I think the writers made mistakes with Spike's charactization over the series. He's supposed to be an evil demon who's just basically neutered by his chip ut he has more humanity without a soul than Angel does. We have literal proof of that from the big blue guy. And he does love Drusilla even if it's twisted. He does selfless things for Buffy without a soul. It makes no sense. I don't think the writers really knew what they were doing with him. Add onto that James Marsters' ridiculous charisma. I think that's why people struggle to truly recognise the issues with Spuffy and continue to ship them. There's so many times when Spike is there for Buffy in a way her best friends aren't or can't be. They do share a certain connection and the writers should have explored the nuances of that more. They assassinated his character completely in Seeing Red and then tried to walk it back in season 7. Personally, the biggest issue with their relationship, and I think the entire series, is that he tried to rape her and she forgave him. I think that's a terrible message and it's sloppy writing. They took it too far.
Great video. But the part about Spike leaving to get his chip removed actually isn't true. His intent all along was to get his soul. His anger before leaving, I believe, is toward himself (and to mislead viewers). He kept hearing over and over that what separated him from Angel was the soul, and the word "soulless" was used over and over to justify why there could be nothing between them, and in fact, why he couldn't be treated decently by some of the scoobies. And he was right, at least as far as Buffy was concerned, in that, in that state, as much as he could be kind, he wasn't able to love purely. (Though I mean, there are a TON of people WITH souls who only love selfishly). I think the difference is, somewhere in there was a good guy, but also in there was a monster. But people only mentioned the monster. He knew he had gone too far and he wanted to do the ONE thing that might get Buffy to love him, which was to get his soul back. Except, when he came back, he loved her but no longer wanted to POSSESS her as he did without a soul.
Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability 💕 this was a great analysis of a series I truly love I don’t really have the words to properly articulate the feelings and stuff this video brought up …. You made me cry ….. and I’m grateful to you 🫶
I wasn’t fond of season 6 on my first watch. It has definitely grown on me through the years. It’s now among my favorite seasons, barring that one episode I just dismiss. It doesn’t exist I tell you. Never happened. You can’t convince me otherwise. 🤣😜
13:19 and judging by the amount of fanfics with Taylor Swift lyric titles, this is exactly what goes through the minds of a bunch of authors too. One of my favourite fanfics has a title from Treacherous by Taylor, and another has a title from the other side of the door
It was quite something, back in the day. It felt like there was a community of people who actually understood each other. Alas, that didn't really last. What gives you the idea that Spike intended to have his chip removed so he could return and kill her?
First time viewer and this season makes me want to pretend that it never existed and just go with season 5 ended the show. It fell hard and I sense season 7 will be even worse. I'll finish just to hit Angel season 5 but I see jumping the shark everywhere and it's just getting dumb.
Which Is Weird That Mentor would Have Sexual Feelings for Sis, as he is our Brother. I try not to think about the Incest Between Mentor and Sis To much. SHE'S OUR SISTER, HE'S OUR BROTHER, WHAT ARE YOU TWO THINKING?! AND WHAT HAPPENED TO BROTHER ALONZO?! Do I need to take off my Cape, that hangs over My Shoulders like a Drape? Yeah They did add a Me Song Like "Part of Your World" "A Whole New World" and "I just Can't Wait To Be King" where there wasn't one. DISNEY, STAY OUT OF MY MILK! Even Though "Beautiful Ghosts" is a Beautiful Song Sis. Jesse L. Martin as Gus. So where does that Scene Come From?
It’s good that it exists, but S6 is a problem because it loses the balance between character and plot that all of the previous seasons had. BtVS is a show about characters with real lives who also have supernatural struggles to contend with. S6 removes the supernatural plot and struggles for the most part, and replaces them with angst or PSA-bad analogies like Magic=Drugs. Plus, please STOP saying S6 is about ‘rEaL LiFe’. S5 had just as many real-life situations to contend with, or had everyone forgotten the Joyce and Dawn storylines? Also, it’s disingenuous to suggest people didn’t like S6 then, or now, because they ‘’weren’t grown up’’. I’ve been through very similar depression as is portrayed here, and I still don’t like the season. Depression is a big issue and I’m glad the show tackled it, but it doesn’t make S6 good.
