“Entropy"

 

Episode 18  of Season 6

 

“Things fall apart. They fall apart so hard.”

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Original US airdate: April 30th, 2002

Rewatched: August 4th, 2023

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• Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg

• Director: James A. Contner

• Guests: Danny Strong, Adam Busch, Tom Lenk, Kali Rocha, Amber Benson

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Like so much of Buffy, this episode is about relationships, and a little about the Trio.

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Let’s talk about the Trio first. They are looking for something in Sunnydale, but are not working together very well. It’s clear Jonathan doesn’t trust Warren, who also doesn’t trust him. Further, after Buffy and Xander discover a hidden camera in her yard, Willow is able to track various camera feeds the Trio have going, nearly finding their hideout. While Buffy is not able to track them down, it’s clear she needs to do something soon.

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Anya is back, and hoping to get vengeance on Xander, but she can’t wish it herself, someone else needs to. So, she tries. She talks to Buffy, to Dawn, to Willow and Tara, and finally tries Spike, as he has never liked Xander. However, instead of getting Spike to make a wish, they are able to console each other and end up drinking, kissing and having sex in the Magic Box. Unfortunately, the Scoobies see the live sex feed while Willow is tracking the video feeds. Xander is hurt, but not rightly so. Anya is no longer his fiancée, and she is free to sleep with whoever she wants. This may indicate that Xander is not ready to deal with the consequences of his actions.

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Then there’s Buffy and Spike. Spike is still trying to convince Buffy they can work together, but Buffy is sure it’s over (although the hurt she feels when she sees him with Anya may indicate she does have some feelings for him). He tries again this episode, telling Buffy that she doesn’t understand his feelings, “I’ve tried to make it clear to you but you won’t see it. Something happened to me. The way I feel about you. It’s different, and no matter how hard you try to convince yourself it isn’t, it’s real.” Buffy does agree it’s real for Spike, but it’s not for her, even if it’s not what Spike wants to hear. And even though he does hurt her by sleeping with Anya, the way he consoles Anya shows his understanding and empathy. Although he still lacks a soul, he doesn’t fully lack humanity, as has been shown again and again. His lack of a soul perhaps just limits his fully embracing his humanity. But Buffy doesn’t feel that way about him and she’s right to not just be with him because he loves her.

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Next are Buffy and Dawn. They go shopping together, but it falls flat as they can’t really go into many stores. Dawn had to return what she shoplifted and they are otherwise working on paying everyone back. Despite the issue of Buffy trying to kill Dawn in the last episode, and of Dawn’s shoplifting, they seem to be doing well and their relationship seems strong, with Buffy actively finding time for her sister. However, her sister really just wants to patrol with Buffy, saying that Buffy was doing it at her age, too. It’s surprising Buffy would turn her down. I do understand Buffy’s desire to protect Dawn, but with the Slayer as her sister, danger is bound to find Dawn and it would be better if she knew how to handle herself. But Buffy is not quite ready to expose her sister to danger, perhaps also because she knows the costs.

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Lastly come Willow and Tara. They go for coffee in this episode, and Tara assures Willow she is still single. It’s a nice coffee. But the end of the episode is even nicer. Tara comes and has a nice speech. She mentions that things fall apart and you can’t put them back together the way they were, and that you can’t expect one coffee to make it right, things take time. But then, she says “There’s just so much to work through. Trust has to be built again on both sides. You have to learn if if we’re even the same people we were. If you can fit in each other’s lives. It’s a long, important process, and can we just skip it? Can you just be kissing me now?” And they are together again.

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Spike and Buffy, and Xander and Anya are going through break ups. Buffy and Dawn and Willow and Tara are rebuilding their relationships. Not everyone gets a happy end.

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In final notes, the Scoobies now all know Buffy was sleeping with Spike. Willow and Dawn from how Buffy looked when she saw the video feed of Spike and Anya, Xander and Anya because when Xander confronted them (with Buffy following), Spike told him he was good enough for Buffy. Spike’s wish that the Scoobies know has come true.

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“Seeing Red"

 

Episode 19  of Season 6

 

“This ain’t high school.”

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Original US airdate: May 7th, 2002

Rewatched: August 10th, 2023

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• Writer: Steven DeKnight

• Director: Michael Gershman

• Guests: Danny Strong, Adam Busch, Tom Lenk, Amy Hathaway, Nichole Hiltz

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This is a very controversial episode of Buffy. But let’s cover the less controversial parts first.

