Seriously, the meta issues would have made my rage on something wicked huge.

racks brain for meta issues, looks quizzically at Ple?

racks brain for meta issues, looks quizzically at Ple?

Xander as avatar of Joss, getting the girl, in the end.

Thus reducing seven years of story telling to masturbatory fantasy.

In my head.

And there's no way of fixing that.

Brave, the not going there thing.

So glad they didn't.

Xander as avatar of Joss, getting the girl, in the end.

Huh. I felt like Joss abandoned Xander as his avatar some time around S4 when their respective life paths diverged so broadly. (Joss having little experience with construction work, and being all college educated.)

But I think Joss' sort of sentimental affection for Xander kept him from developing the character the way he should have, or taking chances with the character.

Besides, Wash/Zoe is TheGirl/Joss all married up and that worked out okay.

He still started off that way, which is why I say there's nothing anyone could do to change my mind 'bout that issue.

Besides, Wash/Zoe is TheGirl/Joss all married up and that worked out okay.

Started that way, therefore, all is good.

Not seven years of men bad for Zoe before she realized "Oh! Dang, I should have been with Wash all along!"

But I think Joss' sort of sentimental affection for Xander kept him from developing the character the way he should have, or taking chances with the character.

Yes, this. But I wouldn't have found it ... Jossturbatory if they'd gone X/B. I think it was better that they didn't. S7 was a funny one. I like the overall narrative, but the execution was so disappointing, in so many places.

For me it would have been disappointing if Buffy had ended the series in a relationship with anyone.

I don't see a required "it should have been this way all along!" or "finally!" in the idea of X and B ending up together, whether or not he's still a Jossian avatar. Plenty of other tones to give it.

Except Buffy needed to be single and new.

It's an axe, dammit!

Actually almost more like a glaive here.

For me it would have been disappointing if Buffy had ended the series in a relationship with anyone.

That was my opinion in the spoiler thread that year. "Just don't define Buffy by a boyfriend choice." And I'm fine with where they went. I'm mostly just lamenting the lack of any meaty Xander storylines after S4.

Retroactively, I've come around to resent Spike more now than when the show was on. I would've liked more Xander and Giles time. But then again, they wasted Giles in S4 as it was.

Except Buffy needed to be single and new.

There's that, too.

It's an axe, dammit!

It just looks like one.