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Date Posted: 04:35:33 10/27/05 Thu
Author: manwitch
Subject: A couple of things about this
In reply to: Sophist 's message, "I was making a somewhat different point" on 16:20:27 10/26/05 Wed

The consequences of magic in afterlife and wrecked I think very closely match the consequences of magic usage in restless and in Superstar. But are those the "consequences" of which Spike speaks? I don't think Spike would say they weren't consequences of magic, but that's not what he is talking about in Afterlife. He's talking about, ultimately, Buffy's having been removed from Heaven rather than Hell and his ability to hit her because she's molecularly sunburned, and possibly even his ability to sleep with her. He doesn't know that this is what he's talking about at the time he makes the consequences statement, but the context of his little chat with Xander and Anya make clear that his point is "You don't know what you did. You think you do, but you don't."

Those are the consequences of which Spike speaks. The fact that in doing magic, you do things that you don't know you're doing.

In that sense, many other spells fall into that category. Xander may, in Afterlife, suggest that the bizarre possessions are the consequences, and it isn't that they aren't, but Spike I think would see the consequences more in his final dialogue with Buffy. They thought they were saving her, but they weren't. They were casting her into hell. And he specifically says, "You didn't tell me because you knew there was a chance she would come back wrong," which he later believes to be the case.

Even if it weren't so that Spike is not speaking of the kind of consequences to which you are limiting him, Becoming II would still rank as a spell with consequences. It is clearly so in the context of what Spike really seems to be saying. Doppelgangland clearly so. Something Blue clearly so. BBB clearly so.

There are also other associations of magic with addiction and drugs. I have already mentioned what Giles says as early as season two. The black eyed possession of Willow in Becoming that Cordelia and Oz seem troubled by suggest that Willow is not in control. Willow's confessions to her mom and MOO can arguably be interpreted in this context. Willows bloody noses and headaches suggest some side effects of drug usage. Buffys bong-hitting spell in No Place Like Home is clearly intended to be associated with drug use.

There are, as you point out, many instances where magic appears to be used without negative consequences of any kind, and this may refute the word "always" in Spike's statement (Spike does not say that magic always has negative consequences, merely consequences) and suggests that he is perhaps exaggerating, which would not be entirely out of character. We do know that as early as the very beginning magic does sometimes have consequences. So Spike's not wrong that there are consequences to magic, he may be wrong that there are always consequences. And we may be wrong that they are always negative.

Still it could have been done better if that's what they wanted to do. Ethan Rayne was perfectly positioned to be a magic junkie if they really felt that's what magic does to people. Could have been established early on what Willow was really flirting with. Also, magic in season 7 becomes very problematic after magicrack thematically, as it suggests there are times to get out the pipe or do a line, and that there might even be good highs and good drugs, its just a matter of timing and frequency and intent.

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