Season Six of BtVS:

[butterfly]

So, a large part of the reason that I left MBTV (Odd that I still think of it that -- it became TWoP before I left) was the bitterness and the hate. More than that, because season six was the first time that I identified with Buffy over Xander, every bit of hate felt like a personal attack.

I was reading lj today and surprised myself when I realized that I still can't read harsh commentary on season six. I thought that I'd... disassociated from feeling that pain. But whenever I watch season six, Buffy's pain grips like it was the first time, and every time I read negative commentary on the season, particularly if it mentions Buffy, but I felt for all the Scoobies spiraling, there's a little voice saying, "But that's how it really feels. They got that right."

This is how it feels sometimes:
"Tell me that I was made wrong, because I can't be meant to feel this fucked-up. Tell me that it's better to disappoint someone now, because I know that I'll disappoint them more later. Tell me that doing something that makes me feel in control, even if it's not true, will make me feel better."

That's what it feels like. So when people say that it's stupid or doesn't make sense, it still feels like they're saying that about me. Because the show did such a good job of capturing how my depression has made me feel at various points in my life. And it was so very empowering to see them slowly work their way out of it -- because it isn't something that gets better with an epiphany or a healed relationship. It's something inside you that you have to fix. It's slow and it's hard and you backslide, and it was so very inspiring to see that on tv, to see the three of them pull each other back from the brink. A hug doesn't heal anything, but it shows that, for a moment, someone cares, and that can bring the world back enough for another try.

I try so hard to be objective -- I know that I don't succeed a lot of the time. Most of us don't. But I try and I do always try to find out where my biases are.

So, here it is -- I love season six of BtVS. I think that it did an amazing job of speaking to me. It encapsulates three main ways people destroy their lives and sets-up for the healing after. It's the season I get most emotional over and the one that I care most about.

Season Six is my favorite season.

Comments

[fallingfortruth.livejournal.com]

I've never seen Season Six. Or Seven. I won't watch them. I refuse to watch them, because I don't want the first five (flawed, sometimes irrational, truly brilliant) seasons ruined for me by what came after.

See, in my world, heroes die. That's what they do. And people go on with their lives. If they had actually allowed that to happen, and let Buffy stay dead, I would probably have watched and loved them.

I'm glad they spoke to you, really I am. As long as you can understand that other people don't and can't relate to Buffy, and by extension, everything that happened after she crawled her way back out from Six Feet Under.

This is not in any way an attack on you. But I need to vent. I hated Buffy as a character. Not for what she did, but for the fact that through all of the things she did, she never got called on any of it. Faith was and is my favourite female character, with Willow a close second. My favourite male characters in the Jossverse are Angel and Xander. Spike was on that list, but I've been exposed to too much of season 6 and 7 Spike, and I can't like a character that had that in him to become.

Faith and Willow paid for the choices they made. They suffered for them, and other people reviled them for them. The writers wanted you to revile them. But through the entire show, the writers never made a point of saying look at what she's doing, that's wrong about Buffy, even when what she was doing was. And I have a major issue with characters like that. I don't like them.

I've always found it amusing that the only character in the entire show that I really, truly couldn't stand was the title character, and I was more than happy to let the story end with something that made her real and human. And while I understand why they did what they did after that, for me, that's where it stopped.



Feel free to ignore, really. I just needed to get that off my chest.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Buffy died at the end of season one, too. Yeah, she was brought back by more conventional means, but she still died.

I'm not saying that anyone else has to like season six. I don't even think that people should like the show -- my brother's never been a fan, he just can't get into the non-traditional representation of vampires.

I'm just saying this is why criticism of the characters' actions during the season hurts me. Nobody's trying to make you watch seasons six and seven. The show can end at season five for you, nobody's arguing that.

Personally, I always disliked Willow because she came across as a passive-aggressive cheater who rarely ever even admitted she'd made a mistake and I disliked Faith for never apologising for almost raping and killing Xander or even admitting that that might have been someone to apologise for. They're probably my least favorite characters.

[skipthedemon.livejournal.com]

Whereas I have a hard time re-watching Season 6 *because* I know how that feels. I'd rather not dwell too much, now that I'm in a better emotional place. I do understand how you feel personally bashed though. My mother has a tedency to make hurtful comments about the mentally ill, as though they have nothing to with me, when I suffered from depression through my late teens before seeking help. I can't imagine why I'd take that personally, do you?

