Buffy The Vampire Slayer S07E01 'Lessons''♡Reaction & Review♡
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
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It's always a pleasure to see reactor's scowl as soon as Warren appears onscreen, only for their expression to absolutely shift as soon as he morphs into Glory and the other villains.
That final scene. I saw it a million times and it ALWAYS gives me chills. Season seven wraps this show up like a really good book in a way most shows fail to do
Me too Every. Single. Time. Love the wild ride that is season 7 and agree completely about the wrap up - there’s a reason the show draws new fans decades later and why the ‘old’ fans continue to seek out a way to watch it all again through another’s eyes.
It is an amazing end to the first episode of a final season.
Fun Fact. The scenes with Willow and Giles were filmed in Anthony Steward Heads house in England.
His horse, too. Near his stables in Bath. I think it's (or was at the time) a rehab or care centre for retired horses.
Yep, and Joss filmed it
Yes..such a nice touch..
@@charmingjinx9379 His partner is a TTEAM/TTOUCH practitioner (and I think other things now) working with horses and dogs mostly. They do, or did, training at the farm and also worked with client horses I think.
I met the horse when I went there for some courses and it was hard not to be a bit star struck.
Thank you for understanding and appreciating Season 6. It truly is special, and does feel like a carryover from “The Body”, the episode that changed the show forever. It’s so relatable in any stage of life and ages incredibly well. Actually, if you rewatch “I Was Made To Love You”, you’ll see it’s pretty much a sneak preview of the mood and vibe of S6.
you are really the best Buffy reactor ever. Seriously you are amazing. You pick up on so many details and are able to analyze every small detail perfectly. I love it
To answer your question about Spike's soul' status and permanence being different than Angel's. Spike fought for his soul, it is not a curse on him, regardless of his struggle to get it back. He does not lose his soul if he's completely happy, he earned it and gets to... enjoy it (? in it's full capacity.
Glad you made to season 7, this show is great and I'm always happy to see it being appreciated :)
PD: He was trying to rip his soul out, not his heart
seeing all the big bad of season's past shape shift in order from 6 to 1 absolutely melted my brain in awesomeness the first time i watched season 7!! if you ever felt the past seasons were a roller coaster then i hope you buckle your seat belt and hold on. this is season is gonna blow your mind! 🤯
When spike said he tried to cut it out he was talking about his soul.
No he was talking about trying to cut out his heart because of the pain and guilt.
@@ms.ravenclaw3038no he was talking about his soul, thats what brought the pain and the guilt
@@ms.ravenclaw3038 Yep. He was trying to claw out his soul.
"Spike have you been speaking to Druscilla"
Wow, just had flashbacks to my very first reactor, Shan, After Show Reactions who had the same response to that scene.
I'm not sure it ever occurred to me before, but Spike and Mayor Wilkins were never in the same scene before. Spike was in one season 3 episode, Lovers Walk. The Mayor sent vampires after Spike because his presence might somehow interfere with his plans to become a big snake, but it's possible Spike wouldn't even know his face, even though he built Sunnydale and lived there for a hundred years.
Right? and the Master? I don't think he ever saw him either, at least not that we know. Even if he is his great-great-grandsire...
I'm here 'till the end. Your reactions and reviews of the series have been insightful and refreshing. You've pointed to things that I didn't pick up on until rewatching the series. This is a lovely channel.
So many people don't get seasons 6 and 7. But I think they are awesome. Every bit as good, and in some ways better than S5. I'm really happy to see you already appreciating them. They are sometimes hard but some of the best tv ever produced.
Season 5 is still my favourite because Glory is my favourite Big Bad and Buffy's sacrifice at the end was powerful but 6 and 7 have some of my favourite episodes and the finale to 7 is one of my favourite Buffy moments
@@dneill8493 I think you're 100% right about Glory. She's my favorite tv/movie villain ever. That's been the case for over 20 years and I don't expect it will change.
Seasons 6 is great! Season 7. Well, to each their own, but personally I'm not a fan. It seems like Buffy is really acting like an a**hole for most of the season, and I get that it's on purpose (so that THAT scene near the end of the season can happen), but it doesn't really make for a great main character, compared to previous seasons. And that character flaw they choose to add on her, it doesn't even pay off, story-wise...
Keep in mind though that liking the other seasons over 6 & 7 doesn't necessarily mean that they don't get the latter two.
I love seeing people figuring out season 7 as it goes on after seeing that final scene.
@AdsPower- I think everyone was psyched with the final scene and so I had a different idea how the season would go just going by the first ep's final scene. So I have to say I was disappointed, it definitely had some good eps but overall it's my least fave season for a few reasons I won't get into.
