Look at the way Buffy turns and runs so confidently toward her fate at the end. How do you explain that an actress deserves an Emmy for the way she runs?
I remember when this originally aired the way Buffy turns and runs without any hesitation made me sob so hard. I always look to see if reactors notice it
her shit-talking to glory while shes smashing her face in is also AMAZING and her speech w giles about quitting and not knowing how to live in the world.. all emmy performance material
it makes me bawl every time. i only wish they didnt have the shots of her inside the energy ball, or even her body at the end tbh. i wish the last shot of her from this era of the show would be her running to face her fate without hesitation and diving off the bridge, so powerful
Prophecy Girl: "When he wakes up tell him... I don't know. Think of something cool, tell him I said it." The Gift: "Tell Giles... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay."
The opening sequence was there because this was the 100th episode. During the original run, it was rumored that this was the final season. By the time this episode aired the viewers knew that Buffy was coming back for season six on a different network. But when the episode was written the writers were writing a potential final episode. After this episode aired, we viewers had to wait months for season six to start. Whedon gave several interviews and when asked about whether Buffy was dead he always asserted that she was dead and buried. That was our summer.
I remember it so well! What? She's dead? Really! Wait... what!.....THAT was a long summer! I didn't know ahead of time that it was renewed for season 6 either. Seriously thought it was over and I was facing life without Buffy. Found out not long after that it was renewed for season 6, but still there was months of waiting and wondering....
@@Philbert-s2c you also knew if you read the news paper. The NY Times had an article about the show moving to UPN on 21st of April 2001 which was shortly after episode 17 aired.
I've seen this episode a thousand times all the way back to the night it first aired. Every single time, the sight of Spike weeping breaks me, and I start crying too.
Spike...he tried his best and it wasn't enough. It did give Buffy time to get there before Dawn died, but not before Dawn was cut and the portal opened. :(
I don't think I've EVER SEEN ANYONE guess correctly that it was the Buffybot. Claire Krammer's favorite line is, "Did everyone else know the slayer was a robot." And the series ended...on the network it started on!!! Off to UPN.
"I just wish...I just wish my mom was here." That one hurts deep because it's something we all feel when things are at their worst. Not because parents can fix it, but because we feel safe with them.
It's such a painful and true line. Speaking as someone who lost both my parents... no matter how grown-up and responsible you become... deep inside you still want to be that child with your parents around.
@@jp3813 most of them kinda of are. Think about it, at least the older ones like Buffy which needed to drive the audience back after a seasonal break like summer or xmas. It wasn't like nowadays when you can stream your show any time, back then there was always a greater danger of the audience drifting off, so you had to have a cliffhanger to hook them for the next season.
Think about what Spike said way back in "Fool for Love": "Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. She really wanted it. Every Slayer has a death wish. Even you."
That doesn't really count in this scenario. The other slayers gave up and get KIA without fullfilling a duty. Buffy did figure out that it would be a victory, if she goes out that way, it was a sacrifice, not a capitulation. Only the moment of peace was there, but she didn't want to leave the people the loved.
@@CvSp22 It absolutely counts. It was the whole point. This entire season is about stripping everything away from Buffy until she couldn't take it anymore. She even said, "I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices." She had no hesitation. She couldn't live with sacrificing Dawn, she couldn't see herself going on without her. Even though dying served a greater purpose, it was still a relief for her to rest after all she had gone through.
@@TigerNightmare She also said after Giles' speak about everyone including Dawn suffering a painful death:"Then the last thing she would see is me protecting her!' She was willing to fight, not to give up and that sets her apart from the slayers before her. She hasn't had their death wish in the moment she decided to sac herself. So Spikes conclusion didn't count in this specific situation. As said, moment of peace, yes, death wish no. It was more towards us, the audience, to have a hint about what will come. And don't forget that this show is also amazing in implementing stuff early, sometimes seasons before fullfilling like Dawns appearence or Taras family trouble and some other spoilery stuff wich is about to come.
@@CvSp22 Like I already said, her death serving a greater purpose does not negate her having a death wish. At the time, she didn't understand what Spike meant, but it's clear that, "The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it." She was tired and this was her out. Suicidal people don't want to die, they're just tired of fighting.
I love Ben's moment of realization before he dies - "us?" And Giles admitting the thing that will always make him different from his charge, both to Ben and when he spoke to Buffy in the training room - he'll do what other people can't and shouldn't have to. BTW, notice that Altered!Tara knew it was coming? "you're a killer! this is all set down"
We've all been there where you are now, Sofie, and we all spent an entire summer remembering everything Buffy had done to save the world (a lot) and how much was taken away from her because of it. For a while there, I accepted her death and I understood all the pain and struggle she lived with every day was finally done. Buffy was gone to a place where none of that could touch her anymore - and I fully believed that because there was no way the magic that created the Slayers would be so cruel as to deny them heaven when they died. Then we found out there was 2 more seasons on a different TV network... and everything was uncertain again.
Season 5 is insane. Starting right from 5x1, this season sets up the final moments of 5x22. Also, the Dawn plot and Buffy's death were foreshadowed as long ago as 3x22. When people die in the Buffy verse, the writers do it in ways that matter. We see the impact on the other characters in ways that I don't think many other shows have accomplished. I kind of love that this show makes so many of us cry so much, because it means the show has been wildly successful at making us care about these characters and their relationships.
Aspiring actors, take a page out of Sarah's book if you want to know how to say a dozen things simply by the expression in your face. That look of realization, finality, and peace when she looks at the light breaking through the clouds. Also her last utterance in "Checkpoint" ("Oh"), and of course the annoyance, fear, sadness, vulnerability, and uncertainty when she looks up at Spike on the back porch in "Fool For Love". All bow to the master. (Gotta love Sofie's face too. "Death is your gift" - *Bam!*)
Joss knew they were coming back for Season 6 on UPN all along he wanted to a death angle. I guess because they were moving networks. The night this aired on WB they had it labeled Series Finale instead of Season Finale. Those of us watching it live thought she was dead dead and that was the end. It wasn't until months later UPN started airing the "Buffy Lives" commercials and I was completely surprised.
