You know what, can, can we not do this now? I'm tired.

All the Way (Steven S. DeKnight)

I know that I view BtVS through my own lens so that this and “Older and Far Away” don’t elicit the response from me that many others have towards them. First, I don’t mind too much bratty teenagers doing bratty things (as long as it makes sense) and second, both episodes are significant in the stories of Tara and Willow.

Tara: I'm not really much for the timber.

I love the way that Amber looks almost apologetic for this joke which sadly enough does make me snigger unlike the wearisome “I'm a breast girl myself” from “Life Serial”.

Two fine moments from the Magic Box: The dance of capitalist superiority and Buffy’s perfectly pitched shocked tone as she watches Giles clean his glasses and she says

Is that why you're always cleaning your glasses? So you don't have to see what we're doing?

It’s hard to see that Willow creating some “extra biodegradable-y” decorations is actually wrong but you can sense her arrogance and irritation at simply being challenged.

The dancing in the lounge is one of the most pitiful sights I have ever seen, except, maybe for Tara's sad face as she watches. She must be upset or she would be in fits of laughter.

The Dawn and Justin story is strangely non-compelling mainly because he and Zack behave like children and the kissing is, erm, amateur. And my interest is elsewhere:

Tara: Do you think Dawn might have come here?
Willow: It's where I'd be if I were fifteen and on the lam.
Tara: Really?
Willow: Well, not me at fifteen, cause, hello, spaz.
Tara: You?
Willow: Yeah. Hard to believe such a hot mama-yama came from humble, geek-infested roots.
Tara: Infested roots, trying to turn me on?
Willow: I have to try now?

Help me, what is that about? How would anything infested turn anyone on?

Tara: Willow, you are using too much magic. What do you want me to do, just, just sit back and keep my mouth shut?
Willow: Well, that'd be a good start.

Poor "Grandpa".

I like this exchange and maybe I'll try it out in real-life one day:

Dawn: This the part where you tell me you're not angry...just disappointed?
Giles: Pretty much...except for the bit about not being angry.

The ending makes my heart sink and at the same time I find myself confused about how easy or hard spells are to cast depending on the mood of the scriptwriter.

Adam asides: Willow bitching at Tara in the Bronze prompted an ooo from Adam while he astutely described Dawn and Justin’s kissing as gorilla kissing (though he did mean chimps).

How did this get here?