Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season Seven Review (Spoilers)

[matt_zimmer]

The final season of Buffy was both the most underrated season ever and the season with the most wasted potential. It started off stronger than any previous Buffy season and kept building until about halfway through until Buffy killed the Ubervamp. That was a HUGE mistake and is probably the reason the rest of the season was so hit and miss.

I think it would have helped if they had taken a page out of Angel season four's playbook and had the First continue to escalate it's plans as the year went on (the Ubervamp and the First could have continued to make things in Sunnydale worse). Although the stories of Willow and Spike coming to grips with their pasts were important they still could have done these stories while the threat was escalating. The First "going into remission for awhile" REALLY hurt the season.

The other thing that hurt the season was that Buffy became so unlikable. Buffy has NEVER been the greatest strategist and so her bossing everybody around and driving away the people she loved when she needed them most REALLY pissed me off especially when friggin' Rona of all people had to be the one to point out how reckless she was becoming. Buffy isn't a general and outside of her speech in "Bring On the Night" all of her lecturing was frustrating and tiresome. I think the writers just needed a reason to have the gang throw Buffy out of the house but they forgot the lesson of season six in that the audience doesn't enjoy watching loathesome people.

Unlike every other Buffy season this season set up things in the beginning of the story arc that it refused to pay off. How was the First going to get inside everybody in the world in the end? Why did Buffy being resurrected cause the First to attempt it's takeover? And how come the First appeared to Dawn as Joyce saying Buffy was going to betray her and the writers just dropped that? The season should have been RIFE with paranoia and I was really hoping the First would infiltrate the group more. I mean, knowing the First could impersonate Buffy or Spike could have caused a LOT of damage to the Scooby Gang. The season had a LOT of wasted potential.

Things the season did right? Quite a few actually. Xander became the heart and soul of the show this season even though he didn't actually have any spotlight episodes. The build-up to Chosen and the Big Bads of the Ubervamp and Caleb (a VICIOUS Nathan Fillion) were awesome. And the series finale was terrific and delivered almost everything the rest of the season had promised. And we also got to see some of the most famous Buffyverse characters for the last time (Angel, Faith, the Master, Drusilla etc.)

I love season seven and I'm only critical of it because if they had done a FEW things differently this would easily have been the greatest Buffyverse season of all time. As it stands it was still a good final season and a fitting end to the show.

Lessons: A REALLY great premiere. Dawn going to school set up a nice new mystery. But the REAL meat of the episode was Buffy's reunion with Spike and the First morphing into the various Buffy Big Bads at the end. This episode was a GREAT pay-off for Spike getting his soul restored in Grave and a awesome start to the season. ****.

Beneath You: The whole plot with Anya and the worm guy was pretty good but again, the very end of this episode is what made it special for me. Buffy learning Spike got his soul back for her always brings tears to my eyes. ****.

Same Time, Same Place: I needed this episode and it was really a great way to bring Willow back. The Gnarl (Camden Toy) was a disturbing monster and Anya was a lot of fun here. I also really love insane Spike. ****.

Help: Hmm. This episode was pretty well put together but it just isn't that memorable. I think I'd have enjoyed Buffy's job as a school counselor more if she hadn't destroyed all of her credibility in Him. Still cool seeing 24's Glenn Morreshower (Agent Pierce) as Cassie's Dad though. ***.

Selfless: I love this episode. Everything about it from the hilarious and poignant flashbacks to Xander going to the mat for Anya was great. I also loved D'Hoffryn's pleasant greeting to Willow. ("Ms. Rosenberg!"). One of the best episodes of the season. ****1/2.

Him: Awful. This episode pissed me off a LOT. First off, having Buffy being such a flake in Something Blue was funny because she wasn't actually hurting anybody. I also got pissed off at the beginning of the episode with Dawn comparing Xander leaving Anya at the altar with Spike attempting to rape Buffy and Buffy telling her she didn't understand what Spike regaining his sould meant either. Excuse me? Why didn't she just say "Remember when Angel went all crazy and started killing people and then when he got his soul back he was on our side again? It's kinda like that." As it stands it sounds as if Buffy could care less. *.

Conversations With Dead People: Outstanding. Buffy's talk with Webb was both humorous and insightful ("Buffy, I'm here to kill you, not to judge you"). I thought the revelation of Spike killing was shocking and Willow confronting the Big Bad for the first time was awesome too. I love this episode. ****1/2.

Sleeper: Good episode. I think my favorite part was Anya snooping in Spike's room and then deciding to proposition him. The rest of the episode had a really creepy tone and the cliffhanger with Giles and the axe had my nerves frayed for months. ****.

