Personally - I thought S6 was much darker than S7 --
This season - not nearly so dark - it's getting that way now - toward the end - but, didn't most of the seasons 'darken' before the end of the season?
Buffy doesn't really seem a show to end on a huge, big bright happy note -- I mean - they'll probably win the battle, but I'm thinking lots of casualties (not necessarily dead) and plenty of destruction - but maybe some happiness at the very end - but keep in mind, it'll be the end of a series too - and since Joss actually has some control over ending the show (ie: it wasn't cancelled) - it's gonna do some heart-string tugging, just by nature of being the end of a show that's been running for 7 years.
Just one of those things that makes it hard to tell if it's dark by story or dark by being the end of the show --- (or I'm just rambling and have no idea what I just said

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