If Buffy had ended with Season 5...

[Joe Washington]

What would have been your reaction to the series ending? Would you have been satisfied with the ending or left agonized by it?

I'm thinking of watching the Buffy series up to the end of Season 5 and stopping there. Do you think that would be a good idea?

 

[Jetfire]

I do. Season 6 & 7 were pretty much forgettable for me. Both had it share of good episodes...maybe a handful. Ending with season 5 would have been good for the series IMHO. 5 for me was the best season of BtVS.

 

[Sky]

I'm thinking of watching the Buffy series up to the end of Season 5 and stopping there. Do you think that would be a good idea?

No. You'd miss Once More, with Feeling, from season 6.

 

[RoJoHen]

Yes and No.

"The Gift" would have made a good series finale if it hadn't ended so abruptly. Give it another 5-10 minutes to wind down at the end, and it would have worked.

The thing I like about Season 7 (even though I agree that it's one of the weaker seasons) is that it FELT like it was building to the series finale. Season 5 was an amazing season, but it never really felt like it was intended to end the show.

Plus, despite the middle of the season being fairly mediocre, I think the beginning and end of Season 6 are absolutely fantastic.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I'm thinking of watching the Buffy series up to the end of Season 5 and stopping there. Do you think that would be a good idea?

No. You'd miss Once More, with Feeling, from season 6.

Yes, that alone makes 6 worthwhile.

 

[CaptMurdock]

Yes and No.

"The Gift" would have made a good series finale if it hadn't ended so abruptly. Give it another 5-10 minutes to wind down at the end, and it would have worked.

The thing I like about Season 7 (even though I agree that it's one of the weaker seasons) is that it FELT like it was building to the series finale. Season 5 was an amazing season, but it never really felt like it was intended to end the show.

I disagree. The whole thing with the vision of the First Slayer and the "Death is your gift"...that didn't scream "foreshadowing"?

Plus, despite the middle of the season being fairly mediocre, I think the beginning and end of Season 6 are absolutely fantastic.

Did we watch the same Season 6? Almost every character is written horribly, completely different from their past seasons, one character is killed in the stupidest, most pointless on-screen death in twenty years, and two others commit acts that are virtually irredeemable. This is supposed to be entertaining?

I'm thinking of watching the Buffy series up to the end of Season 5 and stopping there. Do you think that would be a good idea?

No. You'd miss Once More, with Feeling, from season 6.

Yes, that alone makes 6 worthwhile.

No, it's worthwhile watching that one episode, once.

It would have just been better if they ended with Buffy doing the big swan dive. Fade to black. Roll credits.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Season 5 is a weird season. I would say far from the best because it starts off so promisingly but is ruined by having the worst villain ever on the series take the 'Big Bad' role. I love a lot of the early episodes like "Buffy vs. Dracula" and "The Replacement" (my second favourite), but once Glory shows up, the whole thing goes to hell. People say Adam was boring, but at least he wasn't nearly as irritating as Glory.

Season 5 is the first season where I couldn't enjoy many consecutive episodes...just a few scattered throughout and a big reason is because I hate Glory and all story lines involving her so much. Thankfully, there were a decent number of great episodes she was hardly in or not in at all. I think the series pretty much died after "The Body" (the last true masterpiece of an episode), but that's such a bummer to stop watching on, so when I re-watch the series I go a little further (but skip the shenanigans at the end of season 5).

I agree that season 5 is the last even remotely watchable from start to finish season. If you skip the last two, you're not missing much. And for the record, I don't consider "Once More With Feeling" a highlight of season 6. There's a novelty to the first viewing, but after that, blah. I'm much more impressed by "Life Serial", "Normal Again", and "Tabula Rasa" which are all pretty self-contained and fun. After those and the last two episodes of the season, I check out season 7's "Storyteller" and I'm done. I think after season 4, it's better to just pick and choose. The show stops being something that can be relied on to go for more than about three episodes in a row before starting to suck.

