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Buffy 5x22 (Extended) - The Gift (Patreon)

Published:
2022-10-02 18:01:01
Edited:
2024-07-12 20:29:32
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Sooooo uhhhhh.... Yeah.....

Files

Buffy 5x22 - The Breaking of Domi (AKA The Gift) .mp4

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Comments

nataly

“She’s such a selfless little bitch!” is exactly how I’d describe Buffy, hahaha! We love her SO MUCH but she always has to save the day, regardless. 😭

KiwiJello

Catching up with your reactions, and here I am bawling my eyes out with you. As if I have not seen this 100 times. You broke me.

Alex Wright

Sky did the same in the UK. I'm still pissed about that.

Alex Wright

Sounds like Giles in a regional accent.

Steve Quast

You look so happy in the thumbnail.

Raven Dark

Two and a half hours!!?? In the words of Giles, oh, as usual, dear. God, I'm not ready.

Ron Fehr

Joyles, the perfect ship name had Joyce not died.

Dan

RIP Buffy

Khanach

Congrats on surviving your 100th Buffy episode, Domi! You are our gift.

Girl4Music

And now you know the incredible metaphor that Dawn represents. Also, Domi, please get off the Cheese Man’s dick 😂

zerofk

There's a moment when the gang is walking to the tower, right before the fight. We see Buffy among the gang, but not in front. And when we hear Buffy's voice we don't see her. That's because the Buffy we do see is actually the robot. The real Buffy, the one giving commands, is kept out of sight so we don't see her different outfit. It's a very small thing, and it's so good.

George Baxter

A perfect season finale. This show makes the character dynamics, decisions and their consequences impact so perfectly that even 6 apocalypses in, the drama is still grounded!! I think this episode was also designed to work as the end of the show; Buffy changed network and there was at least a rumour this was it! Imagine a show today being prepared to do that?!?! Also the Dawn illusions and the set up are amazing ‘death is your gift’ and it’s double meaning… I love the finale of season 4 setting up this season for all these character arcs. Remember ‘Be back before Dawn’?? And Restless doesn’t just set up this season… it’s full of many more hints at where the show is going. Finally, did she see the Dawn of the sun, rising just before Buffy jumped?? Absolutely perfect. It’s details like that that make fate feel real in this show

Ron Fehr

Domi, I'm so sorry that you nad to watch that ending. I cried because you were crying. Take comfort in knowing that another reactor that I watched, Sofie from Sofie Reacts, had the same reaction in finding out the meaning of "death is your gift."

Raven Dark

Back when Miss Weekend died, we said that the show did that, in part, to show us that no one is safe. This time, they took that to the nth degree. No one has plot armor. Apparently, not even the main character. Anyone can die. Btw, Anya was supposed to die, but Emma Caulfield moved, so they let her live. You mentioned that you would rather it was Dawn. Believe me when I tell you, Dawn dying wouldn't have been any easier. Nnot with these writers at the helm. Notice the look on Buffy's face before she runs off the end of the tower and jumps. She doesn't look sad. She doesn't look afraid. She looks relieved. "Every slayer has a death wish." "Death is your gift." I guess you know what that means now. I love this episode, and it's one of my favorites in the whole series. I love reactions to it. I love watching reactors see the meaning in those words, and I love watching them get emotional, but this is the first time I've ever questioned why. It's always hard to watch the ending, but it's never been this hard. Don't get me wrong, the reaction was wonderful. Wonderful, but hard to watch. No, right now, this is not a fun show, but it is a damn good show.

Shashank

"what are the exchange policies on the gift" 😂

Stargazer1682

Have you figured out yet, that all the gaslighting in this season is to prepare you for the biggest gaslighting of all - that there is no season 6 or 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Looking forward to two seasons of Rupert Giles: The Watcher Chronicles.

Stargazer1682

"Little Miss Muffet counting down from 730." This episode came 730 days after "Graduation Day."

RevanTheRebel

The "previously on" is just to celebrate the 100th episode of Buffy by showing flashbacks to every episode so far

Stargazer1682

I was pretty salty with the WB and how they promoted this as "the series finale" of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; which, a ) undermines the ending, but more importantly b ) it was known for AGES that Buffy had been picked up by UPN. And even then, it was never even a question of whether Buffy was going to be renewed; UPN just happened to offer a better deal to the studio and snapped it up (but only BtVS, not Angel). So the whole "series finale" thing smacked of petty, sour grapes on the WB's part.

