Such a fair review of a season that was very polarizing. I personally loved this season. I really felt like season 1-4 are about growing up and season 5-7 are about BEING a grown up. The themes, challenges, character arcs, and situations the characters get themselves into are just more adult. They don’t have easy answers and the line between of being completely right or completely wrong was really blurred. But I do understand why people do not like this show, especially if you are experiencing it after it aired. I will forever be Joss Whedon hater for putting Amber in the credits as a manipulation tactic though. It was a cheap gimmick that wasn’t necessary and only complicated fan reaction to the death. Either add her as a regular at the beginning of the season (Episode 1) or don’t add her to the episode just to kill her.
Joss always planned for Willow’s love interest to be killed off and result in the dark Willow arc.. it was initially going to be Oz but he left the show far earlier than expected
My absolute favorite season because its so real! It takes what we felt in "The Body" in season 5 and gives those vibes throughout season 6. We are watching each characters struggles, and in my opinion, the big bad is technically our scooby gang and their battles with themselves. Thats what makes the season so great.
Season 6 has many fans split as some did not like the darkness of it at all. We have to remember the Network change was so evident in the adult tone of the episodes in S6, and the disturbing topics covered in the Season. I personally loved it, and thought that the writers did a great job to delve into the dark side of humanity with some truly disturbing scenes. It of course had Once More With Feeling, such an innovative episode packed with reveals, and a pivotal episode in the whole series with brilliant songs and amazing story telling. Smashed and Wrecked were again so important as episodes as we see Buffy give in to her sexual desires and urges, even though she feels guilty over this she is very much a willing partner, and a great scene with the Super Powered Buffy and Spike shagging so hard they demolish a house! A couple of Duds in Doublemeat Palace and All The Way, but that being said we also had the brilliant Tabula Rasa. Of course Seeing Red is an episode a lot of fans hate and with good reason. We have the attempted rape of Buffy, and of course the needless death of Tara. Regarding the bathroom scene we know it affected James Marsters deeply, and he did not want to do it. I always come back to the S3 E15 episode Consequences where Faith sexually assaults and tries to murder an innocent Xander, and how this is not viewed in the same way as the bathroom scene in Seeing Red. I often wondered if that scene from Season 3 had been in Season 6 it would have been as equally disturbing due to it perhaps being more graphic in nature as allowed by the Network change. The main arc of the Season is of course the spiral of Dark Willow, it's hard to believe this is the same schoolgirl from S1 so innocent and mild, who turns into and absolute monster. Her seeking of retribution is understandable against The Trio, and I do not think anyone was sad to see the abominable Warren meet his fate. S6 was amazing in showing us how Willow becomes a 'junkie' regarding her addiction to magic. Again it was fitting that Xander in the yellow crayon moment saved them all again as he did in The Zeppo in S3. It showed love conquered all and Hannigan and Brendon really knocked it out the park here in a brilliant scene. Another really disturbing scene was in Dead Things, when Buffy was needlessly beating Spike senseless outside the Police Station when he was only trying to help her, this was absolute abuse, and was so disturbing to watch when he says to her 'you always hurt the one you love'. All in all it was great Season in the overall arc of the show containing some great episodes and truly brilliant scenes.
Excellent overview to a mature season. I have read and heard the negative comments about Season 6 since it aired. For many it’s like moving away when you and your friend are both 12 and then you meet when you are both 22. You can either wish you were both 12 again or enjoy each other and be an adult. You were spot on about the real Big Bad was growing up and facing life. Some people just want carefree Buffy, Angel lurking, and hanging out in the library researching a demon. But that is not BTVS. This is a brilliant show that addresses difficult issues, emotional traumas, purpose of morality, life choices, the reality of death …. while being entertaining and concern for characters. This year could have been boring, preachy, and self important. Can anyone tell me another show where the hero would be truly depressed, have a toxic relationship where she used her lover for selfish purposes, and she develops self loathing and neglects her sister? On top of that the handsome leading man confuses sex, violence and love with the woman he has an unhealthy obsession, sustains his life with criminal activity, and tries to rape his supposed love? That’s just some of the topics and not dealing with Willow, Dawn, or Anya. Xander is an entirely different story. Season 6 is a study in courage but also the belief that the audience is smarter than given credit. Your 9 out of 10 is admirable considering how difficult Seeing Red was for you. It remains hard to watch but I think in a couple of years you might rethink the entirety of the episode and feel slightly different. Thank you for your reactions all year and I hope that Season 7 is a success for you.
