Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some problems, but a worthy ending for Buffy, 5 Mar 2007
It's all about power for this final season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which sees a return of sorts to Sunnydale High School, a brand new facility where Buffy is working as a councillor. Our 'big bad' for the year is The First, a vague evil power bent on destroying the world with its army of uber-vampires. To further its goal, The First is attempting to end the slayer line by wiping out all of the 'potential slayers' (girls waiting for their turn to be called into action), and these potentials will prove to be a vital part of the ongoing story.
Bad points first. Almost every episode this year serves the larger narrative, meaning there is a lack of strong individual episodes. None of the episodes are bad, but this season, unlike any other, demands to be watched as a whole. Another problem is a tendency for people to act out of character. Buffy, in particular, is very changeable, being a stern general one minute and a mopey girl the next. Additionally, Buffy is betrayed not once but twice this year, and both times it feels like something the characters we've come to know would never do. Alongside these problems, season seven is overloaded with characters. Far too much time is devoted to former Trio member Andrew and the many potential slayers, while regulars like Dawn and especially Xander are relegated to their smallest and least useful roles to date.
On the good side, this year sees James Marsters earn himself the 'most oustanding' award as Spike. Marsters is called on to play every possible iteration of the character, and whether he's crazy, lovelorn, wimpy, murderous, supportive, or just his plain old dryly sarcastic self, Marsters is always excellent. Helping to elevate Marsters's work is Spike's more mature relationship with Buffy, which turns out to be oddly affecting. It's not love exactly, and it's certainly not the idealised hearts and flowers of Buffy's fling with Angel, but they give each other some much needed strength this year, and the relationship feels more genuine and moving because of it.
The biggest positive of the year, however, is final episode Chosen, which more than makes up for any flaws evident throughout the year. It lives up up the old adage that endings should be surprising yet inevitable, adheres beautifully to the show's theme of female empowerment, and provides a perfect finish for Buffy's story.
This season, then, is a flawed but effective conclusion to Buffy's vampire and demon fighting adventures, and is essential viewing for all fans.
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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A mostly fabulous last season!!! , 22 Jul 2006
Unlike Season 6, which at times was a bit up and down and didn't seem to have any clear master plan; Season 7 had some real direction right from the first few episodes. All the potential slayers staying with Buffy, Willow dealing with her magic problems, the loss of Tara and moving on, Spike having a soul, Anya and Xander still ruffling each others feathers, Giles being more forceful and serious than ever, Faith back on the right side but still with her classic attitude, the addition of the son of a former slayer....the list goes on.
The "big bad" really is something to behold. "The First" offered so many fascinating story twists, appearing to people in various guises and allowing the viewer to see what was really going on inside the characters, and at the same time not exactly knowing how on earth Buffy and the gang could do anything about it.
Nathan Fillon as the creepy preacher guy Caleb, vessel of the First, was superb....he so provoked the viewer to hate him!!
The inclusion of Andrew as the only "trio" member left was obviously the comic relief character for the series, and although very irritating in the beginning, he becomes quite watchable.
When first viewing this series on TV, some of the episodes seemed to be just fill-ins until the storyline could move on, so it felt like it wasn't going anywhere. But watching the episodes close together as a whole on DVD, it all made sense and doesn't feel so frustrating.
The final episode is pure joy....and sadness. Amazing action and an excellent music score to express it. Every character played their part. Ultimately it's very sad....this is really the end of Buffy. What a way to go out though!
This DVD set has the usual good special features. Interesting commentaries, a couple of featurettes on the fandom of Buffy, and some outtakes...although again the outtakes only last 3 minutes and are a bit disappointing.
All in all, a superb and fitting finale season to Buffy!
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6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad, but not a fitting end., 7 Jul 2007
I was gravely disappointed with season 7. The stand alone episodes vary hugely in quality (from the phenomenal Selfless, to the atrocious Him) and the season arc suffers from some very annoying potentials. Yes, I do mean Rhona or whatever her name is.
Some of it is fantastic though! Giles comes back for the vast majority of the season, Michelle Trachtenberg is finally working for me as Dawn, Andrew (Tom Lenk) is back and so is Eliza Dushku as Faith! Even Angel makes a brief appearance!
This season is about going back to the beginning (as brilliantly emphasised by the closing season of episode 1 with all past Big Bads appearint to Spike as The First) and for the most part it works.
Best episodes: Selfless (about damn time Anya had her own epiosde!), Conversations with Dead People (even if we did have to put up with Azura Skye instead of Amber Benson), Storyteller (hilarious).
Things that didn't work: Principal Wood and Spike's trigger (boring)
So then we come to the final episode Chosen.
I have very mixed opinions on this. I love White Willow, I love the final scene between Buffy and Spike, and I LOVE the little call back to the pilot when Buffy, Xander and Willow walk away talking about shopping and Giles mutters "the world is doomed".
However, I don't like that Anya dies. Joss has stated that he couldn't consider it a happy ending if anyone we cared about died. Ok, a bunch of potentials die but they are for the most part annoying, Spike dies but it had already been announced that he was moving on to Angel so that didn't really pack an emotional punch but hang on, I care about Anya! She's been there since season 3, she was always one of my favourite characters and to kill her in such a blink-and-you'll-miss-it way really made me angry.
That said, this is a good season with some great charcter work for all the gang.
Best bit by far: Finally Buffy mentions that "Kick his ass" comment from Xander in Season 2 and Nathan Fillion as Caleb is obviously having a LOT of fun
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