Ep by ep; Lessons

The Good; Love Dawnies' first patrol and first day at SDH, so cool. The line up of baddies at the end is superb, they're so lucky they could get them all.

The Bad; Really dislike the scenes of the Potentials being killed, if it were anyone but Joss I'd say it was misogyny. Dawn seems to make a couple of friends at the end of the ep but they never occur again.

Best line; Dawn; (sadly, after Buffy has embarrassed her in front of the whole class) "I also have a sister"

Women good/men bad; The First as Warren very dismissive of Buffy

Jeez!; Even though it's only implied the zombie stabbing Dawn with the pencil is wince inducing. The killing of the potentials is also horrible.

Kinky dinky; Buffy comments on the hotness of Spike and Angel. The zombie guy wants to date Dawn, well she's already gone out with one dead guy and had a crush on another. Willow seems disappointed that Giles didn't throw her in a dungeon and chain her to the spanking machine. He asks her if she wants to be punished? (Surely if there was ever a time for Gillow this is it?)

Captain Subtext; Spike was once caned at school (presumably when human)

Guantanamo Bay; A little anti-French racism from Anya.

Missing scenes; Reputedly they filmed a scene where Dawn decides to tell her real life story to her class, love to see that, roll on Buffy/Angel; Special Edition DVDs.

Apocalypses; 7,

Scoobies in bondage: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 5 Will: 4 Jenny: 1 Angel: 4 Oz: 1 Faith: 3 Joyce: 1 Wes: 1 Xander; 2 Dawn; 4

Scoobies knocked out: Dawnie Buffy: 19 Giles: 12 Cordy: 6 Xander: 14 Will: 8 Jenny: 2 Angel: 6 Oz: 3 Faith: 1 Joyce: 3 Wes: 1 Anya;5 Dawn; 4 Tara; 1 Kills: 1 vamp for Buffy Buffy: 108 vamps, 58 demons, 6 monsters, 3 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human, 1 god.

Cordy: 3 vamps, a demon Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.

Angel: 3 vamps, 1 demon, 1 human Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons Spike; 8 vamps and 6 demons Buffybot; 2 vamps Tara; 1 demon Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon Scoobies go evil: Giles: 1 Cordy: 1 Will: 3 Jenny: 1 Angel: 1 Oz: 1 Joyce: 1 Xander: 4 Anya; 1 Dawn; 1 Buffy; 1

Alternate scoobies: Buffy: 8 Giles: 4 Cordy: 1 Will: 5 Jenny: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 2 Joyce: 2 Xander: 4 Tara; 1 Dawn;1 Spike; 1 Anya; 2 Recurring characters killed: 12 Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara

Sunnydale deaths; the 3 poor folks in the basement 97 Total number of scoobies: 3 the Dawnster is finally part of the Scoobies, about time too Xander, Buffy, Dawn Xander demon magnet: 5(6?) Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula? Scoobies shot: Giles: 2 Angel: 3 Oz: 4 Riley; 1 Buffy; 1 Tara; 1

Notches on Scooby bedpost: Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes? Cordy: 1? Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 1 possible, Dracula(?) Angel: 1;Buffy Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?) Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley Xander: 2; Faith, Anya Willow: 2;Oz and Tara Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya Anya; 2 Spike and Xander

Spike; good or bad? Don't have to ask that any more, not now he has his soul back

Dawn in peril; 12 isn't she always?

Dawn the bashful virgin; 9

Questions and observations; The zombies articulate what a lot of Buffy critics have said over the years, that she allows a lot of people to die. Personally I agree with Buffy, they should shut up, she does her best. I always think of the RAF in the Battle of Britain, bombers get through, thousands die but it's still a victory. So lovely that Buffy can quit the DMP and work at the school, she seems so happy.

Now, Halfrek refers to her and Anya in the Crimean War which was 1853-6 decades BEFORE Spike became a vampire. This implies that there never was a Cecilly, there was only ever Halfrek assuming her guise who took revenge on William for some unknown party. Xander looks great in his suit.

Dawn gets a mobile phone, about bloody time too, CC had one in Welcome to the Hellmouth and then we never see one again for over 122eps, AI had them for 3 years. Dawn comments on the fact that being sired seems to automatically teach you Tae-Kwan-Do. What a shame we never meet The Coven. Buffy fears Dawn will start smoking, it's hardly going to stunt her growth. So who was the werewolf who killed one of the ghosts? Oz? Verruca? Like Spike's hair better in this one. Lovely to see Buffy get a 'thank you' hug from Kit, she does so much it's nice she get's some appreciation. Dawn still a bit bitter about the Normal Again thing. Buffy says ghosts can't touch, Phantom Dennis can. Dawn is bitten by a vamp, I think Xander is the only Scooby who never will be.

Now I always thought they didn't know this was going to be the last season until halfway through but to judge by Joss' comments on the commentary he always intended it to the be the last from the beginning.

Dawn's training foretells that of the Potentials, Buffy leaves it really to the last moment before to save Dawn foreshadowing her training methods which replicate the Council's ruthlessness. She also seems quite glib as to the fate of the ghosts although you'd think this is something that she'd had to have come to terms with a long time ago. Note Xander has a female worker at his site which is a nice ref back to s6. Once again Xander is the grown up who sees everything through his job, looking at the gaping hole in the bathroom he thinks it's a business opportunity.

Marks out of 10; 8/10