also the end of Buffy in her original network run WB, the program would go on for two more in the upstart UPN network, hence the extended "previously on" recap intro, which recapped the entire series up to that point
Not quite. I, and several other people spent a lot of time stepping through each frame in our vcr recordings to identify each clip, and there are four episodes that got skipped: “Lie to Me,” “Helpless,” “Choices,” and “Checkpoint.” There are also two clips from “Lovers Walk” and they are both out of the proper sequence, the first before the clip from “Revelations” and the next before the clip from “The Wish.” LW follows “The Wish” in the show order.
@@donsample1002 I never knew that and never thought to check. it goes so fast, its hard to see every single frame while keeping up with the pace. if this is true, thanks for sharing. that's interesting
> This was the 100th episode of Buffy. Ooh. Ooh! From about 5:00 "[How many apocalypses? // Six, at least. Feels like 100]". (The show is self-aware, 'we make every episode feel like the end of the world'.)
Yeah, without Buffy around he'd have to find a new teenager to obsessively stalk and build sexbot replicas of with their stolen underwear. Definitely sucks for him.
I'm pissed because apparently I'm shadow blocked on this channel and I don't for the life of me understand why.... 😠 I have a deep love for this show, I love this channel, I almost only write nice things or I tell anecdotes of what happened to me (like my mother dying in very similar fashion like Joyce did) or why I like certain stuff....
And in the season 4 finale in Buffys dream she looked at the clock which said 7:30. But then Tara told Buffy that she doesn't have nearly that much time left. Only half the time left.
Fun fact - the scene with Tara and Buffy in the bedroom in _Restless_ was originally written to be _Faith_ and Buffy. It would have continued their previous shared dream talks from seasons 3 and 4, but Eliza Dushku wasn’t available for filming at the time.
also, another foreshadowing had 2 meanings, in dream Tara's quote, "Be back before dawn"- the first one being obvious with Dawn's arrival the very next season, and secondly, on the night when Buffy sacrifices herself, when she has that revelation about "death is your gift", the sun was starting to rise- dawn.
There is obviously heaps of foreshadowing for this ending this season- most prominently the “Death is your gift” speech from the first slayer but also spikes speech in Fool for love when he is talking about killing the other slayers: “The only thing about the dance is, you never get to stop. Everyday you wake up, it's the same bloody question that haunts you. Is today the day I die...? Death is on your heels, baby, and sooner or later, it's gonna catch you... And part of you wants it... not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, but because you're just a little bit in love with it... Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day, that final gasp, that look of peace. A 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 merely wanted it. Every Slayer... has a death wish... Even you..” And then Buffy to Giles at the start of this episode “I don’t know how to live in this world if these are the choices…..” “if dawn dies- I’m done with it- I’m quitting” Buffy has been fighting for her life and having to make ridiculously shit decisions since she was 16years old. She is tired and done and death really is the question that haunts her. Such a genius season and ending
They actually weren't in a time crunch really at the beginning of the episode. Giles actually talked about how they couldn't leave too early or else they wouldn't be able to make Glory miss her window. They were literally waiting to leave, which is why they were taking their time.
This was my series finale for years. The show moved from WB to UPN after this and we didn't have UPN where I lived. I never saw 6 or 7 until I bought the DVDs. Speaking of the DVDs, shame you watched the remaster here. It gets the lighting all wrong for the sun rise scene. It's supposed to shift from night to day on Buffy's face as she makes the realization.
Doc was played by Mr. Joel Grey, a BAFTA/Golden Globe/Tony/Academy Award-winning actor who's a master at playing--- among other things--- unassuming, unexpected evil...
@@rfresaSarah Michelle Gellar won a daytime Emmy for her role as Erica Kane's daughter on All My Children. Sarah should have been nominated for best actress in a drama series for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She has said never being nominated hasn't bothered her. As long as the show's fans enjoyed her performance, was enough of an award for her. She said that in an interview a few years ago.
@@NelsonVlog66 SMG's role on All My Children is WHY I watched Buffy to begin with. I loved her as Kendall on AMC. She was so good on that show, I was curious to see what she would do with a silly vampire slayer role... so glad I did. Best show ever :)
@22:25 this is true even when you have watched the entire series multiple times. the emotional weight of this episode and others always hits you in the feels.
@@randomlibra Why are people so enthusiastic for Giles killing Ben?!?😡💢You all keep underlying the fact that was 100% Giles like it's a good thing!Ben is a HUMAN!And not even an evil one,what's all this gladness about the fact he was killed?!?!And don't tell me it's because he wanted to kill Dawn because A)why does Dawn have more right than Ben to exist?B)He was just trying to survive and C)unlike Dawn that has fake memories of a decent enough life,poor Ben has been stuck with Glory *from the moment he was born!!!* He lived _an entire life_ without a single free day,since he was a BABY!!!Why the *HELL* are you all *so excited* to see him gone and to see Giles turned into a killer?!?!🤬💢 I swear I hate this fandom sometimes!😤 #Justice4Ben 🤎 P.S. And I didn't even put the point Dawn-is-not-a-real-human-Ben-is because I know it doesn't count at this point,but...yeah...also that. *I HATE THAT UA-cam KEEPS DELETING MY REPLIES!!!>O
@@Nicamon Ben is no more a normal human than Dawn is. He is also a created human. And I DO say "Go, Giles". and "Screw Ben". He was willing to destroy countless people on the HOPE that Glory would reward him. He's scum, because when the chips were down he showed his true colors, like anyone does. He's a selfish snake.
@@randomlibrainteresting, I never realised that but it does make sense what with the things he says to Buffy in the back of the magic shop. He is ready to kill to save the world.
@@Nicamon Giles was willing to sacrifice a bit of his soul -- tarnish it, if you will -- in order to do what he believed was necessary to protect Buffy, Dawn, and the world; Ben was working to save himself at the expense of the world. It's the difference between self-sacrifice and selfishness.
Being a huge LOTR fan, I saw the "death is your gift" in the same way that it was portrayed as a blessing for the men of Middle-Earth. Their essences would leave this world, and find peace away from its cares, in a way Elves and the Valar could not, as they were beings bound to the world, and part of its fabric.
Before all the "the show was cancelled" or "this was the original show finale" it was full known by all the writers and the cast before S5 even started production that there would be more seasons. FOX (the producers of the show) simply wanted more money and put the show up for a bidding war. The WB failed to match UPN:s bid so FOX moved the show to UPN, in retaliation The WB started to advertise S5 as "the show finale" which most likely is the source of much of the confusion among the fans that where teens at the time (and this not following the news). Hints that this was never meant to be the final episode can be seen in both the Xander proposing to Anya scene (very out of their normal modus to add something like this and then just end it) but the most telling to me is the haste with with they zoom in to Buffy:s grave stone and then just end the episode, this if anything is so anti a show finisher that it really screams in the face of the viewer. Joss being a huge Star Trek fan was probably inspired by the TNG episodes The Best Of Both Worlds when he decided to kill off Buffy in a season finale.
Thank you. It drives me a little crazy that those versions continue to persist and get repeated in every Buffy reactors comments on YT. I get the confusion and as you note not everyone would have noticed this at the time. Plus the WB being salty they lost the show advertised this as a series finale added to the confusion. But there is plenty of documentation from the time that makes it clear this was never intended to be the end of show.
THANK YOU!!! I've given up trying to tell this every time the 'this was supposed to be the last show, we all thought it was all over, yadda yadda yadda' posts are made. Thanks for giving the facts, even though we all know that the next reactor who gets to this episode will be inundated with the same thing.
@@DanielOrme yeah it's one thing to believe it back in 2001 but 23 years later one would have thought that fans would have kept up with how it all went down :)
The other reason for the confusion was that not everyone had a UPN station so for many in smaller cities didn’t know of season 6 for a while so when they saw the fan sites talking about season 6 and 7 they thought it had ended with the WB.
While I know there's multiple references to the crew saying that the series was renewed for season 6 before production of the finale began, I don't believe I've ever heard anyone say that season 6 was confirmed pre-season 5, or even early on in its production. Everything I've heard was that this episode had at least been conceived of in detail before the renewal and that it was originally done so with it being the finale in mind (as most of the season finales in the show had been). It definitely has the feel of a finale.
The ritual to become. vampire: "in order to become a vampire, first they suck your blood, then you suck their blood, its like a whole big sucking thing, mostly, they're just going to kill you." episode 1.
I don't think she was thinking about the portalturnig her into a vampire. I think she was just worriedly thinking of anything and any explanation why there's 2 more seasons but Buffy is dead.
This finale made me burst into tears, and it was the first-ever _Buffy_ episode I ever saw. And it's so beautiful!!!!!! The ending twist is just... wonderful seeing how the entire season came full circle.
Remember Faiths dream speech at the end of Season 3? “Little Miss Muffet counting down from 730”? 365 X 2 is 730, that episode aired exactly 2 years before Buffys death or 730 days….
I love that they got legendary actor Joel Grey (father of Jennifer Grey, of Dirty Dancing fame) to play the creepy lizard guy. Joel Grey won a Tony and an Oscar, and was nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy.
