Everyone Sucks But Buffy

Episode 7.19: Empty Places. Original Airdate 4.29.03

"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."

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I think one of the reasons we had such a big hiatus is because we’re both dreading this episode. [You're not wrong. - Xander]
• Maybe I can find something I like…..maybe.
• So, I’m not really sure why everyone in Sunnydale has decided to leave.  I know there’s a big bad apocalypse coming but….why now as opposed all the other….apocali?  Is it because Joss wanted to limit the casualties because he knew he was going to spoiler the town?
• It’s just all so convoluted…just like everything in this episode.
• Hey Clem!  There’s something I don’t mind about this ep.
• SMG is so hoarse.  The show must go on.
• Interesting….Willow’s going all Jedi on the cop. 
• It’s a nice moment between Willow & Xander….friends til the end.  And Buffy, it seems, feels almost like a third wheel in this scene like she's always sort of had.  It crops up now and then. Also, the incredible guilt.
• Anya’s trying to be helpful…at least.  She’s saying a lot that could have helped in the finale…but will not.  Like sunlight….where was Willow’s new sun ball spell?
• Faith “trade you for a carton of cigarettes and some soap” heh.
• I’m glad Nathan Fillion made up for being misogynist Caleb in other things.  He’s really good here, but it’s hard to like him.
• I mean he’s just male Glory as far as strength and powers.  But he’s not fun like past villains.
• I really don’t care about Andrew’s hot pocket.   Neither does Giles.
• Andrew & Spike.  Exactly the Buffy spin-off I didn’t want to see.
• I’m glad all the potentials packed club clothes…
• “You sent away the one person who’s been watching my back, again.”  Really Buffy??  No one else has your back? Willow? Xander? Anya?  You can’t think of anyone else?  Sure you’re mad at Giles, but also fuck you.
• Hey!  The First Buffy has a cold too!
• I seriously don’t remember anything about the cops in this episode.  It’s like I'm seeing it for the first time.   But I also kinda don’t care.  
• It is cool seeing Faith kick some major ass, though.
• So the cops are getting hellmouthed….How convenient that none of the potentials or scoobies are…?  Or maybe Giles and Wood were getting hellmouthed last ep?
• Ugh, everyone’s just fighting and mad at each other.  It’s one of the reasons I hate this ep.  It’s such a downer.
• I like season 7 Faith, but for those who didn’t see Angel, they kinda missed the redemption….and even though they might have read about it, it’s a bit weird, since the last time we saw Faith, she was trying to kill Buffy.
• They’ve finally decided to not dress Anya like an old woman.  I like her weird sweater crop top.
• Hey, Spike speaks Latin.
• I hate this.  I hate that everyone’s ganging up on Buffy.  I hate that Buffy is making a dumb decision for the sole reason of everyone ganging up on her.
• “Democracies don’t win battles”.  Really?  This is something Buffy actually believes?
• Anya, “You really think you’re better than we are.”  Why this vitriol?  It’s weird.  Buffy doesn’t think she’s better than anyone.  “It just makes you luckier.”  Luckier? Really?  And this is one of the reasons why I hate this episode.   The writers are making me hate everyone.  Even my beloved Anya.  How dare they?  It’s just all convoluted – because it doesn’t even matter in the end. This, above everything makes me so mad.  As insensitive as Anya's been in the past, this still doesn't feel like something she'd say. She's fought along Buffy for years.  She knows Buffy isn't lucky. Maybe she's scared because Xander lost an eye...but then make it about that.  Let's see that.
• And then why make Dawn say this:  “You can’t stay here.”?  What? When did Dawn OR ANYONE start paying the bills on this house?  If you don’t want her there, then you ALL need to fucking leave.
• “Ding Dong, the witch I dead.”  SHUT THE FUCK UP RONA.

