Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode-by-episode: Season 7, Episode 22: Chosen

Empty Places
-Teaser's nothing special except for the fact that Buffy mysteriously has a cold now.
-The Willow/Xander scene in the hospital gets me every time.
-Heh, Spike's stuck with Andrew.
-I'll say I agree with Faith that the potentials need some time off. Maybe taking them all to the Bronze wasn't the best idea, but she was trying. And she stopped Amanda from getting wasted so that's something.
-Liked the cops catching up to Faith showing that she's not home free yet.
-Also liked Faith's take on Wood. She does read people as we saw back in Season 4 when she figured out Willow was gay.
-So here's the main problem with this episode. Everyone turns on Buffy except for Spike and Andrew who are away (and I'm of the opinion that Faith doesn't really turn on Buffy either. She plain out says she doesn't want to be leader) and Buffy's kicked out of the house which should be sad. Except Buffy's been thoroughly unlikable this episode, the potentials are all unlikable (and Rhona is seriously way more annoying than Kennedy), Dawn throwing Buffy out is unlikable, Wood interrupting Buffy to let Faith talk more is unlikable, everyone's unlikable. It's like they're trying to set Spike up to be some sort of pillar of goodness for when he's gonna come back and immediately stick with Buffy but it doesn't work. The only character who comes out of this scene still sympathetic is Faith. Everyone else either looks childish, vindictive, or just stupid.

B-

 

Three to go.

Season 7, Episode 20: Touched

Written By: Rebecca Rand Kirshner

Directed By: David Solomon

Spike goes to comfort the displaced Buffy while Faith tries to rally the troops into action. Later, both Slayers set off on a late-night raid, and both find something completely unexpected.

This is another one of those, "Tale of Two Stories" episodes. I don't like much of the stuff with Faith and everyone else back at the house, especially at the beginning. We're dealing with the aftermath of the confrontation, and with each passing moment, it becomes more and more obvious that Buffy was right about everything. From what the plan should be, to the idea that there needs to be one voice making the decisions. Not everything is bad though, I like the First appearing to Faith as the Mayor, and Faith taking control of the group, and knocking Kennedy off her perch. The real strength of this episode is Spike and Buffy. I love what they've done with their relationship this season. Their entire scene in the bedroom is very well done, and I like the juxtaposition of Spike and Buffy just sleeping and holding each other while everyone back at the house is having sex. And the episode ends very strongly, with the Faith and the Potentials fighting the Bringers and the cliffhanger of the bomb about to explode, and Buffy's fight with Caleb ending with her finding the Scythe. 8.25 out of 10.

SPIKE: It's bloody chaos over there without you.
BUFFY: It is?
SPIKE: Yeah! Yeah, it's, uh... There's junk... You know? Food cartons, sleeping bags not rolled up, everyone's very scared and, uh, unkempt.
BUFFY: Sounds dire.
SPIKE: I didn't see a lot. I came, hit Faith a bunch of times, and left.
BUFFY: Really? I mean, not that I'm glad, but?
SPIKE: Oh, you say the word, and she's a footnote in history. I'll make it look like a painful accident.
BUFFY: That's my problem. I say the word, some girl dies...every time.
SPIKE: There's always casualties in war.
BUFFY: Casualties. It just sounds so...casual. These are girls that I got killed. I cut myself off from them...all of them. I knew I was gonna lose some of them and I didn't? You know what? I'm still making excuses. I've always cut myself off. I've always? Being the slayer made me different. But it's my fault I stayed that way. People are always trying to connect to me, and I just slip away. You should know.
SPIKE: I seem to recall a certain amount of connecting.
BUFFY: Oh, please! We were never close. You just wanted me because I was...unattainable.
SPIKE: You think that's all that was?
BUFFY: Please, let's not go over the past.
SPIKE: Oh, no, no. Let's hold on here. I'm hummed along to your pity-ditty, and I think I should have the mic for a bit.
BUFFY: Fine. The stage is yours. Cheer me up.
SPIKE: You're insufferable.
BUFFY: Thank you. That really helped.
SPIKE: I'm not trying to cheer you up.
BUFFY: What are you trying to say?
SPIKE: I don't know. I'll know when I'm done saying it. Something pissed me off, and I just? "Unattainable." That's it.
BUFFY: Fine. I'm attainable. I'm an attain-a-thon. May I please just go to sleep?
SPIKE: You listen to me. I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I prefer you didn't. I don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker. I follow my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain. So I make a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong bloody calls. A 100+ years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of: you. Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. When I say, "I love you," it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy.
BUFFY: I don't wanna be the one.
SPIKE: I don't wanna be this good looking and athletic. We all have crosses to bear. You get some rest n

