Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7 Episode 19

The Good;

Spike and Andrew's road trip, the girls shaking their stuff at the Bronze.



The Bad;

So harrowing watching Buffy cast out after all she's been through. Again why doesn't Caleb take Buffy prisoner or something when he knocks her out? Anya says Buffy is 'luckier' than everyone else to be the Slayer but it hardly seems to be much of a prize? The Hellmouth influenced cops also seem a very handy contrivance.



Best line;

Rhona (on Buffy leaving) "Ding dong, the witch is dead!"

Dawn; (rounding on her) "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" (about time someone slapped Rhona down!)



Women good/men bad;

More misogyny from Caleb



Jeez!;

Hardest thing to watch is Dawn telling Buffy to leave (as she states, Revello Drive is her home too). Equally the scenes between Willow and Xander in hospital are so sad. Faith get's some nasty beatings although Angelus claims she's actually still looking for someone to beat the evil out of her.



Kinky dinky;

Anya refers to her and Xander's break-up sex to the Potentials, Faith reminds everyone she had him first. Speaking of which Faith starts putting the moves on Wood, who if not a boyfriend Buffy was attracted to and had at least one date with. Caleb speaks of the 'sweet pleasure of taming Buffy' which is odd phrasing for a guy who claims to abhor women especially in the sexual sense.

Faith flirts with the cops who've come to arrest her, she must have a thing for the uniform (and maybe the handcuffs, nightsticks and fast cars?) as we've seen her do this before in Bad Girls ("I like him, he's butch"). Interestingly she later refers to Buffy as a cop even after recieving a thorough nightsticking and punch on the jaw.



Captain Subtext;

Giles hints that Buffy's partiality for her vampire boyfriends costs lives, alluding to Jenny Calender. Spike and Andrew bond on their road-trip over bar food. Spike threatens to bite Andrew which he has done before. With Willow away Kennedy chooses to dance with Dawn at the Bronze. Dawn seems to have lost her antipathy towards Faith and they seem tight from now on.



Guantanamo Bay;

Buffy and co have a long talk about how they're not a democracy, that it takes one strong individual leader to be effective.



Scoobies to the ER;

Faith nastily bashed up but Slayer healing takes care of it all.



Apocalypses; 7,



Scoobies in bondage:

Buffy: 9

Giles: 4

Cordy: 5

Will: 4

Jenny: 1

Angel: 4

Oz: 1

Faith: 3

Joyce: 1

Wes: 1

Xander; 3

Dawn; 4

Spike; 4



Scoobies knocked out: poor Buff

Buffy: 23

Giles: 12

Cordy: 6

Xander: 16

Will: 10

Jenny: 2

Angel: 6

Oz: 3

Faith: 1

Joyce: 3

Wes: 1

Anya;7

Dawn; 6

Tara; 1

Spike; 3

Kennedy; 1



Kills:

Buffy: 125 vamps, 62 demons, 6 monsters, 10 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot

Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demons, 2 humans/1 god.

Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.

Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie

Faith: 19 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.

Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, 2 humans

Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon

Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons

Spike; 11 vamps and 7 demons+1 human

Buffybot; 2 vamps

Tara; 1 demon

Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon

Kennedy; 1 human+1 vampire

Amanda; 1 vampire

Woods; 5 vamps and 2 demons



Scoobies go evil:

Giles: 1

Cordy: 1

Will: 4

Jenny: 1

Angel: 1

Oz: 1

Joyce: 1

Xander: 4

Anya; 1

Dawn; 1

Buffy; 1

Spike; 1

Wood; 1



Alternate scoobies:

Buffy: 8

Giles: 4

Cordy: 1

Will: 6

Jenny: 2

Angel: 3

Oz: 2

Joyce: 2

Xander: 4

Tara; 1

Dawn;1

Spike; 1

Anya; 2



Recurring characters killed: 16,

Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers, Chloe, Molly, Jonathon.



Sunnydale deaths;

107



Total number of scoobies: 35 or so. Anya back but no Vi again. We never ever actually get to see all the recurring potentials (those with names and dialogue) together until the final ep.

Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Vi, Rhona, Amanda, Chao-Anh, Wood, Andrew, Faith plus an indeterminate number of potentials.



Xander demon magnet: 6(7?)

Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya, Lissa (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?



Scoobies shot:

Giles: 2

Angel: 3

Oz: 4

Riley; 1

Buffy; 1

Tara; 1



Notches on Scooby bedpost:

Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?

Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 3 possible, Dracula+RJ+Shadowmen's demon(?)

Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)

Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca

Faith:3 ;Xander, Riley, Bullwhip guy

Xander: 2; Faith, Anya

Willow: 2;Oz and Tara

Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore

Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya

Anya; 2 Spike and Xander



Dawn in peril; 14



Dawn the bashful virgin; 9



What the fanficcers thought;

Caleb's phrase 'the sweet pleasure of taming Buffy' makes you wonder if he reads Mr X/conquered superheroines fanfic? Read an interesting fic once where we discover that Caleb's mother was Slayer who was sired and he was forced to kill her as a young boy as she tortured him. It was very well written, actually made you feel sorry for this screwed up monster.



