Comments on: Goodbye, chosen one

Goodbye, chosen one

lumpenprole — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:06:12 -0800

Adios to the slayer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends tonight. This well written farewell says goodbye to a much loved, and sometimes taken way too seriously pop-cult icon. Though talk of spinoffs abound. Nothing will ever be the same as first time you realized: "hey, this show doesn't suck at all!"

Thanks, guys.

By: bargle

bargle — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:32:33 -0800

I hated to see one of the few television shows that I watch ending, but it was time. Last season and a good portion of this season were well below the quality of the earlier seasons and because of that it was probably a good thing that the show ended before it could further decline. Of course at least one cast member is moving to Angel and there will inevitably be guest appearences now and then from other characters. The finale itself had it's good parts and it's bad, but I think it should have lasted about ten minutes longer at the end. I was very annoyed at one character making quips about the mall after what had just happened. Not to mention the fact that earlier in the season one ubie was almost too much for Buffy to handle but now.... Anyway.

By: angry modem

angry modem — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:33:07 -0800

Nothing will ever be the same as first time you realized: "hey, this show doesn't suck at all!" except that never happened.

By: Holden

Holden — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:35:45 -0800

It's a sad, sad day. I've been obsessing about tonight's show all day, not getting any work done. Even devoted an entry in my mortgage weblog to the show. *sigh*

By: LeiaS

LeiaS — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:38:39 -0800

For more articles about the end of Buffy, see Whedonesque, the community blog of all things Joss.

By: Satapher

Satapher — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:47:16 -0800

uhhhh.... . . .

By: danOstuporStar

danOstuporStar — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:48:43 -0800

had my own personal armageddon last week when my first tivo hiccup ever resulted in my missing all but the last 5 minutes of last week's show. (the friggin' program guide had buffy on freaking Lifetime instead of UPN 20, what's up with that!?) now i'm all conflicted whether to just call it a loss and watch tonight, or to hold out hope of procuring a copy of the 5/13 episode....any DC area MeFites got it on tape?

By: Beholder

Beholder — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:57:19 -0800

I have to say that I was disappointed with this entire season. With the exception of Buffy and Spike, there was very little interaction between the characters. Xander, Willow, and Anya, had no story line of their own, and there was zero development for any of those characters. The show was always about Buffy, but still was an ensemble show, that managed to deal with other relationships, beyond Buffy herself. This year seemed to abandon much of that for more action, which I thought was a bit of a betrayal of what made the show special. Interpersonal drama was replaced with more combat, and the show lost much of its charm because of it. Other story lines were introduced at the beginning of the season only to be ignored or forgotten later on. Dawns training, and the ominous warning from her dead mother come to mind. Numerous new characters were introduced this season, all of them taking away screen time from old favorites, who were ignored for most of the year. The Kennedy character seemed forced, and from the moment she first spoke to Willow you knew they were going to fall in love. Never was the show so predictable as this year. Even the introduction of Faith failed to breath new life into the season. It looked like everyone involved was simply going through the motions. I did like the Principal Wood character. I always put Buffy actors into two groups, those that make other actors look better and those that don't. I always thought that the actors who played Spike, Xander, and Anya seemed to lift other actors up a notch, and I put the actor who played Principal Wood in that category. Overall a very hollow and tired season which retained very little of what made Buffy so special and unique.

By: lumpenprole

lumpenprole — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:00:37 -0800

Argh! Nobody say any more about the finale! I haven't seen it yet!

And I agree about this season not living up, it feels hurried. But I, for one, loved last season. Normal Again was one of the top ten, the trio were some of the best villians ever, non-wussed out Spike and Buffy were great tension. And we're talking about the season with Once More With Feeling. That's quality stuff.

But boy am I salivating over those season 4 dvd's.....

