And...see...people said I was full of it when I said that Joss was anticipating and responding to a lot of the fan reactions from the very start. These episodes were written and in the can long before now, which means those self-aware moments were all based on foresight.

Does it absolve Joss of everything? No, but I think it does indicate that he deserves to get a fair look at where the rest of the season goes.