Spoiler Slayer

Controversial Spoilers

In the past, when I've come across spoilage that seems to dispute reliable sources, I've usually hesitated before posting it here. Sometimes the sources are quickly proven to be false (such as the person who posted about Buffy smashing her headstone with a sledgehammer), other times it's a matter of seeing how quick the spoiler spreads. If there comes a time where it's being passed around other sites as actual spoilage, that's when I'll take a hard look at ranking it.

For the past month or so, I've been keeping my eye on a source posting at the Kitten Board, looking for anything that could back up the claims that are being made. Although the spoilers haven't spread beyond the Kitten Board, I have received more than a few e-mails about them. With the information coming to light this week from Partyman and DrLloyd (who I should point out are Kitten Board regulars), along with the revised UPN summaries, I think it's time that I addressed these spoilers.

As most of you are probably already aware, Ed the Spoiler has posted information on the final run of episodes that does not fit what we have been hearing from reliable sources. The original post was made shortly after we got solid confirmation of Tara's death.

The issue gets a bit more complex, because there are posts that Ed disputes as being ones that he made. If you don't register, anyone can post under your name. Usually identity can be verified by IP addresses, but even different IP's can't guarantee that it's not the same person (I actually could post with about 10 different IP's currently). IP or not, in follow-ups to the spoilers, the fake-Ed imitated to perfection the real-Ed's punctuation and phrasing, somehow I don't think a hoaxer is going to put that much work into it. I'd also point out that when challenged on these spoilers later, rather than restating that fake-Ed had posted them, he inferred that they were indeed his comments.

So lets look at what Ed (real or fake) had to say...

Episode 18

Xander discovers a camera and has a run in with Spike. Buffy defends him and this causes spike to demand that Buffy tell everyone about them. Anya ends up going to spike who's the only person she knows who "hates" xander, gets drunk and does sleep with him. he gang sees it, and Xander mentions breaking up with her over it. Anya decides to return to being a vengence demon again after egged on by Halfrek and D'Hoffryn, but there is a big condition attached to it. The nerds discuss and begin their plan to kill Buffy (much to the horror of Jonathon). The scoobs (including dawn) end up learning about Buffy's affair with spike and it leads to a huge arguement.

Episode 19

Buffy breaks up the nerds plans and they summon a demon to try to distract her. Anya is almost killed by the demon but is saved by Xander and in a tender moment wonders whether or not he still loves her and is obviously worried about her recent choice (it doesnt end that way though because Xander is really vicious over the sex with Spike thing and she ends up granting WARREN'S wish). The nerds are arrested for theft and murder, but Warren escapes. Willow and Tara decide that they have been apart too long and reconcile, however, after willow leaves Tara in bed, a trap that Warren had lain for Buffy goes off and kills Tara while she's alone.

Episode 20

After finding Tara dead, Willow loses it and goes to "Rack" for help in bringing Tara back to life, but there is no way and Willow decides that nothing and noone will stop her from killing Warren. Buffy is worried that Dawn will get caught in the crossfire and tries to pawn her off on Spike, but she learns that he's left town. Willow goes on a rampage and ends up killing several innocent people (though Buffy and Xander both try to stop her) and ends up destroying Warren but find outs he's a decoy. Spike has his chip removed in an attempt to prove to Buffy that he can redeem himself and be good WITHOUT the use of it. But, can he?

Episode 21

Buffy tries to stop Willow, but she has literally gone insane with power.
Things in Sunnydale really begin to resemble hell on earth and Spike returns
BAD bent on killing Buffy for "castrating" him. Buffy calls Giles, desperate for help with Willow and the Warren situation and he agrees to come back.
Willow finds the real Warren and tortures him to the point he wishes he were dead. Spike goes after Buffy thru the one person he can, DAWN, and vamps her.

Episode 21

Giles arrives and finds everything has gone to Hell. Willow's powers cause her to go supernova blowing out half the town, but she warns Buffy in time for her and giles to get far enough away.

