The "Buffy/Angel" All Spoiler/Speculation Thread (1 Viewer)

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Heres some Spoilers about potential people that may be heading over to Angel after Buffy ends and what they are going to do with Buffy and Angels relationship...

E! Online has a pretty detailled article about what to expect in terms of casting changes/shifts now that the Buffster is closing up shop. The good news that on top of James 'Spike' Marsters going over to "Angel" if its renewed ("Yeah, I think I am [going to Angel.] Definitely, we don't know--but it is being talked about"), it looks as though Anthony Stewart Head will be joining him - "I think maybe I will. I talked to one of the writers about it and said it might be quite fun to bring me over there. It's such an open book, and that's what makes it so exciting". If another spin-off came along, Head, Marsters and Nicholas Brendon all expressed interest in returning. Alyson Hannigan & Michelle Trachtenberg are both heading to the big screen. Whedon also talked a bit about how the Buffy/Angel relationship will be capped off - "Even though she has a romance with Spike, the relationship with Angel was Buffy's first love. It's too important not to cap it. You can't put a final statement on it. I'm in the process of writing the script now. The show is about life, and the final statement on life is death. On this show, it's not even that. You want to pay homage to the fact that he's a big part of her heart, no matter what, without saying anything definite on what will happen for them in the future".

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Capped off? The only way to cap off their True Love is with a stake. Buffy and Angel forever!


Jeff "in denial" Kleist

 

[Andres Munoz]

If the above spoiler is true, the Angel cast is going to be a huge! Unless they get rid of some of the regulars.

 

[Malcolm R]

The good news that on top of James 'Spike' Marsters going over to "Angel".....

Good news???! GOOD NEWS??!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I can't stand it....

 

[Barry Woodward]

Angel - 4x18 - Shiny Happy People

- At the beginning of this episode (or in episode 17), a god-like being (called "The Woman" and later Jasmine) arrives. Something has happened to Cordelia, that has left her in a coma or similar state.
- The Woman (Jasmine) is a higher being, who claims to have come to rid of the demons that have taken over since the darkness came which heralded her birth and to releave the suffering of her people. She speaks in rather poetic terms and people believe her. She tells Angel and the others that if they restore the world to what it once was (ie take out all the demons), the Cordelia will wake up. She also has a power over people, to make them feel love and at peace, and to also do whatever she says.
- The group then charges off with Jasmine to change the world. They go to a bowling alley, which has been overrun with vamps that arrived when the sun went away and never left. The vamps are bowling with human heads. Angel, Connor, Wes, Gunn, Fred & Jasmine arrive and there's a big fight. Jasmine is injured in the battle, and Fred feels it's her fault.
- The battles carries on to a restaurant nearby, crowded with people. Angel stakes a vamp right in front of them. The restaurant patrons try to figure on what's going on. Jasmine comes in, and they all kneel before her. She's sort of treated like a god and tells them she's here to bring peace, free them of their suffering and so that the world will know the power of her love.
- A young man, John, who was scratched by the vamp, yells at her that she's lying and that she's a monster. He charges at Jasmine with a knife. Angel vamps out, and viciously attacks John and beats him to protect Jasmine. He's as close to being Angelus as he's ever been with a soul. Jasmine stops Angel as John continues to yell that the Woman doesn't belong there. Wes calls an ambulance.
- Later on, Fred is off on her own investigating John. It's about a week after the incident and he's at a psychiatric ward at a hospital. Fred has seen something horrific with maggots and rotting flesh (either a vision or she's able to see Jasmine for what she really is). Like John, she's not falling at Jasmine's feet worshipping her.
- Fred sneaks into John's room and talks to him. The side of John's face that the Woman touched is all deformed now. John tells her that they've been called and killing the Woman is their mission.
- Fred returns to the hotel to find the lobby filled with people. Lorne and Wes are there. (The people are probably there because of the Woman). Fred pulls Wes aside. Fred presumably tells Wes about John or suspicions about Jasmine.
- A few scenes later, Angel and Wes are preparing to go after Fred, who they see as a threat now. But Jasmine tells them to wait until tomorrow when they'll have more help looking for Fred.
- In the next scene, Fred is at a coffee shop, telling another person at the counter that she's lost all of her friends. The local news is on the tv, and the Woman (who's now referred to as Jasmine) is appearing on screen, being interviewed by a reporter. Jasmine goes thru a speech about the earth being a garden and darkness corrupting it. All the patrons of the coffee shop drop to their knees to worship their new leader.
- Fred walks out of the coffee shop, alone in a brand new world. The episode ends there.

