawn the same way as he would have in Bargaining even though it meant not getting involved in the fight. I'd forgotten that they had any contact after Buffy came back.

I'd also forgotten how thickly they laid on the magic = drug comparison.

It's interesting that of all the ways Willow could have got Dawn hurt it was a very real and non-magicky car crash that happened.

I'm sure someone has mentioned about Rack's place only being able to be found by people into the Big Bad and spike not being able to find it before but I can't remember who or where.

[Lola m]

Ah, everyone's wake up moments. Excellent!

When did the building fall down indeed. I just love this scene. So dark and twisted and sexy and emotional and what not. (OK, I imagine a lot of folks don't see the Buffy and Spike wake up scene like this, but I do. I see what I like and I like what I see. Angst is my anti-drug. Or my drug. Whatever.)



Oh, Willow. So worried that Tara will think Amy is romantic rival but that is not what Tara is unhappy about.

And now we hammer home the "this household has no structure" point. Although now, frankly, these scenes showing the isolation of Dawn just makes me think Buffy should have kept Dawn more included in the slaying and research and what not. Which is what she ends up realizing by the end of the season, so yay me!

Burlap and blood larvae. Heeee!!

Buffy's speech about being judge-y is, yes, projecting. But she's also right. I mean, about them being adults and needing to get their own shit together themselves and so on. (I paraphrase. )

"Is it dangerous?"
"Will that stop you?"
Um, no, that's just gonna feed into her "I am not that same nerdy girl I used to be, I'm edgy and cool" need.

And Rack gets a whiff of the power coming off of Willow. Mmmmtasty, eh?

Money. Computer. Give a little to get a little. I can't help but smirk everytime I watch this scene, now that I know Willow will be coming back for her own taste at the end of the season. Not very kindly of me, I know, but still.

Willow on the ceiling is a very arresting image. Huh. And the monster-thing that follows her back from her mystical adventuring? Makes me think of the one that Jonathan ended up dealing with when he did the "change the world for me" spell.

Oh, turning the Tara dress into a snuggly pillowy substitute. I still feel the sad off of it.

They keep thinking that the problem is someone needs to "watch over" Dawn. But she's lonely, not missing protection.

Love the double braids and black turtleneck look on Buffy, by the way.

"It's not what you think it is! It's sage!"
"That is what I think it is."

Also? Love that Amy asks what the fans do sometimes. "When does the slayer find time to shop?" ;D

When things fall apart with Willow, they really fall apart. In one fell swoop she really does make the absolutely worst possible decisions. Taking Dawn to Rack's was just the dumbest. Thing. Ever.

(P.S. I like the trailers too, Dawn. )

Heh! And Willow is "high" again - up in the air. Heck, up in space.

Nekkid Spike!! (Ahem. Excuse me while I do some pausing. And rewinding. And pausing again. I'll be back shortly.)





OK, then! Back to the plot, shall we?

Oooooh, Spike is not happy that the nibblet is possibly mixed up with Rack. Yay, protective babysitter!Spike.

Aaaaaaaaand big Willow mistake numbe two. Being all "you wimp, Dawn, for wanting to go home".

Just this once, (not that he doesn't lie or try to manipulate Buffy other times), I truly believe that Spike is really just worried about Dawn. Mostly because I think at this point he is still in the post-sex glow and really doesn't yet grasp how much Buffy is/will push at him. He really does think things have changed, that she is feeling what he's feeling. So, not being worried, he doesn't have as much reason to try to use this moment for gain.

Now, another wonderful angsty scene. That I'm sure others see differently than I. I love love love the hostile and sexy thing that is happeing while they walk looking for Dawn. Well, not to mention that I tend to think that Spike is right about Buffy truly enjoying more . . . athletic or vigorous might be good words . . . sex.