Tara's not the best character in this series. She's the best character in the whole show. Strong, moral, wise, warm, loving and supportive to all. Not the most exciting character but the one we would all benefit from knowing and having in our lives.
Willow didn't take a life, she took 2 lives, killed 2 humans. One was definitely evil but the other doesn't seem to have been a murderer, a 'drug' dealer maybe but not a murderer!
I'm not convinced he was human. Certainly a question mark similar to what do you do with someone like Faith. They both had lethal supernatural abilities. If anything, I think of Rack as a less powerful being akin to Dark Willow.
@@samanthas8340 I always thought of him as a dealer who dipped too often into his own wares 🤣 I certainly wouldn't put him into the same category as skinless or Willow.
@cenedra2143 I sort of credit Willows development to Rack. He says, "When you first came to me, you were just a slip of a girl....look at you now." I think it's implied he was more powerful than both her and Amy. Amy says, "I bet she's at racks right now. She's his new favorite. " they looked up to him because he had more power, hence the drug metaphor. Because of his power, they could literally alter reality with the snap of a finger. That's much different than Willow getting nose bleeds due to sending glory to a different demension. Willow arc was all about taking power from people more powerful than her, including Osiris and then the Coven through Giles. All in all, I think he was pretty powerful he just preferred to direct his power differently than other demons and vampires. We can agree to disagree, I just wanted to thoroughly explain my perspective. :)
I am A sexual, and gender fleuid. Buffy's Tara, and Willow relationship helped me with my self discovery. There are people out there who's lives were saved due to Tara, and Willow's relationship. Despite how toxic he is as a person, Joss did, if by mistake, created a revolution, in a way. Though, I must say, that is more down to Allison, and Amber's stellar performances in those roles. Fantastic job by both women.
I really thought you wouldnt have liked this season so much. I really enjoy season 6 but I think the writing is not so strong here, and some of the one off episodes dont work as well as previous season. But when you wrap it all up it works well. I love the theme of depression and how all the characters internal conflicts implode.
People overhype just how “divisive” this season is. Most fans love it or love it with some reservations or have very mixed feelings about it. Very few fans “hate” it. I can’t place season 6 on the tier of 2, 5 and 3. Its overall arc is too flimsy. Too many of the better episodes are early in the season. The finale is meh. And some of its attempts at being “dark” and “grown up” just come off forced or redundant. And yes, killing off Tara the way they did felt gimmick-y and unnecessarily cruel. It’s still a very ambitious season that I appreciate.
Season 6 is my favorite and it seems to becoming an even bigger favorite with the passing of time. It is Passion of the Nerd's - probably the most thorough and exhaustive Buffy UA-cam channel - favorite season, as well.
"Hating" part of a show means a number of different things. In the case of Tara, for example, I hate the way it made me feel, which means that I can appreciate how well done it was. I hate what Spike did, but it's because I care so much for the characters and it makes me feel angry -- which it was supposed to. I hate Warren, but I'm meant to. He's a (fairly) well-written villain, and though he doesn't have a compelling arc, it's top quality writing and acting. On the other hand, there are other shows or movies -- not naming names -- where "hate" meant I disliked the writing, the plot, the characters, the quality or the adaptation or whatever. And it made me lose interest in continuing to watch the rest. I may have followed it half-heartedly just because I "want to see how it ends", or not even cared about that and just dropped it. I suppose S6 may have engendered this other sort of hate in a few people, but I think even the vast majority of "haters" hate like the other sort -- hating the movie because it made me cry, but would still recommend it to everyone I meet.
