Becoming Buffy Podcast

S7. Ep22. "Chosen"

Nominated for both a 2003 Emmy in the Category of Special Visual Effects for a Series, and for the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, “Chosen” was originally planned as a two-hour event but UPN only ordered 22 episodes instead of 23. While Whedon efficiently utilizes every single minute of “Chosen,” one of the biggest criticisms of the episode is that it is not given much time to breath. As emotional and impactful as the message and overall episode is, there are a few quieter moments that are either rushed (the Scoobies’ final moment together before battle) or cut out altogether.

For instance, the cut scene where Dawn retells the story of Buffy defeating the Master to the frightened Potentials, on the night before they descend into the Hellmouth, would have been a wonderful opportunity to reflect on Buffy's journey over the past few seasons, and provide a much-needed Dawn scene. 

As with the rest of the season, the finale’s strengths lie in its thematic elements and the emotional ties to the characters, and not with its plot points. The episode's ending is effective because Whedon and the writers don't have to deal with the inevitable consequences of Buffy and Willow's spell. Ultimately, we can overlook the plot contrivances, such as the amulet, the scythe, and the spell itself, since the emotional catharsis of seeing Buffy get a chance at a real life is so deeply satisfying.

Buffy’s empowerment of the Potentials is in defiance of the First Evil’s war on free will, and the final act of resistance against a system that she's been fighting since she was chosen. In creating hundreds of Slayers, Buffy is not only giving the girls the opportunity to choose the life that they want for themselves, but she’s establishing a new system that will support and understand their decision. In the end, Buffy doesn’t just save the world and free the Slayer line—she frees herself to become whoever she wants to be.

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Whedon explains Anya's death: "I wanted to kill somebody, and I wanted to do it brutally and suddenly and never really pay it off. I wanted a death that was a real middle-of-the-battle death — the opposite of the Spike death, [which was] perfect, noble. And Emma had made it clear that she really was not interested in coming back. I think things with Fox weren't great and she felt ill-used — not by the show. She had a good time making the show, I think. But she was ready to move on. But it was tough [killing her off]. The last shot before we wrapped her was that shot where she gets sliced. And it's very weird to play your death and go, 'Okay, I'm done.'

 Interview with Emma in Katz’ book in 2021: “I did ask to die, I could be wrong about this, but from what I do remember the show was on the bubble as to whether the whole creative team wanted to do another season, I think it if was this collective, ‘Yes, let’s do one more,’ that would have happened, but everything was sort of up in the air at that point and I knew that I didn’t want to do another season regardless. I just felt like I had tapped into everything I was going to tap into and I was ready to spread my wings elsewhere and Joss took note of that. So when it was decided that the show would end, Joss came to me and told me that I was going to die, and I thought, okay, that’s pretty cool. And then I read the script and I remember thinking, there’s no real mourning for her. And that felt personal. And I know it was. And my respons to it over the many years no has just been like, ‘Well, you know, it happened,’ or ‘Death, it’s sudden.’ ‘They avoided the apocalypse and I’m sure they cried about me later.’ But at least for what was shot, they didn’t. And that is…that is definitely a creative choice for sure. I can’t look at that any other way other than ‘Go fuck yourself.’ That’s how I took it. That’s how it will always remain, because there really was no story reason for there to be a lack of emotion about it.” -Emma Caulfield Ford

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In an interview before this episode aired, Joss Whedon said: "If nobody cries... then I've definitely failed. It's really emotional - you're supposed to laugh, cry, and gasp with excitement - as well as take away a beautiful feminist message."

When Alyson Hannigan was asked by interviewer Fred Topel what it was like shooting the last day of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Hannigan answered, "It was very, very bittersweet. An emotional day for everyone. It was lots of tears, lots of hugs, it was great."

