Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer... there's a Big Bad and...
a) Buffy returns to the Vineyard of Evil to find out what Caleb is protecting and finds a big axe with the edge still embedded into some kind of glossy rock. Segue into currently on Buffy the Vampire Slayer where Caleb comes down the stairs. He's pretty cocky still but loses that right quick when the axe isn't as embedded as tight as he thought. And...
b) Faith kicks open the locked box to reveal a time bomb. She yells for everyone to get down just before we segue into currently on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it explodes, sending girls flying through the air.
After the credits we return to the Vineyard of Evil. Caleb is clearly scared of the axe and First Evil pops in to let her and the axe go because they can always go fetch it later. Buffy is sort of aware that the First is there because Caleb is talking to himself a bit from her perspective. She beats feet.
Meanwhile, Faith's team begins to pick themselves up. Amanda, Kennedy and about a half dozen more are alive and ambulatory. Faith is pulled out of a pool of water unconscious but apparently breathing. The rest are dead. Kennedy suggests leaving. They hear a low growl. Kennedy suggests leaving fast. They run until they get to a dead end where Kennedy gets them to circle the wagons because, damn, they can take one Uber-vamp. Except there's about four of them. Things look dire until Buffy (literally) drops in and then (literally) drops the Ubers. They regroup at the Summer residence.
Inside is chaos. Wounded Teen Slayers are spread all over the ground floor while Faith is put in Buffy's room. They ooh and ah over the axe. To cut a long episode much shorter...
Buffy and Faith talk and sort of make up. Buffy and Spike talk and sort of make up. Giles and Willow talk and Willow admits that she's not sure she can tap into the power even if it's the last resort. Amanda and Kennedy talk and decide that Buffy's in charge and that they're being punished for following Faith. Buffy and Xander talk about a secret mission that is so bloody obvious even Xander could see it (little blind humour there). Caleb and First Evil talk and then First Evil gives Caleb an energy boost. Andrew and Anya talk about human spirit and perserverance and then have a wheelchair fight. Xander and Dawn talk and then Xander cholorophorms her. Dawn and Xander talk and then Dawn tasers him.
Researching the axe leads to the fact that the Vineyard of Evil used to be a Monestary of Monks used to be a Temple of Pagans who buried their dead in a crypt in one of the cemeteries. Buffy and the axe go there and chat with the last suriving member of the counterpart of the Shadowy Men. The women made the axe and hid it from both the Shadowy Men (whom they didn't trust) and later the Council of Watchers (whom they didn't trust) until such time as the temple became the monestary became the town became Buffy. Speech finished, Caleb kills her.
Caleb and Buffy fight. Buffy is losing. Caleb is about to axe her when there is a tap on the shoulder and Angel punches him into a wall. Brief chit chat and then Buffy cleans Caleb clock most decisively. Angel and Buffy kiss while Spike and First Evil as Buffy watch from the shadows. You just know that this can't be good as we...
Fade to black.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Okay, I know this happened a couple of episodes ago but how did Caleb know that Xander was the "one that sees"? Just how much does the First Evil S&L know?
Xander's lost look when her comes back to the house with the rest of the Scoobies. As if he's looking for his keys before realizing that they're at the garage with the car. A 'damn, I left that Buffy here just a minute ago.'
Kennedy makes a great Executive Officer. Keep her in the loop with a leash and she'll do her job.
Anya and Andrew in the Drug Lock up of Luuuuuv. Sorry, ER peaking through.
The really old priestess reminded me of the Key Monks. 'I have spoken my speech; now I die'.
It's not a scythe. It's an axe. Obviously Joss is a cityboy.
RANDOM QUOTES
Caleb: "You gotta ask yourself if you can get it out of the rock before I get... [snickt]... darn."
First Evil as Buffy: "Faith go boom."
Kennedy: "Is there more of them?"
Buffy: "There's always more."
Buffy: "The good guys aren't known for their communication skills."
Buffy: [to Spike] "I don't need defensiveness and weird cross signals. I got Faith for that."
Angel: "She is so going to beat you."