Buffy the Vampire Slayer

It's been a while since I gave Buffy a positive review, but "Seeing Red" is definitely on my top favorite episodes. For a long time Buffy haven't had scenes like these and it's nearly impossible not to like what we have here (although I do admit that the jet-packs throw me off a bit).

Warren, Andrew and Jonathan (all surprisingly good) steal magical orbs that give Warren superhuman strength. With his newly acquired powers, he sets off to rob an armored car, but his plans are ruined by Buffy. Warren then returns to exact revenge and Tara gets caught in the cross fire. Tara's death is truly devastating, since I liked her character very much and things with Willow were working out nicely. And I love Amber Benson, before I forget to say it. I also liked Warren in this episode and Adam Busch is really convincing as a misogynistic evil genius. I even liked Andrew. Last but not least, Alyson Hannigan is wonderful and she will always be my favorite cast member. Spike's scenes are my least favorite in the episode and the only reason why I wouldn't give this a 10 out of 10. The rape is just unexplainable and makes me really angry. Besides that, I love the acting, the writing and everything else.

SEEING RED

The Good;
The Orb theft and the wonderful battle between Buffy and the Troika. Tara and Willow getting back together and Dawn's delighted reaction to it. And Anya still looking for the vengence.

The Bad;
Not so much bad as the ending and the bathroom scene are just shocking. Contrary to common belief you can see the jetpack under Warren's jacket as he's fighting Buffy although you wonder how Jonathon didn't notice? Warren doesn't so much abandon Andrew, he flies off and expects Andrew to follow him.

Best line;
Jonathon; (arrested and taken to the police station) "Uh oh. The BIG house"

Women good/men bad;
Anya's latest victim had her boyfriend cheat on her with her sister. Spike forcing himself on Buffy on the bathroom floor, rape the crime that subjugates women and demeans men. Waren calls Buffy 'superbitch'.

Jeez!;
I find the bathroom scene just unwatchable, Buffy's terrified, tearful pleading is just heartrending. So brutally realistic compared to what we saw between Darla and Angel in 'Reprise'. You also feel sorry for poor Buffy hurting her back. Sure she has Slayer healing but it still HURTS! Andrew actually yells "Kill her! Kill her!". Tara and Buffy shot, Willow soaked in Tara's blood.

Kinky dinky;
Spike's awful ravishing Buffy on the floor of the bathroom (if we don't count the Master the 6th time Buffy has been sexually assaulted unless someone can correct me?). Xander considers incest unsexy (and so say all of us!) although given some of the things he's fantasised about in the past you wonder if he'd turn down group sex with Jonathon's blonde Swedish twins from Superstar? Or with Buffy/Joyce/above-the-age-of-consent Dawn? The geeks have sexy action figures in their lair including interestingly Vampirella. Tara and Willow in their sheets. Check out Xander chatting up the beautiful girl in the bar, he's come a long way since High School. Xander refers to Buffy searching for hidden cameras as 'The spring poking'.

Captain Subtext;
Buffy seems quite intrigued by the Vampirella action figure in the Geeks lair. Andrew's desire to get his hands on Warren's orbs. You wonder who the Klingon love poems are written by and dedicated to? "He never really loved...hanging out with us". Willow and Tara give us a good idea of exactly what they got up to after the candle went out in New Moon Rising much to Dawn's delight "I love you guys!". When Willow and Tara say they'll stop kissing Dawn tells them 'Oh you'd better not'. Will says to Tara "Yes mam!". Spike and Buffy have discussion about the nature of love, Spike saying that it burns and consumes, Buffy saying that such fiery love doesn't last. Willow had an inkling something was going on between Spike and Buffy. You rather get the idea that Spike hangs around with Clem because he's lonely, Buffy might have sex with him but she doesn't actually like him, she doesn't want to talk with him or watch Knightrider marathons (Spike seems like a fan, mentioning KITT in a season 5 Angel ep). Buffy emasculates Warren by 'smashing his orbs'.

Scoobies to the ER;
Xander get's pretty bloody from Warren's punch and Buffy's nasty backache and bruise. Buffy and Tara shot at the end.

Apocalypses; 6

Scoobies in bondage: astonishingly Tara gets through three years as a Scooby without being tied up even once! (unless that's something she and Willow are into?)
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 2
Dawn; 4

Scoobies knocked out:
Buffy: 17
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 12
Will: 8
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;3
Dawn; 2
Tara; 1

Kills: 1 vamp Buffy
Buffy: 107 vamps, 56 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human, 1 god.
Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn.
Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon,
Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 8 vamps and 4 demons
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp

Scoobies go evil: no but wait for it
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 2
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 3
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: byebye Tara who finally made it into the opening titles only to leave us forever. Watched this first at a convention where people cheered when she showed up in the opening credits and wept openly when she died (oddly the previous week I'd watched Xena's last ep at another convention, I seemed to spend most of that year surrounded by crying lesbians). 12
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara

Sunnydale deaths;
94

Total number of scoobies: 4-Spike and Anya gone but Tara back in
Xander, Willow, Buffy, Tara

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot: Buffy and Tara
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Cordy: 1?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 1 possible, Dracula(?)
Angel: 1;Buffy
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander

Spike; good or bad?
Now I was quite amazed how when this came out how many people sought to excuse Spike for the Buffyrape, they actually said things like 'Oh she led him on, she gave out mixed signals' etc and referred to the scene in the Bronze in Dead Things as proof. I actually challenged people on The Bronze by asking them was Buffy 'asking for it'? Spike tries to rape Buffy and had she been anyone but the Slayer he would surely have succeeded. As he says 'I would never..' and she correctly replies "Because I stopped you!" and "Now ask me why I can never love you!". Ultimately I think Spike loves Buffy as much as he's able to,'quite well' as Dru says in Crush and has done many heroic things but without a soul he can never be good, he is the serial killer in prison obeying the rules for his own benefit. Xander is 100% right about him. And Buffy can't truly love him not only because of what he's done but because he has no soul, he's not the full package.

