Season 6 Episode Summaries
Reviewed By Les

Click on a title to read the summary!

Episode 1 & 2 - Bargaining Episode 3 - After Life Episode 4 - Flooded Episode 5 - Life Serial

Episode 6 - All The Way

Episode 7 - Once More With Feeling

Episode 8 - Tabula Rasa

Episode 9 - Smashed

Episode 10 - Wrecked

Episode 11 - Gone

Episode 12 - Doublemeat Palace

Episode 13 - Dead Things

Episode 14 - Older And Far Away

Episode 15 - As You Were

Episode 16 - Hell's Bells

Episode 17 - Normal Again

Episode 18 - Entropy Episode 19 - Seeing Red

Episode 20 - Villians

Episode 21 - Two To Go
Episode 22 - Grave      

Grave
Season 6 , Episode 22
Summary written by
Leoff of www.leoffonline.com

 

(Being part 2, there are no opening credits. Action picks up where "Two to Go" left off.)

Buffy and Anya both arise to find Giles standing in the doorway of the Magic Box. "Uh oh, I'm in wicked trouble now..." Willow quips as she wipes a bloody nose and looks coldly at the Watcher. She tries to get up slowly but Giles waves his hand and commands "Stay down," knocking Willow back down. Anya asks how he did that, to which Willow answers it's "borrowed power." Giles wishes to help Willow, but she naturally wants nothing of it. She slams the nature of the Watchers always interfering as Buffy and Giles try to reason with her. Buffy says she doesn't wish to fight her anymore, to which Willow says "I don't want to fight you anymore, I want to fight him." She starts to get up again, but this time when Giles tries his magical command, she is ready and blocks the spell, standing and striding slowly towards Giles.

Willow brings up the little spat they had when he left months ago, with his remark about her being a "rank amateur." "Well buckle up, Rupert, cause I've turned pro..." she says as her eyes grow pitch black and her power starts to rise...

"Vinchille!" Giles shouts and a green glob shoots from his outstretched hand, forming a binding circle of green energy around Willow's arms and waist. She struggles and attempts to cast a spell, but is quickly left immobile, floating in air. Buffy asks what he did. "Contained her and her powers within a binding field." he says, then glances over at his Slayer "you cut your hair." he smiles. Buffy embraces Giles with a smile as Anya comes over awkwardly, mentioning she's changed her hair color. Giles grabs her also and hugs her before he slowly walks over towards the floating, silent Willow. "I'm sorry about Tara" he says heartfelt. Willow then mumbles that the spell won't hold her forever.

In the back training room, Giles tells Buffy of how a powerful coven in England informed him of the rising dark power in Sunnydale, and then getting news of Tara's death from a seer. The coven gave Giles the power to slow Willow down long enough so he could talk and reason with her. Giles quickly changes the subject, wondering what has happened here with everything seemingly going wrong? Buffy doesn't know where to start. She mentions, in order, Willow's magic misuse, Xander leaving Anya at the alter and then Anya turning vengeance demon, Dawn's kleptomania, Buffy's financial hardships and her job at the Doublemeat Palace, and her sleeping with Spike. Buffy looks so embarrassed and ashamed as Giles looks at her with a cold stare, then suddenly he bursts out in to loud, uncontrollable laughter, finding the entire situation silly. Buffy is shocked at his laughter, but then soon joins him. The two laugh almost uncontrollably.

Trying to clean up the Magic Box, Anya picks up papers as she walks around the floating Willow. Willow contacts her with mental telepathy, saying that she needs help to break free from the spell. Anya says that the mind control tricks won't work on her cause she's a demon, but Willow quickly establishes control, forcing Anya to help take away the binding spell.

Still laughing, Buffy tells Giles about her drug-induced dreams of her Mental ward fantasy world, but then the laughter slowly dies down with Giles apologizing for leaving too early, leaving them all when they needed him most. Buffy says it was good that he left. It forced her to grow up, take charge, and deal with her own mess. Buffy then tells that it took a long time for her to get back her feeling of completeness again, but now she still wonders why she was brought back, to what end? Giles answer's simply that she has a calling. Buffy then asks what now, about Willow? Giles tells that the coven is working on a way to strip Willow of her powers without killing her, but it will be difficult, and she will never be the same, having killed a human being. He wonders how she will live with herself.

"I wouldn't worry about that" Willow's voice is heard at the doorway to the back room, with Anya standing lifeless in the doorway. Willow drops Anya to the ground "Willow doesn't live here anymore..."

Commercial Break: The Toyata Matrix/Ford Focus. Hey! We ripped each other off!

Willow stares at a stunned Giles and Buffy from the doorway. Buffy starts to run to the attack, but is quickly thrown to the back wall by a blast of black magic energy. Giles quickly casts the same "Venchille" spell, but it is quickly countered by a wave of Willow's hand and a word. The magic dual begins as Willow walks over to a wall that has various martial arts knives on it. She casts a spell and the knives and throwing stars float in mid air, ready to attack. "Shame on you" she wags her finger then the knives fly forward, but Giles counters by magically moving a training dummy in front of him to catch the flying blades. Willow then magically pushes the dummy out of the way, only to have Giles cast "Excudo!" His hand glows white with light and he throws a ball of energy at Willow. It hits her hard and blasts her through a brick wall!

"Where are we going?" Dawn asks Xander, but Xander has no answers. Dawn and Xander march down the nighttime suburban street with Andrew and Johnathan silently in tow. Xander is down and frustrated, feeling helpless and not knowing what to do. He's complaining. Dawn tries to calm him down, then she thinks "You know, if Spike was here, he'd go back and fight." "Sure, if he wasn't too busy trying to rape your sister..." Xander answers snarkily. Dawn is shocked, not wanting to believe him, but Xander spots her non-acceptance as a weakness in the Summers women, and says the only good thing Spike ever did was leave town.

A snarl, a crack, and then a demon head comes rolling out from a dark cave corner. Spike emerges, even more badly beaten and bruised. He's pounded to a pulp, but he keeps asking the test demon to bring it on, he'll take whatever he can dish out, if it will get him what he needs to "take care of the Slayer." Suddenly clicking/crawling noises are heard... "Bloody hell..." Spike says as he looks down. Dozens of large beetles begin to crawl up his chest, arms, and on his head, up his nose, in his mouth, and he growls in pain.

The Magic box is a disaster area, with beams, bookcases, and trash strewn about. Small flames light the area from fires here and there as a dusty, cut up Willow smirks evilly towards an obviously exhausted Giles. "Is that all you've got, Jeeves?" She is good with the retort and is still confident, showing him she still has power by simply passing her hand in front of her face, the cuts magically disappearing. She says it's "nothing."

Giles again tries to get to her, to reason with her, by asking Willow what Tara would say about Willow's hurting people she loves? Willow doesn't fall for it, instead saying "Ask her yourself" and she lets loose a blast of dark magic energy towards Giles. But Buffy has been sneaking up behind Giles and is there to push him out of the way just in the nick of time! The blast hits a support beam to the upper loft, which gives way and comes crashing down, nearly hitting Giles and Buffy, books and papers scattering everywhere.

Willow complains that Buffy is always saving everyone, so she gets an idea. She bends down to a small bunch of wood that is on fire and picks up a ball of fire from it. She tells Giles and Buffy a "secret" that she has. She can kill Andrew and Johnathan from anywhere she wants with the ball of fire. It will find them and kill them, along with anyone else nearby. Buffy pleads "no" but Willow smiles and says that they can be saves if someone gets there in time to warn them. "Fly my pretty, fly!" she says as the ball of fire lifts from her hand and flies up, out a hole in the roof. Giles tells Buffy "Go." and Buffy rushes out of the wrecked store (with Willow wishing Buffy a sarcastic "good luck" on the way out.). Willow is happy that she finally has Giles all to herself.

Outside, Buffy looks up into the night sky and sees the fireball streak off slowly, and she sprints off in the same direction.

Willow paces the ruins of the Magic Box, calling Giles a hypocrite, saying that "magic is bad", yet he's using it? She says that he's in no position to tell her what to do. The Camera POV shoots up and we see Giles stretched out on the ceiling! Suddenly he is released and he falls to the ground hard. Willow continues her verbal insults, saying she used to think she had so much to learn from him. Giles is thrown up towards the ceiling again, moaning in pain. Now Willow chalks it up to jealousy, that he was jealous of her true power. "Ecurso!" Giles mumbles, a wave of green energy coming from his mouth and striking Willow, knocking her back. He falls to the ground again, free, but hurt and dazed. "That... was RUDE." Willow says, upset. She was interrupted! Giles says he wonders if Willow thinks she's stronger than she really is. He notes that she is not so strong, so Willow tells him what she needs... "a little pick me up." She rushes forward and zap! She starts magically sucking the magical energy Giles has from his chest into her hand.

She pulls back, slightly dizzy, sending Giles to the floor, near unconsciousness. She is "high" on magic, seeing things in a out of focus perspective. She talks of feeling pure power, as if she was the strongest being on the planet. She can feel everyone on the planet and the great power she is capable of, but then a frown comes upon her disoriented face. She can feel all of the pain in the world, all the pain in all the beings she feels. She is scared, saying it's too much. Too much pain in the world. She wants to make the pain of the world go away and she's going to do something about it. "Oh you poor bastards! Your suffering has to end..." she says as she raises her gaze to the sky and begins to float up, surrounded in her dark magic energy, she disappears, leaving Giles near death.

Commercial Break: Oxygen: better than it used to be (Offer not valid in New Jersey or California).

"Ow... ow... ow... ow..." Xander tries to kick in the door of a crypt repeatedly, complaining they increased security to cut down on hellmouth squatters. Dawn looks on as both Andrew and Johnathan try to pry another crypt door open with their swords. Johnathan's sword slips "Ow! Sonofabitch!" "Butt wipe!" Andrew retorts. "I wasn't talking to you" Johnathan says, looking at the door. "oh" Andrew understands, embarrassed. Xander quips, but Johnathan and Andrew start to get into it with him, just as Dawn looks up, puzzled. "Xander... what is that?" Xander looks up to see a fireball in the sky coming closer and closer, with Buffy down below, hurdling tombstones, yelling "get down! Move!" Buffy DIVES onto Johnathan and Andrew, throwing them out of the way just as the fireball strikes the ground and explodes, a huge crater opening up. All are thrown to the sides, but Dawn is still near the crater edge and she falls in.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouts and reaches for her sister, but the Earth beneath her gives way and she falls too, with both sisters falling into an underground cavern. Andrew and Johnathan's swords fall in also, one nearly striking Buffy as she rolls to avoid it. They look around the cavern, seeing halves of coffins sticking out from the very walls, which also cover themselves with roots and vines.

Andrew and Johnathan slowly get up, dust themselves off, and go over to the crater opening. Stunned, they both see blackness in the hole, then they glance over and see Xander laying unconscious by a tombstone (which reads "Rosene" if that means anything to anyone). Still staring in disbelief, Johnathan suddenly turns to Andrew: "Mexico, huh?" The two remaining Troika members sprint off into the night, leaving Sunnydale FAR behind them.

From the back storage room, Anya opens the door and comes out to see the remnants of the battle, the Magic Box is destroyed. She then rushes over to Giles, who still lays on the floor, motionless. His eyes open, and he's alive for the moment. Anya apologizes for setting Willow loose, saying that Willow "forced me to set her free using her brain." Giles then looks quite bewildered, saying he can actually see what Willow is doing through his own eyes. He can feel what Willow is feeling and knows what she wants to do. "oh god" he murmurs. Anya says he has to rest, but Giles tells her he is dying. But when she took his "borrowed" magic, he gained a link to her and now knows what she's going to do: finish the world.

Dawn comes upon Sunnydale and the caverns that hold Buffy and Dawn are more visible now. Buffy tries to climb out, but falls and lands on a casket. Buffy calls up through the cavern opening for Xander. Dawn says she saw Xander hit his head. Buffy tries to think of a way out, trying to force a coffin loose from the side wall, thinking that if they stack the coffins, they can crawl out. Dawn remarks how similar the caverns look to Spike's underground caverns and thinks that one might lead there. Buffy remarks that that's the last place they need to be. Dawn then brings up Spike's assault, with Buffy getting mad at Xander for telling, but then snapping to and saying they've got bigger problems now. But Dawn presses the issue, wondering why Buffy didn't tell her. Dawn says she needs to know things like that and she says Buffy can't protect her from everything, she needs to protect herself. Just as Buffy is about to answer, Xander is heard from above.

He is dazed, but good. Buffy asks where Andrew and Johnathan are. Xander says the "weasels" must have skidaddled when he was out. Buffy then tells him they need to get out and he starts looking around for some sort of rope.

POOF! Anya appears in the caverns below, saying she doesn't have much time. Xander listens in as she tells Buffy that Giles is hurt badly back at the magic shop, but Willow is the greater urgency, in that she plans to destroy the world. She plans to raise an old temple at the ridge, "King Man's Bluff." Buffy remarks that there's no temple there.

Ah, but there IS! Out from a clearing, a large, decorative obelisk starts jutting up from the very ground, with Willow standing nearby, raising her hands, magically raising it. it is covered with the likenesses of a large python with a demonic serpent-woman, and is topped with a pentagram and three tined fork.

Anya continues to tell of Willow's plan to raise the temple that belonged to a former doomsday cult, but was swallowed up in a large Earthquake 70 years ago. Willow plans to drain the planet's life force and burn the Earth to a cinder. Anya also sadfully remarks that Giles says nothing on Earth can stop Willow, not even the Slayer. Anya is worried and wants to get back to Giles quickly. Buffy asks if he's ok. "I don't' think he has a lot of time left" Anya admits, then teleports away.

Buffy and Dawn stand stunned, then Buffy calls up to Xander, demanding that they need the rope now! Buffy verbalizes her frustration and says she's not going to let Willow destroy what she's sworn to protect as she tries moving more coffins for help. Willow hears this via telepathy, though, and talks to Buffy in her mind. Giles is also able to listen in and he hears Willow say that Buffy should die like a true warrior, not wanting to go out with a fight. Willow "arranges" it for Buffy. "It was me who took you out of the Earth. Well now, the Earth wants you back."

Suddenly the cavern walls come to life, the roots and vines form zombie like men!

Commercial Break: (Last one of the season, gang...) *sniff* Windex... I'm telling you, I'm begging you to really and truly understand me that it does indeed make every single damn thing it touches SHINE!

Buffy grabs a sword and starts attacking the root-zombies. At first, with slashing and kicking, it looks like Buffy's doing ok, but then more of the root-zombies appear out of the walls and attack, far too many for her. "They just keep coming... I can't take them all." She looks at her sister. "Dawn, will you help me?" Buffy hands her sword to her younger sister. "I've got your back" Dawn says confidently. Buffy grabs the other sword and starts to attack, and Dawn rushes forward to join battle.

"Prosperpexa, Let the cleansing fires from the depths burn away the suffering souls and bring sweet death" Willow's spell is finished and the ritual begins... the serpent woman on the temple glows, Willow's hands spark the black magic energy, then HUGE amounts of magical energy start flowing from Willow's body into the temple in a real cool lightshow.

The entire Earth shakes. Some debris falls on Anya and Giles in the Magic Box. Some debris falls on Buffy and Dawn as they fight the root-zombies. All look concerned. Anya then begins a heartfelt speech at Giles' side:

"Giles... Giles! Please don't die... not yet, there are things I wanna tell you. Thanks a lot. It was good of you to teleport all this way. Though in retrospect it probably would have been better if you hadn't come and given Willow all that magic that made her like ten times more powerful. That would have been a plus."

Willow stands coldly, arms outstretched, as the waves of eerie green magical power flow from her into the temple's side, the temple glowing with increasing brightness. Wind and dirt swirl around her as we see something really big happening. Suddenly the waves of power stop, with Xander standing in the way. "Hey black eyed girl. Whatcha doing?"

"Get out of here." Willow demands.

"Oh no. You're not the only one with power here. You may be some hopped-up uber-witch, but this carpenter can drywall ya into the next century."

"I'm not joking, Xander. Get out of my way... NOW!" Willow blasts Xander with magic, sending him flying into the temple and down to the ground. She looks just a little distracted now, standing confused.

Giles stirs at the Magic Box, feeling something within Willow. He smiles at Anya "It's not over..."

Buffy continues to fight the root-zombies as Dawn gets in a bit of trouble, losing her sword and being cornered by a zombie. Buffy sees this and quickly vanquishes her foe, saying "Dawn, I'm coming..." But Dawn has other ideas. She dodges her bad guy, does a dive roll, grabs her sword off the ground, spins, and thrusts forward, stabbing her root-zombie. She then swings solidly, decapitating the zombie's head. Buffy looks on, a little surprised. "What, you think I never watched you?" Dawn says, a little surprised herself, holding the sword firm. But more root-zombies burst out of the walls, advancing forward, backing the Slayer and her sister up against each other's backs. Both start swinging wildly at the attack.

The fingertip lighting flows from Willow into the ground again, then the lightshow starts up again, the green energy pulsing from Willow's body to the temple, but again, Zap! Xander stands in the way, interrupting.

"You can't stop this." Willow says to her old friend.

"Yeah, I get that. It's just where else am I gonna go? You've been my best friend my whole life. World gonna end, where else would I wanna be?" Xander talks... calmly, matter of factly, with just a hint of goofiness. But it's tender, and caring.

"Is this the master plan? You're gonna stop me by telling me you love me?"

"Well, I was gonna walk you off a ledge and hand you an anvil, but it seemed kinda cartoonie."

"Still making jokes" Willow says coldly.

"I'm not joking. I know you're in pain. I can't imagine the pain you're in. And I know you're about to do something apocalyptically evil, and stupid, and hey... I still wanna hang. You're Willow."

"Don't call me that."

"The first day of kindergarten, you cried because you broke the yellow crayon. And you were too afraid to tell anyone. You've come pretty far. Ending the world not a terrific notion, but the thing is, yeah, I love you. I love Crayon-breaky Willow and I love scary, veiny Willow. So if I'm going out, it's here. If you wanna kill the world, then start with me. I've earned that."

"You think I won't?" Willow asks, still trying to remain strong, but it is obvious that she has been listening to Xander and feels something strong taking over.

"It doesn't matter. I'll still love you..."

"Shut up!" Willow commands, swiping her hand across the air. Large gashes appear in Xander's face as he recoils a little. Willow looks at him, almost wondering what she just did.

"I love you." Xander says. Willow slashes with her other hand, this time ripping a large gash in his shirt and chest. He is knocked to the ground and in pain, but he stands and faces his friend. "I love you..."

"Shut UP!" Willow cries and sends bolts of black magic lightning from her fingertips. It strikes Xander square in the chest, but... strangely, it has little effect. Xander stumbles back, more from shock than pain. Willow's powers are faltering.

"I love you Willow" says a gasping Xander, stumbling and out of breath.

"Stop!" Willow orders, again trying to blast Xander with dark magic, but with the same effect. She tries to shake off the conflicting feelings, but it's no use, Xander is winning her over.

"I love you" Xander says again, advancing towards Willow, arms opening.

"Stop..." Willow tries to blast him again, but this time nothing happens. No magic comes fourth. When he's near enough, she starts swinging wildly at her friend, striking him in the chest out of fear, pain, and frustration. She starts to break down as she beats on Xander, wanting it all to stop. Finally she totally loses it, falling to the ground, wailing loudly. Xander catches her in his arms and goes down with her, holding her, rocking her gently, keeping her close, muttering "I love you" to her again and again.

In the cavern, the root-zombies suddenly turn to dust, disappearing altogether, leaving Buffy and Dawn confused.

Xander continues to hold his best friend as she weeps.

Anya sits, worried, hands in head, when suddenly Giles sits upright, weak, but alive. Anya hugs him, then wonders why they're both not dead. Giles says the threat's gone, that Willow has been stopped. Anya first thinks Willow is dead, but Giles corrects her, saying the magic that she took from him was the "true essence of magic", unlike the magic that Willow had, which came from a very dark, evil place. The magic she took from him tapped into her bit of humanity, made her feel again, and that gave Xander a chance to get to her. Anya questions "Xander?" Giles says Xander got to her in time and it was he who saved them all.

Buffy and Dawn look over the area, tired. Dawn says that it's over, the world's still here, and they're all still alive. Buffy sits on a coffin and starts to break down, which at first angers Dawn, but then she realizes they're "happy" crying. Dawn wonders if Buffy did want the world to end or not. Buffy looks shocked, then embraces her sister, crying. Dawn tells her it's ok as Buffy says she's sorry. Dawn is confused, but Buffy explains. Buffy now sees that she can't protect Dawn from everything, but she doesn't need to. She wants to see her friends happy again, and she wants to see her sister grow up happy and strong. She doesn't want to protect her sister from the world, but wants to instead show it to her.

Sarah McLaughlans's song starts up as a musical montage that shows Buffy and Dawn climbing from the hole together, Xander still cradling a weeping Willow, Anya helping a limping Giles out of the Magic Box, a greasy, smiling trucker in his cab, driving to Mexico with a nervous Andrew and Johnathan also in the front seat.

The music continues as Buffy and Dawn walk strong, arm's holding each other, as they approach a sunlit grove surrounded by flowers.

And the music drops to show Spike, badly beaten, laying on his back in the dark cave. "You have endured the required trials" says the demon's voice.

"Bloody right I have" Spike jokes. He rises slowly, to face the demon. "So you give me what I want, make me what I was so Buffy can get what she deserves."

"Very well. We will return your SOUL!" The demon's hand shoots out and plunges into Spike's chest, white light burning within. Spike howls in pain as the credits roll.

Grrr... Arrg....
 

Episode Trivia
The grave Xander that attempts to enter has the last name Alpert, after one of the producers, Marc David Alpert.

The song playing at the end of the episode is Sarah McLachlan's 'The Prayer of St. Francis'. She also sang "Full of Grace" at the end of "Becoming Part 2".

Like this season's Season Premiere, this episode did not have the opening credits since it was following of "Two To Go"
In the U.K., on its first broadcast, the season finale was split into its two parts and so 'Grave' had opening credits (naming Anthony Stewart Head as a special guest star). In a subsequent broadcast, it was shown as a two-hour special and- like Bargaining- only had one set of credits.

Did Sarah Michelle Gellar have a cold during shooting? When Buffy and Giles were laughing up a fit, her voice was really deep, hoarse, and growly.

This episode is not the first time the 'Alpert' tomb in the graveyard has been seen. It features in several previous episodes (such as Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered in season 2).

When Buffy and Dawn climb out of the hole, we get a glimpse of the tattoo on Sarah Michelle Gellar's lower back. It is the Chinese symbol for integrity.

Two To Go
Season 6 , Episode 21
Summary written by
Leoff of www.leoffonline.com

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer is not heard. Instead we hear Nicholas Brendon's voice say "This is what has happened this year:"

Shot of Buffy's Grave, then her re-formation inside her casket and rising from the grave. Buffy confesses to Spike she thinks she was in Heaven. Giles leaves for England for good. Buffy confronts the Troika at the arcade for the first time. Tara confronts Willow about her magic use and then her departure. Willow admitting she needs help. Spike and Buffy kiss. Spike and Buffy do it. Buffy breaks up with Spike. Anya and Xander announce their engagement. Xander walks out of wedding. Anya goes vengeance demon. Spike and Anya's night of passion. Xander confronts Anya about Spike, and finds out about Buffy and Spike's tryst. Dawn's kleptomania. Tara and Willow make up. Spike's assault on Buffy in the bathroom. Spike splits Sunnydale. Warren's shooting spree. Tara's death and Willow's turn to darkness. Willow saves Buffy from gunshot wound. Spike confronts cave demon. Willow's tourcher of Warren and Warren's death. Willow's last words of the episode "One down..."

The episode picks up where the other left off, with Buffy, Xander, and Anya running through the night forest to try and reach Xander's car quickly. Xander slows their progress, being out of breath and getting continually sick from seeing Warren's death. Buffy says they must press on, having heard what Willow said, "one down." Anya chimes in "talking about two to go, right? Johnathan and... what's his face..." Buffy fears that Willow will already be at the jail soon, killing Andrew and Johnathan, but Anya tells them that Willow's "flight" is slow. Impressive looking, but slower than alternatives. Buffy asks what alternatives, to which Anya answers "Teleportation" and promptly vanishes in a poof of smoke.

Xander hopes that Willow will calm down from her "magic and grief" tirade, but Buffy says that Willow is out of her head, that her killing Warren will have changed her. "This is still Willow we're dealing with, right?" Xander asks. "I hope so" Buffy answers, as they finally come upon Xander's car. The hood is twisted and smoking, the car isn't going anywhere. Willow slowed them down, but didn't stop them. Buffy tells Xander she'll meet him at the jail and takes off running! Xander vents, slamming his fist on the car's hood and looking very helpless (useless?)

Opening Credits: Nothing new.

