tvthatdoesntsuck

We’re getting into the final stages of “Buffy.”  The infamous sixth season.  Joss promotes Marti Noxon to Executive Producer, giving her nearly as much control as he had, because he was stretched pretty thin between plotting/writing both Buffy and Angel and developing Firefly, an original series that he’d produce the following season.  The lack of Joss kind of shows, especially in the middle of the season, but… heh.  I’m getting ahead of myself.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER - SEASON SIX

“By the time a person makes it through the first five seasons of Buffy, they’ve grown to love the characters, to feel their pain. Well, this season has a lot of feeling of a lot of pain. In the first episode, Buffy is resurrected by her best friend (and now magic-abuser) Willow, but it seems as if she would rather be dead (in Heaven) than back on Earth.

This season, the sixth, starts off iffy. It’s great to see Buffy back, but the demons in the two-part opener are ridiculous. For a season opener, “Bargaining” didn’t do it for me. I prefer my season openers to be written and directed by Joss Whedon, thanks. Speaking of which, Whedon makes only one writing/directing appearance in this season, due to him involvement with “Angel” and prepping “Firefly.” However, he remains co-executive producer, a small mercy.

Episode three through seven deal mostly with Buffy readjusting to being alive again. The sexual tension between her and one-time enemy Spike comes to a head, finally, in the seventh episode, the musical episode “Once More With Feeling.” This episode is so good that Spike and Buffy’s kiss in the end is actually NOT the high point. The songs are just so catchy, so well written, and the actors voices are amazing. Good work on that one, Whedon.  For a show, six years in, to get so innovative and create a musical episode that works in context with the rest of the series and doesn’t take away from what was established before, but instead furthers the plot… Utterly brilliant.  No other show can do that at the level Buffy did.  But, as I was saying, Buffy and Spike finally get together in this season. Spike wants love, Buffy’s using Spike, and their hearts are both put through a lot in this season. However, Spike finally gets to shine as a true main character here.

Episodes eight through ten were just a bit cheesy. The whole “magic is a drug” concept is interesting, but the dialogue between Willow and Buffy at the end of “Wrecked” is a bit too after-school-special for my taste. These episodes begin a few great arcs though: Willow/Tara are on thin ice. Tara is weary of Willow’s reliance on magic, so their relationship begins to falter. Another important arc is Dawn’s loneliness, but that plot is indeed lacking when put up against Dawn’s Season Five arc where she had to come to terms that she was, in effect, not “real.” That’s another story, though.

So, summary. Buffy feel out of place in life. Spike and Buffy are in a destructive relationship. Willow is addicted to magic, and Tara is having trouble dealing with it. Giles leaves to go to England (he is sorely missed in the episodes he doesn’t appear in). Dawn is lonely and becomes a kelpto. Xander and Anya’s engagement is on rocky turf.

And here comes the big arc, the doosy. The Big Bad. The villains of the season: three nerds who watch Star Trek and collect figurines. These “villians” will disappoint at first, but the three of them become funny, complex, and (all but one) endearing. Warren, the leader , grows darker as the season progresses however–he becomes a murderer, and opens the door for the true Big Bad of the season: Dark Willow. Just look at the cover of the DVDs.

Willow’s transformation into Dark Willow is questionable, but well done. It’s scary, it’s chilling. It may be all it was meant to be. The season finale wasn’t as climatic as that of the fifth, third, or second, but it left us with hope… and a lot of questions.

8/10″

VERDICT: Not the strongest season of Buffy, but certainly better than any given season of any other television show, you pick’em.  Verdict is buy it.  Just not first.

NEXT TIME: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” goes out with a bang… or a crash… or a implosion… or a creak.  We’ll see, when I review the seventh and final (or is it?) season of Buffy.

*static*

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