My major beef with Season 6 was how they lost the basis for the magic metaphor in Willow's story arc.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Whereas I have a hard time re-watching Season 6 *because* I know how that feels. I'd rather not dwell too much, now that I'm in a better emotional place. I do understand how you feel personally bashed though. My mother has a tedency to make hurtful comments about the mentally ill, as though they have nothing to with me, when I suffered from depression through my late teens before seeking help. I can't imagine why I'd take that personally, do you?


Gosh, I can't possibly imagine. Family can be really unintentionally hurtful sometimes (my mom likes to occasionally mention that my bisexuality is a phase, my dad once told me that my cutting was a way of getting back at him, and my grandma used to harp on about my weight until I told her to quit).

I consider myself to be living in a constant state of recovery. I once joked to my mom that Buffy saved my life, and it wasn't so much a joke. Knowing that someone who was so strong could feel the same pain really helped me when things were bad.

My major beef with Season 6 was how they lost the basis for the magic metaphor in Willow's story arc.

The Willow storyline is definitely the weakest one -- but I do think that they recovered from their mistake in season seven and did a good job with it there. The grief and guilt and fear.

[oyceter]

Yes. So very yes! Though I might pin down S5 as my favorite season because it was the one that sucked me into Buffy, so it has high sentimental value. But S6 hits me so very viscerally, and that's the season in which I started not just liking Buffy the character but really, wholly identifying with her.

[superplin.livejournal.com]

Well, you already know I agree with you, so I can skip the exposition and get straight to the emphatic nodding. ;)

(Not to mention that, even if I didn't agree with you, I certainly wouldn't say so in response to a post where you say you hate reading criticism of the season because it hurts you personally. Sheesh!)

I'm only slightly less defensive of Season Six than Season Seven--probably because despite everything, there are a lot more people who hate the latter than the former. And yet I loved it, even with all its flaws. The earlier seasons were far from flawless, too, but for some reason they get a pass.

I thought the series ended wonderfully: with life, not death; with hope in spite of grave loss. To me it's beautiful, and it really makes me sad when people see only the defects.

[elz.livejournal.com]

So, here it is -- I love season six of BtVS. I think that it did an amazing job of speaking to me. It encapsulates three main ways people destroy their lives and sets-up for the healing after. It's the season I get most emotional over and the one that I care most about.

ITA. I see flaws in Willow's storyline and I have some issues with the follow-up in Season 7, but I still think of Season 6 as a brave, powerful story. It's emotionally messy in a lot of ways, but in a lot of ways that feel very real to me.

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Season 6 isn't my *favorite* season, but I don't hate it and diss it continually the way some folks do. I remember when I went to Connexions, and I was all excited to go to the Buffy panel, but then all the people at the panel were just complaining and bitching and not saying *one positive thing* and it really pissed me off and I left. Also, people continually diss season 7 of Homicide, and while that season has a *lot* of problems, it also has some really, really interesting episodes in the whole arc of Bayliss, so it bothers me when people say they refuse to watch it or insist on some AU version where the end of season 6 never happened, so I can kinda relate on that level.

And word to the person above who said even if they hated season 6 they would never diss it in comments to a post about how people dissing it is hurtful to you!

[lasultrix.livejournal.com]

I posted sort of in reply to this on my LJ - but I don't (really) diss S6, I promise!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hee. You don't.

I understand that type of criticism. I get unduly snarky at people who dismiss the idea that season six could speak to anyone at all, since it was such a horrible suckhole of badness (I may be paraphrasing). I've just come across the implication that only dumb people like season six (mostly, granted, on MBTV/TWOP) far too often.

There were plenty of plotholes and Deus ex Machina (Whistler and the sword, for example) in the earlier seasons, too. This is not something that started in season six.

[vandalisimo.livejournal.com]

I think S6 has many problems and I could never list it as a favorite, but I do agree that they did a very good job with Buffy's depression arc. I actually had a pretty hard time myself at Twop dealing with people coming down on Buffy during all of that, since the backslides and the numerous epiphanies were just so spot on. I still don't deal well with people who hammer at Buffy or at her S6 story. I can't say I'm all that impressed with either Willow or Xander's arcs, but Buffy's is damned near perfect.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I would say that Willow's arc was definitely the weakest. I blame Ms. Hannigan (and also Joss) for that, considering that she asked to get out of the tough things (like, oh, say, singing in the muscial) and he let her. It was a shame, because I'd been waiting for the 'abuse of power' arc since... oh, since Willow hacked into encrypted documents in the first season.

