Buffy ep by ep; GRAVE-my all time favourite Buffy moment

[saturn5]

GRAVE

The Good;
My all time favourite ep of Buffy is 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered'. My all time favourite scene is the ending of 'Forever' where Buffy and Dawn collapse into each other's arms. And my all time favourite Buffy moment is when Xander confronts DarkWillow and that first tear rolls down her cheek. And in that second you realise he's got her, that everything is going to be all right after all. Makes me cry every time. First saw it at a convention where they played Enrique Ingliseas' song 'Hero' over it and it was wonderful.
And little Dawnie swordfighting side by side with big sis Buffy, makes me cheer every time! Also love Willow's 'Fly my pretty!'. You'd think they'd have tried the whole bucket of water routine on her?

The Bad;
Although there's supposed to be a limitless amount of root monsters you can see there's actually only 4.

Best line;
DarkWillow (dismissively) "This is your master plan? Telling me that you love me?" (Yep and it's BRILLIANT!)

Women good/men bad;

Jeez!;
Spike and the beetles, urgh!

Kinky dinky;
Willow (upon Giles' entrance) "Uh oh, daddy's home. I'm in trouble now" Yes you are my dear, prepare for one magical spanking. Dawn finally learns of what Spike tried to do to
Buffy.

Captain Subtext;
Buffy says that Dawn will be beautiful and powerful. Face it Buff, she already is. Andrew and Jonathon seem very wary of the trucker who gave them a lift. Spike calls the demon a 'ponce'. Check out Anya and Buffy flocking into Giles' arms like a couple of excited little girls happy to see their daddy home.

Guantanamo Bay;

Scoobies to the ER;

Missing scenes;

Apocalypses; 7, Willow wants to destroy the world, come a long way since the softer side of Sears

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: Buffy and Anya knocked out again plus Xanderx2
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; 3
Tara; 1

Kills: Spike kills 2 demons as does Buffy whilst Dawn kills one
Buffy: 107 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;
94

Total number of scoobies: 3-Giles is back
Xander, Buffy, Giles

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?

Dawn in peril; yep, down the hole 11

Dawn the bashful virgin; 9

What the fanficcers thought;
Liked the one where DarkWillow does destroy the world only for Dawn 'The Key' Summers to appear in front of her, glowing with green energy and putting it all right. Also liked the idea of Xander actually failing to persuade Willow but then higher power Cordy turns up because she's the REAL love of Willow's life and she succeeds where Xander fails.
On a lighter note there's a good one showing Willow's first day at Sunnydale nursery (with teacher Flutie and little Harmony, Jonathon, Larry etc). We find out that actually frightened little Cordy snapped Willow's crayon because she was jealous of Willow and Xander's instant friendship, feeling excluded and leaving her to sit with Harmony. The Yellow Crayon, a Buffy: The Vampire Slayer fanfic - FanFiction.Net
Always amazing what fanficcers come up with. I remember one where Dru and Snyder sexually enslave Faith and Buffy in season 3 (I think it's literally called 'Buffy in a Slave Labor Camp'?). In the follow up story Snyder get's eaten by the Mayor at Graduation (who's then destroyed by the rest of the Scoobs)and Buffy just shrugs, breaks her chains and walks home into Joyce's arms whilst Dru falls in love with Faith and it's HER that get's her soul back so that they can be together.

Questions and observations;
According to the commentary SMG finds it easier to cry than to laugh? Hmmmm? DarkWillow feeling the world's suffering is similar to what CC experienced in 'To Shanshu in LA'.
I know that Joss is an avowed aethiest but you have to wonder about a story where a simple carpenter saves the world by professing his love? It strikes you as very Christian. Love conquers all.
I must confess that even after the final revelation I didn't understand the twist in the tail. I genuinely thought Spike had gone to Africa to get his chip removed and that the demon had doublecrossed him and restored his soul instead. Someone at The Bronze had to correct me (hangs head in shame). But once again, love conquers all, it can save the world, it can save a friend, it can bring two sisters together and it can redeem a monster.
Marks out of 10; 9/10 just great

 

[Eleftheria]

The scene where Dark Willow starts hitting Xander with her magics and starts crying(you can see the falling tear) and then she collapses ALWAYS gets me. Alyson is amazing in dramatic scenes. Whenever Willow is crying she IS crying. So touching scene. And then I also felt touched by Buffy crying and her desicion that she doesn't hate the world so much after all 🙂

 

[BuffyElevated]