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Buffy manages to track down the Trio’s lair, but they’ve booby trapped it and fled. Buffy manages to grab some papers and files, and successfully (but just barely) escape. In the meantime, the Trio gets some invincibility orbs that grant the wearer (Warren) strength and invulnerability. Jonathan is continuing to feel uneasy, especially when Warren uses his new powers to try to pick up girls in a very sleazy way at the Bronze. Jonathan tries to convince Andrew to leave with him, but Andrew is clear to Jonathan that he is with Warren. Later, when Buffy confronts the Trio while they are trying to rob an armored car, Jonathan will give Buffy the key to beating Warren. Warren and Andrew both try to escape with jet packs. Warren is successful, but Andrew hits a roof. Jonathan and Andrew are arrested. After this defeat, Warren will show up at Buffy’s house with a gun. He will wound Buffy and kill Tara.

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The Trio continues to show, in varying degrees, that they haven’t been able to grow up. At the Bronze, Warren quips that it ain’t high school, but the truth is, for him, it is. He tries to steal the current girlfriend of his high school bully, which I do get to a certain extent (especially as I continue to experience some Schadenfreude in the tragic fate of my high school bully), but ultimately growing up means moving on and forgiving or forgetting. Jonathan is starting to realize he’s on the wrong path and may be starting to grow up a bit. Warren can’t get beyond his misogynistic little boy self. Even though he asks Buffy if she’s ever fought a real man before, implying he’s one, he’s just not. Andrew is, tragically, just a follower. He’s fallen in with the wrong person to follow and it’s not doing him any good.

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This contrasts with the Scoobies, who are aware it’s not high school, although they are also struggling. Willow and Tara have made up, which is a bright moment in this episode. They are adult enough to work on their issues and let their love win. Unfortunately, Tara does not survive the end of this episode. Willow’s last scene shows her cradling Tara’s body, her eyes turning black with dark magic. Tara’s death leaves Willow with nothing to keep her from the dark magic. Tara’s death is tragic. She was a wonderful character, a great influence on all the Scoobies, a mother figure to Dawn (and Dawn can not get a break from losing loved ones…) and a great girlfriend. It is, also, evidently a common literary trope to kill the lesbian. Although Willow, to some extent, doesn’t fit the trope as she does not revert to dating men after Tara’s death, it’s still not really fair. Willow and Tara presented a fairly positive representation of a gay couple on TV, and it’s hard to see such representation end through the killing of one character.

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The second controversial part of this episode is Spike. Xander is angry with Buffy for not telling him about Spike, but Buffy tells him she was having a hard time adjusting to being back and that she couldn’t talk to him (or Willow), and that her personal life is none of his business. Xander is hurt, as her personal used to be his (and Willow’s) business. Xander also reminds Buffy that Spike is still evil, only the chip reigns him in. After this dispute, Buffy lets Dawn know Spike won’t be around much. Buffy is going to keep Spike out of her life. However, Spike has other ideas. He thinks he can win Buffy back, so he comes to her house and finds her about to take a bath. He tries to tell her he loves her, but Buffy doesn’t want to hear it. Spike then assaults Buffy, assuming she’ll love him again if they sleep together. Buffy manages to fight Spike off, telling him she could never love him and that she should have stopped him sooner: she is visibly shaken by the encounter. After Spike leaves, Xander comes over, and finds Spike’s black duster hanging on the banister. He’s ready to confront Buffy for continuing her relationship with Spike, but as soon as he sees Buffy, he knows that’s not what happened. At the end of the episode, Xander and Buffy are finally able to make up, just before Warren wounds her. Spike is also shaken by what he tried to do. He goes to his crypt and Clem shows up to witness Spike's crazed reaction. Spike is equally regretting what he did and wondering why he didn’t continue, finally placing the blame on his chip, which doesn’t allow him to be a monster or a man. At the end of the episode, he leaves town in order to become what he used to be.

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The rape scene remains very controversial, especially because Buffy will end up forgiving Spike, and in the comics even have a real relationship with him. However, the scene in some ways mirrors Spike’s views of love, such as in “Lover’s Walk”, when he says, “Love isn't brains, children, it's blood; blood screaming inside you to work its will” and then says he’ll find Dru and torture her until she likes him again. Buffy’s overall relationship with Spike isn’t really rooted in consent either. Buffy pummels Spike, or they pummel each other and then they’re intimate. This is not meant to excuse Spike’s actions, but to underline that their entire relationship (and perhaps also Spike’s relationship with Dru) mostly lacked clear consent and often involved violence. It’s also in line with Spike’s lack of soul. He has no conscience. He can love, and he can perhaps even love at a human level, but his love is selfish (he can’t accept Buffy’s lack of love for him) and destructive. 

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So, no one is in high school anymore. The Scoobies are fully facing hard adult realities in this episode, but the Trio, overall, still refuses to do so. It’s another season 6 episode.

