Three weeks ago, I finished my Buffy marathon and all I have to say is that this was an amazing journey. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has the amazing ability of being a character-driven supernatural show, with complete, deep, realistic heroes that never stop to grow up and develop into better (or worse) people, with complete story lines that cover whole seasons, with drama, sci-fi and humour that are so masterfully combined, and finally with the much-appreciated (and rarely so succefully-existent in other shows) plot and character continuity. All this makes it a really good show, one that when you watch it, you feel like you go through a journey following the heroes' lives and this is important seeing as the creators have managed to make the seasons different and not easily confused with one another.
Here, I am going to present a small review of the last four seasons of the show, as spoiler-free as possible. However, if you haven't finished the show and you are about to, it'd be best if you avoided articles such as this. For the review of the first three seasons, you can go here.
Here, I am going to present a small review of the last four seasons of the show, as spoiler-free as possible. However, if you haven't finished the show and you are about to, it'd be best if you avoided articles such as this. For the review of the first three seasons, you can go here.
Season 4: Changes
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| Buffy |
Season 4 is a transitional season, and for that it is not among the fan favourites, even though it has some of the best episodes of the whole series. Firstly, some of the series' regulars aren't regulars any more as Angel (David Boreanaz) and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) have moved onto the Buffy Spin-off: Angel. Second, the kids have finally gone to college and with college comes drinking, partying, dating and experimenting. So, naturally, this is a funnier year because this is what happens when you come of age and rebel a little bit. And, boy, was this season funny. I think I haven't laughed more during a Buffy season, and that is saying something. The source of laughter was usually Spike who here, returning as a regular from now on, has the beginning of a beautiful story line but during this season he is just hilarious. Then, there is also the amazing Anya (Emma Caulfield) who first appeared in the 3rd season but it's here that she finally makes an impression as a character. Xander is still a little lost but he'll soon find his calling and finally, Willow has also a great story line that will make her grow up and evolve into something more as she is starting to get really involved with magic. All these have already played a part in the series, or they will soon become important in the next seasons and that is the reason why I'm talking about the amazing continuity that Joss Whedon's stories have. That is also why even the worst episodes of the series have something important to offer and are not a total waste of time. And there are a couple of "worst episodes" in season 4, that's for sure.
But there are also some of the best. "Hush" is an exceptional example. This is the famous episode with 27 minutes of silence, as the characters' voices have been stolen by a demon. I could go on talking about Hush for many paragraphs, about how captivating the music and the atmosphere is even though there is no dialog, about how frightening the "Gentlemen" are (personally these and the old man from 2x18 - Killed by Death were the only demons that frightened me the most), about how amazing the introduction of Tara (Amber Benson), a much beloved character, is but I won't. You just have to watch this episode, even if you haven't watched a single Buffy episode, ever. Then, there is the amazing, strange and unique finale of season 4, "Restless" with a great look into the 4 main characters' dreams, fears and hopes. This is TV-making at its best and it's all Joss Whedon.
As for Buffy, she, too, learns some big lessons during this year. There are lessons about her past and her destiny, things that we'll be proven important for her development as a person and a slayer. And she also gets a boyfriend, Riley (Marc Blucas), the least beloved boyfriend according to the fans. Personally, I didn't mind Riley. I thought he was important for Buffy and her evolution, certainly not her soul-mate and future husband, but surely not a complete waste of time. But that's until season 5.
As for Buffy, she, too, learns some big lessons during this year. There are lessons about her past and her destiny, things that we'll be proven important for her development as a person and a slayer. And she also gets a boyfriend, Riley (Marc Blucas), the least beloved boyfriend according to the fans. Personally, I didn't mind Riley. I thought he was important for Buffy and her evolution, certainly not her soul-mate and future husband, but surely not a complete waste of time. But that's until season 5.
Lastly, what season 4 lacks is an important and fearsome villain. The season's villain is Adam, a part human - part demon - part robot, who isn't much. They tried to make him dangerous, but seriously, after The Mayor and Angelus he felt like nothing. And thankfully (surprisingly though) he wastn't in the finale. As for the government stuff, these had to come up someday (to answer the question if other people have noticed the demons living in our world) and, thankfully, they came up in season 4 because the next seasons had other and more important things to show us. All in all, season 4 is a harmless season. Not the worst, definitely not the best, but harmless. Even though it is a little bit all over the place and it fails in some things, it definitely pushed the characters forward, and that is what's important, after all.