Even though I hate Dark Willow, "Grave" is one of my favorite BtVS episodes, just because of the ending. When Xander refuses to give up on Willow, so determined on saving his best friend, never fail to get emotional. I love that no matter what she does to him, he just keeps on coming, telling her over and over that he loves her. And the part where she collapses into his arms and he just holds her while she cries? OMG, it's so beautiful.
Giles was pretty badass! I LOVED that he was the one to come in with the magic and fight Willow. Freakin' awesome! And it always breaks my heart just a little to see how much Anya loves and respects Giles. It's obvious she definitely looks to him as a father figure.
Dawn was kickass in this ep. I love that she impressed Buffy with her fighting skills. 🙂

 

[thevikingsgirl]

I admit it, the last scene with Xander and Willow made me cry like a baby. It's interesting that SMG can cry more easily than laugh. I've always marveled at her crying, it seems so real.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Xander saved the world. His mouth saved the world. And I was really happy for them. Buffy was always a hero, and all of them had some super powers, the slayer, witch, and he was, like they said, "ordinary". And now he prooved that he isn't. He saved them all, with his love. He is a heart of the group. I love the moment when Buffy realizes that she wants to live.

And yep, Sarah did said that she more loves sad scenes then happy ones because she can't make herself laugh on the screen well, crying she can do. Also Buffy stopped wearing skirts above her knees, because Sarah thought she has ugly knees.

9/10

 

[saturn5]

Xander saved the world. His mouth saved the world. And I was really happy for them. Buffy was always a hero, and all of them had some super powers, the slayer, witch, and he was, like they said, "ordinary". And now he prooved that he isn't. He saved them all, with his love. He is a heart of the group. I love the moment when Buffy realizes that she wants to live.

And yep, Sarah did said that she more loves sad scenes then happy ones because she can't make herself laugh on the screen well, crying she can do. Also Buffy stopped wearing skirts above her knees, because Sarah thought she has ugly knees.

9/10

I know that SMG was estranged from her father and didn't even go to his funeral so maybe that's a factor (occasionally some eerie paralells between SMG and the character she plays, I wonder if subconsciously the writers wove details of her life into Buffy's?) She certainly seems a driven lady but maybe motherhood will change her now?
I heard that SMG stopped wearing skirts because filming Buffy left her constantly bruised, one of the reasons she called it a day in season 7

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Yeah, Sarah never had a good relathionship with her father, her mother was her biggest role model and her strenght, and yeah, she and Buffy share that. I don't know, I've heard in interview in season 2 that she had a problem with skirts because she thought she had ugly knees, but that was a fashion then.

 

[Cohen]

Here's a few comments about ur list stuff:

1) Shouldn't warren be counted as a "recurring death", even though Amy "saved" him for the season 8 stuff? We still have to assume he died for at least a second in order for the First to assume his form in season 7.

2) Anya is still a scoob, even if she is a demon. She is helping buffy and Xander throughout Villains, Two to Go, and Grave. Or at least the latter 2. After this episode, though, it can be argued she left the scoobies to continue her demonic ways, but for this arc, she should still be considered a scooby.

 

[saturn5]

I say no to Warren because he is undeniably a bad guy and therefore doesn't count on the recurring deaths scale of things.
As for Anya I know she helps out but not because it's the right thing to do, it's because she cares for Willow/Xander. To my mind she doesn't become a scooby again until after Selfess

 

[Cohen]

As for Anya I know she helps out but not because it's the right thing to do, it's because she cares for Willow/Xander. To my mind she doesn't become a scooby again until after Selfess

If you think she's not doing it because it's the right thing to do, then you don't see the whole point of the "Selfless" arc. Halfrek commented on her lack of cruelty way back in Lessons (I think it was Lessons, anyway). Just because she's a vengeance demon again does not mean her time as a human didn't affect her. She's still a scooby for these episodes because she's trying to help save the world. It can be argued that after this point, however, she stops trying to help because she has nothing to tie her to the gang (the Magic Box being demolished).

 

[saturn5]

If you think she's not doing it because it's the right thing to do, then you don't see the whole point of the "Selfless" arc. Halfrek commented on her lack of cruelty way back in Lessons (I think it was Lessons, anyway). Just because she's a vengeance demon again does not mean her time as a human didn't affect her. She's still a scooby for these episodes because she's trying to help save the world. It can be argued that after this point, however, she stops trying to help because she has nothing to tie her to the gang (the Magic Box being demolished).