Ahahahaha, you having written the title and a single bullet point on your notes and then never getting around to writing anything at all is too perfect for this episode. Fantastic reaction.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been completely hooked on your reaction videos to Buffy. It’s surprising because I’m usually not into reaction videos at all, but Buffy is different-it’s one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I grew up watching it, and after countless rewatches over the years, I’ve found that the thing I enjoy most now is experiencing it with someone new. There’s something so exciting about seeing someone be amazed by the show for the first time, knowing everything that’s about to unfold, and watching their reactions. I’ve rewatched Buffy with several friends and am currently going through it again with my partner (his second time). Watching your videos feels like I’m rewatching it alongside you, and I’ve really enjoyed that journey so far. Your honest and relatable responses bring me back to my first time watching all those years ago. I love your comments, insights, and predictions-they’re thoughtful and genuinely show how much you love the show. Don’t let anyone discourage you from sharing your opinions; your perspective, especially as someone viewing it in the present day, adds a fresh layer to the experience. It’s a shame I won’t get to see your reactions to Angel (though I totally get why you’ve kept those exclusive to Patreon). Any idea when you’ll be starting season 6 of Buffy? I’m already looking forward to watching it with you! Oh, and fun fact: The Family Jewels by Marina is one of my favorite albums of all time. I was so excited to see you’d done a reaction to it-it was fantastic! Thanks again for all the amazing content; it’s been such a fun journey with you so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Excellent reaction. Yes the show was to go on an air, two more seasons, but for my group, we did not know that when this aired. In North Texas, we did not receive the same type of attention or publicity the television received other parts of the country. Maybe our group was just too busy, but we all thought that this was an episode, the potentially ending the series. There were advertisements all over the WB network at the time that were saying that it was the network finale. We weren’t wise enough to understand that the show was changing networks. So when this aired, we really thought that this possibly was it for puffy. And many of us believe that Buffy had died, and there would be no more seasons. So you can imagine how shaken we were. Our group found out in two or three days that it was going to be continuing on but you’ve got to understand that we really were believing this was the series finale. And the final 10 minutes or just shocking. To this day, I can remember the room when we saw the events happening. When the montage is started about the blood.That’s when we realized that Buffy was going to take the jump. And I still can feel and remember my thoughts when Buffy turns around and starts her gallop. I hate this day to see a picture of the end of that platform. I’ve never liked watching divers to swan dives since this. And the silence and sobs from a room full of people when we saw that damn tombstone. It’s amazing that a show can make us feel so devastated, hate it so much, at the same time be the most favorite show of eight people is just amazing.
I remember when this aired. My whole family sat around the tv watching this episode. Not a single one of us had a dried face. We are shocked to hear the news of a new season months later. Enjoy the last 2 seasons. -Sage
"She's never taken a human life and I don't think she ever would" Cut to Buffy throwing an axe into the chest of one of the knights climbing onto the driving RV.
In fairness, while it's pretty blatant, it's never outright shown that they died from it. There were definitely other instances where it was implied but not outright confirmed that she killed a human previously. It was always in self-defense in the heat of battle, and never in close quarters and one-on-one. That said, it's not like BtVS would be the first show ever to say something in the dialogue when there were various examples that contradicted it.
I am loving all the reactors having empathy for Dawn. Like in the fandom its popular to hate her. As an older sibling i get how annoying she can be cause i lived that, but i love her character. And can we just appreciate she was more than willing to die to save the world here. She was legit ready to jump. Edit: i also love the moment you realised what was about to happen. And yay doggo guest appearance.
to be a successful reactor, you have to try to empathize with an amorphous fanbase, a portion of which (large portion, if you're female) is going to be hateful towards you. dawn ain't so bad.
On 4 occasions I loaned out my S1-S5 DVD sets to noobs & told them that was everything. The hysterical angry phone calls I got after they all saw this "series finale" we're the ultimate troll fuel lol. Then I revealed that there's 2 more & blow their minds lol.
When our state TV first showed Buffy, they only bought two seasons. So, for years I was certain the devastating second season finale was, well, the last. That this sign “you're leaving Sunnydale, come back soon” was the last of Sunnydale. When they showed Buffy the second time, they bought five seasons. That was the last episode. Fortunately, internet was a thing at this point, and I could just google - or maybe yahoo, I don't remember - which meant that the second time it didn't last too long.
The internet was a thing by season 2. Something that not every household had, granted. But I remember looking up fanfics for the first time after Becoming because it was just that effective, lol. That's hilarious, too, because I believe season 2 was the only season where the renewal came quite early on, so we all knew there was going to be a season 3. Every other season had some level of doubt over the final stretch as to whether it would continue.
When I watched this finale live, we already knew there would be more seasons of Buffy. However, writers stated later that season 5's plotline had been planned to end like this long ago and they decided to go for it (because honestly it's so good right??), and would deal with the consequences later. They were so real for it.
when this aired, we THOUGHT it was over. we weren't notified about season 6 until the summer was just about over. I still remember the day I found out BtVS was coming back for another season, I was SO excited and confused at how, but I was so happy and hyped to see how.
16:25 ..."There's more seasons, Buffy can't die"... Back then, when this episode aired out, I truly believed that this was it, this was the end... I mean, it truly feels like a series finale, so picture my surprise when season 6 were announced...
"Little Miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0." - Dream!Faith, Season 3 finale "*clock displays "7:30"* Oh, that clock's completely wrong. (Since a year went by and now there's only 365 days left until this episode.)" - Dream!Tara, season 4 finale This episode was built-up to for a long while. I love when this sort of long foreshadowing has a payoff.
Six apocalypses Giles said If I remember correctly: 1) The Master in season 1 2) Angel bringing Acathla (or something like that) back in season 2 3) The Mayor turning into a giant snake in season 3 4) The Zeppo episode in season 3 5) Adam bringing hell in season 4 6) This moment right here with Glory I think these are the 6
5 - not correct as Adam wasn't an apocalypse. But right season. It was "Doomed" where the demons were trying to get the Word of Valios and do a sacrifice into the hellmouth.
The blue guy in season 2 would have become powerful enough to wipe out humanity. I doubt the mayor becoming a snake was actually an apocalypse, same with Adam. Season 4 did have a "sacrifice of the three" apocalypse, possibly.
@@Phireo I like your list. I could go with either the Mayor or the Judge (or neither) being an apocalypse. I feel like being an apocalypse in the Buffyverse has less to do with how likely a threat is to wipe out humanity and more about its connection to prophecy, ancient magicks, etc.
I’d been waiting for you to get here since you started reacting to BTVS, you’re one of the most insightful and thoughtful Buffy reactors I’ve seen and I just knew you’d shed a tear.😂
I'm glad you went into this not knowing how it ended, here in the UK when it first aired Sky's adverts for the season final literally showed the tombstone.
The WB originally promoted this as their series finale because Joss Whedon's contract for Buffy the Vampire Slayer was for five seasons. UPN came along and offered him a two season contract. IIRC, the UPN premiere(2001-02) was delayed a week or two due to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the WTC and Pentagon. Seemed like every season finale for Buffy the Vampire Slayer was written as a series finale.
Joss and Co. knew the show was getting a season six when they made this episode. We tv viewers knew the show was getting a season six when this episode aired. I love the first scene in the alley. It's a nice little encapsulation of the show. The horror of someone being chased. The comedy of Buffy's quippiness. The action of the fight scene. The melancholy of, "That's what I keep saying." Great stuff.
They had this season arc plotted out before the WB canceled them and made the episode after it was renewed. I can't find a source on when it was written but this plot point was hinted at before the cancelation.
Even Buffy knew that Giles would have destroyed the key as a last resort. That's why she told him she'd stop him. Could it even have been an understanding of sorts. If Glory were to defeat Buffy before the ritual, Buffy was basically giving Giles an all clear to save the the world if she couldn't. She just wanted an opportunity to try without having to worry about Dawns safety from our team. She said she'd stop him. She never told him not to do it. Might have contributed to how quickly Buffy accepted her fate, an atonement for having failed. I bet a lot of folks will dislike this take on the motivations of our beloved characters.
No, i'm with you. I think if it came down to it, of course she would choose the world over Dawn (especially since she'd only be "saving" Dawn for the last few minutes before hell-on-earth started for everyone _including_ Dawn). I think she was making it clear that Hell-to-the-NO she wasn't going to just take the easy option of "Welp, we can always just kill Dawnie, so allz good." Giles' came off as callous and Buffy responded in kind.
"Could Giles have killed Dawn?" I suspect he could, but knew Buffy would have stopped him. Before Buffy figured out that she could substitute her own blood, it looked like it might be the only way to save the world. Since he is sworn to protect the world - maybe. But I think Giles planned to kill Ben, if he got the slightest opportunity. The Ripper could do that. He just didn't mention it to the others.
Yay, my favorite Buffy Season finale. I think it has a certain elegance to it. Karma knows because you switch from watching and commenting to talking at length. At least that's what I think. :)
I love this episode so much. It's one of the best TV moments in the history of TV for me. Like you, I was wondering how on Earth could the show go on with Buffy being dead? At least you don't have to wait all summer like we did to find out! I loved your reaction to this episode; you are totally invested, and I'm here for it. I'm really looking forward to your reaction to the next episode!! X)
When I saw this ep for the first time, I didn't have any idea season 6 was a thing, in italy they were putting all 5 seasons over and over... I cried for days!!!
