Because that's how ALL of us reacted at the time it aired. I know I did. I vividly remember thinking "how can they show this on TV" (and this wasn't pay cable, this was broadcast commercial television). When I jumped online to talk to my Buffy-friends, they were all "did they actually SHOW THAT on TV???"
@@Nicamonshe’s a “good guy” remember Yes, well, Willow. You can be a good guy and still fuck up your relationships. Willow’s arc this season is one of self-awareness and she’s been a character throughout the show with a severe lack of it and it’s mostly because she’s somebody who perceives of herself as unworthy or undervalued and she’s trying to overcompensate for these insecurities and anxieties of which don’t actually exist. In other words. She’s corrupting and sabotaging herself. She’s being forced to look in the mirror and instead of turn away from what she sees, has to sit there and meet her reflection head on even if she desperately doesn’t want to. In turn - those who identify with her do too.
James Marsters is the absolute best Buffy actor when it comes to supporting the fan and reactor community. Such a great person for doing stuff like this.
Wasn't a cameo I went to comic con asked him to record a video for alley in person he was wonderful about doing it. My second time meeting him so used my time for alley instead
The scene in the end is really metaphoric to how the relationship is between Buffy & Spike, the darkness, the chaos, the passion. How the whole building falls apart on them is how they fall apart on each other. Its epic. Great reaction by the way! PRICELESS!
@@RICHIEV333I mean Spike is soulsss. It really BOTHERS me when ppl only judge souless Spike and not soulful Soike. Not accusing you particularly. He’s still superior to souless Angel..
I will never be more entertained by a reveal than the 'hey, turns out I can hurt Buffy'/'Oh shit, Spike can hurt me' to 'We can have dangerously kinky sex now!' pipeline 😂
@@bananas_brainno hun. For one, impact play is indeed a sexual kink that humans engage in. And for another, these aren't humans. They're superhuman. Using someone for casual sex isn't even abusive, except for the fact that Buffy is aware of Spikes feelings and that he specifically told her to stop using him because it hurts him and she trampled all over that and does it anyway. That then crosses over into abusive. And her repeated emotional and mental abuse, and later on some legit physical punching bag abuse.
@@spikesecho724 they are beating each other up because of their rage. I'm sorry, but how can you not see it as abusive? there is nothing about it that resembles just some kinky sex that some couples are practicing. There is just aggression and destruction on both sides. Superhumans they or not this show is about parallels and metaphors based on real life. Particularly spuffy is about toxic and abusive relationship, it was like that from the start and it culminates logically in the end of the season. So no, it's really not just kinky stuff, it never was
@@bananas_brain sorry you're missing a lot in this story line 🤷🏼♀️ you've caught onto the abuse part and toxic part, but have missed all the complexities and nuances also entangled with it, including sex kink apparently. And the use of physical violence by superhumans in this show as a precursor for sexual activity is by no means new nor isolated to this couple, so I guess you've missed a lot. It's done with Bangel as well. You've seen Mr and Mrs Smith right? Physical violence in a fictional world with out-of-the-norm people is often used as foreplay. You're just preferring a full-stop literal reading of the story because an abusive relationship is such a real-world thing. But the writers are playing with the fiction of this world as well, including having two superhumans (particularly one not good at verbal communication and who always expresses herself with violence - Buffy) engaging in superhuman sex by f**king a house down. Indeed, tons of metaphor at play, but you're neglecting to also contextualize the physical violence that way as well. The show outright discussed Buffy and spikes sexual kinks in other episodes as well, not within a metaphor of abuse, but simply as sexual kink.
@@spikesecho724But it is abusive? On both sides? Like, Spike and Buffy physically beat each other up, verbally attack each other, and as the season continues Spike emotionally manipulates Buffy into feeling alone and miserable enough to continue to sleep with him (ex: “You don’t belong with them you belong with me in the shadows” or “You came back wrong”). You can like Spuffy, but don’t pretend like this relationship was healthy by any stretch of the imagination. There’s a reason why the writers took their relationship as dark as they did. There were people who romanticized it and couldn’t see it for what it was, so they kept pushing to try and get people to see it as toxic. Them sleeping together and knocking the house down wasn’t romantic or “kinky.” It was a metaphor for Buffy letting her life fall apart. It’s not healthy and you’re not supposed to root for it.
My brother was visiting when this episode first aired. I think his comment was “I didn’t know this was that kind of show.” Well neither did the viewers! 😂
Dawn and Tara are adorable. Tara is like another mother figure for her, and legit the only scooby who genuinely wants to spend time with Dawn not just because she's a chore or a responsibility.
Tara and Willow became her moms after Buffy died. Tara and Dawn are really dealing with a divorce, where one of the partners has become dangerously codependent and abusive.
Magic has consequences, especially the really dark magic used in resurrecting someone. This is not your average teen soap obviosly. If there's a boundary to be pushed, they pretty much did. That James Marsters message was amazing. He's always so nice to his fans.
The three episodes in season 6 'Smashed' 'Wrecked' and 'Gone' are all British slang for being really drunk and not being in control of yourself. I don't think 'smashed' was a euphemism for sleeping together when this came out. It fits even better now, though 🤣
Regarding the question whether Buffy came back "less human": I would argue that it's probably only specifically in the respect the chip used to detect humans, and not in a other meaningful way. The chip probably detects any magically resurrected human as similar to a vampire or some other kind of undead, even though she's actually still a complete himan being with a soul and all.
In my opinion the best thing about Amy not remembering her time as a rat is that they don't haves to deal with her remembering all the times Willow had sex with Oz or Tara with her in the room.