A police car pulls up at the Sunnydale Police station. In one of the upper cells, Andrew sit on a cot, listening to his wrist. Johnathan asks what he's doing, to which he responds he's listening for signals, hoping that Warren planted some sort of communications device on them before he left them. Andrew remains hopeful that Warren didn't abandon them, but Johnathan is very sarcastic, harsh, and realistic, knowing the truth. He believes Warren has long since left them in the dust. Andrew argues back that it's that kind of attitude that led he and Warren to turn against Johnathan. Andrew then admits that Johnathan "was long out of the trio a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." Andrew says it's because Johnathan couldn't take orders and didn't respect the chain of command. "Yeah, see how far it's gotten you? Checking every little hole in your sad little body for transmitters that don't exist?" Johnathan counters. The two start to girly-wrestle, but then Anya "appears" in the cell.

The two guys freak as Anya calls for the guard and tells them they have to get out ASAP. Johnathan and Andrew are confused and ask why? Anya breaks it down for them: Warren shot Buffy. Warren shot Tara. Buffy's alive, Tara's dead. Willow found out, and being the most powerful Wicca in the Western hemisphere, decided to get the payback, with interest."

Andrew asks "wha... what about Warren?" "She killed him. Ripped him apart and bloodied up the forest doing it. Now she's coming here, and the two of you are next." Anya informs them, matter of factly. The two say it wasn't their fault, then start also calling for the guard, who walks up momentarily to be surprised, finding Anya in the cell with the two boys. The guard starts to wonder and question how she got in there as Anya calmly tells him that "something bad" is on it's way and that he has to let the two men out of the cell, during which Anya teleports in a poof of smoke out of the cell and right next to the guard. The guard is now, understandably, confused.

Outside, a patrol officer sits in his car when the car and ground start to shake. Willow appears in the parking lot in a swirl of wind and lightning. The officer gets out to confront Willow, but she simply utters "take a nap" and the officer falls fast asleep at her feet. She then turns to face the police station and looks up at the second floor cells. She stares at the brick wall with a purpose as rumbling is heard.

Inside, Anya still tries to plead with the confused officer. Suddenly the brick wall behind Andrew and Johnathan starts to shake, then a hole appears! Brick by brick, the wall is slowly being ripped apart, a hole growing bigger as each brick is ripped out of the foundation! Andrew and Johnathan look scared as the cop tells them to stay there, where they'll be safe (yeah, right). Anya argues back that that is the one place they WON'T be safe!

Willow stands firm in the street, slowly ripping bricks out of the upper cell wall from the outside, as cops rush out and towards her. "Back off!" she says coldly and holds up her hand, sending a cop or two flying backwards into a patrol car. She continues her assault on the wall as inside, Andrew wonders why she's doing this, it wasn't their fault! Johnathan lays it out, that it is their fault. They teamed up, they wanted to see where their plans would take them. This is what they found.

Outside, Buffy glances around a corner of the building to see Willow's assault on the wall and the cops ordering her to stop. Inside, Andrew begs for Anya to teleport them out, but Anya says she can't, it doesn't work that way. Andrew begins to panic, fear on his face, yelling HEELLLP! Back outside, Buffy backtracks to a side door, kicking it in and starting to rush upstairs to the cell. Cops run by her to assist outside.

With a large hole now allowing her access, Willow raises her arms and starts to float upwards, up to the hole in the wall. She enters and drops down into the cell, but finds it empty, the bars of the cell door being bent apart. "Buffy" she mumbles, then sees Anya standing outside the cell. Anya starts to try and reason with her, but blasts of dark magic lightning from Willow's hands send Anya tossed against a wall. Willow screams a spine-tingling shriek in rage, her eyes jet black.

Commercial Break: Save on every call and dial down the center, 1-800-CALLATT... except for that first "1." That's off to the side. So... don't dial COMPLETELY down the center... it won't work.

Willow's haunting shriek is heard from the street as Buffy, Andrew, and Johnathan run into the alley. The two remaining Troika clutch their ears in pain as Buffy peers around the corner, seeing cops everywhere, all looking up at the new gaping hole in the wall. They're stuck, but not for long, as Xander pulls up on a stolen police car! All of them pile in and they zoom off, right by the cops.

In the police car, Buffy and Xander wonder what to do as Andrew and Johnathan wonder what to do in a more panicked tone.

A highly pissed off Willow exits the front door of the police station, looking around for her victims.

In the car, Andrew continues to wonder what they did wrong, and why Willow simply doesn't wave her hand and kill them, which sends a punch from Buffy to the back seat. But Xander agrees with Andrew. He wonders if Willow is so powerful, why isn't she right there with them now? Johnathan wonders how a person like Willow was could do this, and reminisces about how she was. "She was just... Willow." Suddenly the car is jolted, headlights appearing in the rearview mirror. "What was that?" Johnathan asks? "Just Willow" Xander quips.

Willow stands on the top of a speeding semi, steering it using magic, trying to ram the police car off the road. The Trucker inside tries to wrestle control of the steering wheel, but it don't work. Xander drives faster, but Willow keeps up, getting closer... closer. Then suddenly strain shows on Willow's face. Looking back, Johnathan sees this and says "she's draining! Just keep going!" The police car inches farther away from the semi as Willow suddenly collapses on the top of the semi, her face showing extreme strain and weakness. The Trucker finally wrestles control of the rig away from the magical using Willow and swerves the truck to a stop as Xander and company speed off ahead into the night.

Not that I'm knocking the nacho cheese ones. I like the taste, it's just the texture I can't deal with. Kinda gritty. Kinda hurts my tongue, so I'll give them a 7, maybe a 7.5, and you think this is dumb, don't ya?" Clem tries to get an anxious, pacing Dawn interested, keeping her occupied, but it isn't working. Dawn paces Spike's crypt, wondering what's happening, wanting to help her friends. Clem knows it's boring being cooped up in a crypt, so he suggests going out and he'll treat for a movie. "PG-13..." he tempts her, but she cuts him short, asking if she seems weak or helpless, and asks why she's stuck there. Clem can't answer that, and is sorry that she's stuck there. He offers to do anything to help, which Dawn takes him up on. An "uh oh" look comes on Clem's face as he asks if they're going to get in trouble? Dawn says she needs a demon to help her, and that Spike would have helped her. Clem tells her "Spike's gone..."

Meanwhile, deep in the heart of Africa, Spike stands shirtless in the demon's cave, pacing anxiously. "You understand then?" the demon asks, to which Spike answers snarkily. It's a test. If he passes, he "gets what he wants", and he's ready to start. In walks a large, muscular man, bare chested, looking for a fight. Spike smiles, liking his odds, and asking for confirmation that it is a "kill or be killed" situation. The demon growls "to the death." Spike readies himself, confidently. "Here we are now... entertain us." Suddenly the muscle man pounds his fists together and both his fists burst into flame! "Sonofa bitch!" Spike's eyes grow wide with surprise as the punches fly, a flame-filled fist lighting up the camera view.

Behind a warehouse, Dawn and Clem walk alone in the night. They're looking for Rack's place, which Dawn remembers being nearby. Clem is very nervous and concerned, trying lightly to talk Dawn out of it, and saying that Rack is shady, and doesn't like "floppy eared" types. He doesn't want to help, but he will to protect Dawn. Dawn just wants to find Rack and asks for Clem's help. Clem says he's gonna want something, to which Dawn says she has money. Clem then shows more concern. "Even if you find Willow... do you really think you can stop her?"

The door of the Magic Box opens and in walk Anya, Xander, Andrew, Johnathan, and Buffy. Xander asks Anya if she can still sense Willow and where she might be, but Anya says she can't "which means that whatever Willow is feeling, it's gone way beyond simple vengeance." Buffy says they've got to work fast so they can get out of here, "it's the first place Willow will look," to which Andrew asks what they're doing there then? He then offers to summon up a demon to kill her, but Buffy orders the two Troika boys to sit down. They do so humbly. Buffy says they're there to look for ANY magic that might help, but Xander goes through the pile of now blank magic books on the table, saying she took everything.

"Not everything" Anya answers, going behind the register and pulling out small trunk with a book inside, a book of protection spells and anti-magic. Anya then says "the good news is the text is still in tact. The bad news is... ah... can't read a word of it. It's in ancient Summerian or something." Johnathan asks if he can take a look at it, wanting to help, but Buffy tells him to shut up. Johnathan says he wants to help, cause they're helping to protect them, but Buffy bites back, saying that she's doing it for Willow, to keep her friend from making more mistakes. Johnathan understands, but then says that he could almost sense that Willow was running out of power, and tells them that if she's been running that hot for that long, she's gonna have to re-charge. Buffy again tells him to shut up, which he does, cowering back into his seat.

Xander takes Buffy aside, wondering what they're gonna do if they do manage to calm Willow down for a second. Buffy looks frustrated, saying all she can do is talk to her. For now they need time to think, and it is obvious that Willow might be running low on power.

"Heyyyyyyy, babe. I've been waiting for you..." Rack smiles as he glances over at the door. Willow enters, a cold, emotionless look on her face. Rack smiles, commenting that the rehab didn't take. He can sense her power and approaches her slowly, seductively, acting all creepy towards her. He talks of how she's grown. She still smells like strawberries, but now she's "ripe." He knows she's come for something and asks what she wants. "Just to take a little tour" She whispers as her hands grab Rack's chest and begin to glow, lightning flickering here and there. Rack is in obvious pain as Willow begins to drain him.

Outside in Rack's "lobby," Clem walks in, followed by Dawn. Clem is still nervous, but Dawn is happy towards him for sensing where Racks place was. Clem shows concern, not wanting to be there, but Dawn charges forward, asking Clem if he wants to stay there. "If it works for you?" he asks. She enters Rack's room alone, looking around at the empty room, calling Willow's name. She turns to find Rack hanging from his feet, his face all hollow and drained of life. She then starts to rush out, but is stopped by... WILLOW! "Hey, cutie" Willow quips and smiles, black spidery veins now running across her face. Dawn looks terrified as she looks at her former friend. Veiny Willow has come!

Commercial Break: UPN... We've got Buffy, and Wrestling, and Enterprise... and not much else.

Willow looks... spooky. Dawn says she looks terrible and says she's back on the magics. "No, honey, I am the magics." Willow answers. Dawn wants to leave, but Willow "appears" in front of her, stopping her from going to tell Buffy. Willow walks towards Dawn slowly, somewhat menacingly. Dawn backs up slowly, trying to talk Willow down, saying she misses Tara also. Willow understands, but is still out of her head, as if in a demonic daze. She starts saying that Dawn doesn't understand because she's not human, or at least she didn't used to be. Willow turns insulting, wanting to "revert" Dawn back to her former key energy self so they don't have to listen to the constant whining. "Mom... Buffy... Tara... Waaaaahhh... It's time you go back to being little energy ball. No more tears, Dawnie..." Willow looks evilly at Dawn and advances. The door suddenly bursts open "I think you need to get away from her." Buffy orders.

Anya attempts to pour over the sole spell book they have, trying to translate it, as Xander looks uncomfortably over her shoulder. Anya hasn't gotten far in the translation, to which Johnathan says it's probably Babylonian, not Summerian. Xander snarks back, ordering him to sit back down unless he can read Babylonian.

Andrew asks Johnathan why he's helping them, to which Johnathan points out the obvious, they're helping them. Andrew then thinks they should try and escape. Johnathan asks how, to which Andrew says they're in a magic shop. Even though the books are dry there's tons of supplies around. "And do what?" Johnathan looks at him, amazed at what he's saying. Andrew is scared, and a bit wussy. "Start over. We can be a duo, you and me. You can even be the leader, I swear, I'll take orders. I like taking orders. Just tell me what to do." Johnathan grabs Andrew and forces him up against the wall "you want an order? Grow up."

Xander then tells them to settle down, or there will be no protection spell and then Willow will have her way with them. "Then what?" Andrew asks back? "Think your little witch buddy's gonna stop with us? You saw her, she's a truck driving magic mama. And we've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa-burgers and not one your bunch has the Midichlorians to stop her."

"You've never had any... tiny bit of sex, have you?" Xander asks innocently?

Anya agrees with Andrew, though, wondering what will happen if Willow then comes after them? Xander thinks she won't, she's too close to them, but Anya lays it out: right now, Willow doesn't care if he lives or dies. Xander then compares that to Anya's feelings for him, which Anya gets somber over. Xander then wants to know if Anya will use this Willow vengeance as an excuse to get vengeance on him. Anya says while she would LOVE to see him beaten, but she can't, not magically, not legally, not nothing. Smile, it's your lucky day! Anya tells him that she really can't hurt him, so she's going to have to settle for hating him. "If that's what you need to do..." Xander says, hurt.

"Don't! You don't get to play the martyr." Anya says, upset.

"I'm not..."

"You know none of this would be happening if it weren't for you.

"You think I don't know that? You think I'm the hero of this piece? I saw the gun. Before warren raised it I saw it and I couldn't move. He shot two of my friends, before I could even... You want me to know how useless I am? That it's my fault? Thanks... I already got the memo."

"I was talking about us" Anya replies.

In Rack's den, Buffy tells Willow to back down, but Willow is good with the quips back. Dawn rushes for the door, but Willow closes it with magic. Buffy then tries to talk Willow down by reminding her that she is still Willow, but Willow proceeds to bash the "other" weaker Willow, and now Willow's a junkie. And the only good thing Willow had going for her was Tara, and now she's gone.

Buffy then tries to reason with Willow as Dawn walks up by Buffy's side. Buffy tells Willow that she can't let the magic get away from her, take her over, otherwise it will hurt others, and that there is so much to live for. Willow then fights back, saying that Buffy is spouting useless words, that Buffy hates it in the world as much as she does. She's screwing vampires, pretending to be in a mental ward, all to escape the pain of the world. The entire room begins to turn slowly in the background of the three women as Willow continues to bad mouth Buffy's life and Buffy's attempts to "save" her. Willow says she knows Buffy was happier when she was dead and in the ground, before Willow brought her back.

Buffy becomes dizzy and Dawn passes out as the three magically have appeared in the Magic Box, with Xander looks on, stunned. Willow looks over at Johnathan and Andrew and smiles evilly, asking them if they like magic? "Abracadabra" she mutters and lets off a stream of dark magic energy in their direction.

Commercial Break: Windex makes it SHINE!

The dark magic energy blasts towards Andrew and Johnathan, but is deflected away inches before it hits them, as if a shield is stopping them. Willow smiles, saying she's surprised, and blasts again, but still no affect on the duo, who are equally shocked that they're still alive. Buffy wants her to stop, but is still dazed from the magical travel.

Anya, off around a corner, mutters a magical incantation, repeating it again and again.

Andrew and Johnathan make a break for it, rushing towards the back door of the Magic box, but it magically slams shut in front of them. Willow wants them to stay and play with her. She smiles evilly as Buffy, Dawn, and Xander look on in confusion and horror. Willow again blasts the magical energy at the two men as they grab swords off a nearby wall, but again no affect. Willow says she's just getting started.

Spike is thrown up against a cave wall. He has burn punch marks all over his body and is badly beaten, but still fights the flame hands muscleman guy. After a series of exchanged blows, Spike grabs one of the muscleman's punches and holds it, then tosses him aside, his own hand now smoking and hurting. "Bad move... bad move! Bad move!" he says as he shakes his hand. Spike then gets the upper hand, laying the muscleman out on the ground, then grabbing his neck from behind and TWISTING his head, breaking his neck. The foe falls limp. Spike then says "I get what I came for... I passed, right?" "Indeed. You have passed the FIRST stage of the test." the demon mutters. "Right... I did... wait. First stage?!?" The demon chuckles as Spike looks bummed.

As Buffy asks again for Willow to stop, the Wiccan continues to blast the dark magic energy towards the duo, but they continue to be unaffected. Thinking they have cast some sort of protection spell on themselves (which is really being cast by Anya, still chanting in the background), Willow instead turns the magic on herself, a blast of air and swirling energy flows over her briefly, then she easily grabs the Magic Box's round table and tosses it aside as if cardboard. The super witch starts towards the duo again, but Buffy interjects, standing in front of Willow. "I really don't want to hurt you." Willow upper cuts Buffy, sending the slayer flying across the room into a bookshelf. Willow starts towards the two sword wielding scared Troika members again, but again, Buffy interjects, jumping in her path. "I said, I didn't WANT to..." and Buffy backhands Willow, sending her flying into a glass display case. "Didn't say I wouldn't." Buffy quips.

Grabbing Andrew and Johnathan, Xander and Dawn make for the front door and safety. Xander tries to bring Anya, but she says she has to stay behind to continue casting the protection spell on Buffy. She goes back to her chanting as Xander reluctantly leaves.

Slayer and Wiccan square off, both sizing each other up. Buffy asks if they really want to do this, but Willow is smart ass, wanting make sure Buffy gets every square inch of her ass kicked. The battle begins, with spinning back kicks and tons of punches.

Out in the street, Dawn asks Xander where they're going. Xander doesn't have a good answer.

Buffy and Willow continue to fight, with Willow being helped out occasionally with a magical burst, throwing ladders and other objects in Buffy's way. Buffy still gets the upper hand every once in a while. Willow fights as good as the Slayer! "I can still help you stop!" Buffy pleads, but Willow just wants to be shown what a Slayer really is.

Down an alley, Johnathan stops, out of breath. He can't run and wants to rest, but Xander says they have to keep moving. Andrew says what they should do is head to Mexico, and as Xander starts to argue, Andrew draws his sword up to Xander's throat.

Throwing Buffy across the Magic Box, Willow turns a corner to find Anya, still chanting, and now very afraid. Tossing Buffy aside, Willow looks coldly at Anya.

Xander asks him to put it down. Andrew says he's not goin todie because of something he didn't even do. Dawn tells Andrew to leave Xander alone, and then... Johnathan draws his sword and holds it at Andrew's jugular, telling him to let Xander go in a firm voice. Andrew says he won't move, but neither will Johnathan. Only after some "I won't back down" squabbling does Johnathan's sword begin to press further, forcing Andrew to give up with an "ow!" Johnathan has found reason, knowing that they'll stay in Sunnydale and, when it's over, they'll do their time.

Anya abandons chanting as Willow grips her by the throat. "Help me... HELP ME!" Anya screams, terrified. Willow smirks, quips, then throws Anya HARD into a bookshelf and she crumples to the ground. Buffy snaps out of it and the two square off again, but now Willow can use pure magic, not worrying about a protection spell. She BLASTS Buffy through a display case with some dark magic energy, saying "And there's no one in the world who has the power to stop me now.

Just then Willow is BLOWN backwards into a wall by some unseen blast of magic. She looks up, dazed, seeing Giles standing in the doorway. "I'd like to test that theory." he says calmly.

Grrr... Arrrg... (Well, not really. this is the FIRST part of a two parter, shown in one two hour block. No credits for the first half hour, which means on Mutant Enemy yet.)

Episode Trivia
The title is a clever little continuation from episode 20, where the last line of the episode is, "One down."

Like the opening episodes of this season, the finale 2-parter initially aired as a single 2 hour episode.

Anthony Stewart Head (Giles) is not credited in the guest cast list for reason to keep the viewers surprised to see Giles back.

When Willow drains his power, she says "I just wanna take a little tour". He said exactly the same thing to her in 'Wrecked'.

"VILLAINS"
Season 6 , Episode 20
Written by Marti Noxon
 

An ambulance speeds to Buffy. Two paramedics rush to her, led by Xander. 

Willow cradles Tara and cries out to her to come back.  Willow incants: "By Osiris, I command you to bring her back!  Bring her back!" 

A mist and lightning appear and the face of Osiris appears telling Willow that her friend must stay dead because her death followed natural laws. Quickly protesting and pointing out that Buffy was brought back, Osiris says that happened because unnatural forces were called upon. 

"No!!" screams Willow.  An energy field emanating from Willow's eyes hits Osiris and, shrinking in pain, quickly disappears.

Buffy is being carried to the ambulance on a gurney with Xander, shirt bloodied, close by. Willow comes out of the house and sees what's going on.

In jail, Jonathan and Andrew talk about their current plight and how Warren used them both for his own ends.  They talk about his freeing them somehow, someway, but neither seems convinced it will happen.  They also talk about what their live will be like in jail with the other guys there...(to put it as politely as I can.)

At a bar, Warren comes in and buys drinks for himself and for all present.  Talking to a vampire, Warren brags about killing the Slayer in front of her house with a gun.  The vampire and some friends start laughing because they saw a news bulletin that said that a girl was taken to hospital and survived the shooting.

Willow, arriving at the Magic Box, kicks in the front door and demands that Anya show her the darkest magick books. Protesting, Willow puts her in a frozen mode (that she comes out of after Willow leaves).  Willow, putting her hands on the books, causes all the print to move up her hands arms and rest in her mind. "That's better." she says; and walks out.

At Summers house, Dawn calls for Buffy. Hearing no answer, she looks in a couple of rooms; and horrified but not screaming, she falls to her knees at
the sight of Tara lying dead.

Warren comes to a demon (I think Rack) and asks him for protection as well as firepower.  Rack says Willow is going to blow the town apart and it's obvious where she's going to start.

At hospital, Buffy is operated on in the Emergency Room as Xander looks on from outside.  One of the surgeons says the bleeding must be stopped from one of Buffy's heart chambers.  Willow comes in, ordering all surgeons to leave. "Leave now!" she says.  She, her eyes and hair jet black, incants and causes the bullet slowly to come out of Buffy's body by telekenesis; and it floats upward very slowly.

Buffy gets up and says "What happened?"  Xander comes in and hugs her.  Willow says "It's time to find Warren! I gotta go."

Warren is seen getting on a bus to get out of town.  In a car, Willow, Buffy and Xander rush after the bus. "Faster!" commands Willow; and the car
accelerates despite how Xander is driving.  Buffy protests against Willow's planned vengeance. "We don't have a choice." is Willow's answer.

Willow, having guided the car ahead of the bus, gets out and stands in the middle of the street as the bus speeds towards her. The driver, seeing her, slams on the brakes, and thanks to her magick, the bus stops centimeters in front of her. 

Willow goes to the door and says "Get out!"  Warren is grabbed by the neck and Willow sqeezes it, but Warren is a Warrenbot!!

Buffy continues to try to talk Willow out of it, but Willow says that Warren killed Tara.  Shocked but still unchanged in her belief, Buffy says we can't
kill humans...it's not the way, etc.

"It's done!" cries Willow angrily.

It's sunset. At Summers house, Buffy and Xander call for Dawn.  Buffy sees Tara; and crouched closely beside her is Dawn!  "Oh God!!" Buffy whispers (but screams inwardly.)

"I didn't want to leave her." Dawn says softly, in shock.  (We remember how Tara didn't leave Dawn when she was alone.) Xander looks on.

Police carry Tara out, saying there will be people coming tomorrow to put up yellow crime scene banners.  Xander signs as Tara's body is carried away.

Buffy tells Xander Dawn that they need to find Willow. Xander says the obvious: If Willow finds Warren, he's dead.  Dawn agrees completely with
Xander that Warren should pay with his life, despite Buffy being the sold hold-out for letting the human justice system work. Trying to persuade Dawn
and Xander, Buffy says that Willow wouldn't be so affected by evil and they'd be able to bring Tara back if the universe worked that way in human affairs, but it doesn't.  Buffy is equally determined not to let Willow destroy herself.

Dawn wants to go with Buffy and Xander to find Willow, but Buffy won't allow it and they take her to Spike's crypt where Buffy knows she'll be safe.  Surprised not finding Spike at his crypt but finding Clem who is house-sitting for Spike, Buffy asks if Dawn can stay with him. He, friendly and agreeable as always, says yes; and he talks about playing "Parchesi" and watching videos with Dawn.  Clem says he doesn't know where Spike went; and that he said he'd be back, but didn't say when.

Willow places the shirt she was wearing when Tara was killed on the floor; and still blood-stained, she commands that she be led to wherever Warren is.

In Africa (I think), Spike looks at secrets writings on the walls of a cave. He's met by a demon with green eyes and dark features.  Spike says he wants to become his former evil self and get rid of the computer chip The demon mocks him, but Spike is insistent, planning to show that side of him again to Buffy. The demon says he'll administer some tests for Spike before he gets his wish.

At the Magic Box, Xander asks Anya if she's all right. Saying that she's a vengeance demon again --- we infer it's from the way the marriage-that-wasn't affected her --- Anya says she'll help find Willow.

It's the dark of night and Willow walks methodically in the forest on the hunt for Warren.  Calling to him, she's struck down because Warren thrusts an
axe into her back!  She lies face down on the ground, Warren smiling.  Seconds later, Willow gets up, unharmed.  Warren turns and runs. He lets fly a "robot bomb" but it doesn't faze Willow in the slightest.  Willow suddenly appears in front of Warren...materializing from out of nowhere...as lightning surrounds her and him. 

Warren tries another manoever and causes a glass case to form around Willow, but she easily causes it to disappear.  She incants and Warren is tied
between two trees.  Saying "Reveal!" the ghost of the girl whom he tried to rape and killed with the candlestick to appear.  Willow tells Warren that his only power of persuasion with women was just that...a power trip...so to speak.