Season 5: Of Life and Death
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| Willow, Giles, Buffy, Tara, Dawn, Spike, Xander, Anya, Riley |
Season 5 starts with the biggest WTF moment, ever. It introduces us, out of nowhere, to a new character, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), who feels important but we know nothing about even though clues about her appearance have been thrown here and there since season 3. Then, this is the season where everything gets bigger and smaller at the same time. See, during season 5 we have the biggest villain ever (and my personal favourite, followed by Angelus), Glory (Clare Kramer), who is not just a demon but something much much more, and she really manages to turn the world of our beloved characters upside down and that's why she is such a successful antagonist to Buffy. While all this is happening in the world, the creators manage to turn our attention to the smaller but important everyday things that we, normal people, have to face in our lives: you see, season 5 is not just about the fight against demons and gods but it is also about the everyday struggle to live and fight the threat of death. When I think about the 5th season, one is the episode that instantly comes to my mind and it's the 16th episode named "The Body". Without revealing anything spoilerish, I must say that during this episode we see what role death plays in our lives and what happens when we lose what's most important to us. This is one of the most "human" Buffy episodes where the ultimate villain is life and death and not some useless vampire. It is also the episode where the actors deliver their best performances yet.
Death is what haunts this season (and continues to haunt the series up to the very end) and here is where the series could easily come to an end (even though there are many great episodes to come). Buffy manages to evolve so much and become the true heroine everybody else already tells her she is. She makes her greatest leap of faith and shows selflessness in order to save the people she loves so much. Xander, finally becomes a man. It is here, during season 5 that he finally takes his life into his own hands and that is a good and welcome change after the "lost" feeling he had during the previous season. Giles has some very funny moments, too, as he finds a new purpose in his life: to own a magic shop. And then, the seeds for a new relationship between our heroine and a much complex character are starting to grow. (Here, I have to add that I was, am and will forever be so much in favour of this particular relationship [even though it has its share of haters], because, let's face it, Angel is a boring character so the new "love interest" seems so interesting and brings a new dynamic to the show). In conclusion, we can see that this season brings every single character to a new level and a new point in their lives. It feels like a circle has come to an end. Personally, I like to think that seasons 4 and 5 are the second chapter to the Buffy story, a story that comes, somehow, to an end here without many (if any) loose ends. The 5th season is the most complete season of the show even though it leaves us with a bitter, sad feeling in the end.
Season 6: Life is the Big Bad
Season 6: Life is the Big Bad
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| Buffy, Spike, Dawn, Giles, Anya, Xander, Tara and Willow in "Once More With Feeling" |
Buffy is the core of this depression. See, in the end of last season she practically ends her life and her story, feeling fullfilled and good about her choice. Here, she comes back, out of her friends' good will and heart, but she realises that what she has to face is life itself, because life is the big bad. And she doesn't want to. She doesn't have the strength to start over. Spike is the only person that can understand what Buffy's feeling. This is why she feels a connection to him. But, she is in such a dark place that she ends taking advantage of him and his feelings dragging him further into the darkness, while at the same time he, too, being a creature of the darkness himself, drags her into his own dark places. They are the definition of "right people but wrong place and time". Dawn is a girl who has lost her mother, she has lost her sister and now that she gets one of them back, she just wants a normal life. As for Giles, thinking that Buffy is an adult who doesn't need his help anymore, he makes the choice to leave her right when she needs him the most. Did you understand why I mentioned "bad choices" earlier? And that is just the beginning. Xander, out of fear and self-doubt, ends up making a choice that he will soon question a lot because he is just a guy who's not sure about what he wants from his life. And Willow...well, let's just say that this is not her best year. We have seen her in a dark place before, during season 4 after her break-up with Oz, but that is nothing compared to what she goes through this year, and especially during the last four episodes of the season. Loss, death, mistakes, wrong turns. All these describe this year in our heroes' lives.
Funnily enough, this dark season has some really light moments too. First of all, the season-long villains are three nerdy types, the Trio, who, at first, seem really ridiculous and non-threatening at all. Up to the 19th episode, that is. They offer some of the season's funniest moments (with 6x05 - Life Serial being one of my most favourites besides its much ridiculous premise). This is nice, having some comic relief in the season's big bads, in total contrast with the dark place where our characters are. Besides, the Trio don't end up being the finale's big villain, seeing as season 6 has the most unexpected villain ever. The Trio also manages to show us that even the smallest and most innocent-looking person can underestimate their power and do something really harmful to others.
