But it\u2019s certainly not impossible and really, an ending is something that can make or break a show. When you think of a series like Lost, or, more recently, Game of Thrones<\/a>, you might think of the feverish excitement surrounding it when it was airing. Or you might think of how catastrophically its ending was received.<\/p>\n As we look back at Buffy the Vampire Slayer<\/a> 20 years after Chosen, the final ever episode, aired, it\u2019s clear not everything has aged particularly well. But that ending? Still magical.<\/p>\n Chosen does nothing just for the sake of it \u2013 everything has a purpose, and every character receives a fitting ending.<\/p>\n Perhaps most importantly, it\u2019s the epitome of every value that Buffy stood for throughout its seven-season run, most prominently female empowerment. Willow (Alyson Hannigan), at the height of her power once again, imbues all of the potentials with the powers of the slayer, resulting in that incredible scene of dozens of girls and women fighting together as they take down the Hellmouth once and for all.<\/p>\n While plenty of other shows have celebrated female empowerment since, it wasn\u2019t exactly commonplace when Buffy was airing. As Spike actor James Marsters<\/a> recently told RadioTimes.com<\/a>: \u201cBuffy was one of the first shows to make the point that women can fight back.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, there are issues with every girl who has the potential to be a slayer being imbued with new powers that have been pointed out in the years since the finale aired. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) spent years lamenting the difficulties of being a slayer, why would she not think about any of them potentially feeling the same way? But it still stands to make a powerful point \u2013 after years of having to hold a burden alone, she\u2019s now supported by girls and women across the world, after she rejected what fate told her and made her own rules.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the issue of Buffy\u2019s love life. It would have been so easy to have Buffy ride off into the sunset with either Angel (David Boreanaz) or Spike (James Marsters) but, in having her stand with her friends and the new Slayers at the end, Buffy proves that she never truly needed either of them \u2013 at least not as a boyfriend.<\/p>\n Plus, it allows their stories to end on a much more satisfactory note. After his brief return, we see Angel walk away into the darkness, the same way he entered the series with him and Buffy finally on the same page. Meanwhile, Spike\u2019s redemption is complete, as he sacrifices himself to save the world. While he refuses to believe Buffy truly loves him (an earlier version of Spike no doubt would have deluded himself into believing it), he does it anyway \u2013 because it\u2019s the right thing to do.<\/p> It could also be argued that this female empowerment has continued behind the scenes, with stars including Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) speaking out against creator Whedon. She was supported by co-stars including Sarah Michelle Gellar. Whedon later denied claims made by Carpenter.<\/p>\n Another key to the Buffy finale still being so well-regarded 20 years on is it was left well enough alone \u2013 something that\u2019s pretty rare in today\u2019s TV landscape. I love a spin-off as much as the next person, but never when it risks impacting the legacy of series (do I need to mention the zombie show again?). Of course, we\u2019re not forgetting Angel, which aired almost concurrently to Buffy and ended in 2004. Call me naive, but I see it more as a companion rather than a way of making a quick buck after the end of Buffy.<\/p> ![\""Cast\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2015\/06\/GettyImages-2604059-9e2141f.jpg?quality=90&crop=8px%2C653px%2C3541px%2C2359px&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Cast\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>