Spoiler Slayer

I Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny

Angel X has now archived her Q & A at the Cross and Stake, the transcript follows.

Spoilers: 4/7/02

Posted at Kitten Board

Re: Why Anya helps the gang...
I think it might have more to do with Anya not wanting Willow to successfully kill Warren. From the way she acts, I get the feeling that she has too much of an emotional bond with the gang and vengeance demon or not, she doesn't want Willow to go that far. Willow doesn't want anyone's help...I think that gets to Anya somehow. She's just as shocked as the others to see what Willow does. Could be totally off, but this is just based on what I know so far.

Re: Anya's actions in episode 18...
Anya spends episode 18 trying to get her sweet revenge because he hurt her so badly. She gets her revenge just fine when Xander finds out about what she did with Spike. As much as she wants to blame him for it all, she also feels guilty as if she caused their relationship to dissolve the way it did. She doesn't want him killed...she just wants him to know how much she hurts and she gets that.

Re: Do Dawn, Xander and/or Buffy know about Willow and Tara being back together before the events of 20?
I really don't know. If anyone does find out, it's in episode 19 and I don't have enough information on that ep to say. I don't think it has an effect on Dawn, Buffy or Xander's reaction to the news about Tara. The fact that Willow and Tara broke up didn't change how much either one of them felt for the other and I don't think the understanding of how important both women were to each other was lessened or lost on any of the gang because of the breakup.

Re: Speculation on some false rumor that Tara is shot in the neck...
Whoa... Tara's not shot in the neck. She's struck in the back. I assume it's a direct hit with her heart. Not sure where in the room she is or what she's doing at the time, but it is a chest wound.

Spoilers: 4/6/02

Tons of spoilers here. Mostly from the Spoiler Q&A on TBC&S, but a few comments from the Kitten board. Don't read unless fully spoiled.

Posted at BC&S:

Where are Buffy and Tara when they get shot?
Just judging on where the bodies are in episode 20, Buffy is in the backyard and Tara is in Willow's room. I *think* Willow is with Tara when it happens as Xander is with Buffy when it happens, but I'm not sure. Willow could be elsewhere in the house or something, but I don't see how she could be anywhere but in the house. So Willow is either with Tara when it happens, or finds her, and then Willow just leaves Tara's body where it is and Dawn stumbles across it? Am I understanding this right?
Yes.

How does Warren know who Rack is, and where to find him? Does Rack survive the ep, and what kind of assistance does he give Warren?
I really don't know how Warren finds Rack. He just shows up at the invisible traveling magic place. As far as I know, Rack survives... he just gives Warren some magical skills to battle against Willow.

Re: More on Spike and Africa...
If I had anything to clarify with I would...but I don't. The scene in episode 20 is short, vague and confusing. Like I said in the spoiler, I don't know what Spike is asking for, what he has to do to get it or what he gets in the case that he wins. Spike says very little that is telling and the demon he is meeting with speaks in an "all powerful/all knowing" kind of way and doesn't give any direct hint as to exactly what is going to happen or what Spike wants. It is implied that the chip has caused him trouble and he wants to go back to what he was before it. How far back, I don't know.

The only message my spoiler should be conveying is that Spike goes to the demon and in exchange for some challenge(s), he gets something that he wants. Beyond that, I don't know.

Re: Who finds Tara first? Etc...
Willow is the first to find the body...she is there either when it happens or very soon afterwards. She would have no reason to go all black magic like if she didn't know about Tara's death. Once she finds that Tara cannot be saved, she leaves on a mission to do whatever it takes to get her revenge on Warren.

Re: Do "One Down" and "Two to Go" refer to the Trio?
Yes.

Who disarms Warren, Xander? And does Xander try to give Buffy first Aid and call the cops?
I don't know. Warren gets away, so I would assume no one, but the event actually occurs in 19 and I don't have enough information on it. An ambulance is called, I assume by Xander since I don't think anyone else is home (other than Willow and Tara upstairs) at the time.

