Season Seven

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Regular cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendan, Emma Caulfield, Michelle Trachtenberg, James Marsters, Alyson Hannigan

 

Season 7 in some ways comes full circle when the Scoobies return to high school. Xander is building it, Buffy is recruited to work there, and Dawn goes there. In other ways, the season continues dealing with the aftermath of season 6. Willow must cope with her power. Xander with losing Anya. Spike with his soul. Buffy must continue to be a Slayer and take care of Dawn. In other words, more navigating of adulthood. By the end of the season, however, nothing will be the same. In this final season, Buffy also breaks the cycle by destroying the hell mouth and changing what it means to be a Slayer. Into every generation…

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“Lessons"

 

Episode 1 of Season 7

 

“It's about power.”

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Original US airdate: September 24th, 2002

Rewatched: September 20th, 2023

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• Writer: Joss Whedon

• Director: David Solomon

• Guests: Anthony Stewart Head, Alex Breckenridge, Kali Rocha, D.B. Woodside

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This episode underlines a central theme of Buffy by repeating the phrase “It’s about power”, which is reminiscent of Buffy’s speech to the Council in “Checkpoint” and Willow’s banter with Buffy while fighting in “Two to Go”. It’s also a key theme for season 7 as a whole and this episode in particular. In terms of power, Buffy has been training Dawn to fight vampires, helping her learn how to use their power to beat them. Buffy’s other central training lesson is that it’s always real, something that Sunnydale shows again and again.

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Willow is in England (note, the outside shots were actually shot in England at Anthony Stewart Head’s house), learning how to cope with her thirst for magical power. It’s interesting to note that Giles tells her she is responsible for her power, that it’s not a hobby or an addiction, that it’s in her forever, a clear departure from how Willow’s power was handled in season 6 (and very welcome). Like Buffy, Willow has power. She will always have it. But she needs to learn to not use it to shape the world to her tastes.

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Xander is at the high school, finishing up the build, and he seems to have moved into quite a high position in construction. At least professionally, Xander has managed to shine. Dawn is attending the school. And Buffy ends up at the school, too, hoping to keep her sister safe. She meets Principal Wood (the show’s first real positive black character) and saves her sister and two other students from apparitions that were manifested via a talisman, although it remains unclear how the talisman ended up at the school. Buffy also runs into Spike, who is crazy and living in the school basement. She’s then offered a counseling job by the principal. And it seems Dawn has made two friends, who might be the start of her own Scooby gang (but we never see Kit and Carlos again…) Still, it’s clear from this first episode’s centering of the school and giving Buffy a reason to return to high school, that we are returning to the roots of the Slayer. It’s her final chance to be the school protector again.

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The final scene with Spike in the basement also shows a return to the beginning. The episode opened with a girl being killed in Istanbul, although we don't yet know what it means. Viewers only see robed figures chasing her. We will later learn the connection of this first scene to the final scene, where Spike is taunted by a figure that starts as Warren, turns into Glory, then Adam, Mayor Wilkins, Drusilla and the Master before finally turning into Buffy. The figure says it’s about going back to the beginning. “You still don’t get it. It’s not about right. Not about wrong … It’s about power.” It can also be noted that the real Buffy tended towards wearing white this episode, but in this final scene, she’s in black. While it’s not yet clear if this is Spike’s imagination or not, we will later learn that Spike is being taunted by this season’s big bad. And it’s the biggest bad of them all.

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Some final notes – Xander has a new car, since his was smashed by Willow in “Two to Go”. Buffy gives Dawn a cell phone and this episode is the first where we really see the Scoobies using this new-fangled technology (it’s ironic that Angel Investigations was quicker on the uptake with this new technology). And when Dawn misses the vampire’s heart in her first staking attempt, Buffy tells her it happened to her, too, which we saw at the end of season 2.

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“Beneath You"

 

Episode 2 of Season 7

 

“From beneath you, it devours.”