 

720: Touched

- Don?t like the teaser. It just reiterates of stupid the end of the last episode was.
- No strong feelings about the first fifteen minutes of this one. I do like Spike showing up and standing up for Buffy and being all perceptive again. The fight with Faith is unnecessary though.
- The Mayor! Well, the First as the Mayor... But still, the Mayor!!! Love that.
- I really wish this episode was more interesting. At least I get to look at a Willow/Kennedy sex scene. It?s just too bad that this is another episode that?s way too slow in the middle.
- I guess I like the ending of this one. I prefer perky Buffy over mopey Buffy. and it?s a pretty decent cliffhanger.
- Fray crossover! Not much else to say about that one.
- A little better than the previous one, still a disappointment though.

C +

 

Just two episodes left.

Season 7, Episode 21: End of Days

Written By: Jane Espenson/Douglas Petrie

Directed By: Marita Grabiak

Buffy has a powerful new weapon, but the gang cannot find any information about the origins of the mysterious scythe. Eventually the Slayer goes herself in search of knowledge, and finds a new ally, an old friend, and great danger.

The second to the last episode, and one that could have gotten bogged down in the center, but Jane Espenson keeps it moving along nicely. It starts out directly after the explosion, and we get Buffy saving the day and rescuing Faith and the potentials. I like that Buffy never stops to tell anyone, "I told you so." I don't think I would have showed the same restraint. But, she never rubs anyone face in it, she just comes back, saves everyone, and takes back her leadership role. Like I said, the middle could drag, but it doesn't. The pace slows down, but Espenson does a good job of not letting the exposition bog us down. We get a good scene between Buffy and Xander, and then Xander and Dawn. I like Buffy sending Dawn and Xander away. They're the two that Buffy cares about the most that have the least amount of fighting ability. And I also like Dawn tazering Xander and turning around, though I do pause to wonder where Dawn got a tazer. I also love the scene with Anya and Andrew stealing medical supplies. It was this point that convinced me that Andrew was going to die. And I love the Wheelchair fight. Then we come to the end of this episode. I really wish David Boreanaz hadn't been listed in the opening credits. I think it was known that he would be in the final two episodes, but still. I don't know if this is Angel's best entrance in the show, but it's right up there. And I love him just standing against the wall, watching and commenting while Buffy defeats Caleb. All in all, this epiosde leads in nicely to the Series Finale, the very last episode, of Buffy. 9 out of 10.

Buffy: You're a dope!
Spike: I'm a what?
Buffy: You're a dope and a bonehead and you're shirty!
Spike: Have you gone completely Carrot-Top?
Buffy: *holding up the scythe* Do you see this? This may actually help me fight my war. This might be the key to everything. And the reason I'm holding it is because of you. Because of the strength that you gave me last night. I am tired of defensiveness and weird mixed signals. You know what? I have Faith for that. Let's just get to the truth here, okay? I don't know how you felt about last night but I will not--
Spike: Terrified.
Buffy: Of what?
Spike: Last night was... God, I'm such a jerk. I can't do this.
Buffy: Spike...
Spike: It was the best night of my life. If you poke fun at me, you bloody well better use that 'cause I couldn't bear it. It may not mean that much to you but--
Buffy: I just told you it did.
Spike: Yeah, I hear you say it but... I've lived for sodding ever, Buffy. I've done everything. I've done things with you I can't spell... but I've never been close... to anyone. Least of all you. Until last night. All I did was hold you, watch you sleep... and it was the best night of my life. So yeah, I'm terrified.
Buffy: You don't have to be.