Angel - 4x19 - Magic Bullet

- Act 1 starts with a man coming into the already packed hotel. He's so desperate to stay there because of Jasmine, that he offers to give Lorne his house if he'll give him a room. Jasmine comes downstairs and talks to the people gathered there to see her.
- A few scenes later, Fred goes into a book store, meeting up with a guy named Ted (Not the evil robot Ted from Buffy), and discuss the mass hypnosis that happened three days ago. Fred can't figure out how it happened, since it affected everyone. Fred thinks Ted can help her but then it's revealed that Ted has been affected by Jasmine too and he can't think rationally.
- In the next scene, Connor and Angel are in the sewers, tracking Fred.
- A few scenes later, Fred is walking to the motel she's staying at, passing by some of Jasmine's happy followers. At the hotel, Jasmine says she can see Fred. She's able to see what the people are seeing.
- Fred ended up hiding in a dimly lit cave with a demony creature. The creature tells Fred he's a vegetarian. He wants to leave town to avoid Jasmine's followers. Fred thinks he hasn't been affected by Jasmine and tries to get him to help her, but then finds some human heads in the cave. The creature isn't what he claims to be. The creature attacks Fred and she kills it with a hatchet, but is injured.
- Back at the hotel, it's open mic night with Lorne as the emcee. A series of people come up to say how Jasmine has effected them. A man says he was blind and now can see. A young boy reads a poem he wrote for her. Angel and Connor sing a song for Jasmine (Mandy with new lyrics). Lorne interrupts with a joke about a green BMW and gets no response. ( Note: Joss drives a Green BMW). The audience is too focused on Jasmine. A deaf woman says she wishes she could be in Fred's head so she could kill her. An old woman talks about naming all of her 37 cats after Jasmine. Lorne sings a "Freddie's Dead". Wes & Gunn listen from the counter.
- Fred goes back to the book store and some of Jasmine's followers are there. She still has the hatchet, is bloody, disheveled and looking "creepy". She challenges the people.
- Fred finds out a way to break Jasmine's control over people and tries to use it on the gang. Meanwhile, all of LA is trying to capture and kill her.

Angel - 4x20 - Hallowed By Thy Name

- In the teaser, Connor and Angel fight. Angel pummels Connor in the face. His fists are left bloody.
- Apparently Angel, Wes, Lorne, and Gunn have now all joined up with Fred and no longer are worshipping Jasmine. Act 2 begins with them in the sewers, being surrounded by a gang of teenage kids. The kids have nail studded baseball bats and spears. The kids are threatening them, especially Lorne. Gunn struggles with one of the kids, who recognizes his name. Gunn knows the kid. The kids are refugees and orphans from the craziness happening in LA. There's a strange wailing sound. There's something in the tunnel.
- Back at the hotel, Connor cautiously enters Cordy's room and sees Jasmine seated across from Cordy's bed. Connor starts to apologize to Cordy for something, but then looks down and sees her bed is empty. Jasmine tells Connor that Cordelia's blood is dangerous and that the hate could spread. Cordelia is now where Jasmine wants her to be. Jasmine comforts Connor, then gets him to follow her. She's taking him somewhere.
- Angel and the others go with the kids to their stronghold in the sewers. The wailing continues. There's some sort of creature there that killed the brother of one of the kids. The gang goes out hunting the monster terrorizing the kids.
- Wes gets separated from the group, and runs into the monster. The monster says he loved her. His kind loved her before everyone else, and built temples to her. He's rather angry that they had the audacity to name her Jasmine. Wes asks how the monster defines love, and the monster tells him that love is sacrifice. Wes sees that the monster has assembled a huge sphere made out of corpse.
- One of the kids stops Angel from going to help Wes. The kids discover Angel is a vampire. Matthew (the kids' leader) has vamp issues since his family was murdered by vamps.
- Wes also sees a strange glowing orb set in bone in the monster's liar. Wes continues to talk to the monster as the monster works on the sphere. One of the corpse turns out to be a vampire and wakes up. Wes continues talking to the monster, uncovering that Jasmine has a real, secret name that has power over her.
- Angel and the other finally reach Wes and the monster.

