History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E22Grave

* Bittersweet Ending: Xander saves Willow (and the world) with [[ThePowerOfFriendship his friendship speech, Buffy regains her desire to live, and Dawn proves to Buffy that she's more that JustAKid in need of protection when it comes to battle, suggesting a healthy shift in their relationship. However, Tara is still dead, and while Willow no longer wants to destroy the world, she's still last seen sobbing into Xander's arms, with the viewer uncertain of how long it may take her to recover from the trauma of the last few episodes. Additionally, Xander and Anya are still broken up, The Magic Box [[TrashTheSet has been wrecked]], and Jonathan and Andrew, terrified of Willow's rampage, flee to Mexico (with Jonathan either [[IgnoredEpiphany ignoring the epiphany]] he had in the previous episode or deciding that Buffy's inability to stop Willow left him with no other option). Meanwhile, Spike reclaims his soul, but given how he last left things in Sunnydale, it's unclear where things might go from here now that he has it.

* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: As Buffy and Dawn climb out of the grave and look over the now-saved world, the music playing is a sung version of The Prayer of Saint Francis of Assissi, PatronSaint of, among other things, the environment. Just as the song/prayer ends with "dying to be born to eternal life," Spike is given back his immortal soul.

* DidYouGetANewHaircut: A CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming for Giles is when he suddenly notices that Buffy cut her hair. GroupHug!

-->'''Demon:''' [[spoiler:Very well. We will return...your soul.]]

[[quoteright:284:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/btvs_s6_ep22_grave.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:284:"The first day of kindergarten you cried because you broke the yellow crayon and you were too afraid to tell anyone. You've come pretty far, ending the world, not a terrific notion, but the thing is, yeah, I love you. I loved crayon-breaking Willow and I love scary veiny Willow. So if I'm going out it's here. If you wanna kill the world, well then start with me. I've earned that."]]

* RedHerring: [[spoiler:Spike meant to get his soul back, not lose his RestrainingBolt. Confirmed by WordOfGod after many viewers assumed that the demon had double-crossed Spike.]]

* BatmanGambit: Willow steals Giles' magic from him [[spoiler:but it ends up connecting her with the suffering of all humanity. It is this empathy that leaves her open to Xander's appeal to their friendship.]]

* Bittersweet Ending: [[spoiler: Xander saves Willow (and the world) with [[ThePowerOfFriendship his friendship speech]], Buffy regains her desire to live, and Dawn proves to Buffy that she's more that JustAKid in need of protection when it comes to battle, suggesting a healthy shift in their relationship. However, Tara is still dead, and while Willow no longer wants to destroy the world, she's still last seen sobbing into Xander's arms, with the viewer uncertain of how long it may take her to recover from the trauma of the last few episodes. Additionally, Xander and Anya are still broken up, The Magic Box [[TrashTheSet has been wrecked]], and Jonathan and Andrew, terrified of Willow's rampage, flee to Mexico (with Jonathan either [[IgnoredEpiphany ignoring the epiphany]] he had in the previous episode or deciding that Buffy's inability to stop Willow left him with no other option). Meanwhile, Spike reclaims his soul, but given how he last left things in Sunnydale, it's unclear where things might go from here now that he has it.]]

* CoolDownHug / CryIntoChest: [[spoiler:After her power and rage fades, Willow collapses sobbing in Xander's arms.]]

* ExactWords: Giles told Anya that neither Buffy nor any supernatural force could stop Willow from destroying the world. He didn't say that [[spoiler:a ''human'' force, like Xander's love and compassion for his friend, wouldn't do the job.]]
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Willow's hair returns to its natural red color [[spoiler:as she breaks down crying in Xander's arms.]]

* PowerGlows / SupernaturalGoldEyes: Spike getting [[spoiler:his soul.]]
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Xander's friendship [[spoiler:is what eventually brings down Dark Willow.]]

* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: As Buffy and Dawn climb out of the grave and look over the now-saved world, the music playing is a sung version of The Prayer of Saint Francis of Assissi, PatronSaint of, among other things, the environment. Just as the song/prayer ends with "dying to be born to eternal life," [[spoiler:Spike is given back his immortal soul.]]

* ImmuneToMindControl: Anya claims this of vengeance demons. Of course, it comes off as an InformedAbility, since Willow successfully brainwashes Anya into freeing her from the binding spell.

* Bittersweet Ending: [[spoiler: Xander saves Willow (and the world) with [[ThePowerOfFriendship his friendship speech]], Buffy regains her desire to live, and Dawn proves to Buffy that she's more that JustAKid in need of protection when it comes to battle, suggesting a healthy shift in their relationship. However, Tara is still dead, and while Willow no longer wants to destroy the world, she's still last seen sobbing into Xander's arms, with the viewer uncertain of how long it may take her to recover from the trauma of the last few episodes. Additionally, Xander and Anya are still broken up, The Magic Box [[TrashTheSet has been wrecked]], and Jonathan and Andrew, terrified of Willow's rampage, flee to Mexico (with Jonathan either [[IgnoredEpiphany ignoring the epiphany]] he had in the previous episode or thinking that Willow's strength didn't leave him any more options). Meanwhile, Spike reclaims his soul, but given how he last left things in Sunnydale, it's unclear where things might go from here now that he has it.]]

* Bittersweet Ending: [[spoiler: Xander saves Willow (and the world) with [[ThePowerOfFriendship his friendship speech]], Buffy regains her desire to live, and Dawn proves to Buffy that she's more that JustAKid in need of protection when it comes to battle, suggesting a healthy shift in their relationship. However, Tara is still dead, and while Willow no longer wants to destroy the world, she's still last seen sobbing into Xander's arms, with the viewer uncertain of how long it may take her to recover from the trauma of the last few episodes. Additionally, Xander and Anya are still broken up while Jonathan and Andrew, terrified by Willow's rampage, end up fleeing to Mexico (with Jonathan either [[IgnoredEpiphany ignoring the epiphany]] he had in the previous episode or thinking that Willow's strength didn't leave him any more options). Meanwhile, Spike reclaims his soul, but given how he last left things in Sunnydale, it's unclear where things might go from here now that he has it.]]

-->'''Giles''': Can you forgive me?

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Giles gets a moment of this while talking with Buffy, especially after hearing of everything

* {{Great Balls Of Fire}}

* MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave: During their fight, Giles wonders aloud what Tara would think of Willow's current rampage. Willow retorts, "You can ask her yourself," and tried to blast him.

* GoneHorriblyRight: Giles lets Willow absorb his magic in an effort to put her in touch with humanity's pain. It works, but either because the world just [[CrapsackWorld sucks that much]] or because she's in no mood to think of the positives, decided to [[PutThemAllOutOfMyMisery out an end to all that suffering permanently]].

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: The human race is once more [[JesusChrist saved by a carpenter]].

->''Is this the master plan? You're going to stop me by telling me you love me?''

* MeaningfulEcho/OnceMoreWithClarity: After finishing his trial, Spike repeated the same like he said when he first entered "to give the Slayer what she deserved". It took on a new meaning when we learned that he was talking about getting his soul back.

* GroupHug: Buffy/Giles/Anya