Dispatches
May 21, 2003
By Matt Roush
Although it's difficult to put the words "happy" and "the end of Buffy" in the same sentence, I've got to say that I'm happy about the end of Buffy — that is, I'm pleased that Tuesday night's long-dreaded finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was about as satisfying and entertaining a final chapter as I could have hoped to go out on.
In retrospect, what genius to have announced that James Marsters would be joining Angel before we saw his character of Spike incinerated as he paid the ultimate sacrifice to save the slayer he loved. Takes some of the sting out of the shock, doesn't it? I haven't a clue how Spike is resurrected, but Joss Whedon's world is always full of miracles. And the last hour of the marvelous Buffy was itself a miracle of cleverness and craft, displaying all of the elements of humor and horror, of tragedy and humanity, of wit and action, that made its fans so proud to be in on the cult secret.
Buffy and Angel, such funny banter masking such deep feelings. Buffy and Spike, clasping hands in a ring of fire with a final declaration of love. As Willow said after casting her spell that awakened and empowered a world of nascent Slayers (what an inspired twist), "That was nifty."
The most glaring problem with the "Chosen" episode is that an hour simply wasn't enough time to do justice to the emotions generated by the show's farewell. The enormity of Sunnydale being swallowed into the Hellmouth, with Anya and Spike among the victims of the final battle, demanded more of a eulogy than a few last choice quips.
But I'm cool with being left wanting more. What's more, I'm thrilled that Buffy is still alive and supported by this new army of magically activated Slayers. I have no doubt that someday we'll learn what was beneath Sarah Michelle Gellar's beautiful and enigmatic smile in the final shot as Dawn asked Buffy, "What are we gonna do now?"
Like Buffy, Fox's thrilling 24 spent its last hour of the season Tuesday night saving the world. For all of those fretting that nothing would be resolved, the exact opposite was true. In a mere 60 minutes (minus commercials) of improbable but irresistible action, a war was stopped, Jack Bauer — with an able assist from a redeemed Sherry Palmer — thwarted the bad guys despite his chest pains, Tony and Michelle were restored to power at CTU, Kim didn't get into a lick of trouble for a change, and President Palmer reclaimed his presidency. For a while.
C'mon, you didn't think the show's diabolical plotters would give us an entirely happy ending, did you?
I admit I spent the final hour guessing and second-guessing what would come next, minute by minute. That's what I love about watching 24. You never know what, or who, will turn up next.
And so, just minutes after the noble president graciously forgave his traitorous cabinet, but sacked the chief of staff who should have stood by him through his ordeal (although without Mike Novick, all would have been lost), Palmer was felled by the most unexpected source.
No, not Nina.
Re-enter Mandy, the cold-blooded assassin from the first episodes of the first season. You remember, the deadly vixen (played by Mia Kirshner) who blew up the plane in the opening hour. Pretending to be a big Palmer fan, she clasped the president's hand as he worked the cheering crowd, transferring some unknown biological agent to his palm. As the clock ticked its final seconds to the end of a riveting (though sometimes ridiculous) second year, the stricken Palmer gasped for air with presumably his last breaths.
We were gasping right with him.
Bravo, 24. And farewell, Buffy. What a night of TV it was.