Anya, Buffy and Xander are on the trail, trying to find Willow.

Warren starts calling for help.  Tired of hearing all the blather, Willow sews his mouth up by magick. Then, very quietly and with painstaking minute
detail, she causes the bullet that she removed from Buffy's body to float towards Warren's chest. Willow describes what happens when a bullet tears into human flesh as Warren is screaming through his sewn mouth.  The bullet goes deeper and deeper into Warren's chest.

Buffy, Anya and Xander come upon them.

"Bored now..." Willow says; and causes Warren's skin to be ripped off.  Buffy, Xander and Anya look on dumbfounded.  Seconds later, the body is set afire and disappears.  Lightning surrounds Willow; and she disappears!!

                                                      END 

Note: I mistakenly wrote "Merle" when I meant to write "Clem" in last week's summary; and Willow's eyes in "Seeing Red" indeed turned blood red then black. Next week is the two-hour two-episode Season 6 finale!!

Episode Trivia
Although Amber Benson is present in this episode as a body, she is removed from the opening titles and is uncredited.

Willow's line "Bored Now" was a favourite saying of her vampire alter-ego from the season 3 episodes 'The Wish' and 'Doppelgangland'.

On the UK video release the scene where Willow skins Warren can be seen uncut.

 "Seeing Red"
Season 6 , Episode 19
Written by Steven S. DeNight

 

Willow and Tara are happily awakening around 10 AM after spending the night together. Willow looks in Buffy's room to see if she's back yet. She's not. Willow says she's going to get cracking again on finding the troika's location.

Dawn enters and sees Willow and Tara in nightclothes. Without being judgmental, Dawn gleefully says she'll make herself scarce and let them continue their privacy. She rushes off.

Buffy kicks the door open at the Troika's place and looks around. She finds a sign that says "Too Late!" Buzz saws are activated; and it's only by the best of acrobatic manoevers that allow her to escape. "O.K. That's gonna cost ya!" she says to herself.

Arriving at home to greet Willow Tara and Dawn, Buffy gives a torn notebook of the Troika she found to Willow, the better to help her find out as much about their plans as possible.

Dawn asks Buffy if Spike is around. She answers no.

At a bar called "Aroma," Anya is telling a fellow patron all that befell her since she turned human, etc. etc. She and her bar companion swap stories of
woe about men.

Dawn vists Spike in his crypt. She says she's on her way to stay with her friend Janice so that Willow and Tara can have privacy. Dawn asks Spike if
he loves Buffy. He says "It's complicated." She asks him how he could possibly have done what he did with Anya, saying further in all seriousness that if he wanted to hurt Buffy, "...congratulations...you did."

In a tunnel, the Troika fight a humanoid monster. Jonathan appears wearing a monster suit as Warren exposes himself to the power of the Orbs of Amara (sp?). He has super strength and cannot be hurt.

Buffy speaks with Xander telling him that Anya loves him but is hurting which is why she did what she did with Spike. Xander, of course, talks about what she did with Spike, referring to him as her boyfriend. "He's not my boyfriend." Buffy says dryly. Xander says he thought he never had a chance with a girl like Buffy, but as far as she and Spike being close he says "What were you thinking? Spike has no soul." Buffy assures Xander that it's all over between her and Spike.

Xander goes for a walk. He pauses outside and looks inside watching Anya dusting looking very unhappy.

Willow works at deciphering blueprints and notes on a C.D. rom that belongs to the Troika.

At the bar, the Troika enter and Warren starts to hit on a girl. Her boyfriend comes over and Warren recognizes him as being an old classmate. He pretends friendship but says he'll have his girl in five minutes. A fight starts and Warren decks the boyfriend easily whereas no punches or chairs broken over his head harm him in the least. Xander comes in and he and Warren exchange words about Anya being Warren's next conquest. Xander hits Warren to no avail and quickly finds himself decked with a bloody nose.

In a graveyard, Buffy stakes a vamp that succeeds in throwing her hard on the ground as he dies. In a bathrobe and ready for a shower, Buffy is confronted by Spike who comes in to say he's sorry, despite all her entreaties to him to leave her alone. He forces himself on her, even though she cries out "Stop...no!"; and she defends herself by throwing him off.

Xander, wanting to tell Buffy about finding Warren, finds her sitting on the floor of the bathroom, bruised. Shortly Willow comes in; and Buffy just tells her to continue her deciphering. Willow with Tara and Anya tell Buffy that she thinks she knows where the Troika will strike next. (She's made a list of banks, etc.)

Spike takes a drink and Clem comes up to him. They talk about Buffy: it's clear that Spike is very broken up over her. He decides it's the computer chip that makes him suffer lovesickness and decides to do something to change his plight.

In front of Doublemeat Palace at night, an armoured car is making a pickup. As the drivers start to drive on, they discover they're going nowhere because Warren is holding the armoured car himself! Buffy, on top of the armoured car, confronts Warren and she and he start to fight. No matter whether it's punches or flying kicks that Buffy administers, Warren is impervious and can't be taken down, much to her surprise! Buffy brings down part of the roof of a building down on Warren, but he comes out unscathed!

Jonathan jumps on Buffy's back --- to the delight of Warren who compliments him for his heretofore unseen bravery --- but Warren whispers to Buffy to destroy the orbs giving Warren his power. She looks quickly and sees a small pouch and smashes it. She gives Warren one flying kick and he's thrown far away before smashing into the ground.

Police arrive and take Jonathan and Andrew off to jail. Andrew tells Jonathan they were just being used by Warren, saying "...he never really loved..."

At the Summers house, Willow and Tara delight in the decoding that was accomplished and hug each other. They're standing in front of a window. Below in the yard, Buffy talks to Xander. He says he wishes he had her trust enough for her to have told him about Spike. They sit down on a bench. Rushing in out of nowhere, Warren says "You think you can just do that to me?" and he pulls out a pistol and starts shooting wildly, hitting Buffy who falls to the ground. Her expression is dazed and she just stares. Xander cradles her in his arms. One of the bullets flies in through the upstairs window and hits Tara! For a couple very brief seconds, Tara doesn't know she's been shot: she only sees blood splattered on Willow's shirt and says "...your shirt..." Tara collapses and dies as Willow cradles her in her arms as she cries out to her and pants for breath herself. "No, baby, no!!!!!!"

Suddenly, Willow's eyes turn black as a terrible expression of hate comes over her face.

END

Episode Trivia
Part of the episode was filmed at 6 Flags theme park in California.

From this episode Amber Benson (Tara) is credited in the opening titles cast line up.

Anya changed her hair from Curled (last episode) to straight hair (this episode)

Andrew's mishap with his jet pack is hilariously reminiscent of Wile E. Coyote: a tribute to the late great Chuck Jones?
 

"ENTROPY"
Season 6 , Episode 18
Written by Drew Z. Greenberg

 


The Triad are on motorcycles chasing some vamps in a graveyard, the better to spy on Buffy.  She fights one of them and vanquishes him easily. Spike appears nearby; and holding a vamp by the throat, offers to help Buffy by vanquishing him if she agrees to see him again, which she refuses. He releases the vamp and Buffy takes him down with equal ease.  Buffy tells Spike again that she doesn't love him, to which he replies to himself
"...like hell."

Xander is at home listening to music and having a drink: the obvious inference is that he's thinking about Anya and leaving her at the altar. He
goes out for a walk. Anya, unseen by Xander, stares at him blankly from behind the bushes.

At college, Willow and Tara meet and are joyous to see each other. They talk about whether either has a "friend." Willow thinks Tara does because she saw her talking to a girl after class once, but Tara says it's nothing that she suspects. Willow says she's "friendless."  Willow asks Tara to have coffee with her and she agrees. 

Buffy and Dawn walk in front of many fine stores that Dawn can't enter because of things that she stole.  They talk about going to a pet store
instead.  Later, Buffy makes pancakes for Dawn and suggests things to do and places to go. Dawn says she'd rather "hang with you" when patrolling. Buffy says she doesn't want her to be there then because she wants to protect her against anything that would hurt her.  This is discussed and not argued; and it could be that it could happen, but not now.

The Troika are planning another caper, unspecified.

Xander comes home and finds Anya in the house.  He tells her he knows he can't make up for what he did to her but insists he loves her and wants to make it up to her.  Anya asks him point blank if he wants to get married and he says it's complicated..."...someday, yes, when we're ready."  Anya turns away from him and we see she assumes her vengeance demon face because of her anger, but that lasts only for a few seconds and she assumes her human face again very quickly when she turns around and talks to Xander again.  She tries to curse Xander but none works.

Anya meets with Halfrek at the Magic Box.  Anya tells her that no curse that she utters works against Xander. Halfrek says that's because she can't curse someone close to her that she loved; and Anya searches for someone to say "I wish...". Anya appeals to Willow and Tara (saying since theyr'e lesbians they might be men-haters, to which Tara says 'we just like the girl thing' and don't hate men.  Exasperated, Anya throws up her hands and says "...Fine! Love men, then!" Anya appeals to Dawn and to Buffy, but they say they're friends with Xander, despite how miserably he acted towards her.

While asking Buffy outside Summers residence to curse Xander, Buffy notices a traffic cone and inspects it, only to find that it conceals a camera to spy on her. She automatically thinks Spike is behind it and goes to his crypt full of accusations. He kicks her out of the crypt and goes to the Magic Box where he finds Anya and Halfrek.

 Halfrek leaves quickly; and Spike and Anya, over a bottle of Jack Daniels Whisky, talk about how both their lives are askew because of the "good" people they know, etc. (Their dialogue is some of the best of the entire season, IMHO.) Their talk --- evermore intoxicated --- leads to their kissing
passionately. Anya takes off her top and she and Spike make love.  All this is seen by Willow, Tara, Buffy, Xander and Dawn (momentarily, until Willow covers her eyes) as well as by the Troika.  Willow has successfully located other cameras by computer in search of the Troika that they planted: in the Bronze, at school, as well as at Buffy's house and at the Magic Shop. 

The Troika are aware that their location has been found and they scramble to turn off their equipment, but stop --- equally flabbergasted --- to watch Anya and Spike making love at the Magic Box.

Xander's face says it all; and instantly he rushes to Buffy's weapons box and grabs her axe and rushes to the Magic Box.  Buffy follows him, bringing her best weapon: herself.

When Xander gets to the Magic Box, he throws the axe down and starts pummeling Spike who says he won't fight him because of his computer chip. This doesn't stop Xander who throws Spike against a wall. Buffy grabs Xander and pulls him away from Spike.  Anya is amazed to hear that Xander and Buffy saw what went on. Anya says "It was just a thing."  Buffy glares at Spike and says "It didn't take long, did it?" 

Anya shouts at Xander and reminds him that he left her and that he shouldn't judge her, calling him a scared little boy. 

Spike says "It was good enough for Buffy!"  Anya and Xander are stupefied when they hear this.  Buffy doesn't deny it.  Xander, completely fed up, says "I don't want to hear any of this!" and stalks away.

At Summers residence, Dawn tells Buffy she understands what she meant when she said she wanted to protect her from all that would hurt her. Dawn says she should have told her about Spike, but understands why she didn't.

Upstairs, Tara tells Willow that things have to go slowly: things fell apart and trust must be earned again, etc.  Willow looks on with pain and apprehension on her face. "Why can't we just skip all this and why can't you just be kissing me now?!" asks Tara. Willow, delighted beyond words, hugs Tara and the pair of them kiss passionately.

                                                        END

Episode Trivia
This is not the first time that Spike and Anya have comforted each other due to their mutual frustation with love. In the season 4 episode 'Where the Wild Things Are', Spike and Anya talk about getting revenge on Drusilla and Xander. They abandon the 'revenge' idea and instead Anya takes to the party at the Initiative soldiers' house.

 

"NORMAL AGAIN"
Season 6, Episode 17
Written by Diego Gutierrez



The episode alternates between reality and Buffy's hallucination that she's in a mental hospital and has been for the six years ever since she started being the Slayer; and reality and her hallucination alternate almost with every scene.

Buffy walks down her sidewalk reading a newspaper with the heading "New Rentals." She's spied on by the Triad who are hiding out in a cellar.  Andrew plays what looks like a digiredoo, the Australian native wind instrument, and all at once a demon charges at Buffy.  She fights him gamely but he sticks a needle into her arm and she cries out in pain.

hallucination scene: Buffy is in a mental hospital with a bed that has restraints on it. Her doctor, mother and father are there.  Buffy is agitated
and in pain and the doctor says "We'll have to strap her down."

At university, Willow is at a  window and practicing asking Tara out. She builds up her confidence. Willow sees Tara with another girl whom she smiles to and the other girl kisses Tara. Willow is taken aback in horror.

At Doublemeat Palace, Buffy is busy working.

hospital scene: Buffy is being given a drug.

Buffy and Willow talk about Xander not marrying Anya. Then Willow tells Buffy about her seeing Tara with another girl who kissed her on the cheek. Buffy tries to minimize it and says they're probably just friends.  Xander comes in. He asks about seeing Anya again, but Willow says she left a few days ago.  He says he "blew it." He says her still loves her and misses her and wants to date her. It was the pressure of both families and so on that unnerved him.  "I messed up real bad." Xander says.

Spike walks through a graveyard carrying a bundle of groceries.  He sees Buffy and they make smalltalk. Buffy realizes Spike doesn't know about Anya and Xander not getting married and she tells him.  Spike says smugly about Xander "He can't see a good thing when he's got it." This is also a double-meaning intended for Buffy.

Xander and Willow come up. Spike and Xander are about to fight each other because Spike taunts him about not getting married. Willow steps in between the pair of them, but Xander hits Spike and knocks him to the ground and Buffy is also knocked to the ground.  Willow and Dawn research via computer and she tells  Xander search bars to find out what kind of demon might have done this to Buffy.

vision: Buffy and her doctor are talking. He tells her she's been in the institution for six years.  Her mother and father are there, too; and Joyce
says "Welcome home, sweetie."  Buffy is horrified.

Buffy tells Willow that she was in an institution for a couple of weeks, but never told any of the Scoobies. It was at the very beginning when she
encountered her first vamps. She was terrified; and her parents put her in an institution for those two weeks.  Willow is astonished to hear this.  Buffy continues to say that after being released, she stopped talking about vamps and so her parents thought she was cured.

vision: The doctor tells Buffy's parents that she suffers from schizophrenia.  Buffy says that Warren and Jonathan did this to her. The doctor says that she must come to realize that her friends and her enemies don't exist: they're only products of her imagination.

The Triad observe on monitors and they see that Buffy is fully delusional.

vision: Buffy looks at a framed picture of her as a little girl with her parents.

Willow comes in with a picture of the demon whom she thinks did this to Buffy. Buffy says the picture matches. Willow says there is an antidote that can be made from the demon's blood, plus a couple of items that can be gotten from the Magic Box. 

Willow realizes Buffy is entranced and tries her best to convince her that she and everyone else is real and that the hospital ward is the hallucination.

Xander and Spike team up to look for the demon whom they find. Spike fights it and Xander carries what appears to be a shotgun. Spike wrestles it to the ground.

Buffy is with Dawn who brings her tea.  Dawn tells Buffy she's overheated.
Buffy tells Dawn she must stop stealing things.

vision: Joyce tells Buffy she doesn't have a sister. Buffy talks about Dawn being made human by monks, etc.

Dawn has tears in her eyes as she hears Buffy say "I don't have a sister."

Xander and Spike bring the demon in and Willow stabs it thus getting the blood needed for the antidote.  The demon is tied up in the basement.

Buffy tells Spike that he's not part of her life. He says "You're addicted to misery. Let yourself live!" He tells Buffy to tell the Scoobies about her and his affair, or he will.  Hearing that, Buffy pours the antidote into a trash can!

vision: Buffy tells the doctor that she wants to be healthy; and she will obey what he tells her to do.

Xander comes in to see Buffy who tells him she's feeling better.  Suddenly, Buffy hits Xander hard again and again! She knocks him to the ground!  She takes him to the basement and ties him to a post. Willow is seen lying on her stomach, gagged and her hands tied behind her!

Buffy looks for Dawn.  Dawn says she's going to go to her friend Janice's "where I'm wanted." Buffy blocks her way and chases after Dawn who screams. Dawn slams a door to prevent Buffy from coming in, but Buffy kicks it open.  Buffy hits Dawn and throws her to the ground! Buffy takes Dawn to the basement and gags her and ties her hands!  Buffy just stares with a glassy-eyed stare at Dawn, Willow and Xander.

Suddenly, the demon frees himself and lurches at Xander who fights gamely against him, having pulled his hands freee. Buffy still just looks on. 
Willow and Dawn scream.

vision: Buffy is very agitated. 

Willow, with part of a chair, smashes it against the demon as hard as she can.

Tara comes to the Summers house and wonders why no one opens the front door. Soon she sees everything that's going on; and she incants a couple of words and Willow, Xander and Dawn are fully free and the demon is forced hard against the wall opposite where he was.  Tara falls down.

vision: Buffy tells Joyce "You're right."

Buffy fights the vamp and finally kills it by thrusting her hand into his chest, pulling out his heart, I think.

Buffy very quietly says to Willow, Dawn, Tara and Xander: "I'm so sorry."  Willow says she'll make more antidote.

vision: Buffy stares blankly as the doctor tells her parents "I'm afraid we lost her."

                                                         END

Episode Trivia
This episode was originally supposed to be shown as Episode 8 - but was later changed.

Emma Caulfield (Anya) does not appear in this episode.

When Buffy looks at the family photograph of her as a little girl, it is the same child who portrayed young Buffy in season 5's episode 'The Weight Of The World'.

In one asylum scene, the doctor tells Buffy that she had a 'momentary awakening' during the summer and it was her friends who pulled her back into the delusion. This is a clever reference to Buffy's death and resurrection (end season 5, start season 6).
 

 "HELL'S BELLS"
Season 6, Episode 16
Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner


 

(Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Tara and Halfrek all wear green bridesmaids' dresses. The men are all in tuxedos, except for a couple of demons).

 Looking at themselves in a full-length mirror, Buffy and Willow talk about how hideous they think the dresses are and wonder what was in Anya's mind when she ordered them.

Anya and Xander's relatives and friends come in and exchange pleasantries. The demons were said to be circus folk, some of whom have skin problems. 

Anya's wedding dress is an off-the-shoulder offwhite gown with a pattern on it. She doesn't have her veil on yet. She's telling Tara it's the happiest
day of her life.

In a cemetary under a hard rain, an old man walks slowly with an umbrella. 

Xander's mother and father come in and father is all too eager for Irish coffee, the better for him to mix and mingle with some of Anya's friends. 

The old man says to himself that this is the last chance to stop the wedding.

Inside, Buffy helps Xander put on his cummerbund and tie.

Willow, Dawn and Tara help Anya finish putting on her wedding gown. Anya is wearing a blue mask (?) while all this goes on. Dawn and Halfrek talk briefly. 

Spike comes in with a date...an unidentified woman (vamp?) with short black hair and rather vampish (punkish?) clothes.  Dawn tells Buffy that Spike is in the house with his date.

Toasts are being made by some of the guests.

The old man comes up to Xander and tells him he musn't go through with the wedding.  Xander looks at him nonplussed. The old man shows him what looks like a small crystal ball; and suddenly a strong beam of light streams out of it to a spot between Xander's eyes and he's inside the crystal ball!  He sees himself in the future, sitting in the living room and drinking as Anya and he fight.  Their two children come in, their daughter with "Mr. Spock"-like ears, and they also fight with Xander. Anya says "I want my life back!"

Scene: The four are at a restaurant, stil fighting; and their daughter yells at Xander "I wish you were dead!"

Back to normal and talking to the old man, Xander is told he can change things by calling off the wedding.  The old man says sometimes all two people can bring each other is pain.

The old man says he's Xander as he'll appear in the future!

Xander's father is even more drunk and as Buffy comes up to him he says "Nice chassis, what's under the hood?" that she ignores but warns him about saying or doing anything else.

Buffy comes up to Spike and the two of them talk privately in an uncrowded corner of the house.  Buffy wants to know if Spike brought his date to make her jealous. She and he are civil and sometimes she smiles, but civil and cordial are the way they talk to each other.  Spike said he did want to make her jealous; and she says it hurts. Buffy, acknowledging that he has a right to be at the wedding, also tells him  things aren't going to change between them.  They separate and Spike tells Buffy to give his best regards because he's leaving with his date, which he does.

Willow tells Xander "The Y chromosome is looking very good!" to which Xander good-naturedly replies that the "Double xx's are looking great." They hug each other tenderly and for a long time. "If I weren't gay, I'd say look out for Xander in formal wear!" jokes Willow. Softly and tenderly, Willow says "You know how much I love you." "Not half as much as I love you." responds Xander.

Meanwhile, Anya is practicing reciting her vows in front of Tara. 

The musicians...a string quartet...strike up the first movement of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 of 1718 (a favourite of Anya's, perhaps?:) While this goes on, Xander slowly walks out of the house!

Willow excitedly tells Buffy that Xander has disappeared!  Willow says she'll look for him; and Buffy says she'll stall.  Buffy rushes to Anya and says the minister is going to be late because he first has to deliver a baby by C-section!  Buffy is nervous and stammering as she dreams up this "reason"; and Tara is obviously very suspicious.  Anya just accepts the story.

In a driving rain, Xander walks slowly and dejectedly down the street.

All guests are now in their seats and "Here Comes the Bride" strikes up for a moment.  Buffy talks to the minister, now arrived, and the quartet switch to "The Wedding March" briefly.  All the guests are very nervous now.

Dawn, meanwhile, is talking to a young demon about her age; and each is trying to convince the other he/she has the most messed up family.

Buffy leads the guests in charades and starts to juggle in order to continue the stall.

Dawn tells her friend that she saw Xander walk out of the house and Anya, passing by at that exact moment, overhears her. 

Xander's father, drinking all the more, makes a remark to and about one of the demon guests and before long there's a big fight going on between the guests.

Willow grabs Tara by her hands and pulls her away from the fray and asks if she's O.K. Tara says she is.

Anya, distraught, finds Old Xander and demands to know if it was he who caused this. He says he did it because of her!  He shape-shifts into a tall
demon! He says he was the victim of her vengenace as a demon in Chicago in 1914 and he's been tortured all the while from that time to this; and he's been waiting for an opportunity to get back at her.  Anya starts crying and he hits her hard. Buffy sees this and, tearing off the bottom of her long gown, she throws down with him and punishes him with kicks and punches.  She starts to strangle him with a veil and almost finishes him off, but Xander comes back just in time to see what's going on and he grabs a "pillar" which holds up a table and hits him over the head as hard as he can, taking out his anger and getting his revenge.

The guests all applaud!  Anya calls for all to sit down. Xander and she talk. Xander is in tears. He says "I'm not ready. I am sooo sorry." "It wasn't real." Anya replies.  "But it could be. I've had those thoughts and fears." says Xander. Anya is in tears now, too.  "We can't start over. I am sooo sorry." Xander whimpers. He walks out.

Anya starts to walk very slowly towards the minister as the quartet strikes up "Here Comes the Bride" again. All the guests rise.  There's a look of utter hurt and sadness on Anya's face. She doesn't say another word.

Some time later, Buffy Willow and Dawn are in their street clothes and are talking about what happened, trying to understand and/or explain as best they can. Dawn drinks coffee or tea. "It hurts my heart to think of her." says Willow. "It hurts mine too." says Buffy. "I thought they were happy." says Dawn. "What happened?"  "I feel like I should be hating Xander," says Willow, "but I can't."

We see Xander's face...indescribably sad.  We see Anya's face...indescribably sad.

A demon friend of Anya's comes up to her and tries to comfort her somehow. "Are you O.K." "I'm tired." answers Anya.  Pausing but continuing, the demon says "You let him hurt you. When you were a vengeance demon, you were at the top of your game.  Don't you think you should get back to what you do best, don't you think?"

                                                         END

Episode Trivia
Willow tells Xander - "It's a good thing I realized I was gay because...here we are in formalwear..." This is a reference to Willow & Xander's romantic exploits from Season 3 first realized while they were trying on their homecoming outfits in "Homecoming."

 

"AS YOU WERE"
Season 6, Episode 15
Written by Douglas Petrie
 


At Doublemeat Palace, Buffy is working and listening to the manager go on and on about how much politics is involved at Doublemeat Palace. The manager adds that he's also attending night school.  Walking home after her shift through
the graveyard, Buffy sings the company jingle.  She's set upon by a vamp who, smelling the scent of Doublemeat sandwiches on Buffy, taunts her about not wanting to bite her because he knows what the sandwiches taste like. He walks away from Buffy, but she throws a stake at him and stakes him.

About to walk to the front door of her home, Buffy senses Spike is near; and he comes up to her eager for an amorous encounter, knowing he can't come inside.  Buffy begs off, saying Dawn is waiting for her.  They kiss anyway.

