I couldn't stop smiling to see Tara in the opening credits. It made me really happy I guess coz it's bugged me since series 5 that's she hasn't been yet. Be funny if they killed her off as soon as she gets to be in them. Well, no, it wouldn't be funny, Tara's my favourite character. Poor Willow

Didn't they put Buffys mum in the credits the week they bumped her off? Certainly wasn't expecting that ending 'cos I have sucessfully avoided all spoilers the season.

---

by Yally
I couldn't stop smiling to see Tara in the opening credits. It made me really happy I guess coz it's bugged me since series 5 that's she hasn't been yet. Be funny if they killed her off as soon as she gets to be in them.

---

That and the excessive smooching makes me think she *is* dead - but it'd be nice if I was wrong!

Oh

Okay Buffy and Tara getting shot was a big shock but did you see Willow's eyes at the end!!!

If I was Warren I'd be looking for a very big hole to hide in cos Willow looked mighty annoyed...Wicca powers are going to be flying next ep methinks. I doubt Buffy will die(twice in succesive series is a bit much) but I don't give much hope out for Tara..and Willow's reaction..if Tara was to die and Willow was to let her Wicca powers out I'm not sure if she would be able to maintain her morality. I can see Willow being the big bad next series!!

---

by White Hart
Even though I'd seen some spoilers for this that was just so shocking! Buffy can't be dead again, surely?

---

Buffy? Who cares about Buffy?!? Seriously, she was hit in the stomach, wasn't she (I saw this last weekend)? And accelerated healing - comes with the Slayer package.

But Tara! The only likeable character in the entire show since Giles left. And I know it was supposed to, what with the fake putting her in the credits and the random way she died, but it felt like a cheat, like they did it just so Willow can fall off the wagon.

Which I'm sure will make for an explosive last few episodes, but well, where do we go from here?

Oh, and not a single mention of the attempted rape scene. Did Sky cut it or something?

I started to think about huge rocket back packs not getting in the way and not getting damaged during a major fight and and a whole load of rock falling on it!

About Buffy flailing about on the bathroom floor instead of mopping the floor with Spike!

About how a bullet fired from ground level can hit Tara in the chest and splatter Willow with blood when the bullet would be headed upwards to the ceiling!

But then I stopped. Just sit back and enjoy!
This was a much better episode. Gave me a warm feeling like of old. I was empathising with the characters more - and I thought Dawn had a definite role for once and played it well.
Spike rides off into the ... Will he be back this series?
We had a shocking cliff hanger of an ending too!
Excellent!!

BTW I guess the Evil duo build things solid and it did lead to a huge laugh when the evil one who's not Warren or Jonathon (who's not really evil?) hit the roof!

Buffy had been physically hurt and was still in mental mess about Spike, the universe and everything!

What the hell do I know about ballistics!

Can't wait to see Willow in action (surely she can't avoid magic now!!).

---

by In a State of Dan
(quotes)
Oh, and not a single mention of the attempted rape scene. Did Sky cut it or something?

---

Sky cut this episode very badly, specifically:

1) Warren's snapping of the demon's neck after using the orbs for the first time
2) 10-15 seconds were chopped from the attempted-rape scene between Buffy and Spike - the unexpurgated version is more intense and quite disturbing
3) Spike's flashback to his attempted-rape, cut by a few seconds to reflect the cuts made earlier
4) In the final scene, when Warren's stray bullet goes through the upstairs window you should see blood spray over Willow (which prompts Tara's response 'your shirt') before cutting to Tara. This was removed.

The cuts took away a lot of the intensity and impact of the scenes, which a shame as this is fantastic episode in uncut form. For Sky viewers, I have put together a video of uncut versions of the scenes which were cut by Sky. I should probably warn you though that the uncut attempted-rape scene is considerably more disturbing than the version shown by Sky.

Video is here (providing URLs are permitted on these boards, I've never tried):

members.lycos.co.uk/genericspace/6x19cuts.rm

(Edited by TheFly 10/05/2002 00:37)

---

by In a State of Dan
Oh, and not a single mention of the attempted rape scene. Did Sky cut it or something?

---

I think they probably did, but I'm going to have to watch this again before I can comment sensibly on anything but the end as that pretty much overwhelmed the rest of the ep for me.

I thought the hole Xander was trying to cover was on Buffy's chest, but it could well have gone through her shoulder. I don't imagine she'll be dead again. Whereas Tara...

---

by Milky
did you see Willow's eyes at the end!!!

---

Totally! Of course her first flirtation with dark magic was when Tara got brainsucked by Glory. Warren not being a God, I give him about 5 minutes.

My response to Willow&Tara getting back together was the same as Dawn's,big yay!
Liked the buzzsaw scene.
LOL at Anya and Xander venting about each other.
Tara getting shot sucks.
Poor Willow.
A good episode.

Great ep , to be honest IMO one of the best so far.

Everyone has already mentioned all the things I was going to , but wanted to add .... the scene in the police station when (cant rember his name oops) said "do you think he will come back? I thought Warren loved ...."

The Fly I tried to see your clip but had a few problems , couldnt open it in windows media player or am I just being Blonde ... and its a big file guys so if your not on adsl it will take a while to download



(Edited by Sweet-Sange 10/05/2002 09:44)

Whoa!

