Bargaining Part 1

Original Air Date: October 2, 2001

Written by Marti Noxon
Directed by David Grossman

Summary

Spike, Tara and Giles chase down a vamp through the cemetery while Willow telepathically directs them from atop a crypt. The Buffybot appears and attacks the enormous vamp while Xander and Anya attack the other one. Spike torches the one choking Giles and the Buffybot stakes the second one. They're all somehwat somber and wish that Buffy had been there.

The next morning at the Summers' home, Willow and Tara are now living there taking care of Dawn. Willow's afraid that the Buffybot isn't believable and that Mr. Summers might take Dawn away if he knows that Buffy is dead. The other problem is the Parent Teacher day at school today. The bot acts bizarrely with the teachers and gets many weird looks but she isn't questioned. Later on at the Magic Box, Anya and Giles are arguing over inventory. Aside, Anya tells Xander that Giles is taking forever to go back to England and she wants to be the only one in charge of the shop. She also wants to announce their engagement but he doesn't think it's appropriate at the moment.

Spike is staying with Dawn that night and he refuses to leave her alone for fear that she'll get hurt. The Buffybot is out on patrol but gets damaged while fighting a vamp and he realizes that she's only a machine. Meanwhile the rest of the gang is at Xander and Anya's apartment where Anya has acquired the last known urn of Osiris that they need to raise Buffy from the dead. Xander suddenly has cold feet; he doesn't think it's right but Willow is adamant. Xander's afraid that she'll come back all wrong but Willow says that Buffy died of unnatural causes and her soul may be stuck in some hell dimension. Xander finally agrees to raise Buffy tomorrow night. Willow returns to the Summers' house where the Buffybot is waiting for her. The bot's programming tells her to find Willow when she's injured. Willow sets to work on the bot and Spike leaves, obviously not at ease with the bot. That night while everyone is in bed, Dawn gets up and lays herself down beside the Buffybot, seeking some kind of comfort.

The next day Giles trains the bots and finds her reactions are fine and she suffered no lasting effects from her last fight. Giles tells the bot that he's worried he didn't do Buffy any good by being her Watcher despite the reassurances of the bot. The bot then asks why Giles he's still in Sunnydale if he has no Slayer and Giles has no reply. Outside of town at some demon biker bar, the vamp that ran into the Buffybot is telling everyone that the Slayer has been replaced by a robot. A demonic gang called the Hellions are looking for fun so they jump on their motorcycles and head out towards Sunnydale. Willow is outside getting the last ingredient for her spell. She calls on the blessed one and a baby dear appears. She quickly stabs the animal with a knife and takes the blood. She returns to the Magic Box where the rest of the group has convened nervously. Anya finds a note from Giles announcing his departure. They rush to the airport where Giles is sitting sadly. They tell him they'll be okay but that they'll miss him so much. Giles' flight is called and he gives them each one last hug and one last warning to be careful. He then takes off for England. Quietly Willow says that she wished they could have raised Buffy before he left but that she knows he'll come back once Buffy is alive again.

As the sun sets, the Hellions ride into Sunnydale while Willow, Xander, Tara and Anya gather around Buffy's grave in the woods. Willow begins the powerful spell where she's challenged by Osiris who cuts her skin deeply and causes her to vomit a large snake. Meanwhile the bikers are trashing Sunnydale and setting everything on fire. Spike stays with Dawn at home and they can hear the noise and destruction happening outside. The Buffybot challenges the Hellions but their leader cuts her and exposes her wirings. She fights them off and then runs away in search of Willow for repairs. Back in the forest, Willow is caught in a whirlwind of mystical energy when the bot and the Hellions appear. A hellion smashes the urn and the spell is terminated as Willow screams in desolation. The gang makes a run for it as the Hellion attack the bot. In her grave, the rotting body Buffy slows reanimates itself and Buffy is brought back to life.

Summary written by Nika

 

Quote of the Week

Tara: Grrrr... arghh...

 

My Rating

4.5/5

 

Nika's Review

Well we all knew that Buffy was going to come back. And we all knew that Willow was going to raise her. My biggest fear was that they'd raise Buffy in some hokey manner and we'd all be screaming at the writers because we'd feel cheated. Thankfully, this didn't happen. Willow's spell to ressurrect Buffy was so powerful. It had me entirely creeped out. Especially when that snake started to come out of her mouth. That just looked incredibly painful, and Alyson Hannigan did a wonderful job throughout that entire scene. Giles leaving was incredibly sad. I don't really like how they've removed all the adults from the show. Sure, the cast is getting older but I still miss having the older