Inside Buffy's house, Dawn waits for Buffy who brings her dinner: a Doublemeat sandwich. Dawn says she's tired of eating it and. Willow comes in in a very happy mood and says she and Dawn plan on going to The Bronze that night.  Buffy gives her permission, only cautioning Dawn to be back home by 11 P.M.

At The Bronze, Anya and Xander are seated and talking about the seating plan for their wedding which is one week away.

At Buffy's house, Willow tells Dawn how much she looked forward to a wedding with Xander when she and he were going together, but she taunts good-naturedly "nya, nya!"  Dawn asks Willow why she's so happy: is it because she's getting together again with Tara? Willow says it's too soon for that, although she believes if she were to ask Tara now, she would come back. It's just that things are encouraging now and that's why she's so happy.

Later, Buffy tries to get a stain out of her jacket but falls asleep in a chair until the next morning.  Realizing it's the day when the garbage is picked up and further realizing she hasn't put it in the bin outside, Buffy rushes outside carrying two large garbage sacks, only to see the lorry pass by her house.

Looking at the post delivery, Buffy sees that she's been rejected from re-applying to university.

At Doublemeat Palace, the manager asks Buffy to go to the front take customers' orders and when she does, she stops suddenly in her tracks and is stunned: Riley Finn is back!  She just stammers "Huh?!" Then she says "Were you always this tall?"

Riley explains that he needs Buffy's help in fighting demons called a Volty demon (sp?).  The demon is lizard-like and walks on two legs but if one is killed, all the more come to take its place.  Riley says there's a nest that he needs to locate to destroy them: they were attracted to the Hellmouth. 

Hearing all this, Buffy stops taking customers' orders and the manager comes out.  Saying he needs her now, Buffy takes off her cap and rushes out with Riley as the manager calls for her in vain.

A Volty demon appears, terrorizing passers-by, but Riley says he's with the forestry service and it's a wild bear he's chasing.  Buffy and Riley stalk it in Riley's vehicle.

Meanwhile, at the airport, Anya and Xander await his uncle who's arriving shortly.  As it happens, all his and Anya's relatives will be staying in
their place until the wedding.

Now suited up in commando gear, Buffy and Riley climb down a steep embankment by means of a plumb line. Buffy holds onto Riley as they slide down.

Soon a Volty attacks them and Buffy and Riley fight it and Buffy kills it.  Buffy looks at Riley. Just then, a woman in commando gear comes up tothem and angrily cries out "What exactly are you doing with my husband?!"  It's Samantha! Riley's wife!

Buffy looks stunned and Riley says he wanted to explain...Buffy wonders if this is a code name that Sam uses.  Sam assures her she's really married to Riley.  Furthermore, Sam upbraids Riley for not briefing Buffy beforehand to the effect that the demon wasn't to be killed because they're engaged in a roaming operation in which they wanted the demon to lead them to the nest of eggs.

All return to Buffy's house. Dawn, Willow and Xander are introduced; and Sam exchanges pleasantries with them. She knows quite a bit about them, obviously from Riley.  Riley tells Dawn she looks like she's grown a foot.  Sam gives Xander a suggestion for a table setting for the wedding; and she asks Willow if she can conjure a spell to help them, to which Willow replies she can't because she became addicted to dark magick. Willow leaves and goes to another room to be by herself. Sam comes in to see her and apologize for what she said; and she tells Willow that she admires her for trying to stop, adding that two shamans with whom she worked in Central America along with Riley also had addictions and they couldn't quit.

Riley says that foreign powers are trying to acquire the eggs through an intermediary known as "Doc."

Walking with Buffy, Sam tells her that she's intimidated by her since she's a legend.  Sam tells her more about how she met Riley. She went to Central America in the Peace Corps, met Riley, started talking about tactics and things just progressed. Buffy says she wishes things were different.  Sam tells Buffy that Riley was hurting for a long time: it took a year for him to get over her. Asked if she's seeing anyone, Buffy hesitates and says she's taking her time.

Later, Buffy goes to Spike in his lair and says she needs information about "Doc." Then she says "Tell me you love me!" "I love you! You know I do!" answers Spike.  They make love, after which both are covered by the sheets only; and Riley appears!

"The girl needs mastery." says Spike contemptuously to Riley. "That's not why I'm here." Riley answers drily.  "I thought we ran you out of town, mate." retorts Spike.  "She always had a thing for me even though she was shagging you."

Riley hits Spike.  Suddenly, Buffy hits Spike!  "I'm not the 'Doctor' " he exclaims.  Buffy hits him again.  Spike tells Buffy she keeps "playing" him.  Riley sees eggs about to hatch.  As they hatch, a bunch of large beetle or crab-like things start racing around Spike's lair.  Everyone tries to kill them, but more keep coming. Riley gives a signal as he's about to set off a hand grenade and that ends the Volty demon problem.

At their place, Anya and Xander are hiding out in a bathroom to get privacy as Xander's relatives are arguing.

At Buffy's home, Riley says his next mission is in Nepal.  Buffy says "I'm sleeping with Spike." which states the obvious. She asks Riley if he waited for his life to become perfect and return to her just to throw that in her face.  He says "You're the first woman I've ever loved and the strongest woman I've ever known. Is that a hamburger smell?" Buffy is visible self-conscious. Continuing, Riley says that he loves his life and he loves
his work. Buffy says she's sorry she never got a chance to talk about what happened between them.

As Sam comes up, a bright light shines down from above. A helicopter is ready to bring Sam and Riley up. Xander, Willow and Dawn come out and say goodbye to them along with Buffy. Dawn hugs Riley. Willow smiles and waves as Sam urges her to keep in touch via e-mail. Willow wonders if that's allowed and Sam replies it is: it's a secure e-mail. The couple are lifted up to the helicopter.  When they're out of sight, Willow comes close to Buffy and says "What a bitch!"  Buffy just stands there.

Buffy goes back to Spike's lair.  She looks very solemn. "It's over." she says quietly. "I do want you, but I'm using you. "I'm not complaining." says Spike. Buffy says "I can't love you. I'm weak and selfish and it's killing me." Spike, stunned, looks at Buffy. "I'm sorry, William." Buffy says.  She turns away and walks out.

                                                           END

Episode Trivia
During the break up scene, Buffy addresses Spike as William. In the Season Five episode, No Place Like Home; during their first dialogue after Spike discovers his feelings for her, she uses the same address.

Buffy mentions the time they couldn't leave the house in "Older and Far Away"

 

"OLDER AND FAR AWAY"
Season 6, Episode 14
Written by Drew Z. Greenberg


In her bedroom, Buffy looks over some stakes and chooses a weapon for her patrol, she talks to Dawn about her birthday party that all the Scoobys will be attending the following night.

Walking through a graveyard, she's set upon by a demon and she attacks it, thinking she killed it, but in reality he dematerializes into a sword he was brandishing.

Anya, Xander and Willow are at the Magic Shop.  Xander tells Willow that Buffy wants Tara to come to her party. Willow has no problem with that and she yes immediately.

Dawn arrives. She asks if anyone wants to accompany her to the mall, but everyone seems to be busy.  Willow says she has a "Spellcasters Anonymous" meeting to attend. Dawn says she'll go to the mall alone and leaves.

Later on, Dawn is home alone.  In class the next morning, she's called to see the guidance counselor who says she's there to help her and be there for her. The counselor says her grades have slipped and Dawn has become easily distracted.  (Dawn wears a five-pointed star necklace.)  The guidance counselor asks if she has any wishes about her life and Dawn tells her about her being alone a lot.

At Buffy's birthday party, before any guests arrive, Anya, Xander and Buffy talk over a table of food and hor d'oerves.  Buffy says she's invited Sophie, a girl who works with her at Doublemeat Palace.  Xander and Anya say they've invited Richard who works with Xander to come to the party, in the hope that he and Buffy will hit it off.

Tara is the first to arrive. Spike soon comes, bringing a poker-playing with kittens friend, Clement.  Spike clearly has a black eye from an encounter with Buffy. Then comes Richard.

Willow comes down the stairs and she and Tara meet. They talk cordially but both are nervous and don't exchange more than pleasantries. Tara says she wants a drink, to which Willow quickly agrees. Tara looks relieved when she has her drink.

Spike and Buffy start talking; and Spike ridicules Richard. Buffy taunts him for being jealous.

Buffy opens her presents.  The first one she opens is from Willow. It's a battery-operated back massager, just the thing for sore aching muscles. Spike just looks on and smirks.

Dawn's present is opened next. It's a black leather jacket.  Buffy notices that the retail store scan tag is still attached. Dawn's expression changes
immediately and she murmurs "I wonder how that happened."

Xander and Anya wheel in their present. It's a large hand-crafted wooden chest for holding weapons or anything else desired.

Sophie comes in. She starts out by saying that she can't eat anything that's chocolate, or any peanuts or egg yolks!

Dawn goes to close the front door and the same demon that Buffy thought she killed stands just outside the house.

People start to dance and Richard tries to interest Buffy in a drink at least, though she begs off.

Spike and Tara talk. She asks about his black eye and he says he has a muscle cramp, to which she retorts, "Is that a muscle cramp in your pants?"

Xander Willow and Sophie play Monopoly while Buffy, Richard Tara and Spike play poker.

Willow and Tara meet again in the kitchen. Although people try to leave the party to go home, no one can. No one can get out of the house; and all seem frozen in place.  They can, in reality, move around in the Summers Residence as much as they like. Dawn comes in and surveying the situation, says she understands why people want to leave because "...staying with me would really suck." 

Willow, Spike, Xander, Tara and Buffy follow her to her bedroom and try to find out why she's saying that and also to find out if she knows anything about why they're trapped in the house. Dawn says she didn't do anything and doesn't know anything about it, but later sarcastically says "I wish I did!"  She yells at her five inquisitors to "Get out!!"  Buffy is the last to leave.

Buffy tells Tara they need magick to get out of the predicament. Tara says she'll do it alone, not wanting to involve Willow.

Willow brings some amulets and potions with her and places them on a table with an astonished Tara looking on. Confessing that she wanted to keep some items with her, Willow says it's just to know they're there.

Tara mixes a potion and casts a release spell. Incense rises and flows to the front door,  but still no one can leave the house.

Just then, the demon with the sword attacks. Richard is the first to charge him and he's hurled to the ground. Richard is taken upstairs to a bedroom to recuperate.  Sophie is stunned and looks at herself in a mirror, mumbling "Oh, my God."  The demon dematerializes into the wall. He materializes again at will.  When the demon attacks again, Buffy Spike and Anya fight him off but don't kill him...he dematerializes again into the wall.

Buffy goes to see Dawn. "Do you care?" asks Dawn angrily.  Dawn tells Buffy that she feels alone and that no one pays attention to her. She says she talked to the school guidance counselor. Buffy asks Dawn if she's ever seen the guidance counselor before. Dawn says she hasn't.  Then Buffy asks her if she told the woman about herself and talked about any wishes she may have thought about. Dawn says yes and Buffy understands.

Anya, meanwhile, is pulling books out of the shelves in search of a way to vanquish the demon. She gets mad at Willow for not using her power which, Anya says, is stronger than Tara's. Willow is visibly angry at Tara and says she can't help. "You mean you won't!" screams Anya.  Tara, angered at Willow being badgered, stands in front of Willow and looks straight at Anya; and with arms folded, Tara says if she wants to yell at Willow any more, she'll have to go through her first.

Looking around for more amulets and means to kill the demon, Anya finds a jewelry box belonging to Dawn that she insists be left alone. Anya dumps out the contents and assorted amulets fall on the floor. Anya recognizes them as coming from the Magic Box; and she's angry at Dawn for stealing them.  How can she trust her again, Anya asks rhetorically. Buffy tries to soften the blow by saying she's sure it's all some terrible mistake.

Appearing suddenly is Halfrek, Anya's former vengeance demon friend (whom Anya invited to her wedding). Halfrek says it's she who is the guidance counselor! She says she summoned the demon because Dawn was so alone and uncared for.  The demon appears again and Spike and Buffy fight him. Buffy kills him when she drives the sword through the wall he was trying to dematerialize into, catching him between two worlds, so to speak. 

Halfrek recognizes Spike!  She tries to dematerialize but can't. Reminded by Anya  that she has to reverse her spell before she or anyone else can leave,  she does.

Willow and Tara talk in a more friendly manner; and Tara says she's very happy that Willow didn't use magick even at this exceptional time.  Willow smiles.

Spike opens the front door. The guests leave.  Buffy and Dawn are at the front door. Buffy closes the door as Dawn smiles.

                                                             END
Episode Trivia
The title 'Older and Far Away' is a quote from the novel Empire of the Sun. It could also be a reference to Buffy being Older and Giles being Far Away.

While Anya thought that cursing unfaithful men was all that vengeance demons did, Halfrek tells us that there are different "jobs" for all of them. Halfrek's duty was to protect children and punish parents and she originally came to Sunnydale because she heard Dawn's cry for care and attention.

In a tidbit of possible coming events, Spike and Halfrek seem to know each other and she calls him "William". Kali Rocha played human William's love interest Cecily in last season's 'Fool For Love'.

The plot for this episode cleverly blends motifs from Luis Bunuel's film The Exterminating Angel (where party guests are mysteriously unable to depart) and Jean-Paul Sartre's play Huis Clos/No Exit in which, famously, "Hell is other people" trapped together forever.

 

"DEAD THINGS"
Season 6, Episode 13
Written by Steven S. DeNight
 

Buffy and Spike conclude their latest lovemaking encounter in his room. They're under rugs and talk breathlessly. Spike says she's amazing; Buffy says he always gets the job done, etc.

Buffy says she wants to go home to be there when Dawn arrives.  Spike asks, "Do you even like me?" "Sometimes." Buffy answers. "Do you like what I do to you? Do you trust me? he asks while holding up a set of handcuffs. "Never." Buffy replies.

The Triad are about to turn a stone into a "cerebral dampener" that will cause any woman they choose to be their victim to become a sex slave. 

At Doublemeat Palace, Buffy greets Tara who comes in. Buffy goes on break and Buffy asks Tara about Spike's chip not preventing him from hurting her and about the resurrection spell that she's convinced brought her back wrong.  Tara insists Buffy is fine, but she agrees to go over the spell in detail and try to determine if anything did go wrong.

In a bar, Warren communicates with Jonathan and Andrew by a small microphone and earphone as they watch on their TV monitors. They try to determine who is to be their victim.  Warren sees Katrina, his ex girl friend, and selects her over other alluring women.

At the Summers Residence, Xander is dancing a waltz with Dawn (the Pas de Deux from "The Sleeping Beauty") as Anya and Willow look on.  He's teaching her ballroom dancing in anticipation of his and Anya's wedding.

Buffy comes home. Dawn asks her if she has permission to sleep over with her friend Janice. Buffy agrees reluctantly. Dawn says that she --- Buffy --- is never at home anymore, and she thought Buffy wouldn't care.

At the Triad's home, Katrina is dressed in a French maid's uniform and is pouring champagne for Warren, Jonathan and Andrew while completing every sentence with "Yes, Master."  It isn't long before Warren and Katrina are kissing passionately.

Warren orders Katrina to fall to her knees but she awakens from the trance.  She's justifiably angry at the Triad and especially at Warren. She calls them freaks and rapists and threatens to have them locked up. Warren fights with her and hits her on the back of the head with an object and kills her.

Andrew and Jonathan start to cry and Warren tries to keep his composure, saying they have to get rid of her body.  He asks Jonathan if he can teleport it, but he says he can't.  Warren says there are two problems at hand: getting rid of Katrina's body while blaming the murder on Buffy.

At a club, Anya and Xander dance to a swing dance tune as Willow looks on and then joins them in the dance. Buffy comes in but she ignores them and climbs the stairs where she can look down on all the dancers. Spike appears out of nowhere and he asks Buffy what her friends might think if they knew who she really was and if they knew there was something between him and her.  He taunts her with his hand on her skirt.

Willow, Xander and Anya run into Tara on the street who's carrying a large spellbook.  Tara is surprised to see them, especially Willow. They're cordial but not emotional.  (When talking to Willow, Tara stutters. When talking to Buffy later on, she doesn't.)Willow says she's been away from spellcraft for 32 days and Tara says she's glad to hear that.  Tara says she's glad Willow is doing better, but she wishes to speak with Buffy as soon as she can; and Willow agrees to tell Buffy as soon as she sees her.

At Spike's lair, he pours a drink. Buffy comes to the front door but walks away through the woods. She hears a scream. She sees a girl who's bound and then disappears...and she hears people whispering.  Vampires start to attack her and she goes into combat mode.  The mysterious girl, wearing a black cloak, attacks her and Buffy kicks her and kills her.  Buffy and Spike slay all the vampires and Spike looks at Buffy's expression and asks what happened.  Buffy is in shock and says "A girl is dead...I killed her!"  Spike insists it was an accident and urges her to get away.

We see that "Katrina", whom Buffy "killed", was really Warren who morphed into a Katrina look-alike.

Buffy is at home in bed and trying to sleep. She has a nightmare in which she sees Spike handcuffed to his bed as they make love. Then she sees Katrina handcuffed to the bed.  Buffy wakes up and goes into Dawn's room where she's sound asleep.

Buffy awakens Dawn and says in a low and tender voice, "I love you." Dawn asks what time it is and what's wrong. She knows there's something amiss.  Buffy tells her that she knows she hasn't been everything she should be to Dawn; and tells her there was an accident in the woods involving a girl. "I hurt someone." Buffy confesses. "I'm sorry." Dawn is horrified and the sisters hug.  Buffy says she has to tell the police. Dawn begs her not to, then castigates Buffy, telling her she's never here with her, she didn't want to be here and she didn't want to come back from her long sleep.  Dawn cries bitterly and walks out of the room.

The next day, Buffy is on her way to the police station, but she's met by Spike. He tells her he "took care of it," then mentions putting the body in the river.  Buffy and Spike argue and she hits him furiously over and over again. He responds in kind, but Buffy continues to hit him in the face over and over and over again as she screams "I'm not your girl!  You're dead inside! I could NEVER be your girl!" Spike can't get to his feet from the punishment he's taking. He only quotes an old 1940's song "You always hurt the one you love."

Buffy walks into the police station and is prepared to turn herself in. An officer is on the telephone and tells her to wait a moment. She overhears him talking to another officer about Katrina Silver's body being found. Buffy has a flashback in which she sees Katrina and Warren together; and when the officer finally asks her what she wants, she has already left the police station.

At home, Anya explains to Buffy about temporal disturbances as Willow and Xander look on. Buffy is convinced that Warren killed Katrina and is determined to prove it.

At the Triad's home, they talk about how "cool" it would be to get away with murder.

At Tara's home, Buffy tells her that she feels so different and asks her if there was anything in the resurrection spell that caused that. Tara says
there were some alterations at the molecular level but nothing major is wrong with her, but those changes were enough to be detected by the chip in Spike's brain.  Buffy insists that Tara missed something: she knows something's wrong.  "Why can he do this to me?" Buffy asks Tara about Spike. Tara thinks she means the physical abuse, but Buffy means the sexual attraction that she feels for him. She doesn't say this: she doesn't have to. Tara picks up on it immediately. Tara is sympathetic to Buffy and promises she won't tell anyone that there's a physical and emotional relationship going on between her and Spike.  Tara re-assures Buffy that it's O.K. to love him and equally O.K. if she doesn't.  "I'm wrong." Buffy says and she starts to cry hurtfully and loudly as she rests her head on Tara's lap.  Tara comforts Buffy but says nothing more. "Don't leave me!" Buffy cries.

                                                                 END
Episode Trivia
The music playing when Buffy and Spike are on opposite sides of the crypt is "Out Of This World" by Bush.

Buffy has apparently accepted the offer to continue working at the Doublemeat Palace.

 

"DOUBLE MEAT PALACE"
Season 6, Episode 12
Written by Jane Espenson



While they're eating popcorn, Willow tells Xander and Anya about how Buffy was ready to "bust them" referring to the Triad before they made their quick escape.  Buffy took some of their spell books with her for further study, along with a poster that the Triad had of the vulcan woman on "Enterprise."

Anya remarks ironically that the advantage of being a vengeance demon was that one received full compensation as opposed to the disadvantage of being a super hero who isn't recompensed.

Buffy appears in uniform of a food worker for a hamburger fast food restaurant consisting of an orange and white vertical striped shirt, orange pants and a cap with a chicken head in the front and tail feathers in the back.  She takes a job there because she needs the money.

At the "Double Meat Palace," Buffy watches an orientation film that's instructional and humorous, centering on what the  "DoubleMeat Medley" consists of. We see and hear cartoon images and sounds of a cow and a chicken, etc.  The manager, named Manny, welcomes Buffy and gives her a "Medley" sandwich to eat. He says there's a secret ingredient in each sandwich, but only reveals that it's a meat process that's involved.

Buffy is at the ordering position behind the counter and the cash register with pictures of each food item on it.  A kindly elderly lady comments that she...Buffy...looks the sort who will stay a long time at the restaurant.  She asks for a slice of pie.

A man and his children order many items and Buffy takes her time in processing the order in the cash register.

Later, Dawn, Anya, Xander and Willow come to the restaurant and ask Buffy how things are going. She says things are fine; and Xander orders a Doublemeat Medley.

At night, Spike comes in. Buffy bristles when she sees him, but he insists that being a customer, he be listened to. He says he knows she's hating working there; and he insists that staying there will "kill her" (which I'm sure he means emotionally.)  Buffy insists that her need for money is her reason for staying.

We see a darkened storage area and an employee being attacked.

Buffy returns for her second day of work. Manny tells her that one of the workers has left, so he's changing Buffy's job to that of griller.  The worker already there shows her how to flip the patties when a beeper is heard and that there's never any variation in the process.  Buffy asks him about what the secret ingredient is, but he only replies that it's a meat process.

Manny tells her she must work a double shift because yet another employee quit...the meat grinder.

At Anya and Xander's home, a vengeance demon in demon face wearing a black cloak and purple gown swoops in and threatens Xander. Moments later, Anya rushes in and she and the vengeance demon named Hallie hug each other and exchange pleasantries. Hallie misunderstood. She was invited to the upcoming wedding of Anya and Xander, not to perform any act of vengeance! 

Buffy fries potatoes in the deep fryer and sees Spike lurking outside. She lets her imagination go to work and she imagines that she's having sex with Spike right there in the restaurant.

At the Summers Residence, Willow is greeted by Amy, having been let in by Dawn. There's no feeling of cameraderie at all since Amy led Willow astray with the addictive magick that Willow has since sworn off of. Amy says as sentimental and ridiculous as it may sound, she wishes to have her cage back.  Willow agrees.  Willow tells Amy that she swore off magick and stopped cold turkey.  Amy, telling Willow she has a "birthday gift" for her --- Willow says it's not her birthday yet --- but is soon receiving energy bolts from Amy and her eyes turn black.

At the restaurant, Buffy is at the grinding machine and finds a finger in the ground meat.  Buffy rushes to Manny who exclaims surprise. Buffy insists that it's recent and shouts her belief that it's humans who are the secret ingredient!  At that moment, the kindly elderly lady appears, asking "... also in the cherry pie?"

Buffy is set upon by all the employees and she fights them off easily. Manny tells her she's fired.

Anya and Hallie, continuing their reunion, talk about the upcoming wedding over coffee. Hallie's conversation and questions put doubt into Anya's mind about whether she really loves Xander.  Anya admits that Xander often corrects her and wants things done his way, and so on, but she says she loves Xander.

Xander, meanwhile, plays the cardgame "Fish" with Dawn.  Buffy rushes in and asks for Willow and Anya to join them to hear what she has to say.

All assemble and listen to Buffy's story including Xander who's eating the rest of his Doublemeat Medley. 

It's the perfect set-up, says Buffy: an expected high employee turnover and thus no remains of bodies.

Buffy, disheartened that Xander ate it al, is reassured by Dawn who says that scraps of meat can be taken from the paper wrapping; and Willowsays she can analyze the meat scraps  to find out if there's any human flesh in it.

Buffy returns to the Palace during closing hours to look around further.

Dawn and Xander talk ruefully about how it seems that Buffy is destined to work at non-professional and non-glamourous jobs for the rest of her life while she, Dawn, has the opportunity to become a lawyer or doctor. Xander says she might even have to support Buffy from her earnings.

Anya and Xander have a disagreement. Xander believes Hallie to be ugly...what with her demon face... but Anya insists she isn't.

Willow determines by using chemistry and no spells that the meat samples have nothing that's human in them.

At the Palace, Buffy finds a shoe with foot and part of leg attached. She then finds a wig.  The kindly elderly lady is in reality a monster of some sort who is bald and has a long snake-like appendage with teeth that comes out of her head!  Buffy recoils in terror and is paralyzed by a ray from the monster.  She crawls on the ground to try to get away.

Willow comes up to the drive-in window of the Palace and speaks through the microphone to Buffy whom she knows is there. Willow sees what's going on and rushes inside. She, too, is terrified at the monster, but seeing Buffy can't fight, she grabs a meat cleaver and cuts off the snake-like part and throws it into the meat grinder. The monster-woman dies.

