The original scene from Empty Places

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sosa lola

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This is the original scene from the Drew Z. Greenberg Full-White Draft. What do you like better this scene or the scene that was aired?





INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM/FOYER - NIGHT

Everyone is in stunned silence.

BUFFY
Listen, I know what you're thinking,
scary place where good guys go boom,
I get it. I do. But I had a little
visit today at the school from Caleb.

DAWN
(concerned)
Buffy, god, are you --

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

WOOD
Is it the Seal again?

WILLOW
Do we need to try shutting it again?

ANYA
Andrew's got plenty of tears left in
him, just tell him they canceled
Stargate.

BUFFY
No, that's just it. We've spent so
much time being worried about the
Hellmouth and the Seal... why isn't
Caleb guarding them?

No response from the group.

BUFFY (cont'd)
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. If the Seal was so
important to Caleb and The First,
they'd be there right now. They're
trying to shake us off the trail,
it's a mislead. They're protecting
the vineyard. They're protecting
something at the vineyard. I say
it's their power.

A beat as she lets the room take this in.

BUFFY (cont'd)
And I say it's time we go take it
away from them.

Not a single person moves. Not a single person speaks.

Until:

FAITH
Or, in the alternative, how about
we... don't.

Buffy whips around, looks at Faith. Huh?

FAITH (cont'd)
It's a neat theory, B. But I'm not
going back in that place. Not
without proof. And neither should
you.
(re: the Potentials)
And neither should they.

BUFFY
I'm not saying it'll be easy --

WOOD
Buffy. Listen to what she's saying.

Buffy turns to Wood, stung.

FAITH
Maybe it'll end okay, the way you
wanna play it. But maybe it won't.
And right now... right now I don't
think I want you playing the odds.
Not with my coin.

BUFFY
I'm not just guessing about this.

FAITH
Listen. We're fighters. All of us.
But you gotta give me something to
fight. Something real. Not...

GILES
(quiet)
Windmills.

BUFFY
There is something there.

GILES
Maybe. But we don't know that for
sure.

BUFFY
You're waiting for some kind of
mystical sign to show up and tell us
it's the right time, that sort of
thing almost never happens, least,
not for us. We need to strike now.

GILES
And I think whatever is there, if
anything is there, will still be
there in a few days.

BUFFY
I don't know that. We don't know
that. What if we let it go and we
lose our chance? I'm not prepared to
live with that.

WOOD
And if we rush in now, before we're
ready, and more people get hurt, are
you prepared to live with that?

Buffy turns to him. Annoyed.

WOOD (cont'd)
You need to consider this.

BUFFY
I don't understand. Seven years I've
kept us safe by doing this, exactly
this, making the hard decisions.
Suddenly you're all acting like you
don't trust me.

GILES
But didn't you just tell me today
that you don't feel like you can
trust us? Maybe there's something
going on that we need to address.

Willow and Xander look hurt.

BUFFY
(to Giles)
Is this why you sent Spike away? To
ambush me?

RONA
(quiet)
Look around you, this isn't about
Spike. This is about you. You're
being reckless.

BUFFY
What?

RONA
(growing increasingly
pissed)
You are. I don't even know you, and
I can tell. You're so obsessed with
beating this guy that you're willing
to jump into any plan without
thinking.

BUFFY
That's not what I'm doing.

Kennedy JUMPS UP, moves toward Buffy.

KENNEDY
(seething/in Buffy's
face)
Well, that's how it feels to us!
People are dying! We. Are dying.

Willow jumps in between them, keeps Kennedy away from Buffy.

WILLOW
Back off, stop it.

Buffy looks relieved for the support.

WILLOW (cont'd)
(to Kennedy/re: Buffy)
It's not her fault. She's completely
strung out.

Buffy looks shocked.

BUFFY
I'm a who? I'm not --

WILLOW
Once you've had some rest, I think
you'll be able to --

BUFFY
I don't need rest! Willow, I'm fine.
I'm... I'm fine.

Willow backs down. Clearly not convinced.