Questions and observations;

It's Dawn who makes the breakthrough regarding the mission, her junior Watcher role really coming along, Giles even teaching her like his pupil. Andrew wears the same football helmet as Dawn wore when she rode on Spike's motorcycle (is it Hanks? I can't imagine Joyce, Buffy or Dawn playing American football? Maybe the lingerie ball?). Faith stops Amanda drinking alcohol at the Bronze, already adopting the leadership role. Last appearance of Clem on the show although he's back in the comics as Harmony's 'friend'. If you can't pierce the UberVamps sternum with your stake why not stab then upwards under the ribcage so you don't have to? Holy Water does affect them (Showtime)but not as much it does ordinary vamps. SMG hoarse again, both as Buffy AND The First. The SDPD have changed their uniforms but not their cars. Actually I would rate Jaws 3D as the second best in the series although a LONG way behind the fabulous original. Buffy doesn't want to talk about Xander not because she doesn't care but because she finds it too painful. Note Buffy doesn't actually object to Faith taking the girls to the Bronze, she just doesn't want them drunk and fighting.

Marks out of 10; 8/10

I love the dialogue between Spike and Andrew. Their conversation on the bike was hilarious. It\'s interesting to see what the fallout of Caleb\'s presence at the monastery is. Plus it is cool that they found out a clue that will vindicate Buffy.


But I can\'t believe the Scooby Gang would turn on Buffy like this! It\'s understandable that the wannabes wouldn\'t like her, they just had an unsuccessful mission and they don\'t have the history with her to know that she\'s right pretty much ALL the time. Anya doesn\'t like Buffy because of Xander and Robin is still angry about Spike so they have no loyalty to Buffy.


The four of them...I just want to punch each one of them into the ground.


Giles - I\'m just astonished that he would choose an unreliable criminal over a proven leader. Is he so threatened by her independence that he forgets to trust her instincts.


Willow - She\'s probably the biggest surprise since what is her reasoning for getting rid of Buffy? Has that dark magick twisted her reasoning?


Dawn - This little brat really deserves to get slapped. After Buffy literally dies in her place, she has absolutely no loyalty to her OWN sister?


Xander - It seems like it was just in the last episode or two that he was telling the wannabes to trust Buffy\'s leadership because she has the experience to deserve that trust. So the only thing that has changed is that he got hurt. That means that he will trust her as long as she protects him from serious injury.


I didn\'t like how desperate Buffy got though. It just seemed wrong for her to plead. You saw how crushed she was by her \"friends\" and their remarks. But it was good that she still gave Faith advice about being a leader before she left.

This episode was so annoying to me. I disliked the fact that all Buffy's friends kicked her out of her own house! I still get mad when I think about it but whatelse can I do?:)) Overall I really wanted to slap Dawn around in this episode, The fact that buffy stopped her from dying and she kicks her out just makes me so mad.

I realize that a lot of this season is to display how difficult it is to be the general in the war. You know that people are going to die and there's nothing you can do about it if you want to win.


But never in one of her long-winded speeches did Buffy ever explain the concept of giving your life for the cause. She knows that girls are going to die but she never talks to the girls about it. To let them know what they can do differently to make sure they're not one of the girls who dies. Or what it was like in her experience to give her life for the cause. She really did an intensely good job of separating herself and cutting herself off from the emotions because she didn't want to take that difficult road. It's very cold, selfish and characteristic of her the past few seasons.


That sounds harsh, but this episode was the perfect example in her treatment of Xander after he loses his eye. There was no connecting with him. There was no apology- though it wasn't her fault, I'm sure he would have appreciated the guesture. There was no comfort. There was no friendship. A truly strong leader knows how to balance the line between friendship and leadership.


I loved that they voted her out of her role at the end because she really does walk around like she has the right to be high and mighty, which has been Faith's position all the way back from when she first met Buffy.

I have watched this episode about 10 times in the past few years and yet, I'm still always shocked again. How could they just throw Buffy out?


I mean, they have a point: girls died, Xander lost his eye and Buffy is not even the only slayer. But even if they've lost girls, Buffy was doing what she needed to do. Her job. The Scoobys always stood up for her and now they're ambushing her like that. AND then Dawn tells Buffy to leave!??! 8-O I still can't believe it. Without Buffy, they would all be long dead - and now they're pulling that crap on her. The potentials, okay, they just don't know any better... but the others? And how can Anya dare to get involved? I like her, but she's being so selfish. She's just there because it's the safest place while she can't shut her mouth about Buffy not being her friend. She's stupid. They all are. They're gonna see where it leads them. They'll regret sending them away!

I don't know who wrote this episode but it was awful how they all turned on Buffy the way that they did. I mean for the Scoobies, it was not their first defeat and for them to turn on Buffy was awful. First when Wood (who had no business being there at all) said to Buffy, that Faith had the floor, If I were Buffy I would have replied "Well since this is my house, I get to say who has the floor and that will always be ME". Kennedy should have been slapped down as the same with Rona(who did nothing but complain). The Willow and Xander were awful but Anya was a joke with her critism. Anya as a Vengeance Demon caused the deaths of millons over the years is in no position to criticize someone who has save hundreds. And Dawn, she needed a good beatdown. Buffy sacrificed her life for this ungrateful snot. True, in the end of the episode, she did tell Rona to shut her mouth but that does not erase her actions.





If I had been Buffy, I would have cursed them all out and then kicked them out and let them fend for themselves. Giles brought the Potentials to Buffy. She did not ask for them. Finally, I would have let the Scoobies know that out friendship is over. You don't turn on someone who has has been right 99% of the time after one defeat.

