I Was Shocked At The Dar Willow Storyline in Buffy, But The Show Foreshadowed It 3 Times
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Buffy the Vampire Slayer!
Of all the great villains on the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dark Willow is one of the most iconic because of what she represents. After six seasons of growing and changing, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) broke down after the death of her girlfriend, Tara (Amber Benson), and let the dark side of magic she had been toying with take over. This was a dramatic shift in Buffy, as few human characters had been the big bad, but season 6 was all about the harsh realities of growing up and battling evil, even when the world is unforgiving.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6 was so dark for a number of reasons, and the final episodes of the season showcased just how low each of the characters had been brought throughout the series. While it might seem like Willow’s transformation was sudden, there are many moments that foreshadow its coming throughout the series. Magic is a critical storytelling tool for both Buffy as a whole and Willow as an individual character. The enormous power of magic and the toll it takes on Willow can be seen early on in Buffy.
Giles; Warning in Season 2 Was The Biggest Dark Willow Foreshadowing
Sunnydale’s Watcher Was Always Wary of Magic
When Willow discovers Miss Calendar’s (Robia Scott) research about Angel’s (David Boreanaz) curse at the end of season 2, she immediately believes that she can crack the spell. Though this initially comes from a place of selflessness and the desire to help give Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) back her love, Willow’s stubbornness in attempting the spell showcases her deeper desire for power and recognition. Giles (Anthony Head) immediately warns her of the danger of a soul restoration spell, but she doesn’t want to listen.
Though Willow doesn’t find out that the spell worked until season 3, when Buffy opens up about what happened during her battle with Angel, the fact that she completed it was a dangerous moment for Willow. After the season 2 finale, she started working toward becoming a witch in earnest, though Giles was still uncertain about her trajectory within the magic arts. The fact that his early warning in season 2 would later come true in season 6 shows that Buffy knew Willow was taking a step toward the dark side, even then.
Helping Anya in Season 3 Proved Willow’s Need To Feel Powerful
Using Magic Gave Willow A Sense Of Control From The Beginning
The parallels between magic and drug use become more pronounced as the series progresses, and though it reaches its height in season 6, there’s a season 3 episode that showcases it as well. In “Doppelgangland,” one of the show’s most iconic episodes, Willow inadvertently calls her doppelganger from the timeline of “The Wish” into her reality, after helping Anya (Emma Caulfield) attempt to her her vengeance demon powers back. Though she knew this was a foolish plan, Willow had been feeling beaten down by the world and ended up using magic to gain a sense of control.
The intention behind the use of magic matters as much as the spell, and though Willow was typically characterized as being a selfless character, “Doppelgangland” shows a darker side of her. As early as season 3, Willow is gaining confidence and a stronger sense of self, shedding the meeker characteristics she didn’t like about herself, thanks to the power that magic gave her. She feels misunderstood and walked all over by Percy and her friends, so Willow places her trust in Anya, despite her demonic history. This directly ties to her future relationships with Any and Rack in season 6.
Willow’s Comedic Season 4 Storyline Hid The Severity Of Her Spell
“Something Blue” Played A Serious Danger Of Magic For Laughs
The season 4 episode, “Something Blue,” is hilarious in many ways, as it sees Buffy and Spike (James Marsters) plan a wedding and touches upon Xander’s (Nicholas Brendon) penchant for demons. However, there’s a darker undertone to the themes and message of “Something Blue,” as Willow uses magic carelessly for her benefit, at great cost to others. Throughout the story, the audience sees that she now immediately turns to magic to heal her emotional wounds and fix the things in life that she can’t control, which isn’t a solution and ultimately causes more problems.
“If Willow hadn’t found a way to undo the spell before it was too late, almost everyone in her life could’ve been in serious danger.”
The Dark Willow storyline includes some of the most controversial episodes of Buffy, as it’s not jus Willow who goes through a transformation. It’s hinted at in “Something Blue” that Willow is far from the only person who can get hurt when she messes with forces she doesn’t understand. If Willow hadn’t found a way to undo the spell before it was too late, almost everyone in her life could’ve been in serious danger. She willingly puts her friends in harm’s way because of her negative emotions, and this is taken to an even more extreme height in season 6.
BTVS Was Right To Not Have Willow Stop Using Magic
Having Her Quit Completely Would’ve Undermined The Show’s Essential Message
In the wake of Willow’s actions in the season 6 finale, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Willow stopped using magic altogether. However, Buffy carefully avoided this type of storyline, which would have gone against the core tenets of the series. Buffy is a TV show with no bad seasons, and though season 7 sees the characters change a lot, Willow’s evolutions in the series’ final installment is fantastic. She learns how to use magic in a way that’s fulfilling and helpful for not just her, but also everyone around her, tapping into the natural aspects of these forces.
It’s an amazing full-circle moment when Willow uses the scythe to tap into the Slayer line and give this power and agency to all the young women who have the potential to be Slayers. It would’ve undermined the feminist themes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that are a guiding force for the story from the earliest episodes. Willow is just as much a part of saving the world as Buffy is, and they couldn’t have done it without Willow using her power, not stifling it. The series teaches Willow and the audience that these skills and abilities don’t need to be silences; they just need to be channeled correctly.
Original article at Screen Rant
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