Buffy The Vampire Slayer 6x03 - "After Life" Reaction

[@watershipdowneyjr]

I love that when Spike slams Xander against the tree you can see him wince in pain from the chip firing, but he's too infuriated to care.

[@HowCaseySeesIt]

The “every night I save you” speech is my favorite monologue in the entire series.

[@rwwilson21]

that is a good one but if we just skip to the end of this season that is where my favorite monologue in the entire series is.

[@danwiesdamageinc]

Spike aspiring to be the hero.

[@jayb7775]

But if we skip to "Beneath You" ...which has now been reacted to, so i fear no spoiler.

[@fadedneverland6091]

I’m partial to the “When I Say I Love You” speech in season 7 but let’s be honest, all of Spike’s speeches are gold.

[@fadedneverland6091]

@@rwwilson21 I’m guessing...the Yellow Crayon monologue?

[@JusticeGamingChannel]

As soon as she died, her friends were ok, as Buffy said time didn't mean anything where she was, she could see the end of their lives probably and knew where they'd end up. So seeing the bigger picture, she knew her friends would be alright. What a revelation in the end there, she was in heaven, and pulled from it by her friends, that's a real big revelation. Take it literally for what it is and how it's explained. Also remember the Angel episode where he travels in the elevator and finds out hell is right here on Earth? It's similar to that now, Buffy sees real life as "hell" compared to where she was. Ouch.

[@stanklepoot]

Did they actually refer to our world as Hell, or simply the Home Office? I honestly don't remember.

[@RitsychServare]

When Buffy said that she knew her friends were alright, I think that's the feeling she got when she died, that it's the peaceful feeling of knowing that she's fulfilled her purpose and now she was no longer needed. When you're at peace, you don't worry about anything and that's what she longed for the most especially all this time being a Slayer she had to worry and think about her duties, and responsibilities. And I wasn't surprised by the idea that she was in heaven, what surprised me was what she thought of as hell, which was here on Earth. But it makes perfect sense though if wherever you once were felt like paradise. Thanks for pointing out the comparison with Angel in that episode of where Hell is, 'cause I'm sure Angel would say "You call this hell? You have no idea what hell really is" as we all know he's been there, done that. And I'm sure Buffy can tell him what heaven would be like if Angel was to ask.

[@RitsychServare]

stanklepoot I'm thinking they're making that as a reference, that our world can be almost like hell considering how much suffering, pain, and terrible things have taken place but as for the Home Office, it could also be the same place... but as for what 'hell' itself looked like, I'm sure Angel could tell you otherwise. Besides, the elevator thing was far too simple to be used as a entry to hell dimension... as far as we know in Buffyverse, it takes blood or something else kind of complicated to open up that portal...

[@dusk78]

Giles told her in the first episode this realm was a hell dimension before the demons lost there hold on it and the way was made for man.

[@jamiejjosborn]

JusticePlays in Angel earth wasn't hell he was on the elevator when wolfram and heart deactivated it returning him to earth it was this trick that caused him to loss hope

[@kalandkarazor-el3088]

That Buffy speech at the end is heart breaking. I also love how she can be alone with Spike there, lol. But in the end aren't we all alone? Deep stuff

[@AHSghost]

I love the shot where Buffy is walking through the graveyard, and the angel statue is behind her, it looks like she has angel wings giving a hint that she was actually in heaven!

[@denizderinay5842]

Which episode? Do you remember?

[@arrividerci17]

@@denizderinay5842 this episode

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

I think this is the scene where you realize how much he TRULY loves her. Would do anything for her it. I get goosebumps every time I see him turn his head like a little puppy dog when he’s looking at her. When he counts off the days & hours you know how much it really meant to him. It’s the happiest day in his 150 odd years of existence. It’s done so well to impart that information. Just brilliant..

[@Smido83]

He can not love her, cause he is a soulless demon. Its well established in the Buffyverse that you need a soul to actually love someone.

[@miaamer7718]

@ Smido83 But it has also been established that Spike was an anomaly.

[@x-man9473]

​@@Smido83Vampires can love. Their love is just unhealthy and twisted.

[@LittleMissDivine]

Spike is the ONLY one understanding her PTSD and is treating her correctly. He gets it.

[@Smido83]

How? He doesnt have a soul. He understands no emotions whatsoever, cause he doesnt have any.

[@weaponsofwarfare9537]

@@Smido83 Seriously?? Then explain him crying hard when buffy died. Feeling guilt after her death while making sure Dawn stayed in his sight at all times so she doesn't get hurt agian and crying agian when he saw buffy brought back. Angel without a soul is the evil monster that would never care about anything

[@dancerkris95]

​@@Smido83 The Judge even said that Spike and Dru still had a little bit of humanity in them. Even though its dark and twisted they do love! Spike showed that with how he cared for Dru in season 2. The only reason he didn't kill them for not being pure demon like Angelus was is because Spike and Dru were the ones that assembled him back together so he spared them

[@Smido83]

@@dancerkris95 So did Hitler... he loved his Eva very much... not sure that redeems him in any way or form and means he wasnt a crazy, psycopathic mass murderer. But maybe thats just me. Everybody who roots for Spuffy BEFORE season 7 has very "questional" morals in my book.

[@lordsathariel4384]

@@Smido83 demons mainly vampires werewolf's and the like do not have souls but are still fully capable of every emotion on the spectrum if they are a hybrid race as in not pure demon what they do not have is any inhibition on their actions and a complete disregard for social norms they are basically the same but give or take a functional Conscience in terms of life they perceive everything as grey morally except for their own desires or their allies desires although some like angel without his soul reflect more a pure demon in they have no control or conscience even a small one

[@blacktronlego]

Even when Buffy was gone, Spike was still doing his best to look after Dawn. Nice touch that at 12:15 she is standing so directly in front of the angel statue it looks a little like the wings are hers.

