[PoliVamp]

Hey! I got this idea at the Road to Sunnydale thread (go there, you'll enjoy it!) I'll do an episode-by-episode chronicle of Season 7 - my thoughts, hopes, and what happened behind-the-scenes (one of the reasons I can forgive the mucked-up middle part of the season). If it proves interesting enough, I'll go back and do Seasons 1, 5, and 6 (I need to rewatch 2, 3, and 4 on DVD before I can do them). I'll post new episodes as I get to them, which will hopefully be every few days. In between (and trust me, some of these later ones will be far longer than the earlier eps.

Here we go!

Lessons: I looked at this episode with trepidation. Would Season 7 start off with a bang? After repeatedviewings, I've decided that this is an average episode witha kick ass beginning and end. I originally thought that Kit and Carlos would become mini-Scoobies to Dawn, but such a thing didn't happen (given up for the First Evil plot). And I knew right away that the girl in the beginning was a SiT.

After seeing the episode, my mind went crazy with what might happen. Were all the Big Bads going to come back? Was Spike going to be evil with a soul? Is Buffy gonna end with everyone dying? I'll address each of these questions in subsequent episodes, but this episode left me very hopeful for the upcoming season.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Nothing much behind the scenes. I think at this point they began talking with James Marsters, Eliza Dushku, and Michelle Trachtenberg about possible spin-offs. None came to be, but they were still open.

[T O B Y]

I've been meaning to tackle this all day. And here I am now looking for reasons to avoid sleep, so that worked out.

The Beginning of the Literal End. The figurative one will come later, when the episodes start sucking, but, ah yes, the last season.

I don't think I was more anxious for a new season to start (not even after S2's killer ending), and that's funny because I disliked S6. Nonetheless, I was really excited.

Only small portions of the ep left me uninterested, mostly I was on a thrill ride. Being Spike Bias, I wanted to know everything about what's happened to him, and seeing him in the basement and crazy with dark roots was definitely surprising. I can't say what I originally expected, but, it wasn't that. I was naive enough to think it'd be a little easier than that [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]! But his ramblings were a highlight.

The ep overall I thought was pretty good. Decent story with tons of setups for what was too come. Like Nick and many others, I too immediately went crazy thinking what the end of the ep meant. I had heard all these rumors about that Glory appearence, so I thought she was coming back or something somehow, which I would have liked, but decided against that. I took the Beginning thing literally for a while too, guessing that the Last Great Foe of the series would be an all powerful vampire or pack of them much like the master. I didn't know. I even predicted an Evil Spike With a Soul, and Buffy ultimately having to kill him (WTF was I thinking?). So many interesting things coming out of the first ep. And I must mention I liked the dynamic without Willow. It was certainly better than whoever she became when she returned.

[AlexEvans]

Great idea for a thread. )

I really enjoyed "Lessons," which was a big relief - I hate Season Six with a passion.

The return to Sunnydale High was a big deal, it was great to get back to the roots.

I love the focus on Dawn in that episode... but it really raised my hopes, especially with her finding a pair of friends, that there would be more of this sort of thing, perhaps preparing the ground for a spin off (one BTVS spin-off is not enough).

Poor Dawn with Buffy embarrasing her... had to be mortifying. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] Shades of Buffybot.

Wood was interesting too - good or evil? Only I was sure if he turned out to be good he'd get eaten, as usually happens to Sunnydale principals.

[img]smilies/abduct.gif[/img] [img]smilies/read.gif[/img]

[Blue]

I liked Lessons well enough, but I didn't *love* it. The teaser was great, with the requisite amount of funny ("Little woman"), Crazy!Spike was interesting, the last scene with the First morphing into all the different Big Bads was absolutely amazing, and I liked Xander driving Buffy and Dawn to school (I have a thing for little things like that).

Of the not good: Willow and Giles in England. This was the start of the unrecognisable, dull, flat, monotone season 7 Willow that I hated. The actual talisman plot I found dull and it bugged the *hell* out of me that we never found out who was actually responsible for doing the spell and planting the talisman in the school. I also wasn't fond of Kit and Carlos. They were a bit anvil-y.

[Jaime Bee]

Originally posted by Blue: <STRONG>I liked Lessons well enough, but I didn't *love* it. The teaser was great, with the requisite amount of funny ("Little woman"), Crazy!Spike was interesting, the last scene with the First morphing into all the different Big Bads was absolutely amazing, and I liked Xander driving Buffy and Dawn to school (I have a thing for little things like that). Of the not good: Willow and Giles in England. This was the start of the unrecognisable, dull, flat, monotone season 7 Willow that I hated. The actual talisman plot I found dull and it bugged the *hell* out of me that we never found out who was actually responsible for doing the spell and planting the talisman in the school. I also wasn't fond of Kit and Carlos. They were a bit anvil-y.</STRONG>

I didn't really like Kit and Carlos either. Liked to see a new Sunnydale High. It gave the show the back to beginnning feel. I think I agree with everybody else it was an ok episode. I love JM curly dark hair. He played Crazy Spike well.
That Talisman thing was lame; we should have found out who put it there. The ending was really good. I think through the season we should have seen the First as the old Big bads. It would have made it more interesting to me.