I'm sure someone else will have mentioned it in one of his previous episodes, but Doc is played by Joel Grey, Oscar winner for his performance as the MC in 'Caberet'. As for 'the show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. she can't be dead'. The UK in the late 70s we had a show called 'Blake's 7'. Blake left the show after series 2 and it ran for 2 more seasons with the same title. Whedon lived in the UK when it was airing and you can see its influence on "Firefly'. So don't count anything out.
The UK also had a police procedural show called 'Taggart', which ran for 176 episodes over 27 years. Sadly actor Mark McManus, who played DCI Jim Taggart, died during the filming of season 11, having appeared in 78 episodes. It was decided not to rename the show going forward, just switch the focus to his two subordinates. Hence 'Taggart' had both more episodes and more seasons _without_ its titular character than with him. 😲
This was actually going to be the series finale, but at the last minute, figuratively, plans were made to continue the show for two more seasons (as you already know). Interesting fact: Anya was actually going to die in this episode as well - she saved Xander by pushing him out of the way of the stuff that fell on her. They re-shot the ending to show Xander carrying Anya and she raised her head so that the audience would know she wasn't killed.
It was unsure whether this show would be picked up by UPN. Joss Whedon wrote this episode as if it was a series finale. It gave a finality to Buffys story. He originally planned to create a series centered on Faith to continue the story of the slayers.
The reason qhy this may have been the last season was the network couldn't afford to make the show anymore. In reality it only took them 2 weeks to find a new network. This episode was never intended to be the ending of the show.
During real time, there was a message, at the end, to the fandom to say it's been a great run. Thanks for watching (paraphrasing). It was over the summer that the news broke to the public that it will begin airing on a new network seeing as WB (at the time) didn't want to renew and focused more on Angel. That was a big mistake. It helped the new start up network, the UPN channel, with the views. Ripper comes out when necessary. It was a very dark moment when you think back to when Giles looked into the camera at the end of that first Ethan introduction, and that callback played out in this episode. We wondered for seasons, how ruthless or un Giles like was that darker side of him. He didn't even flinch or struggle with instantly taking out Ben...very cold and unbothered. It was a jaw dropping moment. No doubt, I think he would have ended Dawn if he had to. Spike's reaction gets me pouring out the tears😭 each time. James nailed it. I was feeling like him. Add to it that the sun was rising up behind him and he didn't even care or notice. That's how devastated and wrecked he was. In all honesty, I didn't care for Dawn. So, she could have been dealt with and it wouldn't have bothered me. The memory spell over everyone would have probably been broken and they'd never know she was created. I bet in that instant, Buffy would freeze in the middle of killing Giles and get confused as to why she was about to attack him, or why they were all there at that make shift tower. I stick by my theory that the Monks memory spell weighed too heavy on Joyce's brainial nerve endings and it was the "shadow" in her head that did her in. The doctor did what he could with science, which bought her a little more time...but the magical shadow of false memories was still there. Joss said it was just a natural thing that happened, but I beg to differ. The way it was written, and Joyce getting sick just a few days after Dawn shows up..👀...Sus🤔 Where the monks got Buffy's blood from was never explained, so I think it was retconned with a simple mention by Buffy. It was a big boy step into manhood when Xander proposed to Anya. I always thought she was good for him. She helped him grow up, a lot. And I was proud of Anya becoming more in touch with her lost humanity, throughout the seasons. I love how your doggo shows up right on time, but mostly when your emotionally distraught. She feels it and comes over right away to check on you. We don't deserve them...absolute gifts from God...imo
This is the best written season of TV I've ever seen. Everything was foreshadowed and motivated. "Your blood is the same as mine" and "Death is my gift" was practically a giveaway, but we are led to believe it means Buffy will kill Dawn. Buffy saw Dawn as the innocent part of herself, the part that wasn't the Slayer; she had to save that innocence. Dawn's arc was amazing; when the season started she was a shrill obnoxious kid we didn't want around; by the end we care for her the most. Giles' reveal as the Ripper shows he has the ruthlessness to kill Ben. Ben's betrayal of Dawn for a promise of eternal life from Glory justified his killing. Anya's engagement completes her arc from demon to human values; she started out killing men, and ended up hitched to one. Brainsucked Tara's insane ability to see that Dawn was the Key (as did Joyce with her brain tumor) inadvertently betrayed her to Glory, but also allowed her to lead the Scoobies to the Tower. And Willow sucking the sanity out of Glory to restore Tara weakens her enough so Buffy can put her down. Of course Dawn's coming was foreshadowed 2 years before in Buffy's dreams. "counting down from 730".
This was planned well in advanced as it was foreshadowed in Buffy's prophetic vision with Faith 2 seasons earlier - counting down to 720, which was approximately the number of days till this episode... and it may well have been the last ever episode as WB dropped it.
I wasn't allowed to watch Buffy when it was airing originally because my mom told me that it was going to let evil in the house. I finally told her that I was watching the show and it wasn't going to be a problem... this was the first episode I watched all the way through and called my cousin to ask what happened. She told me that was the end of the series (as it was supposed to be the end), and when I found out it was coming back, FX was airing seasons 1-5, thank goodness... this will always be my favorite show and I have so much enjoyed watching you go through it. Can't wait for you to see the last two seasons!
I always thought that since the ritual said the portal would close "when the blood stops flowing" that they could have shut it just by bandaging her feet.
"She's never taken a human life, I don't think she could…" Well, I'm sure the Knight of Byzantium who got an ax in the chest and fell of a moving vehicle is just fine.
Originally yes… this was the finality, though at the last moment after this episode aired, the potential cancellation was repelled & the green light was given for a couple more seasons. I balled off & on for weeks, when this one first aired. Around the same time another show, same genre etc did similar, only for it to be backed up for more seasons afterwards. Charmed (original), did do to but more complex, the final episode of season 3, originally was supposed to be a 2 parter, tbc notice was on the end of the original episode… but Doherty left/was let go, the same weekend she was in the tabloids for unscrupulous behaviour. Many thought it was the end… then season 4 was announced.
5:02 To go through the 5 up to this point (pretty much the ones where "apocalypse" or "end of the world" are mentioned directly) 1) Prophesy Girl 2) Becoming II 3) The Zeppo 4) Graduation Day II 5) Doomed
One that has question of End Days….Innocence. When we watched this, we were told as viewers, that the judge was going to be the end of the world. Eventually, he would be so powerful that his thoughts could kill people. So I sometimes include that episode as one of the apocalypse episodes.
I'm sure Giles was including the Master and the Mayor in his count, but I am kind of skeptical of them as apocalypse causers. We saw in the Wish that the world was still there after the Master got free. Maybe the Mayor would have seriously leveled up his destructive potential if he had gotten the chance to eat all the students, but it seems more likely that the military would have taken him out before he even got out of town. The Initiative must have already been established at that point too.
@@williambowman2326 I thought about Innocence, but I don't think the acknowledgement of "the end of the world" was ever explicit in it like it was in the others. That said, there is a good argument regardless that Innocence, and the Judge, were more of an apocalypse than Graduation Day II, considering there was commentary in the latter that the Mayor simply wanted to have Sunnydale, but had no interest in the rest of the world. I think the other 4 are hard to argue, however.
@@rfresa "We saw in the Wish that the world was still there after the Master got free." In fairness, that was a different set of circumstances. The vessel freed the Master by feeding and transferring power. In Prophesy Girl, it's Buffy's blood, eg: the blood of the slayer, that freed the Master. There was far more power that the Master received from the latter. The fact that he was able to activate the Hellmouth in it, while there was no sign that he'd done the same in the Wishverse, lends credence that there was something more in Prophesy Girl as far as the threat of an apocalypse. As a result, I'd call Prophesy Girl an apocalypse averted, but not the Harvest.
First up, when this was airing everybody knew the show was jumping to another network. It hits harder for people watching it later on. Also, near throwback to season 2 Ripper Giles. Finally, it is fun to see people talk about how horribly Spike is treated by Buffy; when he's the of dealing in half-truths & manipulation. Credit to Marster's acting and the chemistry between him and Gellar.
We didn’t know at the time. Didn’t have internet and didn’t have a tv. Had to go to someone else’s house to watch it recorded a couple of times a year. So was very cut off from information. This ended hard.
Not everybody knew. I didn't have internet in my home yet at that time, so I pretty much had to rely on television advertising. I didn't know Buffy was coming back for another season on UPN until I literally saw a commercial of UPN advertising the season 6 premiere.