[OK. Time for my own controversial babblings. Feel free to scroll on by if you want. Just my own personal opinion, mind you, but I think she'd be happier if she just owned her own sexuality, so to speak. She's superpowered. She's strong. She's got lots of energy to burn. What's wrong with that? We know that she was . . . energetic . . . with both Angel and Riley before. We've seen it or heard her or the guys refer to it. Why not just be cool with that side of you? Even if that means you get a bit rough with your lovers. There are plenty of non-superpowered people who have found a healthy way to play with that kind of sex. Long as things are consensual, long as all those invoved are happy about what's going on, why not? Whether your lover is human or not, you can find a way to express that side of you. I think this is tied to Buffy's conflicted feelings about wanting to be "normal" - so that super-powered sex may be too much a reminder of her chosen nature and the attendent responsibilities and issues.]

Now on the other hand, I don't think Spike is right that Buffy really "needs" him for her work in general. I mean, dude, she is the slayer. One of her strengths is the fact that she has family, friends, etc. But the work? Is hers to do and she does it well.

Run run run, Willow and Dawn!!

Willow big mistake number 3 - being totally out of it and wacked out as you're magically driving a car.

On the other hand, just to bolster my "they should be involving Dawn in the work more", she really does a great job fighting the monster and generally dealing with things. Especially considering the broken arm and all.

Fight monster, Buffy! Help Dawn, Spike! Totally figure out just how screwed (and screwed up) you are, Willow!

Others have faulted Buffy for staying with Willow, but I don't. She did a quick check in with Dawn and Spike, knew things were in hand for the moment and (as we hear her say later) she reconnected with Dawn. But Willow needed to be addressed too. Willow needed to be helped too, needed to be got to the right kind of help. (Which, well, turns out not to be a magical abstinance group, but a coven. Heck, if she'd gotten re-connected with the campus group, instead of Amy meeting up with them, who knows how things could have turned out?)

Ah, Willow. At least you're honest about it not being "because" of Tara. It's about you. Issues of insecurity. Issues of image. Issues of power. "Who was I?"

Buffy really doesn't know just how out of control Willow was. On the other hand, the whole steely "it won't happen again" thing? Just gonna simmer and simmer and blow up later.

[Lola m]

Jun 24, 2009 11:26:10 GMT -5 Kate (K8) said:

Thought lots of people would have commented by now and already mentioned any of the little things I noticed. Instead I get to look real clever by getting in first.

;D

To get us started:

The way Willow asked Buffy for help then is all wrapped up in a blanket reminds me of Spike in season 7.

Oh, nice comparison! And both images remind us of one of Buffy's slayer sides - the one that protects and cares for those in trouble.

Nice to see Spike looking after Dawn the same way as he would have in Bargaining even though it meant not getting involved in the fight. I'd forgotten that they had any contact after Buffy came back.

The season's emphasis shifts, rather naturally, to showing more of the relationship between Buffy and Spike, but I do like to see these little moments that remind us of the different relationship between Spike and Dawn.

I'd also forgotten how thickly they laid on the magic = drug comparison.

It's interesting that of all the ways Willow could have got Dawn hurt it was a very real and non-magicky car crash that happened.

Kinda fits nicely with the arc of "people are the big bads this season, not a demon or monster" doesn't it?

I'm sure someone has mentioned about Rack's place only being able to be found by people into the Big Bad and spike not being able to find it before but I can't remember who or where.

Heee! Also, contrasts nicely with Willow finding it so easily. So many hints to us of the season end, if we'd been looking!

[beccaelizabeth]

So: Wrecked. The one where the addiction metaphor turns into a drug metaphor. And yes, significant change. This episode, abruptly, and not any episode before it, makes the magic about physical pleasure, with physical side effects and withdrawal symptoms. And that sucks for the same reason the thing with Rack doesn't work as a next step for Willow: It's not about Willow's choices. It's not about any of the things she's done wrong so far. Yeah, the magic misuse left her open to this, but this isn't the next choice in a series, it's something done to her. She went to learn new spells, she got spells worked on her, wildly not the same thing.

So suddenly, because she wanted more magic, she's being exploited. Okay, that could work.
But the exact form, the pleasure and the loss of control, that's not what Willow has been about so far. Her problem was seeking too much control over others... and not enough over her own desires, I suppose you could argue. But still, not physical. She doesn't do magic to get all dopey and happy that direct way, she does it because she can do things, have control. So here another magic user controls her... and she goes back for more?
Doesn't track.