Angel - 4x21 - Peace Out

- In the first act, Angel meets up with a High Priest at a Ziggurat. There's a stone statue of Jasmine there. Angel has had to make an epic climb to get there.
- The High Priest tells him he's come a long way to fail.
- Angel is trying to find out what Jasmine's real name is.
- The High Priest tells Angel he's already lost. He's already lost the woman (Cordy?) forever and now he's going to loose the boy (Connor?)
- In the basement of the hotel, Connor locks Wes, Gunn, Fred and Lorne in the cage. Lorne mentions doing some sort of ritual to try to rid Connor of Jasmine's control, but it didn't work. Then Lorne realizes that Connor has always seen Jasmine for what she really was.
- Then Wes realizes that the followers that Jasmine is sending to the banquet room become the banquet.
- Wes asks Connor if he still thinks Cordy is safe, but Connor doesn't answer.
- Back at the Ziggurat, Angel physically threatens the High Priest. But the Keeper is the only thing that knows Jasmine's real name. The Keeper is a huge monster.
- Act 2 begins with many of Jasmine's followers naked in the banquet room of Angel's hotel. There's a young girl thanking Jasmine.
- Connor interrupts, telling Jasmine he needs to talk to her. Connor wants to know about Cordelia.
- In the next scene, Angel is talking to a High Priest. The High Priest tells Angel he's going to fail and loose "him".
- Back at the hotel, Connor makes his way through a large group of reporters all assembled in the Hotel's lobby waiting for Jasmine. They're setting up satellite feeds that will air around the world.
- Connor looking for Cordelia, and stops when he finds a young woman that smells like her. The young woman knows about Cordelia from an article about her in People magazine. The young woman refers to Cordelia as Jasmine's mother.
- A female reporter starts to interview Connor and refers to him as Jasmine's father. But he's not interested in talking about Jasmine.
- Connor goes outside to the garden. Several of Jasmine's followers are there, discussing how the Lakers just disbanded because of Jasmine.
- Connor asks them if they know where Cordelia is, since he was told they're the guys who helped hide her.
They refuse to tell him. He can smell her on them. - One of the guys attacks Connor, but Connor knocks him out. He threatens the other guy (Jeremy), and asks again where Cordy is.
- At a Ziggurat, Angel is fighting The Keeper as the High Priest is talking about how much effort Angel is putting forth trying to make things right for Connor and why he should bother when time and time again he fails to win him back.
- The High Priest says that Connor should never have existed and his only purpose was to bring about Jasmine. Angel continues fighting the monster while arguing with the High Priest about Connor.
- A few scenes later, Connor goes to a church. He finds 2 cops there guarding it on Jasmine's orders. Connor needs to get inside and ends up fighting the cops. As he finishs fighting the cops, he looks up and finds Cordy lying near the pulpit covered in a shroud.
- A bit later, there's more of the press conference at the hotel with numerous reporters.
- Jeremy goes to tell Jasmine that Connor forced him to tell him where he took Cordelia.