By: furiousthought

furiousthought — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:12:51 -0800

I will say this for this last season: the Anya origin episode was hilarious, and the fangy grin Cassie/the First gives us at the end of the episode where she's talking to Willow about Tara still creeps my shit out. It does seem like the show's been going through the motions. I guess one of the small pleasures of that is picking out the scenes Mutant Enemy filmed basically just because they may never get the chance to do so again. These are pretty mixed too, but you get wacky stuff like the wheelchair fight last episode. Or best of all, the Giles vs. Skeleton Warrior swordfight last season. I shouldn't like those moments as much as I do, but it's fun to see little bits of total anarchy pop up in what's become a really plodding storyline.

By: EmoChild

EmoChild — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:15:26 -0800

The emperor has no clothes. The show sucked. Carry on. :-)

By: Holden

Holden — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:23:48 -0800

...scenes Mutant Enemy filmed basically just because they may never get the chance to do so again. Like the scene a few episodes ago when Andrew went on and on about how Faith stole his Hot Pockets.

By: Beholder

Beholder — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:29:55 -0800

You're right Emochild. In many ways Buffy was bad television, but it was still better than almost anything else available, and the first three seasons, before it started taking itself too seriously, were great fun. I happened to enjoy last year, as well. I never understood why so many fans hated season six. Maybe it was because the season poked fun at sci-fi geeks, who make up a large potion of the fan base. Maybe some viewers thought they were being ridiculed. Still, who can forget the classic scene where Spike threatens to break a supposedly rare star wars action figure, if the evil geeks don't do what he wants.

By: yhbc

yhbc — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:34:30 -0800

Never watched it myself, but I sent a nice sympathy card to my brother-in-law, who did, obsessively (which I gather is really the only way most folks who watched it did watch it!) With sympathy for the loss of your loved one - she will live on in your memory (and re-runs).

By: Katemonkey

Katemonkey — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:39:45 -0800

*sniff* I'm just happy that the show existed long enough to allow people to write reams and reams of badly written pornography.

By: Beholder

Beholder — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:57:07 -0800

If anyone is interested, here is the Buffy thread I started at the beginning at the season.

By: graventy

graventy — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:05:30 -0800

This season of Buffy was incredibly weak overall. The main problem with it was that they kept making Buffy out to be a villain. Every episode, she gave some speech about how 'this is war' and crap like that. They were trying to make us not like her anymore. The finale was pretty sweet though. Especially the scene featuring Trogdor the Burninator. Classic stuff.

By: John Smallberries

John Smallberries — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:05:54 -0800

A good friend of mine badgered me for years to watch this show, and I always sort of said "Yeah, yeah... maybe next week" with no real intention of ever doing so. (I had seen the movie, you see, and I was less than impressed.) Then last summer, on a night I just could not get to sleep, I started flipping channels and found a 2 a.m. rerun of Buffy on FX. And I watched it. Fish, hook. Hook, fish. They had me. Big time. Between bought DVDs, taped reruns, and extensive downloads, by the fourth episode of the current season I had caught up with the show. Now it is all over. Sob. It was a fun ride while it lasted, and I am very eager to see what Wheedon will do next. btw, DanO, if you have a broadband connection, you can try Kazaa - the full episodes show up there usually within 24 hours of airing. (Tangent - is it piracy to put broadcast shows on PTP?)

By: furiousthought

furiousthought — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:20:47 -0800

In many ways Buffy was bad television It's definitely a cheesy show, and if Xena appalled you and you have no taste for thick teenage melodrama Buffy's obviously going to repel you as a viewer. That quote about "hey, this show doesn't suck at all" definitely applies to me. My first reaction upon seeing Buffy in the listings was, "They made a show out of that movie?" I didn't think I'd get into it but here I am babbling about it on the internet. I never understood why so many fans hated season six. Okay: "The Body" was an excellent episode but that was because it was so different and patterning an entire season after it wasn't a good idea; likewise, seeing Buffy and the Scoobies stagger around like mentally scarred refugees for a whole season wasn't much fun; Spike became entirely pointless and way too prevalent; and jeebus that Willow magic addiction storyline was dumb. That about cover it?

