Where Should BtVS Have Ended?

[KioNewgo]

I'm realy curious about this. Personally, I think if 'The Gift' had been the last episode, it would have been so, so much better. A spin-off or film or something similiar to tie up the loose ends (e.g Willow learning to use magic properly. Xander/Anya wedding, kind of thing) would have been much better. What does everyone else think?

[Promthea128]

I agree that "The Gift" would have been such a better ending. Seasons 6 and 7 had good moments, some epic ideas but not enough to make it worth it. I read that Joss has said that the real Big Bad of s6 wasn't the Trio, or Willow, but "real life" When did we ever as for reality in our fantasy?

[Ariel]

It should have ended differently. I didn't think season 7 was that great, for an epic it came off as pretty lame - just sayin! The season 5 ending WAS an epic ending and alive with love and nobility which is a huge part of BtVS's greatness (along with wit, character, great dialogue, and cool action scenes and sheer amazing imagination).

Ariel

[BeMyDeputy]

It usually gets me booed, but I really think the show should have ended where it did, though I do like that the story continues in comic form, though I wish Tara had been wished back.

Buffy is fundamentally a coming of age story. Stopping it before the end of season seven would have cut off their stories before they really became adults. Part of growing up is pain and tragedy; as observers, we learn so much about the characters when they are broken. Learning to get past this is part of becoming an adult.

I'm pretty sure that any further argument from me would either be incoherent or belong in/moderated to the Dead/Evil Lesbian Cliché thread, so I'll leave it at that.

[WebWarlock]

Buffy post Season 5 pretty much sucked.

I still have a difficult time with any W/T that can see it any different to be honest. But eh.

But then again I was one of the ones looking for blood.

Tim

[JujuDeRoussie]

I said season 5 because I do believe that the gift was an awesome ending for a TV shows. But truth is, it hasn't ended yet. It is still going on through comic books which are the official sequel. And even though I'm a big Tara fan and Willow/Tara fan, even though I get upset quite often and disagreees with where it's going... BtVS was a big part of my life, still is. Back when I was going through hell, it kept me breathing. It saved me agin a few years back when Life became hell again. I will always have a soft spot for BtVS, there will always be big parts of it I enjoy even though I cringe at the same time. I wish for it to never end. Childlike wish, but it comes from the bottom of my heart.

[MarshmellowTara]

I often feel like I'm in the minority when I say it should have ended when it did. I was very sad to have no Tara and therefore no Tillow and JFK was the worst part of the entire thing but I am also a Spuffy and so I'm in big support of the last two seasons. I couldn't stand the series ending with Buffy's death, I think it would have left me depressed for a very long time. And I enjoyed seaosns six and seven. Season Six is my favourite. Please don't kill me

[jackfkntwist]

Season 5. Everything would of been much better. Season 6 and 7 ruined it. It took it away what Buffy was really about. THEN SPIKE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE. OMG. MY CREYS.

[haha228]

It should have ended when it did, or even later. I don't know if it's trying to wrap too many things up, but the plot fell apart in S7. There were many outstanding episodes for character development in S7, but they just didn't gel together into a good enough plot. Episodes to remember include Selfless, Conversations with Dead People, Potential, and Storyteller. Lies My Parents Told Me was pretty good too.

Like MarshmellowTara above, Season Six is my favourite, mainly because of the extensive character development that took place. It's a flawed season, but it tries for and achieved more than any other season. Sadly, too many things were not followed up in Season Seven.

[Alex_Vixen]

I agree too that it should have ended in The Gift. It WAS epic after all and I think it was the perfect ending because yes, everyone was sad because Buffy died but...she got her reward. She got to rest in peace...and the rest of them were okay.


Season 6....I think it was...well, it had potential. There were some great ideas there (hello, musical episode! lol) but they ruined by using the dead/evil lesbian cliche. And it IS a cliche, I dont care what anybody says. I still think that Entropy and Seeing Red were the two best episodes of the whole season, even if I dont like the fact that Tara gets killed. (I'm so thankful I discovered fanfictions that save me from thinking about it). Let's face it, we ALL wanted to see "Evil Willow" again, but I think what we actually wanted to see what "Vamp Willow" kind of evil, not the kind they used in the show.