BUFFY (cont'd)
And I don't recall any of you
complaining about the way we did
things when we were winning.

GILES
Buffy, the rules have changed. And
I'm not sure doing things the old way
will help you here.

BUFFY
The old way. You mean by leading.

WILLOW
No, that's not it at all, it's just --

BUFFY
Look, I wish this could be a
democracy. I really do. It would be
more fair, I agree. But democracies
don't win battles. It's a hard
truth, but there has to be a single
voice. You need me to issue orders
and be reckless sometimes and not
take your feelings into account.

She looks around.

BUFFY (cont'd)
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
You do. Of course you do. That's
why it's your voice leading us.

BUFFY
Look --

ANYA
But we don't know, do we? We'll
never know. That you're actually
better. You came into the world with
certain advantages, sure, that's the
legacy.

BUFFY
I --

ANYA
But you didn't earn them. You didn't
work for them. You never had someone
come to you and say, Here, you
deserve these more than anyone else.
They were just... handed to you. And
that doesn't make you better than us.
It makes you luckier than us.

BUFFY
I've gotten you this far.

XANDER
(quietly)
Not without a price.

BUFFY
Xander...

XANDER
We follow you without question. Even
when you have no idea what you're
doing. Even when you get mad at us
for not working hard enough at a plan
which doesn't exist, because you
don't know what you're doing. We
keep following you, even then.
(beat)
And we keep paying the price.

BUFFY
(quiet)
Xander. I've paid the price, too,
sometimes.

That hangs in the air for a moment.

GILES
So how high does the price have to go
before you start saying your way
isn't right?

BUFFY
I still think attacking Caleb's power
base could end this --

GILES
Yes. You. Think. But when you act
alone --

BUFFY
Is that really something you want to
get into? 'Cause we can talk about
Spike. Or Ben.

GILES
If I acted rashly, it was to protect
you. Were you trying to protect
Annabelle? Or Chloe?

BUFFY
Stop it.

GILES
(more intense)
Or Molly? Or Xander? And it goes
even further back than that, doesn't
it?

BUFFY
Giles.

GILES
(seething)
You act alone, and people get hurt,
right? People like Jenny

BUFFY
Goddamn you, stop!!

Buffy sweeps a vase (maybe something vaguely African, from Joyce's gallery) off the end table. It smashes to the floor. Giles and Buffy stare at each other for a beat.

GILES
(calmly)
Do you see? You are not in the best
place you have ever been. You're too
raw. You need to take a break.

BUFFY
I am still responsible for this
group. I am still in charge here.

RONA
And why is that, exactly?

BUFFY
Because I'm the Slayer.

RONA
And isn't Faith a Slayer, too?

Everyone turns to Faith, who seems startled.

FAITH
Ka-wha? Whoa, whoa, whoa, so not
what I meant, I'm not the in-charge
chick, I just think B here needs to
chill out for a bit, take a siesta
maybe, but I'm not the one you want.

But no one's turning away.

KENNEDY
Maybe we need a vote. To see who
wants Faith to have a turn in charge.

BUFFY
Listen. You don't wanna do this.
(to Willow and Xander)
Guys, tell them. This is a mistake.

Total silence.

BUFFY (cont'd)
Guys?

Willow and Xander not answering.

BUFFY (cont'd)
I don't... this isn't happening.

WILLOW
You need to rest.

She looks at Xander. Maybe not able to finish this. He nods to her.

WILLOW (cont'd)
(barely able to say
it)
So maybe we should let someone else
take the wheel until you do.

XANDER
Maybe it's not such a terrible idea.
Letting Faith handle things. Letting
her be the Slayer.

Faith is shocked -- she didn't want this. Buffy just stares at Willow and Xander. Not sure this is real.

BUFFY
Guys. We have a chance to end this.
All of us. I can't just stay here
and watch Faith lead you off into
some disaster.

Dawn, silent till now, approaches Buffy and tenderly kisses her on the cheek.

DAWN
Then you can't stay here.

Buffy -- and everyone -- is shocked.

