Last night’s episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was the first one this season that could genuinely be called gripping. The Buffy-gets-shrunk sequences worked largely due to the chemistry between Buffy and the vampire; there was more pop to their interaction than I’ve seen between her and any of the regulars this season. The absence of Amber Benson hurt, but clever writing made the sequence work well. And the double gut punch of the two twist endings was a genuine jaw-dropper (which we also haven’t seen a lot of this season.)
It’s looking more and more likely to me that the First Evil from season 3 is behind this. Here’s another nutty notion: What if the Watcher’s Council is evil as well…and perhaps has been all along? What if they were formed, not to aid slayers, but to keep them reined in so no slayer would ever reach her full potential? What if the reason the First’s henchmen were able to kill what I think we all assume to be slayers-in-training, was because the Council knew right where to point them? Imagine if the Council were governed not by altruisum, but by the philosophy that one should keep friends close and enemies closer.
PAD
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Well, I haven’t seen last night’s episode and won’t get to until Sunday thanks to a stupid local Pro-Sports game (at least itr was the Red Wings that messed up the schedule of our UPN affiliate and not basketball) but I’ve read the reviews and it definitely sounds like an impressive episode.
I’ve always thought there was something very stupid, or at least evil about the “Watcher’s Council”, especially with all that silliness about the 18th birthday test. I mean if a Slayer has such a short life expectancy to start with, why do something as stupid as making them fight an insane vamp without their Slayer powers?
The absence of Tara means nothing to me, as I’ve never actually cared about her one bit. I’d rather they have kept Oz around than introduce Tara.
I agree that this is probably the first good episode this season. I have been watching buffy since the beginning and have never been really freaked out by a show until now. That really had me at the edge of my seat. Especially Dawn’s story line and Willow’s. Was also glad to see the geek guy’s back but shocked how that whole thing ended. Will be interesting to see where they take this storyline and how it evolves.
As far as the watcher’s council goes I think that is a little far fetched but you never know!
The idea of the Watcher’s Council being evil would certainly work with the upcoming rumours that not only will Giles discover something horrible but also that the guy who plays the head of the Watcher’s Council will be in an upcoming episode or two.
spoiler spoiler spoiler
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I REALLY hate how Jonathon died… it just seemed like such a šhìŧŧÿ way to kill a character who’s been around since Season 1. It wasn’t a “worthy” death, much like Tara’s wasn’t. I don’t think there shouldn’t be any death on Buffy (and Joyce’s and Jenny Calendar’s deaths are examples of “excellent” deaths) but to just have Jonathon die like that… ugh, did not like. Did also not like how every “spirit” who comes back on Buffy is always actually an evil force masquerading as said person (Jenny Calendar–twice!–and Cassie and–I assume–Joyce).
I’ve got a theory…
Not a complete one, yet. I’m wondering if the Hellmouth isn’t the construct of The First. What if it gains power from any deaths that occur in the area–it might explain its ability to take on the shapes of persons and beings who have died there.
…and then the slayer comes to town and continues to feed it a richer and richer diet: the Master, the Mayor, Faith…
It appears to have a wider range, though…apparently ‘Warren’ has been appearing for a while, now.
That might also answer the complaint of why every spirit that returns is evil.
Just a thought, though. Not a completely developed one either.
PAD- just a question… have you ever thought about writing a Buffy novel?
It was an impressive episode. Both Buffy and Angel seem to be gearing to two different major apocalypses.. would be nice if they were somehow related and we got a crossover out of it.
I don’t think the Watcher Council is an evil organization. I recall the episodes during the Glory storyline where they were trying to control Buffy.. which would argue your point. I just see them more as wanting to control the Slayer to direct her in what They think is best.
More good Star Wars lines. I do not think we’ve seen the last of Jonathon though. I mean.. he’s Jonathon.
Well, the concept of the Watcher’s council actually being evil is interesting. Of course, if that’s the case, we can be fairly confident that only the core inner circle members would be the ones behind it. There’s no way anyone would ever believe that either Giles or Wesley ever had an inkling of such a nature to the Council. It would probably be analogous to SD-6 pretending to be a ligitimate arm of the CIA on “Alias”.
I feel the need to state a counter-point to the below quote by E. Recla. While I’m still unsure on wether I would say the council is evil I do think that controling Buffy in the Glory storyline could be evil. I mean if they were evil wouldn’t they want her to fail? Kinda makes sense. If they can control her and get her to do what they want they could have set her on a suicide mission and let Glory win. Just a thought.