Back at the Summers' Residence, Amy comes to see Willow again, presumably to borrow some detergent. She's at the front door and Willow answers it. Willow stares at Amy with hatred in her eyes and tells her she has no time for her anymore; and that if she's a friend, she'll stay away from her. Further, if she's not a friend, she should also stay away from her. Amy just looks at her and leaves.  Willow closes the door (that has a wreath on it).

Buffy returns yet again to the Palace the next morning to return her uniform.  A new manager, Lorraine Ross, is in charge. Buffy asks her what the secret ingredient is. Taking Buffy into her confidence, Lorraine says that it's a vegetable mix with beef gravy!  Buffy tells her she needs money. Fearing Buffy will tell the world about the secret ingredient, she thinks Buffy is blackmailing her. But Buffy says she only wishes to have her job back since she's in need of money.  She assures Lorraine she'll do a good job. Pointing to the pin on her uniform that says "5 years," Lorraine gives Buffy her job back, commenting that Buffy looks like one who will be with the Palace "...from here on out." "...from here on out" Buffy repeats with a look of sadness on her face.

                                                            END

Episode Trivia
Buffy mentions when she waitressed "that summer", of course referring to the events between 'Becoming 2' and the end of 'Anne' when she ran away from Sunnydale and got a job as a waitress in LA.

This is the first time ever that Amber Benson has been absent for two episodes in a row.

 

"GONE"
Season 6, Episode 10
Written by David Fury

At Summers' residence, Dawn and Willow watch as Buffy takes everything that has anything to do with magick and prepares to discard them, such as tarot cards,  magical powders, a statue of a fertility god and a peacock sculpture with crystals (but leaves it alone because it belongs to Tara).  Buffy says that it's all the better for Willow if there is no reminder at all of magick. (Dawn's left arm is in a sling.)

The Triad are putting the large diamond they stole from the museum in a large silver gun. Warren is the mastermind here; and he demonstrates the gun's properties as he makes a chair invisible and then visible again.

Willow is making an omelet for Dawn's breakfast as Buffy and Dawn look on.  Dawn says she isn't hungry and leaves. Willow tells Buffy she doesn't
understand why Dawn blames her instead of herself, to which Buffy replies "I let it happen." Willow goes to her room.

Spike enters noisily through the kitchen window looking for his lost cigarette lighter.  "Stop trying to see me." Buffy tells Spike. 

Xander enters and taunts Spike by saying that Buffy would never out with him let alone anything else. Xander is going to drive Dawn to school.

A social services worker named Doris Kroger appears as Dawn and Xander are about to leave. She sees Spike and angers Buffy when she refers to him as her boyfriend.  Spike says "She's (Buffy's) a great person."  "Does he sleep here?" asks Doris.Buffy urges Spike to leave; and Buffy tells Doris that she lives alone with Dawn. At that moment, Willow's voice is heard saying she won't come down for breakfast. Doris asks Buffy if she's her lover which Buffy denies while explaining briefly that Willow is gay but she (Buffy) isn't but she doesn't see anything wrong with it, etc.

Doris tells Buffy that because Dawn's grades have fallen and because she has many absences from school, Buffy is under immediate probation as regards her guardian status.  If Doris determines Buffy isn't a good guardian, Dawn could be taken from her.

Spike appears again briefly and he and Buffy exchange more barbs before Spike leaves in earnest.

Buffy looks into the mirror and, taking a large pair of shears from a bureau drawer, cuts her hair to shoulder length.  The next scene shows Buffy at a hairdresser's shop as she tells the hairdresser "Make me different."

On Main Street, The Triad see Buffy walking home from the hairdresser's and with a burst of coloured lights from the gun Warren carries, Buffy is rendered instantly invisible.

Anya and Xander are at their apartment planning the seating arrangement for their wedding reception.  Buffy opens a door and starts talking to them, saying that Willow is a wreck because of her causing the car accident with Dawn, Dawn's still mad and Doris is watching her.

Buffy amusingly tries to show where she is by picking up two "eyeballs" that are earthenware artworks, then a skull. Astoundingly, Buffy shows neither surprise nor fear about her current predicament; and similarly, Anya and Xander also don't act surprised or fearful.  Anya and Xander think it's something that Willow did.

Willow is seated at her computer and she's trying to find out more information about the diamond that was stolen, thinking that will lead her to whomever made Buffy invisible.  Soon Willow stalks out saying she's going for a walk because Xander blames Willow for Buffy's condition.

The Triad are fearful that Buffy may be right in the room with them; and Warren is unpersuaded by his friends that Buffy should be kept alive.

Meanwhile, a girl wearing a cap is seated on a park bench; and Buffy comes up to her and takes her cap away saying it's not in style and duly frightening the girl who runs off.

Buffy then takes a policeman's jeep and speeds away. She arrives at Doris's social services office and begins to torment her by moving her coffee mug away and saying "Kill,kill kill! You know you want to!" Further, when Doris speaks with her supervisor about Dawn's case, the paperwork in her file reads "All work and no play make Doris a dull girl."  The supervisor tells Doris to take a day off while he gives Dawn's case to someone else.

Xander comes to see Willow who's been collecting bits of paint from the area where Buffy was made invisible. 

Spike is in his crypt and sees the front door open. Soon he's being attacked. "I told  you to stop trying to see me!" is the unmistakeable voice of his
lover Buffy.

Anya and Xander are examining a traffic cone he picked up on Main Street and they notice that it's a gooey consistency. They reason that Buffy will soon degenerate likewise if she isn't helped.

Xander comes to Spike's crypt and sees Spike apparently doing pushup exercises on his bed while unclothed except for a sheet.  All the while,
Buffy is flirting with Spike as he talks to Xander; and we see Spike making weird jerky movements for no apparent reason and hear his voice change pitch accordingly.  Xander soon leaves saying "You really ought to get a girlfriend, Spike." oblivious to what's been happening.

Willow is at her computer again, accessing information from the Division of Motor Vehicles. 

A can is being kicked on the street and Buffy's voice is heard: "Spike threw me out?!"

Buffy is at home and calls Willow and Dawn.  Dawn comes home from school and she hears Buffy's voice and sees an empty pizza box moving in mid-air.  Buffy wants to talk to her, but Dawn is understandably freaked and rushes out saying "I can't talk to you if I can't see you!"

Buffy listens to telephone messages and hears one from Xander saying that she's going to die from what rendered her invisible if that can't be reversed.

Willow comes to The Triad's hideout. She looks around quietly and methodically. She soon sees a long silver gun and starts to pick it up when she's grabbed from behind by The Triad who are themselves invisible. "We've got our first hostage!" says Warren (I think.).

Buffy answers the telephone and Warren tells her to meet them at a video game room where they're holding Willow.  At the game room, Buffy begins to fight her invisible enemies.  Willow is knocked to the ground with the gun but she soon gets back on her feet and realizes the settings on the gun must be changed or else it would kill whomever it's used against. She changes the settings while a big fight ensues between Buffy and The Triad which we can't see, of course, but some of whose effects we can, such as game screens being smashed and so on. This causes the patrons to run away in fear, thinking the place is haunted. A guard comes in and looks around.  Willow fires the gun and one by one The Triad appear: first Jonathan, then Warren then Andrew.  Then Buffy appears. She recognizes all except Andrew who introduces himself. "Are you bandied together to be pains in my ass?" she asks rhetorically.

After very brief exchanges, The Triad race away leaving Willow and Buffy. Buffy and Willow exchange very quiet and very thoughtful words. Buffy says the invisibility made her feel so free. Willow says "I don't know how I got through this day." Buffy says she got scared when she heard Xander's telephone message. "I didn't...I don't want to die." she says.  "We both made good first steps." says Willow, referring to her magick intoxication.  "Yea for us." says Willow. "Yea." says Buffy.

                                                             END

Episode Trivia
It took nearly a month to wrap up this episode, due to the ongoing aspects of Invisibility.

When Invisible Buffy is leaving the social services center she whistles a few bars of 'Going Through The Motions', her "theme" music from 'Once More, With Feeling'.

Xander asks Invisible Buffy if she has been ignored lately, referring to the causes of Marcie's invisibility in season 1's 'Out of Mind, Out of Sight'.

This is the first episode without Amber Benson (Tara) since last season's 'Into The Woods'. In fact, this marks only the sixth episode without the character since she was introduced in season 4's 'Hush'.

 "WRECKED"
Season 6, Episode 10
Written by Marti Noxon

 

As the television drones on with a cartoon, morning finds Dawn and Tara asleep.  Dawn has a blanket wrapped around her; and Tara is asleep on the sofa next to her in the same places they were the night before as they waited for Buffy and Willow to return.

We see Buffy's room and her bed that's not been slept it; and we see Willow's room and her bed that's not been slept in.

Buffy and Spike are themselves asleep amid the ruins of the building that came crashing down during their lovemaking. Both are undressed: Buffy covers herself with a sheet. Bufffy asks "When did the building fall down?"  Spike answers "I dunno...must have been between the first time and the..."  His sentence is unfinished as he grins at Buffy tellingly.

Buffy tells Spike to get dressed.  "Last night was the end of this freak show." Buffy tells Spike.  Spike embraces her and they kiss.  Spike tells her she's hot.

Buffy exclaims "A vampire got me hot: You're just convenient!"

Spike puts on his clothes and he and Buffy argue yet again about their relationship being a loving one or a convenient one.

"I swear to God: If you tell anyone, I will kill you!" Buffy warns Spike, who holds up her undergarments, at which Buffy hits him with all her strength, it seems.

Tara is cooking pancakes for Dawn and herself.  She says she'll call Xander to check with him about Buffy and Willow's whereabouts, but not until it gets a little later.

Willow and Amy come back.  Both are surprised that Buffy didn't come back the night before.  Willow and Tara greet each other cordially but not lovingly; and Willow introduces Amy to Tara.  Tara knows  about Amy the Rat. Amy prattles on to Tara about how advanced in spellcraft Willow is.  Amy says Willow is very adept at transmography and different dimensions.  Tara is beginning to suspect something between Amy and Willow, but that suspicion is put to rest.

Buffy comes in.  Amy and Tara go out; and as Buffy says how sorry she is about not coming back home, the pancakes are shown to be burned, due to lack of attention.

Willow and Buffy excuse themselves and go to sleep. Willow lies down and says a magick word to make the curtains close, but they don't close. She says the word again, but there's still no response.

The next day, Anya (now a blonde) and Xander are pouring over various books in search of the demon who robbed the museum in "Smashed".  Buffy enters.  It isn't long before Anya's attention is focused on the wedding and how the bridesmaids should be dressed.  She tells Xander she wishes to keep some of her old demon customs, but assures him she won't ask him to perform a self-flagellation rite.

Buffy goes back to Spike's lair and they talk about Amy and Willow and what
their friendship might mean.  Buffy says Willow has reasons for doing what
she does and furthermore, she's an adult and doesn't need to be watched.  She
urges Spike not to be judgemental.

Willow and Amy talk. Willow tells Amy she was so tired, she wasn't able to do her magick when she wanted to close the curtains. Amy suggests she see a guy whom she knows who will "blow your mind."

They put their hands up and thereby gain entrance through an invisible portal. "It's hot!" Willow exclaims as they do this.  The two witches gain
entrance to a large living room with a few women sitting in chairs.   A long-haired, wild-eyed demon (?) named Rack comes in. He rubs his hands together, causing a red-hot energy field to present itself and, looking at Willow, says she will only have to "give a little to get a lot."

Placing his hands on Willow's chest, red fire and energy-field sparks are seen as Rack whispers in her ear "You taste like strawberries."

Instantly, Amy is seen in an ecstatic whirling dance.  Willow is sprawled on the floor with a very dazed look on her face. The room is changing colours and a psychedelic rhythmic song is heard in the background.  It's the equivalent of an hallucenogenic dream. A demon screams. Willow imagines herself in front of the "Magic Box" for a brief moment. She gets up and finds she's in her bedroom.  She takes a shower and lets the water run over her hair and face.  She cries.

Willow is next seen in a moroon bathrobe and in her bed. She puts her arms around the pillow and sheets and a form without a head puts its arms around her.

Later on, Dawn is making a meal for her and Willow, consisting of pancakes and bananas. Dawn says that Tara called a lot asking about what's going on. Willow tells Dawn again she's sorry for not coming back the night before.

Later still, Buffy calls Dawn and Willow.  Buffy sees Amy and grabs her and pushes her against a wall demanding to know where Willow and Dawn are.  She sees Amy is clutching a bag of what's assumed to be dope. Amy tells Buffy about Willow and her going to see Rack, then she throws up.

Willow and Dawn decide to go to the cinema. As they walk along, Willow asks Dawn what she did with Tara. Dawn tells her that Tara was O.K. but not a "laugh riot."  Willow asks Dawn if Tara has moved into her new place yet. Dawn says she really didn't discuss that.

Willow puts up her hands and both she and Dawn go through an invisible portal. Willow tells Dawn she's going to get something and she'll be right
back.  Willow assures Dawn they'll be in time for the film, but may miss the trailers (coming attractions).  "I like the trailers." says Dawn to herself.  She sits down in the living room and a guy sits down next to her and smokes a cigarette. The time is 10:05. 

Willow meets with Rack again and, calling Willow "Strawberry", gives her more power to work spellcraft, with which she becomes even more addicted. The red fire and energy-fields are seen again. Willow screams.

Buffy commands Spike to get dressed because they both have to look for Dawn. 

The wall clock reads 10:55. Willow comes back out to Dawn and Dawn is very angry that she's  been so long, telling Willow it's too late to see the film.  Willow apologizes and asks Dawn what else she'd like to do.

Both walk along a desolate street.  Spike and Buffy are desperately looking
for them; and as they search, Buffy says to Spike the night before was the
most "perverse, degrading experience of my life."  "Me, too. I love you."
Spike confides.  "I'm in your system now."

Willow tells Dawn she's going to pop her back home with spellcraft and, hearing this, Dawn becomes very frightened.  She starts to run away from Willow.  Suddenly, a demon appears; and looking at Willow, says "Did you summon me, witch?"

The demon hits Dawn and she punches and kicks him.  Both Dawn and Willow run away as fast as they can, but they realize they're not outrunning the demon. Willow sees a blue car ahead of them and she uses telekenesis to open both the driver and the passenger doors.  As Willow rushes to the driver's seat and Dawn races to the passenger's seat, Willow commands "Drive!" At once, the car starts racing at a terrific speed and it looks as if it's leaving the demon behind, but he races very fast himself and almost catches up to the car.

The car rushes ever more dangerously away; and swinging from side to side, causes Dawn to scream as the car heads for and crashes into a wall.

Dawn slowly emerges from the car very shaken and walks around to the driver's side to check on Willow. The demon stops her and Dawn screams.

Buffy and Spike hear the scream and race to the rescue. Spike tends to Dawn who's shuddering on the ground as Buffy in full attack mode lunges at the demon and riddles him with punches and kicks.  The demon is very resilient and throws Buffy into a wall from which she somersaults and does the same thing to the demon.

Finally, the demon starts shaking and is soon enveloped in a sheet of fire
and disintegrates.

Willow staggers out of the car and Buffy walks up to her with a look of
hatred blazing from her eyes and her pursed lips.

Buffy and Willow go to where Dawn is sitting with Spike and Willow asks over and over "Are you O.K.??"  Buffy tells Willow in a low but angry voice "Back off!"

Dawn is crying. She sees Willow approach her and she slaps Willow's face very hard.  Willow is crying hysterically: "I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry!!" she wails and falls to the ground sobbing. "Get up." Buffy commands.

"I screwed up everything!  I need  your help! PLEASE help me!!" wails Willow as Buffy hugs her.

Willow is in her bedroom.  She's staring down with a look of infinite sadness.  Buffy comes in. She says Dawn is sleeping. The doctor says she has
a fracture and he has given her a sedative to sleep. "I'm sorry." says Willow again, in the lowest most humble voice.  "I don't understand." says Buffy, also in the lowest possible voice. "I don't understand why you did it and why you dragged Dawn into it."

The two best friends speak in the lowest voices I think I've ever heard during this supreme moment of truth and confession. Buffy asks if it's all
because of Tara's leaving her. Willow says no: It started before that. That was why Tara left.  "If you had a choice of being plain Willow or super Willow, which would it be?" Willow asks rhetorically. "You don't need magick to be special." "It takes me away from myself." explains Willow.  "I get that." says Buffy. "But it's wrong. People get hurt."  "I was out of my head. It won't happen again. I promise. No more spells. I'm finished." Willow says. "Good. Good." says Buffy.  "It's over." says Willow. "Exactly: It's over." affirms Buffy.

Willow is in her bed trying to sleep. She's breathing very heavily and erratically and sweating. It's as though she's experiencing withdrawal symptoms from not getting a fix of dope and/or liquor.  She's fighting the feeling with very great difficulty. She's very frightened.

Buffy is in her bedroom resting on the floor staring blankly --- or possibly with great intent --- we don't know.

Note: The closing credits include a tribute. "In Loving Memory of J.D. Peralta."  I don't know the person's name; I guess the person was a crew member.

                                                           END

Episode Trivia
Willow actually made up her mind to quit magic, but is she for real?

Jeff Kober, who plays Rack, is no stranger to the Buffyverse. He also played vampire Zachary Kralik in season three's 'Helpless'.

The Warner Bros. cartoon clip Tara and Dawn wake up to is from Ding Dog Daddy (1942) Directed by Friz Freling.

None of the characters seem to notice Anya's sudden change in hair color


"SMASHED"
Season 6, Episode 9
Written by Drew Z. Goldberg

A couple is being threatened by two muggers. The woman's purse has been taken. Buffy, now with brown hair with two long braids, kicks the muggers and the couple thank her and run off. Spike is seen emerging from his hiding pace close by. He was the first to attack the couple it comes out.

Spike asks Buffy if she wants to resume kissing. They did that twice before.  Buffy tells him angrily that she's not kissing him again.

Willow is in her room. She's very sad and walks slowly around the room, looking out of her window and taking Amy the Rat out of her cage and stroking her.  Willow tells her one day she'll get her a companion.  Willow wonders what she'd have to do in order to turn Amy back into a human.  Willow causes an old parchment to appear with a spell written in --- presumably --- Latin on it.  She places Amy on the bed and recites the spell. Amy appears in human form again and screams. She, out of habit, has her fists resting underneath her chin.

At Sunnydale Museum, The Trio are attempting to steal a large diamond on display in a seemingly unbreakable case atop a large pedestal.  A guard comes in and they tell him they're with a tour group. Unbelieving, the guard says the last tour ended a couple of hours ago.  One of The Trio brandishes a Freezing gun and a freeze ray is shot at him rendering him frozen in ice. One of The Trio says he'll be all right in two days' time.

Amy and Willow talk more. Willow wears a red top with black pants and Amy wears a light green t-shirt with a large yellow square and dark green pants.  Willow asks her if she'd like some hot chocolate. She refuses. Amy asks what's been going on since she was human. Willow says "Larry's gay, Larry's dead, high school is over."

Amy asks how long she's been a rat.  Willow is about to answer when Buffy enters.  Buffy sees Amy in human form and isn't really all that surprised or astonished. Buffy asks Willow how she's getting on. "Not parades and cotton candy (candy floss), but O.K." she answers.

Buffy and Willow start a deep conversation about making life choices.  Amy interrupts them and asks Buffy what's been happening in her life. "Rat. You?" asks Amy. "Dead." replies Buffy.  Amy asks if Willow has any cookies in the cupboard...as long as it's not cheese!

"Sorry about your mom." Amy says to Buffy while watching TV.  "Willow's dating girls, people are getting frozen..." at which Buffy looks at the TV
screen as soon as she hears about people getting frozen.  The news bulletin shows police carrying the guard out of Sunnydale Museum with an anxious and incomprehending crowd looking on.

Buffy is on her way to the museum when Spike appears, wanting to talk about the times when they kissed.  Buffy says she's sorry he thinks it meant more than it did.  Buffy says she was thinking about Giles. Upon hearing this, Spike becomes angry and says he long suspected something going on between the pair of them, but could never be sure of it or what "it" really was. Buffy explains that she means she was depressed when she heard about his leaving Sunnydale for London and she made a "bad kissing decision." There's really nothing more, she insists.

"You convinced yourself." says Spike.  He hits Buffy in the face. Buffy hits him right back.  "You're a thing: an evil, disgusting thing!" she cries, as she hits him again.  Spike cries out as he grabs his head.

Moments later, a girl is seen walking alone down a desolate street. Spike comes up to her and deliberately attempts to scare her. "I'm evil" he tells
the girl, terrified. "No, you're not." she says, trying to calm him down. "I kill...that's what I do." and so saying, Spike goes into vamp face and the girl screams and runs away.

Tara and Dawn are sitting at a table of an "al fresco" restaurant.  They're having a pleasant chat as Dawn sips a large chocolate milk shake through a
straw. "Good God, that's a lot of shake!" exclaims Tara as Dawn drinks her milk shake.  They talk about a film they just saw; and Tara admonishes Dawn to be sure to eat some leafy greens as readily as she drinks milk shakes.  "I'll never stop loving you." says Tara  "Will you two get back together?" Dawn asks. "I wish I knew." answers Tara. Tara tells Dawn that many little things got blown out of proportion between her and Willow. "Sometimes other things got in the way." she says.

At the Magic Box, Willow, Anya and Buffy talk about the news bulletin they just saw about the freezing at the museum.  Willow says she'll get some
details. Willow gets out her laptop computer and raises her hands above the keyboard. A bright glowing yellow light appears. Willow says she's accessing police records; and she accesses them via telepathy and recites what she's accessing so Amy and Buffy can hear. Anya speaks up and says that everyone has been guarded in his/her speech in front of Willow, careful so as not to upset her any more since Tara left.  Willow calmly says she's fine. She says little things started taking over in their relationship.  Buffy says it's not a good idea to leave Amy alone in the house for too long a time.

The Trio look at the diamond they stole. Spike breaks in.  He demands that Warren --- also the creator of April and Buffybot --- examine the computer chip in his head and threatens them if they tell anyone.  The Trio confer and agree that it would be to their advantage to do that for Spike, since he would be in their debt, all the better to get closer to Buffy.

Warren examines the chip and says it's working fine.

Amy and Willow decide to have some fun together. Amy makes a remark about Willow still being a wallflower, to which she takes exception, and agrees to go out on a fun night with Amy.

Dawn and Tara are back home. Dawn says Willow, Buffy, Anya and Xander are
doing research and that she --- Dawn --- will be fine looking after herself until they come back. Dawn says she has the TV to keep her company, but Tara doesn't want to leave Dawn alone until they come back, to which Dawn agrees.

At a club to the accompaniment of a live band, Willow and Amy are seen playing billiards. Appropriately dressed for their fun evening, Willow is wearing a very short brown and pink top and brown pants and Amy wears a brown top with matching skirt and boots.

A guy asks Amy to dance, but she's hesitant and declines.  Amy sees two women seated at a table; and, snapping her fingers, causes one of them to approach Willow for a chat. Willow is very uneasy with this and convinces Amy she's just fine without a partner. Amy snaps her fingers again and the woman goes back to her friend.

The guy is more insistent about Amy dancing with him and Willow says sharply, "She said NO!"  The guy taunts Willow, calling her "Ellen." (the reference is to Ellen De Generes, a celebrated lesbian comedian and TV star in the U.S.A.). Hearing this, Amy snaps her fingers again and he and members of the band appear nude...or very close to to it.

Buffy, Anya and Xander continue their research in several books at the Magic Shop for the frost monster, but don't find anything.  Talk soon turns to Amy and Willow. Buffy is sure that Willow will use good judgement, but Xander is equally insistent that she, usually being so well controlled, is the most likely to do something wild in the way of fun-seeking  All agree it's best to keep an eye on her.

Buffy gets a telephone call. It's from Spike. He tells her to meet him at the cemetary, but doesn't say why.  Buffy tells Anya and Xander she's going on a quick patrol before going to sleep; and says they'll meet again the next day.

Buffy is seen walking by herself. Spike soon appears, greatly angered that she didn't come to the cemetary as he asked.  "Don't you get it? Don't you see? You came back wrong!" he tells her.

Buffy orders him out of her way, but Spike punches her hard in the face. She punches him right back.  They fight harder and harder.

At the club, Amy and Willow are on the top floor, snapping their fingers as their whims dictate --- ever in search of more "kicks" and "fun" --- and a sideshow of wonders appears as one guy is instantly made into a giant while another is shrunk to the size of a midget. Animals come in, the guy band is turned into a girl band, guys and girls are disrobed, until Amy and Willow tire of their "fun".  Willow quietly says "Return to normal" and so everything and everyone does!

Spike and Buffy are fighting with such a hatred that it's painful to watch.  He kicks and punches her, causing her to be rammed into a wall. She fights
back in equal measure. Spike is knocked hard on the ground, then against the wall.  Parts of the nearby building are seen to fall because of the onslaught.  "I'm in love with you!" Spike cries.  "You're in love with pain!" Buffy answers.