Buffy had been acting spoiled and childish with eveyone and they're all fed up with it. She tells everyone her plan everybody is too afraid to contradict her except for Faith. Faith is not being selfish here, as many have stated. She actually cares about Buffy stating that she doesn't want her to go back into that place without any proof. Buffy (of course) doesn't see it that way instead she questions her motives. She wonders why it is that they don't trust her but Giles really hits it on the head and tells her "Didn't you say to me today you can't trust us? Maybe there's something there that should be addressed." So she plays her Spike card. Rona makes me love her by saying what I'm thinking, "You know what? I am sick of your deal with this Spike guy." Kennedy, who just had her foot in her mouth and should stay quiet, reproaches Buffy too. Willow stands up this time but doesn't accuse Buffy she just uses her patented "I" statements from S3. Hee! Buffy doesn't care though she wants to be the leader even it should really be a group effort. Anya then speechifies that Buffy really does think she's better than everyone (and she does). But just because she was chosen to be the Slayer it doesn't make her luckier than everyone else. I don't think that anyone that knows everything that a Slayer has to go through (including early death) would choose to be a Slayer. The girls want a different leader, they want Faith. After everything that Faith has done to Buffy, Buffy naturally is pissed off about this idea. Faith takes it lightly until she notices that Buffy is throwing her little tantrum:





Buffy: You don't get to vote until I've had my chance to pal around, you know, get everybody drunk. See, I didn't get this was a popularity contest. I should have equal time to bake them cookies, braid their hair? Faith: Learn their names? Buffy: You're just lovin' this, aren't you? Faith: You have no idea what I'm feeling. Buffy: Come in here, take everything that I have... You did it before. Did you tell them that? Did you tell them how you used to kill people for fun? Hey, you guys think that's nifty? Giles: Buffy, that's enough! Faith: I didn't come here to take anything away from you, but I'm not gonna be your little lapdog, either. I came here to beat the other guy, to do right, however it works. I don't know if I can lead. But the real question is...can you follow? That lapdog remark was such a burn on the scoobies. That's how they've been acting all season. The real issue here is can Buffy really be a follower? She really does have a superiority complex. She lays down an ultimatum and ultimately they all call her bluff. She doesn't like the result so she's kicked out. I was surprised too to see her Faith follow Buffy outside after she's been kicked out. Buffy had been treating the others like crap for 3 seasons so they were fed up with her and Faith had treated Buffy like crap so she was the right one to go check on her.

Okay...yeah maybe Buffy was a little radical but she has to make dire choices sometimes...I mean she has died for the world..twice people! Why dont you get it?! She deserves some slack here! Just because they disagree doesnt mean that they have to kick her out of her own house. I couldnt believe that the biggest brat/crybaby in the world said "you cant stay here". What the heck? Buffy didnt have to jump in the portal in season five for her. Buffy didnt have to acknowledge Dawns existence...after all, she was made from monks. She is not supposed to be Buffys sister anyway. Memories and blood relation doesnt make REAL family. Anyways I hate Kennedy. She thinks shes a bad a$$ and can have a say so in everything. Ha ! She was just a potential ! A potential piece of crap with no slayer powers. What made the potentials think they could survive without Buffy. In fact they would all be dead if it wasnt for her. Buffy let all those potentials in her home so they could eat up all of her food and overcrowd her house just so they could kick her out? Ha! if I was Buffy I would have stayed in the house and kicked all of their "potential" a$$. Buffy has saved their lives so many times...just to get the boot? Yeah true friends they are.And what was Anya talking about? She was a vengeance demon for christs sake. What credibility does she have? And Xander is just a loser. Giles basically takes everyones side. Faith tries to seem like she is on buffys side. Spike was the only one making sense. He called them traitors and beat faith up a good couple of times so that made me feel better.

i guess the only thing worth talking about is the final scene where buffy is kicked out, i think it could've been a lot better, but hey. i get where everyone is coming from. even giles, though i wish he wasn;t so hatefull, extept for Dawn, seriosly i know Dawn wouldn't kick buffy out of her house, to go out alone in a town ruled by the hellmouth, that's just so out of character. plus i wish Willow would've been more softer on buffy it was like she didn't even care a bad scene for her. i loved Anya's little speech, and i think she was the perfect one to do it. also i ge where Xander is coming from, and the potential's, although kennedy could've been less of a brat. and i also loved that one girls line "what's the deal with this Spike guy", becuase that's just how i feel, she feels the only one that has her back is Spike, and he's the only one she listens to or confides in, and made some pretty poor choices involving him, witch may be the reason for the others betraying her, and casting her out, it's sad, but hey i think Buffy had it coming

Where to begin...





First, Season 7 is for the most part garbage. I've been slogging through this season (for a second time in four years on DVD) with a look of disgust and disbelief at how bad things have become. The writing, the acting, the score... "out of steam" is too light a term to describe. I've read a lot of people bang on Season 6, and I mostly disagree with those ridiculous assessments. Every previous season of Buffy looks like untainted brilliance compared to this.





