"Chosen"

Written by Joss Whedon
Directed by Joss Whedon


In which Buffy leads the final assault against the First and his army of Turok-han, using the properties of the scythe in a way that changes the destiny of the Chosen forever...

Synopsis - Analysis - Memorable Quotes - Observations


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Synopsis

As the episode begins, Buffy and Angel break their kiss. Angel explains that he came to deliver the information about the First that he was provided. But his explanation is cut short when a still-mobile Caleb knocks him across the temple. Then Caleb turns his attention to Buffy, knocking her around until she rips him in half...starting with the crotch.

With Caleb dealt with, Buffy takes the file from Wolfram and Hart. Then Angel pulls out the amulet that came with the file, which he had been told would unleash some kind of purifying power in the final battle. Of course, it was made to be used by someone ensouled with the power of a champion. Angel assumes that he is the one meant to wear it.

As Spike leaves, having heard enough, Buffy tells Angel that she can’t let him be there at her side. She claims that she needs someone she trusts to prepare a second front, just in case her plans fail. But Angel doesn’t buy that. He can smell Spike all over Buffy, and he assumes that she has chosen Spike over him. Angel’s not much happier to learn that Spike has also regained his soul, and that Buffy seems to believe that Spike is different now.

Buffy admits that Spike is in her heart, even if they are not together. She’s well aware that her choices with men have been pathetic, but she doesn’t see how that matters in the current situation. More than that, she realizes that she hasn’t been able to make things work because she hasn’t become her own person yet. Without that self-knowledge, she’s not ready to find someone to share her life with. Angel wonders if she has anyone in mind. She reminds him that she’s not thinking that far ahead...but when she does let herself think about it, he’s the one. He assures her, as he leaves, that he’s not getting any older.

Buffy returns home, where Dawn greets her with a kick to the shin. Rather than argue, Buffy just accepts Dawn’s return, focusing instead on the matter at hand. He informs the Scoobies that Caleb is dead, and then goes to visit Spike. Spike lets her know that he saw her kissing Angel. When Buffy informs Spike that Angel is gone, Spike assumes that it means he is the one supposed to wear the amulet. Buffy tells him that Angel said it should be worn by a champion...and then she hands it to him.

After a bit of posturing, Buffy falls asleep in his arms, but it doesn’t last. Thoughts of the coming battle lure her out of bed, and then the First comes in Caleb’s form. The First taunts Buffy about her lack of resources, pointing out that it has a growing army. It knows that it will defeat Buffy, overrun the earth, and be made flesh.

Taking Buffy’s form, it reminds Buffy that none of her Potentials will ever have real power, not until Buffy is dead. After all, only one girl alone in every generation can be the Slayer. Buffy agrees, but then Spike awakens, and the First disappears. Spike notices that Buffy is out of sorts, but she tells him that it’s not a bad thing. In fact, she’s figured out how they’re going to win.

After Buffy explains her plan to the gang, everyone is stunned. Giles thinks the idea flies in the face of everything that has been done in the past, and that it’s a brilliant idea. Willow, though, is petrified, not sure that she is stable enough to do what Buffy is asking of her. Buffy lets all of the Potentials choose whether or not they are going to be a part of the final battle. She intends to open the Seal and go down into the Hellmouth, so she can take the fight to the enemy.

At Sunnydale High, Faith and Wood close off all access points to the sewers or other non-school exit points. Wood derides Faith for her attitude with him lately, since after sleeping with him, she’s been blowing him off. He figures that she needs to give men a chance, rather than assume what all men are like. He asks her to make him a deal: if they live through the fight, she has to let him surprise her. She warily agrees.

Willow, meanwhile, continues to worry over her reaction to invoking the kind of magic she’d need to channel. But Kennedy promises that she’ll keep her grounded, and if need be, kill Willow if things go wrong. Only Kennedy has faith that Willow will be able to maintain control.

At the same time, Giles, Xander, Amanda, and Andrew engage in one last D&D session. Anya, of course, sleeps through it all. Buffy stares out into the night until dawn, when she goes down into the basement to retrieve Spike, who has been contemplating the amulet.

Finally, when morning comes, the gang arrives at Sunnydale High. Faith and Spike lead the Potentials down to the Seal to await Buffy. Kennedy starts setting up Wood’s office for Willow’s spellcraft. Wood identifies the three directions in which any escaping Bringers or Turok-han will be funneled; the remaining six humans break into teams of two to cover those exit points. Xander and Dawn take one exit, Giles and Wood take the second, and Anya and Andrew end up with the third.