As Spike said, every slayer has a death wish. And when that moment comes is when a slayer loses. And well, he was there to watch indeed. This season flows like a book, every sentence matters
Guy: You're just a girl. Buffy: That's what I keep saying. The wistfulness in Buffy's voice when she says that line really underscores the toll of what she's been through since the beginning and especially that season.
It's a masterstroke of writing when you think about it. You're at a point when you now know any character is potentially gonna die. But you're still thinking 'well it's called 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so no way they can kill Buf... wait, WHAT:??'.
Also Joss Whedon was openly saying that someone would die in the lead up to the finale. So that's why so many scenes make you think it's that character's less episode. And there's several fakeouts before the final realization!
I too don't recall anyone figuring out it was the Buffybot just by the way she talked. Great observation Sofie. When Spike was crying that really got me, it was the first time I ever cried in a BtVS ep(but I saw it out of order so I had some tears to make up)
When Spike breaks down it takes it to a whole new level of pain. I think this solidified Buffy as one of the all time great heroes. The ultimate heroic act. But I’m really happy this isn’t how the show ended. Because she deserved more than that.
Well of course he'd break down, he loves Buffy but he was completely worthless the whole episode when he could have avoided that. The way he got up there to rescue Dawn and got thrown out in a blink of an eye...
The best season end ever. It was a beautiful bitter story arc for Buffy, she truly is a hero. Buffy running towards the rising sun 😭 Im ugly crying with you.
Ben was Glory and therefore evil. If he'd let him live, Giles would have opened the door wide open for Glory to come back and flat out kill every one. He did what he NEEDED to do. The clean up and wet work that Buffy couldn't emotionally do.
@@larissabrewington9065 I'm glad i'm not the only one who understood that. It sucks that Ben had to die for something that wasn't his fault, but it had to be done. The people attacking Giles are likely the same people who would rather call the police on an intruder than deal with them themselves.
Whether it was necessary or not isn’t the point, just that killing the person that saved your life a few days prior is cold blooded. It really demonstrates well the lengths that Giles will go to save the world.
@@larissabrewington9065 Ben doesn't get enough credit. He tried to be a good person in spite of having an evil hell goddess taking over his body his whole life. He failed miserably but tried much harder than most would have in his position. Regardless of his wrong choices he deserved better.
@@Dunybrook I know the writers had a crunch with writing Glory and I think they wrote themselves into the corner, because this story was WAY bigger than they were ready for. We as the viewers deserved back story on Ben. When did Glory present as a personality? Had he tried to get help before? How was he able to tackle this mental interference as a youth AND THEN go on to excel enough to end up in medical school?? Too many questions we have to ignore to deal with this storyline.
I can't type any of the following passages without tearing up. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You can't leave me. I can't do this alone." "Buffy, no..." "Dawnie, I have to."
Thanks Sophie, for this honest and heartfelt reaction. I was watching Buffy when it aired and really felt like I got to relive the experience through you. I think I was crying just as much this time too. Your reactions are always fantastic! Thanks again!
So many indelible scenes and moments in this episode. Not even counting the staggering conclusion (at the time we did know the show would continue on a new network, so Buffy couldn't really be dead, but still😭): Giles committing murder (after crazy Tara points to him and says "you're a killer). He does it because he knows Buffy can't. Giles will always take the weight for Buffy. Buffy and Spike at the Summers home, everything from Spike's face when Buffy invites him in, to "to the end of the world," to "I know you'll never love me. I know I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man." 😢😢 You did leave out my favorite moment though: When Spike confronts Doc on the scaffold, Doc says "I don't even smell a soul on you. What are you doing here," Spike replies "I made a promise to a lady." That's William, the 19th century Man of Honor. He has become Buffy's White Knight.
If you allow me to add another brief moment to that list: Dawn willing to jump to close the portal without hesitation at the moment she realized the portal had opened
"Miles to go, little miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0". There were exactly 730 days from the shared dream Faith and Buffy had at the end of season 3 to Buffy's death. In Restless, when Buffy wakes up in her room, the clock shows 7:30 and Tara says "that clock is completely wrong" because now it's 365 days. The first crazy person who sees Dawn says "Curds and whey" which is a reference to the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet".
“the hardest thing to do in this world is to live it” “you’re just a girl” “i know, that’s what i keep saying” “she saved the world. a lot” am i supposed to be normal over this?????????? bro i just watched this episode for the first time and i cannot stop crying 😭😭😭😭 like they actually WONT STOP HELP
And, with that, you now know this season had its concept and it all comes together with "Death... is your gift." Yep. THIS, right here, THIS is why the fifth season is hailed as the series' magnum opus. It all ties together beautifully.
The episode was not only the final episode of season 5 but also the series' 100th episode, which is why the intro starts with season 1 flashbacks. From here it jumps networks to UPN for the next two seasons, but all I remember is watching this in awe and we had to wait an entire summer to watch season 6, you are lucky you got to watch it right away. "She's a hero you see, she's not like us."
There’s a theory that it was actually DRACULA who helped create Dawn. When he bit Buffy he saved her blood and gave it to the monks to help with the Key. That’s why Dawns blood is SUMMERS blood.
I know S5 is the favourite among most fans, but, though having many amazing eps, it's not mine. This finale however is the best ever imo. Watching it now, knowing there are two more seasons to go makes a difference. At the time it was a perfect closure for the whole show. Even the smallest details had a meaning. E.g. Olaf's hammer, Buffybot, bunnies. Every single piece of the puzzle was put to place (the recap sequence fits perfectly there). Blood has always been one of the main themes: blood makes us live and love ('love isn't brain, children, it's blood!'), blood feeds vampires, blood is the key through dimensions. And characters' arcs finds their perfect conclusion: Willow and Tara are back together; we can suppose Xander and Anya will be happily married; Dawn can live as a teen ager; Spike finds his redemption reconnecting to his humanity ('I know I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man'). And Buffy meets her fate, sacrificing once more to 'save the world a lot'. Everything was perfectly foreshadowed from S3 onward. That's what makes BTVS 'THE' show.