By: graventy

graventy — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:22:51 -0800

John Smallberries -- Yes, I'm afraid it is piracy, mainly because they are put on Kazaa in commercial-less form. With the commericals....I think it's a fairly grey area. This is one of the reasons that the TV industry isn't real big on Tivo. People who cut out the advertising automatically screw the networks, and probably cost them ad revenues. Uh....not that I don't download these Kazaa episodes. I'm just saying that it probably does constitute piracy.

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:27:11 -0800

who can forget the classic scene where Spike threatens to break a supposedly rare star wars action figure, if the evil geeks don't do what he wants. i was watching with my friend, he says, "There was no 1978 Boba Fett action figure!" i turned and stared at him in something between admiration and fear.

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:33:09 -0800

btw, DanO, if you have a broadband connection, you can try Kazaa - the full episodes show up there usually within 24 hours of airing. As I understand, you can probably expect better transfer rates with Bittorrent. This might be a good place to find what you're looking for. Or so I hear. You know, not that I have any personal experience or anything. UPN made me do it. Since when are NBA playoffs more important than Buffy?

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Tue, 20 May 2003 12:47:29 -0800

BuffyFilter.

By: Plunge

Plunge — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:11:02 -0800

I've always felt Buffy jumped the shark after they graduated from high school. After that, it was never the same. I still watch, but it isn't the same. Although, I must say I'm looking forward to tonight's episode.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:11:35 -0800

along with major motion picture worship, this is another pop culture meme i have successfully avoided! i have never seen a single episode of the tv show. i don't know who buffy is or why she hates vampires so much. yes, i do own a television. no, my life is not diminished in any way. well, not due to a lack of buffy, that is.

By: Holden

Holden — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:23:22 -0800

Quonsar, your life might not be diminished for not having watched Buffy, but it might have been enhanced by watching. Similar things can be said about any excellent movie, TV show, book, musical work.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:25:38 -0800

Your life not being diminished by Lack of Buffy doesn't necessarily mean it wouldn't be slightly improved by the addition of it. Avoiding something just so you can say you avoided it seems every bit as silly to me as going along with something just because it's popular (which I'm not accusing you of doing, quonsar, but I do know people who didn't watch Buffy pretty much just for style points.)

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:26:09 -0800

Well, Holden, that was eerie.

By: sadie01221975

sadie01221975 — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:40:52 -0800

I love the show and will miss it. Thank God for syndication.

By: Holden

Holden — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:41:33 -0800

That was weird, Cyrano.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Tue, 20 May 2003 13:49:31 -0800

indeed weird, holden and cyrano! no, i didn't purposely avoid it, i just never glommed onto it. the title may have had a lot to do with impeding any curiousity. however, given the uniform admiration and the fact that you two synced up to give me a hint - could be i'll become a fan in syndication!

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:02:48 -0800

Every single year people say "this was the weakest season of Buffy ever" and every year there are critics who say it's bad television. I completely disregarded Buffy for its first five years first-run solely on its name and the reputation of the movie. Well except for catching the occasional Oz-esque episode around seasons 3-4 cuz Seth Green rocks. I foolishly cheated myself of appreciation for its first five years. It wasn't until a friend let me borrow her complete collection of VHS copies, and I saw the whole damn series back to back in a two week period that I really could see the big picture. This series is fiendishly deceptive if you just look at the surface. What it dares to say over its spiralling plot arcs from season to season has a depth rarely seen anywhere on television. The Buffy series is like a woman who plays the dumb blonde to get dates, but is secretly a nobel prize candidate and MENSA member. You can't judge this book by its cover. Speaking from experience anyone who disses Buffy either hasn't explored beyond its surface, or it's just not their cup of tea. In either case that doesn't mean it's 'weak.' It just means that one critical individual doesn't understand or appreciate it. Though it does have its flaws, Buffy is some of the most entertaining and thought-provoking programming in television history, with evocative characters, witty repartee, creative plot structures that layer from episode to season to series with intricate sub plots weaving throughout the seven year run. The sound of the show, from incidental music to modern band visitations was exquisite. The writing combines timeless issues with timely ones, and captured the youthful angst of Generations X & Y while dealing with issues and character relationships that will speak to people generations from now. Not only is it a cult phenomenon, up against similar contemporaries like The X-Files, Seinfeld and the Star Trek Franchise, Buffy holds its ground firmly. Buffy is underappreciated in its time, but will be remembered years from now and spoken of in the same breath with tv series like The Fugitive, The Prisoner, The Twilight Zone and MASH. Diss it all you want. Buffy will stand the test of time. All that said, they're going out with a bang and not a whimper. No tears shed. No shame for all its accomplishments. Seven years is a grand run.

