The Speculation Thread

[xita]

[maudmac]

All my poor speculation...gone. *sniff*

I don't even know where to begin. I'm so lost.

Okay, as I was saying back at the old board (sigh), Tara's the Center of the Scoobies, blah blah blah, too important to throw away, she's their glue, etc. So, I'm wanting a big scene where everyone realizes that. "Everything just fell apart without you, Tara." (My old post said it waaaaay better, but it's 3 a.m.)

Also, with that new promo, is UPN just messing with people's heads about the whole Dawn has powers thing? Or will she really do some big keymojo that fixes everything? Cuz she's never been shown to have powers before, but the promo makes it look like she does. Think this matters? Or are they just trying to make Dawn seem interesting to new viewers?

[girlwiththebraids]

well...dawn's role so far this season has been "the little sister" not "the key"...so it could be to attract viewers, since those of us who are dedicated know better...or it could be foreshadowy...i hope for the latter...dawn needs to either get important or get gone...

but i think she will of consequence get very important when tara dies, because tara is very much a mother-figure for her now in the absence of joyce...even, i think, surpassing the place buffy holds in her life...i think dawn's emotional importance will grow, but her mystical importance is still up in the air...

more speculation...i think everything also needs to somehow attach to xander finally hitting his turning point toward adulthood...will and buffy already had theirs...thus...the anya role becomes very important...and, i'm thinking, very doomed...

as long as it brings tara back with a minimum of deus ex machina poor writing, i'm all for either anya or dawn or both being the reason for a reset, but i feel like they're both going to get very important in the next five eps...


ooh...it's 4 am...and i'm speculating...hope i didn't ramble too confusedly

braids

[maudmac]

I think people (on other boards for sure, and a little bit here) are apprehensive about a reset/reversal scenario because they are thinking it will be a [i:03ec24a73c] deus ex machina[/i:03ec24a73c] situation. And those are generally considered one of the hallmarks of bad/lazy writing.

But I can think of lots of ways the arc could end that aren't cheap, yet return Tara to life. Utilizing heretofore unseen KeyMojo[tm] is one way. (Don't ask me how exactly. It's 3:30 a.m. now and I'm already bordering on incoherency.)

If season 7 deals with the fallout from the last 5 episodes of season 6, I will be very happy. I want Tara back, but I also want everyone to have to examine What Went Wrong. Lots of angsty, compelling drama. I wonder what Tara will have to say to Willow when all this is over.

Edited to say: [b:03ec24a73c] Xita[/b:03ec24a73c], thank you so much for creating a spoilspec thread. I know folks who were just looking for spoilers got sick of all the "what if" scenarios. Even I got sick of them being mixed in with the real spoilers and I [i:03ec24a73c] like[/i:03ec24a73c] specs. This new way is a good way. Thank you!

[TheCardinal2]

After days of heavy sedation and being coaxed out of catatonia by my wife following the discovery of the Tara dies rumour at Spoilerslayer I've come up with the following, non-logical but comforting speculation about the Season 6 finale:
Somehow the scoobies manage to retrieve Tara from the great beyond (C'mon - I mean Angel & Buffy managed it) since only Willows love for her will be able to save our favorite witch from the darkness she's fallen into.
Season 6 ends with tear-jerking reunion between W & T finally proving that love conquers all and that death isn't the handicap it once was.

[sassyeggs]

Hello, all! I've been gone from the boards for a couple of days. Interesting new layout. Anyway, I think this Dawn having power things holds water. I mean, she is this god-defeating power still. It's not like this power went away, it's just that the specific time, and the person/god/person interested in using her to open the portal is gone now. Besides, it seems silly that they would bring her on the show, give her a purpose, get rid of that purpose, and still keep her on. Every one of the Scoobies has a specific role in the group, and I think Dawn will finally show herself to be useful instead of the weekly prat fall/klepto scene. Plus, I still maintain that since Tara was touched by the hand of a god last year, that death might not be quite as permanent as it would for someone else. I woke up today with an optimistic feeling regarding Tara still being alive at some point. It usually changes moment to moment, though, so someone else give me some moral support, here, please!