I can't articulate how much this destroyed all of us when this aired because we thought this was the end. Y'all who go in knowing there are more episodes are lucky
The Master opening the Hellmouth Acathla's portal to hell opening The Zeppo hellmouth opening The Mayor's Ascension Adam's plan The demons trying to open the Hellmouth in Doomed
The ritual in the Buffyverse for turning into a vampire: The human is drained to the *edge* of death and then feeds upon the vampire; at that point, they die and are usually buried (not necessary for the turning, though) and then arise the following night. No, someone who is already dead cannot then be turned and brought back as a vampire. I feel the lore has been consistent enough over 5 seasons that I haven't spoiled anything, just reminding of the vampire turning specifics. As to what they did for the next 2 season, you're just going to have to watch to know. 😁 I have no doubt that Giles would have killed Dawn if he had been in the position to do so in time once the portal opened. He sees and accepts the bigger picture. It's actually reminiscent of when Wesley was adamant that they not return the Box of Gavrock to the Mayor in exchange for Willow, because Wesley knew that the suffering of all was worse than the life of a single person. While we can feel upset at Giles for suggesting Dawn may have to die, and for Wesley to have not wanted to trade the box for Willow's life, we can also understand where they're coming from, as horrible as it is. It's likely in the training of Watchers, to always look at the bigger picture and not get so wrapped up in emotion that you can't do what must be done. The reasons those two situations didn't go the way Giles and Wesley planned is because GIles was nowhere near Dawn when the portal was opened, and Wesley did not have the strength/ability to stand against everyone else who were insisting that the box had to be traded for Willow.
This echos season 2. Buffy was faced with the same exact choice she was given with Angel. Someone she loved was the means of destroying the world and it was her duty to sacrifice to save the world. In season 2, her only choices were to sacrifice the man she loved or sacrifice the entire world. The reason why death is her gift is because the Powers that Be knew that Buffy was too broken to make that choice again. She had sacrificed as much as she could. So, they manipulated things so that it was her blood that opened the door. That way, her choices were to sacrifice the sister she loves, the entire world, or herself. The gift wasn't actually death, but the choice to not have to kill her sister to save the world. She was given to choice of death to escape that destiny.
Slayers die young. Something that was established right away in season 1. Buffy ending with her death would have been tragically beautiful in its way, and thanks to her friends she made it so much farther than most slayers ever did. Honestly, as much as I love at least one more episode, I kinda wish the show ended here. All things considered it would have been better for it. The one thing I never liked about this episode was Buffy's response to Dawn needing to die. I just wish Giles would have pointed out that no, the last thing Dawn would have seen would not have been her sister defending her, she would have seen her sister defending her.. and then Dawn and every one else here would have been trapped for all eternity in hell to suffer unspeakably horrifically in every conceivable way because every Hell dimension was consuming reality. Dark as it is, killing Dawn was the more ethical and kinder option in that situation for every one, including Dawn.
i think it was Buffy's emotional response (understandably) and her way of making it clear that she was not going to just accept that as the easy option: "Oh, no worries, we can always just kill Dawn." I think if it came down to it, it's clear she would have done what's right, but her response was mostly towards Giles' callousness, or at least her perception of callousness. Giles could have started with "There is nothing we won't do to protect Dawn to the very end. What happens if we fail? I don't want to put you in a position where you have to kill your sister. What do you want me to do if the worst should happen?" And let her be the one to come to terms with what needs to be done.
Its pretty twisted that Ben saved Giles 2 episodes ago and he returned the favor by killing him. I think he could have did it in a more merciful way, like he could have knocked him out and then suffocated him instead of taunting the man before his last breath. But I understand that its better for tv for Giles to come off as a cold blooded killer.
SPOILER---ISH?? Dang, S6 could be like her purgatory and then S7 is when she earns her way into "heaven." It ends with her finally feeling complete having killed all her demons, including saying goodbye to the one she was addicted to in her purgatory.
I can't watch Spike cry 😭 Also, imagine for us watching this on TV.....my mom gave me the day off from school the next day because of how hard this hit me (but not for the effing flu.....)
I agree with you, I do think Giles would have killed Dawn if it came down to it. As for Buffy, she has technically killed at least one human (She threw an axe into the chest of one of the knights she was fighting on top on the RV).
Gile spoke incorrectly. Buffy has killed (or been the direct cause of death of) several humans, from the Hyena worshiping zookeeper and Mrs, Post to the Tarakan Assassin whose throat she ripped open with her skates. Then several Knights of Byzantium. She was derelict in her duty in NOT killing Ben. Glory was in no way fully defeated. She could have reemerged within seconds. While she wouldn't be able to cause the Apocalypse of Apocalypses, she could easily have murdered millions with her bare hands in a fit of rage. Speaking of Apocalypses... The Harvest The Nightmare world("Nightmares") The Master opening the Hellmouth The Judge Acathla The Sisterhood of Jah(the" Zeppo") The Ascension The Sacrifice of Three("Doomed") The creation of Adam's army The Gift Plus a number of mass casualty events like the Annoying One resurrecting the Master, the Feast of St. Vigeous, Harrowing Hell in "Anne", infant sacrifice in "Band Candy", Vamp Willow's slaughter at the Bronze and the lunch lady poisoning the school body.
A vampire is created in the Buffyverse when a person is bitten and then that person drinks the blood of the vampire. The change takes time, which is why you often see them rising from their graves on the show.
Hey, so just because I'm sure we all want you to be safe, I'm gonna let you know that the network change between seasons 5 and 6 meant that the writers could now get away with some things they couldn't get away with before, so if you have any mental health triggers, you might want to let your mods know now so they can let you know if something's coming up that you need to avoid. You're reactions are always a treat, so thanks for making me happy today!
Despite what many people (not all) still think, and thought at the time (but again, not all), this was never going to be the series finale, however, fans who watched it at the time didn't all know for sure. Probably due to the internet not being like it is today and/or not seeing commercials on UPN stating the switch to their station due to them taking over the distributing contract from The WB. Also, the fact that The WB said (at the episode's end) thank you for five seasons, without revealing that the show was moving to UPN probably confused many people. The creator had said regularly that if the show hadn't been renewed there was no problem with this as a series finale and that all seasons would make good series finales, if need be. Although I make an argument for S2's season finale being too cliffhanger-ish to do so, but I can see how some people wouldn't.
I recall things weren't set in stone when the season ended. I think UPN had made the bid, but the contracts weren't settled yet and it could have fallen through.
@@mikechappell4156 I don't know about negotitations and contracts and whatnot. What I do know is that by the last episode, UPN was already anouncing they would have it next fall in commercials and there were people stating confusion due to The WB saying thank you for five seasons.
Buffy has killed a human. In Spiral while she was fighting the Knights of Byzantium, she threw an ax at one of them and it hit him in the chest. Instant death.
Shout out to underrated moments like Anya saving Xander, and 14 year old Dawn willing to die to save the world.
This was the 100th episode of Buffy. The "previously on" intro included a scene from all 99 previous episodes.
also the end of Buffy in her original network run WB, the program would go on for two more in the upstart UPN network, hence the extended "previously on" recap intro, which recapped the entire series up to that point
Not quite. I, and several other people spent a lot of time stepping through each frame in our vcr recordings to identify each clip, and there are four episodes that got skipped: “Lie to Me,” “Helpless,” “Choices,” and “Checkpoint.”
There are also two clips from “Lovers Walk” and they are both out of the proper sequence, the first before the clip from “Revelations” and the next before the clip from “The Wish.” LW follows “The Wish” in the show order.
@@donsample1002 I never knew that and never thought to check. it goes so fast, its hard to see every single frame while keeping up with the pace. if this is true, thanks for sharing. that's interesting
> This was the 100th episode of Buffy.
Ooh. Ooh! From about 5:00 "[How many apocalypses? // Six, at least. Feels like 100]". (The show is self-aware, 'we make every episode feel like the end of the world'.)
"I guess we're stuck with each other huh baby?" Thats showing Ben and Glory are fading together, Baby is something she would say
Amazing catch - I always thought it was odd that he said "baby," but this makes it make sense.
Spike just devastated over Buffy’s death will always make me tear up. This is one of the best finales of the whole series.
Spike said he'd be there when she died, and he'd have a grand time. He was half right.
Yeah, without Buffy around he'd have to find a new teenager to obsessively stalk and build sexbot replicas of with their stolen underwear. Definitely sucks for him.
@@troikas3353season one in a nutshell.
I'm pissed because apparently I'm shadow blocked on this channel and I don't for the life of me understand why.... 😠
I have a deep love for this show, I love this channel, I almost only write nice things or I tell anecdotes of what happened to me (like my mother dying in very similar fashion like Joyce did) or why I like certain stuff....
@@chanceneck8072Well, I see your comment, so maybe people just don’t engage with whatever it is you’re commenting for some other reason.
When Buffy tells dawn “live for me” i lose it every time.
Remember When Faith Said Miles To Go Little Miss Muffet Counting Down From 730? In terms of airing it was the exact amount of days till buffy died
And in the season 4 finale in Buffys dream she looked at the clock which said 7:30. But then Tara told Buffy that she doesn't have nearly that much time left. Only half the time left.
@@gregordonajAll Tara said was, “Oh, that clock is wrong.” But yeah, same jist.
@@stephaniebarker472 gist
Fun fact - the scene with Tara and Buffy in the bedroom in _Restless_ was originally written to be _Faith_ and Buffy. It would have continued their previous shared dream talks from seasons 3 and 4, but Eliza Dushku wasn’t available for filming at the time.
also, another foreshadowing had 2 meanings, in dream Tara's quote, "Be back before dawn"- the first one being obvious with Dawn's arrival the very next season, and secondly, on the night when Buffy sacrifices herself, when she has that revelation about "death is your gift", the sun was starting to rise- dawn.
1:07 "Why is there so much death in this season." Death, it turns out, was the subject/theme of Season 5. 💀
Also, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Making season 6 the counterpart with various life lessons...
