Buffy the Vampire Slayer Talk || s5e22 "The Gift"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
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Alley, I'd just like you to pity ALL OF US who watched this thinking it was the end of the series 💔
My poor little innocent y2k self. 🥲
Yes I was a hot mess when this premiered.
It was BRUTAL. I have vivid memories of laying down on the floor, completely heartbroken 💔 I am so grateful it came back, but I appreciate how much work was put into making this episode extra special.
I didn't have that issue in Australia. Because it had already been out in the US for awhile it had already been shown on entertainment news that Buffy died in the finale so when it came out it was advertised as the episode where Buffy dies but the next season had either already been released or started filming so we that not only was she about to die, but she was still coming back next season. We also knew Buffy's sister was coming in this season. We just didn't know how.
I'm surprised anyone thought this was the end of the series? Didn't they already announce the show was moving to UPN? I remember being a little underwhelmed because I already knew the show was continuing.
"Been a long while since I met one who didn't know me... That's what I keep saying." SMG's delivery here KILLS me. The weariness, the hint of gallows humour, the almost catatonic resignation. I'm not sure the burdens she carries have ever been more evident. 😭
“There’s that word again…” 💔😭
Does anyone know if she’s actually referencing a vampire we know from the show who ‘didn’t know’ her?
I can’t think of any she’s met before that didn’t know what a slayer was.
@@2010hassi Yeah, they seem to be able to recognize a Slayer (and know what one is) right from the grave.
@@2010hassi possibly Darla in Welcome to the Hellmouth? When they are fighting.
@davidmernick7360 not at all. Spike had no idea what slayers were remember? 😅 It's just that Buffy is now infamous in Sunnydale since she's moved to the area, and also by now known internationally haha (Dracula)
It's Spike ducking from the sunrise, covered in blood and sobbing in silence that kills me every time 😭
Same. That broke me when it aired and continues to do so 22 years later.
When Spike cries, I cry.....:(
The fact that it's a DEMON crying is what gets to me.
Did not catch that part about the sunrise... wow. I thought he was just severely heartbroken about losing Buffy.
That still gets so many of us all these years later. God, Spike is something. To think that he’s fighting this fight with them all while not even having a soul… one of TV’s most complex and interesting characters ever, played to perfection by James Marsters.
Giles glasses are rather symbolic. He takes them off to clean when things are happening he doesn't want to see and one of the clear marks of "Ripper" is he doesn't wear the glasses....... before he kills Ben, he specifically puts them on. That's Giles. Doing what he must.
Yeah, it always annoys me when people say that was Ripper. Ripper wasn't just "dark"- he was a selfish hedonist trying to run away from his duty. Giles here is dark, but for reasons that are pretty much the opposite of Ripper. Remember what he says to Buffy earlier, about having sworn and oath to protect the world, and doing what other people can't? Right or wrong, his actions here are 100% Giles the Watcher. Ripper would have used violence out of anger and selfishness. Giles kills out of a sense of duty.
"Fortunately for you, Buffy is a good person. Unfortunately for you, I am not."
"Here to help, want to live!" Shout out to Anya for being the unsung hero of this season finale. The way they defeated Glory was pretty much her plan. It was Anya's idea to use both the orb and the hammer. Plus it was her and Xander that found the Buffybot in the basement so I'm going to give her credit for that idea too. Anya kicks ass!
I think they all contributed an equal even amount which is another reason why I love this finale so much.
They all get to do their bit and do it well.
When you're 1120 years old , you know things...
"If I didn't know otherwise, I'd think this was the finale of the show." Yeah, Whedon wrote it that way. The network had not renewed the show's contract and he didn't know if another network was gonna pick it up.
the show's renewal was not seriously in doubt, except among us the fandom who didn't know any better. the network and the studio were arguing about money, but they weren't that far apart. the studio would have settled if they didn't get a better offer from another network.
@@sirmoonslosthismind The OP was speaking about Whedon's perception since the latter wrote it as a series finale.
IIRC every season finale was written as a possible series finale since they never knew whether the show would be picked up by the time the episode had to be written. Except season 4. And 6.
@@sirmoonslosthismind You have to remember scripts were usually written weeks in advance of shooting. So its likely when the script for The Gift was written Whedon didn't know yet that the UPN had picked up the show and renewed it for a sixth season.
