My problem with the climax isn't so much that Spike got to share the hero's journey (although I do have one). I had the same problem with "Grave," and I don't begrudge Xander his triumph the way I begrudge Spike his (and that latter is My Personal Issue): despite the strength of the ensemble, this is a show about an individual's hero's journey, and I think--as a *structural* reinforcement for the emotional themes of the season--that individual should get the action climax of the season, and in fact the action and emotional climaxes should be the same.

This couldn't be another Becoming because of the theme (or point, or something). The point to this season was that the slayer shouldn't be "the" slayer; all this power and weighty responsibility should not rest on the shoulders of one girl/young woman; that we shouldn't isolate, but lean on and support each other and work together. Buffy did defeat the real biggest evil, and that was her aloneness. Spike just got a shiny, killing moment, that's all.

Well, is the FE even dead? I doubt it. Just it's current plan is spoiled, and now it's a much bigger problem to go around trying to pick off the slayers.

There's no longer a power imbalance with one slayer having so much more power than any other human, so the FE is not dead (because it is the essence of evil), but the imbalance that allowed it to visually manifest is gone.

one slayer having so much more power than any other human

Was that the root of the problem? I thought that was the status quo, and when it no longer was the issue (either when the line split or Buffy last came back) was what allowed it to gather a head of steam.

OK - Connie just broke me, rut it. I knew that, but tried to ignore it. Re-watch is going to be a bear. Undo it! Undo it!

Was that the root of the problem? I thought that was the status quo, and when it no longer was the issue (either when the line split or Buffy last came back) was what allowed it to gather a head of steam.

Well, I think Buffy had even more power than any other slayer had ever had. The girl couldn't stay dead.

Jen - Agnès B. is a real store, and a very chic, very expensive, very French one.

I think Buffy had even more power than any other slayer had ever had. The girl couldn't stay dead.

If you count power as friends, yes. Because they brought her back. I didn't think she had any more slayerness than any of the others, just more resources. Diverse resources, which are what helped her win.

So she was much more effective, but that doesn't lead me in the direction of a supernatural imbalance.

"Couldn't" stay dead or "wouldn't", hmmm?

Brought to you by "that sounded like it actually meant something in my head but, written down, not so much".

This couldn't be another Becoming because of the theme (or point, or something). The point to this season was that the slayer shouldn't be "the" slayer; all this power and weighty responsibility should not rest on the shoulders of one girl/young woman; that we shouldn't isolate, but lean on and support each other and work together.

Which is why it's ironic that the "Becoming" cross-cutting works better for me as a technique to support the point of a group working together than the "Chosen" technique of a montage followed by a solo scene. I wish the timing had been tweaked a bit.

I'm going to stop beating this dead horse now.

I think the flaw in the Slayer line was simply multiple Slayers. "Prophecy Girl" compounded by "Bargaining."

Secret message to SA: His name is Crowley.

I think the flaw in the Slayer line was simply multiple Slayers. "Prophecy Girl" compounded by "Bargaining."

I would too, except that making everyone who could be a slayer, be a slayer, was their solution.

If you count power as friends, yes. Because they brought her back. I didn't think she had any more slayerness than any of the others, just more resources. Diverse resources, which are what helped her win.

So she was much more effective, but that doesn't lead me in the direction of a supernatural imbalance.

It's just how I make sense of it in my head. I don't think it was well executed. What the Eye of Beljoxa said should have meant something to someone, at some point, other than Giles and Anya, immediately after they were told. Buffy certainly was more powerful because of her human connections, but I don't think that's what they were selling with the Eye's statement. It comes across to me as if we were supposed to buy (just on the eye's statements) that Buffy herself was also more powerful than any other slayer. I think they didn't sell it well, though.