What did I think of the season 7 finale and the series finale, Chosen?

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What an episode this was! Not only was it a great finale, but it was just an all-around great episode. If it weren’t for the fullscreen factor, this episode could’ve been shown in a movie theater and could’ve passed for a movie.

I think this episode served as a great finale, as it was able to wrap both the season’s story arcs and the individual character arcs, as well. As all fans of Joss Whedon know, character development is the prime focus of all his shows. Sure, there are vampires, demons, and evil incorporeal beings stalking this series, but it is the characters that make it the most endearing.

The episode literally takes off from where the last episode left us, and allows us to take a breather for only two minutes. I swear, this episode had the shortest teaser that I have ever seen on TV. It begins with Angel and Buffy passionately kissing, and then Caleb wants a rematch fight. AWESOME!!!

I really loved this fight, but upon rewatching it, I found it very funny as the two heroic characters of two of Joss’ shows were dukin it out. Plus, you had Angel. So you had all those heroic characters in that tight fight scene. It was a pretty awesome fight scene. I loved the fact that all those actors were in that scene together. It’s kind of cool if you think about it.

I thought Angel’s presence at the beginning of this episode and at the end of the previous episode, “End of Days” was wonderful. Especially after watching Angel. In the episode, Angel seemed to have a different air about him in this episode. I think that largely stems from Angel’s environment that he had been in on that season. Anyways, I digress. Many people wonder where in the timeline this appearance with Angel and Buffy actually occurs. The clue is in the airdates. The airdate for the Angel season 4 finale aired on May 7, 2003, whereas this episode aired on May 22, 2003. It places Angel perfectly in between his finale and Buffy’s, thus leaving and setting up perfectly for that respective finale.

I think the scene with Buffy and Angel inside the crypt has a little bit more resonance to it if you have seen the Angel series. It’s not necessary, but if you have, it makes things a lot more sense. Like you ralzie what the real purpose of the amulet he gives to Buffy in the Angel episodes that follow this current season. It’s quite interesting actually.

I really did enjoy the scene with Buffy and Angel in the crypt and outside of the crypt. I think David Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle Gellar have a real natural chemistry that you don’t often find in actors and their characters in these kind of shows often. It’s nice to see that genuine connection between the actors and between the characters. It was a really neat and cute scene between those characters.

The scene with Angel and Buffy was actually written a lot longer with a lot more dialogue than we actually saw unfold in the episode. In the original scene, in the same way Buffy filled Angel in on what had happened recently, Angel kind of filled in Buffy with what had been going on recently in his life. He was gonna tell her all about his feelings for Cordelia, and even the existence of his son, Connor. But due to the fact that they only had so limited time to film David Boreanaz’s material before jetting him back to shoot Angel, Season 5. But, as much as I would’ve loved to see how that scene would’ve played out, I still liked the way things unfolded as they did with this scene.

As much as I loved the Angel and Buffy scene, I liked how the relationship between Buffy and Spike played out in this whole episode, especially with the way things ended with the last episode with Spike seeing Angel and Buffy and he being really jealous about it. I’m glad they didn’t play this out, but I could’ve seen how they could have. Especially if we did have a season 8 that played out on television.

But I don’t think we could’ve had tension between these two characters for too long, especially with what was about to go one in the final moments of this episode. I really loved the moments between these two characters. They had definitely been through a lot in the past several seasons, and it really showed.

One thing I want to say about this episode is that it was very well executed and very well-written. When Buffy first breaks her plan to the group, you are not aware exactly what the “plan” is. You know that Buffy has one, and that it’s daring and that it’s gutsy. But you never know quite what it is until the last moments of the episode. It is quite awesome. It definitely got me excited to see how all the events were to unfold in the Battle of the Hellmouth.

I do want to say a few words concerning Buffy’s plan. There has been much debate whether what Buffy did was actually a good plan on her part. But I think it was. I think the whole season was building towards this moment. Buffy (albeit as the First) said it in the premiere episode, “It’s about power.” That’s what this season has been about. Power. I think to see what the girls did with that power was amazing. It really evened the odds in the fight against the First and the Übervamps (or Turok-Han). It also allowed all the other Potential Slayers to become Slayers, which I think is a great evolution for the series. It also gave us a shakeup for the Buffy series and the Buffyverse as a whole, which made things interesting.