It came out that amber and another cast member had a disagreement/ fight and she wanted to leave. Her and the other cast member made amends but she still wanted to leave. Thats what I read in an online interview
Edit: I didn't believe the poster above either, but it IS true, although the disagreement was only one factor. The interview they're quoting is not online, although articles about it are. Amber was interviewed for a book about Buffy called Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz, which came out in 2022. I know it sounds fake, which is why I looked into it. But they ARE telling the truth. **** That was part of it, but there were several other things happening. Amber said in early 2022 that given the massive backlash to Tara's death, Joss realized he'd screwed up and asked her to come back, thinking they could somehow resurrect her. But Amber was very aware of how much the LGBTQIA+ community in particular had been hurt, and agreeing to return when she didn't know exactly how that would happen and how fans would respond to it could have been even more hurtful, and that was too risky for her.
Amber had a biff with who ? Because Amber knew at least since the end of season 5 Tara was going to be killed for Dark Willow to appear. She also said it felt good to leave because she was done and felt the character was complete, after breaking up and reuniting with Willow now.
@@Square-ow7oqI thought so too, but it isn't. She really did say this. *I* know where they read it, because I looked it up after I read that comment. The interview is from Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born, a book by Evan Ross Katz that came out in 2022. Amber was interviewed for the book, and you can easily Google the exact quotes using that information. However, it's worth noting (as I have previously done) that this is not THE reason, but one of several reasons, which that part of the book goes on to talk about (and which are often included in the articles about it). I realize what @meggo329 is saying sounds wrong - I thought so too. But it isn't, and you can find Amber's quotes on it pretty easily, like I did this morning.
Gotta say, too - it bothers me that multiple people immediately called OP a liar when I found direct quotes from the book she's talking about in literally 30 seconds. In the time it took to write those comments, y'all could have Googled it, realized that the interview really did happen, and read Benson's direct quotes about it.
Alright, the Buffy season I actually dislike. There are two things I like, and three I hate, and in the end the hate overwhelms the like. The like: 1) Buffy's dark night of the soul after being ripped out of heaven. At the time I felt almost alone in liking this aspect of the show, and if the season had been primarily about Buffy finding a reason to go on again I would be a fan. The high point of this storyline for me was the "I'd rather feel bad than not feel anything at all" (Warren Zevon, "Ain't that pretty at all") Spuffy relationship. I thought the season started strong and ended awful, but that seemed to be a minority opinion at the time, with most people either disliking the entire season or disliking the beginning but liking the end. 2) Once More, With Feeling. One of the great episodes of television, and the best musical episode. I'd say it's only overshadowed by "The Body" in the series, but it's in that tip top tier of transcendent episodes. The hate: 1) The three. Seasons live and die based on the villains. A great villain (The Master) can elevate a mundane season, a poor villain (Adam) can drag down an otherwise great season. The three are bottom of the barrel. 2) Magic is bad, m'kay. I absolutely hate the magic = drugs storyline. If it had been magic = power, and power corrupts, I'd be on board, especially since we've seen Willow cut corners and be self-serving over and over and over again throughout the series. But drugs? I got enough of that Nancy Reagan BS posturing in the 80s. These two storylines completely overshadowed what I liked in the dark night of the soul storyline. I was seething everytime the three or the drugs metaphor appeared on screen while simultaneously being frustrated they weren't spending the time on the actually engrossing Buffy storyline. 3) Normal again. I hate it more than I love Once More, With Feeling. In fact, I hate it more than I hate any piece of media I can think of. It checked me out of the series so hard I didn't recover until the end of season 7. If I hadn't known ahead of time that season 7 would be the end I may not have watched 7 at all. I've quit other series for less. But IMO and all that, so never mind me ranting in the corner here.
Such a fair review of a season that was very polarizing. I personally loved this season. I really felt like season 1-4 are about growing up and season 5-7 are about BEING a grown up. The themes, challenges, character arcs, and situations the characters get themselves into are just more adult. They don’t have easy answers and the line between of being completely right or completely wrong was really blurred. But I do understand why people do not like this show, especially if you are experiencing it after it aired. I will forever be Joss Whedon hater for putting Amber in the credits as a manipulation tactic though. It was a cheap gimmick that wasn’t necessary and only complicated fan reaction to the death. Either add her as a regular at the beginning of the season (Episode 1) or don’t add her to the episode just to kill her.
