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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 6x2 Full Reaction (Patreon)

Published:
2024-11-14 20:28:57
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

"Bargaining, Part 2"

Files

Previews only

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 6x2 Full Reaction

Comments

Land Howard Johnston

Bargaining 1 & 2 might very well be my favorite season premiere of the entire show. There's so much I love about these episodes but it's kind of extraordinary how Spike's programming manages to humanize the Buffybot (a literal robot!) to such an extent that you actually feel a little sad when it is torn to pieces. Buffybot's jokes, slaying ability and absolute love for Dawn are the things Spike loves most about the real Buffy.  The fact that Spike stayed to protect Dawn the entire time that Buffy's been dead is astonishing. It really shows the depth of his love, despite being a soulless demon, isn't just about Buffy. He has a genuine strong bond with Dawn. Angelus could never. Speaking of, Dawn's scene where she falls asleep next to the charging Buffybot is just so heartbreaking.  And then, the stunning scene of Buffy's body recomposing (is that a word?) in the coffin and her having to crawl out of her grave like a fledgling vampire. Recall in S1 Nightmares, being buried alive is one of Buffy's biggest fears.  And then Buffy back on top of the tower, reliving her jump and then thinking about jumping off again - committing suicide - only seeing concrete below. And then how utterly broken she sounds when she says to Dawn "Is this hell?" SMG does some of her best acting this season. I'm excited to see this reaction!

James Smith

For those watching a Region 1 DVD where Bargaining Part 1 and 2 are presented as 1 episode. Bargaining Part 2 starts at 46:53.

madfem

haaaa Buffy the masterpiece that you are...

James Smith

NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command; while DEFCON is the 'defense readiness scale' DEFCON 5 is everything is great and DEFCON 1 is nuclear war imminent. Xander's joke is that The Magic Box is the place to be if things are going really terribly.

JBK405
>>155333816

You can also watch the episode on Tubi, which matches the Hulu version that Cass uses. Tubi does not have any account or login requirements, so you can use it just for this one episode. Tubi does have ads, but I only had three during the whole episode so you can just pause Cass's video and resume. https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/200123798/s06-e02-bargaining-pt-2

JBK405

Yes, Glory's brain-drain minions built the tower last season. We actually saw them do it, and Tara even joined in when the Scoobies let her wander off and followed her to see where she lead them. Once she got there she started working construction, and when Glory saw her and approached that's when Willow used HER spell to restore Tara's sanity. You are correct about this very much feeling like a prologue, and that's because the next episode is Part 3 of the opening arc. Even though its title doesn't say so (just Part 1 & 2) it's all one big opener to set the season in motion. Stepping back to something you said in Part 1 about how Spike's actions show that he really does care and is growing as a person, I'm going to throw out something I've said in previous comments: I'm not saying Spike can't feel feelings, but just because he feels feelings doesn't mean it's the same feelings that people with souls have. He promised Buffy that he'd protect Dawn, and he's sticking to that, but look at what he considers "protecting": Sitting alone together in the house playing cards. Yes she's "safe", but is this actually good for her? Just stewing together in misery? I think we see three nights over the course of this episode, and they're all the same. What about Dawn seeing friends? She did have her own friends last season, so why isn't she hanging out at their house, or why aren't they hanging out here? Why isn't she talking on the phone with them like every TV show says teen girls do constantly? Why isn't Spike helping her with homework....okay, forget that last one. My point is that Spike is fixated on his promise, but doesn't actually UNDERSTAND what it means to care for a teenager. All he understands is physical danger, so in his mind he's fulfilling his promise to Buffy. But other kids her age go to the Bronze, and have sleepovers, and aren't haunted by the ghost of their beloved sister in robot form. And Spike doesn't see that he's getting it wrong. because as much as he WANTS to, he just can't. And everybody else is getting it wrong, too, I'm not blind that they're all messing up. But they think they're bringing Buffy back, so they view this situation as temporary, and they're also not the ones actually sitting with Dawn and SEEING her as this happens. While Spike is, and still doesn't get it.

