Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 5x6 Full Reaction
Added 2024-07-02 13:06:14 +0000 UTC
Comments
The people who get angry that people like Spike are taking things way too seriously. Its not enough to find the show entertaining some people want to be morally superior on how they engage with the show vs everyone else. Its been said already but we all know Spike isn't real. he's a fictional character on a tv show. Liking him does not mean we condone evil people being evil in real life. I play Grand Theft Auto doesn't mean I support stealing and murder. I like The Joker as a Batman villain doesn't mean I'd be best friends with him if he was real. People really need to get off their high horse and let people enjoy what they enjoy.
Nathan Conarroe
2025-02-03 22:19:22 +0000 UTCAmy Adams made her rounds on several WB shows (before the network changed to The CW) including Charmed and Smallville. I love when you see a star’s careers blossom and then go back to rewatch earlier shows or movies and recognize them before they made it big. This was a nice episode to finally get some clarity on Tara. ❤️
Whitney Mercer
2024-07-18 00:46:00 +0000 UTCThe actress who plays Glory was in the 1rst Bring it on movie, also of course so was the actress who plays Faith.
Morgan Williams
2024-07-16 02:48:12 +0000 UTCHonestly I ship both Angel and Spike to be with Buffy, I'd be happy either way.
Morgan Williams
2024-07-16 02:14:14 +0000 UTCI wouldnt worry about it, some people are overly serious about fiction.
Morgan Williams
2024-07-16 01:54:46 +0000 UTCplease keep expressing your likeness for spike 🫶 these ppl in ur comment section are obnoxious. we want to see YOUR opinions and they don’t need to be pressuring you ab their own! i adore your reactions and the effort you put into them, even the cozy vibes! tyty
anise
2024-07-07 05:04:12 +0000 UTCI think it’s good to make the distinction between what someone enjoys in fiction vs real life. But by and large I don’t think you should feel it necessary to defend your opinion. You’re fine.
R. Chang
2024-07-05 15:06:51 +0000 UTCOkie dokie - onto your actual reaction! Yes, I was very happy she told Giles. I think this mention of her dad is interesting because we see him mentioned even as recently as S4 of Buffy, when she visited Angel during the whole 1x8 "I Will Remember You" episode. She mentions she went there to visit her dad and dropped by Angel's place. Now, if you listen to what she tells Giles, she says Dawn cried when 'their dad bailed on them'. What we saw throughout the show was actually that her parents got divorced, and Joyce moved to Sunnydale with her.. so I think it's safe to assume that the implanted memories of Dawn also affected the story of the Summers family entirely! I agree with you about Xander and Buffy being weird towards Tara, lol, I feel like they haven't made an effort themselves! But I feel like the show is trying to depict that their friendship with Tara is almost entirely based on Willow. If Willow wasn't there, Xander and Buffy probably wouldn't be around Tara as much. Why that is, is a mystery to me, since she's a sweetie, but they're not always the smartest kids, lol. I love how much you love Tara. She's an AMAZING character. She spent all her life thinking there's some secret evil inside of her, and she still managed to be one of the kindest, softest, sweetest people we've seen in the whole Buffyverse. I think her shedding that terrible self-image is definitely going to help her moving forward. You pointed out how Tara not only feels like she "belongs" with the Scoobies because of that scene, but also with Willow, especially with the final scene of the episode. She loves Tara *more* because of her past, and that acceptance is SO beautiful. Yeah, it makes me feel so bad about Buffy and Riley. She's got her mom's health stuff, now she knows about Dawn and has to worry about her safety. She's still going to school (as noted by her moving in and then out of her dorm). There's so much on her plate, that it's understandable that she's not prioritizing Riley. However, you see him moving in all her stuff, offering to call in his government buddies to help - he's *trying*. And you can't entirely blame him for feeling that's a one-way street. Excellent review, Cassie! I'm so glad you're liking Season 5 - enjoy!