I'ts been 21 years since i saw this episode in television and til this day he still make me cry like a baby, everytime ! Even more when i watch reactor reacting to it xD
Buffy's death is sad but you came into this knowing from the beginning that there are 7 seasons so clearly you know somehow Buffy will return.. Not to mention we have seen Buffy die once before so yea..
I am a guy and i am a huge Buffy fan Mostly because of the fact that there were multiple moments that i can relate to. And this... seeing her sacrifice herself... seeing her jump, knowing it will be her death... It made me cry as well.
When this aired there was NO season 6 or 7 there was no internet to tell there was and the Belgian television program books marked it as SLOT or final episode of a series. And honestly I could live with it. Even after 6 and 7 somewhere deep inside the series ended wih this episode for me.
Just so you know, when this aired, there were no more seasons announced yet, so for us, viewing this when it aired, this was the series finally (and also the 100th episode)
I will never forget this episode.. this whole season in fact. season 5 was emotional roller-coaster starting with Joyce's death and challenge of fighting Glory... it all became bigger and harder than ever before, and when show really became dark and mature. and we all thought this was true end of series we didn't know if there will be season 6 or 7 that's why they wrote it like this. it was heartbreaking.
Remember the fighting test the Council gave Buffy? "Protect the dummy at all costs." And she wins the fight but the dummy gets hit by the flying axe. I'm only realizing now how foreshadowing that was.
14:28 When Sky (satellite TV broadcaster) showed this episode in the UK they completely spoiled it by using the shot of Buffy's gravestone in the trailer. There was a TV series 'Taggart' that ran for years after the title character died. Is this more emotional than Buffy having to kill Angel at the end of season 2?
Thanks for your great reaction videos! This one really brought back so many memories for me, reminding me of when I watched this for the first time as a kid. I was obsessed with Buffy at the time and this final scene totally floored me - For context, back home in Ireland, the promotional ads on TV for this one spoke of "the last ever episode" of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I really thought this was the end. Having "mourned" the character thereafter, I could never really feel as invested in seasons 6 and 7 personally.
You youg kids should be grateful you can binge watch this! Back in 2002 I had to wait like 10 months just to find out if there was going to be a next season, it was INSANE!!!
Shout-out to Dawn, she is so brave in this episode. And now, Buffy's sacrifice must place an enormous weight on her shoulders (on top of grief). "I wish my mum was here" gets me more at this point than the ending. At the end, Buffy is at peace. It's time. During her conversation with Giles? She's so lost. I see Buffy's sacrifice closing the portal as an inconsistency in all their magical rules. It did "get blood", so that part got fulfilled, but the blood did not stop flowing, did it? Dawn is still there. I realise the ritual description can be interpreted in many ways, though, there is precedence on the show for magical texts being unclear.
Remember, this episode _was_ written as the series finale. The network had cancelled it, and it wasn't until later that another network picked it up. For a lot of fans watching on TV for the first time (if they weren't reading fan sites or entertainment news), this was the end of the show, and they didn't know until months later that it would be continued.
As a posible series finale, actually. Joss and the rest always thought about next season: Joss promoted Marti to Executive Producer in Feb '01 (UPN picked it in April) and Joss began with one of the S6 episodes during that time. About the network: it was the end of the 5 year contract. Problem was with the next contract/years: Fox wanted more money per episode and WB said no. Eventually UPN agreed to pay 2.2 million per episode and a 2 year contract (that matched the original 7 year Fox contract with SMG).
If you go back and look at the end of the episode when spike gets tortured by Glory that's when I got spoiled it was a series finale. It said "only 5 episodes left til the series finale" so I basically expected the show was over at this episode. Then later we found out it had been renewed for 2 more seasons at a different network. So this was a series finale. But not the end of the series
I always thought that guy in the white and blue striped shirt Buffy saves in the prologue looked just like Joss Whedon, and that ot was meant to mean something
did you ever think when watching the first season of buffy with the giant praying-mantis that you would be having this kind of reaction to the show only a few seasons later?
can you imagine how many people have spent the last months sitting on their hands, fighting the temptation to tell you what the end is? thank God, that's over!!Let's take a breath - and move forward to the next season! Now you will hardly believe it, but the best is yet to come!!
As to the question of whether viewers knew if Buffy would continue, episode 5x22 aired on May 22, 2001. An article in the April 21, 2001 edition of the New York Times stated that 20th Century Fox Television announced that they had ordered 44 new episodes to air on the UPN network. So, yes, the viewers did know that Buffy was returning, albeit on a different network. Jos Whedon probably knew the chances were good when the final episodes were planned and written as Fox TV was actively shopping the show to any network willing to pay the $2 million per episode price they wanted. Even so, the finale was written so as to be a series finale if necessary.
I think this is the perfect ending to my favourite season of the show (of any show). It's hard to watch though. And Buffy is right indeed when she says that the hardest thing in the world is to live in it.
The reason that this feels like a series finale is because it was originally supposed to be. Joss had a five year plan, which ended here. So in a way, what comes next is like a sequel or a revival series. I know people who love this as the ending so much, they just stop here. Then again, some people probably do the same with season 3, when high school ends. Regardless, this death was real in terms of writing. It wasn't just a normal cliffhanger where we were supposed to expect a quick resolution in the next episode.
I heard this was supposed to be the series finale. And it was for the WB. UPN asked Joss if he would be interested in continuing on their network and he agreed. That's why in season 6 they had to figure out a way to bring Buffy back.
Although there was drama in the first three seasons, Buffy was dealing with life as adult after school in seasons 4 and 5. Although there are other non-fantasy dramas on TV, I think the writers did a fantastic job edging more mature drama into BtVS. The balance of comedy, fantasy & drama is something this show tied together uniquely. Look forward to season 6, episode 1.
