Episode Discussion Discussion of 8.38 "Last Gleaming Part 3" - Released 11/3/10 (Dark Horse)

[Icarium]

Joss really needs to stop with this possession crap. It's so beaten to death that everyone is expecting Willow and Angel to be forgiven, so whatever evil they manage to do in the next issue, it will not be nearly as shocking and impactful than if one of them decide to do that on their own free will.

 

[Spikefan31]

So,

Spoiler

is Spike DEAD?!?!?!?!?!?!😱🙁😱🙁😱

'Cause the Buffyfest review made it seem so.

Then again, I don't think they'd ever do that. Not permanently. 😀

And was this the issue with the 'major' death?

 

[Kean]

So,

Spoiler

is Spike DEAD?!?!?!?!?!?!😱🙁😱🙁😱

'Cause the Buffyfest review made it seem so.

Then again, I don't think they'd ever do that. Not permanently. 😀

And was this the issue with the 'major' death?

Breath! He's fine and very much undead. 😀

The major death? The tragic loss of Bug 1.

A moment of silence please.

😛

 

[Moscow Watcher]

So,

Spoiler

is Spike DEAD?!?!?!?!?!?!😱🙁😱🙁😱

'Cause the Buffyfest review made it seem so.

Then again, I don't think they'd ever do that. Not permanently. 😀

And was this the issue with the 'major' death?

In one word, no.

Spoiler

Judging by Jeanty's Q&As, Spike gets burned and injured - but he'll survive.

ETA: Looks like Kean beat me up to it. 🙂

 

[Ruminator]

Joss really needs to stop with this possession crap. It's so beaten to death that everyone is expecting Willow and Angel to be forgiven, so whatever evil they manage to do in the next issue, it will not be nearly as shocking and impactful than if one of them decide to do that on their own free will.

Agreed. I just think it is horridly predictable at this point. Spike isn't dead, Angel and Willow will be "Redeemed" or not blamed, Dawn will survive cause it was all a big red herring, so on and so forth.

I actually read this issue at a friends insistence and found myself terribly bored with it. I can't believe we are getting another run of this. Can't they just let the Buffyverse go in peace at this point?

 

[Five]

Okay so as I told you, I bought it and read it straight ahead.

I kind of liked it, I think. I'm just really confused about everyone's purpose with the Seed. I mean, I don't understand/remember who wants to remove it, who doesn't, what will happen if they do/don't... I just need to re-read #37, I guess.

I still think I have to wait until the actual end of Season 8 to be able to judge it. I hope it will be brilliant. So far, I like it but it's a little bit too much. It's very rushed, too. It's such a shame they took their time at the beginning of the Season, making good plots but useless to the general story, and now there's a story and, it seems, not enough time to tell it. So it's really hard to follow and, as readers, I don't think we should have to "work" to understand what's going on...

It was not surprising at all to me but I still loved the fact that Dawn didn't die, mostly because of the way it's told, it's like "DAAAWNNNN!! ... you're heavy.", which really was hilarious.

I liked the idea of the Giles and Buffy talk, I was quite moved at the "This may be Sunnydale, but we're not running 'round cemeteries anymore, Buffy." part, but overall, there could have been better dialogue.

I liked the cliff-hanger. When the big demon exploded, I was like "ok, that's Angel.". Buffy sees him and smiles, and we see him and I'm like "Ok, something's wrong. Something's definitely wrong." AND BOOM ! IT IS ! But I'm not dying to read the rest, I haven't lost my faith in the story but I'm getting bored waiting for it to suddenly all make sense...

 

[VisionGirl]

Angel is starting to remind me of that Bugs Bunny cartoon where the mad scientist drinks a potion, and for the rest of the cartoon he keeps shifting between being a meek, polite little man and a big green brute who attacks Bugs with a mallet.

LMAO, I agree!

The scene with Xander & Dawn at the medic station & Xander's talking to the general makes me think that Xander will be the betrayer. Still no clue on who will die though. I really thought they were going to reveal it in this one.

And can I say how much I prefer reading the TPBs? I can't stand all the ads in the individual issues, they really interrupt the flow.

As far as who wants to protect/destroy the seed, here's how I see it:

Protect: the Master, Willow under the seed's thrall/spell, possibly Buffy & Giles?
Destroy: lion twilight thingey (new universe), Angel under Twilight's thrall/seed, the General/US Government

Please add to the list

 

[white avenger]

Am I correct in believing that the actual story ends with Issue #39, and then #40's more or less a set up for what's supposed to happen in Season 9? Did I actually read that, or just dream it? Either way, as the (literally) immortal Kastigeer once so eloquently put it, "Time has almost caught us, my friends." We need to have a party and drink lots of boom-boom. Things always look better with copious amounts of boom-boom.

 

[madhttr]

I was just thinking...

If the Master is still alive because of this seed and people seem to think that Willow is now under the thrall of the seed, perhaps this is why she is still alive in the future, just like the Master.

I see Xander being set up as the betrayer. I sure hope not.

I think Giles is off to go destroy the seed himself. What had he planned to do with it if he had found it when searching for it? Now he knows where it is and will complete whatever him and Faith were up to. The fiery winged lion says it is its soul so destroy it's soul and perhaps the threat will be over from Twilight. Can't wait for next issue.

