Buffy The Vampire Slayer 6x13 | Dead Things
Added 2025-09-23 16:56:48 +0000 UTCMy reaction to Buffy Season 6 Episode 13 "Dead Things".
Comments
Hypersexuality is an extremely common response to trauma, especially complex trauma—which is ongoing chronic trauma especially during developmental years, which clearly has been Buffy’s life. Spike is willing and available, and sex allows for a stream of sensations that is not numbness and trauma (in the moment, anyway). Poor Buffy internalizing so much shame, projecting her disgust with herself onto Spike during that beating, and feeling so confused—when she’s reacting in ways that are actually very common in the immediate aftermath of extreme and chronic trauma. This is all context missing about the disgusting conversations that happen around sexual “body count” these days—a period of hypersexuality as a trauma response has nothing to do with a person’s morals or relationships later on if they also go through the process of healing. It’s common to set aside that coping mechanism through therapy and other reparative relationships. As someone with Complex PTSD, it’s great to see this struggle represented—and most importantly, to see Tara’s nonjudgmental holding of space for Buffy. This is peak Tara, along with when she did the same in the hospital for Buffy after Joyce’s death.
Amanda Grace
2025-12-27 21:15:52 +0000 UTCIf there’s one thing Sarah’s gonna do! She’s gonna cry the hell out of a scene!
George Alexander
2025-09-25 11:57:16 +0000 UTCA great episode. Buffy never gives herself grace. She got a new sister that is family, her mom died, she had to take care of herself & sister, she died & was pulled out of Heaven, and on top of all that, she has slayer responsibilities. Ma'am normal people fuck people they shouldn't w/o all that stress. Also, Spike isn't exactly the big bad, anymore. Vampires in this world w/o souls tend to hyper-fixate on things (they either become an amplified version of themselves w/o conscience or the dark things that were buried beneath) and Spike from life, through death has been fixated on love. Eventually, somehow he did fall for her to the extent he can and has pretty much become good. Even when she was gone, he was still doing good to honor the love he had for her. The issue is, is that he loves her and wants her to say the same b/c she feels something for him & he doesn't have the conscience to tell him not every avenue is the right way. Like the speech in the Bronze. But that last part hurt my heart for Buffy.
Kai d'T
2025-09-24 18:28:12 +0000 UTCTwice in this episode we see that Buffy and Spike can feel each other's presence. Once when Buffy is outside Spike's crypt, and another when she can sense his presence in The Bronze. They are almost in the exact same spot when in episode 1X01, Giles says you should be able to sense vampires even through this din. So much has changed. Another time is in 5x05 when Buffy can sense Spike hiding behind the tree in front of her house. She says "What are you doing here. In five words or less." And he says, "Out for a walk Bitch." Probably his best line of the entire series. lol
Bud Haven
2025-09-24 02:18:51 +0000 UTCI love that you picked up on the subtext of Tara and Willow's conversation being about the two of them as much as Buffy. I think you're first reactor I've seen to have noticed that. This episode is where Warren is revealed to basically be a Psychopath, and I do love how that completely pulls the rug out from under the idea that the Trio are just a bunch of silly nerds. Look at the different responses after Katrina shouts, "It's rape!". Jonathon and Andrew look genuinely horrified at the idea; they really had been caught up in fantasy super villain territory that they hadn't even stopped to realise what they were actually doing until someone yelled it in their faces. Meanwhile Warren's just kinda lurking behind Katrina with a creepy smile on his face, and then goes ahead and kills her when she tries to get away. He knew exactly what he was doing, start to finish. And the fact that Warren is still human, with a soul, makes him arguably one of the vilest bad guys we've seen on the show.
Claire Eyles
2025-09-23 23:44:47 +0000 UTCI feel so dense for never connecting the fact that Willow meant she missed Tara and vice versa while out loud & on the surface they were supposedly discussing Buffy. It seems so obvious now that you pointed it out, but to be fair this is an episode I skip on rewatches because Katrina’s death and Spike getting beaten up by Buffy is just too dark, the vibe is so bleak.
honeybumble1012
2025-09-23 19:49:57 +0000 UTCI love it lol
Chance's House Of Horror
2025-09-23 18:06:40 +0000 UTCMan this show is just perfection, in an episode that gets so dark and so raw we still have little gems like Anya’s “you are looking a little pounded” 🤣🤣🤣
Aurro Eronaile
2025-09-23 17:38:02 +0000 UTC
