See, that's so interesting, Gleebo... Your list of shortcomings in S7 is almost exactly the same as mine, and yet I get all ranty about it, and you actually like the season. Fascinating!

I miss Xander though, although I have been missing the Xander I knew since S4. He was the reason I fell in love with the show, because, basically I was Xander. But I guess it seems fitting that a person who felt unnappreciated at times was pushed to the backburner. Almost like it was a subtle cue to Xander after S3 that sometimes he does need to just sit back and get out of the way unless called upon.

But there is always room for Xander humor, no matter what. We needed more of that.

Thank god for Andrew.

My perfect S7 would have been called S5 and would have incorporated all the good bits of the last 3 seasons with none of the dead weight.

The First would have been incredibly cool, and there would have been no Glory, and no Caleb.

I enjoyed Caleb, but his late arrival makes me understand why some do not like him.

Another thing about S7 that irked me was that the character of Xander had perfect attendance in the series up until "Conversations with Dead People". Joss and co blew a perfect opportunity to have Eric Balfour return as Jesse, even if it was for just a few scenes. Also I would have loved to see Tara return, and even Halfrek for Anya.

Another thing was that all the hype about Dawn possibly being a potential was another waste of time, even though I enjoyed "Potential". It would have made perfect sense to me if she was a potential because she was molded from a slayer, so therfore she would have some of the traits of one. I think that internet feedback may have nixed this one because so many people were negative about her becoming a slayer. I know the writers and producers of the show hear some of this and no matter what they say, I think some of it affects their final decisions on the direction of the show. Otherwise we never would have gotten S/B, which I think fans pushing for made it come to fruition.

How do you envision the First, Jess?

Because I think it should have been a season long Yoko Factor, with lots of mental anguish.

Another thing about S7 that irked me was that the character of Xander had perfect attendance in the series up until "Conversations with Dead People". Joss and co blew a perfect opportunity to have Eric Balfour return as Jesse, even if it was for just a few scenes.

Do not get me started about this (and the fucking timestamp!). Oh, look, too late. But I won't get into it.

Personally I think that "CwDP" was highly overrated. Dawn's encounter was creepy and great, but Buffy's was just fodder. All that bullshit to find out that Spike was killing people again. Not trying to takeaway from the actor who portrayed Holden, but he just didn't mean anything to the previous or future Buffyverse.

The Jonathan death at the end was what made the episode so powerful for me.

Jessica, imagine the impact the Dawn segment of CWDP would have had if it occurred a couple of episodes after "Forever."

oooh, spooky near-crosspost with Gleebo about that very scene.

eesh. Don't get me going on "Forever". I don't usually say that I dislike episodes, but that one ranks very low on my list of 144.

I think it was DB's acting that seemed phoned in and out of place that turned me off from that episode.

Oh and the demon eggs. Whenever there are eggs and Spike involved, this never really goes well in my book.

Yeah, but he was in it for what, two minutes?

I think it may be the fact I found Monkey'sPaw!Joyce to be the scariest thing in the show's history that made me so fond of the ep. Although I'm also of the opinion that SMG tuned in some of her finest acting of the season in that final scene.