Khanach

Also, the "previously on..." was obviously to include a shot of the Cheese Man in this episode, which is the key to everything! Don't let people gaslight you into thinking that it was because it was the 100th episode...

Stargazer1682

See, I know Emma has talked about how she made a point of moving at the end, but I'm skeptical that that meant anything. If the show intended for her to be dead at the end, a ) Joss would have told her to stop moving or made sure to get one shot without her moving (or cut the scene around her) and b ) They just wouldn't have come back (which isn't to confirm or deny that she is in season 6 or that Buffy season 6 actually exists... 😒) A lot of these anecdotes are told in hindsight, over the course now of 20+ years and various retellings in interviews and conventions, when memory is a very subjective and unreliable thing; and there are even times when, you can notice they've forgotten certain details, or mixed up different moments. I can't remember the specifics of why Emma felt that that might have been intended to be the end of Anya, and I can't find those accounts in a cursory search, but my recollection is that it was only ever her *suspicion that Anya was goin to be killed in the finale or that it was meant to be ambiguous. And then fans have picked up on that as an unequivocal statement that Any was "definitely" supposed to die - and there can even be a little bit of self-fulfilling prophecy in the ubiquity of that, where because the fans share, then feeds back to the actors and how they remember or recount it. But it honestly has always seemed doubtful that they would have killed a character like Anya in the same episode they kill the title character; because both deaths would mutually detract from the other's death. Anya's death would be undermined by Buffy's death, and while not as impactful, there would still be even just a little bit of focus taken off Buffy had Anya died, and Joss wasn't going to have that. He he was going to want 100% of the grief and focus on Buffy.

Raven Dark

Huh. I'd feel bad if I gave misinformation. Well, still a great reaction anyway.

Bud Haven

Even the start when Buffy says "Why don't we start with, Hi I'm Buffy. It gets me. When Buffy is in the alley with the kid. He says, "But you're just a girl." Buffy, "That's what I keep saying." After everything, she still longs to have a normal life. Also when Buffy says "It's been a long while since I've met one that didn't know me." speaks of Buffy feeling the length of time she's been fighting. The scene where Giles and Buffy are talking in the training room is probably my favorite of the series. When Buffy turns to the rising sun. Her look is not one of fear or sadness, but of anticipation. Spike said to Buffy in FFL, "Part of you is desperate to know, what it's like, where does it lead you?" "Death is your gift" A gift to Dawn, but also in a way a gift for herself. I like your interpretation of the "previously on" segment as a flash Buffy's life. That is something I've thought was intended. But not as clearly as you stated.

UTU49

Hooray for happy stories! Woo hoo!

Stargazer1682

An interesting parallel I only just picked up on like, within the last couple of weeks. In season 1, when she thought she was going to die and she knocks out Giles, she tells Jenny, "When he wakes up tell him... I don't know. Think of something cool, tell him I said it." This time it's, "Tell Giles... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay."

Stargazer1682

How else do you conclude this episode with the ultimate "dead inside" thousand yard stare?

Ron Fehr

The opening scene in the alley, I think, was merely to remind us of where Buffy started and how far she's come.

Claire Eyles

Ah yes, the finale episode that was totally spoilt for Australian TV when it first aired. The 'this week on Buffy' promos literally showed Buffy's grave.

Stargazer1682

Wow, some people are idiots when it comes to that sort of thing. There's one show I watch; a new season had dropped, there was apparently a major death. Hadn't even been out 24 hours yet, so I hadn't had a chance to watch much if any of it, but I happened to go onto YouTube and a clip from Entertainment Tonight - a channel I don't follow, have never watched videos from, says something along the lines of, "(Show title) death of SPOILER" - except they showed a fucking picture of the character that died in the thumbnail! And it wasn't even one of the first episodes of the season, so I'm waiting and watching for it to happen...

Stargazer1682

Plus, I think, an obligatory inclusion of a vampire slaying in an episode that would soon go in another direction. Kind of like that last scene in The Body.

Jason fielding

This episode was close to be the series finale if it wasn’t pick up by upn for season 6. There are great episodes in season 6 & 7 but if this was the series finale I would have been ok with it.

loopkill

Guys, think we broke Domi...

Ron Fehr

By the way Domi, nice colorful top. I don't know if you've ever worn that much red in your posts.