As always there are a ton of comments pushing the old myth that this was the intended final episode, that the show was cancelled and so on and on. The truth is that the show was never cancelled, The WB had every intention of continuing but FOX had 2 plans, one was to increase the price of the show and the second was to move all their big name shows to the new channel UPN since Murdoch had plans to buy it (so by first moving the shows they would get the broadcasting rights under the radar). So they started a bidding war where UPN gave a number for more money than The WB could afford. This was all decided very early in the show and then the public was made aware of it shortly after episode 17 aired when news papers started to write about the new deal between FOX and UPN (NY Times had an article on 21st of April 2001). In the end UPN signed on for 44 episodes over two years, so they bought two seasons in one go. The head of The WB was reportedly very upset with the deal (showing that they had zero plans to cancel it) and I quote "20th Television has made an inauspicious decision for the television industry by taking one of their own programs off of a nonaffiliated network and placing it on a network in which they have a large vested interest.". While the exact details of the deal was never made public insiders reported that UPN paid $2.3M per episode, The WB highest offer was $1.8M and they had up to this point paid $1M per episode. Trying to cash in for what they had left, The WB started to push S5 as "the last season of Buffy", which is probably why so many fans today remember it as it was planned to be the last, but this was just a marketing ploy by The WB.
One of the best finales to cap off one of the best (if not the best) season of Buffy Every single time.. ....tears. I've probably seen this finale 50+ times between my own watches and reactors, still every single time. I don't know what it is, maybe SMG just killing every scene. And that realization that Buffy has, so beautiful yet tragic Oh and why the intro is so weird....this is not only the S5 finale but also the 100th episode. Shows usually do a lot of call backs to previous episodes in the big 100
Sofie you are my fave Buffy reactor! You really know how to react to and analyze this show and what it has to say to its viewers. Also weird thing to notice but I wish i could cry as pretty as you LOL. im an ugly cry haha
Back when this series aired, originally, this was suppose to be the series finale. It was suppose to end here on season 5. They made a big deal about it and everything back then on the WB, but Joss Whedon was able to strike a deal with another network, and UPN picked up the series for at least one more season, but ended up doing two. Keep watching Sofie, it will all make sense…
When this episode first aired in 2001, the ending was absolutely devastating because we didn't know at that time that the show had been picked up by another network. So far as we knew, this was the very last episode of the very last season of Buffy. It would therefore be impossible to overstate the impact of that final scene of Buffy's grave with the epitaph 'She saved the world. A lot.' It honestly felt like we had lost our hero and that with her passing, one of the brightest lights in the world had just gone out and the world was diminished by her loss. We were living in a post-Buffy world and it felt empty. And any time I rewatch this scene, it's always the shot of Spike in tears that gets me. It's the exact moment I just crack and the tears start flowing.
When this aired originally we didn't know there would be a 6th season. This was it for us, the series finale. I cried too. Then it was picked up on another network.
It was the final on the WB-Network. For those who doesn't know that the show was transferred to the UPN it ended here, knowing that she saved the world a lot. Someone said that WB didn't give a hint that the show will run on a different channel.
I live for reactors' face change when they realize what 'death is your gift' was all about. 😅
The look on their face says, "No no no no no no no..."
Sometimes they literally say that out loud.
The look on someone's face as the puzzle pieces fall into place for them all is worth my teary eyes every time I put myself through it again 😂
Yes! Lol
Me: 🤨😮😲😱😰😭
And in the end "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" like Darth Vader in Episode III.
I cant explain it. I watch and awkwardly cackle while ugly sobbing. My soul still cant process this scene.
Look at the way Buffy turns and runs so confidently toward her fate at the end. How do you explain that an actress deserves an Emmy for the way she runs?
I remember when this originally aired the way Buffy turns and runs without any hesitation made me sob so hard. I always look to see if reactors notice it
Tom should take lessons from her
HAha, well she IS an Emmy winner, so she was running for her second!
her shit-talking to glory while shes smashing her face in is also AMAZING and her speech w giles about quitting and not knowing how to live in the world.. all emmy performance material
it makes me bawl every time. i only wish they didnt have the shots of her inside the energy ball, or even her body at the end tbh. i wish the last shot of her from this era of the show would be her running to face her fate without hesitation and diving off the bridge, so powerful
She saved the world. A lot. 😭
That's how always read her tombstone. Two distinct sentences, which painfully drove the point home on the first viewing.
Prophecy Girl: "When he wakes up tell him... I don't know. Think of something
cool, tell him I said it."
The Gift: "Tell Giles... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay."
Your comment made me cry. 💔😔
How have i never made that connection before. That is so cool.
Sobbing in the office at work lol
The opening sequence was there because this was the 100th episode. During the original run, it was rumored that this was the final season. By the time this episode aired the viewers knew that Buffy was coming back for season six on a different network. But when the episode was written the writers were writing a potential final episode. After this episode aired, we viewers had to wait months for season six to start. Whedon gave several interviews and when asked about whether Buffy was dead he always asserted that she was dead and buried. That was our summer.
Did we? Idr knowing til sometime after but maybe I just didn't keep up enough on it.
We did. The UPN deal was already finalized, I believe.
I remember it so well! What? She's dead? Really! Wait... what!.....THAT was a long summer! I didn't know ahead of time that it was renewed for season 6 either. Seriously thought it was over and I was facing life without Buffy. Found out not long after that it was renewed for season 6, but still there was months of waiting and wondering....
@@Heldemon You knew if you were online. Not everybody was at the time.
@@Philbert-s2c you also knew if you read the news paper. The NY Times had an article about the show moving to UPN on 21st of April 2001 which was shortly after episode 17 aired.
I've seen this episode a thousand times all the way back to the night it first aired. Every single time, the sight of Spike weeping breaks me, and I start crying too.
For me that was only seconded by Buffy's willful sacrifice. She lived longer on the job than most slayers ever did and I think it finally got to her.
Spike...he tried his best and it wasn't enough. It did give Buffy time to get there before Dawn died, but not before Dawn was cut and the portal opened. :(
I always liked Spike.
And he's the only who's really crying..
I don't think I've EVER SEEN ANYONE guess correctly that it was the Buffybot.
Claire Krammer's favorite line is, "Did everyone else know the slayer was a robot."
And the series ended...on the network it started on!!! Off to UPN.
Oh...joy.
Yeah, I was super impressed by her realizing it was the Buffybot. That's a rare thing to guess.
