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Buffy Episode Guide
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MarchMarch 28, 2000A month of reruns continue.March 21, 2000A phenomenal rerun of the "Hush" episode.March 14, 2000Rerun where all of Willow's wishes come true.March 7, 2000RerunFebruaryFebruary 29, 2000If it's true that weird things happen on Leap Year's Day then this 7 Flush episode proved the definition. At the end of last week's episode, Buffy and Faith switched bodies as the police arrived to arrest Faith. For convenience sake, I'm going to call the Buffy who looks like Faith, B-F and the Faith who looks like Buffy F-B. When I mean Buffy and Faith, I will use their proper names. B-F is arrested. On her way to jail, the cop car gets in an accident with a truck. A number of men from the truck come over to the cop car and kidnap B-F. Apparently, these men (none of which is Ripper, that was just my mistake from last week) have been sent by the Watcher's Council as a retrieval team to bring Faith to England so that she can be dealt with. These men do not believe B-F's story that she is really Buffy, and when B-F captures one of her kidnappers the others say that she can kill the kidnapper, because they would rather a member of the council die than have a rogue slayer in Sunnydale.F-B, however, is loving life. First, she makes an airline reservation to fly out of town the next day and then she pretends to be Buffy. As Buffy, F-B acts innocently and says, "You can't kill people. Because that would be wrong.". She has a number of mishaps like when she bumps into Spike. She actually sexually teases Spike who gets pissed as hell at her. Sarah Michelle Gellar was basically recreating her role as Katherine in the movie "Cruel Intentions." Anyway, F-B begins to change. When Willow is watching, F-B is forced to save someone's life by slaying a vampire. The attempted-victim shows much gratitude to F-B, and F-B is touched. Later, she goes to visit Riley. F-B tries to sexually taunt Riley, but Riley treats F-B with a loving hand. After they have sex, Riley tells F-B that he loves her. F-B is upset by the fact that people care about each other and does not know how to react. The next morning she heads for the airport. In the meantime, Willow and Tara move closer together. Tara wonders why she has not yet met Buffy and the rest of Willow's friends. Willow explains that she wants to have a friend who is outside the rest of her friends, someone who is just hers. Tara turns to Willow and says, "I am. Yours." This is major sexual tension, but I do not think that Willow realizes it. Anyway, Willow and Tara go to the Bronze where they bump into F-B. After meeting F-B, Tara tells Willow that she does not think F-B is Buffy...that she is actually someone else. Willow asks Tara how she knows this, and Tara explains that she can sense when bodies are in harmony. The two perform a Draconian Katra Spell in which Willow goes into the Nether world to see if Buffy is who she should be. Well, B-F manages to escape from the Council's retrieval team at which point she goes to visit Giles. B-F convinces Giles of who she is and then minutes later Willow and Tara come to Giles's house to tell Giles that Faith is really Buffy, because of the spell they performed. They see B-F and give her an instrument that can return B-F to her body. But wait, there is a news report that three odd looking men have taken hold of a church and twenty parishioners are being held hostage. F-B sees this same report and goes to the church. Apparently, she has learned to have a soul. F-B arrives first and slays two of the vampires. The third vampire is about to kill F-B when B-F slays this vampire from behind. F-B and B-F begin to fight when B-F takes out the special tool and rechanges bodies. Buffy is now Buffy, and Faith is now Faith. Faith escapes from the church and leaves town. Buffy talks to Riley and discovers that he had sex with Faith. Also, Xander and Anya are still deep in their relationship, but have not reemerged as central characters. Finally, Adam rallies all of the vampires in Sunnydale together. He will be their leader. He actually has them attack the church. Adam tells the vampires that they should not be afraid of death. That if they lose this fear then they can take over the town. Adam's interesting leadership, and Sarah Michelle Gellar's sexual prowess are what led this episode to its enjoyability when the plot failed.
FAITH'S BEST COMMENT WHEN ASKED IF SHE IS THE SLAYER: The
one and only.
