Previously on Buffy the Vampire…

Missed the first bit but it looked like a recap of Buffy's dead, Buffy's alive, Buffy wasn't in hell afterall.  Cut to...

Buffy stalking something in a basement.  It's dark, its kinda spooky and there are strange noises.  Finally, she spots her prey - the dreaded Mr. Drippy.  Armed with her trusty monkey wrench she begins to throttle the life from Mr. Drippy's t-junction.  Dawn, watching from the step with back up plumber's telephone number and the cordless phone watches her sister in action and is totally soaked when every single pipe in the basement explodes.  Good time for a commercial.

Xander's friend Tito comes and looks over the damage and lets them know that the entire plumbing system has to be replaced which is going to be a tad on the expensive side.  Willow figures that this is a good time to tell Buffy that all of Joyce's insurance money was eaten up with hospital bills.  Buffy decides that she can handle this and goes off to the local bank to apply for the loan.  Unfortuneately Buffy has no income to make payments on the loan and the only collateral she has is the house that the bank doesn't want because if they forclose (which they would have to do when she didn't make her payments) they couldn't unload it because, hey, it's Sunnydale and it's a buyers market except there are no buyers.  There are demons though and one shows up to create mayhem and distruction at the bank (and come on, I know you've all felt like doing the same).  Buffy chases it off, double checks that the loans officer still won't give her the loan and heads home dejected.

Plot A: The Brotherhood Of Evil Geeks
Jonathan (the attempted suicide in Earshot and last seen in Superstar), Warren (maker of the sex-bots) and Andrew (brother of the guy who trained the killer demon dogs) have joined forces to take over Sunnydale.  Using Jonathan's dubious occult knowledge they hired a demon to create a deversion so that they could empty the cash trays.  The demon, who thought it was easy money, is ticked that he ran into the Slayer and decides to kill the three to aleviate some of the unpent aggression.  Warren gives the demon Buffy's address and tells him that, if the demon wants Buffy dead he should go do it himself.  The demon attacks Buffy's house (further trashing it and running up the expenses yet again) but when he dares to touch the copper pipes in the basement Buffy kills him.  The trio, releived that they don't have to pay the demon nor be it's victims yet concerned that Buffy is going to kick their butts, decide that their next step should be to hypnotize her into being their sex kitten.

Plot B: Return of the Watcher
Giles returns from England where he gives vague descriptions of what he's doing and who he's doing it with so that his own BBC show won't have any continutity problems.  He is genuinly estatic that Buffy is alive and genuinely furious that Willow attempted the spell.  He lays into her, accusing her of using forces beyond her control and crossing the line between the natural and unnatural.  Willow tries to defend herself with the old "ends justify the means" but Giles isn't willing to listen to her.  Finally, her temper snaps and she vaguely threatens him before striking a more concilitaory tone.  Meanwhile, outside an eavesdropping Buffy confides to an equally eavesdropping Spike that she has trouble with crowds so Spike offers to "thin the herd".  Buffy declines and they spend some quite time stargazing.  Inside Dawn and Giles, both unable to sleep, decide to do some cereal experimentation but are rudely interraupted by Plot A.  The next day the gang consign the wreckage to the rubbish heap and Anya works out a budget that will get Buffy solvent in about a million years but not use any credit.

The show ends with Buffy receiving a phone call from Angel and her rushing off to meet him.

Fade to black.

Random Quotes

Willow: Okay.  Let me make you mad again.  Ready?  Umm.  <pause> Last semester I slept with Riley.
Buffy: And you know I really doubt it.
Willow: Caught me.  Big fib.  <pause> To cover up the sleazy affair I had with Angel.
Buffy: Will.  What the hell are you doing?
Willow: Pissing you off?

Dawn: That's a strange place to have a horn.  <pause>  That's not a horn.
(note: 50% of the amusement is from watching Tara try not to laugh)

Dawn: I'm guessing how you say it.  It's got an apostrophe.  I think its M'fashnik.  Like in Mmmm-Cookies.
Xander: or maybe Muh-fashnik.  Like in Muh... fashnik

Giles: Ah, a M'fashnik demon.
Dawn: Aha!  Like MmmmCookies.
Giles: Oh no.  Quiet different really.

Giles (to Willow): You're a very stupid girl.

Giles (on a roll): You rank, arrogant amateur.

Willow (to Giles): You're right.  The magics I use are very powerful.  I am powerful.  So maybe you shouldn't piss me off.

Random Notes:

• Not in Sunnydale (or rather not on BtVS) and not in LA (or rather not on Angel) but somewhere inbetween (like 55 fanfics in the first week <g>).
• If Willow isn't going to be the Big Bad then she's either going to be the pseudo-Big Bad, the Little Bad or heading for a world of hurt.
• Giles is the *only* person who can take Willow to task.  Buffy can't because it would be ungrateful.  Dawn and Xander won't because they're in denial over what actually happened.  Anya won't because she doesn't care.  And Tara won't yet because the last time they faught it had disasterous consequences both related and unrelated.  Too bad Willow isn't willing to listen.
• The scene of Buffy sitting on the back deck with Spike was very reminiscent of "fool for love" when Buffy found out her mom was going in for lots of tests.
• Xander's ability to manipulate Anya is going to wear off soon and he's going to have to put up or shut up.
• Notice the Brotherhood vote using the Vulcan hand sign?
• Yeah for Buffy for not wanting to fall into the black hole which is credit.

Angel Notes:
Well, it had it's cute moments and they used the B word twice.

Marcus: Romance with Fred?  So I'm a ... <looks down at black leather jacket, silk shirt and leather pants>  Obviously.