nataly
2024-07-04 18:33:59 +0000 UTCi’m only commenting on your intro now - i’ll come back to comment on the rest of your reaction! i find people that dislike spike or spuffy are… kinda lame. like idk how else to describe it. he’s a fun character, he goes through a lot of growth, he makes mistakes, he’s funny, handsome, and charming. hating him feels more like people trying to be *different* or something, like you purposely have to *try* to dislike him. however, i think it’s still important to keep in mind that he’s a soulless vampire because it’s very easy to forget sometimes. it will also help you understand his actions as the show goes on, imo…. thank you for pointing out how much bangel shippers dislike spuffy/spike fans because i keep hearing its the other way around and yet, in every other reaction that i’ve seen, it’s the way you describe it. you’re very right - spike and harmony, even drusilla (and darla, in angel) are FUN characters, regardless of them being evil and soulless. but it only seems to be a problem when it’s spike, because he’s so beloved. cassie - i appreciate your reactions - and please know, SO many of us agree with you and feel the way you do!
nataly
2024-07-04 17:35:57 +0000 UTCFandoms' by their very nature tend to end up being quite intense. You summed up it well when you said, 'we're just having fun here.' I so agree! This episode had lots of fun callbacks. I liked Harmony mentioning she got a load of stuff from April Fool's; which is where Cordelia used to work in season 3. Also, Buffy saying the Beast lady reminded her of Cordelia cracked me up 😂. I also had early 2000s young teenager trauma flashbacks to wearing skinny, glittery scarf's like Harmony's here. 😂 I'm assuming the story in this episode is, at times, using magic as a metaphor for queerness. If you listen to what Tara's dad says to her when he meets her in her dorm room. It sounds like a homophobic parent expressing deep disappointment in their child's queerness. I love that the title has a double meaning. You think it's referencing Tara's family, when really. It's the Scoobies!
Rebecca
2024-07-04 11:05:02 +0000 UTCThe thing with Riley, .....so much to say later on. To comment on something you said, I guess my question would be, when talking about her not telling him things ("letting him in") and how it's not just him, she's not telling anyone is basicially what you were saying: I just feel like I get where he's coming from. He's not just one of the gang - or shouldn't be. He should be just a little closer...but, honestly, even from the outside it mostly feels like he is actually a little bit further away or something in terms of relationship weight for Buffy. I guess a good question would be, would she have kept this from Angel?
Brandon Scott
2024-07-04 04:15:13 +0000 UTCSpike is written so well, and so funny and campy as you say, he adds so much fun to the show with witty comments or falling into holes or just doing something stupid, and his interactions with Scoobies are great, like the one in this episode at the end where he says oh i don't care what happens. TV characters are not real life as you say, I can't believe you actually had to defend yourself for liking Spike and thinking where the writers could go with a Buffy and Spike relationship. You articulate your thoughts so well in all of your videos.
David Allan
2024-07-03 22:36:13 +0000 UTCYou hit it close to something I've never understood. People watching first time reactions then not being happy with how the person reacted. Seriously? Why not just find the reactor that reacted the way you like then watch that same one over and over. Can you not deal with opinions or views different from your own?
Captain Hammer
2024-07-03 21:32:29 +0000 UTCLol you usually don't have a Previously on on Hulu when I have one on Disney + so this time I skipped past the Previously on while you were talking about Spike (some crazy ppl out there unfortunately) and then BOOM there's the Previously on in your video... who's trying to troll me 🤪
madfem
2024-07-03 21:18:43 +0000 UTCOh the gaslighting ... Everyone is putting up false fronts to manipulate each other in the most insidious ways, "for their own good" of course. Riley is miserable, civilian life even as an occasional demon hunter is a grind, The whole thing about Dawn, now Tara has been living with Willow with a terrible secret, Her whole family has been gaslighting all their women for generations, Spike is fantasizing about Buffy while in bed with Harmony -- Giles was out the door until he answered Buffy's call for guidance. All these secrets will explode of course -- they always do. Tara's family secret destructed (pretty easily actually) with a punch in the nose. This show seems to relish in its ability to have guys get rough with girls, because it fits with the narrative, and is not treated as male dominance, but as battle with equals -- refreshing in a twisted way. Misogyny is treated as a bad thing, and called out where it happens. Also I like that Willow and Tara are not the "butch/femme" trope, just two magical girls in love, and it works. Amber's acting of Tara being torn and emotionally broken up and feeling like she did not belong was tops this episode. Nice to see her shine. In real life, she is a writer of fantasy novels these days.