You take putting a persons name in and out of the credits too seriously. Hate him for other reasons not for a creative choice like that. lol
@@zachharris3040 > "[don't have your own opinions or feelings. Have mine instead.]"
You must be fun at parties.
Joss always planned for Willow’s love interest to be killed off and result in the dark Willow arc.. it was initially going to be Oz but he left the show far earlier than expected
My absolute favorite season because its so real! It takes what we felt in "The Body" in season 5 and gives those vibes throughout season 6. We are watching each characters struggles, and in my opinion, the big bad is technically our scooby gang and their battles with themselves. Thats what makes the season so great.
Season 6 has many fans split as some did not like the darkness of it at all. We have to remember the Network change was so evident in the adult tone of the episodes in S6, and the disturbing topics covered in the Season. I personally loved it, and thought that the writers did a great job to delve into the dark side of humanity with some truly disturbing scenes. It of course had Once More With Feeling, such an innovative episode packed with reveals, and a pivotal episode in the whole series with brilliant songs and amazing story telling. Smashed and Wrecked were again so important as episodes as we see Buffy give in to her sexual desires and urges, even though she feels guilty over this she is very much a willing partner, and a great scene with the Super Powered Buffy and Spike shagging so hard they demolish a house! A couple of Duds in Doublemeat Palace and All The Way, but that being said we also had the brilliant Tabula Rasa. Of course Seeing Red is an episode a lot of fans hate and with good reason. We have the attempted rape of Buffy, and of course the needless death of Tara. Regarding the bathroom scene we know it affected James Marsters deeply, and he did not want to do it. I always come back to the S3 E15 episode Consequences where Faith sexually assaults and tries to murder an innocent Xander, and how this is not viewed in the same way as the bathroom scene in Seeing Red. I often wondered if that scene from Season 3 had been in Season 6 it would have been as equally disturbing due to it perhaps being more graphic in nature as allowed by the Network change. The main arc of the Season is of course the spiral of Dark Willow, it's hard to believe this is the same schoolgirl from S1 so innocent and mild, who turns into and absolute monster. Her seeking of retribution is understandable against The Trio, and I do not think anyone was sad to see the abominable Warren meet his fate. S6 was amazing in showing us how Willow becomes a 'junkie' regarding her addiction to magic. Again it was fitting that Xander in the yellow crayon moment saved them all again as he did in The Zeppo in S3. It showed love conquered all and Hannigan and Brendon really knocked it out the park here in a brilliant scene. Another really disturbing scene was in Dead Things, when Buffy was needlessly beating Spike senseless outside the Police Station when he was only trying to help her, this was absolute abuse, and was so disturbing to watch when he says to her 'you always hurt the one you love'. All in all it was great Season in the overall arc of the show containing some great episodes and truly brilliant scenes.
Break up the wall of text, man! Empty lines breaking that into smaller paragraphs would make it MUCH easier to read.
Excellent overview to a mature season. I have read and heard the negative comments about Season 6 since it aired. For many it’s like moving away when you and your friend are both 12 and then you meet when you are both 22. You can either wish you were both 12 again or enjoy each other and be an adult. You were spot on about the real Big Bad was growing up and facing life. Some people just want carefree Buffy, Angel lurking, and hanging out in the library researching a demon. But that is not BTVS. This is a brilliant show that addresses difficult issues, emotional traumas, purpose of morality, life choices, the reality of death …. while being entertaining and concern for characters. This year could have been boring, preachy, and self important. Can anyone tell me another show where the hero would be truly depressed, have a toxic relationship where she used her lover for selfish purposes, and she develops self loathing and neglects her sister? On top of that the handsome leading man confuses sex, violence and love with the woman he has an unhealthy obsession, sustains his life with criminal activity, and tries to rape his supposed love? That’s just some of the topics and not dealing with Willow, Dawn, or Anya. Xander is an entirely different story. Season 6 is a study in courage but also the belief that the audience is smarter than given credit. Your 9 out of 10 is admirable considering how difficult Seeing Red was for you. It remains hard to watch but I think in a couple of years you might rethink the entirety of the episode and feel slightly different. Thank you for your reactions all year and I hope that Season 7 is a success for you.