[@DegrassiInstantStar]

Boom... we have it. She wasn't in a Hell dimension. And, just like that, Joss and co. just ripped the happiness we had of having Buffy back by knowing that she's now more tormented in life than she was in death.

[@JLDReactions]

@Degrassi It wasn't a suprise to me. I never assumed she was in a hell dimension.

[@werlost]

I always thought that willow wanted to believe that buffy was in a hell dimension

[@fenixjpb]

Spike s face when he sees her alive.. It does make me cry Like a baby. And he was crying on the tree after.. My heart. James is really a FANTASTIC ACTOR

[@ToShanshuinFiction]

Incoming Rant!: I've watched this episode so many times and I'm still angry at how the Scoobies handled the whole thing. Like...her sacrifice was about them. Her coming back was about them. *They* needed her to be alive but they never even thought about the fact that she's a freaking hero (not a vampire with a soul and who tortured and murdered people and was sucked into the actual portal to a hell dimension). They did something selfish, kept the people that would stop them out of the loop, and didn't once think of what it would actually do to Buffy. She deserved better than that from the people she trusted the most.

[@ThePrincx]

JaimeBeesVids I think they were thinking because Buffy sacrificed herself to close a hell dimension, her soul must’ve been trapped their. Doesn’t excuse it though. What they did was extremely selfish

[@raven3moon]

@@ThePrincx I'm sure there were ways that Willow could've checked to see where her soul was, but she was arrogant in the rightness of her actions.

[@slayerette86m]

But that's after the fact. Nobody knew where Buffy went, What they did, despite their reasons, was done out of love. When we think about death, it's a very somber, depressing thing, we don't usually consider that it's also rest and peace.

[@ThePrincx]

@@slayerette86m very true, but I see their reasoning for bringing Buffy back was not out of love, but selfishness. The could not cope with life without her and I believe it gave Willow an excuse to use darker magic. They could've located where Buffy's soul was before attempting to do the spell. But despite wherever Buffy was, they just wanted her back there with them regardless.

[@slayerette86m]

@@ThePrincx To an extent, yes. But it's a little more nuanced than that. Selfishness implies a negative connotation. Don't we all want people to come back from the dead? Death isn't necessarily something you get over. There might be selfishness, but there's also love. Had they known where Buffy went to and still did it anyway, then the selfishness you're talking about is extremely valid.

[@aracelikiwrna5778]

1. Spuffy! Their scenes were EVERYTHING! 2. Buffy revealing she was in heaven and then saying she was happy and her friends took her away from there, that was heartbreaking. And then it clicks you know? "Death is your gift." She was rewarded for her sacrifice. 3. Why is it that Buffy was able to talk to Spike and not her friends? Did she think he would more understanding of her because he was someone who died and came back to life and therefore able to relate with her? I remember how much she hated him. But after that one time she kissed him as being thankful he didn't let Glory know about who Dawn was, I think it changed the way she saw him. She saw he does care about Dawn and is able to protect her if need be. I don't know. I just liked that she's more willing to go hang out with him and talk to him than she with her friends. - Yvette

[@fangsabre]

I mean, its pretty easy to guess why. Spike had nothing to do with bringing her back. Yes everything you said, but he didnt pull her out like they did. And so she couldnt tell them. Spike was the only person to tell

[@justfly22123]

21:23 For me it never made sense that everyone thought she was in Hell. The portals were just portals between realities, not hell specifically. And even if it was, her body didn’t went there, she just died. Why did everyone think that someone who saved the world so many times and died saving it again would go to hell? That’s the thing that never made sense to me. But I guess they didn’t want to imagine another option because they would have felt guilty to bring her back

[@lilymarianna8776]

That shot of Buffy with the angel statue behind her, perfectly positioned so that the wing look like hers...beautiful piece of visual foreshadowing for the later reveal of what happened to her when she died. Also, can we just appreciate the writers always having in their mind that Spike - William - was a poet. Of course his speeches are always perfection.

[@nathanliteroy9835]

She was killed by the portal, not necessary traveled through it. Also Hell dimension are not the only thing there is, there are also heavenly dimnesions. Also remember Powers That Be? They are like demon gods, but opposite, they also exist in a different dimension and use oracles to communicate. They can't access our reality directly, they need mean, portals and all the same stuff. As for her friends being all right - even if they suffered and died, they would be in heaven too. They are all right in the end - they lived their lives just like she did, and then died. It's the place of the humans, they experience life, life is different.

[@camgeorge6222]

Yea but the rest of the world would suffer because demons are running the hellmouth and portal was originally suppose to open to glorys hell but would eventually spread to others.

[@llawliet7070]

The portal was closed when Buffy died. There will always be demons to fight, Buffy isn't the cure for ending all of the violence. She is just one small part in the battle. If you have watched Angel he mentions this, they don't fight because they can win, they do it because it is right and they are making that choice to stand up for what they believe in. To try and make this world just a little bit better even if it is a losing cause.

[@StalKalle]

@@camgeorge6222 There's a reason season 6 doesn't have a season long classic big bad trying to destroy the world. They didn't want there to be good reason for Buffy to be back, a "thank god I'm back or the world would end" type of thing to make her feel needed.

