If she really wanted to give Dawn closure on the whole resurrection spell idea, she wouldn't have popped the book out. She would have waited 'til she had time for Dawn, and researched it with her. She would have taken a moment to think about the temptation she was popping in the kid's face, and been there to walk her through the explanations. And she would have included Tara in the session, for good measure.

Thinking about Willow and her ways - I keep thinking of The Wish. And the eating the banana, lunchtime be damned speech. And it all kind of starting there.

Magic was the thing that let Willow not be Old Reliable. But only if she ignored the "it always has consequences" part. So she did. Always. And that is what she is freaked out by in Restless. That inside she is not just the nerd, that she is the girl who understands the bit about consequences and she knows she is ignoring them. Just like they all did in calling on the power of the First Slayer.

And that is where the thinking stops so far.

Was Buffy's outfit in the Replacement the leopard print and pink ensemble? Whatever ep that was - by all means Monks - please make it disappear.

I don't think she knew Dawn would use it as a roadmap, but I don't think she thought it would just psychologically satisfy Dawn into giving up the quest, either. I think it intrigued her. I think she knew she should accept Tara's reasoning as morally/ethically sound, but a good Willowy bit of Willow thought it was hogwash, so she was rash, and popped the book out for the kid, not to educate her into giving it up, so much as to educate her, and let the chips fall where they may.

I don't see the intrigue in this instance or letting the chips fall. She'd know that Dawn was incapable of doing this kind of spell properly. It's noted specifically in the script she's attempting solace. Again, I'll say she's being criminally negligent with a minor with dangerous magics, but she's still a minor herself.

I don't think Willow credited Dawn with being determined enough, or resourceful enough to follow the trail.

That's true. Also, she was ignorant that a trail could start with that back (her exchange with Tara shows that she didn't know that book as well as Tara did, or the implications of it being gone).

Most likely, Willow hadn't studied these resurrection issues very deeply then (or later), and she wasn't too concerned. But given she later resurrected Buffy, I really have a hard time believing she was only trying to give Dawn the kind of closure that comes when you decide to give up on something.

I don't think she was attempting to give closure. She instinctively offerred the thing where she had found solace - she always dealt with her own pain by going to magic first.

Willow's brain didn't think that that far through, either. And this is (to me) her interesting flaw. She's a bright, deep thinking woman, but she spends a lot of time in denial and ignorance, because she doesn't want to learn things that she doesn't want to know.

Again, she's very young, which we forget. Even bright 19 y.o.'s are inexperienced and short on judgement (excepting the ones who post here, of course). Plus, she was already way out of her depth without any real guide.

C'mon, Giles spent all of S4 on his ass watching soaps with Spike. He could've spent that time working with Willow. It's a significant failure on his part, and I think he knows it by the time he comes back in "Grave." Not his fault, mind you. Not at all - Willow's responsible for her actions and choices. But he knows he could've done much more. I think he didn't because he didn't want to deal with what was - in essence - a replay of his biggest lapse. His dabbling in dark magic in his youth.

I also disagree that Willow's ignorant even blind to consequenses. I think she's (up until S7) in a world where things that are messed up can be fixed and people who do wrong are punished.

That's also part of her wanting to ressurect Buffy. I don't think it made sense in her world that Buffy had to die.

I feel like I just ran a brain marathon - and I wasn't even being right most of the time. I have new appreciation for Buffistas, if that is possible. As a lurker here I don't think I ever realized how hard it is to keep up and *participate* in a Willow debate-a-thon.

Kudos everyone!

I'm going home to watch some Willow-y goodness now. (Ah, the beauty of a show you love so much you can bitch about the characters all day only to go home and revel in how much you love them.) Good weekends all around.

As a lurker here I don't think I ever realized how hard it is to keep up and *participate* in a Willow debate-a-thon.

Heh. Your logic better be impeccable, your argument persuasive and your cites accurate or you will certainly be called on it.

Your logic better be impeccable, your argument persuasive and your cites accurate or you will certainly be called on it.

I love this place.

Yeah, this place rocks.

but she's still a minor herself.

She wasn't a minor. She was a freshman in college, eighteen at the least, which I know I've mouthed off countless times is not a minor.

This place does indeed rock.

Your logic better be impeccable, your argument persuasive and your cites accurate or you will certainly be called on it.

I think I proved that very well. (The being called on part, I mean. And in a good way - no one wants to be wrong.)

And check out the new tag - it's all poetical and stuff.

And now, for real, to home.