Leave it to Anya to say what needs to be said that nobody is brave enough to say. She may be lacking in social graces but she also possesses big balls. And I love how she’s proud of it instead of insecure about it. If there’s anyone that needed a fucking wake up call in this season it was definitely Willow. Well done, Anya! Really kinda love how she’s the one so far removed from reality that she’s able to give doses of it out. She’s like “Look honey, I may not understand human behaviour but I know for fact yours ain’t good.” 👍 She really went from “You wish it, I dish it.” To “You repress it, I express it.” Love that for her character!
I can actually understand just a bit of what Willow is going through. I had a problem with procrastination, and it got bad enough to interfere with my marriage. The problem got worse after we separated. (And still hasn't gotten better, years later. Watching _Buffy_ reactions on RUclips hasn't helped...) It's almost as if Willow is trying to prove to herself that using magic isn't really bad, which means that Tara left her "for no reason", rather than for good cause, which would mean that Willow would have to admit to herself that she's in the wrong. And she won't do that until she's hit rock bottom. (And in real life, some on a similar path won't stop even past rock bottom, until they're six feet under.)
Love season six! Alley, you'll have a hard time forgetting this season. And thank you. It's so much fun to see someone feel about the show the same way I've felt about it for 26 years.
And I also have a question, when he says 'You're afraid I am gonna..' What? What is he talking about? I always wondered. And I like how he picked her up and she is wrapping her legs around him. This is really good. But that zipper sound you can hear from miles away 😄😄 they wanted to make that obvious so much.
Your side-eyes this reaction, I swear... they make my day. I feel bad for poor Amy. Even with the magick enabling going on, all those years as a rat must take their toll. Awesome cameo by James Marsters!
Amy is a somewhat tragic figure, considering what her mother put her through, but she also makes her own decisions, and they are all horrible… so not that tragic at the end of the day.
Drew Goddard was going to be the showrunner for Daredevil but pulled out and was replaced by Steven DeKnight (also a Buffy writer). S2 was co-showrun by Doug Petrie - also a Buffy writer
I have almost never been disappointed by a show where a Buffy alum has a significant role in the writing. Jane Espenson made once upon a time, absolutely delightful when she was effectively the showrunner
You have an idea of the pain either side of the turn of the century, when we had to wait a week (and sometimes several, or months between seasons) to get our fix of Buffy and Angel. Bee tee dub, the Marsters Cameo is amazing. Big thanks to James and the fan who set it up.
Tuesday night (AKA Buffy Night) was was a big deal in my social circle of fellow nerds. That’s why the line “Dawn’s in trouble… must be Tuesday” got the biggest laugh from everyone of probably any line in all the episodes we watched (aside from the musical & Hush, but that’s like cheating).
I believe somewhere (on RUclips) you can find the original uncensored ending, which goes on longer without the dust in the air to obscure the "thrusting". They did have to tone it down a bit to still get a TV-14.
@@Girl4Music What I saw was in pretty good condition, not the final edit before turning over to the censors for review but pretty close. Seems like one or more people who worked on season 6 leaked a lot of footage, there are unofficial bloopers floating around too, quite a few of them.
I was 13/14 when this aired and there were rumours it was going to get um spicy lol and my sister, who was 8/9, and myself had to beg our mother to continue letting us watch it. So that night we sat down and watched this episode like usual annum yeah, it was something 😂 She then proceeded to do what she did for the first season and a half of Angel; she’d watch them and record them (vhs) then go back and film the news over the more adult scenes lol and we’d watch it in the morning having breakfast lol
"Ever since the Halloween episode Dawn looks so much older." Michelle Trachtenberg was 15 when they filmed these episodes. They grow like weeds at that age. My great niece is 15 right now. She's 5'8."
@@Madbandit77 I have no idea how tall Michelle Trachtenberg is these days but I do know she towered over the entire female cast in 2003. Alyson Hannigan once joked that Michelle had the biggest boobs in the entire cast. I assume she was including Nick Brendan in that :)
It is, most definitely. This whole season really parallels Buffy’s mental health downward spiral with Willow’s addiction arc and how it negatively affects each of them.
I feel like this episode when Amy comes back really starts Willow down a dark train and the drama with Spike and Buffy when he realizes the clip might be malfunctioning to the point where he can’t be hurt by the chip from Buffy anymore. Also they literally brought the house down with that make out scene🤯😁 Can’t wait for the next episode❤️🩵
Great reaction! was waiting for your reaction to this ep ... Wow you wonderin about "how last scene was allowed on TV" and you got answered by James Masters, pretty cool!!! Well lookin forward for more of your reactions
They were able to show that scene because Buffy and Angel had switched networks after WB shut down and was replaced by CW. But UPN (Paramount) outbid other networks and won the show. So they went darker and mature.
There is actually more to that sequence after they crash through the floor, in extra footage, if you search youtube for it. No nudity or anything but explicitly clear what was happening(if anyone had doubts).
yep that was a pretty graphic sex scene. This season deals with much more adult themes than any of the others, which makes sense because the characters are all at this point young adults.
Great reaction. Like you said, there was so much happening in this episode. I loved that Amy was finally turned back into a human and I really loved the fact that they brought back the some actor to play the part. As for the scene near the end with Buffy and Spike, I saw this show when it first aired and back then I was not sure that I saw what I thought I saw. Years later when I started watching some reactions I realized that I did see what I thought I saw. I am glad you had the message from James Masters because they did not allow things like that on free network TV and I could not understand how that got by.
This episode back to back with the next one are some of my favourite ones. Willow was always my favourite from I was 13 (in my later 30s now) and even though she’s devolving this season I always loved the character arch so much ❤
Funny thing here, when Andrew says he's seen every episode of Doctor Who, that's literally impossible, because there are a bunch of old episodes which have no known surviving copies... unless they went back in time or made a deal with a demon or something for missing Doctor Who episodes, which is exactly the sort of thing I can see them doing.
