Let's just cut to the chase.  No snappy intro.  No cute little jokes.

The Scoobies screwed up royally.  They pussy footed around with the Troika for the entire season.  They did not take them seriously because they were too involved with their own problems.  And today, it came to bite them in the ass.

Tara screwed up royally.  At the end of Season 5, Tara got brain sucked.  At the end of Season 6, she died.  I wish she had learned sooner to leave town in May.  Maybe even early April.  Perhaps a lot of these problems could have been avoided if she had.  (I knew there had to be a reason Willow and Tara were ultra-happy.  And I didn't like it one bit.  In the MEverse, before great tragedy comes happiness.)

Buffy screwed up royally.  She, once again, left her friends out of her personal life.  Tell me.  What is a personal life if it doesn't involve your friends?

Xander screwed up royally.  (Unpopular opinion warning)  He deluded himself into believing that he loved Anya and not Buffy.  None of you believed me when I claimed that he never got over the Buffster.  Now, I said that over 6 months ago.  I'm sure they're setting up the next 'ship to be B/X.  But, then again, I once thought I saw Elvis at a Burger King, so take my opinion for what it's worth.

Willow screwed up royally.  She allowed herself to be happy.  Happy=death.  Also, she really needs to clean her contacts once in a while.  Those things are stained.

Dawn screwed up royally.  She bitched out the vampire.  Don't bitch out the grey, morally ambiguous demon.

Warren screwed up royally.  Don't kill the Slayer's friends.  What were you thinking?

Clem screwed up royally.  He needed to do the demon-friend thing and take Spike out for a night on the town.  Maybe play a little kitten poker to get his mind off the Slayer.  I mean, come on.  Hot wings ain't gonna do it. 

And, Spike screwed up royally.  To save you all the distress of reading my opinion on the "scene", I won't bother to write it...just yet.  Let me just ask this question.  Was he remorseful at the end because of what he had done to Buffy in the bathroom, or because he's a monster and should not have such strong feelings for the Slayer?  They way it was portrayed, it could have gone either way.

Jonathan did NOT screw up royally.  He actually did something right.  Smart guy, that one.  At first I was so disappointed that he was actually trying to help the Uber Geeks.  But kudos to him for helping out our Slayer.

I do want to make one more set on comments on Spike.  His dual nature really shined this episode.  My heart broke for him during the Dawn lecture on hurting Buffy.  My heart broke again as he had to point out to Buffy that he was getting a spell for himself...so that he didn't have to feel the pain.  She has never once considered his feelings.  It makes me wonder why he said to her in "The Gift" that she made him feel like a man instead of a monster.

And in the last scene, we see some foreshadowing.  (?)  Willow holds a dying Tara.  Xander holds a dying Buffy.  The parallels are striking, no?

Oh, and by the way.  PLEASE DON'T MAKE BUFFY DIE FOR THE THIRD TIME!!

Favorite Line: "Goodbye, Bitch."

Screen Caps courtesy of Spirit Crow