I Think the 6th Season Was Best

[Noitartst]

Because of Angel's losing his soul in the 2nd season, and all that came with it, I'd say that makes it the greatest season, but when it comes to consistent art and storytelling, I'd say the seventh is the meatiest.

First time I expressed this thought, I met a lot of disagreement, with one going so far to call Buffy's behavior in it as that of a "whiny bitca." Total ignorance, if you ask me.

Romantic pain crescendos, but depression? As one who was entering adulthood and in a funk at that time, that season was spot on capturing an agony not as glamorous, yet very real.

Some suckers would claim her whiny, but she handled it with a great deal of dignity, and grace, far more than my handling anxiety disorder. (She works hard to hide her pain from her friends, and confides in Spike, for one, and that brings her closer.)

She just muddles on through, and doesn't sink to cheap feminist bravado and one-liners that she employs in other seasons. Whedon always imagined her with a great deal of anger, but her responses felt typically unjustified to my ears, and thus she strikes me as fairly arrogant, as a result.

No arrogance in season seven, though--nothin' to distract from her pain, and what a glorious depiction therein! 'Tween depression, and newfound duties, she struggles, but rises above it.

Oh and as to the Troika that dedeviled her in this season, none after Angelus gave her more grief! After first doing little more than annoy her (giving her a bad day) they proceed to drown her in guilt (frame her for manslaughter), get her to question reality (hallucinate herself into a shell), provoke her jealousy (videotape her ex having sex with a friend), and top it off by killing second, thereby causing a third, her best friend, to turn witch in the worst sense possible. A pretty good track record of villainy for a group of frat boys that succeed that well at hurting her without really trying!

I mean, even Angelus had to put some intent into his psychic damage, but theirs was incidental. Proportionally, they inflicted more on Buffy, given that all Angelus had to do to do was show up and say, "Hey-your ex is here!"

Take that advantage away, what have you? Well, he kills a favorite teacher, and visits Willow and Buffy at night. Let's see...the guy's kill a friend, causing another to go postal--oh, wait, Angelus does that, too. In Angelus's case, Giles don't turn evil but Willow, for the boys, does. Advantage, frat boys.

ANgelus does stalk Buffy and Willow to their bedsides, though; the terror of knowing that vs. the pyschic knife the guys unknowingly twist? I'd hafta say, Angelus, but it's debatable. Still, when it comes to efficiency of twisting the knife in the wound, though, they come out ahead because Angelus simply had a far better lever.

ANd lastly about Buffy's attempted rape by Spike...some have had the gall to complain about it not being realistic. Come on--Buffy's reaction, per her character, was totally consistent, and in a girl power show like Buffy, are you really going expect--or want--focus on a sense of violation? Really--someone oughta bitch-slap you--namely Buffy! Buffy's a heroine, and soldiers on--in keeping with how we love her. It's the one feminist moment I totally applaud, and that's saying something.

 

[Noitartst]

Forgive me, but I've got the seasons wrong! I meant the 6th, not 7th! Can the thread be moved, perchance...?

 

[Blaze]

s6 is also my favorite. Probably for the simple fact that it's closest to what my life looks and feels like. That's exactly it, the big bad of s6 was life, and I loved it!

 

[Noitartst]

Indeed; not as glamorous, but still utterly brilliant. Lack of taste in some quarters can be quite repulsive. Spike's arc was great, and there just weren't any sideswipes like in other seasons, which I found obnoxious.

 

[white avenger]

Season 6 was definitely a turning point in the entire Buffy/Vampire story line. That's when, to me, it finally became an adult show, with not only demon fighting, but more or less adult issues presented, faced, and pretty much overcome. If there had been time, like as in a televised Seasons 8 and 9, I think that we would have seen a whole lot more character development and, hopefully, Kennedy assigned to patrol in Antartica.

 

[itssmiletime]

Okay, I'm just gonna put this out here. Buffy's depression arc sucks. First off, the show never gives us much material into the origins of her depression, it's a simple 'coz she got pulled out of heaven' answer, (After Life, OMWF and Tabula Rasa) except on the challenges she has faced all her life- in particular, with her family in season five. Secondly, their is such a lack of you know, science, in it. People suffer from depression are at increased risk of insomnia, fevers, etc. They are constantly tired- it isn't just an existential crisis, they are genuinely tired and suffer from physical exhausion. Instead, we get these airy fairy metaphors that are quite shallow. So the lack of science annoys me to no end. And lastly- it gets solved by an ephiphany, some phony realisation that she wants to live. As someone whose experienced over 100 of these 'epiphanies' yeah, um... it's really no cure.

