I haven't been reading or posting much here due to real life issues but it was kind of a blessing to go into the finale "clean". Buffistas are so bright and articulate that I often find myself swayed by their opinions. Sometimes when I'm reading I feel like one of those bobblehead dolls, just sitting and nodding at the screen. I went into the finale with only my own, admittedly low, expectations. And I loved/hated the finale.

I laughed at the Angel/Buffy/Spike ("He wears lifts." hee) At the same time I had a "He's here just for that moment and a "What about Cordy?" moment. But hey, hoyay!

I laughed and cringed at the party in Xander's eye. I loved D&D!Giles. Heck, I just loved Giles again period. At the same time, I thought "What happened to crap!Giles?" and "Why did they make us go through that again."

I thought the Spuffy was handled with grace. I definitely thought they had "the sex" and I was ok with it. At the same time, I wondered why they couldn't have given us more of that great characterization before.

I started crying as soon as Anya took off with her little monkey. And what a perfect death for her. At the same time, I would have liked to have seen someone other than Andrew care a little bit about the fact that she'd died. If not for her sake, then at least for Xander.

I loved the hot Faith/Wood (and McHottie is sooo prettier than Faith). At the same time, couldn't you have made the Faith/Wood sex that good?

I could go on, but then I realized that I just had to take the finale on its own merits. If I start picking at it in light of all the things I didn't like about this season, the whole thing is just gonna unravel for me. I don't want that because, while I was watching, I did love this episode.

Willow told Xander to roll with the pirate look! Dawn kicked Buffy! Buffy saw the hoyay! Giles shook his head in that Giles-y way and watched his charges march off to save the world again! Andrew did a good, good thing (and got Xander to touch him-- banner day for him)! Spike saved the world! Buffy told Spike she loved him and I didn't feel like tearing my hair out! Some little girl is about to knock the hell out of a softball! So many good things.

And Buffy smiled again. A real one. And we don't know what's gonna happen next, but I'd like to know. I want to see how Wood surprises Faith. I want to see Dawn, Jr. Watcher. I want to watch Willow, badass good witch. I want to see them gathering up potentials from all over. I won't see this (sniff) but I want to. I still care after seven seasons, countless big bads (and that's just the fashion faux pas), the plural of apocalypse. That's an achievement.

So, I won't nitpick today. Can't promise about tomorrow. Today, I'll just say thanks ME. Job well done.

And Andrew being startled, then slowly putting his arms around Xander as tears welled up in his own eyes.

And slowly relaxing

And as they become more comfortable

Sorry, I can't take that any further without saying things I really shouldn't be saying right now.

As for the age thing, I would imagine that there's an age limit up and downwards. I don't know why, and showing an old lady fighting a mugger or a baby throwing her bowl across a football field would have been nice. But maybe the spell worked by latching onto a hormone released only by women near or capable of periods or something. I dunno.

Oh yeah, what I've been meaning to say all day: Kennedy's persistent state of living still bugs me, but in their last scenes I started to buy W/K, the least hot lesbians on TV. The secret is for them not to talk. Or touch each other. And be at least 20 feet away from each other at all times. Those have been their best scenes.

And oh yeah, if Sunnydale=Santa Barbara, somebody should have remembered the existence of the Pacific Ocean. But flooding the pit as well as sinking it would have been too much, and would have thwarted the escape of our heroes, unless they'd hotwired Chitty Chitty Bang Bus.

Calli, Bavarian ubervamp slash? I'm shocked!

Wow! Every time I think about that insecure little girl at the plate suddenly no longer being insecure, and how far she's gonna hit that ball, I just get all teary.

And slowly relaxing

And as they become more comfortable

Months later, Xander finds himself thinking of that moment much more frequently than he can explain. Wonders if Willow actually did "gay him up" as per request.

IHSK.

Seriously, I can't take that little baseball girl. I was that little girl at the plate.

Stop with the baseball girl! I'm at work!

Baseball girl was the BESTEST.

Except for Vi.

Damn you, wee Jon, for having Dibs. VI SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE LESBIAN!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE HOT VI ON WILL ACTION????

(weeps)