 

[RoJoHen]

Yes and No.

"The Gift" would have made a good series finale if it hadn't ended so abruptly. Give it another 5-10 minutes to wind down at the end, and it would have worked.

The thing I like about Season 7 (even though I agree that it's one of the weaker seasons) is that it FELT like it was building to the series finale. Season 5 was an amazing season, but it never really felt like it was intended to end the show.

I disagree. The whole thing with the vision of the First Slayer and the "Death is your gift"...that didn't scream "foreshadowing"?

It only screamed foreshadowing to me upon rewatching it. Watching it the first time through I had no idea what was coming up.

Plus, despite the middle of the season being fairly mediocre, I think the beginning and end of Season 6 are absolutely fantastic.

Did we watch the same Season 6? Almost every character is written horribly, completely different from their past seasons, one character is killed in the stupidest, most pointless on-screen death in twenty years, and two others commit acts that are virtually irredeemable. This is supposed to be entertaining?

Underlined part: you'll have to be more specific.

I loved the beginning of Season 6 where we saw Buffy struggling with her return from Heaven, as well as the end of Season 6 with the Evil Willow arc. The stuff in the middle (aka The Double Meat Palace Arc) I could have done without.

 

[RoJoHen]

but once Glory shows up, the whole thing goes to hell. People say Adam was boring, but at least he wasn't nearly as irritating as Glory.

I personally loved Glory as a villain. She was fucking nuts and fun to watch.

 

[Jetfire]

^
I loved Glory! I think there was something special about season 5. Just me.

 

[Sheep]

What do you mean? Buffy DID end with season 5.

While I did like season 6, it didn't really work with the rest of the series. And it's best not to talk about season 7 at all.

 

[saturn5]

No I love season 7 for grown up Dawn and Faith being back if nothing else.

I would not have been happy to have it end with 5, I want Buffy and Dawn to walk off into the sunset holding hands and Buffy and Faith to die contented old ladies in their beds surrounded by their grandchildren. Definitely we needed seasons 6 and 7, Buffy is the exceptional slayer, she doesn't die before 25 like all the rest, she changes the world for the better

 

[Mr Light]

The original plan was to end it at Season Five. When Glory kills Tara (not stupifies her), Willow goes Dark Phoenix and kills Glory, then the finale is them having to stop/kill Dark Willow, and Buffy is sacrificed. Now THAT would have been a satisfying conclusion. I would have preferred that. S6 really just killed my love for the show, and while S7 was alright it wasn't amazing either. I hate it when my favorite shows have lame duck later seasons that kill the love (X-Files, DS9, Buffy).

 

[Too Much Fun]

No I love season 7 for grown up Dawn and Faith being back if nothing else.

I would not have been happy to have it end with 5, I want Buffy and Dawn to walk off into the sunset holding hands and Buffy and Faith to die contented old ladies in their beds surrounded by their grandchildren.

I was just thinking about this and it's one of the main reasons I didn't like season 7. I didn't much care for the character of Dawn in the first place. The way she was introduced to the show was an ingeniously audacious twist, but after that, she seemed to be an unnecessary character most of the time.

Faith's arc in season 3 is a highlight of the series and her return in season 4 for a two parter was a blast (except for Sarah Michelle Gellar's terrible performance), but when she came back in season 7, she was boring. I don't know what she was like on "Angel" (aside from her fantastic first two appearances on it), but as a reformed good guy on Buffy, she sucked. I liked her conversation with Spike about how they'd met before, but otherwise she was profoundly uninteresting to me in season 7.

And I can't believe people liked Glory! What was good about her? All she ever did was whine about the key or brag. She was just so shrill and cocky, and not cocky in an endearing way like Angelus (most of the time) and The Mayor. She was a pain in the ass who constantly talked and had nothing interesting to say. The only thing I liked about her was that she looked good, but her personality and dialogue were crap. Most of the time I just wished she'd shut up. Ben and her minions were a pain in the ass too. I didn't think anything about her worked as a character.