“I feel that I wrote the perfect ending for the show and wrapped everything up exactly the way it should be. We wanted to hit the final chord of a beautiful symphony. That, unfortunately was in season five. So with season seven, I sort of had to shut the door on the idea that this was the last episode a little bit, because the weight of that was crushing me. I was terrified. But I so very specifically knew what I needed to say and what I needed to have happen. That was all in there. But when you get into actually writing it, you’re just like, “oh, god, it’s not good enough.’ Then you’re like, “dude, you’ve got to chill.” Because it’s unbearable pressure. You want the last episode to mean something that no other episode has. And it is large. It was so hard to shoot. So we went out with a bang and hopefully an emotional one.” -Joss

“I finished on the soundstage on a Friday night at like five in the morning. People weren’t even there, they had gone hom cause it was so late. And then I had one day on location left and that was kind of it. Everyone else went back to the soundstage to finish filming, but I had to leave because I was contractually obligated to Sooby Doo 2. It was weird because all of th sudden it was just over. And you have to process things. But overall I was happy with the direction of the finale. I loved the idea that any girl who has the power, who wants the power, can have it. That’s the ultimate message of the show. And so I’m very proud of it. I think bittersweet is the right word.” -SMG

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S7. Ep21. "End of Days"

On top of being filmed before “Touched,” “End of Days” had a writer swap when Jane Espenson and Doug Petrie stepped in for Marti Noxon, who was busy working on the pilot for “Still Life.” The episode features all the actors who play lead characters in Whedon’s TV shows, as well as the first on camera meeting of Buffy and Angel since “Forever.”

As the penultimate episode in an otherwise fantastic series, EoD feels like disappointing filler-- struggling to find content to fill the time until the finale. What makes this episode even more frustrating is that in contrast, “Chosen” has little time to breathe, making one wonder why the writers didn’t do a better job of allocating their time between the two episodes. EoD spends most of its time restoring the status quo after the upheaval of “Empty Places,” yet it completely sidesteps any sort of meaningful character development or conversation. Anya’s revelation that she’s willing to die for humanity has already been shown in the season 5 finale, Buffy and Spike continue to have an undefined situationship, Willow’s still struggling with performing magic although we’ve seen her do countless spells this season, none of the Scoobies acknowledge the conflict from “Empty Places,” and Buffy and Faith barely scratch the surface on their complex dynamic as duel Slayers.

Adding last-minute plot contrivances, such as the Guardians and the mythology of the scythe, makes this episode feel like it's checking boxes for the end of the show while carefully avoiding depth to prevent spoiling the finale's 'Big Reveal.'

As exciting as it is to see Buffy wielding the scythe, and as nostalgic as Angel’s return is, the episode fails to emotionally engage or resonate. What’s truly sad is that we would have easily forgiven many of the plot conveniences if the writers had trusted the strength of their characters and given us the resolution and reunion we needed from Buffy and the Scoobies.

--ANGLE ON BUFFY as her face takes on a look of recognition. And just a faint smile, but the first smile we've seen in a long time.--

For fans of the comic series, the scythe Buffy finds looked very familiar when they saw it on screen for the first time. On February 20, 2002, over a year prior, Joss had written and published “Tales,” the eighth and final short story in the Tales of the Slayers comic anthology. Set in the 23rd century, it focused on a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time when vampires (called “lurks”) are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater.

“In Fray, Melaka is depicted as the latest in the mystical line of vampire slayers, chosen ones born with the strength and skill to fight the forces of evil, over 200 years in the future. However, unlike other vampire slayers, Mel is unusual in that she was one of a pair of twins; her brother Harth somehow inherited the psychic aspects of a slayer's abilities, leaving her with only the strength, agility, and other physical attributes. Prior to Mel, a slayer had not been "called" to receive her powers for centuries.” -Wikipedia

Mel isn’t aware of the history of Slayers because they’ve all died out except for her. She is given the scythe by a demon and ends up finding a building filled with Watcher diaries and etchings of the scythe. She reads about 4 Slayers from the past, one of whom is Buffy Summers, and that’s how she learns about her heritage.

“It's Fray's SCYTHE... it's the scythe Fray will find in the Fray Comic books in the future. For people who are not aware of it... Joss Whedon created a comic book character named Fray, who is a Slayer in the future, who finds this weapon which is odd because we never saw Buffy wield it... and now we have (Jane Espenson, BtVS Writer, May 6th, 2003).”