Secondly, during this grave 6th season, we get to watch the famous musical episode, titled, Once More with Feeling. It sure is a much welcome installment, but it is much more than that. Through singing, the characters get to express everything they feel, moving the plot forward. We understand what everyone feels and thinks. We see what their motivations behind their actions are. And there are also some truths that get to be revealed. The music and lyrics (both written by Joss Whedon) are great and you soon find yourself mumbling the words (my personal favourites include "I'll never tell", "Rest in Peace", "Walk through the Fire", and "Where do we go from here?"). And, luckily, this episode is not there just for the sake of it. It is not a filler-episode. It is important, it is special, it is significant and unsurpassed. Out of the many great lyrics I could choose from, I end this season's review with the following, which, I think, shows exactly where our characters are and how they'll go on from now on, having finally matured and having found their true selves: "Understand, we'll go hand in hand but, we'll walk alone in fear...Where do we go from here?" And, fortunately, this season ends with a great cliffhanger, one that will change the course of a particular character forever. (See? Choices.)
Season 7: The Finale
And, finally, we reached the finale of this exceptional TV series. It is a bittersweet ending, one that eventually and unsurprisingly has to come someday, and season 7 is where it all ends. Let me just say that I'm glad Buffy ended here. It would be awful if it dragged on "forever" until it finally reached that point of no return, like many other series that "forget to end". It ended at the right time. Now, let me say that this is not a favourite season for many many people. And I will get the bad things out of the way quickly, because I, personally, enjoyed this season so I would like to focus on the good. The 7th is most certainly not the best season. And just because it is the last but not the best, many think that it is the worst. Which is a mistake. The creators most certainly made some bad choices during this season, but were it the penultimate season, we wouldn't have noticed. It is just because this is the last time that we get to see our favourite characters that the bad things strike out so much. And by bad things I mean just 3 things:
1. The potentials. I was so determined to like the potentials, just because I had heard so many criticisms about them. But, I didn't care so much. I mean, the idea was great and it had so much...well...potential. But so many new characters are not easy for the viewer. It is not easy to get to like these girls. It would be better if they were fewer. (And if Kennedy didn't exist, at all). However, it is so great to see a young Felicia Day among them. For her alone, I can forgive them.
2. There is a moment in 7x19 - Empty Places that Willow, Xander and Giles do something so out-of-character and so late in the series that is just wrong. Let me just say that they would never turn their back to Buffy. They didn't even turn their back to her during season 3 when she had hidden Angel's return from them. Why now? I get that the writers wanted Spike to give her his incredible and most touching speach during 7x20 but they could have done it another way.
3. Final seasons exist to wrap things up. (check) To give an ending to the story. (check) To -possibly- have a final epic battle. (check) To let their characters say their goodbyes. (check...not so much) This is what I missed the most. I liked everything about the character arcs this season (except Willow & Kennedy). Hey, I even sympathised with Faith this time around. But, I think that Xander, Giles, Dawn and Willow needed a little more. Not much. Just a scene or two. Just to show us where they would go after all this. Just to see how they end their own journies. But I guess, this happens everytime I finish something that I like so much and lasts for so long. I always feel like I need more. And now that I come to think of it, maybe I overreact. Maybe all I wanted, after all, was one more season (and one more after that).
The 7th season feels so different following two really dark seasons. It is a little like season 4, where everything was funnier and calmer. And that's a good thing. I wouldn't want to have to say goodbye to Buffy while there's so much depression going on. And, honestly, this is a totally funny season. I can't help but laugh everytime I remember all the hilarious scenes in 7x06 - Him, and especially the scene with Buffy outside the principal's office. There are also, some amazingly great episodes during this season. 7x02 - Beneath You, with the amazing final scene of Spike who confesses to Buffy all the sacrifices he's made to win her heart, sympathy and forgiveness. It really brings chills down my spine, the image of him hugging that cross. 7x05 - Selfless with Anya's marvellous story, 7x07 - Conversations with Dead People where The First makes his terrifying appearance in front of Willow, 7x16 - Storyteller, 7x17 - Lies my Parents Told me with Spike's backstory continued from 5x07 - Fool for Love and finally 7x22 - Chosen, the breathtaking finale. It really is a marvellous season.
The big bad of the season is a terrifying villain, The First (with an amazing first appearance in the season's first episode where he takes the form of all the previous seasons' main villains), the only one after season 2's Angelus and season 5's Glory that can really be frightening, and that is saying something. And then, there's Nathan Fillion, who plays Caleb, a really evil and misogynist priest. But, honestly, you just can't hate Nathan Fillion. You can't hate this guy. Maybe it's just me, as I surely have a soft spot for him, but everytime I see him I can't help but smile. Anyhow, it was good to see him in Buffy.