Came here for this comment. I was like 😳🫢
Elie Moses recently figured it out and also figured out that Buffy would die.
@@jordanparker5949 I remembered that he figured out that she died, but didn't recall him figuring out the Buffybot.
"I just wish...I just wish my mom was here." That one hurts deep because it's something we all feel when things are at their worst. Not because parents can fix it, but because we feel safe with them.
It's such a painful and true line. Speaking as someone who lost both my parents... no matter how grown-up and responsible you become... deep inside you still want to be that child with your parents around.
Sofie: I don't want Dawn to die.
Joss: Wish granted.
This show...
This episode is brutal, 20 + years later i'm still in tears when Buffy jumps
One of the greatest season endings in TV history. And you just gave one of the best reactions to this. You lived and cried for her. A lot.
This along Star Trek the Next generation end of season 3 cliffhanger is one of the greatest cliffhangers in TV history. A masterpiece in story telling
@@Nexusofgeek This isn't really a cliffhanger. The series could've ended here.
@@jp3813 but it did not, so it is
@@Nexusofgeek That would make all season finales of storytelling shows as cliffhangers except for the very last ones.
@@jp3813 most of them kinda of are. Think about it, at least the older ones like Buffy which needed to drive the audience back after a seasonal break like summer or xmas. It wasn't like nowadays when you can stream your show any time, back then there was always a greater danger of the audience drifting off, so you had to have a cliffhanger to hook them for the next season.
Think about what Spike said way back in "Fool for Love": "Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. She really wanted it. Every Slayer has a death wish. Even you."
she merely* wanted it
That doesn't really count in this scenario. The other slayers gave up and get KIA without fullfilling a duty. Buffy did figure out that it would be a victory, if she goes out that way, it was a sacrifice, not a capitulation. Only the moment of peace was there, but she didn't want to leave the people the loved.
@@CvSp22 It absolutely counts. It was the whole point. This entire season is about stripping everything away from Buffy until she couldn't take it anymore. She even said, "I don't know how to live in this world if these are the choices." She had no hesitation. She couldn't live with sacrificing Dawn, she couldn't see herself going on without her. Even though dying served a greater purpose, it was still a relief for her to rest after all she had gone through.
@@TigerNightmare She also said after Giles' speak about everyone including Dawn suffering a painful death:"Then the last thing she would see is me protecting her!' She was willing to fight, not to give up and that sets her apart from the slayers before her. She hasn't had their death wish in the moment she decided to sac herself. So Spikes conclusion didn't count in this specific situation. As said, moment of peace, yes, death wish no. It was more towards us, the audience, to have a hint about what will come. And don't forget that this show is also amazing in implementing stuff early, sometimes seasons before fullfilling like Dawns appearence or Taras family trouble and some other spoilery stuff wich is about to come.
@@CvSp22 Like I already said, her death serving a greater purpose does not negate her having a death wish. At the time, she didn't understand what Spike meant, but it's clear that, "The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it." She was tired and this was her out. Suicidal people don't want to die, they're just tired of fighting.
I love Ben's moment of realization before he dies - "us?" And Giles admitting the thing that will always make him different from his charge, both to Ben and when he spoke to Buffy in the training room - he'll do what other people can't and shouldn't have to.
BTW, notice that Altered!Tara knew it was coming? "you're a killer! this is all set down"
SPOILERS
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unfortunately, giles really goes to crap after this season.
@@sirmoonslosthismind not a spoiler, more like opinion lol. its not fact
We've all been there where you are now, Sofie, and we all spent an entire summer remembering everything Buffy had done to save the world (a lot) and how much was taken away from her because of it. For a while there, I accepted her death and I understood all the pain and struggle she lived with every day was finally done. Buffy was gone to a place where none of that could touch her anymore - and I fully believed that because there was no way the magic that created the Slayers would be so cruel as to deny them heaven when they died. Then we found out there was 2 more seasons on a different TV network... and everything was uncertain again.
Season 5 is insane.
Starting right from 5x1, this season sets up the final moments of 5x22. Also, the Dawn plot and Buffy's death were foreshadowed as long ago as 3x22.
When people die in the Buffy verse, the writers do it in ways that matter. We see the impact on the other characters in ways that I don't think many other shows have accomplished.
I kind of love that this show makes so many of us cry so much, because it means the show has been wildly successful at making us care about these characters and their relationships.
In the end, we see that the subject of Season 5 was Death.
Kendra's death was the least impactful up to this point, I think.
@@DanielOrme Yes - and Life
Aspiring actors, take a page out of Sarah's book if you want to know how to say a dozen things simply by the expression in your face.
That look of realization, finality, and peace when she looks at the light breaking through the clouds. Also her last utterance in "Checkpoint" ("Oh"), and of course the annoyance, fear, sadness, vulnerability, and uncertainty when she looks up at Spike on the back porch in "Fool For Love". All bow to the master.
(Gotta love Sofie's face too. "Death is your gift" - *Bam!*)
Hmm, "light breaking through the clouds" first thing in the morning: I believe there's a word for that.
@@terrystickland219 Sunrise? Sunup? Daybreak? First light of day? Hmm, dunno. Maybe it'll dawn on me.
Joss knew they were coming back for Season 6 on UPN all along he wanted to a death angle. I guess because they were moving networks. The night this aired on WB they had it labeled Series Finale instead of Season Finale. Those of us watching it live thought she was dead dead and that was the end. It wasn't until months later UPN started airing the "Buffy Lives" commercials and I was completely surprised.
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it" - one of my fav. quotes of the show. It gets me everytime.
Life's not a song
Life isn't bliss
Life is just this
It's living
04:45 What a perfomance from SMG with that line! I can hear and feel all her pain in those few words.
As Spike said, every slayer has a death wish. And when that moment comes is when a slayer loses. And well, he was there to watch indeed. This season flows like a book, every sentence matters
Guy: You're just a girl.
Buffy: That's what I keep saying.
The wistfulness in Buffy's voice when she says that line really underscores the toll of what she's been through since the beginning and especially that season.
It's a masterstroke of writing when you think about it. You're at a point when you now know any character is potentially gonna die. But you're still thinking 'well it's called 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so no way they can kill Buf... wait, WHAT:??'.
