This is beautiful. You've gone down into the dark tangle of issues surrounding this episode, and shone a searing light through that it illuminates everything with a vivid, vital clarity. Ted and the watchers' council; Buffy and what it means to live with "death is your gift"; violence begetting violence and the Buffy/Joyce relationship - all of these themes have set my head a-buzzing. And the Buffy who makes me look at life and say, "I can do this": she is a Buffy I know well, and have needed, often.

You've told this with such elegance and emotional truth. Thank you so much for sharing.