SO LONG SLAYER
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE END OF BUFFY THE VANPIRE SLAYER TO SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR, SHE GOE'S INTO DENIAL.
"I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF IT REALLY HIT ME YET," SHE SAID, CALLING FROM THE SET OF "SCOOBY-DOO 2" IN VANCOUVER.
"IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE END OF HIGH SCHOOL."
"YOU'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT, BUT YOU'RE REALLY SAD."
GELLAR ADMITS, THAT ON HER LAST DAY ON THE SET, SHE CRIED.
"AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE (SERIES CREATOR JOSS WHEDON) LESS MANLY," SHE ADDED, "BUT I THINK HE DID, TOO."
THEY AREN'T THE ONLY ONE'S GRIEVING.
FOR LEGIONS OF BUFFY FANS WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORDS "SERIES FINALE" ITS LIKE GETTING A STEAK THROUGH THE HEART.
OF THE SEVEN SEASONS, (FIVE ON WB AND THE LAST TWO ON UPN), THE AMBITIOUS UNPREDICTABLE SHOW MASTERFULLY JUGGLED DRAMA, COMEDY, ROMANCE AND HORROR - USUALLY IN THE SAME EPISODE.
WHILE IT NEVER BECAME A MAINSTREAM HIT, BUFFY BASKED IN CRITICAL ACCLAIM, SPAWNED A 1999 SPIN-OFF, (WB'S ANGEL) AND AMASSED ONE OF THE MOST FERVENT CULT FOLLOWINGS IN TV HISTORY.
IN THE PROCESS, ITS VAMP-DUSTING BUTT-KICKING HEROINE, PLAYED BY GELLAR, BECAME A POP-CULTURE ICON AND PAVED THE WAY FOR SUCH DESPERATE CHARACTERIZATIONS OF FEMALE ENPOWERMENT AS THE POWERPUFF GRILS AND ALIAS SUPERSPY SIDNEY BRISTOW.
"JOSS SHOULD BE GETTING RESIDUAL CHECKS ON CERTAIN SHOWS," JOKES ALYSON HANNIGAN, WHO HAS PORTRAYED BUFFY'S BEST FRIEND WILLOW.
THE SHOW'S IMPACT, SHE SAYS, HAS "GONE BEYOND ANYTHING THAT I CAN FATHOM."
SO WHY PUT A NAIL IN THE SERIES' COFFIN NOW ?
FOR ONE THING, RATINGS HAVE LOST SOME OF ITS BITE - DOWN 17 PERCENT FROM LAST YEARS AVERAGE OF 4.5 MILLION VIEWERS.
BUT, GELLAR AND WHEDON BOTH DECIDED, THE SEVENTH SEASON WOULD BE THEIR LAST.
"IT WAS LIKE THAT THING WHEN TWO PEOPLE WANT TO SAY SOMETHING AND NEITHER ONE WANTS TO BE THE FIRST TO SAY IT," SAYS GELLAR, WHOSE CONTRACT EXPIRES AFTER SEVEN SEASONS.
"IT WAS ALWAYS IMPORTANT THAT WE WENT OUT ON TOP AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS MIGHT BE THE PLACE."
WHEDOM ALSO FELT LIKE HE NEEDED A BREAK AFTER HIS NONSTOP WORK ON BUFFY, ANGEL AND HIS SHORT-LIVED FOX SERIES FIREFLY.
"EITHER ONE OF US COULD HAVE SUDDENLY GONE,'STOP!, WAIT!,MORE!'" HE SAID.
"BUT I THINK BOTH OF US WEREN'T GOING TO."
ONCE THE DECISION WAS MADE, WHEDON BEGAN PLOTTING A PROPER SENDOFF.
TRY TO DRAG ANY DETAILS FROM THE WRITER OR HIS CAST THOUGH, THEY WILL TURN COY.
ELIZA DUSHKU WHO PLAYS THE REFORMED SLAYER FAITH FINALLY MANAGES.
"I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO CRY WHEN I READ THE FINALE."
"IT IS PERFECT FOR WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY."
HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW: BUFFY SHARES A PASSIONATE REUNION WITH HER TRUE LOVE 'ANGEL' (DAVID BOREANAZ).
BUFFY AND HER SCOOBY GANG ALSO ENGAGES THE "BIG BAD" FORCES OF EVIL IN A FINAL SHOWDOWN, IN WHICH ONE MAJOR CHARACTER DIES - BUT, BUFFY HERSELF WON'T BITE THE DUST.
THERE WILL BE SPECIAL EFFECTS, SWORD FIGHTS, TEARS AND WITTY WORDPLAY.
FANS WILL GET THEIR JUST REWARDS WHEDON SAYS: "WE'RE GOING OUT WITH A BANG."
THE FINAL EPISODE HAS THE CLOSURE AND GLANDEUR OF THE END OF THE SERIES, "BUT THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED."
ALL THE BETTER TO REVISIT THE FRANCHISE.
AND BUFFY ALUMS WILL CROSS OVER TO ANGEL PROVIDING IT IS RENEWED.