[Editor's note: don't worry, folks, this scene is spoiler-free.]

Sometimes the slow news days come just at the right time, because faithful viewer Juliet is right: we'd be remiss to let the conclusion of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" go by without a fitting farewell. Anyone who's tuned in here more than a couple times is already well aware that we're total "Buffy" freaks, so we're just going to take a few moments here and say goodbye to a show we'll miss more than we'd miss our own left legs. Ah, the joys of a total lack of journalistic integrity; we get to go as off-topic as we want any time the mood strikes us.

Truth be told, though, "Buffy" isn't nearly as off-topic as some might think. There are several ways in which the show was connected with AtAT's usual subject matter; in all but the first couple of seasons, Apple products essentially ruled the show, from Willow's ever-updating parade of PowerBooks to the Evil Trio's massive assortment of G4s and Cinema Displays. (The bad guys always have the best stuff.) Plus, several of the uglier demons to appear on the show were, in large part, based on Steve Ballmer.

And even if the show is only remotely related to Apple and its doings, it's pretty central to AtAT itself. Yes, we've been producing AtAT for longer than we've been watching "Buffy"-- but only just barely. We discovered the show late in its second season, just two months after AtAT first hit the airwaves, and we were instantly hooked. Consider this: of the 4000-odd scenes broadcast on AtAT since 1997, a pretty substantial 44 of them mention "Buffy" at least once-- whereas only 43 mention "The X-Files," despite the latter show's far more AtAT-related themes of paranoia and conspiracy.

For those of you who still don't understand why we're so enthralled by a show about an ex-cheerleader who stakes the undead, it's the sort of thing you really need to appreciate first-hand. It's a show you can enjoy on so many levels: it's an allegory for the demons that plague us all in adolescence and early adulthood; it's a pageant of kickboxing zombies. How can you possibly go wrong? Plus, the writing was usually top-notch all around, and as people who crank out an average of 1500 words a day ourselves, we have no choice but to respect that.

We suppose that if we had to sum it all up in a way that actually brings this subject back on topic, it'd be like this: "Buffy" was a solid example of quality television. Every aspect of it brimmed with attention to detail. It was clearly crafted with love by everyone involved with its production, from the writers to the actors to the sound editors to the hair and makeup grunts. It was an innovative show; it consistently pushed the envelope of what is "acceptable" on mass-market television. As fans of the Macintosh, this is exactly the sort of thing that should speak to you. The simple fact of the matter is that we love "Buffy" because what sets "Buffy" apart from the rest of the shows out there is much the same stuff as what distinguishes a Mac from the rest of the beige boxes. No, not every Mac user will like "Buffy"-- it all comes down to taste, after all-- but we're willing to bet that most would at least be able to appreciate it for its craft.

As for the taste issue, well, we've received countless messages from AtAT fans over the years who tell us they gave "Buffy" a chance on our say-so, and wound up hooked. Face it; if you're screwed up so much that you enjoy a net-based soap opera about black turtlenecks and Reality Distortion Fields, why wouldn't you dig "Buffy"? The humor and language seem right in line with what AtAT viewers crave-- grab a sample of the dialogue over at IMDB and see for yourself. If you like what you see, consider renting the first season of the show on DVD and giving it a whirl. Maybe you'll wind up hooked, too.

"Buffy" was funny and heartbreaking and surprising and a zillion other things all at once. And without it, we suspect we'll wither and die in a matter of weeks (though we could be wrong).

Bummer it's over.