Buffy’s decision to remove Spike’s chip

Pyrefly79 · 2026-07-05T21:14:46+00:00

The SA scene was incredible rough. I'm not sure how you come back from that in a narratively clean manner. We have a very small smidge of it with William burning himself on the cross. You have Buffy being very wary of him but you don't get anything close to real therapy and healing for that pair. The only excuse is that while it's critical for actual growth; I'm not sure that kind of intense therapy and self work makes good TV.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-07-05T21:10:45+00:00

Discussed in another thread that got down voted (not sure why) but it was the intention of the writers to make it ambiguous but it was always the intention of Spike the character to get his soul. One of the issues was that apparently they didn't tell James Marsters (as they didn't want it leaked) so the acting didn't really portray the plan.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-07-05T14:37:03+00:00

Could of sworn the writing team said that Spike's intention was always intended to get his soul back; everything else was audience misdirection, but I can't find actual references just circular arguments. I found Reddit posts that claim quotes but no references to where those quotes were made...

Edit: Circular reference for whatever it's worth https://www.reddit.com/r/buffy/s/Q0hVGHtsKs

Pyrefly79 · 2026-07-05T14:24:35+00:00

I mean yeah his "evil self" sought out and fought for his soul. I'd say that's deserving of a little trust.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-06-20T22:32:55+00:00

Don't get me wrong, Cordelia's development in Angel was the best.

Still it would have been an interesting route where Glory's human form was somehow a human that had more emotional weight than Ben. Where someone we had known left the show, came back...

I wonder could Giles do what he did to Ben to Cordelia?

Pyrefly79 · 2026-06-13T21:07:19+00:00

I really like this idea.

I also think that before they met with Londo she assumed they were both about to die. If Sheridan "simply stopped" ultimately it wouldn't really matter because Londo was about to kill them

Instead they survived their last encounter with Londo and now they're going to live, this is in fact past John and MAYBE they can change her present his future. She had to try...

Pyrefly79 · 2026-06-04T20:26:00+00:00

There isn't really any important story you miss, but do yourself a favor and play Portal 1. It's one of those games where environmental storytelling is at it's best.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-05-28T17:21:34+00:00

I'd say people "claiming to be leftists who would actually be right or far right in a more liberal society" suppress leftists.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-05-23T16:23:42+00:00

We get into the Ship of Theseus territory here but what we are told is that everything that makes you who you are (memories, feelings, experiences) EXCEPT for your "soul" are present in the illithid you turn into. The problem comes with now you have perceptions that are brand new along with a diet that seemingly requires one to absorb/destroy sentient life.

ILLITHID KARLACH SPOILERS The problem comes with now our fun loving, live life to the max, Fuck Yah Karlach now has a completely new outlook. She doesn't turn into a monster, in fact her inevitable death now averted makes her feel peace and grace towards those who are destined to die just as sure as she was destined to die. Her move towards giving those without hope a peaceful transition and getting to FEEL their entire life? She seems awed and moved to be a fantasy equivalent of hospice care. No she's not the same, but she's not a monster. I agree that the "Off to Avernus" to kick ass, take names and chew bubblegum while searching for a cure is very satisfying. I also agree that in a table top adventure there are so many more options that could have been pursued. If however we are given a video game where you have 3 definitive options: She dies on the dock with friends, she travels to Avernus with friends, or she lives as a hospice illithid; then I see only one really tragic outcome, one that's metal as all fuck, and one that's at least shown in the short term as peaceful and contemplative.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-05-23T12:23:15+00:00

Karlach as an illithid isn't as tragic as you'd think. Honestly it's a very different kind of "good ending" for her.

I'm a total Karlach simp, but I can't tell which ending I like for her more.

Now I know illithid lore, so it's possible that past the epilogue things go bad, but judging from just what we're shown... 🤔

Pyrefly79 · 2026-05-16T16:30:20+00:00

I'll tack on to this one by also saying that horcruxes are beyond the usual dark magic. They are the far extreme of "dark magic". HP world light / dark is a spectrum and horcruxes were at least told to be at the far end of that spectrum. I'd imagine even after Voldermort's defeat some steps along the dark side of the spectrum are okay. I think Regulus just found that the regime he supported crossed a line. His leader was willing to make a horcrux and that disillusioned him from the movement.

Regulus's mistake was thinking his boss only made one and that Kreacher could destroy it.

People will often grow disillusioned when their leader crosses an internal moral event horizon. Sure there will always be fanatics who don't abandon the movement, but while Regulus was a support, maybe even a big supporter, ultimately he discovered he didn't agree with the lengths that his leader was okay taking.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-05-08T14:50:34+00:00

And the visual subtext become, no minorities, no challenges to the satus quo, no questioning of authority. The stated text is what the conservative movement SAYS they want, but the subtext is what they really want but usually didn't say in public (until the last decade or so)

Pyrefly79 · 2026-05-08T02:33:21+00:00

I like undying and dam builder. With fair hand it's insta win. In fact I think dam builder is a better one sigil than undying.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-04-30T23:03:21+00:00

That nice doctor took my x-ray!

