Excellent. I remember thinking after the finale that, giant gaping plot holes aside, the finale failed because in the end they didn't save a single life. Not one actual human being. Oh sure they saved some abstract concept known as "the world" but it had no human face, and we didn't see a single person in any immediate danger. And by the way, I felt exactly the same way about the Angel finale. I thought both endings rang false.

But IMHO that’s an easy crutch. If these are just "regular" people, they're just trying to make a living and get by, so it behooves the Powers That Be (and Buffy & crew are a huge power) to help these people see... to empower them.

Interesting juxtaposition with Graduation Day, where Buffy empowered the entire school she'd been protecting by giving them the means to save themselves and leading them into battle. A far more satisfying finale.