I see people justify it as 'Buffy being institutionalized' as only happening in the "Dawn Verse." Basically, it was a memory implanted by the monks and didn't really happen. I like that explanation since it saves Joyce's characterization and doesn't make her look like an idiot in S2.



Same. It is just too canon breaking and thinks it is clever when it isn't. That "cliffhanger" that it's all fake is just straight up stupid because Joyce isn't even the biggest plot hole. Angel The Fricken Series is. Buffy making up Xander, Willow, and Dawn I can ~maybe see.~ But creating an entire spinoff life with fully realized people that she never even meets or sees for her ex-boyfriend??? LMAO. OKAY. Werk.