There is obviously heaps of foreshadowing for this ending this season- most prominently the
“Death is your gift” speech from the first slayer but also spikes speech in Fool for love when he is talking about killing the other slayers:
“The only thing about the dance is, you never get to stop. Everyday you wake up, it's the same bloody question that haunts you. Is today the day I die...? Death is on your heels, baby, and sooner or later, it's gonna catch you... And part of you wants it... not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, but because you're just a little bit in love with it... Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day, that final gasp, that look of peace. A 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 merely wanted it. Every Slayer... has a death wish... Even you..”
And then Buffy to Giles at the start of this episode “I don’t know how to live in this world if these are the choices…..” “if dawn dies- I’m done with it- I’m quitting”
Buffy has been fighting for her life and having to make ridiculously shit decisions since she was 16years old. She is tired and done and death really is the question that haunts her.
Such a genius season and ending
the best season imo
They actually weren't in a time crunch really at the beginning of the episode. Giles actually talked about how they couldn't leave too early or else they wouldn't be able to make Glory miss her window. They were literally waiting to leave, which is why they were taking their time.
This was my series finale for years. The show moved from WB to UPN after this and we didn't have UPN where I lived. I never saw 6 or 7 until I bought the DVDs.
Speaking of the DVDs, shame you watched the remaster here. It gets the lighting all wrong for the sun rise scene. It's supposed to shift from night to day on Buffy's face as she makes the realization.
From night to DAWN. :)
> It's supposed to shift from night to day on Buffy's face as she makes the realization.
> makes the realization
You mean... when it DAWNs on her? 🤪
Doc was played by Mr. Joel Grey, a BAFTA/Golden Globe/Tony/Academy Award-winning actor who's a master at playing--- among other things--- unassuming, unexpected evil...
His daughter played "Baby" in "Dirty Dancing" as well.
I believe he's the only Buffy cast member to win an Oscar so far, though others have been nominated.
Father of actress Jennifer Gray(Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Dirty Dancing), too.
@@rfresaSarah Michelle Gellar won a daytime Emmy for her role as Erica Kane's daughter on All My Children. Sarah should have been nominated for best actress in a drama series for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She has said never being nominated hasn't bothered her. As long as the show's fans enjoyed her performance, was enough of an award for her. She said that in an interview a few years ago.
@@NelsonVlog66 SMG's role on All My Children is WHY I watched Buffy to begin with. I loved her as Kendall on AMC. She was so good on that show, I was curious to see what she would do with a silly vampire slayer role... so glad I did. Best show ever :)
Alternate dimension Buffy? Lost twin? Buffy-bot rebuilt? Ghost?
Could be anything...muahahaha
Buffybot for the win.
@22:25 this is true even when you have watched the entire series multiple times. the emotional weight of this episode and others always hits you in the feels.
Same. I was like girl, I'M crying, we're ALL crying!
There’s a reason this is considered one of the greatest season finales of all time.
Ripper has entered the chat... bye, Ben...
That wasn't Ripper though. It was ALL Giles. He put his glasses ON. He was protecting his child. Daddy Giles 100% lol
@@randomlibra Why are people so enthusiastic for Giles killing Ben?!?😡💢You all keep underlying the fact that was 100% Giles like it's a good thing!Ben is a HUMAN!And not even an evil one,what's all this gladness about the fact he was killed?!?!And don't tell me it's because he wanted to kill Dawn because A)why does Dawn have more right than Ben to exist?B)He was just trying to survive and C)unlike Dawn that has fake memories of a decent enough life,poor Ben has been stuck with Glory *from the moment he was born!!!* He lived _an entire life_ without a single free day,since he was a BABY!!!Why the *HELL* are you all *so excited* to see him gone and to see Giles turned into a killer?!?!🤬💢 I swear I hate this fandom sometimes!😤 #Justice4Ben 🤎 P.S. And I didn't even put the point Dawn-is-not-a-real-human-Ben-is because I know it doesn't count at this point,but...yeah...also that.
*I HATE THAT UA-cam KEEPS DELETING MY REPLIES!!!>O
@@Nicamon Ben is no more a normal human than Dawn is. He is also a created human.
And I DO say "Go, Giles". and "Screw Ben". He was willing to destroy countless people on the HOPE that Glory would reward him. He's scum, because when the chips were down he showed his true colors, like anyone does.
He's a selfish snake.
@@randomlibrainteresting, I never realised that but it does make sense what with the things he says to Buffy in the back of the magic shop. He is ready to kill to save the world.
@@Nicamon Giles was willing to sacrifice a bit of his soul -- tarnish it, if you will -- in order to do what he believed was necessary to protect Buffy, Dawn, and the world; Ben was working to save himself at the expense of the world. It's the difference between self-sacrifice and selfishness.
When this episode aired... I was shocked, filled with grief for this character id grown to love and admire.
Being a huge LOTR fan, I saw the "death is your gift" in the same way that it was portrayed as a blessing for the men of Middle-Earth. Their essences would leave this world, and find peace away from its cares, in a way Elves and the Valar could not, as they were beings bound to the world, and part of its fabric.
Before all the "the show was cancelled" or "this was the original show finale" it was full known by all the writers and the cast before S5 even started production that there would be more seasons. FOX (the producers of the show) simply wanted more money and put the show up for a bidding war. The WB failed to match UPN:s bid so FOX moved the show to UPN, in retaliation The WB started to advertise S5 as "the show finale" which most likely is the source of much of the confusion among the fans that where teens at the time (and this not following the news).
Hints that this was never meant to be the final episode can be seen in both the Xander proposing to Anya scene (very out of their normal modus to add something like this and then just end it) but the most telling to me is the haste with with they zoom in to Buffy:s grave stone and then just end the episode, this if anything is so anti a show finisher that it really screams in the face of the viewer.
Joss being a huge Star Trek fan was probably inspired by the TNG episodes The Best Of Both Worlds when he decided to kill off Buffy in a season finale.
Thank you. It drives me a little crazy that those versions continue to persist and get repeated in every Buffy reactors comments on YT. I get the confusion and as you note not everyone would have noticed this at the time. Plus the WB being salty they lost the show advertised this as a series finale added to the confusion. But there is plenty of documentation from the time that makes it clear this was never intended to be the end of show.
THANK YOU!!! I've given up trying to tell this every time the 'this was supposed to be the last show, we all thought it was all over, yadda yadda yadda' posts are made. Thanks for giving the facts, even though we all know that the next reactor who gets to this episode will be inundated with the same thing.
@@DanielOrme yeah it's one thing to believe it back in 2001 but 23 years later one would have thought that fans would have kept up with how it all went down :)
The other reason for the confusion was that not everyone had a UPN station so for many in smaller cities didn’t know of season 6 for a while so when they saw the fan sites talking about season 6 and 7 they thought it had ended with the WB.
While I know there's multiple references to the crew saying that the series was renewed for season 6 before production of the finale began, I don't believe I've ever heard anyone say that season 6 was confirmed pre-season 5, or even early on in its production. Everything I've heard was that this episode had at least been conceived of in detail before the renewal and that it was originally done so with it being the finale in mind (as most of the season finales in the show had been). It definitely has the feel of a finale.
The ritual to become. vampire: "in order to become a vampire, first they suck your blood, then you suck their blood, its like a whole big sucking thing, mostly, they're just going to kill you." episode 1.
I don't think she was thinking about the portalturnig her into a vampire. I think she was just worriedly thinking of anything and any explanation why there's 2 more seasons but Buffy is dead.
Oh, we're on "The Gift". Oh boy. *Settles in for a hard ride*.
When this first aired the ending of this episode absolutely wrecked me and now so many years later I still tear up!
This finale made me burst into tears, and it was the first-ever _Buffy_ episode I ever saw. And it's so beautiful!!!!!! The ending twist is just... wonderful seeing how the entire season came full circle.
@DegrassiInstantStar whoa, I want to know what you thought of everything happening on your first buffy viewing being THIS ep
Remember Faiths dream speech at the end of Season 3? “Little Miss Muffet counting down from 730”?
365 X 2 is 730, that episode aired exactly 2 years before Buffys death or 730 days….
There was also Tara telling Buffy to be back before dawn. Whedon you tricky SOB.
"Special guest so-and-so" Someone needs to watch Cabaret ASAP!
Joel Gray is awesome. I believe he appeared as an angel in the series finale of Dallas.
“The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave” 💔
I love that they got legendary actor Joel Grey (father of Jennifer Grey, of Dirty Dancing fame) to play the creepy lizard guy.
Joel Grey won a Tony and an Oscar, and was nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy.
This was the last episode on the WB. The show moved to UPN for the next season. So it is a series finale of sorts...
Ahahahaha, you having written the title and a single bullet point on your notes and then never getting around to writing anything at all is too perfect for this episode. Fantastic reaction.
The "too soon" moment with your dog was actually so cute lol
Agreed :)
For the past few weeks, I’ve been completely hooked on your reaction videos to Buffy. It’s surprising because I’m usually not into reaction videos at all, but Buffy is different-it’s one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I grew up watching it, and after countless rewatches over the years, I’ve found that the thing I enjoy most now is experiencing it with someone new. There’s something so exciting about seeing someone be amazed by the show for the first time, knowing everything that’s about to unfold, and watching their reactions.
