The Gift: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x22 Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- The Gift: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x22 Reaction
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The "Previously on ..." contained a scene from all 99 previous episodes. This was the 100th and final episode on the original network, The WB (Warner Brothers). 100 episodes, besides being a nice round number, was traditionally the number of episodes needed for a show to be sold into syndication allowing the buyers to air all the reruns.
it went into reruns on FX and other cable networks at the time as I recall
52 episodes is the cutoff for syndication not 100.
@@overlookers at that time was 100
History tells us that the show aired for 2 more seasons. People know the entertainment business and what went on. All I know that the Buffy fans I knew at the time did not know the show was returning. It was the most unexpected show that I have ever watched. After Buffy hammers Glory out of sight and Ripper ends Ben, I remember thinking Buffy had won and another Apocalypse had been averted. The last 10 minutes broke me and my BTVS friends. For all of you that are watching now, for those that know The Gift is not the end…. You can not understand… the Swan Dive off the edge…. Seeing Buffys body… Spike breaking down and the soulless Vampire crying… and that damm tombstone when you see Buffy Anne Summers with 1981-2001. It was agony but also the most heroic ending imaginable. Thank you for your entertaining reactions and buckle up and get ready for Season 6. It is the most emotional, thought provoking, and complex season of the Buffyverse.I cannot wait to watch your journey 0:03
we all knew in LA. They were announcing season six over the late summer and even before we watched this WB finale.
Right there with you... words can barely describe the feelings I had after watching the finale.
I remember in the LA media reporting that because of Sarah Michelle Gellar's comments, the CW/WB network decided to end the show. Later in interviews it turned out to just be money negotiations dispute by Whedon and the network. So happy at the time to see it come back. I really liked the final two seasons, very dark subjects tho, no spoilers.
Entertainment news is a part of the business fabric of LA and New York. North Texas in2001 was not rural but entertainment news was mostly either movies, People magazine, or Entertainment Tonight.The WB was an off small network with very little outside ads or any mention in the one newspaper. Buffy was appointment television and the talk about The Gift was about disbelief and what an ending. I think it was within a week that someone found out about Season 6 and the word spread. But that night watching Buffy and Dawn on the platform and Buffy turning to start her run was surreal. I have never before or since had the emotions or feelings from watching a television show.
In France it was supposed to be the finale serie. I was so devastated with this ending!
They way they introduced Dawn so late in the game and made us love her in such a short time is testament to the writing of the show and the performance of Michelle Trachtenberg. And Glory is the best villain of the entire show. Absolutely amazing performance y Clare Kramer.
I also love the plot device of Dawn just suddenly being there at the end of the season premiere, and that the show carried on like everything was normal for a while before the big reveal
@@mediablindspotsNot really. Episode 2 let's you know quickly that something is up with Dawn. The fact sge appears out if nowhere, the crazy man, even her voice over has double meaning.
In the Weight of the World, Buffy stated that she just wanted it to be over. Her death was a gift, not only to the world, but to herself. It was the ultimate show of love as well, sacrificing herself to save Dawn. 3 for the price of 1.
Spike also said this in Fool for Love, that slayers have a death wish, that they reach a stage when they just want the fight to be over.
*Season six premiere spoiler*
It makes What Xander, Willow, Anya and Tara did even more tragic
A lovely series finale. Everyone gets a moment to shine and SMG is fantastic in it. I get slightly annoyed that the Troll Hammer becomes a Troll God Hammer though. I always loved Glory's "did everyone else know the Slayer's a robot" line.
A "Troll God Hammer" implies a Troll God. All that happens here is Buffy uses a troll's hammer against a god. The hammer didn't change.
@@paulonius42Anya specifically says "use the hammer of a God". They upgraded the weapon to give Buffy an easy way to fight Glory. It's a bit lazy but not the most important thing in the episode
@davidgorman994 That line was there because originally Olaf was going to be referred to as a troll god, but since he wasn't, the line is an anachronism. He is not established as a god in canon, and they did not upgrade his hammer. But believe what you wish to believe, it is just a fictional show.
Anya did say his power is from his hammer plus troll strength@@davidgorman994
@@paulonius42 Yes and it makes no sense that the hammer hurts Glory but Xander survives getting hit by it also. He should have been a splat on the ground in that case 😂
I love the small details. As Buffy jumps it shows the sunrise... aka 'When Dawn Breaks'
The Gift is literally perfect from start to finish. Every character on point, not a scene wasted the build the anticipation all lead up to this. I’ve seen it more times than I can count and I love it more and more with every rewatch
In terms of tying it all up with a bow, I guess I would slightly prefer the season 7 finale, because it ends everything at the core of the whole show. That said, as an end to Buffy‘s story, I agree that this one was perfect. The team put their all into this episode, because it was intended to be a proper series finale, and they didn’t know that the show would continue
FYI: Most people don't get that the "Previously on,..," segment was also a hint of Buffy's death as it was meant to represent her life flashing before our eyes.