By: t r a c y

t r a c y — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:04:33 -0800

to quote our favourite monster, ohhh i need a hug! i was happy with the finale and now very sad it's all over. i didn't bring a lot of unreasonable expectations to the last ep other than wanting joss to end it in a way that wouldn't depress the crap out of me (for example see the xena finale. gah.) so that i'd be able to enjoy the reruns and dvds. there's no way 7 seasons could have been summed up in 1 hour so of course there are loose ends, unanswered questions. yes there were times mutant enemy dropped the ball, but for all the fabulous fun it afforded me over the years i'm not going to be one of those obsessive/possessive know-it-all fans and freak out that things didn't go the way i would have written it. those people wrecked the last few seasons for themselves, deservedly so.

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:20:13 -0800

I caught the Buffy premiere oh so many years ago because there was nothing else on. I'm glad I did. A few thoughts: I agree that BTVS jumped the shark after high school, but it was still better than 99.99% of what was on TV at the time. It got worse after the move to UPN. The show really died with Buffy. I haven't watched the last season because the characters became so static. Nothing ever seemed to happen. Still, I'm sure it was better than 95% of what's on TV right now. I'm just glad Angel got renewed that show has been on the upswing, much like BVTS was in its first four years.

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:21:24 -0800

I'm sure there should have been a period or comma in that last sentence somewhere.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:24:10 -0800

sonofsamiam: "There was no 1978 Boba Fett action figure!" Yes there was, actually! In the fall of 1978, you could send some Proofs of Purchase through the mail to the toy company and get a special Boba Fett which included a little red plastic rocket on a spring-action thingy that coulda killed children under 3. It was only by mail-order, they were later quietly recalled, and there are VERY precious few of these things in existence. They're a major collector's item and perhaps the most rare Star Wars related item in its entire history. Yes you may cower in fear at my impressive nerdity! Klaatu barada nikto!

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:29:43 -0800

I'd be more impressed if you knew what movie "Klaatu barada nikto" was from.

By: bargle

bargle — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:42:01 -0800

I happened to enjoy last year, as well. I never understood why so many fans hated season six I never liked the Geek Trio, largely because Warren annoyed the hell out of me. From the very first time he was on the show until his not-really-Warren scenes this year. Warren never did fit in with Jonathan and Andrew anyway. If someone more like the two of them had filled out the trio, it might have been more interesting to me. And I thought the entire Willow/magic storyline last year was stupid and overall the season just bored me to tears. There were a few good episodes, but only a few.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:42:14 -0800

The Day The Earth Stood Still, 1951.

By: bargle

bargle — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:43:25 -0800

I'd be more impressed if you knew what movie "Klaatu barada nikto" was from. 1) Day the Earth Stood Still 2) Army of Darkness 3) dozens of other films

By: bargle

bargle — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:43:50 -0800

Also, what quonsar said. *shrugs*

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:48:24 -0800

*slaps quonsy * I was asking you q!

