WILLOW🤬🤬🤬! Buffy, the Vampire Slayer 6x8 'Tabula Rasa' Reaction!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- #buffythevampireslayer #buffy #reaction #firsttimewatching #sarahmichellegellar #buffyverse
Hi, my name is Elie Moses and I am a 22 Year-Old Law and Film student here in Sydney, Australia. I have decided to watch the entire 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' TV SERIES for the FIRST TIME. Here is my reaction for Episode 8 of Season 6. WILLOW CROSSES THE LINE WITH MAGIC AS SHE ATTEMPTS TO WIPE BUFFY'S MEMORY!
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer first time reaction
3 Things:
1.Check out the Wolverine tape and share, show love and feedback!!!! th-cam.com/video/-g60gfETCeU/w-d-xo.html
2.Sorry for the audio of the show in this I had the settings from the stream saved
3. Enjoy :)
I’m also surprised at how many people don’t know the title of this episode, Tabula Rasa, means “Blank Slate” in Latin. Which is what all of their memories become…. A bunch of blank slates….. When I first watched this episode and saw the title, I knew before it even started, that somebody was going to have amnesia…. I just didn’t know it would be everybody!
Between other reactors and the characters within the show, you are one of the only ones to have an appropriate reaction to Willow's recklessness. I think everyone is clinging on too much to Willow's past wholesomeness, which fair enough she totally deserves credit for, but not addressing her current addiction. They are only enabling her self-destruction by being so easy on her.
I agree. He and failwhale34 have the most appropriate reaction and are also the only ones by now that aknowledged from the first episode on that the scoobies should have considered Buffy beeing in some kind of heaven and at peace, finally getting the rest she so deeply desired in the end of S5. They both called the resurrection a violation and called Willow out for continuing her magic power trip. All the reactors that I watched before called her "still a cinnamon roll" or whatever, even though they disagreed with her actions.
Came here to make the same comment! Addictions affect everyone around them, and denying it enables that person. Such a refreshing perspective on Willow's actions!
Not as many people as I assume would, understand the joke involving the shark character of Teeth: him being a loan shark.
The term just isn't used as much anymore. At least not by younger people.
I’m always amazed at all the heads it goes over, too! I guess since I turned 23 years old, when Buffy premiered- I started watching the night it premiered and have watched the entire series 442 times all the way through….. It’s my all time fave show! I might be obsessed! It’s also my comfort show, that I watch when having anxiety- the term was used a lot when I was growing up. I mean, I thought there was quicksand in every forest & a loan shark on every corner, thanks to tv while I was growing up. 😂😂😂 Kids today that are watching Buffy for the first time now have different fears from tv.
This is one of my favorite episodes. Spike wants to talk about the kiss he just wants to define the relationships Buffy keeps making things unclear and muddled. I also love the loan shark it always makes me laugh "time time Mr. Spike is what turns kittens into cats" I mean the loan shark isn't wrong😂
I love how willow says ‘and I think I’m kinda gay’ which is exactly what she says after coming face to face with the vampire version of herself in season 3
About Buffy and Spike, did you catch Buffy's song lyrics leading up to the kiss in OMWF? She sang, "This isn't real, but I just wanna feel." So that gives us a bit of a deeper understanding of why she is acting like this with Spike.
33:22 I think Dawn didn't know about what happened with Willow and Tara, Far as Dawn knew they had 1 fight in a 2 year relationship and Tara walked away. So makes sense for Dawn to be mad since far as she knows Tara left after 1 fight.
Tabula Rasa means blank slate. this is one of my favorite episodes. It's really funny while being bookended by some really sad moments, but there's so much interesting character stuff in it.
'After this, Willow can be sent to Azkaban!' Lol
Did you notice that Anya and Xander did not have any interaction whatsoever during their memory loss? Buffy and Dawn assume right away that they are sisters, Willow and Tara feel that there is more between them then friendship but Xander and Anya are totally clueless.
It's hilarious that spikes and Giles actors are brothers in the series warehouse 13! I love those little insiders when watching other shows hihi
The fact is that not only Willow is being obviously drunk of magic, but she never had to fight with conseguences by herself directly.
