Did Willow make the right decision at the time?

[The Bronze]

I want to find out if anyone else thinks that Willow made the right decision to bring Buffy back to life or if it's fairly unanimous that it was a mistake. I only want to look at the decision making process at the time though, so try not to let information found out later cloud your opinion too much if possible.

The way I view it is that at the time of Buffy's death there are two main factors that make me think bringing her back was a good decision. First I think that Willow's theory that Buffy is in a hell dimension is a solid one. Glory opened the portal to return to her hell dimension. Nothing that came spewing out of that portal looked pleasant to me either. Willow also knows about Angel's time in another dimension. All of those things would make me think the possibility of Buffy ending up somewhere awful were very high. So if I had the power to try to save her then I would.

Also the hellmouth was now undefended. For years Buffy had saved the world and now there was just them. They were scraping by over a quiet period but must have known it was only a matter of time before being overwhelmed. With no new slayer on the horizon and outside help not forthcoming then the thought of an apocalypse must have been on their mind. Willow must have thought that if she didn't try to bring Buffy back then everyone could die because she didn't want to take the risk.

So what do people think? Did Willow make a good call with the information she had at the time or was it always a mistake?

 

[EVIL UU]

Yeah, I pretty much agree. Regardless of Willow's personal motives Hellmouth needs a slayer and that alone is a good enough reason to bring Buffy back, even in a situation where it's adamant that she's in a nice place. And that's nowhere near adamant after what happened to Angel. I mean, what are the alternatives?

 

[Buffy Summers]

I'm on the fence. On the one hand, I agree that they thought she was in a hell dimension. On the other, they KNEW how bad it could be when someone is brought back from the dead. It could have been much much worse than it was (and it's kind of amazing it wasn't, really). I don't think just needing a Slayer is a good enough reason - killing Faith lol would have been a better solution to that than what they did, if that was the only consideration.

 

[white avenger]

Willow's actions were right, based on her knowledge, but her knowledge was obviously flawed. The assumption that Buffy was trapped in some hell dimension, if using what happened to Angel for an example, ignored the fact that Angel's body went through the dimensional portal. Buffy's did not. That, alone, should have been enough to make her want to make sure, or at least gain more knowledge before going to the extreme measure of resurrecting what might very well have been a soulless brain eating zombie, or worse. Performing some sort of locator spell in order to find Buffy, wherever she was, would, I think, have been a good first step. Then, again, maybe she tried that, and simply wasn't capable of doing it.

I don't think that any actual concerns over hellmouth activity ever entered into Willow's thinking. At least, she never heard her mention it, any more than any concern about just how long she would be able to keep the Buffybot functioning properly. Despite its programmed fighting skills, it was primarily designed to be an animated sex toy, not a fighting machine. She simply wanted her friend back, regardless of any complications or cost that might be involved.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I don't think just needing a Slayer is a good enough reason - killing Faith lol would have been a better solution to that than what they did, if that was the only consideration.

But they didn't want a Slayer, they wanted Buffy. The whole 'we need a slayer' was just an excuse to use to reanimate their security blanket.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Oh I agree with you there.

 

[white avenger]

killing Faith lol would have been a better solution to that than what they did, if that was the only consideration.

I've often wondered if concern for Faith's life wasn't at least a part of why they covered up Buffy's death, along with the fact that dawn didn't either want to go away and live with Hank, or become the responsibility of Child Services. As long as Buffy was alive, or seemed to be, Faith was reasonably safe from the Watchers. If the knowledge that Buffy was, indeed, dead ever reached them, they might decide that the only way to regain a working Slayer would be to arrange for a new one, one more apt to take orders than Faith had been, to be Called. Even there in prison, it wouldn't have been impossible for a group with the Watchers' resources to have her killed. From what we saw in Season 7, just about the only person who no longer trusted Faith was Buffy, so it's safe to assume that Willow and the others believed that she actually was one of the good guys again, and, therefore, worth protecting.

 

[EVIL UU]

killing Faith lol would have been a better solution to that than what they did

How is taking a life a better solution than giving one? I mean, Buffy can always just kill herself again but Faith's not gonna bring herself back.

@white avenger
@Mr. Pole
@Buffy Summers

Anya: It's just, how are we supposed to fight these guys? I mean, we can take a vampire or two, sure, but there's a whole cavalcade of demons out there.

Seems to me like they need a slayer.

 

[white avenger]

Anya: It's just, how are we supposed to fight these guys? I mean, we can take a vampire or two, sure, but there's a whole cavalcade of demons out there.

Seems to me like they need a slayer.

Anya was also the one who suggested that the source of evil in "Once More With Feeling" was bunnies. I don't put a whole lot of trust in her judgement.

Also, if the Watchers' Council ever got wind tat Buffy actually was dead, with Faith locked away in prison, the only way to have a Slayer patrolling the hellmouth, or performing any of a Slayer's duties, would be to arrange fora new one to be Called, meaning that Faith would have to be killed.

I seriously doubt that the possibility of Buffy committing suicide ever entered into Willow's thinking, any more than that she might have been anywhere other than some hell dimension.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Also, if the Watchers' Council ever got wind

Or you know, Giles? If they told Giles, "we need help, we are going to resurrect Buffy" he would have offered a solution. They wanted Buffy, period. So they hid what they were going to do to anyone that would, or could, provide an alternative.

Or even Angel. You cant tell me that Angel would say 'sure, resurrect her' he would have packed up the convertible and went to Sunnydale to help fight.