Also Joss Whedon was openly saying that someone would die in the lead up to the finale. So that's why so many scenes make you think it's that character's less episode. And there's several fakeouts before the final realization!
"You're a God. Make it stop."
Buffy is the biggest badass ever.
I too don't recall anyone figuring out it was the Buffybot just by the way she talked. Great observation Sofie. When Spike was crying that really got me, it was the first time I ever cried in a BtVS ep(but I saw it out of order so I had some tears to make up)
When Spike breaks down it takes it to a whole new level of pain. I think this solidified Buffy as one of the all time great heroes. The ultimate heroic act. But I’m really happy this isn’t how the show ended. Because she deserved more than that.
Yeah, she does deserve more than that
Well of course he'd break down, he loves Buffy but he was completely worthless the whole episode when he could have avoided that. The way he got up there to rescue Dawn and got thrown out in a blink of an eye...
The best season end ever. It was a beautiful bitter story arc for Buffy, she truly is a hero. Buffy running towards the rising sun 😭 Im ugly crying with you.
Giles killing Ben is especially cruel when you factor in that Ben saved his life a few episodes ago.
Ben was Glory and therefore evil. If he'd let him live, Giles would have opened the door wide open for Glory to come back and flat out kill every one. He did what he NEEDED to do. The clean up and wet work that Buffy couldn't emotionally do.
@@larissabrewington9065 I'm glad i'm not the only one who understood that. It sucks that Ben had to die for something that wasn't his fault, but it had to be done. The people attacking Giles are likely the same people who would rather call the police on an intruder than deal with them themselves.
Whether it was necessary or not isn’t the point, just that killing the person that saved your life a few days prior is cold blooded. It really demonstrates well the lengths that Giles will go to save the world.
@@larissabrewington9065 Ben doesn't get enough credit. He tried to be a good person in spite of having an evil hell goddess taking over his body his whole life. He failed miserably but tried much harder than most would have in his position. Regardless of his wrong choices he deserved better.
@@Dunybrook I know the writers had a crunch with writing Glory and I think they wrote themselves into the corner, because this story was WAY bigger than they were ready for. We as the viewers deserved back story on Ben. When did Glory present as a personality? Had he tried to get help before? How was he able to tackle this mental interference as a youth AND THEN go on to excel enough to end up in medical school?? Too many questions we have to ignore to deal with this storyline.
I can't type any of the following passages without tearing up.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?! You can't leave me. I can't do this alone."
"Buffy, no..."
"Dawnie, I have to."
Be brave… Live. For me.
Thanks Sophie, for this honest and heartfelt reaction. I was watching Buffy when it aired and really felt like I got to relive the experience through you. I think I was crying just as much this time too. Your reactions are always fantastic! Thanks again!
yep, still get the feels on rewatches but this phenomenal episode marks the end of the WB era
I cry while watching reactors watch it too!
LOVEEE ❤ your Buffy reactions! I was obsessed when it came out & recorded every episode on tape 😂
Recognizing the Angel theme and acknowledging Christophe Beck. Nice. Impressed.
So many indelible scenes and moments in this episode. Not even counting the staggering conclusion (at the time we did know the show would continue on a new network, so Buffy couldn't really be dead, but still😭):
Giles committing murder (after crazy Tara points to him and says "you're a killer). He does it because he knows Buffy can't. Giles will always take the weight for Buffy.
Buffy and Spike at the Summers home, everything from Spike's face when Buffy invites him in, to "to the end of the world," to "I know you'll never love me. I know I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man." 😢😢
You did leave out my favorite moment though: When Spike confronts Doc on the scaffold, Doc says "I don't even smell a soul on you. What are you doing here," Spike replies "I made a promise to a lady." That's William, the 19th century Man of Honor. He has become Buffy's White Knight.
If you allow me to add another brief moment to that list: Dawn willing to jump to close the portal without hesitation at the moment she realized the portal had opened
Giles did NOT get the Nickname Ripper for no reason. He will and does things that others would never do. Thank you, Ripper.
"I don't want Dawn to die."
Be careful what you wish for 😬
"Miles to go, little miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0". There were exactly 730 days from the shared dream Faith and Buffy had at the end of season 3 to Buffy's death. In Restless, when Buffy wakes up in her room, the clock shows 7:30 and Tara says "that clock is completely wrong" because now it's 365 days. The first crazy person who sees Dawn says "Curds and whey" which is a reference to the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet".
The smarter move would for real Buffy to scale up those stairs WHILE Glory was dealing with Buffybot
Unfortunately, this might result in Glory killing all of her friends while Buffy saves Dawn.
“the hardest thing to do in this world is to live it”
“you’re just a girl” “i know, that’s what i keep saying”
“she saved the world. a lot”
am i supposed to be normal over this?????????? bro i just watched this episode for the first time and i cannot stop crying 😭😭😭😭 like they actually WONT STOP HELP
She leaped into that void like she was catching the last train to Heaven.
The best episode of TV, there has ever been and will ever be.
And, with that, you now know this season had its concept and it all comes together with "Death... is your gift." Yep. THIS, right here, THIS is why the fifth season is hailed as the series' magnum opus. It all ties together beautifully.
Spike weeping at the end...
Always gets me.
The episode was not only the final episode of season 5 but also the series' 100th episode, which is why the intro starts with season 1 flashbacks. From here it jumps networks to UPN for the next two seasons, but all I remember is watching this in awe and we had to wait an entire summer to watch season 6, you are lucky you got to watch it right away. "She's a hero you see, she's not like us."
There’s a theory that it was actually DRACULA who helped create Dawn. When he bit Buffy he saved her blood and gave it to the monks to help with the Key. That’s why Dawns blood is SUMMERS blood.
Weirdly it's always Spike's reaction that gets me more than anything else.
I watched this when it aired and I was DESTROYED. Cried for days. Watching your reaction made me cry all over again!! 😭
ive seen the series over a dozen times over and im crying right there with u
So, they'll have a life-sized photo of Buffy glued to some cardboard and point saying 'look, vamp. The Slayer!'
