Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one that truly understands this “magic is a drug” metaphor given there is such a controversial take on it by the majority of the fandom.
People need to understand that it’s actually not about the magic. That’s just the tool. The addiction is on the power Willow can accumulate through using magic. But the reason why it’s magic specifically that is the substance she’s addicted to is because that is what Willow is best at. That’s her most useful and valuable skill and Willow wants to feel that use and value as much as she can.
It makes sense because when people use drugs and go through substance abuse, it’s not actually the substance that they’re addicted to, it’s all about what they can avoid or escape from in using that substance. Emotions, anxieties - all kinds of internal struggles. What’s poorly communicated about Willow’s addiction arc is that she’s using the power of magic to offset her insecurities. Using them as an emotional crutch. And internal struggles can manifest into external ones when you’re that deep into it. So I don’t think it’s for shits and giggles that they turn the metaphor to literal. It’s not supposed to be in your face or on the nose. It’s supposed to be making it apparent that Willow is so in deep with it that it’s become an external problem.
I don’t know. It makes complete sense to me. I’ll admit it’s not written as well as it could be. But then I also think and believe that the intention is for it not to be because the arc isn’t playing out from the inside-looking out. We’re not following Willow’s arc this season through Willow’s eyes. But we are following Buffy’s arc this season through Buffy’s eyes. I genuinely feel that the point is for it to be mixed signal-ly because people that are not familiar with addiction don’t actually understand it - what it is, what it can lead to, how destructive it can be, the working relationships that can be destroyed from it.
No, I think the artistic intention is for us to be confused and even frustrated by the writing of it because then that means WE can learn something from it along with the characters.
Power corruption and addiction and then a further theme down the line puts it all into perspective. It’s not two completely different and random things going on with Willow. It does make sense. You just got to think about it deeper to understand the intention behind it.
If you keep the focus more on the insecurities that Willow has and how accumulating power makes her feel good and less about it being magic… you’ll get it. It’ll hit you and click. It’s actually really clever and profound what they’re doing with the character this season. It just requires a little bit of mental gymnastics.