February 22, 2000This 5 Flush and unoriginal episode begins with Riley telling his commando buddies like Forest that he wants to leave the military hospital. Forest questions Riley's authority and right to leave, but Riley leaves nonetheless. Also in the beginning, we see Buffy and Faith talking. Buffy stabs Faith, but we know it's just a dream. The surprise: it's Faith's dream, not Buffy's.Now that Riley's free he visits Buffy. Buffy is so happy to see Riley, but both she and Xander wonder if Riley has been planted with some kind of computer device that will control him. Riley is still physically weak and cannot actually fight anybody. He is also questioning his role. Should he go back to the Initiative? He asks, "I'm a soldier. Take that away and what's left?" Buffy responds, "A good man." Anyway, everyone needs to figure out how to catch Adam. Riley decides that he might reenter the Initiative as a double agent for Buffy and gang. Anyway, as Buffy decides how to find Adam, she gets a phone call informing her that Faith has awakened from her coma and has escaped from the hospital. Xander teases, "I'd hate to see the pursuit of a homicidal lunatic get in the way of pursuing a homicidal lunatic." Buffy knows it's only a matter of time before Faith comes after Buffy. That time is not long as Faith shows up the next morning to fight Buffy. But there is no conclusion. Faith runs away when the police come to take her. Keep in mind, that Faith is wanted in the questioning of killing a number of human beings. Later that day, Faith is roaming the streets of Sunnydale, when a demon comes up to her and says he has to help her. Faith kills the demon and then takes an envelope that he was carrying. In the envelope is a VHS cassette and a box. The VHS cassette is a message from the mayor telling Faith that now that he has died, she has no place left to go, but in the box is a toy that will allow her to have fun before she dies. Everyone is on the hunt for Faith. Willow goes with Tara, and the two discuss demons and witchcraft. Xander and Giles search for Faith. Xander knows that Faith will come after him, because she still wants his body. Buffy is also on the hunt, but Faith goes to see Buffy's mom, Joyce. Faith tells Joyce that Buffy has not been around for a very long time and that Buffy has been a bad daughter who has neglected her mother. Joyce is just like Faith in that they have both been brushed aside by Buffy. Faith reminds Joyce that Buffy is not going to come crashing through the window to help her. Faith plays around in the house until Buffy comes crashing through the window to fight Faith. The two begin to fight. Buffy plays on Faith's weakness by telling her, "Ever occur to you Faith that the reason we all forgot you is because we wanted to." Joyce calls the police. As the two fight, Faith takes the toy from the mayor and puts it on her hand, when Buffy and Faith's hands meet, there is a weird vibration amongst them. The vibration ends, and Buffy punches Faith until Faith lies unconscious. Buffy then tells Joyce that Faith is now the police's problem. BUT we know that Buffy is really Faith, because the person-who-looks-like-Buffy says "I'm 5 by 5" which is an expression that only Faith uses. The mayor's toy had the two switch bodies so Buffy is really the one lying on the floor about to get arrested. The suspense. Going back a little: when Faith woke up from her coma, a nurse at the hospital made a phone call saying that "it's happened." The next night we see a helicopter arrive on top of the hospital with men dressed in black coming out of the chopper. We next see these men when Giles enters his apartment. They are all waiting to speak with Giles, and we recognize one of these men...it's Rupert. Has Rupert rejoined forces with the Council, and the Council wants to take care of Faith? Is Rupert part of an illegal group? Wait and see. A final note. Riley wants to know who Faith is, and why she has so many problems with Buffy. Buffy tells Riley everything, but she leaves out a number of details regarding Angel. Will Riley discover the truth about Angel? and will this truth end Buffy and Riley's romance? QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: I'm from Iowa. We drive four hours for a high school football game. Try me. --Riley in response to learning that Buffy has a story that is too long to tell.
February 15, 2000Surprisingly little happened in this 7 Flush episode of Buffy, but the show was still in top form...comedy and action. The episode picks up where last week's ended. Buffy is telling the "Scooby gang" (Willow, Xander, Giles, Anya, and Spike) that Walsh tried to have Buffy killed. No one knows who else in the Initiative wants Buffy dead so everyone decides that they will hang low at Xander's house until the problem goes by. Before they can go to Xander's, Riley shows up. Riley asks Buffy what is going on. He does not understand why Walsh would want Buffy dead. Then Riley sees Spike at Giles's house and wonders why Buffy is harboring a vampire. He does not know if Buffy is telling the truth. Spike does not want to see the outcome of this fight so he leaves. Riley does not want to get into a fight so he leaves. Buffy and gang go to Xander's.Adam is on the loose. He is walking through the forest when he sees a little boy. Adam approaches the boy, and Adam asks the boy what he (Adam) is. The boy tells Adam that he is a monster. Adam then asks what the boy is, and the boy responds that he is a boy. Adam then uses his arm sword to kill the boy. Now keep in mind, that this arm sword belongs to a demon that Buffy caught last week for the Initiative. Buffy hears that this boy got murdered and finds