[TheCardinal2]

Hiya Sassyeggs - From what I read on the other spoiler boards and sites the smart money is on Tara's demise being only temporary
The current favorites are:
a) Tara resurrected by Willow
b) Tara rescued from her death by a time travelling Scoobie
c) Tara turns out to be an ancient goddess and so brings herself back to life to rescue Willow from the darkness that has consumed her
d) Anya sacrifices her life to grant one final wish as a demon and restore Tara to Willow
e) None of the above but I just refuse to believe that Tara and Willow will end like this !

[Unregistered(d)]

I agree with the deus ex machina concerns, but I do think there are a variety of ways to change things while still being true to the 'grow up' theme of the season. My favorite idea is the 'Hindsight is 20/20' mantra. By this I mean all of the characters retain the memory of what happened this season. They see exactly where their choices will lead if they continue on their currrent paths, etc. I just think there have been way too many false reality eps for it to be a non-theme. Especially if the final episode is entitled 'Real'. What if this is all still the characters being asleep during the Tabula Rasa spell? It would make sense that the thread goes from there, as this ep is the begining of the end in a lot of ways. Just a thought.

[Still Waters Run Deep]

Ok, I'm going to get into trouble for this, but I'm going to refloat the idea anyway.

Tara dies...this we 'know'...short of a ME press release.

But what if it isnt tara, but someone in her shape? The idea was mooted a week or so ago and I wondered then, but after watching Dead Things.....its the second time Jonathon has shape shifted.

Fine I know its not J as Tara...but what about Amy. She has'nt just disappeared, and she's pretty pissed off with willow. What better way to get even than take the ID of her beloved and then rip into Will, destroying her. But, instead of getting even, she gets dead.

I know, this is pure speculation, but surely no more left field than some of the other specs. that have been bouncing around of late.

Mods. I know you had veto'd anything to do with Amy/Tara, but please let this ride. I believe its a valid speculation, and it avoids the dreaded reset/dream at least for a 'Tara lives' happy ending

[BigMac]

I have always said that Tara was not the BSD and the clues in the last 17ep's are showing something else.Every Season since season 2 ep3 has always have on the season will be this in ep3 death of the four who brought Buffy back.Now in the other EP's there are clues on who will be alive by the end of the last EP.Just one more thing I like the broad now if I can get some URL'S for picture's of W/T I'll be happy

[sassyeggs]

While I agree with the moderators in that I don't believe it's going to be an Amy shape-changing issue, I do believe that Amy is not going to be an innocent in whatever happens as far as black magic is concerned. For that matter, I think that Amy might well have some type of role in hiding the fact that Tara might not really be dead and/or the fact that she knows a way to bring her back, in order to keep her magic buddy Willow. On a completely unrelated note, what does everyone think of the Dawn having powers theory?

[Still Waters Run Deep]

Agreed Xita, I dont see Amy as Tara having the smoochies with Willow.[and I certainly dont want to see that, thank you].

But you know, the devil is in the detail. W/T smoochies, Tara and Willow go out, Tara goes off to do something else, caught by Amy [can't have 2 Tara's wandering around]. Amy changes into Tara and goes to house to do the dirty on Willow and gets dead.

Unless I've got the timelines wrong this [i:8fda9c89cc] could[/i:8fda9c89cc] happen.

Is'nt speculation fun

[WebWarlock]

Unless of course,
Amy switched to Tara in order black magic Willow and then get's shot.

Anyway, I am think the probabilty of it is low.

Have I mentioned yet that I am digging the split between Spoilers and Speculation!

Warlock

[Magrat70]

No way I don't think I could stomach an Amy, Tara body swap please don't even go there

[Bev]

[quote:4e2b3ee62d][b:4e2b3ee62d][i:4e2b3ee62d]Quote:[/i:4e2b3ee62d][/b:4e2b3ee62d]

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well...dawn's role so far this season has been "the little sister"

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[/quote:4e2b3ee62d]

Do you have a little sister? I mean the screeching alone could move the heavens and the earth...

[girlwiththebraids]

i AM a little sister, thank you very much

braids

[sassyeggs]

Okay. So, what do we remember about the details the Watcher's Council told them about the Key? It was some kind of energy, more powerful than the Gods, which was funneled into human form: Dawn. So, if Dawn's this all-powerful energy, don't you think she could a: help a regretful Anya reverse her wish without her dying, b: bring Tara back to life and/or c: reverse all of the icky black magic/death/everything else? Again, as an aside, I wonder if Nicolas Brendan ever feels neglected. He's always the Shaggy in the big Scooby stories. When's it going to be up to Xander to fix everything or be the Big Bad because of his profound love lost? I guess he's always the Zeppo.

