Episode Discussion: The Gift

[SpikedBuffy]

Considering we've already discussed Restless, we should skip to The Gift.

I'm not going to put a time limit on this one. We need to get some more activity going, so feel free to post when you want!

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

ah, the gift. such an epic during which i cried. how can i possibly say all i have to say? well, let me try. first, i loved loved loved it. i loved the anya/xander stuff. it was sweet and i loved it. although, i think at that point someone had already spoiled xander leaving her at the alter for me, so it was sort of bittersweet, but i still loved it. i loved how she slapped him; that was so something anya would do! i also liked the bunny thing. and i loved all of anya's enthusiasm about solving the problem. my final comment on them is i loved how she pushes him out of the way when stuff is going to fall on top of him. i thought it was very cool how buffy was the buffybot. maybe it was just me being dense, but it totally had me fooled! i liked what was written on her grave at the end, and the big speech, and that whole scene. that was definetely one that had me tearing up :cry:. oh, and the other thing that had me crying, was when willow brought tara back to normal. it was so sweet and it also made me cry :cry: :cry:. and i loved any other tara/willow scenes in general. also, when i watched it the second time, i liked the scene with buffy and giles in the training room...it just seemed like everything in that episode, such as that scene, had an epic quality to it. oh, and this made me giggle, even though it was just a small thing:

MINION 1: Stand fast! Kill anyone who dares approach! This will be our day of glory!
MINION 2: Well punned.
MINION 1: Well, it just called out to me.

there was also sweet spike/buffy stuff in it. i know ive mostly just been babbling about how epic and sad it was, but its all i can do to sum things up about it. and also, when i watched it the second time, i noticed that tara points to giles and says he's a killer and stuff, as reference to him going to kill ben. ...yup, thats pretty much all i can say in summary without going totally overboard and boring everyone to death.

[Ladybug]

This episode was played out beautifully, I think. It had a good amount of comic relief, though most of it is before the last 8-10 minutes, which is where we obviously need it the most, but it would be very out of place and probably frustrating.

I cried so hard in this episode, even before I knew what exactly was going to happen, I knew it was going to be big. I even cried in the intro, where Buffy is told she's "just a girl" and she answers, "That's what I keep telling myself." It sent me into tears (because I think way too much) all through the intro credits.

At the very end, when Buffy comes up to the tower to save Dawn, I actually really thought Dawn was going to die. I was so caught up in the moment I wasn't paying any attention to the fact that I had already seen the last two seasons and I should've known it was going to be Buffy. But... I didn't. I was totally unprepared for this episode... I cried so hard up until the credits. I was so slow I didn't remember that she was going to die until they showed her gravestone. That makes me smile so much, no matter how much I bawl when I see this episode, I always turn the TV off smiling... it's perfect. "She saved the world a lot." Absolutely perfect.

...Right! And Xander proposes to Anya in this episode, doesn't he. (Haha, I almost posted this without saying anything about that until I saw your signature, Spirit of Fred) Well, I have so much to say about that. (When I watched this episode, it was like I forgot everything major that had ever happened in the show. I just thought I had missed something in the first few episodes of season 6, and Xander proposed to her then.) As soon as Xander showed her the ring, I think I almost fainted on the spot. It was the most perfect timing he ever could have thought of (well, when else, if the world's gonna end...). When Anya looks like she's about to say yes, but then she slaps him, I almost fainted again. No wait, I almost died. I truly thought she was going to say no (I must have some rare Btvs memory-loss syndrome). I really did. Xander was very, very comforting in this episode... Nicolas Brendon was amazing. I loved him.

Now. I shall discuss the funny stuff, if it's any relief. My favorite... would have to be when Glory knocks off Buffybot's head and comments
stupidly "Hah, wow. Slayer's a robot. Did anyone else know the slayer was a robot?" That was great. Typical Buffy humor. I also really like when the minion-demon thing yells "This will be our day of glory!" and the other one whispers "Well punned!" and the first minion thingie says matter-of-factly, "Well, it just called out to me." That was great. One more... "Shpadoinkle!" Once more, Xander is amazing in this episode.

Sorry. I'm probably killing all of you who are reading this. I'm done now... bored yet?

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

This episode was played out beautifully, I think. It had a good amount of comic relief, though most of it is before the last 8-10 minutes, which is where we obviously need it the most, but it would be very out of place and probably frustrating.

I cried so hard in this episode, even before I knew what exactly was going to happen, I knew it was going to be big. I even cried in the intro, where Buffy is told she's "just a girl" and she answers, "That's what I keep telling myself." It sent me into tears (because I think way too much) all through the intro credits.

