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I voted for The Gift.

Not only does it work as a series finale if the show hadn't gotten bought by UPN, but it was the most emotional for me. By the end of s5, I was completely and totally invested in the characters. For weeks leading up to the finale, I was a nervous wreck trying to figure out which character would die. From the way things were shaping up, I knew someone wasn't making it out of it alive. I thought Xander at times because of all the carpenter references, and then Anya because Xander proposed to her right before the big fight, and then I thought it would have been Giles or Spike.

Never did I think it would have been Buffy. For one, she'd already died before. Also, I just assumed you don't kill off the titular character without a twist to void the act. Nope. It was Buffy, and in hindsight, it was totally obvious. From the first slayer telling her death was her gift to her saying that Dawn was made from her, her blood and flesh. I just love that she wouldn't accept that her sister had to die, or the world had to end, and that she found a third option. Because that's Buffy, she's a fighter, she'll always find a way. I also *love* the scene at the bottom of the tower, of Giles and the Scoobies reactions.....Spike's utter devastation at the sight of her body. Her gravestone was the perfect fade out, because it meant there were no gimmicks. It was real. Buffy was dead.

Of course we also knew she wouldn't stay dead. If only because anyone who'd seen more than two episodes knew that Willow wouldn't let it be.

Still. It was a long three and a half months or so.

I forgot to mention why The Gift is my favorite finale.....

Giles' cold blooded murder of the helpless Ben. Not a lot of shows will allow one of their main characters, the original White Hat, to commit such an unambiguous act.