Xander's arc tore me apart, but I actually like it a lot, in the way that I liked Buffy's. It works for me, the fucking something up because you're afraid you'll fuck it up. I get that. I live that, to be honest. He wanted things to be perfect and when he saw that that wasn't possible, he panicked. Before season six, Xander had always been my primary emotional cord to BtVS, and he was still huge for me in 6&7, it's just that Buffy had hopped up over him. He made some horrible mistakes, but, as always, he made them with his heart.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the few that actually enjoyed DMP even. Season 6 was my favourite season ever up until Smashed/Wrecked. When Willow's arc went so badly off-course it did lose me a little. But then watching it as a whole on DVD I still enjoy it. Why do people look at the early seasons more favourably when season 1 stunk IMO, and season 2 had so many truly bad episodes. All seasons had flaws, the high school years are overrated to me.

I agree Buffy's story is definitely the highlight of that season. How can you hate a season with

Bargaining
Afterlife
Life Serial
OMFWF
Tabula Rasa
Dead Things
Normal Again

C'mon now! The only episode I really hated was Dawn's halloween episode, and that was the sort of episode that was typical in earlier seasons.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Season 6 isn't my *favorite* season, but I don't hate it and diss it continually the way some folks do. I remember when I went to Connexions, and I was all excited to go to the Buffy panel, but then all the people at the panel were just complaining and bitching and not saying *one positive thing* and it really pissed me off and I left.

It might not be my favorite season if fewer people hated it. Just as it was the Spike love that made me dislike him so in seasons 4-6. And then people started hating him for needing to get a soul and I fell in love, so my contrary streak is still going strong.

Also, people continually diss season 7 of Homicide, and while that season has a *lot* of problems, it also has some really, really interesting episodes in the whole arc of Bayliss, so it bothers me when people say they refuse to watch it or insist on some AU version where the end of season 6 never happened, so I can kinda relate on that level.

Okay, is Bayliss the bisexual guy? Because someone mentioned that there was one, in Homicide, and it would so kick ass to get to see an actual bisexual person on a tv show.

And yeah, I sorta get that attitude -- like, if you think BtVS would be a better show had Buffy stayed dead... I'll be baffled and wonder what you thought the message of the show was, but everyone sees things the way they see them. I'm not a huge fan of "fix-it" stories, though, because I like to do things the hard way.

But I can understand, for example, why people got all pissed at the end of CotW -- not only did Benton Fraser choose the other guy, it was clear that Vecchio didn't want to be 'chosen' by Ben. Both sides of their OTP pretty much said, "I really just think of him as a friend." Of course, most of those stories utterly massacred the character of Fraser in their attempts to make him choose the right guy (Fraser wouldn't treat someone he hated the way he treats Kowalski in some of the "fix-it"s).

And word to the person above who said even if they hated season 6 they would never diss it in comments to a post about how people dissing it is hurtful to you!

It's an interesting approach to take. Not one that I personally would take, but... it's definitely an approach.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It's the realism that I do love about it.

Which is the same sort of messy realism that we saw in Angel and Firefly (my mom gave up on Firefly because of the violence), I think. He got better at balancing it as time went on.

But it's not for everyone, definitely. There's no piece of art that says the same thing to everyone.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm only slightly less defensive of Season Six than Season Seven--probably because despite everything, there are a lot more people who hate the latter than the former. And yet I loved it, even with all its flaws. The earlier seasons were far from flawless, too, but for some reason they get a pass.

Yeah, because Six may have been depressing, but Seven was worse because... there were so many annoying new characters that we will complain about despite complaining about the lack of new characters in season six. And there was a weapon that came out of nowhere! Nothing like the sword of Acathla, which was so clearly foreshadowed through the season. And Buffy? Forgave the guy who tried to rape her and we aren't sure if we hate her for forgiving him, or for not forgiving him before he got the soul, or for leading him on to the point where he tried to rape her. And Willow had a new girlfriend, who we will hate and despise... not at all the way that Tara was vilified when her relationship with Willow came out. Plus, Xander has no screentime (because he had so much in season six... okay, season five... okay, season four... fine, we'll go back to season three to find it... actually, there was more in season two, now that we think about it) and also, we hate the way he looks naked now -- did you see his belly in First Date? Why can't Nick starve himself like James does? Which we will also complain about -- God, doesn't the man know that if he doesn't eat, he'll die?