Angel - 4x22 - Home

- In the beginning, Connor is walking thru the LA streets, lost in thought. He comes upon a distraught police officer, who's nearly suicidal over loosing something (Jasmine?).
- Connor tells the officer he'd feel better if he went home. The officer realizes he has a family and shows Connor a photo. - The officer thanks Connor and walks away. Suddenly Connor viciously attacks him, shouting over and over about how the guy feels now.
- Next, at the hotel, Fred is tending to an injured Angel. Wes is researching something and Gunn talks about needing to find Connor.
- The next part (about six scenes later) finds Angel, Lorne, Wes, Gunn and Fred riding in a limo. They get out at Wolfram & Hart, and Angel is greeted by a large group of W&H lawyers & employees all calling him Mr Angel. Lilah has something to do with the limo. She's made some sort of offer to make them part of Wolfram & Hart, which somehow is now back in business.
- Shortly following that, the group is talking to Lilah. They're discussing making some sort of deal and whether or not they can trust her. Angel says to Lilah to get started.
- Each of the gang is paired up with a W&H person.
- A W&H guy named Preston shows Lorne the entertainment department and gives him a folder listing the talent they represent.
- Wes meets an older English guy named Rutherford Hitchcock who's a former Watcher.
- Lilah introduces Gunn to a supermodel named Lacey.
- Fred goes off with a nerd named Knox who's head of the science division, after pulling a gun on Lilah.
- Lilah is left with Angel and shows him around.
- In the next scene, Connor is wandering around a shopping center, watching familes.
- Next, Fred is talking to Knox. She asks if he knew Lilah was dead. Knox replies about a memo on it. They go into a huge, high tech, NASA like science lab.
- They pass by a patient who's awake during open heart surgery yapping on his cellphone after being injected with vampire enzymes.
- Next Gunn is talking to Lacey, trying to figure out why they're going to so much trouble to impress them and the big coup bringing in Angel. It seems like W&H has plans for all of the Fang Gang, not just Angel.
- Wes goes to the research and library area of W&H. Hitchcock is a former Watcher. Wes asks if they have a particular book (a codex), which appears magically in a blank book. Wes asks if the Council knows he took the only copy of the codex. Hitchcock replies there is no longer a Council, and Wes says not anymore.
- Wes asks about W&H's files, but only the senior partners have access to those. He asks Hitchcock if he spent any time in the field as a Watcher. He didn't. Wes punches him. He has some sort of grappling hook gadget that he uses to the floor above.
- Next, Lilah is talking to Angel about giving him anything he wants: money, clothes, women, a juice bar, ect.
- A few scenes later, Angel sees a news report that Connor has taken a bunch of hostages at the shopping center.
- A bit later, Wes and Lilah are talking. She offers to give him all of the W&H files, but he's only interested in the file on Lilah.
- Next, Connor is holding people hostage in a store. A young girl is crying and her father harshly tells her to shut up. Connor goes after the father, telling him not to say that and that he's not holding his daughter right.
- Angel comes in and Connor greets him, and asks him if he's come to see his science project.
- Fred and Knox discuss morality and science. He asks if she's seeing anyone.
- Gunn and Lacey take a long elevator ride to the White Room. There's not little evil girl. Lacey disappears. There's a jaguar.
- Later on, the gang is discussing whether or not they're in or not. Angel has already accepted the deal. The others accept too.
- Lilah tells them that Cordy is safe and getting the best of care. But she's still in a coma.
- Angel says he wants to see Connor. Lilah says no, then compromises. She gives Angel the Sunnydale File and an amulet. Then Angel goes off in the limo to find Connor.
- Connor is now at a family's home in the mountains. It's an ideal family sitting down for dinner, like the gang in Deep Down. Connor is talking about his very high SAT scores. Angel watches from outside through a window. They toast to family.

*Please keep in mind this summary is incomplete.

Source:

http://spoiledrotten.tvheaven.com/angel.html

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Bwahahah, there's a High Priest in episode 21

My ego likes to think namesake

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

You think we will ever find out why Anya hates Bunnies?

 

[LarryDavenport]

If there is a next season for Angel, then I think we have an interesting cliff hangar on our hands. But if we don't I think there will be a lot of unhappy Angel fans.

 

[Paul P]

Excellent. Looks like a special spaceship captain has converted over to being a shepherd.

 

[DAN NEIR]

I just read the story for the last episode of Buffy and OH MY GOD, IT IS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!! I'm going to reprint it now so don't read it if you don't want to know how the last episode ends. I got this info from tvtome.com and they are usually right on track w/ this stuff but this time I hope to God they are wrong.

All right last chance to turn away and not read the ending....










The episode is called Chosen

Buffy and Angel's reunion is interrupted by Caleb, who is ready for a final battle. Buffy slices him in half, starting with his testicles. With Caleb dead, Buffy returns to Angel, who can smell Spike all over her. He is jealous, especially when he realises that he is no longer unique. After a long arguement Angel presents her with an amulet of a champion, Buffy tells him to leave, as she already has one.

The First Evil tells Buffy that it is everywhere and it will never die, but the Turok-Han will upset the balance, making it corporeal. After hearing this, Buffy realises what to do. Willow does a spell that takes power from Buffy and shares it equally among every Potential in the world, making everyone a slayer. The gang and the Potentials open the Seal of Danzalthar and go into the Hellmouth.

