Dark Willow - just enough or too short of an arc?

[TamsinValencia]

We needed more vamp Willow for sure

 

[VampireSlayer07]

I think it could have gone on a bit longer myself

 

[hoponlilmama]

I like DarkWillow, but in some aspects it slightly missed the mark. One thing that kills it are some of the cheesy lines AH is given (e.g - "Get off me, superb****!"). It was 3 episodes? I think it probably needed one more.

I think she can play evil well - look at VampWillow!

 

[NoShip]

I got whiplash from the addict trying to stay clean to the massively doped up Super Evil Witch. So, I don't see the transformation as earned. It just sort of happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Willow we got, but, there should have been more.

Also, thers should have been more transition. Honestly, I think DW should have started much earlier in the season. Just like Vamp Willow, I think there is so much more that could have been done.

IIRC - DW was supposed to start ginning up in Wrecked after Buffy and Spike's one night stand. Willow's attempt to go cold turkey would instead be spent doing "minor" evil that would turn into "major" evil and force Buffy to face the decision to kill her best friend (reworked into S7's Helpless) and the consequences. I don't remember what (if any) part the Trio played in this storyline.

Once Hannigan started complaining about the storyline, Whedon delayed it until the end of the season. Personally, I think it would have been awesome as planned.

 

[garfan]

I got whiplash from the addict trying to stay clean to the massively doped up Super Evil Witch. So, I don't see the transformation as earned. It just sort of happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Willow we got, but, there should have been more.

Also, thers should have been more transition. Honestly, I think DW should have started much earlier in the season. Just like Vamp Willow, I think there is so much more that could have been done.

IIRC - DW was supposed to start ginning up in Wrecked after Buffy and Spike's one night stand. Willow's attempt to go cold turkey would instead be spent doing "minor" evil that would turn into "major" evil and force Buffy to face the decision to kill her best friend (reworked into S7's Helpless) and the consequences. I don't remember what (if any) part the Trio played in this storyline.

Once Hannigan started complaining about the storyline, Whedon delayed it until the end of the season. Personally, I think it would have been awesome as planned.

A plot like that just makes me sure that Cordy's plot in Angel season 4 was inspired by this. Wish Alyson had been able to talk him out of it completely. I don't believe an even slightly rational Willow would want to do any evil

I'm not really sure we're meant to see Dark Willow as being doped up. She's irrational from grief not magic getting in her head. The magic is drugs storyline is about depowering her IMO. You don't have to wonder about why she isn't magicking stuff, and her being unsure of her magic is why she has to power herself up to take on a human

 

[twoslayers]

I reckon Dark Willow could have been the story for the whole of season 6 tbh, instead of the Trio. Much more serious threat, much more interesting arc. Actually, there's a very good fanfic on Archive of Our Own, Different Endings by KineticKid, that basically rewrites the season like that which I can highly recommend for people who enjoy mature stories. Long story short, Willow goes bad earlier because of jealously over Tara being with someone else (and Tara doesn't die). That would have been a better season 6.

 

[garfan]

I reckon Dark Willow could have been the story for the whole of season 6 tbh, instead of the Trio. Much more serious threat, much more interesting arc. Actually, there's a very good fanfic on Archive of Our Own, Different Endings by KineticKid, that basically rewrites the season like that which I can highly recommend for people who enjoy mature stories. Long story short, Willow goes bad earlier because of jealously over Tara being with someone else (and Tara doesn't die). That would have been a better season 6.

except it ruins a character

 

[NotASlayer]

I got whiplash from the addict trying to stay clean to the massively doped up Super Evil Witch. So, I don't see the transformation as earned. It just sort of happened.

I got whiplash from Willow regularly messing up half of her spells to being a bigger threat to the world than anything bar Glory.

 

[hoponlilmama]

I got whiplash from the addict trying to stay clean to the massively doped up Super Evil Witch. So, I don't see the transformation as earned. It just sort of happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Willow we got, but, there should have been more.

Also, thers should have been more transition. Honestly, I think DW should have started much earlier in the season. Just like Vamp Willow, I think there is so much more that could have been done.

IIRC - DW was supposed to start ginning up in Wrecked after Buffy and Spike's one night stand. Willow's attempt to go cold turkey would instead be spent doing "minor" evil that would turn into "major" evil and force Buffy to face the decision to kill her best friend (reworked into S7's Helpless) and the consequences. I don't remember what (if any) part the Trio played in this storyline.

Once Hannigan started complaining about the storyline, Whedon delayed it until the end of the season. Personally, I think it would have been awesome as planned.

I forgot that you mentioned it prior (that AH didn't like the story and asked for it to be changed), which is a shame.

I'm not sure an entire season of DarkWillow would've worked, but it deserved more than 3 episodes (and some better dialogue). We could see Willow maybe slipping a bit with magic, or Rack gets a hold of her and does his mojo on her, and Willow can't shake it.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

Eh, while I still think her rampage works best as a quick arch the way it was presented, her descent into evil probably could have benefited from more build up.

But, i can't see this story without thinking of Kay and Jessica's heel turns on Passions, which were almost inexplicable, and painful to watch.