XANDER: I should be at your side. That's all I'm saying.
BUFFY: You will be. You're my strength, Xander. You're the reason I made it this far. I trust you with my life. That's why I need you to do this for me.
XANDER: OK.
BUFFY: Also, you can't shoot a bow and arrow anymore, and every time you pick up a sword, I worry that you're gonna break one of our good lamps.
XANDER: Hey?
BUFFY: Don't look at me. You're the one who said I'm gonna die.
XANDER: I never said you were gonna die. I?I implied that you were gonna die. It's totally different.
BUFFY: Yeah, OK. Sure.
XANDER: Besides, if you die, I'll just bring you back to life. That's what I do.


FAITH: OK. The point. Me, by myself all the time. I'm looking at you, everything you have, and, I don't know, jealous. Then there I am. Everybody's looking to me, trusting me to lead them, and I've never felt so alone in my entire life.
BUFFY: Yeah.
FAITH:

 

721: End Of Days

- No obvious transition between the recap and the actual episode: yay! Love that.
- I really like Caleb?s reaction to Buffy pulling the scythe out of the rock. I think this show just got good again after two really lackluster episodes.
- The last two episodes? status as a misstep is confirmed as we quickly put Buffy back in charge here. And thankfully she?s also back to being likable again.
- Oh, even Giles is back to being likable now. As mentioned before, I?m easily pleased and is more than happy to ignore his prior unlikability.
- ?Trying to talk will just kill you sooner.? ? hee
- Really nice Buffy/Xander scene.
- Kitty Fantastico got killed because Dawn left a crossword lying around: ? yup, I?m evil like that. And I even like cats.
- Not a bad Spike/Buffy scene either.
- ?So? Wheelchair fight?? ? hee. Liked that scene too, mostly because of Anya.
- I so don?t care that all the Scythe stuff is very convenient. I?m all for setting us up for the finale at this point.
- Dawn zapping Xander as he?s driving seems kind of dangerous. Not really sure if we needed the Xander taking Dawn out of town part of this episode. I kind of think both of those have deserved to stay and fight.
- The Buffy/Caleb fight is pretty good, but the best part:
- Angel! Love that he gets the big hero shot with the hero music. Just awesome.
- Solid episode. A considerable step up from the previous two.

B +

 

Touched
-This is a real slow episode with more annoying characters all around.
-Faith putting Kennedy in her place was welcome though perhaps not as satisfying as her smackdown of Connor.
-Spike siding with Buffy was no surprise but his fisticuffs with Faith were unnecessary.
-Kinda bothers me that Buffy's proven right about everything. Can't she be wrong just once?
-Spike just holding Buffy is really sweet, nice contrast to everyone having sex. And we see Robin's not too happy with Faith's "get some, get gone" attitude...
-Pretty tense climax.

