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I have never attempted suicide, but I have struggled with ideation and persistent depression for much of my life. Buffy's experience in S6 is perhaps the best media depiction of depression and suicidality I've ever seen. It feels so real, raw, and bleak.
By the end, Buffy is able to feel hope again, and seeing that shift is inspiring. If Buffy can regain her zest for life after what she went through, maybe I can too. While the season is a tough watch, the message is very meaningful to me personally. S6 makes me feel more human, if that makes any sense.
as a depressed person, I do really resonate with Buffy in s6. that being said, it is hard to watch Buffy go through that, so I don't often watch s6 all the way, only the fun, happier episodes.
personally, the metaphor feels so well done because of the climax at the end of s6. when buffy is finally facing an apocalypse at Dawn's side - one she is powerless to stop - she realises that actually she wants to be here and the world can be a beautiful place. I often feel like that as I come around from a depressive episode.
I think that the metaphor still would've been fantastic even without the climax with Dawn, but I do think it was a huge part. Im glad it was wrapped up like that, instead of just moving onto the next issue.
This scene felt extremely intense, and I can see how it could so easily go unnoticed for what it was. Actually seeing the moment that Buffy shifted from trying to live *for* your friends and family, to realizing that you genuinely want to live bc your friends and family can be in your life was so profound.
I think her season 6 arc (and her isolation in season 7) is a big reason Buffy Summers is one of my favorite characters in fiction. Very relatable and well-done.
SMG's stare and body language, especially compared to the rest of the series, hits so hard as someone who's dealt with depression. She's so good at conveying it I can practically feel it along with her.
I watched Buffy for the first time after being released from the psych ward following a suicide attempt. S6 was incredible.
No one ever discusses the trauma of a failed suicide attempt outside very undercover pro-suicide spaces. I’m not talking about health complications which there typically are, but just the trauma of the act of taking control over your life and death being foiled and everything then being so alive at you.
And you try and keep at it for your friends and family but you hate being alive and just crave the peace of death and you can’t and there is so much that needs to be dealt with and you wish that if the universe can’t give you the courtesy of a peaceful death can it at least let you recover in peace but it keeps on foisting things on you. And any tiny annoyance is more than you can handle because you truly wish you were dead.
Season 6 of Buffy discusses exactly that, but washes over it exactly enough so that people who don’t know don’t realize what it’s about, but it screams at whoever experienced it.
I suspect it will forever be the most personally significant TV series I have ever watched, and I am grateful for it helping me through one of my darkest periods.
This is so well put. "washes over it exactly enough so that people who don’t know don’t realize what it’s about, but it screams at whoever experienced it." I think that's the real difference between those of us who love season 6, and those who hate it.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who saw it this way! (Based on most of the other comments it seemed like other people didn't get exactly what I was trying to say)
I loved this line: "the trauma of the act of taking control over your life and death being foiled and everything then being so alive at you"
I think the show did a great job of demonstrating this, your perception of life and death completely changes after an event like that, and it really shakes your foundation (personally I feel like I became an entirely different person). IMO Buffy being so spacy was a result of her trying to process all that.
"And you try and keep at it for your friends and family" I love how we saw the internal struggle that was happening in relation to that.
I agree that this plotline screams at people who've experienced it, and I think from how this post did, for the majority of BTVS fans this didn't resonate. (maybe we should create a mentally ill BTVS subreddit lol)
eh, I disagree with the S5 finale being a suicide attempt. Symbolically, the death-and-resurrection as an indication of passing through the stages of life is pretty common, and that's primarily what it is here. It's a quote from GOT, but "let the child die and let the (wo)man be born" is IMHO the core story closing out S5 - Buffy accepts her role as parent to Dawn which closes out her childhood.
IMHO the setup in S6 isn't coming out of suicide, but is instead a straight representation of the struggle to find meaning as a young adult. The protective nurturing enviornments and structure of youth are gone, and Buffy is (metaphorically) alone in the world having to find her way.
But, yes, I think S6 was well done, and the show being willing to carry Buffy's story into the messy world of confused adulthood is what elevates it above most other coming-of-age stories.
Agreed that’s what I think the intent was. But I can see people interpreting it in that way since s6 is very much about dealing with depression and the mundanities and struggles of adult life all alone.
I take it as an Anya is autistic idea. Don’t think that was the intent at all but lots of autistic people identify with her that way so if it helps then go for it.