I just saw this this morning, and suddenly the season's plotlines are all making sense. We've got another three episodes to go, Willow's about to go psycho, Buffy's out of action, and the Three Stooges plot is almost over.

I reckon the final three eps will be Willow and Warren (backed by whatever magical and electronic paraphernalia he has stashed away - and we've seen them grab quite a bit) going toe to toe. Leaving a seriously off the wagon Willow to deal with for next season? I am really looking forward to this.

This episode seeemd well-paced, advancing the various plots well, and providing some nasty shocks and a somewhat-expected twist at the end (you mean you didn't expect them to get back to Willow's little problem?). I love the way they've set it up that Willow has no real choice in how she reacts now - or rather she does, but none are good: she lets Tara go and tries to deal with it (can't see it happening somehow); she tries to bring Tara back with magic (not good); or goes on the magical rampage (presumably leaving Tara dead - also not good).

For me the last few episodes have been getting better and better. Admittedly, I'm one of the ones that didn't have a problem with the apparent lack of the direction of the series so far - "Trust in Joss, he will provide." It's been a series of individual stories admittedly: Willow's magic problem which seemed so easily dealt with; the apparent ineptness of the Geek Empire (now confirmed as two inept sidekicks and and a dangerously ept but out of his league Emperor) who were setting up the climax; Buffy's ongoing life problems; the marriage; Dawn's sense of estrangement. But they're starting to combine into a promising whole. I'm thinking it will be interesting to go back and watch this one from the beginning and see how it builds.

Sweet Sange, I've been aware that that guy's (what is his name anyway?) interest in following Warren was not exactly platonic since about half-way through the season, but it was nice to see it confirmed

The attempted rape scene was present, if cut back a bit. I think no-one mentioned it because of everything else that happened in this episode. I found it somewhat disturbing in the form we got it - although it confirmed all my suspicions about Spike...

Buffy was hit in the shoulder, just above the heart - I'm sure she'll live, but be in no state to stop Willow going on the rampage. I'm no medic, but isn't eyes open and rapid breathing a sign of shock?

Tara was shot through the heart as far as I can make out. I'm pretty sure she's a gonner

Not happy...

(Edited by Astronut 10/05/2002 10:31)

To be honest, while you might complain at the cuts, I completely agree with cut scene number 2. I would have been appalled had they shown it at that time becuase it is not appropiate for who might be watching it. Having seen the full thing myself, its really not pretty. However, I don't agree with the other cuts. First, Violence to demons is OK, and second Causlty deals with Bloody things all the time at a similar time slot. So I think that is appropiate to be shown then. But back to the positive things about the episode.

---

by Sweet-Sange
(cant rember his name oops)

---

His name is andrew. I thought it was quite funny. The highlight has to be when Andrew flies into the roof and knocks himself out.

Will Tara be back? Well, Amber Benson was contracted for 18 episodes this season, same as season 5, so I'm guessing yes.

The clip is Real media player format, so you need either real one player or some other recent version of real player for it, not WM player.

And as for the file size, set it going late at night at the weekend using a download manager and you should be alright. Seriously though, Broadband is the way to go. It saves you the pain of leaving your dialup going for 10 hours and then discovering its crashed halfway through, leaving you with nothing.

Thanks Tinnion I have real player so now the blonde can go do her stuff

Also have ADSL gotta love it

---

by TinnionA97
To be honest, while you might complain at the cuts, I completely agree with cut scene number 2. I would have been appalled had they shown it at that time becuase it is not appropiate for who might be watching it. Having seen the full thing myself, its really not pretty. However, I don't agree with the other cuts. First, Violence to demons is OK, and second Causlty deals with Bloody things all the time at a similar time slot. So I think that is appropiate to be shown then. But back to the positive things about the episode.

(quotes)

---

You have to remember that Sky One has an 8pm Watershed and not a 9pm Watershed like the terrestrial channels(ITV, BBC). Therefore the cuts shouldn't be made because of the age of the audience but because they felt the scenes were too disturbing to show.

I thought this was a brilliant and shocking episode.
I found the attempted rape scene disturbing and upsetting enough and have no desire to see the uncut version! I'm just saddened with Spike - i was somehow clinging to the belief that he was on some sort of path to regaining a soul, or at least some semblance of humanity. Oh well, I guess evil will out.

And, thanks to Sky's generously-free magazine, I knew Tara was going to "come a cropper".Grrrr

I don't think the uncut version was all that different. It lasted a bit longer and Spike said a bit more, but the overall feel of it was the same.

I was disturbed by the Spike buffy bit..

dawn was very funny when she found out about tara and Will being abck together..mean of them to kill tara off though.

I thought Andrew was kind of funny in the police station..."I though he really loved...hanging out wiht us" and "I thought we'd be together." I might be unobservant but i really didn't think he thought of waren like that. Big Yey for Jonathan finally helping Buff instead of the other dorks. He's sweet really.

I liked the Xander/Buffy bonding..they really needed it...Yikes at her getting shot though.

I loved it, it was self-contained, save the end.

Once again, Alyson Hannigan soars to new heights, her few lines of "baby, Tara, no" (or along those lines), were so moving. If Tara is dead I will really miss her, she was so good an actress and naturally beautiful, but if she's gone, more Willow moments of pain, which Alyson Hannigan does so well.

Plus, from the red in her eyes, I wouldn't want to be Warren any time soon.

****
FOUR STARS