The very end was like when spike tried to stake himself. .except instead of breaking Xander's furniture he almost snapped his other "chip" to quote Jonathan in two
Spike can't hurt people because of the chip, but he has feelings for Buffy and when he fights with her he doesn't intend harm so maybe that's why it works that way..
dont forget who spike really his, he was put on a leash for the past 2 seasons. but of tht leash he would kill people without a second thought. he is s demon first.
Purely speculation on my part, but the Slayer has always been a little more than human. Or a little less depending on your POV. She has supernatural strength, an enhanced healing factor, and occasionally prophetic dreams. My speculation is that her body was severely decomposed, but the magic restored it using her slayer powers to help, and that made the parts it restored a little less human. So, overall, she's less human than she was before. It makes sense to me.
I really hated when the witches in this show stopped doing spells and incantations and just started shooting colourful sparks from their fingers like Sabrina the teenage witch. It was too cheesy.
Buffy and Spike smashed each other as they did the building around them. Metaphorical while being a not so veiled metaphor. "They allowed this on television." UPN had a much different standards and practices department than The WB (as stated by crewmembers). Had BtVS still been on The WB this would've been different in how they were allowed to film it.
Between Where the Wild Things Are and Smashed, it seems like no limits to how far they could go. Which makes it seem even wilder that Joyce has to die for an on screen Tillow kiss. At least UPN allowed a better representation of Willow and Tara’s relationship…while it lasted.
@@Girl4Music The representation at the time was pretty good. It was a wonderful relationship. But the behind the scenes issues and restrictions were very strange to me. The network liked the idea of having a lesbian couple on the show but they were trying to avoid any kind of backlash and put severe restrictions on how much they could show or imply on screen. It was a revolutionary portrayal then. I had grown up seeing gay male characters and Ellen was out by then. I was clueless to all that, so to me it was totally bizarre that Buffy and Reilly could fuel paranormal activities with round the clock sex while Willow and Tara couldn’t even have an on screen kiss. I didn’t realize that lesbian representation lagged so far behind gay representation or whatever other factors were involved in the decision making. I didn’t know until comments in reactions years later how new and unique their on screen relationship was at the time. I guess now I’m frustrated with the historical limitations as well as my own cluelessness at the time.
@@zemoxianYou were clueless because you didn't know the political and financial repercussions back then? Ellen D came out and her show (a sitcom) immediately suffered in the ratings. It was a big to-do. Without a doubt that was fresh in the minds of everyone associated with TV in the late 90s. It would have been bold for Buffy to take that step; however, we may have never had an S6 or S7 if they had. The term "Pyrrhic victory" might apply: a success that brings such significant harm to the victor that it differs little from defeat.
A large part of my problem with S6 is the fact that Tara is the ONLY character who is tolerable most of the time. She makes me severely miss Oz as that would at least make two if they were both here. Everyone else just makes bad decision after bad decision daily. Xander isn't as bad as the rest either these days. The Buffy and Spike stuff I can't take seriously, but I will say the idea to allow Spike to hurt Buffy might have been a way of putting them on equal footing in their "relationship".
I saw this first-run, and I immediately wondered how many people spent the next week rewinding and rewatching that scene (when Buffy and Spike destroyed the house).🤣
The funny thing is I don't even remember "smash" having the meaning back then that it does today. So while the title of this episode already had more than one meaning...now it has one more.
@@visarr The show did coin a few terms and phrases, but that one seems more like a coincidence. There's a kind of chicken or egg situation (which is itself a weird idiom considering it's not a mystery that the egg came first) with "smash or pass" - I'm not sure if "smash" meant "have sex with" before "smash or pass" or if that's where it started - but that seems to be what popularized it online. But as with a lot of slang popularized online in the last 20 years, I would not be surprised if it started as AAVE and spread on Twitter.
Love your reactions and love your love for spike. He’s one of my favorite characters. However, one thing you need to remember is that spike is still soulless. The only thing that keeps him contained is the chip. As seen in this episode as soon as he thought the chip stopped working he went straight back for the kill with no hesitation. In my opinion his “love” for Buffy is twisted more into obsession from his demon. He lacks a moral compass because he doesn’t have a soul.
I would say, though, that part of the reason the first thing he does is to try to eat a human is because of Buffy calling him an evil soulless thing again. That’s why he’s sort of pep talking himself into trying to bite the woman he went after. But in the end it doesn’t really make a difference because what it shows is that Spike doesn’t have his own conscience - he has his love for Buffy and his desire to do what will make her approve of him. When he feels hopeless about making that happen, he reverts to what he himself wants. So he is conflicted about killing a human for a moment, but not because he feels for the victim, and that’s why Buffy can’t fully trust him in the end.
@@SmallFaerieoh yeah. I can agree with that. He can try to be good for buffy, but the moment things don’t go his way with her he reverts back to doing things for himself. I think he lacks the ability to really understand the importance of the good or bad decisions he makes because he doesn’t have a mortal compass due to the lack of a soul. But that’s just my take on things. I’m rarely right about anything so I wouldn’t be surprised if I read it wrong. 😂
Yeah people always try to cite Spikes choice to try to eat a human as showing us that he's soulless and evil, and it's like....um, did you not just watch the scene immediately before that precipitated his actions where Buffy psychologically abuses him/his identity by reducing him to a non-person, throwing nasty comments at him like he's a thing and a monster, after several eps of her going to him for support and treating him like a person? She's fueling his entire identity crisis and has begun her verbal abuse.
He's not going for the kill because he has no morals. He's in desperate need of finding his identity, his self, and without a soul, he has no issue with being the "murderous vampire" if that gives him a place in the world. Not having a soul doesn't mean not knowing good and evil; it just means you have nothing inside of you that complains about doing evil deeds. So you will do them on a whim whenever it's convenient or fun. It's like loudly passing wind when you're alone. There's nothing forcing you to do so, but also nothing that'd hold you back.