I thought the series ended wonderfully: with life, not death; with hope in spite of grave loss. To me it's beautiful, and it really makes me sad when people see only the defects.

I love the ending so much. Buffy finally gets to release the burden of Slayerness and see life as an opportunity and not an obligation.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

And I've friended you, hope that's okay :)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Five is so good -- it's the ultimate struggle between the two parts of Buffy (Ben and Glory, who both die, which does help explain why Buffy did as well). Plus, I love Willow and Tara in season five. And there are so many great episodes. Plus, Dawn! I was very unsure of Dawn the first time around, but I really adore her now.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the few that actually enjoyed DMP even.

So did I! Solidarity!

Season 6 was my favourite season ever up until Smashed/Wrecked. When Willow's arc went so badly off-course it did lose me a little. But then watching it as a whole on DVD I still enjoy it.

Willow's arc definitely went off for a while, but I do think that they recovered from it later.

Why do people look at the early seasons more favourably when season 1 stunk IMO, and season 2 had so many truly bad episodes. All seasons had flaws, the high school years are overrated to me.

They definitely did all have flaws. People just liked the characters better before the shiny was worn off, I think. They didn't want them to be that horribly affected by the constant death and pain.

C'mon now! The only episode I really hated was Dawn's halloween episode, and that was the sort of episode that was typical in earlier seasons.

All the Way is the next episode I plan to watch in my season six rewatch, so I'll see what I think of it now.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Totally good. It's nice to meet you.

[superplin.livejournal.com]

And there was a weapon that came out of nowhere! Nothing like the sword of Acathla, which was so clearly foreshadowed through the season.

Don't forget the troll hammer-oh, sorry, I mean hammer of a god. And that whole Summers blood thing (even Anya "never got that"!).

Also there's the fact that the Big Bad in Season 7 is totally lame and useless. Not like, say, Glory and the hordes of knights. (I love Season 5, don't get me wrong--but it is so often held up as an example of perfection, despite definitely having its share of head-scratching aspects.)

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Okay, is Bayliss the bisexual guy? Because someone mentioned that there was one, in Homicide, and it would so kick ass to get to see an actual bisexual person on a tv show.

Yes, he is! If you want to know more about him (but including spoilers for the entire run of the show and the tv movie), you can read my idol_reflection essay here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/idol_reflection/15947.html). You can also read my overview of the show for crack_van here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/crack_van/11579.html). Because if you're into dark, realistic depictions of depression, season 7 Bayliss is for you.

[empressaurelius.livejournal.com]

Amen, hon. I personally think that it is the realest, most raw season, and is probably my favourite.

[avrelia.livejournal.com]

I am going to express my agreement in more words that the last time:

Seasons 6 and 7 are actually my favorites. My love is not blind on any account, and I can see perfectly well the faults and shortcuts, and I wonder whether the creators were on crack from time to time as any fan. Yet, they still are mush closer emotionally to me than all the perfect seasons of yore. Only there are no perfect seasons at all, if we look close at any one of 7 seasons, we will find plot holes, threads lost, deux ex machinae, idiotic developments…

But the last two seasons were really brave in their portrayal of our beloved characters, our heroes fucking up their lives. And I could relate. I was stuck in my own season 6 of sorts.

Good guys often get the short stick from the audience: if they are good, they feel two-dimensional and boring, if they are not – they get thrown from the pedestals and stomped over.

Another thing with epiphanies – in real life we don’t start a new life after one. I surely don’t – of course I wish I could. But in BtVS we expect characters to become good and shiny the next Tuesday. I am very happy it didn’t happen.

I love my broken heroes who fight and win anyway. I love that they are not shiny. It gives me hope I can win, too.

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

I do like Season Six better-- everything but the Willow arc, really, but even that I don't loathe with bitter fury...

And the poison for BtVS? Made me speechless, too; I went at some point.