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S7. Ep19. "Empty Places"

The title of the episode contrasts the next one, “Touched” in emphasizing how connection is missing from Buffy’s life. “Empty Places” could refer to Xander’s missing eye, Buffy being kicked out of her house, and Sunnydale’s mass evacuation, but most importantly it refers to how leadership/power has led to Buffy being emotionally isolated from her friends and family.

In a series that can divide the opinions of fans, hatred for “Empty Places” is possibly one of the only things that unites us. While the Scoobies’ words and actions are certainly rage inducing, my main issue with the episode is not the extreme act of kicking Buffy out of the home she was dragged out of heaven to pay for, but in the writers' lazy and cheap approach to building up to and executing the Big Fight.

All season long, the show has flirted with Buffy becoming hardened by power, yet it never fully commits. In one episode, she's aloof and hardened, in the next, she's normal, and then in another, she's hardened again, but this time it’s 'justifiable’. It’s almost as if the writers were afraid to fully commit to Buffy being too messy, yet they still needed her to be messy enough for a dramatic fallout with her friends. Instead of a compelling conflict where the Scoobies raise valid concerns about Buffy's leadership decisions, particularly regarding Spike's proximity to the Potentials after being triggered, the situation devolves into a cheap drama. What could have been a moment for the characters to explore the burden of leadership, the fears of the powerless, and the cost of war, instead turns into a one-sided attack that lacks nuance. The worst part is seeing the writers turn our beloved characters into mouthpieces for plot convenience, ignoring the complexity they’ve spent years developing.

BUFFY (cont'd)

Guys?

Willow and Xander not answering.

BUFFY (cont'd)

I don't... this isn't happening.

WILLOW

You need to rest.

She looks at Xander. Maybe not able to finish this. He nods to her.

WILLOW (cont'd)

(barely able to say

it)

So maybe we should let someone else

take the wheel until you do.

XANDER

Maybe it's not such a terrible idea.

Letting Faith handle things. Letting

her be the Slayer.

Faith is shocked -- she didn't want this. Buffy just stares at Willow and Xander. Not sure this is real.

BUFFY

Guys. We have a chance to end this.

All of us. I can't just stay here

and watch Faith lead you off into

some disaster.

Dawn, silent till now, approaches Buffy and tenderly KISSES her on the cheek.

DAWN

Then you can't stay here.

Buffy -- and everyone -- is shocked.

DAWN (cont'd)

Look, I love you, but you can't be a

part of this. You can't be here. I

don't think... I don't think you can

face this at all. This one you have

to sit out.

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GILES' CUT LINES FROM EMPTY PLACES: This picks up right after Xander's lines in the last post, and rivals Anya's speech for the most rage inducing. It also corresponds with the cut dialogue from LMPTM where Giles tells Buffy about killing Ben in "The Gift":

BUFFY

(quiet)

Xander. I've paid the price, too,

sometimes.

That hangs in the air for a moment.

GILES

So how high does the price have to go

before you start saying your way

isn't right?

BUFFY

I still think attacking Caleb's power

base could end this --

GILES

Yes. You. Think. But when you act

alone --

BUFFY

Is that really something you want to

get into? 'Cause we can talk about

Spike. Or Ben.

GILES

If I acted rashly, it was to protect

you. Were you trying to protect

Annabelle? Or Chloe?

BUFFY

Stop it.

GILES

(more intense)

Or Molly? Or Xander? And it goes

even further back than that, doesn't

it?

BUFFY

Giles.

GILES

(seething)

You act alone, and people get hurt,

right? People like Jenny

BUFFY

Goddamn you, stop!!

Buffy SWEEPS a vase (maybe something vaguely African, from Joyce's gallery) off the end table. It SMASHES to the floor. Giles and Buffy stare at each other for a beat.

GILES

(calmly)

Do you see? You are not in the best

place you have ever been. You're too

raw. You need to take a break.

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CUT LINES FROM EMPTY PLACES: These lines from Xander were given directly after Anya's "luckier" speech, and were replaced by him saying that he was trying to see Buffy's point but it was "a little to his left":

 BUFFY

I've gotten you this far.

