Buffy The Vampire Slayer

EACH TUESDAY FINDS ME home with a gourmet meal and a bottle of wine, candles flickering, VCR rolling, channel tuned firmly to UPN. Don’t call. Trust me, I’m not picking up. This night is reserved for my favorite girl, Buffy.

For seven seasons, the show that features angst-ridden teens who kill monsters, lesbian lovers who cast spells, and a bunch of good-versus-evil plots, has been a huge hit with gay audiences. Maybe it’s because "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" had one of the only long-lasting, same-sex relationships on network television. It could be because of that all-singing episode (you know gay men and their musicals). Or maybe it’s because "Buffy" is just one damn good show.

Sadly, Tuesday May 20 marks the final episode of a program that helped put the WB (its original network) on the map and launch Sarah Michelle Gellar’s career, paving the way for roles in "Scooby Doo" movies and Maybelline ads.

In the March 7 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Gellar announced she is leaving the show when her contract expires. She and "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon have spoken about a spin-off series featuring original cast members, much like the WB’s "Angel," which stars Buffy’s ex, played by David Boreanaz.

What "Angel" does not have is what drives "Buffy’s" popularity: a hot girl in cool pants kicking ass.

It’s possible one of the Slayers-in-Training, who cropped up this season and is hogging Buffy’s bathroom, might fill the same role. But none will be like the ones in the original series. It’s like casting Barbra Streisand in the movie version of "Hello, Dolly" instead of Carol Channing.

Gellar says she’s willing to make guest appearances on the new show if Buffy isn’t killed (not that death stopped this character before).

STILL, WITHOUT GELLAR, where does that leave viewers like me?

I arrived in the "Buffy" universe relatively late. During season 6, I flipped on the TV to find Gellar in a fast-food restaurant worker’s uniform humping a bleach-blonde, leather-clad James Marsters against a wall. I was hooked, and caught up with weekend repeats and by watching newly issued DVDs.

I found a world where people loved, lost, and hunted the undead. Like "Twin Peaks," "Buffy" is populated with strange characters, dark secrets, and a compelling humanity. Yes, Buffy has a stake named Mr. Pointy, but at its heart, this is a show about being stuck with fate.

Although there was no official announcement until recently, this season seemed like Buffy’s last hurrah from the beginning.

FOR MORE INFO ’Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ UPN Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

Buffy’s watcher Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) returned from England to a house full of Slayers-in-Training. A vampire with a heart of gold, Spike (Marsters) came back to Sunnydale with a new soul. Buffy got a job at Sunnydale High, which was newly rebuilt over the same hell hole, as her little sister Dawn (Michelle Trachenberg) started classes.

Willow (Allison Hannigan), the lesbian still recovering from the loss of Tara (Amber Benson), found a new, equally fetching girlfriend. The two remaining evil geniuses from last season returned from Mexico with guilty consciences, speaking Spanish poorly. One died a few episodes ago, while the other remains hilariously alive, pining for Xander (Nicholan Brendon).

The gang is all here for what is likely to be their last homecoming.

With just six original episodes left, what could possibly take place in the finale?

In the past seven years, we’ve seen killer prom dogs, a high school built over hell, first loves turned into blood-sucking beasts, and a sister made of cosmic energy. We’ve witnessed Buffy’s effort to sing and dance, and her mom’s death from natural causes.

At this point, it’s anybody’s guess how "Buffy" will end.

I say sacrifice the Mini-Slayers! Spare Willow and her squeeze! Save Dawn and Xander! Bring on the kicking and the leather pants.

And please, more humping.