LESSONS; school, scorn and souled Spike

[Saturn 5]

So here we are, the final season of the best TV show ever. Time's almost caught us, only 22 more eps to go. Although in fairness that's the equivalent of 7 full length feature films. Personally I think this was the right place to end it, season 7 feels right, always been my lucky number.

LESSONS
The Good;
Love Dawnies' first patrol and first day at SDH, so cool. The line up of baddies at the end is superb, they're so lucky they could get them all.
The Bad;
Really dislike the scenes of the Potentials being killed, if it were anyone but Joss I'd say it was misogyny. Dawn seems to make a couple of friends at the end of the ep but they never occur again.
Best line;
Dawn; (sadly, after Buffy has embarrassed her in front of the whole class) "I also have a sister"
Women good/men bad;
The First as Warren very dismissive of Buffy
Jeez!;
Even though it's only implied the zombie stabbing Dawn with the pencil is wince inducing. The killing of the potentials is also horrible.
Kinky dinky;
Buffy comments on the hotness of Spike and Angel. The zombie guy wants to date Dawn, well she's already gone out with one dead guy and had a crush on another. Willow seems disappointed that Giles didn't put her in a dungeon and torture her. He asks her if she wants to be punished? (Surely if there was ever a time for Gillow this is it?)
Captain Subtext;
Spike was once caned at school (presumably when human)
Guantanamo Bay;
A little anti-French racism from Anya.
Scoobies to the ER;
Missing scenes;
Reputedly they filmed a scene where Dawn decides to tell her real life story to her class, love to see that, roll on Buffy/Angel; Special Edition DVDs.
Apocalypses; 7,
Wheldon Cliches (with kind permission from Boo)

Scoobies in bondage:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 5
Will: 4
Jenny: 1
Angel: 4
Oz: 1
Faith: 3
Joyce: 1
Wes: 1
Xander; 2
Dawn; 4

Scoobies knocked out: Dawnie
Buffy: 19
Giles: 12
Cordy: 6
Xander: 14
Will: 8
Jenny: 2
Angel: 6
Oz: 3
Faith: 1
Joyce: 3
Wes: 1
Anya;5
Dawn; 4
Tara; 1
Kills: 1 vamp for Buffy
Buffy: 108 vamps, 58 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot
Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human, 1 god.
Cordy: 3 vamps, ½ a demon
Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.
Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human
Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie
Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans
Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1½ a demon,
Anya: 1 vamp and 1½ a demon
Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons
Spike; 8 vamps and 6 demons
Buffybot; 2 vamps
Tara; 1 demon
Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon

Scoobies go evil:
Giles: 1
Cordy: 1
Will: 3
Jenny: 1
Angel: 1
Oz: 1
Joyce: 1
Xander: 4
Anya; 1
Dawn; 1
Buffy; 1

Alternate scoobies:
Buffy: 8
Giles: 4
Cordy: 1
Will: 5
Jenny: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 2
Joyce: 2
Xander: 4
Tara; 1
Dawn;1
Spike; 1
Anya; 2

Recurring characters killed: 12
Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara

Sunnydale deaths; the 3 poor folks in the basement
97

Total number of scoobies: 3 the Dawnster is finally part of the Scoobies, about time too
Xander, Buffy, Dawn

Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)
Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?

Scoobies shot:
Giles: 2
Angel: 3
Oz: 4
Riley; 1
Buffy; 1
Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost:
Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?
Cordy: 1?
Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 1 possible, Dracula(?)
Angel: 1;Buffy
Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)
Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca
Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley
Xander: 2; Faith, Anya
Willow: 2;Oz and Tara
Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore
Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya
Anya; 2 Spike and Xander
Spike; good or bad?
Don't have to ask that any more, not now he has his soul back
Dawn in peril; 12 isn't she always?
Dawn the bashful virgin; 9
What the fanficcers thought;
Dawn says that if she get's bitten she'll come back as a vamp and bite Buffy, a common theme in Summers/slash fetish fics (although it always ends happily with Mohra demon blood and resouling). Nice to see Glory back too, Clare as gorgeous as ever, recently read an epic adult fanfic series called Glorydale where Glory seduces all the Scoobys and transforms Sunnydale into her own private sexual playground, a sort of XXX-rated Las Vegas where anything and everything really does go. Eventually she's having so much fun she decides not to go back to her own hell dimension after all, gives up her godhood, restores the sanity of everyone she's brainsucked and confesses to everyone she's fallen in love with them all. And of course this being fanfic, they've all fallen in love with her too...
Questions and observations;
The zombies articulate what a lot of Buffy critics have said over the years, that she allows a lot of people to die. Personally I agree with Buffy, they should shut up, she does her best. I always think of the RAF in the Battle of Britain, bombers get through, thousands die but it's still a victory. So lovely that Buffy can quit the DMP and work at the school, she seems so happy.
Now, Halfrek refers to her and Anya in the Crimean War which was 1853-6 decades BEFORE Spike became a vampire. This implies that there never was a Cecilly, there was only ever Halfrek assuming her guise who took revenge on William for some unknown party. Xander looks great in his suit.
Dawn gets a mobile phone, about bloody time too, CC had one in Welcome to the Hellmouth and then we never see one again for over 122eps, AI had them for 3 years. Dawn comments on the fact that being sired seems to automatically teach you Tae-Kwan-Do. What a shame we never meet The Coven. Buffy fears Dawn will start smoking, it's hardly going to stunt her growth. So who was the werewolf who killed one of the ghosts? Oz? Verruca? Like Spike's hair better in this one. Lovely to see Buffy get a 'thank you' hug from Kit, she does so much it's nice she get's some appreciation. Dawn still a bit bitter about the Normal Again thing. Buffy says ghosts can't touch, Phantom Dennis can. Dawn is bitten by a vamp, I think Xander is the only Scooby who never will be.
Now I always thought they didn't know this was going to be the last season until halfway through but to judge by Joss' comments on the commentary he always intended it to the be the last from the beginning.
Marks out of 10; 8/10

[Randi Giles]

I was so pumped for this episode when it first premiered although I have to admit for me there was only a select few scene that made the episode for me. Buffy and Dawn graveyard scene, Spike scenes and of course the awesome ending. Based on that I would give this episode 10/10, but overall 6.5/10

My favorite line
Zombie: I think I want dawn to be my girlfriend.
Buffy: Again, wrong sister. I'm the one that dates dead guys. And, no offense, but they were hotties. I mean, I'm sure you had a great personality, but...

Lol. I loved it.

[Saturn 5]

I thought that was a little cruel, after all Dawn had a crush on Spike and went out with Justin. Although whether pretending to stick a pencil in her eye counts as flirting I don't know.
But then you know those Summers girls!

[gumgnome]

Dec 13, 2009 7:01:41 GMT -5 Saturn 5 said:

Now, Halfrek refers to her and Anya in the Crimean War which was 1853-6 decades BEFORE Spike became a vampire. This implies that there never was a Cecilly, there was only ever Halfrek assuming her guise who took revenge on William for some unknown party.

Great spot! Ever since you introduced the possibility that Cecily was really just Halrek in disguise dishing out vengeance, I've been hoping that more evidence would emerge one way or the other. So who was she taking revenge on and for? Surely one for the fanficcers?