Spike breaking down in tears when he sees Buffy will always get me.
The stark contrast between Xander hearing what he said out loud about killing a regular guy and being horrified at himself versus Alley's unrepentant enthusiastic nodding 😅😅😅
"I just love Spike and Buffy so much... and now she's dead."
Well, technically speaking so is he
Well, technically speaking he's UNdead.
P.S. the way SMG looks when she turns around to see the dawn ~ that look on her face of calm RELIEF & PEACE knowing she can save her sister & also end the tiring grueling grind she's been exhausted with this season is so tragically beautiful. What SMG can convey with just a look in that moment ~ WOW!
That's the key thing. Buffy's depression isn't something that happened in s6. She was already depressed in S5. It gives another layer to "death is your gift" in a really poignant sad way. Not that I think she was outright suicidal here. But it gave her a way out as you said, from the impossible choice of saving the world or killing her sister. A choice she wasn't prepared to make after what she went through with Angel
@@jaycievictory8461 I can see what your saying. But I also see what Willow did in season 6 being truly traumatizing also. And even if she was depressed already because of everything in season 5. Then she would doubly have been so because of what happened in Bargaining.
@@BrennaUrbangirl Of course Buffy was traumatised by what happened in season 6. :) My point was, she was already depressed before multiple things happened that season to make her life worse. Rather than season 6 events causing her depression. She was already depressed.
@@jaycievictory8461 The thing is, Buffy has suffered from depression throughout the entirety of the show. She hides it well, but even in S1 you can catch glimpses of it if you know what to look for.
dawn's delivery of "and i wish you'd fall on your head and drown in your own barf, so i guess we're both disappointed" is one of my favorite in the show. that whole scene converted me into a lifelong dawn stan.
Dawn's great!
I also love her split second of being a Glory stan too. "At least you're honest about it"
Yes lol I definitely found her initially annoying but always have loved her from late season 5 onward. Never understood the extreme hate
@@witchy.business Exactly! People need to remember everything Dawn had been going through plus she's a typical young teenager, very justified in acting the way she did. Plus she was going to try and sacrifice herself when she pointed out the blood was already spilled to save the world. Like come on, enough with the hate.
When you think about it, Giles killing Ben is especially cold blooded since Ben helped saved Giles life a few episodes ago. Not saying Giles is wrong, but his ability to do so easily after cleaning his glasses… do not mess with this man.
He doesn't seem to clean his glasses, but he DOES put them on: it's not pleasant what he has to do, but he's not going to do it without being able to see it clearly, because Giles knows the weight and the importance of the act.
A lot of people make the mistake of identifying what he does as "Ripper". That wasn't "Ripper". That was "The Watcher". The man that does whatever is necessary to save the world. That's what he was taught. That's his job. The reason Watchers come across as emotionally detached is because it's not about having "morals", it's about saving the world. It's why he got fired. His deep, emotional attachment could cloud his judgment and it could come at a great cost. That's why the test is just about the Slayer, but also secretly testing the Watcher as well and he failed...
There's another mistaken "Ripper" moment by fans from earlier this season when Giles confronted Spike in The Magic Shop in front of everyone. That wasn't "Ripper" or "The Watcher", but "Daddy Giles". All three of these identities are all dangerous, but present different energies and have different ideals and motivations...
The best thing about this show is that nothing is without consequences. I think a lot of Giles's behavior in the last two seasons is informed by this one act. Even if it isn't stated it's there in the subtext.
that’s my man!!! 🫶🏻😚
@@AshLee92490 I do wish they'd explained where the name 'Ripper' came from (particularly in England, where it's more related to brutal mass murderers)
You uploaded Buffy's death on her characters literal birthday. Good timing! January 19th. As you've said before, "Nothing good ever happens on Buffy's birthday!"
OH MY GOD I DIDNT EVEN REALIZE 😭
@@alleybox IT ALL WORKS!
wow pretty cool indeed!
@@alleybox Not really a believer in this stuff but your links to this show border on the Supernatural.
That's up for debate. Her actual birthday was never pinned down. The only clue we have that it's even in January is a line about her being Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius which is about a 7 day range from Jan. 17th to the 23rd. The only reason its assumed to be on the 19th is because Surprise aired on Jan. 19th in 1998. But here is something to remember. Most Buffy episodes take place on multiple days. Surprise took place over the course of two days with Innocence being set on the third day. So if the episode starts on the day it aired. And Buffy's birthday was on the second day in the episode. That means Buffy's birthday is actually on Jan. 20th not the 19th as has been accepted by the community.
