The battle, the plans, and the seemingly no-win situation the Scooby Gang seems to be in — it’s a fight that they need to win, but so far there’s no clear answer as to how. They need a miracle, or a plan no one sees coming!
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
We get a quick glimpse of Andrew early on in the issue, before he is sent off for his own safety. He’s actually doing quite well for himself, rich and handsome and contributing to the betterment of the world. And his contribution to this fight is the communication devices the team will need in order to coordinate. While Andrew wants to do more, get involved himself, it is better for him to be far away. As Giles tells him, if things go bad and Giles dies, Andrew is going to need to be alive to continue the Watcher’s Council. A sad reality.
It feels like the entire team is making preparations to meet this fight head-on, even if death is the likely outcome. Xander wants to stand beside Dawn if their end is coming, not stay behind in safety. Here’s hoping baby Joyce won’t be an orphan soon. Fred agrees to fight alongside Angel, striking a balance between herself and Illyria. And even though Willow might go dark again, Faith points out the obvious: she needs to fight against the possible future in order to change it.
And so, with everyone in their places and accepting of the deadly outcomes that lie ahead, they rush into the fight with Harth! He is not the brother his siblings once knew, and he’s certainly not someone who will listen to reason, so they have to take out the monster wearing Harth’s face before he can destroy everything around him. Unfortunately, in order to defeat him, they will likely have to play out the fate that was laid out already. Faith wants to take Buffy’s place, pulling the demons to Hell and sealing the portal behind her. Good plan, and an amazing sacrifice she’s offering, but it can never play out that way. For the plan to work, the Slayer will need a power-up, and that can only be drawn from the Scythe — Buffy’s Scythe. It has to be her.
So, we’re all prepared for Buffy to be sealed off forever, cut off from her family and friends. They are sadly accepting it as well, because they know there’s no other way. But then we get blindsided because Harth interrupts the power-up of the Scythe, instead stealing its power with the staff from one of the wizards who helped create the first Slayer. He is ultra-powerful now, and looking to destroy. What seemed like an impossible situation before has just turned into a guaranteed tragic ending for the Scooby Gang, and they’re all out of miracles.
Rating: 3 / 5 Stars