@@valinny8571 yeah, the final scene of this episode sets up such a huge potential that could've gone a different way, and I think some of the actors thought it would go a different way, but... it is what it is.
Although there are errors here. Drusilla can touch him.
So Spike is completely crazy, yet had time to go to the hair salon and ask for the Justin Timberlake
A.k.a the worst hairstyle in history. I guess the soul really did make Spike crazy.😅
Actually that was just James Marsters’ natural hair grown out. He has very curly hair 😊
@BunnyNorris Yes. And I think people got it backwards, he no longer "styled" his hair and dyed it platinum blond because he didn't have the time or energy or need for it, so it grew as natural, but I guess it looked too good. That is why in the episode of the worm when he tries to appear "sane" he dyed back to platinum blond
🤣🤣
I've never understood how no one gets that its just his peroxide blonde, grown out a bit. He went nuts with his new soul and DIDN'T keep up his blonde! We've seen in flashbacks that William had brown curly hair, before he took on the blonde in the 80's.
I love the details you pick up on and explore that many people do not (at least at first), like Buffy's reaction to seeing Spike again, the differences between Liam and William, the difference between how each of them got their souls and what that could mean for the rules of keeping their souls.
And, even after watching it so many times I've lost count, I still am right there with you in awe over just how cool and exciting that final scene was with the line up of past villains, how incredibly it is done and written. So, so cool!
The last season of an incredible journey. Enjoy it!!
I don't think Spike was trying to dig his heart out. He was trying to get rid of his soul, which I guess makes sense would be in the vicinity of his heart.
That's probably where he 'feels' the guilt etc.
The fan service for the final scene… perfection ❤️
I really like that you referred to the end scene as a love letter to the fans. That’s a perfect description!
When I tell you I couldn't wait for her reaction to this episode, I almost fell down my stairs running to my computer to watch it. LBVS!!!! This was definitely a brilliant first episode that sets the tone for the rest of the season. Joss Whedon, despite all the controversy around him, post Buffy, was a genius for this entire series. I cannot wait to see her reactions to the rest of the season because it gets better as it progresses all the way until the end.
It's a solid first episode for the final season. Your reaction to the ending scene was adorable :) People have divided opinions on S7, but I love almost all of the episodes in this season, and the storyline has a very much 'end of the world' feeling that is perfect for ending the show.
I think it’s got one of the best pacings
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of season 7, but I do really love the finale. I don't know why but it felt very different to me and maybe too dark, while season 6 balanced the dark with some light and funny moments and episodes like OMWF, Tabula Rasa and Gone. But of course, it's just my opinion, feel free to have yours 😊
@@dylanburton4955 I dunno about the best pacing. I think it gets a little bloated and some of the development/characters suffer because of it, but other than that... decent.
I'm really looking forward your next reaction videos, on this season.
The end of this episode still feels amazing everytime I watch it.
Glory and The Mayor will always be my fav big bad 😁
Enjoyed the reaction, especially the ending (which is perhaps my favorite ending to any episode of BTVS). This is one of my favorite seasons, and this scene is one of the reasons why: going "right back to the beginning."
"Or if you see any invisible people."
😂😂😂😂😂
I will be binge watching Buffy soon. I can't wait to delve into Spuffy relationship and see how much each character develops from seasons 1-7
"It's about power. I have it. They don't."
"I gotta tell you, I get it now. The slayer thing really isn't about the violence. It's about the power."
One of the BEST final scenes in any show
Absolutely LOVE the way you pause the vid and think/talk about things with us before you move on - almost no-one else does that, no wonder you've hit 300K - glad to see you're doing the final season of BTVS, hope you enjoy!
"This is the first" great choice of words for that scene.
The villains parade, with also "Evil Buffy" in the end, is crazy! ❤
Your opening 5 minutes is THE VERY BEST description of Buffy and example of a fan describing how much they LOVE this show that I've seen.
Priceless seeing your "excitement levels go off the scale" reaction to that, err, first morph from Warren to Glory, and all successive morphs throughout that speech as it points out what is the main theme of season 7.
"i'm beyond her understanding. she's a girl: sugar and spice and everything useless-unless-you're-baking."
Wow Sofie, you might want to add "Season 6 analysis" or wrap-up because those were some great takes.
Yes yes YES on platonic Xander/WIllow being one of the strongest relationships in the show! And the insight that Xander liking "older Willow" (before magic) was what helped bring her back was something I didn't think about before.
Watching ppl get so mad abt warren and then immediately excited again is always funny.
i can't believe i missed this!! I love your reactions, especially your Buffy ones, and your commentary about season 6 was incredible and so well said. and your reaction!! i'll never get sick of watching people gasp at that last scene, it gives me chills every time
The final scene here is AMAZING
I believe this is the first time we see the main season 7 villian mess with Spike. “The First” is a shapeshifter
Finally buffy reaction!!! 😍 can’t wait for the next!