The spike and buffy "relationship" is one of the things that makes season 6 great, but it hurts me to watch it. Also hurts me to see reactors get excited for it because they like the characters so much. I know its her first watch through and she doesnt know whats to come, so no judgement. It just shocks me sometimes when reactors watch this and don't see what is completely happening because they are blind to their excitement and shock of these two characters doing this.
(Spoile-ish) Yes, I'm trying not to be completely annoyed. And it's not even about what happens later, but if they were actually paying attention to the characters , Spike is literally willing to eat people this episode and very recent episodes. Buffy is straight up calling him a monster, evil thing, and had been pushing him away over and over again, and yet no one sees a problem with this? And you can argue whether or not you agree with Buffy, but it's still important to remember that it is still her perspective.
@@samanthas8340how many times has Buffy been relying and asking for help of that evil vampire though? Just because he’s restrained and isn’t as sadistic as Angelus every reactor and commentator forgets what he is. How are people shock at what happens later is the real question. And even worse thing this is Spike not the demon 😂
This episode sets up a sad precedence for Spuffy relationship this season. Both Buffy and Spike have major identity issues and are struggling to fit in. Spike can only feel his old known self with Buffy (since the chip doesn't work), which must be addictive considering he has no plan for himself otherwise. Buffy is so numb that only this thing with Spike makes her feel fire inside. Spike knows that Buffy will leave unless she finds her place in the darkness with him. Balancing that darkness is the only way Buffy can feel a spark. This back and forth is unhealthy, and words like 'yes' and 'no' lose their meaning. I don't want to spoil too much, but one hardly can expect anything good to come of it... and this episode was the first set establishing many precedences and promising a gross misunderstanding later on.
Tara is literally the only person who takes time away from what they're doing to just be with Dawn.
That's why she's my favourite character
It’s a running theme of the season that everyone is completely self-absorbed, except for Tara.
I LOVE every reactors "They ALLLOWED this on television", moment in this episode. Hilarious.
It would have been more raw if it were on HBO or Showtime.
@Madbandit77 Definitely would've been less clothes, but more raw? Naw
Because that's how ALL of us reacted at the time it aired. I know I did. I vividly remember thinking "how can they show this on TV" (and this wasn't pay cable, this was broadcast commercial television). When I jumped online to talk to my Buffy-friends, they were all "did they actually SHOW THAT on TV???"
@@alicequinn505 Uh... that's my point.
lol
"until one day they leave you for no good reason." Possibly one of the most infuriating things Willow has ever said. Like, girl, pay attention!
She's obviously in denial.X-(
@@Nicamonshe’s a “good guy” remember
Yes, well, Willow. You can be a good guy and still fuck up your relationships.
Willow’s arc this season is one of self-awareness and she’s been a character throughout the show with a severe lack of it and it’s mostly because she’s somebody who perceives of herself as unworthy or undervalued and she’s trying to overcompensate for these insecurities and anxieties of which don’t actually exist. In other words. She’s corrupting and sabotaging herself. She’s being forced to look in the mirror and instead of turn away from what she sees, has to sit there and meet her reflection head on even if she desperately doesn’t want to. In turn - those who identify with her do too.
I was so mad reading what Willow said I accidently down voted you at first
If the quote of the day next week isn't “zipper unzipping” I will riot
Alley in shock at the fuck a house down scene. I loved that reaction.
Shoutout to Alley's patreon Maria for the cameo.
❤️
James Marsters is the absolute best Buffy actor when it comes to supporting the fan and reactor community. Such a great person for doing stuff like this.
Wasn't a cameo I went to comic con asked him to record a video for alley in person he was wonderful about doing it. My second time meeting him so used my time for alley instead
@Ggirl1305 nice.
Well shout out for the personal video. Way to go.
@Ggirl1305 the fact that it was just a personal video and something he wasn't paid to do makes the video do much better! He's so freaking awesome ❤
Alley before the episode starts: “I hope we get a Buffy and Spike scene in this episode!”
Me: Oh you’re getting a scene alright 😏😂😂
The scene in the end is really metaphoric to how the relationship is between Buffy & Spike, the darkness, the chaos, the passion. How the whole building falls apart on them is how they fall apart on each other. Its epic. Great reaction by the way! PRICELESS!
Don't forget, they didn't do this until Buffy found out Spike was dangerous to her.
@@RICHIEV333I mean Spike is soulsss. It really BOTHERS me when ppl only judge souless Spike and not soulful Soike. Not accusing you particularly. He’s still superior to souless Angel..
@@lessismore8533 My point was simply that it tells a lot about Buffy's state of mind. She wasn't interested in Spike until he could hurt her.
Beginning of the episode: Amy deserves an episode about her after being a rat for so long.
End of episode: Amy, go back to being a rat!
Not a spoiler, really, but I also think “Amy, go back to being a rat” at the end of every subsequent appearance in the show
I will never be more entertained by a reveal than the 'hey, turns out I can hurt Buffy'/'Oh shit, Spike can hurt me' to 'We can have dangerously kinky sex now!' pipeline 😂
but like.. it's not kinky, it's abusive
@@bananas_brainno hun. For one, impact play is indeed a sexual kink that humans engage in. And for another, these aren't humans. They're superhuman. Using someone for casual sex isn't even abusive, except for the fact that Buffy is aware of Spikes feelings and that he specifically told her to stop using him because it hurts him and she trampled all over that and does it anyway. That then crosses over into abusive. And her repeated emotional and mental abuse, and later on some legit physical punching bag abuse.
@@spikesecho724 they are beating each other up because of their rage. I'm sorry, but how can you not see it as abusive? there is nothing about it that resembles just some kinky sex that some couples are practicing. There is just aggression and destruction on both sides.
