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Date Posted: 12:01:31 04/09/02 Tue
Author: Earl Allison
Subject: Re: I don't know what the answer is (confused rambling follows)
In reply to: Dichotomy 's message, "I don't know what the answer is (confused rambling follows)" on 10:36:59 04/09/02 Tue

I'm not necessarily subscribing to the "access to superhuman powers puts one outside the law" argument, merely pointing out that, unless it is described far better than it has been so far, it applies as equally to Willow's actions as it does to Giles', and potentially to so many more people in the Buffyverse. A complete condemnation of Willow could be the biggest mistake the writers make, depending on how it is handled (should it come to that).

If one concludes that Giles was wrong, and should be punished, so be it -- Willow's actions (according to that original conclusion) are also wrong.

However, if someone decides that what Giles did was acceptable, I have yet to see a convincing argument as to why Willow's actions would be worse, and therefore unacceptable.

Granted, we haven't seen the scene yet, but I'll still leery of the "torture" angle -- if it turns out to be doing to Warren what he had been doing to Buffy and company (such as the elaborate setup of Buffy for Katrina's murder), I'm not going to see ANY problem with it, because the word torture wasn't mentioned before when it was Warren doing it.

If we eventually see LITERAL torture, like the slow breaking of limbs, burning with magic flames, etc., that MIGHT be a different story -- again, it relies heavily on how it is presented, and if Willow shows remorse once she's calmed down fully.

Even getting something like a mournful "I know it was wrong, but he DESERVED it" would be something. If Willow decides afterwards to kill again and again, that will be different, and I will have to readdress the issue.

And quite frankly, Giles killed Ben to PROTECT Buffy, as well. He said as much, that she would suffer for her choice, because she was a hero, not like him (or Ben). While he did also do it for the world at large, clearly it was as much for Buffy and her friends as anything else -- not too far off from Willow avenging her dead lover and nearly-murdered friend.

I'd also have to wonder, if Willow had actually struck Glory down in Season Five after Tara's brain-suck, would anyone be this upset? Same rationale, same actions -- heck, she used a pain incantation on Glory -- maybe foreshadowing? Again, I'm looking for consistency, and not seeing a lot of it without serious qualifiers being added in to justify the actions of other characters with markedly similar behaviors.

Is this a black or white issue? Absolutely not. I don't claim to be right, although I DO claim the right to my opinion :)

However, the Scoobies have already welcomed unrepentant murderers into their Inner Circle, namely Anya(nka), Spike and Angel (after Season Two -- and he WAS repentant, but there's the whole Angel-Angelus issue). To shun or punish Willow would smack of hypocracy of the highest order, especially if she shows even the slightest remorse, which is more than we have seen from Spike in almost two-and-a-half years of his being chipped.

Take it and run.

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