“I want you to get out of my face!”
Buffy ends with a bang….
And the power of the labrys.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
“Chosen”
Cast and Crew:
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
Emma Caulfield as Anya
Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn
James Marsters as Spike
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Special Guests:
Anthony Stewart Head as Giles
David Boreanaz as Angel
Eliza Dushku as Faith
Iyari Limon as Kennedy
DB Woodside as Robin Wood
Tom Lenk as Andrew
Nathan Fillion as Caleb
Written and directed by Joss Whedon.
Executive Producers:
Joss Whedon
Marni Noxon
Plot:
After some false starts, Buffy realizes that she can turn all the Potentials into Slayers, and lead them in a Harrowing of the Hellmouth.
High Points:
Finally, we get that mix of superheroics, witty banter, and horrorshow that first made Buffy worth watching. The riff on the pilot episode’s final scene, just before the final battle, made for an especially nice touch.
I laughed out loud at the D&D sequence; it’s been awhile since Buffy‘s made me do that.
Woodside and Dushku have good chemistry.
Low Points:
The show featured the tail-end of the entire season’s biggest problems. Since Buffy went into full soap opera mode, we’ve had too many false leads. Buffy gets replaced, and then returns. Angel arrives, and then he leaves. Xander takes Dawn away from danger, and then they return. The First tempts Spike, but that plot dies. Giles appears evil, but he really isn’t. That isn’t good writing; it’s a piling of episodic hints to keep people chatting.
How the Hellmouth did five ordinary humans manage so effectively against the ubervamps? (at least, before the sun became a factor)
And, once again, where is everyone else in the world who might have a stake in this battle?
The Scores:
Originality: 2/6 To be honest, this was nothing new. We knew they’d fight the Big Bad, that someone– and the bets were on Anya– would die, and that the Potentials would become an army. The suggestion made here (and elsewhere) that Faith and the others should temporarily die to “slayerize” their sisters would have made a more dramatic twist, and could also have involved Willow, but this still gave all of those until-now useless Slayers a purpose.
Effects: 3/6 Overdone. Spike’s transfiguration looked cheesey, and the Army of Hell resembled overly The Lord of the Rings.
Story: 5/6 The story had its predictable elements, but the writing and dialogue were the best they’ve been this season.
Acting: 5/6 Good overall. Marsters had some fine moments, and the original four recaptured the chemistry of the early seasons.
Emotional Response: 5/6 I’ve been bored with Buffy this season; I started to care about the principal characters again here.
Production: 5/6 As always.
Overall: 5/6 The ending may have been overdone, but this was a satisfying finale to the series.
Total: 30/42
Next Time:
Oh wait…. There is no next time. Anyone else want to make predictions for future careers?
SMG and Alyson Hannigan have the most potential, but people have emerged from more popular shows with as much and never made it. Let’s face it; the film career of Sarah Gellar thus far hasn’t been quite stellar. Hannigan’s less of a star but more of an actor, so we shall see if H’wood offers her better than this one time, at band camp…. I haven’t exactly been kind towards Michelle Trachtenberg, but that’s mostly due to the superfluous whiner she’s had to play. She’s certainly been the least type-cast by her appearance on this show
Dushku has a gig for next year, and Marsters is allegedly returning somehow to Angel— unless that was a red herring to make his death more of a surprise. Giles’s show has been scrapped, but at least one Angel guest spot seems likely.
We have a literal army of Slayers who can appear on Angel and in any other spin-offs, movie adaptations, comic-books, and licensed products for years to come (After School Special: Portrait of a Pre-Teen Slayer). Iyari Limon has emerged as the most interesting of the young Slayers, and I’ll be looking for her. Of course, she’ll have to deal with all the idiot producer-types who, at this very moment, are thinking, “hey, she’s got a hot bod and she does lesbian scenes!” Berman and Braga probably already have her lined up to be a guest forehead alien in an ep of next year’s Boobyprise: “T’Pol, you and the ambassador from Sapphos IV will have to decon….”
Yay
Yay for the Trogdor reference. And I got a kick out of the fact that Giles was a dwarf with the mystical power of a doily. :P
Short REview
Heading Out For Coffee To Talk Buffy, But Short Review:
I Really Liked That Joss Did What He Always Wanted With The Series, Show Girls That They Had Power. He Didn’t Like Ths Shows Where The Big Male Hero Always Rescued The Pretty Damsel, So Instead, He Made A Hero Was Was The Pretty Damsel. Now, All The Damsels In The World Can Be Heros. Well Done.