Love this show and this final season is amazing! Great reactions.
"There's a Duck?"......LMAO I loved that line.
That's why he giggles when Buffy asks if he's real. Because he's been seeing her!
And because *he* is "real" in the sense of having a soul. In a way, he has never been real in any of their previous interactions but now is. I think that was the main reason he was laughing at her question.
season 7 is my favorite season. enjoy the greatness of this season!!
I’ve just started the just released audiobook Slayers which is co-written by Amber Benson and has a significant number of cast members. Definitely finding the Buffyverse a fun place to revisit
Its my favourite season premiere of Buffy!
It is strange how so many teen shows tried to turn the high school kids into full grown adults almost immediately. Xander is 21 years old here, yet he seems to be the suit and tie Construction Foreman. Granted we find out the reason later on in the season, but Buffy becomes a high school guidance counselor. These are positions that take years and years of experience to get. But Buffy isn't the only show that did this. For some reason, the early 2000's believed that somebody on the show in their late teens to early 20's should be the owner of a bar/club
As far as I remember the principle stated that the school already had a guidance counselor and Buffy was more ' peer support ' or at least someone closer to the young people's age.
Yeah they explicitly state it's a part time essentially volunteer position. High Schools do shit like that to save money all the time.@@Greencava11
Buffy is a glorified intern. Xander started at the entry level and applied for a promotion after a year because he was good at it. Willow is still a student. There were no sudden changes here, no one got a law degree in summer school.
Interns get credits, she's a payed volunteer. @@TigerNightmare
Spoiler
Buffy was only given the the job because she said was the slayer
That ending is just incredible!
The last scene with the big bads is great. I always like that it seems it's not until Drusilla shows up that Spikes turns his head more.
In a weird way, Angel and Spike both reacted the same way to having a soul: they both attempted to power through the unpleasantness to fit in with their only friends.
Spike's only friends are the Scoobies, and he kept pushing them away because, well, he was evil. His lack of true empathy meant that he kept alienating them by acting evil, or not understanding how to be a good person on anything but a surface level. So he powered through the trauma of the trials to get his soul, and now he's trying to endure the guilt. Angel's only friends were Darla, Drusilla and Spike - without them, and without doing evil for the hell of it, he had no idea who he was and nothing to distract him from the crushing guilt. In both cases, they're trying to change to fit in with the social circle that they got stuck with. Angel couldn't hack it, of course, because, to borrow a frequent metaphor on the show, it's no fun hanging out with your old drinking buddies and going on a pub crawl when you've recently committed to sobriety, especially if they don't respect this commitment.
Very well worded!
Waoh, that's an amazing recap of the last season. Never thought about all those points/themes!
Just goes to show you how many different people watch this show doesn’t it? What they can relate to and resonate with may be stuff you’ve never thought about in your life before.
The hype of that final scene never gets old!
I loved your analysis of season six. Season seven tends to either be ignored or derided, yet I think it is so different and so brilliant. I adore the ending of this episode. I just wish they had continued with Dawn's new gang.
@26:32 LOL -> The First thing she said.
I’m so excited to see this with you till the end! This is my second favorite season! The build up to the finale is the best in the whole series in my opinion!
In the episode Amends Angel made it clear, that Liam was an empty vessel and Angel would despise Liam. The ensould Angel wasn't Liam, because Liam completly disserpeared behind Angelus. Willliam left a big footprint on the demon, who inhabited Williams body. Therefore the ensouled Spike is more likely to William, than Angel is likely to Liam.
It is a good reason, to see this episode again now ;-)
I’d say ensouled Spike is more like soulless Spike than he is to William. William is dead.
That closing scene was fantastic ! In all fairness, Angel went through an adjustment period of having a soul reinstated. Spike's mental health is being manipulated by an evil force while soul adjusting . My favourite line: Student: "You're the coolest mom ever !" Lol. I also like Dawn teasing Buffy ("I'm taller than you")
dawn teasing buffy here is definitely much more natural than their back and forth on the subject during _normal again_ which i cringe just thinking about.
Season 5 was a showcase of all the growth the characters underwent since the beginning, presenting them as the definitive “best” versions of themselves.
Season 6 was a showcase of ‘life goes on’ and how after you reach the pinnacle of yourself, how the mundane and monotony of life sets in as life continues. It showcases the characters at their worst.
not his heart but his soul
I watched your season 7 episode 3?2 reaction on patreon, your reaction to Spikes speech is chefs kiss
I like to imagine vampires talking around the fire. "So, I heard this story. If you want your soul back, you can go to this place in Africa and get the bleep beaten out of you, and if you get through that, they give you your soul."