I used to like the arc, and mostly because it is so rare to find an arc of a female struggling with depression. There are some great ones with males, but Buffy Summers was the first one I saw that was female- centric. And after seeing far superior ones, such as Skyler White in Season Five of Breaking Bad- yeah, it really doesn't impress me anymore.

I've seen alot of comments that season six dealt more 'grown up' issues- addiction, marriage, etc- yet the way it was dealt with was quite sloppy. Willow's addiction arc comes straight out of no where- when she needed to deal with yes, some of how the magic was affecting her body, but also her perceptions of control and self image. She is by far one of the Whedonverses's best characters, and urgh, what they did to her narrative and to her character... I will never forgive Joss and Marti and anyone who destroyed and utterly annihillated her arc.

]
ANd lastly about Buffy's attempted rape by Spike...some have had the gall to complain about it not being realistic. Come on--Buffy's reaction, per her character, was totally consistent, and in a girl power show like Buffy, are you really going expect--or want--focus on a sense of violation? Really--someone oughta bitch-slap you--namely Buffy! Buffy's a heroine, and soldiers on--in keeping with how we love her. It's the one feminist moment I totally applaud, and that's saying something.

Um... what reaction, did Buffy have to the AR? And before you all post screencaps to her face of horror, by reaction, I mean her side of the attempted rape. How did she cope? With her feelings of terror? We do not know. It was all about Spike, spike, Spike, Spike, Spike, not about the freakin' victim. Any moments that were in the show- the very brief flashback sequence in Beneath You reeked of tokenism. Actually, focusing on the violation is a 'girl power' thing, because it's validating. It says that what happened to you was cruel, gross, revolting. You have every right to be angry and unforgivable. You do not have to 'solider on'. It's okay to be angry, miserable, etc- it does not make you a worse or a weaker person. In fact, I find it quite insulting and offensive.

 

[Lyri]

Um... what reaction, did Buffy have to the AR? And before you all post screencaps to her face of horror, by reaction, I mean her side of the attempted rape. How did she cope? With her feelings of terror? We do not know. It was all about Spike, spike, Spike, Spike, Spike, not about the freakin' victim. Any moments that were in the show- the very brief flashback sequence in Beneath You reeked of tokenism. Actually, focusing on the violation is a 'girl power' thing, because it's validating. It says that what happened to you was cruel, gross, revolting. You have every right to be angry and unforgivable. You do not have to 'solider on'. It's okay to be angry, miserable, etc- it does not make you a worse or a weaker person. In fact, I find it quite insulting and offensive.

It's not often that I agree with [MENTION=12236]itssmiletime[/MENTION] but this is one of those rare moments.

A rape/attempted rape angle or storyline should NEVER be about the rapist - or attempted rapist, before someone yells at me. Every single the about the AR was from Spike's perspective - how HE dealt with it, how it affect HIM, what HE did to get over it. We never once found out how Buffy felt about what he tried to do to her.

And no, it's not that we want Buffy to be a victim or to show how weak and vulnerable she is, but her storyline after the AR is in no way realistic. Yes, some women are capable of picking themselves up after an attack like that and moving on, but they still deal with it. They still talk about it and show how it affected and changed their lives. We should have SEEN Buffy deal with it, SEEN how she picked herself up, how she decided that she wasn't going to let it ruin the rest of her life, what she was going to do to be able to move on with her life. THAT should have been the 'girl power' moment, and it might have helped real life victims with their own struggle.

Instead, we got nothing. Not one single, solitary sentence about what that moment in the bathroom did to Buffy and her self-confidence. It was ALL about the attacker, that's just not right.

 

[The Bronze]

We should have SEEN Buffy deal with it, SEEN how she picked herself up, how she decided that she wasn't going to let it ruin the rest of her life, what she was going to do to be able to move on with her life. THAT should have been the 'girl power' moment, and it might have helped real life victims with their own struggle.

Instead, we got nothing. Not one single, solitary sentence about what that moment in the bathroom did to Buffy and her self-confidence.

