Spoiler Slayer

Life After Buffy

TV Guide Online has a very good interview with Joss Whedon on the series coming to an end. As always, it's an interesting read, especially his comments on the Los Angeles bubble.

Episode 21

Wendy has updated the SpoilerZone with major information about Episode 21. In what essentially is a complete summary of the episode, it would appear that not only does Angel arrive on the scene earlier than expected, but Buffy is more than just pleased to see him. I'm going to include the summary here, but please visit the SpoilerZone for her thoughts and comments.

Episode 21 begins in a sewer with a bomb about to go off as Faith and several Potentials, including Kennedy, are nearby. The bomb goes off as everyone dives for cover. Elsewhere, Buffy easily removes a Scythe from a rock as Caleb watches. He wants her to give it to him, but she won't. The First appears in Buffy's form to Caleb and tells him to let Buffy go; they'll get the Scythe later when her back is turned. Willow, Xander, Anya and Dawn return to the Summers home having failed to find Buffy. At the site of the bomb blast, Faith is unconscious and various other Potentials are dead and injured. The Potentials (carrying Faith) flee two Ubervamps coming after them. The Ubervamps have the Potentials cornered when Buffy arrives and dispatches them with the Scythe. The Potentials are in awe of Buffy.

Everyone, including Buffy, returns to the Summers home. We learn that the bomb in the sewer was a trap. Buffy starts to take charge again. Later, she asks Xander to do something for her. Xander doesn't seem happy about it because he wanted to be with her at the end. Buffy says she is counting on him. Willow and Giles are trying to do research on the Scythe. Giles wants Willow to draw power from the Scythe, but Willow is afraid of losing control again. Xander is in the car with Dawn and they talk. Suddenly, he puts a handkerchief over her mouth--he's drugged her so she's unconscious. The First and Caleb merge so that Caleb can be strong again.

Faith and Buffy talk about the scythe and how to be a Slayer is to be alone because they can't share the burden. As Buffy goes downstairs, she runs into Spike coming in the front door. She is unsure how to act because of the night before. She shows him the Scythe. Spike says it's the kind of thing a girl ditches a guy for. Buffy apologizes. Spike says it's ok, "last night was ... just a little cold comfort from the cellar dweller--let's don't make a thing of it." Buffy says fine, she has work to do. As they walk away from each other, Buffy turns back and tells him he's a dope. She tells him that "the reason I'm holding [the Scythe] is 'cause of you. Because of last night, the strength you gave me." She doesn't know how he feels about last night but ... Spike says he is terrified. He tells her it was the "best night of [his] life":

"I've lived for sodding ever, Buffy. I've done everything--I've done things with you I can't SPELL, but I've never...been close. To anyone, least of all you...Until last night. All I did was hold you, and watch you sleep, and it was the best night of my life. So I'm, yeah. Terrified."

She says he doesn't have to be terrified. He asks if she was there with him, and she says she was. When he asks her what it means, she wonders if it has to mean something. That breaks the feeling of closeness between them, and he withdraws a bit. She says "Maybe, when --," but he wants to just leave it. He says they'll go be heroes, then leaves as she watches him go.

Andrew and Anya have gone to the hospital to get supplies, and they talk about whether they will survive. Buffy goes to a cemetery and finds a tomb in which she finds an older woman, dressed in white. She's been waiting for someone to get the Scythe, which was made secretly without the knowledge of the Shadow Men. She tells Buffy to use the Scythe wisely to fight evil. Caleb shows up and snaps the woman's neck.

Xander gives Dawn a letter from Buffy, telling her that Buffy wanted to send her away to protect her. Dawn uses a stun gun on Xander and turns the car back around to Sunnydale. Buffy fights Caleb, and Angel shows up to help. "Heard maybe you needed a hand," he says. Buffy fights Caleb some more. After, Angel asks her to tell him she's glad to see him. She hugs him, then they kiss, tenderly at first, then a real kiss. As they kiss, we see that Spike is watching, the First-as-Buffy next to him. The First says judgmentally , "That bitch," and the last shot of the episode is Spike's pained face.

While I would love to be able to provide some independent confirmation, I have to honestly admit that while I might have been source heavy during the beginning and middle of the season, it's a bit harder for me to get info at the moment. It doesn't help that at least one is refusing to either confirm or deny anything at this point. However, based on Wendy's track record, I fully expect that this is the real deal.

These spoilers are certainly going to be controversial, but we should also consider that we are missing a lot of key pieces from Episode 20. There is a lot that is implied, but we could be losing something in the translation. Angel's appearance does seem a bit too convenient, but I'm sure it will all make sense in the end. What really disturbs me, is the Xander/Dawn scenes, they seem almost too intense. But again there's much open to interpretation and we're only seeing a summary of the events. Personally, nothing would really surprise me as we head into the final few hours.

Spoiler Slayer page will be updated tomorrow.