Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Season 6 Collection - Part 2 [1998]

This is a season in which chickens come home to roost: everything from the villainy of the three geeks to Xander's doubts about marriage come to a head, often--as in the case of the impressive wedding episode--through wildly dark humour. The estrangement of the characters from each other--a well-observed portrait of what happens to college pals in their early 20s--comes to a shocking head with the death of a major character and that death's apocalyptic consequences. The season ends on a consoling note which it has, by that point and in spite of imperfections, entirely earned. –Roz Kaveney

Customer reviews:

Effective but very depressive set of episodes (spoilers), 2004-06-27
Part 2 of the sixth season of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" continues the themes of adult life and self-destruction introduced in Part 1. Season Six rubbed the fans up the wrong way because it was the Slayer and her friends who were the Big Bad this season, making wrong decisions, splitting apart and becoming weak to the point where the pathetic "Evil Trio" could actually pose a threat to them. Though it makes for depressing viewing sometimes, especially in filler episodes, it all eventually comes together in style.

The main characters continue to be well-fleshed out and are fun to watch, although Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Tara (Amber Benson) are as good as left out for most of the action. Tara was a sweetly mellow presence, but never really developed far beyond her relationship with Willow (Alysson Hannigan). Sarah Michelle Gellar is good as Buffy, but she's overwhelmed by her supporting cast.

Nicholas Brendon is on stunning form as Xander, particularly in "Hell's Bells" where he is confronted, in many forms, with his insecurities over his decision to marry Anya (Emma Caufield). James Marsters is similarly good as Spike, as the vampire struggles with his conscience and his love/lust for the Slayer.

Then there is Adam Busch as Warren, the series's first on-running human villain. Embittered geeks are nothing new to "Buffy" and many have featured in one-off episodes throughout the series. But none have been explored to quite the same depth Warren has. Through Adam Busch's superb performance, Warren evolves from a bullied, sexually frustrated nerd to a misogynistic psychopath. Yet even as he sinks to bitterness and evil, his cluelessness never dissipates.

Yet the show belongs to Alysson Hannigan's Willow, who turns evil in the season's final episodes. Hannigan does well showing the conflicted, pained insecurities at Willow's core and her last face-off with Xander, as she attempts to end the world, has plenty of emotional power.

It's all very downbeat, and with the exception of the underrated "Doublemeat Palace", there is no levity or humour here. The result is a turgid, but still compelling watch.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Is At It's Best!, 2003-07-27
the sixth season is my personal favourite. It begins brillianty. the Scooby gang are using the Buffy bot to fight deamons, but they know that she's not the real Buffy. So Willow has hatched a plan. Her, Xander, Anya and Tara are going to raise buffy from the dead. (Giles has gone to England, and Dawn and Spike don't know). So they raise her, but get interupted by a pack of deamons. buffy is forced to dig out of her own grave. She is left bloody and confused. She struggles to come to terms with life after death. We then learn that her friends tore her out of heaven.
Buffy seems a little less human then she once was (Spike can hit her) But this leads to romance,a nd Spike and Buffy sleep together. Xander eventually finds out about it,a fter Anya and Soike sleep togther. Willow and Tara splilt apart,a nd Tara gets sahot by Warren. Willow is very upset. She kills Warren, but eventually gets stopped by Xander.
this is a great season, and should not be missed.