Superhumans they or not this show is about parallels and metaphors based on real life. Particularly spuffy is about toxic and abusive relationship, it was like that from the start and it culminates logically in the end of the season. So no, it's really not just kinky stuff, it never was
@@bananas_brain sorry you're missing a lot in this story line 🤷🏼♀️ you've caught onto the abuse part and toxic part, but have missed all the complexities and nuances also entangled with it, including sex kink apparently. And the use of physical violence by superhumans in this show as a precursor for sexual activity is by no means new nor isolated to this couple, so I guess you've missed a lot. It's done with Bangel as well. You've seen Mr and Mrs Smith right? Physical violence in a fictional world with out-of-the-norm people is often used as foreplay. You're just preferring a full-stop literal reading of the story because an abusive relationship is such a real-world thing. But the writers are playing with the fiction of this world as well, including having two superhumans (particularly one not good at verbal communication and who always expresses herself with violence - Buffy) engaging in superhuman sex by f**king a house down. Indeed, tons of metaphor at play, but you're neglecting to also contextualize the physical violence that way as well. The show outright discussed Buffy and spikes sexual kinks in other episodes as well, not within a metaphor of abuse, but simply as sexual kink.
@@spikesecho724But it is abusive? On both sides? Like, Spike and Buffy physically beat each other up, verbally attack each other, and as the season continues Spike emotionally manipulates Buffy into feeling alone and miserable enough to continue to sleep with him (ex: “You don’t belong with them you belong with me in the shadows” or “You came back wrong”). You can like Spuffy, but don’t pretend like this relationship was healthy by any stretch of the imagination. There’s a reason why the writers took their relationship as dark as they did. There were people who romanticized it and couldn’t see it for what it was, so they kept pushing to try and get people to see it as toxic. Them sleeping together and knocking the house down wasn’t romantic or “kinky.” It was a metaphor for Buffy letting her life fall apart. It’s not healthy and you’re not supposed to root for it.
Traditionally the episode playing when fans introduce the show to their mum.
😂
My brother was visiting when this episode first aired. I think his comment was “I didn’t know this was that kind of show.” Well neither did the viewers! 😂
luckily, my mom was the one to introduce Buffy to me lol ( but it was all the way back in season 2 )
“Don’t worry, it’s a teen soap with lighthearted horror movie elements”
@@HelloXrancidkitteh has the cool mom that everyone was jealous of in high school
Dawn and Tara are adorable. Tara is like another mother figure for her, and legit the only scooby who genuinely wants to spend time with Dawn not just because she's a chore or a responsibility.
Tara and Willow became her moms after Buffy died. Tara and Dawn are really dealing with a divorce, where one of the partners has become dangerously codependent and abusive.
Magic has consequences, especially the really dark magic used in resurrecting someone. This is not your average teen soap obviosly. If there's a boundary to be pushed, they pretty much did.
That James Marsters message was amazing. He's always so nice to his fans.
The three episodes in season 6 'Smashed' 'Wrecked' and 'Gone' are all British slang for being really drunk and not being in control of yourself. I don't think 'smashed' was a euphemism for sleeping together when this came out. It fits even better now, though 🤣
this episode might well be the origin for that meaning of "smashed"
Regarding the question whether Buffy came back "less human": I would argue that it's probably only specifically in the respect the chip used to detect humans, and not in a other meaningful way. The chip probably detects any magically resurrected human as similar to a vampire or some other kind of undead, even though she's actually still a complete himan being with a soul and all.
This episode really gave the definition too ‘Ends with a bang!’
Considering who they’re up against, I think a D&D manual is a good place to be looking.
They might find additional clues at Comicon
In my opinion the best thing about Amy not remembering her time as a rat is that they don't haves to deal with her remembering all the times Willow had sex with Oz or Tara with her in the room.
Leave it to Anya to say what needs to be said that nobody is brave enough to say. She may be lacking in social graces but she also possesses big balls. And I love how she’s proud of it instead of insecure about it.
If there’s anyone that needed a fucking wake up call in this season it was definitely Willow. Well done, Anya!
Really kinda love how she’s the one so far removed from reality that she’s able to give doses of it out.
She’s like “Look honey, I may not understand human behaviour but I know for fact yours ain’t good.” 👍
She really went from “You wish it, I dish it.” To “You repress it, I express it.” Love that for her character!
"The fuck" actually summerizes quite well what happened there at the end
Alley having Dean Winchester trauma with the whole "is he gonna get accidentally thrown on something and die"
Or Cordelia trauma!
Omg that James cameo is amazing!! 😂😂 Well done Maria. ❤️❤️
Right?! Seriously 2002 me was screaming, crying, punching the air and sliding down the wall watching that 😂😭
I think Spike trying to go out and kill people literally any time he’s offered the remotest opportunity is very telling.
"...the woman was too stunned to speak."
Alley being scandalized by a 25 year old TV show😂. Love the James Masters warning❤
Let's hope she doesn't watch any pre-code movies before 1935. Cover your eyes!
A wild James appears!!! Oh my god!!!!
I can actually understand just a bit of what Willow is going through. I had a problem with procrastination, and it got bad enough to interfere with my marriage. The problem got worse after we separated. (And still hasn't gotten better, years later. Watching _Buffy_ reactions on RUclips hasn't helped...)
It's almost as if Willow is trying to prove to herself that using magic isn't really bad, which means that Tara left her "for no reason", rather than for good cause, which would mean that Willow would have to admit to herself that she's in the wrong. And she won't do that until she's hit rock bottom. (And in real life, some on a similar path won't stop even past rock bottom, until they're six feet under.)
Spike and Buffy tore a hole house down now that’s passion.
And she rode him like a Pony....lol The last scene was originally longer and a tad more graphic but they cut it.
