Why do People like Season 6 so much?

[omri]

I mean what is so special about that season? It wasn't that good. big part of the time it was ridiculous. There are a few good episode. but the story line is a bit... pfft.. a shark demon? Common!~ The kittens...
what do you think?

[LRae12]

Season 6 is my second favorite season right after season 4. It houses some of my favorite epsiodes - Tabula Rasa & OMWF. Plus we have the beginnings of Spuffy, the endings of Xanya & Tillow and Willow comes full circle with the magic that began in her in Becoming...the trio were hilarious, the episodes were well written and the season ended on a great note. What's not to like?

[omri]

I really don't know... There's something fishy about it... Btw... Season 4 wasn't my all times favorite to. I think that the space between the scoobies is what turns me off. I like the all darkness mood on the season, but there's something that i can't put my finger that turns me off.

[Jenni Lou]

I thought it contained the largest amount character development for most of the characters...more than other seasons. I like the looks of it...a lot of darker episodes--not darker has in more angsty or moodier--but literally darker. Aesthetically, I liked it.

Or has I wrote in an essay: S6 was not about gods or monsters--it was about inactions and the subsequent consequences of those inactions. I've seen innumerable complaints about S6, but I, however, welcomed the dark tone the series took. It was absolutely necessary to pull the characters apart. For five years Buffy, Willow, and Xander stood, more or less, side by side; they fought together, cried together, and most importantly, stayed together. A departure from their unity is precisely what needed to happen. Suddenly every character was alone and fending for themselves--Giles, the quintessential voice of reason, leaves; Dawn is often ignored; Tara deserts Willow (and I can also argue that Willow deserts herself); Xander and Anya break away from each other long before their wedding day; Buffy becomes a supreme isolationist; and Spike, well, has been alone for quite sometime, only in S6 he grapples with his newfound epiphany. Life is somehow more disrupted, more dangerous than it has ever been before--and this is without the menace of a super-powerful 'Big Bad'.

[omri]

Well, There's a point there. But maybe it's the little stuff that's annoys me. There are some points over there that really ticked me off. The gambaling on kittens.... The shark demon.. The reason i like Buffy so much is that the show can pull out all this demons and badasses without making it cheezie. But the shark demon thingy and all that was so cheezie!.

[Valyssia]

I absolutely LOVED season 6. It was the second act that finally came. They sure took their time with that. You have to dissect your heroes for them to be anything more than...well...UNDERDOG!!! "Here I come to save the day!"

*queues the bad theme music to set mood*

IMO it would have been much better placed in season 4 so that some of the material had a bit of time to shake down. Though at that point Joss only envisioned the story as a 5 season arc so...makes sense, it didn't happen. If he had a chance for the rewrite, I bet he'd go that way...or similar...

The only thing I found a bit tedious was the drug metaphor. It wore just a bit thin in places. It was a very interesting idea that was over-worked by the time it aired. Willow had been having troubles for too long. We saw it start a bit too far back so...they had to grind the knife tip in just a far as a result. It didn't ring as true as it should've IMO. You get worse and worse and worse and let's drag this out a bit more and then worse...all of sudden you've got the absurd happening because there's no other way to play the point. Another result of writing a story with a finite ending and then trying to pick it back up.

Valyssia

[holypotatoes]

What's funny is I used to see season 6 the way you do Omri. I used to absolutely despise it but I wasn't really sure why. Then a couple of years went by and I got older and more mature and understood the season. You have to realize I was like 12 when season 6 actually aired. Now seson 6 is my second favorite season with season 3 coming in 1st. I like the fact that Buffy hit her all time low in S6. She was the only one that always had her shit together. She was, as what Willow referred to herself in S3 as Old Reliable. Buffy was the strong dependable one and with all of that gone, made for a topsy tursy season. Along with all the other characters going down hill as well. They all had their problems. S6 showed what could happen if you make the wrong decisions in life, it can literally make your life crash and burn. Besides I think the kittens and Shark were only in the one episode so it's not like it was that huge of a thing when a normal season has 22 episodes. Therefore I hope the reason you don't like S6 is all because of that one episode because you can always skip it.

~Stacy

[omri]

The thing is, that some how the strongest memory i have from this season is the shark demon and kittens... lol. If it wasn't that big of an issue maybe i would have remembered it. but it was it was on more then one episode.. the kittens i mean. I think if i'll re watch it i will like it more.. but the memory of it is dumb.