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:48:57 -0800

"wasn't" *sighs, bangs head against keyboard*

By: mkultra

mkultra — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:49:58 -0800

Right on, ZachsMind! My most prized collectible is an original Han Solo figure (the one with the deformed head), still in the packaging (with a $1.97 price tag) that has the offer details on the back.

By: thirteen

thirteen — Tue, 20 May 2003 14:53:19 -0800

I wait until my wife gets home from work to watch Buffy with her. The tension and excitement are such that we are taping it on 2 separate VCRs incase something goes wrong with one of them. I am going to miss the show, but I still have a couple of seasons of never viewed DVDs coming at me over the next year. While I am at it, Good ghod Willow is hot.

By: bargle

bargle — Tue, 20 May 2003 15:00:34 -0800

Yes there was, actually! In the fall of 1978, you could send some Proofs of Purchase through the mail to the toy company and get a special Boba Fett which included a little red plastic rocket on a spring-action thingy that coulda killed children under 3. It was only by mail-order, they were later quietly recalled, and there are VERY precious few of these things in existence. They're a major collector's item and perhaps the most rare Star Wars related item in its entire history. The only ones in existence are the prototypes. None were ever actually shipped, the whole mess with the death related to a Battlestar Galactica toy stopped them from being made. There are believed to be 14 painted figures and in the neighborhood of 40 unpainted figures, all prototypes. Most were in the hands of Kenner employees and later found their way into collector's hands for a hefty premium. The toys were shipped with an apologetic note because the original offers said that the rocket would be firing, but they never could find a safe way to include a firing rocket and gave up on the idea.

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Tue, 20 May 2003 15:08:09 -0800

the most rare Star Wars related item in its entire history. Let's not forget Goldenrod's Golden Rod Topp's card.

By: Beholder

Beholder — Tue, 20 May 2003 15:39:25 -0800

All that said, they're going out with a bang and not a whimper. No I think they are going out with a whimper. A big showdown with lots of bad CGI is not how I wanted Buffy to end. There have been episodes this season that seemed to have less dialogue than Terminator 2, and unfortunately the season ender looks to be more of the same.

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Tue, 20 May 2003 15:59:39 -0800

When they showed the geek trio with a 78 Boba Fett, I assumed the boys either stole it from some major collector outside of Sunnydale "off camera" or they like, sold their souls to one of Andrew's demon friends to get it. I thought it was the perfect choice for the writers to make - it revealed that not only were these three guys the ultimate geeks, but that the geeky writers knew their stuff when it came to geekiness. You just can't get a 78 Boba Fett without magic, demonology, and mad scientist bullcrap. That's what the writers were saying. And when Warren freaked over Spike threatening the head of the 78 Boba Fett, that was the epitome of the Geek Trio. A major priceless moment from season six. It's typical of why I love this series so much. It's sad to see it go but I'm thankful to have experienced it, even if I came to the party a little late. At least I didn't miss the boat entirely. My favorite season is still 6 because it's THE one that I caught first run and also I just like the darkness of it compared to all the other seasons, but most people disagree with me on that note too.

By: bwerdmuller

bwerdmuller — Tue, 20 May 2003 16:45:03 -0800

Darkness = good. Geeks = bad bad bad, except when Warren shot Tara, which was one of the most interesting moments in the whole run. Wasn't there talk of a Giles spin-off? What happened to that?

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Tue, 20 May 2003 17:41:47 -0800

I would love to see the Ripper spin-off. Last I heard, Joss was looking into a mini-series/movie format. Haven't heard much for a while though...

By: hairyeyeball

hairyeyeball — Tue, 20 May 2003 17:52:22 -0800

except that never happened. I never got BTVS (please don't hurt me) but my gfriend at one time, a Hahvahd grad, too, was totally rabid about it, so I learned to keep my mouth shut during the Holy Hour.

By: furiousthought

furiousthought — Tue, 20 May 2003 18:05:22 -0800

Okay, I've been grumpy on this thread. But that there finale was a good episode. (I even liked the bad CGI.)