Wood, Dawn, Anya , and Andrew go to scout out their respective positions, leaving the original Scooby Gang together for what appears to be the final time. They joke around like they used to in the old days, until they finally part to attend to their duties. Buffy joins the Potentials in the basement, where they all cut open their palms. Their blood opens the Seal, and they descend as Willow begins her spell. Buffy’s army stands on a small ledge overlooking a valley filled with Turok-han, all ready for action.

Before Willow can complete the spell, the Turok-han notice their presence, and rush towards Buffy’s position. But as the spell begins to activate, Buffy’s plan is revealed. Buffy has realized that the rule of having only one Slayer in each generation was something that the Watchers decided. But now, with the scythe of the Guardians in their possession, nothing says that Willow can’t tap into the power of the Guardians and grant every woman with even the slightest potential to be the Slayer the power of the Chosen.

Tapping into the ancient legacy of the scythe, Willow assumes her full potential and unlocks the power of the Chosen in every Potential, including an untold number of women with hidden potential around the world. Now fully empowered, the Slayers meet the Turok-han head on. The spell complete, Willow hands Kennedy the scythe, so she can deliver it to Buffy. The battle fully enegaged, the Slayers stand their ground, but some of the enemy slip past.

Anya finds herself suddenly terrified, which she wasn’t expecting. But Andrew helps her build some resolve. As the humans begin defending themselves, and something begins happening to Spike through the amulet, Buffy is run through from behind. She falls to the ground, stunned. Faith fights her way to Buffy’s side, and Buffy slides her the scythe, telling Faith to hold the line.

But the line slowly breaks down. Anya is ripped nearly in half, and Wood is gutted. Faith is brought down by three Turok-han, and Amnda is killed. Buffy watches it all, and then the First appears to taunt her. The First congratulates Buffy on almost succeeding, but that turns out to be the wrong thing to do. Buffy pushes herself to her feet, and with renewed vigor, rallies the troops.

Faith pushes her way back up to her feet, and as the Slayers drive back the Turok-han, the amulet around Spike’s neck activates directly under the Seal. A power like amplified sunlight shines through the amulet, ripping through the hell dimension for miles around, wiping out the Turok-han with its slightest touch.

The Slayers retreat, grabbing everyone but Anya on the way out. A badly injured Wood directs them to board a nearby school bus. Buffy waits for Spike, but he insists that he must stay to finish the job. They both know that Spike will not survive, and Buffy tells Spike that she loves him. He tells her that he knows she doesn’t, but that doesn’t take anything away from the gesture. Buffy rushes out as the Hellmouth begins to implode.

As Wood hits the gas, trying to get away from the collapse of the Hellmouth, Buffy runs to the roof of the school. She manages to catch up with the bus and jump on its roof just as she runs out of roof, as the gaping maw of the closing Hellmouth expands more and more. Under the Seal, Spike’s flesh dissolves away.

As the bus rushes towards the edge of town, Sunnydale is completely consumed. When it’s certain that they are clear of the destruction, Wood stops the bus. The survivors look back on the huge hole where Sunnydale used to be, and Buffy tells them that Spike was the one that made it happen. Andrew tells Xander that Anya died saving his life, which Xander appreciates.

Faith finds Wood behind the wheel, and when he seems to die, she is genuinely bothered by the loss. But he surprises her by fighting his way back to life. The gang marvels over the realization that the Hellmouth in Sunnydale is now closed forever, and that Buffy is no longer the Chosen One. Now there are an untold number of Slayers that they need to find, so the Chosen can understand their legacy. But for Buffy, there is only the choice of how she wants to live, now that her future is her own.

And finally, no longer carrying the weight alone, Buffy Summers smiles.


Analysis

And so it ends.

After all the speculation about how Joss could manage to bring Buffy’s crushing responsibility as the Slayer to an end without killing her off for a third time, and the questions about how the balance might be restored with two Slayers running around, it’s great to see a solution that was completely unexpected. Sure, it brings up some interesting problems in terms of reconciliation with what has been revealed in the past, but in its own way, it makes perfect sense.

Ironically, it was the First that gave Buffy the idea, which ought to annoy the ultimate evil to no end. After all, for quite some time, the question was how to restore the Balance, especially since the First had already amassed more than enough strength to overcome the Chosen. Even if Buffy and Faith had died, leaving the power in the hands of a single Slayer, would that have been enough to force the Balance back to its former state?