[ThePoet's<3]

I liked S6 because it took our sweet little pristine goody-goody heros and totally trashed them to become the wretched refuse they ended up being and then left them to figure out how to get back to where they had been! And boy did they struggle! And they never "quite" return in S7 to where they were before S6! Like a shattering a crystal vase - you may get it all glued back together but it will never be the perfect vessel it once was. Oh, they get through it - but the changes are there. The new respect for each other.

I can identify with imperfect people - people who make mistakes and wrong decisions so much more than people who "always win", "always do the right thing", "always make the right decisions". My life isn't like that!!

And now our Scoobies are entering young adulthood! And they learn that decision are not so cut and dry (Good/Evil=Slayer/Vampire) - EVIL can sometimes mascarade as GOOD! And the RIGHT decision might be the lesser of the WRONG decisions.

I love the GREYNESS!! EMBRACE THE GREY!!!!! OOOOooo... That makes your toes tingle!! (well it made mine tingle... )

[ykickamoocow]

I hate season 6 just as much as when it first aired. I always thought the entire season had far to many dark moments and not nearly enough happy ones. Buffy spends a good portion of the season nearly suicidal, Willow is a drug addict and Xander spends some time as a drunk. I dont know how anyone can like a season which betrays previously established character traits so much.

[Jenni Lou]

Well, I think Buffy's "suicidal" state is clearly explained. I hardly see Xander as a drunk. As for Willow...they have been establishing her as getting too involved with magic since season four. That is hardly rushed. But that's just my observation...

[Big Bad]

I'm with Jenni Lou. Season Six had the most character development overall. Season Six was actually when I started watching. It's the one that got me hooked on Buffy. And after going back and watching all the seasons, Season Six is probably my favorite because of the dark, moody, character-driven story lines.

Yes, there was a loan "shark" demon and gambling for kittens. But those were only a very small part of the overall story and were meant to be kind of "tongue in cheek." I don't think they detracted anything from the big picture, at least not for me.

[tangent]

I would have to go with the 6 lovers here. I think one of the bravest thiongs you can do in a series is to let your characters grow and change. You risk allienating part of your audience to do so but it makes for better t.v as a whole.

The angst and darkness that occur in 6 are all for very good reasons, nothing just happens except in an organic way and the focus is away from the saving of the day to the personal hurts of our heroes. We probably get to know more about them in 6 than in any other season,

As for the shark and so on; well every season has it's daft moment although i suppose the two you pick out are paticularly daft. It is needed in small parts though to balance the darkness and those moments are two from a season that brought us Dark Willow. That's a trade i'd make any time.

[vampmogs]

Upon first viewing, I was not at all pleased with season six. As a fan of the mythology in the Buffyverse I felt during the season the writers failed to find that happy blend of the supernatural and dramatic aspects of the show it once mixed so well. Focusing heavily on bringing our characters to their lowest points, I was disapointed to see that the writers appeared to do a half-assed job with other aspects of the show, such as the demon makeup (the shark, the demon that poisons Buffy) and wasn't at all impressed with the "kitten poker" as you have mentioned. I remember once reading a review of season six when the reviewer said that whilst the writers did a great job of exploring Buffy's 'real world' problems, she might as well hadn't been the vampire slayer as that part of her story was greatly ignored. Which is probably why IMO, it felt very odd for Buffy to suddenly bring up the importance of being a slayer to Willow before their confrontation.

Nor was I a Spuffy fan, and I still aren't now. I found the unhealthy relationship degrading and whilst I'm all for challenging our characters I see no need to lower each of them to such a depressing state, it doesn't seem natural to me or what the show was ever about. Basically I think the writers got a taste of the dark and it is more fun to drag our characters through the dirt then bring them together and unite them.

However, upon my second viewing and therefore after that I began to appreciate season six a little more. The characters did go through a lot, they did change and whilst I didn't always like what I saw that was kind of the point of the entire season. I think at times the writers put our characters into the position where they turned some fans of them entirley but for the most part their actions were understandable and you could sympathise with them, even if you didn't agree with how they were acting.

I didn't enjoy the Trio, I understand they were supposed to be pathetic but they bored me. I don't watch Buffy to see made invisible, or put through lame annoying tests.. it just seemed crappy to me. We knew Buffy was easily going to get out of it, we knew for the most part she was never in any real danger; so it was kind of pointless to watch all these things happen when you knew how pathetic the Trio were. Many of them resulted in interesting things happening; Buffy being happy she had disapeared as for example. However, I think the writers on Btvs are talented to turn any crappy story around and make it marginally interesting, doesn't mean it was the best quality.

