A girl called Betty comes into the vineyard, looking for Cable. Apparently she was really moved by his spiritual words. Damn, that’s not fair. Couldn’t we have him as a scriptwriter, then? I have a hard time believing Goddard wrote this, even on a deadline. I’m so glad I never became a “minion”. She starts getting hot and seductive with him…oh, my, I guess she is a DIRTY GIRL. The words called her, she wants to know why. Cable Modem says it was because of seeking the Power. He guts her in the shadows, and then the body morphs into the First as Buffy, who says that most people don’t like to be visited by the dead. Oh, great, does this mean we are going to get a Caleb backstory in the future? Cause, I think time might be better spent actually concentrating on the neglected characters we already have. Much better spent than sticking the regulars in truly embarrassing scenes. And much better spent than exploring masturbation fantasies. Caleb says it’s all okay, but he misses the feeling of freeing a soul from its body. Others will follow. At this point, I am getting in line.
The regular cast members and Faith are discussing a plan. Buffy says to start arming the girls, and that they should do some reconnaissance. Giles objects, saying that Buffy has no idea what she’s going into, or even if this guy actually has anything. I think he has a nuclear device aimed at Boulder, to be honest. Buffy says the girls who have been there longest need to be tested, and the weaker ones can say. Spike takes his tongue out of Faith’s mouth (kidding) long enough to comment that this could be a bait and switch routine, thinking that the untrained girls could get killed off while all the most powerful people are away. Hee, bait and switch. Buffy tells Willow to stay (guard duty again), and Xander also expresses his concern. Buffy indicates that Caleb won’t be expecting an attack this soon. You know, I really don’t need to see the random politics that go on before the action on this show. I watch West Wing for that. Giles says they need time to prepare, and Buffy tells Giles to piss off. Okay, she tells him to go teach the remaining Slayerettes who still need a teacher, but it amounts to the same thing.
Faith and Buffy stake out the vineyard. Don’t ask me, I guess they followed a bringer or something. Apparently the Bringers hang out here, and not at the Circle K, as I expected. They seem the Slushie-loving types to me. They briefly ponder why the Bringers get about so well without eyes, and I ponder why episode 18 made it this far without drastic revisions. Faith wonders if this is a trap, as the Bringer seemed to want to be followed, but Buffy doesn’t care if he did, she just wants this taken care of. Innit great how they are setting up Faith to show up Buffy again? There’s a little tension between Faith and Buffy about the SiTs, and Faith’s reason for coming back to Sunnydale. Ah, can it, we all know the reason. Buffy brings up that Faith helped Angel, and Faith says that Angel said hi. This scene is getting pretty cheap, too. Faith brings up that she was in Angel’s mind, and Buffy starts to get annoyed. I’m on your side, here, Buffy. Faith makes a comment detailing the closeness and how trippy it was, playing up to Buffy’s annoyance and enjoying it. She then comments about souled vamps, and how she can see both the darkness and the light in Spike, too. Yeah, you’ve known Spike for all of one cigarette, Faith. I guess I see the darkness and the light in all the people I have to hang out with during breaks at work, too. Buffy starts to ask how much Faith and Spike…something unfinished …as they are cut off by the fact that a Bringer is heading for the vineyard cellar door. I vote that we have more Bringers to break up cheesy scenes, just as I vote that we have the episode 15 shaman conk people over the head when they get too obnoxious. Faith and Buffy head back to get the troops.
Dawn and Xander are preparing everyone for battle. There’s an interesting thought. The Sit’s are worried, and there is another amusing exchange with Andrew. God, Tom Lenk keeps this show from being drivel. Rona is worried about the fact that Buffy is taking them all right in to fight the bad guy, and insinuates that Buffy doesn’t care about the SiTs. In one of the show’s better moments, Xander gives an inspiring and loving speech about Buffy and what she does for them and the world. They can trust Buffy, because she’s earned it. I’m sure Spike would have said something similar, had Faith not had her hands down his pants. Buffy and Faith wind up overhearing this as they walk in. Buffy is touched and Faith is impressed. She was probably staring at Spike’s crotch.
Back at the vineyard, Buffy, Xander, Faith, Spike, and a passel of SiTs get ready to move in for battle. They are going in two groups…Spike and Buffy on one team, Xander and Faith on the other. Good plan, distract the two out-of-character people from macking on eachother during the fight. The Buffy/Spike team goes in, and get attacked by Bringers. It’s chaos, but they beat off the Bringers (or is that repel?), causing them to retreat. La la la, it’s a long action scene I am not going to bother describing. Then Caleb appears from the shadows, his boots clicking on the concrete. Stephen King wants his royalty check, guys. Caleb talkes about purifying them, and makes some more comments about filthy women. I’m starting to get the feeling that CALEB…ahh, screw it. Then He punches Buffy, hard, sending her flying across the room and knocking her unconscious. You could have done that back in episode 15 when I still hated her, buddy. Everyone is shocked, and Caleb asks what else they’ve got.
The fight continues. It’s supposed to be all epic and stuff, but I’m still too squicked over the Faith/Spike flirtation and Buffy kissing Wood’s butt to care much. Spike, furious, vamps out and attacks Caleb, but Caleb blocks his punches with ease. He sends Spike flying across the room, too, and I guess he gets temporarily knocked out as well. Red wine is pouring out all over the place…hey, do you think if I drink it, Spike won’t look like an ass for spilling about sex with Buffy to a complete stranger? Sorry, Spikeykins, but you deserved to be knocked out for that one. Caleb yells to “his boys” to come on out and start kicking some filthy female ass (not in those words, but could the writers get less subtle? Hmm, female empowerment. A misogynist. It’s so shockingly not deep!). Caleb flounces about through the fight, calm, and manages to backhand Kennedy across the room into a wine rack. Nice. There’s another VCR moment. Rona, concerned, begins to rush after Kennedy, but Caleb grabs her and snaps her arm over his knee. That’ll teach you for worrying about Kennedy! Caleb tosses a knife to a Bringer so that he can finish off Rona…
And an arrow pierces the Bringer’s wrist. The Xander and Faith team have arrived! And, apparently, Xander is as good at archery as Dawn is at Sumerian. Faith attacks Caleb as the other group of SiTs attack the Bringers, and Xander ascertains the situation. He find’s Buffy’s knocked-out self, and saves her from another Bringer. You know, Xander is doing quite well here…ahh, crap, better not speak too soon. Caleb manages to send Faith flying, too, after spouting out some biblical references that just bore me. I’ve read it, thanks. I don’t need the Randall Flagg annotation. Random Potential comes up behind Caleb to attack. Bet she has a red shirt on, too. Caleb grabs her and snaps her neck. You know, I’d cheer him on for taking out those annoying little brats, but it’s like killing ****roaches. Molly watches this in horror, and then Caleb starts to stalk towards her.
