To stay in perspective: Faith joked about her deeds too. So did Angel and Spike... and Wesley... and Buffy. That was not a special Willow trait. And the others made also puns about the evil stuff their friends had done. I saw it always as a sort of gallows humor to have a bit more comedy elements in the show. There are several occasions where the comedy is distracting from a basically dire situation.
That Willow never showed remorse for Warren's murder is comprehensible. Granted, she's the delinquent but she's also Warren's victim. How can you feel bad about the death of your lover's murderer? It might not be right but it's totally human and doesn't speak of an incapability to regret.
To be clear, I'm not saying that Willow is the hypocrite here- she's the only Scoobie that treats Faith with anything approaching a welcoming attitude in S7 precicely because Willow knows that she has crossed that line also.
Everyone else though? Screw that. 'I forgive this murderer but not that one' is kinda stupid, given the passaage of time that has taken place.
And yes, I agree that making light of your past crimes is 'a thing' that most characters do- I just think that Willow's struggle wasn't written that well. It was largely ignored.
I totally agree. Though I'd rather put the blame on Giles, Wesley and the Council. Buffy, Xander and Willow were teenagers. Naturally not known for mature social skills.
I agree here, I'll put the blame mostly on the Watchers. Buffy and Xander both tried, as did Angel.
I do see Faith's crimes from a different perspective. For one, I can't see that Faith murdered Finch.
It's unfortunate that the Scoobies do see it this way. Willow calls Faith a murderer straight off, so does Buffy.
And technically was Professor Worth an assassination, not murder. She was following orders.
Killing somebody just because somebody else tells you to is pretty low I think.
Faith, at least, turned herself in to the proper authorities, and seemed perfectly content and willing to serve out the entirety of her jail sentence, if Angelus hadn't come back. Maybe the day would have come when she got fed up with prison life and escaped, regardless of anything happening to Angel, Buffy, or the supernatural world in general, but we don't know that, and I, at least, am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
And yet it was only three years couped up in a jail she could escape from any time. That's nothing according to some.
And escaping only when needed and almost giving her life time and again, getting beaten, bit and mind-melded with one of the worst monsters in history- all to try and save Angel? Eh, who hasn't done that.
And then walking into another apocalypse (where she isn't exactly welcomed with open arms) and almost dying again? Pfft. Now she's just trying too had.
Still, she was the only character willing to accept punishment, and then got justly punished, and then went on to show a truly remarkable turn around.
Xander intentionally, if stupidly, summoned the Gentlemen.
😱
If this were true I think Xander would get way more crap flung his way.
But actually, just because Sweet wasn't as scary looking or as gothic, he still caused town-wide death and mayhem. So the comparison is an apt one.
🙂