Conversations with Dead People
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"Conversations with Dead People" | |
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 7 |
Directed by | Nick Marck |
Written by | Jane Espenson Drew Goddard (but see writing credits) |
Featured music | "Blue" by Angie Hart |
Production code | 7ABB07 |
Original air date | November 12, 2002 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Conversations with Dead People" is the seventh episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on November 12, 2002 on UPN. It is the only episode other than "Once More, with Feeling" where the title appears on screen.
Plot
Several encounters take place around Sunnydale on one night, which are told in real time. Uniquely among Buffy episodes, the main characters do not interact with one another. According to the staff writers, this was intended to enforce the idea of "being alone."[1]
On patrol in the Sunnydale cemetery,
Meanwhile, Dawn prepares for a night alone at home. An unnaturally loud banging sets her nerves on edge, the electronics begin to malfunction and the house suffers from heavy wind and earthquakes. Eventually, Dawn comes to believe that her mother is trying to contact her, and the malevolent force is working to prevent her. Dawn manages to exorcise the malevolent force and a vision of Joyce appears to warn her that she cannot trust Buffy.
In a story entirely devoid of dialogue, Spike picks up a woman at a bar, walks her home, and feeds on her, leaving her dead on her own doorstep.
Jonathan and Andrew return from Mexico after several months in hiding. Both are plagued by nightmares and hope to share discoveries about an artifact hidden near the Hellmouth to win favor with Buffy. However, Andrew is secretly in contact with what appears to be the ghost of Warren, while Jonathan is having a personal revelation that he misses high school and still cares for his old friends. After they dig up the artifact, Andrew, on Warren's instructions, insults and kills Jonathan, causing his blood to spill all over a mystical portal, the Seal of Danzalthar, in the school basement.
In the library,
Production
The writing of this episode is credited to Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard. However, according to the commentary by Espenson and Goddard on the DVD, this episode actually had four distinct writers: Espenson wrote the Dawn scenes, Goddard wrote the Geek Trio scenes, Joss Whedon wrote the Buffy-Holden scenes, and Marti Noxon wrote the Willow-Cassie scenes.[2] Since Whedon and Noxon were the executive producers of the show, they would often forgo formal credit for their contributions to various scripts. Whedon wanted Amber Benson to appear as Tara, taunting Willow instead of Cassie, but Benson chose not to appear, partly because she did not want Tara to appear as an evil character after her death.[3][4]
Other storylines considered were for
Reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2019) |
This episode was awarded the 2003
References
- ^ Marck, Nick, Jane Espenson, Drew Goddard, Danny Strong, and Tom Lenk. 2004. "Conversations with Dead People." Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 7. Episode 7. Disc 2 (commentary). Los Angeles: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2006.
- ^ DVD commentary for "Conversations with Dead People", at 0:22, 1:33, and 13:38.
- ^ "BBC - Cult - Buffy - Amber Benson - Staying away". BBC 2. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ a b "Buffy Episode Guide - Conversations with Dead People". BBC Cult. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
- ^ "2003 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on 2011-05-07. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ^ Brian Ford Sullivan (January 6, 2003). "The 50 Best Episodes of 2002 - #50-41". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
External links
- "Conversations with Dead People" at IMDb