Spoiler Slayer

Are We, Are We Ourselves?

GiftofAmber posted the following spoiler info for Episode 17 on the Kitten Board, it's from an anonymous source so it's hard to judge the accuracy.

"Tara is in the episode. The nerds are in the episode. Joyce is in the episode. It is an altered reality episode."

Of course, I have to say this makes sense. Although we've been hearing that Anya is going after Xander in Episode 18 (though not seriously from all accounts), this was my original call for Episode 17.

I also think, noting that there is a guest writer for this episode, that it's going to be a concept episode. These are usually standalone episodes, which are tied into the season's storyline, but are designed around a concept. 'The Wish' is a perfect example of one of those episodes. As is 'Superstar' or 'The Zeppo' or 'Fool for Love'. They do advance the storyline, but they have some unique angle. I also think I know what kind of concept this is going to be; it's going to be another wish-verse storyline.

Alternate Reality episodes are tricky to call at best, especially when you consider the long-running rumor about a 'Big Scooby Death' (BSD) sometime this season. Even though Herc says that it will be a permanent death, what if it's not something that happens in this reality. The Wish-verse Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Angel are technically all permanently dead. Then again, could this be the rumored 'Asylum' episode that was moved from earlier in the season. If so, it would pretty much discount the idea that a Vengeance/Justice Demon or Anya are behind the mayhem.

Two things lead me to believe that there is the possibility of a 'false' BSD in Episode Seventeen.

First, we suspect that Buffy injures Willow and perhaps Tara. The script tidbit from Episode 18 references that.

T: (pointing awkawardly at Willow's neck) How's your...you know, after the basement deal?

Willow swivels her head, testing her neck.

W: It's between a hitch and a kink. With a side of twinge. It's okay.
T: And Buffy's okay too? Enjoying the refreshing sanity and so forth?
W: (overdoing) Ha! Yes! Refreshing san--that's funny! (compensating soberly) She's okay. A little...freaked. I'm glad she didn't hurt you.
T: You too.
A beat of silence, then:

If, in an alternate reality sense, one of them dies, then those comments could be a little bit of dark humor. The stage direction 'A beat of silence', makes me wonder even further about this casual reference to events past (ie: insert chuckle here).

Second, it's possible that the nature of this episode would have led to this rumor being reported before the season began. Either the fact that it's a guest-writer, or that it could be the original plot for Episode Eight, means that it would likely have been discussed in the original story meetings. At the least, the rough outline would have been known. Which could explain why it was heard very early on, but we have yet to see anything happen. It could even explain why Marti Noxon and Steven DeKnight have denied the 'Tara' rumor, but not the rumor of a 'BSD'.

It might also explain why we haven't been hearing much about Episode 17.