I can't believe there are only three more Buffy episodes ever. I just can't believe it.

Thoughts on Empty Places.....

I liked it up until the end. I loveloveloved the scene between Willow and Xander in the hospital – it completely broke my heart. I liked when they were blowing off steam in the Bronze. I liked Wood/Faith interaction – I think they should get married and have appallingly attractive children. Also, the Andrew mini-lust? It’s growing, although I try to make it go away.

But I felt like the episode (and possible the season, depending where they go from here) completely fell apart in that final scene - I just didn’t buy it, especially Dawn kicking her out. It just felt so odd and forced and false, I could feel all my investment in the show weakening. By the time it went to credits I felt totally flat.

Somewhere along the line I went from adoring this season to feeling mildly disappointed in it and distanced from it, but I can’t pinpoint when it happened. This episode has made it much worse.

Whee, quick drive-by to say that Emlah is me. Apart from the bit where I loved the final scene right up until Dawn told Buffy to get out. Completely didn't buy it--it came out of nowhere, and made no sense. If you don't want Buffy to lead, fine--they've been consistently portraying how brittle and detached (not to mention, bordering on ineffectual) Buffy has become in her role as Queen General and I'm not sure I'd want to follow her either, but kicking her out was heartless and completely stupid--to my mind it strongly resembles painting a big target on their collective ass and handing Caleb a crossbow. And the less said about the farce that is Giles in a turtleneck the better.

Umm, but Dawn didn't kick her out. Dawn presented Buffy's options. Buffy chose to leave.

Thanks, Heather, and special thanks to Jon, who started this tapes chain.

You and your friends have a great time watching the tapes, OK?

You betcha. Updates will follow. Beware, there may be gushing involved.

The notes you keep from the Post Office -- Those are the custom declaration forms, right?

Yes, the ones filled by the senders. Usually the post office send their official forms, but lately, I have no idea why, they send these instead. Which is great, for me. Especially with this package, because eventually I'm obviously going to return everything that's in it to her rightful owner, and this way I get to keep a souvenir, and in fifty years or so when my grandchildren will go through my stuff for some reason (which will hopefully involve an old attic and a burried pirates treasure, I'll have to see how I can provide them with at least one of those, but I have fifty years to come up with a way), I'll be able to tell them about a thing called tv that had a show called "Buffy" that had tapes of it sent to me by my friend from across the sea.

Jon, I also got yesterday the F2F tape from DXM and I can't wait to see you play the theremin on it.

You cruel, cruel people... t edit Obviously I mean Emlah and Leigh, not Nilly!

Emlah, re tonight: just as we thought!!! Very happy for Reggie, but how gorgeous was Chrissie?

because eventually I'm obviously going to return everything that's in it to her rightful owner

If that is me, I don't want them back. I'd much rather they be passed on to other needy souls.

With Leigh and Emlah on The Scene. But I loved the Buffy - Faith conversation on the porch afterwards, so it kind of made up. While I wanted to rip Dawn's arm off and beat Kennedy and Rona to death with it, it was Xander's chiming in that really hurt.

If that is me, I don't want them back. I'd much rather they be passed on to other needy souls.

Jon, you're a sweetheart!

I meant Fiona, she who is sweet enough to tell me that I'm actually doing her a favor by keeping the tapes at my place until they move. But, like I already told her, at least half a dozen people are going to watch it here, so you're definitely spearing the love.

See, by the time we hit The Scene I was ready to kick Buffy over a cliff, so I really had very little sympathy for her. And that's speaking as someone who will happily argue with people who talk about S4 Buffy as self-centered.

I did not have the Authorially Approved Reaction to a lot of S7, I don't think.

And the less said about the farce that is Giles in a turtleneck the better.

Hee! I kind of liked it.

Katie M., you're right, bad choice of words. I just meant it as a short hand for her essentially being the catalyst for Buffy deciding to stop trying to convince them that she was right. That sentence is so clumsy, but I can't be bothered trying to fix it.

Emlah, re tonight: just as we thought!!! Very happy for Reggie, but how gorgeous was Chrissie?

Yep, no surprises, but exciting all the same! The final three are such gorgeous people. There's something about the friendship between Chrissie and Dan in particular that just does me in - it's lovely to see people connect like that. There was a moment during all the madness on stage where they were looking at each other and I was like: "I know you're just friends, but I wish you'd get married and come be my neighbours." It surprises me how emotional I got over the show this year. The last couple of seasons I've watched for shallow, voyeuristic entertainment, but this time I got really emotionally involved.