[@fangsabre]

She was killed by the fall, not the portal. And her death sealed the portal. So she died and went to heaven. It's not so much that like she had to be snatched from hell by the Powers That Be or anything, it's actually pretty straightforward

[@zarabada6125]

@@fangsabre No, she was killed by the portal, or else the resurrection spell wouldn't work. That spell only works on people killed by mystical energies, as Tara explained in the first episode and is explained again later in the series.

[@April7739]

Spike’s “Every night I save you” monologue is still just EVERYTHING.

[@nataliej54]

Love spuffy in this episode. Seeing spike's reaction to buffy alive again is just epic. He is soo protective of her and dawn. Hope all is well shan. Thanks for your amazing reactions.

[@everythingshiny]

Emma Caulfield's comic timing is so good and I don't think people say this often enough.

[@cirrustate8674]

As others have stated, Buffy didn't travel through the portal, she was killed by it. And then she was given her reward. "Death is your gift".

[@TheDarkknightrules92]

Love that Buffy didn't trust her friends enough to tell them the truth but instead told Spike she was in heaven.

[@peggin169]

I guess it could be about trust, that after what they did to her she didn't trust them, but I'm not sure it was about trust. My theory had always been that she just didn't want them to feel guilty about tearing her away from peace and happiness. Spike wasn't one of the people who did that to her, so she could tell him without leaving him with a pile of guilt.

[@samanthaday6759]

It not about trust it’s about no hurting her friends

[@camgeorge6222]

@@peggin169 in away thats wat she wanted to do prevent them from feeling guilty but this is one of buffys faults resisting communicating with her love ones and trying to carry all the burndens on her own she had this same issue when she send angel to hell and giles had to push her to open up. Now its even worst.

[@peggin169]

cam george -- I totally agree that Buffy not telling her friends made things worse, I was just saying that, IMO, the reason she didn't tell them had nothing to do with her not trusting them

[@cissyiniguez]

This is the first time she's feeling what she's feeling. It's not until the next couple of episodes that she wants to spare their feelings. She doesn't tell them because it's still raw right now, she was just taken away from a place where she didn't have the burden and responsibilities of being the Slayer. She finally had some peace and they disrupted it, at this moment in time, she resents what they did to her.

[@MyFeuerFrey]

Well Season 5 DID say that Death was Buffy's gift. Sure one meaning is that her death would save her sister and the world, but other is that her death is a gift TO her after her hardships - a paradise after all the suffering and fighting evil. Buffy had a sort of infatuation with concept of death from the very start of the show - and especially after she was killed by the Master. Her growing dissatisfaction and disconnect with the reality she lives in has been ongoing theme through entire show. And now once she managed to leave it behind , her friends basically selfishly drag her back into the world she dislikes just because they can't move on. Instead of dealing with situation and moving on, they chose to drag her back into it to do it for them. No wonder her first choice of action was to try to jump off the same tower again and no wonder she's acting extremely cold towards them. As for dimensions - I mean hell is just a word used to describe evil dimensions. Are the The Seers from first season evil? Are the Powers That Be evil? How about Skip the Fire Prison guard or the world Cordelia was queen of? Other dimensions operate under a sort of blue and orange morality beyond human comprehension - sometimes they are nice enough to basically be defined as heaven, sometimes dark enough to be worse than the idea of hell.

[@TheRubberDuck77]

I remember watching this when it came out. I KNEW Buffy had gone to heaven from the beginning, I knew what was wrong with her but this monologue of what she lost was still heartbreaking... First off unless the slayer turns bad I think all slayers souls go to heaven, but even if that is not the case... she still sacrificed her life to save the world... again her soul was going to heaven, and no demon or hell gate was going to stop it.

[@blackkatt777]

That reveal at the end was a big mind blowing one, right? One a scale of 1 to 10 how much more are you enjoying Spuffy right now? I've always thought of Bangel as a rushed teen angst love story, where as Spike, you really get to see the true nature of the person he was before being turned and that damn chip making him a " dog on a leash" crazy sometimes. I feel the writers took their time slowly showing his growth with buffy, which just made it more real and savoring to me. Idk....what do you think?

[@ConstanzeWeber]

I’m so glad you put these three out together as they really are a three-part story; despite the titling. The interactions between Buffy and Spike here are just fantastic.

[@antonbrakhage490]

Yeah, Buffy and Angel became less and less individual episodes and more and more longer arcs as they went on. For example, I also regard the last four episodes of season five as one story, and feel that they are best watched back to back, as though they are a single feature-length Buffy film.

[@DaveVampireSlayer]

And so Buffy was in heaven and not in hell. The show was able to make the final revelation surprising, while leaving some clues in the course of episode 2 and 3. For example, Buffy says, "Is this hell? " just out of the tomb, and then a brief moment where she passes in front of the statue of an angel and the wings of this seem to tick from her back 12:13 In the end you can easily explain why Buffy ended up in heaven and not in hell; she has however sacrificed herself to save those she loves and the whole world, The "Powers that be" will have done in order to save her soul and give her the right recognition for her noble gesture and for all the battles she fought in the name of the Good. The fact that Buffy only revealed to Spike the truth I would say that it is not due only to her willingness not to suffer the Scoobies, but also to the fact that now really trusts the blond vampire. Maybe there's hope for the Spuffy..... The 6th season is already with many points of interest: Buffy will adapt to life after living the experience of Heaven and return to be the virtuous and brave girl that we love? Will something be born between Buffy and Spike? Will the Scoobies ever know the truth? Who will be the new Big Bad?