But we didn't see Buffy deal with the attempted gang rape in Go Fish or the date rape / ritual sacrifice attempt in Reptile Boy. I have no idea how people get to Season 6 of the show with a clear pattern of Buffy not dwelling on failed attempts to rape and murder her and then expect it to change. If this way of dealing with the aftermath of attempted rape is a problem then people should really have given up after The Pack, it's just not how Buffy deals with things.

That being said Season 6 is my least favourite. It's relentlessly miserable, the balance of the show is all off. Most of the humour is sucked out of the show. You don't get the ups and downs of the other seasons just one long down. Also the trio aren't very inspiring as threats to Buffy / the world. I'm not convinced the season is any more grown up than the other seasons either. I think the show dealt with a whole range of stories and emotions before this season and managed to maintain a much better balance.

 

[Lyri]

But we didn't see Buffy deal with the attempted gang rape in Go Fish or the date rape / ritual sacrifice attempt in Reptile Boy. I have no idea how people get to Season 6 of the show with a clear pattern of Buffy not dwelling on failed attempts to rape and murder her and then expect it to change. If this way of dealing with the aftermath of attempted rape is a problem then people should really have given up after The Pack, it's just not how Buffy deals with things.

And I've spoken out about that in the past, about how it was unrealistic for Buffy to brush things like that off, and I don't agree with it. But there are differences between the scenes you mentioned and the AR with Spike.

With Xander, she knew that it wasn't him, he was possessed and she didn't feel any sort of fear when she was in that situation and she was confident that she would be able to get out of it. Same with the monsters in 'Go Fish', she acted as though she felt like she had control of the situation.

With Spike, it was different, she was clearly terrified, more scared than she had ever been in her life, and yet it's not discussed. Those other two situations aren't nearly as bad as 'Seeing Red'. I'm not saying I want Buffy to be a cowering victim, quivering in the corner, afraid to be out in public, because THAT is not realistic to Buffy's character. But expressing how something affected her - especially something as horrific as an AR - is not an unrealistic want or expectation.

 

[The Bronze]

And I've spoken out about that in the past, about how it was unrealistic for Buffy to brush things like that off, and I don't agree with it. But there are differences between the scenes you mentioned and the AR with Spike.

With Xander, she knew that it wasn't him, he was possessed and she didn't feel any sort of fear when she was in that situation and she was confident that she would be able to get out of it. Same with the monsters in 'Go Fish', she acted as though she felt like she had control of the situation.

With Spike, it was different, she was clearly terrified, more scared than she had ever been in her life, and yet it's not discussed. Those other two situations aren't nearly as bad as 'Seeing Red'. I'm not saying I want Buffy to be a cowering victim, quivering in the corner, afraid to be out in public, because THAT is not realistic to Buffy's character. But expressing how something affected her - especially something as horrific as an AR - is not an unrealistic want or expectation.

If it's something that bugs you through out the show then fair enough. These situations are handled consistently as far as I can see so if you have a problem with one then it's got to be an issue for the whole show. Personally I don't see how they could have done it any other way. If they had everyone in the show react as people would in real life to every traumatic near miss then there'd be absolutely no time for anything else. The whole series would be dedicated to following the scoobies in and out of the doctors discussing last weeks events.

What we do see is Buffy's reaction to successful attempts to harm her not near misses. The Master kills Buffy and we get When She Was Bad. We see the massive effect this has had on Buffy over the summer. When she dies and is resurrected we see her suffering the effects all through Season 6. Following this pattern if Spike had actually raped her then we would have seen the fall out. She was also in a lot more control of this situation than she was in Go Fish. Without Xander's timely intervention she stood no chance in that environment. Whatever the fish wanted to happen would have happened. Again if Xander wasn't there and Buffy lived after the attack then I have no doubt the fallout would have been explored.

 

[Wesley Pryce]

Season 6 is my second favorite of the series

 

[Blaze]

Okay, I'm just gonna put this out here. Buffy's depression arc sucks. First off, the show never gives us much material into the origins of her depression, it's a simple 'coz she got pulled out of heaven' answer, (After Life, OMWF and Tabula Rasa) except on the challenges she has faced all her life- in particular, with her family in season five. Secondly, their is such a lack of you know, science, in it. People suffer from depression are at increased risk of insomnia, fevers, etc. They are constantly tired- it isn't just an existential crisis, they are genuinely tired and suffer from physical exhausion. Instead, we get these airy fairy metaphors that are quite shallow. So the lack of science annoys me to no end. And lastly- it gets solved by an ephiphany, some phony realisation that she wants to live. As someone whose experienced over 100 of these 'epiphanies' yeah, um... it's really no cure.