This finale has been well foreshadowed for a while:
Remember in 3x22 Graduation Day part 2 what Faith said in the dream? "Miles to go. Little Miss Moffett counting down from 730." (This episode "The Gift" was 730 days after that episode.)
Remember in 4x22 Restless what Tara said in the dream? "Be back before Dawn" Her sacrifice is at dawn.
This finale has also been well designed bc so many parts from season 5 was woven into this ep: the dagon sphere, the troll hammer, the buffybot, "It's Summers blood", the "Death is your gift", etc.
Such cohesive writing, I love it! Such a good season!
yeah, we can't get this quality anymore in movies or after Endgame
Also Spike speech in Fool for Love about Buffy wanting to die
@@dontgiveinfo please for the love of God tell me you're not implying that Endgame is comparable to The Gift
@@joshobrien3467 you are missing the point. The comparison I'm making is quality of writing. Not saying both are the same. BtVs had Whedon was was great at creating character, archs, dialogue, humor, horror and pain all within the flip of a second. The movies that are good in the MCU did the same. Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, Endgame. That is the comparison. Capice? are you a writer? creative type? then now you understand?
@@dontgiveinfo so I said you were comparing Endgame and the Gift (which, lmao) and you said I missed the point, which you explained was... comparing Endgame and the Gift? Which point did I miss exactly?
The moment when Buffy realizes what "death is her gift" means, that gets me everytime. My favourite season, and one of my favourite finales. Also one of the episodes that made me cry the most. I guess Buffy fans are addicted to pain.
As 100th episodes of TV shows go, this was a banger. Happy 100th episode of Buffy gang 😁
These reactions are your gift. Your gift to all of us. 💝
🥹💗💗
I approve of your profile Pic
@@insouciantFox there are dozens of us!
Lol, imagine the next Slayer does the same vision quest thing: "Reacting to cult television shows on TH-cam is your gift!" "Reacting to cult television sh--?" "--is your gift!"
SEASON 5 is like my favourite season of buffy. The finale is perfection
There was a lot of foreshadowing to Buffy's death my favorite is when Faith steals her credit card the expiration date is May 2001 and this episode aired May 23rd 2001.
TIL
Wtf 💀
The music: Christophe Beck.
He did most of the scores for the first three seasons, but then he started getting a lot of movie score work (which pays much better than TV) so he became an occasional score writer that Joss lured back whenever he needed something special. He did the score for Hush, and Restless (in which he also appears as the piano player during Giles’ exposition song)
no, beck didn't join the show until season two.
During this time, Joss Whedon wasn't sure that "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," was going to get picked up by another network or even if "Angel" was either, rumor and innuendo was because "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" brought in so much money for The WB Network, FOX Studios who produced both shows wanted more money. This is why this finale has that scene with the Vamp Dusting in the beginning and why the ending feels like a Series Finale, instead of a Season Finale, also this episode was the 100th Episode of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer."
In all the times watching this it hadn’t dawned on me how much of a badass Dawn is for being willing to sacrifice herself.
Buffy was cancelled on the WB after this season and moved to UPN for season 6 & 7 but they gave us an amazing ending in case the show didn't get picked up again. I am glad there is more because a few of my favorite moments are still to come.
Someone(I think Joss in the episode commentary) said that when the WB cancelled the series they said that they wanted a definitive ending or something along those lines.
This was the buffy finale when this was film, since WB cancelled the show. Almost no show would move network back in the day.
So this was the Buffy finale for me when I watched it when it aired
@@endlessx2 I watched the show back when it first aired and if I remember correctly when they filmed the episode they hadn't made the deal to switch to UPN but by the time the episode aired we knew the show would have a 6th season with UPN.
Fun fact - I was in Boot camp when the Gift dropped and didn't get to see it for four months ugh.
Spike telling Buffy he will protect Dawn " till the end of the world"
And telling Buffy " I know you will never love me. I know that I'm a monster"
Man- he is the best Warrior Poet in all of TV
I have so, so many thoughts about this episode.
The “Previously on” scene is beautiful, I watch it every time.
Buffy’s resigned sadness over these being the choices that she has to make.
