Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Seeing Red

Seeing Red
Season 6, Episode 19
Airdate	May 7, 2002
Production Number	6ABB19
Written by	Steven S. DeKnight
Directed by	Michael Gershman
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season Six

Seeing Red is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the one-hundred and nineteenth episode overall.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), James Marsters (Spike)

and Alyson Hannigan (Willow)

Guest Starring: Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson), Adam Busch (Warren Meers), Tom Lenk (Andrew Wells), Amy Hathaway (Christine), Nichole Hiltz (Diana)

Co-Starring: James C. Leary (Clem), Garrett Brawith (Frank), Tim Hager (Administrator), Stefan Marks (Guard #1), Christopher James (Guard #2), Kate Orsini (Girl at Bronze)

Uncredited: Troy Brenna (Nezzla Demon)

Plot Overview

While Willow and Tara have reunited, Buffy's friendship with Xander is endangered following the revelation of her sexual relationship with Spike. In the aftermath of the heartache caused from his tryst with Anya, Spike is dead set to prove he truly loves Buffy, bringing him to carry out an unthinkable act.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• There was no monster of the week as this episode dealt entirely with the Trio.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Nezzla Demon	The Trio	Skinned	Offscreen (Cave)
2	Nezzla Demon	Warren	Snapped Neck	Cave
3	Tara	Warren	Shot	Willow's Bedroom

Music

• Azure Ray - "Displaced"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Making With The Love: Willow is the last one to find out about Buffy and Spike's love affair. Whatever shred of a relationship was there is ended after Spike's attempted rape.

• The Trio's Plans: Warren has empowered himself with nearly infinite strength and invulnerability and they begin their plans to rob various banks and vaults. The trio, however, is reduced to a singularity when Jonathan and Andrew are taken in by the police.

Characters

• Spike: Spike leaves town after his attempted rape of Buffy.
• Tara: Tara is fatally shot when Warren comes back intending on killing Buffy, but accidentally shoots one bullet wildly at the direct of the house.

Referbacks

• Lover's Walk: Clem echos a phrase Spike said to Angel and Buffy in the third season. That line was "Love's a funny thing."

Trivia

The Show

• Chronology: According to information revealed in later episodes, the end of this episode and the events of the season finale episodes occur between May 7th and May 8th, 2002.

• Music: The music playing when Xander is walking down the street is "Displaced" by Azure Ray.

Behind the Scenes

• Credits Change-Up: After being a guest star for 45 episodes, Amber Benson is finally added to the opening credits. Incidentally, she dies in the episode.

• Changing Teams: This is the last episode of Buffy written by Steven S. DeKnight before he switched over to writing for Angel.

• Filming Location: Part of this episode was filmed at Six Flags theme park in California.

• Deleted Scenes: Several scenes of this episode were cut from the airing in the United Kingdom for its early evening showing including: Buffy falling and hitting her back on the shower during the attempted rape, blood being splattered on Willow's shirt and Warren snapping the demon's neck. These scenes were altered so that only the sound effect was heard. The uncut version was shown the following night after midnight.

Allusions and References

• H.R. Pufnstuf: H.R. Pufnstuf was a television show meant for children created by Sid and Marty Krofft. The series revolved around a community led by a dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf and a child who stumbled into the world. The series originally aired between 1969 and 1970, but was shown for a full three seasons due to its popularity.

Andrew: Not so tough, are you now, Pufnstuf?

• Blade Runner: Blade Runner is a film directed by Ridley Scott starring Harrison Ford in a dystiopic future. In the film, Ford hunts down a group of replicants (androids) loose on Earth who, as a result of a mutiny on an off-world colony, are banned from the Los Angeles area. Skinjob is a derogatory term use for replicants used in the movie.

Andrew: Make me, skin job!

• Star Trek: Andrew refers to two characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Captain Jean Luc Picard was the captain of the Enterprise. He led the crew in their exploits and was the man in charge. Deanna Troi, however, was the counselor for the ship. Andrew calls Jonathan a Betazoid because that was Troi's race.

Andrew: Warren's the boss. He's Picard, you're Deanna Troi. Get used to the feeling, Betazoid.

• Knight Rider: Knight Rider was a television show airing between 1982 and 1986 about a man who fights crime with a high-tech car named K.I.T.T. David Hasselhoff starred as Michael Knight, a man who was betrayed and pronounced dead to the world before being saved by the Knight Foundation to solve the crimes that the normal police can't.

Clem: I was just in the neighborhood so I thought, you know... there's a Knight Rider marathon on the TV...

• Uno: Uno is a card game designed for multiple players. The object of the game is to lose off of the cards and shout "Uno!" The players then have one more turn to attempt to force the player into drawing more cards before the player can lose their last card. The game has been sold in various forms like Uno Attack and Harry Potter Uno.

Xander: The sinister, yet addictive card game?

Memorable Moments

• Warren coming back with a gun and shooting Buffy and Tara.

Goofs

• The book Tara picks up is cut in half, but it looks perfectly intact before she picks it up and when in Buffy's hand at the end of the teaser.

• The armoured truck robbery is set at night, but it's visibly lighter in the wide shots of Warren tipping it over.

• Jonathan is surprised by Warren and Andrew wearing jet packs, despite how absurdly visible they are under their jackets.

Quotes

• Buffy: (about Spike) You fought side-by-side with him when I was gone. You let him take care of Dawn.

Xander: But I never forgot what he really is. God, what were you thinking?

Buffy: You're asking me that? Oh, 'cause your decision making skills have really sparkled lately.

Xander: I'm not saying I didn't make any mistakes. But last time I checked, slaughtering half of Europe wasn't one of them. He doesn't have a soul, Buffy; just some leash they jammed in his head. You think he'd still be all snuggles if that chip ever stopped working? Would you still trust him with Dawn then?

• Warren: Don't worry, babies. Daddy gonna give you some, too.

Xander: See now, I think it's the "daddy" thing that's throwing her. 'Cause incest? Not that sexy.

• Warren: No wonder she's screwin' a dead guy. You hit like a girl.

Xander: Well, at least I know how to get one.

• Warren: Say goodnight, bitch.

Buffy: (smashes his power orbs) Goodnight, bitch.

• Warren: (to Buffy) You think you could just do that to me? You think I'd let you get away with that? Think again.

(Warren fires the gun, one of the bullets flies through the window, hitting Tara in the back, spraying Willow with blood)

Tara: Your shirt.