This whole “Potentials becoming Slayers” plotline also could’ve been served as a teaser for a possible season eight of Buffy. I know that that was not Joss’ overall plan for this episode, as I know he planned to end it after this climactic season seven. But I think the last lines between Willow and Dawn really almost served as a backdoor to season 8, had the network decided to pursue latter seasons of Buffy. The lines I’m referring to are when Willow claims she can feel “them” (the awakening Slayers) and they would have to find them. That alone screams more season. A whole season (or at least half of a season) can be devoted solely to that story arc of finding and locating the new rising Slayers. But that’s mere speculation at this point. As, by this time we have a season 8 and it is awesome the way it is.

Another thing I liked about this episode is it seemed to wrap up certain characters’ storylines rather nicely. Particularly, with our main four characters that we had started the series with. I particularly liked the moment in between Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Xander where they are discussing like teenagers what they were going to do the next day. It was a very humorous and very telling scene in between all these characters. I particularly like this moment as it hearkens back to that original pilot that we saw in season 1 with the Trio’s trite talk, with Giles looking on. His line in this episode was extremely poignant, “The earth is definitely doomed.” I, for one, loved that and loved that was the line. It basically closed the door on those characters. It was a very well-written scene.

Sadly, some characters’ storylines had to be wrapped up in death. This episode suffered two character deaths that particularly sting. The first being that of Anya, and the other being that of Spike. For those of you watch Angel, know that Spike’s death never really stuck, as he returned in a big way when Angel returned in season 5. But the death for Anya is extremely sad, as we know that her character may not come back. Since season 8 is in comic form now, I guess anything is possible. I would prefer that this death be one sticks in the series. I think death is kind of necessary for a show like this, in where people can be revived by supernatural means. There has to be a death that sticks. It’s sad that Anya has to be that death, but alas, it had to be someone.

On the other hand, I loved Spike’s death scene. I think it was amazing how he went out. He went out like a real hero. I have kept it no secret that Spike is my all-time favorite character in the Buffyverse. Much of that is because of the awesome death scene that he gets in this episode. There really has been a full-circle evolution with this character, and it has been fun to watch in these seven seasons. I think Spike’s death scene is a death scene that any character on any TV Show and/or Movie should go. It should last and really tug at your heartstrings, allowing the character to die honorably. Especially after you’ve invested so much time and emotion into a character. Also, they have to have a really cool finishing line to go out on. I particularly loved Spike’s - - “I want to see how it ends.” Of course, not all death scenes have to be like that. Take Anya and Jenny Calendar for instance. But those deaths definitely had the right emotional pull that makes them stand out in your heart.

Another character journey that reached its pinnacle was the character of Willow Rosenberg. I mean this on a series scale and on a season scale. I don’t think what happened to Willow in the final moments of this episode anyone was prepared for. I certainly wasn’t. Willow had been tapping into demonic power and infusing everyone with that power. It was very possible she could’ve turned into Dark Willow again after this attempt. But she did not. She was a “white witch,” as opposed to a “dark witch,” which she had been at the end of season 6. So why didn’t Willow turn dark? I think the higher powers in the Buffyverse (or the Powers That Be, if you want to borrow an Angel term) knew Willows’ heart and knew she wouldn’t use that power for evil after everything that had transpired in the season. So, I think that was a very nice evolution for the character of Willow, an evolution that I think will continue into the season 8 comic.

Another highlight of the episode was the huge battle-scene at the end of the episode with Buffy and the Slayers. I think that this was probably the best fight scene I have seen in any TV Show. It feels real epic and you also feel the size and scope of it when they’re fighting. I think some of the best fighting moments were when Buffy, Faith, and the Potentials-turned-Slayers are handling the Scythe and using it to kill the Übervamps. It was some really tough fighting going on there. It also had that “wartime” feel to it with all the Potentials dying, which was kind of sad.