XANDER

(quietly)

Not without a price.  

BUFFY

Xander...

XANDER

We follow you without question. Even

when you have no idea what you're

doing. Even when you get mad at us

for not working hard enough at a plan

which doesn't exist, because you

don't know what you're doing. We

keep following you, even then.

(beat)

And we keep paying the price.

BUFFY

(quiet)

Xander. I've paid the price, too,

sometimes.

That hangs in the air for a moment. (Continues into a cut scene from Giles that will be shared next).

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"Empty Places" has several chunks of dialogue from the Scoobies during the Big Fight that were severely cut down. The first one is Willow. This excerpt is when we think Willow is going to agree with Buffy and stand against Kennedy:

WILLOW

Back off, stop it. Kennedy

Buffy looks relieved for the support.

WILLOW (cont'd)

(to Kennedy/re: Buffy)

It's not her fault. She's completely

strung out.

Whoops. There goes Buffy's relief.

BUFFY

I'm a who? I'm not --

WILLOW

Once you've had some rest, I think

you'll be able to --

BUFFY

I don't need rest! Willow, I'm fine.

I'm... I'm fine.

Willow backs down. Clearly not convinced.

BUFFY (cont'd)

And I don't recall any of you

complaining about the way we did

things when we were winning.

GILES

Buffy, the rules have changed. And

I'm not sure doing things the old way

will help you here.

BUFFY

The old way. You mean by leading.

WILLOW

No, that's not it at all, it's just --

BUFFY

Look, I wish this could be a

democracy. I really do. It would be

more fair, I agree. (Scene continues as it does in the episode)

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According to the DVD commentary, the scene between Faith and Spike was meant to lay groundwork for a possible spin-off featuring the two. The scenes were written by Marti Noxon with the idea of "showing these two people off," according to Drew Goddard.

“Faith is my girl. She’s always been good to me, and she’s been a good friend to me. I love that character, this show, the places we’ve gone, and all the different emotions we’ve experimented with. I feel like she’s a part of me. It was good to be back on Buffy. Sarah is such a doll. We were like reunited high school friends. I’ve gotten letters from girls who have said, “I was being abused for six years. Your character came on, and I realized that if Faith could stand up to these guys trying to bring her down, so could I.” That stuff is really intense—cool success stories from people who just watch this character.” -Eliza Dushku

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S7. Ep18. "Dirty Girls"

While Drew Goddard is credited as the writer of “Dirty Girls”, according to the DVD commentary, Joss Whedon wrote 80% of the episode, including the cold open, while Marti Noxon wrote the popular Faith and Spike scene. The title is a nod to Faith’s return to the series, calling back to season 3’s “Bad Girls,” the episode where Faith seduces Buffy to the darker side of being a Slayer before ultimately beginning her descent toward evil. It also sums up the show’s feminist roots, which is the subversion of the blonde woman who is killed by the monster after she had sex and became “dirty.”

The introduction of Caleb as the stereotypical preacher-turned-villain and his belief that all women are innately dirty, solidifies the show’s redirection of focus back onto female empowerment. While Caleb is little more than a caricature, his presence serves both as a tangible opponent for Buffy to fight and a symbol of one of the oldest systems to oppress women: religion. As the embodiment of misogyny, Caleb believes women are beneath him yet fears and hates them because his sexual attraction towards them feels like a loss of power. Ironically, Caleb spends the entire episode condemning women as corrupt and calling them whores, yet he allows himself to be merged with a female-presenting First Evil to gain power, effectively becoming the very thing he despises. 

“Misogyny = hatred/fear of women, but more so of the power that women seem to have over men because sex/connection can break men out of their rational self-interest. Sex/connection can make a man do what his rational self tells him is not in his personal interest - care for another beyond caring for himself. Caleb's anger and fear of women is that of the man who thinks the sexual climax is the ultimate loss of power.... He thinks the girls who come to him, influenced by the power of his words, are there to take his power through sexual temptation.” -All Things Philosophical

(Shout out to @allbronzenobrains for the brilliant parallel between Caleb calling girls whores and basically becoming a whore himself!

