Previously on Buffy the Vampire…
Recap of five seasons and the only significant thing missing that I saw (or didn't see) was Faith. The intro of the Slayer and Watcher, the formation of the Slayettes, Angel leaving, Spike arriving, Anya, Tara, Dawn and the swan dive. Cut to...
Presently on Buffy the Vampire the Scoobies are doing their best to fill in for the missing Buffy - rather like they were doing in the season three opener Anne. With about as much success even though they have the Buffybot. Plus, Xander and Willow have different significant others and Spike is along. Other than that it's just like the opening scene in Anne. Anyway they kill two vampires and break for the credits.
New credits. Not just the usual bit of taking out some of the older scenes and putting in some clips from seasons five and six but some capital-C changes. First off, Giles is out of the credits. Gone. Poof. Replayed the credits about four times and he wasn't in any of them. Second the Faith/Buffy dance clip from Bad Girls and the Snoopy dance from The Replacement is gone. In there place is the Willow/Tara dance clip from Family and Anya shaking her booty from some show I didn't recognize. Biggest change? The final spot in the credits is "Alyson Harridan as Willow".
Okay, return from the commercials. It's three months later. The gang is using the Buffybot as both a surrogate Slayer and a surrogate sibling for Dawn so that Hank Summers doesn't get custody. Giles is feeling useless without a Slayer and is trying to get the nerve up to return to England, leaving Anya to run the store in his absence. Willow is feeling major guilt over the fact that Buffy may have sacrificed herself and, because it wasn't a natural death, may not be in the "nice place". Tara is coming into her own as surrogate mom to Dawn and domestic partner to Willow to the point that they're now living in the Summer's house and using Joyce's old room. Anya is confused because Giles is kinda leaving but won't put her in charge and because Xander won't announce their engagement. Dawn misses her sister. Spike misses Buffy and is going to die before he reneges on his promise to protect Dawn.
Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya are working to bring Buffy back. They gather all the ingredients and you know that it's a dangerous spell because Willow keeps the method of procurement of some supplies secret from Tara. While the four are busy plotting and keeping the other three in the dark the Buffybot gets damaged and a vamp discovers that it's just a machine. He immediately brags to a demon biker gang who decide that Sunnydale is the perfect new home.
The Core Four attempt the spell but it seemingly fails when the ritual is interrupted by the arriving biker gang. The Scoobs split up, Xander and Willow, Anya and Tara. They eventually all make it back to the Magic Shop but head out again looking for Dawn and Spike. Instead they find the real Buffy who is wandering around Sunnydale very dazed and confused. The five trash the biker leader and his minions (and they just don't make minions like Glory's anymore) but Buffy runs off.
Spike and Dawn find the remains of Buffybot who tells Dawn that the real Buffy is back. Dawn runs off to find her. They both see and then are drawn to the tower used by Glory to open the portal. Buffy is still confused and acts as if she is going to jump but when the tower begins to collapse she snaps into action, rescuing both. Last lingering look on Buffy's confused face and then...
Fade to black.
Random Quotes
Buffybot: That will put marzipan in your pie place, Bingo!
Willow: At least I got her off the knock knock jokes.
Buffybot: Oh! Who's there?
Xander: Well, if we want her to be exactly...
Spike: She will never be exactly.
Xander: I know.
Tara: The only really real Buffy is the real Buffy.
Giles: And she's gone.
Buffybot: Well, if we want her to be exactly, she will never
be exactly, I know, the only really real Buffy is the real Buffy and she's
gone who?
Anya: I was being patient but it took too long.
Xander: Annnnd how long have you known your girlfriend's Tinker Bell?
Random Notes:
That Vision Thing: Seeming to conclude one Cordy arc while reinforcing the second this show felt like a set up. While these three faux visions weren't from TPTB the others where and have been getting stronger. The sense of relief that the problem is solved is probably going to be short lived. And that they're going to be dealing with the repercussions of Angel releasing Hannibal Junior pretty darn soon. Gotta say that I love Skip.
I don't think that Angel is going to suffer because it is no longer so closely tied to Buffy Vampire Slayer. And the character development on Angel is still as interesting and central as it was in season two.