I guess I have a chip on my shoulder (hah, chip) about Spike because I’m basically waiting for them to do something magical to make me excited about him again and it’s just likely not going to happen.

The background stuff was interesting but still did not, for me, provide that crucial link between why Spike is whiny and poetic and romantic in life and how he becomes that desperate-to-be-taken-for-a-badass fake David Bowie as a vampire. I mean, that’s a leap I make easily in my head but it’s so interesting that I would infinitely much rather see Spike’s first KILL as a vampire than see him deal with stupid mom-baggage that comes up way too late in the game to matter. And regardless of what anyone says, I don’t think that baggage provides insight into the last six seasons of him. Ugh. Fail.

I liked that bit at the beginning with “chip, soul, trigger” and how confusing they made it - great that they can poke fun at themselves but for heck’s sake - you should also figure out what all of those things mean. By giving Spike a soul they’re not deepening the concept of what a vampire with a soul means they’re undercutting it. It was what defined Angel. And then on Angel (you’re up to this part Scollins so don’t freak) you discover that having a soul doesn’t just mean that you’re a good guy. It can also mean that you’re still capable of doing bad things (WINE CELLAR) - just that you feel everything with the weight of frustration and need for morality that a soul gives you. Awesome. But Spike? Having a soul means you have a new thruline to make jokes. It has not changed him at all. It was stupid to give him a soul and then make him prey to The First. We never got to find out how the soul thing changed him versus what was just the effect of The First.

I like Principal Wood but for heck’s sake, you’re wrapping up seven seasons of your show and you are totally ignoring main characters (ANYA???) in favor of following the interesting but ultimately less compelling storyline of some new guy.

And they’ve totally lost Buffy. I mean, they lost her back during Season Six when they gave her that “back from heaven” baggage and then never explored it with any consistency except by having it manifest itself in an unhealthy relationship with Spike. I didn’t love the episode Restless but I think it’s a great marker for how the writers see the show. And the heart of that episode was that Buffy is different from other Slayers because of how strongly she’s connected to this world. Because of how important her friends and family are. And then they decided to take that away from her after dying. She makes the ultimate sacrifice and then comes back without feeling the same attachment to what she sacrificed herself for. Fine. Cool idea. But you need to work through it and then work her back to those relationships. Because that’s what your stupid show is about. Dammit. Because otherwise it’s boring. Buffy is boring. Cute blonde chick who kicks ass and says pithy things can’t carry you that far. Especially when she lacks any deep emotions. APATHY IS BORING TO WATCH WHY DIDN’T ANY OF THESE WRITERS TAKE IMPROV CLASSES.

All of the war talk and the General talk sounds silly. So silly. I loved the end of Season Three, but I don’t care about another cool war.

Also, I get that Giles has never been a fan of Spike but the idea that he would mislead Buffy so deliberately and half-assedly to get Spike out of the picture…

I want these last episodes to be a Valentine to long viewership the way that the end of Season Six was. And they’re just not.