Other Loved Elements: Burnination, The World Is Still doomed, "Oh My Goddess", "My Girlfriend Has A Periced Tongue", Sunny Crater, Watcher Jr….
…And I Still Want A Holy Weapon.
Re: Short REview
I was extremely pleased with the excessive female empowerment. Dammit Willow is hot… mmm… redheads.
How was the coffee and Buffy discussion ‘Lex? ;)
Re: Short REview
Cut Short.
I Think The Hot Chick I Was Supposed To Meet Decided That Geeks Aren’t The Best Converstations.
Oh Well, There’s Always My Downloaded Images Of Willow And Tara.
I’ll Be In My Bunk.
Re: Short REview
Was there someone else there I didn’t see?
Wtf is a converstation?
It’s too bad Faith and Willow never got it on… that’d be fun too.
*way off topic*
Re: Short REview
Actually, I Think The Standard Complaint for This Site Is ‘Caps Are Annoying’, Not My Poor Typing. ;^)
Well, They Sort Of Alluded To Faith Being Bi Way Back When (Don’t Ask For Refrences, I Don’t Remember), But If I Recall, They Hated Each Other…
…Which Means It Would Probably More Fierce…
…I’ll Be In My Bunk.
Re: Short REview
I Really Liked That Joss Did What He Always Wanted With The
Series, Show Girls That They Had Power. He Didn’t Like Ths Shows
Where The Big Male Hero Always Rescued The Pretty Damsel, So Instead,
He Made A Hero Was Was The Pretty Damsel. Now, All The Damsels In
The World Can Be Heros. Well Done.
Except, let’s see… Angel (a man) brings the key amulet to Buffy.
Spike (a man) wears said amulet. Spike (a man) sacrifices himself to shut
down the Hellmouth for good. Buffy says, in last week’s ep, that Spike (a
man) gave her the strength she needed to get that crazy axe.
What exactly did Buffy do tonight to stop the Big Bad? Not much.
She didn’t destroy the First (it’s not even clear if the First was
destroyed or not; shame on you, Joss, for the sloppy storytelling). She
didn’t destroy all of the Übervamps; Spike did that. Okay, she
killed Caleb. But he was just a plot contrivance anyway, so that doesn’t
really matter much.
I could go on, but I’ve decided to let go of the bitterness that has
been engendered by the last few seasons of Buffy.
On the other hand, I must admit that I enjoyed the finale a lot more
than I expected to. It was nice to see some of the little things that
brought back memories of the old Scoobies. And Giles, for once, seemed
like Giles, if you know what I mean. I was strangely affected by Anya’s
death; of all the core people, she has stayed truest to her character so I
dislike her the least.
There were little things that bugged me, among others:
of his ass at the last minute) as that damn amulet instead of giving us a
logical and satisfying conclusion?
already know he was moving to Angel next season.
Ah well, on to Smallville!
Predictions a little off
So, I was wrong about the formation of the full-powered Slayer army. Also, that Earth-shattering kaboom was only Sunnydale shattering. Oh, well; that’s a better track record than I’ve had for most Buffy season finales.
My take…
Personal Favorite Line : “Sweet girl, Not too bright.”
Overall, a well done finale, but I do feel a little cheated. I was really hoping for more answers to the various questions posed both on screen and here…
Re: My take…
Here And Then This Help Explain Some Of That. It Sounds Like A Lack Of Time Issue.
Re: My take…
Okay..Yep, that does it. But now I’m disappointed for a different reason… Why didn’t I get to see that? Lack of time? Switch to a two hour finale. OK, I’m a little glad that Anya died instead of Xander, and I did like what we got, but I think what was scripted in those two posts would have been better. Oh well. It was still great.
Taken by itself
I thought this episode was excellent. It seemed to bring back the pacing, humor and style that have been missing far too often the past two years. Taken as a part of this season, and unfortunately it does little or nothing to redeem the bad that we’ve had to suffer through this year.
It’s already been pointed out that the overall arc was poorly developed, and it’s still true at the end – my particular peeve is that earlier this year we had the big “she won’t choose you, Dawn” bit from Ghostly Joyce that was never satisfactorily resolved. If all it meant was that she would send Dawn away then Conversations – maybe the best episode of the season apart from the last – loses some of its luster; if it was just another “making them feel bad” ploy from The First, it would’ve been nice to have that made clear. I’ve pointed out, and been obsessed with, the plodding nature of the dialogue this season which certainly was significantly improved in the last episode.
