tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post8010725477446509166..comments2024-03-28T23:03:57.917-04:00Comments on Doux Reviews: Buffy Season Six: Stupendous or Stinky?Billie Douxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-35865256258227184792023-04-08T11:14:52.338-04:002023-04-08T11:14:52.338-04:00Victoria. All the Way Victoria. (Did you see wha...Victoria. All the Way Victoria. (Did you see what I did with that? Lol.)<br /><br />There, you can stop reading if you’d like. I love season 6. It and season 7 are my favorites. (And now hands down season 11 if you count comics.)<br /><br />Season 6 has so many story arc ends. Willow’s dance with dark magic. Tara. Xander & Anya. Giles of Sunnydale. The Trio. Dawn’s rebellion. Buffy’s depression. Buffy & Spike. Spike’s quest for change. <br /><br />For me, it all worked. All of it. Except maybe Normal Again. But the best moment, and line, goes to a nameless demon in the very last scene of the season.<br /><br />“Very well, we will return - your soul.”Mågenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-62008188862380081982017-04-03T11:52:37.013-04:002017-04-03T11:52:37.013-04:00I revisit this site every time I rewatch Buffy, bu...I revisit this site every time I rewatch Buffy, but this is the first time I've noticed this post, which is apropos as I am about halfway through rewatching S6 again for the 20th anniversary of Buffy. While I agree with many of Juliette's points, I am with Victoria overall. I love most of season 6 and always enjoy rewatching it. It's dark, but the darkness parallels periods of real life where good people struggle with depression and self-destructive behavior. I think in this season we see different aspects of the character's personalities and see how they handle different things. Additionally, there are some very strong episodes that delight me every time - Once More with Feeling, Tabula Rassa, etc.<br /><br />I also love the sexy, yet fundamentally twisted nature of Buffy and Spike's relationship. Haven't we all done or wanted to do things that we knew were wrong and messed up because of how they made us feel during it? And so many of us have been in unhealthy relationships in spite of ourselves. To me, it's completely believable that Buffy would want Spike but also hate herself for wanting him and for being the kind of person who would use someone in that way. Spike loves Buffy, and she does not love him, and they both know it. At that same time, Spike loves Buffy in a selfish way. Love is a powerful force for him and made him change, but it also was a bastardization of love. It is selfish and obsessive. While it did cause him to change in many ways, from protecting Dawn and helping the Scoobies keep Buffy's death a secret to generally helping fight evil, it all came about due to being neutered by the chip. He fights monsters because he can and loves to fight and kill things, and since they are fighting the same baddies it makes sense for him to align himself with the Scoobies.<br /><br />This leads me to one point I really disagree with Juliette on - the rape. The rape was completely in character for Spike. As he keeps reminding the Scoobies (and the audience) he is evil. They forget that because he is toothless after the chip, but his nature hasn't completely changed. The first thing he does when he thinks his chip no longer works is to try to kill a woman in an alley. It is his love of Buffy that prevents him from trying to kill her, but the violence leading up to their tearing the house down sex is part of the underlying nature of him as a vampire. As a soulless vampire he has killed and probably raped many women before Buffy, so the attempt itself is completely believable. It is also vitally important to his character development because it makes him realize that he needs to make a choice. The old Spike would not have felt remorse for what he tried to do and the fact he does shows how far he has come and also is the impetus for him to go get his soul back. Juliette is wrong -this is not "having a soul forced back onto the character by external forces." The fact that he did something to hurt Buffy and feels remorse and gilt for it makes him CHOOSE to become someone who can be a good person and true hero. As difficult as the scene is to watch, it seems completely in character and also makes sense in the contest of a relationship that has been defined by both sex and violence.<br /><br />I do agree completely with Juliette's comments about the magic as addiction metaphor and Giles leaving. The addiction plot was very heavy headed and I think magic as power would have been more compelling. The addiction thing seemed to come out of no where and escalate too quickly since before there the issue of magic use seemed to be abuse of power. That being said, I didn't completely hate the subplot and I liked seeing Willow go back to doing things without magic. The Giles point is also a good one. It was not really believable that Giles would leave Buffy at such a young age, dealing with such heavy stuff. I wish the writer's had come up with a better reason for him to leave than it ostensibly being for her own good.Bahiahttp://bahiaportfolio.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-21399592387986741422017-03-13T17:14:47.702-04:002017-03-13T17:14:47.702-04:00I absolutely loved season 6.
