By Chris Snellgrove | Published
For the most part, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans were excited for the final season. Sure, it lacked the emotional height and creativity of Season 2 and Season 3, but it felt like a refreshing return to form after the empty darkness of Season 6. However, it turns out that the final season was almost ruined by an unexpected source. of everything. Along with costar Nicholas Brendon, Sarah Michelle Gellar originally pitched to showrunner Joss Whedon the idea that Buffy and Xander should hook up in Season 7.
Buffy And Xander Romance
Some long-time fans of the show are groaning right now, and don't worry…we're going to dive deep into why this romantic pairing would be such a bad idea. First, though, let's address the elephant in the room: why did Sarah Michelle Gellar and her ilk think a Buffy/Xander romance would be a good idea in the first place? In short, both their characters were dealing with heartbreak. Xander left Anya at the altar in season 6, and ended up hooking up with Spike, Buffy's obsession with benefits who ended up trying to rape her before the end of the season.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicholas Brendon wanted their respective characters to find a romantic happy ending, and they felt that Buffy and Xander becoming an item would give each of their characters romantic closure. This didn't happen, and Season 7 was all about the unwelcome feelings of our beloved characters. Buffy never found the perfect boyfriend, but she was thrown by both Angel and a rescued Spike before the end of the season; as for Xander, he reunited with Anya before he tragically lost his life in the last episode.
Why Sarah Michelle Gellar Was Wrong
Now, we love Sarah Michelle Gellar more than any other member of our family, so why do we think she was wrong to want Buffy/Xander's love? For one thing, it felt like a bad backlash. Xander's puppy crush on Buffy back in Season 1 highlighted how immature she was, and her recent relationship with Anya emphasized how much she had grown as a character. He and Buffy's sudden connection would feel like his character had regressed and he could diminish his romance with Anya by implying that he never stopped looking for Buffy.
Additionally, Sarah Michelle Gellar's excellent acting emphasized that Buffy never saw Xander as a love interest, which is why she spent all her time fighting bad boy vampires and the occasional corn-eating super soldier. In the blink of an eye, hooking her up with Xander would feel completely absurd, and the show would be worse off for it, especially in the final season. Honestly, it might have been worse than Willow's character assassination in season 6, where she went from a man-loving goddess who loves magic to a magical addict who can't stop hurting those she loves the most.
The Last Cause vs. Buffy/Xander
Ultimately, the Buffy/Xander romance would have ruined a core part of Buffy's character: that, at the end of the day, she always wants what she can't have. Loving cheap but unavailable men was part of that, a way for the Killer to keep anyone from getting too close to him. Xander is someone you could have had at any point in the series because of his embarrassing little crush, and it would have been rude of him to abandon his love of elusive bad boys to hook up with a harmless little kid. a nerd who has never stopped following her since they first met.
Fortunately, Joss Whedon didn't listen to Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Buffy didn't end up with Xander or anyone else at the end of Season 7. This was sad but fitting. Once again, the Slayer saves a world he can't fully enjoy. But let's be real: isn't being alone way, way better than ending up with Xander?
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