Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer... Chock full of stuff. Mostly concerning the Big Bad and the last two episodes. Now on Buffy they're fixing up the house while they bicker about the wisdom of keeping Spike around. Anya and Dawn are in the stake him now camp while Willow is in the it's complicated camp. Xander is keeping out of it. He's learned his lesson. When the women start bickering, grab the power tools. Anya insists that William the Bloody is back.
Cut to... William the Bloody. Okay, Andrew the Dork. But he's got the black boots, black leather pants, black t-shirt and black leather duster that can only mean one thing... he's a bad ass. Acutally, he does look like he raided Faith's costume closet. Anyway, Andrew is being haunted by Warren and Jonathan. Because the pentagram thing didn't work (Jonathan is short, not enough blood) Andrew must kill more. A thing Andrew is sure he can't do.
Meanwhile, Buffy is tying up Spike. Spike tells her to tie them tighter. Because if he gets loose then someone dies.
Cut to credits and the song
Just to remind us that the real world rolls on we cut to Principal Woods office where he "convinces" two graffiti artists that repainting the wall is better than having the cops and parents brought in. Dawn interruapts unknowingly to tell him that Buffy has some kind of stomach flu and goes into graphic detail. Buffy is likely feeling nauseous as she's on the phone to Quentin Travers and the Watcher's Council trying to locate Giles. Quentin tells Buffy that they don't keep tabs on their ex-employees, a fact that Buffy and Quentin don't believe for a moment. After they break the connection Quentin assures the Council that Buffy knows nothing and repeats that they must find Giles.
Buffy goes and checks on Spike who warns her to leave and then goes Vamp. Buffy leaves the room and encounters Willow who is hiding from Xander's latest Tool Care Seminar. Buffy is of the opinion that Spike is "withdrawing" from human blood and needs blood. Willow volunteers a couple of sources and settles on the butchershop. Which is a popular place to get blood as Andrew is there as well, flush from his unsuccesful attempt at stabbing a pig.
They, of course, bump into each other.
After some macho posturing in the alley (Willow wins) Andrew is taken to the Summer residence. Xander and Anya take over the questioning with their own unique form of Bad Cop/Vengenance Demon Cop. Andrew holds firm but Xander and Anya are sure that they'll get him to spill his guts soon. After all, they've apparently watched every interrogation scene on Law and Order and know all the jargon.
Buffy talks with Spike. A not so nice talk because Spike is into brutal truth. It starts off with the question of when the chip stopped, which Spike wasn't aware of. Buffy asked how he got a soul and Spike replied that it was a deal with a demon involving lots of torture and pain; something he's use to after falling in love with Buffy. He has also figured out that Buffy used him last year because she hated herself. And, now that he has a soul and has killed, he gets self-loathing.
Meanwhile, in the lock-up, Xander returns to play Good Cop with a glass of water. And tales of Anya's exploits against men she didn't like. Andrew claims innocence and Anya jumps into the room, all brimstone and fire and slappings. One good slap across Xander for good measure. The ruckus catches Buffy's attention and she leaves Spike.
Of course, the Big Bad, whistling Greensleeves arrives.
Buffy, assured that Xander has things under control, returns to Spike's room where she hears voices and singing through the door. She enters but Spike claims he was just amusing himself and asks for more blood. When she turns to get it he vamps out, knocks her down and charges the wall, grabbing Andrew (who is, of course, spilling his guts) through it. Spike manages to take a big chomp out of Andrew before being beaten down.
The Scoobies chat. After hearing about Spike's singing Xander tells them about "triggers" and "sleepers". The theory is put forth that Spike's ghosts have been able to manipulate him into some kind of vampire Manchurian Candidate. Buffy takes that to Spike after ordering the Scoobies into research mode. Spike thinks that it's all moot. Buffy should just kill him for past deeds and deeds he's likely to do if he escapes. And when she won't he tells her it's because she enjoys hurting him to much to end it. Their debate is rudely interraupted by the Guys in Robes.
Oh, did I mention Principal Wood going into that unpaved section of the school basement and digging up Jonathan's body? He does. Later he buries it by some oil rigs. Just thought I should mention it.
Anyway, back at the fight scene. Xander and Anya go down, then Willow. Dawn, remembering that the stake is not the power, fights back. Buffy joins in but leaves the ground floor fray to chase one upstairs. Apparently Andrew is the target and we see they look like without the hoods.
They look like the Robed Guys from Amends back in Season Three. When Angel was just back and Faith was on the good side of bad and it was Christmas time in Sunnydale.
Anyway. Andrew is saved by Buffy. Dawn is saved by Xander. Nobody else is seriously injured and all the bad guys are dead or run off. They quickly find out that Spike is missing and realize that Spike was the target all along. Buffy examines one of the Robed Guys and recognizes him as a Minion of the First Evil (MoFE).
Meanwhile, back in England, Quentin makes the big mistake of telling the Council that the sitution is well in hand. He tells them that the Council will prevail and begins quoting Proverbs at them. The building blows up.
Of course.
Back in Sunnydale we find Spike, being tied up. Big Bad as Spike supervises and then does the morph thing into Big Bad as Buffy. BBasBuffy tells Spike that she's glad they're using him instead of Andrew as Spike looks much better without a shirt as they hang Spike, upside down, over the pentacle. She asks Spike if he wants to see what a real vampire looks like and slices him. CGI blood drips onto the pentacle which cause it to change shape and, from it, Nosteratu appears.
Fade to black.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Andrew's little fade out to fantasy land when he compares Warren to Partick Swayze rather than Obi Wan.
Xander's little "oh my god did I say that" eyes widen when he said that Andrew was primed and that Xander was ready pump him.
Well, I'd like to say that the reason we know Giles is alive is more because Quentin would have found the body by now rather than outstanding contractural obligations.
You have to pronounce it Naws-FUR-A-two.
Principal Wood seemed pretty okay about burying a body he just happened to find in his school. If it weren't for the fact that he was unstuffy, had a sense of humour and was an American I'd peg him for a Watcher. But wait! He wears the same earring as Giles! Maybe it's like the Shadow's minions and their red rings.
Joyce said Dawn would not be chosen by Buffy. As if it were a bad thing. What if the choice was "Buffy, pick someone to sacrifice to save the world." Buffy's already not chosen Dawn for that.
I so enjoyed Xander's little puppy look when Anya slapped him. He looked about 12.
RANDOM QUOTES
Buffy: "He needs blood."
Willow: "Want me to kill Anya?"
Andrew: I'd like twelve pork chops, 2 pounds of sausage, 8-quarts-of-pig's-blood, 3 steaks. A halibut. And some toothpaste."
Andrew: I am bad. I'm bad, I'm evil but I'm protected by powerful forces, forces you can't even begin to imagine, little girl. If you harm me, you shall know the wrath of he that is darkness and terror. Your blood will boil and you shall know true suffering. Stand down, she-witch. Your defeat is at hand."
Willow: "I am Willow. I am death. If you dare defy me, I will call down my fury, exact fresh vengence and make your worst fears come true. [pause] Okay?"
Spike: "Don't do that. Don't rationalize this into some noble act. We both know the truth of it. You like me to hurt you. You need the pain we cause you. You need the hate. You needed to be the Slayer."