Original Air Date: January 18, 2000

Written by Marti Noxon, David Fury and Jane Espenson
Directed by James A. Contner

Summary

Buffy and Riley are still sitting in her room. Neither of them knows what to say. Buffy tells him what she knows about the initiative, which is just about everything, much to his surprise. She tells him that she's the Slayer but he doesn't what a "Slayer" is. they decide to spend some time away from each other in order to think things over. Suddenly there's an earthquake and Buffy becomes quiet, remembering what happened the last time there was an earthquake in Sunnydale; her death. Later on, Willow returns to the dorm and says there's an earthquake party tonight at some frat house. Buffy says she'll meet her there because she's stopping at Giles' house first. Buffy tells Giles that something bad is going to happen but Gies isn't convinced that the earthquake was paranormal activity. Riley, wondering what exactly a "slayer" is, asks Forret who promptly tells him that she's basically the boogeyman for demons, but she's just a myth. At the earthquake party, Willow's standing alone. She eventually runs in to Percy but he brushes her off. In another room, a guy pouring drinks has his throat slit by a large demon. Bored, Willow heads to a dark room and lies down on the bed. Suddenly the lights come on and Willow rolls over to find herself in bed with the dead guy with a third eye symbol carved into his chest.

Xander returns home from his pizza delivery job to find Spike dressed in his clothes because Spike had shrunk his own in the wash. The place is also soaking wet because a pipe had broken from the earthquake and Spike was unable to fix it. Back at the party, Buffy shows up to find Willow sitting on the stairs and the paramedics carrying the body out. One of Riley's friends who was at the party reports to Riley about the incident. Riley decides to go check it out and sends his friends to report to Dr. Walsh. Over at Giles', Willow relates about the murder and explains that it looked like all the blood had been drained frm the guy and the third eye symbol that was carved into his chest. Giles, seeing the symbol, says that Buffy was right about the earthquake; it's the end of the world. Again. Buffy grabs a crossbow and heads out to mausoleum where the third eye symbol is carved into the side. Inside, a rather large demon is stealing the bones from a coffin. Buffy runs in and fights him until he runs off. Riley then shows up and Buffy starts in about their relationship and that she can't be with jm because she's already been with someone who did the same thing as her; fight demons and she just doesn't want to go down that path again. Riley refuses to give up and says that he won't just walk away because she thinks it might not work. Buffy doesn't want to hear it, and says her answer is no.

Back at Giles', after research they find that the demon that Buffy fought is a Vahrall demon and that he's doing a a ritual that requires three sacrifices. They all head out in search of more info, Willow and Xander return to Xander's basement to find Spike about to commit suicide but he doesn't succeed because they walked in one him. Spike says that he finds himself pathetic and doesn't want to live anymore. Willow decides they'd better take him to the museum so that he won't try to kill himself again. Meanwhile, Buffy runs in to Riley outside and tries to make a clean getaway but he keeps pushing her to become more positive about her life because if she keeps thinking negatively everything will turn out badly. Buffy, once again, tells him to leave her alone.

Giles is researching and comes across the word of Valios which is a talisman that the demon need for its ritual. In the next instant, the demons break in, brutally beat Giles and steal the talisman. Buffy arrives to find the whole gang sitting in Giles' living room. Giles relates that the demons are planning on reopening the Hellmouth. The gang, save Gilles, heads to the old, burned-down school which is an absolute mess. They make their way to the barely recognizable library and find three demons chanting over a large crack in the ground. Buffy jumps in and starts fighting the demons while Willow and Xander play keep away with the talisman and human's blood. One jumps in the hole and Xander discovers that the demons are the sacrifices. Spike is getting wailed on when he decides to hit back and discovers that he can hurt demons without causing himself mental pain. He goes crazy and accidentally throws the demon in to the hole. There's one demon left and Riley shows up to help Buffy fight him. The demon jumps in the hole and Riley attaches a rope to Buffy's belt because she' going in after the demon. Buffy jumps in the hole and when the rope reaches the end, Riley starts pulling her back out. She comes out of the hole holding the dmeon by her hand, he's dead. Riley then tries to explain his presence to Xander and Willow but they already know that he's part of the initiative.

The next day, Buffy goes to Riley's room to find him freaking out because everyone knows he's a commando. She tells him it's no the end of the world and kisses him softly. Meanwhile, Xander and Willow are watching tv until Spike turns it off and says that they should go out and fight some demons for the sake of Christmas and puppies.

Summary written by Nika

Quote of the Week

Giles: It's the end of the world.
Willow, Xander and Buffy: AGAIN?!?

My Rating

4/5

Nika Summers' Review

Great episode, a little different than what I expected from it but still a great episode. I was somewhat surprised by Buffy's reaction to Riley being a commando because she is a Slayer herself and acting so harshly on Riley was kind of bizarre. I'm glad that Riley didn't give up that easily and he kept pushing her which I really appreciated because if he hadn't pushed then she probably would just have sunken deeper into her black hole. And that wouldn't make for a very good series now would it? Spike was great in this episode as well and it was ncie to see that he can at least fight demons now. Kind of bizarre to see him fighting the good fight (even if he's only doing it to get some violence in) with the rest of the gang. And his suicidal move was a little extreme and had me scared for a little moment there. Best of all though, was hearing Spike's fake American accent at the end of this episode "No... I'm just a pal offff Xanderrrrr''sss here." Very funny :) Oh yeah, that and Spike is Xander's clothes, which was an absolutely priceless moment. By the way, did anyone notice that Giles didn't sound like... well Giles? In his first scene where Buffy is talking to him about the earthquake it sounds like it's a completely different person. Plus the words aren't watched with the movement of the lips. What happened there? It was nice to see that Marc Blucas was officially put in the cast credits at the beginning. I have to admit that I'm a big fan of his. The thing that really got me about this episode was going back to the high school. That really hurt, in a bizarre sort of way. I mean, we've spent three years watching the Scooby Gang going to that school and now it's like the only memory they have left of it is the burnt down ashes from the Mayor's death. Plus, I was really depressed to see that the library wasn't even recognizable. I'd been very fond of that place. Oh well... I'm personally looking forward to Buffy and riley's continuing relationship.

Niki Bartl's Review

This week I decided to get off my ass and actually write notes so I would have an easy review to write but instead I found myself writing things down that really irritated me so this will be more of a nitpicking review. It was a wicked episode, especially with the starting scene, Buffy being right, Riley's reactions to her, and especially the gang's return to high school. The thing in this episode that made me most happy though, was the Xander and Willow bonding. At the beginning of the season we barely saw them together, and as much as I like Oz and Anya, I like Willow and Xander together, watching TV. It feels..... right. But as promised, there were multiple nagging questions in my head. If anyone has answers, please feel free to drop me a note and explain it. 1) Why is Anthony Stewart Head still titled "as Giles" in the credits? 2) If they are in Southern California, why does Buffy wear a jacket, especially when she goes out slaying.... i.e. hot, sweaty physical activity? 3) what is up with the fight noises? they seem to want to push the effect that Sarah is doing her fight scenes, but to me it just sounds faker. 4) Is Faith coming back? There have been way to many references to her being in a coma for her not to come back. 5) Wouldn't Sunnydale tear down the high school since it's about to collapse? Doesn't it pose a danger to children wandering around? 6) Where is the new Sunnydale High School? After the episode, which I watched with my Mum, I asked her what she thought. My middle aged, prim and proper mother who presides over the country club and has tea with her tennis partners, thought that Spike was "really sexy in that black t-shirt and jeans". Hmmmmmmm.

Cast