Cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer came to an end in the United States on Tuesday after six years on air.
Sarah Michelle Gellar said she wanted to end on a high
The fantasy horror series has been a hit around the world and has made a Hollywood star of leading actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.
She plays Buffy Summers, a young woman who teams up with a group of friends to kill vampires and fight evil - while they are still, on the surface, living normal lives in California.
It was based on the moderately successful 1992 film of the same name, starring Kristy Swanson.
But the darker themes in the TV series have seen it debated by academics as well as enjoyed by millions of fans.
Show creator Joss Whedon is reportedly planning further spin-offs to keep the Buffy story alive.
Gellar, who promised a "pretty spectacular" finalé in an interview in February, told Entertainment Weekly magazine she was keen to see the show go out on a high.
"You always worry about being the show that's been on too long - especially when you're a cult hit," she said.
Angel is still showing in the US
"Last year, a lot of people were ready to tear us down. [So when] we started to have such a strong year this year, I thought 'this is how I want to go out - on top, at our best'."
Past characters such as rogue slayer Faith and Buffy's first love Angel, played by David Boreanez, have returned for this series, the seventh.
Gellar, 25, who is married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr, has forged a career away from Buffy, starring in the blockbusting movies I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby-Doo.
Buffy has seen one spin-off - the more adult-themed Angel, which saw Boreanez's character start a new life in Los Angeles and which will continue on America's WB network.
In 2001, Joss Whedon moved Buffy from its original home at the WB network to the smaller UPN, criticising its old home for not being committed to the show.
"I've been dumped by my fat old ex and Prince Charming has come and swept me off my feet," he said.
But ratings fell after the switch, sparking rumours of the show's demise.
Both Buffy and Angel have also hit problems on UK television - fans reacted angrily when Sky One and BBC Two cut scenes from Buffy for being too gory for its early-evening slot.
But when Channel 4 tried to show Angel with fewer cuts, watchdogs intervened and the show was moved a late-night slot, where it struggled to attract viewers.
The series has since been picked up by Five, formerly Channel 5, which will follow Sky One in showing it from June.
The final Buffy will be shown in the UK on Sky One on 12 June. No date has been set for its showing on BBC Two.
But what do you think? What was the final show like? Is it the right time for the show to end?
This debate is now closed. Please see below for a selection of your comments.
All good things....
What can we say, after seven years, anything was going to be a disappointment, but only because there would be no new episodes.
Chosen is a fantastic end to the first arc, using themes, mythology and even lines going all the way back to the first episode.
Because it was written by Joss Whedon and also directed by him, I was very eager to see what he had planned and boy was I happy!!!
I laughed, I cried and I was VERY shocked at several scenes, including several VERY unexpected deaths.
While not on the levels of S2's Becoming or S3's Graduation Day, it was a good end...I just wish that Oz and Cordelia had made a short appearance.
The final episode was amazing, and it really did tie the whole show up. It's very hard to say what happened without giving the game away, but every character performed to their best ability.
It is with a tear in my eye that I said goodbye to Buffy.
As a huge fan of the show, I have to be selfish and say I never want it to finish! However, as all good things do come to an end eventually, I'd rather it was now while the show is still on a high, with great characters and storylines. I would hate it if it started to get slated by critics etc and people thought it was finishing because it was no good any more or they ran out of ideas. Let's hope Angel keeps on running and some of the Buffy characters that we know and love show up in Los Angeles to fight the good fight!
Claire Wilson, UK
The final show was still high quality. Whedon tried to do an emotional angle where just before the big fight, the four original Scoobies (Giles, Buffy, Xander, Willow) would wander the school hall together in moving to their battle stations. Very sentimental. Tearful moment for us longtime fans of the show.
But.......I wanted to feel emotional over it and it seemed that the actors were ready to move on. The scene seemed a bit off somehow. I still appreciate the gesture, though. It was still important to try to connect the show's early roots with last night's events (the current era).
As sad as it is for Buffy the show to end, at least Angel next year should give us some insight to how the Scooby Gang is doing.
An absolutely wonderful end to what has been the strongest year on Buffy since Season three. Everything comes full circle and we find Buffy making one of the toughest decisions yet. The episode is action packed, funny, moving, and yes fans, there are a few deaths that you may not have seen coming.
And so it ends, a television programme that has captivated me and my friends for seven years. We have laughed out loud, cried and screamed at some of the episodes along the way and I for one will miss is terribly. Still we still have Angel Season 5 next year.....and just guess who is going to be appearing in that!
John Mcrorie, Edinburgh, UK
What an accomplishment for Joss Whedon and his amazing cast and crew! To take something so silly and make it so relevant entertaining, and to do so solidly and consistently, for seven seasons. Personally, I hope James Marsters doesn't move to Angel; he's a talented boy and should stretch his chops and try something new. Besides, his hair'll fall out if he keeps torturing it like that.
(Sigh). Well, at least we can still see Anthony Head on ManChild. Yum.
Buffy will be sorely missed in our household. Along with Angel, its one of the only programmes my boyfriend and I agree on.
Great episode, with lots of shocks for fans! Don't want to spoil it for you in the UK, but you will be left wanting MORE Buffy and company, and that includes the Scoobies, Faith, Spike, and all the rest! If going out on top was the plan, they succeeded, but there was still a lot of life left in the series! Maybe there SHOULD be a spin-off or an annual TV movie (like a two-part episode, not a big-budget film). Meanwhile, I'll sure miss the lot of them!
Patrick Potter, US
I watched the series finale tonight. It didn't feel like the end, but more like a new beginning. Towards the end I will admit I shed a few tears. For everyone in the UK, do not miss this final episode!
Wow! I'm speechless, I've been watching the show since the beginning, I've never missed an episode, so I know there have been some great ones. This may have been the best. It was amazing. I'm still stunned 40 minutes later. It got me thinking about what the world would be like without evil. It was nothing short of stellar.
The last show was great. I will miss the show now I have nothing to watch on Tuesday night. I have watched the show from the beginning - I saw the first one and was hooked after that. I am glad they brought back faith and that spike finally got to be the hero. Bye Buffy, much love.
I have followed the series from beginning to end and have never been disappointed. The finale was a classic, Whedon bringing everything together and setting Buffy free. A great show and my wife and I will miss it, but we will just have to settle for Angel. I was hoping for another spin-off but....
John Kelly, USA
This is the perfect time to end Buffy. The show fell on a downward spiral in season six, making people wonder if even season seven was worth the trouble.
However, the newest season has had one of the strongest arc's since three, and the story pretty much could not be topped by an 8th year.
I say learn from the poor X Files finale - don't end with a fizzle, end with a bang. Which I am sure Buffy shall accomplish.
Hope to see these characters in some incarnation soon!!!!
I laughed. I cried. I felt genuinely scared. It was a fitting end to seven years of just about the best TV series ever seen.
Thank you Joss!
I waatched this episode last night, it is fantastic! It's funny and heartbreaking at the same time and left well open for any spin-offs. With Spike joining the cast of Angel next season and no more Cordelia and Connor (dead weight) I'm really looking forward to the next season. Buffy is dead, long live Angel.
Chris Blanc, England
Buffy is a truly great show and will be missed, but it is time to call it a day. It is better to go out with a bang, and what a bang it will be! There is not a show around today that can compete with the great Slayer and her Scoobies! Long live the Scoobies!