I’ve rewatched Buffy with several friends and am currently going through it again with my partner (his second time). Watching your videos feels like I’m rewatching it alongside you, and I’ve really enjoyed that journey so far. Your honest and relatable responses bring me back to my first time watching all those years ago. I love your comments, insights, and predictions-they’re thoughtful and genuinely show how much you love the show. Don’t let anyone discourage you from sharing your opinions; your perspective, especially as someone viewing it in the present day, adds a fresh layer to the experience.
It’s a shame I won’t get to see your reactions to Angel (though I totally get why you’ve kept those exclusive to Patreon). Any idea when you’ll be starting season 6 of Buffy? I’m already looking forward to watching it with you!
Oh, and fun fact: The Family Jewels by Marina is one of my favorite albums of all time. I was so excited to see you’d done a reaction to it-it was fantastic! Thanks again for all the amazing content; it’s been such a fun journey with you so far, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Excellent reaction. Yes the show was to go on an air, two more seasons, but for my group, we did not know that when this aired. In North Texas, we did not receive the same type of attention or publicity the television received other parts of the country. Maybe our group was just too busy, but we all thought that this was an episode, the potentially ending the series. There were advertisements all over the WB network at the time that were saying that it was the network finale. We weren’t wise enough to understand that the show was changing networks. So when this aired, we really thought that this possibly was it for puffy. And many of us believe that Buffy had died, and there would be no more seasons. So you can imagine how shaken we were. Our group found out in two or three days that it was going to be continuing on but you’ve got to understand that we really were believing this was the series finale. And the final 10 minutes or just shocking.
To this day, I can remember the room when we saw the events happening. When the montage is started about the blood.That’s when we realized that Buffy was going to take the jump. And I still can feel and remember my thoughts when Buffy turns around and starts her gallop. I hate this day to see a picture of the end of that platform. I’ve never liked watching divers to swan dives since this. And the silence and sobs from a room full of people when we saw that damn tombstone. It’s amazing that a show can make us feel so devastated, hate it so much, at the same time be the most favorite show of eight people is just amazing.
This was the episode I started watching this show with. Completely hooked and started watching from the beginning.
Damn!And I thought _I_ started with a whole lot of spoilers(my guess is that I started from ep 3x04)!:-S
I remember when this aired. My whole family sat around the tv watching this episode. Not a single one of us had a dried face. We are shocked to hear the news of a new season months later. Enjoy the last 2 seasons.
-Sage
Anya's reaction when Xander proposes to her will always be iconic
"She's never taken a human life and I don't think she ever would"
Cut to Buffy throwing an axe into the chest of one of the knights climbing onto the driving RV.
In fairness, while it's pretty blatant, it's never outright shown that they died from it. There were definitely other instances where it was implied but not outright confirmed that she killed a human previously. It was always in self-defense in the heat of battle, and never in close quarters and one-on-one.
That said, it's not like BtVS would be the first show ever to say something in the dialogue when there were various examples that contradicted it.
well an innocent human like Ben, those knights were morally bankrupt from her POV
She definitely tried to kill Faith.
@@Leafsdude_ That guy was a normal human that took a battle axe at full speed to the chest, then fell off of a speeding RV. C'mon.
@@Nexusofgeekinnocent like Ben who's been 'cleaning up after Glory' his whole life you mean?
When you said you had been preparing yourself for Dawn’s death, I thought oh if you only knew.
I am loving all the reactors having empathy for Dawn. Like in the fandom its popular to hate her. As an older sibling i get how annoying she can be cause i lived that, but i love her character.
And can we just appreciate she was more than willing to die to save the world here. She was legit ready to jump.
Edit: i also love the moment you realised what was about to happen. And yay doggo guest appearance.
to be a successful reactor, you have to try to empathize with an amorphous fanbase, a portion of which (large portion, if you're female) is going to be hateful towards you. dawn ain't so bad.
On 4 occasions I loaned out my S1-S5 DVD sets to noobs & told them that was everything. The hysterical angry phone calls I got after they all saw this "series finale" we're the ultimate troll fuel lol. Then I revealed that there's 2 more & blow their minds lol.
"Calm down there, Satan!" 🤣🤣🤣
When our state TV first showed Buffy, they only bought two seasons. So, for years I was certain the devastating second season finale was, well, the last. That this sign “you're leaving Sunnydale, come back soon” was the last of Sunnydale.
When they showed Buffy the second time, they bought five seasons. That was the last episode.
Fortunately, internet was a thing at this point, and I could just google - or maybe yahoo, I don't remember - which meant that the second time it didn't last too long.
The internet was a thing by season 2. Something that not every household had, granted. But I remember looking up fanfics for the first time after Becoming because it was just that effective, lol.
That's hilarious, too, because I believe season 2 was the only season where the renewal came quite early on, so we all knew there was going to be a season 3. Every other season had some level of doubt over the final stretch as to whether it would continue.
@ It was almost not a thing where I lived.
When I watched this finale live, we already knew there would be more seasons of Buffy. However, writers stated later that season 5's plotline had been planned to end like this long ago and they decided to go for it (because honestly it's so good right??), and would deal with the consequences later. They were so real for it.
season 6: loud arguments
season 7: star trek TNG: you hate it or you love/like it
Aaaaaand we're done! That's the series, thanks for watching! 😂
when this aired, we THOUGHT it was over. we weren't notified about season 6 until the summer was just about over. I still remember the day I found out BtVS was coming back for another season, I was SO excited and confused at how, but I was so happy and hyped to see how.
16:25 ..."There's more seasons, Buffy can't die"... Back then, when this episode aired out, I truly believed that this was it, this was the end... I mean, it truly feels like a series finale, so picture my surprise when season 6 were announced...
The fact that I've seen this episode a hundred times and yet I'm a blubbering mess every single time! 😭
"Little Miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0." - Dream!Faith, Season 3 finale
"*clock displays "7:30"* Oh, that clock's completely wrong. (Since a year went by and now there's only 365 days left until this episode.)" - Dream!Tara, season 4 finale
This episode was built-up to for a long while. I love when this sort of long foreshadowing has a payoff.
Six apocalypses Giles said
If I remember correctly:
1) The Master in season 1
2) Angel bringing Acathla (or something like that) back in season 2
3) The Mayor turning into a giant snake in season 3
4) The Zeppo episode in season 3
5) Adam bringing hell in season 4
6) This moment right here with Glory
I think these are the 6
5 - not correct as Adam wasn't an apocalypse. But right season. It was "Doomed" where the demons were trying to get the Word of Valios and do a sacrifice into the hellmouth.
1) The Harvest
2) Prophecy Girl
3) Becoming
4) Graduation Day
5) The Zeppo
6) Doomed
@@auriellisAnd also where Spike discovered, "I can hurt a demon!"
The blue guy in season 2 would have become powerful enough to wipe out humanity. I doubt the mayor becoming a snake was actually an apocalypse, same with Adam. Season 4 did have a "sacrifice of the three" apocalypse, possibly.
@@Phireo I like your list. I could go with either the Mayor or the Judge (or neither) being an apocalypse. I feel like being an apocalypse in the Buffyverse has less to do with how likely a threat is to wipe out humanity and more about its connection to prophecy, ancient magicks, etc.
I’d been waiting for you to get here since you started reacting to BTVS, you’re one of the most insightful and thoughtful Buffy reactors I’ve seen and I just knew you’d shed a tear.😂
I love this show, human deaths were kinda often this season. I keep forgetting those knights were human dude, Buffy killed like 20 of them lol
I'm glad you went into this not knowing how it ended, here in the UK when it first aired Sky's adverts for the season final literally showed the tombstone.
The WB originally promoted this as their series finale because Joss Whedon's contract for Buffy the Vampire Slayer was for five seasons. UPN came along and offered him a two season contract. IIRC, the UPN premiere(2001-02) was delayed a week or two due to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the WTC and Pentagon. Seemed like every season finale for Buffy the Vampire Slayer was written as a series finale.
And now we get two seasons' worth of clip shows! :🙂
Joss and Co. knew the show was getting a season six when they made this episode. We tv viewers knew the show was getting a season six when this episode aired.
I love the first scene in the alley. It's a nice little encapsulation of the show. The horror of someone being chased. The comedy of Buffy's quippiness. The action of the fight scene. The melancholy of, "That's what I keep saying." Great stuff.
They knew before filming the finale, but not before writing it, IIRC.
They had this season arc plotted out before the WB canceled them and made the episode after it was renewed. I can't find a source on when it was written but this plot point was hinted at before the cancelation.
Even Buffy knew that Giles would have destroyed the key as a last resort. That's why she told him she'd stop him. Could it even have been an understanding of sorts. If Glory were to defeat Buffy before the ritual, Buffy was basically giving Giles an all clear to save the the world if she couldn't. She just wanted an opportunity to try without having to worry about Dawns safety from our team. She said she'd stop him. She never told him not to do it. Might have contributed to how quickly Buffy accepted her fate, an atonement for having failed.
I bet a lot of folks will dislike this take on the motivations of our beloved characters.
No, i'm with you. I think if it came down to it, of course she would choose the world over Dawn (especially since she'd only be "saving" Dawn for the last few minutes before hell-on-earth started for everyone _including_ Dawn).