"No way, dude!"
"It's true!"
Everyone: "EWWWWW!"
Isn't the ending to this episode just the most freakout-worthy thing ever?? It took them a couple of weeks to film if Irecall correctly, to get all the villains to do their part.
I just love how they immediately start to make this season a love letter to the first one.
watching u try to break down the end is awesome so cant wait
Yes Sofie, completely different. When Angel got his soul back it was meant as a curse, as punishment to never feel happiness again. He feels happiness, he reverts back to Angelus.
Spike on the other hand, no. He made the choice to fight for his soul, and he earned it back. So for spike, it’s not a curse. He can have happiness if he chooses. The only way to have his soul taken away again is by doing what he did to get it back in the first place. By going to the demon that restored it and telling him to take it away.
Bottom line, Spike’s soul is here to stay, but Angel’s will always be in danger of losing it because for him, the gypsies gave it to him as a curse, not a reward.
About souls: They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, I've come to believe that in the Buffyverse, the method of regaining a soul absolutely rests on the intentions of the person who wants the soul. The gypsies wanted Angelus to have his soul as a curse, so they cast the intended curse and gave him his soul as a curse. Spike wanted his soul so he could give Buffy what she deserved, so he fought to get his soul back and he got it. Spike ended up ahead of the learning curve because of his intentions, but the return of a soul to a human body still infested with a demon carries a huge price, and his deep emotions as William are still there...
Came across you randomly… ( sigh ) and now I have to start from the beginning. Loved your reaction and how much you seem to truly love the show.
15:09 "are we going back to where we started."
26.48 "right back to the beginning."
I love how they showed the big bads in reverse order... Warren s6, Glory s5, Adam s4, The Mayor s3, Drusilla s2 and The Master s1.
spike looks he's a in 90s boy band with that hair in this episode
also idk if u remember but last season when buffy fought willow willow also said its about power
I never noticed before, but the scene with the big baddies have them going in the reverse.
The new first, the old last.
Including Buffy (she died BEFORE the Master).
An indication it is not in the mind of Spike is The Master never met with Spike in the show. Maybe he could have met him when he was with Angelus, Drusilla, etc. but it would be outside the show storyline.
We saw the start of the new school building in "Pangs" S4 E8.
We saw the old remains of the school building in ‘Out Of My Mind’ so that cannot be the now newly built Sunnydale High.
@@Girl4Music I just checked it's a building for the college, I stand corrected.
At this point Joss was very very busy: he had 3 shows, running Firefly with Tim Minear and overseeing Buffy and Angel (both with individual showrunners to run it day to day). Thats why he wrote but not directed Lessons (weird: he directed everything he wrote, credited, since Prophecy Girl). However he flew to England for a couple of days, with Alyson, and did the 2nd unit scenes of this and next episode at Tony's Head house. Today he still hangs out with him when he an his wife are in England (once or twice a year).
That's because Alyson was his favourite.
@@paulinerobertson6836 Yep, also Alexis, Amy, J. August, Eliza, Tony, Tom... And of course his writers (he hired them not only for talent but because they had Joss' witty humour. Actually Marti was, probably, even more favourite)
@ibgvox I'm just saying Alyson because in an interview, he said she was who he would miss the most.
@@paulinerobertson6836 Oh yes, could be. However she and Alexis are Joss' son godparents so they are friends outside the show. Aside from (some) actors, I bet Joss missed Marti a lot.
@@ibgvox possibly,who knows.
Your lengthy thoughts on S6 reminded me of this quote:
"Season six [of Buffy] remains the highlight. You won't find a more skilled extended exploration of existential turmoil on the big or small screen. And I'm not talking "woe is me" teenage angst, but a genuine search for what it means to be human. It's Bergman for the masses."
Tim Porter, Paste Magazine
Enjoy S7!
Spike stole the show in this episode. He’s probably the greatest tragic hero ever written on tv.
These are the first years of the mobile phones!
It was so good seeing all the previous Big Bads again.
