graduation day: part 2
Season 3 Episode 22
Episode aired july 13, 1999
Plot
on ascension day, buffy and her friends prepare for the ultimate battle as they face off against the mayor and a horde of vampires.
Behind the Scenes
during the time of its airing, this caused a great deal of controversy in the media. the columbine high school massacre, only four weeks before the airing of graduation day: part 1 (1999), was widely blamed on violence in entertainment. the wb had already pulled the plug earlier with earshot (1999) (which itself was not aired until september), and feared that several scenes in this show would provoke high school students to do the same thing, especially those depicting the entire graduating class handling weapons against the mayor. on may 25, 1999, only two hours before this was due to air, the wb suddenly decided to replace it with a re-run from earlier in the season. this sudden move received huge attention in the media and thousands of letters were sent to the network demanding that the season finale be shown. sarah michelle gellar publicly spoke out against the decision, although seth green agreed that it would seem 'callous and inappropriate' after the columbine shootings. the wb did not air this until july 13, 1999, almost two months after it was originally scheduled. since nearly all us schools end their term in may or june, it was then felt safe. it attracted 6.5 million viewers, atypically high for the wb during summer, and comparable to what the show of the season had received.