spikeysnack
2024-07-03 17:20:16 +0000 UTC+ some thoughts on the episode: (a) in addition to everything you said, I think not telling Joyce is absolutely the right choice if her reaction to learning Buffy is a slayer is anything to go by! and (b) honestly the difference between how Buffy and Angel treats demons makes a lot of sense - if you're a good demon who's content to just live your life, you probably aren't going to specifically seek out the Hellmouth! It makes sense to me that Sunnydale has a higher than average ratio of evil demons to good demons lol
doctrfaustus
2024-07-03 16:38:16 +0000 UTCCrazy that you had to say what you said in the opening - I didn't realise the Spuffy/Bangel shipping wars were still so vitriolic in the year of our lord 2024. It's fiction!!!!! People need to chill!!! Wishing you a more calm and nonjudgemental comment section
doctrfaustus
2024-07-03 15:25:59 +0000 UTCIn regards to Spike, I'm definitely not someone who ships him with Buffy. But people, reactors included, should ship whoever they want to. It doesn't even have to do with he's a soulless vampire. It's about chemistry, and chemistry is subjective. My ships in other television are much more "toxic" if you want to use that word. And it's all about chemistry. So do not worry and please don't let it stop you from enjoying them. I really love this episode. I think it was really good of them to address Dawn being the key first thing to get it out of the way, to then focus the rest on Tara. I love her so much. As it's been said, the Beast lady is Clare Kramer who was in Bring It On, which also stars Eliza Dushku (our Faith). Fun fact: Eliza Dushku was also in a movie where she played best friends with a character played by Amber Benson (Tara). And a minor role by the actress who played Professor Walsh. Quite the Buffy connections!
Melissa
2024-07-03 12:00:24 +0000 UTCReally? There's a pretty significant height difference between the two. Enough so that I would never associate them as the same person.
Melissa
2024-07-03 11:50:04 +0000 UTCI do not envy anyone that has to deal with all the Karens in the comments, policing everyone’s perspective and opinions.
Steven Harper
2024-07-03 11:11:30 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite episodes! I love when we get to see more of Tara. (Side note: I've watched this show so many times and I only just noticed that the vampire girl Riley talks to at the bar is the same girl we saw get killed by Vampire Willow in Doppelgangland)
Stephanie Kinman
2024-07-03 08:42:24 +0000 UTCI so appreciate that you stand up for yourself. Sometimes I feel like we’ve all lost the plot and are looking for reasons to fight. Love Spike, love Angel! It’s entertainment and I hope you are able to just keep enjoying it like you have been. I don’t doubt that as you go along you will have insightful commentary and opinions and I hope you keep sharing them with us.
Sara Something
2024-07-03 05:17:41 +0000 UTCNot crazy about either, but I was there for the creation of Bike, lol. Good times.
Steve Quast
2024-07-03 03:27:50 +0000 UTCThe Buffy/Spike ship name is actually Bike. Don't let team Spuffy convince you otherwise. :)
El
2024-07-03 02:39:38 +0000 UTCI can't help but feel a little sorry for Riley in this. Buffy isn't emotionally available to him in the way he needs. It doesn't mean that Buffy is in the wrong, but it does mean they are incompatible. He needs someone who is more open to him about their inner life, and she needs someone able to understand how her Slayer duties sometimes take precedence over relationship stuff. There is also a difference in how Buffy relates to Riley compared to how she did with Angel. She is more guarded with Riley. I have no doubt she would have told Angel about Dawn if he was still her guy. She just doesn't love Riley in the way he needs, and it's natural for him to be bothered by that. They just don't belong together.
Mornir
2024-07-03 02:15:34 +0000 UTCI love both Spuffy and Xander. It is weird if people are able to overlook Spike's flaws while not trying to understand Xander's.
