BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

SEASON SEVEN

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: witchcraft, homosexuality, violence, sexual content

Rated:

The final season of the surprise television hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunites former favorites with newborn characters as the Scooby Gang faces their greatest challenge. A new Sunnydale High has been resurrected over the hell mouth, and Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) is eager to experience the insanity that is high school, complete with crushes on football players, the odd ghost in the bathroom, and fellow students convinced of their impending doom. Her older sister Buffy (Sarah Michelle Geller) becomes a constant presence in the school when the new principle sees how good she is with the youth, and hires her as a part-time counselor for troubled teens. Content with this position of authority that allows her to keep an eye on the school and its troubles, Buffy also attempts to piece the lives of her friends back together.

Willow (Allison Hannigan) is guilt-ridden over her evil rampage that ended in bloodshed. Sent to the Watchers Society in England, she is trained by powerful forces to learn to harness her magical skills, and then sent back to Sunnydale to fully recover. After inadvertently making herself invisible to the people she has wronged most, and nearly losing her life as a result, Willow starts to come into her own, learning to find her way again. Xander (Nicholas Brendan) is still suffering the consequences of leaving his fiance at the alter. Working full-time on a construction crew, he dreams of making things right with Anya (Emma Caulfield), who has resumed her role as a vengeance demon. Impassioned about her work due to anger over her jilting, Anya begins to see the error of her ways when her actions lead to the brutal slaughter of a house full of fraternity boys.

The true odd man out of the group is Spike (James Marsters). Found suffering from insanity and guilt in the bowls of the school basement, the infamous vampire that earned the title "William the Bloody" in his brutal siege on Europe is now contending with something far worse: the return of his soul. Much like his sire, Angel, the knowledge of his rampant slaughter and wickedness is too much for him to handle, resulting him to a pathetic wretch unable to look Buffy in the eye. While the two learn to trust one another again, dark forces arise from beneath Sunnydale in a plan for world domination. An original evil called The First has arisen, with the intention to bring about the end of the world. Killing potential future slayers one by one, it drives their ranks en masse into Buffy's protection on the hell mouth. Ultimately they are united against it, and with the assistance of Faith (Eliza Dushku) will battle to save humanity from infinite darkness.

Arguably one of the finest seasons in the series, the epic conclusion to the popular television show takes all preconceived notions about the slayer and her friends and turns them upside-down. The First cannot take any physical form apart from those of departed ones, and thus a legion of former friends and family appear to torment our heroes. Spike is contending with a new soul, but The First has found a way to manipulate and control him, unleashing him on a murderous rampage. Into the middle of it comes Principle Wood, the son of the slayer Spike killed in New York in the '70's. While this group of misfits forms an alliance, each one encounters their own self-contrived obstacles: Willow's fear of allowing dark forces to overcome her through use of magic, Anya's struggle for humanity in the wake of her vengeance powers, and everyone turning against Buffy. With many of the quirky moments of humor that the series is known for, the series takes a much darker turn midway through without ever becoming hopeless.

There are discussions on sex (Anya complains that she cannot even give it away for information) and anatomy, along with references to Willow's homosexuality. Several episodes feature sexual escapades: a high school jock with a bewitched jacket makes the women of Sunnydale fall madly in love with him, resulting in fun and games on a table with Buffy; Xander and Anya make love after a fight; with the apocalypse impending, everyone gets touchy with one another. Faith and the school principle have a graphic encounter, Xander and Anya wind up on the kitchen floor, and, more disconcerting, Willow and her girlfriend do a lot of tongue-kissing in bed. The lesbian couple don't overshadow the season, but are featured in a lip lock on several occasions. Language consists of numerous British expressions, along with American slang and mild profanity. Violence is extreme. Vampires and demons are pitted against the slayer and her friends. They are staked through the heart, or have their head cut off. Humans are attacked and brutally bitten. Buffy is beat to a pulp on several occasions, barely escaping with her life. Evil monks perform a satanic ritual involving bloodletting. Willow channels dark forces in order to open and close supernatural portals.

The physical villain this time around comes in the form of a Satanist masquerading as a Christian minister. He twists scripture for his own advantage, taking it out of context and applying it to his aspirations to become a god. A quip early in the season ponders whether or not God exists. (Buffy says there's nothing conclusive.) What makes the season outstanding is its ultimate conclusion, a hell-raising, tear-jerking finale that ends on a surprisingly positive note. Joss Whedon loved his fans enough to bring closure to Buffy's world, and even re-introduced Angel for a two-episode arch. It's far from perfect, but die-hard fans will find more than one thing to love.