I do feel a bit self-congratulatory that Angel would go for the martyr's death - it'd be the only thing that truly fitted with his morality and history. And of course the humans are the first to die.

Part of me wondered if the idea of Connor being Angel's shanshu was going to come up, that he actually couldn't be killed until Angel signed away the rights to shanshu - that he no longer owned the human life that was Connor's.

Brought no kleenex. Had to use my shirt sleeve when Wes died. How fitting for Illyria to ask Wes if he wanted her to lie to him. I flashed back to the Buffy episode and Giles telling Buffy that you can always tell the good guys by the white hats, the bad guys wear black and nobody ever dies. The whole package was just too much. Angel took that and subverted it even more than Buffy ever did. I guess they're all blue.

I think if they'd ended with everyone happy, there'd have been a "How long can it really last?" feeling. At least unlike the Buffy finale there's no feeling that they fucked up the world - they just keyed evil's car.

The original MOG are all dead.

And we can probably infer that Gunn's teetering on the edge. Somehow, I'm imagining Spike and Angel as the sole survivors.

Okay, so I had Buffy for high school and Angel for college, and now that I'm graduation Joss had better write me a new show. Or send me valiums individually wrapped in papers with witty sayings on them. I don't want to be too demanding.

Was I the only one who expected to hear another set of shots ring out as Lorne walked away after killing Lindsey? And did anyone wonder if they were going for some sort of pairing in the killings? Wesley the magic user is killed by a magic using demon, Gunn the vampire fighter is killed by vampires, Lindsey of the ambiguous sexuality is gunned down by Lorne?

I just... I... gah. Thud. Dead now.

IT'S OVER.

Big shocker for me (I mean relatively speaking) was Lorne shooting Lindsey. WTF? I'm sure there was ample reason but I didn't grok it as it was happening.

I'm doing the chatty post first, because the frigging WB harshed my end-of-series mellow, with their little "Your friends, the WB."

They haven't been our (fandom's) friends since the end S5 BtVS. Ptooey.

I delurked on May 20 of last year as everyone was delurking to say good bye to Buffy. That hit me harder because BtVS was my show - but this is incredibly sad. I loved Steph's post about the Jossverse being "mine mine mine." Exactly.

tina, that's right! I remember. And then you basically had to go through the hellmouth (or a little misunderstanding with the Police) to watch, didn't you? I'm so glad you stayed around!

You know what? I am at Victor's Angel party right now, AIFG.

Wha??? Lee, are you going to be in town for a few days? I didn't get home from my daughter's dance dress rehearsal, until 8:30pm. Feh. Certain elements of the rehearsal completely harshed my mellow. I'm going to have to watch again.

I am very much on the verge of tears, though. Reading through everyone's favorite Angel memories was wonderful, because what all y'all said. But also, because it reminded me of why and how I fell for the Buffistas, so very fast. That was a great prequel to sending off the show in style.

Thanks to all of you, for making the 'verse even more wonderful.

Next up, a more topicy kind of meara.

Kristin T - I meant at the end.

Oh, gotcha quester. Thanks for clarification.

Pretty much broken here too.

And sappy, but I need to say this:

The Buffyverse has been so important to me for the last eight years. I was 21 when Buffy premiered. God, the things I've been through since then. I'm not the person I was then, but I think part of why I got so attached to these characters. We grew together. Love and breakups. Depression. Isolation. Redemption and joy. Silliness.

This world is not my world, and as wonderful as it's been, it hasn't been my major focus by a long shot. It has not been obsession, except in the most benign way.

But it has been a constant for me. Every week, one--then two, then one once more--escape that I could look forward to. Something I knew I would enjoy, even at its worst, more than anything else on tv.

Conversations about Angel and Buffy with friends and even strangers have been some of my most enjoyable. In fact, a common love of Buffy has made me more than one new friend.

Here, for example.

I don't usually like to wax rhapsodic like this about something so seemingly trivial. It makes me feel vulnerable and young. I had to say it though.

Thank you Joss for the vision, and Joss' cohorts for the execution (pun...why not...intended).

Next time you "get to work", I'll be there.