By now there are hundreds of Potentials, but there are thousands of Turok-Han. A long battle commences leaving many dead, including Anya. Spike is unable to fight as the amulet is taking over him, he begins to burn up inside as a huge beam of pure sunlight shoots out from his soul. All the Turok-Han are instantly dusted, but most of Sunnydale has been swallowed. With only minutes left Spike and Buffy hold each other, while everyone is leaving town in a bus. Spike tells Buffy to leave and live a normal life, while he walks back into Hell. Buffy runs after the speeding bus and catches up. Everyone looks at what was once Sunnydale. Buffy smiles knowing that there are millions of girls in the world that can fight off the eternal evil.

b: 20-May-2003 pc: 7ABB22 w: Joss Whedon d: Joss Whedon

# NOTE: The last ever episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer This episode marks Amanda's death
# This episode marks Anya's death.
# It turns out Spike is the "vampire with a soul" that the Powers That Be spoke of in the season 1 finale of Angel
ANYA DIES!!!!!
ANGEL BECOMES JEALOUS OF BUFFY AND SPIKE AND IS JUST SENT AWAY!!!
SPIKE IS THE VAMPIRE WITH A SOUL THAT PREVENTS THE APOCALYPSE!!!
Are you f..king kidding me?? This is awful!!! I can't believe they could end it like this, I know this is just the possible story and you have to wait and see how it actually plays out but I see no good in this.

 

[Joel Fontenot]

SPIKE IS THE VAMPIRE WITH A SOUL THAT PREVENTS THE APOCALYPSE!!!
Are you f..king kidding me?? This is awful!!!

My wife figured that was going to be the outcome as soon as Spike got his soul way back at the end of last season.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Thought it was pretty obvious myself as well.

Here's the question though, those spoilers have to be incomplete as I see no mention of Jasmine getting Rumpelstiltskinned, and considering Gina Torres has a new series coming....

 

[Chris S]

Sounds pretty lack luster to me. If this is suppose to be the series finale of Buffy then you would think it would go out with a big bag or something. But I'm not too surprised. Hopefully with Joss writing there will at least be a couple of good lines to make us laugh. I would have to agree that the synopsis definitely looks incomplete.

Chris S.

 

[Barry Woodward]

It's possibile that the script that has leaked is a ME plant. Even if it isn't totally fake I guarantee that the final product will be quite different from these spoilers. A lot of unscripted footage is being shot as well as multiple versions of scenes.

 

[Travis_S]

The script for the finale is floating around online. I read it and it's actually really good in my opinion. If it's real that is. The trademark Joss-ian dialouge and character relationships that have been missing make an appearance. It's also nice to see a happy ending. If I had to compare it to anything I would say it is a cross between The Gift, and Graduation Day Part 2.
And the script never says anything about Spike after he dies, I suspect if he "shanshus" it will happen on Angel. It would make sense since he has a nightmare during the episode about "drowning in footwear".

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Heres Joss's top ten episodes and a few other articles about the end of the show from USA today....

Show's creator takes a stab at 10 favorite episodes



Here are creator Joss Whedon's 10 favorite episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With each show is its original airdate, a description by USA TODAY's Robert Bianco and a brief explanation from Whedon. (Unless otherwise noted, the episodes were written and directed by Whedon.) (Related item: See scenes from all the top 10 episodes.)


1. Innocence (Jan. 20, 1998)

Every girl's nightmare, and one of the show's most sly yet most powerful uses of metaphor. Buffy has sex with Angel, who immediately turns into a monster. Though devastated, Buffy realizes that her mission is more important than her feelings.

Why? "It's a mission-statement show, and one of the ones where I first found out what we could do."



2. Once More With Feeling (Nov. 6, 2001)

The musical episode, in which a demon causes everyone in Sunnydale to burst into song. The songs are comic and romantic at first, but they get darker, until, at the end, Buffy reveals that she would rather be dead. Oklahoma! it's not. Whedon also wrote the well-regarded score.

Why? Whedon was given a chance to write an original musical for TV, an opportunity that few series writers ever get. He loved it: "What am I going to say?"



3. Hush (Dec. 14, 1999)

The (mostly) silent episode, and one of the series' most traditionally scary. A group of floating demons, The Gentlemen, steals the voices of everyone in Sunnydale — a prelude to harvesting their hearts.