Willow’s “She’s with me,” and then their reunion.
“I’ll send the lady your regrets.”
The beautiful instrumental music that plays when Buffy and Dawn are at the top of the tower.
The “Death is your gift” meaning that Buffy gets to die and be at peace AND die in the place of her sister.
That SPEECH.
The criminal thing is that the initial DVD releases didn't include any previously segments.... including this one. So the episode just starts very abruptly with the guy running in the alley. No build up at all.
"she's with me" is actually my favourite moment in this episode and given everything else in this episode, that's *saying* something.
That particular piece of music is 'Sacrifice' from Christophe Beck. An absolute must have for every 'emotional instrumental playlist.
@@ichmeiner4531 Sacrifice and Close Your Eyes are my fave instrumental pieces from Buffy.
Interesting that you bring up Dracula. There's a theory that the monks somehow used him to get Buffy's blood in order to create Dawn. Either they magically controlled him, or he was never really real.
-They must have gotten Buffy's blood somehow, and Dawn appeared right after Dracula's visit.
-The monks and Dracula seem to be from the same part of the world, with similar accents.
-Anya and Spike, the two people who claimed to have met Dracula before, never interacted with him in the episode.
-He could do a lot of things we've never seen any other vampire do, a lot of it magical in nature.
-As awesome as Buffy is, it seems a little far-fetched that Dracula would be so impressed by her reputation that he would travel around the world to find her without a very good reason.
-His departure was similarly abrupt. If he was really that obsessed with Buffy, he wouldn't have just given up and stopped trying.
That explanation were it canon would make the entire episode so much better than it already is. And I quite like that episode as it is.
I'm pretty sure it's just an easter egg episode, also to establish Buffy as having "peaked" in her abilities, but I am totally down to reinforce the lore with this theory!!
I always took Tara's "you're a killer" to Giles as not only foreshadowing, but in general another peek into his ripper past. He wasn't always a good boy.
This...THIS episode, still has the ability to make me sob uncontrollably. I've been waiting for this one, chewed nails and baited breath and dread. It's here, and now we go forward...
And then The WB confused many fans with a goodbye message that made some think it was the series finale when it was really just switching networks after they didn't want to renew their five year distributing contract and UPN was willing to pick it up in a bidding war (for use of a better term) with all the networks.
To be fair, I think Joss originally wrote this as a series finale and then it got picked up again
@@apixieswhisper Considering what happens in the next 2 seasons, I think it would have been better if it ended with 5th one, too. I'm not saying I don't love season 6 and 7 (well, actually, not a huge fan of 7, but 6 is really good IMO), but while Buffy died here, the rest of the cast has a bright future here, Willow getting Tara back, Xander and Anya being engaged. And then, you know, season 6 hits... :(
@@apixieswhisper Not what the crew, including Jane Espenson said, in a half hour TV special I found after the series was over, which is where I learned this information. Joss did say, in many interviews, this could work as a series finale if need be, but all season finale's of BtVS, except _Becoming Part 2,_ could do so if need be.
@@Buffy8Fan Correct!
@@apixieswhisper He wrote as a potential series finale as every year. Also, as every year, he planned S6 well before 5x22. Including Noxon as the new co showrunner plus a very special episode in the works.
Such a tear jerker episode. Ive seen this show countless times and i still find my eyes watering watching. Even through a reaction channel.
Not only does this episode still make me cry my eyes out, but even just you explaining how Buffy looked as the sun was rising.. i got the chills.
I cry Every. Single. Time
Today is Buffy’s bday!!! You posted this . What a great way to celebrate
20 years later and I still cry like a baby at the end of this episode
Giles taking care of Ben is one of my favorite parts in this episode for some reason.
100% one of the most iconic moments of the whole series for mr
I have seen the last two minutes of this ep more times than I can count. It is truly one of the greatest endings of a season in TV history.
Must be so exciting to see these for the first time. Understand that the internet wasn't what it is today, so most people did not know for a while that we would be having a new season. The show left one network and went to another for season 6 and 7. Like Supernatural's early season finale, I think season 4 or maybe 5, I prefer this ending.
I assume a lot of Buffy's feelings mirrored SMG's, both working so hard and having carried the weight of their respective worlds for 5 seasons. Death was their gift... Until season 6.
