and this time, she knew she'd really save the world.

Again. Also, if she didn't, if she was wrong, she wouldn't be around to care. And if she's wrong, the world ends and so does Dawn. One of the many things that make season 5 the bottom of my list. They could have at least forshadowed the damned "our blood is the same thing" somewhere/anywhere in the season. It didn't have to be obvious - just something to point back at (if they'd taken as much care with this as for the stupid-ass "Giles not touching anything"...rant, rant, rant). People complain about all the little things in season 7 that could have been done to make it a little more coherent, but season 5 remains to me the season of wasted potential (as opposed to wasted potentials) where a few tweaks could have made it brilliant. Leaving aside Charlie Weber, for whom there was no hope in the acting sweepstakes, I thought Claire Kramer had her moments, and, with some judicious care, they could have made her at least as good as the Master.

I have an alternate take on the whole bloody season 5 rambling around in my brain - maybe it's time to work that out, finally.

Y'know, I just can't count fulfillment of a death wish as "happy."

Maybe it's just me.

I never saw that as fulfillment of a death wish. I think I am very alone. I never saw it as suicidal. I never saw it as giving up. I just saw it as her next turn at throwing her life between death and people she loves, and this time, she knew she'd really save the world.

I see it as a moment of perfect clarity, where she finally realizes what she has to do. She knows how to save the world, her friends, and Dawn, and how to make everything all better in one fell swoop. Coming at the end of a period of intense bleakness and confusion for her, making this leap must have seemed like the most perfect thing in the world. Of course, the fact that doing so would stop her own pain, let her rest, and absolve her of all future responsibility probably didn't hurt. There's a fair amount of selfishness involved in this act, not to mention the hypocrisy of her telling Dawn that the hardest thing in this world is to live in it--then making a beeline for the exit.

But I don't think Buffy was thinking of the negatives, or of the pain she would cause her friends. She saw the jump as Noble Sacrifice+No More Slayer Crap+Fulfilling the "Death Is Your Gift" Prophecy=Happy.

They could have at least forshadowed the damned "our blood is the same thing" somewhere/anywhere in the season. It didn't have to be obvious - just something to point back at (if they'd taken as much care with this as for the stupid-ass "Giles not touching anything"...rant, rant, rant).

They did at least two times that spring immediately to mind - in Blood Ties with the 'Summers' blood' comment and again in Forever, when Doc yanks out one of Dawn's hairs, examines it, and pronounces that she has very strong DNA.

Cindy is right, though I don't consider that nearly enough to have the whole Buffy=Dawn. Because my sister and I both have the same blood, and the DNA from a hair sample would be close enough to tell that we are related, but we are by no means the same person.

Willow's happiest moment would be during OM,WF. She's enjoying her power, she's got Tara happy, maleable, and loving. She's at the top of her game.

Xander... I'm not sure that he's ever really been happy; too much anger.

Everyone else... I'll have to think about it.

Cindy is right, though I don't consider that nearly enough to have the whole Buffy=Dawn. Because my sister and I both have the same blood, and the DNA from a hair sample would be close enough to tell that we are related, but we are by no means the same person.

There's a whole sympathetic magic thing in my head that I can see, but not articulate. Will try to do so later.

Willow's happiest moment would be during OM,WF. She's enjoying her power, she's got Tara happy, maleable, and loving. She's at the top of her game.

Well, definitely during "Under Your Spell."

Xander... I'm not sure that he's ever really been happy; too much anger.

Breaking into the Initiative in "Primevil," when Buffy and Willow hugged him.

Breaking into the Initiative in "Primevil," when Buffy and Willow hugged him.

Yes this, and I keep flashing on the beginning of Crush when he and Buffy are investigating the train car that Dru wiped out and she's telling Xander about Spike's crush on her. He gets very silly, and it's very Xanderific - the whole, It's funnier if it's true bit.

BTW, who did the voiceover of the "In every generation" speech at the beginning of the eps in Season 1?

connie - that was creepy announcer guy.

Creepy Announcer Guy--ah, some anonymous W&H flunky?

The Cindy stuff were hints, but not ones that added up to "My blood is EXACTLY the same as her blood." If that's what those moments were meant to convey (even if only after the fact) they weren't enough to make it NOT AN ASSPULL.

imo