This particular turd follows on the heels of one of the only good Eps of the entire season, 'Dirty Girls'. The introduction of Nathan Fillion as the evil preacher, Caleb was just the jump-start this dead storyline needed. Annoying "potentials" were dispatched, an original Scooby was handicapped, and finally a real force to be reckoned with presented itself to Buffy and the gang. This entry mostly deals with the fallout from the debacle at Caleb's vineyard where all of the said above events took place. I am only going to focus on the horrifying end scene of the episode where all of the incredibly stupid traitors (also known as Buffy's friends) sold her out and essentially booted her out of HER OWN home. I'll try to formulate words that describe my disgusting astonishment as this scene played out. Apparently, everyone on the show took hallucinogens and figured they could somehow function and forge ahead without the help of, um, only the character who the series is named after. I get that the writers were trying to create a dilemma, a conflict that would floor audiences... but it was executed in the poorest fashion with baffling results. For starters let's just start by dismissing the utterly useless "potentials". What at first seemed to be a clever plotline has spiraled into laughable mediocrity. You don't care about any of them, and the ones that the show has chosen to make the "star potentials" are all wretched actresses prancing around as unlikable characters. I hate Kennedy. I hate that she's Willow's rebound after Tara, I hate that she's solely around to make embarrassing James Bond-ish sexual puns at Alyson Hannigan every time the camera is pointed in her direction. Kennedy is a horribly conceived character with nothing to offer the show. It is with this that I say I almost went nuclear when the Ken-ster stood up and defied Buffy in front of the group. Her and the rest of the potentials don't matter, and I can't believe Buffy even humored the lecture. All worthless.





Next, let's move on to the core characters: Giles, Willow, Anya and Xander. Anya's rant about Buffy thinking she was better than everybody was so spiteful and unfounded. This is a character who for the most part is strictly around to spout sweet, hilarious nothings at the wrong time. Here, she's suddenly gung-ho and taking the moral high-ground over a woman who's saved her life countless times. Confusing. Willow, who just 20 episodes ago murdered a human being and tried to end existence suddenly turns her back on her best pal? I didn't see Buffy and company leaving her in the dust when she was shining about how she never thought she would be able to live a normal life and be accepted after the atrocities she committed. Ridiculous. Xander didn't say much, but that's my problem with the so-called "heart" of the team. That boy would have been worm bait in the pilot if Buffy didn't risk her life to save his. he should have been the sole voice in the room to tell everyone they were nuts. He didn't. Giles is the most disappointing of all. I don't know what's happened to this character overt he course of this season, but he's just... off. i can't buy that Giles would so quickly side against his slayer for the likes of loony-bin Faith. It's irresponsible, foolish and 100% out of character. He looked like he had blood on his hands throughout the whole sequence, and I pretty much was sick at the sight of him. Unforgivable.





As for Dawn, Faith and Principal Woody... they're worthless characters who had no right opening their pie-holes for a millisecond. Wood is such a goofy creation. I still think he's a running joke the creators played on us by having him actually speak dialogue and interact with people on this show. Faith is the same old crap different day. She semi-redeemed herself with her wonderful stint on 'Angel' ( a far superior show), but loses all respect in acting like some murdering, brainless gutter-slut could actually lead anything but a dude's johnson into battle. Dawn is just dead to me. Pitiful stuff here, folks. The only characters worth a rip are Andrew and Spike. There should be a spin-off after their hilarious exchange about blooming onions on the back of a motorcycle.

Empty Places was a perfect and drama filled episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In this episode Buffy finds Faith and the Girls blowing off steam at the Bronze, getting caught up in fights, drunk, and out of control. Buffy and Faith agree to disagree. Meanwhile Giles sends Spike and Andrew on a mission to learn more about Caleb. It was fun to watch their interaction on the road. Faith set her sights on Prinicipal Wood, and the whole gang basically betrays Buffy and turn against her, putting Faith in charge. I can't wait to see how things turn out, now that there is so much happening!!!!!!!

In the end of this episode, Buffy's "friends" decide that they don't like the way that Buffy does things. She's been doing things just like this for about 7 years in Sunnydale and 8 years in total. she's gone that long without being wrong, like in Puppet Show, Living Condition, and so many other episodes. In the last season I find that I start to like Giles less and less by the episode. Every single one of them has a reason that they shouldn't be trusted but Buffy, hello: tried to kill Spike, tried to end the world, recent Vengeance Demon, Felon, and Xander has nothing against him. Back to what I think of the episode and not Buffy's "friends", this is one of the best and it's leading up to the epic finale.

Empty Places





Lovely episode, It was kinda boring for a big part up until the end. The last scene where they all kick Buffy out was one of the best scenes of the show. It was bloody lovely, I really disliked Buffy and I was glad to see her in pain. sweet revenge, and thanks to this she got the chance to be the Buffy I liked the last episodes. this was all for the best.





Cut to Buffy walking down the street and she sees Clem. Everyone is leaving town. He has confidence in her and says that she should leave town.





the credits start





Cut to Giles and Willow inspecting and they see that the cops are getting crazy. Cut to the hospital and Buffy goes to Willow and Xander. The hospital is releasing Xander this night. Buffy has to leave because she thinks she is close to something. Willow end with Xander but he makes fun of himself but she tries to not to cry and they both get emotional. Cut to the attic and Anya and Andrew are teaching the potentials. Then Rona asks about Caleb but they don't know anything. Cut to Faith eating chips and Kennedy goes to Faith. They don’t think there is a point in that. Amanda comes upstairs and Buffy and Dawn come in. Dawn asks about Xander but Faith tells her to get some stuff. Buffy goes to the school and it's all deserted. But there she finds Caleb and he scares her. He grabs her and throws her out of the window and she is knocked out.





Cut to the house. Giles has a mission for Spike and he has to find something about Caleb. Giles tells Andrew to go with Spike. Faith takes the gang to a party because they are feeling crappy. Buffy comes home and nobody is there and Giles sees her and she tells him that it was Caleb. Giles tells Buffy that he send Spike and Andrew to go on a mission. Then Buffy asks about Faith and the girls and Giles says they went to the bronze and Buffy gets all upset. Cut to the bronze and the police go to Faith and they want to take her. And they want to kill her. They begin to hit her with sticks. The cops are dangerous and one is keeping the girls inside. Then the girls go outside and beat up the cops. Buffy arrives and she is mad and sees all the girls and tells them to go home. Then Buffy and Faith talk about being saved and Faith said that she should get to know the girls and that Molly wasn't save either and Buffy hits her face.