“I don’t think the Watcher Council is an evil organization. I recall the episodes during the Glory storyline where they were trying to control Buffy.. which would argue your point. I just see them more as wanting to control the Slayer to direct her in what They think is best.”
I’m sorta wondering about some of Mutant Enemy’s narration choices this past week. First, over on Angel, we have Lorne narrate the episode…even though he was either not there or unconscious for just about all the period he narrated. Unless there was something I missed about the ending, why do the Lorne narration (OK, it’s fun to write Lorne being a lounge singer type). And in Buffy, um, why do we need to know at the start that it’s 8:01pm on November 12th? I mean, it’s not like the show’s up against 24.
Spoiler for Buffy
I’m also very suspicious about “Joyce”. Assuming that Warren and Cassie were the same entity, we know it can do simultaneous appearances. And frankly, the whole set-up seemed calculated to cause Dawn to believe that it really was her mother, and thus believe anything “Joyce” told her…and having learned its lesson from Willow, “Joyce” gave a two sentence cause dissention warning and vanished, not sticking around for any conversation that might reveal problems to Dawn (OK, it’s a glowing dressed in white image of my mother; it *has* to be a good guy, right?)
Minor spoiler for last night’s Smallville in terms of revealing a guest starring actor who appeared on a different series and the role he played on Smallville:
OK, that whole wall of weird Smallville vibe makes a *lot* more sense now that we know the Cigarette-Smoking Man from X-Files has been Mayor since the meteors hit…
If they can control her and get her to do what they want they could have set her on a suicide mission and let Glory win. Just a thought.
Well, arguably, the Watchers’ Council did send her on a suicide mission when she turned eighteen, by weakening her with muscle relaxants and sending her to fight a dangerous vampire. Also, Maggie Walsh tried the suicide mission tack, and it failed miserably. If the Council members actually are evil, maybe they’ve gotten smart enough not to try the same trick again.
I’m still happily in the dark as to who the Big Bad is. I’d be disappointed if I could guess the identity too easily. It would be interesting, though, if the superbaddie turned out to be the First Slayer. It’s highly unlikely, but it might make sense of some of the foreshadowing in “Restless.”
On a different subject: I’m still puzzled by last Sunday’s Angel. Who was Lorn talking to during the narration sequences? He seemed to be speaking to an empty room, but there seemed to be voices coming from the audience. Anyone have an explanation?
–Daniel
PAD: I agree with what you have suggested. I have been saying that the watchers council could be evil for quite a while because of various evidence that does point in that direction.
I do think it would be a good twist if that happened. I guess all we can do is wait for more of the story to unwind.
Hey guys, I’d love to hear what you think about this theory…
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,390308~3~0~undeadvisitorshintat,00.html
What do you think, PAD? You think Buffy will be the Big Bad after all, despite the First’s involvement?
I have to agree with alot of what’s been said here. Couple of exceptions. I think it was truely Joyce. Remember Dawn was the only one who had to fight to hear her while all the others just got to see their people, or in Willows case hear by proxy. Someone mentioned Faith dying at the Hëll Mouth, Faith is alive and well and incarcerated in LA. Watcher Council EVIL…. I can see that. LOVED the Buffy therapy session.
Evening –
About the Watcher’s Council…
SPOILERS for “Fray”
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What Whedon’s written about the Council in his Buffy-related spin-off comic indicates that the current council is descended from the prehistoric shamans who helped create the first Slayer.
It also indicates that they’re destined to degenerate into a cult of fanatics at some point in the future.
From FRAY #3:
“(After the 21st century)the Council of Watchers fell to ruin, held together only by fanatics and fools. Those that believed the demons would return.”
Later in the conversation:
“Centuries of useless obsessive waiting. Makes a human–“
“He set himself on FIRE!”
“Maybe he was cold.”
Just so everyone’s on the same page…
After I thought about it for a second, I, too, was suspicious of ‘Joyce’; that her ‘warning’ is meant to cause doubt and dissention. I also tend to concur with an invisible spoiler posted at ‘Aint It Cool News’, namely about the appearance of Spike last night.
He has the chip in his head and a soul now….how do we know that was really him??
And while I posted this under the “Aint No Justice…” column of two days ago, I’ll repeat it here.
