Buffy is dead

Cosmology of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

When the Slayer dies, the "magic" that empowers all Slayers goes forth and activates the next Slayer. Slayers are, apparently, born with the potential, but require this mystic effect to come into their full strength. The magic is not clever - when Buffy was killed by the Master in Season 1, the magic went off and jumpstarted another Slayer (Kendra), even though CPR subsequently saved Buffy. Later, Kendra was slain by Drusilla, leading the magic (despite there being two Slayers) to activate Faith (now in jail).

There are two possible rules that fit this scenario:

1. Whenever any Slayer dies, another Slayer is activated, or
2. Whenever the active (most recently activated) Slayer dies, another Slayer is activated.

The events of The Cheese Stands Alone certainly seem to indicate that the magic considers Buffy to be a Slayer. Applying this fact and Occam's Razor, it would certainly seem that the first rule is more correct. Which will remain to be proven, if Joss Whedon adds yet another Slayer next season.

All of which begs the question: Why aren't the Watchers out making more Slayers? Kill off Faith. Find the next Slayer. Kill. Resuscitate. Repeat. Perhaps there are a finite number of Slayer candidates?

Buffy wanted to die. The whole 5th season led up to it, and to tell you the truth, it's pretty morbid. Death was Buffy's gift, according to the first slayer, and that's why I'm pissed off that she came back to life.

In one episode, Spike taught Buffy the reason that Slayers die. They want to die. Look at all the shit that Buffy went through. She was always the strong one, and she was always there for everyone, but she was always the one being hurt. It's amazing that it took her that long to die. There's a reason why Slayers never seem to survive for more than a year at best.

And also, I just want to point out a small plot problem - the prophecy talks about the blood of the Key, and yet, somehow, it takes Glory more than half a season to understand that the Key is a human? Oh well. I still liked the finale anyway, and I just wish that the show stopped there.

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After seeing the resurrection, I am not nearly so pissed off. Buffy did go to heaven. Death was her gift. Her friends, ignorantly, wrenched her back from her perfect afterlife. It all makes sense.