[@ronaldboers8061]

the reason for her to tell the truth to Spike is that she knowns from his reaction at the stairs he was not part of the plot to bring her back. Obviously her sister also had no clue what had happened either. The rest clearly had. She could have talked to Dawn but her not wanting to be back would be really hurtfull to Dawn. It makes perfect sense. rewatching this episode with that knowledge at hand makes the scene in the magic shop so much better. Like when Xander says it was Willows idea her saying "So you did that"makes it sound like an accusation. i love the double meaning everything she says at that scene. Sarah did a great job throughout these episodes. I also loved how much Spike disliked the robot after she died. To him the robot was only a painfull reminder.

[@stanklepoot]

Actually, the key opened up ALL dimensions, brought them crashing in together. So, diving into the portal wouldn't just pop her into a particular hell dimension. Besides, sacrificing her own life shut the whole process down. So, it seems like her soul (not a requirement of the shut down process) was free to go wherever it was meant to naturally go. In Buffy's case, as a reward for all of her noble deeds, Heaven.

[@danwiesdamageinc]

This episode is sort of "meh" but every scene with Spike and Buffy just aches so beautifully (Marti Noxon is in charge this season). Details: 1) Spike is the 1st person Buffy maintains any sort of eye contact with and is the 1st person she looks in the eyes while speaking. 2) When Buffy goes out patrolling, she passes a statue of an angel. The camera moves as to keep the angels wings on Buffy's back - a foreshadow of learning where she'd been for the past 147 days (Spike counting the days. Not the months or weeks, but days). 3) After telling Spike about where she was, Buffy walks into the light, leaving Spike in the darkness. "I think I was in Heaven.... and now, I'm not" ~ Welcome to season 6.

[@RebornVengeancex]

meh comment

[@TheJessy8888]

@@RebornVengeancex thank you

[@gracygrace.mp4]

Very emotional episode and very revealing for Buffy's character. Now, when she says that she knew her friends were alright, it's because she knew their spirits were going to be OK no matter what :) Something she just knew. No matter what physically happened to them she knew that everything would be OK. Poor Buffy! Thanks so much for your reaction! Awesome!

[@emptinessForThem]

That's so genius, makes death and then back to life for the main character not only like the typical cliffhanger but like a significant turn for the character's evolution (either good or bad side). Whedon's writers team- my appreciations.

[@Megramia288]

Now that I'm older and now that I have experience with depression (as in I am bipolar depressive) this hits so much harder. She was done. She was complete but now she has to stay and pretend that everything is ok for her friends. When you're suicidal and have everyone around you telling you that you have to stay in a place that feels like hell it makes it so much worse.

[@stephenflaherty9998]

Yeah, I get that too. Buffy's description of how she feels is, unfortunately, something I'm familiar with, the sort of clinical depression that has no specific cause but is, instead, a sort of existential angst, an inability to see any point to the world, any meaning, any reason or purpose, where the depression just mounts up and seems to have no end and, as it has no cause, looks to last forever. Where the whole world is just a howling, meaningless void of nothing. Hell indeed. For those who don't know, this season examines that all the way through.

[@chrissyjoy08]

@Megramia288 @stephenflaherty9998 I first watched Buffy in 2008/2009 and stuff from season 6 was the first episodes I saw. Season 6 has always been my favorite cause it resonates so much with the depression and suicidal thoughts I'd struggled with in college back in 2001-2004.

[@scot4187]

She said there was no time where she was, I took that to mean that for dead Buffy her friends weren't experiencing any of that Sunnydale mayhem while she was gone, cause there'd be no time, in fact in her afterlife where there's no time (or form) she could probably see/feel/know their destinies or even their own afterlives, or at least know that it was okay for them or going to be okay for everyone. So yeh, that's what I took it to mean by her saying she knew her friends were alright. I think it was very strong of Buffy to be able to lie and act grateful to her friends here for their own feelings' sake despite the fact she herself felt she'd just been dragged by them to join them in hell from heaven itself. Dark comparison but people who take and get addicted to heroine experience euphoria when on it and you see how much they struggle coming and staying off of it, so just imagine the withdrawal symptoms from actual heaven itself - not even an artificial high, a real deal natural peak high. Death was her gift and Willow took it away.

[@fangsabre]

Ok. SO. 1: Buffy didnt go into the portal. The fall killed her. And when she died, the portals closed. Angel only went to hell when he died near a portal because that's just how that demon works. If you open his mouth, the only way to close it is if you go to hell. Buffy just died. She died after saving the world a half dozen times over or more. So, naturally she went to heaven. 2: her friends were safe. Relatively. Sunnyvale is still a hellmouth. And a hellmouth is gonna attract demons. That's what it does. But there was not Apocalyptic threat. And there never is one in this season. There wasnt a Master, or Judge, or Mayor, or Glory. There was no big bad for Buffy to fight. If the gang didnt insist on living on a hellmouth they would be fine. These are just garden variety demons. And 3: what her friends did, specifically Willow, was incredibly selfish and inconsiderate. They didnt even stop to think it all the way through. And yet Willow just assumes shes doing the right thing and she should get a thank you. Willow is the real big bad of season 6

[@aliasbilge9513]

“Everynight i save you.” and “When i say i love you, it’s not because i want you or because i can’t have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, how you try.” speeches melt my heart everytime.

[@JJdaPK]

I think when she said "my friends were alright" she meant that they would eventually be alright. She was looking at their whole lives, not that particular situation.

[@REDHOTTIE2004]

Well, of course the demons were coming! They live on a hellmouth! That problem wasn't going away just because the resident slayer died. As glad as I am that Buffy is alive; they should have let her rest in peace.