Dawn in peril; 9

Dawn the bashful virgin; 9 plays the TV really loud to drown out the Willow/Tara sex

What the fanficcers thought;
Needless to say many sought to bring Tara back through various literary devices (and the same with Joyce and Cordy). Personally I have no problem with that as long as there is some form of price to be paid as there's been this season for bringing back Buffy, not just Willow did a spell and there she was. If you ever need a happy ending to any Buffy darkfic that upset you, there's a fic called 'The Rape of Buffy' (don't be fooled by the title) which gives a happy ending to them all.

Questions and observations;
Spike still has his motorcycle from Bargaining. Another numbered t-shirt for Willow. I always thought that the blonde girl Anya chats up in the bar played Tru's best friend in Eliza Dushku's series Tru Calling but she isn't. Warren refers to Jonathon as 'The Shemp' which is a term coined by Sam Rami and Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead and Clem seems to think that wrapping a wet towel around Spike's head will disable his chip an idea he seems to have garnered from Total Recall.
Marks out of 10; 8/10 fun, powerful but ultimately tragic

Seeing Red-Willow and Tara's relationship is well on the road to recovery, but Xander, Anya, Buffy, and Spike aren't having quite so much luck in love. The Troika move full swing into their biggest plan ever: stealing a pair of mystical orbs which imbue the bearer with super strength and invulnerability. They attempt to rob an armored van but Buffy crashes the party resulting in a battle between her and Super Warren. If Buffy fails, the Trio will cut a violent swath through the town, but if she defeats Warren then his vengeance may be swift and terrible.

If there's one word to describe this episode...it's gut-wrenching, in every sense of the word. Hard to believe at this point, but "Seeing Red" is appallingly surreal, if that makes sense. It's episodes like this that make you forget that this is a fantasy series about some chick who kills monsters every week. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the writers on Buffy write realistic drama better than most non-fictional series. What happens in this episode is some of the most painful moments of the series. I can't begin to describe how hard it was to watch Buffy get raped by Spike. You with think, "hey she's the slayer, why would she let him do that to her?" But it was a moment of true vulnerability from Buffy and I'm glad the writers actually showed Buffy in this kind of light. For series about female empowerment, we see Buffy in a situation that's scarier than any demon or vampire she's faced, a situation that many women fear that they might be in: rape. We see that despite Buffy's powers that she is still just a young woman and still goes through real issues, which is what the show is about. Sarah and James were truly riveting during that scene and I loved how intimate the setting was with Buffy in her bathrobe in the bathroom. I especially loved Spike's shock and horror after what he's done, leading him to leave town on a mission of unknown consequences. I also thought the scene prior this one with Buffy and Xander was also intense. Buffy had her reasons for starting an unhealthy relationship with Spike, sure, they weren't the best reasons, but she was in pain yet Xander reminds Buffy that despite what Spike has done in the past, the chip in his head is the only thing preventing him from being an all out monster.

The main plot for the episode also wasn't the weakest part of the episode, with the Trio actually managing to be a serious threat this weak...or atleast Warren does. While Jonathan and Andrew are still the comic relief, Warren is seriously becoming a monster in his won right. The magical orbs he gets turn him into a superpower tool and he wrecks havoc at the Bronze. His confrontation with Xander at the Bronze was brutal, especially bringing up the Anya/Spike hook up. The fight scene between Buffy and Warren was pretty awesome, one of the best in a while. Not to mention filled with hilarious moments like Jonathan jumping on Buffy, then Andrew knocking himself out while trying to fly away with his jet pack. Another great aspect of the episode is Tara and Willow. The morning after scene as well as all of their scenes together were beautiful and touching. It's so great to see them together again. But at the same time, it's always sad seeing a couple happy on Buffy, becauseit always means it's all about to come to a screeching hault! The final moments of the episode are devastating, nothing could be more perfect from Willow and Tara to Xander and Buffy finally reconciling until Warren shows up and starts shooting up the place. The moment Tara is shot, my jaw dropped!! Then you have Buffy's life on the line as well. To make matter worse, a heartbroken Willow does what has been building up all season: completely giving in magic as her eyes go from black to blood red. A truly powerful image and only the beginning of a 3-part conclusion. Superb stuff!

Or: men behaving badly.



We start with some hot girl lovin'. At last, Tara and Willow get the post-coital sexscene they deserve. And Tara's finally in the credits! It's all going well for our two favourite lesbian witches......oh.



As we all know, lesbians are very empathetic, so whilst Xander is ranting about Buffy's choice of men-vamps, Tara and Willow are "trying to understand". Xander placed Buffy on a pedestal many years ago and, whilst he accepts that she doesn't want him, her wanting an evil dead thing knocks her straight off it and down to our level. Similarly Willow could never get her head around Xander preferring Cordelia, Faith and Anya to her. He makes it clear that he is better than Spike as he tells Buffy: "I many have made some mistakes in my time but slaughtering half of Europe wasn't one of them". He seems more upset by this and by being wrong about Spike "never [having] a chance with a girl like you," than he does by Anya moving on and using Spike as the springboard. Nevertheless, he is now stalking his ex as she did him last ep, and turning their former love nest into his former basement with beer cans and pizza boxes lying around unbinned.



Talking of empathising, Anya is trying to get back in the game by listening to women in bars kvetching about their unfaithful boyfriends. Unfortunately, Anya's heart isn't in vengeance. She is less interested in cursing than complaining about Xander's behaviour. The girl in the bar sums up the episode's theme: "Men suck". The ep starts off light and fluffy with Buffy trading quips with vamps, getting annoyed about her clothes being ruined by the amusing giant buzzsaw that the nerds have set up as they flee lair#2 (if the boys are so clever and inventive, why didn't Microsoft headhunt them as they did with Oz and Willow?), and Jonathan forced into the funny skinsuit. But it takes a turn for the dark side as the boys get hold of the Nezzla'Khan orbs, this episode's Gem of Amara, and gets steadily more sombre.



