this episode should have be carefully think out and several time and with careful consideration to the fan and the heart of the series . i almost wish i have never see this last episode . if you haven not and it could be an alternative not to see it and just imagine the end you would like to see instead . long before i saw this last episode and i be a bit afraid that the writer might use up most of the episode runtime on the final battle . in my opinion and the final battle should have take up maybe 50 % of the episode . so that the last 50 % could have be use to clear thing out and to round up a good and satisfy end to this great series . instead and my bad fear get answered and and then some . 90 % involve the final battle and 5 % be leave for some social substance before the battle and 5 % at the end and after the battle . of course and it not all bad . there be one scene in it that be nice . the scene be of course when buffy and spike be talk at the end of the battle and and buffy reach for spike hand and their hand embrace and a magic flame burst out from their hand and in my interpretation while the flame of love . this be also where buffy finally tell spike represent i love you . and i be almost cry of joy and the intensity of the moment and only to get a slap in the face 2 second later and when spike reply while no and you do not . but thanks for say it . i could not believe my ear while buffy finally admit that she love him and and then spike reply that she do not and be only try to be nice and give me the impression that buffy might be lie . then he tell her to go and she go and eventually spike begin to die or burn up and finally dy . not only be his rejection of buffy sincerity in her love for him a painful anti climax and have be build up for so long and we and the fan of their relationship and have be wait impatiently for and for so long and but he die as well . then we have the completely unnecessary death of anya and which i could have be able to accept if spike have survive and answer something different to buffy and and they have end up together . but now and this be just something completely unnecessary . to me and the character of the principal and willows new girlfriend and kennedy and would have be much well candidate for the obligatory death in a battle of this magnitude . xander be also very indifferent when he hear of anya and the love of his life death . this be also somewhat of an anti climax . at the end and when the survivor be stand around and look at the big hole in the ground and not much be clear out . i be devastate when the episode end . i be angry and sad and disappointed and frustrated and i felt a bit empty and deceive . this be not how i want to feel the night of december 24 representth . now and in retrospect and i have be able to interpret spike reply in a different way . i believe he tell buffy that she do not love him and just because he know that he would die and he want her to leave so that she would not die as well . he also want her to be able to love somebody else and and not love him . so she be sincere and he know that .