Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Season 7)

Coming after Seasons 5 & 6, which were easily two of the gutsiest seasons of the show and are probably the reason Buffy is my favorite show of all time, the final season had a lot to live up to. Sadly, Season 7 was a bit of a decline in quality, but it's still a solid ending to the show.

Season 7's main storyline is about the First Evil, which is the ultimate villain that was built up to since Season 3. At first, all of the buildup is awesome as the First Evil can essentially take the form of any of the other bad guys. However, this concept isn't used fairly often, and in the latter half of the season, the First Evil mostly uses an army of Ubervamps to fight Buffy and her group. As a character, the First Evil is nothing, but its sidekick Caleb is a fun and brutal villain played by Nathan Fillon. The other major storyline are the group is Potential Slayers that are being hunted down by the First Evil, and who Buffy has to defend. I like the concept, but none of the potentials are memorable or get much screentime. The only noteworthy ones are Kennedy and Vi, the former of which is memorable for being an annoying replacement for Tara as Willow's girlfriend, and the latter of which is played by Felicia Day meaning she's more memorable for the actor than the character. My favorite aspect of the potential storyline is in regards to Dawn, who feels inadequate for not being a potential like everyone else. It's probably the best usage of her character and led to some great moments of character development. It's amazing how much more likable and mature Dawn is this season compared to the previous two.

While the main storyline is just okay, the character arcs are more of an improvement. There's Spike who has to deal with getting a soul, Anya who deals with the fallout of temporarily becoming a demon again, Buffy who starts isolating herself due to her role as the slayer only to get kicked off the Scoobies because of it (I know people don't like this arc, but I think it's a great culmination of the series), and Willow who spends time atoning for her time as Dark Willow. Even Faith returns in the final third, fully redeemed after the events of Angel. Pacing-wise, Season 7 definitely suffers compared to the other seasons. It has a strong first third that deals with the events of Season 6 while including some light and fun standalones, and the final third is a satisfying and packed ending to the season. However, the stretch between the first appearance of the Ubervamps and Faith's return is an absolute slog, as the lack of standalones or big plot twists means that the show gets stale quick. There are two episodes in a row that both end with Buffy giving a rousing speech to the potentials and fighting an Ubervamp. Don't get me wrong, there are some solid episodes in this middle section (Potential, Storyteller), but it drags down the season a lot.

Thankfully, there are a lot of great episodes near the start and end of this season:

Selfless: Anya is one of the show's strongest characters, and her focus episode this season is one of its highest points. For most of the episode, Anya faces the consequences for all of her actions as a vengeance demon, and the flashbacks scattered across the episode both flesh out Anya's character and the history of minor characters like Olaf and Hallifrek.

Conversations With Dead People: This episode is one of the best in the series, and manages to surpass the whole rest of the season in terms of quality. As you'd expect from the title, this whole episode is dialogue, as the First Evil makes itself known to Dawn, Willow, and Andrew. I especially like Dawn's part which is just straight-up a horror film. The subplot about Buffy chatting with a vampire is also pretty cute, and actually amounts of the reveal that Spike is still siring people even with his soul.

Potential: I already mentioned how much I like Dawn's character arc this season, and this episode has her prove that she can be as much of a hero as all of the other potentials without any special abilities or pre-determined destiny. An inspiring episode that showcases just why I like Dawn as a character so much.

Dirty Girls: Faith is back! Given how low energy a lot of the season was, her reappearance gives the season one big jolt to keep it thrilling until the series finale. The big battle with Caleb in the vineyard is probably the best fight scene of the whole season, and Xander's eye incident is a devastating moment that drastically raises the stakes.

End Of Days: This episode begins the final battle with the First Evil, as the Scoobies finally get past their conflict with Buffy. It's a great setup for the series finale with a fun final battle with Caleb, and an incredibly exciting scene where Angel finally returns to the show for the first time since Season 4.