Never Leave Me: This episode had one revelation after another with Willow confronting Andrew, Buffy telling Spike she believes in him, the Watcher's Council being blown up, the First revealing itself, and the entrance of the Ubervamp. Seriously cool episode. ****.

Bring on the Night: Or for God's sake Giles TOUCH something! I think this episode delivered what Two to Go promised: the Ubervamped kicked EVERY square inch of Buffy's a**. Buffy's speech at the end is the ONLY one I've ever liked and Spike telling the First he wasn't giving up because Buffy believes in him always chokes me up. ****.

Showtime: Ugh. This episode gives us the most annoying character in the Buffyverse: Rona. Eve was really pissing me off too and I was actually relieved to find out she was dead. And Buffy killing the Ubervamp here and the series spending the rest of the year coasting until Dirty Girls is probably the biggest mistake this series has ever made. ***.

Potential: Another example of Buffy's lame speechifying and a story that ultimately was meaningless even though seeing Clem again was fun. Xander's speech to Dawn at the end was what MADE the episode. Nicholas Brendan can never get enough credit for what he brought to this show. ***.

The Killer in Me: This episode needed to happen (it was not only a redemption episode for Willow but it almost seemed like one for Warren too) but I still maintain that this could have still taken place with the First escalating things. I liked Riley calling Spike "A**-Face" through his sub-ordinate too. And hooray, it's Giles! ***1/2.

First Date: I really liked this episode and thought the revelation that Wood was the son of a Slayer was really cool. I also liked the twist that his mother was the Slayer that Spike killed in New York. Cool. ****.

Get It Done: Probably the most frustrating episode of the year. Buffy has a LOT of nerve here. I had no problem with her calling Chloe an idiot (she was) but for her to tell the rest of her friends that she was carrying them and that they weren't pulling their fair share was b.s. It was also incredibly selfish of her not to accept the demon's powers. When you compare to an issue unfavorably with CORDELIA of all people you NEED to get your priorities straight. **.

Storyteller: I love Andrew and this was great fun and gave us a LOT of insight into what makes him tick. The flashbacks with Jonathan were cool (Ooooh! A CHEESE MAN cameo!) and I found his confession at the end both surprising and touching. ***1/2.

Lies My Parents Told Me: I loved this episode. GREAT insight into both Wood and Spike and I really liked the fact that Spike felt NO guilt for what happened to Wood's mother under the logic that "That was how the game was played". I think this difference to Angel is what made Angel season five so great and I love that they set it up here. The revelation about the closeness of William to his mother was simulaniously touching, heartbreaking and creepy. Excellent episode. ****1/2.

Dirty Girls: Holy crap! Caleb scared the bejeezus out of me and the ending was truly tragic. I'm glad Faith returned and I loved her conversation with Spike. The climax of the episode and the battle at the evil vineyard (Spike: "like Falcon Crest") and Xander losing an eye raised the stakes on the series as never before. I don't think the Scooby Gang has EVER been in such dire straits as they were at the end of the episode. Nathan Fillion is SO scary and frightening here and a creep beyond description. I had my reservations about this season but this brought the threat level back up to where it belonged. Scary. *****.

Empty Places: God, I hate Rona. Giles was making sense and Xander was making sense and Anya was making brutally honest sense (as usual) but Rona just pissed me off. I was angry at Buffy too but DANG I did feel for her at the end here even if she was being reckless. Sad episode. ***1/2.

Touched: I LOVED Spike getting into a smakcdown with Faith over the group's betrayal of Buffy and the fact that he was the one who gave her the strength to return to the vineyard. But she did it alone which was the right move. If she had taken everybody else she would have gotten more people killed. And look, the Fray axe! ****.

End of Days: I liked this episode a lot and I thought the Ubervamps jumping out at the Potentials were scary. Andrew and Anya's conversation at the hospital was priceless and surprisingly sentimental. I also loved the back and forth between Buffy and Faith. Angel coming in to watch Buffy cream Caleb was awesome but when she kissed him I was right with the First: "That B****!" ****.

Chosen: One of the best series finales I have ever seen. It was so great because it took every single major character in the series and gave them ALL great final discussions and scenes. And as stupid as Buffy has been this season her final plan WAS brilliant. I love the female empowerment message the episode put forth and the final battle in the Hellmouth was truly awe-inspiring and Buffy and Spike's goodbye was a tear-jerker. The PERFECT farewell to Buffy, Angel, Xander, Willow, Giles, Spike, Dawn, Faith, Anya, Wood, Andrew and everybody else. One of the greatest Buffy episodes ever and the perfect series finale. *****.

Season Overall: ****.