“We have to talk a little bit about last season and the finale and all that good stuff. Last season was unique. Still Season 5 is my ultimate favourite season but Season 6 is in some ways so special and it’s because I relate to it the most. I relate to all the ideas that were explored in this season. Yes, it’s painful and sad but it might be the realist season so far. The Big Bad this season was the Gang themselves. Everybody was their own worst enemy and everyone in the real world can relate to that. This season we got a real and unfiltered look through our characters’ very psyche. It deepened each character to a whole new other level. All the pain, all the heartbreak, all the depression, all that darkness, all that drama. It wasn’t for shock value. It was for a harsh and yet meaningful heartfelt story, and I love the show for that. So yeah, for all its sadness, I really really love this season. It showed that Buffy wasn’t just a witty, happy show with some sad episodes here and there. It can go to a really dark place and keep it there constantly. It made sense making life the villain of the season because Buffy struggled just with the idea of living and it’s such a real thing. Each character’s problems were real life situations that everyone can relate to. It felt like a carry over from ‘The Body’ episode. Like seriously.
The darkness and depression - most shows would have solved it in an episode or two. But this show shows that realistic path that this thing can take so long. Grief, depression, addiction cannot be easily curved over night. It takes time. And it makes this show so much more than just a typical fantasy/supernatural show. The fact that this season started with Buffy crawling out of her own grave only to end with her crawling out into the light. This symbolised how she overcome her depression. I loved how the whole season didn’t go with their traditional Big Bad of the season. There hasn’t been a huge villain conflict since Glory and most all of the baddies of the week were either the Trios schemes or self-inflicted by the main characters. But when we finally had a proper Big Bad, it was so complicated because it was Willow. And when you look back and you see the episodes with the Trio, you can also see that they also focused on issues with Willow. Like always hidden in plain sight. What a great way to hide the real Big Bad. The very fact that one of the Gang becomes the Big Bad is so fantastic. All the build-up of the last 4 episodes, 3 of which have jaw-dropping cliffhangers - amazing stuff.
Xander rejecting Anya at the wedding; magical drug addictions; Buffy handling her depression in a destructive way; Spike dealing with the chip, his demon side, his William side and the fact of what he almost did to Buffy; Willow turning into Dark Willow; Giles’ appearance - what the hell? What the hell? By the way, Alyson acted her entire ass off in those last 3 episodes. Only she can pull off being diabolically evil while she’s still simultaneously being Willow. A big theme that I thought was extremely profound is the idea of consent. Willow struggled with it many times during the season. She did magical spells on Tara and all her friends without their consent. The Trio of course - Jonathan didn’t even realize that having a sex slave was rape. Then Spike assaulting Buffy with the justification that she needed to feel him to be reminded of his love. Amy giving magic to Willow without her consent. They all violated someone in one way or another. And it was an interesting concept. And it was interesting that the fact that they tried to touch on that aspect, you know?
For me, I really didn’t like the Trio this season. They were a bit one-dimensional. Usually Big Bads are but in this season particularly it didn’t work. But I do understand why it was necessary to have them - if it makes sense. The only interesting part about them is how they started being just nerdy boys playing games, trying to be Big Bads even though they suck at that until they became men who committed evil crimes. Jonathan got it out of the 3. He was the most mature. He understood the weight of what they did. Yes, he kept quiet but he did realize that Warren was dangerous. Andrew - Andrew man is just a simp minion willing to blindly be loyal to him.
The thing that kinda bothered me a bit - I’m not sure ‘bothered me’ is the right words - but I didn’t like the fact that we didn’t really have the time to digest Tara’s death because immediately we went to Dark Willow. I love the scene between Xander and Willow not only because he was the one to pull Willow back, but it was also a moment for the grief or pain that Willow has gone through with the loss of Tara. The impact of Tara’s death was finally dealt with when Willow collapsed with Xander on the bluff. But as I said - it really made sense that Xander was the one who pulled her back because Xander more than anyone holds a special place in Willow’s heart. He’s her first love. Her best friend since childhood. I can’t think of anyone else who could’ve penetrated her wall of grief enough to remind her of her humanity. This season Xander spent time doubting himself, letting his fears take control of himself. He doubted his ability to do good by the people he loves. And it wasn’t just in a relation with Anya, it was in a relation with everyone else that is close to him. He doubted himself. He thought that he was incapable of doing anything for his loved ones. And for me in that scene, he overcome his fears. His love for Willow was strong enough that he overcome his fears even in the face of death - which was so beautiful to see. The greatest thing about seeing Anya’s reaction to hearing Xander’s the one to save the world this time is that realization that she spent all this time trying to hurt him that if she did he wouldn’t even be able to, you know, save the world. It was so subtle that I really really loved it. I would’ve never imagined a story’s arc that ended with both Buffy and Giles out of commission and leaving it to Xander to save the world from Willow. I mean, who would’ve thought? Willow always thought that she was a nobody and it was a constant thing since Season 1. But before Tara, before Oz, she always had Xander. He loves her even though she feels like she’s a nobody. But nevertheless he loved her the way she is and the way she was back then. And Xander is that constant reminder that old Willow was worth something, you know? And it’s such a beautiful thing to see. Also the fact that Willow and Xander’s relationship isn’t romantic - it is what makes this whole thing way better. I appreciate so much this show for giving us a platonic relationship. They put friendship at center and not romance. And God, I love this show for this, like seriously. Like in this whole Buffyverse I feel like there’s 3 characters who had the most character development of all the other characters. Willow, Cordelia and Wesley. Cordelia also did a total 180 and became a woman to be proud of in the end like Willow. And Wesley - this guy was a literal geek in every sense possible - and yet in a few years he became such a dark and bad ass character. And Willow - like from this sweet, genuine nerdy girl that lacks confidence to dark veiny Willow - like what?