😂 I'm so excited for you to watch the next season! It's my favorite season. I've never clicked so fast on a video before. I still get choked up at the end. Spike's reaction as well as the rest of the Scoobies is when I start balling, without fail.
Season 6 lovers rise up lol. It's my favorite too.
Me too
We're not going to gloss over the fact that Buffy's last act as slayer was beating a God into submission and talking shit as she did it.
Queen
this episode 🥹🥹🥹i can’t!!!!
I love everything about this episode except the last minute upgrading of the troll hammer. Between Willow's spell and the dagon sphere, I think it would have worked to make Glory weak for a bit so Buffy could fight her. Clare Kramer's delivery of "did anyone else know the Slayer was a robot", kills me everytime.
Back in the day some of us spent some time single framing our way through that opening sequence, identifying every clip.
There are clips from all but four episodes: Lie to Me, Helpless, Choices, and Checkpoint.
There are two clips from Lover’s Walk, and one of them is out of sequence.
I'm glad that you highlighted that scene in the house between Buffy and Spike. I have a hard time buying that soulless vampire Spike could love Buffy. But Marsters' delivery when he talks about how Buffy treats him like a man... that was the one moment that made me believe that Spike could really love her. Its still one of my favourite in the series.
Honestly I think that whole “vampires can’t love without a soul” is complete bullshit. There’s plenty that proves it false.
This is one of the episodes always have me in tears. Doesn't matter how many times I've watched it.
I feel you, Alley. I bawled my eyes out the first time I saw this episode! Plus we thought there may not be another season. My pre-teen self was a mess 😂
Rest in peace, Buffy Anne Summers. We'll miss you, wherever you get to go after death. (147)
I don't recall Ms. Alley taking off her glasses to wipe away her tears, so I'm going to say she really loved this episode. It was the perfect finale to the most coherent (plot-wise) season of the show. It could even have served as a series finale (and almost did).
Anyway, Miss Alley, thanks for sharing your reactions.
This was an excellent episode. Even watching reactions I notice small details, things that Buffy says, that make it even better, deeper and more emotional.
I was at a friend's house and everyone there was watching it in several different rooms.
At the end of the episode there was a written message to the fans, thanking us for all the years and how they'll miss us or what have you.
The moment the screen faded to black after that, you would have thought an apocalypse was coming.
There was panic from people rushing out of rooms and regrouping in the living room.
Everybody was like "Wait. Wtf does that mean?! They can't kill her off and that's the end, right?!"
We had to wait to hear if a negotiation with another channel would pick up.
Consider yourself spoiled...you and a lot of younger generations have shows that stream out a whole series in one shot.
But the not knowing led for good conversation and speculation in the chat rooms and for meeting strangers that followed the show too.
I guess you never saw past comments of me mentioning that Supernatural is adjacent to the Whedonverse. As well as the MCU in more ways than one.
Kim Manners cinematography director, worked on Supernatural, R.I.P, and his brother, Kelly worked on the Buffyverse.
Ben Edlund is the main connection between the shows. Whedonverse alum work together and Iam sure he had a hand in getting acting alum on the show
. A lot of the Whedonverse directing and writing styles showed up on Supernatural.
It's a practical joke. There's actually only 5 seasons of Buffy. Haha, gotcha.
0:25 "What does it all lead to??" - Death. It leads to death.
If you keep writing a story for long enough, it will always end in Death.
This is one of about four episodes I have been waiting for you to react to. You did not disappoint.
The Gift is the best episode of television ever made, it’s perfect and absolutely flawless in its execution, pacing, storytelling, performances and character development
This is one of the most memorable episodes of Buffy for me. The music score at the end, and Buffy’s willingness to sacrifice herself for the love of her sister and friends. But the line “the hardest thing in this world is to live in it” is probably the most truest thing in life.
Season 6 takes a somewhat darker turn to the show which some people don’t like but honestly I think it tackles some interesting themes and I found season 6 to be interesting.
It's worth thinking about Buffy and Spike in this season, going forward. Especially their exchange in the house.
I love how the captions keep saying 'Don' or 'Donnie' instead of Dawn.
She saved the world. A lot.
2 more seasons? Must mean Dawn becomes the slayer :D
What has Faith been up to lately?
@@PrinceIMC Taming bitches in the clink.