So this episode doesn't work because it just ignores all the build up and hands us a one off new metaphor, Willow goes somewhere and gets injected with magic and gets high, physically, stuck to the ceiling. Not about what she can do any more. The whole story with Rack just doesn't follow. And then the speech at the end with Buffy about how Willow was doing magic to be special does work and follow the season build up... but then the shaky withdrawal thing, which doesn't follow at all.

The problem with Willow's magic was not thinking about other people and how they have the right to not have magic worked on them.

In this episode the problem with magic is it makes you high, stupid, and crashing.

These two things have bugger all to do with each other.

There's a tiny bit of overlap in her ongoing disregard for the law of unintended consequences and the butterfly effect. Not paying enough attention to chaos, always a bad idea. Catches up with her.
But even so, it's not her choices that have that consequence, it's a spell done to her.

If Rack had taught her the pleasure spell, that could be a story.
But he didn't, so, no.

And this is a big knock on problem if I recall aright because after this everyone around Willow treats magic like a drug problem. It isn't, it's a bullying problem, being the bully. Or sexual harassment maybe, because it's hard to argue a proper place for bullying in a balanced life, but there's a proper place for sex.

Which segues neatly to Buffy.

Buffy & Spike: what a mess.
Her reaction to being hit, her saying no, what Spike gets from ignoring it? Direct and clear connection to the Very Bad Thing later.
... which I hate cause it sounds like blame the victim. Not what I mean. Makes a messy story though.

Spike is a mess, moral compass of grrrr, vampire. So he's tried to be the gent, done the pretty singing, and it got him trod on. Now he's tried being a bastard and he gots what he wants. It's familiar too, feels safe, knows the script. He can do this. So he keeps doing it.
Big tragedy of being bloody stupid all round.

Buffy is kinky. Buffy hasn't the vocabulary or emotional framework to deal. Buffy is doing this stuff from a motive far too close to self harm.
It's an interesting way to take the story.
Not so much choice about being super-Buffy, but with someone to play with who's on her level? Gets complicated.


... sudden detour through Faith/Buffy in my head, is very distracting...
... definite similarities in what Faith did and what Buffy does.


Buffy is plausible, yet stupid. And ditto Spike.


Dawn comes out of this episode looking like the smart one. Kinda scary from a kid who don't use a spatula.
But she did all the right things in the fight with the demon and had the being tiny and human and injured stacked against her. She said all the right plans and objections when Willow was all hey no worries. Trusting Willow wouldn't have been stupid on any previous week. So Dawn is the smart sense person now.

Xander and Anya only have the conversation about still no demons to fit the ongoing geek trio story that we might otherwise have forgot all about. And they're still going to get married and she's still a demon. Felt a bit like a 'previously' but more interesting. I like the magazines in the demon books.


Needs more Giles.
Not just because everything needs more Giles, but because he's got some very directly relevant things to say about this kind of mess.
... in canon just the magic part, but, well, also.

Writers might think of this as a good reason to send him away. Having a voice of informed reason around might make people act sensible. But it would be stronger if they'd heard all the warnings and had the conversations and still not stopped til they went splat for themselves.

Needs more Giles.



Okay, might not be making sense, is late. I post anyway.

[Anne, Old S'cubie Cat]

Jun 25, 2009 17:06:57 GMT -5 beccaelizabeth said:

So: Wrecked. The one where the addiction metaphor turns into a drug metaphor. And yes, significant change. This episode, abruptly, and not any episode before it, makes the magic about physical pleasure, with physical side effects and withdrawal symptoms. And that sucks for the same reason the thing with Rack doesn't work as a next step for Willow: It's not about Willow's choices. It's not about any of the things she's done wrong so far. Yeah, the magic misuse left her open to this, but this isn't the next choice in a series, it's something done to her. She went to learn new spells, she got spells worked on her, wildly not the same thing.

So suddenly, because she wanted more magic, she's being exploited. Okay, that could work.
But the exact form, the pleasure and the loss of control, that's not what Willow has been about so far. Her problem was seeking too much control over others... and not enough over her own desires, I suppose you could argue. But still, not physical. She doesn't do magic to get all dopey and happy that direct way, she does it because she can do things, have control. So here another magic user controls her... and she goes back for more?
Doesn't track.

