Opinions on The Killer in Me?

[quillandfang]

I'm not a big fan of this episode, but I feel like conceptually it had a lot of potential (no pun intended). I dislike how it was used to push Willow into a new relationship she wasn't ready for, but there's a lot to be said about her working through her guilt while wearing Warren's face: both her guilt over Tara's death and her previous actions.

Even though Warren is incomparable to Willow in terms of his shallow, downright evil goals and intentions, I could see how she would compare herself to him in her own self-hatred. She panicked and hurt people when she felt desperate, and she took away the agency of her friends (raising Buffy, the memory wipe etc.). Also, as shown in the episode, she blames herself for Tara's death since it wouldn't have happened if they weren't together that day. I already had the opinion that Willow's arc in season 7 should have been about self-reflection and connection to the greater good, but thinking about this episode makes me see just how well that storyline would have fit if it was expanded upon or given more depth. Thoughts?

(Sorry I know I just made another Willow thread, but I've been having a lot of thoughts about her the last couple days.)

 

[Mott1]

This was one of those episodes I watched a few times to try to connect with it, not normally a problem I have with Btvs in general (particularly the Willow stories!) I'm rewatching the whole run, so I'll be interested to see how it comes across this time: I didn't feel Willow showed much, if any, remorse for Warren's death, which made me sympathise less with her for the first time.

True, Warren became as unpleasant as any character in the show, but her partner's death was technically an accident, and, for the first time, I felt the Scoobies were being tolerant of a mindset they perhaps shouldn't be.

 

[wolfheart]

This was one of those episodes I watched a few times to try to connect with it, not normally a problem I have with Btvs in general (particularly the Willow stories!) I'm rewatching the whole run, so I'll be interested to see how it comes across this time: I didn't feel Willow showed much, if any, remorse for Warren's death, which made me sympathise less with her for the first time.

True, Warren became as unpleasant as any character in the show, but her partner's death was technically an accident, and, for the first time, I felt the Scoobies were being tolerant of a mindset they perhaps shouldn't be.

@Mott1 i think you are right in this matter

 

[hoponlilmama]

I'm not a big fan of this episode, but I feel like conceptually it had a lot of potential (no pun intended). I dislike how it was used to push Willow into a new relationship she wasn't ready for, but there's a lot to be said about her working through her guilt while wearing Warren's face: both her guilt over Tara's death and her previous actions.

Yes, I feel like this episode missed the mark. It would be more meaningful if Willow solved this and got through it on her own - thereby really confronting what she did. Not being 'saved' by Kennedy and a kiss and getting into a relationship not even a year after Tara passing - and trying to end the world.

It feels like it lessens the impact of the loss of Tara and the Dark Willow arc.

Willow being shown afterwards apologising to Buffy, Xander and Giles over what she did to them personally would've capped off the episode.

This was one of those episodes I watched a few times to try to connect with it, not normally a problem I have with Btvs in general (particularly the Willow stories!) I'm rewatching the whole run, so I'll be interested to see how it comes across this time: I didn't feel Willow showed much, if any, remorse for Warren's death, which made me sympathise less with her for the first time.

Agree.

 

[garfan]

This was one of those episodes I watched a few times to try to connect with it, not normally a problem I have with Btvs in general (particularly the Willow stories!) I'm rewatching the whole run, so I'll be interested to see how it comes across this time: I didn't feel Willow showed much, if any, remorse for Warren's death, which made me sympathise less with her for the first time.

True, Warren became as unpleasant as any character in the show, but her partner's death was technically an accident, and, for the first time, I felt the Scoobies were being tolerant of a mindset they perhaps shouldn't be.

@Mott1 i think you are right in this matter

Even the law, which Buffy was supposedly supporting with her actions, doesn't make that fine a distinction. Killing someone in the committing of another crime is treated like intentionally killing them. At least in most places. In this case the crime he was trying to commit was murder, so I doubt not intending to kill Tara would be given any leeway.

Plus Buffy's not killing humans policy was proving pretty unpopular; I don't believe many fans supported her attempt to spare Ben either.

So them not having her greive Warren's death was them attempting not to poke the bear

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

A waste of space

 

[Kendar]

Even the law, which Buffy was supposedly supporting with her actions, doesn't make that fine a distinction. Killing someone in the committing of another crime is treated like intentionally killing them. At least in most places. In this case the crime he was trying to commit was murder, so I doubt not intending to kill Tara would be given any leeway.

Yep. They would/could charge him with the attempted murder of Buffy and the felony murder of Tara.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

there are about 1/2 dozen episodes I tend to skip or at least sometimes skip. This is probably more in the second category. Honestly, I like Willow less and less as the series goes on, and this doesn't make me like her more.