[Bev]

Sassyeggs[quote:46697c7451][b:46697c7451][i:46697c7451]Quote:[/i:46697c7451][/b:46697c7451]

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So, what do we remember about the details the Watcher's Council told them about the Key? It was some kind of energy, more powerful than the Gods, which was funneled into human form: Dawn.

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[/quote:46697c7451]

Actually, I think it was nutty Gregor who explained about the key:
[quote:46697c7451][b:46697c7451][i:46697c7451]Quote:[/i:46697c7451][/b:46697c7451]

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The key ... is almost as old as the beast itself. Where it came from, how it was created ... the deepest of mysteries. [b:46697c7451] All that is certain is that its power is absolute.[/b:46697c7451] Countless generations of my people have sacrificed their lives in search of it, to destroy it before its wrath could be unleashed.

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[/quote:46697c7451]

Hmm...absolute power...corrupts absolutely...naw, she's just a kid...isn't she?

Must agree about Xander. He's pretty much been a throwaway character except when he was a hyena.

[Puff]

Oh good a different thread for speculation what a great idea xita and mods.

[LBJM]

I'm just hoping its not a chessy end.. tara is gonna be alive but the question is how are they gona do it? if their not gonna do it then the show will lose a lot of its ratings.. though the guy at work I know wants to see evil willow.
LBJM

[bzengo]

I remember posting, um, two spoiler thread ago, about After Life, and how it showed the possibility of Willow attempting to reverse Buffy's resurrection, possibly using Dawn as a source of power.

At the time, I touched briefly on the possibility of going all the way back to Season 5 Episode 22 The Gift. I just want to suggest again that I don't think its out of the question that this entire season has been lived in an alternative dimension.

The resurrection spell was interrupted (the Warrior of the People was all we heard - but Buffy is obviously more than just a warrior.)
We have canon which tells us that certain demons routinely travel between dimensions, and in a non-linear fashion.
We've had one AU episode where we saw an entirely different world where there was a valid Buffy.
And now we've got a promo talking about Dawn's powers.
Oh yeah - and Buffy died during a dimensional opening.

I don't think its reaching to far to think that there's another world where Buffy didn't die. Or where Spike saved Dawn. Or... Or... Or...

If that is the case, given the amount of parallels between this season and last, it wouldn't surprise me much if at the end of the season we see everyone keep their memories, but end up repeating The Gift, and then, somehow through Dawn, we have a dimensional realignment where everyone synchs up with their dimensional counterparts, and everything is then okay. Kinda like how we saw Buffy leave her other body behind in NA and come fully into this dimension.

And before that, we get everyone's worst nightmares coming true.

Just a thought.

[Bookcat]

no offense to anyone--in fact, this is gonna offend me, too--but does it really sound like Tara, that whole "and can you just be kissing me now" thing? because on the old spoiler thing, I remember reading about how adult Tara was and stuff... is that an adult thing to say? And it grosses me out just as much as it should anyone, but it was a sudden flash of insanity...

[Incarnadine]

It really doesn't sound odd to me. Remember these are 2 healthy young girls who have been apart for at least 2 months (there was an ep where willaw said magic free for 32 days well before this and not to mention Dawn's fractured arm has completely healed) and after so long apart being alone together after just making up their need for eachother likely overrides issues that still have to be resolved in the future. I know if I had just gotten back together with someone I still had an emotional connection as well as obvious physical attraction after months of mutual celibacy something would have to give. Just my opinion.

[maudmac]

When I first read that, I thought, Whoa, Tara, you just said there's all this stuff to figure out and resolve and there are trust issues and blah blah blah and then, literally, in the same breath, you're saying nevermind all that, just kiss me?

I want to stress that I do [b:d7b8eb62f0] not[/b:d7b8eb62f0] believe this has anything to do with Amy or Jonathan or anyone else assuming Tara's form. (If that does happen at all, it'll happen after the Lovely Lesbian Time.)

