Buffy the Vampire Slayer Star Reflects on Controversial Episode Sending Them to Therapy

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Star Reflects on Controversial Episode Sending Them to Therapy

As a devoted fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I have to say that the sixth season episode “Seeing Red” remains one of the most challenging and thought-provoking installments for me, even two decades after its initial airing. The controversial scene between Spike and Buffy, though necessary for the narrative arc and character development, was undeniably distressing and unsettling, not just for viewers, but also for the actors involved.


The sixth season episode titled “Seeing Red” from the series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” considered one of the most contentious episodes, still stirs strong emotions among fans nearly 21 years after its initial airing in May 2002. Interestingly, this episode had a profound effect on one of the show’s main actors as well. James Marsters, who portrayed Spike, discussed this impactful scene during an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, “Inside of You.” He disclosed that the troubling scene involving Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character Buffy actually prompted him to seek therapy and marked the most difficult day in his professional career

“Marsters stated through Deadline that Buffy effectively pushed me into therapy,” he said. “Buffy shattered me. The scene is troubling for many fans of the show, and it was the most difficult day of my career.”

The situation at hand involves Spike making an unwanted advance towards Buffy, who were once lovers, as he tries to make her acknowledge lingering feelings. However, Buffy manages to push him away and shove him into a wall. Despite this, the scene remains challenging due to its content. Joss Whedon, the creator, later clarified that the disturbing sexual assault scene stemmed from a creative instruction for the writers to dramatize their worst day, inspired by a female writer’s personal experience on the show

The authors are known for their worst behaviors on the days they don’t speak, their dark secrets are revealed, the ones that keep them up at night, when they really hurt someone or make a big mistake of some kind — and then slap metaphorically speaking for them. This phrase is often used to describe someone who has been particularly troublesome or harmful in their actions. In other words, this saying implies that these individuals have done something regrettable or unforgivable, and it serves as a reminder of their poor character

He went on, detailing how the storyline was inspired by a real-life event of a writer, “Once, she had been dumped and went to her ex’s home, believing that one last time together could mend things. She tried to persuade him, but he had to forcibly eject her from the property. This incident was particularly distressing during that period of her life. [The writers] believed they could invert the genders since Buffy, being a superhero, could effortlessly fend off such situations. They reasoned that if a man were to harm a woman in this way, it would still carry the same weight, I suppose.”

Marster expressed early on that he disagreed with the scriptwriters and had reservations about how audiences might respond to the scene. However, due to contractual obligations, he found himself in a situation where he could not dissent – it was his own personal torment

He expressed that filming the particular scene was unbearable and he felt like he was going through a personal nightmare himself. He clarified that he dislikes scenes involving sexual predation, and he never auditions for such roles. If a movie contains such content, he avoids watching it. If it appears on TV, he has to switch it off to prevent damaging the television. He has a strong emotional response to such material

Gellar herself has previously stated that when she watches Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, she found it inappropriate and didn’t want to watch it again

Will There Be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot?

As a devoted fan, I’ve been eagerly following the buzz around the potential revival of my beloved show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” There have been whispers about it for quite some time, with a reboot even announced in 2018. However, things never seemed to take off. Recently, though, country music icon Dolly Parton, who was part of the original series’ production team, spilled some exciting news: work on a brand new installment is still underway!

At the given moment, she mentioned they were continuing their work on it. She hinted at the possibility of reintroducing it with some updates or enhancements

A Buffy Pop-Up is Coming to Chicago

While Buffy fans may still be waiting for the reboot, they can celebrate the series with an upcoming pop-up experience in Chicago. Media brand Bucket Listers are gearing up for Halloween by creating a unique, all-encompassing evening event combining elements of a cocktail bar, restaurant, training ground, and haunted house. The event will take place on Saturday, October 26th

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2024-09-06 01:59