Peter, what are the chances of one of the projects you’ve got in the pipeline being a “Wendy The Werewolf Whomper” spin-off??
Hooper
Maybe it isn’t the First Evil, but just the First. Ya know, like…. GOD? He did say he wanted to shift the balance to one side. Wouldn’t Joss f^ck with us in this manner? Maybe Joyce was Joyce and her warning was true. Buffy, (who has been to heaven) has been all “I am the law” lately, she might take GOD’s side.
Then again I might be wrong.
(cont.) This would be a good reason to bring in Faith. This time she’s the good one up against a “bad” Buffy.
It was a great ep. I wonder about Spike, I really do… though I do feel I should mention one thing- the episode where Spike stabbed the guy who used to be a worm? Maybe it’s just me, but when he stabbed him, it seemed like it was another case of him expecting the pain, not getting it, then fakling it, like when he learned he could hurt buffy. Maybe I imagined it.
Whether it was really Joyce- same thing. Could go either way. I dunno.
Here’s an interesting part tho: Warren. I think most of us are assuming Warren was actually the First (or the Morphy at least). You know what’s funny about that? The First knows his Star Wars.
There is another…
Best part of the ep.
Jordan D. White
http://www.wax-work.com
The First knows his Star Wars because Andrew knows his Star Wars. The First is able to get into the minds of his victims and exploit their weaknesses.
Just to make it clear, yes, I agree that the alleged evil of the Council is at the highest echelon. No way, no WAY, would Giles be a part of that.
I’m trying to remember if we’ve ever seen Quentin in the daylight.
PAD
The Watcher’s Council evil?
Elite, snobbish, and stuck up, yes.
Evil? If so, probably more along the lines of the Big Brother scenario: “We know what’s right so you better do it our way.”
As for the rest, if this does turn out to be the final seasons for Buffy and/or Angel, wouldn’t it be nice to go out with a big finish?
>>The First knows his Star Wars because Andrew knows his Star Wars. The First is able to get into the minds of his victims and exploit their weaknesses.<<
The second thing that impressed me most about Morphy in the season premiere ( the first was seeing Claire Kramer again!! Woo-Hoo!! ) , was that…it?…spoke in the distinct and recognizable speech patterns of whomever ‘it’ morphed into at the moment!
Hooper
Maybe the Council realizes that there must be a balance between good and evil and thats why a Slayer is never allowed to reach her full potential. Maybe Buffy breaking away and having friends is whats made her so strong and a survivior.
All those Watcher guys are dressed really nice and can afford plane tickets all over the place. Giles got a nice salary, maybe its time they started to pay Buffy a salary for her work.
I’ve been trying to work out a pattern in the forms we’ve seen “Morphy” adopt. At first I thought it was “people who’ve died in Sunnydale” (which is more or less equivalent to “people who’ve died on ‘Buffy'”), until I remembered that Dru was on the list. It’s not “people who are currently dead or undead,” unless one is willing to stretch a point to include Buffy in that category. However, if it could impersonate Dru there’s no reason it couldn’t impersonate Spike.
(BTW, as I saw it Spike’s hesitation in showing pain after stabbing worm-guy was because it didn’t take effect until the spell was revoked and the guy turned human again.)
I think the jury is still out on whether it was Joyce or not. It’s reasonable to be suspicious, but it seems like going to a lot of trouble just to mess with Dawn’s head…
On Lorne’s narration in last week’s “Angel:” I assume he was breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience directly (the bar chatter representing the tendency of some people to talk over the show).
I think the pattern is just “people who have, at some point, died.” Then again, maybe the superbaddie can take any form, but prefers to assume identities that are meaningful to the person s/he’s speaking to. In Sunnydale, odds are good those meaningful people have died.
Lorne did break the fourth wall at some points (the “Will ya look at these mooks?” line comes to mind), but I think he was also addressing a more specific audience. At some points, there was audible applause, along with the conversation. I don’t think Joss assumes we’re sitting at home clapping. (Insert obligatory Peter Pan joke here.) Maybe Lorne was performing for the Powers That Be? I dunno.
–Daniel
I think “Joyce” was the Big Bad. It might be interesting if the “demon” that Dawn cast out was actually trying to help her.
As for the “glowing, white image,” Joyce appeared as Dawn would expect her to appear.
