Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 6x20 “Villains” FULL REACTION

Nah, she's just spicy. Cinnamon Spice.

cs

I don’t see that as an inconsistency with her character but rather as growth. I don’t think she would agree with all her choices in the past.

Soren Andersen

Liam thanks so much for bringing up that Buffy was willing to kill Faith for Angel so her whole speech about, "we don't kill humans" was irrelevant coming from her. Warren was just as bad as Faith was.

Tia

This reaction makes me so happy. I just love that you're into Dark Willow. So many people have an issue with the addiction storyline for her, I wasn't sure where you'd sit. I'm just thrilled you're loving it. It's done so beautifully. I also love that you're willing to wait and see where all the storylines are going, that you trust the show and are letting it go where it needs to.

Raven Dark

Your cinnamon roll gone mouldy. I've waited 6 seasons to make this terrible joke, no regrets.

Inseriousity

I just wanted to say that I love your reactions and I'm so sorry you keep having a spoiler problem. I almost never comment on any reactors videos because I'm notoriously bad for spoiling things for my friends and I refuse to spoil anything for a reactor. The few times I have commented (I think my last comment on your videos was in Fool for Love) I re-read the comment about a 100 times to make sure there's nothing spoilery in there, and it saddens and infuriates me that people keep spoiling things for you

HookedOnSwans

Going back on magic and absorbing all the black magic she could find are not the same thing. The options were never do nothing or do this. I'm confident normal Willow, Buffy and Xander deeply motivated could catch Warren easily. If see paid attention or talked to Xander when she left the house, she might have saved Buffy right there with more regular magic. Even without Buffy, say she died, I have confidence Willow’s capable of “defeating” Warren. The area between where Willow is and her doing nothing is huge, it's just an area she's always been afraid to move in: she tends towards the extremes of willfully innocent and whatever you want to call this and Bambi killing Willow. I sympathize with Willow but I give her credit for being more capable/resourceful then maybe she herself does. Edit: it’s possible I’m reading more into your comment then is there…

Shashank

While you make several absolutely great points, I would have to assume that given what we've seen on Buffy with the initiative and then what happens over on Angel with Wolfram and Hart, there are enough mystical elements within the Buffyverse at all levels for the government and even the justice system to be aware of magic users and demons and such and how to deal with the criminal element. Of course, that's just speculation, but it's definitely a good conversation to have.

ZemoWillams

It is pretty funny how the three actors that play the trio are almost as opposite as you can get from their characters in real life. Danny Strong is actually like Jonathan from the superstore episode where he has all the confidence and charm, and in real life he's quite charismatic and a successful screenwriter and producer. And Adam and Tom are just nice funny personable guys that the showrunners love having.

ZemoWillams

Having a buffy afternoon, first geekedoutnation, and now I just finished this one. Great way to spend my free time ^^

s jaco

If Willow hadn't gone back on the magic, Buffy would have bled out in the hospital and Warren would have gotten away.

Moon Logic

I just don't see Warren as a normal human that our law system could deal with. He's a genius with technology beyond the normal world, he can use magic and he's totally aware of the demon/vampire world and knows how to harness it for his own needs (which makes me wonder, where do we draw the line between a witch/warlock and a regular person?). I think 100% he'd escape the system. He's far far more dangerous than a regular person is.

Laura_Ali

I love with the 'bored now' how it kind of points out that Willow with power doesn't actually use it well. With vampire power Willow became sadistic and arrogant and the same here with magic it's constantly brought out her worst traits- manipulating people, her arrogance to Giles when he challenged her- a lot of the traits of vampire Willow have come out over the past seasons and Angel did say that thing about your vampire self not actually being that different from your human self. I love how Buffy blurs the lines on the demon- bad, people-good thing. It's kind of what they did with Spike a bit too. I love Willow but I also love that it's completely in character for her to act as she is now. Ironically Tara was the one who grew up believing her powers were evidence of her demon-self but actually, she was the only one who could handle magic because she didn't need it to define herself in the way I feel Willow has- Willow always had this insecurity and her magic is very emotional so now her grief is exploding.

Ixaala

What I love about the Willow storyline in this episode is that, looking back throughout her journey, it's so absolutely consistent. It doesn't matter that the Willow of "Villains" seems so diametrically opposed to the Willow of "Welcome to the Hellmouth" the seeds are there and more get planted along the way! Just brilliant story telling and I love it!!

Carmen Chaproniere

Are you serious? It was your comment that spoiled him! Lol. You're the one who wrote that the Trio weren't the big bad this season. Three people replied to you telling you it was a spoiler, and you just left it there...