 

[stonester1]

We wouldn't have gotten season six and seven. No "Once More With Feeling", no "Conversations With Dead People".

That would be unacceptable.

 

[saturn5]

No I love season 7 for grown up Dawn and Faith being back if nothing else.

I would not have been happy to have it end with 5, I want Buffy and Dawn to walk off into the sunset holding hands and Buffy and Faith to die contented old ladies in their beds surrounded by their grandchildren.

I was just thinking about this and it's one of the main reasons I didn't like season 7. I didn't much care for the character of Dawn in the first place. The way she was introduced to the show was an ingeniously audacious twist, but after that, she seemed to be an unnecessary character most of the time.

Faith's arc in season 3 is a highlight of the series and her return in season 4 for a two parter was a blast (except for Sarah Michelle Gellar's terrible performance), but when she came back in season 7, she was boring. I don't know what she was like on "Angel" (aside from her fantastic first two appearances on it), but as a reformed good guy on Buffy, she sucked. I liked her conversation with Spike about how they'd met before, but otherwise she was profoundly uninteresting to me in season 7.

And I can't believe people liked Glory! What was good about her? All she ever did was whine about the key or brag. She was just so shrill and cocky, and not cocky in an endearing way like Angelus (most of the time) and The Mayor. She was a pain in the ass who constantly talked and had nothing interesting to say. The only thing I liked about her was that she looked good, but her personality and dialogue were crap. Most of the time I just wished she'd shut up. Ben and her minions were a pain in the ass too. I didn't think anything about her worked as a character.

I think people liked Glory because she was funny and hot if nothing else.
Season 7 Faith has a different vibe to her, she's not jealous of Buffy any more, she has everything Buffy has thrust upon her (she even gets Dawn) and realises how tough it's been for Buffy. The pair kissing and making up is wonderful.
Like Dawn in season 7 because they gave her more to do than just getting rescued and giving Buffy unconditional life. Plus Michelle grows from adorable moppet to truly beautiful young woman
I've never heard that storyline for the end of 5 before although I have heard versions where Riley, Oz, AI etc turn up to help and it's Faith ending up sacrificing herself. But I'm glad we had what we had, 2 more seasons of Buffy and more Tara, Faith etc

 

[Hermiod]

What would have been your reaction to the series ending? Would you have been satisfied with the ending or left agonized by it?

I'm thinking of watching the Buffy series up to the end of Season 5 and stopping there. Do you think that would be a good idea?

It would have been sad that she died, but in retrospect it would have been a good thing.

 

[label]

What would have been your reaction to the series ending? Would you have been satisfied with the ending or left agonized by it?

I'm thinking of watching the Buffy series up to the end of Season 5 and stopping there.

I think the Season 5 ending was much better than the Season 7 ending. The problem is, there's quite a few really good episodes in Season 6 - especially Once more with Feeling - and a few good episodes in Season 7 that make them worth watching.

That being said, if the show had ended with Season 5 and I never got a Season 6/7 I would have said one of the better endings ever.

 

[Lonemagpie]

It would have been the perfect and appropriate ending - the progression of Big Bads (Uber-vamp, Uber-Vamp team, Mayor, Government, Goddess) left nowhere appropriate to go.

We could have squeezed Once More With Feeling into season 5 as a Xmas special, and then launched another spinoff show if necessary...

I've said all along: Buffy had a perfect arc that carried a great show through to a perfect finale and ending. And then they made two more seasons...

 

[Warp Coil]

I agree that seasons 6 and 7 were a mixed bag, but I feel more satisfaction towards the ending we got than if the series had finished with Buffy's death in "The Gift". I really like a lot of the themes and episodes from seasons 6-7. There were just some creative mis-steps along the way, too.