It was written as the final episode, because it was cancelled. It returned on a different network. But we had no idea whether there would be any more. At the time it was written, this was the end.
no, it wasn't written as the final episode. there was a bidding war for the rights to the next season. the show team always knew they were coming back.
yes this was the original series finale. I cannot recall if we knew that it had been picked up by a different network before the episode aired. I know I did not know at the time. Bear in mind, this was before computers and internet being something common in a household. TV guide was pretty much the main source of information for fans of shows/movies to find out that kind of BTS stuff.
It was known. Don't think most were aware though.
It was announced in newspapers a few days after 5x17 Forever aired. And no it wasn't the end of the original series. The show moved not due to being cancelled but by Fox putting it out for a bidding war, a bidding war that The WB lost.
Whedon and others have told different stories about it, but one that keeps coming up is that they wrote/filmed every season finale like it might be a series finale. I think with this one, he knew he was leaving day-to-day showrunning, whatever happened, so in a lot of ways this is his finale, even though they knew that UPN had picked up the show.
@@AaronHunter It's an interesting way to approach season finales, writing them like they are all series finales. Leverage always did the same thing, though it does make starting the next season harder
I live in Canada so we didn't have some of those American channels (unless you had satellite). So I didn't know it was picked up by another channel. I was so upset. Sad & angry that Buffy died 😂
Everyone always misses out my favourite exchange. "Not exactly the St. Crispin's Day Speech" "We few... We happy few" " We band of buggered." kerk
Although Tara couldn't say all the articulate things she was thinking, her ability still worked, even though it seemed like random words.
She pointed to Giles and called him a killer. Fast forward to the end of the finale and he, or the Ripper side of him, is indeed snuffing out Ben without any hesitation...CHILLS.
I dare say maybe he would have tried to kill Dawn had Buffy not jumped to her death to close the portal, even in spite of Buffy's threat to kill him if he tried, because he took his oath to protect the world that seriously.
The Spike/Buffy convo at the house...my heart. 🥰😍
When this aired, I didn't care if Dawn died because I didn't really care for her and she wasn't important to me like the rest of the characters. So if it had to be her or one of them, I was fine with it.
Spike's crying breakdown at the end destroyed me. Damn, James is amazing.
I felt bad for Ben. He went his whole life not having much control over it because of some other worldly gods not being strong enough to handle their business. I don't blame him for wanting his life for himself over Dawn, who was literally only a few months old.
He then had to die because of Glory being linked to his body...so sad.
Yes, this was going to be the ending had the show not been picked up by UPN. But it was more or less a thank you to the dedicated fandom.
When I say panic and pandemonium struck the group of us ( me and my friends) watching that message at the end of the finale from every room in the house...😅
Everyone converged into the livingroom freaking out..." WHAT?! WAIT... THAT CAN'T BE IT!!!"
What kills me the most, every time, is not how Buffy jumps or her dying in general....
It's her friends' reactions to it... 🥺
Especially Willow's and Spike's..... 😭😭😭
I’m with Dakara-Willow gets me with the sympathetic crying feels more than any other character(Buffy a close second tho)
@@mediablindspots Absolutely! Didn't I just say the EXACT same thing? Say, you're with ME! I'M a poor, little commenter with low self-esteem. Not a beautiful, popular, beloved reaction content creator... 😅🤭🙈
The piece of music that plays throughout and at the end of the episode is titled, “Sacrifice”. I have that song in my music library. I first heard it on May 22, 2001. To this day it never fails to bring tears to my eyes, that is if my phone is evil enough to play it. 🥲
She's not like us. Us? Giles proceeds to kill a god. :) I always love that part.
He doesn't kill a god he kills a man, in doing so the god is destroyed.
"She's a hero you see" gives me chills every time I rewatch. It's such a great line from a magnificent season finale
@@DaDunge They are one in the same.
Best part... He puts his glasses on while doing it. Whenever Giles isnt comfortable or doesnt want to see something, he takes his glasses off and cleans them or something. Not so here...
@@DaDunge His intention was to kll a god. He just used Ben a human to do it. Like wanting to kll a bby in a womb by klln the mother.