In the unedited version, Giles revealed to Buffy in the graveyard that he murdered Ben to stop Glory resurfacing, however this was cut just before broadcast. I so wish this had been kept in, as it adds credibility to Giles' motivations and makes him more than a figurehead grasping for power:

GILES

You want Spike here even after what

he's done to you in the past?

BUFFY

It's different. He has a soul now.

GILES

Yes, and The First seems to be

exploiting it to his advantage.

BUFFY

Exactly. The First's doing this.

Spike's innocent.

Giles pauses a moment, then:

GILES

So was Ben.

Buffy stops cold. The Vamp launches at her and she WHIP-STAKES him to DUST.

BUFFY

Ben?

GILES

(with difficulty)

He was a human being, after all.

Forced, his whole life, to share his

mortal form with a demi-god from a

hell-dimension.

BUFFY

Glory. I know. What does that have

to do--

GILES

Ben was oblivious to the atrocities

Glory committed. No more responsible

for her crimes than Spike is to his,

when triggered.

SLOW PUSH IN as he continues...

GILES (cont'd)

Glory was invincible, impossible to

kill... Ben was not. So after you

defeated her. After you left Ben

lying there. Alive. I made a

decision. One that you couldn't.

BUFFY

Giles...

GILES

I put my hand over his mouth. And as

he struggled, weakly... I smothered

him. Because it had to be done.

(looks at Buffy)

He was a liability.

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S7. Ep17. "Lies My Parents Told Me"

“Lies My Parents Told Me” was originally intended to air on March 18, 2003, a day before the Angel crossover episode “Orpheus,” but was postponed due to the start of the Iraq War. When it did air, the UPN advertised that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was ending when season 7 finished.

Initially entitled “Mother and Son” by director/writer David Fury, the title was changed when co-writer Drew Goddard pointed out that it was also about Buffy breaking ties with her father figure. The concept of Spike’s trigger being linked to his relationship with his mom was based on “The Manchurian Candidate,” a film where sleeper agent Raymond Shaw is triggered to kill through an association with his mother. Fury drew inspiration for Spike from the incestuous vibes between Shaw and his mother, but also from Lestat’s killing of his own mother in “Interview with the Vampire." Not only that, but Caroline Lagerfelt was cast as Spike’s mom due to her physical resemblance to Sarah Michelle Gellar, and her name, Anne, was used because it is Buffy’s middle name.

The episode's theme revolves around breaking free from the systems and structures that influence our upbringing and shape our morals, such as Buffy's relationship with Giles, Spike and Wood's relationships with their mothers, and Buffy's struggle with the patriarchal forces surrounding the Slayer line. Sadly, the episode sidesteps the deeply compelling conflicts and interpersonal dynamics that have been brewing all season and instead dismisses Giles and Wood's valid arguments by condemning their methodology. The unique pain and perspective of Wood, a black man and son of a murdered Slayer, is rejected because it is vengeful, and Giles' fears that Buffy's leadership is clouded by her feelings for Spike are reduced to a simple struggle for power. This dismissal is particularly stark in Wood’s case, as the show’s lack of engagement with the racial and generational implications of his pain feels especially tone-deaf.

'LMPTM' is a tough episode for many of us to watch, mostly due to the breakdown of Buffy and Giles' relationship. It's difficult for me because it's not necessarily out of character for Giles to lie to Buffy or go behind her back in extreme situations, however what is out of character is the coldness with which we see him execute it. The writers had a unique and compelling storyline, yet the execution falls flat because the emotion behind why Giles betrays Buffy is missing/not conveyed well enough. By making Giles appear only as a hardened authority figure who needs to be cut off, the show weakens the audience's connection to the characters/story, and turns Giles into simply another man wanting power.

I created this edit as a way to try and convey a more nuanced view of Giles' actions, and to bring a bit more warmth, compassion, and clarity to a complex character that deserved far more than this sad ending to his arc.

I think I succeeded, but I also just feel sadder. 😭

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