I thought I'd read that UPN lost the rights to the show after S7 ended (their 2-year contract was up), but apparently they got them back.

I always thought that a network could broadcast each episode at least 2 and maybe 3 times before their rights expired and syndication rights took over. I also think there is a time limit for broadcasting the reruns, but I don't know what they would be.

Now that I think about it, I do know that CBS has broadcast certain episodes of CSI multiple times, so it all probably boils down to specifics in the contract.

Technically, Buffy chose to activate all the potentials. So "she won't choose you" to me meant "you won't be a slayer."

Which is kind of lame, yeah. But it's the best I can do.

sj -- are you sure you mean "Get it Done"? The last season 7 Buffy I've seen is "Showtime" - - you know Buffy in the Thunderdome.

"Get it Done" is the one with the First CoW.

Aw. I just got the Season 2 DVDs. I'd never seen "Inca Mummy Girl" before. Good times! And knowing that Willow is later "kinda gay" made the attempted mummification by girl-on-girl action kinda interesting.

I just watched it last night, too, with my BF who is watching the entire series in order for the first time. He loved IMG, and liked Some Assembly, etc. I'm so excited for him to see eps like Passion and Becoming II-- so good! It gets so much better! Damn!

Don't you just want to date Shawn's BF?

I pointed out Jonathan when the camera panned over him at the Bronze, completely forgetting that Ampata tries to kill him. I told Bob that Jonathan appears in most of the eps, becoming a recurring cast member in later seasons. Then Ampata tries to kill him and Bob says, "Oh, so he's a mummy for the rest of the series!" He starts riffing,

"Does anyone have any other ideas? Jonathan?"
[point to Jonathan]
[Jonathan is sitting at the table, mummified, claws outstretched and his mouth in a rictus]
"Next week on Buffy..."
"...still haven't heard your ideas, Jonathan..."

Later, Bob says, "Oh! So Xander is the mummy for the rest of the series!"

Technically, Buffy chose to activate all the potentials. So "she won't choose you" to me meant "you won't be a slayer."

Which is kind of lame, yeah. But it's the best I can do.

I don't get it. How would not activating the potentials be choosing Dawn, since Dawn wasn't a potential slayer in the first place?

I think having Xander kidnap her, choosing not to have Dawn in the final battle, is the closest thing to Ghost!Joyce/FE!Joyce prophecy fulfillment that we've got in canon.

And it's still kind of lame, too.

How would not activating the potentials be choosing Dawn, since Dawn wasn't a potential slayer in the first place?

No -- Buffy "chose" the potentials, as future slayers.

Dawn was not chosen. I don't think the fact she wasn't a potential matters, only that she was not in the group of people Buffy "chose."

It's lame, but I think it's the best interpretation you can get from what's onscreen. YReadingoftheLineMV.

I think having Xander kidnap her, choosing not to have Dawn in the final battle, is the closest thing to Ghost!Joyce/FE!Joyce prophecy fulfillment that we've got in canon.

This is a possibility, too. Or, as the writer says, it may just have been the First messing w/Dawn's mind.

YReadingoftheLineMV.

It does, because to me, Dawn would have to be a choice of some kind, up for the choosing, for that to fit.

This is a possibility, too. Or, as the writer says, it may just have been the First messing w/Dawn's mind.

As many have said though, the FE lied with the truth. What should have happen (another example of lazy writing/poor execution in season 7) is that at some point in the season after CwDP, Buffy should have had to make a choice, and in doing so, if she chose Dawn, Dawn would start to doubt whether or not Buffy was Buffy, or, in not choosing Dawn, Dawn should have been felt betrayed and been more susceptible to the FE.

Or...

Buffy and the FE!In-Buffy's-Appearance, should each have been trying to convince Dawn that she/it was the real Buffy, and Dawn would have had to decide who was Buffy and who was the FE. But, since the FE was incorporeal, this couldn't really work.

It was a shame they let such a great set-up go to waste, in favor of things like the Eye of Tapioca.

My instinct says it was this:

the First messing w/Dawn's mind

but I would not argue with this

No -- Buffy "chose" the potentials, as future slayers.

Dawn was not chosen. I don't think the fact she wasn't a potential matters, only that she was not in the group of people Buffy "chose."

as canon as to how FE!Joyce ended up telling the "truth". Especially given the title of the finale.

If you want to get real technical though - the FE couldn't have known Dawn wouldn't get chosen, because that means it would have known Buffy's plan to defeat the ubervamp army was to activate the potentials - and it didn't know that. Or...did it? cues scary "doom doom doom doom" music