Dentarthurdent

Fantastic reaction as usual! That you like to see your favourite characters tested is the main reason I thought you were going to love season 6, and I’m glad to see I wasn't wrong And btw, I don’t think having Xander delivering Dawn to Spike would have been a great idea either...

Khanach

'Save his own skin' LOOOOOOOOOOL

HuntingSwan

With Andrew, I think it's equivalent to a point with Harley Quinn-- so comfortable with being used for so long, that they're delusional. They get a moment of clarity here and there, but it's a hard trap to escape.

Noel Schornhorst

Your stance on why Buffy should've been more wary for Dawn after what Spike did is on point. Like, nevermind the awkwardness and how uncomfortable that would be for both of them... and just the thought that Spike was capable of doing that, to her of all people, but because he believed Dawn felt that she was safe with Spike, it's like she had to let go of her own fears just how and just trust that Dawn will b ok. (wow that was a run-on! lol) Still, I like what Liam said here that it wasn't just something she simply should brush off and forget about. If it wasn't for Clem, then she wouldn't be rest assured that Dawn would feel safe stuck in alone in the house but fortunately, Clem was around.

Shierra C Styver

This season is so unique to me. Willow is the big bad this time :)

Grace

"What I wouldn't give to watch Warren burn" Well, you got your wish! :D Great reaction as always! I can't say I wouldn't go the Willow route in her situation, either. But Willow has always been susceptible to power, whether hacking the system or magic, as she was known as meek little Willow for so long, it's empowering for her to decide things and make them happen at her whim. Totally commend Adam Busch, as I hear he's a really nice guy. He plays Warren's irredeemable misogynistic nature well. Poor Tara. :(

Noel Schornhorst

I feel sad you have to turn comments off. Why are people so mean?

Grace

As far as your faith example, I’d make sure to recognize one key distinction. Buffy was going to kill a human to save someone else, Willow is trying to kill someone, not to save anyone, but for revenge. Buffy’s point is that killing a human for revenge is a moral line that can’t be crossed. Killing a human can only be justified if it’s completely necessary for you own survival, or someone else’s. In the faith scenario, Buffy was only killing in order to save another from dying, willow is not. That’s the distinction between the two scenarios that’s so important to understand.

They are not usually malicious, just made by people who don't think things through. Regardless of what Joss has said (which I assume Liam has not read because, you know, spoilers), the person said that the Trio were not the big bad, despite the fact that it was obvious from Liam's afterthoughts that he still did think that. That is a spoiler, regardless of their intentions, because the show had not yet made clear that they were not the big bad. Please don't try to shift the blame on to the people that responded. The OP could also have removed the comment and therefore all responses, but they chose not to.

Dentarthurdent

After all my grief on S6, I do like this sequence A LOT. That last scene, Aly gives a bravura performance. Your face at Willow the Nerd Flayer... worth the price of admission. :D

FernWithy

That was an awesome reaction to the flaying Liam! I knew it would flip you out! If anyone deserved a flaying, it was Warren. It was nice of Willow to keep his pants on! :) I don't know man, watching this again, the Spike part dragged this ep down for me. I wanted to get back to the Willow revenge stuff. And since it can't be said enough, RIP Tara. I'm still not happy that Will left her in the room all day, even though Dawn was with her later. The Summers girls have bad luck with finding dead bodies in their house. :(

Val

I love her delivery of “Bored Now” every time she says it! I really loved this episode- the lines that blur and choices made in grief/love/rage.

Kathleen F

He wanted to save his own skin. That one had me loling. xD

Jayna

Where is the line being a human and a supernatural human, though? Why could she kill Faith, a human with supernatural abilities, but not Ethan or Warren, 2 humans with supernatural abilities which they've acquired through use of magic? One could argue that they're just as much a part of the supernatural world as Faith (and Willow), despite the fact that they were born human and simply chose to pursue the supernatural.

cs

I did the same thing once. I mentioned the fandom name for Willow in this episode while I was posting in the non spoiler section of Liam's discord. Thankfully I noticed it like a few seconds later, but I was so freaked out and upset at myself for slipping up like that. I don't get how people can just be all blah-di-blahblah with spoilers and not even think they're doing or saying anything wrong. It's infuriating.