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Tue, 20 May 2003 18:29:23 -0800

The tension and excitement are such that we are taping it on 2 separate VCRs incase something goes wrong with one of them. I so did that, too. And watched it. That being said...***SPOILER IF YOU READ FURTHER*** Someone in The WB's marketing department needs to die. Look, I knew Spike was going to sacrifice himself at the end of the finale. Despite Anya, his was the only death that could give the episode the emotional weight in needed. It. Had. To. Be. That. Way. But nooooo.....some group...herd...clutch, shit, I dunno, whateverthehell you call a bunch of troglodytes in the same place, decide they need to let us know in the last week or so that James Marsters is going to "Angel." Oh! Thank you! Thank you for letting me know that Spike's death is not a Real Meaningful Death, but rather a Whedon Death, so I can expect to see him back in some shape or form later! WB cocknockers. I will hunt you until I've found all of you.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Tue, 20 May 2003 18:35:10 -0800

P.S. I still liked the episode. No deep analysis. I just liked it. I felt the way at the end of it that I wanted to when it started. What more can you ask for?

By: me3dia

me3dia — Tue, 20 May 2003 18:46:00 -0800

It was a really good finale. I loved the nice, big, wide-open ending they left on it. I look forward to whatever spinoff comes out of it (maybe another B movie!) And as soon as my girlfriend gets home, I'll watch it all over again.

By: tittergrrl

tittergrrl — Tue, 20 May 2003 18:47:42 -0800

Just want to say that Anya was the best thing to happen to that show. If only there was more of her this last season. Sniff.

By: catfood

catfood — Tue, 20 May 2003 19:04:00 -0800

Just want to say that Anya was the best thing to happen to that show. If only there was more of her this last season. Sniff. I so agree. If Emma hadn't been so eager to get off the show, I would suggest that she gets her own spinoff. Just Anya and her tactlessness. Sigh!

By: hilatron

hilatron — Tue, 20 May 2003 21:07:22 -0800

Anya, the Creator of Awkward Silences! That would be a good show.

By: stet

stet — Tue, 20 May 2003 21:24:14 -0800

Alas, I just watched the last episode (and on the West Coast too!) and am somewhat disappointed. (Very, very minor spoiler ahead) The friend of mine that introduced me to the show maintained that the world actually *was* going to end and evil *was* going to triumph in the final episode. The idea there being that the writers of Buffy were the only crew on TV with the gonads to actually destroy the world as a finale. The world did not end. I feel robbed. And on preview: "She picks her words a shade to precisely and speaks with a strange bluntness" (Or thereabouts, I can't quote verbatim off the top of my head, yo.) However, my friend couldn't watch the show so I can claim she was right and the world *did* end. It'll last until she gets the tape.

By: dig_duggler

dig_duggler — Tue, 20 May 2003 21:36:36 -0800

add me to the list of people who are sad to see it go. but good finale. appropriate.

By: Psionic_Tim

Psionic_Tim — Tue, 20 May 2003 22:31:23 -0800

No character development in this season? We watched as Willow came to terms with her power and her willingness to use/abuse it. As Dawn grew into the Junior Watcher. As Andrew tagged along with the group and finally became the ally he desired to be. As Spike realized he could be misused at the hands of the First. We watched the potentials grow into their own. We watched Xander learn his true value to the Scoobies. Finally, we watched Buffy finally embrace her calling. With every season, there has been some trepidation. Her first season death. Killing Angel. Leading an army to defeat the Mayor. Relying on the Scoobs to overpower Adam. Making the ultimate sacrifice to save Dawn. You say there wasn't any character development this season? What show were you watching?