Buffy switched networks between S5 and S6, so S5 was the WBs "final" season and this was marketed and generally received as the final episode at the time.
It was announced before the final ot was picked up by another network.
it was because of the actor strike they knew was likely and ended up happening...they covered there bases is the actual reason
The final episode on WB maybe but I remember we were all anticipating season 6 on the new network
@@Nexusofgeek maybe but I was explaining why season 5 ended the way it did, it was because they needed an episode they could end the series on with the upcoming strike, they thought it was going to be a long one...this is not opinion but fact. the strike is the reason this episode ended the way it did, because they thought it might really be a series finale if the strike went on to long in 2008 shows like
Battlestar Gallactica did the same thing incase the strike went long and they didn't bring the show back
@@chocomog9567 Actually it was about money. Whedon wanted more money to produce the show as it was getting more and more expensive due to bigger more elaborate production and special effects. CW Channel/WB Channel at the time didn't want to raise their budget so essentially there was a standoff in negotiations. WB was content on ending the show or selling it to another network and just keeping Angel. There were a lot of politics involved, one of which Sarah Michelle Gellars comments which the WB tried to use as a scapegoat to end the show where she said she would be happy whichever network the show ended up on. ABC, FOX (an affiliate of WB) or UPN. UPN bid the highest and got the show. They were a new network at the time, so they needed a big show like Buffy. They bought it for 2 seasons (44 episodes) and got the rerun rights.
Fun Fact: The old demon guy was played by Joel Grey, Oscar and Tony winner, son of Klezmer comedian Mickey Katz, and father of Jennifer Grey of Dirty Dancing fame. To see more of his brilliance watch the Bob Fosse movie Cabaret or at least look up his duet "Money" with Liza Minelli from that movie.
Giles would have been a great Watcher for Faith.
"Her eyes just have to water and I'm a mess". Same, dude, same. Alyson Hannigan's (who plays Willow) acting-crying is so contagious. Gets me every time.
Oh jeez, when she sees Buffy at the end…
I didn't know about season 6 until the summer after this aired. I watched (recorded on vhs) my shows. No ads for a new season popped up until later in the year because Joss didn't want to take away from Buffy's sacrifice. This WAS his 5year plan as seen by ALL the Easter Eggs that go way back to season 3.
The network that Buffy was on in America wanted the show to end after season 5 mostly due to licence reasons since they would have paid 20th Century Fox more money despite the fact that the show was a money generator for them (while the show was a money generator for Fox internationally as well has merchandise sales). The network that picked the show up for the sixth and seventh seasons (with an option for more which obviously didn't happen) plus the first five for 144 million dollars where they gave the writers more freedom to do things thee other network wouldn't which was a mixed bag for many fans though personally I enjoy all seven seasons.
Willow’s “she’s with me” is one of the most badass moments of the series for me
OMFG yes!!!
From what I recall, this was the finale at the time. The show was cancelled and (as far as we knew) it wasn’t coming back. At some point it was picked up by a new channel, which then aired two more seasons. But at the time, as a fan, we all thought this was the ending. And, to be honest, it would have been a good, but bittersweet, ending if that is what we had been left with. Death is her gift. She saved the world. A lot. 😢
This was the last episode I saw on TV. And then after ~20 years I found out that there is also a continuation in the next seasons! Can you imagine how I felt!
Like a kid at Christmas times 1000, I would imagine
Yes this was how the show was gonna end. But alot of crap went down behind the scenes. From Sarah being overworked to Joss being angry and fighting back and forth with the head honchos about how the season was going to be written to the WB cancelling the show and Joss scrambling to do something about it and at the same time give them the middle finger. I mean utter chaos behind the scenes.
I remember being at school and coming home to hearing the awful news that it wasn't gonna get picked up for another season on the WB and that this was gonna be the last season of the show. I was devastated when the episode aired. I sobbed like a baby. Buffy was such an inspiration for young girls everywhere including myself. Besides Xena, Buffy was more relatable and we could identify with her more than any other TV character at the time. She made her mark when she came on the scene back in 1997. That year I was 12 when it aired and when it ended I had just turned 18. I grew up with Buffy.
Weeks passed by, fans were still angry and were writing letters to bring the show back. And then it was announced that Buffy had been picked up by the tv network UPN. From what I recall, nobody was watching that network. It didn't have shows that many folks tuned in to watch. The networks to watch were CBS, NBC, WB, ABC and FOX. But for the fans, we were just happy to see our girl and the Scoobie gang back on the screen. But this time, the cast were going to be paid more and only signed up for one more season to give a proper send-off to the fans.