OMG dying with the James video for you, Alley. Well-deserved. Honestly, loved your reaction to this historical BDSM-coded piece of TV.
Love season six! Alley, you'll have a hard time forgetting this season. And thank you. It's so much fun to see someone feel about the show the same way I've felt about it for 26 years.
And I also have a question, when he says 'You're afraid I am gonna..' What? What is he talking about? I always wondered.
And I like how he picked her up and she is wrapping her legs around him. This is really good. But that zipper sound you can hear from miles away 😄😄 they wanted to make that obvious so much.
They even added it to the closed caption text
Omfg this the best reaction video ever! James f'n Marsters? I cannot...
Your side-eyes this reaction, I swear... they make my day.
I feel bad for poor Amy. Even with the magick enabling going on, all those years as a rat must take their toll.
Awesome cameo by James Marsters!
Amy is a somewhat tragic figure, considering what her mother put her through, but she also makes her own decisions, and they are all horrible… so not that tragic at the end of the day.
OMG. JAMES!!!! That was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Drew Goddard was going to be the showrunner for Daredevil but pulled out and was replaced by Steven DeKnight (also a Buffy writer). S2 was co-showrun by Doug Petrie - also a Buffy writer
Drew also wrote "Cloverfield"
I have almost never been disappointed by a show where a Buffy alum has a significant role in the writing. Jane Espenson made once upon a time, absolutely delightful when she was effectively the showrunner
You have an idea of the pain either side of the turn of the century, when we had to wait a week (and sometimes several, or months between seasons) to get our fix of Buffy and Angel.
Bee tee dub, the Marsters Cameo is amazing. Big thanks to James and the fan who set it up.
Tuesday night (AKA Buffy Night) was was a big deal in my social circle of fellow nerds. That’s why the line “Dawn’s in trouble… must be Tuesday” got the biggest laugh from everyone of probably any line in all the episodes we watched (aside from the musical & Hush, but that’s like cheating).
Maria is a legend for this
As my brother said about this episode: “Way hotter than anything they were showing on the Playboy Channel.”
I believe somewhere (on RUclips) you can find the original uncensored ending, which goes on longer without the dust in the air to obscure the "thrusting". They did have to tone it down a bit to still get a TV-14.
You mean the dailies?
@@Girl4Music What I saw was in pretty good condition, not the final edit before turning over to the censors for review but pretty close. Seems like one or more people who worked on season 6 leaked a lot of footage, there are unofficial bloopers floating around too, quite a few of them.
Search "Original Smashed ending"
I remember that the version I saw live on TV went on a good bit longer. They really show how exactly the house got destroyed
Omg! You got a message from SPIKE!!! Wth!?!?! LOL!! How cool of him to do that!!!! LOVE James Marsters!
I was 13/14 when this aired and there were rumours it was going to get um spicy lol and my sister, who was 8/9, and myself had to beg our mother to continue letting us watch it. So that night we sat down and watched this episode like usual annum yeah, it was something 😂
She then proceeded to do what she did for the first season and a half of Angel; she’d watch them and record them (vhs) then go back and film the news over the more adult scenes lol and we’d watch it in the morning having breakfast lol
What a saucy ending! Smashed indeed! Great reaction as always Alley!
"Ever since the Halloween episode Dawn looks so much older."
Michelle Trachtenberg was 15 when they filmed these episodes. They grow like weeds at that age. My great niece is 15 right now.
She's 5'8."
Literally why they didn’t do anything with The Anointed. Kid grew up too fast and wooopsie. Vampires don’t grow.
@@Girl4Music Very true. Which is why we're never going to get a BTVS sequel with the same cast.
Except tor Charisma Carpenter....
@@Shadowman4710 woman really doesn’t age, innit? One wonders whether she’s a vampire
Michelle or your niece? My nephew's turned 13 and he stands 5'7", BTW.
@@Madbandit77 I have no idea how tall Michelle Trachtenberg is these days but I do know she towered over the entire female cast in 2003. Alyson Hannigan once joked that Michelle had the biggest boobs in the entire cast.
I assume she was including Nick Brendan in that :)
Like a lamb to the slaughter, Alley is going to explode when she sees where this season is going.
Thr scream I scrumpt when this aired watching at home then calling my best friend RIGHT after to scream some more
okg then the thing at the end, WOW one of the actors is a fan of you Alley. As appropriate for the era of the show's first season, You go girl.
Wow! Spike just warned you about the season! He's right too. Buckle up.
If anybody is wondering, the movie Down and Tara saw in the "good god that's a lot of shake" scene was Hardball with Keanu Reeves.
Knowing you were worried about Spike accidentally staking himself makes your reaction to that scene THAT MUCH BETTER!! 😌🤌🤣
While the sex scene was shocking, they had their clothes on and only facial expressions to express what they were doing.
7.9 rating on IMDB, and the Richter scale
I thought that the Willow and Buffy were both pushing boundaries, going over lines. I think that's the parallels they are making between them.
Buffy's spirit is broken and Willow is the Scooby that represents her spirit. So they're both going downhill all gas no brakes.
It is, most definitely. This whole season really parallels Buffy’s mental health downward spiral with Willow’s addiction arc and how it negatively affects each of them.
I was waiting for you to see this one Alley. The make out scene with Buffy and Spike is still hot all of these years later. ❤
Looking forward to the next quote of the day being "zipper unzipping".
I feel like this episode when Amy comes back really starts Willow down a dark train and the drama with Spike and Buffy when he realizes the clip might be malfunctioning to the point where he can’t be hurt by the chip from Buffy anymore. Also they literally brought the house down with that make out scene🤯😁
Can’t wait for the next episode❤️🩵
“Make out scene”
Dude they were doing way more than just making out.
@@Girl4Music Zzzzzip!