The answer, of course, is no. Granted, it was easy enough to assume that it was possible, but once reminded, one recognizes that a Balance is always a fluid situation. If the equilibrium shifts too far to one side, then the entire system has to compensate. Buffy’s initial resurrection might have been enough to undo the delicate state of Balance in the first place, but once the First made its move, an equally bold move was required on the part of the Chosen.

In essence, the long-held theory that a new Council would be created in the wake of the final battle was realized. Giles and Willow clearly intend to find the aborning Slayers, and with the newfound knowledge regarding the Guardians, whatever organization they create to see to the needs of the Chosen is unlikely to repeat the mistakes of the former Watchers Council. At the very least, Willow appears to have taken on the power of the Guardians, defeating the darkness within, so a more female-friendly Council is certainly in the cards.

They can certainly count on most of the others helping in the task of preparing the Slayers for their ongoing battles. Xander and Andrew certainly have nothing better to do, and each have issues that they need to work out. Faith and Wood might even join in the fun, especially now that Faith doesn’t have to feel like she’s competing with Buffy anymore.

Clearly, the next phase of the battle against Evil would be the theme of any future spinoff from this finale, and the obvious choices are all very interesting. One would hope that such a series would center on the search for the Slayers, and delve into the details of how Buffy’s decision affected the Balance. Certainly it counters the First’s move very well, bringing the system back towards a state of equilibrium. But at the same time, it’s clear that there are problems that come with such a massive shift in the status quo.

It would also be interesting to see some of the repercussions trickle down into the fifth season of “Angel”, especially since that series’ fourth season finale figured directly into the series finale for “Buffy”. One would assume that the Senior Partners might have some issues with thousands of new Slayers appearing around the world, and Angel sits at the heart of their operation on Earth.

All of which, of course, figures into Spike’s fate, which is certainly a matter of debate. Once upon a time, Angel was the only “vampire with a soul”, so all of those prophecies relating to some grand, mysterious role in “the end of days” resulting in the restoration of humanity seemed to refer to him. But Spike’s actions during this season of “Buffy” certainly qualify as an ambiguous yet critical role in an apocalypse, and if Spike is to be restored, a regained humanity is definitely not something to be ruled out. It would also make for some interesting reactions and repercussions on Angel’s part!

However, since Spike’s addition to the cast of “Angel” was decided after this episode was written, his actions should be considered in light of his character’s development on this series. That said, this is one of the best and most unexpected endings for a character that one can think of. Even in the wake of Buffy’s conversation with Angel, clearly indicating that Buffy is meant to be with Angel in the end, her final moments with Spike are just as meaningful. If there has ever been a story about how love conquers all, Spike’s redemption stands as one of the best examples.

Faith’s own redemption is a bit less clearly drawn, but when her complete character arc is taken into account, it’s not badly done. Her personality remains strong-willed, to say the least, and she’s only beginning to make up for the sins of her past. But the fact remains that Angel’s faith in her has been rewarded, and that Faith ought to stand as one of the strongest allies to the new Council when it forms.

Willow began her interests in magic largely out of a desire to make herself useful, especially in the latter part of the second season. Bringing her character to the level of a minor goddess is not only appreciated, but perfectly in tune with the overall theme of the series. Much as Buffy has needed to come to terms with her role as the Chosen, Willow has needed to take hold of her own power and gain the confidence to overcome her personal demons. This is the perfect final step in Willow’s evolution.

Giles, on the other hand, suffers a bit from his lack of involvement since the end of the fifth season. He essentially left the series at that point, with his character arc more or less completed. Having played the father figure, he realized that Buffy couldn’t grow if he remained. Ever since that point, his place on the series has been less well-defined, and so this ending only seems to apply to his role as Watcher. Having once been Buffy’s Watcher, official or otherwise, he can now stand as the wise elder, aiding in the formation of the next incarnation of the Watchers (or whatever they might be).

It’s also not clear where Xander falls in all of this. His role on the series was never completely clear, other than to stand as the loyal companion, no matter what the odds. Even Xander admitted in “Potential” that he wasn’t much of a contributor to the whole effort, other than to provide the occasional insight. His strongest character thread came in the early years, when he was playing Junior Watcher. Perhaps, in the end, that is the direction of his future.