What I think it does have to do with, is the power of their love and the progress Tara knows Willow has made. After the events of TR, Tara had to be away from Willow and let Willow work her stuff out herself. Tara did the right thing. And Willow's done well. But now, it's time for them to start working on these things together, as a couple. Tara realizes that and is telling Willow as much.

But they've been apart sooooo long, and they're so incredibly in love with each other that there's no way they [i:d7b8eb62f0] couldn't[/i:d7b8eb62f0] express that physically. I think it's totally believable and realistic. So it doesn't make me go hmmm anymore.

[xita]

I don't think it sounds odd at all. You can see how much they love and want each other in the recent eps. Tara's tired of waiting. She knows that there are issues and that they will need to work on it but she needs to do it with Willow now. She's tired of being without her. Willow at that point had shown Tara that she too was ready.

[rsigley]

Was wondering if this could mean anything, in S6E5 (Life Serial) when Buffy goes to Willow's class the teacher is talking about Social Construction of Reality and alternate realities is discussed, could it be foreshadowing?

[girlwiththebraids]

i think it's the more "adult" side of tara that makes her even preface the kissing with the comments that there's a lot of issues and a need for trust, etc...it's kind of that way of saying...look, we're going to have to deal with this...but then letting what you actually want take over...it makes total sense

oh...bouncing back to the dawn thing...while we know that she has/is all this mystical energy...is it possible that the reason she can't just fix things because its kind of an uncontrollable thing...i mean, looking at The Gift and how there was no way to stop the portal unless you stopped the bleeding, it's possible that she can't control her energy flow, but someone else could possibly channel it...but...all of that raw energy might kill the channel (Anya?) in the process...

braids

[Wiccagrrl313]

First, I thought the "Could you just be kissing me" bit made total sense and did sound like Tara. They've been apart for a long time. And while Tara *is* mature, she's also a human being who is very, very much in love and realizes that life is short.

As for the Alternate Reality discusion in Life Serial, I do think it's foreshadowing. And it's not just in that ep...all season long there have been things relating to alternate realities/altered perceptions/turning back or altering time. The groundwork has definitely been laid for a "reset" of some kind if the writers want to go that route.

[Unregistered(d)]

I think the Life Serial discussion wasn't just about altered realities (though it clearly plays into the idea of alternate dimensions). It specifically talked about the idea of internal vs external creation of reality.

It does apply to much of the season, but Normal Again in particular is all about internal vs external reality.

The interesting part for me is that the conclusion they seem to be drawing is that accepting the idea of an internally created reality is basically equated to the idea of accepting responsiblity for your actions. In other words, that if you accept that your world is in a lot of ways molded and influenced by your own choices, decisions and perceptions, then you really have no one to blame but yourself for your problems. And no where to look to but yourself for solutions.

On the other hand, the idea of a reality that is created and defined completely by external factors is about immaturity. It's like the way Buffy wanted to blame all the bad things she was doing on the idea that she came back 'wrong'. Because being wrong gave her an excuse, a reason that was out of her own control, for the things she was doing. Accepting that was the case, Buffy wasn't 'wrong', she was just wrong, meant that she had to make the hard choices in order to find her way back to doing what was right.

In Normal Again, the 'right' choice for Buffy to make was to go back to the Sunnydale reality. The one that was supposedly created entirely in her own mind. Because no matter whether it was real or just a delusion, running away from it was still just running away from her own problems and mistakes. It was just an excuse to say that it wasn't her fault that Dawn was having problems and she was sleeping with Spike. Being strong meant staying where she was, no matter how hard it was.

I think that's also why it was another creature sent after her by the nerd boys, who are pretty much immaturity personified, that made her so want to abandon everything for a reality where everything wrong with her and her life could be blamed on something else, rather than herself.

(hope this works, first post in the new board *G*)

Ari

[friskylez]

Ari, Interesting thoughts and they do make alot of sense..It seems most of the scoobies this season have made some bad choices..Xander decides to get married and hes not ready..Willow resorts to magic knowing she could lose Tara. Buffy choosing to be with Spike even though she doesnt like herself very much for it..One could even go so far as to say that Dawn made a bad choice in her Wish, when she didnt want anyone else to leave her..Growing up is about making and taking responsibility for ones choices..If thats the theme of the season, then your speculation makes a whole lot of sense..How that plays out in upcoming episodes remains to be seen..