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Ugh. We've been putting this off so long for a reason. We even went to France to avoid this episode.
• So how come, for the first time, the town got the memo about the apocalypse? I guess things have been extra hellmouth-y. But you'd think it would be in the First's better interests to keep civilians around, to keep the body count high?
• wow SMG's voice is completely gone, poor thing.
• "Not that I swing cats. Or eat. Nope. Cuttin' way back. Cholesterol. Morals. I mean morals." Clem is delightful.
• Okay we got through the cutesy end of the world cold open, how much longer do I have to wait til the end of the episode and we're done with the gang betraying Buffy?
• Giles and Willow are terrible at impersonating Interpol.
• I want to give Xander's family the benefit of the doubt that they've already left town, and that's why they're not with him in the hospital, but let's face it, they're all shit.
• NB is doing a good job with this scene, trying to be strong, not show how Buffy's aloofness hurts him.
• "Willow. Please don't."
• What is a problem is how demoralized the troops are, and that does need fixing, and Buffy's usual speechifying won't fix it (nor will Anya's sex talk, for the record).
• Why is Faith talking about Anya like she's got a lot of familiarity with her? How much have those two even interacted?
• I do like Faith's quick reading of Buffy - she sees how she's staying stoic, she recognizes the defense tactic, and she knows Buffy needs a bit of a break. Faith's the only one here who really knows what it is to be a Slayer, and even she doesn't know what it is to carry Buffy's burden. Yet. 
• oh man, the photo of our season one Scoobies. #feels
• oh man (again). The way Buffy goes completely still except for a slight tremor, when Caleb appears. She knows how much he can hurt her now.
• ugh Caleb is the fucking worst. "Mind your manners ... You're angry, frustrated, scared - I like that in a girl."
• Apparently enough people haven't left Sunnydale to keep The Bronze a happening joint
• It is a good idea of Faith's, distract the troops and let them blow off steam
• Okay Buffy's claim that Giles sent away the one person watching her back is out of line, but she's not wrong to suspect Giles's motives. As Spike points out next episode, he's the only one who wouldn't have fallen in step with the mutiny, even if that wasn't what Giles was thinking when he sent Spike away - it's certainly something they took advantage of.
• oops the cops found Fugitive Faith
• oops the cops are Hellmouth-possessed
• oops
• see? the Potentials have some fighting chops! look at them kicking the Hellmouth cops' asses
• whoops Buffy's in mom mode now. She doesn't have all the facts, but she sees the messy conclusion.
• I agree, Andrew. Curly fries are delicious.
• "Tell anyone we had this conversation, I'll bite you." // "Right."
• oh man. Xander's come home
• well, "home." he lives in an apartment. this is the Summers house
• Andrew is terrible at being Bad Cop. but I'm telling myself it's him trying to be Anya
• I do like that Buffy saw through Caleb's attempted sleight of hand with the Look At The Seal Not At The Vineyard scheme
• I understand the Potentials having doubts, I understand Giles resisting Buffy. I'm not cool with the core Scoobies turning on her. They should fucking know better.
• UGH. Fuck this from Anya. "You really do think you're better than we are. 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. But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it. You 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." ARE YOU KIDDING ME. STOP TREATING CERTAIN YOUNG DEATH LIKE A GIFT. STOP TREATING DYING TWICE AND COMING BACK AS BEING LUCKIER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. STOP TREATING THIS KIND OF LEADERSHIP AS ANYTHING BUT A BURDEN. Buffy never asked for this, but she has earned their trust FOR SEVEN FUCKING YEARS. Also - for the record - stop acting like Buffy sat on her ass with her special Slayer privileges, instead of training hard every day, going out patrolling while balancing schoolwork and eventually real work, making plans and keeping everyone safe. One - ONE - botched mission, and suddenly the confidence in her qualifications immediately vanishes.
• I wish Buffy were making these arguments, rather than lashing out though. It's not helping her case.
• And then Dawn delivers the death blow.
• Just. Fuck this. FUCK THIS.
• And see? Buffy's still our goddamn hero. What does she say when Faith follows her out? "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." She's not doing recriminations. She knows the mission is what matters, and that the world still matters, and even if they've rejected her, their lives must be protected.
• No one in that house deserves Buffy.

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: "Trade you for a pack of cigarettes and soap." -Faith 

Zelda: "Tell anyone we had this conversation, I'll bite you." - Spike

Arc/Continuity Stuff:

• Recurring: Clem, SMG's laryngitis, Giles, Andrew, Potentials (Rona, Amanda, Kennedy, Chao-Ahn, et al), Faith, Caleb, The Bronze, The First (as Buffy), Spike's love for the Onion Blossom, Robin Wood
• Shoutout to A"ll the Way" and Xander's pirate costume

Stats:

Anya's Hair - blonde, side part, tidy ponytail, or straight down

Dead Humans - 0

Dead Undeads - 0

Dead Flashbacks - 0

Dead Potentials - 0

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Caleb Breaks a Glass Window with a Buffy - 1

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 0

Apocalypse Called - 0