This is an episode about change. Endings and new beginnings, for both the characters and for BTVS. It is (basically) the last episode with Cordelia, Wes and Angel in the cast. (Angel will pop up a few more times over the years, but he'll never really come back to stay.) Sunnydale High is destroyed, so starting next season there will be all new sets. Snyder and Larry are killed in the battle. Harmony becomes a vampire. Faith is put in a coma and the Mayor dies. All in all, a lot happens in this episode. And you really shouldn't skip it if you're watching the show on DVD.
The episode picks up right where "Graduation Day Part One" leaves off. Angel is dying and The Mayor is still planning to ascend. Desperate to save Angel, Buffy forces him to drink her blood. This cures him, but it nearly kills her in the process. Angel rushes her to the hospital, where Faith is also laying injured. The Mayor is devastated to learn that Faith is in a coma and may never wake up. He blames Buffy and attacks her in her hospital bed. Angel has to pull him off. While she's asleep, Buffy has a dream where Faith urges her to play on the Mayor's human weaknesses. Buffy wakes up with a plan on how to stop the Ascension.
Rallying the other Sunnydale students, Buffy and the Scoobies go to graduation. Halfway through his speech, the Mayor transforms into a giant snake demon. The students are prepared for this and fight back. Snyder is eaten. Xander calls on his army-guy training from season two's "Halloween." Buffy, going for the Mayor's human love for Faith, brandishes the knife she used to stab her. The Mayor/snake tries to kill Buffy as she races through the halls of Sunnydale High. Dashing into the library, she runs past the now-empty shelves. (Giles' books have been evacuated.) Buffy dives out the window... And Giles detonates the pounds of explosives they've rigged throughout the school. The Mayor is blown to little snake-y bits. The end of the episode has Angel walking off into the smoke and the Scoobies leaving Sunnydale High forever... Or at least until season four's "Doomed."
There are a lot of good parts to this episode. I love the Mayor and Angel's confrontation in the hospital. They're both so overwhelmed and worried about their respective Slayers that their argument is just great. The Mayor blames Buffy for Faith's coma and Angel has to throw the Mayor through a window in order to stop him from hurting her. And I like Buffy's dream about Faith. The Little Miss Muffit and 730 references will play into season five's story arc. (It's 730 days until "The Gift.") It's also nice that the students of Sunnydale High finally start fighting back against their demons. For once they're not just super-natural victims for Buffy to save. They're adults now and they're standing up for themselves. And Cordy's right, Wes coming back to help the Scoobies after they've made fun of him all season is just so classy. Finally, I love the scene where Angel feeds off of Buffy. It's so seductive and dark and beautiful all at the same time. Wow.
On the downside, I think the snake effects were a little fake. And I am sorry to see Larry die. Also, Angel's exit leaves a big hole in the show that only heals when Spike takes over as leading man in season five.
My favorite part of the episode: Snyder's introduction speech. "This is a time of celebration, so sit still and be quiet."
The episode picks up right where "Graduation Day Part One" leaves off. Angel is dying and The Mayor is still planning to ascend. Desperate to save Angel, Buffy forces him to drink her blood. This cures him, but it nearly kills her in the process. Angel rushes her to the hospital, where Faith is also laying injured. The Mayor is devastated to learn that Faith is in a coma and may never wake up. He blames Buffy and attacks her in her hospital bed. Angel has to pull him off. While she's asleep, Buffy has a dream where Faith urges her to play on the Mayor's human weaknesses. Buffy wakes up with a plan on how to stop the Ascension.
Rallying the other Sunnydale students, Buffy and the Scoobies go to graduation. Halfway through his speech, the Mayor transforms into a giant snake demon. The students are prepared for this and fight back. Snyder is eaten. Xander calls on his army-guy training from season two's "Halloween." Buffy, going for the Mayor's human love for Faith, brandishes the knife she used to stab her. The Mayor/snake tries to kill Buffy as she races through the halls of Sunnydale High. Dashing into the library, she runs past the now-empty shelves. (Giles' books have been evacuated.) Buffy dives out the window... And Giles detonates the pounds of explosives they've rigged throughout the school. The Mayor is blown to little snake-y bits. The end of the episode has Angel walking off into the smoke and the Scoobies leaving Sunnydale High forever... Or at least until season four's "Doomed."
There are a lot of good parts to this episode. I love the Mayor and Angel's confrontation in the hospital. They're both so overwhelmed and worried about their respective Slayers that their argument is just great. The Mayor blames Buffy for Faith's coma and Angel has to throw the Mayor through a window in order to stop him from hurting her. And I like Buffy's dream about Faith. The Little Miss Muffit and 730 references will play into season five's story arc. (It's 730 days until "The Gift.") It's also nice that the students of Sunnydale High finally start fighting back against their demons. For once they're not just super-natural victims for Buffy to save. They're adults now and they're standing up for themselves. And Cordy's right, Wes coming back to help the Scoobies after they've made fun of him all season is just so classy. Finally, I love the scene where Angel feeds off of Buffy. It's so seductive and dark and beautiful all at the same time. Wow.
On the downside, I think the snake effects were a little fake. And I am sorry to see Larry die. Also, Angel's exit leaves a big hole in the show that only heals when Spike takes over as leading man in season five.
My favorite part of the episode: Snyder's introduction speech. "This is a time of celebration, so sit still and be quiet."