I just want to put it out there that I don't think this arc suck, in fact I think it's the best arc I've seen about depression from any show. I guess I can't really disagree with you on actual facts though, much of it is based on my own experiences, so I'm no debating your view point (or at least not trying too), I'm just trying to add my opinion, which to be fair isn't objective at all. For me, depression came fairly suddenly like it did with Buffy, it was a situation where nothing triggered it, yet everything did, I didn't need a back story for it to make sense, so I think it's plausible that the same happened for Buffy. Basically I'm fine with the depression not having a real origin, mine didn't. About the science, I feel like Buffy did display a lot of the scientific evidence of depression. Basically, during depression, your frontal lobe shuts down, and it has the consequences of making you feel "depressed". There are no one specific symptoms, and personally, you'd never know I had clinical depression unless I told you. I know it's not like that for everyone, but Buffy's situation is not necessarily out of the norm. Many people do not display physical evidence of being depressed, or the cues are very subtle like they were with Buffy. Also, because of her slayer background, it makes sense that she wouldn't get physically sick (she's never even had a regular cold in years, so I doubt even a suppressed immune system would get her sick). To me, I just find that Buffy does display enough "scientific" evidence of depression. About the epiphany, well I think Buffy is still depressed passed s6, so I guess I agree with you. She's clearly not the fighter she was in the earlier season, I think it shows through her work that she's still not 100% there.

*Again I'm not saying that you're wrong for thinking differently, and I'm most definitely not trying to use my experiences as an evidence that I'm right (I hate when people do that).*

 

[thetopher]

For those people who have been the victim of depression, and were glad that Buffy helped you through a tough time, I salute you- hell, I'm glad that a tv show can do so much good. 🙂

But I really hated the 'depression' arc, not because it happened, per se, but because 1) It went on so long, and we never saw Buffy take proactive steps to make her life any better. I mean, okay she dumped Spike, but Spike was more a simptom of her depression, a way of aleviating it, more than a cause.
2) Buffy never really gets her edge back, she's pretty pathetic during the dark Willow arc, she just seems to react to everything, and doesn't really have any answer. (Plus, while Alyson Hannigan is clearly having a blast and acting her little-black- cotton socks off, SMG is pretty wooden, I think she's pretty terrible in these episodes. She just seems lost to me.)
3) Okay, I'm being shallow here, but depression is neither fun to watch or, more importantly, interesting or exciting, not for large periods of time- and 20 some episodes is a long time.

 

[DEvanHall]

The revelations in S6 were amazing. It was gritty and real. The big bad was just a bunch of normal guys and the whole demon/vampire/supernatural element wasn't much more than a backdrop (except towards the end). This show is very much a metaphor for life and s6 capture the metaphors amazingly. The death of you-know-who was by far THE MOST tragic, gripping, moving, shocking moment I've ever seen on TV. Even by today's standards, I watch Walking Dead, SoA, Breaking Bad, etc., and nothing has every moved me like "her" death. Well, one other death ... but also from Buffy, and y'all know which one I'm talking about.

 

[SRMarx]

I really enjoy season six, but some of the writing just comes off as so sloppy. I think the season did a good job of depicting that weird, out-of-place crisis most people experience in their early twenties, bur some of that season is so hard for me to get through.

 

[Blaze]

But I really hated the 'depression' arc, not because it happened, per se, but because 1) It went on so long, and we never saw Buffy take proactive steps to make her life any better. I mean, okay she dumped Spike, but Spike was more a simptom of her depression, a way of aleviating it, more than a cause.

I get why you hate the depression arc, trust me I do, but I disagree with the reasoning of it. Admittedly, yes it really sucks seeing your favorite heroine go down that path, but the only thing that would have been worst than the depression storyline is them brushing over it for only a few episode. That wouldn't have been depression at all, it would simply have been Buffy being at a low point in her life and feeling depressed (as opposed to having depression). Another issue I have with the reasoning is that it is extremely hard to take proactive steps to "solve" depression, because it's not really something that you can solve. I think Buffy did her best with what she had, especially considering she had to keep slaying and stay strong for Dawn.