Buffy learns of what happened with Spike vows to kill Spike, but begs Giles to deal with Dawn because she cant. Buffy confronts Spike. Giles dusts Dawn. Giles arrives during the battle between Buffy and Spike and ends up getting his neck broken, Buffy is mortally wounded but kills Spike. Xander lays bleeding to death as Anya goades him saying that all this happened because of him and Xander (who doesnt know that she accepted the Vengence Demon offer) sees what happened and that she's the cause of it all when she reverts to her true self. He tells her that he loves her, that she isnt a demon no matter what she looks like and dies. Anya destroys her pendant and the world shifts.

I'd also offer for consideration, the comments that he made on March 12 on the Kitten Board (combined from several posts)

Wait and you will see that:

1) Tara does not die
2) She gets back together with Willow after having a fairly short emotional conversation about love/trust.
3) Things get SERIOUSLY f*cked for the scoobs in the last 2 episodes with SEVERAL of them "dying"
4) They all live to Season 7 after Anya sacrafices herself to save Xander.

If you don't believe it, have faith, wait and see.

---

What I am saying is that Tara is not the "Big Scooby Death" of the season. In fact, if she were then Buffy, Spike, Dawn, and Willow would also fall into that category as all of them "die" by the end of episode 22.

Something does happen to Tara but its not permanent and occurs after a wish that Anya grants Warren and huge fight between him and Buffy.

As you can see, while there are a few things that fit what we've heard from reliable sources, a great deal does not. There are also things that have been posted which have been proven or nearly proven false (i.e.: Tara not dying and Anya granting a wish to Warren).

Yes, you did read that correctly, it appears that Warren's super strength has nothing to do with a wish granted by Anya (more on this in a moment).

What it comes down to is whom should we put our faith in? Angel X, DrLloyd, Wendy, Partyman, and Fraz (who are all reliable sources), or Ed (who has basically disputed everything the others have said)?

It all ties back into what has come out this week. I have no real reason to doubt anything that Partyman or DrLloyd have posted or passed along. It echoes the information from the Shooting Location Reports and from various other sources. It even fits the UPN summaries that obviously aren't faked or a hoax.

While I hesitate to mark some of the spoilers that came out this week as 'likely', they make much more sense than everyone dying and a reset/reversal taking place. While not a true cliffhanger, the season is going to end with all of the characters dealing with the choices that they made throughout the course of the season. This also ties in with the 'Oh, Grow Up' theme. It also means that Season Seven could be an entire new beginning for all of the characters (as much as I liked the couples, it's highly unusual for any relationship to survive more than a couple of seasons on TV, especially when it comes to dramas). Does this mean that we won't see Amber Benson or Tara on the show again? Right now, I would say it's possible, but like the early spoilers of her demise, I haven't seen anything solid that would prove it one way or another. She is a well-liked character, but so were Joyce, Jenny and Angel. Anything is possible when it comes to the show.

The main issue that I have with Ed's spoilers is that they are giving the fans of Willow and Tara false hope. I appreciate what the Willow and Tara fans are going through. I happen to be a fan of couple myself and I really do feel it unfair her death is required to trigger Willow's descent into Big-Badness. Then again, I also have to consider that life isn't fair, and technically Joyce really didn't deserve to die either. But in the same vein as not wanting to give false hope by confirming false the 'Tara dies' spoiler (I was pressured earlier this season to do so), I'm not going to rank a 'reset/reversal' as even 'possible' at this point. I just think it's safe to say that at this point, I'm going to stick with the sources that have proven themselves. If Ed is correct and there is a 'reset/reversal' at season's end, I'll be more than happy to add him to the list of Unsung Heroes (and eat a little crow as well).

You Didn't Think I'd Forget

Onto the question of 'Where Did Warren Get SuperPowers'. Although this is a rehash of the original UPN summaries (including the spelling of a certain characters name - which I've corrected here), this should be the final summary for 'Seeing Red'.

Seeing Red

After creating a weapon that gives the trio super human powers Warren goes after Buffy. During a grueling battle Buffy breaks the orb that gives Warren his power. Warren escapes but Jonathan and Andrew are thrown in jail. And a shocking turn of events puts the lives of two of the members in danger.

I just think this pretty much proves that Warren's powers come from something other than a wish.