Stargazer1682

I mean, Buffy working the punching bag, Anya and Xander having sex amounts to the same thing; they all have this pent up energy and nervousness that they need to burn off for want of a more constructive outlet. Buffy's instinct is to charge in and waste no time, but she has to wait. If they get there too soon, they risk exhausting their means of keeping Glory on the ropes long enough to miss her window; and they couldn't afford to miss their shot.

Stargazer1682

That's a myth. It was known for ages before the finale that the show was going to UPN, but it wasn't because the WB chose to cancel it and it was shopped around to another network. They were up for renewal, UPN made a better offer to the studio. There was zero chance the WB wasn't going to renew Buffy. On top of that, Joss was planning on this end since at least the end of season 3, with the whole, "Little Miss Muffet counting down from 730" line in the shared dream between Buffy and Faith.

UTU49

I jokingly thought to myself, "It's the Season 5 finale. Domi's video will probably be 2 and a half hours long. Ha ha." Literally one second later I clicked on the video and found out that it was exactly 2 and a half hours long.

UTU49

It's kind of astounding how emotional this episode is. This entire season was designed to set up that moment on the tower when Buffy realizes that she can sacrifice herself in Dawn's place. Season 5 might be even better on rewatch because of how much everything connects, going all the way back to Dracula's appearance. Also, this season was foreshadowed way back in 3x22. Domi, I hope you have fun (or some comfort) talking to Lexi about this episode. (Or Alley, but Lexi just watched it the other day.) For favorite Season I flip flop between more than one season, but Seasons 3 and 5 are two of my contenders.

UTU49

I had to edit that, cuz my stupid finger hit the Enter key.

Antonio

You made me laugh out loud when you thought the Cheese Guy showed up! Difficult to know how this finale could've been any better, but I think you found a way. "Cheese, is your gift" "Cheese?" "Is your gift"

rattusprat

Domi: In general I just kinda really hope that Buffy can like take a full vacation once this finale is done." Oh, Buffy is taking the fullest of vacations. You know its your fault now right? Also, I have never put together myself that the previously on section can be interpreted as Buffy's life flashing before her eyes. Everyone that watches the show seems to be able to bring some extra insight - there is so much depth to the show. Thanks for this one.

Raven Dark

LMAO, that's hilarious. Not a lot of reactors could pull off one that long and have people actually listen to the whole thing.

Antonio

That moment when you simultaneously applaud the person who made this link and also wonder how on earth you've not managed to make the connection yourself within the last 20 years or so! 😄

Antonio

Absolutely. It takes a special reactor to be able to post a two and a half hour video and still leave you like you could listen to them talk for longer.

Loves Bitca

Also things foreshadowed in Restless that require Anya, that prove that they had plans for the character already rough written, so they had no plan to kill her here.

Loves Bitca

Yeah the networks were terrible about spoiling things in the promos that the writers intended as a surprise. Joss even complained about them spoiling a big reveal on another one of his shows. I like that reactors can go in now completely blind, but back then we had the network ads spoiling things for us.

Loves Bitca

Yeah even awhile before this episode aired, I was aware that they were approved for at least one more season, but that it was switching networks. It was covered in all the entertainment magazines and internet sites. Of course some viewers likely didn't read about it so didn't know, but it was known to most people and wasn't a secret. Of course fox advertised it as the series finale, which pissed off Joss.

Loves Bitca

In Fool for Love, Spike said that when Buffy died, he would be there. Though he's not having as good a time as he thought.

Ron Fehr

I really liked your interpretation of the 'previously on' opening. That's a great way to look at it. I think the intention may simply have been a wrap-up of the series, considering that the show moved to another channel. Perhaps this was a move on the part of Fox, as it was the final show on their channel. To them, it was their series finale.

Girl4Music

The best shows are timeless and never end because people just keep on creating it.