From Joss's shooting script:
As the smoke clears, we see the gang coming slowly toward her. Dawn, having climbed down, the farthest behind, the most alone. Xander carrying Anya, who looks out of danger, but clearly as stricken as the rest. They mostly register stoic, humbled shock. Willow weeps openly. As does Spike, who must hide from the encroaching sunlight, collapsing in wretched sobs at his failure, at the death of his love.
Those piano chords always kill me.😅
You have to know, back when this first aired, we didn't know right away that the show was gonna continue. It was such a deep gut punch and the internet was still in its infancy.
Glad to see, I didn't miss out on much. It's just hard to keep on track with EVERY channel, I follow.
Can't activate the bell for everyone, but I'm very glad to see how you reacted to my favorite episode and I'm even happier that you're still currently reacting to my favorite season. 😊
Keep being you, you're awesome. I'm glad I found your channel again. 🫶
I remember before I had internet, I thought this was the finale was heartbroken. Then late one night, an ad come on tv of a fist punching out of a grave and it just said "Buffy Returns" and it played the theme music.
@37:45 "for a hand to pop out or something" Dude, that just made me think of a movie where that happens but then the girl wakes up screaming 'cause it's all a nightmare 😨
The hardest thing to do in this world, is to live in it. Be brave, live.....for me. Starts the waterworks everydamntime
Just to clarify: WB never cancelled Buffy. As the 5 year contract with Fox (who actually made the show) ended they started a biding war. Fox wanted more money for each episode and Warner finally said no. Joss and the writers wrote the season and the last episode as a potential finale like every year. But, also as every year, they worked thinking about a new season. Thats why Joss enlisted Marti as a new Executive Producer in Feb 2001, began working on a very special episode for next Season. News of the move to UPN came in April 2001 and, of course, Joss knew it.
I have Be Brave Live along with the Buffy style B tattooed on my forearm. This is still my favorite episode of television ever. I remember exactly where I was when I saw it.
Everything from beginning to end of this episode is pure perfection. The series finale is good, but this is...my finale.
Death is her gift. Her spirit guide just never said whose death. What a season finale. Can't wait for your no doubt brilliant as always wrap up.
Was no one on the Internet back in 2001? It was all over the Internet that Buffy would be moving to UPN after "The Gift." The very first site I ever visited was the Bronze posting board back in the late 1990s, but I never posted anything because I never knew what to say. If I had, maybe I could have had a character name cameo like some people did.
This was basically promoted and treated like the finale of the show because it was for the WB. So Buffy 3.0 started on the UPN (post-high school is Buffy 2.0).
The scene between Buffy and Giles is in my top 3 scenes of all the buffyverse
Here for you rn.......or well, I was there for you in spirit when you officially watched this episode
I straight up got a tattoo for this episode the end was so emotional for me
What’s the tattoo?
The part of this that makes me violently sob is remembering Spike tell Buffy every slayer has a death wish and that the day Buffy dies he’ll have a really good day then cutting to his reaction to her lifeless body. Just the picture of a broken man.
The better “finale” of the show for me. Such a beautiful ending for the story.
I am personally not a fan of the next two seasons of the show at all, but there are plenty of people who do love it so I hope you are in that category :) See ya over in Angel,!!
I’m a fan of Season 6. Not so much Season 7 apart from a few episodes.
Heartbreaking that the happiest she looks in this episode is after she realizes she's going to sacrifice herself, when she's talking to Dawn.
It’s happening OMG!
I love the tower set. I think it's a unique setpiece and I've never heard anyone complain about it before. I also think Buffys fight with Glory is epic. It goes from the ground up the stairs, they shimmy up the pipes, knock each other down, head back down via a huge fall to a different area and then Glory gets knocked theough the fucking wall with a wreckingball and then Buffy just tenderizes her with the hammer (which is an epic weapon). Buffy does some wicked moves too. I think it fully delivers.
The reason the beginning calls back to every episode is because this was supposed to be the series finale. That’s why everything was built up to this point. Pretty sad but also a fitting end. The look of peace and the piano notes when she looks out at the sun rising makes me cry everytime. It sucks that so many ppl watch this when they are older because I feel like the impact of her death doesn’t hit as hard.
Still brings some tears to my eyes.
This is also the 100th episode
The opening is because this is the 100th episode, and the channel they were on was closing so Joss honestly wasn't sure if the show was continuing. Obviously continued on a new channel (magic!), and i can't give any future notes about that.