Mornir
2024-07-03 00:55:46 +0000 UTCThe writers sometimes absolutely nail Dawn as a 14 year old and sometimes have her do something a younger child would do. The canon is that she isn't a real teen, she's a teen as imagined by a group of monks who probably never met a teenaged girl - let alone spent any time with one. The backstory is that they originally intended to cast someone much younger as Dawn, but then Sarah MG was so impressed with Michelle T that Sarah pushed hard for them to cast Michelle. As a result, I think the writers had to do a few rewrites in these early episodes and they didn't always get it right.
Rod B
2024-07-03 00:39:36 +0000 UTCCass I haven't gotten to the episode itself, but responding just to your opening, ain't nobody have any right to judge you for what you enjoy (or don't enjoy) in a TV show. It doesn't speak to anything about your real-life personality, or your real-life interests or personal tastes. I'm one of the people who says "Spike is Evil, just because he's on a leash -- an involuntary leash -- doesn't mean he doesn't want to commit Evilness" but Evil characters are often the most entertaining and engrossing in fiction. I've seen many works of fiction -- including those classified as High Art -- where the Romance of Evil is an integral part of the story. Anybody trying to make it an issue that you find the character intriguing is just plain wrong.
JBK405
2024-07-03 00:31:12 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite episodes of the whole series, and season 5 has a lot of great ones.
Christine Cox
2024-07-03 00:30:09 +0000 UTCThis my comfort episode, it always makes me feel good. Your explication of how much this meant to Tara, how this finally makes her feel as if she belongs, was really beautiful and sums up why I have such an emotional reaction to it, too. Regarding Tara's mother, at the end of "Hush" Tara says she learned witchcraft from her, and she talks about her in the past tense ("She had a lot of power"), so I think it's correct to assume she's dead.
DanielOrme
2024-07-03 00:06:57 +0000 UTCOscar Wilde on how to view entertainment: "Things are not 'good' or 'bad.' They're either 'dull' or 'charming.'" 😎 Not that Good and Evil aren't important concepts in stories. One of my favorite books is John Gardner's "On Moral Fiction," which talks about that in the deepest terms. But Gardner's thesis, too, is that it's far more complicated than just rejecting the bad guy because he's bad and rooting for the good guy because he's good. What if the bad guy is interesting and intriguing? What if the good guy is boring? That's when you have to start thinking about things. That's how the game works, and what makes things interesting and fun.
DanielOrme
2024-07-02 23:42:48 +0000 UTCIt’s my favorite episode of the show too and her reaction did not disappoint 🥰
Carrie
2024-07-02 22:55:13 +0000 UTCBringing up the connection with Doyle is interesting and I can't believe I had picked up on that before. Doyle thought he was human and was shocked when his demon half presented when he turned 21. Tara's family has this fictitious story about women in their family having their demon side emerge on the woman's twentieth birthday. Somehow this family's made up story strikes incredibly close to how things work (at least for someone like Doyle).
James Smith
2024-07-02 22:25:06 +0000 UTCAnd also your intro, obviously soulless vampires like Spike, Harmony and Drusilla are amazing. Wanting them to thrive for the sake of entertainment makes sense, some people need to separate TV from reality lol.
Ahmad
2024-07-02 21:12:37 +0000 UTCLove this episode and your reaction, tears were definitely shed lol. Tara deserves so much better. At this point, I don't like how the Scoobies don't really treat Anya or Tara like their friends and solely treat them like accessories to who they're dating (Xander/Willow).
Ahmad
2024-07-02 21:10:47 +0000 UTCok, so what i'm getting is the question is would you rather be alone in the forest with a vampire or a man... wait, no, that's not right -
Jon D Arthur
2024-07-02 20:29:32 +0000 UTCIf I wanted reactor to only like things I like then I'd do my own reactions and listen to those.
slypeartree
2024-07-02 19:47:28 +0000 UTCYeah, I've never liked "ship names" like "Spuffy" or "Bangel" either. This became a trend some years after the show ended. It's not my thing.