They fight on with greater force and greater hatred until they grab each other's shoulders and kiss each other wildly and passionately and with almost
as much energy as they use to fight each other.  Both are breathless yet keep on and there's much thrashing about.  Buffy knocks Spike to the ground yet again, but instead of punching and kicking him again into unconsciousness or worse, she positions herself on top of him and throws her arms around him as she kisses him yet again. and again and again.

                                                          END

Episode Trivia
This is the first episode featuring raunchy sex; all previous sexual encounters (Buffy and Angel in 'Surprise'; Willow and Oz in 'Graduation Day', Buffy and Parker in 'The Harsh Light of Day'; Buffy and Riley in 'Where the Wild Things Are') are all depicted as passionate, tender experiences.

Willow tells Amy that Larry died in the attack by the Mayor in the season 3 finale 'Graduation Day'. While we actually do see his death in the episode, many fans speculated that he may have survived and were awaiting his return. Alas, it will not come.

"TABULA RASA"
 (Latin: "Blank Slate")

Season 6, Episode 8
Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner
 

Buffy walks alone in a graveyard.  Spike appears suddenly asking "Can we talk?" Buffy doesn't wish to talk to him. "We kissed, Buffy." says Spike
insistently.  "What we did is done. I will never EVER touch you again!" exclaims Buffy.

A demon with a shark's head (I think) wearing a suit and two other demons wearing suits approach Spike. The boss says Spike owes a debt: the kittens he lost in the recent poker game they played. Spike promises to make good on his debt.  Buffy knocks the demon to the ground. He gets up and asks Buffy is she's interested in doing freelance work for him in the collection of debts.

Spike flees.  Buffy says to herself, "If I would just stop saving his life, it would "simple" things up so much!"

In the "Magic Shop," Anya, Xander, Willow and Tara talk about what it must have been like for Buffy when she was in Heaven. Xander wonders if she wore a white robe, carried a harp and wore Birkenstock sandles. Tara, in a more serious mood, says Buffy could have been in any of a "zillion heaven dimensions.  Willow sadly says "We ruined it. I was so selfish."  Tara says all will have to make things better for Buffy.

Willow says she knows a spell that will put things to rights. "I can fix it." she says. Willow says her spell will make Buffy forget that she was in Heaven.  Tara tells Willow "I know: You used that spell on me. Do you think I'm stupid?" "I'm sorry." says Willow.  The two witches are referring to the spell that Willow cast with the Lethe flower that made Tara forget they were arguing. 

"You violated my mind.  How could you do this after what Glory did to me?" Tara asks Willow, her anger and sadness coming to the surface. Both witches don't yell at each other, but their emotions are very obviously red-hot.  "We were supposed to decide things together, but you decided for us." Tara continues. "It's not what magick is for...it's fixing things to your liking.  I don't think it's gonna work." says Tara. "I need you!" entreats  Willow. 

Willow promises Tara not to use magick for a month. Tara tells her to give up magick for one week. "Then we'll see."

"Are you saying you're gonna leave me?!" cries Willow.

Buffy and Giles talk privately. Giles tells Buffy that he's going to leave
her and return permanently to England. He says he's already taught her all she needs to know as far as being The Slayer; and her mother taught her everything she needs to know as far as getting along in life.  Buffy begs him not to leave her, saying after what she went through, it's her most vulnerable time. Giles is insistent, saying that he knows Buffy will always turn to him if he's there to ask for his advice. 

"I've thought it over and over. It's the right thing to do." says Giles.
"You're wrong!" counters Buffy who walks out angrily.

Dawn comes in and she asks Willow and Tara to accompany her to a movie. (I think.)  Willow is see at the top of the staircase with a dark towel wrapped around her and another dark towel wrapped around her head, having just taken a shower. Seconds later --- obviously casting a spell --- she appears fully dressed.  Before she joins Dawn, she casts a spell ending with the words "...this spell will be cast, Tabula Rasa, Tabula Rasa, Tabula Rasa." So saying, she tosses a match into what looks like a small sacred circle of earth and smoke rises from it.

Dawn, Giles, Tara, Willow, Xander and Buffy react in amazement as Spike is seen rushing in. He's wearing a light brown suit; and even more shocking, he's wearing a blonde wig and hat to disguise himself and avoid being recognized by the boss vamp. Giles tells one and all that he's heading back to England.

Dawn asks Giles if there's anything that needs researching that she can help with. Buffy says "I can't do this. I can't take it anymore!"  Buffy faints; and everyone else faints, too, including Spike, Giles and Willow.

Smoke is seen rising from the soil; and one by one,  Buffy, Dawn and the Scoobys awake. Buffy says "Huh?"

Dawn screams.  She sees Spike and has no recollection of who he is. "Please don't hurt me!" she wails.  "I don't know anyone here." says Buffy.  "Who are you freaks?" demands Xander.  "I'm a girl...I don't know who I am." says Willow.  "Does anyone remember?" asks Giles.  "Maybe we got drunk."  Anya says "No head bumps."  Xander acts more and more paranoid and defensive to everyone.  "Look...jars of weird stuff..." says Willow, looking around the "Magic Box" but recognizes none of it, as no else does, either.

"Magic is balderdash...sleight of hand." taunts Giles. Spike says a lot of English slang words one right after another; and so he's convinced he's English. he says he saw Anya and Giles sleeping together as they awakened.

"It's O.K.!" says Anya good-naturedly to Giles. "We're engaged!"

"Drivers' licenses!" Willow shouts to everybody.  All look at their licenses except for Spike and Dawn.  "I'm a student of U. of California, Sunnydale!" says Tara.  Dawn looks at her necklace that has DAWN spelled out in gold.  Buffy looks at it as well. "So my name is Dawn!" she says. "Or N Wad!" says Buffy, at which Dawn laughs.

"Try to guess who goes with whom." says Xander, looking lovingly at Willow.

Anya says a key she has fits a lock to the "Magic Shop" so she's convinced she's an owner or part-owner with Rupert...a name she also sees written on a document in a drawer.

Buffy and Dawn talk about what Buffy's name could possibly be. "Want me to name you?" asks Dawn. "I'll name me Joan." says Buffy. "That's so blah!" retorts Dawn.  "O.K., N Wad!" taunts Buffy good-naturedly as she and Dawn tease each other.

Suddenly, the door to the "Magic Shop" is thrown open and vamps charge in.  Everyone screams in terror.  One calls for Spike; and the Scoobys misinterpret that and think the demon wants them to give him a spike.  Willow and Xander tell everyone to follow them to the basement which probably leads to the outside or to the sewer so they can escape.

Xander falls to his knees and raises his hands in prayer and says "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep....Aum!" thus combining a youngster's prayer with the Buddhist sound of the universe!

Anya kicks one of the vamps in the groin and Buffy with a stake in her hand, stabs a vamp and she's astounded to see that he disintegrates, as is everyone else!  "I'm like a superhero, or something!" she says.  Spike somehow thinks his name is Randy and that he's Rupert's son, since both have English accents!

Spike assumes his vamp face and smiles saying proudly, "I'm a superhero, too!" Buffy screams when she sees this and rushes away.

Meanwhile, Xander, Dawn, Willow and Tara are escaping by way of the sewer passages.  Dawn sings the first line of an old American Revolutionary War song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, Hurrah, Hurrah!" but she changes the lyrics to "When ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah...). This is cut short when a vamp charges at them and they rush off.

Giles and Anya, still in the "Magic Shop," are convinced they're engaged by the ring on Anya's finger.  Anya starts to rifle through books in search of
an incantation that will restore everyone's memory. She incants and a live bunny appears at which she screams!

Buffy continues to fight vamps; and Spike, telling her he has no desire to bite her, deduces that he's definitely a good guy --- and what's more ---
he's a vampire with a soul. Buffy is astounded to hear this, but she admits she doesn't wish to kill him for some reason, even though he's in feral vamp
face.

Anya looks through yet another book in search of an incantation. She stands on a table and incants, but the room is now filled with live bunnies!

Spike and Buffy continue to fight the vamps and stakes them.

Giles finds himself fighting a skeleton...no doubt the result of one of Anya's incantations!

Willow tells Dawn something's "weirdly familiar...I'm a little confused, a little sweaty, I'm trapped, and kind of gay!"

Anya tears her ring off and throws it on the floor, saying "I'm out of this engagement!"

Xander fights a vamp.

Anya incants again and this time all the bunnies disappear.  Anya and Giles kiss passionately!

Willow loses her balance and knocks Tara down along with her. Tara is on the ground and Willow falls on top of her. Willow rises slowly; and both witches stare at each other without moving for a long time.

Xander steps on some kind of crystal substance and shatters it. 

Buffy, telling a vamp, "Don't mess with Joan!" is suddenly hit and knocked to the ground. 

Willow, Tara, Xander and Dawn look at each other long and hard and they now realize who they are.  Tara cries and says nothing. Willow rises to her feet and walks away from her slowly.

The boss demon berates Spike for betraying his own kind and being a friend to The Slayer.  Spike ignores that comment and says again that he'll pay his debt in kittens.

Buffy rises to her feet and slowly walks away. She goes to a bar or nightclub; and she sits at the bar while Michelle Branch sings and
accompanies herself on the guitar, later to be joined by three guys in her band.  She sings "Goodbye To You."  The words of this song resonate not only to Buffy who's hearing it sung live, but also to Willow and Tara as we see Tara packing some of her things in a box as she leaves Willow. Willow sits on the floor staring ahead almost hypnotized in sadness. She's on the verge of tears.  The look on her face is one of unspeakable sadness...even more so, if possible, than when she learned she pulled Buffy out of Heaven...or so it seems to me.

Spike, with his regular face, comes into the bar or nightclub and goes over to Buffy.  They don't talk.

Tara packs more items of hers and comes up to Willow. Willow runs away from her. Then she's seen sitting at the bottom of the stairs again. The running away seems to be a brief flashback. Michelle Branch's song is heard while we see Buffy and Spike and when we see Willow and Tara.

Spike and Buffy kiss passionately.

                                                          END

Episode Trivia
At one point during the memory lapse, Willow tells Dawn "I think I'm kinda gay." Willow said the same thing about the Vampire Willow in episode 'Doppelgangland'.

The suit Spike wears for most of the episode is quite reminiscent of the one he wore in Xander's dream in the season 4 finale 'Restless'. During the same dream, Giles said he thought of Spike as a son, and during the memory lapse Spike comes to the conclusion that Giles and him are father and son.

When the memory-lacking gang decides to head to the hospital, Randyspike suggests they take Giles' car, adding "I'm sure he has some sort of mid-life crisis transport. Something red, shiny... shaped like a penis." Giles does indeed have a mid-life-mobile which was introduced in season 5's 'Real Me', and it is both red AND shiny. Not so much penis-shaped, though.

We are reminded again that Anya is terrified of 'bunnies'

The girl in the end of the episode is Michelle Branch singing "Goodbye to You"

 

"ONCE MORE WITH FEELING"

Season 6, Episode 7
Written and Directed by Joss Whedon
 


The opening theme and titles are different. The theme is the same, but in a different arrangement: Much along the lines of the 40's and 50's movie musicals; and the opening titles and cast pictures resemble the same period.

The opening scene is that of Buffy's bedroom and specifically her red alarm clock that rings.  She stops it from ringing.  Willow and Tara are arranging
flowers.  Dawn awakes as do Xander and Anya all in their respective rooms.

Scene change: Buffy sings "I've been going through the motions, walking through the part..." (2-4, F major) as she slays vamps.

Buffy, Spike and all the Scoobys are in the Magic Box and they ask each other if they've all experienced bursting into song for no reason at all.  Buffy says she doesn't remember.  Giles sings "It's just a theory, I surmise it's a demon..." (2-4, A Major) very briefly.

Buffy is seen dancing in the manner of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

The entire company joins in except Dawn who's still at school.  The sequence ends with Buffy singing "There's nothing we can't face except for bunnies!" (Buffy sounds like Jewel to me.)

The entire company ask again what's happening.

Dawn enters and says she just saw a film about a perodactyl giving birth.

Willow and Tara are walking along together in what looks like the college campus. They hold hands at times and Tara sings "I live my life in Willow's shadow..." (4-4 A Major).  The two are very happy and the scene changes to one of their bedrooms in which Tara continues singing but is levitating over the bed as she sings!  (Tara's voice much resembles folk singer Judy Collins in tone and amplitude.  She's a wonderful singer!)  Willow wears a light coloured dress, pink I think. Tara wears a two-colour dress light blue and tan, I think.

They then dance together.

Giles, Buffy, Dawn and Xander discuss what's going on and they have no clues. Xander guesses that whatever is going on, Willow and Tara are probably singing to each other as they speak.

A man in a suit is seen dancing and spinning around faster and faster until he's consumed by fire.  A demon looks on and says "That's Entertainment!" (Note: the name of a film made up of extracts from all the famous musicals of the '30's, '40's and '50s.)

Xander and Anya are in bed.  He's in pajamas and she's in red silk bikini nightclothes. Xander asks Anya if she would like breakfast. She says she would and they launch into song about each other's quirks and how little they mean because they both love each other.  Anya sings "My first claim to fame was vengeance and vengeance was mine..."  (2-4 C Major) Xander sings "She is the one, she is so fun, she is the passion..." and they embrace. There's a break (instrumental only) during which they dance like Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  Then they finish singing their song. (The music is much in the Stephen Sondheim style with an obstinate bass and many acerbic yet witty lyrics.)

Anya concludes her song with "...and when I'm old and wrinkly, will I look like David Brinkley?"  (This is a reference to an NBC Network news presenter based in Washington, D.C. His partner was Chet Huntley in New York in the '60s. "The Huntley-Brinkley Report."  Just by way of explanation....)

Buffy, Giles and Xander are walking along and talking.  A lady is seen singing to a traffic officer who's giving her a ticket presumably for not putting enough money in the parking meter.  Both she and the officer are singing!

Giles is talking about seeing people who "spontaneously combusted," referring to others like the man who was dancing furiously.

Spike is in his crypt and he's visited by Buffy.  "I've seen some strange things..." he sings. Buffy asks him if he knows about a demon who could be
doing this to all of them. Annoyed, Spike says "You just want to pump me for information?"  To which Buffy answers, "What else would I want to pump you for?  Oh, did i just say that?"

Spike sings "I died many years ago, you can make me feel like it isn't so..." (4-4 e minor)  He ends the song by singing "You're unimpressed, so let me
rest in peace."

The pair of them are seen walking through a graveyard and he continues singing. He jumps into a grave and into a coffin. Buffy jumps in on top of him. He sings the last line of his song again. Buffy runs off.

Tara and Dawn are talking.  They talk about what kind of demon can bring forth the singing and dancing everyone is experiencing.  Dawn says off handedly that she's glad to hear that she made up with Willow. Tara is astonished to hear Dawn say that. "We didn't fight!" exclaims Tara.  Dawn continues saying "I'm glad it's over."  Tara is very shaken by what she heard.  She rushes off to the "Magic Box."

Dawn, alone, looks at a jewelry box. She slowly takes a necklace out of the box and fastens it around her neck and she sings "Does anybody even notice? Does anybody even care?" (2-4 e minor)

Instantly, she's grabbed from behind by three demons who have faces resembling puppets.  Dawn screams.

Dawn is seen dancing in modern dance style in the next sequence. She has a blue top and black pants.  She sees the face of the demon behind the singing and dancing. He has a gold face and is wearing a red suit. When he tap dances and sings solo, the suit changes to a blue suit.  He dances up to Dawn and holds her and she dances away. There is an interplay in which she's pursued and escapes many times during this wonderful dance sequence.

The demon does the tap dance.  Dawn watches him intently and occasionally
joins him in some moves.

The puppet-face demons dance.

Dawn's costume of dancing tights changes instantly to a long silver ball gown.  "Come with me and be my queen..." the demon sings.

The demon tells the puppet-face demons to get The Slayer and bring her to him. "I want to see her burn!" he says menacingly.

Giles and Buffy are in the exercise room of the "Magic Box."  Giles sings "You're not ready for the world outside..." (4-4 d minor)  Buffy does a slow-motion flying kick, somersault and punches the punching bag, all in slow motion in time to what Giles is singing.

Tara rushes in, nervously, and starts rummaging through a volume in the library. She sees a picture and description of the flower that Willow gave her in the previous episode (that Willow caused to disappear.) The flower is named "Lethe's Bramble" and its known to take away memory.

Tara sings a sad song and Giles sings his own words to the same melody. "Wish I could stay..." (4-4 g minor) they sing.

Spike bursts in. He's captured one of the puppet-face demons and has him by the scruff of the neck.  Everyone looks on in astonishment and Spike says (having forced the truth from the demon) that the head demon wants Buffy and he has Dawn. "Dawn is in trouble...it must be Tuesday." says Buffy laconically.

Giles says the best thing would be for Buffy to go alone. Spike is angry to hear this. Willow suggests a confusion spell, but Tara shouts out sharply "No!  I don't think that will help!" Willow looks at Tara, surprised at her outburst.  Spike leaves abruptly, saying "I hope you're done till you burn...you and the Little Bit."

Buffy walks alone to the demon lair and signs "I will walk through the
fire...(4-4 d minor)

Spike sings the same melody as he's seen in his crypt.  Giles sings, then Xander and Anya come in.

Buffy sings "So one by one they turn from me...they never can be told." 

Buffy doesn't notice that everyone is following her, but at a distance. They all sing "We will walk through the fire, let it burn."

Buffy reaches the demon's lair and knocks the front door down.  She's wearing a black leather jacket, red top and black pants.

Buffy and the demon exchange words.  "I love a good entrance." says the demon. "How are you with death scenes?" asks Buffy.  Buffy says she'll accompany him to Hell if she can't destroy him.

Dawn looks on.

"Life is a show and we all play our part..." Buffy sings.  (4-4 C Major)

She sings and attacks the demon as the puppet-face demons dance.

Buffy dances like Spears or Aguilera with much flashing strobe lights.  She's joined by Anya on her left and Tara on her right who join her dance.

Then Buffy dances solo and sings "There was no pain, no fear, no doubt, till they pulled me out of Heaven!"

Everyone is stunned and stops cold and listens to what Buffy just sang.

"...so give me something to sing about!" sings Buffy.

Buffy's dance is now more frenzied and abandoned as she tosses her head and hair around and swivels her hips angrily and furiously.

Spike appears suddenly and comes up to Buffy. He sings "Life isn't Hell, it's living.  We'll get along...the pain you feel can only be healed by living."  Buffy, astonished, listens to him.

Dawn comes forward and speaks: "The hardest thing about life is to live in it."  (Hearing and seeing this stunned me, too...it's the exact same thing
Buffy said to Dawn in her final moments in "The Gift."  I feel just as stunned right now.)

Willow, with a look of supreme hatred and anger on her face and with a very menacing voice says to the demon "Get out of here."

The demon is seen with Dawn. "Who summoned me?" the demon asks.

"I did." says Xander who also raises his hand. "I thought I was only summoning singing and dancing! Does this mean I have to be your queen?!"

The demon sings "See you all in Hell!" (4-4 g minor)  He sings, dances and disappears!

Everyone is still frozen and stunned by what Buffy told them about being taken from Heaven.

The entire company sings "Where do we go from here?" This is a very emotional moment; and everyone raises his and her right hand and look forward.

"Bugger this!" says Spike angrily and leaves.

Buffy quickly follows him.  "Get your 'Kumbaya' out and stay with them." Spike taunts. ("Kumbaya" is the famous African song meaning "Oh, Lord, come to us here."

Spike sings "I just want to feel..."

Buffy throws her arms around him and she and Spike kiss passionately!

                                                              END

Episode Trivia
The episode's original score, songs and lyrics were written by "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon, with the music being composed by Christophe Beck.
Sarah Michelle Gellar was about to have someone else sing her songs and she was going to sing in the background, until she realized how emotional they were and didn't want anyone else to sing them.

At the end of Buffy's "Life's A Show" song, Dawn tells her "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." Buffy said the same thing to Dawn at the end of "The Gift".

Willow makes reference to a theory of how "some kid is dreaming and we're all stuck inside his wacky broadway nightmare." This is a sort of culmination of the scoobies experience with nightmare realms seen in other episodes, starting with Season 1's 'Nightmares'.

The premiere airing of this episode runs 8 minutes longer than normal.

The trio of street-sweepers that Giles and company walk past appear to be performing the dance of the Chimney-Sweeps from Mary Poppins.

The "Mustard Man" was played by Co-Executive Producer David Fury.

The "Parking Ticket Woman" was played by Executive Producer Marti Noxon

In Marti Noxon's parking ticket song, the last line she sings, which can barely be heard, is "Hey, I'm not wearing underwear."

The Mutant Enemy logo sings the "grr arg" at the end of the episode.

Alyson Hannigan was mortified at her singing voice, so she specifically requested to have no song of her own and very few singing lines.
The producers managed to work Alyson Hannigan's request to have as few singing lines as possible into the plot: when Tara professes her love to Willow (in song), does Willow feel the same way? (Willow seems reluctant to sing.)

Tara's song to Willow is literal as she is still under Willow's anmesia spell.

Buffy's "Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday" line alludes to the show normally airing on Tuesday nights.
 

 

 

 "ALL THE WAY"
Season 6, Episode 5
Written by Steven S. DeNight


At the "Magic Box," customers are seen buying all manner of goods for Hallowe'en. Some are in costume, others aren't.  Xander is dressed as a
pirate and he talks in the sing-song manner we know from films.  He's talking to a little boy who isn't impressed by his manner of speaking: He's not afraid at all.

Anya is operating the cash register; and all the Scoobies are helping to put the customers' purchases in bags as fast as they can.  Anya is delighted that the shop is making so much money.  She says "Everything's half off, including the 'Magic Box.'  She's wearing an orange top and pattern skirt and says she's an "angel."  When ask to explain, she says she's a "Charlie's Angel" (after the 1970's female detective TV series in which the "angels" fight much
like Buffy.)

Dawn enters wearing a black dress and she and Anya have a bit of a disagreement about Hallowe'en. "Hallowe'en's so lame," says Dawn. Tara comes up to her and says "I'll show you some spells!" to which Dawn smiles broadly and rushes off with Tara, her interest in Hallowe'en re-animated.

Willow is having an argument with a woman customer dressed in the stereotypical witch costume with pointy hat. Willow insists that all witches
aren't the stereotypical ones, but her argument has little persuasion against the customer.

A little girl, dressed in the same black dress and pointed hat  comes up to Willow and, while smiling broadly, asks Willow about "trick or treat," and Willow's mood lightens.

Buffy isn't dressed in a costume but in a light brown top and pants. She's bringing in some supplies. Spike enters and they decide they ought to patrol, Halloween or not.  Giles is dressed in a wizard's cloak and he's busily bagging customers' purchases.

A dour-looking man in a brown suit and brown hat is seen walking slowly to his house and humming "Pop Goes the Weasel." He enters the kitchen and takes a large knife out of a drawer and looks at it for a long time.

Dawn closes the "Magic Box": it's closing time and the last customer has left.  She and the Scoobies are sitting on the floor since they're all tired from working so hard. Willow says she can chant a "self-cleaning incantation" but this idea is dismissed by Giles. "Look what it did for Mickey," in a reference to Mickey Mouse's appearance in the Walt Disney film "Fantasia", part of which shows Mickey as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" who, all to eager to show his mastery, conjures up a bevy of brooms to help sweep clean, only to have the Sorcerer stop the runaway magic.

Dawn and Anya are counting the money and they dance and laugh as they hold the money in the air. "It's the 'capitalist superiority dance' !" Anya
explains, good-naturedly.

Xander comes in and he and Anya tell everyone that they're getting married.

"Oh, my God!" says Dawn.

"Congratulations!" says Tara.

"Wow!" says Buffy.

Giles and Buffy discuss what they've just heard.  "I didn't know anything
about it!" says Giles. 

All toast drinks and pass around snacks and celebrate. All, that is, except for Willow and Tara. They're having a disagreement.  Tara tells Willow she shouldn't have used spellcraft to conjure up the decorations. Willow defends her actions. Dawn sees them arguing and her expression changes to a frown. She walks away quickly.

Xander and Buffy hug.  "It used to be that you had to pay a girl to date you!" Buffy chides, teasingly.  "I got a tattoo!" Dawn says. Buffy is
astonished. "Over my dead body...the kind that doesn't come back!"

Dawn asks Buffy for permission to let her sleep over at her friend, Janice's house, which is four blocks away.  Buffy agrees, but very reluctantly.

On the dark street, Dawn is seen walking to Janice's house. She's now wearing a black shirt and black skirt and a corduroy jacket. She becomes scared and thinks she's being watched. Dawn grabs a baseball bat and arms herself with
it.  Something moves suddenly and she screams: It's Janice and all's well.  They decide to go to the park.

In the park, Dawn and Janice meet Janice's boyfriend and his friend whose name is Justin (spelling?)  He and Dawn meet and pair up.  They decide what they'd like to do on their first date.