Could work for two seasons.
Oh man, super emotional Buffy day, This and Lexi's reaction. Ouch.
SHE SAVED THE WORLD
A LOT
I know S5 is the favourite among most fans, but, though having many amazing eps, it's not mine. This finale however is the best ever imo. Watching it now, knowing there are two more seasons to go makes a difference. At the time it was a perfect closure for the whole show. Even the smallest details had a meaning. E.g. Olaf's hammer, Buffybot, bunnies. Every single piece of the puzzle was put to place (the recap sequence fits perfectly there). Blood has always been one of the main themes: blood makes us live and love ('love isn't brain, children, it's blood!'), blood feeds vampires, blood is the key through dimensions. And characters' arcs finds their perfect conclusion: Willow and Tara are back together; we can suppose Xander and Anya will be happily married; Dawn can live as a teen ager; Spike finds his redemption reconnecting to his humanity ('I know I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man'). And Buffy meets her fate, sacrificing once more to 'save the world a lot'. Everything was perfectly foreshadowed from S3 onward. That's what makes BTVS 'THE' show.
I'ts been 21 years since i saw this episode in television and til this day he still make me cry like a baby, everytime ! Even more when i watch reactor reacting to it xD
@15:30 “this is the definition of ugly crying”, literally impossible, you are a beautiful cryer. i didn’t even know that existed
Anya is the MPV of this episode.
And this is an episode that always brings me to tears.
Buffy's death is sad but you came into this knowing from the beginning that there are 7 seasons so clearly you know somehow Buffy will return..
Not to mention we have seen Buffy die once before so yea..
How many "best moments" and "best lines" does this episode have.
Brilliant television.
Back then I didn’t know that season 6/7 were planned so I was shocked by this finale😭
Imagine us who watched it when this aired and not knowing there would be another season...heartbreaking!
I was devastated
By the time this episode aired, it was both well known and heavily promoted the show would be continuing on UPN.
@@Tim85-y2q Kids don't tend to notice things like that, jftr.
I am a guy and i am a huge Buffy fan
Mostly because of the fact that there were multiple moments that i can relate to.
And this... seeing her sacrifice herself... seeing her jump, knowing it will be her death...
It made me cry as well.
When this aired there was NO season 6 or 7 there was no internet to tell there was and the Belgian television program books marked it as SLOT or final episode of a series. And honestly I could live with it. Even after 6 and 7 somewhere deep inside the series ended wih this episode for me.
Just so you know, when this aired, there were no more seasons announced yet,
so for us, viewing this when it aired, this was the series finally (and also the 100th episode)
YES. oh my god. I was a teenage girl and I was DEVASTATED.
I will never forget this episode.. this whole season in fact. season 5 was emotional roller-coaster starting with Joyce's death and challenge of fighting Glory... it all became bigger and harder than ever before, and when show really became dark and mature. and we all thought this was true end of series we didn't know if there will be season 6 or 7 that's why they wrote it like this. it was heartbreaking.
"This is the definition of 'ugly crying'..." EXCUSE ME! UGLY WHERE!?!!
Remember the fighting test the Council gave Buffy? "Protect the dummy at all costs." And she wins the fight but the dummy gets hit by the flying axe. I'm only realizing now how foreshadowing that was.
Careful what you wish for in the Whedon-verse
Always.
14:28 When Sky (satellite TV broadcaster) showed this episode in the UK they completely spoiled it by using the shot of Buffy's gravestone in the trailer. There was a TV series 'Taggart' that ran for years after the title character died.
Is this more emotional than Buffy having to kill Angel at the end of season 2?
Thanks for your great reaction videos! This one really brought back so many memories for me, reminding me of when I watched this for the first time as a kid. I was obsessed with Buffy at the time and this final scene totally floored me - For context, back home in Ireland, the promotional ads on TV for this one spoke of "the last ever episode" of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I really thought this was the end. Having "mourned" the character thereafter, I could never really feel as invested in seasons 6 and 7 personally.
I love it when Giles becomes ripper and so easily murders Ben. Seeing Spike so broken at the end is devastating.
This was supposed to be the season finale, i heard most people at the time were very sad about it:(
This was also episode 100, hence that incredibly nostalgic opening.
You youg kids should be grateful you can binge watch this! Back in 2002 I had to wait like 10 months just to find out if there was going to be a next season, it was INSANE!!!
Once again Whedon gives you what you want (Glory is defeated, Dawn is saved) and says ha, how do you like it now.
Shout-out to Dawn, she is so brave in this episode. And now, Buffy's sacrifice must place an enormous weight on her shoulders (on top of grief).
"I wish my mum was here" gets me more at this point than the ending. At the end, Buffy is at peace. It's time. During her conversation with Giles? She's so lost.
I see Buffy's sacrifice closing the portal as an inconsistency in all their magical rules. It did "get blood", so that part got fulfilled, but the blood did not stop flowing, did it? Dawn is still there. I realise the ritual description can be interpreted in many ways, though, there is precedence on the show for magical texts being unclear.
Remember, this episode _was_ written as the series finale. The network had cancelled it, and it wasn't until later that another network picked it up. For a lot of fans watching on TV for the first time (if they weren't reading fan sites or entertainment news), this was the end of the show, and they didn't know until months later that it would be continued.
As a posible series finale, actually. Joss and the rest always thought about next season: Joss promoted Marti to Executive Producer in Feb '01 (UPN picked it in April) and Joss began with one of the S6 episodes during that time. About the network: it was the end of the 5 year contract. Problem was with the next contract/years: Fox wanted more money per episode and WB said no. Eventually UPN agreed to pay 2.2 million per episode and a 2 year contract (that matched the original 7 year Fox contract with SMG).
If you go back and look at the end of the episode when spike gets tortured by Glory that's when I got spoiled it was a series finale. It said "only 5 episodes left til the series finale" so I basically expected the show was over at this episode. Then later we found out it had been renewed for 2 more seasons at a different network. So this was a series finale. But not the end of the series
In the episode Family, Spike wanted to be there to watch the Slayer die. Sadly he got his wish.