Steve Quast
2024-07-02 18:47:13 +0000 UTCI had a couple of small things on my mind during this reaction... Before that though I will get this out of the way, I personally watch reaction channels to see the reaction of the viewer. Also, it feels like a sharing of viewing experience with a first timer of a beloved show or movie (yes, I know it's never a real time thing but let's not bugger up the illusion). Sometimes the reaction is not the same as one's own and though mildly disappointing, it is the purpose of the reaction channel to have a reaction and not all reactions find the show or movie positive. This is an authentic thing. For the complaints of the "Spuffy" or the "Bangel" thing (this is the last time I'll use those terms as I find them personally juvenile and cringy at best), some people get so wrapped up in fiction for whatever reason that is not being addressed in their lives. I see it this way: "It... is... a... tee... vee... show... " or "It... is... a... moo... vee..." and I will say it as slowly as needed to sink in. This stuff should never be a big deal. I hope what I'm saying is understood. Now to Riley, he's in a bar that he can't stand to see or smell the place. Big spiral is in progress already and it comes down to his place in things and his own feeling of purpose, I think. As demonstrated by his ID of the vamp hitting on him, the man is not stupid so there is a reason for it and his feelings about the relationship with Buffy. Spike has his own baggage going on that is making its weight known at least on a subconscious level. How else is he so unusual in his behavior compared to other "soulless vamps"? Also, the soulless thing seems to not impact basic personality traits and especially the traits with roots in big events. Even the minor vamps are showing more personality including Harmony, Drusilla, and the bookworm vamp that got 86'ed by the Judge in season two (and how did I forget Angel/Angelus?!). Since he's a major character and the show does well in fleshing out the main cast, I expect that the baggage will become known to the viewer. Looking forward to the future viewings and the well thought commentary. Thank you.
Michael Labs
2024-07-02 18:38:20 +0000 UTCI notice when they are in the magic shop when Tara's father says: " You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. We are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?" Then there's a shot of Giles, Dawn, Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya all standing together in a group, with Spike in the background. Buffy turns and says: "We're family." We see all of them except Riley, who is metaphorically not part of the family and is off drinking in a demon bar.
Bud Haven
2024-07-02 18:35:20 +0000 UTCThe bottom line is, there are some people who ship Spike and Buffy, and there are some who don't. I always thought it would be interesting if they did something with Spike and Buffy as far back as the end of season 2, but that's just me. Everyone is different. Everyone has a right to ship who they want. Everyone has a right to dislike any ship or couple. What frustrates me is when people try to force their own like or dislike of a ship on others, and especially on reactors. I want reactors to feel free to have a genuine reaction to the show without having to worry about what their audience may think about it. I personally like the idea of Spike and Buffy, but I would never try to push said idea on someone else. Anyway, I thought you gave a very well thought-out and nuanced explanation of your own view of the situation so far, even though I don't think you owe anyone an explanation in the first place. Hopefully we can all have fun with the show, and with your reactions to it, from here on out without any needless drama or criticism.
Steve Quast
2024-07-02 17:52:58 +0000 UTCJudging people for liking certain characters is just insane to me, honestly. It strikes me as this weird, infantilizing kind of purity test, where people think your pop culture taste dictates your wants as a human being. Annoying, and a strange way to view the world.
Jorgalorg
2024-07-02 17:35:15 +0000 UTCyes, my favorite episode of the whole show, just cried along with you :')
Carol Gonçalves
2024-07-02 16:35:50 +0000 UTCThe demon woman is played by Clare Kramer who was in 'Bring it on' (with Eliza Dushku). Some people sometimes mistake her for Katherine Heigl, and there is a resemblance I guess.
Jontor11
2024-07-02 15:56:14 +0000 UTCI’ve always seen the thing with Tara’s family thinking she’s ‘bad’ and ‘evil’ as not just misogynistic and trying to keep the women in line (as Spike says), but also a massive allegory for homophobia. Interesting that you brought up the idea of homophobia the moment you saw them.
