I just watched The Gift

[Smashed]

and it is AMAZING.

So powerful.


I have a question, was this inended to be the end of Buffy or was it planned to come back on UPN?

[henzINNIT]

Much better ending than Chosen too.

[Smashed]

I'm going to have to agree with you, Henz.

So much better!

[henzINNIT]

*high fives*

well...

*blesses*

[Rachster]

did you cry?? when i watched it i cried.. whenever i watch it i cry lol yeah great episode and i agree that its better than chosen

[Joe]

It was a great ending. It might be my favorite episode. I think it is. But if this was the last episode then Season 8 wouldn't happen.. Or 44 more great episodes.

[sire]

I think i like chosen better. Buffy dying as an ending would've made the whole shows run a tragedy. I love the msg of chosen and think its more powerful then the gift. That being said The Gift is my second favorite episode, after Chosen

[Lukee]

Well really Chosen wasn't the last episode if you think, i mean e have a season 8 now. Its cannon so that makes Chosen a non Final episode.

The gift would have been a great season final.

[Rachster]

vampiredust said:

Well really Chosen wasn't the last episode if you think, i mean e have a season 8 now. Its cannon so that makes Chosen a non Final episode.

The gift would have been a great season final.

yeah but chosen is the final for the tv show

[Slayer489]

I love both episodes equally, I really do, but I think that "Chosen" was a better series finale. Now that I think about it, "The Gift" would have been too. Oh I don't know lol. They're both amazing.

[Wyndam]

I like The Gift better than Chosen, but only because Chosen felt so rushed. Neither are my favorite episode though, as I do enjoy a few a lot more than those two, but they are both easily in my top ten.

[ded1]

In every interview I've read by Joss on this topic,He originally wanted season 5 to be the end of the show. I'm not exactly sure why they did 6 & 7.I just assumed that UPN offered Joss and ME a boatload of money to get something on their network that people would actually watch.

[Whedon Fan]

I preffered Chosen aswell just basically for the fight scenes, though The Gify had the cool opening thta went through Buffy seasons 1-5, Chosen should have done something like that. Here is how I would have taken the series if it had ended at S5

It would be about the life of a slayer, the ups and downs and how she lived and died as a hero. Though it went to season 7 and it became about how she lived and shared her power to change the world and the lives of the people around her.

Joss had always wanted to end it after five seasons but The reason Joss did not end the series was because UPN, FOX and Joss signed a contract saying that the show would be picked up for TWO FULL seasons insted of the usual 1 season and then evryone just sit around and hope for another season. This is how Joss was able to end S6 on a cliff hanger because he knew he had a season 7 to rap things up.

Joss and CO had ideas for a season 8 had it happened, but Joss was so so so so tried, SMG's contract had ran out and decided not to return and Marti Noxon was more keen on starting the Faith the Vampire Slayer TV show whih WAS going to happen but Eliza Dushku didn't want to do it she done Tru Calling instead which lasted a season and a half.

Anyway I think I have ranted on for long enough and proved by Buffy geekness enough for one day....(yes geekness is a word.....well now it is now)

[dgryphon]

The Gift was absolutely more amazing in terms of writing, but Chosen made a better series finale. As someone said, it left us with a feeling of hope. However, I do have to say that Chosen was really rushed compared to the Gift, which was really beautiful and well played out.

In particular, I thought that the Scythe story was way too rapid. I'm not sure about the timing of BtVS and Fray, but I think S7 would have been so much more powerful if the Scythe had been introduced much earlier in the season. A search of what it meant and then what it could do in the battle against the First would have improved the season exponentially, IMO.

[Rachster]

mikey said:

Um, I don't think Joss wanted it to end with 5. I'm pretty sure I've always heard the magic number was 7. Remember, his dream all along was to have Willow go bad, and that didn't happen until 6.

no they had only planned on doing 5 seasons but once they got to 4 i think.. they decided to go for 7 but that was it

[Joe]

Yea, I have no decided it's my favorite episode

[gloriousone]

I think The Gift is the best Buffy episode,if not the best thing i've seen on TV. Nothing can top The Gift I remember the first time i watched it,i couldn't talk for a while.It was so touching.
But i agree Chosen feels more like a closure and it has a great "girl power" message.I'm amazed by the fact that in Chosen it only took 40 minutes to tell what Buffy is all about.This is why i like Joss so much

[Whedon Fan]

mikey said:

Um, I don't think Joss wanted it to end with 5. I'm pretty sure I've always heard the magic number was 7. Remember, his dream all along was to have Willow go bad, and that didn't happen until 6.

Nope, It was going to end at Season 5 but as I said before he got a good contract with UPN to be picked up for two full seasons rather than the usual one. I din't remember it being said that it was his dream but Joss's orignial intention was for Willow to go bad half way through Season 5 but it was pushed to season 6. Instead you get alot of sneak peaks of Evil Willow. For instance:

When Glory notices Tara and then Willow shows up and reverss the brain sucking thing and obviously my fav one is when Willow attacks Glory....."Back of tricks"...."Bag of knifes"

I'm sure this is all on the audio commentaries for the season 5 dvd boxset anyway.

punch:

[VampSpike]

mikey said:

It was planned as AN end, but not THE end. In case they didn't get picked up.

Huh?
I read different.
I'm pretty sure they already knew S6 was in the bag.
On the original airing, Fox put a message saying "Thank You and Goodbye" after the credits of The Gift rolled. Alot of fans thought this meant the show was over, but it had already been confirmed that UPN had picked the show up for two years.

Oh and, i love The Gift. Probably the most powerful Buffy episode, and by far the most suspensful

[Rachster]

i read that originally back in season 1 & 2 they had only planned for 5 seasons but then they realized that was not enough and decided 7 was the magic number