Gone East

Buffy Series Finale

Gail Collins, New York Times:

But for all [Buffy the Vampire Slayer's] science fiction plots and gorgeous young cast members -- who always battled evil wearing great clothes -- the show's core was achingly true to life. The long list of people Buffy lost or killed weighed down on her, and although her wardrobe remained as spiffy as ever, her soul was battered. The series grew increasingly dark, and over the last few years there was a growing sense that she was coming to the end of the trail.

Joss Whedon:

After seven years [our mission statement] remained pretty much the same, or rather came full circle. We looked at the idea of power; the girl who had power that nobody understood, living in high school and how hard that was. We came back to that girl and that concept very strongly in the seventh season on purpose because we knew it was our last.