They walk along the street; and one of the guys throws a piece of fruit at someone's poster of a witch that makes Dawn angry.  She defends witches and tries to dispel the stereotypes and Justin wonders if she has any friends who are witches.

The guys now walk together and the girls decide to walk behind them at somewhat of a distance. 

Giles and Xander talk about the necessity of arranging for a down payment for a house and other practicalities of married life.

The guys, Dawn and Janice arrive at a house with a jack-o-lantern in front. They say it's the house of "old Karletenbach" whose known to be very eccentric.  Dawn reluctantly agrees to ring the doorbell, but before she does that, she picks up the jack-o-lantern and looks at it. Karletenbach grabs Dawn from behind and invites her and her friends into his house.

They sit on a sofa looking at various toys that surround them, including an old-fashioned robot and a jack-in-the-box that they notice has no head. 

"I was a toymaker," says Karletenbach. "I made one mistake in 1958 and then they took away my toys. Now who wants to help Daddy in the kitchen?" 

Karletenbach picks up the knife again and looks at it. Justin says "Boo!" and he appears in feral form (the wild vampire face).  Justin bites Karletenbach and Dawn, Janice and her boyfriend run out of the house.

Xander, Anya, Buffy and Giles plan the wedding.  Anya says she wants a "June wedding."  Looking ahead a bit, Giles says "Rupert is a strong name!" thinking about their naming a son Rupert.  "The main thing is that you're happy," says Buffy.

Xander and Buffy go out. She tells him that "life is supposed to work out this way."

Spike appears and he and Buffy decide to go on patrol.

Dawn and Justin walk along the sidewalk.  He asks her what grade she's in and
she tells him she's a freshman. As a ploy to make her seem appealing and
tough, she tells him that she has stolen before. "I steal all the time...I've never paid for lipstick." It's getting colder and Justin puts his sweater around her.

Buffy is walking slowly on patrol and she has a serious look on her face, which contrasts vividly with the holiday-makers who are walking by her as they laugh and kiss. 

Buffy sees a man being carried on a gurney and sees he's been bitten on the throat.  At Buffy's house where a Halloween party is going on, Giles answers the telephone and immediately shuts off the C.D. player to the annoyance of the couples dancing.  Janice's mother is calling to find out where she is. Giles says he's going to look for Buffy and check the cemetery; Willow and Tara decide to check downtown.

Janice and her boyfriend are seen kissing.  Dawn and Justin go to Justin's car and they sit in it and talk.  Justin notices how cold Dawn looks and says she's trembling  They look at each other for a long time. Justin says in a low voice "I want a bite of  you," and they kiss for a long time.

Justin asks Dawn if this was her first kiss. "I kiss all the time," is her answer.  "...not that I'm a kiss slut...did I bite your lip, I'll bet I
drooled on you," giving away the fact that this is her first kiss. "It was perfect," says Justin. They kiss again for a long time.

At a downtown club, Willow and Tara are looking for Dawn there, since it's a likely place for young people to go to.  Willow gets an idea to send all those over the age of 15 to an alternate dimension for just an instant, the better to spot Dawn. She starts to chant "One among many, many fade to one..." when Tara interrupts her and says "What if something goes wrong? This provokes an argument between them, but not a shouting argument.  Tara tells Willow she's using too much magic but then backpeddles and says she should have kept her mouth shut, to which Willow says "It's a damn good time to start," to which Tara says "If I didn't love you so much, I would."  Tara
rushes off.

Dawn and Justin are still kissing.  "You're so beautiful!" says Justin.  Saying that, his face changes into feral form.

Spike tells Buffy that Giles is looking for Dawn. Buffy is surprised to hear this news. Spike says he already checked the tunnels; and says Giles said he was on his way to check the cemetery.

Giles is at the cemetery; and, with flashlight in hand, looks around very carefully. He trips and falls.  He hears screams. He leaps to his feet and runs to where the screams came from. He finds Janice tied up and being bitten by her boyfriend.

Giles and he fight and Giles eventually slays him.  He looks around and sees Dawn being grabbed by Justin.  Giles is ready to take Justin on, but finds himself surrounded by perhaps six or eight male and female vampires.

Spike and Buffy appear right at that moment and all fight.  "You're sister's The Slayer?" asks Justin surprised. "I knew there was something strange about you."

Spike is having no difficulty taking down one of the vampires who's taunting him about the computer chip in his brain and its making Spike less of a fighter.  "I'm a marvel...you're an idiot," he says and pulls a crossbow out of his jacket and shoots a bolt into the vampire vanquishing him.

Buffy is throwing down with the other vampires and has no trouble in taking them down, but Justin is fighting back and countering every attack move she makes.  Both are thrown down and get the other pinned on the top of the car, but Buffy somersaults out of danger easily.  She softens him up with a fierce barrage of punches and flying kicks and slams the door on him.

He escapes and tries to attack Dawn. He throws her to the ground and holds her there. While she's helpless on the ground, he positions himself on top of her. Trying to keep some measure of composure, Dawn says "I thought you liked me," but there's no time to hear his reply because Buffy stakes him.

Spike and Buffy congratulate each other on a good fight.

At the Summers House, Willow, Tara, Giles, Buffy, Spike and Dawn wish each other good night.

Giles talks to Dawn who's taking things very hard.  "Is this where you give me the lecture?" she asks, "...and say you forgive me?"  "I'm rather mad at you," says Giles, quietly but uncompromisingly. 

In the last scene, Willow and Tara are in their room. "I'm sorry," Willow says.  "It's not that easy," says Tara. Willow holds a flower in her hand and says "Forget." The flower disappears.

Tara is in bed and Willow comes to bed. "Every day should end this way," says Tara. "...and every night...," says Willow. "...and everything in
between...," says Tara. 

                                                             END

 

"LIFE SERIAL"
Season 6, Episode 5
Written by: David Fury and Jane Espenson

Buffy comes into her house carrying a large bucket of fried chicken she brought for dinner.  Dawn, Giles, Willow and Tara are seated at the dining
table and they've already finished eating.  Giles, Willow and Tara say they're ready to eat again; and Willow says she's, with double entendre, she's a "breast girl" in eager anticipation of eating the fried chicken and with equal intent not to disappoint Buffy. 

Dawn asks Buffy about her meeting with Angel. Buffy's face is inexpressive as is her answer.  "It was intense...it's in the past...I'd rather keep it to myself."  No one presses her for more information and she offers nothing further.

Giles asks what her future plans are.  Buffy says that she dropped out of college at the time of Joyce's illness and she was thinking about re-registering, but the deadline passed while she was dead.  Willow suggests that she audit the classes she and Tara are taking and Buffy agrees.

The "Teen Guys," (whose names are Jonathan, Warren and Andrew but whom I can't differentiate) who call themselves "The Trio," are seen in their van surrounded by the latest video and audio equipment. They intend to spy on her. "Tomorrow the games begin...The Slayer won't know what hit her!" boasts one.

In a social studies class, Buffy is highly uncomfortable since the level of discourse of the instructor and all the students is such that she (and we) can't follow what's being said, let alone understand it.  The instructor calls upon a student who gives a glib answer. Willow raises her hand to answer another question and her answer is equally as complicated, long-winded and abstruse as the first student who answered. 

At the end of the class, Buffy is disheartened and tells Willow plainly. Buffy is bumped into by one of The Trio very abruptly and they don't recognize each other.

He talks to the other two via hidden microphone and they respond by saying that they can hear him perfectly as well as see him by means of portable video cameras.

Tara and Buffy now go to Tara's art appreciation class.  Buffy becomes disoriented when she starts to hear a strange white noise that keeps coming into her consciousness.  Tara tells Buffy that she missed the art class and Buffy is astounded to hear that.  She looks at a clock on the wall and its hands are seen to speed ahead from noon to 12:10.  Everything is now sped up.  Students are seen "flying by" as you'd see in a film being run at twice the normal speed. 

Buffy falls to the ground. She regains her composure and she takes her jacket off.  She detects a small electronic "bug" that's been attached to her jacket (by the Trio member who bumped into her) and she holds it in her hand and studies it. It disappears since the other two Trio members make it do so from their van command post.

Buffy and Xander are seen at Xander's construction job site. Both she and he are wearing yellow hard-hats.  Xander got Buffy a job working with him. He introduces her to his mates, but they're dismissive of her and contemptuous into the bargain. They don't think a woman --- especially someone of Buffy's stature --- can begin to do the job properly.  Buffy extends her hand for one of the crew to shake and he blatantly ignores her.  Another calls her "Brittany."  "It's Buffy!" she says angrily.Yet another calls her "Gidget" (after the 1960's movie teen idol).  Their disdain for her vanishes when they see her pick up a large steel beam and carry it with not one jot of difficulty or strain. They pay her grudging respect.

One of The Trio is seen in the van playing a set of panpipes that causes a high-pitched sound to be heard by all and sundry.

All at once, several demons are seen attacking Buffy and the crew; and Buffy swings into attack mode. She takes them all down with ease. She swings on an overhead bar and kicks one in front of her and one behind her. She forces a shovel lying on the ground into her hand by stomping on the shovel and grabbing the shaft as it reacts to the force being applied; and she quickly stakes one of the demons with it.

Several of the crew are crying for help and several others are just crying. Buffy saves them all. 

Astonishingly, no one remembers what happened! Worse, all they see is the damage done to their  construction work and they start to criticize Buffy in every conceivable way.  Xander tries to tell them what happened...Buffy cries "I saved you!" but they'll hear nothing of it. Xander is forced to fire Buffy.

Xander realizes Buffy is being used by some evil forces and urges her to talk to Giles as soon as possible.

The Trio now draw a red magic circle and one of them lights a paper and chants something in Latin. There's a lot of smoke that issues forth and the three plotters cough and cough.

At the Magic Box, Buffy is learning how to be a salesperson from Anya and Giles. Giles tells her that she'll make a sale if she concentrates on helping the customer rather than concentrating on making the sale.

A man enters and asks for just the right candles that will create the most romantic atmosphere.  Buffy makes a suggestion. A woman enters and asks Buffy for an article in order to cast a prosperity spell...a mummy's hand.  Buffy goes to the basement storeroom in search of it.

This sequence repeats three times...each time Buffy tries to break the time loop...but she doesn't succeed.  The first time she searches for the mummy's hand, it's moving and she stabs it. The woman refuses to buy it because it's "damaged goods." The second time Buffy goes to retrieve it, it's seen "walking."  The third time it's retrieved, it grabs Buffy around the throat.

Buffy pulls the door bell out off the wall in anger.  Buffy tells the woman the mummy's hand is defective and she'll have to place an order for another.  She accepts this explanation and leaves. 

Giles compliments Buffy on completing her first sale, but Anya points out that she forgot to charge for delivery; and, further, that the delivery charge will be deducted from Buffy's pay packet. 

Buffy visits Spike in his crypt.  He offers her a drink of whiskey that she takes. She tells him that she's messed up her life. He says she belongs with him...in the demon world...the underground world...where he lives, asks questions, throws punches and finds out all kinds of information.  He pours Buffy another drink that she downs with gusto.  She shakes her head vigorously and reacts to the many shots of whiskey that she's drunk.  "You're a creature of the darkness, just like me," says Spike.

Convinced, Buffy goes with Spike to a bar frequented by some of his friends and cronies.  Buffy grabs a bottle of whiskey and tilts her head back as she drinks straight from the bottle.

Spike goes to a back room where all manner of demons are seated around a table playing poker.  Spike plays cards while Buffy drinks whiskey.  She notices that they're playing for kittens instead of money!

Buffy is cross with Spike, but he excuses himself momentarily from the card game to tell Buffy that while the demons play they also talk; and he intends to glean as much information from them as possible about what's going on.

Buffy is seen getting more drunk as she up-ends the whiskey bottle.  The Trio are seen driving to an unknown destination in their van.

One of the players thinks Spike is cheating.  "A big fight is what you need!" he cries. 

Buffy is mumbling about her failed attempts at construction work and sales.

The Trio are talking about who the best James Bond actor is and what the best James Bond film is.

Spike roughs up the demons then rushes out along with Buffy. They see a mysterious van parked nearby; and Buffy says she remembers seeing it while she was auditing a class.

Buffy approaches the van.  A demon with two horns and wings springs forth. Buffy attacks it by punching and by kicking, but her punches are so weak and ill-focused that they have no effect (because of her drinking) and her kicks land her flat on the ground also with no effect.

A puff of smoke is seen and it's believed the demon has blown himself up.  The "demon" re-appears by the side door of the van: It's one of The Trio!  "Next time, you can be the demon!" he says to his mates.

Buffy comes back to the Magic Shop and Giles gives her a drink of water. "I didn't find the demon" he tells her, referring to the research he did based upon her description.  Buffy sits on the floor. "I'm really screwing up, Giles. I let the demon set the rules." 

Giles hands Buffy a check. She looks at it and smiles and says "It's too much...I can't take it."  Not missing a beat, she says "I just said that to
be polite! I'm taking the check!  It's a little like having Mom back...would you be my rakish, absentee father?"

 "How about an uncle?" asks Giles. 

"I'm gonna show this to Dawn," Buffy says, referring to the check.  "This makes me feel better knowing you're always gonna be here."

Giles smiles a pensive smile.

                                                          END

Episode Trivia
This episode marks the third time Buffy gets drunk in the series so far. Buffy first touched alcohol in season 2's 'Reptile Boy' (which wasn't really her fault as it was spiked), and then 'Beer Bad' in season 4 is the first time she really drinks heavily. Here she drinks so much she can hardly stand up.
Joss is pushing the "Beer Bad" message to the fans as none of the 'good' characters have drunk alcohol without consequences: Xander in 'Teacher's Pet', Willow in 'Something Blue', Giles in 'The Dark Age' and 'The Yoko Factor' and Buffy.

 

"FLOODED"
Season 6, Episode 4
Written by Douglas Petrie and Jane Espenson


Buffy is seen walking slowly and looking around the basement of the Summers house.  "I've got you at last, Mr. Drippy," she says to the faucet she sees that's running incessantly.  Dawn enters and offers to call a plumber.  With yet another turn of the wrench, Buffy succeeds in flooding the entire basement. Dawn screams and runs upstairs. Buffy is unaffected and says to herself "There...all better."

Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara are in the kitchen.  There's a sink faucet that's running uncontrollably.  Buffy stares at it.  Willow goes over to the faucet and turns it off! 

Xander and a plumber come in and the plumber says that the entire plumbing system has to be replaced. He says it needs a copper pipe job.  Xander says that the cost is less than it usually runs.

Willow and Buffy discuss the many money problems that have arisen.  Tara says that although Joyce provided more than adequately for her and Dawn by way of insurance policies, much of the proceeds have been used up to pay for her hospital bills.

Buffy suggests that they burn the house down and collect the insurance.  All look at her aghast. "I'm kidding!" she retorts.

Anya suggests that Buffy should start charging people for slaying vampires and saving their lives.  Dawn protests: "You can't do that!"

This idea provokes an argument between Anya and Xander who argue about whether Spiderman accepts any fees for his derring-do.  The argument moves on to the question of not telling anyone about their engagement, which Anya is decidedly in favor of. Xander tells her that he's only recently been a breadwinner; and he's only recently moved out of his parents' house. Furthermore, he tells Anya that marriage is a big step; and he wants to be sure that he's handling every part of their relationship as best he can before he agrees to make the announcement. Anya is touched.  They kiss and the argument is ended. "You tricked me!" she gibes.

Buffy is seeking a bank loan.  She's dressed in a business-like manner with rust-coloured jacket and black skirt and blackhigh- heeled shoes. Her hair is pulled back in a bun and she has business makeup on.  She's practicing asking the loan officer for the money in many differing inflections.

The loan officer, Carl Savitzky, seats himself to her left. He's a middle-aged balding man with horned-rim glasses in a conservative but
impressive business suit. Buffy says that she's willing to put the house up for collateral, but he answers that the house has been losing value of late, so re-financing is out of the question.  Furthermore, he tells Buffy that since she has no job and no income, the loan is otu of the question.

Instantly, a demon is seen crashing through the entrance; and as everyone screams and scatters, Buffy says to herself "No job? I wish."

Buffy and the demon throw down. Savitzky leaps for cover behind a desk.  She immediately is thrown across the room and lands hard on the floor.  It's the skirt that's keeping her from fighting at peak form; and, with a nod to Savitzky and an appeal not to get upset, she tears her skirt so as to give her more legroom.  Once done, she attacks him with full force. A policeman draws his pistol and yells at the demon "Get away from the girl!" Buffy is thrown at the policeman and she takes the pistol out of his hand saying "These things never work against demons."  She continues her assault and the demon runs out of the bank.

Buffy asks Savitzky whether she can have her loan, now that she's saved his life.

Willow and Buffy are talking while Buffy is punching her punching bag as hard
 s she can. There's a look of anger on her face.  They're talking about the money problems that are continuing, especially since she wasn't able to secure a loan.

Willow is all too aware of Buffy's unchanging temperament and she tries intentionally to provoke her and get a rise out of her. "Last semester, I slept with Riley."  Buffy just stares at her. "I lied. I mean I slept with Angel." 

"Why are you saying this?" Buffy asks. Willow tells her the reason, but with
no observable result.

Willow and Tara are searching through some volumes in the hope of finding the kind of demon Buffy has been fighting.  Dawn comes in and asks Tara to be allowed to help in the research and also learn something about demons. Tara tries to dissuade her, but Dawn answers that she will only find out what she wants to know "on the streets."  Persuaded, Tara relents and gives Dawn a volume. Dawn leafs through its pages and says offhandedly, "That's a weird place for a horn."  "That's not a horn," responds Tara with a raised eyebrow and a revealing grin to this ribald saying that somehow isn't off-putting having been said by Dawn.

Buffy comes in and verfies that the photograph of the demon in the volume matches the demon she fought at the bank.

The door opens and...it's Giles!  He hugs Buffy "You're alive, you're here and your still remarkably strong!" he says as she throws her arms around him. "You're...."
"...a miracle!" says Buffy, completing his sentence.  "I've always thought so!" he says.

Meanwhile, the demon is seen pacing around nowhere in particular.

Giles says that while he was in England, he met with the Watchers' Council and with a few of his friends and even made a new friend, which he said, is rather remarkable at his age. He tells Buffy that leaving Sunnydale was difficult but coming back was bewildering.  "How are you, really?" he asks. "You look tired."

"It's from waking up in the box." answers Buffy. "I have dreams...but I sleep
O.K."

Anya comes up to Buffy and hugs her.  Anya then hugs Giles, but reminds him that she is still the owner of The Magic Shop which he doesn't protest.  Giles says that he knows of the demon in question by reputation.

The demon meets with his employers...three teenage guys.  The demon demands of them that he wants the head of The Slayer.  "We can do that." one of them says.  Getting the impression that he's being played with, the demon tells the teens that he will kill the leader. "I am." "No: he is." is the immediate response from them. They tell him they will give him anything he wants, their first idea being a robot girlfriend.

The demon demands that The Slayer be killed. "Make sure she endures pain."

Giles and Buffy continue their conversation about the money problems. "I put them out of my mind...then I wake up at 4 A.M. terrified." admits Buffy. Giles expresses his immeasurable sorrow over what Buffy went through and promises to help her solve the problems confronting her.  "We will work it out together." he re-assures her.

The three teens argue about killing The Slayer.  "I don't want to kill her." says one. "She saved my life a lot. She's hot."

One of the teens gives the demon her address.

Giles and Willow are talking. He's asking her about what kind of spell she used to bring Buffy back to life.  Willow tells him about the Oriris jar and the snake and the masses of energy and the demon motorcyclists, to which Giles angrily responds "You're a very stupid girl!"

Willow is taken aback at his remark.  "Did you have any idea what you were doing?" he reposts angrily.  Giles tells her how much he tried to teach her about respecting the forces of nature and that they musn't be tampered with.  Willow defends her actions, saying she knew exactly what she was doing and that she knew the spell would work and that she wasn't going to let Buffy remain dead.  Giles retorts that he spell gone wrong could have unleashed Hell on earth and killed them all.

"The word you should be looking to say is congratulations!" she argues back angrily. "I wasn't lucky: I was amazing!"

Giles doesn't stop his verbal attack on Willow and says that other could have done what she did and that she ranks among the amateurs even though she is powerful.

Willow glares at Giles with steely eyes and her mouth tightened in anger and says "You're right: I am a very powerful witch.  So maybe it's not such a good idea to piss me off!"

Giles lowers his voice and ends the confrontation by saying that he doesn't think that Buffy came back to life undamaged, but fails to say in what way or ways.

Buffy is seen listening to everything that's been said from her vantage point outside the house. A cigarette butt is seen falling to the ground by her
boots and she says without looking up "Hello, Spike."

The conversation is about Buffy's pretending to be happy to be brought back to life.  "They all care. That's what makes it all the harder."

Spike says jokingly "Want me to take them out? It'll give me a hell of a headache, but it would be worth it!" Buffy grins. "I knew I could get a grin out of you!" says Spike triumphantly.

Both sit down on the front porch.

Inside, Dawn and Giles are talking. Dawn says she doesn't sleep.  She asks him inoucuously, "Ever mix all of your breakfast cereals together and eat them?"

Instantly, the demon breaks into the house, knocking Giles to the ground and Dawn screams a blood-curdling scream.

"You're gonna pay for that door, buddy!" quips Buffy as she starts to throw down with the demon. Both fight furiously with punches; and Buffy administers her lethal flying kicks.  Spike charges into the house and grabs the demon from behind, but Buffy yells to him to open the door to the basement.  Spike does this and Buffy throws the demon down the stairs to the flooded basement below.

She charges the demon and punishes him with a large drainpipe that she smashes over his head eight times, the last few smashes she counts not with numbers but with words..."NO  ....  MORE  .....  COPPER ....... DRAINPIPE!!"

The demon is quite dead. Spike, not missing a beat, asks Buffy "Did you know that the place was flooded?"  Buffy closes her eyes and grits her teeth but says nothing.

The three teens talk about how they're certain Buffy will come after them and they muse over how they'll hypnotize her and use her for a sex slave.

The final scene is at the Summers house again.  Anya and Buffy talk about how to handle the mounting debt. Anya suggests charging.  Giles re-assures Buffy that he'll go over each and every bill with her and that he'll back her up in every way.

"I know I'm back in America." quips Giles. "I was knocked unconscious again."

Willow suggests eagerly that she could do a location spell to find any more evil-doers. "...or maybe not..." she says when Giles stares at her tellingly.

Giles and Buffy say very little but their gazes mean a lot. Buffy looks tired and sad.  Giles looks ready to help her out of her problems in any way he can.

The telephone rings. "Who's calling me?" ponders Buffy. "Everyone I know is here!"

While Buffy answers the telephone, Dawn tells Giles she can work in a sweatshop to earn money...a ventilated one.

Buffy returns quickly and announces to one and all: "Angel just called!" (At the end of yesterday night's "Angel" episode 'Carpe Noctem' , he's seen rushing up to Cordelia who says Willow called to say Buffy was alive.)

Buffy tells everyone that she and Angel have to meet. "In Los Angeles?" asks
Giles. "No...somewhere in between..." is Buffy's answer.  "Thank you for taking care
of this for me," Buffy says to all.

                                                            END

Episode Trivia
The trio who want to take over Sunnydale include Jonathan (who was a much rescued bystander in the early seasons and was featured in season 4's Superstar) and Warren who built himself a robot girlfriend in season 5's I Was Made to Love You and also built the BuffyBot.
The third member of the trio, Andrew, says he is the brother of Tucker Wells, who trained a pack of Hellhounds to attack the Prom (See Season 3 episode 'The Prom'). Andrew also claims to have trained winged monkeys to attack the school play, but this was never shown in any episode. Also, Tom Lenk, the actor who plays Andrew, was one of Harmony's minions in the Season 5 episode 'Real Me'

 

 

  "AFTER LIFE"
Season 6, Episode 3
Written by Jane Espenson

Reviewed By Les


                                                 

Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara are seen walking rapidly down a dark street. "She's at home!  She has to be there!" says Willow, obviously talking about Buffy.

A few demon motorcyclists race away. They're  stragglers who decided to leave after their leader was killed by Buffy in the previous episode.

Anya says "You screwed it up." 

"No!" says Willow.  "She's just tormented by being in the Hell dimension."

Buffy and Dawn are looking at their home from across the street. Buffy looks quizzically and without understanding.  Dawn tries to tell her that she lived there.

Inside the house, Buffy is more comprehending and speaks. "It's different."

"A little," says Dawn.  She tells Buffy that Willow and Tara are staying with her in Joyce's room. They're in that room because it's the biggest. Dawn shows Buffy around the house and shows her the computer Willow uses.

Dawn helps Buffy into a new white shirt after (presumably) helping her bathe. Buffy wears the white shirt and black pants and Dawn wears a t-shirt and pants.  We see Buffy's knuckles are still bloody.

Dawn tries to encourage Buffy to sit down and talk to her in more detail.  "What else is different?"