Her powerful spell IN S2: Buffy and Angel.
Her powerful spell in S6: Buffy.
The demon she created after Buffy resurrection: Buffy.
It's like she can understand on a rational level that she is playing with obscure dangerous forces, but doesn't faces the conseguences of them, even if people keep telling her.
The good things she receives from magic is enough for her to keep going, like a junkie.
Unfortunately, drugs, alcol and any kind of dependence make you lack of empathy and we can see how this lack is growing more and more. In this episode she doesn't even care do much about loosing Tara or put friends in danger. And about Buffy revelation: does young Willow would be more concerned? Of course.
Plus what is happening to Willow and Buffy/Spike comes in the worst moment possible, where their net and security shield are down. Buffy is in no position to understand Willow, neither Anya or Xander (a bit self involved by marriage stuff), neither Giles (torned about his decision to go away) or Tara (way to weak to stand up and not really close to Buffy). Everybody could stop Buffy to go downhill (and part of the fact she goes with Spike is because he is the one who cares in this moment) and understand the signals from Willow, but they were far too involved in their own personal issues. Maybe the one I blame a little is Giles, he could know better.
Well done Elie great perception of how the Season will develop, great to see you getting the plot. Tabula Rasa was a great innovative episode with comedy overload. There was foreshadowing here from S4 finale Restless with Giles and Spike saying he was his son etc. We see Willow again going to the dark side with addiction to magic for her own selfish purposes, mirroring serious drug addiction. As they all have no memories this lends itself to great comedy. A brilliant use of Michelle Branch's gorgeous ballad Goodbye To You that was specially recorded for this episode. Willow is her own worst enemy devoured by her love and lust for Tara who feels total betrayal after what Glory did to her mind in S5, it's almost a metaphor for coercive control, and of course we see 'Spuffy' is now very real. One very funny bit is where Buffy and Spike are in the graveyard, and Spike says' maybe I'm a vampire with a soul', and he 'helps the helpless' the tagline of course from the show Angel. Just a brilliant innovative episode, great perceptive reaction as always.
Coercive control is Tara’s entire life.
People only ever want to control her for their own purposes and needs. Coercive tactics include unethical mind control such as brainwashing, thought reform, destructive persuasion and coercive persuasion.
All these tactics are usually done naturally through domestic emotional influence.
But Willow just uses magic to do it. Which you could say is a form of mind-raping since obviously Tara has not given her consent for any of this manipulation to happen to her. It’s done without her awareness and so it makes Tara question herself so technically Willow is gaslighting her and she’s doing it by force. By physically penetrating the mind. Just like Glory who literally took Tara’s sanity away by penetrating her mind and sucking out the components that kept her compartmentalized.
In taking Tara’s memory away, Willow is effectively taking her autonomy away because all the informed decisions and emotional stimulus are altered. It’s inebriation. Tara is essentially drugged.
28:23 SMG portrayes that moment perfectly with just her expression alone. The emotions that come rushing over her when she gets her memory back are overwhelming. I know exactly how that feels. Every morning the first couple of seconds when I wake up are just relaxing, nothing is on my mind really, kind of blank, then - boom - it hits me. I remember that I am having stage-4 cancer, going through treatment, my bones aching, my muscels tired, my life plans beeing on hold and never knowing if the disease that is in regression now, will rise again more agressive than ever. It feels like a hard blow to the stomach. SMG captures this perfectly.
So sorry to hear. I will send a prayer.
Hugs...
God Bless you. Prayers with you and your family. Much Love Eva. I hope these vids and the community here bring you a bit of joy. I know I can't do much but you will be in my prayers. 💜💜
Thank you 🤗 I love your videos, saw the first one for "The Body", binge watched all your previous reactions since then. The buffyverse always feels like a big family to me and I am very excited to follow you through the rest of season 6 and then Season 7 🙌
@@evatesche that means soo much and I am grateful for that ❤️
I love Tabula Rasa. So funny, so weird, so sad, so horrible. Beautiful song at the end.
I think of TR as a 2-parter with OMWF.
This is legit one of my goto episodes of the entire series.