[-Kelly-]

I can't wait for the S7 dvds in 2 months [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
I can't remember most of the eppys [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] since I don't have them on tapes *blushs*

[Kalika]

you know what i actually iddn't like this episode... course most of the buffy premires i didn't like a whole whole lot... favorites inclue season 1, and 6.. didn't hate 2 or 5.. wasn't a fan of 3,5 and 7. (now i'm just talking about premires here.. i love to death all seasons of buffy)
hmm.. i didn't like kit or carlos either.. but i was surprised that they were never EVER mentioned again.. oh well. spike was super hott i must say.. big fan of him being weird. i loooved the ending. the talisman didn't bug me too much. although i'm curious... why didn't some of you like willow?

[L u x i e]

Season 7 premiere was quite good, a little too Dawn-centered for me, but at least she grew up and was less annoying. Crazy Spike was..wonderful. The Big Bad morphing at the end? I didn't understand it at all at first, but ohh it was just so cool. Leave it to Joss to confuse me. The talisman didn't bother me, it was just a little thing, but Kit and Carlos were a bit, eh.

This season did not have enough Willow. I don't think she was dull and monotonous. Yes, she wasn't the bold powerful all mighty witch we were used to the past 2-3 seasons, but she was like the geeky submissive Willow we knew in the high school years.

[.*.~.Laura.~.*.]

I Loved Season 7 but i prefered the earileier episodes cause near the end it got kinda depressing to know thjat it was ending...i loved the spuffy moments in season 7 even the ones with crazy spike (which i found adorable)...I loved the Xander and Anya getting back together...and I hate kennedy she just dosn't seem right for willow...I didn't really like Season 7 Giles he was to different to me...I Loved andrew he was my faveorite and I loved spike and andrew scenes..I didn't really care much for wood my whole...liking him changed after Lies my parents told me...Dawn was better in this season more mature and grown up she kinda annoyied me in season 6...Loved faith coming back and I hated hiow they took Xanders Eye...and the some of the slayers like kennedy and Rona Bugged me but I Loved Amanda and Vi...Over all My fave episodes are "Him","First Date","Beanathe You","Touched" and "Potential"..Chosen was okay but it got me depressed but I loved the spuffy Moments:d

[L u x i e]

Yup, Dawn was way better. Not a snotty little brat like in season 6. And Kennedy..deserves to die. Enough said there. Her relationship with Willow disgusts me to no end.

[Bronson]

I liked Season 7 but there were some things about it that I did not like and wished they had done differently.


Likes:

Return of Faith--Great to see Faith redeem herself both of Angel and Buffy.

The closure between Buffy and Faith, Buffy and Xander, and Buffy and Spike. They were done very well. Both were very well done. I guess I might as well add the scene between Buffy and Angel as well.

I liked the episode where Dawn had fought off that invisible spirit. She was good. Too bad they did not continue that type of stuff with her.


Dislikes:

Not enough closure with the rest of the cast. (Buffy/Willow; Buffy/Giles; Dawn/Spike; Dawn/Buffy; Anya/Xander; and Xander/Willow. Especially since they were about to face certain death it would have made sense.

The Scythe and the Guardian: Left too many unanswered questions such as Where had the Guardian been all of this time? Why had she not shown herself by now? Buffy, Kendra, and Faith could have used her council many times. Why did the First uncover the Scythe if it could be used against it? Had any other Slayer ever used it? Why had Giles, a Watcher not ever heard of it? Why was it important to keep it from the Shadowmen? And Why only One Slayer?

A better scenerio with the Scythe would have been earlier in the season, Buffy had been visited by a past Slayer (maybe the one who preceded her) who would have given her a clue to its existance and its whereabouts. Sort of like "Death is your gift" in Season 5.

I thought that Willow, Faith and Giles were not used as best as they could have been. Willow was better on Angel when she restored his soul.

I will always hate the way they all turned on Buffy the way they did because they had one defeat. She should have kicked all of those ingrates out of her home.

Not sure how I feel about several Slayers. Maybe it would have been better to have only activated the ones in the house.

Aside from this, I loved the season.

PS did you guys expect that the all cast would be killed off?

[L u x i e]

I definetly agree that Buffy should have kicked all of them out of the house. That was one of the low points of the season. It was so sad to see her go, even if at times I hated Buffy. I blame it all on Kennedy, cause well, she thought she was SO much better, and she thought that after Buffy left she would be in charge. Then she gets annoyed with Faith because Faith wouldn't let her be in charge.

Ungrateful little girl.

[Sosa Lola]

This was my least favorite season, even though it had some good moments.

[The.Rebel.]

Loved the season but the only thing i hated about it was the lame ass spike "trigger in his head storyline" and the fact that the scoobies turned on buffy in 7x19 i would have called them all out on the crap they pulled in the past especially willow!

[ashleyt]

I Lessons just for the ending scene. The first morphing from all of the previous big bads and ending with Buffy "It's about power".

Awesome!