Warren finally has some balls and sets off to do all the things he couldn't do as a dweeb, humiliating Frankie from high school - he seems more interested in this than impressing Frankie's girlfriend, or perhaps he thinks woman are impressed by violence, and going on to treat the other women in the bar as prostitutes, all the time using words such as "babe", "kitten", "b*tch". We've already seen how Warren treats women and here we see his view of femininity and masculinity, it's all about physical strength, the haves and the have-nots. "You hit like a girl", he tells Xander disparagingly. In a macho world, the way for Warren to feels good is through physical strength, money and disposable women. "Did you never fight a real man before," he ask Buffy, his idea of a real man being a burly, beef one who isn't afraid to prove it. In previous episodes, the boys have tried to control Buffy (and other women) with trickery and supernatural drugs, now they challenge her main strength – her strength. They have gone from incredibly annoying to incredibly dangerous.



BTVS is essentially a feminine fantasy about a girl being stronger than men, but Buffy has always been about plans, wit, ingenuity, resourcefulness and strength of mind, not just muscle. She tells Warren that he is a "sad little boy" and that he has "a problem with strong women". Larry et al came to accept Buffy's superior power, Warren sees it as a threat to his masculinity.



The episode is also about taking sides. Andrew, now blatantly in love with Warren, shouts: "Kill her!" whilst Jonathan, coming to his senses, jumps on Buffy's back to tell her Warren's power source, his testicles-substitute, so that Buffy can get him by the balls to kick him into touch. Warren is horrified by Buffy's smashing of his powers, his sexual prowess, his maleness, and making him the b*tch, and he turns to a phallic weapon to punish her. "You think I'd let you get away with that!?" It seems like the nerd story is over, but it's only just beginning. Andrew and Jonathan should be glad they're in prison (the Andrew/jetpack scene never ceases to amuse) as Willow sees red – or rather black. The episode's title obviously refers to Warren's, Spike's, Willow's moment of angry madness, but also refers to the viewer. We are seeing red – red hair, red sheets, red sunrise-light, all leading up to the final scene when Willow literally sees red as Tara's blood splatters onto her shirt.



Xander also chooses his side – it is by Buffy's side. He comes to tell her about Warren's new found strength and makes up with his BFF in a sweet reconciliation scene. He is not a man afraid of women. He also gently turns down the woman in the bar who is trying to flirt with him, rather than take revenge on Anya. He has made up for his behaviour.



Will Spike atone for his? Spurred on by Dawn's inadvertent encouragement (telling him that Buffy was hurt by his sleeping with Anya), he visits Buffy, following her into the bathroom when she's tired and injured. The scene that follows is shocking and horrible; to see our heroine helpless and squirming beneath a man momentarily stronger than her is not what we're used to. She tries to get him to stop by pleading with him, only using her slayer strength when this fails. Spike is trying to make an emotional connection through a physical one and, as ever, is not listening to Buffy, either her screaming no or her denial of love for him. She tried to be honest with him, saying she has feelings for him, but this is faint praise to Spike. It's all or nothing with him. "Real love is wild and passionate and dangerous", he says, still trying to force her to be like him, and when this doesn't work, he just tries to force her. Ditto when he talks with Clem – he can't be a monster, can't be a man, but he can't live with this grey area ("everything used to be so clear"). He oscillates between "What have I done?" And "Why didn't I do it?"



He has to choose – monster or man? Spike or William? This is his eternal conflict. He needs to choose his sides and as he drives off into the sunset with his farewell highly ambiguous speech: "Get nice and comfy, Slayer. When I come back, things are gonna change", we're left wondering a) why he thinks he could get rid of the chip when he's tried and failed so many times before or, alternatively, b) why is he snarling if he means for things to change for the better? The mislead is a bit disingenuous. "Ask me again why I could never love you," asks Buffy. It's possible that Spike still will.



The episode ends in the opposite way to last week's when we had doom and gloom and then a lovely Tara/Willow rapprochement. Here we have a happy ending with Xander and Buffy reconciling but then hinting at the horrible coda: "I don't know what I'd do without you and Will", says Xander as Warren enters the garden....

This episode was like every other, the thing that got to me was the ending. I was like "oh my gosh!" You've seen stakes, swords, etc. and out of no where comes this gun which was a stunner ,but in a good way. You dont expect that in this show. When I saw Buffy (Gellar) shot on the ground I was speechless. And even though I know its a show I felt so awful for Willow (Hannigan). If her relationship with Oz Was epic, her relationship with Tara blew it away. I could almost feel the pain.

The stuff with the Evil Trio is quite funny and works very well, actually. But it's all overshadowed by the subplot by Spike's rape attempt on Buffy.



Up until now, Spike has been allowed to live because (with the chip in his head) he wasn't a threat to anyone, except Buffy, whom he loved. In this episode, he crossed the ultimate line, and should have been staked.



Instead, Buffy quickly brushes off the rape attempt, and tells her friends to forget it. Umm, why?? Even more inexplicable, her friends just accept it!! That's way out of character, especially for Xander.



The main plot is pretty good, but who can pay attention to it when there's this disturbing moment in the middle of the episode that no one will talk about?



The series' absolute lowest point.



Fortunately, the last two minutes of the show set up the phenomenal 3-part season finale.

It was so great to see Willow and Tara back together at the beginning of this one. I was feeling Dawn's extreme happiness. They were so adorable throughout this entire episode. I loved Willow and Tara discussing Buffy and Spike and how out of it Willow was. I loved how neither of them wanted to get out of bed too.



Spike was insane in this one. I thought that Dawn coming over and telling him how much he had hurt Buffy was stupid though. I hated Spike's attempted rape too it was very out of character for Spike to do that. I did enjoy Spike and Clem though they were great and Spike leaving was honestly a good idea.



