Buffy The Vampire Slayer - S06x13|♡Uncut Reaction &Review ♡

“Warren didn’t love Katrina”, you say, but he did in the definition of love that this show gives. It doesn’t make sentimental divisions between true love and lust, etc. Spike, without a soul can love. Even with Dru who he plans on torturing to make her love him again. The show puts the concept of love under judgment and it has profound implications. Regardless, in terms of that inclusive definition of love (which includes obsession) Warren did “love” Katrina. Willow loved Tara and she raped her (“Under Your Spell”). The show doesn’t let us make easy distinctions. We will soon see what Spike’s love for Buffy leads to. “Jonathan’s the only one that’s worth a fuck of those people.” That’s only because you have a attachment to Jonathan from the past. At this point, he’s not worth much of a fuck. And Andrew (or what’s-his-name) we simply don’t know of his past. I think the show invests a little too much in scapegoating Warren. It’s the only real flaw with the season. Not that I have a problem with showing a really bad guy but I think the point of it is, too often, to make Jonathan and Andrew look “not so bad” (but they are) or, later, Willow to look not so bad (but she is). Everyone is redeemable, even Warren, but he doesn’t choose to be. And Jonathan never really gets much of a chance. I’m not sure Buffy was doing the right thing when she was planning to turn herself in. She just announces to Dawn she’s going to do it and says she’s sorry. This, I assume, would result in Dawn being taken away. Buffy was just doing the easiest thing at that point. At the end Buffy is not just upset because she is having sex with Spike but she is more upset at how she is using Spike. How *she* is mistreating *him*. When she was beating on him, you noticed that it was similar to Faith/Buffy beating on Buffy/Faith and it was (good catch, I only saw it because another reactor mentions it). It becomes a profound moment of self-recognition for her, later. At the moment, however, all she is doing is scapegoating Spike for her own “catharsis”.

i love tara so damn much. still one of my favourite characters of all time. from beginning to end she was the kindest, sweetest thing, always looking out for everyone else. she was so fucking precious.

I like your description of the trio’s arc so far, starting off goofy nerds and now something sinister. I think it’s quite relevant and timely even today. Look at the fiercely misogynistic “incel” movement we see online. They start off as awkward outcasts and get radicalized by someone like Warren until we have violent tragedies taking place. I appreciate the show shining a light on the “nice guy” trope and showing it for what it really is, warts and all.

I haven't rewatched season 6 in a while and I'm really enjoying rewatching it with you through your reviews. It's been so many years since I saw it for the first time that I've forgotten what my first reactions to this season were. And watching you be deeply invested in this journey through the DARKEST season has been making me cry along with you. I really love this season and I admire the depths of darkness that the writers went to, although there are a few writing choices I would change if I could, but overall I commend the show for getting this down and dirty with mental health and obstacles because... ESPECIALLY in a universe where there's evil demons attacking the characters constantly, there's bound to be mental and emotional turmoil. But yea, unfortunately the heaviness continues a bit longer but just hold on to hope because the ending of this show is so beautiful.. the entire journey is worth it!

Warren is the absolute worst. I don't know that I've ever hated a character more than him, and I watch GOT so that's really saying something. And I love Spike so freaking much but you're exactly right - it's so toxic and I love them together in some ways but I can't ship what's happening between them right now; it's so beyond messed up.

The last scene is one of my favorites of the entire series. Tara is my absolute favorite character and she was exactly what Buffy needed at this time. I'm so glad that Buffy finally let some of it out; what a relief that must have been.

to add to the Faith callback, there's also Buffy saying to Tara "tell me that I'm wrong" which reminds me of Faith in Five by five begging Angel to kill her bc "I'm bad! I'm evil!" 😢

Btw, that scene with the door was hot, I can’t believe this man has chemistry even with A DOOR

Loved your commentary at the end, I couldn’t have articulate it better, and I think you’re so right about the faith and buffy/spike and buffy parallel and I believe that was the writers intention. Also, another parallel in this episode is buffy/warren (sadly), spike sang in OMWF that he’s her “willing slave”, in this episode in her dream she uses the handcuffs on him, and then she stakes him, and he turns into kathrina(because she thinks she killer her), just like warren killed kathrina, spike is buffy’s kathrina. We’re finally given some answeres this episode, I love the reveal that buffy didn’t come back wrong, she just changed, she’s older and circumstances change people, so of course she feels different, but as you also said sofie, she really wanted it to be true somehow to justify her actions. We haven’t got yet an actual answer though toweather buffy loves spike or not, she doesn’t give a proper answer, it could be either way, she wants to be wrong because she loves him, and so her feelings are wrong, immoral, or either she wants to be wrong because what she’s doing is wrong(using him), I think is not that black and white and maybe somewhere in the middle, she is catching feelings for him( she also repeats what spike said to her earlier “you always hurt the one you love”) and she’s also using him to feel something.

