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MY THOUGHTS/PREDICTIONS: I’ve been trying to stay spoiler-free this season, so all of this is my own, over-thought-out speculation.

First of all, I share your fantasy of a total Buffyverse showdown with both casts. It has, and will always be my ultimate fangirl fantasy, after a major motion picture. Is it likely? *shrug*

I’m sure you are aware of the speculation that Giles has been replaced by the First. It is clear that ME is definitely setting us up to believe it. The scripts of late have gone to great lengths to emphasize that Giles isn’t touching anything. I believe that Giles is a big, fat, red herring to detract attention from the real imposter: Cordelia.

Think of it this way:

Someone killed the last member of the Ra-Tet (sp?). Only four people knew when the shift would change: Gwen, Gunn, Cordelia, and Angel. Also, Angel would have been able to smell if anyone else had been in the room. So, as stated on the show itself, it would have to be an inside job. The traitor cut the power to the surveillance system 15 minutes before Angel and Cordelia took their shift. So, we can effectively rule out Gwen and Gunn, as they cannot be guarding the precious and cutting the power at the same time. Both Angel and Cordelia could have drugged the drinks.

So it’s neck and neck. But the whole thing gets blamed on a brainwashed Angel. Why? Because Cordelia told them so.

Are we really supposed to believe that Cordelia remembers Angel’s past better than Angel? OK, so Angelus makes a pact with the Beast, and then wipes his own memory. Why? There would be no reason to, unless he somehow knew he’d be cursed with a soul some day. Like Hell that happened. OK, so Angelus makes a pact with the Beast and the Beast wipes Angelus’ memory of the pact. Then why, oh why, is the Beast acting so surprised that Angel’s reneging on the pact? Anyway you slice it, it doesn’t make sense.

Alternate theory:

The First is up to its old ticks again. It failed at turning Angel to the dark side four years ago. Now it’s trying a new tactic. It cannot attack Angel directly, because he’s on to its tricks now.

The Beast is in cahoots with the First, or the First controls the Beast. Mr. Stony Face is a real scary bad guy to get all our heroes up in a panic, with the rain of fire, and no sun and all. But that isn’t enough. The First needs Angel evil, not dead. So while the real Cordelia is imprisoned in the omnipotent higher-being dimension, the First sends a decoy, that claims to have amnesia. Our heroes take the bait, and give her (it?) Cordy’s memories. The imposter then begins a campaign to breed distrust and malcontent within the group. Now Gunn, Wes, and Fred are doing fine on their own in this regard. So she wastes no time confessing to Angel how much she loves him, but can never be with him because of Angelus, blah, blah. Then ten minutes later she’s seducing Connor: “Oh, Angel, I love you so much! Oh, there’s your impressionable son! I’m going to sleep with him now for no good reason!” Cordelia is so successfully dividing Angel and Connor that it seems damn near deliberate.

Also note how the Beast did not kill Cordelia when it had the chance. Also, Cordelia has not had a single vision since she returned; both of her fake visions turned out to be “memories.” I find it hard to believe that the PTB would return Cordelia to the gang in their hour or need, and not give them any guidance at all. Also, Cordelia seems to be lacking in any other demon-y superpowerness.

So unlike the “It’s Angel’s Fault Theory” that the good guys are blindly following now, my theory is actually supported by the facts.

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