Superb commentary. Thanks for posting, Simon. We're watching Season 7 again right now (got the DVDs in the mail last week), so this is most welcome.

Chris in Virginia | November 23, 02:39 CET

Wonderful review. I'll have to rewatch S7 when I get my
region free DVD player back from the shop. It lasted for
3 months (to the day) and died last night. Sigh...

dcubed | November 23, 02:41 CET

Very nice article!

MandyMouse | November 23, 02:47 CET

Yes, very well done. Thanks, Simon.

palehorse | November 23, 03:16 CET

A really good read. I get the sense that the author has been keeping track of some of the more in-depth S7 discussions that I've watched take place at various BtVS forums. I've seen a lot of those character/thematic points raised by fans who've gone into deeper analysis of the season.

So it's quite gratifying to see an author who seems to have done her homework -- I get the sense that the author has been out in the online fandom, and has gotten a really good sense of the virtues that some fans see in S7. She also seems to have a lot of knowledge about the show, which makes for quite a satisfying read :)

inverse | November 23, 03:24 CET

Since I agree 100% that they shouldn't have killed Holden off so quickly, I think this was an excellent article, but then, that's just me. :-)

wissxwe | November 23, 04:19 CET

Wissxwe, I also definitely agree with the article that Holden should have stuck around a lot longer. He's my absolute favorite thing from this season. I was upset when Buffy staked him. :(

obsessed | November 23, 04:45 CET

I read somewhere that being sired by a souled vampire (think Lawson in 'Why we fight' - AtS S5) might lead to a less 'evil'(?!) vampire. If that had been done for Holden, then maybe he could have been a recurring character. Scenes of Buffy on the couch a la Sopranos springs to mind. Could have been fun!

catalyst2 | November 23, 05:07 CET

Yeah, I wish I could have seen more of Holden and Sunday. They definitely had possibilities. Very cool vamps.

Willowy | November 23, 05:31 CET

Willowy, you totally read my mind! Sunday...damn, what a shame she was gone right away! Clever, funny, scary, creepy, truly frightening...what a great, great character!

Chris inVirginia | November 23, 05:54 CET

Holden would have been a perfect candidate for a Vampire Ensoulment Project, where Willow could hang out in the graveyard and work her mojo on the newly sired vamps. The vampires would be technically evil for lack of soul, but wouldn't yet have killed, so there would be less guilt than Spike and Angel. There might still be angst since they are still "undead", and that would take some adjustment. These are some thoughts I had when I watched CWDP a few days ago.

I hope when Joss creates a new project that he casts Jonathan Woodward in the main cast. So he won't die. Well, not as soon anyway. I love Woodward. He's funny, charming, and a great actor, not to mention super hot.

electricspacegirl | November 23, 05:55 CET

I had forgotten about Sunday but she is my all-time favourite Big Bad (or Little Bad really). "The jumper just makes you look purple'! Priceless!

catalyst2 | November 23, 06:04 CET

I liked Holden and Sunday, but was satisfied with what we got from them. This is the best review of the season I've seen so far, but like seemingly all of them, it's a lot harder on Buffy than I would be. What was she supposed to do after Anya killed 12 people?

dreamlogic | November 23, 06:30 CET

Hey, good article. Regarding the comments about Spike; Joss saying previously that Buffy didn't love him when she said it in "Chosen" (which has been the prevailing opinion, especially with the look on Sarah's face when she said it). But, I was listening to the commentary by Joss on that episode; unless I'm misreading his words (which is not impossible) he mentions that he didn't get the performance from Sarah and James that he usually could count on (not in those words but seemed to be the gist of it, although he kind of danced around it). He basically said that Sarah didn't "understand" and wanted to move on. He said (in the commentary) that he had told them to play it like it was their moment and for Sarah to "mean it" when she said she loved him. Interesting contrast??

spikeangellover | November 23, 07:02 CET

I also enjoyed this review. I loved the approach of looking at each character and going over their journeys. I do miss Holden as well - he was really quite excellent :)

[ edited by NatashaLea on 2006-11-08 16:16 ]

Natashia | November 23, 07:57 CET