Re: Whether Jonathan and Andrew know about Warren...
The guys are in jail throughout the episode, waiting for Warren to bail them out. They're out of the loop.

Re: Dawn's reaction to finding Tara...
It's pretty predictable. We don't see much of the reaction, it's mostly silent shock.

Re: How come Dawn returns to an empty house? Why isn't she with the rest of the gang?
The events happen during the day. Dawn is at school while all of this takes place and returns home afterwards when everyone is gone.

Re: Anya's role...
She has a pretty big role in the events. Xander tries to work things out with her in 18, but it doesn't work out. She plays a big part in finding Willow in 20 (because she can sense Willow's need for vengeance) even though it doesn't help them stop Willow.

Re: the "but it's too late" part of one spoiler. (It's been reworded now...)
The others show up in time to see Willow finally kill Warren.

Does spike know that buffy got shot and do you think 'two to go' and 'one down' refers to the members left of the scoobie gang?
No to both. Although it's possible the two to go thing does refer to the Scoobies, it just doesn't make much sense with the plot as far as I can tell.

Re: Whether spoilers were indicating a B/X romance...
No. I wasn't trying to imply that romance is going on, because it's not as far as this episode is concerned. It just happens that Xander's role in episode 20 is centered around being at Buffy's side. Just trying to point out that he actually plays a part in the episode.

Explanation on Buffy's injury in ep 19...
Buffy's back is injured in 19 somehow. Totally unrelated to Spike or Warren. The shooting does not happen until the very end of the episode...after her back injury, after her encounter with Spike.

Re: Buffy being awake or saying something after getting shot...
She's out. Unlike Tara, the bullet doesn't kill Buffy quickly. It's a serious injury, but she's still alive. She's just completely out until Willow heals her. (Edited later to clarify cause the logic alarm in my head went off... Buffy isn't knocked unconscious or anything by the shot. She just is very seriously injured... gasping for breath at first and clinging to life later. She doesn't say anything and really doesn't have much strength to *do* anything until after Willow saves her.)

Re: Final words between W/T, how Buffy is saved by Willow, and whether anyone notices Willow's strange look at the hospital...
As far as I know, there are no final words between them. I'm pretty sure Tara's wound is immediately fatal...but I don't know for sure. We really don't know the whole story yet, give it a chance. As I said above, Willow levitates the bullet out of Buffy and heals the wound. And Willow doesn't come in through the door and she sends all the doctors and nurses out of the operating room, so no one really is able to notice.

Re: Halfrek...
Hallie is in ep 18, but not 20. I don't know about 19.

Re: Anya's appearance and reactions to her being a demon again from Buffy and Xander...
Anya is the same as she was before as a demon in "The Wish." Capable of being human looking and demon looking. Buffy and Xander have a lot on their mind when they find Anya and find out that she's a demon again. Their concern lies in whether or not she will help them save Willow or whether she's going to be their enemy. They don't spend a lot of time dwelling on it...there isn't any to spare.

Re: Are Andrew and Jonathan actually seen in 20?
Yes, we see them.

Re: Do we see Amy at all?
Not as far as I know.

Re: How ep 20 starts...
An ambulance arriving at the house and a blood-covered Xander directing the paramedics to Buffy is how the ep starts.

Re: Does Willow heal Buffy enough that she leaves the hospital?
Willow removes the bullet and closes the gaping hole in Buffy's chest with magic. She awakens immediately and appropriate jokes about her dying again are made. :)

Video watching and relationship revelations in 18...
The whole gang (minus Tara and the obvious participants on the video) watch the video. Willow and Dawn know from looking at the way Buffy reacts and Buffy leaves the room and soon after confirms the truth about it in a private conversation with Dawn. Buffy and Xander go over to the Magic Shop where Anya and Xander find out about Buffy/Spike when Spike manages to let it slip.