 

[The Bronze]

Performing some sort of locator spell in order to find Buffy, wherever she was, would, I think, have been a good first step. Then, again, maybe she tried that, and simply wasn't capable of doing it.

We're never given the full details of exactly what the Scoobies looked into before deciding to attempt the resurrection. They were gathering equipment and information for months so I like to think that they were fairly robust in their research. Willow or Tara mention that Buffys death was caused by mystical energy and so it's a different situation to that of trying to bring Joyce back. I suspect while they were looking that up they would have tried to determine if there was anyway of locating Buffy.

killing Faith lol would have been a better solution to that than what they did, if that was the only consideration.

The Faith situation wasn't very easy to resolve really. They could have tried to bust her out of prison and hope she'd take over from Buffy. Then they'd have a fugitive slayer and possibly put themselves in the same boat as well. Or like you say kill Faith. None of them are assassins though so someone would have to step up and take on that role. Even if they did succeed there would be no guarantee of the new slayer being called nearby or being ready to take on the role.

 

[gite63]

The way I view it is that at the time of Buffy's death there are two main factors that make me think bringing her back was a good decision. First I think that Willow's theory that Buffy is in a hell dimension is a solid one. Glory opened the portal to return to her hell dimension. Nothing that came spewing out of that portal looked pleasant to me either. Willow also knows about Angel's time in another dimension. All of those things would make me think the possibility of Buffy ending up somewhere awful were very high. So if I had the power to try to save her then I would.

This. They did want Buffy back, much more than the Slayer, but to live wondering if Buffy was trapped in a hell dimension and that something could be done about it would be almost unbearable. Said that, maybe Willow didn't make much effort to find out where exactly Buffy had ended up - so I agree with this:

but her knowledge was obviously flawed.

Concerning Faith, I think the Scoobies didn't take a second of their time to worry about her.

 

[white avenger]

Willow or Tara mention that Buffys death was caused by mystical energy

I've wondered about that, too. How could they be so sure exactly how Buffy died? Mystical energy, or just the fall, itself. Either one would have done the job, and, considering what they found out about where Buffy actually had been, it would appear that they wee mistaken.

 

[thetopher]

The Scoobies should've taken a page out of Angel's book when he went and found out where Cordelia was before deciding on a course of action. For that they needed an ace at research Watcher. Angel asked Wesley- the Scoobies should've asked/consulted Gles for advice.

It would've been their own damn fault if the whole thing had blown up in their faces. It's been shown again and again that Giles is usually the king of research. Willow is a poor substitute.

I mean surely there would be a spell to check where somebody's soul/life essence went- heavenly or hell dimension- the energy has to go somewhere.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Willow is a poor substitute.

But no one beats Willow when it comes to hubris.

 

[Dr Q]

I agree with Giles. It was stupid and arrogant and dangerous. Willow was doing it because she could; she was setting herself up as a little goddess with power over life and death. The opposite of "right" is not "a mistake." The opposite of right is "wrong."

Her decision-making process in particular was flawed. She had no information. She had no knowledge. She only had guesses and assumptions that she did not bother to even question. She was so sure that she was right because she is powerful. This is really just the first indication that Willow has a problem with magic.

No one knew where Buffy's soul or spirit or whatever-you-call it was. They know where her body is and they know how she died. Slayer or not, a fall from the height is going to kill her -- although she might have been dead before she hit the ground, true. In any case, as White Avenger says above, Buffy's dead body was here on this earth in this dimension, so it was not at all analogous to Angel's situation.

A new slayer would have been called. That's the way it works. As for having to notify the Council -- no one notified them the last time Buffy died. She wasn't dead long enough, in fact. It doesn't seem to be a requirement that they be notified. They just . . . know. And they aren't going to be fooled by a machine. Which, by the way, raises the question of why a new slayer wasn't called in those 147 days.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

A new slayer would have been called.

That's inaccurate because the line ran through Faith and but Buffy. When Buffy died the first time that 'trait' was passed onto her successor.

Which, by the way, raises the question of why a new slayer wasn't called in those 147 days.

Does that explain why a new slayer wasn't called?

 

[thetopher]

A new slayer would have been called. That's the way it works. As for having to notify the Council

Buffy dying didn't call another slayer because at that time the line ran through Faith, not Buffy. It went Buffy-Kendra-Faith. So when Buffy died a second time there would only be one slayer.

But apparently the resurrection spell called back the 'warrior of the people' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was reborn. The slayer line now ran through her AND Faith. So from that point on there would always been two girls in all the world.
That's why the First got all pissy and took the opportunity to start killing potentials in S7.

 

[white avenger]

But apparently the resurrection spell called back the 'warrior of the people' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' was reborn. The slayer line now ran through her AND Faith. So from that point on there would always been two girls in all the world.

And that brings up the question, did Willow's activation spell at the end of Season 7 change the Slayer Line once more, causing every girl who would previously have been born a Potential, now automatically become a Slayer when she reaches the proper age, whatever that is (generally considered to be puberty) or did it somehow stall the Slayer Line until Frey would be called?

 

[Dr Q]

That's inaccurate because the line ran through Faith and but Buffy. When Buffy died the first time that 'trait' was passed onto her successor.


Does that explain why a new slayer wasn't called?

It raises another question of how there can be two Slayers - and how someone who is not functioning as Slayer can be Slayer.

And it doesn't change the fact that no one ever had to notify the Council that a new Slayer was needed. No one notified the Council the first time Buffy died.

But all of this is really minor and tangential. The question was whether Willow made the right decision.