Now some of the things in 'Restless' become clearer.... remember that scene on a swing when Spike, wearing the same dress he has here, sayd: 'Giles here is gonna teach me to be a watcher. He says I've got the stuff'. Amazing how everything was foreshadowed since S4.
It's not really foreshadowing. That implies there was a plan to do this again. It''s more of a callback. It's not a meaningful plot point, it's a couple jokes. Now, Tara telling Buffy in a dream that dawn was coming, thats foreshadowing.
I think it was James Marsters, but I remember one of the cast members talking about how much work OMWF was to film and then they had to get right into this episode and they said it wasn't about until about halfway through filming it that they realized how good this episode was and it sort of reenergized them all.
Your hair looks fantastic curly, i promise.
And lots of us love this episode, wacky combo of humor, relationship crisis and a good kiss at the end. I like this season, and think you might, too (although of course you might not, the fanbase is split). Hope you enjoy, anyway.
willow done a lot of good. her magic is like an addiction . like medication someone can take . no one gets addicted on purpose. shes not intentionally being a douche. it all stared with grief
I think we need to start a drinking game where Elie calls something out 2 seconds before the show does...
🍻
My favourite episode! Glad you loved it
I do empathize with Willow because she cannot stop. She is an addict.
So many good references from "Restless". Giles and Spike thinking they're father and son. Spike's outfit. The "Like a shark" "Oh land!" "Very good" in reference to the loan shark. Given the severity of what Willow did, SHE should have been the one to move out.
Over the past few seasons Willow has continued to use magic more and more. Definitely her first resort now.
Honestly who among us would not do the same if granted magic. That's how I've always thought of it. At least until she went really overboard. But power also always corrupts.
This is the episode where Buffy jumped the shark.
When I first watched this episode I thought that Tara's comment that she didn't think they would work out was a bit rushed and extreme but in light of her family and upbringing and how controlling that must have been, I understand her position better. She mentioned Glory and that is a good way for her to convey the severity of the issue to Willow but her family history better explains her feelings.
Her decision is further reinforced by the fact that Willow doesn’t wait more than an hour before trying to alter her memory again. It’s like she heard nothing Tara said. What’s worse, she felt absolutely no guilt for what she had done, even after it being explained to her.
Well, imagine the absolute terror that Tara must have been feeling. She would never have a moment's rest, forced to pretend to be perpetually content or risk Willow destroying who she is.
Rushed? She sang in the previous episode, she didn't know if this was the only time. She has no way of knowing. And ultimately a betrayal of trust, even if it's only once, is still a betrayal of trust. You don't HAVE to give someone the chance to do it to you again. Deciding you know better than your partner what they want or need, that's not just an accident, it's an attitude. It cuts to the core of how you view them, and whether you respect their agency, and even their choice to be with you. The act is the symptom really, not the problem.
Oh Willow. Think back to how far she's come. From her days as a shy, scared young girl to...this. Remember when Glory violated Tara's mind? Tara told Willow she was so lost being in the dark. And now Willow, her girlfriend, has done almost the same thing to her. Poor Tara 🥺. Willow can't control herself, she's being reckless. The spell didn't even turn out right in the first place. Again, when she can't handle her emotions, she goes straight to magic. Is this rock bottom for her? Will she stop now that Tara broke up with her?
Something to think about: how many times has Xander saved the day? It seems he happens to be at the right time in the right moment. He brought Buffy back when she drowned after the Master attacked her, he saved everyone when the dead guys were gonna bomb the school during an apocalypse, he gave Buffy the rocket launcher to kill The Judge and once again thanks to him, he broke the spell that Willow cast in this episode. Is that all or am I missing one?
There are a lot more examples of Xander being the savior. The first coming to my mind is when he saved Giles in the puppet episode, stopping the blade going down to his neck. Or saving Buffy from the tritons the swim team became...