Cut to Spike and Andrew on a motor and they talk about stuff and Spike tells Andrew not to tell anyone. Cut to Robin arriving and he sees Faith. Robin says he has heard about her and asks why Faith didn't fight back and she says it was because other things matter more. Faith and Robin have an intimate moment. Cut to Spike and Andrew arriving to a church. Someone attacks Andrew but Spike hits him. It's a man who has been burned by Caleb. Cut to the house and they see Xander coming home and they all hug him. Buffy says she found out about the caller and that she figured out that they have to go back. Cut to the man who tells about Caleb. The man is going to show them something and that he came to something and that he found a secret room until he found it and read it and got upset and he burned his mark upon him and he ran and he heard the others die.





Cut to the house again and Buffy says she says it wasn't the school but it was the vineyard. She wants to go there but Faith says no. Also Giles says that it's to much to ask and so says Robin. They all say the same and that Buffy is reckless but she says there has to be a single voice but Anya says that nobody put her to be the boss and that Buffy isn't better, she is just luckier. Also Xander says he can't see her point. Then they want Faith to be the leader and she says that she doesn't know if she can lead but the real question is if Buffy can follow. Then Dawn tells Buffy that she has to leave the house cause it's hers too and Buffy goes away all sad and Faith comes after her and Buffy tells her not to be afraid to lead them and leaves.





Black Out


----------


Best episode quotes:





Clem: Hey, you.


Buffy: Hey.


Clem: Can you believe this mishegaas?


Buffy: Yeah. You'd think these people had never seen an apocalypse before. What about you? Just going for a quick spin to 7-Eleven... in Nebraska?


Clem: It's getting bad here. Really bad. Hellmouth acting up again, people feeling it, getting crazier. You can't swing a cat without hitting some kind of demonic activity. Not that I swing cats, or eat-nope. Heh. Cuttin' way back. Cholesterol-morals. I mean, morals.


Buffy: Right.


Clem: We've seen some bad stuff in this town before but, you know, this time, it's like it just seems different, more powerful. I don't think anyone's gonna be able to stop it. I mean, I'm sure you'll do fine. Complete confidence in you. Heh. Uh, if anyone can do it, you can, because you...rock! If you save the world, I'll come back, we'll have drinks. When. When, I mean. When you save the world. It's gonna be great with all the... rocking. Maybe... maybe you should just get out of town this time.


Buffy: Yeah. I probably should.


Clem: You take care of yourself, OK? Bye.





Buffy: And that you should expect to see some bruising when you remove the bandages. Bruising around the- area. The, uh, bone structure and musculature was hit pretty hard.


Xander: OK.


Buffy: Um, also they said that the-the meds may cause you some stomach discomfort, so we're gonna have to be careful with your diet.


Xander: I can't taste anything right now anyway. I keep waiting for my other senses to improve 50%. Yeah, they should kick in any day now.


Buffy: Well, we're looking at a possible release as early as tonight. Um, we're just waiting for your labs to get back, and Dr. Kallet said that should be a couple of hours.


Xander: That's great.


Buffy: OK. Um, I think we're all caught up then. Thank you for this. This was, um, really great work.


Willow: Oh. I thought we were gonna... There were gonna be card games.


Buffy: Oh, no, I just- I should really get back. I want to get everyone started on this. I think we're really close to something.


Xander: It's OK. It's gotta be done. And I might see you tonight, without depth perception, of course, but... still.


Willow: So, I guess you're stuck with me then, huh? Let's order some cherry-flavored off-brand gelatin, and then I think we'll be up for a rousing game of-


Xander: I might need a parrot.


Willow: Huh?


Xander: Well, to go with the eye patch, to really complete the look. I think I still have that costume from Halloween.


Willow: Yeah, and don't underestimate the impact of a peg leg. Maybe the hospital can hook you up with a nice one. Maybe they have a 2-body-parts for the price of one kind of deal.


Xander: Oh, you know what the best part is? No one will ever make me watch jaws 3-D again.


Willow: Yeah, and, you'll never have to...


Xander: Oh, Willow... please don't.





Kennedy: You got enough to share?


Faith: Trade ya for a carton of cigarettes and some soap.





Buffy: Get out of here.


Caleb: Now, now, little girl. Manners. I do imagine that firebrand tongue of yours has inflamed many a man, weak as they are. This here's a, uh... public school, ain't it? Kinda deserted. Only just, I suppose. Folks work so hard at keepin' the Lord out, and look what happens in return. He abandons you. Not that He could do you much good now, anyway- Ah, ah, ah. Wouldn't do that were I you, swee'pea. Fightin' back didn't do you much good last time, did it? And how is poor, sweet Xander? Let him know he's in my prayers, and any time he's willin', I'm ready to... finish the job.


Buffy: Go near Xander again, and I will end you.


Caleb: Mind your manners. I do believe I did warn you once. You're angry... frustrated, scared. I like that in a girl. You really should relax a little. Look at where you are. History's gonna look back at you, at me, at this place, and they're gonna see the glory. Great things are happenin' now, right here. This school, the seal... it's all gonna be a part of the great sweepin' tide of change, and you're gonna be a part of it. Now, why would you wanna miss that? More importantly, why would you want to get in its way?


Buffy: I guess I'm just ornery.


