Post-Apocalypse

Post-Apocalypse

How did I do with my Buffy predictions? Spike died, the amulet saved the day, Willow performed magic on a major scale ("That was nifty!"), Faith and Principal Wood were being set up for a new series (and actually got more screentime together than, say, Anya and Xander), and Anya died saving Andrew. The original gang didn't end up facing off against the First's legion of ubervamps together, but there was a delightful scene in which the four main characters shared a moment in the corridors of Sunnydale High. If I'm not mistaken, Giles was quoting the series' very first episode. The others got to wisecrack about shopping after the apocalypse. Tee hee! (Don't know if anyone noticed, but during that scene, you can see the shadow of a prop guy moving across the hallway behind Xander.)

All in all, it was a bloody good ending. Joss Whedon can be pretentious at times (especially on his Buffy DVD commentaries), but one thing you have to say for him is that he knows how to write character arcs. His characters don't remain on the series unless they have a purpose to fulfil. And in the finale, he tied up everything that needed to be, while still finding time to peddle his cheesy yet affecting message, that anyone who might be a slayer, will be a slayer. Which is to say, girls rock, man.