Spike - they had us in the end. Like, seriously had us. Like I really thought he was talking about his chip. But it turned out to be not the case. I was played perfectly even though I noticed how it was weird that he was there looking to take his chip from out of his head to hurt Buffy when we already established that the chip doesn’t work on her in the first place. So yeah, I was like what? But they really did play me. But it makes sense knowing his existential crisis, and his feelings for Buffy are a huge part of that. And he has been struggling with himself non-stop this season. And I feel like what happened with Buffy was the final tipping point that spelled him. I remember his words being like ‘What have I done? What did I do? Why did I not do it? Why do I feel this way?’ But then it came to him and he sets out to get his soul back. He wants to go back to being William. A man that he thinks is worthy of Buffy. But we all know that getting your soul back after centuries of torturing, killing and mayhem doesn’t mean happiness and rainbows once you get it back. But this is only going to make Spike worthy to have a redemption arc, you know, just like Angel. And it’s interesting to know that the difference between Angel and Spike is that Angel didn’t choose to have a soul, Spike had. He chose on his own accord to get his soul back. So I’m not sure how it’s going to work with him, you know? So both Willow and Spike got their souls back at the end of Season 6 - which is interesting.”
Your entire recap/review of Season 6. Wow. I had to quote the whole thing.
You are so insightful. Holy shit.
I fucking love you!
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Yeah, Season 6 is very special. And you’ve explained precisely why and how just like that. I’m in awe. 😮
“So both Willow and Spike got their souls back at the end of Season 6 - which is interesting.”
I swear I thought I was the only one who picked up on this parallel. The fact Dark Willow and Spike don’t interact. Of course they don’t. They’re one in the same thematically. They are the parallel characters in Season 6 and that’s why Spike was so wary of Willow. Because he recognized in her what he can’t stand in himself. He intentionally kept away from her because he didn’t want to be reminded of who he is out of a desperate need to be worthy and feel belonged. There is some striking parallels between Willow and Spike yet they barely interact. But I do believe that this season it’s very intentional that they don’t.
could not wait to see ur reaction the all the big baddies
Season seven does not disappoint - it manages to payoff where other shows dont. I cant wait to watch this final with you x
Nothing more satisfying than seeing Buffy reactor theorising about the current mystery and getting it all wrong.
BTW, AFAIK Liam is the Irish version of William.
An excellent reaction to season six. The sixth season of Buffy is very challenging and for some people they don’t like it because it’s not a fun ride. Personally, I think it’s my favorite season because it’s unlike any other show that I’ve ever seen in television. Taking the characters. I suggest that You rewatch restless from the end of season four. After finishing seasons, five and six, seeing how restless was piece together, and what took place for the characters reinforces what a masterpiece restless was and remains. Keep up the great work and enjoy the final season.
I won't tell you who it is, but you just met the Big Bad for this final season.
The last season opener of Buffy you shall ever start!
Spikе wаs in this еpisоdе fоr abоut 10 minutes and I mostly cared abоut these 10 minutes оnly.😉
If you’ve seen my comments on these reaction videos before, you will know my schtick by now. I always write meta specifically about the character Willow Rosenberg but also about soul lore. My effort is always to debate on and argue against the canon initial soul lore take of: “You die and a demon sets up shop in your old house. And it walks and it talks and it remembers your life, but it's not you” just because it doesn’t make any sense to me and canon does a piss poor job of explaining and supporting this take. There is a moment that exists in ‘BtVS’ that, for me, tries to explore this subject but ultimately doesn’t go all in. And it’s a pretty popular and iconic moment regarding Willow’s arc.
WILLOW: “It's horrible! That's me as a vampire? I'm so evil and... skanky. And I think I'm kinda gay.”
BUFFY: “Willow, just remember, a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was.”
ANGEL: “Well, actually...
*gets a look from Buffy*
That's a good point.”
