Normal Again

<Kris kicks back in her comfy chair, dazedly shaking her head.>

Whoa.

One heck-uv-a episode, ladies and gents... can't wait to see it again tomorrow! This is definitely an ep that probably needs to be watched multiple times in order to get the full impact, but my hubby and I were just blown away.

And while the ending was... unsettling... Dear Hubby had a good point.

"So... if this is all Buffy's dream... then how do you explain everything that's happening with Angel and the gang?"

Heh. I knew there was a reason that I married this man. :-)

Back to Buffy. Wow. I liked the allusion to her death last year... and as others have so aptly said (I especially remember Moderator Melissa's comments): I think that what we saw tonight is the AU and/or manifestation of the reality Buffy's essence was in while she was dead. It does certainly explain quite a bit - especially all the comments that have been made this season about things "Not Being Real." And for those who might be worried about that ending shot, let me say that I do remember reading an interview with Joss that was done before S6 ever began, when he *insisted* that ME was "... not going to pull a Bobby Ewing." I think this was meant to play with our minds... make us feel as confused as Buffy did (or at least, feel her pain).

As far as Buffy in regards to the B/S relationship: She told someone! She was admittedly out of her mind at the time, but telling Dawn that she was sleeping with Spike... she really can't decide if she loves him or hates him, can she? 30 minutes earlier in the ep, we saw her looking all guilty-like when Xander was having his crisis moment about Anya and she was feeling his pain a little too closely to home... hmmmm... it will be interesting to see where this goes.

The cinematography was, for once, seamless. The style reminded me quite a bit of the "Fool For Love" subway scene with all the cuts back and forth between realities... it made the impact that much greater for me as a viewer.

As far as Spike: he's come a long way, hasn't he? And we *finally* get to see him express his frustration with being used as a throwaway sex toy... hooray for him! Rocks back, indeed. Many others have said it much better than I... but it's nice to see him still be able to be the one who isn't afraid to throw the truth in Buffy's face without sugarcoating it first. If anything, everyone's been sugarcoating it too much for her lately... and I don't think that's helped her at all. Spike's got every right to tell her friends about them - especially after all the abuse that he's been taking from Xander. And hey - Spike fought like his old Big Bad self against the demon tonight! Whoo hoo!!!!!! What's really too bad is that when Xander and Spike quit running their macho mouths off at each other, they make a half-decent fighting team... too bad they can't get past their testosterone-induced snarkiness to realize it.

And yes, I was cheering when Buffy bopped Xander in the kitchen. Yes, Spike was egging Xander on... but come on! Xander's been asking for it (and so, in a sense, has Spike, with him knowing that Xander was close to the edge). But Xander picking on Spike is one thing... telling Spike that he can't help Buffy because he's not one of Buffy's special friends is another. The fact that Spike knows where Buffy likes to have ice packs placed tells us that there was definitely more than mere boinkage between the two of them... gives us shippers a little happiness and hope there.

Wow. So many things to like about this ep... and some stuff *not* to like. Warren would be at the top of my list... he's really giving me the wiggins. Warren and Andrew plotting on their own... another Not So Good thing (was anyone else feeling a little sorry for Jonathan?). If, as Warren said, Big Things are coming... could get interesting real quick. (Okay, after rerun season is over, but you know what I mean).

Lots of anvils present. Buffy's reaction to Xander's revealing of his feelings regarding what he did to Anya... the fact that Anya's gone - with the Magic Box closed - not a good sign... the doctor in the institution telling Buffy that instead of fighting gods and monsters, she's having to face wimpy humans - and more importantly - herself... "things are falling apart."

I think what struck me most was the final scene with Buffy and her mom... it gave Buffy a chance to say "goodbye" that she never had. It's always good to hear words of praise from your parents when you're low - and Buffy was definitely low here - and it really was nice that Joyce was telling Buffy what Giles was trying to tell her back when he left, and what Spike's been trying to get her to see all along: that deep inside Buffy's heart, she's got the strength to pick herself up, face her demons (both physical and mental), and *live.* Maybe that final vote of confidence is what Buffy needed to push her over the edge to getting herself back on track.

I definitely enjoyed this... and man, ME knows how to play with our heads. I think, based on what we've seen in canon both in BTVS and in Angel, that this probably was an AU/Reality... but Buffy chose where she wants to be. Now she needs to pick herself up and move forward... to make her life in her chosen reality Normal. Again.

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Kris