While I think all of...I absolutely loved season 6. <br />While I think all of Juilette's reasons against the season are valid (Tara! and Spike!!), season 6 was still just insane wish fulfillment for me. I was a Spuffy shipper ever since the very first time Spike appeared on the show and to see it happen on screen first in Once more with feeling (the utter SHOCK) and later in Smashed (what's the superlative of SHOCK??) made me scream. <br />But then, the relationship between Buffy and Spike was so dark and twisted that it was even more interesting AFTER it happened, instead of fizzling out in a "happy ever after". Season 6 was the only show ever that had "my ship" become an official couple AND keep it exciting to watch. <br />Shows nowadays either have their ships flipflopping between different players at breakneck speed (TVD, True Blood, so many others) or endlessly tease without ever going their (Sherlock). BTVS both went there and payed proper attention to the emotional implications and consequences.<br /><br />Looking back, Season 6 had so many scenes that literally made me scream at my TV in shock, horror or joy, I don't think any season of any show ever evoked so many memorable emotions. <br />Seranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-58857352198812213282017-03-12T18:15:53.948-04:002017-03-12T18:15:53.948-04:00Season six is my favourite season. There isn'...Season six is my favourite season. There isn't much I don't love about it and I think the characters struggling and failing each other was a brave direction to take it.<br /><br />Re: the attempted rape, I agree with people who think it was an important point for Spike because he let himself down after saying he would never hurt Buffy. When he talked to Clem we saw he was confused by what he had done and also why it bothered him too(!). He thought he could walk the line but found he couldn't, unable to be a monster or man, and he had to choose a way to go. Once souled you see how upset he was in S7 in Never Leave Me when talking of his past and what he had done. He has the breadth of emotion to care about <i>all</i> those he attacked/raped, the evil he had done, not just that he had attacked Buffy after saying he wouldn't. He may have tried to be good and love Buffy but it turned out to be limited and when he describes it as a selfish bastardisation of love in S10, I understand what he means. Souled Spike died in the Hellmouth to save the world full of people he didn't know, he became a hero. Without the failure prompting the wish to change he would never have become that person who was able to lift Buffy up, strengthen her and join her in the light rather than trying to pull her to him into the dark.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-61661962191381370692017-03-11T19:27:19.975-05:002017-03-11T19:27:19.975-05:00I'm siding with Victoria. Besides some bad pl...I'm siding with Victoria. Besides some bad plots, here and there, the season is very interesting and I loved it. Season 7 was a big disappointment for me, I skip a lot of it on rewatch, but I always enjoy season 6.Mallenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11368492098724611717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-15329174231546069502017-03-11T18:04:31.874-05:002017-03-11T18:04:31.874-05:00Giles' reason for his departure, although usef...Giles' reason for his departure, although useful for the arcs of all the other characters, was the one big flop for me. Why would a Watcher ever abandon a Slayer? And the writers could have taken him out of the US so easily without his showing such a lack of judgment - simply deport him, as was threatened in an earlier episode. He could have gone with a statement like "I think you can stand on your own, Buffy" and could have been incommunicado while in the UK for other reasons.Victoria Grossackhttp://www.tapestryofbronze.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-25841861782649206072017-03-11T13:42:19.744-05:002017-03-11T13:42:19.744-05:00sunbunny - I agree they could have found a better ...sunbunny - I agree they could have found a better way to write Giles out too - I thought that was daft as well! It's the one thing that really brings down the musical for me. Though I guess it's good that they didn't kill him off.Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-16655808725861449312017-03-10T13:07:58.353-05:002017-03-10T13:07:58.353-05:00Season six is my favorite. As someone who's st...Season six is my favorite. As someone who's struggled with mental health, seeing Buffy, someone I really looked up to and admired, go through what I was going through (but with vampires) was really powerful. Watching her climb out of that hole in the finale was so cathartic. The one thing I really hate about the season is Giles' leaving. It was basely ridiculous that he thought his TWENTY ONE YEAR OLD daughter figure needs to save the world by herself, raise her teenage sister by herself, deal with her worsening depression by herself, financially support herself and her sister...I mean she's TWENTY ONE. What kind of parent leaves a child to deal with half of that at that age? I mean maybe if she were 30 or something but geez Giles. And I get it was just done because Tony Head wanted to spend more time in England but they could have come up with a better way to get rid of him. As it is, I can only blame six years of brain damage from being continually knocked out.sunbunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08553429350476841139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-23647717679319682082017-03-10T10:59:58.487-05:002017-03-10T10:59:58.487-05:00I think it's fairly clear what the writers wer...I think it's fairly clear what the writers were trying to do with respect to the trio. If Buffy had been facing some world-threatening menace, she would have snapped the hell out of it a lot sooner. Since her nemeses were complete idiots, it only worsened her depression. Buffy didn't really snap out of it until the season finale, when Willow actually did try to destroy the world.