2) Buffy never really gets her edge back, she's pretty pathetic during the dark Willow arc, she just seems to react to everything, and doesn't really have any answer. (Plus, while Alyson Hannigan is clearly having a blast and acting her little-black- cotton socks off, SMG is pretty wooden, I think she's pretty terrible in these episodes. She just seems lost to me.)

I wouldn't call her pathetic. Her best friend just completely lost it, I get Buffy not having answers. And it gave a reason for Xander to shine. Buffy was always good with the fighting, never with the emotions, as shown all the way back in s2 with her reaction to killing Angel.

I do agree wiht SMG being wooden in this season. It's pretty obvious to me that SMG disliked the storyline that was being told, she even said so herself in multiple interviews.

3) Okay, I'm being shallow here, but depression is neither fun to watch or, more importantly, interesting or exciting, not for large periods of time- and 20 some episodes is a long time.

I think what's even more important is that it's an important story to put out there. Personally I also thought it was interesting because I tend to enjoy darker stories.

 

[AnthonyCordova]

I tend to enjoy darker stories too. I liked S6 on the whole. Of course, it had its flaws. More than some other seasons, but S6 still ranks high with me. I'd list reasons why but it wouldn't convince the haters...the difference in opinion has more to do with a person's sensibilities and orientation. S6 strikes a darker chord that is harmonious with my sensibilities.

The debate that Buffy's depression went on too long is a perfect example of what I mean. Blaze is right, depression isn't something that can be resolved in a few episodes. If anything, the depression issues didn't last long enough! But the real point I'd like to draw attention to is that, if we grant that depression takes a long time to work out and overcome, you either enjoy strapping in and watching Buffy work out her depression problems for the long run, or you don't. If people think the depression went too long it is probably because they didn't care for it to begin with. Either you're into that sort of bleaker side of realism or you are not. Most people are not, which is why I'm not surprised that S6 isn't liked very much.

And I understand that some people think S6 is bad for other reasons, such as that it was poorly written or uneven or sloppy (I would argue that it wasn't that bad) or the arcs like Willow's magic addiction were cliche (Maybe, but what theme in any book or t.v. show is ever truly new? They are all prevailing universal themes of life to some degree, usually to a very high degree. It is all cliche if you are going to look at it critically that way. What people mean to say is that they didn't like how it was done). Some people don't think the ideas of S6 were executed properly...maybe, but I think it is debatable regardless.

I like S6's dark conflicts and serious drama and internal scoobie problems; I don't like the idea of the show continuing indefinitely like that, but still. And some levity to break things up is also a good thing. But S6 works as a nice contrast because it is in such stark contrast to many of the other seasons.

 

[AbraxasP3]

As nostalgic as I get viewing much of the earlier seasons that aired on The WB, there is definitely something inherently exotic and potent about all of season 6.
Despite the fact that I'm a major fan, there are plenty of times when I've become restless with a few moments in a few seasons; season 6 has always held my interest and I don't know how to articulate that other than to convey how attached I am to the darker subject matter.
I know that most fans have mixed reactions to season 6; this is clear from reading posts on the board and also from a special feature available on the season 6 DVD set, among other things. There is a discussion of sorts on the DVD set where Joss Whedon & Marti Noxon (along with Nicholas Brendon and Alyson Hannigan) field comments and questions (but mostly comments), about the heavy feeling brought on by year 6. I definitely echo their sentiment in saying that if you don't get it, you just don't get it.
I believe that if you can appreciate season 6, you really understand some of the adult themes that relate to love, loss, depression, and just plain being stuck in a rut. Life isn't always an environment where you know what to say next. It can get messy, it's complicated...even especially for someone who thinks they once had it all figured out. Buffy IS still the Chosen One...but who cares anymore? The true excitement & novelty of being who she was destined to become has worn off...real life has come knocking and you've got to learn how to deal.

 

[bespangeled]

Okay, I'm just gonna put this out here. Buffy's depression arc sucks. First off, the show never gives us much material into the origins of her depression, it's a simple 'coz she got pulled out of heaven' answer, (After Life, OMWF and Tabula Rasa) except on the challenges she has faced all her life- in particular, with her family in season five. Secondly, their is such a lack of you know, science, in it. People suffer from depression are at increased risk of insomnia, fevers, etc. They are constantly tired- it isn't just an existential crisis, they are genuinely tired and suffer from physical exhausion. Instead, we get these airy fairy metaphors that are quite shallow. So the lack of science annoys me to no end. And lastly- it gets solved by an ephiphany, some phony realisation that she wants to live. As someone whose experienced over 100 of these 'epiphanies' yeah, um... it's really no cure.

