#im sure there are episodes that poke holes in that opinion like omwf or tabula rasa but hey i just say words

[angelthemanspanker]

I can't believe of all the magic gimmick episodes to make a mess of that BTVS managed to fuck up a time loop. A Buffy time loop episode should be the stuff of legend up there with The No Talky One and The Singy One but no. Life Serial time loop I'm sorry but you're nothing to me. Buffyverse magic is always vaguely defined and the rules change by the episode but the time loop spell Jonathan put on Buffy is so underexplained and overpowered that it severely takes me out of the scene

No one else in the shop but Buffy is aware that they're looping or time passing so is the spell just sending Buffy back in time and no one else? But then how can the Trio watch what's going on with the Magic Box cameras in real time with Buffy/the audience. Are they also looping? Does Jonathan's spell reset time for literally everyone except the three of them and Buffy? Because that means Jonathan, by means of magic bone, is repeatedly sending the entire world back a few minutes, keeping the memories of him, the other casters, and the target intact, until a completely arbitrary task decided by Jonathan is accomplished by Buffy.

Does that mean the awkward customer was part of the spell? Because satisfying an annoying customer was the task Jonathan set out for Buffy, did he just know that lady would be difficult? Did they just wait until a difficult customer showed up and bother Buffy to start the loop? What if none did? Is she a physical illusion or a magic homunculus being difficult under Jonathan's direction? Is she a real person playing out his script under mind control? Because unless it's the contrived coincidence option that's a lot of continuous magic to keep up while also maintaining the time loop, all with what seemed like a damn easy spell.

Why don't we know that spell? Casters' and target's memories unaffected, why didn't the gang cast it on Buffy before The Gift and make the loop breaking condition being defeating Glory without any Scoobies dying? We fail, oh well, try again. We know it doesn't need to be fixed on a room bc it covered the Magic Box and the Nerdmobile (even though trying to leave the shop just reset the loop for Buffy bc this spell just does fucking everything I guess). We know any damage done gets reset bc Buffy broke Giles' glasses and the doorbell and they were fine after a loop so no worries about racking up injuries or wasting the Dagon Sphere. And sure if Jonathan can do it, he of the only reasonably impressive abilities, then experienced Giles or Tara or especially Willow should have no problem whatsoever. And all this for one scene.

Life Serial time loop spell you are my enemy.