(Contains some comments from my reviews of previous sets) I still can’t believe it. It feels like the end of an era. I was sad when “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” went off the air (the same for “Angel”), but now that the DVD release is coming out for the seventh, and final, season of the series, it really feels like the end. I can hope for further Buffy or Angel TV movies, but I doubt we will ever see them. I remember when the original movie “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” came out, I was pretty excited to see it. I love vampire flicks. However, as most of us were, I was horribly disappointed. A few years later, it was announced that a TV show of the same name was going to hit the small screen and I decided right then and there I would avoid it at all costs. I have now learned the error of my ways and am now quite sad that the series finally ended after seven seasons.

During the early part of the fourth season, after being told many times by the most unlikely of fans (my Mother) that I should be watching it. My wife and I finally caved and settled down to watch our first episode ever of “Buffy.” Our TV viewing life has never been the same. Unlike the movie, the show was smart, funny and extremely well written. Sure it was a bit silly, but underneath the near-camp spirit of the show was hard edged, thought provoking dialogue and strong characterization. We quickly learned that “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was easily one of the best and most original TV shows, ever.

As we settled in to watch more of the fourth season every week, we were hooked on the compelling story arcs and the growth that was taking place in the characters just within those few episodes. Silly as it may sound, we laughed and cried with the Scooby Gang. And as we quickly learned, the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, wasn’t above throwing in shocking events. No character, no matter how well loved, was safe. Watching the series, it was hard to believe that Whedon had also done the original movie. It wasn’t until later that I found out how control had been taken away from him, and the film turned into the mess it became.

The reason for the overall quality of the show rests not only in the able hands of Joss Whedon, but in the incredible ensemble cast of actors that have brought each of the characters to life. A couple of years ago, thanks to re-runs on the FX channel of the early episodes, we were able to see the changes that have taken place over the years. Not only have the characters grown, but you can see how the actor’s themselves have grown in their craft.

The original Scooby Gang, consisting of Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Nicholas Brendon (Xander) and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles) have all been given the opportunity to come to the forefront, and admirably so. David Boreanaz (Angel), was so good he was given his own show, taking along Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia). His series, “Angel” just ended after five successful seasons with the promise and hope of future 2-hour movies (Oh please… oh please).

Later additions to the cast, such as Emma Caulfield (Anya) and James Marsters (Spike), both went from being hated evil ‘Big Bads’ to great ‘good guy’ status. Both ended up becoming extremely popular characters, so much so in the case of Spike that he moved over to “Angel” in its last season after “Buffy” ended.

Even better than the re-runs on FX, was Fox’s decision to start releasing the series on DVD. We picked up each of the first four seasons without hesitation as they became available, allowing us to watch the show in order, from the beginning. And due to the wonder that is DVD, we had great extra features that gave us new insight to all the work that went on behind the camera.

Having already checked out the fifth season DVD set as few months back, we’re more than ready for the sixth season to come out, and regardless of the fact that we already saw every episode when they first aired, we were ready to sit through them again. The show is simply that good. I’ll get back to Season 6 in a bit. I want to write a little about Season 5 as there are some important carryover plot points.

(Major Spoiler Alert – if you have not seen the Fifth or Sixth Seasons)

The fifth season brought interesting new characters, a mind blowing and ultimately gut-wrenching story arc, and the end of the series run on the WB. Almost up until the filming of the final episode, no one knew if UPN was going to pick it up. I will say that if they hadn’t, and the series had indeed ended with the “The Gift,” I would have been totally satisfied. This is not to say I’m not glad there were two more great seasons, only that the ‘ending’ presented was a fulfilling one.

The addition to the cast of Michelle Trachtenberg as Buffy’s formerly non-existent ‘sister’, Dawn, turned out to be the biggest source of rumors to come out of the fifth season. Everyone wondered how Whedon would explain this character? Would it be silly? How would she fit in? Marvelously, I must say. Trachtenberg is a first rate actress who brought worlds of possibilities to the show, and Whedon’s justification for her existence was inspired. That fifth season also gave us one of TV’s finest hours with the episode, “The Body,” which found our characters dealing with the death of Buffy’s mom. I doubt any episode of any show has ever been this good. It showcased just how good the ensemble had become in terms of acting.

I mention again the final episode, “The Gift” only because it was such an emotionally charged episode. I said that the ending would have been totally fulfilling and I meant it. When Buffy gives her life to save Dawn, who in essence isn’t even her real sister, but is completely a part of her, there wasn’t a dry eye in our household. We certainly weren’t happy about Buffy’s death, but it suited the series. Most slayers did not have the advantage of long lives, and for her to pass on this way, tragic though it was, would have been a perfect ending for the series.

But it was not to be….