Tara's not the best character in this series. She's the best character in the whole show. Strong, moral, wise, warm, loving and supportive to all. Not the most exciting character but the one we would all benefit from knowing and having in our lives.
She became what Joyce used to be. And more.
You could watch the movie in memorium of Donald Sutherland
Willow didn't take a life, she took 2 lives, killed 2 humans. One was definitely evil but the other doesn't seem to have been a murderer, a 'drug' dealer maybe but not a murderer!
I'm not convinced he was human. Certainly a question mark similar to what do you do with someone like Faith. They both had lethal supernatural abilities. If anything, I think of Rack as a less powerful being akin to Dark Willow.
@@samanthas8340 I always thought of him as a dealer who dipped too often into his own wares 🤣 I certainly wouldn't put him into the same category as skinless or Willow.
@cenedra2143 I sort of credit Willows development to Rack. He says, "When you first came to me, you were just a slip of a girl....look at you now." I think it's implied he was more powerful than both her and Amy. Amy says, "I bet she's at racks right now. She's his new favorite. " they looked up to him because he had more power, hence the drug metaphor. Because of his power, they could literally alter reality with the snap of a finger. That's much different than Willow getting nose bleeds due to sending glory to a different demension. Willow arc was all about taking power from people more powerful than her, including Osiris and then the Coven through Giles. All in all, I think he was pretty powerful he just preferred to direct his power differently than other demons and vampires.
We can agree to disagree, I just wanted to thoroughly explain my perspective.
:)
My favorite season is season 3. Season 5 has the best arc and season 6 the best and strongest for characters
This season is depression incarnate on screen.
Did you ever watch Torchwood when it was on? There was a short arc featuring James Marsters as Captain John Hart. (2008).
I am A sexual, and gender fleuid. Buffy's Tara, and Willow relationship helped me with my self discovery. There are people out there who's lives were saved due to Tara, and Willow's relationship. Despite how toxic he is as a person, Joss did, if by mistake, created a revolution, in a way. Though, I must say, that is more down to Allison, and Amber's stellar performances in those roles. Fantastic job by both women.
The unaired pilot episode is very interesting to see. Makes you very happy that they had to reshoot with a couple of cast changes.
The movie is fantastic! It is so funny and camp with a really amazing cast. I still quote it all the time ❤
I really thought you wouldnt have liked this season so much. I really enjoy season 6 but I think the writing is not so strong here, and some of the one off episodes dont work as well as previous season. But when you wrap it all up it works well. I love the theme of depression and how all the characters internal conflicts implode.
Do the Buffy movie reaction for sure!
Thanks, I enjoyed your discussion. Personally, I really like season 6 and probably place it in the middle of all 7 seasons.
If Season 6 is a 9/10, Season 7 is a 21/10!
People overhype just how “divisive” this season is. Most fans love it or love it with some reservations or have very mixed feelings about it. Very few fans “hate” it. I can’t place season 6 on the tier of 2, 5 and 3. Its overall arc is too flimsy. Too many of the better episodes are early in the season. The finale is meh. And some of its attempts at being “dark” and “grown up” just come off forced or redundant. And yes, killing off Tara the way they did felt gimmick-y and unnecessarily cruel. It’s still a very ambitious season that I appreciate.
Season 6 is my favorite and it seems to becoming an even bigger favorite with the passing of time. It is Passion of the Nerd's - probably the most thorough and exhaustive Buffy UA-cam channel - favorite season, as well.
"Hating" part of a show means a number of different things. In the case of Tara, for example, I hate the way it made me feel, which means that I can appreciate how well done it was. I hate what Spike did, but it's because I care so much for the characters and it makes me feel angry -- which it was supposed to. I hate Warren, but I'm meant to. He's a (fairly) well-written villain, and though he doesn't have a compelling arc, it's top quality writing and acting.
On the other hand, there are other shows or movies -- not naming names -- where "hate" meant I disliked the writing, the plot, the characters, the quality or the adaptation or whatever. And it made me lose interest in continuing to watch the rest. I may have followed it half-heartedly just because I "want to see how it ends", or not even cared about that and just dropped it. I suppose S6 may have engendered this other sort of hate in a few people, but I think even the vast majority of "haters" hate like the other sort -- hating the movie because it made me cry, but would still recommend it to everyone I meet.