Caleb: Ha ha ha! Oh, I knew you'd be a wild one- I'm gonna take such sweet pleasure in taming you. I'll see you soon, little lady.





Buffy: Faith! What are you doing?


Faith: Just blowing off steam. Well, it started that way. Turned when the cops went evil on us.


Buffy: Girls, go home. I need to talk to Faith for a minute.


Dawn: Buffy, we weren't-


Buffy: Dawn- you, too. Go. What is this?


Faith: They needed a break, all right? They've been running themselves into the ground. Things just got out of hand.


Buffy: Taking a break is one thing-I get blowing off steam-but they were fighting. And those girls were drunk! What were you thinking?!


Faith: Seemed like a good idea at the time.


Buffy: Yeah, what if someone had gotten hurt?


Faith: They didn't.


Buffy: Faith, I need to know that these girls are gonna be safe when I'm not around.


Faith: No one got hurt, B. Look, you don't even know these girls. Maybe you should have a little more confidence in 'em, let them mess up sometimes, you know, get down and dirty. How the hell else are they gonna learn?


Buffy: Learning from your mistakes is one thing. But you don't throw children into-


Faith: They're not children.


Buffy: That really isn't the point.


Faith: Yeah, what about the vineyard?


Buffy: What?


Faith: How safe were they when you dragged them off to meet Caleb? How safe was Rona or Amanda or Molly?





Robin: The big meeting hasn't started yet, has it?


Faith: God, I hope so.


Robin: Faith?


Faith: You must be Principal Wood. Heard a lot about you.


Robin: It hasn't really started yet, has it? 'Cause I, uh... I hate being late.


Faith: Troops are still gathering. I think you're safe.


Robin: Looks like someone banged you up pretty well.


Faith: Yeah. Cops. Mostly.


Robin: Mostly?


Faith: Yeah. This one's from someone who just thinks she's a cop. It's my favorite of all my current bruises.


Robin: So someone who thinks she's a cop, huh? You gonna have to, like...ice her now or something like that?


Faith: I'm not gonna kill her. Wanted to, but didn't. By the way, bully for me since no one else said it.


Robin: For what? For not killing Buffy?


Faith: It's this new thing I'm tryin'.


Robin: She told me about you.


Faith: Believe every word.


Robin: So what changed? I mean... why didn't you fight back?


Faith: Other things matter more.


Robin: I think you're worried about her.


Faith: I think you need to brush up on your Buffy and Faith history.


Robin: All right, if you say so. But I read people pretty well. It's a thing I do.


Faith: You, uh, live around here, right?


Robin: Uh, no, not exact- Well, it's the center of town, really.


Faith: This town, walking anywhere after dark is like an extreme sport. Someone who didn't know you very well might think you were out lookin' for a fight or something. Maybe you got bigger issues than what's wrong with B. I read people, too.





Buffy: Look, I know what you're thinking, but I had a visit at the school today from Caleb.


Dawn: Buffy, why didn't you-


Buffy: I'm fine. I mean, it wasn't fun, but I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I-I figured something out. He kept making all this noise about the school.


Robin: Is it that seal again?


Willow: Do we need to try shutting it again?


Buffy: No, that's just it. We've spent all this time worrying about the seal and the hellmouth. Why isn't Caleb guarding them? Why doesn't he have someone there protecting it? Why is he camped out at the vineyard? The bad guys always go where the power is. So if the seal was so important to Caleb and the First, they would be there right now. They're protecting the vineyard or something at the vineyard. I say it's their power, and I say it's time we go in and take it away from them.


Faith: Or, in the alternative, how 'bout...we don't? I mean, it's a neat theory, B, but I'm not going back in that place, not without proof, and neither should you and neither should they.


Buffy: I'm not saying it's gonna be easy.


Robin: I think Faith had the floor.


Faith: Maybe it ends OK the way you wanna play it, but maybe it doesn't. And right now, I don't think I want you playin' the odds.


Buffy: Did you come here to fight?


Faith: Listen, we're fighters, all of us, but you gotta give me something to fight, something real, not-


Giles: Windmills.


Buffy: There is something there.


Giles: Maybe. But we can't be sure of that. This is a hell of a lot to ask.


Robin: Too much.


Buffy: I-I don't understand this. For 7 years, I've kept us safe by doing this- exactly this, making the hard decisions. And now, what- suddenly you're all acting like you can't trust me?


Giles: Didn't you say to me today you can't trust us? Maybe there's something there that should be addressed.


Buffy: Is that why you sent Spike away, to ambush me?


Giles: Oh, come on.


Rona: You know what? I am sick of your deal with this Spike guy. This isn't about him. This is about you. You're being reckless.


Buffy: What?


Rona: You are! I don't even know you, and I can tell! You are so obsessed with beating Caleb, you are willing to jump into any plan without thinking.


Buffy: That's not what I'm doing.


Kennedy: Well, that's how it feels to us. People are dying.


Willow: Kennedy...


Kennedy: Why are you always standing up for her?


Willow: I'm not.


Buffy: What do you mean, you're not?


Willow: With everything that's happened, I- I'm worried about your judgment.


Buffy: Look, I wish this could be a democracy. I really do. Democracies don't win battles. It's a hard truth, but there has to be a single voice. You need someone to issue orders and be reckless sometimes and not take your feelings into account. You need someone to lead you.


Anya: And it's automatically you. You really do think you're better than we are.


Buffy: No, I-


Anya: But we don't know. We don't know if you're actually better. I mean, you came into the world with certain advantages, sure. I mean, that's the legacy.


