More thoughts on "Empty Places"

[estepheia]

I spent the better part of this morning looking at various LJs reading reviews of last night's episode.

More thoughts behind the cut, spoilers for "Empty Places" only:


Not many people liked it, and those who disliked it did so for different reasons. What really fascinates me is how you can see a clear cut going through the fandom, with one half expressing the opinion that Buffy acts irrationally all the time because she's constantly thinking about Spike and putting him before the mission and the other half thinking that Buffy loves Spike but puts the mission first. Interesting.

There seem to be people who yelled 'Yay Dawn!' at the screen when Dawn told Buffy to leave. Others think that Dawn was out of character. There is similar dissent regarding Xander's and Willow's behaviour.
I'm beginning to wonder if ME is deliberately trying to be ambiguous, trying to allow different interpretations. Is it born out of a desire to give everybody what they want? Because that way they just end up pissing everybody off.

I know I am.

Comments

[circe-tigana.livejournal.com]

What I find fascinating about my own reaction is that I'm mad at ME, not at the characters. Maybe I'm just in writer mode these days, but I watched Empty Places with a technical eye, not an emotionally invested one.

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'm mad at the writers. They seem to be kicking their heels all the time. I would have liked more filler episodes that tell a complete story and use the arc for background only. One where the potentials get underfoot or help like the Scoobies used to. This season could have been fun.

I suppose as writers we are too critical. But these people get paid for something I'd love to do for free. I really wish I could have been present during those writer sessions at ME where they used to break down the stories because I'd really like to know: what were they thinking?

ME seems to have made an effort to give us what we want. I said it before, it's like a shopping list of thingst they expect people will enjoy, like all those guest appearances by characters from previous seasons (including Olaf the Troll), more singing, Faith, William, punk Spike, the cheese guy... they gave us a lot but I feel they didn't manage to string it together so well.

I'm still grateful for 7 seasons of great television. I guess I'm just too invested - not just in Spike but in the other characters and in ME's way of telling stories. It's just that they don't follow their own recipe anymore. *sigh*