So this episode doesn't work because it just ignores all the build up and hands us a one off new metaphor, Willow goes somewhere and gets injected with magic and gets high, physically, stuck to the ceiling. Not about what she can do any more. The whole story with Rack just doesn't follow. And then the speech at the end with Buffy about how Willow was doing magic to be special does work and follow the season build up... but then the shaky withdrawal thing, which doesn't follow at all.

The problem with Willow's magic was not thinking about other people and how they have the right to not have magic worked on them.

In this episode the problem with magic is it makes you high, stupid, and crashing.

These two things have bugger all to do with each other.

There's a tiny bit of overlap in her ongoing disregard for the law of unintended consequences and the butterfly effect. Not paying enough attention to chaos, always a bad idea. Catches up with her.
But even so, it's not her choices that have that consequence, it's a spell done to her.

If Rack had taught her the pleasure spell, that could be a story.
But he didn't, so, no.

And this is a big knock on problem if I recall aright because after this everyone around Willow treats magic like a drug problem. It isn't, it's a bullying problem, being the bully. Or sexual harassment maybe, because it's hard to argue a proper place for bullying in a balanced life, but there's a proper place for sex.

Which segues neatly to Buffy.

Buffy & Spike: what a mess.
Her reaction to being hit, her saying no, what Spike gets from ignoring it? Direct and clear connection to the Very Bad Thing later.
... which I hate cause it sounds like blame the victim. Not what I mean. Makes a messy story though.

Spike is a mess, moral compass of grrrr, vampire. So he's tried to be the gent, done the pretty singing, and it got him trod on. Now he's tried being a bastard and he gots what he wants. It's familiar too, feels safe, knows the script. He can do this. So he keeps doing it.
Big tragedy of being bloody stupid all round.

Buffy is kinky. Buffy hasn't the vocabulary or emotional framework to deal. Buffy is doing this stuff from a motive far too close to self harm.
It's an interesting way to take the story.
Not so much choice about being super-Buffy, but with someone to play with who's on her level? Gets complicated.


... sudden detour through Faith/Buffy in my head, is very distracting...
... definite similarities in what Faith did and what Buffy does.


Buffy is plausible, yet stupid. And ditto Spike.


Dawn comes out of this episode looking like the smart one. Kinda scary from a kid who don't use a spatula.
But she did all the right things in the fight with the demon and had the being tiny and human and injured stacked against her. She said all the right plans and objections when Willow was all hey no worries. Trusting Willow wouldn't have been stupid on any previous week. So Dawn is the smart sense person now.

Xander and Anya only have the conversation about still no demons to fit the ongoing geek trio story that we might otherwise have forgot all about. And they're still going to get married and she's still a demon. Felt a bit like a 'previously' but more interesting. I like the magazines in the demon books.


Needs more Giles.
Not just because everything needs more Giles, but because he's got some very directly relevant things to say about this kind of mess.
... in canon just the magic part, but, well, also.

Writers might think of this as a good reason to send him away. Having a voice of informed reason around might make people act sensible. But it would be stronger if they'd heard all the warnings and had the conversations and still not stopped til they went splat for themselves.

Needs more Giles.



Okay, might not be making sense, is late. I post anyway.

Yes. Yes. Especially the bits in red, but all of it makes sense, and is, IMHO, exactly where this season fell apart. You have good thinky shiny thoughts, becca.

And you can never have too much Giles. ;D

Also agreeing with your comments re Buffy/Spike. Not thinking too clearly, me, but this is all good thinking.

[Queen E]

It's interesting. I am getting slowly caught up on the viewing, but the whole "tara doll" thing that Willow does with the dress...while it is sad, it's also (to me) super-creepy. It's an empty shape, that can't tell her she's doing wrong, that doesn't challenge her, but just provides comfort. Which is essentially, it seemed, what she wanted from Tara, and the real reason why Tara left.

