Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7 Episode 11

SHOWTIME



Halfway through season 7, nearly at the end now!



The Good;

The seige of Revello Drive and Buffy taking the Turok-Han down.



The Bad;

So why doesn't the Turok-Han attack night after night? The only thing I can think off is that it wanted to get some of the Potentials to Sunnydale? Or maybe the Turok-Han has some limits to it's strength and needs to 'recharge'? (this ep is set several days after the last)



Best line;

Buffy; "Welcome to thunderdome!" followed by "Dust, like all the rest"

Although I also like;

Rhona; (on being handed a sword) "What's the point?"

Kennedy; "It's the sharp end"



Women good/men bad;

Dawn says the Slayer is always female because girls are just cooler.



Kinky dinky;

Anya once had a one night stand with the six spleened demon whilst wearing entrails! Anya is quite prepared to prostitute herself on behalf of the Scoobs.



Captain Subtext;

Will still shy about sharing Kennedy's bed but the rich minx isn't so hesitant. Andrew refers to his 'joystick hand' which even Xander won't 'touch' (interesting phrasing?).



Apocalypses; 7,



Scoobies in bondage:

Buffy: 8

Giles: 4

Cordy: 5

Will: 4

Jenny: 1

Angel: 4

Oz: 1

Faith: 3

Joyce: 1

Wes: 1

Xander; 2

Dawn; 4

Spike; 2



Scoobies knocked out:

Buffy: 20

Giles: 12

Cordy: 6

Xander: 15

Will: 9

Jenny: 2

Angel: 6

Oz: 3

Faith: 1

Joyce: 3

Wes: 1

Anya;7

Dawn; 4

Tara; 1

Spike; 1



Kills: Xander and Kennedy kill a Bringer each. Buffy kills 4 Bringers and the Turok-Han

Buffy: 118 vamps, 60 demons, 6 monsters, 9 humans, 1 werewolf, 1 spirit warrior & a robot

Giles: 8 vamps, 2 demon, 1 human/1 god.

Will: 6 vamps + 3 demons +1 fawn+1 human.

Oz: 3 vamps, 1 zombie

Faith: 16 vamps, 5 demons, 3 humans

Xander: 6 vamps, 2 zombies, 1 a demon, 2 humans

Anya: 1 vamp and 1 a demon

Riley; 18 vamps + 7 demons

Spike; 9 vamps and 6 demons

Buffybot; 2 vamps

Tara; 1 demon

Dawn; 1 vamp + 1 demon

Kennedy; 1 human



Scoobies go evil:

Giles: 1

Cordy: 1

Will: 3

Jenny: 1

Angel: 1

Oz: 1

Joyce: 1

Xander: 4

Anya; 1

Dawn; 1

Buffy; 1

Spike; 1



Alternate scoobies:

Buffy: 8

Giles: 4

Cordy: 1

Will: 5

Jenny: 2

Angel: 3

Oz: 2

Joyce: 2

Xander: 4

Tara; 1

Dawn;1

Spike; 1

Anya; 2



Recurring characters killed: 13

Jesse, Flutie, Jenny, Kendra, Larry, Snyder, Professor Walsh, Forrest, McNamara, Joyce, Katrina, Tara, Quentin Travers.



Sunnydale deaths; poor Eve

103



Total number of scoobies: 12, add Vi (my 2nd favourite Potential), Chloe and Rhona (my least favourite) to the list

Xander, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Anya, Spike, Giles, Kennedy, Molly, Vi, Chloe, Rhona



Xander demon magnet: 5(6?)

Preying Mantis Lady, Inca Mummy Girl, Drusilla, VampWillow, Anya (arguably Buffy & Faith with their demon essences?), Dracula?



Scoobies shot:

Giles: 2

Angel: 3

Oz: 4

Riley; 1

Buffy; 1

Tara; 1



Notches on Scooby bedpost:

Giles: 2; Joyce & Olivia, possibly Jenny and 3xDraccy babes?

Buffy: 4 confirmed; Angel, Parker, Riley, Spike. 2 possible, Dracula+RJ(?)

Joyce: 1;Giles, 2 possible, Ted and Dracula(?)