"Giles left." answers Dawn. 

Buffy is startled when she hears the front door lock being opened. The voice of Spike is heard calling to Dawn. He's completely unaware that Buffy is back among the living.  Matter-of-factly, he calls to Dawn in an angry voice, "Where are you? Hiding from me? I ought wring your..." Spike enters and sees Buffy. He's transfixed...as if hypnotized...he stares open-eyed and open mouthed but doesn't cry out.

He thinks it's Buffybot. He makes a few more inane and bristling comments to
Dawn, but continues to stare at Buffy all the while. She doesn't say
anything. 

"I think she's O.K." Dawn says in a very low but very telling voice.

Spike speaks in an equally low and knowing voice:  "She clawed her way out of
her coffin. I know: I've done it myself."

"Get some Mercurachrome and some bandages" Spike tells Dawn in an equally low
voice.

While Dawn is getting what Spike asked for, Buffy speaks with Spike.

"How long was I gone?"

"147 days...148 days today...that doesn't count."

They hold hands.

"It seemed a lot longer."

The Scoobies come in.

Dawn comes back and sees a pained expression on Buffy's face again and says
to Spike, "What did you do?"

"I'm O.K." says Buffy.

Xander asks if he can get Buffy anything. "Pizza? She likes Pizza!"

Dawn replies to Xander's comment and those of the other Scoobys by saying angrily "Guys! Back off!"

Buffy says softly, "I just want to go to sleep."

Willow says "Be happy!  We got you out! We really did it!" and smiles, trying to raise her spirits.

Willow says in her humourous way, "She's O.K.! She used to go to bed all the
time!"

The gang leaves and Buffy goes to her bedroom.

Outside the house, Xander and Anya are walking home when suddenly Xander is accosted by Spike who grabs him by the shoulders and forces him roughly against a wall.

"You didn't tell me!" he screams.  "I worked beside you all Summer!"

Spike is angrily coming up with a scenario in his mind that he thinks was the reason why he wasn't told about the resurrection spell. "Willow knew she'd come back wrong and she knew I wouldn't let her alone if that happened!"

Xander changes his tack and in a very soft, non-combative voice tells Spike "Admit it: Wasn't seeing Buffy alive again your happiest moment?"

Spike, not completely spent of his anger, says menacingly "There's always consequences...ALWAYS!"  Saying that, he leaps to his motorcycle and rides swiftly away.

Tara and Willow are in their bedroom readying for the night's sleep. Tara is combing her hair and Willow is rubbing something (cold cream? moisturizer?) onto her arms. They're talking about Buffy, of course.

"She'll come back," says Tara softly.

"Yeah," says Willow, in an equally soft voice.

"Are you worried?" asks Tara. 

"It's all good." answers Willow.

The two get into bed and Tara is on the left and Willow is on the right.

"If you're worried, I'll still love you." says Tara soothingly. Willow has a worried and concerned look on her face throughout.

The pair continue their discussion and Tara continues to comfort Willow by her answers as she puts her arm around her. "Is this better?" Tara asks rhetorically as she does so.

"Wouldn't you think she'd be happier?" asks Willow.

"She is." says Tara reassuringly.

"Well, I'd like to hear her say thank you I'm selfish enough to say," Willow admits.

In her bedroom, Buffy is sitting on the edge of the bed in the dark.  She looks at all the pictures of herself with the Scoobies and Dawn that are on
her bureau.  But their faces turn to skulls and they're seen as being skeletons with clothes.

Buffy runs to Willow and Tara's bedroom and starts screaming at them both in an angry and mostly nonsensical way: "Bitches! You cut its throat, didn't you?!  Did you pet it until it was dead?!  I know about what you are!"

Willow and Tara look aghast and frightened at the raving Buffy standing before them.

Suddenly, she disappears. 

"Was it a dream?" asks Willow. "I want to find out what in the furry heck is going on!" she tells Tara.

Buffy is seen sleeping soundly and peacefully in her bed.

At Anya and Xanders's Anya is goading Xander to play a word game with her! He's doing his best to get to sleep.

She becomes more insistent and Xander gets up.  Anya is seen glaring at him with only the white portion of her eyes visible and a maniacal grin on her face.  She laughs cruelly.  Instantly, she falls to the floor in a faint.  We see a shape underneath the carpet --- undefined and unidentified --- racing out of the room.

Anya, Xander, Willow and Tara are conferring about what the four of them experienced the night before.  Willow has an idea that what possessed Buffy and Anya was a "hitchiker."  I was a demon that entered the Earthly dimension
at the same time Buffy was resurrected.

"It's a Hell Beasty," said Willow.

Buffy comes in and she tells her friends about the horrifying experience she had when she looked at their photographs only to see them turn to skulls and skeletons; and that when she awoke in the morning, all photographs were as they normally are.

Dawn, Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara gather while Willow looks through an old tome in search of the kind of demon they're now having to deal with.  Willow narrows the search to five possibilities that are able to move trans-dimensionally.

Xander asks if any of them should look for more possibilities or whether she thinks she's narrowed the search sufficiently.

"I miss Giles," says Buffy.

"He's coming back! I called him!" answers Willow happily.

"I think I should patrol." says Buffy.  And she's seen walking slowly in the graveyard by herself.

Dawn calls out to her as she walks out the door, "I'll be all right. You don't have to worry about me." Having said that, we see her eyes showing
their whiteness only as her mouth is twisted into an angry scowl.  She glares at the Scoobys and in a fraction of a second, a burst of fire is seen pouring out of her mouth!  Dawn faints as quickly as the fire came.

The Scoobys rush out of the way; and seeing Dawn fainting, some come to her aid while others put out the fire.

She revives and is completely unaware of what just happened.

In Spike's crypt, he's seen purposely hitting his hand against a wall and it appears he's been crying.  He grabs a meat cleaver and hides it behind his back as he hears someone or something coming into his lair.  It's Buffy!

Buffy and Spike sit and engage in idle banter. It's dark inside the crypt. She's on the left; he's on the right.

"Willow's getting pretty strong, isn't she?" he asks, knowing full well Buffy agrees.

More on point, Spike says in a low and telling voice, "I promised to protect her. If I had done it, you wouldn't have had to jump.  I see it every night.  I did save you ... once ... I carried your corpse."

Tara and Xander are talking.  Xander asks Tara if Willow's spell would have any adverse consequences.  Tara answers that Willow knew exactly what she was doing and that she didn't foresee or in any way expect anything to go wrong.

Willow comes in joyously and says "I figured it out!  Monogenesis! (I think.) We created a being!  It has a soul but no body...it's soul lives between existence and non-existence, but the Ego is here...it borrows bodies!"

Dawn comes in and hearing only part of the explanation or not understanding all of it, says "You can't do that!  You can't bring her back only to give her away again! That's worse than not bringing her back at all!"

Tara assures Dawn that they'll find another way than that.

Willow says that the demon can live forever only if the host is killed.

"Thanks for the tip!" shouts Xander/demon as his eyes are blazing white and his mouth twisted demonically.

Buffy is alone in her room. There's a white mist that comes up and surrounds her.  It's attacking her and she fights it off as best she can by swatting at it and punching at it. But there's no form.  Buffy is grabbed from behind as the mist is seen to take a shape and grow a head. Buffy is being squeezed around her middle and she's trying desperately to free herself.

Willow and Tara are holding hands and chanting together with their eyes closed. Both witches are in deep concentration and the sound of the chant is forceful.  They're trying to give the mist a body so that Buffy can kill it! "Give thee substance, give thee mass" is part of their chant.

Also at that moment, Anya, Xander and Dawn are driving as fast as they can to the Summers house. 

Buffy frees herself as the mist now has a humanoid form and a head. Buffy grabs an axe and she struggles with it for possession with the demon. Buffy wrests the axe from the demon and swings: With great strength she cuts off the head of the demon.

Just at that moment, Anya, Xander and Dawn break into the room and Dawn says,
quite fearlessly, "I guess that's one of the things I'm not supposed to see,
huh?"

Dawn is seen walking out of the house on her way to school.  Buffy appears and gives her a lunch bag: She has made lunch for Dawn and urges her to take it to school with her.  "You know, you haven't been to school for a while, and if you fail history, you'll have to repeat it."

Both sisters hug and share and luxuriate in that moment of demonstrated love.

"I'm back to normal. It will all be better now." says Buffy.

"They just want to see you happy!" says Dawn.

Xander, Anya, Willow Tara talk.  "I was in Hell. I can't say too much what it was like." says Buffy.

"It was Willow. She knew what to do." says Tara.

Willow is seen in tears of joy.

Buffy says to her, "You gave me back my world. I can't tell you what it means to me.  I should have told you before."  Willow and Buffy hug.

In the final scene, Spike and Buffy are talking yet again. 

"Buffy...Slayer...are you O.K?" asks Spike.

"I'm here...I'm good here." is her reply.

Spike looks intently at Buffy, never taking his eyes off her; and he listens to her speak. He's amazed and troubled.

"Are you in pain?  If you need anything or if there's anything I can do for you..."

"You can't do anything.  I was happy. I was at peace. I don't understand theology.  I think I was in Heaven.  All that time...it was warm...I could see all my friends were fine. Everything here is hard and violent.  This is Hell knowing what I lost.  They can never know...NEVER!"

                                                      END

 

 


 "BARGAINING"
Part I was written by Marti Noxon
Part II was written by David Fury

Reviewed By Les


The episode begins with a flashback of many of the highlights that Buffy and the Scoobys experienced from the beginning up to the time when Buffy sacrificed herself; and the gravestone was shown again.

The action begins with a man running as fast as he can through the graveyard.  It's night.  He's being chased by the Scoobys...all except for Willow...who  has positioned herself on top of a tall monolith from where she can see  everything that's transpiring.  She gives commands via telepathy to all the  Scoobys as far as what to do and where to run, how to evade capture, etc.

Buffybot is seen throwing down with one of the vamps and says "Just the way I  like 'em...big, fat and dumb!" She quickly takes him down.

Xander and Anya are holding their own against other vamps; Spike is helping Giles who yells for his help, but he thinks Spike isn't giving him any until Spike lights his cigarette and throws it on the vamp who catches fire. "Did you life run before your eyes?" asked Spike mockingly: "Cuppa tea, almost got shagged, cuppa tea?" 

Buffybot was re-programmed by Willow and has been used so that, as Giles said, the underworld wouldn't know that Buffy wasn't alive.

Willow and Tara are at the Summers residence where they've been staying to look after Dawn and kiss each other to greet the morning.  Dawn is seen brushing her teeth; and Buffybot makes sandwiches.

Xander enters and eats one of the sandwiches.  They decide that there should be a meeting that night to talk about bringing Buffy back to life.  The
telephone rings and Wllow answers it instead of Buffybot who wants to, fearing Mr. Summers might be ringing up, and fearing Buffybot would say
something to arouse suspicion.

Buffybot goes to Parent-Teacher Day at school with Dawn; and at a student exhibit under a tent, she says something incongruous about "Walden" by Thoreau and is quickly walked away.  Buffybot and Dawn go to a classroom where Buffybot interjects comments interrupting the teacher and getting some strange looks from her as well as from the parents.

At "The Magic Box," Giles and Anya are having a tiff over the incorrect logging of January's receipts.  "Why are you torturing me?" asks Anya.  Both fight over an artifact and Xander enters mocking both of them for acting like young children.  Giles says he'll still be a partner even though he plans to move back to England.  Anya confesses to Xander that she's confused about
Giles's saying he's returning to England yet not doing so, which leaves her in a lurch as far as who's really running the shop.  Paraphrasing Buffy, Anya says again that life should go on, etc.

At the Summers residence, Dawn and Spike are talking about schools and modern education. Spike is still watching after Dawn.  He says schools turn out mindless automatons.  "One mindless automaton coming up," answers Dawn.

Spike asks if she would like to play rummy.  She tries to convince Spike that she'll be all right by herself, but Spike won't hear of it and says he's
going to continue to watch over her.  "I'm not leaving you to get hurt again," he says, insistently.  Now deal!"

A woman is walking alone down a deserted street at night.  She's set upon by a vamp who, in turn, is set upon by Buffybot.  They throw down and the vamp picks up a bottle and smashes it against Buffybot's face, causing her to short-circuit.  There's a piece of her forehead that's torn and a blinking light is seen.  Buffybot is crashing against what looks like upright gas canisters again and again, giving the vamp the idea that The Slayer is a robot.  The vamp rushes away to tell his leader about this.

Anya, Tara and Willow are talking about the Urn of Osiris that was gotten on E-bay!  It's an earthenware artifact with hieroglyphs on it and how it will be useful in the plan.  Willow contemplates the urn and says "It's time." "Mercury's in retrograde," says Tara.

Xander warns that what they're considering doing is "deep stuff" and that they should re-think it. "It's time we stopped talking," says Willow.  "We'll do it tomorrow night." "It feels wrong!" says Xander.  "It is wrong!" says Tara. It's going against nature, but we all agreed to do it."

Willow says "I can do this, but I promise, not without you.  No one else can know...not Dawn, not Giles, not Spike."

"What if it's a zombie?" asks Xander. "Buffy didn't die a natural death," answers Willow.  She was killed by mystical energy and we don't know where she is."  "We buried her," answers Xander.  "She could be trapped in hell...in another dimension...like Angel was...and I'm not gonna leave her there!" answers Willow with increasing vehemence and determination.

Buffybot comes in for re-programming, since she's being flip with Spike who doesn't appreciate the remarks.  "I admire your brain almost as much as I admire your washboard abs!" quips Buffybot to a disapproving Spike who gets up to leave. 

It's late at night and Willow and Tara are in bed.  Dawn is in her own room and staring blankly at the ceiling.  She then goes to Buffy's bedroom where Buffybot is lying, staring unblinking ahead, with an electric power cable attached to her arm, complete with blinking red light.  Dawn crawls into bed and lies down beside Buffybot and stares sadly at nothing in particular.

Buffybot is practicing her punches with Giles who has outfitted her with boxing gloves.  He's the sparring partner.  "Every Slayer needs a Watcher," says Buffybot. "I wonder if she'd have been better without me," muses Giles. 

A demon motorcycle gang is seen at a bar.  The vamp that hit Buffybot with the glass bottle tells the leader that the Slayer has been replaced by a robot. The leader mocks him and doesn't believe what he's hearing.

Next morning, Willow is alone in the woods by a stream and in front of her is a blanket with potions. She's chanting.  "Blessed One, come to me."  A deer is seen walking towards her. She quickly grabs a knife and stabs it to death and takes some of its blood with her in a receptacle. She's panting and clearly doesn't approve of what she just did.  "May you find wings to the kingdom" she chants.

Later, Anya, Xander, Willow and Tara read a note left by Giles saying he's going back to England and that he loves them all.  They all go to Sunnydale Airport where he's waiting to board his flight.  Willow carries a "Bon Voyage" sign.  Anya gives him a hot apple pie to remind him of America and American food; Tara gives him a plastic monster, saying "Grrr!  Arrgh! (shades of the final credits!:)  Dawn reads him a letter she wrote.  They all try not to be emotional, but clearly are.  "We'll miss you...but we'll be O.K.!" she says trying to act cheery.  "I'll take good care of your money!" says Anya.

Giles hugs everyone: first, Xander, then Anya, then Tara, then Dawn, whispering to her "If you need anything, you'll get it!", then Willow.  "I'm trying to be 'stiff-upper-lippy' says Willow.

Anya says to everyone, "He'll still worry, but he'll be eight hours ahead!  Shouldn't we have told him?" referring to the plan to bring back Buffy.  "...then he would have stayed."

Willow tells everyone that she wants to go over the plan again.  "Nothing can go wrong tonight."

At that moment, the demon bikers are entering the Sunnydale city limits.

In the dark woods, the gang hold lighted black candles. They're by Buffy's grave.  Willow chants. She smears the deer's blood on her cheeks and
forehead. "Accept our offering."  Cuts appear on her arms and blood comes forth and everyone gasps. "She's being tested!" answers Tara.  "Don't worry:  Don't disturb her for anything!"

The motorcycle gang bursts upon Sunnydale.  The bikers break shop windows and set things alight at will.

Willow chants, "Osiris, let her cross over."  Saying that, Willow falls toward the ground and groans as something green is coming out of her mouth. It's a snake that wriggles onto the ground. "It's a test!" screams Tara. 

Dawn and Spike see some of the motorcyclists terrorizing the neighborhood and setting houses on fire. "I'll check the house...don't you move!" says Spike.

Buffybot is fighting the demons again.  "You're nothing but a toy!" one of them says. "I have to return to Willow!" she says.

Willow is now in a red force field and in great pain. Just then, some demons ride in and break the Urn of Osiris!

Xander does his best to hold off the onslaught.  Anya is grabbed by one of the motorcyclists, but thrown down shortly.  Xander asks Willow if the spell worked.  Willow faints. 

There's a dark mist that's seen...then, a form, then two sparks of light that become eyes.  Buffy is in her coffin, but she's sitting up.  She's
shaking and terrified.  She's dressed in black and has black shoes and long brown hair. 

The motorcyclists circle around Buffybot and one of them hits her with a chain.

Xander, Tara and Anya try to comfort Willow who still has the deer's blood on her face and is panting loudly. Xander persuades Tara to let him take Willow to "The Magic Box" since he can carry her easily if need be. Tara agrees.  So Xander and Willow try to make their way back to "The Magic Box" as do Tara, Xander and Anya.

Buffy is seen pounding and pounding inside her coffin.  She tears through it.

Willow and Xander keep moving.  "Where's Tara? We have to finish!" cries Willow.  Xander tells her the Urn is broken and this distresses Willow even more. He says they can always cement it together again, but she says that won't do and that it's the only one in existence! "It's defiled! It's gone!" wails Willow.  "It was all for nothing!"

Buffy tears the top of the coffin open and we see a hand thrust skyward. Buffy climbs out and she walks on the Good Earth again.  She's panting and looks to be in shock.  She sees her gravestone, looks aghast but still stays nothing at all, and walks aimlessly.

Tara and Anya are set upon by demons and they manage to hide from them.

At the Summers residence, Spike and Dawn know they have to escape.  Dawn says "We need to wait for Buffybot!"  "We're on our own" answers Spike.

Tara and Anya have reached "The Magic Box" and anxiously await Willow and Xander's arrival.  They think for a moment that something bad might have happened to them, but Tara assures Xander that if anything was wrong, she'd know it...Willow would contact her telepathically.

Tara then sits on a table and, as if in a trance, chants something.  Anya doesn't understand.

"This is really starting to grate my cheese," says Xander to Willow.  They realize they're lost and should rest for Willow's sake, but have to make it back to "The Magic Box" as fast as they can.  Xander sees a small light in the distance...much like that of a firefly...Willow sees it and smiles. "It's Tara!"  "I didn't know Tara was Tinkerbelle!" is Xander's retort.

The light guides them to "The Magic Box!"

Buffy is walking aimlessly and she goes to a car and sets off its alarm by accident, causing the owner to come out and chase her away. 

Spike and Dawn are fleeing from the bikers who are still wreaking havoc. "Looks like fun!" says Spike, eliciting a glare from Dawn. "I was just sayin' " he offers as a reproach to himself.

Spike gives Dawn a helmet he tells her to put on; and he goes to the middle of the street.  A demon heads straight for him but Spike knocks him  to the  ground and grabs the motorcycle, beckoning Dawn to jump on behind him.   They're off!

Willow and Xander arrive at "The Magic Box." "Where are Spike and Dawn"  Willow asks. "We failed...she's (Buffy's) not coming back...so we're it,  gang."

Some motorcycle demons now circle around Buffybot and they race towards her,  tearing her apart. 

Buffy, still terrified, starts to run.

Tara, Xander and Anya tell Willow it's not her fault.  "Maybe it wasn't  supposed to work," says Tara.  "It's my fault!" argues Willow.

They start to walk home.  They see Buffy!  Willow approaches her "Buffy? 
Buffy? Is that you?  It's Willow!  Can you hear me?"

Buffy looks but doesn't speak. "She's in shock" "We brought you back to  life!" says Xander softly. Still no response.  They see her bloodied hands. "She had to dig herself out of her own grave!" says Xander.  "We're sorry! We didn't know!" said Xander.

"Buffy, we brought you back. You're here now," says Xander.

Just then, the demons come up and the leader hits Buffy. She recoils and we see her lip is cut.  The gang fight them and Willow kills one of them with her crossbow.

Spike and Dawn ride as fast as they can away from the maurauding demons, but Spike slows down and stops when he sees Buffybot lying on the ground, only her head and torso intact.

Dawn crawls beside Buffybot in sympathy and Buffybot's head turns and speaks..."You're my sister.  Where did I go?  I was here and then I ran away...not me...the real Buffy."  Dawn looks incredulously at Buffybot.

"Maybe..." then Buffybot speaks no more.  Dawn's expression is one of shock amazement and fear.  She's transfixed...staring at Buffybot and thinking about what she said.  Spike comes up to her matter-of-factly until he sees Dawn's expression.

Dawn runs off...Spike cries after her to come back and follows her.

Buffy herself runs off.  The leader has been joined by others and the Scoobys are fighting them off with sticks. Willow is thrown down along with Anya.  Willow is then grabbed by the throat by the leader who's choking her.  An agonized cry is heard as the leader falls dead from having an axe thrown at him from behind. Tara killed him! "Nobody's gonna hurt my girl!" she shouts triumphantly.  Buffy hears this and runs back, throwing down with all the demons, just as she always did!  The gang look on astounded!  But she stills says nothing at all to any of them.  She turns and runs off yet again.

Meanwhile, Dawn runs as fast as she can to reach Buffy, though not really knowing where to run to; and she sees the terrible tower to which she was bound and  from which Buffy jumped.  Buffy, in another location, sees it, too.

Willow now joins the battle and causes a magical ball to appear and to hurl itself into the hands of the demons, rendering them immobile.

Buffy climbs to the top of the tower. She sees a flashback in her mind's eye. She sees herself talking to Dawn and sees herself jump off the tower. 

Dawn has also climbed to the top and she sees Buffy.  "Buffy? Buffy? she says aghast in ever quieter tones.  Is it really you?" asks Dawn incredulously.

The tower is shaking and swaying as large pieces of it are falling to the ground. It's collapsing.

"Don't stop. Don't move...walk to me," says Dawn to Buffy. "Please...please? I'm your sister, Dawn. Whatever you do, don't do it again...just stay still...come towards me. Say something!" 

Buffy speaks in a very low voice: "Is this hell?"

"No! You're with me...it's over...now we have to get off this tower," says Dawn as urgently but quietly so as not to startle Buffy into doing who-knows-what.

"How clear everything was!" says Buffy. 

"Please listen to me!" says Dawn. "I had to be strong.  It's been so hard. I promise I'll do better. I will.  Stay with me, please. I want you to live!!"

Dawn screams as she loses her balance and is about to fall off.  Buffy leaps to action and pulls her away from the falling pieces...but there's no place to walk down.  Buffy sees a rope and pulley still suspended and she grabs Dawn around her waist and both of them slide down the rope...but it gets stuck and both are suspended in the air!  Almost instantly, the rope breaks and both fall to the ground, screaming.  They're fine!  But at that very moment, a large piece of the tower is crashing towards them from above!  Buffy pulls herself and Dawn out of its path.  They look at each other for a long time.

"I'm really here!" says Dawn.  "You're home!"

                                                             END

It's Les.  I have to say that this episode is as much an emotional strain as was the Season Five finale. I was in tears when Buffy and Dawn saw each other at the tower top, just as I was in the finale.  Granted, everything was moving towards a happy resolution in tonight's episode, but what an agonizing journey it was to get there!  I remember reading a quotation on the Internet by Alyson to the effect that she was having a hard time doing something required of her in this episode, but she wouldn't be specific and give it  away. "It was a bitch," she said of it. I wonder if that might have referred to her sacrificing the deer (which really wasn't harmed at all, of course, or the moment when the snake came out of her mouth.  I don't know, but I can certainly understand that either would cause her a lot of anguish.  I urge you not to miss a single episode when Season 6 starts where you live. These summaries are a very VERY poor second, at best.  Obviously, I find myself writing what's important to me although I do try to include as much detail about everyone as possible.  Rest assured that Buffy is back and kicking it, just as before!

Episode Trivia
The Season 6 Box Set has an Egyptian theme. This is probably due to the fact that the Resurrection, the main thing that put Buffy back in this season was performed using Osiris, an Egyptian god.

The show now airs on UPN.

The scene where Willow kills the deer was considered too horrific and as a result of this, part of it was cut out!

Anthony Stewart Head is now listed as a guest star - the first time since the series premiere.

Alyson Hannigan is now listed by character name in the opening credits, taking the place of "Anthony Stewart Head as Giles".

When Tara gives Giles the little rubber finger monster as a parting gift, she wiggles it on her finger while saying, "grrr argh," just like the monster in the Mutant Enemy logo at the end of each episode

Episode trivia from tvtome.com