Then, of course, I blew it by writing a sequel that made the first make sense emotionally.

Good. One of the things that makes me a you-groupie is the emotional truth in your stories.

I suck at pure exploitation, I fear.

I don't know why (except that it's hella early, and all about memememememe, but...) that makes me think of the drummer I dated before I met dh. I'd been free from the soul-sucking demon for at least a year. I met drummer at club where drummer's band was doing a show. He came up to me and started talking when the next band came on. Thought I'd just go out with him, because hey!drummer, and that it could be nice, shallow fun in a hey!drummer way.

And then I really kind of fell for him. He was sort of sad, depressed--probably, really, and very sweet. And rather gentlemanly (erm... when you take into account hey!drummer). I sought out a guy for purely wild, meaningless fun, and ended up in one of those crushes on broken hearted artist of depth. Talk about a lack of truth in advertising.

OK, so I'm a little Season 3 deficient, it seems. I saw one last weekend that I'd never seen but thought I had (how happy was I to be watching "new" Buffy? Very much so). Deadman's Party. Two things: They were so freakin' mean to her. I mean, really. They could have at least asked -- so, uh, what happened to you? To Angel? And, the pink dress she wore for the dinner/party was pretty.

Oh, OK, three things: Giles' "lean of relief" in the kitchen was beautiful and tear-making.

Yes! Dead Man's Party still drives me nuts. I just want to throttle Xander. And I *like* Xander.

And Joyce says, 'Well, Mom's not perfect, okay?' And I'm all, well, neither's she. If you didn't want her to leave and never come back you shouldn't have said it.

My deranged ranting aside, it's a good example of the level of emotion the show can produce, and deal with.

If you didn't want her to leave and never come back you shouldn't have said it.

Totally. Her words were, "If you leave this house don't even think of coming back." Joyce said get out. Buffy did.

Now, she probably didn't mean it the way she said it, but considering I wouldn't be surprised Buffy bolted.

Now, she probably didn't mean it the way she said it

No, and I've got a lot of sympathy for Joyce. She'd been through hell by Dead Man's Party. I just don't think she gets to claim the moral high ground.

She might not have meant it the way she said it, and I think it's a fairly common parent thing to do, saying things in the heat of anger that, because your kid more or less respects you as the law, have unintended outcomes.

I'm fairly sure now that my mom didn't really mean that I should move in with my 23 year old boyfriend and figure out a way to pay for college myself meaning I'd have to get a job and put it off for two years, but that's exactly how I took, "Let him take care of you and you can figure out how you'll get to college."

OK, so I'm a little Season 3 deficient, it seems. I saw one last weekend that I'd never seen but thought I had (how happy was I to be watching "new" Buffy? Very much so). Deadman's Party. Two things: They were so freakin' mean to her. I mean, really. They could have at least asked -- so, uh, what happened to you? To Angel? And, the pink dress she wore for the dinner/party was pretty.

I still want to line every one of them up against the wall, and smack their self-righteous little faces. Except possibly Oz and Cordelia. Possibly.

Oh, OK, three things: Giles' "lean of relief" in the kitchen was beautiful and tear-making.

Well, and Giles. I do want to do things to him too, when I see the above noted scene, but I don't know that it would be fitting to post them here.

I still want to line every one of them up against the wall, and smack their self-righteous little faces. Except possibly Oz and Cordelia. Possibly.

Yeah, not me. I didn't mind the friction and the calling Buffy on her occasional bouts of self-absorption. Plus, I'm willing to chalk most of it up to anxiety over her well-being for a couple months all letting down. Sort of the "your kids cry when you pick them up from daycare because they trust you" deal.

I agree with you about the motivation, DavidS, but the self-righteousness, particularly from Xander, still drives me nuts.

They had no real idea what she'd been through, but they assumed it couldn't have been that bad, is the impression I get.