Can we discuss how ‘Doppelgängland’ presents a study case for Vampire Willow being like human Willow if Willow was suddenly missing an internal moral compass? I talk about Willow’s repressed sadism a lot and some overwhelming evidence for it is that there exists a vampire version of her in canon that’s a literal sadist and is just as evil as Angelus is. That enjoys inflicting torture and pain purely for fun. That has a good old time being indisputably sadistic.
Dark Willow - even though she has a soul and is human - thrives in the killing and the torturing of Warren and Rack. Yeah, she’s corrupted by black magic and feels nothing but vengeance, anger and hate. And yes, the people she does end up actually killing deserved it. But the point is that this is what she can be like even when HUMAN, even when ENSOULED. So Vampire Willow is interesting because that’s a Willow that isn’t either human or ensouled and how sadistic and evil she can be without an internal moral compass and without her humanity is reminiscent of Dark Willow.
And so I can’t help thinking that maybe that vampire has nothing to do with the demon that “possesses” Willow. Maybe the reason why that particular vampire is “so evil… and skanky… and kinda gay” is because that’s the human that the vampire is informed by. That it’s because it’s Willow why Vampire Willow is like that.
And I know it’s just for jokes why they had Angel start to say what he did in response to Buffy’s comment to Willow in trying to reassure her that that vampire is just an evil demon and has no bearing on her character at all… But I really wish we had got to hear what he was going to say. If I had to guess I feel like he was going to say something like “Well, actually… that’s not quite true. A vampire’s personality is still informed by the human that died even if it is not the person it was.”
But with Vampire Willow… the question is just how much of alternative human Willow informs her and how much is really just a demon from the ethers “possessing” the body of the alternative human Willow that died? You would think adding this particular situation on to the soul lore would be in support for it being demon possession… but I’m not so sure that that is so when much of the Willow that we see later on is what we get with Vampire Willow.
See for me, ‘Doppelgängland’ comes off more as foreshadowing than it does in being an addition to the soul lore that provides evidence for the perspective that vampires are a demon possession of a dead human because it does the entire opposite in telling and showing that to be the truth as they give us a significant look in to what Willow would be like both without a soul and without her humanity - which for me don’t mean the same thing because I don’t think of the soul that way. See, I have a very specific understanding of what a “soul” is and I don’t think of it as the human itself or as the person itself. I think of it as an internal moral compass for the human or person.
Which then further means if that human or person is suddenly bit by a vampire and dies - it doesn’t come back as a vampire because its body is possessed by a demon. It comes back as a vampire because IT IS a demon. A newly created or newly born demon in a human body that is informed by both the demon AND the human respectively. That’s why and how it can’t be a possession by the demon or human because possession means it’s an entirely different entity from the demon or human. And a vampire isn’t because it’s a half-breed of both the demon and the human. So it is still the same entity that died all the while becoming a newly created entity. It is, essentially, a resurrection or reincarnation of the human or person that died but just with personality traits and qualities that are only evil and sadistic in nature depending on what the human or person could be capable of that the newly created demon exacerbates in them with abandon.
Vampire Willow is a very interesting study case for this because what she is depends on whether human Willow can be capable of being that evil and sadistic all the while being a human. And… she can… as Dark Willow eventually and inevitably shows us. Yes, for her to get there it required the themes of power corruption, addiction and vengeance… but the point is that she was still capable of it. And, for me, it only just proves that if somebody that pure can become that evil and sadistic as a human… then so could we all.
Vampire Willow is not a study case for vampires being entirely different from their human counterparts. It’s a study case for learning that they are or can be alike if they’re missing an internal moral compass and therefore their emotions or desires were not being repressed. Vampire Willow is an uninhibited entity. They make that very clear in the writing when using it in juxtaposition with human Willow’s inhibitedness. Willow even acknowledges that both her and Vampire Willow feel like the world’s “no fun” anymore but then recedes that acknowledgement in the final scene, realizing that being “reliable dog geyser person” isn’t so bad. That she could actually be the entire opposite to that and she never wants to be like Vampire Willow if this is the pain and damage that she could cause.
So Vampire Willow truly is what we would get if human Willow was completely free of all constraints on her good character. If she suddenly believed that she didn’t need to be the good person she always is and could do what she wants without any thought for the risks or consequences of her actions and choices and without any concern for any pain or damage she may cause through her carelessness and recklessness. It is very much in her capability and nature to become what we see of Vampire Willow’s appearance. And I think that if Xander had not have been able to save Willow in ‘Grave’, this is precisely what Willow would have become. Not simply just Dark Willow. But Evil and Sadistic Willow. She would have lost her humanity.
Fortunately… she still possessed an internal moral compass and so her humanity won over the battle and Vampire Willow remained just a fantasy in fan-fiction. But it does give me pause to realize that Willow’s selfishness, arrogance and entitlement in Season 6 would still inform everything that Vampire Willow is precisely because she is the human psyche for her.