Oz: 3; Groupie, Willow & Verucca

Faith:2 ;Xander, Riley

Xander: 2; Faith, Anya

Willow: 2;Oz and Tara

Riley; 3; Buffy, Sandy and unnamed vampwhore

Spike; 2 Buffy and Anya

Anya; 2 Spike and Xander



Dawn in peril; 14



Dawn the bashful virgin; 9



Questions and observations;

Vi refers to Faith. The game 'Six degrees of Kevin Bacon' is mentioned (simple, Kevin was in Will and Grace as was Seth Green). Bojoxers eye is very reminiscent of Big Trouble in Little China. If the bringers are human why doesn't Xander just get Anya's gun and shoot them? Kennedy says she's been training since she was 8? Buffy tells Rhona 'Welcome to the Hellmouth'! The Coven is still there so Giles and co still have allies around the world. Holy Water works on Turok-Han even though they must surely predate Christianity? Mad Max 3 quoted although I never thought it was that successful in the US (and again, a reference for scriptwriters in their 30s rather than a 23 year old?). Buffy wins because she has the human traits of strategy and weapons and is fighting for the people she loves. If the First needs to release more Turok-Han why doesn't it just bleed the Bringers?

Marks out of 10; 9/10

Showtime-Potential Slayers are arriving from around the world, seeking shelter in Sunnydale. Some of them, however, are starting to doubt that Buffy will be able to protect them from the First Evil. Giles and Anya seek answers and learn of a weakness in the Slayer line. Meanwhile, the Scoobies are rushing to fortify their defenses because nightfall will bring the Turok-Han.

Let's face it, all "Showtime" has going for it is that it ends with one of the finest action set pieces/fight scenes of the series. As an episode itself, it's pretty good I guess, but some moments just leave you scratching your head. Not to mention, introduces another annoying potential: Rona! A character who most of the time goes on and on about how scared she is, how they can'tpossibly win and whines and whines and WHINES! Sheesh and she's suppose to be a slayer one day? God! I know all the potentials can't be the same but atleast Kennedy shows someinitiativeand wants to help, the rest either complain about how they have no hope or are gonna die. Also, I found the twist with one of the Potentials being the First all along a HUGE stretch. So Eve/The First has been at the house for days since the real Eve was found dead for days. How did Buffy and anyone else in the house not notice that something wasn't right with Eve since it's established that the First isincorporeal! We saw covers over her in the beginning, she had to have touched someone in the house when she first met the gang. How did she hid the fact she can't eat? This twist made no sense....AT ALL! Also, the whole sub-plot with Anya and Giles going to that mystical eye and finding out that resurrecting Buffy caused the First to put this apocalypse into motion. It's a pretty big plot development, that never gets brought up again. It's kinda makes this development feel pointless, if the writers never build on it. Sure, telling Buffy and the others won't solve anything but the fact that Anya and Gilesneverbring it up again kinda makes that part of the episode pointless.

Also I find the whole telepathy conversation between Buffy, Xander and Willow also hard to believe. Sure we've seen Willow use telepathy before but the fact Buffy is the one that started the mental conversation made me go "WTF?!" Since when did Buffy get that power? Your telling me they couldexcusethemselves from the room for a private conversation? The episode just has these contrived twists that make no sense! I mean besides that, I did enjoy the lighter moments of the episode like Dawn and Andrew's conversation. Never have I loved Dawn more in a scene! I also liked the awkward flirtation between Kennedy and Willow. While most fans were put off by this relationship being established, it's cute seeing Kennedy falling for Willow. I also loved Willow's comment about evil tasting chalky! lol Like I said, the episode is really about the final fight between Buffy and the Tuo-kan and it's a really impressive fight sequence. While I feel the fight scenes during the later years don't compare to the fast paced, martial arts style of Sophia Crawford, this definitely was well done fight that using props, different set pieces, acrobatics, you name it. When Buffy finally kills the Tuo-kan, it's one of her best slays of the series, showing the potentials that there is hope and the war has just begun. All and All, "Showdown" has some shortcomings with it comes to it's plot twists but there are some great comedy and the final fight is pretty awesome!

Dark bus station, young woman, eyeless monk assassins....this can't go well. But Buffy is there with a stab and a quip and welcomes the new potential slayer to the Hellmouth, S1 style.





