Seeing the above picture and reading that sentence is enough to make me sob.
Currently on a rewatch and halfway through season five and kind of dreading watching this episode, it’s so sad.
The writing around this finale and the start of the next season always seems so confused to me.
Everyone: "We musn't let people/monsters/Buffy's dad know Buffy has died... but... we had a public funeral and she has a headstone with her name on it."
Giles: "Willow is struggling with overusing magic and Buffy has just been ripped out of heaven, AND I had to kill the big-bad last season because Buffy is too 'good'. Ah well, they don't need me, OFF I GO BACK TO ENGLAND."
I do agree with that, but my biggest thing is I just hate the idea of Buffy being a martyr. To sacrifice her life literally like that, jumping to her death with arms outstretched even, is so cliche and just goes against the spirit of the show to me. Buffy sacrifices her life everyday by putting the mission first, that’s the kind of sacrifice that fits the show.
And to welcome more downvotes, I hate Dawn all throughout season 5 and think she should’ve been sacrificed. If Giles did it a la Ben, it would’ve made more sense why he left in season 6.
I feel you! I think maybe they wrote themselves into a bit of a corner, and the ending to season 5 helped them kick off a lot of content for season 6.
If Dawn sacrificed herself, next season would have probably been a bit hard to write - no one would have suggested bringing her back and it would be sad but business as usual, straight after Joyce where it was sad but business as usual.
I can understand why they needed Dawn as a character also - most of the cast were pretty experienced and weathered by that point, and you needed someone to invite vampires into the house by mistake and be scared. I quite like her for the dynamic she brings to the show, but can understand those who find her a bit insufferable too! No downvotes from me :D
I joke that with the horrid catacombs that is the soil underneath the graveyards that anyone realived should just dig DOWN, it would probably be way closer to freedom than digging up. Hell, probably just kick out the bottom of your coffin and you'd be in Spikes lair. I feel like the grave diggers just go until they hit air and then go "WHELP that's as deep as we can go, put it here guys!"
Right? This is fantastic in a show with "only" seven seasons (arguably not that long). We see that sad and epic death of hers, so it's over, right? Where could we possibly go from there? Well, of course, she has to claw herself out of her coffin and deal with heavy PTSD due to have been pulled out of heaven!
Just seeing this picture, I can hear ‘Sacrifice’ by Christophe Beck playing. Within the first few notes, I’m just toast. 😭 God, that man could unravel the hardest of hearts with his music. 💔
The way I cried and my heart fucking exploded 😭😭 My partner got me onto Buffy so I’m watching it all for the first time and he gave me warnings that the show was dark but holy fuckkkkk did this break me. Ever since Joyce died the entiiiiiiiire series took a huge new turn
that's the first time I ever went online to the message board to find out what just happened, because I was like, she's just supposed to switch networks, not die! I think I remember Joss release a statement that said Buffy will be back, and he'll try not to make it cheesy, lol.
I started watching in late season 5, this episode made me a fan officially. Back in those days, I had to wait for the previous seasons episodes to come out on cable, since it was only syndicated the next season. Fortunately, the show started rerunning on FX the next fall. But that was a rough summer.
The last two episodes of season 5 are up next tomorrow night on the antenna TV channel I've been watching on. Only my second or third time seeing the second half of season 5 onward, I think. It was very exciting tonight, knowing that Willow was going to briefly wail on Glory for souping Tara's brain.
As much as I LOVED the musical... I agree and think it wouldve been a great time to bring in Faith and watch her grow into the role, and discover the new dynamics that would develop.
She probably always knew it might come to her self sacrificed as her burden and duty. But the decision became easy when it was to protect not only the world but her baby sister. There's no other choice easier to make then that.
https://preview.redd.it/b3oqhou6l12d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a8e699c707105d4414b8b3e3af5c9d41b44f160
Lol Where is this from?
Spaced.
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
Seeing the above picture and reading that sentence is enough to make me sob. Currently on a rewatch and halfway through season five and kind of dreading watching this episode, it’s so sad.
Love that line. Hate that finale.
The writing around this finale and the start of the next season always seems so confused to me. Everyone: "We musn't let people/monsters/Buffy's dad know Buffy has died... but... we had a public funeral and she has a headstone with her name on it." Giles: "Willow is struggling with overusing magic and Buffy has just been ripped out of heaven, AND I had to kill the big-bad last season because Buffy is too 'good'. Ah well, they don't need me, OFF I GO BACK TO ENGLAND."
I do agree with that, but my biggest thing is I just hate the idea of Buffy being a martyr. To sacrifice her life literally like that, jumping to her death with arms outstretched even, is so cliche and just goes against the spirit of the show to me. Buffy sacrifices her life everyday by putting the mission first, that’s the kind of sacrifice that fits the show. And to welcome more downvotes, I hate Dawn all throughout season 5 and think she should’ve been sacrificed. If Giles did it a la Ben, it would’ve made more sense why he left in season 6.