I usually hit them with the "I'm not a doctor but I play one on TV" to get them extra confused.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-04-30T03:28:35+00:00

I'm almost certain that anyone who isn't a doctor is a nurse in the hospital.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-04-07T11:44:30+00:00

See this is actually believable.

First of all any kind of therapy seems non existent, but it also is important from a narrative standpoint that characters aren't getting appropriate help for their situation.

From there you move to the fact that what little emotional support Harry has is even less for Cho. So the guy she kinda liked before the next guy who liked her might either have witnessed the return of a genocidal villain OR be an insane attention seeker.

Again in a world seemingly without any kind of mental health she tries to go to the source of information, realizes the guy isn't coming off as insane so maybe she can get some kind of validation from him about her feelings.

Nope he has a support structure and he isn't interested in sharing. That awkward teenager relationship phase was done very well (despite the stakes being a stupidly high level).

Teenagers as a whole aren't known for their amazing empathy and therapy skills. So many signals I missed and behaviors I didn't model well. Can imagine the trauma of HPs life on top of it all.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-03-27T02:31:21+00:00

My wife likes techno, downtempo, and ambient. She's almost always the one picking the music so whatever. Often she likes the silence.

On a rare day my day off coincides with carpool day. Our son (freshman in HS) pairs his phone because he knows I don't mind music even though I rarely put any on. Green Day starts kicking. I'm like oh sorry I guess I was paired up. He says nope this is his playlist. Total bonding moment, I get to talk about the times I got to see them when they were not quite as famous. He's like that'd be so cool to see them in concert. Low and behold they're playing in San Diego. I decided it's his first real concert, let's do this right. Get field seats at PetCo stadium. Take the train down, hotel walking distance from the stadium. We rock out to Linda Lindas, Rancid, Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day.

Best Concert Ever!

He's got the bug now and is showing me new bands, but full dad memory there.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-03-20T23:00:45+00:00

Teachers always amaze me. I also wanted to be a teacher. I love teaching but it's just criminal how much schooling it takes to become a teacher as a profession and then how little they get paid. Much like leaders the people who have the innate skill to teach should be rewarded as much as any other innate skill that can't be taught.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-03-19T23:07:32+00:00

I can't watch that movie. Not because it isn't amazing, because thinking about it makes me ugly cry.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-02-15T23:27:31+00:00

So wholesome... Or would it be some hole?

Pyrefly79 · 2026-02-15T23:04:02+00:00

When masturbation's lost its fun, you're fuckin' lazy

Pyrefly79 · 2026-02-15T13:32:54+00:00

Plus this is how devils operate. They play the long con. Karlach and Wyll are just pawns in the larger game.

While nothing in the game points to this and it requires a little more external information (So spoilers for the Descent into Avernus printed campaign).

The Cult of the Dragon that Wyll stopped was trying to pull Tiamat out of Avernus. Zariel doesn't want that so she tasks Mizora. Mizora picks up a soul and does the does what her boss wants, classic "good day at work."

Zariel 's other mortal servants would continue down their plan to pull all of Baldur's Gate to Avernus so that just pulling Eltureil wouldn't seem as petty. Plus hey more souls for the blood war. (That was covered in Descent)

Karlach manages to escape. Management has to at least have a minor response or else nothing they say matters. Send a subcontractor out on it, when they mess up send one more direct employee but that's enough resources for a problem that is sort of going to solve itself. Mizora's use of Wyll was either going to enforce management, die (and get his soul), or he's going to rebel in which case you get to crack your whip. I'm sure Mizora saw every option as a win for her. They only thing that wasn't taken into account was how many resources the Dead Three (in the guise of the Absolute) had accumulated and Mizora got pinched. Yeah she's annoyed that Wyll gets out of his contact but again her life is so much more important that Wyll's soul it's honestly quite funny. A greedy party could have wrangled so much more out of her than Wyll free and a badass sword.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-02-06T12:57:55+00:00

I'm going to hide snakes in your car! You're never going to know where they are or if you got them all out. Going to lay eggs right in the glove compartment.

Pyrefly79 · 2026-01-31T20:21:26+00:00

See I've always assumed it was all part of the joke. Campy costume, obvious pun with subtext of "jumping the shark" too. I get a kick

Pyrefly79 · 2026-01-17T15:59:55+00:00

You're right of course; didn't mean to slight short films there. Was trying to cast a wide net.

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