So now we have a mini-group of Slayerettes. There's Rona, the new Kendra, Molly Van Dyke teller of ghost stories, Kennedy the unflappable lesbian and applicant for the position of Buffy's lieutenant, Vi the ginger one from Dr Horrible, Chloe the punkish one, and Eve the Texan First Evil trying to spread paranoia, fear and hopelessness amongst the potentials just as Buffy-the-First tries to convince Spike that all is hopeless. Perhaps this is the true nature of evil – despair and the feeling that what you do doesn't matter. Again, the writers are trying to show that this incorporeality, which might seem a disadvantage, plays in TFE's favour. How can one fight something one can't see? How can one fight a general feeling that spreads like a disease? That is why Buffy's actions in this episode are so important, she must stamp hope into people's hearts. As a general, she must galvanise her troops and get them to believe in and trust her.





There is a slight religious tinge to this episode. Eve, the first evil, the first woman, was a temptress, tempting the potentials now to turn tail and run, whereas Spike, full of faith in the Chosen One, chants a mantra, or a prayer to himself: "She will come, she will come". Even Andrew gets a bottle of holy water when Buffy is handing out the weapons (seen as the booby prize, but it worked for Buffy in S3's Helpless).





Andrew is the odd man out in this ep; despite Xander and Anya using up valuable oxygen in a crowded house, they have roles to play whereas he is only trying to ingratiate himself into the new situation that he finds himself in as a survival technique. He is not interested in fighting evil or "kicking it righteous" for any other reason than not getting kicked out of the house and being killed by an agent of the First. He tries to bond with the person he perceives to be the weakest in the group – Dawn – not realising that even she despises and has no sympathy for him. Unlike Spike, he is all alone ("Then maybe you shouldn't've killed your only friend." says Dawn, insightfully) and as we all know, no-one redeems themselves sans friends.





Meanwhile, one of those cuddly workaday demons so beloved of S6 is unresponsive to Anya's offers of sex to call up the Eye of Beljoxa's portal. He is less immune to Giles's threats of Slayer violence and the pulsing latex eye thing tells them and us that Buffy, or rather Willow, Anya, Tara and Xander, are to blame for the rift in the space-time continuum; TFE has come into existence because Buffy isn't supposed to be there.





At the moment, it does seem that the world would be better off without Buffy as she shares weapons but not power with the potentials, she leads the scared troupe into battle against the Harbingers but then abandons them so she can fight alone – again. Trust seems to be a major issue here, but Buffy has a psychic plan! Xander suggests the new Sunnydale High library for the Turok Han smackdown – he won't have to fix the house again plus more worky goodness for him and his crew. Coincidentally, it looks very much like an arena where the Potentials can watch as Buffy announces that it's "Showtime" by switching on the floodlights – the opposite of Bring on the Night where Buffy fought the ubervamp in his territory – night and darkness – and lost. Here we have a hint that evil won't conquer the world – light wins out over dark. Buffy subverts the paradigm, fighting in her world, on her terms. Even though she isn't supposed to exist anymore, she can change destiny armed only with a stake and many many inspirational speeches ("I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about"). If Buffy can slay the Goliath, then so can the Potentials. As a leader she has stamped her almighty authority.





The reward for Buffy is Spike, a powerful ally and the reward for vamp-in-distress, Spike, for holding out against the First, for not giving up, is his rescue by Buffy. He believed she believed in him and he was right.

An episode which has tons of good subplots, Showtime is only spoilt by the potentials, who remain completely annoying.





The ultimate showdown between Buffy and the Turok-Han finishes off in this episode and what a fight it is! Xander's construction site is a brilliant setting for the scene and definitely something different. It's a long and exciting fight scene, the kind that hasn’t been seen for a while on Buffy. The Turok-Han's death is also original. Using a piece of barb wire, Buffy slices through its neck, beheading it before it turns to dust. How cool is that?





Giles and Anya also have a fun subplot in which they visit the demon oracle The Beljoxa's Eye. Like most of the demons this season, it looks stunning but its explanation of the reason why the First is striking at this very particular moment is slightly vague and never really looked at in more detail in future episodes.





Like in Never Leave Me, there is another exciting raid on the Summers' home. Though not as good as the one two episodes ago, it's still cool and the mini-fight between the Scoobies, the potentials and the Bringers in the backyard is very thrilling.





The potentials are still awful. Kennedy is still the selfish, arrogant annoyance she was last episode. Molly still has that SAME annoying accent, new potential Rona does nothing but complain all episode and the other two new ones, Vi and Chloe, don't make much of an impression here.