Season six was an ok season, not my favourite but definitly not my most hated. The writing wasn't as sharp as it usually was, I think the season appeared to be written better than it was because the characters were driven to interesting places in which any reasonable writer can make something good of it. However, the writing in no way compares to the third season as for example. I think Normal Again had potentially the best, or at least close to it, written scene of the sixth season. When Joyce tells Buffy to believe in herself again, that was very well done.

The best three factors of the season

1) Buffy coming back from heaven and being severely depressed. It was a very interesting way to show depression through a character and I loved how steadily throughout the season she got better.

2) Willow's magic addiction. Again, good use of the mythology to create a metaphor for a real life problem. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it tied in well with everything her character had been cautioned with in earlier seasons.

3) Life is the big bad- I wish there was something that was more of a threat than Buffy than the Trio but did like the idea that life was the big bad. I just think there was enough bad to be shared around.

The worst three factors of the season.

1) Spike- was so sick of him by this point. He's charming as a character that pops up and says something interesting or humorous. However, IMO he bores me when having too much screen time, I think it sucks the life out of his character and makes him uninteresting.

2) The Trio- as I spoke of earlier, for most of the season were no real threat to Buffy. When knowing this it seems pointless to have to sit through scenes of them plotting all these pathetic things together because there is never any worry they could be a big threat. Although I did like Warren's evil turn.

3) Spuffy- completely degrading and harmful to my fave character. Attempted rape. I've said enough... oh that and Marti Noxon I dislike you.

[basakbangel]

I really like the text that "vampmogs" wrote. and I agree almost every part.
I really don't know too. Actually my favourite seasons were 2&3. I kinda like season 6 but I don't think that there were so much reasons to adore it. I think season 6 was the season that every character got crazy. so that made it a bit ridicilous.

Personally; sometimes I miss watching some seasons and maybe the atmospere of the season. But till this time, I didn't miss season 6. so I don't love it that much and I still cannot some people chose it as the best. It wasn't the best and the worst I think, but It's a bit confusing. Ok, there were some much character developments. like Willow the most part or like Buffy. But there were smth going on unhealty a little of Buffy reactions as she was returned from death. It's understandable b/c If the writers contiuned the reactions like it was, It'd completely be stupid so I respect them.

In addition to this;

(-)I didn't like "the trio" that much as the season's vilian.(after watching angelus,faith, mayor, master,glory etc.)
(-)I'm not spuffy, I'm bangel. (but this season wasn't really the best season for spuffies I think. because It was lust.)
(+)I love Willow character(one of my faves), seeing her losing control was different, inordinary and unique b/c come on, willow is a person she may have some problems. and It was worth watching.

these are the ones that remember right now. but there should be more of course. To sum up, season 6 was fine,good. but not really the one to say that It's best.

[enigma]

Well, There's a point there. But maybe it's the little stuff that's annoys me. There are some points over there that really ticked me off. The gambaling on kittens.... The shark demon.. The reason i like Buffy so much is that the show can pull out all this demons and badasses without making it cheezie. But the shark demon thingy and all that was so cheezie!.

Ok here is my two cents. I beleive there was strong character development and Joss did state that season was about life. And the shark demon was supposed to represent a lan shark and in th Hellmouth that is literary. I love Tabula Rasa and OWMF and I love how they suprised us with Dark Willow. I loved Tara and having Willow go all Black Magic seeking revenge was inevitable.

[vampmogs]

Ok here is my two cents. I beleive there was strong character development and Joss did state that season was about life. And the shark demon was supposed to represent a lan shark and in th Hellmouth that is literary. I love Tabula Rasa and OWMF and I love how they suprised us with Dark Willow. I loved Tara and having Willow go all Black Magic seeking revenge was inevitable.

Your right it was supposed to resemble a lone shark but there are many ways they could have made him a lot better. Joke or not I think it needs to look as believable as possible, and this makeup really stretched the limits IMO. The show has always done quite well with the makeup and to suddenly have something like this really grates against a great deal of fans. It is all good and well having a laugh and a joke, but not if it sacrifices the believability of the story. Well that's my opinion anyway

[like.clover]

I like season 6 for a few reasons. First and foremost, it's the last great season. Secondly, I love the "mature feel" it had to it. I really enjoyed seeing the Scoobies really enter the adult world. I noticed that Dawn maturity grew significantly from season 5, and Buffy, well, partly because of her mothers recent death, had to (I'm not saying she wasn't an "adult" in season 5, but on a financial level Buffy was pretty much on her own]. I liked Willow's growing magic addiction, and the days prior to and including Anya and Xander's wedding. All of the characters went through a major life change, some for the better and some for the worse!

[Cinderela]

I thought it contained the largest amount character development for most of the characters...more than other seasons. I like the looks of it...a lot of darker episodes--not darker has in more angsty or moodier--but literally darker. Aesthetically, I liked it.