As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, and all the insecurities that come with it, I found no comfort at all in Season 6. Point of fact, I found it deeply disturbing, wretched and with very few qualities. I will praise the musical, as it was an audacious piece, and I will credit the acting as they had to be at their best to make anything of what was a season that put simply, was misery for misery's sake. None of the major plot points worked for me. Not allowing Xander and Anya to marry actually killed off any potential drama for them and made Anay pretty much superfluous. Spike's twisted sexuality and his attempted rape of Buffy was such a vile thing to watch that I almost stopped after that episode. And whilst the writers might have seen this as the moment where his redemption arc truly started, I saw it as the moment where his right to exist on the show ceased and season 7 was actually morally bankrupt in part by trying to turn him into a hero. As for Willow, I never accepted their pathetic "magic as drugs" thing, given the heavy handed way it was pushed. I always saw Willow's journey as someone drunk on power, not addicted to a substance, and the fact the writers didn't know the difference shows scant regard logic. Worse, given the way the "addiction" storyline was then handled, I actually felt they did a grave disservice to those who deal with addiction to have it displayed in such a weak, cartoonish way. As for the death of Tara, it was completely unnecessary and was only there for shock value, not for story value. But by then I realised that Joss and Co weren't interested in story, only shock value. Season 6 remains for me the worst season of Buffy by quite some distance. The order I place the seasons in are: 3,5,4,2,1,7,6. The UPN years screwed the show over and I for one found it disgusting how they had perverted the show from something challenging but entertaining to something callous and sadistic. But then again, its Joss, so callous and sadistic come with the territory
One of the best shows ever. Of course, one should not cherry-pick episodes, as it is best watched in order to have the full impact, the full character growth, the full descent into madness and destruction and the rise out of it. Season 5 and 6 were darker than 1-4. A lot of deaths of beloved characters, a lot of changes, hardship. Most was resolved in S7, but I was still hoping for more seasons. The comic was not a good replacement. Now I rather hope they never touch this precious series and defile it with a "reboot" or another spin-off (Angel was OK, thou). I do not think they could rekindle the spirit of the original and just do it for money.
This was a really good video, and I'm glad you made it, even though it was clearly really difficult for you to do so. By explaining this, you've given others what season 6 gave you: hope. In education we have something called a Manifest Determination Meeting. This occurs after a student with a mental or emotional disability engages in a behavior that should incur a consequence like suspension or temporary removal to the disciplinary school. The MDM is to determine if this behavior was a manifestation of the student's disability, such as a student with ADHD doing something impulsive. I have the unpopular opinion that by high school, these meetings are largely not good for the student, as it allows them and their parents to argue that any misbehavior is because the student has no control over their own choices and behavior. In 13 years, have never sat in an MDM where there parent didn't try to excuse the teen's choices and actions with their disability. The best way to get over depression isn't to just "be happy." It's to start taking responsibility, even for one small thing. Then another. Then another. Those small responsibilities add up to a feeling of purpose, capability, and eventually, peace.
With regards to spike and buffy relationship i find that the fsndom always have very different interpretations of him and his telationship with buffy, and often contraeictory opinions. I blame this on how the writers seemed to not be consistent when writting him and looking to the interviews and thw stuff we know now it was clear there wasnt a clear idea about what to make of him, some wanted him as love interest others as a villain.
Season six is the best season of all and it is dark and depressing because life is hard. It is fitting that the villains were three idiots who were too immature to deal with the life Buffy was struggling with. Once More with feeling is one of the best moments, not just of Buffy but of television.
He doesn't leave town to get the chip removed, what? And had no intention of coming back and killing Buffy, either. "she'll get what she deserves" is about her deserving someone with a soul. He left to get his soul back.
I was deeply depressed when I first watched this season. It will always by my favorite of all the seasons. Gotta disagree with you about the Willow addiction arc though.
Boy did you miss the mark on a couple places. First, both Buffy and Spike were abusive AF. Every even remote stress would causeher to punch him in the nose. Second, Spike left from the get go to get his soul. The idea he wanted his chip out wsa misdirection so that there would be a twist. Even Joss Whedon has stated since season 6 ended that Spike always intended to get his soul. He wasn't tricked. He got what he wanted. That's what made him the perfect character to wear the medallion in the searies finale.
2 things. I think depression needs to be seen for what it is, a deadly, dangerous disorder that kills those who are not treated properly, just as cancer or heart disease kills. And if depression kills a loved one, we need to see that it was the depression that killed them, not the suicide. Years and years ago, I saw a crow being mobbed by a bunch of blackbirds. It didn't seem like the blackbirds were trying to steal some food from the crow, because nothing the crow could do would stop the attack. If it had something the blackbirds wanted, then surely the crow would have dropped it. This attack just went on and on, the blackbirds zooming in and pecking at the crow again and again. Finally the crow did the only thing it could do to escape this attack. It dove into the ground and made no attempt to pull up before it hit the ground. I was astonished. I'd never seen an animal commit suicide like that. I looked at the dead crow, not too closely, but it seemed the bird's body was covered in blood. It seemed more damaged that it would have been if it had just crashed into the ground. It left me to wonder if there are times when suicide is an option. How much pain can a person be expected to take before they take up arm against the slings and arrows of like. To go explore that undiscovered country.