Raymond Simon

The shots we get from Buffy's perspective are really great, they really sell the idea that Buffy feels like she woke up in Hell. Buffy's expression when Dawn hugs her at the end is so heartbreaking too. Such a bleak opening to a season. Really looking forward to the next episode.

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

Although I still have season 6 closer to the bottom of my own personal rankings than the top, it's certainly grown on me more and more over the years. I think, C, that you in particular are very much going to enjoy it.

DanielOrme
>>155362098

That last close-up of Buffy always makes me think of the ending of the movie Empire Of The Sun. The boy protagonist (played by the young Christian Bale), after his long terrible experience, is finally reunited with his parents, their arms around him. But as we look at the concluding close-up of his face, we don't see joy or relief, just a harrowed lack of expression reflecting the trauma he's lived through.

DanielOrme

Favorite line: "How long have you known your girlfriend is Tinkerbell?" I love thinking of Tara as Tinkerbell. 🥰 I'd forgotten how intense that final sequence is. Dawn's grief and terrible need for Buffy just pour out and you so want Buffy to break out of her confusion and respond to it. At this point the Buffy/Dawn relationship was my favorite one on the show.

Ryan Kerr

My absolute favorite season to discuss!! So excited for this

Mornir

Two things: 1. Buffy was already in traumatic shock from waking up in a coffin (her biggest fear from season 1), having to dig herself out of a grave, walking through a burning city full of demons... and then she sees herself (the bot) being torn apart. That's so deeply symbolic. No wonder she thinks she's in hell. 2. There's a moment after Buffy knocks out the main demon guy. It pans over his body and then up to her, and it's exactly the moment where Buffy usually delivers a quippy pun. But she doesn't. She's just silent and confused while the camera lingers, as if it's waiting for it too. I find that moment really impactful.

spikeysnack

Bargaining is the third to the last stage of grief, before depression, then, acceptance. So the title means in many senses that Willow, Xander, Dawn, and Giles, even though they had months, never accepted her death, and all that would mean. Giles finally got there, Anya understood, and Spike was in depression, being very familiar with death and being left alone. Willow was mostly in denial, unwilling to even think of living without Buffy forever. So much she had to bring her back, and when she finally thought she had failed, she felt the reality of grief hit her like her whole life was a failure, like it was her life she lost. There was a lot of bargaining stage grief shown, blaming each other, blaming one's self, trying to keep up the illusion that Buffy was still there with the BuffyBot. Imagining they could have done something, that they made some mistake. Actually getting her back, was supposed to solve all their problems, but their old life is not coming back like it was, its not going to be the same. Buffy herself had a dark rebirth, just like a vampire. That's gotta do stuff to you.

David Allan
>>155331460

I don't think it's that astonishing that Spike stayed to protect Dawn, Buffy told him to protect Dawn towards the end of Season 5, and then when the moment came on top of the tower, the Lizard guy chucked Spike off the tower and cut Dawn to open the portal, Spike would feel it's his fault Buffy died as he failed in protecting Dawn at the tower, so all had he left was to protect Dawn after Buffy died.

Rebecca
>>155360783

👏 Great points about Spike and Dawn. I also think it's very easy for people to watch episodes like this and conclude that Spike is "growing" because of what he does here. However, it's also useful to think about why he's doing these things. Is it because he truly possesses more humanity than other vampires? Or is it due to a developed Pavlovian response to the chip? If his actions *are* just a Pavlovian response to the chip, is it really considered growth? I would argue not, as that's just seems like conditioning.

madfem

chomping at the bit for ep 3 😵‍💫😵‍💫

Claire Eyles

Slightly late to the party, had to do some financial reshuffling for my patreons. Welcome to season 6, my absolute most favourite Buffy season. :D

Claire Eyles

When this first aired there was no 'previously on' inbetween the episodes, it ran as one long 'Buffy event'. The previously on stuff was added in later. The opening episode(s) weren't going to be as intense either, but the new network, UPN, requested that it be done as a movie length opening.

madfem

a whole week and no episode 3 ?? how can you wait that long and make us wait that long 😵😵😵