[@Buffy8Fan]

I love the look Spike gives Xander. It tells Xander that, no it wasn't the happiest moment of Spike's existence. The Scoobies really screwed up and they don't even realize it. To Willow, expecting a thank you is a terrible thing in this case and for that reason. If the Scoobies were more focused on protecting Sunnydale aka friends over resurrecting Buffy they would have A) gone on patrol with the Buffybot and not allowed a random vampire to narc to a demon biker gang that the hellmouth no longer has a slayer and/or B) been prepared for things like a demon biker gang. So when Buffy said they were all right (at the moment of her death is more than likely what Buffy meant though), they either would have been had they been focused on other more important matters OR they only weren't because they were doing something against the laws of magic aka bringing Buffy back from the dead OR they were all right, as Buffy said, before that night OR all of the above. I complain about certain individual screw-ups of Scooby members over the seasons, but with the group as a whole, resurrecting Buffy was a BIG screw-up. Not to mention their hypocriticalness about not letting Dawn bring back Joyce, but going against that for Buffy. It is not heaven so much as a heavenly dimension, but in the BtVS universe it equals the same thing. But even that is an uncertainty as we don't know (and neither does Buffy despite being the one going through it) what actually happened and where Buffy's soul went. Her saying she was warm and happy leads her to think good place which leads her to think heaven. Plus, I am a subscriber to the theory that Buffy was with her mom also during the 147 days. Dawn opened the gates between everything. All heavenly and hell dimensions and other worlds, ect. ect. ect. It wasn't only a portal to Glory's hell dimension, but to everywhere including her hell dimension.

[@camgeorge6222]

No the portal would start at glorys dimension first and continue to spread to others. yes her friends screw up but its natrual for people to want to do this hell look at how many superheroes and stories brought people back and not getting any hate hell fulmetal alchemist did it and they failed but they dont get this kinda hate. Dbz does it all the time and they get ripped out of heaven all the time.

[@Buffy8Fan]

Going to Glory's dimension first explains how Glory would have gotten home. It doesn't say I am wrong, so I was a little confused by the "no" as if I was. As for those other shows how do you know what other fans think? Also in this universe's mythology, things always go wrong when resurrecting someone. Consequences, as Spike said. Other shows (your examples for example) have their own mythology and their own characters. The reason you don't get any hate on those other shows is because those shows have their own stories unrelated to this one. On this show there are consequences every time to resurrecting someone as the mythology dictates.

[@Mesjoukje]

The first spuffy moment is so perfect, but all the other ones are too.

[@EdwinSnippe]

I just want Buffy and Spike cuddling just like 5 minutes

[@catrin3944]

I’m so glad that ending, that reveal wasn’t ruined for you. These three opening episodes are so good but so difficult to watch as well.

[@dusk78]

She also said time has no meaning. If her friends died on earth where do You think they'd go? Heaven. They would have been ok and safe.

[@TheHalloweenKing]

Exactly. SHe was in a happy place so regardless of if her friends were OK or not on earth she would know they would be OK one day.

[@chrisofnottingham]

I know it's stating the obvious but SMG is really good actor.

[@RitsychServare]

I was actually anticipating your reaction to what Spike's reaction would be! hehe Actually all the scenes with her and Spike and with Dawn are my favorites, in fact, that's the only thing I really like about this episode 'cause honestly, this was the FREAKIEST Buffy episode next to "Hush"! I got nightmares from that scene with Anya!! (I had to scroll down the page so I wouldn't have to see the video! It was that freaky)

[@-JavCold-]

AT 12:12 to 12:17 I always thought why that scene came out on that moment, because if i recall correctly Buffy doesn't say anything there, so it was like a silly scene without "sense" at all, but i realized years ago that for Josh, there are no silly scenes on this TV show so i really think that scene was made to make us see indirectly that Buffy was a Fallen Angel :) so she came from Heaven . You can realize it by watching the wings behind Buffy :)

[@SashaRicky]

I love the first 3 episodes of this season. It's like a massive film. A real Buffy event. :)

[@tsukigalleta]

1:19 Again, the whoooole scene between Buffy and Dawn, I love it so much!! You can get into both Buffy's and Dawn's heads and understand exactly what they're thinking, what they are feeling! Spike's reaction to Buffy, oooooh my god! James's performance!!! What a great moment!! And I soooo love he just knows!! Nobody told him, it doesn't make sense, but he just knows she's the real Buffy!! And he also seems to be the ONLY ONE who gives Buffy what she needs exactly the way she needs it, even without knowing what's going on with her! 6:41 Completely agree with you. 8:50 This scene was chilling!! 19:05 I'm kind of sure she means she knew they were ok in a much bigger level. I mean it's like the knowledge that whatever happens they're going to be ok, the important part of their essence won't be damaged. They can even lose their lives, but they won't lose themselves. Rewatching the previous episode after this last scene is.... kind of fantastic in a very dramatic sense. I think I can completely understand step by step what Buffy is experiencing, and in a different level it's a fantastic metaphor of depression. Yes, it was a portal thing, but unlike Angel, Buffy died. He didn't, so he went to a hell dimension in the "being alive" side. She was in the "being dead" side, which makes the whole situation completely different. She didn't actually go anywhere, she just died. Fantastic reactions, all of them!! I specially loved your reaction to the Spuffy scenes, hehe. Thank you so much!!!!

[@Aaron-fg3ww]

That was just normal every day danger in Sunnydale tho, sure their lives weren't going to be all roses and rainbows but they were going to be ok. What the Scoobies did to Buffy was an awful and completely selfish thing. Don't excuse their actions just because you like the end result.

[@LastGleaming8]

From my understanding, the thing she jumped into wasn't really a portal but an energy source that had the ability to open portals, like it literally rips open the boundaries between our worlds. So she didn't really travel anywhere, she was killed by something akin to a powerful electric shock. Angel was actually and physically sucked into hell, so thats why it was different for him. Tbh I think the writers took a few small liberties there to make the resurrection justified. Because if the show hadn't been picked up for two more seasons, Buffy dying was going to be the ending.