I loved Xander and Buffy they were so great together. I loved how Buffy started trying to fix things with them and Xander threw a lot back in her face, but I loved that in the end they made up.



Warren... I've never wanted to hit that little twerp more than I did in this episode. I hated how he and Andrew were treating Jonathan. I love Jonathan he is such a great character. Warren was terrible at the Bronze trying to pick up that girl and then beating Xander up and laughing in his face about Spike and Anya. I was so glad when Buffy kicked his a**!



It was so sad to see Warren come into Buffy's back yard and shoot at her. You could tell how freaked out Xander got then too. And Warren killing Tara was just so tragic.



Beautiful episode, except for the Spike parts.

Buffy is a great and inventive show. But somehow the storylines for this season have been of uneven quality. This episode is painful to watch for various reasons. First of all we have the excruciating romance between Buffy and Spike. This storyline is unbelievable from start to finish. In this episode, we have Spike full of rage - trying to rape Buffy! The whole scene is bizarre (and doesn't fit in the Buffy world) - but then everyone pretends it didn't happen and there is no ramifications! Crazy...Then the Nerd Trio continue with their activities - which are boring to watch...who cares about this story? There are some good moments with Buffy/Xander and we finish with a incredible ending with Buffy and Tara being shot by Warren. This was shocking and unexpected and put the episode back on track.

Seeing Red was a perfect episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer because it tied all the Classic elements together that make Buffy such a great show. There was action, vamp dusting with puns, season's nemesis causing trouble, and some character development too. The ending of this episode was quite shocking and paves the way for the end of the season. There is a lot of ending going around as Zander and Buffy discussed, and that is true, the season is coming to an end, and certain characters will shortly meet their own. I was sad about the end of this episode, however I can't wait to see what will happen next!!!!!

In this episode Tara and Willow's relationship is getting back together, which is kinda sad. I'll explain why later.

After the last episode where Spike and Anya had sex, Buffy and Xander are both pretty miserable. Spike goes kinda off the rails and tries to rape Buffy.

The Troika have some plan to get these orbs which give the carrier special powers. but he is foiled (By Buffy) and comes back for revenge against Buffy. In a fit of anger, he comes to Buffy's house and shoots her. She doesn't die though.

Meanwhile, Willow and Tara are in their room talking and suddenly the window breaks and Willow's shirt is spattered with blood. Tara's is too but she has a small hole in her chest from a bullet Warren fired but didn't know it hit Tara. This is why their making up is sad. Becasue only 20 minutes later Tara is shot and Willow has gone off the deep end with the magiks..

It's the end of an era and the beginning of another as the entire season arc makes a drastic and dramatic change.

the lives of our beloved scoobies are about to be changed forever...and nt for the bes(but for the best of the season if you catch my drift).

Willow especially will be the most effected out of the group,as something truely shocking happens that i was certainly not expecting upon first viewing.

which in turn makes this episode a dramatic masterpiece of a story.

the direction it takes is as slick as ever,and the show gets deep into our characters skin.

it is by far the most controversial episodes entire run...and for the best as the Dark Willow Arc makes a drastic start here.

This is the first episode where Amber Benson is in the opening credits and not as a guest star but this is also unfortunatly the episode where Tara meets a sudden end, and just when her and Willow were back on track. Warren, Andrew and Jonathon steal some magic crystals that infuse Warren with magic crystals and he narrowly escapes Buffy by flying off with a jetpack. Buffy and Xander make up in this episode after Xander found out last episode that Buffy had had sex with spike. Just when you think everything is okay again Warren appears with a gun and shoots not just Buffy but Tara too. The thing they had done in other episodes was say that guns were never any good but they went against that in this episode as Buffy lived but Tara is well and truly gone.

it starts off Willow says buffy seemed pretty cut up when she saw Spike and Anya on the camera.Tara tells her that Spike and Buffy were sleeping together willow wonders why buffy wouldn't tell her.tara comes out of the room and dawn sees them .She's delighted.warren got his hands on orbs that give the bearer super human strenght.Dawn goes to see spike she asks him was it worth hurting Buffy for what he did with Anya.Spike comes over and buffy's in the bathroom in a robe spike comes in wanting to know why she doesn't love him.He then attacks her -I thought this was very out character even for spike.I thought the scene with clem and spike was brilliant I espically loved what spike said about the chip not letting him be a monster and how he wasn't able to be a man this showed his regret and he seemed litterally sick after what he'd tried to do to buffy when he was leaving I was like no come back coz i love spike!!

The ending was so sad why did the have to kill tara?It was so sad loved the way buffy and xander made up but it was cruel to watch spike leave and tara get killed! Brillantly written the ending just happend so unexpectly & willow's gonna kill warren!

I found (and viewed) the Buffy series a bit backwards, going from "Bones" - to "Angel" - to "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer".



I never saw BVPS when it was originally aired; however, watching a series from DVD's can give the viewer much more of a "Big Picture" overview: ie, early Buffy episodes are definately more of a 13-14 yr olds fantasy, and I stuck with it only because the writing was so sharp. As Buffy matured and went to college (and UPN gave Josh Whedon more of a free rein) the subject matter and storylines became more adult oriented in nature.



This particular episode is definately adult rated, but certainly no more so than one will find on prime time TV sitcoms these days! ...and why I really liked it!



As with all of Josh's stories, there is a message. Ie, one can compare the ideal "love" portrayed in the Buffy/Angel combo, with the "lust" depicted in the Buffy/Spike combo. With each relationship comes a lesson: ideal love is not always compatible with reality (Buffy/Angel), true love is not a shield against a cruel world (Willow/Tara), and passion is not always based on respect (Buffy/Spike).



The attempted rape scene, which I understand caused some raised eyebrows at the orginal airing, I found fairly tame compared to what Hollywood has dared put on the screen time and again. As such, Spikes desperation to connect emotionally with a girl who was (by her own admission) using him, was brilliantly portrayed by James Marsters. But in the end, the writers gave the final power to the woman. A just ending to a powerful scene...!