DAWN (cont'd)
Look, I love you, but you can't be a
part of this. You can't be here. I
don't think... I don't think you can
face this at all. This one you have
to sit out.

Buffy is utterly devastated.

DAWN (cont'd)
I'm sorry. It's my house, too.
Either you let Faith handle things...
or you have to leave.

Standoff. Buffy looks at Dawn, a little shocked. Looks to Willow and Xander and Giles... looks at the group. They're not backing down. Not one of them.

Buffy turns and walks out the front door.
 
F
Five
thanks for sharing! :)
Wooow, this is SO much better than the scene we got !!
I actually watched "Empty Places" a few days ago, and I came to the same conclusion as always : it doesn't make sense, it doesn't, not from Willow, Xander and Dawn especially. And it's a bit surprising from Giles, too.

Though I think it would have been mean to blame Buffy for Jenny's death, I like all the other stuff Giles says to Buffy. It's realistic and smart, and I love that Buffy finally mentions Ben's death.
I get now more Willow's opinion, which is totally logical from her (and I like that she really stands between Kennedy and Buffy).
And it's the same for Xander.
In the end, Dawn's lines seem logical and explain why she would do such a thing to the sister who gave her life for her.

I'm really sad this wasn't kept.
 
Yes, this version is much better than what we wound up with. It's too bad we didn't get to see it this way rather than the final version. (This whole scene still infuriates me every time I see it, but I really don't need to get that rant going again)
 
This is really a lot better than what we ended up with. It just seemed illogical, but now things are making sense. I especially didn't get Giles and Dawn in the final version, but now I can see why and what and how. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
 
I think this one does make more sense, but I can also see why they cut it down. For one thing, this would have been insanely long. For another, in the aired one, you can almost (I said ALMOST, WA!) see where everyone's coming from. In this one, they're attacking her even more, and hitting with some pretty low blows, too. And I think she's defending herself better here, which just makes them lash out more.

I could go on, but like WA, this scene makes me spit nails every time I watch it.
 
It is better, but I still hate this scene. For me it still does not answer one vital question. Why, oh why, would Caleb have to guard the seal? I wish someone had asked that from Buffy.
 
S
Silum
...maybe you missed the finale where they attacked the seal and destroyed the first? I think the seal was quite important no? lol
Wheres your source? These things pop up all the time, fanfic mascarading as other scripts.

I read it all and dont really see anything better either. Total rejection of everybody with so many of them out of order. Bunch of pussies who cant fall in line with the leader.
 
They did not destroy the first, they had no idea whatsoever (beside hoping the amulet sent by the most evil lawfirm in the world would do something) what they actually going to do there. The seal kept the First army prisoned there.
 
ok, the first wasnt destroyed. Since the first is still alive, im guessing its pretty pissed it didnt protect the seal.
 
Somehow this one is worse, it is far more infuriating than the aired scene. Giles was especially brutal and so too we Willow and Xander. Ok, my blood is starting to boil again so I'm going to stop before I start but my God! how dare they do that to her!

:cussing:
 
S
Silum
!!!!!!!
white avenger
white avenger
we have always been in total agreement about this one, Miss K. Mutiny and betrayal will always be mutiny and betrayal.
I think I like Willow's "She's tired"-approach more in the original script than the quieter nicer way on screen. Of course, Willow treating Buffy like a 7 year old would be strange.

I'm not sure if I like Xander's blame in the original script or not(okay, he lost an eye, crankyness and blame is expected) but it's great that he says;

"Even when you get mad at us
for not working hard enough at a plan
which doesn't exist, because you
don't know what you're doing. We
keep following you, even then."

Because it's true. Buffy has put a lot on them all this season.

****

I love that Buffy mentions Ben to Giles. Even tough it didn't make it to the screen, this for me settles the question if she knows that Giles killed him or not. Maybe Spike told her. Seems likely. Although I heard from a fan that in the original script for Lies My Parents Told Me, Giles tells Buffy about Ben in the graveyard, to show her that sometimes you have to make the hard descisions.