While a part of me sort of wishes we’d seen Tara, I think the use of Cassie worked well — The BB wanted to set up Willow to kill herself, thus it uses Tara as the proverbial carrot on a stick (“you can see her again”), as well as making Willow feel like a terrible person who doesn’t deserve to live (“you can’t see her because you’ve killed people). Now, that’s some good evil!
“Warren” proves that the BB cannot physically harm anyone — thus Holden and Spike were “real.”
I imagine Spike is somehow possessed — most likely because the “demon” part of him *is* connected to the BB (as Holden said, connected to this all-encompassing evil).
Speaking of the jury being out…everyone seems to be assuming that Warren was the Big Bad in disguise, but do we have any proof positive of that? The Bad doesn’t have to be a one-trick pony who does nothing but imitate people; he appeared to be behind summoning the revenants in the season premiere, after all, and they were tangible. Do we know for sure that it’s not really Warren?
Also, did anyone catch the name Warren used for the thing he was serving? I remember hearing it but not really taking it in, but it’s the closest we have to an actual ID so far.
I’ve been thinking about the Joyce issue and have decided that it is likely a fake out. If you really want to make sure Joyce can’t tell Dawn something important, the simplest way is to kill Dawn. The demon could obviously hurt her, so why not just kill her (besides obvious casting reasons)?
Instead, the scenario we saw completely undermines any feeling of safety Dawn had in her house and makes the Joyce appartition that much more trustworthy and unquestionable. Now Dawn will be second-guessing everything that Buffy does and won’t feel secure in the one place they both actively share (school doesn’t count ).
We don’t know that “Warren” couldn’t physically harm anyone. It could just be that the specific harm he caused others to do benefits the entity, and there’s some mystical rule prohibiting doing that harm itself from helping it in the way it wanted.
What I’d like to know is, how did Xander’s construction crew miss a great, big, evil mystic seal buried under their construction site? Wasn’t he specifically on the lookout for such things? And why would the school plan include one room in the sub-basement that has a dirt floor? Is this standard for construction of public buildings in California?
I’m just sayin’ …
Blasphemy – I didn’t care for this week’s episode at all.
No happy ending, first of all. No sense of closure at all, in fact. Two missing regular cast members. No story either, really, just a “character piece” up until the last five minutes or so. And yeah, what IS up with Laughing Boy being able to “sire” again, particularly now that he has a soul and, presumably, feels remorse and sympathy for (other) humans?
Disappointing episode; for rabid fans only, I think.
No happy ending, first of all. >>
So “Surprise” and “Innocence” weren’t good episodes?
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And that’s bad because…?
<< No story either, really, just a “character piece” up until the last five minutes or so.>>
“Character pieces” aren’t stories? And this was pretty plot heavy (the death of Jonathan, the actions of Spike, and so on).
<< And yeah, what IS up with Laughing Boy being able to “sire” again, particularly now that he has a soul and, presumably, feels remorse and sympathy for (other) humans?>>
That’s what they call a cliffhanger ending. That’s not *bad* unless they just don’t deal with the issue (and the previews show that they are dealing with it).
How many times did we hear Buffy say, “The basement is driving you crazy” in regard to Spike? We saw Spike being manipulated by the BB in the first episode. Why is this so shocking?
“So ‘Surprise’ and ‘Innocence’ weren’t good episodes?”
Anyone who remembers episode names tends to be by definition a somewhat rabid fan. I don’t even know what episodes “Surprise” and “Innocence” were.
“Character pieces aren’t stories?”
This one wasn’t. In this casual viewer’s opinion, of course.
I’m still wondering about Warren being connected to the BB. Didn’t Andrew mention that Warren had been with him for a while? I thought it was implied that Warren’s ghost had been with Andrew since they went to Mexico.
I have to concur on the creepiness of the ep. I went to see The Ring just before I watched it, and I don’t know which unnerved me more.
Lee
You know, while watching it, I was reminded of another “fanboy” tv show which had essentially the same premise- characters return from the dead to import news to the living- Babylon 5. There was an ep called “Day of the Dead” (natch) written by Gaiman. Of course, the thing keeping me from saying that this ep was an ripoff was the turning of the tables- dead characters importing untruths. Then again, Whedon’s shows have a tendency to take cliches and turn them on their heads, and you have to admit- “I have vital news from the beyond” has been around for a very long time, all the way back to Homer’s Odyssey. So, nothing to do but keep watching and wait and see what does occur.
