Buffy: Bargaining Part 1 (6.1)

Never has the phrase "putting the pieces back together" felt more appropriate. This was a season premiere that appropriately felt different, not only because of Buffy's absence, but because everybody feels a lot more somber and frustrated. It's a risky strategy. This was Buffy's first episode to air on UPN, and had the challenge of luring in new viewers as well as following up the show's most arresting cliffhanger in its history: Buffy's sacrificial demise. Bargaining Part 1 works well on a variety of levels, but it's the characterization that feels most affecting and sets the tone for what is undoubtedly the series' most polarizing season.

While Sarah Michelle Gellar is on-screen for a lot of the episode, the show does a wonderful job of putting across a world without Buffy. The use of the Buffybot, in particular, creates some powerful imagery. It makes sense to keep up the pretense that Buffy is alive, but it's still pretty horrible for the Scoobies themselves. Buffy's gone, yet this mechanical replica is walking around with her face. Is there any image more saddening than the moment when Dawn crawls into bed with the robot, holding her tight while the Buffybot recharges and stares blankly into nothingness?

Willow experiences the most radical change following Buffy's death. She's become group leader, and exhibits a huge increase in power. She has honed her ability to telepathically communicate with others, and has no problem with killing animals and connecting with terrifying magic in order to bring Buffy back. It's also interesting that she's almost convinced herself that Buffy is in a terrible hell dimension, presumably to justify why she's messing with forces far beyond her control.

Spike has some great moments, too, notably his protective guidance of Dawn. He made a promise to Buffy to keep her safe, and also experiences the added baggage of feeling responsible for her death in the first place. If he had somehow killed Doc then the bleeding wouldn't have started and the dimensions would have remained intact. Similar 'baggage' occurs within Giles, who's still hanging around with little direction or purpose anymore. His slayer is gone, yet he still trains the Buffybot. It's grief, expressed in a really absorbing way. I'm not sure writing Giles out was a particularly great idea (I also don't believe he'd leave Dawn so soon after the deaths of both her mom and her sister), but the writers hadn't exactly given Anthony Stewart Head a whole lot to work with of late.

Bargaining Part 1 successfully assembles all the pieces that will drive this season. It already feels 'off' and disorienting, as well as visually darker and more brooding, and I'm excited to see where things will go. I've had my opinions of certain things change during this re-watch, and it'll be interesting to see if that occurs with a season that's so maligned... B+

Credits
Guest stars Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles); Franc Ross (Razor); Amber Benson (Tara Maclay)
Writer Marti Noxon Director David Grossman