I wanted Giles and Anya to spin off on to their own show together after this episode. Sorry Xander. 😂
Willow! Right to Jail. Right Away
Yeahhhhh this is the point where Willow really starts losing my respect (not as a character/ her writing, just within the show), completely crosses the line after already doing so with Tara, rest of the Scoobies are definitely too relaxed in their response even if you understand why - "It's just Willow, oops a spell created a funny situation, nvmind we fixed it haha" - with Giles and Tara the only ones responding to it properly - makes me even more annoyed when they discuss it later, you'll know what I mean when you get to it 😑. Get what you mean with "C'mon Dawn!" (not fair blame), but in fairness to her this feels like losing yet another parental figure - Joyce, Buffy, Buffy back but being cold (not unfairly but still), and now Giles+Tara at the same time, plus her absentee father - kid's been through a lot at just 15.
(8:57) good comparative as we can see Willow did EXACTLY the same that Glory did to Tara.
So we can see Willow "takes the position" of Glory on this situation, in general terms, of course...
(13:05) and yeah there are a big comparative between Buffy and Willow.
Willow's major violation of everyone's mind after her discussion with Tara is a big bomb. Willow needs help, but unfortunately there is no support system for magic abuse that we know of. I think Giles should have recognized Willow's need for help and decided to stay to help her. Giles, Buffy and Xander are Willow's best friends, and she could really use their help. Of course, Willow has to want help, and I don't think she''s as that point yet.
OMG, do you pause so much because of copyright?! That makes so much sense, I'm always like omg why are so many reactors pausing so often. I am not going to lie, that made me a little less annoyed with it lmao
For all your Buffy Finale's and Season openers, you should do them shirtless
you should react to "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" It's another Joss Whedon Musical, But might be better to do it after Buffy/Angel no spillers in it just some cameos from actors coming back. (Not saying if all the actors have been in Buffy/Angel or will later be in Buffy/Angel)
This episode must have been so much fun to film, especially after the musical! Did you get the visual pun?
Side note tebula rasa means blank slate
Tabula rasa 😔 I meant to put a happy face. Sorry I really need to check my posts I meant for this face ☺️
SPOILERS AHEAD: Do not read if you are not passed this episode or the entire season.
‘Something Blue’ is like ‘Tabula Rasa’ on a leash. In both cases Willow never intended to cause harm to her friends but in ‘Something Blue’ the spell was meant to be for herself. In ‘Tabula Rasa’ it’s meant for Buffy and Tara. Both are destructive spells that have dire consequences but one of them genuinely is a mistake in effort to quickly heal her heart, the other is a purposeful attempt to sweep issues under the rug.
However, what both episodes have in common is that both are a way of Willow avoiding addressing and dealing with her emotions. Both are using magic as a means to escape feeling her emotions. Both are a crutch to make up for what she feels she lacks in herself. And in that way - they are directly connected and show that Willow’s arc was always in character despite it not being made clear it’s true foundation. Where the addiction actually stems from and what kind of addiction it actually is. It’s an emotional one.
Every time someone says that Willow’s magic addiction just came out of nowhere and was just a way to create drama between Willow and Tara and the Scoobies, I mention ‘Something Blue’. Because in both cases magic is used as drug to self-medicate and that self-medicating had second-hand smoke effects on everyone else. It was harmful for everyone. Whether it was intended to be or not doesn’t matter. The fact is that Willow’s use of magic leaned more towards destructiveness than beneficialness and she excused it as “helping” or “healing” when it was actually harming and hurting both herself and others.
Quick fixes and bandaids never help or heal anything. What they do is they make problems more difficult to solve or take longer to find solution. Willow needed to be told that her abuse of magic was dangerous for everyone involved - whether purposeful or accidental. And she is all throughout the show but the conversation always avoids the main point. Which is that using it to offset something internal - emotions/insecurities/anxieties - will only lead to both internal and external destruction because it is not addressing and dealing with them honestly, intimately and head on. It is avoiding and escaping them instead - thus making things much worse “inside” and “outside”.
So if ‘Something Blue’ is the start of Willow’s spiral into emotional addiction, then ‘Tabula Rasa’ is the inevitable conclusion of it. Ignore the “magic” part. That’s not as relevant as the necessity to use it’s power to counteract Willow’s insecurities of being powerless or useless or valueless or worthless. She knew it was her best chance because it’s what she’s best at. They could have done the same with her preference for hacking and technology engineering but they never do - instead they give Warren that arc. And it’s not lost on me the similarities between them as far as the need for accumulation of power goes. All they do is make it clear Warren’s intentions are evil - he intends to control, he intends dominate, he intends to rape, he intends to murder. Willow never intends any of this - but it is exactly what she does anyway.
