Forever
Favorite Lines
Dawn: You need me, Spike. Somebody's gotta get the egg while you distract the Ghora. Now come on!
Spike: Well, what do you know? Bitty Buffy.
Favorite Moment
Buffy's final breakdown right before Joyce knocks on the door. Some of her best work in the entire series.
Revelations as I watch
1. Nobody is as loathsome on this show as Hank Summers. I realize I have my own father abandonment issues, but not even returning Buffy's call after Joyce's death is the lowest of the low.
2. I understand why Xander lashes out, but I hate how dismissive he is of Spike's feelings for Joyce.
3. Willow's reaction when she realizes Spike wasn't leaving a card is why I always try to make her an ally in fic.
4. Sigh. I forgot Angel came back in this episode. I love that Buffy can relax for a minute, but seriously, he's yet another person who decided leaving her was the best thing for her. I still don't like that he never gives her enough credit.
5. But SMG kills this scene. Honestly, I like her work in this one so much better than in The Body. I feel like it's harder to portray the aftermath than the initial grief.
6. And for every thing Willow does that makes me love her again, she pulls crap like showing Dawn the magic book which pisses me off.
7. Giles being all moody, listening to Cream, like he and Joyce did in Band Candy. Boom, there goes my heart again.
8. Ben has been living with Glory's minions for how long, not to mention he's an intern, and he *still* can't kill Jinx?
9. Spike clearly didn't learn his lesson about resurrecting mothers. Knowing what happened with his own mom gives these exchange with Dawn so much more depth.
10. I adore Joel Grey. Doc is one of my favorite bad guys.
11. I don't understand how Spike's coat doesn't have more holes in it, considering the Ghora demon sank its teeth into his side.
12. Ah, the irony of Willow journaling because she "wants to remember."
13. Watching Buffy lash out physically when she's so torn up on the inside hurts.
14. The scene between Buffy and Dawn at the end is yet another reason why I think she's so much better in this episode than The Body.
15. Not seeing anything of Joyce but her shadow or her feet makes this entire end one of the creepiest scenes in all of BtVS. But that might be because I played the mom in a high school production of "The Monkey's Paw," so this entire set-up gets to me.
