Spoiler Slayer

Finally

Almost didn't get this finished today, it seems that news is spilling in from all over.

'Selfless' was a very good episode, perhaps one of my favorites so far this season. As expected, this wrapped up the question of Anya that has been hanging over our heads since last season.

While many think Buffy is too uncaring and harsh in this episode, I don't agree with that opinion. She's doing what she has to do, and I think that's the hardest thing of growing up that she's had to learn. Which is why I think they used Xander as a counterpoint. Here's someone who's never had a qualm about judging the men that Buffy chose to date, ready to stake them at a moments notice (I loved how they pulled in the 'The Lie' from Season Two to further accent his double standard), yet when the situation is reversed he can't see that Buffy is right.

Willow is the balance, as she's been on the receiving end of Buffy's duty. She knows the position that Buffy is in and knows how hard it is to do what she does. Willow, especially now, is having to deal with the fact that she has great power that she has to use responsibly. Buffy is the physical aspect of that power, while Willow now embodies the mystical. While some of her hesistation to assist Buffy might have been due to her feelings for Anya, I think a major factor was that she wasn't sure she could trust her powers in that situation

For Anya, part of me thinks that the reason she went back to the Frat House was so Buffy could find her. I really don't have a doubt that if she really used her powers to their full extent, she could have taken Buffy out in a heartbeat. She had come to the end of her road, and realized that she couldn't go on being a vengeance demon. She wanted Buffy and D'Hoffryn to kill her, she didn't expect to walk out of that Frat House alive.

But in the end, nobody was really wrong. Xander did what he does best, he used reason. With Buffy, it was her strength and with Willow it was her knowledge of magic. Yet as the episode pointed out, nobody asked Anya what she wanted. Did she really want to return to being a Vengeance Demon, or was she goaded on by D'Hoffryn and Halfrek. Ironically, I guess it turned out that her heart just wasn't in it anymore

Now the playing field is level, all of the Scoobies have actions in their past that they have to deal with, they have all seen their own and each others darker sides. Now it's going to be a matter of moving past this, and getting back to being the team that they once were.

Which they are going to need to do, as things are going to start rocking in Sunnydale. Though I hope much sooner, I'm getting kind of tired of the constant 'From Beneath You It Devours', it's like the 'Death Is Your Gift' of Season Five. The Attack Of The Killer Catchphrase. I had also hoped that we would have a little more detail on the 'Shapeshifter'. Was compassionate Buffy a Spike hallucination, or the 'Shapeshifter'? I'm still not sure, but more on that in a moment.

I should also address the complaint I've been getting via email, about how Anya's Bunny-phobia Spoiler really didn't come true. It should be pointed out again that I'm not looking for early spoilers to be 100% on the money. There is much that could change in shooting, but the Bunny topic was addressed. Also, while Xander didn't try to win Anya back, the episode shows that their story likely isn't over. It's just starting again. The point is that we are getting a lot of quality spoilage, which might not be dead on, but are pretty darned close. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out what Anya meant with her 'take your furs and your literal interpretations' comment. Could be more to the bunnies than meets the eye.

At any rate, it looks like the team will be back up and running in 'Him'. With the new information posted below, it looks like it will be just in time.

Camera One

Buffynuts posted a Location Shoot report at @N-Zone. It's building on what the Oracle posted yesterday, and is not leading me in the direction I want to be led in. Fraz provided the info on the shoot, this is from the person who saw it.

Report from Buffynuts October 24, 2002

They were shooting an exterior night scene in front of two apartment houses. It was a scene with Spike and young woman with shoulder-length blonde hair. They did three separate pieces of the same scene.

Spike was wearing a short black jacket, unbuttoned, with a dark tee under it, black jeans and black shoes (not boots). The young woman (I think the actress was called Stacey) was wearing jeans, platform heels, and a denim jacket with a spotted fake fur collar.

Spike and "Stacey" were friendly; it almost looked like a date. The first scene had them walking and chatting in front of one apartment building that had a "For Rent" sign on the lawn, and then they started across the street.
The second piece had Spike, hands in his pockets, walking with her up the walk and to the stairs of the second apartment building. She started up the stairs, turned, and gestured as if she was inviting him up. He stepped back and looked down at his feet, as if he was reluctant. And then she came back down the steps again. Cut.

In the third scene, Spike killed her. He grabbed her, bit her hard on the neck, and dropped her body to the ground. This scene wasn't shot in continuation with the scene where she came down the stairs, which seems odd.
When they were rehearsing it, which they did several times, James was careful not to let her hit the ground too hard.

It's hard to tell what was going on because I couldn't hear a word of dialogue. I don't think it was a flashback; no black leather coat, no swagger, and Spike's body language in the first two parts of the scene seemed to be soul-having. "Stacey" appeared to be human, and he didn't show any pain after biting her.

Fantasy or dream sequence, maybe? Either that, or Spike is unchipped and killing again.

Normally, if this was the only report, I'd be considering the fact that this might be either a dream sequence, or the 'shapeshifter', or something else. I have to be completely honest, I'm not sure this is the case. There's a lot that's come out in the past few days, so I'm waiting to hear from some of my sources. But as it stands right now, I can't deny that Spike could very well be back to his old form (soul or not). Because this isn't the only report I've got. But there are are many scenarios which could be the cause for this, so I'm not writing Spike off just yet.

What If You're Already Bad

Part of the reason I still have doubts about Spike's evil turn is the latest YAMI. I really enjoy reading her thoughts on the show, and while she might avoid dropping hints (and has even at times misled us), Marti Noxon's interviews are always revealing.

In the latest one for Prevue magazine, she talks a bit about repeating plotlines. As for anyone going bad this season, she makes a point of saying that they did that last season. Then again, she also makes a point of saying that Spike is still a vampire at heart.

Hmmm