The scene revealing that Buffy, Willow and Xander can (temporarily?) communicate telepathically is ruined by some clunky dialogue. It's been stated that Sarah Michelle Gellar wasn't available for voiceover work and Buffy's voice was dubbed by the actress who voices her in the Buffy video games and that's why she sounds so weird. The other clunkiness is when there is a really long silence and Xander suddenly says "I know just the place". It's almost like some speech was cut out as his line just comes out of nowhere.





This is a good episode, primarily because of the closing fight scene, but the potentials (like every episode after this) ruin it.

The episode starts with yet another potential slayer, Rona, arriving in Sunnydale. Almost taken by the Bringers, she gets saved my Buffy in the last minute.


Back at the house a number of girls have already gathered and doubt Buffys ability to protect them. And unfortunately one of them amongst them turns out to be an agent of The First.


Basically this episode brings the girls into the game. Some are okay and funny ( Rona ), some are just grating on my nerves, Kennedy for example. She is so cocky you just want to shut her up.


Anya and Giles travel to another dimension to learn more about The First Evil from an oracle, Beljoxas Eye.


Pretty cool SFX.


Best moments were whenever Andrew got some screentime and Anya asking a former demon friend for help.

Showtime was a perfect episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, combining an interesting mythology full of demons, evil, other dimensions, and hero's with the usual every day lives of modern teenagers. I really enjoyed watching this episode because it gave us a little taste of every thing that makes Buffy so great. There was a great and interesting story full of complex characters and situations. There was action, heroic speeches, and inspiring victory. I think this episode really starts the season's main story line into action and things only get more intense from here. This episode was full of action, had drama and intrigue, and also good old classic Buffy humor. I can't wait to watch the next epsisode!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed this episode because of the big fight in it, there is a lot of this in this episode. There is only one thing that I didn't like in this episode was Eve's really annoying accent, I never really have liked that accent. I have also found that Rona is a funny character. I kind of think that Spike being held captive by the First has went on for too long and that he should have escaped or been saved earlier. I know that it was probably meant to be like this but when the first verbually starts tp upset Spike I felt like punching her.

As potential slayers arrive from around the world seeking safety in Sunnydale they all begin to realize that Sunnydale isn't really the safest place on earth, even with the slayer there. The First, Turok-Han and the bringers are seeing to that. And the first is a lot trickier then even Buffy realized, having posed as one of the potential slayers staying in her home for several days and Buffy not even knowing about it. The First scoffs at her discovery and merely continues on with the threatening, telling her it'll be sending a visitor later on after the sun sets. The Turok-Han. As the potentials continue to doubt Buffy and lose faith she forms a plan with Willow and Xander, though it isn't exactly revealed right away. They plan a showdown between Buffy and the uber-vamp. Two men enter, one man leaves. Or woman as is the case. Buffy defeats the ubervamp and does her best to inspire the wanna slay bregade. She does a pretty good job too. And manages to get Spike back in the process.





In a somewhat seperate story line Anya and Giles seek out an oracle of sorts for answers about the first, maybe help of some kind. Anything. The discover that because Buffy lives again, because she was brought back a vulnerability was created in the slayer line. The mystical forces surrounding it was altered and the first is taking advantage of that. But Buffy isn't responsible for that Anya, Xander, Tara and Willow are.

After the previous episode, you'd think there's no way Buffy can defeat the scary Ubervamp. However, we all know our Buffy---she will always find a way. The gang continues researching whatever they can find about the Turok-Han and The First. This episode brings a lot of action and kick-ass scenes with the Turok-Han. It was fun seeing Buffy getting her strength back. The Ubervamp is one scary character. Who else can beat him? The gang (which is becoming overcrowded by each episode) had a lot of important lessons to learn in this episode. I was surprised by Buffy's speech at the end of the episode. She finally shows sings of leadership (I couldn't say that about season 6).

Buffy gets really beaten around by a very strong vamp. They potential slayers are showing their first sign of disrespect. She takes this opportunity to teach them a valuable lesson. She tricks them into believing they are in danger, all the while planning to put on a show and eventually defeating the monster. Something happens to spike. The big bad of the season is shown more and we get an idea of what new monster buffy is in for.

You can't really call an episode of Buffy season 7 "Series classic" in my opinion. The whole season is just so unusual that the term is not correct, but I just felt like it.


Actually, this episode once more showed how much darker and more serious the show is becoming towards the end. It still has its comical parts with so many great funny references, but it's really more meaningful.