But man, being on a different network changes the whole vibe of the show. And you will immediately notice it once you start watching it. It's a bit more darker and more adult oriented content than before. You can also see the change in Angel as well. More gloomy than usual lol. But there is one upside to this.... heck no I ain't telling you lol. You'll see.
Jumping networks was the best thing to happen to this show, in terms of exploring its full potential
I still have to smile whenever I hear you say "Boffah". I just love your accent. 😁
Yeah, so this was the last season it was on the WB and it was before it had been officially picked up by the new network. UPN. No one knew officially if the show would continue after season five so they wrote it this way as a sort of series finale just in case it didn’t continue.
Lots of comments about this already, but just imagine seeing right before the episode aired, without knowing (whether or not it had been announced, lots of us had no idea) "And now, the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.", and then watching that episode and that final shot. It broke me.
Listening to you go from character to character with "are you going to die" had my crying knowing the truth. It is the shock ending of all shock endings. No one expects the MC of the entire series to ever die, let alone knowing there are two more seasons. I was crying right there with you. Looking forward to S6 and beyond.
and we had to wait an entire summer to find out how it all develops!!!! These streamers are so lucky they can just binge all the episodes without any lapses
The good news is, Joss chose not to kill anyone else, which is extremely out of character for him, especially if he thought the show was ending. He made up for it in the subsequent season finales, mind you.
Giles shows why he is the goat again the "she is not like us" line is amazing
It was intended to be a POSSIBLE series finale. UPN later picked up the show for the 6th and 7th season. It was written where Buffy could return if picked up.
They also kept all the major characters available for a future season on another network, instead of killing one or two of them, which was out of character for Joss Whedon in those days. That guy loves killing people off.
Hardest thing in this world is to live in it
See Joseph Campbell's work on the hero. You can find outlines of his thesis about the stages in the hero's journey online very probably...
100th episode. The return of Ripper. "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." And Spike's reaction at the end.
The best finale. Get ready for season 6!
S7 finale was amazing, but too much Slayerettes, not enough Scoobies. This was the perfect Scooby-centric wrap up
And there it is, the awesome season/series finale that back in the day totally was a surprise to me. As I didn't know that it was apparently written as they didn't know the show's fate at the time that it would change networks and thus given a chance to continue it's tale(s)... But for me, as much of a shocking surprise that it was (I recall staring at the tv for 10 minutes trying to come to grips that the show was apparently over back in the day)..... Just a wonderful episode, season, and series to this point..... I'm so glad to relive the moment thru you..... I hope that you and your family have/had a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to you discovering how things develop in S6 and beyond! A big bunch of CTU's for you as always..... Keep em coming, D!
The previously on has a clip from every single episode. I'm not sure if it's legit, but Its been said online about this being what Buffy saw when her life flashed before her eyes just before dying. Now that you've seen her death, you'll be able to see the foreshadowing before, like in season 3 when Faith and Buffy were linked in the coma, Faith says, "Little Miss Muffet counting down from 730" which confuses Buffy and even Faith. Little Miss Muffet is a reference to Buffy herself, in season 5 Glory, during a crazy rant mentions that none of this madness will stop until somebody sits down on their tuffet before devouring a man's brain. Also during season 5, Dawn is referred to as curds and whey when told she doesn't belong. Little Miss Muffet sat down on her tuffet and consumed curds and whey. Just as Glory needed to "consume" dawn in order to bleed dimensions into each other. The spider that crawls down beside Little Miss Muffet is never specifically mentioned as being Ben, who deceived her, Glory who crashed into her life or the portal or even situation itself, causing her to sit on her tuffet, die. Counting down from 730, without realising it means that there is exactly 730 days (2 years) left after this conversation before graduation day, before Buffy will die. In season 4, Buffy is again linked with Faith, as they dress a bed in what will be Dawns bedroom and Faith mentions "little Sis" coming. Later in that same season, meets the first slayer, who is angry with her for messing with primeval magic in order to battle Adam. They are observing that the bed is undressed now and the clock beside it says 7:30, (730) Buffy says she is late but the first slayer tells her through Tara, oh no, that clock is all wrong, because Buffy no longer has 730 days left alive, that number is now halved as 365 days have already passed since she first heard the riddled prediction of her death. She runs off as the first slayer tells her, "be back before DAWN". There are many things in Restless that do still have to show their meaning on screen, but another thing is the desert in which Buffy fights the first slayer. It is the same desert in which she meets her in season 5, on a spiritual journey, where she learns that Death is her gift. Also in this episode are allusions to Joyce's brain cancer as she acts erratic hiding behind a wall for safety in the hallway of Buffy's school aswel as the fact that Tara is not who she says she is as Willow is painting on her back. Buffy was always planned as 5 seasons, 100 episodes as was standard WB practice. But Joss Whedon wanted to do more. The WB didn't want to pay out and so Joss made a deal for more money with UPN, who picked them up for another 2 seasons before the main star decided that she wanted to move on. You'll just have to wait and see who that main star is, if Buffy died at the end of season 5 and how that story played out. But be warned, season 6 is not like any other season of Buffy. It's relatable the older you get, but it's source material is not the parts of life anyone is ever comfortable talking about, or even willing to talk about a lot of the time. It's that make or break period a lot of us face, when the world slips away and continues spinning but you feel sort of lost and left behind, disassociated but wishing to be associated, wishing things were the way they were, but they've changed and it's like everyone else is in on a secret you're not in on. It's growing up, it's adapting to adulthood but some of us, especially those of us who didn't have "normal" starts anyway, it can get dark. It's how you handle that fight that determines whether you come out the other side or not. The scoobies are tested right to their limits.
Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this. I had heard some other things about the Easter eggs in the episode and the meaning of the numbers, but I had no idea how far down the rabbit hole went.
@@mediablindspots there's quite a bit. (Spoiler-ish ahead) Even over on Angel, in the season 1 finale, they are trying to figure out what wolfram & hart raised in a box and Wesley casually closes a book saying that a razor toothed, harbringer of death would rise in Resida California (the town sunnydale is based on) around 2002/2003. During season 4 of Angel, (the time period from the first prophecy) the team also has their hands on several texts that refer to harbringers of death & the apocalypse. Without spoiling anything, they think they're facing what they're talking and reading about but the events on Angel are happening chronologically side by side with events taking place in sunnydale that relate more closely to the text. On purpose? Possibly.
Man I remember when this episode aired on WB back in the day Hell of a episode.🤘
I had a circle of friends who got together to watch Buffy every Tuesday, and I remember that when this aired, we were simultaneously elated by how good it was, and devastated by the fact that as far as we knew, the show was over forever
Up to this point, we have only gotten a couple glimpses of Giles’ dark side. We saw the rebellious teen version in Band Candy, but it is clear that the older bad Giles was even darker. That’s the guy who was willing to torture Ethan Raine in “Halloween.”
That's the original series finale. Then it was picked up for two more seasons with the idea that the supporting cast was strong enough to carry the show. (The gamble worked)
The editing is flawless. You didnt miss one single good moment❤
Can thank @PurpleNurpleSPN for that. Sharon smashed it
Most def! Those fair use timers are tricky. It must be very tough deciding what clips to prioritize in the RUclips version
I watched this in real time and it absolutely ruined me. Utterly speechless. Even worse, I didn't have internet like most people, so I just had to deal with these emotions all by myself, add to that not knowing there'd be another season. Since then, I've watched this episode more than I can count. Truly one of my all time favorites, if not the #1.
It's been a few years since I've revisited Buffy, but after watching all the various reaction videos, your reactions to everything have been my favorite. Thank you for all your work and sharing your journey with us!
It’s a difficult episode for sure. Thanks so much for the kind words and hope you enjoy what’s to come 💜
I had a group of friends who watched together every week, so we all got to hug and cry when it was over
You know how some people say how Supernatural should have ended at season 5, well some feel the same way about Buffy also. I'm glad Buffy didn't continue for too long (like 15 seasons) because I feel her story was complete and didn't need to be stretched out further.
One of the great endings in TV history. Buffy changed the way TV tells their stories bringing in the unthinkable. More shows would follow that like Lost, Breaking Bad, Dexter, 24, and Orphan Black.
And just when you thought they had broken “making television,” they did the musical
@@mediablindspots Loved the musical. It was a stroke of genius.
Due to so many conflicts with production and the studio etcetera every time they ended a season they never knew if it was going to be there last that's why every season finale feels like a series finale
I’m right there with you on Willow being a trigger for crying. I’m a grown ass man and I can’t help it either. When Tara slaps her and you can just see the pain and confusion in Tara’s face and willow is trying to remain as strong as she can….UGH
"She's a hero you see. She's not like us..." (Paraphrased) Giles is the realest one to ever real in the history of real. That wasn't Giles killing Ben. It was Ripper.
Also, has anyone ever told you that you look like Katharine Isabelle? (watch The Order and you'll understand.)