I will forever be upset & disappointed that the show didn't leave room for us to grieve for Tara. Tara is the best person in the show, she had so much depth, compassion & wisdom they do such a disservice to the character imo
I loved your thoughts on season 6 as a lot of people tend to not like it, I however I loved it. I also LOVE this season so much, I cannot wait to watch you react to it.
I am not a fan of season 6, so I usually skip reactions to it, but I always come back for this... The last few minutes are some of the best of the series.
Kinda wished spike kept his hair like this
Yeah, its kinda hot
I've missed you so much, Sofie!!! 💖
Welcome back ❤❤❤ with buffy
The episode is fun, but it's the final scene we're all waiting for. One last hurrah from the first, best, villain of the show.
Astute observations at the end - a lot of people act dumbfounded, but you picked up on a few key elements.
Holy shit indeed! We're gonna start and end the series with a BANG! LOVED your reaction ❤. Let's see if you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
Yeah, lots of fun on the horizon. Another thing you didn't touch on in Season6 was Dawn and how she felt completely abandoned...by everyone, especially Buffy. Last scene in Season 6 with Buffy and Dawn, was Buffy telling her she didn't want to protect her from the world, she wanted to show her the world. This has been fun for me as well. The number of times I have watched this Series, knowing what was about to happen, and watching you do a pretty damn good job of mostly figuring out everything(mostly), and just wait...................
Your face!!!😂❤🎉
The interesting aspect of the trio is the exploration of gang dynamics; the manipulation of loyalties, the power structure, the descent into ever-deepening levels of crime, the recklessness that unleashes unfathomable horror. To me, Warren represents the ultimate in human depravity.
Anyway, bittersweet season indeed. It will be the last stretch of us basking in your wonderfully intelligent insights into this show. 😢
16:11 OK, I never noticed it before, but... I spent my last two years in college around people who were constantly talking about an algebraic concept of "root systems". It was quite awkward, because I never actually learned how to use them.
A lot of people thought that dawn was going to be the new slayer with her own scooby gang….the writers definitely spent some time on the internet…
Also where exactly is Buffy stashing that phone when she isn’t holding it… just asking…
I think Lessons was an excellent opener with the opening scene in Istanbul with the girl being chased by the shrouded men ( who we have seen before in S3 ) a great little 'taster' of what is to come in the Season. We the see Buffy training Dawn, who says 'I'm now taller than you' we can see how Dawn has grown. Then as we are coming full circle Principal Wood cuts the ribbon to open Sunnydale High. Funny when Buffy says 'do I have mum hair' when Wood thinks she is Dawn's mother. We get our first scene of Supernatural happenings with Buffy in the bathroom. Very funny when Dawn says she was into 'Britney Spears early work, before she sold out'. The we have Buffy as the 'embarrassing mum' ruining Dawns intro to the class. The pencil scene is great when the student asks for it Dawn them seemingly stabs her in the eye with it, a throwback to Nightmares episode in S1. As Buffy is fighting the manifest spirits, we suddenly see a very strange looking Spike behind the door. Buffy sees his injuries, we know something has changed. Xander eventually breaks The Talisman, again funny scene when the student says 'you are the coolest mum ever'. When Principal Wood offers Buffy the job on Counsellor, of course she accepts, now call me cynical but surely you would have to have training, qualifications, credentials and experience to get such a post, but hey this is Sunnydale High after all. One of the greatest scenes in the whole Buffyverse at the end with Spike being tormented by Warren, Glory, Adam, The Mayor, Drusilla, and The Master, just think back, what have they all got in common, and of course Buffy too. There was pivotal episode back in S3 linking all this together. Brilliant writing, will be interesting to see if you can make the link. Great reaction again can see that you are enthralled and intrigued by this brilliant opener for S7.
Technically Angelus indeed would have made more sense than the Mayor, strictly speaking.
Especially considering that Spike only appeared in one episode of season 3, never meeting the Mayor on screen (they might have interacted off screen during season two during Spike's stint as the headhoncho vamp of Sunnydale, after all we know for certain that the Mayor was very aware of him and considered him an unpredictable wildcard), not being involved in the battle against the Mayor.
But at the end of the day I really don't care at all, the scene is just too great and Harry Groener just too awesome to miss out of his cameo, no matter how brief.
And with the prosaic truth surely being that Boreanaz just wasn't available at the time, I'm more than willing to let it slide.
Welcome to the last season, I think you will like the big bad.
Just think when you finish you will be able to watch other reactors, possibly watching the series through new eyes like we have with you. Thank you for your insights I am with you to the end and beyond. ❤