Re: Does Willow seem in her right mind when she kills Warren?
Anyone who goes through what she goes through would be in their right mind. But considering how far she ultimately takes things and as dark as she gets, I wouldn't consider temporary insanity an excuse. It goes further than just a rage-induced accidental killing. She knows what she's doing and she's determined to do it. Her friends remind her repeatedly that killing humans is wrong, but that doesn't stop her.

I don't doubt the possibility that she'll be brought back from the darkness... but it won't be something the characters will be able to get over really quick or blame on a momentary loss of mind.

How Buffy and Tara are both shot when so far apart from each other...
I don't know. I don't have the scene, I don't know how it happens. Somehow it does and Warren doesn't realize that one of the bullets missed the target. It really isn't until his encounter with Willow at the end that he finds out that he killed Tara. Until then, he assumes Willow is after him because he shot Buffy.

Re: Why Willow can't bring Tara back and what happens...
Willow tries to resurrect Tara like she did with Buffy earlier. She calls on Osiris but a demon appears and brutally rejects her request. Willow screams in agony and anger, expelling some kind of power from within herself that kills the demon.

Re: Amount of attention paid to Dawn and the discovery of Tara's body...
There's a very quick scene where she discovers the body and then that is picked up again later when Buffy finds her in the bedroom with the body. Buffy and Xander take care of calling the coroner and the body is removed from the house soon after.

Re: Whether we see any tests Spike faces and how big of a role he has in ep 20...
Not in 20 [for the tests]. He gets one scene in 20. It's fairly long, but it's not very revealing.

Re: Request for elaboration on Clem's presence...
He's just in 20 watching over the crypt. Nothing further is given.

Re: More on Dawn finding Tara's body...
No one else (other than Willow) knows what happened to Tara before Dawn finds her. Willow really isn't in a mental state to call for a coroner. And personally, at that point, I think she's kinda got issues with the "human" ways. It's "human" actions that get Tara killed and keep her from coming back. And Buffy and Tara are shot at about the same time... it happens very fast.

Re: Why Anya helps Buffy and Xander find Willow...
Anya *wants* to help Willow. She's a vengeance demon again and it's kinda her purpose to help those seek vengeance. Buffy and Xander ask for her help, for a spell that will locate Willow for them, but Anya doesn't need one. She agrees to help them because helping scorned women is what she does and she wants to help Willow. She doesn't regret it... she really isn't given a big enough reason to.

Re: Whether Willow sets Warren on fire...
Willow does a lot of things to Warren. The final battle scene between her and Warren takes up almost the entire final act and a good portion of the third one. I thought for sure I'd already reported some of this when I first reported Tara's death, but...maybe not. Ultimately, in the end of it all, Willow hits Warren with a fireball that burns him to death.

Posted at Kitten Board

Re: Far out speculation on the censorship of the B/S scene in 19 and who censored it...
UPN did not step in and get involved. They had nothing to do with the scene getting cut down, it was Fox. The really *big* execs. When they're concerned about a storyline, they do that. It's not that big of a deal, I was just trying to point out (and really didn't intend for it to become tabloid news on any boards but my own) that the scene as many know it was cut down and we don't know how the final product will end up. That's all. Re: Comments about the spoilage on joking remarks made after Buffy is revived and my own opinion on Tara's body being left at the house... It is Xander doing the joking. Willow doesn't say too much.

And, I don't know if this helps any... but I really don't think there's too much intentional disrespect to the fans intended with Tara's body being left there. Willow is the *only* one who knows it happens when it does and she leaves devastated. Honestly, I couldn't imagine her going to a phone to call for a coroner or anything like that. She knows Tara cannot be helped by doctors and as far as the supernatural forces are concerned, she's not coming back by their means either. Her attention is consumed by the need to take matters into her own hands. Having Tara taken away physically would mean some sort of finality to Tara's death and that isn't something Willow can accept. But maybe that's just how I see it.