Girl4Music

If there’s any character in the Buffyverse that I feel is shitbagged on the most in it it’s Buffy Summers. It’s like they decided to give us a chosen hero but then made her apologize for being one - the audacity! The hypocrisy! In a way it’s like everyone in this show except Buffy Summers is the Watcher’s Council because we’re all supposed to Watch her. Not interact with her and feel for her like a caring counterpart. And I don’t talk about her anywhere near as much as I should because I just feel like it’s a mute argument. I’d be essentially screaming with my mouth shut when it’s really open because no one will hear me. It is so frustrating for me to see the lead character also be the character that is made out to be the martyr. It’s like every time this character voices her opinion on anything - worries about anything - is confused about anything - is scared about anything… She’s suddenly extremely selfish for it. And okay - I get that that’s the point of her character’s theme. But Jesus… it’s a lot… A huge part of the reason why I love the Season 5 finale so much is because the first choice Buffy makes that matters is the one that releases her of all responsibility as a Slayer while simultaneously adhering to it. It’s like she found the loophole in the system of Slayerage. And sure - that loophole meant she’d have to die. But least it would be on her terms. Least it would be her CHOICE. And it really was the only choice that was consistent with WHO SHE IS as a person and HAD TO BE as a hero. In that sense it was such a relief to watch her die how she did. And when I think about how devastatingly sad that is… I fall in love with Season 5 and the finale for it all over again. It could be said that Season 5 is the most painful and stressful time for Buffy. Everything piles on top of her to take care of both as ‘The Slayer’ and as a regular person: Dawn, Joyce, Glory, Riley, the Scoobies, and learning about and understanding her Slayer heritage. But the finale is such a clever conclusive end to all of it because she takes all that pain and stress and she moulds it into something that resembles a sanctuary for her. And yeah… it’s suicidal to choose self-sacrifice but it’s also cathartic. It’s rarely spoken of because it’s a controversial subject but it’s a release in every way when you can go out YOUR WAY when your life feels more like a burden than a gift. This makes me think that part of the peace Buffy felt in her “Heaven” was the way she died. The way she let go. Of life, of love, of duty and of herself. By throwing herself into a portal to completeness. Her time was up and she was the one who decided it. It’s a majestic finale as it’s the one that puts Buffy first. It’s simultaneously the end to Buffy Summers and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Those final four episodes of Season 5 are fucking masterpieces because it’s all about choice and about the situations, circumstances, actions and emotions that are involved in choosing - in making a final choice. The thing is Buffy is never allowed that throughout all prior seasons. The ability to make a choice. Her own choice. I’m not saying she doesn’t make choices. She does. But they’re for the greater good of everyone and everything but herself. Or they end up being the cause and effect for more damage or trauma for the character. And that’s just not fair or right. The way I interpreted her death - her sacrifice - was a choice more so for herself than anyone or anything else and that’s why I absolutely love it. They gave us an archetypical hero and the writers and Sarah Michelle Gellar turned her into a legend because why ever should a hero not be allowed to be selfish sometimes? Not be allowed to have agency? Not be allowed to be a human being? Buffy’s challenge wasn’t to be a hero. That was her responsibility. Her challenge was to be a person. Specifically her own person. Her fight was for free will. Giving everybody else the same responsibility and destiny is a good way of winning that fight, sure. But the best way was to release Buffy of it entirely and have that release be of her choosing instead of someone else choosing for her. I am most definitely on the side of the argument that she never chose to be the Slayer to begin with… so why the fuck should she make it her entire identity? Why should her personality be of that of which she MUST do and never what she WANTS to do? Why is that expected? I could never be a hero. I could never be famous. I could never tolerate being notorious for my existence. I could only ever be myself and all iterations of that process of selfness. God damn that’s more than enough for me. Just to mentally and emotionally survive is absolutely enough for me. And honestly, if I was forced to do something beyond that at any point in my lifetime, the first thing I would think of to do is throw myself off a fucking tower too. No, my life is my own. I choose how it starts, how it ends and all the stuff in the middle. So if I was in Buffy’s shoes at any point in my life - I would kill myself too. Having the weight of the world on your shoulders is far too much when the weight of yourself is already heavy. And I think there’s a misunderstanding to living and dying in the general consensus population that makes this perspective seem so taboo and wrong. To use a quote from my favourite TV show of all time: “It’s not how long you live that matters, it’s how well you live.” - Talus, ‘Death In Chains’ - ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’. If all you had to live for was to make sure that everybody else could live,… how is that fair or right? It isn’t. That’s why I think Buffy Summers is a legend. She re-defined what being ‘The Slayer’ is and would be. Yes, she realized that she was the law but she also realized that she was neither above it nor under it. She knew she wasn’t a God but never once stripped herself of her own divinity at the same time. And people should learn from her example. Human beings are not walking pawns (Anya interjects: “Or prawns”) in the game of life. They ARE life. And there shouldn’t ever be any “hero” of any being on this planet but oneself. I’ve said this several times now in regards to Angel. If you take choice away, what’s the point of any redemption or corruption story? What’s to learn from it? “It’s my obligation.” No! Fuck that! It’s everybody’s obligation! In this way ‘Chosen’ was also a good finale but it wasn’t a completely conclusive one because for it to be completely conclusive, Buffy should have gotten a lifetime long vacation. A retirement. She was done. She decided that she was done through death. You can argue that she rescinded that decision when she came back to life, but I don’t think she ever did. It was chosen for her too. She simply just accepted that she could never be truly done because being a Slayer wasn’t just a job for her. It was in her nature. Being a hero wasn’t just a responsibility. It was her destiny. But if she was made to experience it in the first place, she should at least be given free reign to govern it. And she did, so I am okay with the show finale despite how much I hate Season 7 as a whole but Season 5 did it completely right for me. Buffy (the character and the show) ended succinctly and conclusively. The theme of self-sacrifice in Buffy can be interpreted as suicide. That’s certainly a viable and logical interpretation. But because choice comes with it, it can also be interpreted as a relieving of a weight so heavy to carry that one would be crushed under it and tending to and bandaging the wounds from it forever. Buffy was thoroughly exhausted so she chose to give up in the only way that would not be viewed as selfish. And when that revelation came to her, she was ready. She knew it was the only way in more ways than one. When she dived into that portal, that was the one and only time in her life that she ever truly lived for herself.

