Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7 final episode: Chosen

[beccaelizabeth]

Have watched 'Chosen'.
Emotional wreck of all the feels: now.



I always cry. And it's like happy but in the middle of this whole war movie they're doing, so also with the sad. All the feels.
And then Spike.



I've got to say though... as much as I adore this ending on many levels, it also leaves me kind of tired. Because Buffy's plan? Wasn't working. Buffy's plan was getting them all killed. The enemy army was too large and none of them got out of there uninjured. If the whole plan was actually go down there, get empowered, and slay? Buffy would have failed.

Only Spike's sacrifice saved them all.

They took the final episode of the final season of this show that always should have been about women's power, and they made it finally about a guy.



So. Tired.



Of course tis true to say that Spike would not have been there without Buffy, being her awesome self, right there for him to fall in love with and become a better man for. But that's... that's a really old story, and... well, there's a lot that can be said about it, but I just grind to a halt on really? That's the most powerful thing she does? Inspire others?

Which actually yeah I have no problem with when it's other women. Generations of women inspired to be strong by her strength, win. But somehow one many inspired to care by her caring, however much I like teh story for itself, with how very many times I've seen the same thing just doesn't seem like the crown of this series.



I've also read people being very, very intensely against Buffy's choice here, on moral grounds. Empowering all the Slayers? They quoted Buffy in Prophecy Girl and reckon that's what she's done to all those other girls now.

It's an interesting angle with a lot going for it. And Buffy has been recapitulating some of the more morally dubious training methods of the Watchers. Locking potential Slayers in a crypt with a new vampire? Cruciamentum. But the difference all along is that they were not alone. When they were talking about that fight later it was all about how they'd supported each other. The way they told it no one of them could have defeated the guy. So, teamwork.

Same with Buffy handing Dawn a sword in Grave, same with training Dawn at the start of the season. It wasn't even just about them being Slayers, Buffy was there supporting Scoobies the next generation. That was the essential difference in the whole 'high school is hell' reprise they were doing this season. People who have been through it already and have a map? Helpful. And this time it wasn't just a do as I say deal, it was about sharing the knowledge and helping people learn to save themselves.

The whole season built up to Chosen. Everything Buffy has ever learned built up to Chosen. Even the existence of Kendra and Faith taught her this: strong alone, better together.



The key is that Buffy was Chosen. What she told the potential Slayers is that it's time to make a Choice.

What Buffy set out to do, according to her dialogue here, is offer a choice to each and every girl who could be a Slayer. Instead of shoving them into it, they get to choose.

That would be key. I'm not sure the story followed through on doing that, but team free will for the win.

That 'are you ready to be strong' sequence showed women with a reason, something they needed the power for. So maybe it showed them making a choice, taking up the power, the way the scythe Axcalibur got passed from Slayer to Slayer. If they had the option to not take the power, that's Buffy giving every girl a choice.

Problem with the 'if' though.

So here's the other thing: Buffy always had a choice. Sure she was Chosen, but she could walk away. She's the one girl in all the world with the power to fight the darkness, but she is only morally obligated to do so. And yeah, she gets attacked a lot, but have you met Cordelia? Almost every week she's getting attacked too. The danger is present, always, for everyone. The danger is especially focused on the Potential Slayers this spell is meant for. They are already in the crosshairs. The war is coming to them. And those without swords can still die on them.

All Buffy did? Give a few more people what they needed to save themselves, and maybe others.



Drafting people into a war, morally dubious. Arming people who are already at war, much closer to cool. Giving people with a war around them a choice to take up arms?

That's what Buffy is trying to do, by her own words, and I can see nothing wrong with it.



Plus it's always the best answer, share the lessons, share the power, stand together, stronger.



Otherwise the story is about how hard it is to be super privileged, hot chicks with super powers, and, well, yeah, but. Kind of harder for the ones standing next to her, or in the town she isn't protecting.



I really love this episode, I love what Buffy and Willow do, I love Spike (Spike!), I get all the feels.

But there's a couple things I wouldn't write, if I was writing something like this again.




(also, I do intend to go back and write about... er, half of season 6 and most of 7? I just haven't yet. It's on the to do list. But if I don't sit down right at the end of each episode then the next one gives me fresh feels to write and also I want to see the next and the next and, well, then I watched them all.)


I have to say though, I feel weird about Angel season 5 after that ending. I mean, Spike did a thing! It... it feels really weird to be able to just skip to the next thing.


Also? Angel? Seems so very, very random and pretty much irrelevant, when he turns up. He's her high school boyfriend who turns up to beat up Riley and then sulk about Spike. That's... wow am I not seeing why he's on the cookie list. She has this whole weird trauma related Thing about Angel and I'm not seeing it as love. Angel should just go away.

... which he did. So that's good. But, well, that's how I feel whenever he's there.
And not just because Spike.
Because Angel's just ... no.

And I know when I watch Angel in his own story I'll mostly feel different, but, Angel in Buffy's life? Ew. She was his young and innocent symbol of redemption and he was her much older high school crush and what she's had with others is so very very much more than what she ever had with him yet somehow it's him she can't get over.

... apparently I have a lot of Angel feels and if you're B/A OTP then you should probably avoid reading that paragraph. Each to their own.

(But Spiiiiiike!)

(Spike)



And every girl in the world, ready to be strong.

Comments

[philippos42]

I don't remember noticing that point about Spike.

I think it still works as a Whedon-style subversion, though. The women are the tough fighters, while the guy is the one who sacrifices himself to do a big magic thing.

That would be more convincing if I could think of a story where a woman sacrifices herself to do the big magic thing, but apparently writers' gallantry gets in the way of that?

[beccaelizabeth]

yeah, it's definitely an inversion of the usual active/passive, but if women get sacrificed it's usually not their idea so I'm not coming up with comparators that aren't Buffy.

I mean for Spike it's a big deal, he's let go of all the selfish reasons to do the thing, he's not even doing it from guilt, and he's not going out fighting like the big bad. He's standing there, letting it happen, because that's what needs doing. He even rejects Buffy's declaration of feelings, cause that's not his reason right then. For Spike, it's a great and powerful moment.

All it is for Buffy is a time she deliberately lets someone else do the thing. Which, actually, character growth moment. Sort of.

[sandy-s.livejournal.com]

Nice thoughts... Made me be thoughtful about the finale. One thing thought about Angel (and I'm all for Spuffy...mountain of fanfic and all). I think she gets hung up on the what ifs with him...like you said, their relationship never was fully realized in some ways like you said, and combine that with him being her first love, that's powerful stuff...seen it over and over again with the teens I work with. And Buffy is quite young still despite being beyond her years in some aspects. Give her time....