out how so she assumes that the demon, a Polgara demon, escaped from the Initiative and is on the hunt. In the meantime, everyone finds out that Walsh is dead. At first, people at the Initiative suspect Buffy because it looks like Walsh was slayed, but then they decide that it was the Polgara demon. Apparently, only Walsh and one other scientist knew about Room 314 and Adam. As for Buffy, she wants to find out where the Polgara demon is so she goes to see Willy the bartender. Willy is that guy who always helps demons. Buffy questions Willy and finds out that the Polgara demon has not been seen since the Initiative captured him. BUT as Willy and Buffy are talking, Riley walks in. Riley sees demons throughout the bar and begins to wonder what side Buffy is on. He loses perspective on which side is good and which side is evil. He begins to shake and sweat and physically weaken. Buffy takes Riley back to Xander's. Anya gives Buffy some advice, "You know you really should find yourself an average guy like Xander." Buffy realizes that Riley's problems are more than psychological depression (from Walsh's death and Buffy's union with the demon world). She and Xander sneak into the Initiative to find out what kinds of drugs Riley is on. They are also searching for information on what killed Walsh and the little boy. They know it was not the Polgara demon because that demon kills much more often than this other thing. They discover that all of the commandos are on some kind of mind-altering drug which forces them to comply with orders. In the meantime, Riley wakes up and learns from Anya that Buffy went to the Initiative. Riley pushes Willow and Anya aside (literally hurting them) to escape Xander's basement. Riley finds Xander and Buffy at the Initiative. Just as they are about to talk, Adam resurfaces. Xander, Buffy, Riley, and the other scientist who helped build Adam are trapped inside of a room with Adam. Adam begins to shove floppy discs into a floppy drive on his body. He explains that he is the perfect warrior because he is part demon, part human, and part machine. Although Adam knows what he is, he does not know who he is. He then profiles Riley and says that Riley is on mind-altering drugs, and next to Adam, Riley was Walsh's favorite "person." Adam then kills the scientist in the room. A big fight follows in which Riley is seriously injured and Buffy cannot come close to beating up Adam. Adam escapes. At the end of the episode, Riley is sent to a military hospital where he will physically recover from his injuries, but will he also receive mental treatments? Buffy fears that she will never be able to defeat Adam, because he is much stronger than she. Also this week, Spike goes to Willy's bar. He arrives, and some random demon begins to beat up Spike. The demon tells Spike that Spike is no longer welcome amongst demons, because rumor has it that Spike has been killing demons. It seems that Spike is going to have no where to turn but Buffy and the Scooby gang. Also, Willow and Tara attempt a new spell to help locate demons. They both close their eyes and are supposed to blow on some powder, but Tara does not blow on the powder. The spell does not work. Willow wonders why. But Tara does not confess to manipulating the ceremony. Why is Tara disrupting the curse...does she have a hidden agenda? or is she just scared of dark power?
BUFFY'S FIRST INTIMIDATION LINE: Spell it out for me, I'm feeling an attack of dumb blonde coming on.
February 8, 2000If you missed this episode, you missed big action. While I hesitate to describe this episode as amazing, I will say that it was pure excitement...kind of like watching The Mummy (remember that movie from May, 1999?). The score: 8 Flushes.Buffy officially enters the Initiative which is the name of Professor Walsh's project. She gets a tour of the place and sees all sorts of demons. She is given an ID badge, and she gets a retinal scan so that she can go down the secret elevator...all very official. On Buffy's first assignment, she has to capture this weird demon who's arms extend out, but she cannot damage these dangerous arms. Buffy does what one should never do in the military...she asks questions. She asks why the arms cannot be hurt, and she receives no answers. As she is hunting down this demon with Riley, she begins to wonder what the ultimate target of the Initiative is. Is it to reintegrate vampires and demons into the real world? Or is it something else? As Buffy asks this question, we see Walsh enter Room 314. Inside the room is a doctor who is performing surgery on a demon. Walsh is creating this demon, known as Adam, to be the perfect warrior...this explains the military funding. But the demon-building seems quite mischievous. Anyway, Buffy and Riley fight the demon, but as they do, we see these flashes of Buffy and Riley slowly undressing, making out, and beginning to have sex. Eventually, Buffy kicks some demon butt, and she then asks Riley what they should do next. The TV screen then returns to the image of Buffy and Riley having sex. Then the image turns to a black and white, surveillance image because Walsh is watching them going at it. The next morning, Buffy wakes up and is surprised to see Riley still in bed. Keep in mind that Buffy is used to her men leaving the morning after...i.e. Angel who became Angelus and that skeevy guy who was using Buffy for a one night stand. Buffy even gets to see Riley taking his vitamin. Buffy returns to her bedroom to see that Willow has not been home all night either. Willow was doing magic with her witch friend, Tara. Willow feels like Buffy has been neglecting their friendship by only spending time with Riley. Having