That's my point, she isn't a scoob before and she isn't a scoob after this ep until Selfless (and even then she doesn't come straight back, Buffy has to save her from D'Hoffryn's demon assassin first). So I don't count her because she's not someone who is automatically included which is my qualification for a scooby

Darn, why isn't there a Anya posting icon?

 

[InsaneMystic]

I know that Joss is an avowed aethiest but you have to wonder about a story where a simple carpenter saves the world by professing his love? It strikes you as very Christian. Love conquers all.

Wow! I can't believe I never noticed that! Excellent theory.

Also, with the yellow crayon bit, it kinda comforts me that you do know some fanfics that aren't kinky and X-rated. 😛

 

[thevikingsgirl]

A lot of atheists and agnostics have a fascination with religious and spiritual things. 🙂

 

[NY State of Mind]

Great episode and finalle..Xander saves the day

 

[Wild At Heart]

What can be said about this amazing ep that hasn't been said already? It's just amazing. I lose it at the end no matter how many times I watch it. It's just incredible. Buffy has the best cast in television history.

 

[electricwillow]

It was so nice to see xander as the hero this time and it was very emotional to see willow break down in his arms. A fantastic episode.

 

[StarPrincess]

Awesome ep, and probably my second favorite finale (after Graduation). But I spent most of Seasons 6 and 7 wanting to smack "Buffy The Vampire Layer" for the way she treated Spike. I mean, jeez, he loved her even before he got his soul back (Angel only loved her when he had a soul), and she used him like toilet paper. He endured those horrible tests for her, and she still rejected him. A nice roll in the hay, but nothing more.

Grr. Aarrgh.

 

[saturn5]

Awesome ep, and probably my second favorite finale (after Graduation). But I spent most of Seasons 6 and 7 wanting to smack "Buffy The Vampire Layer" for the way she treated Spike. I mean, jeez, he loved her even before he got his soul back (Angel only loved her when he had a soul), and she used him like toilet paper. He endured those horrible tests for her, and she still rejected him. A nice roll in the hay, but nothing more.

Grr. Aarrgh.

UNFAIR!

Spike falls into her affair with Spike because she needs someone, Willow and Xander are taken, Giles is gone and Dawn is out of the question unless you're into some pretty extreme slashfic. She used him and he was happy to be used but she had to break it off because it was killing her, she couldn't be in Spike's darkness so he came into her light. She's genuine when she says she's sorry but his response is to rape her. She can never love Spike because without a soul he's still an evil mass murdering child rapist and he can never be worthy of her love. And despite what he did to her she DOES take him back, once his soul is restored he is worthy of her love, the trials were worth it

 

[GrrArghx]

Awesome ep, and probably my second favorite finale (after Graduation). But I spent most of Seasons 6 and 7 wanting to smack "Buffy The Vampire Layer" for the way she treated Spike. I mean, jeez, he loved her even before he got his soul back (Angel only loved her when he had a soul), and she used him like toilet paper. He endured those horrible tests for her, and she still rejected him. A nice roll in the hay, but nothing more.

Grr. Aarrgh.

Yes, she was using him, but he didn't exactly treat her very fairly either. He took advantage of her depression and instead of trying to help her and 'pull her into the light', in his own words, he was pulling her back into the dark.

& as saturn5 said, she didn't reject him after that. By the end of Season 7, they were definitely closer than they EVER had been. They very much had mutual respect, trust, and love for each other.

The Angel thing is just a very weak argument. Comparing Spike and Angel is just unfair anyway. Angelus had no humanity in him, unlike Spike, he couldn't love without his soul.

Whether or not Spike/Angel had souls when they were in love with Buffy has nothing to do with how much they loved her, or anything else really.

But, this is off topic... so anyway.

 

[saturn5]

Yes, she was using him, but he didn't exactly treat her very fairly either. He took advantage of her depression and instead of trying to help her and 'pull her into the light', in his own words, he was pulling her back into the dark.

& as saturn5 said, she didn't reject him after that. By the end of Season 7, they were definitely closer than they EVER had been. They very much had mutual respect, trust, and love for each other.

The Angel thing is just a very weak argument. Comparing Spike and Angel is just unfair anyway. Angelus had no humanity in him, unlike Spike, he couldn't love without his soul.
Whether or not Spike/Angel had souls when they were in love with Buffy has nothing to do with how much they loved her, or anything else really.

But, this is off topic... so anyway.

I concur although I would say it's unfair to judge Spike for not taking advantage of her, without his soul it would impossible for him not to, he genuinely loves her but he has no conscience