I used to like the arc, and mostly because it is so rare to find an arc of a female struggling with depression. There are some great ones with males, but Buffy Summers was the first one I saw that was female- centric. And after seeing far superior ones, such as Skyler White in Season Five of Breaking Bad- yeah, it really doesn't impress me anymore.

I've seen alot of comments that season six dealt more 'grown up' issues- addiction, marriage, etc- yet the way it was dealt with was quite sloppy. Willow's addiction arc comes straight out of no where- when she needed to deal with yes, some of how the magic was affecting her body, but also her perceptions of control and self image. She is by far one of the Whedonverses's best characters, and urgh, what they did to her narrative and to her character... I will never forgive Joss and Marti and anyone who destroyed and utterly annihillated her arc.

Um... what reaction, did Buffy have to the AR? And before you all post screencaps to her face of horror, by reaction, I mean her side of the attempted rape. How did she cope? With her feelings of terror? We do not know. It was all about Spike, spike, Spike, Spike, Spike, not about the freakin' victim. Any moments that were in the show- the very brief flashback sequence in Beneath You reeked of tokenism. Actually, focusing on the violation is a 'girl power' thing, because it's validating. It says that what happened to you was cruel, gross, revolting. You have every right to be angry and unforgivable. You do not have to 'solider on'. It's okay to be angry, miserable, etc- it does not make you a worse or a weaker person. In fact, I find it quite insulting and offensive.

No - Willow's addiction arc is not compositely realistic - hell, just walking one character through the trauma of Sunnydale life would be more than a realistic show can handle. I think the seeds of Willow's problems do go back to season one. I also tend to think that Giles should have taken on training her as soon as he started to ask her to do magic for the slayer, but that's not relevant. As much as I hate the addiction metaphor, I can see her losing it in this way for a lot of reasons. But I love her for growing through it - yes, it's a drama so it's dramqatic but that's what I signed on for.


I think her reaction may have been tempered by the fact that her friend was murdered and she was killed, then resurrect, then had Willow on a rampage to deal with. In our universe - I agree this is a problem. But this universe plays with a different set of rules. I don't excuse Spike at all - it was purest evil to try and force Buffy to love him by raping her. However, the dynamics of the show don't support it. Even the death of Jenny had very little blowback.

 

[Doppelgang]

I have just been watching the early season 6 episodes again, first time in years, except for the bargaining two,which are just scene setters to me where nothing much happens except Buffy is brought back in a long protracted sequence.

The 3 episodes after that at least so far, having just rewatched them, Buffy/SMG does a great job setting up the depression arc, its not just depression, but existential despair. She is facing the complete meaninglessness of existence after having done what she felt completed her existence at the end of season 5. First they have to face the demons they raised by bringing her back. Next, she finds herself "flooded" with life's inane everyday responsibilities. Then she faces the monotony of various jobs trying to find a place for herself in Life Serial. You may not like that they decided to do this in season 6, but I think you can say they executed it very well, particularly during this phase of the series.

One element I do find odd is this sudden trust she has of Spike, I cannot understand why she feels able to confide in Spike, but not in Giles. Yes, I can understand why she mistrusts the scoobies a little bit for bringing her back, and she can't unload on Dawn. But, with Giles? Maybe it goes back to the argument they had end of season 5, where Giles wanted to consider the option that they may have to kill Dawn. Other than that it could simply be a matter of they had to find ways to distance Giles from the storyline due to him not being able to act as much on Buffy during this season.

I too am one who has liked this season compared to some others. I love the emotional roller coaster of it. I find myself watching getting angry at Willow at various points because of her childish naivety about her use and abuse of magic. I feel for Buffy and what she is going through. And I love the reconciliation at the end between Xander and Willow. Human vulnerability on full display. It gets me emotionally involved. It was something different from the usual imperturbable hero-types, it made a refreshing change. Yes, it meant Buffy had to take on almost a supporting role towards the end, due to the power of Willow. But this was all part of what season 6 was about. Power was not going to be the solution to the depth of problems they had got tangled in this time. It took rather Mercy and Forgiveness.