I’m rambling and need to get back out to Smallville (I refuse to watch commercials so I’m letting some time pass on the PVR before I start again) so I’ll just give this thought: While I will likely end up owning the entire series on DVD, I may never watch most of the episodes of season 7 again. I’ll probably pick out 5-10 episodes (I could get away with five but would probably watch a few more for “flavor”) and pretend the rest of the season never happened. It’s easier than obsessing about it and, fortunately, the show is now over so I should be able to easily stop.
At the risk of continuing my ramble, one other thing did occur to me: Thanks, Mutant Enemy, for Buffy. When it comes down to it, despite the problems of these last two seasons, I’ve enjoyed a lot more than I’ve disliked, and I particularly enjoyed the first five seasons (as long as I ignore Adam, the fourth season wasn’t as bad as it felt the first time around). Five good years is more than most shows have and it’s hard to blame you folks (Mutant Enemy) for cashing in for two extra seasons. Again, thanks.
Re: Taken by itself
Agreed, but as you say, taken on its own….
On another note, I made a slight addition to the article heading after waking up this morning from a dream of a friend’s necklace. D’Oh! The labrys or double-edged axe is an old Minoan thing that was interpreted (rightly or not) as a goddess/gynic symbol and has become popular with some women. It doesn’t usually look much like the one in Buffy, but I’m pretty certain this was intended, esp. with the misogynist preacher enemy and the female empowerment ending. I have no idea why this didn’t occur to me before. Perhaps, he weaseled, my senses were blunted by too many dull eps with false leads.
But it’s still not as good as a “temporary dying/born again as Slayers” scene would have been, as suggested by others here and elsewhere
Re: Taken by itself
I thought that the “she won’t choose you” was a factor in Dawn standing up when they kicked out Buffy. If it had not been for Dawn, I think Buffy would not have been so hurt.
As for questions, I think that The First(tm) was counting on Buffy to bring the slayeets down the Hellmouth. They would have lost without Spike and the amulet. I think that Spike was a wildcard that The First never really counted on. It tried to drive Spike, but couldn’t. Now I’m peeved that Spike might not be in Angel. I was just getting used to the idea of him playing an outside
agent for good to the whole Angel seduced by the power of the company thing.
The corporate Angel thing looks OK now,
but it has to turn around and bite the group in the @@@.
Re: Taken by itself
I expect Spike to show up on Angel, but I’m not at all convinced he’ll be a vampire.
Re: Taken by itself
BINGO!! My thoughts exactly!! And ya know something, remember that prophecy they found at Wolfram and Hart? Something about the Vampire with a Soul that becomes human after preventing the Apocalypse? Nice little twist that everyone ASSUMED it was talking about Angel (including Angel)…
Re: Taken by itself
Hey that’s an excellent point i was actually thinking the same thing when i was watching this episode earlier this morning (had to tape it plus no school for me cause im sick haha) I wonder how they’ll bring him back i suspect either Angel uses some new resources at W&H or the powers will do something. I hate that Angel wasted his cameo as pointed out earlier but if he stays to fight then the little amulet would kinda kill him and im not sure the folks at the WB would appreciate that. The fact that people were having such an easy time with the Ub’s where Buffy didnt pissed me off too. Logically I dont think Buffy ever used anything but a stake at first so decapitation was out whereas the civ’s had swords and stuff. Also maybe the one specific Ub was the best the First had to offer and thats why he was so tough. Another Ub thing, what happenned to the steel sternum that prevented Buffy from staking the original? I would say maybe swords made it easier to cut through the sternum but i clearly saw a few people using a wood stake, and why is their a difference between whether a sword cuts out a vamps heart or wood does it? Shouldnt the result be the same (oh well that goes a lot further back then Buffy). I’m gonna miss Anya, if there was one character who brought comic relief to the show thru the last 3 seasons i would say it was Anya. “Let’s go round up the cannon fodder” “We’re not calling them that!” “Well of course not to their faces what am I insensitive!?” I thought she was a demon she survived when Buffy stabbed thru her chest so why did she die now. I guess the wound was way too severe. (shoulda had Andrew sacrifice himself to save Anya)One more thing because my fingers are going numb, how could almost no one even care for Anya’s death and Xander not even shed a tear.