Girl4Music

And I’m sure it also traumatised a lot of fans that viewed Buffy as their idol. To think that the entire show ended with her death. I mean I wouldn’t have minded but for the people that really look up to her…. I can’t imagine how horrific that was.

Girl4Music

‘Willow the Wicca Witch’ actually

Girl4Music

ANYA: “Cash and charge”

Stargazer1682

Not to mention the fucking "previously on..." to remind us about exactly the plot points that are about to be revisited.

Stargazer1682

Yeah, you could say she's going to just be lounging around on her back...

Stargazer1682

Joss did intentionally, as a celebration of it being the show's 100th episode. The sequence has a clip from each of the previous 99 episodes.

Stargazer1682

That was one of the reasons I remember, watching it live, thinking, what a dick move; knowing there were probably people who didn't know it was already definitely coming back. .... maybe. We'll see. Or it's The Adventures of Xander.

Girl4Music

The meaning is inconsequential to what it actually means to Buffy. “Death” - her death - it’s not just a gift. It’s a relief. She’s realised that that line did not mean that she causes death. She IS that death. She IS ‘THE GIFT’. It’s a relief in many ways for her. Not just in the suicidal/self-sacrificial way, which is valid. But also in the way of she got to decide when and where and how she died, and she got to have her personal vendetta out on the Watcher’s Council by doing what they would instruct her to do but doing it in such a way where it would save her sister, save her family of Scoobies, and save the whole Universe all at the same time. She basically found the non-existent cheat code for the game system of Slayerdom and had not a hint of hesitation in using it. And so to tie it all together… ironically by dying… she saved herself. She didn’t have a death wish. She had a relief wish. Because “Death” WAS her relief. It’s a multi-layered realisation. The realisation that she could sacrifice herself instead of Dawn. The realisation that she could save everyone and everything by giving up her life. And eventually the realisation it’s what she wished for herself. It’s absolutely genius writing! So long as it was her choice,… it was her gift to Dawn, to the Scooby Gang and to the Universe… But most of all to herself. She won the game by dying in it her way. I know I’m not the only one to have picked this up about the meaning of ‘The Dawn’. Just wait till Passion of the Nerd puts out his analysis on the episode. He’ll explain all of this way better than I ever could in his clever almost Alan Watts-ish way.

Stargazer1682

I think it was either while watching Lexi or Riley's reaction to The Gift, I kept thinking about Buffy's line of, "tell Giles," but my mind kept filling in the blanks with, "Think of something cool, tell him I said it." And I'm just like, that's not the line, that's from.... oh.... 👀 🤔🤨

Girl4Music

Retail 101: What’s In Anya’s Magic Box?

