Empty Places (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Empty Places"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
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Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 19
Directed by	James A. Contner
Written by	Drew Z. Greenberg
Production code	7ABB19
Original air date	April 29, 2003
Guest actors
Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles Eliza Dushku as Faith Nathan Fillion as Caleb Tom Lenk as Andrew Wells Iyari Limon as Kennedy Indigo as Rona Sarah Hagan as Amanda Kristy Wu as Chao-Ahn D. B. Woodside as Principal Robin Wood Dorian Missick as Police Officer Larry Clarke as The Monk Mary Wilcher as Shannon James C. Leary as Clem Justin Shilton as Munroe Nathan Brooks Burgess as Duncan David Grammar as Crazy Citizen

"Empty Places" is the 19th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Plot synopsis

The citizens of Sunnydale flee en masse and Sunnydale becomes a ghost town. Willow uses magic to get information from the police on Caleb, and Spike and Andrew leave to pursue a lead. They discover an engraving on a plaque that states that the power they are searching for is to be wielded by "her" alone. At the deserted school Buffy is confronted by Caleb, who beats her unconscious. After a brief period of unconsciousness, Buffy returns home to discover that Faith has taken Dawn and the Potentials to the Bronze for a night of relaxation. After they run into trouble with the police - during which the police threaten to kill or injure Faith and briefly hold the Potentials hostage at the Bronze - Buffy confronts the group and demands that they make better choices, and reveals her plans for another attack. At this point (before Spike and Andrew return) the Potentials, as well as Dawn, Willow, Xander, Anya, and Giles, tell Buffy that they no longer trust her leadership. At Dawn's request, Buffy leaves the house and Faith reluctantly becomes the new leader.

Continuity

Arc significance

• This episode marks the final appearance of the character Clem, who leaves Sunnydale with the other residents.
• This episode marks the final appearance of The Bronze, which has been a recurring element of the show since the very first episode.
• Buffy is ejected from the house and Faith is put in charge of the Potentials.
• Faith refers to the events of "The Zeppo" in which she and Xander had sex.

Trivia

• When in the hospital after losing an eye, Xander says, "Oh, you know the best part is? No one will ever make me watch Jaws 3D again." The director of the episode, James Contner, was also a cinematographer on Jaws 3D.
• The officer who says to Faith "You'll have to come with us, Miss. Outstanding warrant," was played by the same actor as the villain Billy Blim in the Angel episode "Billy".
• The football helmet that Andrew wears while riding behind Spike on Spike's motorcycle is the same helmet that Dawn wore in "Bargaining, Part Two".

Music

• Nerf Herder appeared as the musical guest in this episode as the last band to play at The Bronze. Their special connection to the series was further acknowledged by a bit of dialogue:

Kennedy: What kind of band plays during an apocalypse?

Dawn: I think this band might actually be one of the signs.

External links

• "Empty Places" at IMDb
• "Empty Places" at TV.com