Or has I wrote in an essay: S6 was not about gods or monsters--it was about inactions and the subsequent consequences of those inactions. I've seen innumerable complaints about S6, but I, however, welcomed the dark tone the series took. It was absolutely necessary to pull the characters apart. For five years Buffy, Willow, and Xander stood, more or less, side by side; they fought together, cried together, and most importantly, stayed together. A departure from their unity is precisely what needed to happen. Suddenly every character was alone and fending for themselves--Giles, the quintessential voice of reason, leaves; Dawn is often ignored; Tara deserts Willow (and I can also argue that Willow deserts herself); Xander and Anya break away from each other long before their wedding day; Buffy becomes a supreme isolationist; and Spike, well, has been alone for quite sometime, only in S6 he grapples with his newfound epiphany. Life is somehow more disrupted, more dangerous than it has ever been before--and this is without the menace of a super-powerful 'Big Bad'.

That's how I defend my love of S6 - Quantum leaps forward in character development - all our heroes are getting older and facing life issues as they never have before - friends develop addictions (to various things, drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.), friends enter into very bad relationships and sometimes even MARRY them........all characters are growing up and finding out that even if you HAVE superpowers, they aren't much help when you're almost bankrupt or your sister is a kepto. Sometimes, real life is harder than their demon fighting lives.

Focusing heavily on bringing our characters to their lowest points, I was disapointed to see that the writers appeared to do a half-assed job with other aspects of the show, such as the demon makeup (the shark, the demon that poisons Buffy) and wasn't at all impressed with the "kitten poker" as you have mentioned.

Well, it's hard to defend the oh so cheesy shark, but maybe I should be ashamed to admit that I LOVED kitten poker. It was a comic relief in the exact place it was needed.

Nor was I a Spuffy fan, and I still aren't now. I found the unhealthy relationship degrading and whilst I'm all for challenging our characters I see no need to lower each of them to such a depressing state, it doesn't seem natural to me or what the show was ever about.

But, sometimes people do enter into dangerously unhealthly, degrading relationships and have to find their way out - or else! No, the show is not about that, but it was marvelously developed through the whole season and you can't deny the impact of that relationship reverberated all the way through to Chosen.

The best three factors of the season

1) Buffy coming back from heaven and being severely depressed. It was a very interesting way to show depression through a character and I loved how steadily throughout the season she got better.

2) Willow's magic addiction. Again, good use of the mythology to create a metaphor for a real life problem. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it tied in well with everything her character had been cautioned with in earlier seasons.

3) Life is the big bad- I wish there was something that was more of a threat than Buffy than the Trio but did like the idea that life was the big bad. I just think there was enough bad to be shared around.

I agree on all points - how I defend my love of S6 - LIFE is the big bad! They all found out that sometimes, LIFE SUCKS! Especially grown life - you have to muddle through on your own, making your own choices and mistakes and hopefully learning from them.

Nothing supernatural is needed to make you miserable. Sometimes it's just life!

[vampmogs]

Well, it's hard to defend the oh so cheesy shark, but maybe I should be ashamed to admit that I LOVED kitten poker. It was a comic relief in the exact place it was needed.

I just think that after all the comic brilliance over the years the writers should have, and had the ability to, come up with something much better than kitten poker.

But, sometimes people do enter into dangerously unhealthly, degrading relationships and have to find their way out - or else! No, the show is not about that, but it was marvelously developed through the whole season and you can't deny the impact of that relationship reverberated all the way through to Chosen.

It wasn't just about Buffy's unhealthy relationship it was more about all these bad things happening to the scoobies in one hit. The wonder of Btvs was that it could be funny, sad, scary, action-packed all at once. I think the show lost some of its appeal when it focused a lot at making the show depressing and had not as much of the other aspects that made it so great. Don't get me wrong, I like season six I just think it wasn't the best.

And yeah the impact of the relationship did carry on throughout season seven but would this automatically make it a good thing? Most fans can't stand season seven, some feel this way because how much screen time Spike got which was in a way a direct effect of Spuffy from the previous year.

I agree on all points - how I defend my love of S6 - LIFE is the big bad! They all found out that sometimes, LIFE SUCKS! Especially grown life - you have to muddle through on your own, making your own choices and mistakes and hopefully learning from them.

Agreed.

Nothing supernatural is needed to make you miserable. Sometimes it's just life!

Again I agree. But being a supernatural show I wish the writers developed more on that front this season like they had in previous seasons. The supernatural stories were rather lame and not up to their usual standards, I like a healthy mix between both.