<br /><br />I liked season six fine. Maybe not every episode was a home run, but what can you do? Seven was the season that I liked the least, but even it was pretty good. At least BTVS didn't go out crawling on its belly, the way True Blood and TVD have. I would have been up for an eighth season of BTVS, whereas the thought of another season of either one of those shows makes my skin crawl.TheShadowKnowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11073693648569864707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-49829041193644316992017-03-10T02:53:21.232-05:002017-03-10T02:53:21.232-05:00I did not watch season 6 live. In fact I only saw ...I did not watch season 6 live. In fact I only saw it when I bought the entire series on DVD (along with Angel too). So I already knew there was a musical and about Dark Willow and Tara's death. So I guess I'm not entirely qualified to talk about it.<br /><br />But I know I always complain when shows get stagnant so this season at least gets a lot of points from me for trying to do something different. Sure the trio is mostly boring and Whedon did the evil nerd storyline a LOT better in Dr Horribles Sing-Along Blog, but Buffy's depression is imho a really good arc and even if You only watch Once More With Feeling and Tabula Rasa it makes the entire season worth it just for those two episodes. Just like season 4 is made a lot better by Hush.<br /><br />Writing this I realized I remember a lot less from the stuff that happened in season 7 then in season 6. So at least You can say season 6 is memorable.Patrykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13662838711958747484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-25000499870396646992017-03-09T21:13:53.179-05:002017-03-09T21:13:53.179-05:00Count me as another non-fan of Season 6. and took ...Count me as another non-fan of Season 6. and took a break partway through the season in my recent watch. Firstly, season arcs on Buffy depend heavily on their chief antagonist, and I hated the trio. Every time they were on the screen I felt like Big Bang Theory had invaded Buffy.<br /><br />Also, while the idea of exploring the dark sides of Willow, Buffy, and Xander was an interesting idea, in all three cases, they pushed beyond what I could believe of the characters. And in a more general sense, it felt like to me, season 6 seemed to imply that none of the characters had matured since they were 15. In the absence of Mom and Dad (Giles), it felt like the characters went backwards. <br /><br />I should say with regard to the Willow plot line, I totally bought her going dark side when Tara was killed, it was her mid-season breakdown that I felt went too far.<br /><br />Yes, it had some great individual episodes, but--like season 4--I found the overall story arcs unsatisfying. Though the trajectory was the opposite. I thought season 6 opened and finished strongly, whereas season 4 was at its best in the middle.magrittenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-87470790302713976972017-03-09T21:08:14.014-05:002017-03-09T21:08:14.014-05:00I used to hate this season when i first watched it...I used to hate this season when i first watched it..I also found it boring watching it at a younger age...Only when i rewatched in my mid twenties did i really appreciate what the writers were going for..<br />This season is tough because it breaks down every character and we as an audience have to watch them be less than what we know they are.<br />People may not have like the Angle they took with Willow, i didn't i would have preferred her descent be to the hinted power hungry and almost oppressive force she was at the start of the season..However addiction in all forms is not something to be shied away from and considering the times i think it was brave (if not excecuted well) to tackle it and especially with Willows character..I think they tried to put a spin on drugs and alchohol but with Magic but it didn't really work out.<br /><br />Tara had a good arc on the show, i never felt her death was a fridging per se, but its easy to understand the outrage.<br />No season of television is perfect, this season has some real hits and some real misses but its a spectacular and accurate piece.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-17716415756990000172017-03-09T16:49:16.535-05:002017-03-09T16:49:16.535-05:00Team Victoria here. Although I think season 6 was ...Team Victoria here. Although I think season 6 was both stupendous and stinky. Hee.<br /><br />I agree with Marianna, I hated the trio. A freeze ray? An invisible fight? What were the writers thinking? Lame, lame, lame. I liked their decent into darkness, but they were never compelling villains. Having that said, Warren individually was a despicable person and an interesting character.<br /><br />I can live with Willow’s addiction arc, mostly because it gave us a lot of good old Willow while she was magic free. I do agree it could’ve been done better, but it doesn’t bother me. Heck, I don’t hate “Wrecked” at all, I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as a lot of people say it is. I’m more disappointed with Dark Willow on the final two episodes of the season. While she was terrific on “Villains”, after Warren’s death it appears the writers didn’t know what to do with her and went with a check list: fight Buffy? Check. End the world? Check. Meh. They killed off Tara, they should’ve made Dark Willow’s journey epic. Not that it was bad, it was just... kind of there.