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“Villains"

 

Episode 20  of Season 6

 

“I’m not coming back.”

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Original US airdate: May 14th, 2002

Rewatched: August 31st, 2023

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• Writer: Marti Noxon

• Director: David Solomon

• Guests: Danny Strong, Adam Busch, Tom Lenk, Jeff Kober, Amelinda Embry, Amber Benson

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Tara is dead and Willow is willing to lose herself to dark magic, first in an attempt to bring Tara back to life, which doesn’t work, because Tara’s death was natural, not mystical, then, to get revenge. She drains all the dark arts books at the Magic Box, causing her hair to turn black, and goes out to find Warren (although she also heals Buffy at the hospital). Buffy and Xander try to talk Willow down from using magic to find Warren, telling her they don’t kill humans and that they don’t want to lose Willow to the magic. But Willow knows she’s not coming back from this, and has no patience to do it Buffy’s way. Later, Dawn, Xander and Buffy discuss this at the house. Dawn and Xander are a bit in favor of Willow killing Warren. Dawn sat all day with Tara’s body and Xander has had his friends’ blood on his hands all day. But Buffy claims that being the Slayer isn’t a license to kill and no one can control the universe, that there are limits to what they can do, and Willow going beyond those limits is not a good thing.

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However, the group isn’t able to stop Willow. Warren pulls out all his tricks to flee, even getting Rack to help him (it’s oddly prophetic when Warren quips to Rack that he doesn’t want to talk about his skin problems). Xander and Buffy convince Anya to help them track down Willow (both finding out the Anya is a vengeance demon again and she can feel where Willow is). It’s too late, though. Willow has found Warren in the woods and confronts him. It is in some ways oddly satisfying to see Warren meet his match in a very angry witch who can see through him to the root of his insecurity. Willow starts to torture him, but with her friends approaching, she says she’s bored now and uses magic to skin him alive. Then, she disappears, saying “one down”. It's clear she’s after the other two now, although their role in Tara’s death is less clear cut.

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Utimately, this episode raises an interesting question. Warren, although human, has used the supernatural to try to make himself a super villain. When this failed, he tried to shoot Buffy and did shoot Tara. Willow, full of power and hate, kills him. Is she justified? A part of me thinks she is. Warren was toxic and his death is a bit satisfying, to be honest. But also, Buffy is right. Vengeance isn’t justice and using the systems of this world for justice are what we’re supposed to do. Both sides have valid arguments (particularly in the Buffyverse, where viligante justice is the only way to rid the world of demons). But, it’s also hard to see Willow fully embracing dark power, knowing it could be her end, which is what makes Buffy's case the strongest. Warren should have faced human justice. 

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Two more interesting things happen in this episode. Buffy may actually die for the third time at the hospital before Willow heals her (she seems to flatline). When Xander and Buffy go off to find Willow, they leave Dawn at Spike’s. Although Xander is against it, Buffy is willing to go to him one last time. However, they don’t find Spike in his crypt but Clem, so Dawn is left with him. Clem tells Buffy Spike is gone. Viewers see that he is in Africa, being tested by a demon so he can be made what he once was.

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“Two to Go" & "Grave"

 

Episode 21 & 22  of Season 6

 

“Things have really sucked lately.”

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Original US airdate: May 21st, 2002

Rewatched: September 7th, 2023

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• Writer "Two to Go": Douglas Petrie

• Director "Two to Go": Bill Norton

• Guests "Two to Go": Danny Strong, Tom Lenk, Jeff Kober

• Writer "Grave":David Fury

• Director "Grave": James A. Contner

• Guests "Grave": Anthony Stewart Head, Danny Strong, Tom Lenk

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In the two-part season finale of season 6, Willow first tries to kill Andrew and Warren, and then tries to end the world.

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First, Buffy, with some help from Anya, Xander and Dawn, saves Warren and Jonathan, who eventually end up fleeing to Mexico after escaping their saviors. Although Andrew says to Anya that he and Jonathan didn’t do anything, basically not understanding why Willow is after them, this is both true and untrue. While they didn’t kill Tara, they did nothing to stop Warren, and both engaged in illegal activity without a thought to the costs. Jonathan, however, shows more maturity when he then tells Andrew “Yes, we did. We signed on and we teamed up. We wanted to see where our plans would take us. Well, take a look. This is it.” With the Duo fleeing, their storyline remains a bit unresolved. Jonathan is showing some maturity, but not enough to stay and face the consequences. Andrew remains unconvinced his actions should have consequences at all.