B-

End of Days
-Buffy's likable again, yay! So glad she doesn't rub it in everyone's faces and that she's actually sympathetic towards Faith's deal.
-Even Kennedy's partly likable again when she keeps her head and is ready to fight the uber vamps.
-The fact that it's called the Scythe minorly bothers me when there's nothing remotely scythe like about it. It's an ax with a stake.
-Love the Buffy/Faith scene. It's like every other super hero that's whining about having these awesome abilities and then Faith pretty much points out the semi ridiculousness of the fact that they're complaining about being "Hot chicks with superpowers" heh.
-The Anya/Andrew scenes are excellent (imminent death won't bother her, heh) and show Anya's softer side and Andrew's usefulness. It was pretty smart to think of robbing a hospital and wheelchair fights rock.
-Xander/Dawn slows the pacing down but I like how we're getting the emotional voice over which is suddenly interrupted as Dawn tazers Xander. Though I too wonder where she got the tazer from.
-Angel's back, yes! He had to come back for the finale, it just would've been wrong if he hadn't and I have no problem with his entrance here. Also like him just hanging back and letting Buffy do the heavy lifting. It's cool to see he doesn't have the need to protect her anymore. His familiarity and comfortableness with Buffy makes me think of Willow's line regarding Oz how if she's an old lady in Istanbul and turns around and sees him, she won't be surprised because it's him. That's Buffy and Angel.
-Caleb went down a little to easy for me

A-

 

Season 7, Episode 22: Chosen

Writer: Joss Whedon

Director: Joss Whedon

Angel arrives with an amulet which may be a weapon against the First. The battle-lines are drawn and the gang spends the night preparing for the final confrontation. A confrontation that some may not survive. Armed with an amulet they know nothing about, a scythe which holds the key to the Slayer line, and magicks which they may not be able to control, they prepare to face the assembled armies of the First Evil.

The finale episode of Buffy. And its a typical Joss episode, great from the get go. His episodes just feel different from any other writer's. All told, this is very satisfying and complete ending to the series. They tie up a number of things, but leave enough open, to give them material to work with later, if they choose. Buffy and Angel come to a nice conclusion here. Yes, they kind of open things up again in Angel's next season, but from Buffy's perspective, we get a nice moment of closure for their relationship. I like where they send Faith in this episode. We can see that she's actually starting to care for Wood, which is huge for her. Probably something she's never felt before. She cares about Angel, but that's more as a savior, then as a lover. Just the idea that she would consider a relationship with Wood shows how far she's come, and how much she's changed. Willow, for the first time, fully realizes her powers. I think its such an awesome visual, when she does the big spell, engulfed in light her hair turning white. All season she's been scared of her power, and she finds here that her powers can be very good, that she can change the world for the better with them. Sunnydale and The Hellmouth, both get destroyed. I think that might the perfct way to end the show, with the Hellmouth destroyed and Sunnydale having fallen into the earth, nothing left of the city but a crater. The show needed to end with the destruction of the Hellmouth. And finally, Buffy, and the Slayers, and the spell Willow does that activates every Slayer, everywhere. I love this idea. At the heart of the show, its been about this one girl. And how alone this one girl is, always has been, and always will be. What better way to end things then with her no longer being the Chosen One, but part of a large community. One amongst thousands. Buffy's always struggled to find her place in life, and now she's part of something. There are people around her who will understand her life, who she is and what she is, better then anyone. She might finally be able to find a measure of peace with herself and her life. She might finally be able to become cookies.
And everything else about this episode works. I said it last episode, I was convinced Andrew was going to die, so I never saw Anya's death coming. In hindsight, I think I can see it more, but at the time, it was a shock, and the shot of Xander trying to find her in the school, with her body in the foreground is heartbreaking. I love the callback to "The Harvest" with the gang discussing their plans for the next day. And we get possibly the biggest battle in the history of Buffy, with The Slayers against the army of Uber-Vamps. Spike's final sacrifice is very cool. I didn't include this in the storyline endings, because its not the end of Spike's story. And so many other nice, "Joss" touches. Spike having the sketch of Angel on his heavy bag in the basement, Dawn kicking Buffy's shin, Everyone playing D&D the night before, Anya thinking about bunnies as motivation to kill the Bringers. Andrew on the bus, wondering why he didn't die. It might not be the best Buffy episode ever, but its an excellent and fitting end to the show. 10 out of 10.

