Where Season 6 went wrong

["ebailey140" <ebailey140@xxxxxxx>]

They're having a discussion on the newsgroup ranking the seasons, 
and I realized my view of each season is totally subjective, and 
why.  My favorite has always been S3, because of that year's central 
realtionship, but I now realize my view on each season's merits runs 
along the same reason I liked S3, so much.  So, here was my 
response.  Given what my main problem was with Season 6, and my 
current pet theory about what makes a season work or not, I figured 
it was appropriate to post it here, and see what you all think...

--------------------------------------------------


I find it hard to be objective about these things.  I liked S7, but 
when thinking of which seasons I liked more than others, which is my 
favorite and which I liked the least, it all seems to come down to 
what each season's central dynamic was.  Season 3's my favorite, as 
it is with many others, but I remember there were plenty who hated 
it.  Whether one liked it or not, and how much, depended on how much 
one got into the Buffy/Faith dynamic. 

This seems to be the case with each season.  With one notable 
exception, the title character's relationship with another character 
was the centerpiece that the rest of the season was built around.  
Sure, there were a zillion other things going on each year, but 
there was always that one central dynamic that drove the season.  

Season 1 was about Buffy and Xander, romantic love vs not wanting to 
hurt a highly valued friendship.  Season 2 was about Buffy and 
Angel, Season 3 about Buffy and Faith.  Season 4 centered on Buffy 
and Riley.  The central relationship that drove the season didn't 
have to be a romantic one, just a loving one, as with Season 5's 
centerpiece being Buffy and Dawn.  Season 7, with all the Potentials 
and Andrew running around the house, had Buffy's and Spike's 
relationship, evolving from animal passion to a true bond, the two 
of them against the world, each standing by the other when no one 
else would, as it's glue.  

Which brings us to Season 6.  This is the season that gets the most 
hostility from fans, not a favorite of anyone not named Joss 
Whedon.  It started off very strong for it's first eight episodes, 
with Bargaining, Once More With Feeling, and the ending of Smashed 
really standing out.  Then, it just...  lost focus.  So, where did 
it go wrong?  The Geek Trio?  Spuffy?  Willow  losing it?  Xander 
screwing things up with Anya?  Or, was it the complete lack of a 
central relationship dynamic to build the season around?  What was 
Season 6 about, anyway?

We start, and eventually end, the season with Willow.  She can't let 
Buffy go, and we see how far she'll go to get her Slayer back.  But, 
this proves traumatic for Buffy, as she's been pulled from Heaven.  
Our fallen angel is a mess, and can only find comfort in Spike, 
since Willow's not in any shape to help, herself (with Buffy in no 
shape to help HER, as much as she tries).  So, given the parallel 
paths their taking, this season should be about Buffy and Willow, or 
Buffy and Spike, depending on where the big season arc is going.  As 
Willow is this year's Big Bad, following the successful formula of 
the previous seasons, the central dynamic should be the former.  
This should be Buffy's and Willow's story.  

Yet, for some reason, it wasn't.  And, without a central 
relationship dynamic, the season was all over the place.  We had 
Willow and Tara doing their thing, Buffy and Spike doing their 
thing, Xander and Anya doing their thing, Dawn not doing much of 
anything, and nothing really connecting.  We ended up with a season 
that had it's highlights, enough to maintain the series's status as 
Must See TV,  but not really being satisfying. 

Which makes me wonder why Season 6 DIDN'T center around the 
relationship between Buffy and Willow.  It's not like Joss could 
have been worried about inspiring too much femmeslashy shipping, 
having released THAT genie from the bottle three years before.  

E



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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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