Dawn would also seem to have been groomed for such a role. That seemed true enough in “Potential”, where a parallel was drawn between Xander and Dawn in terms of how they contribute. Her character has never had much direction since the end of the fifth season, but at the very least, she has been less and less annoying during this final season. Still, of all the foreshadowing that was laid out earlier in the season, Dawn’s vision of her mother in “Conversations with Dead People” didn’t quite come to fruition.

If anything, that is the main complaint one could make about this episode. Hints and allegations were laid out all season, but some matters that could have been better explained were never touched upon again. Exactly how did Buffy’s return from the dead break the Balance? What was the nature of the Balance, and how will Buffy’s decision actually pan out? Will Buffy change her ways and learn to let people into her world, now that she no longer has to bear the burden of the Chosen on her shoulders?

Of course, that brings up a completely different issue. All season, the implication was that the First was using the Bringers to eliminate all of the Potentials around the world. Giles was doing everything in his power to gather the last surviving Potentials in Sunnydale, so Buffy could protect and lead them. While that was a nice bit of foreshadowing with regards to the new status quo, it would seem to preclude the idea of thousands of other Potentials out in the world that could now start becoming Slayers.

After all, if they had the potential, shouldn’t the First have targeted them? And if they are still alive, shouldn’t they have been gathered by Giles? Granted, Giles was using various resources to identify the Potentials and might have easily missed those with significantly less chance of being Chosen, but for the First’s plans to succeed, it would have needed to eliminate every single Potential. So it doesn’t make sense for there to be all these Potentials out in the world, unidentified to the end.

Unless, of course, the implication is that all women have the Potential, and it just comes down to some unspecified characteristic that makes some women more likely to be Chosen than others. Therein lies the flaw. Shouldn’t that characteristic have been revealed or explored at some point, especially when the question of gathering the Potentials was at hand? This is a major hole in the entire episode, effectively unhinging the entire season by implying that even if Buffy had failed, the First would never have succeeded.

Or was that the point? Could Joss have meant for the conclusion to be that the First was attempting something equally as impossible at its own destruction? After all, if the First is the manifestation of all Evil, then perhaps the power of the Chosen is the manifestation of all Good, as channeled to the Slayers by the Guardians. In essence, the First (and by extension Caleb) would have been the personification of a male Evil, opposed in equal measure by the personification of a female Good. Talk about female empowerment!

If that was the intention, then it should have been stated more clearly. There is only a hint of this possibility along the way. Perhaps this was the point of Joyce coming to Buffy in a vision, as some kind of avatar of the Guardians or the power that lies behind them. It’s all very philosophical and metaphorical, but unfortunately, it’s also never given a bit of real explanation or contemplation.

It’s also not clear why the Seal suddenly became the doorway to the Hellmouth. Whatever happened to the snake-like creature from the earlier seasons? Did something happen in “The Zeppo” or “Graduation Day” that changed the nature of the Hellmouth, creating the Seal? Or was the rising power of the First the trigger for the new status quo under Sunnydale? Perhaps the growing army of Turok-han drove off the demons that had previously been waiting behind the Hellmouth, or those demons were content to let the Turok-han lead the way!

Whatever the case, it’s good to see the series finally mention that there are other Hellmouths. One might assume that there was something specific to the Hellmouth under Sunnydale that made it more important or critical than the others. This would probably have something to do with the implication from last episode that the last pure demon was driven from the world through the Hellmouth at Sunnydale. Still, the demonic activity in Los Angeles would seem to suggest that there were others, and of course, there’s always Cleveland.

So will another Hellmouth now become the center of the worst demonic activity, or has Buffy been an even more powerful agent of change? Could the closing of the Hellmouth under Sunnydale mean that demons will find it harder to bring about an apocalypse on Earth? Once again, this points to the fifth season of “Angel” as a perfect place to address such issues. Wolfram and Hart ought to be the kind of organization with its finger on the demonic pulse, as it were.

Even with all of these larger questions lingering after the final frame, there’s no lack of closure. There are very few series that have ended so well, going out on a definite high note with a truly satisfying final episode. If anything, this episode leaves one hungering for more, rather than being happy to see an end to the damage of a once-great legend. And given that this has been the story of Buffy and her struggles with life as the Slayer, it is fitting for the series to end with her apparent liberation.