ANGEL: Is it Spike? You're not telling me something. And his scent, I remember it pretty well.
BUFFY: You vampires. Did anybody ever tell you the whole smelling people thing's a little gross?
ANGEL: Is he your boyfriend?
BUFFY: Is that your business?
ANGEL: You in love with him? OK, maybe I'm outta line, but this is kind of a curve ball for me. I mean, we are talking about S

 

722: Chosen

- A short, but effective teaser.
- For those who find such things interesting: This episode got all four lead Wedonverse actors in it: SMG, Boreanaz, Fillion and Dushku. That?s actually kinda cool, I think.
- Love how Buffy finally kills Caleb; there?s some nice feminist symbolism in there.
- I love that the finale got Angel in it. He had to be here for this one. I think it?s very important to look back to the beginning as you?re ending a story and having Angel here works towards that. I guess some might argue that Cordelia should have been here too, but I don?t really miss her. She was nowhere near being part of the Scoobie gang in the pilot and she doesn?t really have any connection with them now (except with Angel of course).
- Much like Joss, I love Angel being petty: ?Everyone?s got a soul now... You know, I started it? The whole, having a soul?? Their final scene being in a cemetery is nice too.
- Buffy supposedly realizing that she?s not supposed to find the love of her life and be in a relationship that?ll never end at the age of 22: Seems like something she should?ve realized a long time ago. But considering it?s something I very much believe in and think should be made more obvious for many people I?m all for Buffy having that realization.
- I really like how Angel?s exit here mirrors his exit in 322.
- Dawn kicking Buffy almost makes the time spent on Xander/Dawn in the previous episode worth it.
- ?He wears lifts you know!? ? hee; good Spike/Buffy scene.
- Seriously, this is a completely different Giles than the one we had for the majority of this season. Now, I like this version infinitely better than the other Giles, but it?s still very stupid. I?m blaming the other episodes, and heaping my love on this one.
- ?Oh! Pierced tongue?? ? hee
- The Wood/Faith scene, while fine, doesn?t do a lot for me. It does set up the awesome bit at the end in the bus, so I guess I?m fine with it.
- The D&D scene: awesome!!
- ?Nobody cares, you little monkey.? ? hee
- ?The earth is definitely doomed.? ? Nifty callback to The Harvest. That final scene with just our four core characters is really nice and understated.
- Love that the final battle takes place inside The Hellmouth. Some really great effects here. Never have they fought a fight more epic than this one.
- So, about all potentials becoming slayers: Love it.
- The image of the baseball girl smiling after being infused with slayer power: the first moment my eyes get misty. Love that visual.
- Great score in this one. It complements the visuals very well.
- DB Woodside continues to look incredibly lame in fight scenes.
- Anya being killed: A really brutal visual that still makes me wince. Very effective.
- Oh, Amanda got killed. Thankfully, she apparently didn?t have any parents that?s gonna miss her?
- So Spike dies in a huge redemptive gesture. I quite like that. He?s really come a long way since we first met him back in episode 203.
- I?m a little bit bothered by some of the Sunnydale geography here. it never quite made sense to me how Buffy ends up on the roofs of that one main street. I get that it?s the backlot and the only street they got, but it just seems weird to me. It?s really just wrong in my head though, because I don?t think there?s anything established in the show that contradicts it though.
- Goodbye Sunnydale! There?s something nicely poetic about the destruction of both the Hellmouth and Sunnydale in this final episode. it really marks this episode as the end of a specific era in the lives of these characters that we?ve been following and makes this an appropriate endpoint for the show.
- And that?s the end? Personally, this episode leaves me satisfied and I couldn?t really ask for more in a finale.

A -

-------------

Looking at all my reviews for this season, the average grade is a solid B.

Highest rated episodes: 705 & 707
Lowest rated episodes: 719

Looking at my average grade for all seasons, they rank like this:

Season 3: Betwe

 

Its been an interesting experience doing this. It had been long time since I watched the show all the way through, and I hadn't seen the last half of season 7 since it aired. And it was anew experience watching the show from this perspective, really looking at what I like and what I don't. What works and what doesn't. There were episodes that I liked better then i remembered, (Fool For Love) and ones that I didn't like as much as I remembered (Normal Again). It was a lot of fun. And kind of hard to finish. Part of the reason the last few episodes went down in frequency was due to simply not wanting it to end. But, its done, and big thanks to Hansen and Soloknight for their contributions and everyone else who chimed in.

