[1] After the gang struggle with using the Buffybot to patrol for vampires over the summer, Willow resurrects Buffy with a powerful spell.

Warren is shown to be the only competent villain of the group, and his capacity for evil is demonstrated by the attempted rape of his ex-girlfriend, which leads to her death.

Giles returns to help face Willow in battle and infuses her with light magic, tapping into her remaining humanity.

At the climax of the season, Xander prevents Willow from destroying the world by reminding her of their friendship and telling her that he loves her no matter what, the same way Tara did.

The audience is led to believe that he was referring to the freedom to be evil (unrestrained by his punishment chip) and thus able to kill Buffy; however, after passing a series of tests, Spike is rewarded with the restoration of his soul.

Series creator Joss Whedon served as executive producer, but his role was diminished as he took a hiatus to write the musical episode, and later Fox ordered a new pilot from him, Firefly.

David Fury was promoted to co-executive producer and wrote four episodes, directing one of them, as well as writing the season finale.

At the time, WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin stated "There will be no crossovers between Angel and Buffy.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters, and Emma Caulfield were nominated for Satellite Awards for their performances.

The website's critics consensus states, "Buffy gets an A for effort, but a bleaker tone and some jarring plot twists make this penultimate season a series low.

It was well-received by both the media and critics, gaining praise during its original broadcast, overseas syndication, and in retrospective discussions about the series.

Critics thought that the episode worked beautifully, exhibited graceful pacing, and was clever and affecting, praising its songs and performances.

The episode was described as both a parody and homage to the musical genre, with some critics lauding its depth and storytelling and placing it among the best in television.

Robinson praised the introduction of the Evil Trio, the much-maligned "Big Bad" villains for season 6, as presaging the later trend of "entitled, misogynistic rhetoric that rose to the surface during the Gamergate culture wars of 2014, and has seemingly infiltrated everything since—the 2016 presidential election included."

She concluded, positively, that "It may lack some of the trademark zip of the show in its prime, and critics of the Dark Willow storyline, in particular, are not wrong in their concerns.

But with the luxury of historical context, Season 6 of Buffy carries more powerful resonance than any other moment in the show's history.

She elaborated that "We pushed into some categories that almost felt sadistic and that Buffy was volunteering for things that were beyond just “bad choices” and were almost irresponsible for the character.

My argument was that, when we become young women, especially if we're troubled or haunted by something, that can lead us to make some bad choices, especially in the area of romance.

Other featurettes include, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Panel Discussion with cast and crew members; "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Television with a Bite", a 43-minute A&E Network documentary from their Biography series[51] that details its popularity and critical reception with interviews with cast and crew members; and "Life is the Big Bad – Season Six Overview", a 30-minute featurette where cast and crew members discuss the season.