[@NawiTheCore]

11:21 Her hair being kinda brown is a nice detail. Buffy's real hair color, the one she has in season 1, is light brown / dark blonde. Buffy clearly started dying her hair after season 1, but since she was dead for so long her hair dye must've wore off.

[@sr.AnnaOnline]

“every night I save you” yes

[@RetroRobotRadio]

It was always my theory that she was in the dimension Glory was trying to get back to. Makes sense why Glory wanted to return.

[@actioncats]

angel was sucked into hell and tortured for the things he did. but buffy saved the world, they didnt even stop to consider that maybe she was being rewarded and safe for the things she did.

[@lipazdotan4021]

It makes sense. When she jumped into the portal, her body died; But she had a soul and was the force of good, so naturaly, her spiritual being did not belong in hell and was lifted to heaven. The scoobygang should really have figured this out. Not to mention, imagine walking the earth feeling you were expelled from heaven. And imagine knowing that even though many many people have hurt you in life... the one who hurt you the most, the *most* was none other than _your best friend_

[@lkw7482]

Watching this one... it was like, watching with someone who loves Spike so much my eyes felt like they had permission to get misty over his two great moments with Buffy here. (Yes, they had a third great scene, at the end of the episode, but my focus is mainly with poor Buffy there.) The deep caring and grief he showed at the end of The Gift continues to be reflected here, as he and Dawn are the only ones who give Buffy any space, any time to adjust at her own pace. And that may be why she goes to him later, where he can confess - in a dialogue which Jane Espensen was happy and proud to proclaim was written all by her (apparently many a fan favorite moment which she or other staffers have been complimented on in one of their scripts was actually a Joss re-write) - "Every night I save you." - ! He grew from being so cool and fun to being truly touching, as well, and it's definitely enjoyable watching you going along on his journey.

[@kamakazines4901]

I looovvvve Spike this episode

[@victorsixtythree]

YOW! At 12:11 when Buffy is walking alone through the graveyard and passes the statue of an angel - the way it is framed it looks like BUFFY HAS WINGS. And then at the end we learn she may have been in heaven...WHOA. [EDIT: and...reading through some of the comments, it appears I was the last one to notice this. Oh, well...sigh.]

[@rwwilson21]

I never understood why the Scoobies would think Buffy would be in Hell. And, it always really pissed me off. after saving life and life, night after night and stopping the world from ending three times on my count(season 2, season 4, and season 5), why would she? Those are all great things that should give you a free ticket into heaven.

[@disapearingboi]

Considering she jumped into the portal they might assume that her soul was transported anywhere - maybe even to hellworld that glory wanted to go to - before it could get to heaven.

[@rwwilson21]

That may be true, but I honestly thought one of the other Scoobies would step in and say, "you know what with all she has done, I really don't think she's in hell Wil." Tara at least.

[@Carabas72]

They believed Buffy was in a hell dimension because that is what Willow told them, what Willow really sold them hard on. But I doubt that Willow really believed this, or even gave much thought as to where Buffy would be.

[@crossfusion1233]

About Buffy friends being all right. The massive horde of demons only happened because Xander, Willow, Anya, and Tera were trying bring Buffy back. If the gang had just moved on Buffy Bot might not have been damaged and word wouldn't have gotten out that Sunnydale is slayer-less. Heck, maybe at some point they might have taken your idea and gotten Faith to help them.

[@BooneErica]

Grant Smith but whose going to take care of the vampires, demons? Faith would have been still in jail .

[@JennaSain]

Spikeeeeeeee I need to hug him right now arghhhhhhhhhhhh 😍😍😍 xxx

[@vimtocat1741]

Worst part about Buffy's monolouge is that she's absolutely right. Spoilers just in case. If Buffy stayed dead the demons would've still caused their havoc but they would've left, giving Sunnydale time to rebuild. Willow possibly could've avoided hitting her magic addicted tailspin or have more time before she hit freefall since I do think the ressurection spell was the one that got her hooked. Warren, Jonathan and Andrew would have stayed small time thieves and they wouldn't have needed to create the Dampener since they originally planned to use it to neutralize Buffy and keep her from getting in their way meaning they'd either get arrested, disband or get killed by a demon. As a result of the above Tara would be alive and Willow wouldn't have gone off the deep end. The First wouldn't have been rejuvenated from the power flux of Willow's ritual and would still be in a permenantly weakened state. The only loose canon I can think of is Sweet the music demon but I'm willing to bet that Willow, Tara, Anya and Xander would've tracked him down.

[@Theomite]

I just remembered something that occurred to me when the big reveal occurred: Buffy was probably reunited with Joyce on the other side and lost her again when she was pulled out. One day she's gonna have a dream where she remembers and then will wake up as traumatized as she was in the coffin. We never saw that in a flashback ourselves and I wonder if we were spared something horrible. I also forgot about the EVIL DEAD reference @ 10:19 but back in the day it made me giggle.

[@Fawkes42]

Well the Key opened up ways to all the dimensions. To Glory's home, to Pylea, probably even that world full of shrimp. So if Buffy did go through the portal there's no reason she couldn't end up topside. Either that or she just got there the normal way.

[@Theomite]

I always liked how after she drops the bomb on Spike she walks out into the sunlight where he can't follow her.

[@ladiblue03]

Lol

[@antonbrakhage490]

Loved how excited you were when Spike showed up and met Buffy.