Re: Taken by itself
I think there was plenty of emotion there under the surface, but on the whole Anya was having a hard time being human especially after Xander left her, so the argument could be made that the survivors would take some solace in Anya being “at peace.” The real reason she was killed seemed obvious to me: Even though she wasn’t a demon anymore she had caused the deaths (and worse) of thousands of humans over the years. They even mentioned that she was considered especially good at her job, meaning that she was even “worse” than most other vengeance demons – on top of that, she CHOSE to be a demon, unlike Angel and Spike who didn’t understand the consequences of their respective surrenders to Darla and Drusilla. Anya’s death in a fight to save the world was aa satisfactory completion of her penance.
Re: Taken by itself
Very good. That she appeared to realise this made it even more effective.
What a let down.
Ok, I’m sorry, but this was one of the worst final episodes I have ever expreinced. It left so much up in the air, which will hopefully be resloved with angel. But we’ve had pretty much every season seem like the final episode, they should have done something a little bit better than Deus ex spike. It was a lame cop out. The girl power thing, fine whatever. But not everybody who’s supposed to be a slayer is good. Hello, does anybody remember the homicidal faith? Sure she’s good now. But she offed qutie a few people. Not all these slayer types would be good. Not to mention the fact they’ve compleatly screwed up this entire Buffy/Angel universe with all of this. I must say I admire the Spike theroy (probably reality) Although television just won’t be the same without xander. I started watching this show when it first came out with my older sister (now 30 god i’m gettin old) and I must say I am sad to see it go. OH well. My hopes now lye in Angel… heres hopin they don’t screw it up like they did buffy.
Re: What a let down.
They didn’t actually mess up the universe that much. There were only about 30 new slayers in the group and those were the majority of the remaining ones who will now have to spread out over most of the world. There were only a small handfull elsewhere who weren’t killed by the seekers, it will make a difference in a generation but I don’t think it will make any difference immediatly other then give them possible new slayers to play around with in Angel.
Re: What a let down.
it was a let down.everything was all up in the air.you dont know whats going to happen to the scoobie gang.you dont know where they go from there or what they do after that.what happens to the potentails?does buffy live life like a normal person now?you just dont know.to me it was on of the worst episodes iv ever seen.at least they could of shown a little of what happens after sunnydale is no more.
Re: Taken by itself
Overall I agree. Of this season I only have three favorites; “Him”, which was primarily a comical get away, “Selfless” which gives us insite into Anya’s past, and this episode entitled “Chosen”, which seems to retain the original pacing of the more favored seasons.
Incidendally, did anyone notice who was the writer and director? My guess is that is why this retains the feel.
Here,here! Kudos for them and the cast; For the characters that have entertained us, for plot twists that seem to spark of some originality, and for the skewed world of vampires and villians we have seen. My Tuesdays may never have the same entertaining event.
—–
As to my own thoughts on this last episode I was impressed at the simple solution that Buffy finally came up with. In reality it was not the first she needed to deal with directly, but its dread minions the Ubervamps. We have seen her become sullen because of the whole “I am not sure I can save the world – again bit”. Now this burden can be shared with other potentials.
As others have pointed out, the duex ex machina amulet did seem to be thrown in as a bit last minute answer to the dilemna. I was expecting the axe to fill that role. But eh… I can forgive them this one point.
My points of enjoyment? Many may have already said them.
. Spending time with Andrew at his game.
. Dawns small kick of the ankle in retribution for the attempted forced move.
. Anya envisioning the Ubervamps as bunnies and going beserk.
. The pacing of the original gang renued.
. The twist of empowering the potentials to fight the good fight.
What’s Everyone’s Favorite Buffy Episode?
For me it is hands down Buffy – the Musical, otherwise known as “Once more with feeling”. It gelled well with ongoing story line, showed us the talent (or lack) of the cast, and retained that Wheaton feel in the story. It takes a lot of talent and effort to accomplish this.
What about yourselves?
Re: What’s Everyone’s Favorite Buffy Episode?
to me my i have alot of favorite episodes but if i had to chose it would “help” in the 7th season.i also like “chosen” the last episode.the thing is “chosen” left so much in air.when the thing ened i was wondering what happens now?i’v made up stories of what happens next,after “chosen”.anyway,i’m so off tpic know.
Re: What’s Everyone’s Favorite Buffy Episode?
I agree, though not being the most familiar to those episodes, I would say it’s an hour worth watching. I’m also wondering what’s going to happen after the battle. I mean, they have next to nothing, and nowhere to go. Bummer.