Buffy: I-


Anya: But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it. You've never had anybody come up to you and say you deserve these things more than anyone else. They were just handed to you. So that doesn't make you better than us. It makes you luckier than us.


Buffy: I've gotten us this far.


Xander: But not without a price.


Buffy: Xander-


Xander: I'm trying to see your point here, Buff... but I guess it must be a little bit to my left... 'cause I just don't.


Buffy: Look, I'm willing to talk strategy, OK, I'll hear suggestions on how to break this down, but this is the plan. We have to be together on this or we will fail again.


Giles: We are clearly demonstrating that we are not together on this!


Buffy: Which is why you have to fall in line! I'm still in charge here.


Rona: Why is that, exactly?


Buffy: Because I'm the slayer.


Rona: And isn't Faith a slayer, too?


Faith: What? Whoa, whoa, whoa. So not what I meant. I'm not in charge chick. I think B here needs to just...chill out for a little bit, take a siesta or something. But I'm not the one you want.


Kennedy: Maybe we need a vote... to see who wants Faith to have a turn in charge.


Buffy: No.


Kennedy: No, what?


Buffy: No. You don't get to vote until I've had my chance to pal around, you know, get everybody drunk. See, I didn't get this was a popularity contest. I should have equal time to bake them cookies, braid their hair-


Faith: Learn their names?


Buffy: You're just lovin' this, aren't you?


FAITH


You have no idea what I'm feeling.


Buffy: Come in here, take everything that I have... You did it before. Did you tell them that? Did you tell them how you used to kill people for fun? Hey, you guys think that's nifty?


Giles: Buffy, that's enough!


Faith: I didn't come here to take anything away from you, but I'm not gonna be your little lapdog, either. I came here to beat the other guy, to do right, however it works. I don't know if I can lead. But the real question is...can you follow?


Robin: So we vote.


Buffy: Wait. Guys- I can't watch you just throw away everything that- I know I'm right about this. I just need a little- I can't stay here and watch her lead you into some disaster.


Dawn: Then you can't stay here. Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too.


Rona: Ding dong, the witch is dead.


Dawn: Shut your mouth.


Faith: Hey. Look, I swear I didn't want it to go this way-


Buffy: Don't.


Faith: I mean it, I-


Buffy: Don't...be afraid to lead them. Whether you wanted it or not, their lives are yours. It's only gonna get harder. Protect them, but lead them.





----------


Story: 9


Acting: 10


Writing: 9


Picture: 9


Gripping: 8


My Rank: 9


----------


Total: 9.0

It's the aftermath. Once again, Buffy is having trouble coping with what happened at the vineyard. She isn't being reasonable, and that's why it's time for the gang to do something. It hurt me to see how much Buffy still doesn't trust the poor Giles. It seems like she really can't understand why he did what he had to do.





Once again, Caleb has shown us how much strong he is, and just like Rona said, it seems like nobody cares about Ubervamp anymore, because this one is a lot more stronger. I didn't actually like how the potentials behaved in this episode--they were only confusing the main characters.





Out of all characters in this episode, the best one would definitely be Faith. Of course, she was reckless, and she took the girls to blow off steam, but sometimes they need that too. Buffy was very unreasonable, and she really does need a little time off (in my opinion).





The part with Anya and Andrew talking about Buffy, Ubervamps, Caleb and Anya and Xander's breakup sex was really funny, and so was Andrew's ride on the motorcycle with Spike. There was also a sad moment between Willow and Xander in the hospital. It's clear how everyone wants to be strong, but hey--they're only human.





However, out of all of those memorable moments, the best would be the end. It's heartbreaking to see how they just threw Buffy out. It was very cold and I wasn't prepared for something like this. Things can always work out. And yes, Buffy needs to rest for awhile. But things shouldn't go in this direction.

A particularly feisty episode, "Empty Places" is a real treat, albeit a somewhat forced and unfounded treat with regards to character reaction, but a good 'un all the same. I'm not going to go into the entire episode - which was fine for the most part - I'm simply discussing the big kick-Buffy-out part come the episode's end.





On one level, this episode as an entire whole is completely out of character. I understand what the writers were trying to do - make Buffy seem like the heartless leader - but it doesn't quite gel as much as it should have, some things just don't convince. Perhaps, if the writers really stressed Buffy's separation from the group in previous episodes (as hinted in with "Lies My Parents Told Me") then it could have been more successful in its execution than it was here. That's not to say it was bad - the verbal showdown makes for very intense viewing, but there's a few moments where the writers are clutching at straws in order to make Buffy appear as though she is made of stone.





The setup for Willow's disproval of Buffy's actions stem from the previous episode "Dirty Girl". After all, she recklessly put her girlfriend in severe danger. In this episode, we see Buffy flippantly shrug Willow's attempt to entertain Xander off, as she's too busy with trying to save the world. Actually, before I continue, Willow's teary-eyed scene was marvellously played out, very sad. That's fine, and, even understandable. But Willow isn't new to this game. She knows that The First is the biggest bad Buffy has faced, so I didn't like it AT ALL how she sided with Kennedy here - Best Fiends my backside!





Giles, actually, is the only one here to have actual reason for turning his back on Buffy. Not only is he still probably holding a grudge over her Spike decision, but her dismissive-ness towards him as her teacher must have stung a little. Yeah, but that's not what we're supposed to focus on here. So Buffy in a round about manner said she can't trust her friends. This is petty stuff for Giles to pick up on. I just wasn't convinced by his standing-of-ground for that sole reason - because, let's face it, I'm only assuming that the small grudge he bears plays into it, but it's never shown here. Oh, and, wasn't Giles going at the Scooby gang for dating a few episods' back and now he's allowing the potential's to party? Bah.