Claire Eyles

I don't agree that it's hypocrisy. Buffy went after Faith because she was the one who had caused Angel's condition and her blood could save his life. Killing Warren would accomplish nothing but feeding Willow's need for vengeance. Now, if killing Warren could have brought Tara back and Buffy was still saying killing him would be wrong, then that would be hypocrisy. Or if Buffy had gone after Faith after Angel was already dead and was simply seeking vengeance, then that would also be hypocrisy. But considering killing Faith could have resolved a problem Faith had caused, and killing Warren would accomplish nothing but providing Willow with some small measure of satisfaction, the situations are not really the same at all.

peggin

Ugh. People need to stop ruining other people’s experiences. Smh.

Stephen Mintac

Wow, that is so disappointing regarding the spoilers. It makes me angry, mostly for you, but also for me and others who watch your reactions who don't spoil things because we want to see genuine reactions. I do hope we can avoid this kind of thing for the rest of the series.

Steve Quast

I'll put a word in for Buffy here vis-a-vis Faith. Buffy's argument is that she can arbitrate life and death in the demon world because that's her duty, the weight of the world she carries, but she can't do it in the human world. Killing a rogue slayer is, IMO, well within Buffy's supernatural responsibility. Slayers are human, but they're also superhuman and, realistically, they can't be made to face traditional justice (unless they want to, like Faith eventually does). That said, Buffy didn't strictly go out to kill Faith. Rather, she needed the blood of a slayer which could have been gained without killing Faith (and Faith WAS the one who poisoned Angel, so it would be poetic justice of a sort). Faith wouldn't technically have had to die to save him (as Buffy proved later). I mean it doesn't really matter in terms of this episode, but I think Buffy's attitude to what is within her responsibility has been pretty consistent throughout. Speaking as someone who went through something of a goth phase, I never flayed a bitch. Just saying.

"He wanted to save his own... skin... that's really funny... that's bad..." No, no, you had it right the first time. XD

Valerie.Z

I agree, re: Faith hypocrisy. Faith was a 17yo troubled kid, and Buffy was willing to kill her to save a man who had already lived 3 lifetimes. I don't really blame Buff, because she was just a kid herself and wasn't thinking clearly, because she loved Angel. But those around her at the time (Giles, for example) should have stepped in and given her some perspective. I accept that Buffy has learned her lesson re: her past willingness to kill Faith, and don't necessarily think she'd make the same choice today, and she's probably just trying to offer Willow the perspective she herself didn't have back then. But still, it's very different. Willow wants to kill the evil, power-hungry and dangerous misogynist who just murdered her girlfriend and would probably go on to murder other women (he'd already killed his ex). She doesn't wanna kill a kid to save her extremely old boyfriend.

cs

I'm so angry about your having been spoiled. I accidentally spoiled a character's name once before the show revealed it, but I edited it and have beaten myself up for it ever since. But these spoilers Liam's describing ... people suck.

Bean's friend

I think I need to watch it again 😂

CeNedra

I'm so sorry you got spoiled, and that even the "safest" place like here still isn't really safe and that is such a shame. Aside from that I really hope you do enjoy the remaining episodes of this season because this is my favorite arc of the entire series and I've been waiting for this since you started the show! I just finished watching the reaction and even though you were slightly spoiled you seemed to still enjoy it and still gave a fantastic reaction as you always do. I look forward to the final 2 episodes!

Jenn Rose

I can’t believe you got spoiled, everyone knows how perceptive you are so we know you see through all hints 🙄

CeNedra

If killing Warren could have saved Tara's life, then there would have been a weightier challenge to Buffy's moral absolutism as in the situation with Angel and Faith('s blood). Willow here is as if Buffy's arrival at Faith's apartment had come after Angel's death.

Zoë Johanson

Buffy's stance on killing people does look inconsistent, but I think the Faith situation -- aside from it being three years ago and surely she's learned better since then -- is different. Regular human law enforcement (and even the Watchers' special ops) could not have dealt with a rogue slayer, as we saw in season 4 and on Angel. And obviously, trying to stop Willow from killing Warren was more about saving Willow. But also, in this situation, someone has to be the adult in the room and say they shouldn't let this happen. Otherwise, they're no better than a mob. (A tiny mob, but a mob nonetheless. :P) I agree that, as joyous as it is to see Warren get his comeuppance, it does almost feel like too much (still amazing, but wow, super harsh, even for Warren). That whole last scene with Willow and Warren is incredible. I love that they brought Katrina back. And I also *really* love that they don't try to make him a redemptive figure. He's a bitter misogynist to the very end and no apologies are made for him at all. Once again, I am so bummed that you've been spoiled (though I'm not at all surprised -- Buffy fandom is notoriously spoil-happy with reactors, especially with this season). I'll echo others and say it's probably wisest to avoid comments, at least until the end of the season. Having someone approve them is also a smart move, though I'm sure it's a huge hassle for whoever has to do it.