Buffy: (about Spike) Xander, you fought side by side with him when I was gone. You let him take care of Dawn.

Xander: But I never forgot what he really is.



I found this quite uncomfortable to watch, especially the rape scene, both clinical and sterile, and very brutal. Tara and Willow rekindle their relationship, before Tara explodes with blood from a fatal bullet - horrible. This episode is very good barring the Trio, whom I hate. Seriously, they're not funny, smart or threatening, and frankly, I wish they'd just p*ss off.

Wow. Seeing Red. There's a reason why this episode is my most favorite. And that's because everything seems to get better for the first time in the entire season, just to get ruined in the last five minutes. I absolutely love the scene with Buffy and Xander fighting about Spike. And I love the fact that at least Willow and Tara got to be together one last time before she died. I also love the costumes in this episode. The clothes everyone wears are to die for. And even watching the Trio finally get their butts kicked just really made it a great episode. So Tara gets killed. But up until that point, no one can say it wasn't a beautiful episode.

Why did Tara have to die?



Of course I understand that to move the plot along, that Tara had to die, but Tara was a great chracter, and had so much unused potential.



The events of this wickedly dark season have lead us perfectly to this episode and the events that send Willow off the deep end. I wish though that evil Willow would have been in more episodes.



The episode is the climax of a long season, that gets better everytime I watch it (and possibly the hardest episode to watch in the series).



Good-bye Tara. We'll all miss you. :(

I've only been able to watch the rape scene once. I don't know what it is, but it's just nerve wracking. Probably because it is acted so well. I don't think the actors themselves enjoyed doing the scene but instead of performing badly they transfered that rage and frustration into their performance, and that's why the rape scene looks so real, IMO.



The other highlight of the episode was Tara's untimely demise. So stupid and pointless, and out of it came such a tragedy which is ultimately pretty ironic. In this show we deal with all kinds of unimaginable supernatural evils but in the end it was just a stray bullet from a stupid kid's gun that kills a major character and almost destroys the world. Buffy can save the world time and time again, but she can't save people from themselves.

Seeing Red



What an episode. so many good things. character development for Spike because he tried to rape Buffy and also Buffy and Xander make up. Willow and Tara tell everyone they're back again. and the trio get separated. Jonathan and Andrew go to jail but Warren shots Buffy and accidentally Tara at the end which is a huge happening for the last three episodes.



cut to Tara and Willow waking up and they're happy together and they are in bed and they are concerned about Buffy and Tara tells Willow about Spike sleeping with Buffy and Willow doesn't understand but they think that maybe she did arrive and go to look in Buffy's bedroom. Willow looks but no Buffy and Dawn sees her and they both know about Spike and then Tara comes out and Dawn is very happy and says they should get back and that she loves them. cut to Buffy going in the geeks basement and they have a trap that almost kills her but she escapes and is madder.



the credits start(Amber Benson is added to the cast)

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Nicholas Brendon

Emma Caulfield

Michelle Trachtenberg

Amber Benson

James Marsters

and Alyson Hannigan



cut to the house and they are going to do research and Buffy found some stuff and gonna look through it. cut to a girl crying and Anya is there comforting her and Anya starts to talk about herself and the girl can't do her wish that way. cut to Andrew being chased by a demon and then Warren hits it and they kill it and it's Jonathan's turn now and they are gonna make each other invincible. cut to Dawn going over to Spike and she asks about why he did it and he says it was a bad day but she says that if he really loved Buffy and he wanted to hurt her it worked. cut to the geeks and Jonathan has the skin of the demon and goes inside and comes back with the orbs. Andrew doesn't want him anymore and Warren grabs the orbs and he becomes very powerful. then Warren test them and kills a demon and says that the geeks will get them but first he'll play with them.



cut to Buffy going over to Xander to apologize but they both have a fight and he can't forgive her about what she did with Spike and she says it was too hard and that she says it's over with Spike and he says it's over for a lot and walks away. cut to Xander walking down the street and looks into the magic shop and Anya working. cut to Willow and Tara on the computer and Willow is looking on the computer about the geeks and she's still enjoying the taste of Tara. cut to Xander in a bar and a girl flirts with him but he wants to be alone and then the geeks walk in. cut to Buffy fighting a vampire and it hits her while being staked.



cut to Buffy in the bathroom and Spike comes and he wants to have sex and then he tries to help her and she says now and then she kicks him away and he sees what he almost did and is sorry and she says that this is the reason why she could never love him. cut to Warren in the bronze and he tries to seduce a girl and the boyfriend gets upset and Warren kicks his ass and his buddies and then comes Xander out the bathroom and sees it and he hits Warren but Warren hits him away. and they leave him on the ground. cut to Xander coming home and he found Warren. he comes in Buffy's bathroom and sees her crying and her legs and she says that he didn't do anything but he knows and Willow comes in and asks what happened and they say nothing.



cut to the gang on the computer and they know now what to do and Buffy isn't gonna hold back at Warren. cut to Spike going into his crypt and he realised what he did and is sorry and then comes Clem he tells Spike not to be so negative and Spike says it's all the chips fault and he's gonna change it. cut to Warren going to steel money and Buffy comes there too and they start to fight but Warren is strong but Buffy defeats him. but he comes back and they fight. he's too strong and Jonathan jumps on Buffy and tells her to smash the orbs. she throws him away and she grabs Warren's orbs and smashes them and then kicks him away. Warren is very mad and flies away and Jonathan didn't get a machine like that and Andrew flies on the roof. they both go to jail and Andrew doesn't believe it.



cut to Spike on his bike and he says that when he gets back things are gonna change and he leaves on his bike. cut to Buffy and Xander. Tara and Willow are in their room kissing and Xander wants to apologize and they make up and then comes Warren and says that he wouldn't let her get away with that and shoots and he hits Buffy and also Tara through the window and Tara falls on the ground and Willow's eyes turn red.