I think she was making it clear that Hell-to-the-NO she wasn't going to just take the easy option of "Welp, we can always just kill Dawnie, so allz good." Giles' came off as callous and Buffy responded in kind.
"Could Giles have killed Dawn?" I suspect he could, but knew Buffy would have stopped him. Before Buffy figured out that she could substitute her own blood, it looked like it might be the only way to save the world. Since he is sworn to protect the world - maybe. But I think Giles planned to kill Ben, if he got the slightest opportunity. The Ripper could do that. He just didn't mention it to the others.
Yay, my favorite Buffy Season finale. I think it has a certain elegance to it.
Karma knows because you switch from watching and commenting to talking at length. At least that's what I think. :)
I love this episode so much. It's one of the best TV moments in the history of TV for me. Like you, I was wondering how on Earth could the show go on with Buffy being dead? At least you don't have to wait all summer like we did to find out! I loved your reaction to this episode; you are totally invested, and I'm here for it. I'm really looking forward to your reaction to the next episode!! X)
When I saw this ep for the first time, I didn't have any idea season 6 was a thing, in italy they were putting all 5 seasons over and over... I cried for days!!!
Time for Season 6 😈.
Assume crash positions.
I'm sure someone else will have mentioned it in one of his previous episodes, but Doc is played by Joel Grey, Oscar winner for his performance as the MC in 'Caberet'.
As for 'the show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. she can't be dead'. The UK in the late 70s we had a show called 'Blake's 7'. Blake left the show after series 2 and it ran for 2 more seasons with the same title. Whedon lived in the UK when it was airing and you can see its influence on "Firefly'. So don't count anything out.
The UK also had a police procedural show called 'Taggart', which ran for 176 episodes over 27 years. Sadly actor Mark McManus, who played DCI Jim Taggart, died during the filming of season 11, having appeared in 78 episodes. It was decided not to rename the show going forward, just switch the focus to his two subordinates. Hence 'Taggart' had both more episodes and more seasons _without_ its titular character than with him. 😲
@@origami-unicorn I remember it well!
This was actually going to be the series finale, but at the last minute, figuratively, plans were made to continue the show for two more seasons (as you already know).
Interesting fact: Anya was actually going to die in this episode as well - she saved Xander by pushing him out of the way of the stuff that fell on her. They re-shot the ending to show Xander carrying Anya and she raised her head so that the audience would know she wasn't killed.
It was unsure whether this show would be picked up by UPN. Joss Whedon wrote this episode as if it was a series finale. It gave a finality to Buffys story.
He originally planned to create a series centered on Faith to continue the story of the slayers.
The reason qhy this may have been the last season was the network couldn't afford to make the show anymore. In reality it only took them 2 weeks to find a new network.
This episode was never intended to be the ending of the show.
During real time, there was a message, at the end, to the fandom to say it's been a great run. Thanks for watching (paraphrasing).
It was over the summer that the news broke to the public that it will begin airing on a new network seeing as WB (at the time) didn't want to renew and focused more on Angel.
That was a big mistake. It helped the new start up network, the UPN channel, with the views.
Ripper comes out when necessary. It was a very dark moment when you think back to when Giles looked into the camera at the end of that first Ethan introduction, and that callback played out in this episode. We wondered for seasons, how ruthless or un Giles like was that darker side of him. He didn't even flinch or struggle with instantly taking out Ben...very cold and unbothered. It was a jaw dropping moment.
No doubt, I think he would have ended Dawn if he had to.
Spike's reaction gets me pouring out the tears😭 each time. James nailed it. I was feeling like him. Add to it that the sun was rising up behind him and he didn't even care or notice. That's how devastated and wrecked he was.
In all honesty, I didn't care for Dawn. So, she could have been dealt with and it wouldn't have bothered me.
The memory spell over everyone would have probably been broken and they'd never know she was created.
I bet in that instant, Buffy would freeze in the middle of killing Giles and get confused as to why she was about to attack him, or why they were all there at that make shift tower.
I stick by my theory that the Monks memory spell weighed too heavy on Joyce's brainial nerve endings and it was the "shadow" in her head that did her in. The doctor did what he could with science, which bought her a little more time...but the magical shadow of false memories was still there. Joss said it was just a natural thing that happened, but I beg to differ. The way it was written, and Joyce getting sick just a few days after Dawn shows up..👀...Sus🤔
Where the monks got Buffy's blood from was never explained, so I think it was retconned with a simple mention by Buffy.
It was a big boy step into manhood when Xander proposed to Anya. I always thought she was good for him.
She helped him grow up, a lot. And I was proud of Anya becoming more in touch with her lost humanity, throughout the seasons.
I love how your doggo shows up right on time, but mostly when your emotionally distraught. She feels it and comes over right away to check on you. We don't deserve them...absolute gifts from God...imo
To Karma “Still too soon?” Made me laugh out loud…
I swear the moment I saw the title I cried a bit haha let's goooo
20 years and I still can't manage to watch this without crying
the realization of every reactor that Buffy is gonna die, always worth the wach.
This is the best written season of TV I've ever seen. Everything was foreshadowed and motivated. "Your blood is the same as mine" and "Death is my gift" was practically a giveaway, but we are led to believe it means Buffy will kill Dawn. Buffy saw Dawn as the innocent part of herself, the part that wasn't the Slayer; she had to save that innocence. Dawn's arc was amazing; when the season started she was a shrill obnoxious kid we didn't want around; by the end we care for her the most. Giles' reveal as the Ripper shows he has the ruthlessness to kill Ben. Ben's betrayal of Dawn for a promise of eternal life from Glory justified his killing. Anya's engagement completes her arc from demon to human values; she started out killing men, and ended up hitched to one. Brainsucked Tara's insane ability to see that Dawn was the Key (as did Joyce with her brain tumor) inadvertently betrayed her to Glory, but also allowed her to lead the Scoobies to the Tower. And Willow sucking the sanity out of Glory to restore Tara weakens her enough so Buffy can put her down. Of course Dawn's coming was foreshadowed 2 years before in Buffy's dreams. "counting down from 730".
Technically, Buffy could quit if she really wanted to. 'Cause Faith is actually the "called" slayer if you think about it
This was planned well in advanced as it was foreshadowed in Buffy's prophetic vision with Faith 2 seasons earlier - counting down to 720, which was approximately the number of days till this episode... and it may well have been the last ever episode as WB dropped it.
I wasn't allowed to watch Buffy when it was airing originally because my mom told me that it was going to let evil in the house. I finally told her that I was watching the show and it wasn't going to be a problem... this was the first episode I watched all the way through and called my cousin to ask what happened. She told me that was the end of the series (as it was supposed to be the end), and when I found out it was coming back, FX was airing seasons 1-5, thank goodness... this will always be my favorite show and I have so much enjoyed watching you go through it. Can't wait for you to see the last two seasons!
I always thought that since the ritual said the portal would close "when the blood stops flowing" that they could have shut it just by bandaging her feet.
One of the best episodes of television ever made. A damn classic.
During the premier the WB network stopped airing. This was the last episode. People thought it was the end until they switched to a new network
What a pleasant gift
"She's never taken a human life, I don't think she could…"
Well, I'm sure the Knight of Byzantium who got an ax in the chest and fell of a moving vehicle is just fine.
In Season Six, one of Cass's (many) regular line of questioning throughout the show will be answered, So looking forward to that reaction ;)
puppies always know
Originally yes… this was the finality, though at the last moment after this episode aired, the potential cancellation was repelled & the green light was given for a couple more seasons.
I balled off & on for weeks, when this one first aired.
Around the same time another show, same genre etc did similar, only for it to be backed up for more seasons afterwards. Charmed (original), did do to but more complex, the final episode of season 3, originally was supposed to be a 2 parter, tbc notice was on the end of the original episode… but Doherty left/was let go, the same weekend she was in the tabloids for unscrupulous behaviour. Many thought it was the end… then season 4 was announced.
It was the last season for the WB - the last two seasons were shown on UPN
5:02
To go through the 5 up to this point (pretty much the ones where "apocalypse" or "end of the world" are mentioned directly)
1) Prophesy Girl
2) Becoming II
3) The Zeppo
4) Graduation Day II
5) Doomed
One that has question of End Days….Innocence. When we watched this, we were told as viewers, that the judge was going to be the end of the world. Eventually, he would be so powerful that his thoughts could kill people. So I sometimes include that episode as one of the apocalypse episodes.
I'm sure Giles was including the Master and the Mayor in his count, but I am kind of skeptical of them as apocalypse causers.
We saw in the Wish that the world was still there after the Master got free. Maybe the Mayor would have seriously leveled up his destructive potential if he had gotten the chance to eat all the students, but it seems more likely that the military would have taken him out before he even got out of town. The Initiative must have already been established at that point too.
@@williambowman2326 I thought about Innocence, but I don't think the acknowledgement of "the end of the world" was ever explicit in it like it was in the others.
That said, there is a good argument regardless that Innocence, and the Judge, were more of an apocalypse than Graduation Day II, considering there was commentary in the latter that the Mayor simply wanted to have Sunnydale, but had no interest in the rest of the world.
I think the other 4 are hard to argue, however.
