The (Last) Cover

It all began as a mid-season replacement on the nothing network owned by the Warner Brothers. Seven years later, the show was a cultural phenomenon, complete with a rabid fan base and the rare opportunity to control the demise of the show. Buffy's chief architect, Joss Whedon, skipped out on eventual cancellation by calling it quits in season 7, allowing the shows creators and writers to develop a satisfying conclusion to the myriad of story arcs and themes they toyed with over the years. While some felt the show had already "jumped the shark," most grieved the loss of their favorite group of monster hunting heroes.

Season 7 is a tribute to everything that made the show work. You had your great dialogue, stylistic cinematography and story arcs that defy expectations. While the monster-of-the-week appeared once or twice, season 7's major baddie, an evil presence called "The First," showed up in the very first episode. Sure, there were subplots galore throughout the season, taking us into the distant pasts of Spike and Anya as well as introducing new characters like Principal Wood and more than a dozen "potential" slayers. Like previous seasons, these subplots almost always help further the overall plot of the season, a testament to the skill of the show's ensemble of writers. 

Season 6 satisfied Whedon and Company's desire to destroy everything they had created, and by the end of it the show was littered with dead characters and full of sadness. No one seemed to escape the wrath of the writers. In season 7 we see all of the sadness and loss gathered and redirected. More than once you'll hear a rousing speech about the need to fight on and the struggle to defeat evil. However, the show still maintains its dark edge and it's destructive tendencies. So plan on seeing some key characters lose their place in the opening title credits by the time the dust finally settles.

Buffy's former teacher, Giles, says in the first episode, "We all are who we are, no matter how much we may appear to have changed." This mantra best encapsulates the mood of season 7. Buffy, Spike, Willow and others come to accept they're roles in the struggle between good and evil. And as the show comes to an end, the words serve as a reminder to fans that even through network changes and accusations that the show had lost its bite, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was more than a campy teenage drama. The show brought intelligent and inventive writing to an industry that thrives on duplication and cliché, it constantly chose to reinvent itself and in the process reinvented television.

Chosen

Alex's Thoughts on the DVD.
What I've seen so far is beautiful and just what we've come to expect from the excellent box sets that Fox Television has released in recent history. There are also some good extras (Buffy extras are always pretty solid), and here's the story officially from Fox:

DISC 1: Commentary for Lessons by Joss Whedon and David Solomon, ROM Content - Willow Demon Guide

DISC 2: Commentary for Selfless by Drew Goddard and David Solomon, Commentary for Conversations with Dead People by Nick Marck, Jane Espenson, Drew Goddard, Danny Strong, and Tom Lenk

DISC 3: Featurette - Buffy: It's Always Been About the Fans (Approx. 4:23)

DISC 4: Commentary for The Killer in Me by David Solomon and Drew Z. Greenberg

DISC 5: Commentary for Lies my Parents Told Me by David Fury, Drew Goddard, James Marsters, and D.B. Woodside, Commentary for Dirty Girls by Drew Goddard and Nicholas Brendon

DISC 6: Commentary for "Chosen" by Joss Whedon, Featurette - Season 7 Overview - "Buffy: Full Circle" (Approx. 36:00), Featurette - "Buffy 101: Studying the Slayer" (Approx. 15:00), Featurette - "Generation S" (Approx. 10:00), Featurette - "The Last Sundown" (Approx. 10:00), Outtakes Reel (Approx. 5:00), Buffy Wraps (Approx. 5:00), Easter Egg - "The Gift" Montage (Approx. :37)

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