seen Buffy having sex with Riley and Buffy's questioning the motive of the Initiative, Walsh decides that Buffy needs to be killed. While the entire commando crew is going after Spike who has recently been tagged with a device that allows him to be followed, Buffy is called to go after a little raccoon in the sewers. Walsh tells Buffy that because everyone else is out hunting that she should respond to a minor demon signal that the Initiative is receiving from a sewer. Walsh says that the signal is probably just a raccoon. She then gives Buffy a phaser gun and a headset camcorder so that Walsh cab follow Buffy's activities. Buffy goes off to find the demon, and when she arrives in the sewer, she realizes that there is a demon...then she sees two...and the demons are not small, but they are huge and dangerous looking. The sewer shuts up so that Buffy cannot escape and Buffy's gun does not work when she tries to shoot it. We see Walsh watching Buffy's fight and Buffy's camera falls to the ground followed by silence. Spike goes to Giles's house to get the transmitter removed. Just as the commandos are about to find Spike, Giles surgically removes the chip, and Xander flushes it down the toilet. Riley realizes he will not be able to find Spike so he returns to the base. In the meantime, Buffy recognizes the demons that are fighting her as those from Walsh's base camp. She then slays both of the demons. Return to the base: Walsh tells Riley that Buffy went after two escaped demons by herself even though Walsh told her not to. Walsh says that Buffy died trying to be a hero. All of a sudden, Buffy's face appears on the TV screen, because she repicked up the camcorder that Walsh had given her. Buffy says to Walsh (with Riley overhearing) that nobody tries to kill the slayer, and because Walsh did try to kill Buffy that Walsh is going to find out the true meaning of slayer as in Walsh is in danger. Buffy then goes to Giles house and tells the gang that they are all in trouble. Riley, however, saw Buffy's display and walks out on Walsh. Walsh goes to Room 314 and is talking to herself when she is attacked from behind. Adam just killed her. Who knows what will happen from here. NEXT WEEK: Adam is on the attack...will Riley keep Adam confidential or ask Buffy for help? February 1, 2000RerunJanuaryJanuary 25, 2000Keep in mind, that I'm doing this description from notes I took while watching so the content may be considered sketchy. The episode begins when the gang throws a 19th surprise birthday party for Buffy (that means that fictional she and real I are now the same age making a relationship very possible). At the party Buffy introduces Giles to Riley. Giles is taken aback that Buffy has a boyfriend. But beyond that, Riley and Buffy are doing very well together although he is a bit intimidated by the fact that she has slayed hundreds of demons and monsters. The two of them decide to have a workout together, and Buffy kicks Riley's ass. Anyway, Giles realizes that there is a Fyarl demon that is being summoned to rise on some given night. He can't find Buffy so he goes with Willow and Xander to slay this demon. The demon does not rise when it is supposed to so Willow and Xander figure that Riley and crew came and took care of the demon. Giles asks what they mean. Willow and Xander explain that Riley is one of the commandos, and that Professor Walsh is in charge of the whole group. Giles is upset that Buffy never told him about this. Anyway, the demon doesn't come so Willow and Xander leave. Giles stays behind for a few minutes when all of a sudden Ethan Rayne shows up. Ethan is that evil guy who has been on the show a number of times, and he is a former friend of Giles who calls Giles, Ripper. Ethan and Giles fight, and Giles is about to win the fight when Ethan says that the two of them should work together to fight some evil force in town. Giles and Ethan go to a bar to discuss the evil force. The force has something to do with the number 314. Anyway, while they are drinking, Ethan jokes that he poisoned Giles's drink. Giles laughs, but the next morning Giles wakes up as a Fyarl demon. Demon Giles goes to Xander to ask him for help, but when he shows up at Xander's house (by the way, Spike no longer lives with Xander), Xander can't understand Giles. Apparently, Giles is not speaking English, but some demon language. So, Giles is all nervous until he sees Spike, and Spike tries to beat up Demon Giles, because Spike can hurt demons (even though he can't hurt humans). Giles shouts at Spike, and Spike understands Giles' language. Spike helps Giles find Ethan. In the meantime, Buffy, Willow, and Xander all think that the Fyarl demon has attacked and maybe killed Giles. Buffy is on the lookout for Giles when she learns that Ethan is in town. She goes to find Ethan and takes Riley with her. Actually, the thing was much more dramatic because Riley said that Buffy could not come b/c Riley and Buffy have different goals, but then Buffy explains that she is the one who allows Riley to come along. Anyway, Buffy shows up and sees the demon, she begins to stab the demon and then realizes that the demon is Giles...she claims to have recognized something in his eyes. Giles returns to human, and Riley, who is a member of the army, has Ethan arrested. An excellent episode that once again mixed humor and drama in perfect proportions. My only question is, will Drusilla ever return?Some tidbits that matter very much. At the end of the episode, we see Prof Walsh enter a room with the number 314 written on it in big numbers (as in Walsh has something to do with evil). Also, Willow continues practicing magic with that girl who's mom is a witch.