Why? See below.



4. The Body (Feb. 27, 2001)

A particularly haunting episode built around the death of Buffy's mother and the way death transforms a person into a body. Joyce's loss is one of the few natural deaths in the series, and it provoked one of the show's most serious episodes.

Why? On some series, "Hush" and "The Body" would exist solely to show off some gimmick. Whedon is proud of the episodes precisely because they aren't stunts; each advanced the season's big story, and each made perfect sense in the Buffy universe.



5. Doppelgangland (Feb. 23, 1999)

While casting a spell, Willow accidentally brings forth her alternative-universe vampire double, whom viewers first met in "The Wish." It turns out Vampire Willow is very hot, very bad and, as Willow says, "kind of gay" — a sign of things to come.

Why? "Because one Willow is certainly not enough."



6. The Wish (Dec. 8, 1998)

Anya the Vengeance Demon grants Cordelia's wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale, creating a universe where The Master's vampires rule. Buffy arrives and is killed by The Master. Written by Marti Noxon; directed by David Greenwalt.

Why? "Very bleak, very fun. It went to a dark place, and that's really exciting to me. That's where I live."



7. Becoming, Part II (May 19, 1998)

The second-season finale, as Buffy rushes to stop the soul-free Angel from destroying the world. Willow does restore Angel's soul, but not before he opens a vortex that will suck the world into hell. The only way for Buffy to close the vortex is to kill the man she loves — which she does.

Why? "Buffy loses everything. Also, it had a sword fight. I love sword fighting."



8. Restless (May 23, 2000)

The fourth-season finale. Having saved the world again, Buffy and her friends plan to spend a peaceful evening at home. Instead, they're sucked into a dream world where they are hunted by the First Slayer.

Why? "Most people sort of shake their heads at it. It was different, but not pointless."


9. Conversations With Dead People (Nov. 12, 2002)

Buffy, Willow and Dawn chat with the dead: Buffy with a vampire, Dawn with her mother, and Willow with Tara. But Willow isn't actually talking to a dead person at all; she's talking to The First, the season's "Big Bad." Written by Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard; directed by Nick Marck.

Why? "I'm very fond of 'Conversations With Dead People.' I just thought structurally and tonally it was very interesting and had a lot to say. And I got to write another song."



10. Prophecy Girl (June 2, 1997)

The first-season finale. Shaken by a prophecy that she will die at the hands of The Master, the series' first "Big Bad," Buffy resigns as Slayer. But when she realizes that she's the only one who can stop The Master from taking over the world, she returns to face him — and dies. Briefly.

Why? "Because that was my first time, besides telling directors what to do, that I actually got to direct. And it was the first time I got to kill Buffy, and the first season ender, and it was the first time I realized I could take everything we did in the season and tie it in a bow."

*****************



The end of 'Buffy' feels like a dagger to the heart
By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
Buffy has always been the least guilty of TV pleasures. Granted, as with all cultists, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans were often forced to defend themselves to the uninitiated. But honestly, defending the show has never been particularly hard, or even momentarily embarrassing.

Sarah Michelle Gellar has played Buffy to the hilt. She will be missed.


Simply put, for seven seasons, Buffy has been one of the smartest, scariest, sexiest and wittiest shows on television. Too often dismissed as a teen show or a genre show, Buffy was a well-acted and often brilliantly written comedy/drama that, under its fantasy guise, treated the pains and joys of life with admirable and sometimes shocking realism.

Yes, some episodes were better than others, as were some seasons. The show worked best when the "Scooby Gang" was together in high school, and least well last season, when it was splintered by self-pity and ennui. But when you look at the seven seasons as a whole, what is most striking is the show's consistency and artistic integrity.

So perhaps it's best that the show is leaving us now. Starting tonight on UPN (8 ET/PT), Buffy kicks off a four-episode run to its May 20 series finale. It will be missed, but creator Joss Whedon — the frighteningly talented force behind the series — is probably right when he says the show has reached a logical conclusion.

You can get the basic idea of the show from that title that so many adults seemed to find off-putting: Buffy slays vampires. But if you look at the title again, you'll see the show isn't about what she does, it's about who she is. She was called to this role, which allowed Buffy to explore issues of responsibility most other series ignore.

