Do the PTB want good to prevail, or do they want to maintain the balance?

[Xin Rong]

I have just rewatched Passion, and Drusilla's premonition of Jenny rediscovering Angel's curse spell got me to wondering... why does she have these powers. These type of powers tend to be seen in good characters, such as Doyle/Cordelia/Lorne/Cassie. From the episode Billy it is suggested that these powers stem from a connection to the PTB. So why does Drusilla retain these powers? Was she given them because the PTB made a mistake, as in they thought she would be good, her being destinied for a nunnery and all. Or does she have this gift to give evil a tool that would stop good winning overall.

From the First's speech where it says it's done with the balancing of the scales in series 7 then it would seem that prior to buffy's resurection the main goal of evil was to counter good equally. Does this mean that the PTB never want to win the battle between good and evil?

This idea does seem to be supported by Jasmine, who would have made sure evil was eradicated, although through a totalarian dictatorship fashion. If we accept she is a former PTB as she claims, then does that mean the others do not want to win. This would explain why they so frequently take a back seat to major events, and only offer a little help every now and again. What are everyone else's thoughts?

 

[white avenger]

For the "Angel" story line, I would say that the Powers That Be are simply a counterbalance to the Senior Partners. The question of good vs evil was totally secondary and mostly coincidental.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I love this topic, interesting theory.

I don't think everyone who has visions like Dru did, has a destiny or was chosen by the PTBs, but I do agree that they seemed more interested in keeping a balance rather then eradicating evil.

I think that kinda level of force of good would be aware that they couldn't win if they started an assault against evil, or that the world just couldn't exist without evil, like a ying-yang kinda thing.

I don't think evil care, because it's focused on destruction, like how Angelus wanted to suck the world into hell, didn't care he'd go their either.

If the PTBs wanted to win, they'd give more people visions like Doyle, or create something like a Slayer, I think they aren't interesting in winning, they create just enough fighters for good that they can maintain the balance

 

[Robb Stark]

Well, for Dru it's important to remember that she had those visions before she was a vampire. Angelus used that to convince her that she was evil before he turned her. So theoretically, if it was the powers that gave her the visions, they did so before she was a demon, and they could have meant for her to be a force for good. (That theory might not hold water though. In "I will remember you" the Oracles seem pretty aware that Buffy will die if Angel remains human. Although that could be the Powers making that up because they knew how much good Angel could accomplish as a vampire {maybe I'm over thinking this}).

Clearly, the Powers are...complex, and not immune to corruption. Jasmine was a former Power and she became pretty close to pure evil. They also screw with Angel pretty good throughout the series (although IWRY is the peak of it). I mean, if they sensed that Buffy would die, wouldn't they also warn her and Angel that Glory was on her way? If I was Angel and I gave up Buffy to save her life, only for her to die a year later, I'd be pissed.

I don't think the Powers are "bad". I think, like every character in the Buffyverse, they try to do good, but it just isn't always that simple.