Now, my favorites. I thought about putting them after the previous, but that post was already too big as it was.

Season rank: 3, 2, 5, 7, 4, 1, 6. Season 2 and 3 are damn close, and I think that without "Go Fish" season 2 might be able to overcome.

Top Ten episodes:
1. The Body
2. Becoming Part 2
3. Once More, With Feeling
4. The Gift
5. Hush
6. Graduation Day Part 2
7. Prophecy Girl
8. Chosen
9. Fool For Love
10.Doppelgangland

 

A remarkably good job of hosting.

And it's instructive for those of you who want to be writers; you can see what worked, what didn't, and why not.

 

Chosen
-Buffy and Angel's cemetery scene is good, and I like Buffy voicing that she doesn't need a soul mate at 22, but it seems forced to send Angel away. She was so stubbornly set on rescuing Spike for his fighting skills and now she just sens away Angel? I think the ending battle is better without him as he doesn't have a place on the show anymore, but I wish he'd stuck around a little longer.
-Spike and Angel are such an awesome pair. Even when they don't actually directly interact with each other they bring about the childishness in each other.
-Not a fan of the Faith/Wood pairing but it serves to show how she's grown in ways other than just not killing people anymore so I'm ok with these scenes. And they're pretty funny.
-D&D! Yes!
-"The world is definitely doomed" is the moment when it hits me that this is the end of the series.
-The final battle is suitably epic for the end of the series. Making the potentials all slayers is perfect, Anya's death fulfills Joss's quota of killing off people we like in the ending battle, and Spike's sacrifice is beautifully done.
-Small nitpick but I'd have liked Buffy and Faith to be the only two to wield the Scythe (Rhona? Seriously?)
-Ending scene is perfect. All our heroes are together and Buffy starts to smile as she realizes that she can do stuff with her life besides being the Slayer. For the first time in a long time she has options. And I like to think that the fact that the only other one in final shot is Faith reinforces this: she's not the only Slayer.

A

A solid ending to what is arguably my favorite TV series (I switch back and forth between this and Firefly.)

My season ranking appears to be the same as Darth Dark Helmet's, ha, so I won't bother listing them out again.

Favorite episode: Once More with Feeling followed closely by Becoming, Part 2
Least Favorite Episode: Where the Wild Things Are
Favorite Character: Faith, then Oz and pre-Buffy Obsessed Spike

Big thanks to Darth Dark Helmet for hosting and hansen for regularly contributing. It gave me a good exceuse to watch the series again and I loved hearing your comments and insights. It's interesting to see where we'd all agree and where we'd have vastly different opinions. Now onto Angel!

 

I've been following this thread closely, but not posting... but I do have a question... are you going to continue with "season eight," the comic continuation?


Because, you know... I think you should!

 

I've thought about it, but I run into a couple problems.

1. No comic book stores anywhere near my home.

2. Last few times I've been at Barnes and Nobles, they've been out of the graphic novel versions of them.

3. I'm broke.

I've read pieces of them, and they seem pretty good, I just haven't had the opportunity to really get into them.

 

Since this is the only Buffy thread here I guess this is where the following news goes:

The idiots who ruined the original Buffy movie wants to reboot the franchise. Without Joss.

If there ever was a movie I would hate blindly, this is the one.

 

A Buffy movie without any involvement from Joss Whedon, or anyone else from the Mutant Enemy camp? No. I could probably overlook no Willow and Xander, a different actress playing Buffy, if Joss or one of his crew was involved. But, this is a crew that has already proven once that they don't really understand what made this show as good as it was. If they go forward with this, I won't be seeing it.