For a long time season 6 was my favourite season of buffy. I suffered a lot with depression during my teens and early 20s. I completely understand how cathartic and comforting this season can be. But it's funny, during my most recent re-watch of Buffy I enjoyed season 6 far less... I think it is a barometer of my mental health! When you're not in that place yourself, it is harder to look at it from the outside. This season will always have a special place in my heart though!
I gotta say, Buffy the Movie was hilarious, it is a great fun movie. Get a big bag of popcorn!! I was worried cause the TV show Came off as more serious than the movie, I thought it was based on a Comix series? But Google is too caught up with the TV show, I couldn't get past the TV show Comics. The movie is not a TV series it is a stand-alone, well worth the watch stodgy critics didn't like it. But everyone that watched did, it was almost a cult classic. IMHO
There's also the Dawn storyline, which I think is very underrated in season 6. But purposely so, I believe. She went from a teenage girl who was the center of everything. Hunted by a hell god and with the worst case of an identity crisis any of us will every know. And now she's...normal. Ignored. Abandoned by all the authority figures in her life. No one is really paying attention to her at all, and so she's suffering this quite depression with identity and abandonment issues which eventually develop into kleptomania. I know a lot of people don't like Dawn, but man do I feel bad for her during season 6. The girl has zero stability in her life lol
'The Body' was one of the hardest episodes for me to watch. I remember watching it on first-run and I was so uncomfortable and in awe. I wept. I wasn't ready for that moment. Seeing her body blurred out ion the background and then hearing her use the word "Mom" getting weaker with each utterance...it hit me square in the feeling. Tara's death was equally surprising and came out of nowhere but though that hit me hard, it didn't affect me like 'The Body'. In his prime, Whedon was a legend. Buffy is still and will likely always be a go-to watch for me. I can watch the entire series first to last again and again. Not many TV series' can boast that kind of rewatchability. Buffy managed to showcase real life human and social issues in such a profound and yet absurd manner.
Interesting take. I think the viewer can take away many messages or themes from the narrative. That is one of the reasons the story was so compelling to so many people. In reality the writers of the show have a lot of real world show making, business issues going on behind the scenes. It is over glamorising the creative genius of the shows creators to say that they had each and every nuanced element of the characters planed out in every moment.
can totally relate to "didn't catch the Gyarados" edit: but seriously tho, as problematic as this season is, it's also my favorite because it shows the characters progressing through trauma and depression and addiction, and yet... coming out the other side. That gives me hope.
Hot take: I found season 2 to be darker in tone and had an even bleaker ending than season 6. Though admittedly a big part of that may be because season 6 for whatever reason had more saturated colors so visually the tone appeared lighter. Also season six was far more Camp than season two…we got a musical for crying out loud.
This is such a touching video. Season 6 is my favourite season. It spoke to me at 16 and on a rewatch a few years ago I understood it so much more profoundly. Buffy’s depression - her emptiness - felt so real. Like you I saw myself.
Season one set up some great stuff and the fumbled it after that. Having the show end on the ferris wheel was so stupid Have it end with them in the cafe being all gay and happy but vetting ready to go to an AA meeting together. Benji had no develoke, they just wrote in an excuse for Victor to have more gay sex with guys who also have no character😅😅I think we need a season 4 just to show them happy cause I'm tired of Queer Representation having to be only trauma, especially when it's put in for the sake of conflict. Benji and Victor like never once had an actual conversation with each other.
I didn't like Angel as much because i felt like it was trying to hard to be dark and yet season 6 is my favorite of Buffy's.Maybe there's just something from Angel's story that doesn't resonate with me as much
I dont understand why people keep saying Spike left for the chip removal lol he went to fight for his soul for Buffy it was said like a million times. And he didn't need to remove his chip to literally hurt her so and this was a toxic relationship on both ends which makes me sad cause you knew Spike really did love her.
Thank you for this video. I feel exactly the same. I watched this season back when I was 15 or something and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Now as an adult, I LOVE this season. It absolutely captures how depression feels. Thank you for sharing your story ❤
Beautiful video, you are so brave for being this open and vulnerable. Buffy season 6 is one of my favorite TV shows of all time for the exact same reasons you pointed out. Even when we aren't okay, we aren't alone. So many people can relate to these mental struggles and it is so important to see representation for them. Thank you for your wonderful insights ! I hope you are okay ❤