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Willow, full of evil magic, not only because she drained the books at the Magic Box but also Rack, tracks the Scoobies and the Duo to the Magic Box. Anya has figured out a protection spell that can keep them safe from Willow’s magic as long as she chants it. This allows Xander and Dawn to escape with Andrew and Warren while Buffy has a show down with Willow. Although this episode uses a lot of language alluding to Willow’s addiction, I would like to say again that this is a false way of looking at it and perhaps why Willow does not have her magic under control. However, her show down with Buffy focuses on power, which is the better theme. As she tells Dawn and Buffy while they are still at Rack’s (Dawn had convinced Clem to take her there, and Buffy had tracked her there, leaving the Duo at the Magic Box with Anya and Xander, then Willow teleported herself, Buffy and Dawn to the shop), Willow was a loser in high school. It didn’t really get better until college and a lot of that was related to Tara. Losing Tara means losing her new self.

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At the Magic Box, Willow gives herself super strength so she can fight Buffy without magic, and the two have it out. In their banter, Willow notes that it’s her chance to stop being a sidekick. When Willow nearly defeats Buffy, Willow tells her that she understands now, “The Slayer thing really isn’t about the violence. It’s about power. And there’s no one in the world who has the power to stop me now.” But she’s not exactly right. Giles has appeared, full of magic he borrowed from a coven in Devon, ready to fight Willow. It goes well enough that Giles and Buffy can have an interlude of catching up, with Willow magically bound in the shop. Giles asks Buffy for forgiveness for leaving her, but Buffy finally admits it was the right thing. “I was like when I clawed my way out of that grave, I left something behind. Part of me.”

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But it doesn’t last. Willow breaks free. She sends a fireball to kill Andrew and Jonathan (and Xander and Dawn), forcing Buffy to leave to rescue them. Willow and Giles fight, trashing the Magic Box, until Willow steals Giles’s power as well and leaves to end the world, leaving a very weak and injured Watcher alone with Anya, who is slowly coming to from being knocked out by Willow. Returnign to the concept of power, the fight between Willow and Buffy, and then Willow and Giles, is Willow abusing her power. She has it, but she doesn't know how to use it for the good of everyone, only her own ends, which is in stark contrast to how Buffy uses her power.

 

Buffy gets to everyone in time, but she and Dawn end up underground due to the fireball’s impact and Xander is knocked out. Once Xander is awake, Anya appears and tells them Willow is going to end the world by raising a Satanic temple that was buried in the earthquake of ’32. Buffy is adamant that she needs to go save the day, but Anya tells her Giles said she couldn’t. Willow, who can telepathically tell what’s going on, sends dirt monsters to keep Buffy busy, so she can go out fighting. Anya returns to stay with Giles, and it is Xander who leaves to save the day.

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Xander saves the world by telling Willow he loves her, which is in stark juxtaposition to Xander at the beginning of the season finale feeling helpless, because he couldn’t do anything to help. But now he's the only one who can save the world from Willow (and save Willow from herself). He has known her the longest and he does love her unconditionally, and he wants to be with the person he loves when the world ends. He tells her some favorite memories (about her yellow crayon in kindergarten) and tells her he loves her repeatedly. This love is what finally allows Willow to let go of the hate and embrace the grief. The world doesn’t end, but the Scoobies are changed. Willow is changed.

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Season 6 really reflects that we are perhaps our own worst enemies. Willow ending up as the big bad only mirrors how far from ourselves our wrong decisions can take us. But it doesn’t mean we can’t find our way back.

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With Buffy stuck underground with Dawn fighting dirt monsters who respawn, Buffy is finally forced to let Dawn help her. It’s Dawn’s first official fight with her sister and she is not bad. This revelation, plus Dawn’s anger at her sister for not telling her about Spike (Xander told her while they were fleeing), finally allows Buffy to accept that she can’t protect her sister from everything, but rather needs to show her the world. She tells Dawn that “I wanna see you grow up. The woman you’re gonna become ‘cause she’s gonna be beautiful and she’s gonna be powerful. I got it so wrong. I don’t wanna protect you from the world, I wanna show it to you.” When the two finally climb out of the grave, it is a new dawn (no pun intended). Buffy has found whatever she left behind the first time she clawed her way out and the season has come full circle.

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Finally, there’s Spike. He has his trials. He starts a bit glib, quipping “here we are now, entertain us” before the first fight and steadily losing some of his bravado as he goes. But he does win. In the end, he is made what he once was. The surprise is that it isn’t the chip getting removed, but his soul being returned.

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Thus, the season of bad adulting ends, with the consequences of wrong choices being underlined again, but also with optimism that there are second chances, both to crawl out the grave and to be a good person. Season 6 raises questions of what it means to have power and what it means to abuse it, but also about love, both its limits and its power. Overall, season 6 is not the lightest season, but an important one on Buffy’s journey to adulthood.

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