Pam Nail

Spoilers suck so much... but in this case, I think the responses to it made it seem even worse than anything. Joss Whedon said at some point that he considered the big bad of this season more an abstract theory rather than an individual, and I assume that's what the commenter was referencing. In that case, not rly a spoiler. Unfortunately, all the comments saying it was a spoiler would then lead to the reader assuming that another individual is in fact the big bad and due to the ending of the episode, it leads to specific direction. My point it, I think the comment was more bad timing than malicious. Still, better to just not say anything.

Bisibia

Thank you for being such an amazing human being, Liam ❤

Abby

But.... I love your afterthoughts. Never change :) And glad you are enjoying the show again. I was worried the last episode might have broken you lol

Amanda S

I wonder if Liam has a comment moderator?

Elisa H.

Still Willoz for me 🙂

Your reactions are my all time favourite. I get excited every time I get a notification for your Patreon. Enjoy the rest of the buffy ride. Sucks I have been spoiled on certain things. That’s so dumb

Stacey

Im curious to know if Willow and Oz is still your otp or if Tara has replaced him? ;) enjoyed your commentary as usual!

I'm so sad that you had things somewhat spoiled - I had to stop and edit myself many MANY times because I wanted to make sure I wouldn't spoil anything. Nonetheless....your reaction to dark willow is just what I expected and am so glad to see! BTW the flaying of Warren was so....SOOO deserved! His death was the most welcoming and deserving! (Hope that doesn't make me too evil!) :)

Patrick Lyke

Exactly. It's frustrating that people get too excited or don't care that they're effecting someone else's experience through a show like this.

Jayna

I've been playing a lot of Mortal Kombat 11 lately and that whatever it is that Spike is talking to reminds me a lot of Noob Saibot. Not sure why. Sorry to hear about the spoiler. I hope nobody spoiled anything else. If you ever need some free help with moderating comments I've been a global mod on a couple of forums before. If it helps.

SweetSummit

What's the point of posting spoilers to spoil a reactor? Isn't the whole point to watch their genuine reactions?

Shayne-Ark

I'll say this, even if you might not read it because you're avoiding comments. Keep avoiding comments. It sucks but I truly think it is the best thing to do for the remainder of the series. It's the same thing for literally every reactor. For some reason, usually around season 4 or 5, people stop being able to control themselves when it comes to spoilers. It's almost always people who 100% don't realize they are spoiling things. They JUST HAVE to make comments which they're convinced are super clever/subtle, even when it's the same unoriginal comment echoed over and over on every channel. It's not gonna stop for season 6. It will happen for season 7, and it will diminish your experience with the final season of the show.

Second_Strike

you have a discord? is there a link to it?

Too bad you feel spoiled about the whole Big Bad thing. Sucks when people get ruined attempting a blind experience. But I have a whole other perspective on that, however I'm waiting till after the season finale!

Jarrod Wild

When people reach these four episodes and I've seen them and they haven't, I always feel like River Song apologizing that she's about to freak the Doctor right tf out by telling him his own name. I always loved Adam Busch's performance in this episode. The whole journey is such a study in disillusionment and deconstruction. Step by step he is shown his insignificance, the impression he never made. For all his schemes, all his smugness... he was nothing. And he's realizing it a piece at a time up until Willow taunts him to admitting he had nothing to say. 2nd Edit: She did nearly kill Faith for Angel... and while I don't think she ever says it I think the subtext is she knows she was wrong. This? This is something she just knows more about, what it means to kill and play with life and death. I get everyone's point in this episode.

Dan H

Oh jeez, here we goooo. I can't believe we are already at this point already. I remember way back when you started the series thinking about you getting to the end of season 6 and how you would react. Time really has flown by! I'm really excited but also oddly nervous lol.

Jenn Rose

Y E S! You would not believe how many times I've been refreshing Patreon since you posted 6x19 in hopes of finding this episode! I wish people would learn to shut their mouths and not spoiler things, but it happens again and again and again :/

4Tom4lepus4

Not just the kindest, but their moral center, especially for Buffy.

Jarrod Wild

uh oh it begins. I promise you will make it through it Liam buddy, we all did at some point. Dark Willow though gotta love it. Rest In Peace the kindest Scoobie of all Tara.

Valkyrie