[Lola m]

Jul 5, 2009 22:40:07 GMT -5 Queen E said:

It's interesting. I am getting slowly caught up on the viewing, but the whole "tara doll" thing that Willow does with the dress...while it is sad, it's also (to me) super-creepy. It's an empty shape, that can't tell her she's doing wrong, that doesn't challenge her, but just provides comfort. Which is essentially, it seemed, what she wanted from Tara, and the real reason why Tara left.

**nods** It's sad in a couple of different ways, isn't it? She could have used it as a moment of "doing the stuff I did last night is why I don't have her here and why I feel like crap, maybe that should make me re-think behavior". But she's not ready to go there yet.

[SpringSummers]

Jun 25, 2009 17:06:57 GMT -5 beccaelizabeth said:

So: Wrecked. The one where the addiction metaphor turns into a drug metaphor. And yes, significant change. This episode, abruptly, and not any episode before it, makes the magic about physical pleasure, with physical side effects and withdrawal symptoms. And that sucks for the same reason the thing with Rack doesn't work as a next step for Willow: It's not about Willow's choices. It's not about any of the things she's done wrong so far. Yeah, the magic misuse left her open to this, but this isn't the next choice in a series, it's something done to her. She went to learn new spells, she got spells worked on her, wildly not the same thing.

So suddenly, because she wanted more magic, she's being exploited. Okay, that could work.
But the exact form, the pleasure and the loss of control, that's not what Willow has been about so far. Her problem was seeking too much control over others... and not enough over her own desires, I suppose you could argue. But still, not physical. She doesn't do magic to get all dopey and happy that direct way, she does it because she can do things, have control. So here another magic user controls her... and she goes back for more?
Doesn't track.

I agree that it doesn't fit in the "Willow wants ever increasing control" track, but it fits with the "Willow is always trying to use magic to find an easy way to feel better" track. Like when she wanted the hurt from Oz leaving her to go away faster, so time for a spell, to "heal her heart," in Something Blue.

It tracks as escapism - after all Willow's need for control goes back to her feelings. She trying to make sure she doesn't get hurt, or, failing that, trying to make sure she doesn't have to deal with the pain.

So this episode doesn't work because it just ignores all the build up and hands us a one off new metaphor, Willow goes somewhere and gets injected with magic and gets high, physically, stuck to the ceiling. Not about what she can do any more. The whole story with Rack just doesn't follow. And then the speech at the end with Buffy about how Willow was doing magic to be special does work and follow the season build up... but then the shaky withdrawal thing, which doesn't follow at all.

No, but it is about escaping - leaving her nerdy self and insecurities behind. Finding an easy way to get rid of the pain.

Having said that, believe me, I didn't like the drug metaphor, either. It might have worked with a more subtle presentation, maybe. Don't know - but it just wasn't well done.

Yes, Willow was becoming addicted - not to magic, but to power and control, and the way that made her feel. But to do this "Willow get loopy like she's on drugs" kind of analogy . . . why? Unnecessary, almost wince-worthy in its clumsiness and anvil-like presentation.

The problem with Willow's magic was not thinking about other people and how they have the right to not have magic worked on them.

In this episode the problem with magic is it makes you high, stupid, and crashing.

These two things have bugger all to do with each other.

Well, both things end up hurting the people around you. Both things are thoughtless.

I think the idea is to show us in a more direct way, exactly what you're saying here - that Willow's use of magic is thoughtless and hurts those around here, and she doesn't care because of what she gets out of it - because weilding that power makes her feel good, and she can't feel good about herself any other way.

But - like I said above, this analogy serves no purpose. I mean, we've already received that message loud and clear through Willow's treatment of Tara, and Tara leaving her.

I will never understand the point of having these clumsy scenes.

There's a tiny bit of overlap in her ongoing disregard for the law of unintended consequences and the butterfly effect. Not paying enough attention to chaos, always a bad idea. Catches up with her.

But even so, it's not her choices that have that consequence, it's a spell done to her.

If Rack had taught her the pleasure spell, that could be a story.
But he didn't, so, no.

Well, it's her choice to take a chance and seek out a guy like Rack that leads to it all. She's starting to really, really, sink in "with the wrong crowd."

