R E V I E W S
"The Gift"
(Season 5, Episode 22)
Written by: Eric Teall
And… poof! Joss takes the reins again, and the series finale is almost everything I could have hoped for!
Let me note my first major "complaint" about this episode first, just to get it out of the way. The pacing feels off. This episode can be divided almost straight down the middle: first, the set-up; second, the fight. I'm not sure what I would have done differently, and the episode worked better for me the second time I watched it. Still, I sit through the first half just dying for something to happen. None of the set-up moments would really fit in the last half (Xander and Anya's engagement; Spike and Buffy's understanding; Willow's promise to Tara), but they feel crammed in to me. Even with the weight of suspense lifted, I still felt impatient.
Note above that "complaint" is in quotes. It is difficult to complain too much with Buffy, but the above is one of the two serious twinges in my enjoyment of this episode. On to the good stuff.
It always happens to me that as soon as I complain about something, it gets better and slaps me in the face. Both Claire Kramer and Charlie Weber do excellent jobs in their parts tonight after I spent a fair amount of time blasting them (mostly her) in my last review. Their characters seem a bit streamlined in this episode, since their major conflicts were resolved in "The Weight of the World", and that might be helping matters, but the conclusion is ultimately satisfactory.
Alyson Hannigan displays surprising subtlety this time out. She's always wonderful, but there was a soft touch to her portrayal of Willow that betrays greater talent than I had seen before. (That's saying something, too, because Willow has always been a definite favorite of mine.) Amber Benson doesn't have much to do in this episode, but I still don't buy her as crazy. She seems like a sane person acting crazy. I'm glad she's back to normal.
Emma Caulfield and Nick Brendon also turn in solid performances here, although Xander's cry when Anya is trapped under the rubble seemed awfully calm-had it been my wife, I would have screamed until I shredded my vocal cords. Then again, I'm a much bigger wimp than Xander. Who knows? I love the fact that Joss remembers his characters' quirks and nuances-the Anya/bunny thing was too funny. (Remember her costume in "Fear, Itself"?)
Michelle Trachtenberg, like Benson, doesn't have much to do in this episode, but she turns in another fine performance. I am so glad it appears she will be back next season. She does grief particularly well, and that comes in handy at the end.
Now for what I consider the two best performances of the episode. Giles' tired, resolved face as he suffocates Ben reveals not only the world-weariness that the series' one true adult carries inside him, but also demonstrates the astounding power of Tony Head's acting. I mean, this is the guy who made coffee commercials interesting. James Marsters gets the more uplifting job of coming through as a good guy, and his face as he states both his love for Buffy and his acceptance of her lack thereof for him deftly captures the turmoil of longing, frustration, and peace that Spike has developed all season. All of that in one look. Check out Spike's expression just before Doc throws him off the tower for another example. For all of the storyline problems I have with Spike as a hero, I am deeply grateful that the show has kept Marsters around. These two men are prime examples of how overlooked Buffy is that neither one of them will get any consideration from the Emmy voters.
Sarah Michelle Gellar does a fine job with what she's given. Watching the episode again, I could see that it really was the robot at first. Speaking of Emmy nods… Still, I find Buffy's development here flawed. Her love for Dawn, coupled with her sudden case of burn out, does not strike me as real. Watching the last few eps again, I can see the build up, but it feels artificial to me. By contrast, her development at the end of Season Two when she prepared to kill Angelus felt true. Maybe the show has just spoiled me.
All of these excellent performances combine with a riveting climax that demonstrates why Buffy is such a great action show. The fight is coherent, every character plays an essential role, and it is all believable. Joss not only makes sure to have excellent stunts but also brings them together as a powerful, driving force in the episode.
My one other "complaint" is that I don't get Buffy's solution to closing the portal. For the record, I felt the same way about her solution in "Becoming". I realize that both of these episodes are probably considered the two best finales, and although I favor Season Four's "Restless", I can see why. I just don't get the logic. Why did Angel have to go to Hell when Acathla closed his mouth? Why couldn't Buffy have just nicked his arm? It's never really explained. Why is Buffy's blood suddenly literally the same as Dawn's? Do they have the same DNA? Siblings' DNA is not identical (except with identical twins); if it were, all brothers and sisters would look alike. In fact, they would all be either brothers or sisters. But I digress.
More importantly in terms of Buffy logic, consider the implications of the Buffy-blood = Dawn-blood idea. Could Glory (or Doc) have taken Buffy and bled her instead? If her blood closes it, wouldn't it open it as well? How does the blood stop flowing when Buffy dies? Isn't Dawn still bleeding? Doesn't the fact that Dawn is still The Key (as evidenced by all the crazies' perceptions of her) and Buffy is Not (notice how Tara didn't want her own shiny green Buffy) mean anything? Don't get me wrong: I understand what Joss is saying in a basic sense. It just doesn't hold up under scrutiny, and it frustrates me.
Still, this episode leaves a great deal of material to be explored next season, even without Buffy's resurrection (and, given SMG's two more years of Buffy contract). Xander and Anya's wedding. Giles' being a murderer, no matter how good the reasons. Dawn's guardianship (where is Almonzo, anyway?). Willow's sudden surge in power from "Darkest Magic". Hasn't she gotten her best spells this season from anger, fear and aggression? (I keep thinking Willow herself might be the big baddie next season.) Spike: pseudo-soul? This one interests me in particular. If this is possible with Spike, might it not have been possible with Angelus? Aren't vamps inherently evil? Were Spike to lose his chip, would he stay good for love of Buffy?
In the end, though, this is a tremendously satisfying conclusion. What powerful television. What powerful storytelling: I shook my fists in the air triumphantly as Spike ran up the tower, I gasped as he was thrown down, I cringed as Doc cut Dawn, and I felt my heart break with everyone else's as the Scooby gang gathered around Buffy's body. I teach, and my students mock me incessantly for my devotion and enthusiasm for this show; obviously they have not experienced moments like this. When the episode ended, I realized that I had literally forgotten that the rest of the world existed. I was there with Willow and Giles as they wept for their sister/daughter and I understood Spike's anguish.
Joss and Buffy: You are amazing. I was there. Thank you.
Rating: 6/6 Stakes
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