 

[Kean]

Am I correct in believing that the actual story ends with Issue #39, and then #40's more or less a set up for what's supposed to happen in Season 9? Did I actually read that, or just dream it? Either way, as the (literally) immortal Kastigeer once so eloquently put it, "Time has almost caught us, my friends." We need to have a party and drink lots of boom-boom. Things always look better with copious amounts of boom-boom.

Honestly, if we all didn't live in different corners of the planet I would be organising a Season-8-is-over-thank-God-and-lets-drink party.

Seriously.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

Kids have gone all the way through high school in the time season 8 has taken.

I just hope it's worth it. I'm taking the first Wednesday in December off from work just so I can go to the comic store and get #39. There's no way I can avoid spoilers all day at work.

For the most part I've enjoyed season 8 a lot... there was a time when I loved it obsessively. But it's gone on far too long.

 

[zobothehobo]

On that note, I think I have enjoyed it a lot more than a lot of people because I came in at the end of it. I read most of it in the collectors volumes rather than individual issues and have only JUST gotten caught up today. I can understand how this would be incredibly awful if you had to wait several years between the beginning and the end.

 

[Kean]

Kids have gone all the way through high school in the time season 8 has taken.

I was just saying this to someone on another forum. S8 started my first year of college, I'm now halfway through my masters. It's far far too long to wait for a conclusion to this all.

For the most part I've enjoyed season 8 a lot... there was a time when I loved it obsessively. But it's gone on far too long.

Seconded. This is me in a nut shell. I loved it, then I was obsessed with it and now I'm borderline indifferent. No matter what outcome we get it doesn't matter because any emotional weight it held has been lost.

white avenger agrees: Do they have tequila in Ireland? I might break my own rule and hoist a few just to celebrate putting this Season out of its misery.

Oh darlin, there is a reason the Irish have the rep we do 😉 Of course we have tequila. We have ALL the alcohol! 😛

 

[Angel6]

Hey, Im new! First post! So Im kinda fed up with this. I really was excited when Angel and Spike turned up in the book, but I think Angel has been seriously miss used. Posessed by an evil spirit again? Come on! I do think that he and Buffy might end up together at the end of the season though, didnt one of the editors say something like 'Buffys love life is going to be a bit of a change next year' I think its possible that could mean them actually settling down now that Angel doesnt have his curse. Never know though could be wishfull thinking. On a side note, who the hell hired the artist? He cant draw proportion to save his life, Buffys face he can do, thats about it. Seriosly bores me.

 

[Don]

there'd better be something awesome happening in the new two issues. we've been down all these roads before.

 

[prophecygrrl]

Er, is anyone else confused by what's happening with Angel in this issue and his appearance/inclusion on the cover of #40?

 

[Kean]

Er, is anyone else confused by what's happening with Angel in this issue and his appearance/inclusion on the cover of #40?

How do you mean ?

 

[VisionGirl]

I thought the Buffy/Angel fighting cover was #39. They were fighting at the end of 38, so I'm assuming they'll still be fighting when 39 opens. Here's the #40 cover: http://www.whedon.info/Buffy-Season...0.html?id_document=107947#documents_portfolio. And the variant cover: http://www.whedon.info/Buffy-Season...0.html?id_document=107948#documents_portfolio

I've just re-read everything (and I mean everything- well, I can't find my Willow one-shot, but I've read everything else!), and now I can't decide if the betrayer is going to be Xander, Giles, or Willow.

 

[prophecygrrl]

Jeanty cover of 40:

http://www.whedon.info/IMG/jpg/buffy40b.jpg

In #38, Angel's possessed. He's all green eyes and bad skin when he's getting beaten up by Miss Kitty Twilight (borrowing a nickname from a Whedonesque user, hehe). Switch to Buffy and Spike in the Hellmouth, and his eyes are still red-rimmed and he brutally smashes Buffy into the wall. Clearly, there's something wrong. Beyond wrong, really. Not sure what's up with #39 yet besides a healthy dose of Bangel-fighting (interesting contrast to #34), but suddenly on the cover of #40 Angel's back looking like part of the gang, not the villain. What's up with that?

 

[Kean]

I thought the Buffy/Angel fighting cover was #39. They were fighting at the end of 38, so I'm assuming they'll still be fighting when 39 opens. Here's the #40 cover: http://www.whedon.info/Buffy-Season...0.html?id_document=107947#documents_portfolio. And the variant cover: http://www.whedon.info/Buffy-Season...0.html?id_document=107948#documents_portfolio

I've just re-read everything (and I mean everything- well, I can't find my Willow one-shot, but I've read everything else!), and now I can't decide if the betrayer is going to be Xander, Giles, or Willow.

See what I'm finding the really hard part to decipher is what, exactly, is gona be the betrayal? I mean there is good and bad for both breaking and protecting The Seed. Going either way is hardly going to be betrayal worthy. Willow is definitely not telling us everything about The Seed. She wants to protect it in a way that is very different from a vested interest in the state of humanity but in what she could personally lose.

I really think it is gona be Xander. All season he has been shown to be Buffy's closest friend and confidante. He has backed her up no matter what all season, I think at this point, it has to be him. Most importantly, he has a reason now: Dawn. He has lost every girl he has cared deeply for to magic and the fight, if he breaks the Seed he ensures that magic can't hurt Dawn in the future.

The consequences on Buffy though...