I don't get what Giles mean by this tough;

"GILES
(more intense)
Or Molly? Or Xander? And it goes
even further back than that, doesn't
it?

BUFFY
Giles.

GILES
(seething)
You act alone, and people get hurt,
right? People like Jenny."

He's the one who got involved with Jenny, he's the one who told her about the Hellmouth and let her into his life. Sure, she was sent there by her people to watch, but Giles is more guilty than Buffy. Sure, it was Buffy's ex taht killed her, but it's not like Giles told Jenney to go somewhere safe. I'm glad this part didn't make into on screen. Man, I would have loathed Giles.

***

This part, from the screen but not in the original script, is gold;

"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?"

She's a bitch in this scene, but I think this adds to Buffy's character, her loathing for Faith that just won't go away. It isn't pretty, but it's real.

***

I think over all, the aired scene is better. Because it makes me less pissed of than the original script. Anya's Stargate line should never have been cut tough. There must have been time limits that made them not air it. Of course, a joke might not be fitting in such a emotional scene.
 
Don't think this version would do much difference for me...

I do which that they had kept Anya's Stargate joke though 🙂

/SK
 
Willow comes off a little better in this version, but Xander and Giles not so much. Overall, I don't really like either version. I always thought this was a pretty forced showdown.

Source for this, by the way?
 
I still completely hate that moment and always will, but thanks, some of those Anya lines were funny. 😀
 
I hate both versions. The scene is so forced and just the writers' way to make us feel bad for Buffy and hate all the other characters. Cheap way. I hate when writers feel like they need to trash all the characters to make the main character lovable again. Guess what, writers? I felt the opposite. :lol:
 
sosa lola said:
BUFFY (cont'd)
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
You do. Of course you do. That's
why it's your voice leading us.

BUFFY
Look --

ANYA
But we don't know, do we? We'll
never know. That you're actually
better. You came into the world with
certain advantages, sure, that's the
legacy.

BUFFY
I --

ANYA
But you didn't earn them. You didn't
work for them. You never had someone
come to you and say, Here, you
deserve these more than anyone else.
They were just... handed to you. And
that doesn't make you better than us.
It makes you luckier than us.
Click to expand...

I have never loved Anya more than I have in this very freakin' moment.

Exactly what I had been thinking for years. Hot damn.

I know that was in the aired scene, but I had to quote that the bold the hell out of it. I. Love. Anya.

sosa lola said:
I hate both versions. The scene is so forced and just the writers' way to make us feel bad for Buffy and hate all the other characters. Cheap way. I hate when writers feel like they need to trash all the characters to make the main character lovable again. Guess what, writers? I felt the opposite.
Click to expand...

YES.

Everyone's on the 'Buffy love' parade and I think every single last damn one of them finally said what they needed to say for years. The original scene said it better than the aired one, no doubt, but I'm so glad it happened in the first place.

The thing I don't get, and the thing that I feel is forced, is that Faith tries out the leader thing and everyone gets screwed. That, to me, was the forced part. The writers were trying to prove that if you doubt Buffy, you get dead. That's not fair to Faith's character OR the convictions of the other characters - they wanted to make all of the other characters look like asses for doubting her, and that was just low.

Was it a smart idea to put Faith in charge? No, maybe not. But damnit, they had the right to speak their minds and do every damn thing they did in that scene and I will ALWAYS believe Buffy deserved what was coming to her. That's what she gets for seven years of 'I'm the Slayer and you're not'.
 
sosa lola said:
I hate both versions. The scene is so forced and just the writers' way to make us feel bad for Buffy and hate all the other characters. Cheap way. I hate when writers feel like they need to trash all the characters to make the main character lovable again. Guess what, writers? I felt the opposite. :lol:
Click to expand...
I agree. Easily one of the biggest failures of writing for Buffy.

I get where they wanted to go, to isolate her before rising her up but the scene left a lasting (if it was S6, they could redeem it) impresssion. I felt super sad for Buffy, I felt totally disconnected to all the characters as they rip into her friend, and the end result is that every character is somehow tainted, none moreso than Dawns imo.
 
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