When we heard the news that the show was picked up by the UPN, we were thrilled. However, we were a little concerned as to how they would bring Buffy back to life. That last episode would be hard to top in terms of poignancy, and it was crucial that her resurrection be plausible in order for the series to maintain any form of credibility, at least amongst its fans. The night of the first episode of Season 6, “The Bargaining”, we were riveted to the TV for 2 hours. Right from the opening moments we knew that the new season would bring stronger characterizations surrounding how everyone dealt with Buffy’s loss. We saw Willow heading up the Scooby Gang with abilities almost frighteningly more powerful than before. She could project her thoughts and at one point acted as a lookout standing atop a crypt, giving orders not unlike a General in battle. As she had grown stronger, however, we wondered how well she would be able to control her powers, how they might change her. We learned that she was determined to bring Buffy back, no matter the cost. Good or bad, it had to be done. Early in the episode, as she prepared for the spell alone, we were lulled into a quiet and peaceful scene in the woods. In it a baby deer walks up to Willow, she strokes it’s face, then shockingly and brutally kills it for its heart. How acts like these would affect her later only became more evident as the season wore on.

We found that Giles, Buffy’s Watcher, was prepared to move back to England, as he felt he was no longer needed. He planned to let Anya take care of his Magic Shop in his absence. This evoked a mixture of sadness for us as the Scoobies dealt with his leaving; along with a bit of humor in Anya’s impatience for him to leave so she could take over the shop. One scene involving one of his going-away presents, in the form of a finger puppet and the term, “Grrrr, Arrrgh.” alone is worth watching for any hardcore Buffy fan.

The Scoobies then gathered over Buffy’s grave, prepared but apprehensive of what they were about to do. Their spell was interrupted by a gang of demons, who upon learning of Buffy’s disappearance had decided to take over and ravage Sunnydale. The ensuing chaos causes the gang to scatter, believing all is lost, and that Buffy is actually gone forever.

We then saw the decomposed body of Buffy as it became restored in her coffin. We watched as she clawed her way out and up through the dirt. Dazed and confused, she wandered back to town. She saw the rebuilt Buffy-bot (who was currently filling in for her) drawn and quartered by the rampaging band of demons, then ran for her life when they gave chase. She finally runs into our now re-grouped Scoobies, who mistake her for the Buffy-bot, but only for a moment. She runs away, but they quickly catch up to the cowering Buffy. One by one, they try to reach out to her but were interrupted once again by the demons. As the inevitable fight broke out, Buffy joined in and kicked some major butt. Still confused, she ends up running again.

She runs back to the tower where she sacrificed her life for Dawn’s. Dawn, who is on the run from the demons also finds her way to the tower and climbs it. At the top she finds Buffy, staring over the edge, unsure of where or what she is, looking as though she’s ready to jump again. Dawn pleads with her to stay. As the tower starts to buckle, not knowing how Buffy can be back continues to try and break through whatever mental barrier is keeping her away. Only when the tower starts to collapse, does Buffy respond, narrowly saving them both from a certain death. On the ground, Dawn holds Buffy and tells her everything will be okay, she’s home. Fade to black.

(End of Spoilers…)

Season 6 ended up being a strange one for the series. It was much darker and adult in tone than previous seasons, and held a lot of plot points that didn’t sit well with some fans. Buffy’s almost animalistic sexual appetite for example was just a little bit too much for some, and her choice of partners… well… brought with it all sorts of problems. The season’s Big Bad, as it were turn out to be the Nerds of Doom. Made up of Jonathon (Danny Strong), Warren (Adam Busch) and Andrew (Tom Lenk), this ‘Troika’ of wizard wannabes brought an interesting mix of humor and pathos to the season. For the most part these guys were just plain funny; especially with all their continuous comments about “Star War”, “Star Trek” and other fan geek subjects. However, there was a darker side to the trio, brought to the forefront with shocking reality by Warren, who eventually becomes one of the worst of all monsters.

The final three episodes of the season are amongst the most powerful as Warren causes the death of a ‘Scooby’, pushing Willow quite past the edge of madness. Her anger completely takes over and she becomes a force of reckoning the likes the series had yet to see. Her revenge is swift and horrendous, and unfortunately almost lethal for the entire world. As Willow, Allyson Hannigan delivers tour de force performance as she becomes everything she has spent her teenage years fighting.

As the fifth season had its standout episode with “The Body”, so did the sixth. “Once More with Feeling” became further proof that Joss Whedon is a multi-talented genius. He chose to make it a Musical Episode, which for most shows would be disastrous. Whedon wrote the songs, which I have to tell you as a lover of musical theatre, would have been as welcome on any stage as they were in this episode. Even the fact that half the cast couldn’t sing did not in any way detract from the quality, style and production of the songs. Each song perfectly summed up the character to which they were given, and they were performed effectively. The emotional triggers were more than just a little pulled here. By the end of the episode, we were in tears. We loved the songs so much that when they became available on a bootleg CD, we got one to listen to in the car, which we did… a lot. Later an official CD was released, and of course we had to get that, too.