I loved how she taught the potentials this lesson and it was a necessity, cause they needed to see what she can do. It's hard to believe that one person can be that strong and not give up, but when you see it, it's making much more sense. I guess this should have given the girls some confidence for a while.


Also: bringing back Buffy is what tipped the scales and made the First come forward. Wonder how that's going to effect the gang's confidence now...

I thought this episode was very clever and also had some great fight scenes, i liked the way the three original scoobies set it all up so that the potentials would see Buffy and The Uber Vamp, and when it cam to that fight it didnt dissapoint it was long and well done. This is probaly the first episode where the potentials start to annoy me but other than that it was a good episode. it also had some good humour in it like normal with andrew and anya being the ones to make me laugh. Overall a good episode whihc was cleverly written and the fight scene was done superbly.

Showtime





A big improvement from the last episodes. The fight between Buffy and that vamp was awesome and so were many scenes. What I didn't like was that it had a few moments that didn't feel...right. But all in all it was a great episode and one of the best with the potentials.





Cut to a girl arriving in sunnydale and then she sees bringers who are there to kill her but then Buffy comes to the rescue and she kills the bringers. Buffy tells Rona her welcome.





the credits start





Cut in Willow's room that is sleeping on the ground and Kennedy is on her bed and she wants Will to sleep with her but Willow is uncomfortable. And Kennedy talks about the new girls and she tells Will about her homes and Will doesn't want to. Cut to downstairs where Molly is talking to three slayers and tells about Annabelle. The girls are talking and Xander gets upset and Andrew thinks the same and he's bored. Cut to Buffy and Rona arriving and Molly is showing Rona the kitchen. Then they talk about what they are gonna do and Buffy has to find Spike. Giles begins to talk about an eye but Anya doesn't want to. And Buffy begs Anya to do it.





Cut to Spike escaping and he was dreaming and The First feels bad for him. Spike is saying something and when The First goes close it hears 'she will come for me'. Cut to Anya asking a demon to open a portal but he doesn't want to. She says she will sleep with him but he doesn't want to so she feels rejected and then he does it for them and opens a portal. Giles and Anya see that weird eye. Cut to someone calling Willow and then Buffy talking to Andrew and they are untying him because they don't have time and he stinks and he promises to be good. Then comes Willow tell Buffy that there is a new potential and Buffy is going. Willow says to Dawn that they need more help but Dawn says she isn't sure if scared wannabe slayers translate as help.





Cut to the potentials training and Eve doesn't understand why they are bothering. They say that one of them has the weight of the world but they don't think they will be one. And Vi says that there is another one. Eve says that they are all gonna die and wait for it. Cut to Buffy arriving to the girl and she kicks the door down and finds the girl dead and sees that it's Eve who's in their house. Cut to the house and Eve continues saying that the slayer cannot protect them. Cut to the house and Andrew talks to Dawn and she says they need Spike and he says that he is genius and that he can help but she is allowed to kill him. Andrew continues talking and she doesn't understand him and he feels alone and she tells him that he shouldn't have killed Jonathan.





Buffy and Xander arrive and they go downstairs and she tells Eve to get away from them and that Eve is dead. Eve says she learned a lot and she will send a guest and then disappears. Cut to the other dimension and the eye says that it has excited always and there is no way to destroy it and Anya asks for help and Giles asks why not and the eye says it was because the slayers become unstable and it was the slayer's fault. Cut to Buffy talking to the potential and they are crazy and scared because they don't know what to do and they have to stick together. They have to do something and Willow is gonna try to make a barrier. The slayers freak out and Buffy and Willow look at each other and they get out of the room and Xander follows them and they stare.





Cut to the cafe and The first tells the vamp to take them all except Buffy. Cut to Buffy giving everyone weapons and the bringers are waiting outside. Kennedy goes to Willow and she says that the first was into her and that she could taste evil. Then they see the vamp and it enters the home and Willow does the barrier. They have to go because Willow can't hold it and they run from the back and they kill those bringers. Cut to Anya and Giles coming out the portal and Anya doesn't understand and Giles says it wasn't because she died but because she lives again and it's not her fault and Anya says who are the responsible and that's the fault of the ones who brought Buffy back and the world would have been better off that way. They run away and they have to slip up and they all leave except Buffy.





