Reporting in from the LA party. I loved the episode, and am glad beyond words that I had several Buffistas to watch it with. I am sad that Anya died, but it is fitting in a way I can't quite put into words yet. I loved the Wood and Faith interactions, and in my imaginary spin off, he's following her around the country trying to surprise her.

I'm off to the tape thread sadly, because my tape ended just when Wood and Faith were on the bus. No Buffy smile or Grr Arggh guy.

Daniel stands on the rim of the crater. He kicks a small rock over the edge and sings

"Anybody here seen my old friend Buffy...can you tell me where she's gone? She saved a lot of people and they say the good go young. I just looked around and she's gone."

"Anybody here seen my old friend Anya...can you tell me where she's gone? She finally "got" people and died with a heart so young. I just looked around and she's gone."

OK, I shall not speak of Spike. I've spoken of him in places where such speculations better lie. Anyway ...

Loved Dawn and Buffy, with Dawn kicking her. Dawn's brush-off of (yet another) speech from Buffy was lovely. "It will sound like good-bye." She's not wrong, and I could really get to love DAwn. Watcher Jr. indeed.

So, um, two of Giles' sources being dead--a little casual with the necromancy, aren't you, dude? You always summon up the shades of the dead when you need to look up something?

Heresy alert: I'm not so much with the girl power thing. A couple of shots, OK, but the full montagey thing went on way too long for my taste. Then again, I've never felt any lack of girl power, so invoking same just makes me twitch.

The D&D game--gods, that was brilliant. I wonder of Giles already knew the rules. When Xander was pointing out his position on the map, I thought, "How sweet, he and Giles are bonding over battle plans again--oh, wait, what ..." Poor Amanda. Poor Anya! Left alone! Put me in the Andrew was storytelling both for Xander's and his own comfort. Poor Andrew's got a big guilt thing now, with his "Why didn't I die?" survivor guilt.

One think I really wanted was for Xander to be pissed that they blew up the school he built. At least one reference to "Yes! Blow up the school! It's what we do best! I blew it up, I rebuilt it, I blew it up again!"

Wood needs smacked hard--after he heals--for scaring Faith like that.

Post deleted by Micole on May 21, 2003 12:46:21 am EDT

Ifn you deleted because you weren't saying what you meant to say, Micole, then c'est la vie. But I hope you weren't feeling attacked or under pressure to defend yourself, because of my responses. Because that wasn't intended. I think I really do understand your problem with Spike. I probably share(d?) it. But a while ago, I came to a place where I was able to justify (wank if you will :) Spike's presence as being more about Buffy. And not so much about Spike.

I don't care about Spike's journey.

But I care (more than I should, I guess) about Buffy's journey.

And it has been the classic Hero's Journey. Albeit one with jazzhands, and gourds and pink leather and stuffed pigs and overly mochas.

She took the calling, She crossed the threshold, She faced the challenges, She jumped into the abyss, She was transformed, She had her revelation, She atoned.

And now? She has returned. Full circle. With gifts ahoy.

That Spike played a part in that? Doesn't matter except for the bit where it does. If what you do doesn't matter, then all the matters is what you do. That's the mark of the person. Be they living, dead, or caught in between.

For me, the important thing is, like the bam said, that Buffy got out of Sunnydale.

"As in I'm never getting out of here... I'm a Sunnydale girl. No other choice."

She couldn't even conceive that four years ago in Choices.

And now she has Chosen.

The world of the living lies in front of the girl who just spent the last seven years living with the dead.

If that doesn't give me hope, I'm not sure what will.

So, um, two of Giles' sources being dead--a little casual with the necromancy, aren't you, dude? You always summon up the shades of the dead when you need to look up something?

If the fate of the world matters, yes...

Wood needs smacked hard--after he heals--for scaring Faith like that.

I don't think that was intentional.

just a little more thinking.

I like the end. not flawless, but it was the end. Lots of stories to tell -- but if they are never told - it was the end.

did that make any sense?

I'm really very satisfied with the ending, feel like it was as it should be. Imagining the heroes in endless possibilities, a new road laid out before them, starting anew. Loose ends left loose, the core still together. I'm very cool with that. It was a good choice.

What did you think overall, Allyson?

I half expected Buffy to say "Let's go to Cleveland."

Perhaps I'm too practical, because I am wondering, What the hell are they going to do now? No jobs, no homes--they killed the house! I knew they were going to kill the house!--no money ... Unless Giles knows the secret Swiss bank account numbers for the Watchers Council and the other no-longer-Potentials decide to go home. Maybe Kennedy can take Willow home to meet the folks.

So glad White!Willow was a transitory effect.

Oh! So i was talking to Polgara, and I have chosen to believe that the Eye of Botox' reason for the first, an upset in the balance, was that Buffy crossed too far into the darkside. When she looked at the dark side of herself in the face and said that she wanted the First out of her face, she pushed out the darkness from within, and became Hero again, pure, without darkness, for just a bit. Enough to bring back some balance, again.

And I'm sticking with the smarmy fanwank, so don't nary a one of ya try to talk me out of it, ya bastards.