@@TheEndKing fly down, go to town
@@Girl4Musicdamm girl 😊
Great reaction! was waiting for your reaction to this ep ... Wow you wonderin about "how last scene was allowed on TV" and you got answered by James Masters, pretty cool!!! Well lookin forward for more of your reactions
Oh BOY! Here early for a change. This should be something big! Shipping hopes are about to go through the roof (or possibly the floor)!
11:08 I love that you choose that moment to edit in, really
They were able to show that scene because Buffy and Angel had switched networks after WB shut down and was replaced by CW. But UPN (Paramount) outbid other networks and won the show. So they went darker and mature.
Actually, the CW is the WB and UPN combined.
Bringing down the House! Now that's foreplay.
i have a good feeling about this season. everyone's gonna be ok.
There is actually more to that sequence after they crash through the floor, in extra footage, if you search youtube for it. No nudity or anything but explicitly clear what was happening(if anyone had doubts).
That video at the end...OMG!!!
yep that was a pretty graphic sex scene. This season deals with much more adult themes than any of the others, which makes sense because the characters are all at this point young adults.
There's a more graphic ending that was cut. It's posted on YT - search Original Smashed ending.
Great reaction. Like you said, there was so much happening in this episode. I loved that Amy was finally turned back into a human and I really loved the fact that they brought back the some actor to play the part. As for the scene near the end with Buffy and Spike, I saw this show when it first aired and back then I was not sure that I saw what I thought I saw. Years later when I started watching some reactions I realized that I did see what I thought I saw. I am glad you had the message from James Masters because they did not allow things like that on free network TV and I could not understand how that got by.
You have such an amazing communtiy! I am so happy for your cameo for you!
One of the best episodes ever
Not only is the sex scene insane but the episode is fucking called Smashed haha unbelievable
-Lotta Bike, Marsters sends regards, -
Ally; “So Amy is back”……
This episode back to back with the next one are some of my favourite ones.
Willow was always my favourite from I was 13 (in my later 30s now) and even though she’s devolving this season I always loved the character arch so much ❤
Funny thing here, when Andrew says he's seen every episode of Doctor Who, that's literally impossible, because there are a bunch of old episodes which have no known surviving copies... unless they went back in time or made a deal with a demon or something for missing Doctor Who episodes, which is exactly the sort of thing I can see them doing.
The very end was like when spike tried to stake himself. .except instead of breaking Xander's furniture he almost snapped his other "chip" to quote Jonathan in two
Alley, what is it you say at the opening of your videos? I can make out the hi how ya doing, but not the first part and it's driving me nuts!
That's so cool! James Marsters!
Spike can't hurt people because of the chip, but he has feelings for Buffy and when he fights with her he doesn't intend harm so maybe that's why it works that way..
That is a very interesting thought.
dont forget who spike really his, he was put on a leash for the past 2 seasons. but of tht leash he would kill people without a second thought. he is s demon first.
Buffy got possessed by Dolemite and turned into the Human Tornado. If you don’t know what that is, look it up, it’s hilarious
Purely speculation on my part, but the Slayer has always been a little more than human. Or a little less depending on your POV. She has supernatural strength, an enhanced healing factor, and occasionally prophetic dreams. My speculation is that her body was severely decomposed, but the magic restored it using her slayer powers to help, and that made the parts it restored a little less human. So, overall, she's less human than she was before. It makes sense to me.
14:44 - That's the kind of reaction I'm here for.
They’ll be a similar one later down the line just not in the same context.
I really hated when the witches in this show stopped doing spells and incantations and just started shooting colourful sparks from their fingers like Sabrina the teenage witch. It was too cheesy.
The look on your face 😂😂😂😂
The dream becomes reality
Anyone else think the girl who Amy picks for Willow is the spitting image of Cordelia?
Buffy and Spike smashed each other as they did the building around them. Metaphorical while being a not so veiled metaphor.
"They allowed this on television." UPN had a much different standards and practices department than The WB (as stated by crewmembers). Had BtVS still been on The WB this would've been different in how they were allowed to film it.
3:40-44 It might have. If someone hadn't found out a typical rat lifespan.
That was a fight scene, clearly...
Between Where the Wild Things Are and Smashed, it seems like no limits to how far they could go. Which makes it seem even wilder that Joyce has to die for an on screen Tillow kiss. At least UPN allowed a better representation of Willow and Tara’s relationship…while it lasted.
I thought the representation was just fine even before Season 6 for Tillow.
@@Girl4Music
The representation at the time was pretty good. It was a wonderful relationship. But the behind the scenes issues and restrictions were very strange to me.
The network liked the idea of having a lesbian couple on the show but they were trying to avoid any kind of backlash and put severe restrictions on how much they could show or imply on screen. It was a revolutionary portrayal then. I had grown up seeing gay male characters and Ellen was out by then.
I was clueless to all that, so to me it was totally bizarre that Buffy and Reilly could fuel paranormal activities with round the clock sex while Willow and Tara couldn’t even have an on screen kiss. I didn’t realize that lesbian representation lagged so far behind gay representation or whatever other factors were involved in the decision making. I didn’t know until comments in reactions years later how new and unique their on screen relationship was at the time.
I guess now I’m frustrated with the historical limitations as well as my own cluelessness at the time.
@@zemoxianYou were clueless because you didn't know the political and financial repercussions back then? Ellen D came out and her show (a sitcom) immediately suffered in the ratings. It was a big to-do. Without a doubt that was fresh in the minds of everyone associated with TV in the late 90s. It would have been bold for Buffy to take that step; however, we may have never had an S6 or S7 if they had.
The term "Pyrrhic victory" might apply: a success that brings such significant harm to the victor that it differs little from defeat.
there was actually an fcc investigation. i'll post the link in a separate comment, in case youtube eats it. if you don't see it, don't blame me.