And i agree that this finale is absolutely fucking perfect. All finales have been great, but this one is so much better. And i love the Buffy glory fight up the tower, personally. I agree that it's kinda weirdly shot and doesn't always make a lot of sense, but it's being faught on a tower made by crazy people, and i think that really has to be part of it.
I can't believe you're going to abandone Buffy for so long, but i understand. Have fun, and know some questions will eventually be answered. See ya, kid
Just to be clear since it seems to be a thing in the comment section every time a reactor reaches the finale - there was never ever any doubt about the series continuing after this. UPN poached the show from the WB who then very pettily played the episode up as a "series finale" in promotion and had a title card after the episode thanking everyone for watching the series. But a 6th season was never in question. The move to UPN was public knowledge long before the finale aired. I was a fan when it aired, the only thing people were worried about was what changes UPN might demand. People had in the mind the clusterfuck that resulted from network meddling with Star Trek Voyager.
Casual viewers probably initially thought this was a series finale though.
At the time, I suspected that UPN would demand a crossover episode with _Special Unit 2._
I enjoyed your reaction, looking forward to seeing the next. 👍
I related to Buffy in this episode so much. 💔 Once in a theoretical manner, and now I find it allowing me to vicariously live a fantasy I've had many times recently; to sacrifice my life to save my little brother, whom I lost. When I first saw this episode I felt like I had seen the end to a series that meant so much to me, as it made me face that which I fear most. I'm sure many people can relate to that feeling. Now, having endured that fear, I find the same episode strangely granting me a sliver of solace. For life may not allow us to save those we love, but we can choose to love those still with us fully, to cherish moments of warm embrace, to open our hearts despite the inevitable pain, and to remember those we have lost, grateful for the time we had. Love never truly fades, it echoes within those we leave behind, should they choose to in grace remember. Take care and God bless. ✝️
One thing I only recently realized upon rewatches: The massive construction site in the center of town where Xander works and where Glory built her tower must be the high school.
15:00 I love it when 'Ripper' comes out to play.
SMG was so good at playing the Buffybot although in order to fool the viewers she is a little less robotic this time. Obviously they managed to reprogram her into a battle bot instead of a sexbot.
Once Glory is gone, Dawn doesn't need the same protection, she was only the key for Glory, she's just Dawn Summers, ordinary teenager, now
Quotes by Joss about it:
April 24, 2001: It's gonna be the hardest thing we ever tried to pull off, and that INCLUDES the COMPLETELY UNSHOOTABLE episode 100 that nearly killed me.
May 23, 2001: on my way to bed. I've never been so tired. (lie.) We did it. Feeling good. Killed the girl. Girl comin' back. A good thing? Nothing is simple in this life. My actors and writers and crew are unbelievable. I'm lucky to be this kind of tired. Thanks all of you for your comments and opinions, even the ones I hated. UPN will be a good home for us. 'Cause the show won't change -- except inasmuch as it's always changing. Next year is going to be intense. INTENSE. And the musical... the musical... could be the worst hour of TV ever made, but you won't be able to say we didn't go there. I'll post sometime soon, wherever the bronze may be.
Need the sleep.
Love the tired.
I’d put a quick spoiler tag for anyone figuring anything post this episode won’t be mentioned here
@@somerotter She's already in season 7.
@@somerotter alley is now around S7 I think!
Wait a mo. Alley is 40ish episodes ahead of the videos she's releasing???
Also, is there a connection between Ben and Glory?
@@haydn60 Yes and... What? Nope, Ben and Glory? No way.
Well, this just made my night.
That could have been the series finale, and for a while after the show aired, I was REALLY unsure about whether the show would really continue. I cried for weeks.
*I immediately clicked lol.* So excited to watch later😄 Also hi Alley, I hope you’re well❤️
Random observation, but unless that's Buffy Bot in the magic shop taking charge when they leave, Buffy is still wearing the long sleeved white shirt outfit when they start following Tara, so she clearly swapped shirts and pants with the bot as they were walking.
The best set of consecutive episodes in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ are, without a doubt, for me:
‘Tough Love’
‘Spiral’
‘The Weight Of The World’
‘The Gift’
Why? Because it feels like a 4-part finale so it has enough screen-time to do everything that needs to be done to finish off the arc. It is the most cohesive and conclusive finale of the whole show. It’s SO. GOOD.