Our heroine gets to finish her story on a high note. She has finally found herself after so long and she finally understands her purpose, but, at the same time, she continues to act selflessly and wants to give her power to other people too. She also finally manages to trust. She trusts Spike with her life and she even stands up to her friends in order to save the man that she believes in. As for our beloved vampire, he has made a huge step. He has made the ultimate sacrifice, and although he suffers at first, he finally understands what true love is, what true dedication is and for that he becomes the -unexpected- hero that saves the day.
As I write about it, I realise that I really love this season as much as all the others, even if I still wait for Buffy to kiss Spike eventually. There, I said it! The 7th season is a much fitting ending to a great story. It has a great last episode, with a beautiful funny scene of the Scoobies just before the final battle, where they discuss what they'll do the next day and a great last epic battle. And it ends appropriately with a -bittersweet- smile on Buffy's face, because - yes - this was such a beautiful journey that deserves to end with a smile full of hope and relief. They have made it.
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| Buffy |
1. The potentials. I was so determined to like the potentials, just because I had heard so many criticisms about them. But, I didn't care so much. I mean, the idea was great and it had so much...well...potential. But so many new characters are not easy for the viewer. It is not easy to get to like these girls. It would be better if they were fewer. (And if Kennedy didn't exist, at all). However, it is so great to see a young Felicia Day among them. For her alone, I can forgive them.
2. There is a moment in 7x19 - Empty Places that Willow, Xander and Giles do something so out-of-character and so late in the series that is just wrong. Let me just say that they would never turn their back to Buffy. They didn't even turn their back to her during season 3 when she had hidden Angel's return from them. Why now? I get that the writers wanted Spike to give her his incredible and most touching speach during 7x20 but they could have done it another way.
3. Final seasons exist to wrap things up. (check) To give an ending to the story. (check) To -possibly- have a final epic battle. (check) To let their characters say their goodbyes. (check...not so much) This is what I missed the most. I liked everything about the character arcs this season (except Willow & Kennedy). Hey, I even sympathised with Faith this time around. But, I think that Xander, Giles, Dawn and Willow needed a little more. Not much. Just a scene or two. Just to show us where they would go after all this. Just to see how they end their own journies. But I guess, this happens everytime I finish something that I like so much and lasts for so long. I always feel like I need more. And now that I come to think of it, maybe I overreact. Maybe all I wanted, after all, was one more season (and one more after that).
The 7th season feels so different following two really dark seasons. It is a little like season 4, where everything was funnier and calmer. And that's a good thing. I wouldn't want to have to say goodbye to Buffy while there's so much depression going on. And, honestly, this is a totally funny season. I can't help but laugh everytime I remember all the hilarious scenes in 7x06 - Him, and especially the scene with Buffy outside the principal's office. There are also, some amazingly great episodes during this season. 7x02 - Beneath You, with the amazing final scene of Spike who confesses to Buffy all the sacrifices he's made to win her heart, sympathy and forgiveness. It really brings chills down my spine, the image of him hugging that cross. 7x05 - Selfless with Anya's marvellous story, 7x07 - Conversations with Dead People where The First makes his terrifying appearance in front of Willow, 7x16 - Storyteller, 7x17 - Lies my Parents Told me with Spike's backstory continued from 5x07 - Fool for Love and finally 7x22 - Chosen, the breathtaking finale. It really is a marvellous season.
The big bad of the season is a terrifying villain, The First (with an amazing first appearance in the season's first episode where he takes the form of all the previous seasons' main villains), the only one after season 2's Angelus and season 5's Glory that can really be frightening, and that is saying something. And then, there's Nathan Fillion, who plays Caleb, a really evil and misogynist priest. But, honestly, you just can't hate Nathan Fillion. You can't hate this guy. Maybe it's just me, as I surely have a soft spot for him, but everytime I see him I can't help but smile. Anyhow, it was good to see him in Buffy.
Our heroine gets to finish her story on a high note. She has finally found herself after so long and she finally understands her purpose, but, at the same time, she continues to act selflessly and wants to give her power to other people too. She also finally manages to trust. She trusts Spike with her life and she even stands up to her friends in order to save the man that she believes in. As for our beloved vampire, he has made a huge step. He has made the ultimate sacrifice, and although he suffers at first, he finally understands what true love is, what true dedication is and for that he becomes the -unexpected- hero that saves the day.
As I write about it, I realise that I really love this season as much as all the others, even if I still wait for Buffy to kiss Spike eventually. There, I said it! The 7th season is a much fitting ending to a great story. It has a great last episode, with a beautiful funny scene of the Scoobies just before the final battle, where they discuss what they'll do the next day and a great last epic battle. And it ends appropriately with a -bittersweet- smile on Buffy's face, because - yes - this was such a beautiful journey that deserves to end with a smile full of hope and relief. They have made it.
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