Black Out

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Best episode quotes:



Willow: When did morning happen?

Tara: After the moon went down.

Willow: Mmm, I forgot how good this could feel. Us. Together. (pause) Without the magic.

Tara: There was plenty of magic.

Willow: It's getting late.

Tara: Wanna get up?

Willow: No! Oh god, no. I was just thinking about Buffy.

Tara: Oh. She still isn't back?

Willow: I didn't hear her. She wouldn't talk about what happened at the magic shop when she got home last night. She just wanted to know how close I was to tracing the camera signal back to the Empire of the Nerds. And then she left again.

Tara: I'm sure she'll be okay.

Willow: Yeah, I'm not really worried about her going up against Warren and the others. I know this is going to sound crazy, but ... I think something might be going on. With Spike and Buffy. I mean, she looked so hurt when she saw him with Anya. I think maybe-

Tara: They've been sleeping together.

Willow: No. I wouldn't go that far.

Tara: No, I mean she told me they've been sleeping together.

Willow: Sleeping together? You mean like the naked kind of together?

Tara: I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but I, I promised her I wouldn't.

Willow: Does everybody else know? Am I the only one she didn't-

Tara: God, no. She, she didn't even mean to tell me, it just came out.

Willow: How could she hide something like this from me?

Tara: I think she was afraid of the look you'd get on your face. Kinda like the one you're wearing now.

Willow: Oh, no, I'm not ... I'm just trying to understand.

Tara: So is she.

Willow: Wow, she probably really needs someone to talk to.

Tara: Probably. We've been kinda busy, maybe we didn't hear her come home.

Willow: Buffy?

Dawn: She back yet?

Willow: Uh, not yet. I'm sure she'll be home soon. Everything's fine, just go back to bed.

Dawn: It's ten o'clock.

Willow: Oh. Uh...

Dawn: You don't think she's ... gonna hurt Spike, do you?

Willow: She told you about Spike?

Dawn: It was kinda obvious after last night.

Willow: Yeah, I totally knew.

Dawn: It must have hurt so much. To see him and, and, and Anya like that? And poor Xander. Everything is so screwed up.

Willow: It's gonna be all right. It's just ... complicated. You know, when, when people have such strong feelings for each other, sometimes-

Tara: Is she back yet? Oh. Hey.

Dawn: Oh! You and-

Tara: Uh, that's my cue to put some clothes on.

Dawn: No! No no no! I'm totally not here! You guys, you do whatever you want. Um ... I'll go watch TV. Downstairs, really loud! In the basement. Where I can't hear anything. Oh my god! I love you guys.



Anya: I know how you feel. Maybe I can help.

Girl: How could Carl do that to me? That bastard!

Anya: He's a man. Look no further.

Girl: But with my sister? She's not even pretty.

Anya: Well ... it isn't always about looks. Or a beating heart. Sometimes intimate sweaty relations with the wrong person just seems like a good idea at the time.

Girl: She's fat! He cheated on me with my fat ugly sister!

Anya: Likes 'em fleshy, huh? Bet you wish he'd bloat up a coupla thousand pounds and pop like a big ol' meat zeppelin, don't you?

Girl: He said he loved me.

Anya: Oh, gee, then he must have meant it, 'cause hey, guys never say anything they don't really mean, do they?

Girl: But we-

Anya: They say, "I love you," and, and you think it's true. They say, "Oh, Anya, I want to be with you for the rest of my life," and, and you believe them, you believe they feel the same way about you, because that's the way love's supposed to be, right?

Girl: Who's Anya?

Anya: And then you get all excited with the tingly anticipation, but wait! Not so fast! There's the apocalypse, a-and the back from the grave, and the blah blah blah blah blah, and by the time you're finally standing there in that beautiful expensive white dress you've dreamed about ever since you became human, he's gets all heebie-jeebie and decides, "you know, I'd rather just go steady."

Girl: Men suck. I wish Carl's flesh would-

Anya: And you know, he said it isn't me, but how can I believe him? I mean ... he knew he didn't want to get married! Deep down he knew, but he lied to me every day for months!

Girl: I wish-

Anya: He lied and lied and then lied some more, 'cause hey , who's gonna notice with all the other lies flying around like little monkeys? And then he thinks he can just sweep the carnage underneath the rug by saying , "oh-"



Dawn: Does it help?

Spike: Doesn't hurt. Not planning a camp-out, are we?

Dawn: No. I'm sleeping over at Janice's. Figured Willow and Tara might want some time to, uh...

Spike: Oh, so the birds are flying again, eh? Ain't love grand.

Dawn: I wanted to stop by on my way and, you know. Everybody's pretty mad at you.

Spike: Yeah. Kinda picked up on that.

Dawn: You're not going to be coming aroundanymore. Are you?

Spike: It's complicated, Nibblet.

Dawn: Everybody's been saying that.

Spike: Must be true then.

Dawn: Was it worth it? What you did with Anya?

Spike: Buffy told you?

Dawn: Kinda caught the show. There was a camera somewhere in the Magic Box. Warren and Jonathan and that other guy have been watching Buffy.

Spike: Wankers!

Dawn: Do you love her?

Spike: Oh, no. No. It was just a ... It was a bad day. For both of us. And we just had a few drinks and, things just-

Dawn: No. Not Anya. Buffy. Do you really love her? Then how could you do that to her?

Spike: Oh, right , 'cause Big Sis was treating me so well up until that point. Must still be a bit of the evil left in me after all.

Dawn: I don't know what happened betweenyou two. But what you did last night ... If you wanted to hurt Buffy, congratulations. It worked.



Jonathan: No way I'm going back through there. Thing stings like a mother.

Andrew: Dude, unholy hair gel.

Jonathan: Get off.

Andrew: Make me, skin job.



Buffy: Hey.

