Original Air Date: October 10, 2000

Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by James A. Contner

Summary

Buffy, Riley, Anya and Xander are watching a cheesy Japanese fighting movie in Xander's basement. Xander wants to get a new place to live because all you can hear are his parents arguing continually. Anya's arm is in a cast from her mishap with Harmony's gang and Buffy is busy studying, which she's actually enjoying. Meanwhile in a cave somewhere a tall demon in a black robe preaches the Slayer's death. The next day Xander goes house hunting and he finds a gorgeous apartment that Anya wants immediately. Xander takes one look at the cost and has to tell Anya that he can't buy it. Anya becomes cranky and tells him she doesn't want to look at beautiful things that she can't ever have. Xander takes the application from the building manager who is not looking too pleased with Xander.

Giles is setting up his shop, The Magic Box, when the demon in the robe appears. Giles tries attacking it with a fertility goddess statue but it does nothing to faze the demon. The demon is looking for the Slayer and since she is not with Giles he does not concern him. Later on Giles is retelling his experience to Willow, Buffy, Riley and Xander. Giles, looking through a book, comes across the demon which is called a Toth demon. Giles noticed a smell from the demon that was definitely a garbage smell. That night, the gang finds themselves at the city dump where they find run into Spike. They also run into the Toth demon who begins shooting a them with some magickal weapon. Xander gets hit shoving Buffy out of the way. The force of the magickal bullet sends him into a pile of trash. He appears to be okay, meanwhile the demon has disappeared on them. The next day another Xander wakes up in the same pile of trash. He runs home and is shocked to see himself in his own basement. Buffy is at home packing up weapons to get the demon.

Xander follows his double to a construction zone where Xander is employed. Xander #1 shows up for work and his construction manager asks to see him in his office. Xander #2 spies on them in the office. Despite what Xander #2 thinks (that he's getting fired), the manager is actually giving him a promotion to stay on full time and for a raise. Xander #1 then goes ahead and decides to rent the apartment. Xander #1 is more confident and the building manager actually tries to hit on him. Xander #2 is listening in and is not happy. Xander #1 then calls Anya and tells her to meet him at the apartment at 9:00 PM. While he's leaving the apartment, Xander #1 tries attacking his double but only gets knocked to the floor. Xander #1 goes to Giles' and tells him of his double while Xander #2 goes to Willow and explains the same situation. Xander #1 at Giles' just wants the other Xander dead. Buffy thinks that it was the demon's weapon that caused the twin. At Willow's Xander feels terrible because his double is hadnling his life so much better than he had been before. Suddenly he thinks about Anya and he's scared his double will do something to her. He goes to her apartment and discovers the message on her machine to meet the other Xander at 9:00.

Anya and Xander #1 are at the new apartment and she can barely believe that he's renting it. Suddenly Anya talks about getting cars and children and she explains that she needs to move forward quickly with her life. She's dying now that she's no longer immortal and she's terrified of it. Xander #2 bursts in on them and they're all confused. Meanwhile Willow goes over to Giles' where Giles has now discovered that Toth's weapon makes two out of one, creating one with all of the person's positive qualities and one with all the negative qualities. If they kill one the other one dies as well. Toth was aiming for Buffy in order to capture all her Slayer qualities into one being. Back at the apartment Xander #2 pleads with Anya but she can't tell the difference between the two Xanders. Xander #2 then pulls out a gun. Riley and Buffy rush over to the apartment and on the way there Rileyt tells her that there isn't part of her that he doesn't love. They get there and Buffy takes the gun away from them. She explains to the two Xanders that they're technically both Xander. They're about to go to Giles' to sort out the mess when Toth appears. Riley jumps him, gets a couple good shots in but then gets tossed away. Buffy then jumps in, and after several impressive kicks she kills him with a sword through the chest.

At Giles' shop Anya wants to keep the two Xander's separate for her own fun but the two Xanders are put into the center of a pentagram and by Willow saying "Let the spell be ended" the two Xanders become one.

The next day Xander is moving out of his basement and everyone's helping him move. At one point Riley and Xander are left alone together and Xander comments that Riley's lucky he got a sane girlfriend. Riley says that he feels incredibly lucky, like he won the lottery, and that he feels like he's found the one. Sadly he then admits that she doesn't love him and Xander can only stand there staring in shocked silence.

Summary written by Nika

Quote of the Week

Riley: When I'm around her I feel like I've been split in two. Half of me is on fire, wanting to touch her while the other half is perfectly still, peaceful. Perfectly content. Like I've found the one.

But she doesn't love me.

My Rating

3.5/5

Nika's Review

Before I get into my review about this episode I would just like to point something out to the general public or anyone reading my site... Dawn is not a real sister of Buffy. She obviously can't be since we never heard or seen her before. There is an explanation for why she appeared suddenly but she's not one of those when-the-hell-was-she-born sisters. I don't know the explanation but this is not one of those sitcoms that decided to tack in another sibling just to confuse everyone. I've had many people tell them that this is pissing them off incredibly. There is a story behind Dawn and you'll just have to wait to find out. Myabe she's casting a spell on everyone? Anyway, moving on... I was quite happy with this episode. On the usual I don't generally like Xander episodes (The Zeppo just about killed me, literally) but this was one was pretty darn good. After three years of rumors it was nice to see Kelly on the show afterall and he did a good job. I am, of course, under the impression that he was the more suave Xander (right?). But if Buffy had gotten hit by the special gun thingy that would have made one hell of an episode, or two, or three. Can you imagine crazy all-Slayer Buffy running around rampant while just plain-old Buffy tries to get them back together? That would have been a good two-parter. Anyway, I was still pleased with this episode. Riley's comment at the end kind of shocked me and Xander's reaction to it was excellent. I was not expecting Riley to say "But she doesn't love me". I guess maybe it's that whole eternal love with Angel thing (which I'm betting that come the end of Season 6 Buffy and Angel are gonna get back together when Angel becomes human. Come on, it's got to happen! In Joss We Trust). I feel bad for him though because I do like Riley and I liked them together. I wonder where they're going with this?

Niki Bartl's Review

Okay, maybe I'm weird, maybe it's the Tylenol I took for my headache right before the episode, but I liked this episode. Mostly because I like Xander episodes. The first Buffy episode I ever saw was The Pack, and it got me instanly hooked. I loved Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered, I even liked The Zeppo (well, as much anyone can like The Zeppo, it sort of stunk). But I've always had a weak spot for Xander because he's the part of me inside that thinks I'm never good enough, that is always getting in the way, basically, Xander is my insecurities and that's why I am always rooting for him. I liked the way that the episode didn't turn out to be a case of "evil twin" because we've seen that a couple of times. I also liked how Anya was the one important thing of Xander, and I'm so happy that he has a job and a new apartment. My favourite, however, had to be the ending with the whole "11 and a half" and then "Wasn't it weird when she called me Mister?" And then back to the good old Xander, whom I dearly love but hopefully he'll be a little more self-confident because we've seen his "nobody thinks I'm important" routine in The Zeppo and frankly, I like happy Xander, first season Xander. The most amazing, totally bestest, sweetest part of this epiosde was Riley talking about his love for Buffy and how it feels and yes, I'll admit it, I shed a tear when he said that she doesn't love him. It made me a little ticked off at Buffy, even though I can't blame her. You know, when I first met Riley, I intensely disliked him and would never thought that in a year, I'd be rooting for him right alongside of Xander. Hmm, I guess sometimes the underdog should win.

Cast