At heart, the vampires Buffy and her friends fought were metaphors for the monsters we all face — particularly in high school, where every decision seems like life and death, and every problem seems like the end of the world. The unexpected bonus in Buffy was the kids were right. They were facing down the apocalypse. And they did so while chatting in a slangy appropriation of pop culture references that was amusing without ever becoming forced or annoying.

What was amazing, however, was not just how apt the metaphor proved to be, but how adaptable it was. Without ever straying from its basic story and characters, Buffy could swing from outright horror to comedy to heartbreaking family drama. Over the years, it touched upon many of life's toughest issues: separation, rejection, the death of a parent or a lover, the alienation of old friends, the cruelty of a partner who no longer loves you.

But the issues didn't just fly by; they had weight and repercussions. Life didn't come free on Buffy: Mistakes were paid for, and while things were forgiven, they were never forgotten. That's one reason the characters could often be difficult, particularly Buffy herself, who like most saviors, and a good many actors, was best admired from a distance.

Feel guilty for liking a show like that? Never. But I'll tell you what I do feel as it departs.



*************



Rating Buffy's all-world saves

By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
When you live on a hellmouth, all hell tends to break loose. You know what they say: With the apocalypse, the key is location, location, location.
Still, being at the center of a mystical energy source does have its advantages — particularly for a show looking for a rousing season-ender. After all, how many series ever get to bring the world to the brink of destruction even once, let alone six times and counting?

Even on Buffy, however, all apocali are not created equal. And what can we do but grade them? So here are the six ways Buffy has saved the world, ranked on a "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" scale.

The Master, an age-old vampire and the show's first "Big Bad," wants to open the hellmouth and let vamps and demons run loose on Earth. And he almost gets away with it, thanks to a misinterpreted prophecy that leads Buffy, briefly, to her death. You get the essence of the series in one rapid-fire hour: She dies, she revives, she throws around a few well-chosen quips, she throws The Master through the library skylight, and then she goes to a dance with her friends. (three-and-a-half horsemen)
Having lost his soul, Angel opens a vortex that will suck Earth into a hell dimension. By the time he gets his soul back, it's too late: Buffy has to kill him to close the vortex. Featuring the most emotionally powerful apocalypse, this episode is the show at its creative height. (four horsemen)

Sunnydale's mayor — and the high school's graduation day speaker — turns into a giant serpent and begins feeding on the assembled graduates. Buffy lures him into an explosives-laden trap in the school library, blowing up the school and the mayor in the process and ending her high school career with the proverbial bang. Capping what is probably Buffy's best season, this is easily the wittiest apocalypse, as the kids realize to their horror that, even though he plans to eat them, the mayor is still determined to deliver his commencement address in full. (four horsemen)

A Frankenstein-type monster, the product of a secret government "initiative" gone wrong, plans to take over the world by creating an army of similar mutants. Alone, Buffy cannot stop him. But a spell unites her powers with those of her friends, and the newly empowered Buffy kills him. Yeah, but of course she does. Even with the mixed parts, he's only human. We expect bigger things from Buffy than monsters and the military. (two-and-a-half horsemen)

Glory, a god from another dimension, plans to destroy the world by opening a dimensional door, using Buffy's sister, Dawn, as the key. Though she needs a wrecking ball to do it, Buffy eventually subdues Glory. To close the door, however, she must swan-dive into it from a high tower — dying for the second time in the bargain. The show was back in form with this apocalypse, as Buffy willingly makes the ultimate sacrifice. Her reward? A tombstone that reads "She Saved the World. A Lot." (three-and-a-half horsemen)

Sometimes, apocali come from within. Mad with grief over the murder of her lover, Willow gives in to the dark side of her powers and decides to end the world. She's stopped, not by Buffy's power, but by Xander's love. A fine, redemptive finale, but it loses half a horseman for being attached to the least satisfying season. (three horsemen)



****************



Our slayer won't go gently into the dark night
By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
It's the end of the world.
Again.

This time, though, Buffy won't be able to prevent the threatened apocalypse. On May 20 on UPN, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will end as the critically acclaimed series concludes its seven-season run.


Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, says seven years of the show is enough.
UPN

If it's any consolation, creator Joss Whedon promises that Buffy's world will end with a bang. "It's the biggest thing we've ever tried to do. It doesn't end the story, but it definitely wraps up the show."

The wrap-up, he promises, will stay true to the show's mythical universe. There will be "no autistic snowball" like the infamous St. Elsewhere finale; no Patrick Duffy dreams as in Dallas. "This happened."

As keeper of the show's secrets, Whedon won't share many details about the finale — and won't say whether the details on Internet spoiler sites are real or planted red herrings. But he will say people die, Angel returns, and the special effects make the giant snake at the end of the third season look like "a walk in the park."

"It's really bitchin' and impossible to film," he says. "And I wish, looking back, that Buffy had learned to resolve her differences with vampires through talk."

Obviously, since he won't say who dies, he can't say which actors might be available for future revivals or movies or to transfer to Buffy spinoff Angel, assuming WB renews that show. Though Whedon believes "there is definitely room for other Buffy incarnations," his sole focus this season has been on giving the show a proper send-off — one that completes the journey Buffy began at the beginning of the series. "I'm not protecting anything or anybody for the purposes of a spinoff. I'm not robbing Peter to pay Paul. What's important is that the series go off properly."

Anyway, even if someone dies, that's hardly a deal-breaker. "Buffy's died twice."

Many fans think Buffy is dying now because star Sarah Michelle Gellar opted not to return for an eighth season. Whedon insists that's unfair. He says he and Gellar, "the two halves of Buffy," decided at the beginning of the season that the series had come to "a logical conclusion."

"I knew there was no way I had more than seven years in me," Whedon says. "Seven years is a good time to tell a story. Well, technically, it's 6½ (Buffy aired only 12 episodes in its first season). But it felt like seven. Actually, it felt like 28."

Fortunately, when he looks back on Buffy, he likes what he sees, and he's proud of what he has done. "Some years are more popular than others, and the sixth year is less popular than any, but I still feel like, for seven years, we did everything in our power to make every single show count — to put something in every show that was worth coming to the series for. I've worked as hard for seven years as I physically know how."

Rest in peace. But please, not for long.

 

[Barry Woodward]

 

[Joel Fontenot]

9. Conversations With Dead People (Nov. 12, 2002)

...Buffy, Willow and Dawn chat with the dead: Buffy with a vampire, Dawn with her mother, and Willow with Tara. But Willow isn't actually talking to a dead person at all...

Except that Tara was not in that episode.

She was originally written in the episode, but that changed by the time of filming. So why do they still say Tara was there?

Joel

 

[Barry Woodward]

 

[Travis_S]

According to Variety, ANGEL has been renewed. It will keep its same time slot and will have a new lead in - Smallville. James Marsters (Spike) will be a regular character next season and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) will NOT. Joss Whedon will be writing and directing episodes of Angel next year as well.

ETA. Here's the article:

'Angel' wings in

As for "Angel," Frog has ordered another full season of the Joss Whedon-creative skein and will air the show Wednesdays at 9 p.m., with relocated hit "Smallville" as its lead-in. Frog has an option for a sixth season.

What's more, Paradigm-repped Marsters has signed on to reprise his "Buffy" role as punker vamp Spike. Other "Buffy" regulars may also make guest appearances next season, while Whedon has vowed to write several scripts and direct episodes of the show.

Jeffrey Bell and Tim Minear will be exec producers/showrunners.

Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, is not expected to return as a series regular.

"Angel's" recent ratings perfomance should have made it a shoo-in for a renewal.

Still, WB execs wanted to see how their drama development turned out, and, more importantly, needed to hammer out a new license fee deal with 20th. While "Angel" isn't a particularly expensive skein to produce, it doesn't do very well in repeats, making it tougher for the Frog to turn a profit on the show.

"Until we knew at what price we could close a deal for the series, as well as what the rest of our schedule cost, we couldn't make the call," WB Entertainment chief Jordan Levin said.

Still, unlike the rancorous Frog-20th negotiation over "Angel" sibling "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Levin said the "Angel" talks repped "a cordial, non-emotional negotiation.

"It's a deal that's acceptable for both of us, and also ultimately respects the fans of the collective 'Buffy' and 'Angel' mythologies," Levin said.

Date in print: Mon., May 12, 2003, Los Angeles