ALL THE WAY

Episode 106, #6 of Season 6

I said it once, I’ll say it again.

Hubris, thy name is Willow.

It’s Halloween in Sunnydale. A time when the monsters, vamps and demons stay at home and watch the TV because it’s just too tacky to be doing the monster, vamp, demon thing. However, another horror exists. Retail. The Scoobies have been run ragged by pre-Halloween sales and the only one still perky is Anya, walling in the influx of cash and the thought of a Day After Halloween Clearance Sale. So perky is Anya that Xander decides that this is the perfect moment that he’s been waiting for and announces the engagement.

Now, there are some constants for the rest of the show concerning this announcement. Anya is excited and looking forward to the future of houses and cars and babies. Xander is scared silly about the houses and cars and babies. Willow seems subdued. Tara seems very happy for them. Giles is very happy for them but wishes Xander would keep his tongue in his own mouth. Buffy seems happy yet sad because she thinks that there is no one out there for her to be happy with again. And Dawn is happy yet sad because Xander is now really lost to her and she hasn’t found love yet. Okay, back to the story.

Dawn Plot:
Dawn tells Buffy she’s staying at a friend’s and heads out with a girl friend and two boys to raise a little Halloween hell. Dawn gets along well with her boy, a lad named Justin who has broad shoulders and a letter jacket which he lets Dawn wear when it gets cold. He’s a bit of a bad boy, letting air out of tires and smashing pumpkins and such but it’s clear that he intrigues Dawn and that he’s attracted to her. His buddy steals a car and they head to the cemetery to park.

This would be pretty damn perfect if he wasn’t a vampire, you know? And he’s not alone.

Buffy and Giles and Spike arrive, big fight and Dawn has to stake Justin.

Willow Plot:
Willow is doing a lot of magic. At the drop of a hat. Actually, if she thought she could make the hat drop faster she’d probably use magic. She wants to do Sorcerer Apprentice clean up spells. Bippity boppity boo decoration spells. Shift everyone into an alternate dimension spells so she can find Dawn more easily in the crowded Bronze (and sorry, I couldn’t think of a Disney movie reference for that spell). This has Giles and Tara very worried. But Giles has spoken his piece and knows that Willow won’t listen to him now. Tara does. She questions Willow’s motives and intent to the point where Willow grows angry at the apparent double teaming against her. This time the argument doesn’t sidetrack into orientation. It barrels full on into the unethical use of magic to simply make life easier rather than using it for the Greater Good and using natural ways as much as possible. Finally, once Dawn is safe, Tara turns the cold shoulder to Willow and heads to bed wanting to sleep rather than continue the argument. Willow casts a spell, causing Tara to forget. Willow feels smug, Tara feels cold feet and we too feel a chill.

Fade to black.

Random Quotes

Buffy: Is that why you’re always cleaning your glasses? So you can’t see what we’re doing?
Giles: You must tell know one.

Dawn: Shiver me timbers.

Giles: Mist. Cemetery. Halloween. Should end well. Ophffff.

Tara: You’re doing too much magic. I shouldn’t say anything and just keep my mouth shut?
Willow: It would be a start.
Tara: Well if I didn’t love you so damn much I would.

Looks of the Week: Giles and Tara’s exchanged look when Willow does the decoration spell. Willow’s look to Xander when he announces the wedding.

Random Notes:

• When this explodes. And it will explode. And it will be a large explosion and it will make Buffy stabbing Angel through the chest with a sword seem like a nice thing. Anyway. There will be little pieces of Willow all over. And it will be sad.
• Any one not think that Willow isn’t still slightly hung up on Xander?
• We get a kiss. That’s two on UPN vs one on WB. If you’re keeping track. Which apparently I am.
• Notice that after Dawn’s first kiss it’s Xander’s pirate costume that is in her subconscious.
• Any takers on a bet that Dawn will be seen wearing that letter jacket in the future?
• I don’t know if I agree with Tara’s decision to postpone the fight. Going to bed angry is not a good but continuing the argument when you’re tired and likely to make things worse.
• Needless to say I totally disagree with Willow’s decision.
• One of the lists said that Willow and the Brotherhood of Evil Geeks had something in common and that was that they abused their powers and hadn’t learned from their mistakes. The thing is that Willow hasn’t had it blow up in her face yet. The Geeks have all had their plans go awry and needed saving but Willow, so far, has always been successful. Until she fails she can’t see that she’s walking a thin line.

Angel Notes:
Missed Angel. They bounced Angel to Wednesday and it was a choice between West Wing and Angel and, wow, guess who won.