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I've been reading the Buffy board on Television without Pity.
<sigh>
I don't know why I always do that to myself, when I know I'm gonna hate it. Anyway, Ostentatious gave a very well-put, somewhat satisfying rant about the Willow's magic addiction storyline, and I agree with most of what she/he(?) said. I just get so tired thinking about it, the way you do when you're deeply unsatisfied with something, but know there's nothing whatsoever you can do about it. One bad episode you can just sort of ignore or explain away, but when the season arch stinks, it's hard not to get frustrated and disappointed. I only care because I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's the one show I not only hope for, but expect excellent storylines and acting from.
And it's not only that I thought the addiction storyline was a dud, it's that it (almost) totally wrecks everything they had built up about Willow's power issues, identity crisis, and supressed passive-aggressive anger. A character they built up over 6 years! A fascinating, well-rounded, deep character you could identify with, and they suddenly decide to use her very real-life issues as a metaphor for some totally other real-life issue, and "resolve" it in a cheap, unsatisfying way.
I'm not saying that drug addiction/abuse is not a relevant issue, but I agree with the person (I wish I remember who, maybe it was one of the TwoP recappers) who said that Willow's powerabuse was about (used to be about) her controlling herself and her surroundings, not about letting go.
This reminds me of Saber ShadowKitten's story What I Did on my Summer Vacation. (Willow/Angel, Content warning: Deals with the idea of Dominance/Submission, NC-17) --Go read that if you want a good story that deals with Willow's power issues ^_^
Saber ShadowKitten has a wonderful grasp of the characters, and an amusing tendency to pick up on the character development archs and take them to their logical (and highly entertaining) conclusion years before Joss. Her stories are always funny, emotionally intense, and action packed. She writes (wrote) both gen, het and slash.
<sigh>
I don't know why I always do that to myself, when I know I'm gonna hate it. Anyway, Ostentatious gave a very well-put, somewhat satisfying rant about the Willow's magic addiction storyline, and I agree with most of what she/he(?) said. I just get so tired thinking about it, the way you do when you're deeply unsatisfied with something, but know there's nothing whatsoever you can do about it. One bad episode you can just sort of ignore or explain away, but when the season arch stinks, it's hard not to get frustrated and disappointed. I only care because I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's the one show I not only hope for, but expect excellent storylines and acting from.
And it's not only that I thought the addiction storyline was a dud, it's that it (almost) totally wrecks everything they had built up about Willow's power issues, identity crisis, and supressed passive-aggressive anger. A character they built up over 6 years! A fascinating, well-rounded, deep character you could identify with, and they suddenly decide to use her very real-life issues as a metaphor for some totally other real-life issue, and "resolve" it in a cheap, unsatisfying way.
I'm not saying that drug addiction/abuse is not a relevant issue, but I agree with the person (I wish I remember who, maybe it was one of the TwoP recappers) who said that Willow's powerabuse was about (used to be about) her controlling herself and her surroundings, not about letting go.
This reminds me of Saber ShadowKitten's story What I Did on my Summer Vacation. (Willow/Angel, Content warning: Deals with the idea of Dominance/Submission, NC-17) --Go read that if you want a good story that deals with Willow's power issues ^_^
Saber ShadowKitten has a wonderful grasp of the characters, and an amusing tendency to pick up on the character development archs and take them to their logical (and highly entertaining) conclusion years before Joss. Her stories are always funny, emotionally intense, and action packed. She writes (wrote) both gen, het and slash.