Original Air Date:

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Michael Gershman

Summary

After using the run and stumble tactic with two particularly nasty looking creatures with no mouths, Buffy kills one of them by stabbing it through the heart with a knife. The other demon runs off once he's seen that Buffy has killed his partner. A bluish-white ooze is spilling out of the wound and Buffy gets some of it on her hand without noticing. The ooze quickly sinks into her skin.

The next day at school, while entering the library, Buffy & Willow discuss the demons from last night and the fact that they had no mouths kind of creeps the both of them out. After much talk of cross referencing, Giles admits that he knows very little about the Ascension. Buffy scratches her hand where the ooze had sunk in while Giles assures her that Angel pretending to be bad was useful. Wesley then walks in and proceeds to insult Giles on his knowledge but Giles retorts that Wesley has very little to add to the situation at hand. Wesley begins to speak of the demon Azarath at which point everyone picks up their books and leaves the library. Out in the hall, Buffy admits to Willow that seeing Angel pretending to be bad and kissing Faith has made her uneasy as to where she and Angel stand in their relationship. Willow tells Buffy that she should just ask Angel how he feels about it. Willow opens her locker as basketball team members Hogan and Percy stop to talk. Percy discusses an assignment with Willow who obviously has him wrapped around her little finger. Willow tells Percy that she'll be sure to watch the big game. Buffy is a little surprised and starts to feel left out when she finds out that everyone is going to the game and she can't go because she has to patrol.

Buffy talks to Giles about her itchy hand, he finds a write-up on the demon and informs her that the demon's blood infects the person with an aspect of the demon. Buffy is fearful that she'll grow strange body parts. Later that day, the cheerleaders are revving up the crowd at the pep rally for the big basketball game. Buffy, Xander, Willow & Oz are there for the event and Buffy comments that the rally is really lame to which everyone agrees. Willow, reading through the school's newspaper, reads a particularly bitter report about pep rallies. Buffy runs her hands over her hair, and when prompted, tells Willow that she's afraid she's growing something. Willow tells Buffy that she thinks Giles is all wrong and that nothing is going to happen. Buffy is fearful that somehow she'll change, not only outside but inside as well. Xander continues to watch the cheerleaders, in particular Cordelia and notices that Wesley is watching Cordelia as well, much to Xander's jealousy. While walking home at night, Buffy runs in to Angel, who is checking up on her. Buffy mentions the demon problem and Angel tells her that he'll love her no matter what.

The next day at school, Willow, Oz & Xander are discussing the basketball game and quickly hush-up when Buffy comes around so that they won't make her feel bad about missing the game. Buffy figures out what they're doing and Cordelia walks by and assures Buffy that she missed the game of the season. Xander is once again watching Cordelia and wonders to himself whether or not she and Wesley have kissed. Buffy says something about it and Xander says she read his mind. Buffy begins to realize just what aspect she got from the demon. On her way to the library, Buffy overhears people's thoughts and is pleased with some of the things she's hearing. After convincing Giles that she can read people's minds, Giles thinks of ways she can use this new power in battle, Buffy, on the other hand, has better ideas. She wows her teacher in class with the knowledge that she pulls out of someone else's mind.

Later that day, Buffy goes to visit Angel at the mansion, Buffy tries to read his mind while talking about Faith. Angel then tells her that she can't get into his mind because the thoughts create no reflection in his mind. He tells her that she should just ask what she wants to know. She does and Angel tells her that he hated hurting her and that kisisng Faith meant nothing to him.

Later at the library, Buffy tells her friends of her power. Buffy hears Xander thinking of sex, Oz thinking deep thoughts and Wesley swooning over Cordelia. They all start to get freaked out and leave the library one by one. Buffy gets a headache and decides to leave.

In the cafeteria at lunch, Buffy gets a little headachy as she can hear what everyone is thinking. Suddenly, everything goes quiet and she hears "This times tomorrow, I'll kill you all!" As the voices pick up again, Buffy can't take all the noise and collapses in the middle of the cafeteria. Buffy wakes up outside to see her friends peering down on her. She tells Giles what she heard and the others go back into the school to look for the would-be-murderer. At home, Joyce tucks Buffy into bed, Buffy then finds out from Joyce's thoughts that she has sex twice with Giles on the hood of a police car (Band Candy) much to Buffy's shock. Back at school, the Scooby Gang has compiled a list of who was in the cafeteria and are busy questioning those on the list. Oz discovers the room to the writer of Sunnydale High's newspaper which is covered in bitter reports about school events but the room is empty and the reporter, Freddy, is nowhere to be found. Giles and Wesley are at work on a potion to heal Buffy, but it required the heart of the second demon which they don't have. Angel goes out and fights the demon for them. Angel brings the liquid from the heart to the Summer's home and feeds Buffy the liquid, she begins to shake uncontrollably and Angel tries to hold her down.

Back at school the next day, it's almost lunch time. Up in the clock tower of the school, Jonathan opens a case containing a rifle that needs assembling. The gang finds Freddy in his office and tries to make him confess but he's completely clueless about the murder. Cordelia picks up a letter off his desk that says, in short, that death is the only way, it was signed Jonathan. Buffy joins the group now that she's healed and they split up to find Jonathan. Xander is looking in the cafeteria when he becomes distracted by the sight of Jello.

Outside, Buffy spots Jonathan in the clock tower and runs up the railing of the stairs and swings herself up and over into the clock tower. Buffy explains that she knows how Jonathan is feeling and that he shouldn't have to this just because he wants attentions. She explains that people are too busy with their own pain to worry about others. Jonathan finally gives up the gun and Buffy tells him that mass murder isn't the way to go, Jonathan doesn't understand and tells her that he came up there to kill himself. Buffy realizes then that they haven't found the real killer.

Meanwhile, Xander's in the kitchen and just as he's about to eat some Jello, he spots the lunch lady pouring Rat Poison in the soup. Xander runs into the caf and overturns tables to stop people from eating the tainted food.. Just as the lunch lady is about to attack Xander with a butcher knife, Buffy steps in and stops her violently.

The next day, Bufy informs Willow that she and Angel are good. She also tells Giles that Jonathan isn't doing so well and that he's been suspended from school. Giles suggest a spot of training after school, Buffy agrees "Unless," she says, "you're too busy having sex with my mother." Giles promptly runs into a tree.

Written by Nika

Miscellaneous Info

~This episode was delayed in the airing of it because the similarities between the episode and the mass murder at Columbine High School were too similar.~

Quote of the Week

Buffy (to her mom): You had sex? With Giles? On the top of a police car? TWICE?

My Rating

4/5

My Comments

An excellent episode, though the coincidences between this episode and the Columbine High School event were so close that it was actually eerie. Especially Cordelia's line about how mass murders didn't happen in a lot of American high school these days (said with sarcasm) made the tie in between this episode and the event really really weird. An interesting concept for a storyline. But the growing power of being able to hear other people's thoughts would definitely give anyone a headache. It was a little weird to discover that Joanthan was suicidal but I guess we all should have thoughts of something for his anyway because he has been in quite a few episodes even though he didn't have a developing storyline. I liked the way that they led you to believe that Jonathan was the killer but it was in fact that lunch lady. If Xander hadn't had a sudden craving for Jello, the whole school might very well be dead right now, well not really because the writers would never allow that, but you know what I mean.There was very little supernatural in this episode which made it more interesting and we all know that this actually could happen. Despite the coincidences and it not being aired, I really liked this episode.

Cast