6:28 A better response would have been: "It's a big rock. I can't wait to tell my friends. They don't have a rock this big."
I always thought that guy in the white and blue striped shirt Buffy saves in the prologue looked just like Joss Whedon, and that ot was meant to mean something
did you ever think when watching the first season of buffy with the giant praying-mantis that you would be having this kind of reaction to the show only a few seasons later?
can you imagine how many people have spent the last months sitting on their hands, fighting the temptation to tell you what the end is? thank God, that's over!!Let's take a breath - and move forward to the next season! Now you will hardly believe it, but the best is yet to come!!
As to the question of whether viewers knew if Buffy would continue, episode 5x22 aired on May 22, 2001. An article in the April 21, 2001 edition of the New York Times stated that 20th Century Fox Television announced that they had ordered 44 new episodes to air on the UPN network. So, yes, the viewers did know that Buffy was returning, albeit on a different network. Jos Whedon probably knew the chances were good when the final episodes were planned and written as Fox TV was actively shopping the show to any network willing to pay the $2 million per episode price they wanted. Even so, the finale was written so as to be a series finale if necessary.
100% correct.
Cheese guy? No, that's legendary Broadway superstar Joel Grey!
I think this is the perfect ending to my favourite season of the show (of any show). It's hard to watch though. And Buffy is right indeed when she says that the hardest thing in the world is to live in it.
The reason that this feels like a series finale is because it was originally supposed to be. Joss had a five year plan, which ended here. So in a way, what comes next is like a sequel or a revival series. I know people who love this as the ending so much, they just stop here. Then again, some people probably do the same with season 3, when high school ends. Regardless, this death was real in terms of writing. It wasn't just a normal cliffhanger where we were supposed to expect a quick resolution in the next episode.
7.3.0. done !
"Little Miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0"
well done, another great reaction, such raw emotion. tissues at the ready
I heard this was supposed to be the series finale. And it was for the WB.
UPN asked Joss if he would be interested in continuing on their network and he agreed. That's why in season 6 they had to figure out a way to bring Buffy back.
Although there was drama in the first three seasons, Buffy was dealing with life as adult after school in seasons 4 and 5. Although there are other non-fantasy dramas on TV, I think the writers did a fantastic job edging more mature drama into BtVS. The balance of comedy, fantasy & drama is something this show tied together uniquely. Look forward to season 6, episode 1.
Then watching the happy season finale for Angel; happy that is until they return home to see a sullen WIllow waiting for them.
Your reactions are my favorite and editing choices are flawless. Never miss any important/funny/favorite scenes👏💙
As always there are a ton of comments pushing the old myth that this was the intended final episode, that the show was cancelled and so on and on. The truth is that the show was never cancelled, The WB had every intention of continuing but FOX had 2 plans, one was to increase the price of the show and the second was to move all their big name shows to the new channel UPN since Murdoch had plans to buy it (so by first moving the shows they would get the broadcasting rights under the radar).
So they started a bidding war where UPN gave a number for more money than The WB could afford. This was all decided very early in the show and then the public was made aware of it shortly after episode 17 aired when news papers started to write about the new deal between FOX and UPN (NY Times had an article on 21st of April 2001). In the end UPN signed on for 44 episodes over two years, so they bought two seasons in one go.
The head of The WB was reportedly very upset with the deal (showing that they had zero plans to cancel it) and I quote "20th Television has made an inauspicious decision for the television industry by taking one of their own programs off of a nonaffiliated network and placing it on a network in which they have a large vested interest.".
While the exact details of the deal was never made public insiders reported that UPN paid $2.3M per episode, The WB highest offer was $1.8M and they had up to this point paid $1M per episode.
Trying to cash in for what they had left, The WB started to push S5 as "the last season of Buffy", which is probably why so many fans today remember it as it was planned to be the last, but this was just a marketing ploy by The WB.
One of the best finales to cap off one of the best (if not the best) season of Buffy
Every single time.. ....tears. I've probably seen this finale 50+ times between my own watches and reactors, still every single time. I don't know what it is, maybe SMG just killing every scene. And that realization that Buffy has, so beautiful yet tragic
Oh and why the intro is so weird....this is not only the S5 finale but also the 100th episode. Shows usually do a lot of call backs to previous episodes in the big 100
Very, very few times have I cried over an episode or a show for that matter...this episode tho....😭
Dawn the hardest thing in this world is to live in it....be brave live....for me....this is arguably the best single line in all of television
Sofie you are my fave Buffy reactor! You really know how to react to and analyze this show and what it has to say to its viewers. Also weird thing to notice but I wish i could cry as pretty as you LOL. im an ugly cry haha
She is the best Buffy reactor I’ve seen & with one or two exceptions, it’s not particularly close. She just gets it.
"sHE IS WITH ME"..WILLOW IS SUCH A BADASS...i LOVE WILLOW.
Ive watched this episode so many times, and it still makes me cry.
Back when this series aired, originally, this was suppose to be the series finale. It was suppose to end here on season 5. They made a big deal about it and everything back then on the WB, but Joss Whedon was able to strike a deal with another network, and UPN picked up the series for at least one more season, but ended up doing two. Keep watching Sofie, it will all make sense…
When this episode first aired in 2001, the ending was absolutely devastating because we didn't know at that time that the show had been picked up by another network.
So far as we knew, this was the very last episode of the very last season of Buffy. It would therefore be impossible to overstate the impact of that final scene of Buffy's grave with the epitaph 'She saved the world. A lot.' It honestly felt like we had lost our hero and that with her passing, one of the brightest lights in the world had just gone out and the world was diminished by her loss. We were living in a post-Buffy world and it felt empty.
And any time I rewatch this scene, it's always the shot of Spike in tears that gets me. It's the exact moment I just crack and the tears start flowing.
When this aired originally we didn't know there would be a 6th season. This was it for us, the series finale. I cried too. Then it was picked up on another network.
It was the final on the WB-Network. For those who doesn't know that the show was transferred to the UPN it ended here, knowing that she saved the world a lot. Someone said that WB didn't give a hint that the show will run on a different channel.
RIP Buffy 😢 “Death is your gift”