Xander: Hey. I think there's still a cold one in the fridge.

Buffy: Thanks, but, uh, I think it's still a little early for me. She loves you. You know that. Anya was just ... She was hurting. She was ... hurting and, and she did this really stupid thing.

Xander: With your boyfriend.

Buffy: He's not my boyfriend.

Xander: I know why Anya ... I understand, I do. But you... All those times I told Spike to get lost ... that he didn't have a chance with a girl like you.

Buffy: You don't know how hard it's been.

Xander: What, lying to me?

Buffy: Being here. After I was brought back. You have no idea how hard it is just being here.

Xander: You could have told me.

Buffy: You didn't want to know.

Xander: So you went to him instead?

Buffy: Xander, what I do with my personal life is none of your business.

Xander: It used to be.

Buffy: It just happened, okay?

Xander: Oh, like, uh, "Say, you're evil. Get on me"?

Buffy: You fought side by side with him when I was gone. You let him take care of Dawn.

Xander: But I never forgot what he really is. God, what were you thinking?

Buffy: You're asking me that? Oh, 'cause your decision making skills have really sparkled lately.

Xander: I'm not saying I didn't make any mistakes. But last time I checked, slaughtering half of Europe wasn't one of them. He doesn't have a soul, Buffy. Just some leash they jammed in his head. You think he'd still be all snuggles if that chip ever stopped working? Would you still trust him with Dawn then?

Buffy: It doesn't matter. I'm not seeing him anymore. It's over.

Xander: Yeah. There's a lot of that going around.



Xander: It's a good thing I'm part fish.

Girl: Which part?

Xander: The part with the hook in it.

Girl: Careful. Someone might reel you in.

Xander: Yeah, but then there'd be the flopping and the ... gasping, and ... sure, maybe it'd work out, but chances are I'd up and leave you at the helm in your white dress. Then find you spawning with another fish who turns out to be spawning my very good friend night and day behind my back. Then comes the fighting and again with the flopping and the gasping, 'cause hey , Chicken of the Sea here's not doing too good with the women these days.

Girl: Huh?

Xander: Sorry, I'm just looking to curl up with the quiet alone tonight.



Spike: You hurt? You're not moving so well.

Buffy: Get out.

Spike: We have to talk.

Buffy: I really don't.

Spike: Well, this isn't just about you... as much you'd like it to be.

Buffy: You spoke. I listened. Now leave.

Spike: I'm sorry. Not that it matters any more, but I needed you to know that.

Buffy: Why?

Spike: Because I care about you.

Buffy: Then you might want to try the not sleeping with my friends.

Spike: I didn't go to Anya for that. I was looking for a spell.

Buffy: You were going to use a spell on me?

Spike: It wasn't for you! I wanted something . Anything to make these feelings stop. I just wanted it to stop! You should have let him kill me.

Buffy: I couldn't do that.

Spike: Why?

Buffy: You know why.

Spike: Because you love me.

Buffy: No. I don't.

Spike: Why do you keep lying to yourself?

Buffy: How many times- I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love.

Spike: Trust is for old marrieds, Buffy. Great love is wild ... and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes.

Buffy: Until there's nothing left. Love like that doesn't last.

Spike: I know you feel like I do. You don't have to hide it anymore.

Buffy: Spike, please stop this.

Spike: Let yourself feel it.

Buffy: No....

Spike: You love me.

Buffy: Ow, no, stop it. Spike, no - ow - what are you do- Ow!

Spike: Let it go. Let yourself love me.

Buffy: No, stop it!

Spike: I know you felt it ... when I was inside you...

Buffy: No, ow, ow! Please, please, Spike, please...

Spike: You'll feel it again, Buffy...

Buffy: Please don't do this...

Spike: I'm gonna make you feel it.

Buffy: Stop!!! Ask me again why I could never love you.

Spike: Buffy, my god, I didn't-

Buffy: Because I stopped you. Something I should have done a long time ago.



Warren: You hit like a girl.

Xander: Well, at least I know how to get one.



Clem: Uh ... knock knock? I was just in the neighborhood so I thought, you know... ...there's a Nightrider marathon on the TV, so, uh... I got hot wings!

Spike: What have I done?

Spike: Why didn't I do it? What has she done to me?

Clem: She done who? Ohh. The Slayer, huh? Gosh. She break up with you again?

Spike: We were never together. Not really. She'd never lower herself that far.

Clem: She's a sweet girl, Spike, but hey. Whew. Issues. And no wonder, with the whole coming back from the grave and whatnot. Hey, I had this cousin, who got resurrected by some kooky shaman... Whoo-boy! Was that a mess.

Spike: Why do I feel this way?

Clem: Love's a funny thing.

Spike: Is that what this is? I can feel it. Squirming in my head.

Clem: Love?

Spike: The chip. Gnawing bits and chunks.

Clem: Uhh ... maybe a wet cloth?

Spike: You know, everything used to be so clear. Slayer. Vampire. Vampire kills Slayer, sucks her dry, picks his teeth with her bones. It's always been that way. I've tasted the life of two Slayers. But with Buffy... It isn't supposed to be this way!

Spike: It's the chip! Steel and wires and silicon. It won't let me be a monster. And I can't be a man. I'm nothing.

Clem: Hey. Come on now, Mr. Negative. You never know what's just around the corner. Things change.

Spike: Yeah, they do. If you make them.



Warren: I was wondering when Super Bitch would show up.

Buffy: You really got a problem with strong women, don't you?

Warren: You seem a little off. This a bad day?

Buffy: It's getting better.

Warren: That all you got?

Andrew: No!

Buffy: There's two ways this can end. And right now? I'm thinking they're both gonna hurt.

Andrew: I think you're right.

Warren: What's the matter baby? You never fight a real man before? Wow. That almost hurt, kitten.

Andrew: Kill her! Kill her!

Warren: You know who I am? Huh, Slayer?

Buffy: You're a murderer.