A large part of my problem with S6 is the fact that Tara is the ONLY character who is tolerable most of the time.
She makes me severely miss Oz as that would at least make two if they were both here.
Everyone else just makes bad decision after bad decision daily. Xander isn't as bad as the rest either these days.
The Buffy and Spike stuff I can't take seriously, but I will say the idea to allow Spike to hurt Buffy might have been a way of putting them on equal footing in their "relationship".
Couldn’t wait until you saw that one!
I don't love Bike/Spuffy/whatever you want to call them, but I do admit it's the hottest relationship she's been in.
I saw this first-run, and I immediately wondered how many people spent the next week rewinding and rewatching that scene (when Buffy and Spike destroyed the house).🤣
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️ me, me. Preteen me. Too many times to count.
I can't remember if this one and the next one aired as a part one and a part two or not. The certainly have that feel, even in their titles.
"Smashed" and "Wrecked" are an unofficial 2-part episode, yet it's probably my favorite.
The funny thing is I don't even remember "smash" having the meaning back then that it does today. So while the title of this episode already had more than one meaning...now it has one more.
Agreed. That term came after this show. Maybe Buffy started it?
@@visarr The show did coin a few terms and phrases, but that one seems more like a coincidence. There's a kind of chicken or egg situation (which is itself a weird idiom considering it's not a mystery that the egg came first) with "smash or pass" - I'm not sure if "smash" meant "have sex with" before "smash or pass" or if that's where it started - but that seems to be what popularized it online. But as with a lot of slang popularized online in the last 20 years, I would not be surprised if it started as AAVE and spread on Twitter.
Ally reaction was hilarious 😂
Love your reactions and love your love for spike. He’s one of my favorite characters. However, one thing you need to remember is that spike is still soulless. The only thing that keeps him contained is the chip. As seen in this episode as soon as he thought the chip stopped working he went straight back for the kill with no hesitation. In my opinion his “love” for Buffy is twisted more into obsession from his demon. He lacks a moral compass because he doesn’t have a soul.
I would say, though, that part of the reason the first thing he does is to try to eat a human is because of Buffy calling him an evil soulless thing again. That’s why he’s sort of pep talking himself into trying to bite the woman he went after. But in the end it doesn’t really make a difference because what it shows is that Spike doesn’t have his own conscience - he has his love for Buffy and his desire to do what will make her approve of him. When he feels hopeless about making that happen, he reverts to what he himself wants. So he is conflicted about killing a human for a moment, but not because he feels for the victim, and that’s why Buffy can’t fully trust him in the end.
@@SmallFaerieoh yeah. I can agree with that. He can try to be good for buffy, but the moment things don’t go his way with her he reverts back to doing things for himself. I think he lacks the ability to really understand the importance of the good or bad decisions he makes because he doesn’t have a mortal compass due to the lack of a soul. But that’s just my take on things. I’m rarely right about anything so I wouldn’t be surprised if I read it wrong. 😂
Yeah people always try to cite Spikes choice to try to eat a human as showing us that he's soulless and evil, and it's like....um, did you not just watch the scene immediately before that precipitated his actions where Buffy psychologically abuses him/his identity by reducing him to a non-person, throwing nasty comments at him like he's a thing and a monster, after several eps of her going to him for support and treating him like a person? She's fueling his entire identity crisis and has begun her verbal abuse.
He's not going for the kill because he has no morals. He's in desperate need of finding his identity, his self, and without a soul, he has no issue with being the "murderous vampire" if that gives him a place in the world.
Not having a soul doesn't mean not knowing good and evil; it just means you have nothing inside of you that complains about doing evil deeds. So you will do them on a whim whenever it's convenient or fun. It's like loudly passing wind when you're alone. There's nothing forcing you to do so, but also nothing that'd hold you back.
I mean who hasn't destroyed an abandoned house whilst having sex? Personally speaking I came in like a wrecking ball
TMI, Alley. Go to your room!
The spike and buffy "relationship" is one of the things that makes season 6 great, but it hurts me to watch it. Also hurts me to see reactors get excited for it because they like the characters so much. I know its her first watch through and she doesnt know whats to come, so no judgement. It just shocks me sometimes when reactors watch this and don't see what is completely happening because they are blind to their excitement and shock of these two characters doing this.
(Spoile-ish) Yes, I'm trying not to be completely annoyed. And it's not even about what happens later, but if they were actually paying attention to the characters , Spike is literally willing to eat people this episode and very recent episodes. Buffy is straight up calling him a monster, evil thing, and had been pushing him away over and over again, and yet no one sees a problem with this? And you can argue whether or not you agree with Buffy, but it's still important to remember that it is still her perspective.
@@samanthas8340how many times has Buffy been relying and asking for help of that evil vampire though? Just because he’s restrained and isn’t as sadistic as Angelus every reactor and commentator forgets what he is. How are people shock at what happens later is the real question. And even worse thing this is Spike not the demon 😂
She's finished the series already, fyi
@@spikesecho724 the whole series? Not just the season?
@@samanthas8340 Yeah she's done with the series and is in the middle of Angel season 5. She also just finished Firefly/Serenity
This episode sets up a sad precedence for Spuffy relationship this season. Both Buffy and Spike have major identity issues and are struggling to fit in. Spike can only feel his old known self with Buffy (since the chip doesn't work), which must be addictive considering he has no plan for himself otherwise. Buffy is so numb that only this thing with Spike makes her feel fire inside. Spike knows that Buffy will leave unless she finds her place in the darkness with him. Balancing that darkness is the only way Buffy can feel a spark. This back and forth is unhealthy, and words like 'yes' and 'no' lose their meaning. I don't want to spoil too much, but one hardly can expect anything good to come of it... and this episode was the first set establishing many precedences and promising a gross misunderstanding later on.