Sarah Michelle Geller reveals her least favourite season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
By Will Stroude
Choosing between our favourite season of Buffy would be like choosing between our own children, but that’s exactly what show star Sarah Michelle Geller has done as part of the show’s 20th anniversary celebrations in Entertainment Weekly, which saw the entire cast reunite for a life-giving, graveyard-set shoot and interview.
The actress revealed that her least favourite season of the era-defining drama was its sixth, which aired from 2001-2002 and marked the first without series creator Joss Whedon as showrunner, who was replaced by Marti Noxon while remaining as an executive producer.
The season, which saw Buffy take on a darker tone as storylines including Buffy’s resurrection, abusive relationship with Spike (James Marsters) and Willow’s magic addiction came to the fore, has long proved divisive among fans, though it did provide series highlights including classic musical episode ‘Once More With Feeling’.
For Geller, it was changes to Buffy’s character and the actresses lack of contact with Whedon throughout filming that meant she didn’t love the season quite as much as others.
“I’ve always said that season 6 was not my favourite. I felt it betrayed who she was,” the Geller explained. “Even just getting to talk to Joss and be able to get his opinion was not as easy when he’s not upstairs.”
The 39-year-old continued: “He had three shows. He had Angel and Firefly so that was hard. But he made sure to dedicate the time to season 7 and that was his promise to me: that we would right all the wrongs and he kept that promise.”
Whedon himself takes a different viwer to his former leading lady, however.
“I love season 6. Marti and I wanted to talk about an unhealthy relationship. It was borderline abusive until it actually became abusive,” he explained.
“It was on both sides. It wasn’t just that she was with someone dark – she found the darkness within herself. This has to do with the consequences of power.”
As for us? We could never choose between Buffy seasons – although we’re quite happy to choose between it’s greatest hunks, now we mention it.
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