This battle came to a nice close with Spike’s sacrifice as the amulet not only destroyed the Übervamp army, but destroyed the Hellmouth itself. The visual effects for Spike’s “amulet-cleanup” was truly stunning to watch onscreen. I loved it.

Of course with this scene came the truly touching moment between the two characters of Buffy and Spike that really summed up what the characters had been going through. I know I was touched. I almost wanted to cry after Buffy said to Spike, “I love you” and his response was awesome. It was really a touching scene. You have to ask yourself, though. Did Spike not think Buffy loved her, really? Or was that just a way for Spike to make one last joke crack before he went out? I think it’s the latter. But that’s just me.

After Spike “dies,” all of Sunnydale is left in a hellish crater as the destruction of the Hellmouth really takes Sunnydale down with it. It was a really cool special effect. You really felt the intensity as all the Scoobies and the Potentials-turned-Slayers were all trying to escape the doomed town. The special effects really helped sell that. It was really cool to watch that destruction unfold as we had not seen destruction of that magnitude since Buffy blew up the high school in season 3.

This episode really ends on a highnote for the series. With the Potentials now all Slayers, Buffy does not have to fight the battle agains the forces of darkness alone. I think to some degree this lightens the load for Buffy a little bit. There was always this sense of ambiguity left with Buffy’s emotions during that scene. Because from the time they leave Sunnydale to the final credits of the episode, it is left pretty much up in the air how Buffy feels about this situation, especially due to the fact that she lost Spike.

In this last scene, it is very ambiguous as to whether Buffy will hang up the Scythe and stop fighting as a Slayer or whether she will continue on fighting. I honestly think with the Scoobies, as well as with Team: Angel as I noted in my Angel finale review, will always keep fighting against the forces of darkness. The battle will never be over and they will always keep fighting, as we know from the later season 8 comics. They will keep fighting and are now stronger than they were before with the addition of the Potentials-turned-Slayers. As long as there are demons and vampires out there, the Scooby Gang will always be fighting the battle (even though Faith wants to sleep for a week). Now maybe that wasn’t out rightly stated in the episode but it’s the feeling I kind of got with the whole thing.

The actions of Buffy in this episode play directly into Joss’ season 8 comic. In the season 8 comic, we will see how exactly giving her power to all the Potentials plays out and the real-world ramifications of it. I think season 7 flows pretty nicely into season 8. There is a definitely a progression between the live-action and the actual comics. But anyways, that’s for another time . . .

This episode was written and directed by Joss Whedon, which as most Buffy and Whedon fans alike know that that is a recipe for greatness. Joss has written and directed some of the great Buffy episodes such as The Gift, Restless, Once More With Feeling (just to name a few). I love Joss-directed episodes too. They seem to have just the right flavor in them, as opposed to other directors who’ll handle an episode. There’s a definitely wonderful feel to a Joss-directed episode as there would be any other episode, and definitely a higher standard of quality to those episodes.

The music featured in this episode was composed by Rob Duncan, who composed the Chosen theme (also known as Final Fight) played throughout the last twenty minutes of this episode. That theme and his music throughout the episode had just the right feel to it. It was awesome. I have listened to Rob Duncan’s Buffy score many a time. To me, it really summarizes what the series and the Buffyverse in general has been about. I definitely think that Mr. Whedon definitely had a hand in that. That’s what I love about Mr. Whedon’s television. He in involved in pretty much everything that the TV Show we’re watching is enjoyable and says something about the TV Show. Just look at the Whedonesque theme songs, and you’ll see what I mean.

All in all, a great episode. I enjoyed it a lot. It is one of my all-time favorite episodes of Buffy in the show’s history. As I’ve stated in an earlier review, I have an affinity for finales, and this one is no different. This episode had everything any Buffy fan could’ve wanted. I know I was extremely satisfied. I remember watching it at home on my DVDs, wanting more and thankfully there was still Angel. I extremely enjoyed this episode and cannot wait to see what Joss has up his sleeve as season 8 continues to unfold.

RATING: 10/10