Duhhh the word is impart…– as in imparting news of import. Posting on the net when you’re half asleep is a lot of fun, ain’t it?
A few interesting points that I noticed in the threads here this week.
like what “arti” said.
The First taking things back to beginning etc.
it WOULD be just like joss to turn things around like that.
I would also love to see PAD do a Buffy novel.
He has the perfect wicked sense of humor and an obvious grasp on the characters that some of the people doing novels for them don’t really seem to.
and he does some quite decent of Good and Evil showdowns without actually declaring either side victorious..one of the many reason I kept reading supergirl for years.
As for the Joyce/Warren debate.
I originally thought that wasJoyce but after thinking on it and rewatching it, it seems another tactic like the big bad tried to use on Willow.
Dawn wants to contribute, add power and all that but has no or little training in magick.
it’s unlikely that she could have completed that spell unless something “let” her win.
IT wanted her to think she had won and therefore win her trust.
next, I think that was Warren.
perhaps sent from the big bad or something.
Not that Warren ever needed much prompting to do evil.
Being Dead he might want apocalypse just for the sake of if he’s dead then he hopes everyone else goes to hëll too.
or maybe the Big Bad promised him a seat by IT’s side when hëll runs the earth.
the main point is that I think that if the big bad can get what it wants with a “truth” instead of tricks then….
also a good way to keep your enemies off guard if they discover your ploys and plots.
tho I don’t know what shocked me more, Jonathan sacrificed in some apparent ritual or Spike siring other vamps again.
I would definately consider myself a “rabid fan”, Innocence was definately one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.
On that note I have to admit that last night’s episode didn’t quite do it for me. There were some definate strong points, I was probably the first time I really felt anything for Dawn. The Willow story was also very well done. My worry is that this season of Buffy is suffering a bit from the X-Files sydrome in which episodes are becoming less solid individually to accomadate a very ambitious story arc. One of the strenghts of the previous seasons was the ability to make a show that worked well on all levels, the story arc and the more general themes, but could still be self contained.
That being said I will wait and see, perhaps Joss will prove me wrong and future episodes will change my mind.
Just a note I am one of those people who has nothing bad to say about season 6, but I have already gone on too long.
I would like to share my thoughts on this season as well, if I may.
My first thought is that I can’t believe that this is the season that’s been promoted as so much more “upbeat” than last. I read time and again that last season was a relentless downer that turned off fans and this season was going to change all that. Now we have no one in a relationship or even close to one, a series of episodes that were as much “fun” as a colonoscopy (I don’t mean in quality, I mean that the dead teenager that Buffy can’t save is just one example of, well, not exactly making with the up-beatness…) and even the always-reliable for comic relief Anya transformed from a strong character to a mope.
About this episode and the current arc… I have a different idea. Who is the BB this season? Well, I have yet to see anyone suggest that it’s….
The Legion of Doom.
The Buffy Revenge Squad.
The Masters of Evil, Sunnydale Chapter.
Here’s my reasoning: Am I the only one who noticed that Cassie’s speech patterns were Glory’s to a T. I saw the episode that showed Glory’s first appearance the other night on FX and it reinforced what I thought when I first saw “Conversations.” They even made similar comments about the “mortal coil.” It was so spot on that I expected Cassie to become Glory.
We’ve also seen Warren again and an evil Spike (and I think it was no accident that we didn’t hear him speak. The one “Dead Person” whose conversation we *didn’t* hear.)
Then there is the earlier episode where all the BBs appear to Spike. It makes me think that maybe this BB is a made up of all the past BBs, or at least using them as minions.
For a while, I thought Spike might be the BB. He was in the basement, going crazy and the warning was, “From beneath you, he devours” but now I’m thinking it may be this group thing. What better way to wrap up the series than having Buffy fight all her greatest enemies at one time?
PK
PS – Two random thoughts: I always thought that Rutger Hauer would make a great BB. It would be a nod to the movie (say what you will but no movie, no show) for insiders but I would make him a different character so it isn’t too confusing for those who are casual viewers. (Although I also think Buffy is a great response to those who gripe about continuity heavy comics keeping people out. What would a first time viewer have gotten out of “Conversations”?)
