"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Empty Places (2003)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

James A. Contner

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator)
Drew Z. Greenberg (written by)

TV Series:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997)

Original Air Date:

29 April 2003 (Season 7, Episode 19)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

After their horrifying loss at the vineyard, the gang turn against Buffy and begin to follow Faith instead. Meanwhile, Spike and Andrew travel to an old church to question a priest about Caleb.

Plot Keywords:

Sister Sister Relationship | Heroine | Lesbian | Female Protagonist | Demon

Cast

Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Emma Caulfield	...	Anya
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Dawn Summers
James Marsters	...	Spike
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Eliza Dushku	...	Faith
Nathan Fillion	...	Caleb
Tom Lenk	...	Andrew Wells
Iyari Limon	...	Kennedy
Indigo	...	Rona
Sarah Hagan	...	Amanda
Kristy Wu	...	Chao-Ahn
Dorian Missick	...	Police Officer

Runtime:

42 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At 9:38 you can see the reflection of the camera operator in the oven door above the stove.

Quotes:

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

Soundtrack:

Rock City News

Way to stab us in the back.

So yeah, season 7 wasn't as great as the previous 6 seasons, but it was still brilliant in its own way. It has been stated before that Joss looks over every script for each episode to approve of it and perhaps make some additional changes of his own. When I first watched this episode, I was so angry. I was in tears. It felt like I was punched in the gut for no words could describe the disbelief I felt at the Scoobies behaviour towards Buffy. Sure they've had interventions and disagreements before (see season 3, when they "attack" Buffy once they find out she's been keeping Angel being alive as a secret) but never have they full out turned against her like that. It just did not fit. I watched it and thought to myself "who the hell are these people?!?!?! Joss Whedon, what the frack is going on?" But now, (after 6 years lol) I have come to the conclusion that Joss did it on purpose. He wanted this effect to happen to us. He wanted us to feel exactly how Buffy felt. The entire episode builds up from the aftermath of the last episode, which started out with everyone on Buffy's side, trusting her, following her only to have it end badly. REALLY badly. Having Xander, the heart of the group, lose an eye was like a slap in the face for everyone. And in "Empty Places" you can see Buffy shutting down. You can tell how awful she feels about Xander and doubting her ability to lead these people, to then realizing that she was right all along about Caleb and the cellar, only to THEN have the closest people to her turn their backs on her. And having Dawn (that biotch) kicking her out of her own house (again, i really hate Dawn at this moment).

In this episode, we are Buffy. We hurt, and we're so tired that we give up at the end.

Joss makes us realize that sometimes, during dark times, the people you care about just might not be there for you. That things can indeed, get worse.

Of course, they also had to end the episode with Buffy so despondent because then in the next episode Spike can swoop in and be the big hero, thus again further developing the "new" relationship between Buffy and Spike.

Well done. I hated this episode with every fibre of my being, while realizing just how good it was in it's intent to make me feel this way. (Does that even make any sense?)