Though others might disagree, this reviewer found “Buffy” to be one of those rare series that managed to deliver on its promise from beginning to end. Yes, there were some bad episodes here and there, and some directions that might have been ill-advised along the way, but there was never a time when the series lost its overall quality. At its worst, it was merely competent. At its best, it redefined televised storytelling as a whole. And more than anything, for seven years, week after week, it was something to look forward to.

It’s doubtful that Joss Whedon could have asked for a better compliment.


Memorable Quotes

BUFFY: “OK, I’m basked, what are you doing here?”

ANGEL: “Was that ‘purifying power’? ‘Cleansing power’? Possibly ‘scrubbing bubbles’...”

BUFFY: “Anybody ever tell you that whole ‘smelling people’ thing’s kinda gross?”

ANGEL: “Well, I started it...the whole ‘having a soul’ thing...”

ANGEL: “I’m getting the brush-off for Captain Peroxide!”

ANGEL: “Aha! Boyfriend!”

XANDER: “Don’t look at me, this is a Summers thing. It’s all very violent...”

XANDER: “Hey, party in my eye socket and everyone’s invited! Sometimes I shouldn’t say words...”

SPIKE: “Most people don’t use their tongues to say hello...well, I guess maybe they do, but...”

BUFFY: “Hmm...there could be oil involved somehow...”

SPIKE: “Clearly you don’t, because that whole having my pride thing was just a smokescreen!”

SPIKE: “I’m drowning in footwear!”

ANYA: “What am I, insensitive?”

FAITH: “Well, what’ll be the surprise?”
WOOD: “You do know the meaning of the word, don’t you?”

WILLOW: “You know, Buffy, sweet girl...not that bright...”

KENNEDY: “In fact, this may have escaped your keen notice...but I’m a kind of a brat...”

GILES: “I used to be a highly respected Watcher. Now I’m a wounded dwarf with the mystical strength of a doily...”

ANDREW: “We will defend it with our very lives.”
ANYA: “Yes...we will defend it with his very life!”
XANDER: “And don’t forget to use him as a human shield!”

GILES: “The Earth is definitely doomed...”

WILLOW: “Oh! My! Goddess!”

WILLOW: “That was nifty!”

ANYA: “Bunnies? Floppy, hoppy, bunnies!”

SPIKE: “I can fell it, Buffy! My soul...it’s really there...”

BUFFY: “I love you.”
SPIKE: “No, you don’t. But thanks for saying it.”
XANDER: “That’s my girl...always doing the stupid thing.”

WOOD: “Surprise...”

DAWN: “We destroyed the mall? I fought on the side...”


Observations

- OK, so what the hell is dripping out of Caleb’s face? Evil? Essence? Black oil?

- Caleb’s inventive use of the ceiling was one of the better fight tactics seen this season...

- That whole cookie metaphor was just disturbing!

- That sketch that Spike made of Angel was simply priceless...

- Dawn’s late realization of the whole “pierced tongue” thing was equally priceless...as was Buffy’s way-too-late reaction!

- Joss usually gives Faith good dialogue, but some of her lines with Wood in this episode are just plain bad...

- The Dungeon and Dragons session, right before the apocalypse, was one of the most inspired scenes of the whole series!

- And Andrew looked hilarious in that red cloak...

- Wood’s little monologue about Sunnydale High was just a little too staged...though it could have been that awkward line delivery!

- Unfortunately, that “final” conversation between the original Scoobies was a little too forced as well...it came off as rehearsed, rather than spontaneous...

- Willow looked totally hot in that close-up, breathing the word “Goddess”!

- As the father of a little girl, that whole Little League scene totally got to me...it’s definitely a powerful sentiment, isn’t it?

- I love the epic version of the opening theme that plays over the final battle...and how the music from “Beneath You” returns during Buffy’s final conversation with Spike...

- Nice bit with the fire when Buffy takes Spike’s hand, especially in reference to Buffy’s lines from “Once More, With Feeling”!

- I wonder if Spike is pleased that he finally managed to destroy Sunnydale, and knock down that damned sign for the last time?

- About time that Giles mentioned that there was more than one Hellmouth...and that there was one in Cleveland!

- Love that last twist on the Grr!Arrgh! zombie...

Overall, while there may be flaws, this episode stands as the perfect ending to one of the best series ever to grace the genre or television as a whole. Most of the characters find a fitting end to their character arcs, while others are placed on a strong footing for possible future adventures. It would have been nice to have some mysteries explained more fully, but in the end, that’s a minor complaint.

I give it a 10/10.


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