And about the others characters...I think they just...were too bored and wanted to fuck with their lives. I mean...one thing is ONE or TWO characters going through drama..but ALL the characters? A bit too much, if you ask me...its like...too forced to be that way. I know that Joss said that the big evil in Season 6 was "Life" but I think they forced it too much. From what they did to Buffy to what they did to Xander and Anya.

Now, about Season 7....I always thought that Season 7 could have been THE Season (and not just because it was the last). I always thought the idea of the Season was AWESOME...but of course, they ruined it. I think Joss ruined it by making 2 mistakes.

1- Of course, not bringing Tara back. I think (after reading almost all the possible ways in wich Tara could have come back in fanfiction) that he could have done it in such a way that would have blown our minds!! But he didnt and they whole dinamic of the group suffered for it. I dont think he realized the importance of the character he had created, how needed she was...and it was shown in Season 7. The group completely fell apart.

2- Put JFK in there. I honestly think that her character could have been a good one...but he ruined it by putting her there just to "fill the hole" which is impossible to fill the hole Tara left when she died.

I do think the Season had SO MUCH potential (no pun intended) to be THE Season, but I think they ruined it...because those two "little" mistakes...broke the group.

I started reading the comics of Season 8 because I was honestly curious. I insist the best arc was Wolves At The Gate and I stopped at Time of your Life because...well, they had fucked it all up again... Every time they put a character who could be a good one (I'm talking about Satsu) they make it go away or die or something like that...and since I'm talking about her storyline with Buffy, I think that she could have REALLY loved Buffy for who she is, not because she's THE Slayer or anything like that. I think (and not because Satsu is a girl) that Satsu truly cared about Buffy but what did they do? Oh, I'm surprised *sarcasm* they made Buffy push her away.

Buffy and Willow...that was what hurt me the most about Season 8. That Buffy (especially in Anywhere But Here) still doenst trust Willow completely like she used to before Season 6. It's like she kept her close so she could keep an eye on Willow, but she didnt really trust her. I think Season 8 Buffy only trusted Xander and nobody else. She didnt trust Willow or Giles and hell, no even Dawn anymore. She was deader than ever....

And I agree with a lot of Kittens have said...BtVS was a HUGE part of my life for a long time, it still is except now in form of fanfiction. Buffy always was and will continue being my favorite tv show (because it was so much more than that)...even though if I dont agree with some of the decisions taken.

Anyway, now I'll stop babbling. That's just my simple opinion, I get that not all will agree with me and it's okay. I just wanted to express my point of view.

[vampyregurl73]

This is really growing into an interesting thing to watch and read the comments on.

I think the show should have ended where it did. Could it have gone on for more? I'm sure. Could it have stopped in Season 5? Again sure, but so much would have been left undone. Season 7 had some great episodes as did season 6. Here I would agree with BeMyDeputy, BtVS is a coming of age tale (remember this), for the most part it seems people would be happy if it ended at Season 5, but there wouldn't have been that transition out of teen and into adult. At the end of Season 5 they had just gotten out of ages with "teen" attached to them.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate, hate, hate that Tara was killed off after she and Willow reconcile for a variety of reasons. I know that Joss has said "life" was the big bad in Season 6, but I don't see where "the trio" fall into real life other than potential stalkers, and that's how I kinda see Warren anyway, as a stalker for Buffy that just couldn't take rejection. I'm really not a Spuffy fan either, but I can almost draw parallels of destructive relationships this way - W/T before Willow bottoms out; Spuffy; Xanya (yes, that's my own little creation or at least I haven't seen it anywhere else) pre wedding because you can see Xander about to implode as Anya steamrollers him through everything, in her mad dash to marry. You can almost see it now, can't you?

That's where I also agree with some of the others that have posted that no one could be happy in Season 6 - everybody was doomed to suffer, but I don't know that "real life" would have hit everyone all at once (someone else mentioned this too), and didn't W/T already get hit once and come back from it? I mean c'mon, help me out a little here, geez.

