The series finale and the future

This is the third interview we’ve done with Tom Lenk in a year. We first talked to him about his return to the series earlier this year, then when he starred in the episode "Storyteller." However, this should prove to be his last Buffy interview as the show ends May 20.

At the party for the series finale, Lenk discussed the end of the series and of Andrew. Is this party a celebration or a mourning? I’d say a little of both. I think I got all my sad sadness out this week and the last day was pretty devastating. But tonight’s fun and I’m just excited to get to hang out with everybody that we worked with all year and the past two years for me. It’s a nice sendoff and I just feel blessed and lucky to have worked on the show, a show that I respect so much and on to bigger and better. Who knows what will happen with the rest of the Joss Whedon universe.

How do you feel about your character’s ultimate arc? Well, not to give anything away, because I know some episodes haven’t aired yet but I’m very happy with what happened. I think the character took a very appropriate journey and I was happy with what I got to do. It was fun. They gave me a character and let me sort of run with it. They gave me such brilliant stuff to work off and I tried to give them more. I really felt that we had a great tug of war with the character and just kept going at it. I had so much fun. I couldn’t have asked for more in a job, so I feel just really lucky and happy to have worked on it.

What’s your role in the finale? I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s sort of all about what happens to a group and what happens to friends and how people cope with going to battle and what happens as far as relationships. I think it’s a look at how the show started and sort of going back to that. I definitely think it’s come full circle.

How so? I think the characters have gone back to where they started from as far as attitude and how they feel about each other. It gets in touch with these emotional ties that everybody has to each other and the close knit group of friends that they have their own language that they talk in. It’s just interesting to see how they look back at the years past and where they go to after that.

What’s your favorite episode? I’d have to say out of respect for my character, "Storyteller." I just got to make such an ass out of myself. It was so much fun. Dancing in a toga on a hillside singing with unicorns was pretty embarrassing. I don’t do that sort of thing ever in my down time. So, I just had so much fun doing it, but I loved Emma’s history episode this year. It was really funny. And I’m a huge fan of "The Body." The most devastating hour of television I’ve ever seen and I loved that.

How did Buffy change your life? Buffy changed my life in that when you’re first starting out as an actor, you don’t really get to choose where you go. I ended up on a brilliant, amazing show. I could not have asked for more. Because of the show, I’ll get to go on and continue onto bigger and better. I just made so many friends here. That’s probably the best part, just getting to know everybody. The cast, I’ve gotten very close to them. I’m going to miss everybody but I know we’re friends and we’re all going to hang out afterwards.