This story contains mentions of sexual assault.

James Marsters, who played Spike in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, says there was one episode he filmed for the series that still haunts him to this day. Buffy fans will not be surprised to learn the episode in question is season 6, episode 19 “Seeing Red.” In the controversial episode, Spike forces himself on Buffy after trying to convince her of her feelings for him.

In the scene, Buffy draws herself a bath to soothe her injuries following her earlier patrol. Spike shows up and attempts to apologize for sleeping with Anya, telling her he cares about her, and then tries to convince her that she loves him. She reciprocates those feelings for him but doesn’t love him because she can’t trust him. Spike retorts that great love is often dangerous, but Buffy says that kind of love never lasts. Then, he attempts to sexually assault her, but Buffy manages to kick him away. Stunned, Spike spits out an apology, but Buffy says he only stopped because she made him.

In a recent interview on the Inside of You podcast, Marsters spoke about the infamous scene, noting filming it “crushed” him and caused him to seek out therapy. The actor also stated that filming it was the “darkest professional day of my life.” Marsters added that he generally avoids media involving sexual assault, but because he was contracted to act in the scene, he felt he couldn’t say no. Additionally, he felt pressure to perform the scene realistically, because “you don't want to film a scene like that and then have it suck on top of having to do it, so you want it to actually be good.” Read his full response below:

“There was a scene where I was paired with Buffy, and she breaks up with me, and then I go and I kind of force myself on her and she kicks me through a wall. It's a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show, and it's the darkest professional day of my life. I don't like sexual predation scenes. Anything that has anything to do with it. I don't audition for those things. If there's a movie with that kind of material, I don't go to see the movie. If it pops up on television, I've got to turn the television off before I break it. I have a very visceral reaction to that stuff.

I was contracted to do this. I couldn't say no. There's just something in it. Film acting is that you make it real for yourself. That's the whole point if it's going to work, right? Because you don't want to film a scene like that and then have it suck on top of having to do it, so you want it to actually be good.”

What James Marsters’ Interview Means For Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Even Fans Tend To Skip This Episode.

Hearing Marsters speak about such a controversial scene is probably relieving to many Buffy fans. It’s a scene that people tend to skip over or, in some cases, even pretend it’s not part of the series because it’s so upsetting. This discomfort seems to translate even to Marsters, who for years has been open about the controversial scene.

Even his co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar has expressed similar sentiments about the episode, saying, "I just don’t want to rewatch it," because of how inappropriate it was for season 6. Marsters and Gellar's agreement about the problematic episode only showcases how “Seeing Red” can be seen as a dark spot in the series and Spike's lowest point.

Our Take On James Marsters’ “Seeing Red” Comments

Spike is a favorite in Buffy. There’s no denying the chemistry Buffy and Spike have throughout the arc of the series. But the sexual assault scene in “Seeing Red” is so upsetting that it taints the character for me. It makes perfect sense that Marsters would be upset by the scene, and I’m glad to hear he sought out therapy to deal with his feelings following filming. The episode, series, and character of Spike would have been better without the controversial scene. The discomfort the scene caused to some Buffy The Vampire Slayer audience wasn’t worth the complexity the script choice added to the character.

Source: Inside of You