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Original US airdate: October 1st, 2002

Rewatched: September 28th, 2023

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• Writer: Douglas Petrie

• Director: Mick Marck

• Guests: Anthony Stewart Head, Kaarina Aufranc, D.B. Woodside

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In the last episode, Anya was told by Halfrek that something was coming, older than the old ones, and Willow saw the Hellmouth had teeth, signs that bad things are coming. Buffy starts this episode with a dream,of a girl in Frankfurt (who looks like someone watched too much Lola rennt before doing costume and hair) being killed by two robed figures, much like the girl in Istanbul in the first episode. Buffy awakens with the line “from beneath you, it devours” in her mind and a feeling that more girls are going to die. While neither Buffy nor anyone else realizes what is coming this season, her knowledge is a sign of Buffy’s interconnectedness with the Slayer line, as we will later learn these young women are potential slayers. It’s also been a while since the prophetic dreams have been mentioned, as they sometimes seem to be a key aspect of Slayerhood, but also seem to be unimportant at other times.

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This episode is otherwise fairly monster of the week, although in ways that allow the Scoobies to explore their new dynamics. Xander meets a young woman, Nancy, shortly after her dog is devoured by a slug demon. The Scoobies, now only Xander, Buffy and Dawn, are on the case when Spike shows up, seemingly sane this time. Buffy reluctantly lets Spike help, but she is not fully comfortable with his presence. They figure out that Anya cursed Nancy’s boyfriend, turning him not into a worm but a worm-like demon. Anya is convinced to reverse the spell, despite the fact that this is not a good time for her to be reversing spells. Spike and Buffy have tracked down the demon and Spike is going for the kill when the demon becomes Ronny again. Spike attacking a human sends him off the deep end. Buffy goes after him and finds out he has his soul and this is causing his turmoil, it seems.

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Unfortunately, although Nancy seems interested in Xander after they meet, she bolts after learning the Scooby dynamics, where everyone has slept with everyone, except Buffy and Anya, and maybe also not Spike and Xander, but the look they exchange when Nancy asks if there’s anyone who hasn’t slept with each other says this might not be right to assume.

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So where are the Scoobies at? Xander is still alone and struggling to meet someone on the Hellmouth. Anya is still a demon, but having qualms. It’s not the same as it was the last time she was one. Spike is finding out that getting what you want it not a walk in the park. Buffy continues being the Slayer, with a shiny new job at the school and her continued responsibility for her sister, which is going much better this season than last season. Willow is also on the way home, to help with the Hellmouth, but reluctant to see her friends again after what happened.  While season 7 is not about the disaster of adulthood in the way season 6 was, this season still shows that growing up is a work in progress.

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“Same Time, Same Place"

 

Episode 3 of Season 7

 

“…you’re the Slayer. You have to say stuff like that.”

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Original US airdate: October 8th, 2002

Rewatched: October 6th, 2023

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• Writer: Jane Espenson

• Director: James A. Contner

• Guests: none

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This episode sees Willow return to Sunnydale from England. Xander, Buffy and Dawn are waiting for her at the airport. Xander is holding a sign he drew with yellow crayon. Hard to see, but sweet of him, as it references how he saved her and the world. Except, Willow doesn’t arrive.

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But then, the scene replays, with Willow arriving at the airport to find no one waiting for her. Most scenes in this episode are shot twice, once from Willow’s point of view, with her unable to locate the Scoobies (except for Anya and Spike, who can see her), and from the Scooby point of view, who can’t find Willow and are worried about what this means.

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When this week’s skin-eating monster enters the scene, all four try to solve the case (although not together, as they still can't see each other). Their efforts lead to Buffy wondering if Willow is in Sunnydale on a killing spree, Dawn being paralyzed by the monster (in a humorous, posable way) and Willow nearly being skinned alive by the monster (he only manages a bit of skin). With Anya’s help, Buffy and Xander figure out that Willow has been in Sunnydale the whole time and is probably with the monster, as she was trying to track him down and stop him. Buffy and Xander (and Anya) go to the rescue and save the day.

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The episode ends with a great exchange between Willow and Buffy, cementing their friendship again and their status as Slayer and once-dark Witch.

Willow: Guess I have a way to go before I master my powers.

Buffy: It’s okay. As long as you’re okay.

Willow: It’s nice to be forgiven. Too bad I need so much of it.

Buffy: I have a confession to make. I thought it might be you, with the flaying.

Willow: I know.

Buffy: I wanna be the kind of person that wouldn’t think that. Xander never thought that.

Willow: He did a little. Heck, I did a little. Xander has the luxury of not saying it, but you’re the Slayer. You have to say stuff like that. It’s okay. It’s okay, too, if you still don’t think I can recover from this magic stuff. ‘Cause honestly, I’m not that sure about it, either.