Tara 💛

The song you heard and the voice singing wasn't Spike. It was Gavin Rossdale from the band Bush. They have similair singing voices.

I totally agree with you, Sophie - Tara is a queen. She's in my top 5 characters in the series.

This is a Top 15 episode for me for sure. Yes, it's very dark but I think it's amazing. This finally elevates the Trio from comic relief to actual villains. And you noticed how both Andrew and Jonathan were shocked when Katrina pointed out that what they were doing was rape. They were still living their little fantasy while Warren obviously knew what he was doing all along. Then there's the painful fight with Buffy/Spike that has such strong parallels to the the Not!Buffy/Not!Faith fight in Who Are You ("you're disgusting", "you're nothing", etc." I know Sarah has said she really hated that balcony scene, but I feel it was a very powerful moment. And don't get me started on the ending scene with Buffy and Tara. I have no idea how Sarah can do cryface so well, but it always destroys me. Amazing episode and one of my favorites, even if it's not really "fun" to watch.

"Man I wish I was that door". You never cease to amaze me Sophie, lol.

This is one of my favorite episodes in the series even though, yes, it’s intense and quite dark. There is SO MUCH to unpack here about the characters, relationships, and themes of the season and the show overall… I really think it’s an underrated masterpiece. Now, off to watch your reaction! I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.

Wow, we're finally here at Dead Things! I've been waiting for this reaction for so long. This episode is extraordinary and one of the best episodes of the season and Top 20 in the entire show. It has so much incredible, multilayered depth in every single scene and amazing character development for Buffy, Spike, Tara, etc. It's also one of the most misunderstood episodes, even by longtime fans. It's really worth walking through it. I could write an entire essay on just this episode but I wanted to focus on a couple scenes. Sorry for the comment length. The way that the episode opens with Buffy and Spike doing their dance, we immediately see that Buffy is completely satisfied and, most importantly, she's genuinely happy. That by itself is incredible and immediately makes you think, when is the last time in the show that Buffy's ever been that happy? Certainly not in Season 6, but even in Season 5, she soldiered on with grim determination most of the season but we never really saw her *happy.* But here she's laughing (over a joke about eating people!), joking and talking to Spike completely carefree. It's so important what she chooses to talk about too. Her way of starting the conversation is to compliment him on his crypt and how comfortable she feels there and then she says that she wants to fix up her bedroom (to make it just as comfortable). She says that they missed the bed "again" and then later, in Buffy's dream, she dreams about having Spike with her, in her bed, in her room. Buffy's dream is so important. It epitomizes what she's struggling against. Her bed is the one place we never see them ever having sex (beds where "normal" couples have sex). We saw in Gone that she went so far as to lie to him about having his lighter so she could hold onto it herself as a way to remind herself of their time together. But in Buffy's mind, she was utterly convinced that the feelings she's developing for Spike are *because* she was "wrong" on some level. That that's why she wants him to comfort her in her bed. That that's why she trusts him enough to let him use handcuffs on her, etc. The show contrasts words vs. actions with Buffy saying she "never" trusts him but clearly she trusts him a great deal not only with the two of them but also with Dawn - she says it because it's what she's supposed to say, not what she believes. It's also this trust in Spike that sends Buffy directly to Tara about the spell. Buffy could have gone to Tara anytime for over a month during her relationship with Spike but she chooses immediately after this conversation with him? She wanted rationale an excuse for why she was falling for him, why she kept letting him in. That's why Tara's revelation rocked Buffy to her core. If Buffy didn't come back wrong, it means that her feelings for Spike are real, not the result of a botched resurrection. It means that Buffy, one of the most moral people ever, beat Spike almost as bad as Glory for trying to protect her? (The alley scene itself deserves 100,000 words on how it’s an incredible hybrid of Faith/Buffy in Season 3 and in S4 Who Are You with the roles reversed). The final scene is also just stunning all around. Tara is the only one in the entire show who acknowledged the redemptive qualities of Spike's love and wondered if Buffy loved him. It's just some incredible acting by SMG and Amber. I can't wait to see this reaction!