At the very end, when Buffy comes up to the tower to save Dawn, I actually really thought Dawn was going to die. I was so caught up in the moment I wasn't paying any attention to the fact that I had already seen the last two seasons and I should've known it was going to be Buffy. But... I didn't. I was totally unprepared for this episode... I cried so hard up until the credits. I was so slow I didn't remember that she was going to die until they showed her gravestone. That makes me smile so much, no matter how much I bawl when I see this episode, I always turn the TV off smiling... it's perfect. "She saved the world a lot." Absolutely perfect.

i pretty much agree and feel mutually the same about all of that! :)

...Right! And Xander proposes to Anya in this episode, doesn't he. (Haha, I almost posted this without saying anything about that until I saw your signature, Spirit of Fred) Well, I have so much to say about that. (When I watched this episode, it was like I forgot everything major that had ever happened in the show. I just thought I had missed something in the first few episodes of season 6, and Xander proposed to her then.) As soon as Xander showed her the ring, I think I almost fainted on the spot. It was the most perfect timing he ever could have thought of (well, when else, if the world's gonna end...). When Anya looks like she's about to say yes, but then she slaps him, I almost fainted again. No wait, I almost died. I truly thought she was going to say no (I must have some rare Btvs memory-loss syndrome). I really did. Xander was very, very comforting in this episode... Nicolas Brendon was amazing. I loved him.

your welcome :p. i kind of predicted she would slap him. it was so much a thing that anya would do. i think that was a great piece of the moment, though, which, you're right, he timed perfectly, and was a beautiful moment in which i teared up :cry:. and i adore xander and nicholas brendon as well! :D

Now. I shall discuss the funny stuff, if it's any relief. My favorite... would have to be when Glory knocks off Buffybot's head and comments
stupidly "Hah, wow. Slayer's a robot. Did anyone else know the slayer was a robot?" That was great. Typical Buffy humor. I also really like when the minion-demon thing yells "This will be our day of glory!" and the other one whispers "Well punned!" and the first minion thingie says matter-of-factly, "Well, it just called out to me." That was great. One more... "Shpadoinkle!" Once more, Xander is amazing in this episode.

i loves me some buffy humor :silly:. but by the way, i posted that quote above :blush:.

Sorry. I'm probably killing all of you who are reading this. I'm done now... bored yet?

yep, i feel that way whenever i post long posts like this...what am i saying? ...i feel that way whenever i post! :p and the lack of replies never helps...

[Lyri]

i really love this episode...even though i pretty mcuh hate the rest of the season...well, not 'hate' exactly, but S5 is definitely my least fave season.
i thought the whole thing was perfect. i just loved it from the start, in the alley, to the gravestone at the end. even now, 5 years later, i still can't sit through 'The Gift' without crying. The minute i go? When Spike falls to his knees in tears...can't help it. that is such a powerful moment for me. This guy who's supposed to be the most evil vampire, is so distraught that the Slayer has died that he can't keep himself upright. Spike's sorrow is so raw...James Marsters is such a fantastic actor.
i remember when this first aired in the UK, on Sky1...our cabel broke down in the early afternoon and spent the next 4 hours calling everyone to see if someone could record it for me. my grandpartents finally did it for me (They taped Angel, too, which was on immediatly after 'The Gift) and my grandad drove around to my house at, like, 10pm, just to give me the tape, so i took it to my room to watch. i knew someone was gonna die, but i didn't know it was gonna be Buffy...i watched the ep, and sat in my room in silence for the next hour. i missesd Angel 'cause i was in so much shock! i thought that was the end of BTVS, 'cause the lead chracter had died. i knew they'd done it before, but i didn't know how they were gonna get out of it.
thank God they did, 'cause S6 is my fave season! :D

[zombie.apparatus]

I love this episode.. I cry everytime! And as much as it is sad... the episode has its funny moments... but isnt that what Btvs does! I really loved Spike in this ep.. did i mention JM is hot? he he... I cant really go into detail on my thoughts on this ep as i pretty much loved every moment! :D I wish there was more seasons on Buffy :( ... IF ONLY

[Ladybug]

Spirit of Fred - Dude.

Joss, as writer and director of this episode, did an amazing job, once again. It seems like he writes all the best episodes... he's brilliant anyway, I mean, he made the show O.o

I loved Spike in this episode too, I think it's when I started to like him a lot more. Whenever I'm about to cry or if I'm getting really emotional, I get these big shivers down my spine (and quite oddly my toes), and I had those all throughout this episode, but Spike's speech to Buffy made me shiver and cry almost as much as the very end. It's so short and simple, but the smile on Spike's face and the way he says it makes me swoooon...

SPIKE: I know you'll never love me. I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man. And that's...