[@ericshefa9880]

Great reaction as always. The key didn't open a gate to a specific dimension, it was stated earlier in season 5 that all realities will bleed into each other, so that's how she got to a heaven dimension. As for Buffy's friends needing her, I think the question is does she owe the world more than she's given. She fought for years, and then she gave up her life, doesn't she deserve to rest (in peace)?

[@werlost]

I always assumed that there were multiple "heaven" and "hell" dimensions. Who knows if the one angel went to was the same one glory was from.

[@JimmyCortez2]

You shouldn't see it as she was trapped in THAT hell dimension. She sacrificed herself, which is the ultimate good she could do. In theory, in death, she would be in heaven. Or, in this universe, a heaven dimension.

[@DaveVampireSlayer]

Obviously it is not so strange that Buffy had gone to Heaven, she is not without flaws, but she has repeatedly demonstrated her love for others and her value as a heroine. But for how they told the story, there could be so many people convinced, like the Scoobies, that she had ended up in a worse place. The authors are good at making surprising a revelation actually very logical.

[@JimmyCortez2]

@@DaveVampireSlayer to me it was always kinda of obvious that she end up on heaven. So when she started the "is this hell?" thing it didn't got me confuse, just sure. But I can see how people thought she was in a hell dimension, the writers were pretty good in this.

[@Rosazuly7]

"they ask you how you are you just have to Say you're fine....."

[@lailabell96]

I honestly and truly will never forgive the Scooby gang for this! First they mess with the laws of nature without truly thinking it over and researching cuz if they did they would have realized that Buffy was not in hell. Then they had the nerve to act like she just went to Mexico or something and came back. Then they don't even try to see what she needs. Then they try to force her to thank them. Then they try to force her to be happy without trying to put themselves in her shoes! They are so selfish but this has to be the most selfish things they have ever done! I mean not five minutes after coming back from the DEAD she has to think about other people and save everybody else!

[@abbesatty9498]

"And I was warm. And I was loved. And I was finished. Complete.." Chills.

[@kotonohakatsura6930]

I just came to rewatch your reaction. When Faith swap bodies with Buffy and Riley had sex with her, he couldn´t tell her apart and even the Scoobys mistake her for the Buffybot at first (except Willow) as for Spike it only took him one look to know she´s the real deal.

[@Megan-rr6qg]

I love how you argue for Spike imagine watching this when you had to wait for next Tuesday I would climb the walls lol (I started watching Buffy when I was 8 I watched the first and second season skipped most of the third came back in the fourth and finished out the series every episode to the end when it was actually airing. I have of course watched every episode many times now and it's fun watching someone else enjoy it too :) )

[@Jygerthe2nd]

16:22 And she woulda gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids, and that mangy dog! 🤣

[@acwolf92]

I think what Spike means by wrong, is that she could of come back possessed by a demon or her body could of come back but not her soul.

[@IsaacArmstrongReacts]

Well she meant she knew they were all right when she sacrificed herself for them but the day to day demons are always going to be there, so she can’t worry about that she knew they had to eventually handle that on their own... that’s life or at least their lives.

[@blackkatt777]

Not only that, but for all she knew the powers that be could select another slayer replacement. But she was in a higher plain of existence where mortal worries were no longer her burden to carry.

[@coldservings]

"I know a thing or two about torment." And then he learns there are whole different levels beyond anything he knows.

[@ryanbrooks8045]

This is why she went back to the tower. Its not that it was her last memory but bc she was just ripped out of heaven and he only thought was that she wanted to go back and trying to figure out how.

[@emblem9242]

they never even mentioned who was called after she died..and dont say faith, thats not how the rules work lol....also there's a tiny inconsistency: Spike never clawed his way out of a coffin because his mom was worried about here he was when he returned with drusilla

[@MsCandyKush_YT]

I agree with Spike about Willow.

[@gneiss5302]

when did spike claw himself out of a coffin lol

[@nilesparker3543]

I never thought seeing Buffy says Bitches while possessed would be so crazy.

[@JLDReactions]

I never assumed Buffy was in hell the first time I saw this. Wouldn´t her physical body have been transported to the other dimension too like Angel with Acathala? Yes, sure, there´s hell dimensions where one is incorporeal, but Glory´s hell seemed very physical. Furthermore, I was so pissed with Willow when she decided to bring her back to life. I don´t think Willow ever really thought she was in hell. She was just being SELFISH and didn´t want to let Buffy go. Buffy´s gift as a slayer is death and paradise, and they took that from her. The world would have kept going without Buffy. She is not the only superpowered being in the Buffyverse. There is a hellmouth in Cleveland afterall, and other locations and the world keeps going.

[@lapreviaasinomas]

It took me years to realize that there is a small plot flaw in the talk of Spike and Buffy, and that he tells her that he also left his coffin, but without giving a big spoiler, things did not happen that way

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

I am not ready for Spike in this episode......he knew immediately it was Buffy I am not ready for Spike in this episode......he knew exactly what happened to her hands I am not ready for Spike in this episode.....he counted and would have forever........Spike counted........ I am not ready for Spike in this episode.....he left I am not ready for Spike in this episode.....he endured his pain to let Xander know the truth. I am not ready for Spike in this episode.....He was Spike the entire time, he was truly Spike the entire time and it was beatiful to behold

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

4:21, evidently they have opened up an Onion shop nearby and they are slicing up Onions by the barrel full and a Giant fan is blowing it this way.....I am not ready for Spike in this episode

[@somedudeontwitterstalkedme3829]

13:12.....I forgot about this one......I am not ready for Spike in this episode

[@gizzycav88]

And this is one of the episodes I’ve been waiting for you to react to. Thank you, Shan! :)

[@philthemovieguy81]

Story wise I always felt this was THE MOST selfish thing the gang had done. But that's human nature isn't it? The incapability to accept death and selfishly wanting their loved ones to stay. Buffy was at peace and they ripped her away from that because they were selfish and couldn't deal with her death. I side with Giles and Spike with them being upset.