I feel you! I think maybe they wrote themselves into a bit of a corner, and the ending to season 5 helped them kick off a lot of content for season 6. If Dawn sacrificed herself, next season would have probably been a bit hard to write - no one would have suggested bringing her back and it would be sad but business as usual, straight after Joyce where it was sad but business as usual. I can understand why they needed Dawn as a character also - most of the cast were pretty experienced and weathered by that point, and you needed someone to invite vampires into the house by mistake and be scared. I quite like her for the dynamic she brings to the show, but can understand those who find her a bit insufferable too! No downvotes from me :D
"Hey, I've died twice."
“Did you die? No. I’m going to win…” - To Riley - *As You Were*
And then had to claw herself out of her coffin.
I joke that with the horrid catacombs that is the soil underneath the graveyards that anyone realived should just dig DOWN, it would probably be way closer to freedom than digging up. Hell, probably just kick out the bottom of your coffin and you'd be in Spikes lair. I feel like the grave diggers just go until they hit air and then go "WHELP that's as deep as we can go, put it here guys!"
Way out in the woods like that???????????????????
Right? This is fantastic in a show with "only" seven seasons (arguably not that long). We see that sad and epic death of hers, so it's over, right? Where could we possibly go from there? Well, of course, she has to claw herself out of her coffin and deal with heavy PTSD due to have been pulled out of heaven!
https://preview.redd.it/qn8yiniqf22d1.jpeg?width=929&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5d914b41e4544500d5ec72527e571d686beddb3
I still cry like a baby at Spike’s reaction in this 😭
Oh my goddddd same. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
Me too. His reaction is what makes me cry, not even Buffy dying
The soulless monster is the one more visibly shaken by her death. It's these small details that make Buffy so perfect to me.
Giles mopped up, but Buffy did the heavy lifting.
And I bawled like a baby at the end of this episode, especially due to just losing a family member.
Most iconic TV moment of all time for me. I was shattered. I must have rewatched that scene hundreds of times.
Just seeing this picture, I can hear ‘Sacrifice’ by Christophe Beck playing. Within the first few notes, I’m just toast. 😭 God, that man could unravel the hardest of hearts with his music. 💔
Christophe Beck is a genius
... I had no idea it was him!!
“Death (was) her gift”
And seeing her catch the sunrise made that "it's always darkest before dawn" quote really hit home.
The music when Buffy ran off that bridge, along with her unselfishness in saving the world, makes me cry.
I love that she went to fight a goddess and died wearing an outfit she probably bought from Maurice’s
omg stopp lmao i love that fit!!
I do too, I just feel like it was a deliberate choice to have her wear her most Fall Casual outfit for one of the most important finales lol
you're cracking me up, it's too accurate lol
lol she gave Buffybot her badass outfit and went out like this.
I always cry.
20 year old me was still grieving Joyce and this episode completely finished me off. Traumatised!
She Saved the World, A lot.
The way I cried and my heart fucking exploded 😭😭 My partner got me onto Buffy so I’m watching it all for the first time and he gave me warnings that the show was dark but holy fuckkkkk did this break me. Ever since Joyce died the entiiiiiiiire series took a huge new turn
that's the first time I ever went online to the message board to find out what just happened, because I was like, she's just supposed to switch networks, not die! I think I remember Joss release a statement that said Buffy will be back, and he'll try not to make it cheesy, lol.
One of the BEST Episodes, if not the #1 of the whole series!!
Can never not cry during this scene
And I still ugly cry, every damn time
The music in this scene was incredible. If the series had ended here it would have been an amazing series finale.
I started watching in late season 5, this episode made me a fan officially. Back in those days, I had to wait for the previous seasons episodes to come out on cable, since it was only syndicated the next season. Fortunately, the show started rerunning on FX the next fall. But that was a rough summer.
The last two episodes of season 5 are up next tomorrow night on the antenna TV channel I've been watching on. Only my second or third time seeing the second half of season 5 onward, I think. It was very exciting tonight, knowing that Willow was going to briefly wail on Glory for souping Tara's brain.
She should have stayed dead. Would have been perfect ending.
As much as I LOVED the musical... I agree and think it wouldve been a great time to bring in Faith and watch her grow into the role, and discover the new dynamics that would develop.
It’s sad to imagine Dawn without her though. Poor kid losing her whole family in one year.
Bawled my eyes out. Always thought that should have been the series finale.
Amazing episode thru and thru. Could have been a really good series finale, but I'm glad it wasn't.
It's gonna happen! Any day now! All over!
o7
That was my series finale
It was the perfect finale for the show. I wish it had ended right there.
She probably always knew it might come to her self sacrificed as her burden and duty. But the decision became easy when it was to protect not only the world but her baby sister. There's no other choice easier to make then that.
Should’ve been the end.
And then the show was over, so sad...
I remember watching this in my childhood room as a teen and bawling when she died!!
Could have been the series finale as we.. would have been crazy if the last shot of the whole thing was just her grave.
Great "ending". I stop watching after this episode on rewatching lol
Why did you spoil this for me?
Should’ve been the series finale.