@@rfresa "We saw in the Wish that the world was still there after the Master got free."
In fairness, that was a different set of circumstances. The vessel freed the Master by feeding and transferring power.
In Prophesy Girl, it's Buffy's blood, eg: the blood of the slayer, that freed the Master. There was far more power that the Master received from the latter. The fact that he was able to activate the Hellmouth in it, while there was no sign that he'd done the same in the Wishverse, lends credence that there was something more in Prophesy Girl as far as the threat of an apocalypse.
As a result, I'd call Prophesy Girl an apocalypse averted, but not the Harvest.
First up, when this was airing everybody knew the show was jumping to another network. It hits harder for people watching it later on.
Also, near throwback to season 2 Ripper Giles.
Finally, it is fun to see people talk about how horribly Spike is treated by Buffy; when he's the of dealing in half-truths & manipulation. Credit to Marster's acting and the chemistry between him and Gellar.
Not everyone had all the necessary sources of information.
We didn’t know at the time. Didn’t have internet and didn’t have a tv. Had to go to someone else’s house to watch it recorded a couple of times a year. So was very cut off from information. This ended hard.
Not everybody knew. I didn't have internet in my home yet at that time, so I pretty much had to rely on television advertising. I didn't know Buffy was coming back for another season on UPN until I literally saw a commercial of UPN advertising the season 6 premiere.
I can't articulate how much this destroyed all of us when this aired because we thought this was the end. Y'all who go in knowing there are more episodes are lucky
I guess they're including Xander's episode, The Zeppo, among the six apocalypses.
The Master opening the Hellmouth
Acathla's portal to hell opening
The Zeppo hellmouth opening
The Mayor's Ascension
Adam's plan
The demons trying to open the Hellmouth in Doomed
The ritual in the Buffyverse for turning into a vampire: The human is drained to the *edge* of death and then feeds upon the vampire; at that point, they die and are usually buried (not necessary for the turning, though) and then arise the following night. No, someone who is already dead cannot then be turned and brought back as a vampire. I feel the lore has been consistent enough over 5 seasons that I haven't spoiled anything, just reminding of the vampire turning specifics. As to what they did for the next 2 season, you're just going to have to watch to know. 😁
I have no doubt that Giles would have killed Dawn if he had been in the position to do so in time once the portal opened. He sees and accepts the bigger picture. It's actually reminiscent of when Wesley was adamant that they not return the Box of Gavrock to the Mayor in exchange for Willow, because Wesley knew that the suffering of all was worse than the life of a single person. While we can feel upset at Giles for suggesting Dawn may have to die, and for Wesley to have not wanted to trade the box for Willow's life, we can also understand where they're coming from, as horrible as it is. It's likely in the training of Watchers, to always look at the bigger picture and not get so wrapped up in emotion that you can't do what must be done. The reasons those two situations didn't go the way Giles and Wesley planned is because GIles was nowhere near Dawn when the portal was opened, and Wesley did not have the strength/ability to stand against everyone else who were insisting that the box had to be traded for Willow.
17:45 This is the original end of the show, then it got a few more seasons on a different network.
This echos season 2. Buffy was faced with the same exact choice she was given with Angel. Someone she loved was the means of destroying the world and it was her duty to sacrifice to save the world. In season 2, her only choices were to sacrifice the man she loved or sacrifice the entire world.
The reason why death is her gift is because the Powers that Be knew that Buffy was too broken to make that choice again. She had sacrificed as much as she could. So, they manipulated things so that it was her blood that opened the door. That way, her choices were to sacrifice the sister she loves, the entire world, or herself.
The gift wasn't actually death, but the choice to not have to kill her sister to save the world. She was given to choice of death to escape that destiny.
Slayers die young. Something that was established right away in season 1. Buffy ending with her death would have been tragically beautiful in its way, and thanks to her friends she made it so much farther than most slayers ever did. Honestly, as much as I love at least one more episode, I kinda wish the show ended here. All things considered it would have been better for it.
The one thing I never liked about this episode was Buffy's response to Dawn needing to die. I just wish Giles would have pointed out that no, the last thing Dawn would have seen would not have been her sister defending her, she would have seen her sister defending her.. and then Dawn and every one else here would have been trapped for all eternity in hell to suffer unspeakably horrifically in every conceivable way because every Hell dimension was consuming reality. Dark as it is, killing Dawn was the more ethical and kinder option in that situation for every one, including Dawn.
i think it was Buffy's emotional response (understandably) and her way of making it clear that she was not going to just accept that as the easy option: "Oh, no worries, we can always just kill Dawn."
I think if it came down to it, it's clear she would have done what's right, but her response was mostly towards Giles' callousness, or at least her perception of callousness.
Giles could have started with "There is nothing we won't do to protect Dawn to the very end. What happens if we fail? I don't want to put you in a position where you have to kill your sister. What do you want me to do if the worst should happen?" And let her be the one to come to terms with what needs to be done.
Its pretty twisted that Ben saved Giles 2 episodes ago and he returned the favor by killing him. I think he could have did it in a more merciful way, like he could have knocked him out and then suffocated him instead of taunting the man before his last breath. But I understand that its better for tv for Giles to come off as a cold blooded killer.
I still headcannon this as the actual end of the show. It just works as a finale so much better than the actual one in my opinion.
SPOILER---ISH??
Dang, S6 could be like her purgatory and then S7 is when she earns her way into "heaven." It ends with her finally feeling complete having killed all her demons, including saying goodbye to the one she was addicted to in her purgatory.
I can't watch Spike cry 😭
Also, imagine for us watching this on TV.....my mom gave me the day off from school the next day because of how hard this hit me (but not for the effing flu.....)
I agree with you, I do think Giles would have killed Dawn if it came down to it.
As for Buffy, she has technically killed at least one human (She threw an axe into the chest of one of the knights she was fighting on top on the RV).
She would kill during a fight. Ben wasn't fighting her.
@@samsonau8205 Oh yeah, I agree, I don't think she would kill Ben like Giles could.
At the time I'm not sure if they knew if it would be picked up for additional seasons. They switched networks after season 5.
Gile spoke incorrectly.
Buffy has killed (or been the direct cause of death of) several humans, from the Hyena worshiping zookeeper and Mrs, Post to the Tarakan Assassin whose throat she ripped open with her skates. Then several Knights of Byzantium.
She was derelict in her duty in NOT killing Ben. Glory was in no way fully defeated. She could have reemerged within seconds. While she wouldn't be able to cause the Apocalypse of Apocalypses, she could easily have murdered millions with her bare hands in a fit of rage.
Speaking of Apocalypses...
The Harvest
The Nightmare world("Nightmares")
The Master opening the Hellmouth
The Judge
Acathla
The Sisterhood of Jah(the" Zeppo")
The Ascension
The Sacrifice of Three("Doomed")
The creation of Adam's army
The Gift
Plus a number of mass casualty events like the Annoying One resurrecting the Master, the Feast of St. Vigeous, Harrowing Hell in "Anne", infant sacrifice in "Band Candy", Vamp Willow's slaughter at the Bronze and the lunch lady poisoning the school body.
My family didn’t have cable during seasons 4&5 but got it back in time for season 6 and boy, was I lost lol
But... The WB wasn't a cable channel.
@ I wasn’t in the US and cable was required to get the channel that carried it in my country.
A vampire is created in the Buffyverse when a person is bitten and then that person drinks the blood of the vampire. The change takes time, which is why you often see them rising from their graves on the show.
I don't have the quote, but I believe Buffy explained in to Giles in "Welcome to the Hellmouth". "... It's a whole big sucking thing."
Hey, so just because I'm sure we all want you to be safe, I'm gonna let you know that the network change between seasons 5 and 6 meant that the writers could now get away with some things they couldn't get away with before, so if you have any mental health triggers, you might want to let your mods know now so they can let you know if something's coming up that you need to avoid. You're reactions are always a treat, so thanks for making me happy today!
Despite what many people (not all) still think, and thought at the time (but again, not all), this was never going to be the series finale, however, fans who watched it at the time didn't all know for sure. Probably due to the internet not being like it is today and/or not seeing commercials on UPN stating the switch to their station due to them taking over the distributing contract from The WB. Also, the fact that The WB said (at the episode's end) thank you for five seasons, without revealing that the show was moving to UPN probably confused many people. The creator had said regularly that if the show hadn't been renewed there was no problem with this as a series finale and that all seasons would make good series finales, if need be. Although I make an argument for S2's season finale being too cliffhanger-ish to do so, but I can see how some people wouldn't.
I recall things weren't set in stone when the season ended. I think UPN had made the bid, but the contracts weren't settled yet and it could have fallen through.
@@mikechappell4156 I don't know about negotitations and contracts and whatnot. What I do know is that by the last episode, UPN was already anouncing they would have it next fall in commercials and there were people stating confusion due to The WB saying thank you for five seasons.
Buffy has killed a human. In Spiral while she was fighting the Knights of Byzantium, she threw an ax at one of them and it hit him in the chest. Instant death.
That was self defense. Totally different from taking the life of a helpless human who can't move and isn't attacking you.
@ Not the point.
Here we goooooo! Are we ready to see how Ben and Glory are connected?!
Wait. Ben and Glory are connected? 😮
Probably just like roommates or something