[@acwolf92]

I think the reason buffy's hair is darker is probably when Sarah Michelle Ghellar played daphnie in 2002's Scooby-Doo.

[@LeshaAnn]

andrue cates There's No Hair Dye In Heaven

[@Smuffication]

People are saying that Buffy didn't pass through the portal and went to heaven after a legitimate death but I think that it is just as likely that her soul went to another dimension while her body died on Earth

[@williammoore1980]

Spike wasn’t mesmerized, he was horrified, sympathetic, and angry at the same time. He is the only one who understood how selfish the others acted and that this was not the way it was supposed to be. He also knew she wasn’t in hell.

[@LittleMissDivine]

I LOVE all these changes, shifts and grey areas with Spike, Buffy, Willow... people are not the same anymore

[@runpoint13]

When Angel went to hell dement-ion it was his bossy and soul. When Buffy fell and closed the portal it was unclear to whether the portal or the fall killed her but her souls was gone because her body remained.

[@smallpiper2]

I always read this as the slayer's life is bloody and brief and to balance that out, they get eternal rest in a heavenly dimension. They are pseudo mystical beings and death is their gift.

[@ronaldboers8061]

take another look at the scene in the store and admire Buffy's speech and how different it sounds when have that background knowledge. I like the hidden accusation to Willow "So you did that". it is so well thought out all reactions of her after she rose from the grave make sense. this is Buffy at her best. Also think about the fact that she is completely open to Spike because of the surprised look on his face when he saw her on the stairs told her he had no part in this.

[@jonghwabiased8671]

"I knew my friends were going to be alright," isn't about what they were going to be physically or emotionally. She knew that even if they lived or died, they'd join her eventually. She knew it. She knew their spirits were okay. It was never about the demons or the struggles or the emotions. Grief goes away with time. They would have moved on from Buffy's passing. The demons, it wasn't their job to fight them, a new slayer would've been called and she would be the new chosen one. It was never their duty to fight evil. They chose to do it in Buffy's stead but the moment the grief got too hard or they got too tired of fighting evil, Willow decided that the best thing to do is bring Buffy back. Yes, Willow had no idea that Buffy was in Heaven, but that never crossed Willow's mind. Not once did Willow consider Buffy being in Heaven. She was too tired of dealing with grief that she took the easy way out of dealing with human emotions with magic. Something we see a lot from Willow. Anya, while she seemed insensitive, actually had the right mindset. Life shouldn't stop when a loved one dies. It is painful and life seems to slow down but it doesn't. Grief is a hard thing to manage. Long story short, Buffy knew that her friends were going to be alright.

[@darksaint0124]

I see this as basically the same thing Glory was going through. Glory wanted to go back to a plane of absolute chaos, Buffy got pulled out of a plane of absolute order.

[@samiridgethevoice]

Y'know one thing I wondered if anyone wants to offer their take: what're your theories about how Spike would know what it's like to crawl out of a coffin? Drusilla sired him, probably left him until he rose, but his mother had no idea where he was for days. A strangers burial maybe?

[@Belnick6666]

Buffy sacrificed her self to save the world. I think in Christian mythology sacrificing yourself to save someone else is an automatic ticket to heaven, Buffy gave her life to save the world.....

[@edh9999]

Count on Joss Whedon to completely subvert everyone's expectations.

[@Belnick6666]

the reason they thought Buffy was in "hell" was because she jumped into the portal, which was a hell dimension. but ofc she did the sacrifice herself to save others, which is a straight path to heaven i think, in one of the Christianity mythologies

[@willscorner8423]

She pretty much fell through the portal, not inside and then.. smashed on the hard ground. So she just died and went to heaven and her friends thought: "She must went to hell.". That’s so messed up, that they did not even think about, that she could be in heaven or even tried to find out. Now she's in hell. In one Angel episode, you already watched at this point, as likely everyone else as well, Angel wanted to go where the senior partners are, stepped into the elevator to hell and he just came out into the 'normal' word, wich is hell. Or a hell dimension. So Willow pulled Buffy out from heaven to get her back into a hell dimension, wich no one is and was aware of. That’s cruel. And alright, well kinda they were alright, within in the natural order of things. Like someone in the comments already wrote, there was a time before Buffy was a slayer and the earth survived. AND her death activated a new slayer somewhere who would have been send to sunnydale sooner or later. Next point, Angel could have helped out as well, if they would've asked him. The thing with life is, every one has plot protection, but no one knows when the plot protection runs out, but if Buffy knew they were alright, then none of them would have died if they hadn't resurrect her, because their time wasn't over yet. Life is kinda like an RPG game, the script is fixed, you can't change it, you can't outrun it, but you decide how you play your character inside that script you have, even though you don't know the script. And this "how you play your script" that’s what matters in life. And you'll survive everything until your script has reached its end, but like I said, no one knows when his or her script ends. And before I get anymore philosophical, I should go to sleep it’s 4:48 am and everytime I start to watch Buffy or Angel with you, I forget to stop. 😅🙈

[@Carabas72]

17:35 Did Willow kill a muppet and turn it into a top?

[@ritacarroll2057]

One thing I never understood is why they assumed she went to hell!!! For crying out loud she was a force for good and her last act was to sacrifice herself. Love watching your reactions. This was such an important show. For the first time a female was the hero.