Writing Buffy in Season Six

One of the most interesting things about Buffy's character is how often and drastically she changes. As a result of her circumstances, Buffy morphs more often and more completely than any other character in the fandom. This makes her especially interesting to write; during different time spans she is so unlike her character otherwhen she's almost like another character. Therefore, we have written this essay with particular attention to the turning points in Buffy's life. The things that change her, and how they do.

Living Dead Girl

When Buffy is risen, she is drastically changed. First, she is torn from Heaven, somewhere that she was warm and happy, to find herself entombed in the Earth: captured, alone. It's dark and cold and confined, and she goes from perfect happiness to being buried alive. She digs herself out of her own grave to find herself alone, the world in shambles. All these things pile higher and higher until she is desperate, spread thin, alone and running. Buffy is broken, and she doesn't necessarily want to be fixed.

Living Life

Going back to normal life is very difficult. Not only is Buffy scared, hurt, and resentful, she also has to keep these things to herself so that her friends don't know that they made a tremendous mistake in bringing her back. She is alone: completely and utterly. She hides. Even her actual interactions with other characters are false. She puts on an act -- think "Anne," but less convincing -- but not a very good one. So she's alone. With herself, with her thoughts. Alone. And what she does during this time is digging herself a deeper hole. She doesn't deal; she simmers, and the simmering makes it harder and harder for her to be normal. For her to live again.

Once More, With Feeling

The dam breaks during "Once More, With Feeling." Buffy is unable to hide from anyone anymore, and lets everything she's been hiding out in the open. She's not right. She's broken inside. She's been in Hell, because her friends screwed up and yanked her out of a perfect post mortem. When you write Buffy during "Once More, With Feeling," remember that although she's been hiding these things for a long time and is now forced to let them out, she isn't completely upset by this. Somewhere, she's glad that she doesn't have to hide anymore.

Smashed. Wrecked. Gone.

Just because everything's out in the open doesn't mean that she wants to deal with it. Despite the fact that all her secrets are out, Buffy doesn't deal after "Once More, With Feeling." As soon as she's out of everyone's sight, she goes back to hiding some more. And how does she hide? Inside of Spike. Buffy's interactions with Spike are a complete and total diversion. She doesn't want to deal, she just wants to feel something that isn't cold and awkward and about her.

Spike

Buffy's S6 interactions with Spike become more than a diversion. They become an addiction. She doesn't want to deal, she doesn't want to go back to real life now that she's found something so easy to keep her mind off of Heaven. Somewhere, she knows that she hates what she's doing, but that doesn't mean that she will stop, or even that she wants to. She doesn't love Spike, and admits that most of the time she doesn't even like him, but she does need him. Don't dismiss this as a crush. It isn't a crush. There's nothing, in fact, romantic about it. This is Faith's version of sex: just skin. Or even less than that. The relationship with Spike revolves around pain of both the corporal and emotional kind. It's just about feeling something. It's not love. It's not personal. It's just business.

(Read More about Spike in Buffy/Spike)

Doublemeat Palace

Just because she's been through Heaven and Hell doesn't mean she's not an adult anymore. One thing she can't hide from is bills and the responsibility she has to her family; she has to get a job to take care of the utilities, the house, Dawn. The job at Doublemeat Palace is a horrendous experience for Buffy. She's not supposed to be flipping burgers; she's the Chosen One, for Christ's sake. But she does it. She hates it, it's humiliating and horrible for her, but she takes care of her family and her grown up responsibilities.

When writing Buffy in this time period, remember that she's still hiding, and that she's still miserable inside, but that she is trying to get back into the swing of things. A little effort.

Older and Far Away

Despite her track record with birthdays, Buffy tries again to get back into living by having a birthday party. It doesn't go well, as Buffy is reminded that her life is ruled by magic and demons and her duty as parent to Dawn. This is a whole new set of problems to deal with, and it sets her back a peg. She's starting to get desperate again.

As You Were

"As You Were" provides an awesome turn of events. Several. A lot. Riley's return into her life gives Buffy a little glimmer of hope. Riley's back; she can be that girl again. She remembers how to be that girl; she could do that. Unfortunately, he shows up with a wife, and this both ruins her scenario and gives her a peek into the girl she could have been. At first, it's devistating. Here she is, smelling like the Doublemeat Palace and dead inside. Broken. And here's what she could have been: smiling, smart, brave, useful, beloved. It hurts. It hurts a lot, and she gets desperate. She goes back to Spike, needing him like Novocain to make her forget all about that other girl she used to be. Then she's caught again by Riley, which is humiliating once again. But it does provide her with the wake up call she needs to brush Spike off and get on with her life. Buffy does a good spin in this episode, but she isn't magically all better in one twenty four hour period. She's made headway, but there's still a lot of work ahead of her before she's good again.

Normal Again

After "Normal Again," Buffy comes back to her senses and regains herself. She's poisoned, almost raped, shot, and beaten half to death by her best friend, but she comes out of the ordeal -- and all the other hardships that have been following her around -- as herself again. Brave. Good. Strong.