Second, since this is really off-topic, I was hoping somebody could point me to the appropriate place for this: In a nutshell, I’ve been wondering about Willow’s lesbianism. Has it ever been stated that she *is* a lesbian? It seems to me that what really happened is she fell for someone who happened to be a woman but that doesn’t necessarily make her a lesbian. She’s had at least twice as many relationships with men. I’m just wondering because I know Whedon got a lot of flak about killing off Tara and it seems this season the lesbian thing is downplayed. (Yes, I know it would be early for her to be looking for a new girlfriend, maybe, but I don’t know, couldn’t she attend a pro-tolerance rally or something?) Anyway, I don’t want to change this thread so if someone could e-mail me or point me to where I should go on this topic, I’d be thankful.
Willow is, as far as I can tell, bisexual. Before she met Tara, she dated only men and was in denial about her attraction to women. Now she dates mostly women (or, at this point, mostly no one) and is in denial about her attraction to men.
–Daniel
“So ‘Surprise’ and ‘Innocence’ weren’t good episodes?”
Anyone who remembers episode names tends to be by definition a somewhat rabid fan. I don’t even know what episodes “Surprise” and “Innocence” were.
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It’s when Angel lost his soul.
However, I don’t see how knowing episode titles makes you a “rabid” fan (many would argue that discussing the episode online would do that, which — of course — include you).
You tend to learn the episode titles pretty quickly if you hope to talk intelligently about the show with other people online (you don’t have to do this, but if you do, it just makes it easier, rather than saying, “the one where Buffy fought that vampire with the missing front tooth.”)
I actually never watched “Buffy” until last year when I got a job that demanded it (yeah, poor me) — as a result I was quickly hooked.
I picked up the Complete Second Season on DVD — with episode titles. It’s not that difficult.
But the slight of hand you pulled doesn’t really answer my question. “Buffy” has repeatedly featured episodes without happy endings… episodes that are considered among the shows best — (Like the one where Buffy kills her boyfriend, get expelled, and leaves town — that would be “Becoming Pt. 2” for the “rabid fans” out there.)
“Character pieces aren’t stories?”
This one wasn’t. In this casual viewer’s opinion, of course. >>
How wasn’t it? We got at least four stories with beginnings, middles, and ends. And the bad guy was beaten in three of them (Buffy vs. Holden, Willow vs. the BB, and Dawn vs. Whatever that Was).
You cannot like the episode. That’s fine, but I can’t see how you can claim it wasn’t a story.
NOTE: POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW!
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Check ZENTertainment.com for info on what Joss, et al., have to say about certain things. I have read there, for example, that:
– While BUFFY may go away at the end of the season, ANGEL will not.
– Willow is not going to be dating any guys in the near future, as Joss feels that would be a “cop-out” after killing Tara.
Just to respond to two questions raised here.
Regarding the similarities between Cassie and Glory:
I didn’t actually notice speak pattern similarities, but I, too, expected Cassie to morph into Glory.
Chalk it up to shared high expectations, or to subconscious recognition on my part….
In regard to the speach patterns —
This is a small weakness in Buffy and Angel scripting. Remember the Doctor character that was Glory’s alter-ego?
He had a few lines that were closely associated with Xander’s speach pattern, and sometimes different characters on the show do speak like each other.
However, if it were a choice between having a new episode on time and all of the dialog going through a fine comb, I like the quantity we get with a regular series.
Overall I’d grade the dialog in both shows as 12% flawed or repetitive to other character’s patterns. That’s not so bad.
Personally I think it’s the Hellmout who’s causing all the trouble.
Ok, after reading that it seemed like a silly comment “well of course the hellmouth is causing trouble, it’s the hellmouth!”
I honestly belive that the hellmout has become “alive/sentient” and is casuing all the trouble, that willow’s lil talking buddy went fleshless and disappeared it was showing something of it’s true face.
Sorry but I have to disagree with David and others who say it’s “the Evil.” Spike’s lil shape-changing buddy said that there wasn’t really a word for what it was. Also The Evil took great pangs in boasting about what it was and how it worked, this one seems a hëll of a lot smarter and a WHOLE lot more subtle. Also it’s not really tormenting anyone (well, Willow but I think if Willow died it’d have joined the Hellmouth’s team as an alternate form), it’s more taking shapes in order to manipulate people.
What I’m intensely curious about is the lil artifact that Jonathan was sacrificed over. Could it be the cause, or at least physcial manifisation of the Hellmouth?