@@menachemsalomon I simply meant that very few fans overall hate this season, even though that’s something people love to keep saying.
It came out that amber and another cast member had a disagreement/ fight and she wanted to leave. Her and the other cast member made amends but she still wanted to leave. Thats what I read in an online interview
Edit: I didn't believe the poster above either, but it IS true, although the disagreement was only one factor. The interview they're quoting is not online, although articles about it are. Amber was interviewed for a book about Buffy called Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz, which came out in 2022.
I know it sounds fake, which is why I looked into it. But they ARE telling the truth.
****
That was part of it, but there were several other things happening. Amber said in early 2022 that given the massive backlash to Tara's death, Joss realized he'd screwed up and asked her to come back, thinking they could somehow resurrect her. But Amber was very aware of how much the LGBTQIA+ community in particular had been hurt, and agreeing to return when she didn't know exactly how that would happen and how fans would respond to it could have been even more hurtful, and that was too risky for her.
Amber had a biff with who ? Because Amber knew at least since the end of season 5 Tara was going to be killed for Dark Willow to appear. She also said it felt good to leave because she was done and felt the character was complete, after breaking up and reuniting with Willow now.
That is fake news. She didn't have beef with anyone. Ahe kne since season 5 Tara was going to die. You don't even know where you "read" it.
@@Square-ow7oqI thought so too, but it isn't. She really did say this. *I* know where they read it, because I looked it up after I read that comment. The interview is from Into Every Generation A Slayer is Born, a book by Evan Ross Katz that came out in 2022. Amber was interviewed for the book, and you can easily Google the exact quotes using that information.
However, it's worth noting (as I have previously done) that this is not THE reason, but one of several reasons, which that part of the book goes on to talk about (and which are often included in the articles about it).
I realize what @meggo329 is saying sounds wrong - I thought so too. But it isn't, and you can find Amber's quotes on it pretty easily, like I did this morning.
Gotta say, too - it bothers me that multiple people immediately called OP a liar when I found direct quotes from the book she's talking about in literally 30 seconds. In the time it took to write those comments, y'all could have Googled it, realized that the interview really did happen, and read Benson's direct quotes about it.
Alright, the Buffy season I actually dislike. There are two things I like, and three I hate, and in the end the hate overwhelms the like.
The like:
1) Buffy's dark night of the soul after being ripped out of heaven. At the time I felt almost alone in liking this aspect of the show, and if the season had been primarily about Buffy finding a reason to go on again I would be a fan. The high point of this storyline for me was the "I'd rather feel bad than not feel anything at all" (Warren Zevon, "Ain't that pretty at all") Spuffy relationship. I thought the season started strong and ended awful, but that seemed to be a minority opinion at the time, with most people either disliking the entire season or disliking the beginning but liking the end.
2) Once More, With Feeling. One of the great episodes of television, and the best musical episode. I'd say it's only overshadowed by "The Body" in the series, but it's in that tip top tier of transcendent episodes.
The hate:
1) The three. Seasons live and die based on the villains. A great villain (The Master) can elevate a mundane season, a poor villain (Adam) can drag down an otherwise great season. The three are bottom of the barrel.
2) Magic is bad, m'kay. I absolutely hate the magic = drugs storyline. If it had been magic = power, and power corrupts, I'd be on board, especially since we've seen Willow cut corners and be self-serving over and over and over again throughout the series. But drugs? I got enough of that Nancy Reagan BS posturing in the 80s.
These two storylines completely overshadowed what I liked in the dark night of the soul storyline. I was seething everytime the three or the drugs metaphor appeared on screen while simultaneously being frustrated they weren't spending the time on the actually engrossing Buffy storyline.
3) Normal again. I hate it more than I love Once More, With Feeling. In fact, I hate it more than I hate any piece of media I can think of. It checked me out of the series so hard I didn't recover until the end of season 7. If I hadn't known ahead of time that season 7 would be the end I may not have watched 7 at all. I've quit other series for less.
But IMO and all that, so never mind me ranting in the corner here.
Please, tell us how you _really_ feel.