I have to agree with Alex_Vixen, that JFK in Season 7 was just wrong. I recognize a plot device when I see one. Let's cement Willow as a lesbian (no trips back to boys town for you, missy), but let's do with a character that is aggressive and kind of unlikable, and that there is no discernible chemistry with - yeah that'll work! Just look at the make-out scene on the couch with Willow and JFK when Andrew is filming - they were just so wooden together. Which is purely my opinion again too. Then look ahead to "Touched" when everybody's getting touched, we can't leave the lesbian out, so there had to be someone for Willow, because even though there is no touching between Buffy and Spike they kind of make up. How you make up with your would be rapist, I don't know but I guess that would be the way it's done.

I may get booed for that and for saying this, I think it was too soon after Tara's death. If I lost my soulmate, it think I would need more than a few months to get over it. There's actually a fic story that describes Willow as a widow after Tara's death and I think that's apt, but not something the show chose to see her as, because let's be really honest, a lot of mainstream society wouldn't have seen a mourning lesbian as a widow either. That's just me.

I also think the way Season 7 ended it left it open for more, either in the way of movies or maybe mini-series/spin-offs. I haven't read Season 8, I haven't had the chance to yet. I'm sure as I read more feedback on this poll, I'll alter this to make more comments about what I'm reading, because it is interesting to see the opinions.

Ahhh, what rattles around in the minds of the savage kittens here on the board.

[Dub]

It's tough.

I would of been happy if it ended with the GIft. It was the perfect send off for the character of Buffy and if you wanted to make the show all about Buffy then completely that's the correct ending. However chosen and in particular Buffy's speech in chosen is exactly what the show was suppose to be about. It was everything positive the show should have projected into their viewers. That they have potential and they can do anything. It doesn't just have to be abut feminism but just knowing how it doesn't matter if you are fighting off an apocalypse every Tuesday or just trying to get by in life, you matter and inside you have the tools for greatness, you just might need some help unlocking it be it from a group of oddball friends or a wise old mentor.

I have my problems with series 6 and 7. While i do disregard everything in series-doesn't-exist and don't enjoy the high school years as much as Tara's era, I cant deny they have a great over arcing concept. Personally I think series six drags out too much and would have been more impactfull if Buffy was resurrected half way through the series because then we could see the effect on Willow and believe her Addiction and understand the reasons for it instead of most first viewers just going "Oh so that's happening"
Having the perfect goodbye for Buffy in the gift would have given the leeway to allow the exploration of the people she left behind without needing a spin off.

I like the potentials, first evil and learning how to be a full adult and act as a leader of series-doesn't-exist but I cant stand any of the characters and Spike is ruined. Angel has his own show at this point there is zero need to explore another vampire with a soul. The thing that makes spike interesting for me is the fact he can feel and love while being a ruthless monster. Where as Angel they split him into two characters of sorts. Anya has a fantastic story arc of coming to terms with being a human but nope throw that away. Dawn, F-knows. Buffy, I cant stand the whole I don't want to be a slayer stick, which is why the gift was so great as she accepted it. Series-doesn't-exist its back to not wanting anything, just want to be normal blah blah blah. get over it, its been 6 series stop moping and accept it. Fair enough its tough and a massive pressure and responsibility she hasn't signed up for but everything she's been through accumulates into she is more than capable.
Xander, I enjoy a eye popping scene way too much (Phish Mooney in Gotham has to be my favourite) but other than his talk with Dawn, I think i hate him more than high school Xander and I think High school Xander wouldn't be allowed by Ofcom anymore.
Willow- nothing nice to say so don't say it.

So it comes down to me of do I want the show to be about Buffy and miss out on great story arc concepts or do I put up with destroying every character that was built up to be amazing characters so the show can have a higher purpose.

I do like a higher purpose but without changes I just cannot accept series-doesn't-exist. Every episode I call '(Insert number here) episodes and I'm done' I've watched it once and unfortunately for what i have planned I have to watch it again but I can and do watch the entirety of series 6 however it does not sum up the show and if it ended there I wouldn't be happy. The gift id be happy. So I'm saying the gift but that's not to discredit series six as the concept is great. Discredit series-doesn't-exist for forever and a day. It's the perfect example of while an idea maybe great, if you are seven series in a long running show its just not worth it if the characters the viewers have grown to love have been destroyed. Just do a spin off with the idea instead. If it focused on the potentials and the Scoobies were cameo parts then it could have expanded into another seven series cult hit, expanding what we knew about the world and slayer lore.

So in short. The Gift - final answer.