Warren: Well, that too, but more to the point- I'm the guy that beat you. And it's not the muscles, baby. It's the brains.

Buffy: I'll remember that when I knock 'em clean out of your-

Warren: Whoa! Sparky, I didn't think you had it in you.

Jonathan: The orbs! Smash his orbs.

Warren: Say good night, bitch.

Buffy: Good night, bitch. You're nothing but a sad little boy, Warren. But it's time you grow up, and pay for what you've done.



Jonathan: Jet packs. You jerks were setting me up to take the fall.

Andrew: He left me. He flew away and left me.

Jonathan: Oh god. The Big House.

Andrew: How could he do this to me? He promised we'd be together, but ... he was just using me. He never really loved- ...hanging out with us.



Willow: Hey. Clothes.

Tara: Better not get used to 'em.

Willow: Hmm, yes ma'am.

Tara: Mmmm... Xander!

Willow: Okay, not quite the response I was fishing for.

Tara: No, he's here.

Willow: Think they're making up?

Tara: I hope so, that's the best part.



Xander: Time for the Spring Poking already?

Buffy: Just making sure there are no more Evil Trio cameras. Or Evil Uno.

Xander: The sinister yet addictive card game?

Buffy: Warren. Jonathan and Andrew got clinked, but ... Warren pulled a Rocket Man.

Xander: You'll find him. He won't be much good without his friends.

Buffy: No, he won't.

Xander: How did we get here?

Buffy: Scenic route. Long drive.

Xander: The past few weeks...

Buffy: I know.

Xander: I thought I hit bottom, but ... it hurt. That you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Spike. It hurt.

Buffy: I'm sorry. I should have told you.

Xander: Maybe you would have, if I hadn't given you so many reasons to think I'd be an ass about it.

Buffy: Guess we've all done a lot of things lately we're not proud of.

Xander: I think I've got you beat.

Buffy: Wanna compare?

Xander: Not so much. I don't know what I'd do ... without you and Will.

Buffy: Let's not find out.



Tara: Willow your shirt.



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Story: 10

Acting: 10

Writing: 10

Picture: 10

Gripping: 9

My Rank: 10

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Total: 9.9

Season six was full of storylines which backfired on the writers. I loathed the Buffy and Spike relationship, I loathed the klepto-Dawn storyline, I loathed Willow's magic addiction and I found the Evil Trio just plain bad. The story development I hated the most was the death of Tara.



Tara had been a radical character on the series, she was one of the first openly gay female characters on US television and was probably inspirational for many young women. Her relationship with Willow was one of the most well-written in the Whedonverse. She was superbly acted by the wonderful Amber Benson. She evolved from a shy, vulnerable young woman to a confident, outspoken warrior. Then Tara was murdered. All for the sake of a storyline which spanned a total of three episodes. Just to push another character over the edge.



I don't want to jump on the bandwagon of people who think that Joss killed off Tara because she was gay, as I think this allegation is pathetic. Why create a lesbian character and keep her on the show for two and a half years and then kill her off for "being gay"? It just doesn't make sense.



Anyways, in the end, Tara's death was probably the most pointless story development in the history of Buffy. The fact that her murder was so brutal and how she went from happy to suddenly, dead on the ground with a bullet through her chest, is just heartbreaking. She had no resolution. She was just another body.



The rest of the episode is slightly dull. The Trio continue to be mind-numbingly unfunny with their nerdy quips and their jetpacks. It's nice to see Jonathan rebel against Warren by telling Buffy to smash his demonic orbs and Tom Lenk is also superb during the hour but in the end, the episode feels hollow and Tara's death is the (obviously) only thing which makes any real impact.



Amber Benson was one of the most talented actors on Buffy and her work as Tara, covering nearly three seasons, will always be remembered by fans.

In "Seeing Red", Tara and Willow are back together and even more in love than before. While Buffy is still dealing with Spike. After Buffy ending their relationship or more like their little get togethers, Spike goes crazy trying to get Buffy back. I loved this part of the episode, just seeing Spike suffer it was amusing to me.



Tara and Willow were getting closer than ever and they were even thinking of the future together. On the other hand, Spike enters Buffy's home and catches her in the bathroom with her robe on and tries to rape her. Now this was one of the best scenes in the series. I couldn't believe Spike would actually try to rape Buffy and I was also amazed that Buffy would tackle such a topic for being a super natural type of show. Afterwards, Spike seeing what he's done leaves and Xander sees Buffy with bruises and Buffy just says to forget about it.



The next day, little to their knowledge will be a tragic day. Warren comes with a gun and shots Buffy, then he shoots in the air and one of the bullets fatally hits Tara, killing her. Willow with rage in her entire body soon starts turning dark as her eyes go black.

While to me most of the episode was just average, it's the surprising and unexpected ending that makes this episode go down in TV History.



This episode shocked me in more ways than 1.



1) This whole season has seemed to make the Scoobies lives just get worse and worse and just when you think that their lives can't get any worse, Warren brings a loaded gun into Buffy's backyard. When he started to fire, I was at the edge of my seat (I knew that Buffy wasn't going to die and Xander seemed pretty safe) but it was at the shocking point when the gun is aimed wrongly and is fired which hits someone who has never hurt anyone, the one constant happy thing in Willow's life just suddenly taken away. Tara's death was the most shocking death I have ever seen in Television History.



2) It proved to Buffy that while she may be powerful and strong enough to resists bullets and everything, her friends can't. It also reminded Buffy and the gang that not all evil is human VS demons and vampires and easy like that but that sometimes the most unspeakable evils are commited by humans.



3) This was one of the most emotional episodes of the season and of the entire series from Spike raping Buffy to Tara being fatally shot by Warren to Anya and Xander still trying to get over their wedding disaster which left Anya at the alter. I was expecting this to be just a regular episode, boy was I wrong!



"Seeing Red" 6 x 19: A great shocking episode that might even bring you to tears.