By: Beholder

Beholder — Tue, 20 May 2003 23:29:45 -0800

You say there wasn't any character development this season? What show were you watching? When fanboys attack! I was watching Buffy. Just not through glazed over eyes that's all. I saw a season which spent considerable time developing Dawn (including ominous warnings from her dead mother), only to be completely ignored the second half of the season. I saw Anya featured in one episode the entire year, and then be regulated to short one liners and goofy costumes, with absolutely no character growth until she was thrown aside like a red shirt from Star Trek. I saw Xander virtually ignored the entire 22 episode season. Virtually non existent the entire year, until losing an eye to Caleb. I saw Willow given a 3 second scene at Tara's grave, and after that her entire involvement in the season basically boiled down a handful of scenes where she would get pushed and prodded by Buffy to cast a spell, after which she would predictably get all evil bitchy, but only after having just enough time to complete her ritual. I saw Giles float in and out of episodes making absolutely no difference either way. His presence on the show was even less important than season four, when he was virtually ignored. It was almost like a completely different (more boring) show this year. Between Xander, Anya, Giles, and Willow all being underutilized and Buffy getting some weird personality transplant it was hard to even recognize the show sometimes. I could go on, but you either agree or disagree. It's not that big a deal either way. I'll say this much. At least it wasn't as horrible as the last episode of Seinfeld.

By: bargle

bargle — Wed, 21 May 2003 01:56:01 -0800

One thing I really did like about this season was Caleb. I think I might actually be in the minority after wandering through a few message boards, but I thought he was very effective.

By: humuhumu

humuhumu — Wed, 21 May 2003 05:50:25 -0800

SPOILERS HERE - but then as it's now aired, I guess it's safe... Yes, disappointed in the finale. Strange plot holes, lots of stuff ignored... Angel was terrible in the first ten minutes. The cookie-dough speech - blerghhh? We had brief Scooby-moments (for about the first time this season) but nothing more than that. Xander loses Anya and then starts making jokes about Starbucks a moment later... The wannabe-Slayers all start killer ubervamps without a problem when it took Buffy about five episodes to kill just a single one earlier in the season. And just why did they have to actually be IN the hellmouth for Willow to cast the spell? Couldn't they have done it before they went down there so they could be sure it worked? Anya died, and it gave a hell of a shock when it happened, but come on, one main character dead against an army of thousands of ubervamps? Where did the First Evil go after Buffy miraculously recovered from her sword-through-the-gut? We got no payback on the warning to Dawn from her mother... etc etc etc. So yes, as I say, disappointed. Can't be angry, though. Buffy has given far too much enjoyment over the last seven years for me to feel anything but a bit sad... Angel just doesn't cut it for this boy.

By: Shane

Shane — Wed, 21 May 2003 08:08:23 -0800

The Hellmouth is closed, eh? Giles: "There's another one in Cleveland." YES. Thanks, Joss, for that parting shot.

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 21 May 2003 08:24:49 -0800

Strange plot holes, lots of stuff ignored... Yes, it was a relief when Angel left the scene -- nothing about that worked. But I find I'm happy to give the show a free ride for how much I've loved it in the past -- when it's hit all its marks, it's been brilliant, and there was more overall brilliance than otherwise in the past seven years. And humuhumu -- I think you're forgetting Spike, aren't you? That scene where he flung himself over the cross at the beginning of the season paid off big time in the finale, no? And the First was just messing with Dawn's head, just like everyone else in the episode. And I adored all the awakening potential slayers all around the world. I got goosebumps. So long Buffy. Thanks, Joss. *cries*

By: soulhuntre

soulhuntre — Wed, 21 May 2003 08:41:49 -0800

"While I am at it, Good ghod Willow is hot." I agree... while the Buffster is still easy on the eyes as they say it was a good plan to ++ the Willow hotness rating. That said, Faith is pretty slammin' but for my money Dawn is going to turn out very nicely... and given what we saw in OMWF she has a nice hip wiggle :)

By: rich

rich — Wed, 21 May 2003 10:23:10 -0800

Couldn't you say that Buffy having Xander try and take Dawn away matches the warning that Buffy would betray her? Regardless.. I thought it was a good show, the finale was cool, the coockie-dough speech fit in like every other silly teenage-type speech they had, etc, etc..