Girl4Music

Many the amount of times I’ve picked up parallels/similarities and striking differences/juxtapositions in TV shows through this method. It’s a gift. 😝 I don’t know if it goes to show how well the show is written or how well I can interpret nuanced writing lol. At this point I put it down to we’re all creators of our favourite art/entertainment whether we initially created it or not

Girl4Music

Domi, Lexi, Sofie, Alley, Thor, Naj. I could watch hours and hours of commentary from any one of these reactors. These reactors are just so passionate in their commentary but in so many different ways. It’s like a unique stamp. I love listening to all of them because I can see and feel for myself how much love, effort and dedication they put into their reactions. They’re all incredible. Domi is very emotionally invested and can talk extensively about the emotional spectrum going through every character and herself in every moment. Her reactions are visceral,… as if she’s with the characters then and there. She feels it because the characters feel it, the characters feel it because she feels it… and while she isn’t as eloquent in her words as she’d like to be, she makes up for it in such sincere honesty and genuine love of watching. I adore listening to her and will always have the patience for when she needs to pace and piece herself. I’ll always be here supporting. And you know I really admire them because I couldn’t put myself out there like that - verbally, I mean. I’m a writer at heart and the best way I can explain anything is through writing. All my commentary on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ exists through the format of written meta. If I even attempted to do what a reactor does, I’d be a muttering, mumbling mess. So I totally get the difficulty in being able to record for hours on end to the whole internet and I’m always in awe of just how well Domi and the others can do it over and over again.

Bud Haven

I had no idea it was going to another network. So I was totally freaked by that ending. Such a dark ending for the series. I had heard something about it getting picked up; but like was mentioned it was advertised as the series finale on the WB.

Bud Haven

Buffy, she likes cheese.

Rörd Hinrichsen

Regarding your question whether the death of Buffy would lead to a new slayer being called: this rule applies only to the latest slayer, i.e. currently Faith. It's not possible to create an army of slayers by killing and reviving the same slayer over and over again.

UTU49

About the "Previously On..." I just thought it was cool to have a "Previously On" with a shot from every episode. (Or nearly every episode?) But I love your interpretation.

UTU49

You always worry about whether your discussion is "good enough". I just love listening to people's thoughts about Buffy. I'm not expecting any of my favorite reactors to be the wisest media expert in history. I just like hearing any other person's thoughts about Buffy. In that way, it's not really possible to "get it wrong".

UTU49

"It's not possible to create an army of slayers by killing and reviving the same slayer over and over again." That's demented. I'm sure there's some good fan fiction about that.

Stargazer1682

Now, a very important question. Do we suspect a connection between Ben and Glory...? 🤔

Stargazer1682

I've noted this with other reactions to The Gift - James does an excellent job reacting to Buffy's death, but because of that, I kind of feel like Spike shouldn't have been there; *because* it overshadows the other Scoobies response of grief, which arguably deserved a stronger focus.

Ron Fehr

I have a comment, but I couldn't say anything without it being a spoiler.

Ron Fehr

Personally I think you pulled yourself together quite well by the end of your video.

Henrik Holst

I heard about a fan, from another reactor channel, that not knowing that there where 2 more seasons simply threw here entire dvd box in anger at her television at the end of this episode.

Henrik Holst

Also the move to UPN by FOX was such a dick move that the head of The WB was pissed for years, there are interviews with him much later where he still is angry about it so yeah so much for The WB planning to cancel the show...

Kate

Hey Domi! This might be very slighly spoilery--in terms of artistic vision of the show, not plot--so feel free to not read below if you want to go into s6 with 0 knowledge, or mods feel free to delete. Even though you've told us not to, I still worry for you a lil so I'm making this comment in light of your real life friends questioning if you should keep doing reactions since it's been hard on you. . . . . . . s6 does take a turn for the even darker. The showrunners (Joss was mostly there in name by this point) wanted to attract a more adult audience over their teen base when they moved to a new network, and its evident in the choices and tone. It's a divisive season for this reason, and though I personally enjoyed it, I want you to know its ok if you do have to slow down or stop reacting. We'll understand. That being said, s6 does, naturally, have its more comedic episodes and includes arguably the fandom favorite ep! Maybe Alley can share her thoughts now that she's wrapped it up? I do think you'll enjoy much of it, but if there does come a point where its just too hard to record, its ok!

Phoenix Dawn

Domi: I don't want season 5 to end. Also Domi: full mental breakdown throughout the entirety of S5!

Loves Bitca

The problem with it being a move on the part of Fox, is that Fox broadcast, but did not make the show. They don't shoot or put together the scenes. They don't even edit it. Best they can do is tell them it needs to be edited, for time or whatever, even telling them to cut a scene, but they won't cut it themselves, just wait for the creators to do it, and bring the updated work back. Joss was even mad that they advertised it as the series finale when it was the season finale and was known to be changing networks. So he wouldn't have done more to feed into that.

Ron Fehr

It makes sense for the showrunners to want to attract a more adult audience, since the characters themselves are at the precipice.