Spike...Yeah, there is a lot to unpack there. Spike has ALWAYS been a...let's call it "Sidekick" to Dawn (Little Bit). He lets her explore, he lets her find things, and figure things out for herself. Including making her own mistakes...and helping her do that. BUT, from my point of view, he doesn't protect Dawn because of Buffy. I think he does it out of a combination of both Joyce and Buffy. Even before the chip he had a heart to heart sit-down with Joyce (Back when Dru left him). He liked the lady. He also gave his word that nothing would happen to Little Bit (Very paraphrased) while he was around.
Despite the Month long difference from this upload, I cannot give spoilers 🤣
It was Giles not The Ripper coz he put his glasses back on.
@lovelife-rb6sl that's true. I guess I always just associate "Dangerous Giles" with "Ripper Giles".
From what I recall Whedon had a five season arc sketched out for the show with the intention that Buffy would die to save the world at the end. In the S3 finale the death is foreshadowed with the dream sequence with Faith '.. counting down to 7-3-0'. There are 730 days in two years and this was intended to foreshadow Buffy's death in two years. By the time Season 5 came along it was pretty clear that Buffy was too successful to end at the end of the year. However at the same time the production company Fox and the WB network who aired BtVS were in dispute over the contract renewal for S6. This created uncertainty over whether the show would actually end at S5, in the end Fox struck a deal with the UPN network for S6 and 7, paying $2.2 million per episode. Its probable that without the UPN offer that Fox and the WB network would agree terms and the show would have continued anyway, but there was a real possibility that S5 could have ended up as the last and thus it may have been constructed as a Series finale just in case. But more likely Whedon ignored the business issues and just stuck to the original plan and killed Buffy at the end with a view that he'd be able to continue from that point into S6 and if not it acted as an ending to the show.
Yeah this was originally gonna be it, hence the flashback intro but because of the love and support from fans, the show returned and continued on. The shock of this finale back then, was unbelievable for the fanbase... as was the announcement, that Season 6 was coming.
Can I live in the timeline where the same thing happened with Firefly?
They always knew that there would be more so this was not them planning an end. For many viewers however they believed it to be the end since The WB, once they lost the bid to continue the show, announced it as being the end of the show in their ads (which is also why they did the "previously on" special). This however still makes many fans believe that the show was cancelled, but it wasn't, the simple fact was that The WB couldn't pay as much as UPN offered plus that there where dirty tricks behind the scene (Murdock who owned FOX wanted to buy UPN to get their hands on a network so they secretly started to move their top shows to UPN since if they had done it in the open then other networks would stop to buy Fox shows with the fear that Fox would take them home if they got popular).
Also the deal of UPN to take up Buffy for two whole new seasons was announced in newspapers on 21st of April 2001, just a few days after 5x17 "Forever" aired.
It was also the 100th episode hence the seasons recap at the beginning of the episode
Hell, if you look at the WB promos here on RUclips, they don’t quite say the “series finale” but rather the “WB series finale”,as in the final episode of the show to premiere on the WB. They deliberately chose phrasing that leaves a lot of wiggle room.
Personally I think this was the greatest episode of the entire BTVS series ( but not the Buffyverse, Angel S5 E22 was the ultimate). You must realise people watching and reacting to this now do know that S6 and S7 are to follow, but at the time many of us did not know this. The fact that Buffy realised 'Death is your gift' was her own death was brilliantly revealed at the end, and that she was prepared to lay down her own life to save all others proving she was the ultimate hero. Giles knew Buffy couldn't kill Ben as he was an innocent and she could not take a life, his alter ego Ripper comes back here to finish the job, kill Ben, and therefore denying Glory from ever re-emerging. It was brilliant writing to tie the whole series together and was a fantastic finale only equalled in the S5 finale of spinoff show Angel, I believe the greatest of all episodes in The Buffyverse. You must remember when this was originally shown many did not know the show would be back, you will see that once they switched to UPN Network for S6 and S7 how very different and adult the show becomes. Reactors of course know there are two more Seasons so this is not a spoiler. Even though people now watching this know Buffy will be back, it is still heart breaking and hard hitting drama, it was a brilliant episode. Indeed Buffy was right 'the hardest thing in this world is to live in it' the greatest of all quotes from the series.
BTW did anyone ever notice on the gravestone it gave Buffy's dates under BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS 1981-2001, However in S1 E8 called I Robot You Jane, it gave Buffy's date of Birth on the computer screen scene as 24th October 1980. Just saying this seems to be a major continuity error.
I never even noticed this!! Such a strange thing to mess up on
This is my #1 favorite Buffy episode.