Now, the Seventh Season DVD release…..

The idea behind the seventh season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was to try and bounce back from some of the gloom and doom of the sixth season. Of course this was difficult as everyone pretty much knew ahead of time it would be the final season, so it was inevitable that gloom and doom would still permeate the stories, how could they not? There was a sense of renewal however; as the season marked the return of Buffy’s sense of humor as well as the rebuilding of Sunnydale High (which you all remember was all but destroyed a few seasons back. Once again it is perched atop the Hellmouth and its existence, as well as its connection to the coming Apocalypse du jour, brings Buffy and the gang full circle.

The Big Bad this time around comes in the form of The First, an evil entity we have seen on the series before. I had almost forgotten about it until it started unleashing its own brand of malicious mental torture on the Scoobies. You see, it generally manifests itself in the form of someone who has died, so you can imagine the emotional turmoil that it unleashes.

We also meet The First’s evil henchman, who is capable of doing far more physical damage than his boss. He is called Caleb, and he is a very charming yet malevolent preacher, played with aplomb by Nathan Fillion. Whedon has a wonderful habit of pulling from a particular stable of actors that he has worked with previously. In Fillion’s case, he was the lead in Whedon’s “Firefly”, which by the way was cancelled WAY too soon. It was a great show, that at least thankfully saw the light of day again with a ‘must own’ DVD set and will again next year with an upcoming feature film.

The seventh season also brought huge changes to many of the cast members, some of whom do not survive past the series finale. Willow comes back from her exile in London, where she was being cared for under the watchful eye of Giles. The magic she was able to conjure overpowered her and she needed to learn to control it, as opposed to it controlling her.

Perhaps the most interesting change came about with the pulling together of potential ‘slayers’, who at first gathered merely in attempt to save their lives, but in the end became the most powerful army that the forces of evil had ever faced off against. This led to the biggest change of all for the future slayers, that which I will not reveal here for fear of ruining the surprise for those who haven’t watched it yet. Let’s just say when it happens, it is one of the coolest scenes of the series.

As in the previous DVD sets, the seventh season offers up some great extras. Normally, commentaries are my least favorite feature, but anytime I have an opportunity to listen to Joss Whedon, I jump on it. I really consider him to be a creative genius, and though his commentaries and interviews are often filled with self-deprecating humor, they are never less than entertaining. All of the commentaries in this set are more than worthwhile, but definitely listen to Whedon’s comments on the episodes “Lesson” and “Chosen”. There are five additional commentaries, most of which are great. One of the best is a yuk fest between writer Drew Goddard and Nicholas Brendan on the episode “Dirty Girls.” The two are obviously having a good time and that makes it extremely fun for listerners.

Of course, one of the most desired features that you rarely find on DVD sets, are outtakes. Here on the seventh season set, we get a look at some classic flubs, goofs and blunders that I’m sure most of the actors wish we didn’t see! As for the featurettes, there are several, including one about the fans and a look at the wrap party for the final episode. There is also a fairly lengthy overview of the entire season, which I only recommend watching if you have already seen all of the episodes.

Overall, this is was a very satisfying of all the set and I for one, only wish there was going to be more. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” has hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the world, and deservedly so. I know that fans are going to flock to these DVD sets, but more so I hope more new fans will be made from those willing to take the plunge by watching what I consider to be one of television’s best shows ever.

Episodes:
Lessons
Beneath You
Same Time, Same Place
Help
Selfless
Him
Conversations with Dead People
Sleeper
Never Leave Me
Bring on the Night
Showtime
Potential
The Killer in Me
First Date
Get It Done
Storyteller
Lies My Parents Told Me
Dirty Girls
Empty Places
Touched
End of Days
Chosen

Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Marc Blucas, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, James Marsters, Amber Benson, Anthony Stewart Head
Extras: Commentary for “Lesson” and “Chosen” by Joss Whedon, Commentary for “Dirty Girls” by Writer Drew Goddard and Nicholas Brendan, Commentary for Lies My Parents Told Me” by David Fury, Drew Goddard, James Marsters and DB Woodside, Commentary for “Selfless” by Drew Goddard and David Solomon, Commentary for “The Killer in Me” by Drew Z. Greenberg and David Solomon, Commentary for “Conversations with Dead People” by Various Members of the Cast and Crew, “Buffy: It’s Always Been About the Fans” Featurette, Season 7 Overview, “Buffy, Full Circle” Featurette, Buffy 101: Studying the Slayer”, Outtakes Reel, Buffy Wraps, DVD-Rom Feature – Willow Demon Guide
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Fox
Release Date: 11/16/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Buffy, The Vampire Slayer: Season 7 an A.