Let’s analyze: “Death is your gift.”
The meaning of it is inconsequential to what it actually means to Buffy.
“Death" - her death - it's not just a gift. It's a relief. She's realised that that line did not mean that she causes death. She IS that death. She IS 'THE GIFT'.
It's a relief in many ways for her. Not just in the suicidal/self-sacrificial way, which is valid. But also in the way of she got to decide when and where and how she died, and she got to have her personal vendetta out on the Watcher's Council by doing what they would instruct her to do but doing it in such a way where it would save her sister, save her family of Scoobies, and save the whole Universe all at the same time. She basically found the non-existent cheat code for the game system of Slayerdom and had not a hint of hesitation in using it.
And so to tie it all together... ironically by dying... she saved herself.
She didn't have a death wish.
She had a relief wish.
Because "Death" WAS her relief.
It's a multi-layered realisation. The realisation that she could sacrifice herself instead of Dawn. The realisation that she could save everyone and everything by giving up her life. And eventually the realisation it's what she wished for herself. It's absolutely genius writing!
So long as it was her choice,… it was her gift to Dawn, to the Scooby Gang and to the Universe... But most of all to herself. She won the game by dying in it her way.
I know I’m not the only one to have picked this up about the meaning of ‘The Dawn’. Just wait till Passion of the Nerd puts out his analysis on the episode. He’ll explain all of this way better than I ever could in his clever almost Alan Watts-ish way.
As a diehard Buffy & Angel fan at the time and almost the same age as Buffy's character, I waited with bated breathe for each new episode on both shows. It was absolutely devastating watching this on TV, especially the last few minutes. Buffy had died. Her friends and Spike crying, and the last shot was her tombstone. The other point - it was unclear if there was going to be another season through WB. It was the saddest, most melancholy moment. Until the joys of Buffy being renewed on UPN. Then season 6 happened - that was next-level as the saddest season.
Holy shit, I thought I felt a little extra emotional this week and I wasn’t wrong. I haven’t cried this hard watching this in a long time, it was weird and now I’m all sniffly and nasally. Great reaction as always ❤
she saved the world... a lot
11:33 This gives away that it's B bot: "Come and get it!" (Throw back to Willow line from s3e01 Anne, where the Scoobies unsuccessfully hunt a vampire)
Again, I feel I have to clear up the confusion about whether, at the time this first aired, people thought it was the series finale. They did NOT! It had been widely publicized and printed for weeks before that the show was moving to another network for Season 6, not just inside info known by superfans on the internet. I didn't know a single Buffy watcher online or IRL who wasn't aware that there WOULD be a 6th season.
Seriously. This. I really don't understand all the people saying they didn't know. Like were they just utterly unconnected to the fandom? Did they not have the internet? Did they live under a rock? I don’t get it.
@PurCascade US figures show between 49% and 50.4% of households had internet access in 2001 and UK figures put it between 27.8% and 39%, so yeah, a lot of people either had no internet access or very limited access.
2001 would have been the year we got internet at my house, but it was dial-up so I had very limited hours I could use it. Also, it was terribly slow, like go make a cup of tea while this mostly text page loads slow.
Oh funny about the set during the battle, if you got a sense of disjointedness or confusion, kinda makes sense when you consider it was Glory's psych patients that built it
The weirdness of the set, the precariousness of the tower, adds anxiety to the action.
OMG, Buffy the Vampire Slayer becomes Buffy the Vampire would've been a helluva hoot! I'd watch that show. "She'd be a noble vampire with a soul. She'd help the helpless".
This season is so emotional and still I can't help crying everytime I see it... I'm very excited for next season too because it has some very good episodes to react to even if they're not all that fun to watch.
Loved your comment re BTVS being a blueprint for SN and agree; my daughter and I (both Buffy obsessed) commented on this as we watched the latter. Oh, and totally agree that Supernatural should have ended at Season 5.
The rollercoaster is coming, you can't even imagine.
Fun fact 1: Anya was also supposed to die in this episode, but Emma intentionally kept moving in every shot so she stayed alive.
Fun fact 2: Spike's double landed badly on the bricks for the fall, and really hurt his little William.
I believe Joss was joking when he said that about Anya
Now imagine watching this live, with warner bros anouncing it as "The WB SERIES FINALE". I really thought it was the end and I never fully recouvered