Season 6 is my favorite overall season....
there was an actors strike in 2000 not knowing how long the strike (at the time of filming potential and likely strike) would be they had to give a potentially real series finale and figure out how to work around it later....the strike lasted I think 6 months or so......same thing happened with other shows in 2008....they probably would have had a different ending if they thought an agreement would have been made quickly but the industry pretty much knew a strike was going to happen so this is the season finale they where preparing for a potentially long strike and needed the show rapped up just in case
One of my favorite seasons and probably my favorite finale! Loved your reactions!
I, to this day, think this was the perfect series finale, and the best one of any show I have ever watched. And we thought it was the end and it broke us, but it was right. It was the way Buffy would go out. There was no sign of it being picked up by another network, but fortunately one did and we got two more seasons.
Now just imagine you dont know theres going to be 2 more season beacuse thats where i was watching this live
Thinking that this would be the series finale, creator Joss Whedon wrote the scene in the alley at the beginning for old time's sake.
What a great season.
And you had so many wrong guesses in this episode alone.
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it."
19:00 Anya was supposed to die actually. But they filmed shot after shot after shot of Xander holding Anya in that final scene and Emma would not stop moving lol. So they were like ok screw it, she survived lol
This was supposed to be the last season before it got picked up again.
Anyone else notice how Supernatural has the same season 5 finale as Buffy?
Well, now we've got two seasons of people standing around Buffy's grave talking about how much ot sucks. ;)
More seriously, in every reaction series, there's that moment where the reactor realizes what "death is tour gift" actually meant and you did not disappoint.
Anya eas the absolute MVP of tbe episode. I've seen that Anya was supposed to die but she kept movigg in the shots with Xander carrying her body so they just wrnt with it and good thing that they did.
This episode always brings me to tears.
Your last shirt literally predicted what's to come. Your shirt from "The weight of the world" episode. Go take a look at the T-shirt u were wearing🧘♀️
Eeeeeeek it's brilliant episode Willow is badass
A lot of people still think this was originlly a series finale. Most seasons wee designed to wrap things up in a way that could be series finale's if the series were cancelled. This season was no different, but Joss Whedon also had a loose seven year plan in his head since early on. The reason many still think this was originlly a series finale when it wasn't was because behind the scenes The WB only had a distributing contract for five years and was outbid by UPN for a new on (either that or The WB was done after the contract was over and all the other statons bid in a bidding war and UPN won). Either way the next two seasons were distributed by UPN with The WB confusing the issue at the time by leaving a goodbye message that made it seem like the show was over when it was just moving, but they couldn't reveal that information. UPN had to announce they had it on their channel now.
You have to re watch Restless! The last episode from last season looks totally different when you see it again after finishing season 6
It makes more sense when you know that originally this was meant to be the series finale, they didn't find out until later that they were picked up for two more seasons.
Ripper the God Slayer, I would put that on the top of my Watcher resume IF I was Giles... We fans thought this was the end. Five seasons is a good run, 100 episodes for reruns and broadcast syndication rights... Get ready for Dawn the Slayer. (Which is how I would have done things since she is part of Buffy).
This should have to be the final
That Giles moment was Ripper
Buffy selfless as always and there is 2 more seasons
Giles did nothing wrong 😤👏
I definitely feel for Ben but Glory would have been back for BIG vengeance after she healed and she would have started with Dawn most likely, it’s brutal but Giles made the tough Choice 🤷🏻♂️ plus the acting in this episode is just 👌
Every slayer has a deat wish...
Best series finale ever
The show was picked up again when the WB moved on and was sold. It should've ended there but it was renewed under I believe the CW for another two seasons. That's how the show continued but i won't tell you how, that's the fun in finding out.
The WB merged with UPN in 2006 to become the CW. The WB didn't want to renew the show since that meant paying the rights holders (in this case 20th Century Fox) so Joss Whedon shipped the show around and UPN picked it up for $144 million for the whole series and the sixth and seventh season with an option for another season.
'But you treat me like a man.' (c)
Not for long.
Great reaction!!! thanks. Looking forward for next season's reaction and of course your wrap up vid about season 5
Season 5 is the best season, and its not even close.
Oh yay!
Buffy dives headlong into Hell at a dead run looking for a fight.
Katy bar the door.
That was the original ending.
Buffy's death in season 5 is nothing compared to Xander's death in season 6...
KIDDING!
..or am I? Muahahahaha
This is the series finale. They got picked up on another network and there's a couple bright spots in the next two seasons but this is the real end of the show.
15:15 the show ended here. then it got renewed for two more seasons at a diffrent network.
After all death was buffy gift 😭
There's always the buffy bot. Maybe Willow can use magic to enhance it.
