melaka

I was on a work trip in Chicago when the finale aired (I live near Philadelphia). I was at a formal work dinner/event with a fellow Buffy fan during the actual airing, sitting at a table of about 10 people, and we talked throughout the night about how sad we were to be missing it. No on-demand/DVRs in those days, so I was hoping my VCR back home wouldn't mess up taping it because of a random power outage or something similar. I finally saw it about a week later, with another friend/fan who waited to watch the taped episode with me, at her house. I was pretty annoyed with most of s7, so I wasn't really expecting much. I found the episode mostly satisfying without giving it too much critical thought, because by the time Buffy reached s7, it really didn't deserve any critical thought from me. The posts above make very good points about why it ultimately sucked, but it had enough good moments to raise it to a solid "meh" for me. Oh and I was pissed about Anya - she is my favorite character and Selfless is one of the few redeeming things in s7 for me - and also pissed about knowing about Spike's ultimate fate before the episode even aired.

Hi everyone. I haven't posted much here yet but I've been following the re-watch. It's been a bit since I've watched the full series, though I've watched some during the recent re-watch, so this may take me a while to get it all out. I started watching Buffy live during season 5 out of boredom. Friends had told me I'd love it since it first came out, but I disliked the movie so much that it took me that long to give it a chance. I binge-watched re-runs on FX at the same time as watching s5 live, and probably started with that somewhere in the middle. I video-taped FX's two daily episodes but missed a few episodes here and there, which probably took me a year or more to catch be completely up-to-date with the show. I just threw out all my old VCR tapes last year. :| So, anyway, I think because of the way I watched it, I liked Spike from the start, and really enjoyed going back to the earlier episodes to see how everyone got to where they were in s5. It was really cool to watch the cast develop into the characters that I had grown to love already. But, I bet my opinion of the different seasons, episodes and characters would be much different if I watched from the beginning. Favorite seasons: 2, 3, 5, 4, 1, 6, 7 Like I said, it's been a while since I've seen it, but I don't think I hated season 7 as everyone (here and elsewhere) seems to. I remember being annoyed with it as it aired, and would delete the middle third of it from my brain if I could, but it had its moments (Heh, I just remembered Him; what a fun episode. And Storyteller and Conversations with Dead People were also good in my opinion. And a s7 episode even makes my top 5). I really hated being spoiled for Spike to move on to AtS before the Buffy finale aired. As far as episodes, here it goes: 1. Once More With Feeling - probably my favorite episode, or at least top two. It's just so much fun, the songs are clever and I enjoyed the beginning of Buffy/Spike even if I didn't always like where the storyline went. I have the soundtrack on my iphone and sing along, loudly. 2. Becoming Parts I/II - I still enjoy the stuff with Spike and the ending still makes me tear up. Dru/Giles is a notable part too. It's just such a great progression from the buildup over the second half of s2. 3. Selfless - I'm a huge Anya fan and love nearly everything about this episode. Flashbacks to Olaf and the bunnies. And wow the OMwF flashback gets me every time. I just enjoy Emma Caulfield so much as an actress in the whole series, though that never translated to her other projects for me. I'm glad she got this episode to shine. I thought they were going to kill her at the end for sure. 4. Surprise/Innocence - so much has been written about them that I'm not sure what I can add. Innocence especially is top-notch SMG acting "I'll just let it burn" paired with the TV movie/song: Wow. 5. Hush - I would probably show this as a stand-alone episode to introduce someone to the show. So many classic moments, real creepy-ness and I didn't hate Riley yet. 6. Restless - I love the absurdity of it and the glimpse into slayer history. Also, Harmony. 7. Fool for Love - I'm not sure I could call myself a Spike fan and not enjoy this episode. As horrible as the flashbacks in this show can be, they really work in this episode for me. It was tough to choose between this and Lover's Walk. It could go either way, depending on my mood that day. 8. Doppelgangland - I thought it was in my top 5 until I actually started ranking the episodes. It cemented my love for Willow and gives us more Anya. The Wish was pretty awesome too, but I like this re-visiting of the concept better. 9. Something Blue - Joss always knows when to add levity, and it works really well here. I also feel so bad for Willow while enjoying the humor of the situation - a real strength in a good Joss series. 10. The Body - Not close to my favorite episode but possibly the best Buffy episode. It's too real and SMG nails it. Anya's speech is a bit too naive, but it still works for me. Overall it shows the emotional depth that Joss & co. can achieve. 10. The Gift - It was my first season finale seen live and wow was it effective. I love the opening nod to less complicated times of the show; the planning and preparation for battle; Spike's speech; Buffy's speech; her friends' reactions to her death; and the tombstone. "the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it." Yes, that's 11, but if I was going to cut something else out it would have been a lighter episode, and for me they're important to mention. BtVS does drama so well but when both the comedy and the drama are working, it's at its best. Notable: Prophecy Girl - just out of my top 10 but wow, when Buffy says "I'm 16 years old. I don't wanna die" it would have sealed my love for the series if I actually watched it in order. Lover's Walk. So much to like, apart from the Xander/Willow stuff. Plus, it has one of my favorite Cordelia lines (re: SAT scores) "What, I can't have layers?" Thanks for letting me pass an afternoon at work with some fun Buffy reminiscing.

It's episodes like this that make me glad that I haven't read the books (yet). Joffrey's death had me standing up and clapping, saying "wow" over and over again, with a big grin on my face. I'm so glad I wasn't spoiled for it, as many late-watchers have been. I like the theory that the Tyrells were behind the poisoning, and I imagine Margery will be betrothed/engaged to Tommen, with the idea of marriage in a few years. Though Joffrey's death certainly puts a shadow on her, with two husbands dying. That's the only thing that keeps me from buying in 100% on the Tyrell speculation. As someone else noted, I saw a real connection between Tyrion and Sansa, and am disappointed that he's now been accused of murder and wish we could've seen their relationship develop more. I really hated Sansa throughout the early episodes and now have so much sympathy for her and respect at the way she's handled herself. Honestly, I zoned out for much of the episode and somewhat intentionally only paid part attention to the Theon/Ramsay section. I'm also a bit bored with the Stannis stuff. I was happy to see Bran but missed Arya. I'll have to go back and re-watch.