Melissa Reynolds
2024-07-02 15:21:22 +0000 UTCI genuinely can't name one reactor that has done this? Of the many I've watched, they've loved all parts of the show, and most of them don't ship them at all but think spike's being creepy as hell lol
x_Rhi_x
2024-07-02 15:10:28 +0000 UTCFun fact: The vampire that Riley meets at Willie's is Sandy, the same woman Vamp Willow bit in the bronze in S3 Doppelgangland
Cambo
2024-07-02 15:09:20 +0000 UTCpeople get mad that spike is such a popular character, and then lay it on reactors when they say anything about the spuffy relationship. I'm a spuffy "shipper" but it doesn't mean we are all too stupid to understand the idea of them together is unhealthy and toxic. We get it, but it's a TV show, and SMG & James' chemistry and twisted relationship is just interesting to watch. To those leaving negative comments: leave people enjoy whatever parts of the show they want to...
x_Rhi_x
2024-07-02 15:08:47 +0000 UTCMy biggest beef with some Spuffy fans( and this does not apply to you) is how they are willing to forgive Spike for everything he does while hating Xander for anything he does. The Beast woman you have seen before if you watched Bring it On. And yes that was Amy Adams playing cousin Beth. One thing I used to hate was back when these were airing the actress playing Tara was receiving lots of hate mail saying she was to fat to be on the show. I'm so happy that went away because I love Amber Benson in this role.
Stephen Knueppel
2024-07-02 15:02:40 +0000 UTCEverything you said at the beginning! The lens you view media through does not parallel with real life views. Unfortunately, I think some of the pushback against reactors showing interest in Spike as a character and the potential Spike/Buffy coupling is rooted in misogyny. I've seen a a handful of comments suggesting that Spike's good looks clouds the judgement of the viewer. That implication comes off as quite patronizing. Yes, everyone obviously knows Spike is a soulless vampire, but that doesn't mean he isn't one of the more interesting characters to watch and dissect.
delaney julia
2024-07-02 14:56:59 +0000 UTCYeah the whole thing with Spuffy fans is they're a bit persistent at times. I agree with you though, the idea of the heroic lead being in love with the psycho, murderous evil dude is a FANTASTIC move. As I said last episode, I just wish it wasn't neutered Spike going through it. I love the idea though.
Infinity Games
2024-07-02 14:48:56 +0000 UTCAnd yes it’s Amy Adams hehe!
Melissa Reynolds
2024-07-02 14:29:25 +0000 UTClove and appreciate your little rant about Spike but sucks you felt you had to do it. all of your feelings are completely valid and normal! Spike is an incredible character and the show clearly wants us to like him. i REALLY don’t like those types of comments trying to dictate how you feel and getting upset at you for feeling the “wrong” way. i’m sorry you’re dealing with that- it’s not fair and i would hate for that to cloud your genuine reaction to the show.
Belle GC
2024-07-02 13:57:15 +0000 UTCHaven’t watched the ep reaction yet but in response to your talk at the beginning - what you said about the Spike situation is so valid and you’re right, you shouldn’t feel guilty about the fact that you are interested in how the writers could explore a Spike/Buffy potential romance and that the idea of it is entertaining for you. As you said, this is not how you would feel if it was real life, but it’s a TV show and you watch TV for entertainment. One of the main reasons you are my fave Buffy reactor is precisely because you always look at it from the perspective of the writers’ room, which is so fascinating to me and is exactly how I enjoy the show as well. I’ve had some stuff said to me in the past in response to my opinions on certain plot choices in the show - whether I like them as choices or not - purely because I’ve been coming at it from a writer’s perspective and trying to understand the reasons the writers’ decided to make that choice. People should have the right to enjoy and analyse a TV show and the characters and the plots however they want without it automatically being seen as a reflection of their real-life beliefs. TV is not real life.
Melissa Reynolds
2024-07-02 13:54:54 +0000 UTCOh no 🤣🤣 Don't worry, yes some reactors get all spuffy obsessed and it seems to become the only thing in Buffy they care about, but I've never seen that in you 🤣
CeNedra
2024-07-02 13:41:37 +0000 UTCYESSSS!!!! Can’t wait!
Melissa Reynolds
2024-07-02 13:16:56 +0000 UTC