<br /><br />Tara’s death. Looking at season six, I can see why it happens. I understand why the writers did it and I don’t resent them. Looking back at the series as a whole several years later, I think it’s one of the series’ two biggest mistakes (the other one being the potentials on season seven). <br /><br />The thing is, when season six is great, it’s GREAT. I mean, Afterlife, Once More With Feeling, Dead Things... All great TV. Many other episodes have flaws preventing them from being <i>Buffy</i> classics, but there’s still a lot to love. It’s a rollercoaster of a season and it gets better with time.<br /><br />Regarding Spike, I don’t think the attempted rape was out of character at all. He was always very possessive of his ladies. He kidnapped Drusilla, then tried to mind rape her (and kidnapped Willow to do it), he treated Harmony terribly and his relationship with Buffy was mutually abusive. Buffy said “no” several times, but he still did it anyway. When they had sex at the Bronze, Buffy clearly didn’t want but gave in to Spike’s control. He had her look at her happy friends as they did it and told her she belonged with him in the dark. That’s abuse right there. I’m not saying this as a Spike hater, the abusive nature of their relationship is both unsettling and psychologically fascinating. It’s very true to life. What I’m saying is that it all backs up the attempted rape.<br /><br />Buffy’s arc is amazing. It’s the best part of the season hands down. I love it. Being taken out of heaven, feeling depressed, her destructive relationship with Spike, her confession to Tara, her resolution to end things with Spike, her decision to stay and stand the trials of life (on “Normal Again”). It’s a hell of a journey.Lamounierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00225447169375363236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-9810839984481684752017-03-09T16:40:40.373-05:002017-03-09T16:40:40.373-05:00It seems that everyone (myself included ) likes th...It seems that everyone (myself included ) likes the first eight episodes of season six. After that, I largely agree with Juliette, although I do feel that the season finale is powerful. For me, season six can be broken into two parts - episodes with Giles and those without. When he's there, it works well (and the show produces some of my favorite all-time moments). When he's not, things somewhat fall apart. There's perhaps a metaphor there, but I doubt that it was intentional.Eric Parsonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08440343265685992640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-63853984675291042522017-03-09T16:11:28.288-05:002017-03-09T16:11:28.288-05:00I'm with Victoria. I thought the season as a w...I'm with Victoria. I thought the season as a whole was sort of amazing, just when it came to the risks they were taking and the negative aspects of our heroes that they were exploring. Buffy making Spike her sex slave and abusing him because she saw him as inhuman was an intensely heavy thing to do with our heroine. Xander leaving Anya at the altar was in character for him. Willow's addiction to magic and descent into evil felt inevitable, after five seasons of flirting with magic.<br /><br />Although I think Juliette has a lot of valid points. I was angry about what I saw as character assassination of Spike in "Seeing Red," and totally furious about losing Tara the way we did. Billie Douxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-44372214623790306702017-03-09T15:57:46.447-05:002017-03-09T15:57:46.447-05:00I also agree with Juliette for all the reasons lis...I also agree with Juliette for all the reasons listed but mostly because I hated the villains. I never bought the idea of the real villain being life as an excuse for having really lame villains. The big bad was always a metaphor for life. Buffy simultaneously dealt with serious villains while dealing with cry-yourself-to-sleep life problems. That's the essence of the show and season six took that away.Mariannahttp://www.mariannahorn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-11987443754008856792017-03-09T14:46:34.211-05:002017-03-09T14:46:34.211-05:00I'm on Juliette's side here. I did stick i...I'm on Juliette's side here. I did stick it out to the end of season, mostly because I kept hoping the show would go back to the one I had loved, but all of the problems Juliette had with the show were mine. The biggest was the excusing of Willow's abuse by making it "magic addiction" instead of the fact that she was abusing Tara. Since this was being parallel to Wesley's turn to the dark on Angel, I found it especially disappointing, since on the sister show, the psychological aspects were being handled magnificently, IMHO.<br /><br />I too had problems reconciling Spikes attempted rape of Buffy with his characterization since season 4. He hunted with the Scoobies even when Buffy was dead and was very protective of Dawn. So I didn't see trying to rape Buffy as a choice he would have made. The relationship was troubling but it was mutually abusive, IMHO. I found the chemistry compelling, but could have accepted that Buffy didn't want the relationship to continue because she found it unhealthy, although I didn't think RILEY was a reason to make her see it that way. Then I never bought the chemistry between Riley and Buffy. <br /><br />Season six turned me away from Buffy and I did abandon ship in season seven. There were some good episodes and the first half was enjoyable, then things went in ways that simply didn't jell for me.percysownerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01524512417823662079noreply@blogger.com