And she's getting pleasure from Evil.

This was happening before she went to Rack though - and again, we just didn't need it "spelled out" this way. Just . . . I mean, I agree it doesn't work. I just watch it and think: Why? As you say - it's "not a story." There's nothing new here, and the analogy is sooooo lame and unnecessary.

And this is a big knock on problem if I recall aright because after this everyone around Willow treats magic like a drug problem. It isn't, it's a bullying problem, being the bully. Or sexual harassment maybe, because it's hard to argue a proper place for bullying in a balanced life, but there's a proper place for sex.

What she does to Tara, taking away her memory so she'll stay with her, is very "date-rape."

It all comes down to Willow's insecurities - she uses magic to feel in control, and she need to feel in control because she's so horribly insecure and doesn't have faith in herself or in her loved ones or in the world around her in general.

She doesn't think she can deal with any challenges, or have any love or friendship or keep anything of value in her life without magic and the control and power it gives her.

She's completely self-absorbed - a bully, as you say.

And this is like a drug-addict in some ways - I mean, all you care about is getting your "fix," and you don't care who you hurt on the way to getting it.

Which segues neatly to Buffy.

Buffy & Spike: what a mess.
Her reaction to being hit, her saying no, what Spike gets from ignoring it? Direct and clear connection to the Very Bad Thing later.
... which I hate cause it sounds like blame the victim. Not what I mean. Makes a messy story though.

Spike is a mess, moral compass of grrrr, vampire. So he's tried to be the gent, done the pretty singing, and it got him trod on. Now he's tried being a bastard and he gots what he wants. It's familiar too, feels safe, knows the script. He can do this. So he keeps doing it.

Big tragedy of being bloody stupid all round.

Buffy is kinky. Buffy hasn't the vocabulary or emotional framework to deal. Buffy is doing this stuff from a motive far too close to self harm.

It's an interesting way to take the story.

Not so much choice about being super-Buffy, but with someone to play with who's on her level? Gets complicated.


... sudden detour through Faith/Buffy in my head, is very distracting...
... definite similarities in what Faith did and what Buffy does.


Buffy is plausible, yet stupid. And ditto Spike.

With you all the way on the Buffy-Spike thing. Unlike the Willow "addiction" though, the Buffy-Spike "addiction" I thought was well done in S6. Complex, interestingly presented - messy, messy, messy, with no easy answers for anyone, no matter how many fans thought there were easy answers.

Dawn comes out of this episode looking like the smart one. Kinda scary from a kid who don't use a spatula.
But she did all the right things in the fight with the demon and had the being tiny and human and injured stacked against her. She said all the right plans and objections when Willow was all hey no worries. Trusting Willow wouldn't have been stupid on any previous week. So Dawn is the smart sense person now.

Xander and Anya only have the conversation about still no demons to fit the ongoing geek trio story that we might otherwise have forgot all about. And they're still going to get married and she's still a demon. Felt a bit like a 'previously' but more interesting. I like the magazines in the demon books.

Needs more Giles.

Not just because everything needs more Giles, but because he's got some very directly relevant things to say about this kind of mess.

... in canon just the magic part, but, well, also.

Writers might think of this as a good reason to send him away. Having a voice of informed reason around might make people act sensible. But it would be stronger if they'd heard all the warnings and had the conversations and still not stopped til they went splat for themselves.

Needs more Giles.

Okay, might not be making sense, is late. I post anyway.

Anything can use more Giles. I think if ASH hadn't decided he wanted to get back home, it would have happened more as you say here - Giles' voice being ignored, and they still go splat.

[luvmyfirefly]

This is where I begin to think Spike literally came his brains out. He's powertripping because he finally had his dream and coming over all smarmy as a result. WTH is he thinking, that because he gave good orgasm she's his little Buffybot now?

I bet this is a morning he wishes he could do over. It sets up the pattern for the ugly dynamic they play over and over again. Breaks my heart every time.

But still, Buffy, "convenient" is patently false, not to mention cruel.

I think I need to find an alternate universe, in which they work out all these complexities in a kinder, less destructive way.