Chosen: Even with my gripes with the season, Buffy still knows how to nail an ending. The dialogue is probably the best its been in a while, most of the cast gets some moment to shine (or die in the case of Anya), and the big final battle is just pure spectacle and excitement. But it's the emotional moments that really stand out, from Angel's goodbye, to Spike's sacrifice, to that final scene, to probably the best scene of the season where Willow awakens the abilities of pretty much every single slayer. It's an absolutely genius twist that feels fresh in a way most of this season struggled to be. Chosen is a really strong final episode that Buffy absolutely deserves.

Overall, Season 7 suffers from pacing issues and a lack of energy, but it has a strong start and end, and manages to finish Buffy off on a strong note when all is said and done.

3/5 Stars

My ranking of the Buffy seasons is:

1. Season 3: Easily the most solid season of the bunch. The villains are great, each episode feels like it's better than the last, there's a great balance of angst and inventive comedy, and the finale kicks ass.
2. Season 5: It takes a bit of time to get going, but once Joyce dies, Season 5 becomes one of the most dramatic, gripping, and intense season of the show, with one of my favorite antagonists.
3. Season 2: While some of the episodic stuff is inconsistent, the main storylines really make up for it. Spike gets a fantastic introduction, and Angelus is hands down the series' best villain.
4. Season 6: Season 6 is complicated, ambitious, messy, and very hard to watch, but I admire its attempt to deal with the struggles of adulthood, life, and depression. It has some really high highs to it.
5. Season 4: Season 4 may be inconsistent and the Initiative storyline may suck, but it also has a really calming and chill vibe and plenty of the funniest and most creative standalone episodes in the series.
6. Season 7: Season 7 isn't a bad season and it has its moments, especially in the start and end, but it's easily the least remarkable of the seasons and drags a lot in the middle.
7. Season 1: Season 1 is really cheesy and doesn't have many truly standout episodes, but it shows a lot of potential and the ending is still really great.

And my ranking of the Buffy finales is:

1. Graduation Day: A super bombastic and crazy finale that doubles as both a fun and satisfying final battle as well as a great farewell to Sunnydale High, with everyone getting time to shine.
2. The Gift: I'm glad this wasn't the finale, but Buffy's last stand was a killer episode of television, with great action, an incredibly tense conflict, and a truly heartwrenching ending.
3. Becoming: While it may focus a bit too much on Buffy herself, Becoming is still a fantastic ending to the Angelus plot with a great final battle, heartwrenching resolution, and a pretty massive destruction of the status quo.
4. Chosen: Chosen is a fun and satisfying final battle that ends Buffy on a pretty heartwarming note, and the episode's big twist is easily the best part of the whole thing.
5. Restless: It may be just a dream sequence, but it's a very visually creative dream sequence, one with a lot of foreshadowing for future seasons.
6. Grave: While paced a bit strangely, Grave still has a lot to love between Xander being the one to stop Dark Willow and the reveal that Spike is getting a soul.
7. Prophecy Girl: Prophecy Girl may be a bit quaint compared to the other finales, but Buffy's storyline about not wanting to die holds up great, and it solidifes Cordelia as a member of the team. 

Favorite Episode: The Body

One last thing, since this is my favorite show of all time after all:

Buffy The Vampire Slayer isn't perfect. Some plot elements haven't aged well, some episodes are cheesy and dumb, and it's had some serious drama behind the scenes, but I hold the belief that no show needs to be "perfect" with zero faults whatsoever. Not everything Buffy did have to work, but it was its willingness to take risks, to experiment, and to just go crazy that makes the show what it is. Between the stellar dialogue, the lovable cast of characters, the mature themes, the drastic shifts in tone, the fun action, surprisingly good score, goofy but charming special effects, satisfying season endings, and crazy plot twists, all headed by one of the greatest writer's room ever brought together, Buffy The Vampire Slayer really has everything I love about television. It's a unique mix of genres that I doubt I'm ever going to forget, and will always have a place in my heart, faults and all.