Dead Things (Steven S. DeKnight)
Wow. They should have dumped all the episodes since “Tabula Rasa” and just gone with this one. The difference in quality is vast. Sometimes all US TV series ought to be just 13 episodes long.
Amelinda Smith, who played Katrina was great – it’s weird to look at IMDb to see how little she has worked. It was fab the way she chewed out the trio after she came to. It is also pleasing to see that at least one of the trio isn’t a complete heel.
Adam Busch is exceptionally creepy and it is his destiny to be forever associated with the role. He turned up on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as a future collaborator with the robots and was immediately identified as Warren from Buffy.
The sex is over – thank goodness. I sound like a colossal prude but there was far too much of it and it was just inappropriate. And to be extra honest, I resent how explicit it was when two women were barely allowed to touch each other the season previously (different network, blah, blah, I know, but still the double standards are outrageous). The worse scene was in the alley in “Doublemeat Palace” because that was just sleazy. The balcony scene in the Bronze at least served a purpose and Buffy really does need help to escape from Spike – the boyfriend who does the classic bad boy/girlfriend thing and tries to separate them from their friends.
Help does come in the shape of Tara and I adore all of Amber Benson’s three appearances. You got yourself a drink when she sat with her feet up at the Doublemeat Palace. She was cute outside the Magic Box talking to Willow (despite the outfit). And she was an awesome friend for Buffy at the end (a scene which is brilliantly written).
I didn’t come back wrong?
No, you’re the same Buffy. (lightly) With a deep tropical cellular tan.
You must have missed something. Will you check again?
Buffy, I-I promise, there’s nothing wrong with you.
There has to be! This just can’t be me, it isn’t me. Why do I feel like this? Why do I let Spike do those things to me?
You mean hit you…Oh…Oh…
Do you love him? I-It’s okay if you do. He’s done a lot of good, and, and he does love you. A-and Buffy, it’s okay if you don’t. You’re going through a really hard time, and you’re…
What? Using him? What’s okay about that?
It’s not that simple.
It is! It’s wrong. I’m wrong. Tell me that I’m wrong, please…Please don’t forgive me, please…Please don’t…
OK, I’m done. My favourite episode that no one else really likes is up next.
I just wanna say that I agree with everything you said here. Stumbled upon your site while Googling “Buffy”; I’ve been reading your recaps for all seasons and I’m looking forward to the next one.
I also love Older and Far Away. And Tara. Especially Tara. I’m amazed to discover how many people who watched the series much later (I only watched S1-S7 on DVDs last November)found Tara to their liking, most of the times passionately so. Makes me wonder why the writers and JW didn’t use her more beyond being a plot device. But then again maybe that’s part of her “magic.” Maybe being an underdog endeared her to us more.
Tara is clearly the best. The sex is clearly the worst. Well, until “Seeing Red” of course. I found the stuff with the Trio to be as depressing (in a bad way, not in a good way) as ever, though I do agree that the stuff with Buffy and Tara is actually pretty good.
And I also agree that the next episode is much better than many might think. It’s certainly one of the only episodes from the rest of the season I would consider watching again for fun. It was also something that made me think they might actually do some interesting things with Dawn – which turned out to not happen, of course.
Hi zarine, thank you for reading my recaps. They certainly vary in quality so I admire your persistence.
Ah Tara. I agree that Tara was underused and was basically a plot device. I didn’t watch the show as it was broadcast but I believe in hindsight that JW and MN totally underestimated the appeal of Tara and Amber Benson. They certainly didn’t seem to realise what might happen after “Seeing Red”.
And okay, “Older and Far Away” obviously appeals to Tara and Dawn fans. Charles, you are right, the interesting things to do with Dawn have not happened yet – centaur anyone?
Last year, a local theater ran the entire series on the big screen. Three episodes of Buffy every Tuesday for almost a year. When we got to “Older and Far Away” a couple of Tara’s scenes got enthusiastic applause. (You probably can guess which ones.) So, yeah, you’re not the only OaFA fan out there.
And I agree that the show should have skipped from TR straight to here. I would have been okay with Smashed, I suppose, but dumping Wrecked, Gone and Doublemeat Palace would have done a lot to improve the season.
I kinda like Dawn, too. And yes, what’s up with the comics? Giant then centaur?
I’m actually a fan of season 6 generally; but the Spuffy sex was just too much. Was OK with the pairing, just not with how explicit it was shown. The last 4 episodes, though, left me with a “giant hole.” I wasn’t able to enjoy the Tara-less season 7 as much as I should probably have. Maybe someday, I’ll try to watch it again.
Hey…nice to see Buffy recaps in 2009. I watched the show when it originally aired, so this is extra-nostalgic for me. I happened upon this blog while looking for short hair Buffy pics (specifically from “Gone”).
I TOTALLY agree with you on the whole sex thing. Ick and poo. Just imply it already, I don’t need to see it (all the time). However, it wasn’t gratuitous (thank goodness) and was just used to show Buffy’s detachment from the world and her friends. We all go through a self-destructive phase and this was her way. She got better.
I didn’t hate season 6, simply because it was a season of self-discovery for everyone and dealing with grown up crap.