Season 6 Finale
I have mixed feelings about those episodes. The first part is pretty much continuing to watch Willow growing as basically the Dark Pheonix (It was pointed out in the episode, and honestly it was good timing with the movie coming out) and I liked the fight between Her and Buffy and then Giles comes back. My issue is mainly with part 2. Now to get the good stuff first, I loved the scenes with Dawn and Buffy. They really did grow a part as the season went on and Buffy's realization that she was harming Dawn by not showing her the world was a big revelation. I hope in season 7 they actually do have qualities of Sister to Sister because Buffy is finally back and doesn't consider the world hell.
I think my issue with this episode though is Willow. Willow becoming this dark powerful Wicka was predicated on Tara's death. We went through some of the season dealing with Willow's addiction and recovery, but it was all set back because a stray bullet killed her girlfriend. I almost wish if they did want to make this season dark they would have had Willow become evil a lot sooner, and Tara would still be alive serving as that loving anchor for the scoobie gang. It felt like this season needed one more big epic thing and the Willow as dark witch was kinda tacked on. Also, Xander became insufferable post wedding. From leaving Anya at the alter, to being angry at all his friends, to thinking he was the Victim, I couldn't root for him anymore. To see him talk Willow down and not Buffy or even Tara was kind of anti-climatic. Just imagine the power of love if it had been Tara who saved Willow. The girlfriend who walked out on Willow because she couldn't take Willow's magic addiction being the one to save her by true love. Now that is what love can do, and that would have been a much more satisfying ending. You don't even need to change much. You can leave Buffy and Dawn because that story is important, Xander can be helping Anya with Giles, and Tara becomes the hero because she really was the Hero this entire season.
I think if I were to say if I liked the finale overall, I thought it was ok but anti-climatic. It was done basically because of the bury your gays troupe when it didn't have to be and they could have just written her addiction but not the recovery, at least until Season 7.
As for this season as a whole, I don't think it was as good as Season 5, 2, or 3, but I did think the show went into interesting directions. It handled themes of addiction and depression well, and that 4 episode punch of Once More With Feeling, Tabula Rasa, Smashed, and Wrecked was probably the highest point of the season. I've already talked about the controversial scene so I won't do that here, other than to say I feel like the writers were doing things to pour on the drama and the narrative could have been a lot tighter. I've heard this season being called controversial, and maybe it is, but it also dealt with some adult themes and did so in a very enlightning way. I just wish the end of the season was as good as the middle.
Anyway, my top 5 for this season would be:
Once More with Feeling
Tabula Rasa
Normal Again
Wrecked
Flooded
One more season to go. It's been such a fun journey and I'm actually going to be sad when I reach the end.