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: It turns out I find myself suddenly needing to know
the plural of apocalypse. --Riley after learning about all of Buffy's fighting evil.
January 18, 2000This was Buffy in its truest form in that the show served as an allegory for good and evil while managing to serve up a heavy dose of humor. The show continues in the same scene that we were left with four weeks ago. Buffy and Riley, sitting across from each other. Riley talks first. He shares that he's part of a secret group of people. Buffy adds to this and tells him that she knows that they hunt down people that they call subhuman or something like that. Riley says that the vampires and demons are referred to as subterrestrials. She knows that Riley and his group take these subterrerstrials and try to make them so they are no longer violent. Riley is impressed with Buffy's knowledge. She shares that she is the slayer. But Riley doesn't know what a slayer is. She explains, but he doesn't understand. The two agree to keep their secret identities secret. As for their relationship, Buffy needs time to think. Just then an earthquake hits. The two duck for cover and when the earthquake clears, they leave each other. Riley goes to talk to his friend and fellow agent Forrest Gates and asks him who the slayer is. Forrest responds that the slayer is a mythical bogeyman that the vampires and demons have made up. Buffy goes to Giles to discuss the quake. He doesn't care about it...he's more concerned with the paramilitary organization whereas Buffy reminds us, "The last time we had an earthquake I died." Buffy thinks that the world is going to end. In the meantime, we experience a high school flashback. Willow goes to a party and is all alone with no friends. She sees someone she knew in high school, but later overhears him calling her a geek. Xander is dealing with his own insecurities because he is a pizza delivery guy. Spike is facing his own depression trying to deal with his inability to kill. He even tries to stake himself but can't. He then begins to insult Xander and Willow calling them needless sidekicks who only get in Buffy's way. Buffy is the cool one, and she is too nice to tell them that they (Xander and Willow) are unnecessary, meddling beings. Xander and Willow don't like the sound of this. Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. Buffy is right and the world is ending or as Giles mildly puts it, "It's the end of the world. Everyone dies. It's quite important really." These demons are trying to reopen the hell mouth. Buffy goes on the hunt for these demons who are searching for something called "the word of valios." Buffy keeps on bumping into Riley while he also searches for the demons. The two have many deep and meaningful talks about Buffy's powers and the possible relationship between them. Riley says that he is best for her because he understands what she is going through, but Buffy says that she has a past that she cannot let be repeated, that it's a mistake for her to be with someone, especially because she's going to die by 25. Riley says he understands the risks and that's why he should be with her. Buffy then says that for him, demon-hunting is a job, for her it's destiny. He says that it doesn't have to be that way and that he can change her life so that she can stop slaying at the end of the day (or the beginning of the morning, I suppose). Anyway, the demons who are searching for the word of valios go to Giles. It turns out that this "word" is really a medallion. They take it from Giles. Giles gets beat up by the demons and then the demons leave. When Buffy arrives at Giles', he shares that the demons are going to open the hell mouth which is at the library at the high school which is now burnt to a crisp. The whole Scooby gang (including Spike) go back to high school which is really a major theme throughout this episode...both the Scooby gang and the high school thing. While they battle the demons, Spike gets attacked. He fights back and learns that he can fight demons (although he still can't hurt humans). Buffy is losing until Riley arrives. We mix Buffy's power with Riley's technology and defeat the demons. Keep in mind, that now Willow, Xander, and Spike all know Riley is a secret agent. At the end of the episode, Buffy and Riley make out, and Spike wants to go slay vampires.CASTING NOTE: Marc Blucas became a name on the opening credits this week. Blucas portrays TA, military agent, and potential love interest Riley Finn. QUESTIONS IN PART ANSWERED: Faith is "in a coma right now because she had so much fun [as a slayer]." As for Sunnydale's new mayor, we don't know him, although we do know that Xander stepped on a "extra crispy" piece of the mayor's body while walking through the high school. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: I just don't want pity from geeks more useless than I am. --Spike on Xander and Willow's pity over his suicide NEXT WEEK: Giles becomes a demon. Will Buffy slay him? January 11, 2000RerunJanuary 4, 2000Rerun |
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