Man, what if Spike could actually bite and kill Ben without his chip activating? I'm only thinking of this...
🤯
@@DakaraJayne hahaha I watched this since I was a teenager.....I'm 34 now and only just thinking of this......ohhhhhh my boy Spike....
I'm pretty sure Ben is a human. As much as Dawn is. That's why his emotions were affecting Glory.
@@MicukoFelton ohhhh good point good point. Well, perhaps teenage me came across this conclusion too but forgot. Regardless, the buffyverse is where I pay rent. I love this show, and I'm glad Dakara is watching it 😁
How could she come back as a vampire? She wasn't bitten and there was no exchange of blood between her and a vampire.
This was suppose to be the last episode of the series - but then they got picked up by another channel.
Best BtVS finale.
Finally got the link between Anya and the bunnies. In "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" a cave that has the location of the grail is guarded by a monstrous killer bunny. I think that Josh Whedon might be calling back to that. This SHOULD have been the series finale, but it kept going. Most fans agree that this was the best episode of the show. Small spoiler, the will be a good series finale, but you'll have to wait for it a bit longer.
Season 6 and 7 please ???
Waiting, waiting, waiting...
Posting my BUFFY REWATCH recap for ‘The Gift’. May contain spoilers.
With Buffy back, the Gang begin to work out a plan on how to save Dawn and stop Glory. Buffy is relying on Willow for success the most but Willow is in self-doubt mode and freaks out when Buffy calls her her ‘BIG GUN’. Despite everything Willow can do (that is so much more than anyone else in the Gang), she still doesn’t believe in herself and thinks someone else is better skilled and equipped to be the ‘BIG GUN’. Yet, we all know she’d instinctively take that role if Buffy wasn’t around to tell her to take it anyway. And I find it so ironic that she says that she’s not good under pressure because, to my observation, that’s exactly when she is good at what she does. So what’s the problem then? No problem. Once again, it is all in her head that she can’t do what she can do. It’s nothing but insecurity. And she doesn’t have time to worry about insecurity when she’s the only competent one around to do anything at all. That’s it.
When Buffy’s there, she crawls in a hole to hide. The Slayer will take care of everything. What does she need to be around for?
When Buffy’s not there, she faces her fears. She’s forced to do so because if it can’t be Buffy, it has to be her to make up for the loss of no Slayer.
This proves that the insecurities she has are based on a lack of self-worth. Little belief in herself. What is she compared to the Slayer? Who is she?
Now anyone observing what’s going on can clearly tell that they’re matched. They’re levelled. They are effectively each other’s yin and yang. Either as enemies or allies. It doesn’t matter. They’re in it together and no one else comes close to their strength and power either as individuals opposing each other or as a team fighting the good fight. There is such a dynamic between Buffy and Willow in the sense that they’re both human and both have human anxieties.
A callback to Willow’s dream in ‘Restless’:
TARA: “They will find out, you know. About you.”
WILLOW: “Don’t have time to think about that. You know I have all this homework to finish.”
The way I interpret this little piece of dialogue in context with this episode?
Keep the girl busy, there’s no issue. No insecurity. No lack of self-worth.
Allow her the time to overthink,… and she’s suddenly a cowering mess.
Insecurity can be absolutely crippling to the human mind. But if one is forced to walk the tightrope, then looking down isn’t an option. Only moving forward. And if you keep doing just that… you eventually get to the other side without casualty. And it is okay to rely on the people around you for help every once in awhile. There’s no weakness in it. You don’t have to walk that thin scary line alone. And I think both Buffy and Willow have that mindset. That solitariness is strength. That walking alone is power. But if there’s anything I’ve learned about human living, it’s that we’re so much stronger and more powerful when working together as unit. So it is more than okay to take from the energy of each other if need be. This show really teaches me a lot and I’m very grateful for the lessons imbedded within the writing of the character arcs and the overall contrasting themes of choice VS destiny, man VS monster, woman VS Slayer. It’s a really good time.
Going forward into Season 6, we will start to see these human anxieties of Willow’s break down when Willow is forced not to walk alone but take lead of a group of people who are essentially lost and aimless without her leading them. Where she leads them exactly is a whole other question and subject to analyze. That’s what I will address as best i can with my episode recaps for Season 6.
not the show, but the whole network was "cancelled". so they didn't know when they would continue.
what? NO the entire network wasn't cancelled, it lived on and got rebranded to CW before Arrow and all those other superhero shows. How do you people get these things so wrong??
That's it, there's no more seasons. End of show. Just Angel now.
I love season 6. Can't wait to see your reactions