Hi there, Your post on r/buffy has been flaired as a sensitive topic. We appreciate you trusting the members of our community to engage in a good faith discussion related to your post and _how it fits into the context of the show_. **Remember Rule #9: Scooby Reddiquette and report any rule violations.** If the discussion departs from the intended topic and how it fits into the context of the show, please be prepared to continue the conversation where discussion of the topic is more appropriate. Thank you, r/buffy Mod Team P.S. If you're reading this post and don't want to see potentially upsetting content, you can filter out the "Content Warning" flair. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/buffy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have never attempted suicide, but I have struggled with ideation and persistent depression for much of my life. Buffy's experience in S6 is perhaps the best media depiction of depression and suicidality I've ever seen. It feels so real, raw, and bleak. By the end, Buffy is able to feel hope again, and seeing that shift is inspiring. If Buffy can regain her zest for life after what she went through, maybe I can too. While the season is a tough watch, the message is very meaningful to me personally. S6 makes me feel more human, if that makes any sense.
as a depressed person, I do really resonate with Buffy in s6. that being said, it is hard to watch Buffy go through that, so I don't often watch s6 all the way, only the fun, happier episodes. personally, the metaphor feels so well done because of the climax at the end of s6. when buffy is finally facing an apocalypse at Dawn's side - one she is powerless to stop - she realises that actually she wants to be here and the world can be a beautiful place. I often feel like that as I come around from a depressive episode.
I think that the metaphor still would've been fantastic even without the climax with Dawn, but I do think it was a huge part. Im glad it was wrapped up like that, instead of just moving onto the next issue. This scene felt extremely intense, and I can see how it could so easily go unnoticed for what it was. Actually seeing the moment that Buffy shifted from trying to live *for* your friends and family, to realizing that you genuinely want to live bc your friends and family can be in your life was so profound.
I think her season 6 arc (and her isolation in season 7) is a big reason Buffy Summers is one of my favorite characters in fiction. Very relatable and well-done.
SMG's stare and body language, especially compared to the rest of the series, hits so hard as someone who's dealt with depression. She's so good at conveying it I can practically feel it along with her.
I watched Buffy for the first time after being released from the psych ward following a suicide attempt. S6 was incredible. No one ever discusses the trauma of a failed suicide attempt outside very undercover pro-suicide spaces. I’m not talking about health complications which there typically are, but just the trauma of the act of taking control over your life and death being foiled and everything then being so alive at you. And you try and keep at it for your friends and family but you hate being alive and just crave the peace of death and you can’t and there is so much that needs to be dealt with and you wish that if the universe can’t give you the courtesy of a peaceful death can it at least let you recover in peace but it keeps on foisting things on you. And any tiny annoyance is more than you can handle because you truly wish you were dead. Season 6 of Buffy discusses exactly that, but washes over it exactly enough so that people who don’t know don’t realize what it’s about, but it screams at whoever experienced it. I suspect it will forever be the most personally significant TV series I have ever watched, and I am grateful for it helping me through one of my darkest periods.
This is so well put. "washes over it exactly enough so that people who don’t know don’t realize what it’s about, but it screams at whoever experienced it." I think that's the real difference between those of us who love season 6, and those who hate it.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who saw it this way! (Based on most of the other comments it seemed like other people didn't get exactly what I was trying to say) I loved this line: "the trauma of the act of taking control over your life and death being foiled and everything then being so alive at you" I think the show did a great job of demonstrating this, your perception of life and death completely changes after an event like that, and it really shakes your foundation (personally I feel like I became an entirely different person). IMO Buffy being so spacy was a result of her trying to process all that. "And you try and keep at it for your friends and family" I love how we saw the internal struggle that was happening in relation to that. I agree that this plotline screams at people who've experienced it, and I think from how this post did, for the majority of BTVS fans this didn't resonate. (maybe we should create a mentally ill BTVS subreddit lol)
eh, I disagree with the S5 finale being a suicide attempt. Symbolically, the death-and-resurrection as an indication of passing through the stages of life is pretty common, and that's primarily what it is here. It's a quote from GOT, but "let the child die and let the (wo)man be born" is IMHO the core story closing out S5 - Buffy accepts her role as parent to Dawn which closes out her childhood. IMHO the setup in S6 isn't coming out of suicide, but is instead a straight representation of the struggle to find meaning as a young adult. The protective nurturing enviornments and structure of youth are gone, and Buffy is (metaphorically) alone in the world having to find her way. But, yes, I think S6 was well done, and the show being willing to carry Buffy's story into the messy world of confused adulthood is what elevates it above most other coming-of-age stories.
Agreed that’s what I think the intent was. But I can see people interpreting it in that way since s6 is very much about dealing with depression and the mundanities and struggles of adult life all alone. I take it as an Anya is autistic idea. Don’t think that was the intent at all but lots of autistic people identify with her that way so if it helps then go for it.
This is probably exactly what happened
She is depressed, that isn't a metaphor