The potentials -OK, so they HAVE reason. Buffy was as hard as nails on them in training, and to have Faith come along a throw them a party? Well, that decision is made easy. It's just a pity more of them annoying potentials weren't slaughtered at the hands of Caleb - maybe that's why Buffy wants to go back?





Xander? Guess he's a bit blind in his left eye? LAME. Always the observer, he should know by now to trust Buffy's instinct. She has always come through, they know that. What the frack is compelling them to kick her out?! It's unfounded. And it's left up to us, the viewers, to guess why. Did Xander side with the others because of his eye? And since when did anyone hold back when people die? When Jenny died, Giles &Buffy went to the source. When Willow turned and killed Warren, there was no delay - get to the source. What has changed now? What also undermines all of these goings on is the fact Buffy's dialogue is totally logical. She makes sense. It's just not made clear enough and given enough reason for the others to turn on here.





And so there is Dawn. She gets ignored by Buffy in one little scene during this episode and suddenly she's kicking her sis out. What the hell?!





It's all acted out very well - and as usual, Anya's offbeat comments actually make the most sense. I have no real disagreement with what she said to Buffy.





Anyways.





Overall, it's another strong the-end-is-near episode. Unfortunately, the massive drama-rama at the end doesn't quite convince. Very well acted, but not nearly enough compelling evidence for her BEST FRIENDS to go against her. When you think how well they did it in "The Yoko Factor" it just seems poorly done in comparison, rushed even.

The good folk of Sunnydale have finally worked out that they live on a hellmouth and are leaving in the traditional droves. Even the demons want out. Clem gives Buffy some sage advice: "Maybe you should just get outta town this time".





But Buffy won't quit; she may be emotionless when visiting Xander in hospital (fortunately the hospital staff haven't yet left town) or distant from the Potentials, angry when Faith takes them to the Bronze (the bar staff are still there) but she won't quit. Unfortunately, her world decides to quit her.





It's been shown time and time again that Buffy's strength lies in her humanity. The reason she's survived this long, is now probably the oldest Slayer ever (presumably Nikki was a teenage mum), is her connection to friends and family. Now she's lost that connection as the mission becomes ever more important. Buffy's always been about the emotion, something Caleb mocks as he sees her crying in the school whilst looking at a S1 photo of a more innocent time. "Just like a woman", he points out. Buffy reacts to this in the wrong way, wanting to be more manly, wanting to fight again, rather than regroup and lick her troops' wounds. She wants to take the power away from Caleb because she feels powerless after the last fight, but more powerlessness is to come. In previous times, it was Joyce and Giles who stopped the Slayer from going to the Bronze and tried to instil discipline in her. Now she is the one being po-faced ("They were fighting. Some of those girls were drunk".) Buffy has become a parent figure far too early and she does not yet know how to love as well as instruct.





Faith is the cool parent to Buffy's uptight mom, she takes the girls out dancing, gets arrested, gets into a fight she can win (versus some bad cops). But she too is growing up, she stops Amanda from drinking, she does research, she doesn't hit Buffy back when the detente is finally over ("Not killing Buffy, it's this new thing I'm trying").





After flirting with Buffy's ex in the last ep, Faith now befriends Buffy's former potential new love interest and ally and he, alienated from Buffy by the Spike debacle, sticks up for her. "I think Faith had the floor", he tells Buffy when she tries to head off Faith's concerns about returning to the vineyard. Buffy can't understand how her place as natural leader is being undermined as it quickly turns into a mutiny ending in Buffy being kicked out of her own gang by her troops and out of her own house by her sister. Et tu, Dawn? (or should I say Judas). All of her allies are gone. Spike is away, Willow and Xander are upset by the eyelessness, Giles by the same Spike debacle and Anya and Kennedy have always been a little antagonistic towards the Slayer. Buffy, through her recent failure to connect with people, has pushed everyone away from her and the First has a major victory – dividing the gang.





As for the other characters, Andrew and Anya provide comic relief with the traditional flipcharts and marker pens, which is more about keeping Anya busy whilst Xander is away rather than instructing the Potentials. Dawn finds a clue that sets Spike and Andrew on a bonding mission (cutely, Spike still has the motorbike he stole from the demon biker gang) which incidentally finds them discovering a prophecy which will help the ousted Buffy:





"It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield"





Don't worry Buffy! The darkest hour is just before dawn.

This episode was simply amazing. There is something about the mood of this episode, the emptiness. Buffy walks down the hall of the deserted Sunnydale High School, she is kicked out of the house by her "family". You could almost feel the despair coming off of Buffy. You have a sense that she feels like a failure, and that she feels so alone. This is most obvious in the opening scene. Buffy is walking down the streets of Sunnydale. People are leaving in cars all over town, probably the First scaring them away. He doesn't want no interference when it comes to the final fight. Buffy comes upon Clem, who tells Buffy that "nobody can stop this apocalypse". "Maybe you should leave town this time," Clem suggests. "Right. I might just do that," Buffy replies. She knows that she can't leave: she is the Slayer, and all these girls are looking at her to lead them, which makes her feel even more like a failure. She was supposed to be the leader, the one who kept them safe and had a plan. And then that happened. By the end of the episode, Buffy leaves the house in tears. "Don't be afraid to lead them," she says to Faith as she fades into the darkness.