“They’re the bad guys - I’m not the bad guy.”
Translation: “It is justified for me to do it because I do not intend to do evil with it. They do.”
But Willow - you become like them anyway because you avoid the truth behind the actions. And the truth is that you’re the one in pain. You’re the one that’s sad. You’re the one that’s confused. You’re the one that HAS THE PROBLEM. Not Buffy and Tara. And you know this is the truth, you just refuse to face it.
I will keep saying it: the only thing that’s wrong with this character is that this character thinks and believes that there’s something wrong with them. It’s entirely an insecurity issue right from the beginning. And they mislead you into thinking that that is improved or fixed - when it’s only just covered up. This is the meaning of Willow’s nightmare in ‘Restless’. The hiding and disguising. The “costume” she wears. The “character” she plays. The “part” she performs. It’s all Willow. There’s no doubt about that. But at the same time - it’s a perception severely filtered by lies and an identity veiled in ego. It’s not so much that she’s pretending to be someone she’s not because you can’t pretend to be something you’re not aware of being. But it is an act. A performance. An obliviously and obsessively chronic and compulsive behaviour.
That is why Willow is such a profound character.
Posting what I wrote for my BUFFY REWATCH recap of this episode. There is a few spoilers. If you’re reading this comment and you’re not passed this episode, don’t read any further.
As odd as this episode is for how dramatic it starts off and how dramatic it ends…. It’s a welcome change of pace and palette to the dark and dull of the season so far. This one is a comedy. But it’s a comedy that comes at the cost of the heavy. Which, for this season, is appropriate as there isn’t supposed to be any lightheartedness to it. These characters are at a point where they feel nothing but chaos. Everything is overwhelming. And the intention is for the audience to feel this too. That’s what ‘Tabula Rasa’ is. An impending explosion. A building up to a cosmic bang.
Nowhere does this chaotic energy feel so potent than with Willow and Tara and this heavy conversation that takes place just after the huge shocking reveal to Tara that Willow cast a spell on her to stop them from fighting about her abuse of magic. For all the drama and chaos that occurs in Season 6 within the relationships between the characters… this is really where it starts off. With Willow and Tara. With the themes of power corruption and addiction overtaking any peace that can be had. Everything else negative that happens comes as a result of that because the true Big Bad of the season is already here and already effectively causing so much chaos for everybody. And for as much as Willow tries to convince Tara, and the audience, (and herself) that her intentions are true and justified… she’s completely out of control. She does not know how to stop herself and so the promise that she makes to Tara here is broken within the time-space of what seems like a couple of hours. She doesn’t even go a full day, never mind an entire week.
What’s striking to me with this conversation is that Tara tries to explain to Willow that the problem isn’t that she’s doing magic “wrong”, which is what Willow assumes because she believes that Tara and Giles only reprimand her for using it so much because she thinks they perceive her as being incapable of doing it. Which is not the case. It’s actually that she’s using magic as a way to avoid dealing with life’s hardships but that isn’t communicated very well until now. Particularly with the hardships Willow and Tara are having in their relationship where they seem to be constantly fighting about Willow’s dependence on magic. Willow just doesn’t want to hear any of it. It’s not only that she doesn’t understand. It’s also that she doesn’t want to understand. She doesn’t even want to try to understand. She adamantly believes she’s in control. That she can handle it. But having the capacity to handle the power of the Magicks and having an incapability for doing Magicks is not the same thing and that’s what’s not getting through to her. With her insecurities with not being good enough or special enough or valid enough… it wouldn’t. Because the way she subconsciously perceives of herself is automatically the way she thinks others perceive of her. That she’s incompetent. That she will only mess up. That she will get it “wrong”. But that’s not the issue - and it has never been the issue. The issue has always been that it’s a crutch. It’s an emotional crutch for not dealing with her emotions intimately and honestly. In this case - communication with Tara that the last thing she wants is to lose her because she can’t stop herself from using magic. But until she can admit that she can’t,… that she is not in control of it but it’s in control of her… that won’t happen. This is why it becomes a physical addiction. Why magic turns very quickly from a metaphorical drug into a literal one. Because once Tara’s left her, it’s no holds barred. There’s no handbrakes anymore. And without Tara being there - there never really was.