The scene ends with Buffy sharing her power the help Willow heal. It’s a beautiful image.

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This episode is, of course, the ultimate version of getting what you wish for. Willow didn’t really want to come home, so she didn’t. It let her explore her Scooby roots, jumping in to help solve the crime no matter what, and let her confront her fears. What if she isn’t wanted back? The Scoobies could also face their fears. What if Willow’s not the same? It turns out, she hasn’t changed that much. This theme was shown in a wonderfully creative way.

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This episode also gives Anya some good scenes. When Willow tracks her down, she’s cleaning out the condemned Magic Box, which Willow destroyed. She is rightly bitter. Her life was destroyed in season 6 (Xander leaving her at the altar; her much loved shop and source of her livelihood gone) and when she turned back to being a demon, she thought it’d all be better. But it’s not. She no longer finds the joy in vengeance she once did. Anya is truly feeling lost and bitter. She does have a few less bitter moments, when she is helping Willow, and then Xander and Buffy, indicating that she may actually be happiest being a Scooby.

 

Finally, there is a nice parallel to two previous episodes. While Anya helps Willow, they perform a spell together (for the 2nd time), and it's the demon-locater spell Willow once did with Tara. It works this time, but burns a hole in Anya's carpet (which Anya is not happy about). 

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“Help"

 

Episode 4 of Season 7

 

“And you will”

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Original US airdate: October 15th, 2002

Rewatched: October 12th, 2023

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• Writer: Rebecca Rand Kirshner

• Director: Rick Rosenthal

• Guests: Azura Skye, Zachery Bryan, Glenn Morshower, Rick Gonzalez, Kevin Christy, Sarah Hagan, Beth Skipp, Anthony Harrell, Jarrett Lennon, D.B. Woodside

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The main theme of this episode is what do you do when you know you can’t change the future. It’s a theme that has been brought up on Angel previously, but not really on Buffy. Buffy is getting into the swing of counseling kids – although some of them have less serious reasons to come and see her, three have more serious issues, including Amanda, who is not very important here, but who will become important later in the season, and Cassie.

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Cassie claims she will die on Friday, it’s something she just knows, like she sometimes just knows things. Like Drusilla (as both a vampire and human), it seems Cassie can sometimes see the future and she sees her death. So, she hasn’t been paying attention in school so much. Buffy and the Scoobies go into detective mode, trying to save her. Dawn becomes her friend (first to gain info, then truly), Buffy tracks down leads and Willow googles her (the first use of this verb on TV!).

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It turns out a group of boys at school are planning to sacrifice Cassie for wealth, in a plot that seems a bit familiar. Buffy (and Spike) saves the day. Cassie tells Spike “She’ll tell you. Someday she’ll tell you”, which might be a reference to Buffy someday saying she loves him. As Buffy and Cassie leave the school, Buffy quips “See, you can make a difference” and Cassie replies “And you will” before she collapses. Buffy saved her, but she also didn’t. Cassie wasn’t sacrificed to a demon, but a heart condition did kill her, and Buffy couldn’t save her. The Scoobies later discuss what happened:

Willow: And it was fate?

Xander: Then she was gonna die no matter what, wasn’t she? Didn’t matter what you did.

Buffy: She just knew. She was special. I failed her.

Dawn: … no, you didn’t ‘cause you tried. You listened and you tried. She died ‘cause of her heart, not ‘cause of you. She was my friend ‘cause of you. I guess sometimes you can’t help.

Buffy: So, what then? What do you do when you know that? When you know that, may, you can’t help?

On Angel, we learned that “if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do”, and I think Buffy (and the Scoobies) know this. They have fought the good fight since high school and they usually win, but there have also been losses, many losses. They don’t always fully win, but they always try. The final scene shows that Buffy knows this. She’s back at school, back at her desk. Ready to help the students and fight evil. Every day. This will also be an important lesson to remember when things get tough this season and it looks like they might not prevail. Even though it might be hopeless, never give up.

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I have another comment about Cassie saying “and you will”. It’s interesting that it’s in the future, since arguably Buffy has been making a difference for a long time. This may be a reference to the specific difference Buffy will make at the end of this season.

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Finally, a second theme is again Willow and her power. She visits Tara’s grave and has a talk with Xander. She’s worried about what she can do and what she might do. It’s understandable that this fear continues to follow Willow.

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