Consider the fact that Willow didn’t get good with doing the Magicks until she met Tara. It was actually because of practicing with Tara why she got much better at casting spells successfully - conjuring and rituals and transfigurations. Until then, yes they did always go wrong. They did always mess up. Willow was incapable and incompetent… until Tara. Thus, finding a compatible magical match is what expanded her inherent talent for it. So the irony is that the reason why she overuses magic is because of Tara. So it’s like Tara doesn’t have a defensible position in her argument because Willow only does it to keep her. She wants to be worthy enough to remain in her life. To be hers. Hence why she puts a spell on her - twice. Because - as twisted as it seems - she loves her. And you always hurt the ones you love out of a desperation for it to stay that way. To be their one and only true love. So Willow abuses Tara - emotionally and physically - because she doesn’t want her to leave.
That’s why I constantly bring up that there’s nothing wrong with Willow EXCEPT that she believes there is. If she didn’t have those beliefs and insecurities about whether she’s worthy of love or being loved - either subconsciously or consciously - she’d be in love. She’d be happy. She’d always have her Tara. And you could argue that she always does anyway. Because either way - Tara still loves her regardless. But just like Giles with Buffy - she believes stepping away is the right thing to do. Sometimes the only way to get somebody to do something they must do for themselves is to force them to do it themselves. And it’s harsh and it’s tough but it has to be done. Because if it isn’t - there will always be a crutch. And unfortunately, it’s not just magic that is Willow’s crutch. By extension of association,.. it is also Tara.
buffy is the oldest living slayer, none of them made it past 18. faith is the next oldest.
Aaawh, sound is wonky on this episode
I think it's cute the way you need to stop it to say your commentary. 💘
Great reaction, Elie! I really love this episode. Hilarious and then sad. But I do dislike the visual pun of the loan shark. It’s too cheesy and cliche for Buffy. And I’m not big on how they’re starting to depict the magic like it’s something out of the old tv show Bewitched, with Willow changing clothes instantaneously. But these are small writing quibbles, along with the Trio of Nerds. Still a great, powerful season.
Off to check out your Wolverine video!
I disagree with Giles on this one. No one needs to go at it alone. He is a father figure and she lost her mom and then got torn from heaven. This is when she needs him most. Him bailing and acting like an absentee father when the going gets rough… it’s the cowards way out. It makes me so angry at him. It is okay to need someone. It is okay for Buffy to to need to take a step back and let others take care of things for a while. Her strength has always been that she does things as a community and all of a sudden the show is telling us that going at it alone is the thing in life%. I call bull.
I agree with Tara though. Get the hell out.
Yeah, the overlapping scene transition between Tara and Willow and Buffy and Giles... the parallels are that they're both talking about leaving, the contrast is that Tara is right to want to leave, whereas Giles is wrong to be leaving; Tara gives Willow another chance, but Giles doesn't give Buffy one.
Giles is right that Buffy is leaning too much on him, but he should recognise now that it's because she's struggling to keep her head above water, not from being held back. She's not ok. At this point she's even said that she's not ok. She's not ignoring her responsibilities, she's drowning under them, and he's the one person she trusts unconditionally to shunt some of the things she can't handle right now onto so that she has the strength to keep going. That's the point to lean in extra hard as a friend, not to walk.
@@Ylyrra absolutely. I just don’t know if the show really framed it as a contrast… or was even aware that it was wrong. Only in season 7 did Giles come back and apologise and admit to it. But in the context of while it was happening…? I am not so sure.
@@Ulriquinho That's a good point, I still lean towards it being intentional, because the reason for him leaving was driven by the actor's needs, and having the character leave on a note where they could "realise they were wrong" and return leaves the door open for the actor's return (and did).
I think they tried to make it slightly ambiguous and sell it that Giles believed it. But ultimately, who knows what was in the writers' minds at the time? I can only guess.