Buffy attacks it but it's too strong and it hits her back and then she runs away but he doesn't follow her. Cut to the gang arriving to a place and they have to spread out and they see that it's coming straight to them and they are afraid and it attacks them and Buffy turns on the light and Willow tells them to watch cause it's showtime. Buffy says that she is the things that people fear and two men enter one men leaves and they have the ultimate fight and they fight each other. Cut to the place when the potentials were fighting and they were talking in minds. The vamp is too strong and it almost kills her but when he tries to kill her she is able to grab it from behind and it cuts off it's head. Buffy says that they will be the ones last standing ''Here ended the lesson'.





Cut to Spike alone in the cafe and he sees Buffy then with a knife and he says that it can't hurt him and she looks and then begins to cut him loose and he noticed it's really her and he's very happy and they leave out the cafe together.





Black Out


----------


Best episode quotes:





Buffy: Hey! Try picking on someone my own size. Rona, right? I just got word you were arriving.


Rona: You're her!


Buffy: Her is me.


Rona: You know, I thought, uh- they told me I'd be safe here.


Buffy: Right. Well, you are. I mean, you will be...safer...with me around.


Rona: That's good.


Buffy: Next time you're attacked-


Rona: Whoa, whoa- next time? You saying I'm gonna get attacked again?


Buffy: Welcome to the hellmouth.





Kennedy: You don't have to do this. Flooring it. In the bag. 'Cause nice big comfy bed right here. I mean, you ought to know. Your bed.


Willow: Yeah, but no. I'm OK. I just, I like it down here. It's firm.


Kennedy: Funny, you look a little uncomfortable. Or... is it just me?


Willow: No. I'm just, uh, uneasy 'cause Buffy's out.


Kennedy: Right. How many girls arriving this time?


Willow: Just one. But since Giles has the coven searching for other slayers-in-waiting to send 'em our way, I bet we'll be seeing a lot more soon enough.


Kennedy: So, you're saying I should enjoy having this bed all to myself as long as I can?


Willow: It is starting to get crowded around here.


Kennedy: Totally. And with this many girls, well, I'm just saying if we don't get another bathroom in this house soon, things are gonna get ugly.


Willow: Sounds like somebody had to share mirror time with a bunch of siblings.


Kennedy: Somebody not me. I only got a half-sister and we didn't have to share. Her bedroom was in another wing of the house.


Willow: Wing? Your house had wings?


Kennedy: Yeah. Just a couple. A few. Our summer home in the Hamptons didn't have any at all. Well, one, actually.


Willow: Huh. Well, that's- that's ... huh.


Kennedy: But never mind my deal. What's your story, Willow, I mean, witchcraft? Wow, that sounds new-agey.


Willow: No, it's safe to say that what I practice is definitely old-agey.


Kennedy: So, show me a trick.


Willow: A trick?


Kennedy: You know, pull a rabbit out of something, or make something float.


Willow: Uh, yeah, listen, Kennedy, um, it's almost morning. We really need to get some sleep.


Kennedy: Hey, if I wanted to sleep, I'd be downstairs catching Z's with the other girls.





Molly: Annabelle was all, "Control your fear, control your fear." Meanwhile, she's the one that goes scampering off, right into that Turok-Han vampire. Poor Annie.


Eve: Great, so the slayer who's supposed to protect us let her get killed?


Molly: She didn't let her. Annabelle was foolish. Buffy can't be faulted by arriving too late.


Chloe: It's not like she could've stopped it. I mean the super vampire messed her up pretty good.


Vi: No lie, she still looked like a big bruise when I got here, and that was already like the day after.


Eve: And why isn't she back yet? Buffy. She left to get the new girl over an hour ago. Mabye she ran into trouble. You don't think she was too late again.


Molly: Maybe-


Xander: Maybe we can save the maybes for a more dayish part of the day, girls. Potential slayers can function without sleep. Me, I'm no good without my usual 90 minutes.


Andrew: I'm with him. Keep the chatter down! Or, speak up so I can hear you. I'm bored. Episode I bored.


Buffy: You guys are all still up?


Xander: Ah! Who needs sleep?


Buffy: Everybody, this is Rona.


Everyone: Hi. Hi, Rona.


Andrew: Hey, Rona.


Xander: Hey, Rona.


Rona: Um... why is that guy tied to a chair?


Xander: The question you'll soon be asking is, "Why isn't he gagged?"


Giles: Molly, why don't you show our new houseguest where the kitchen is. I'm sure she's hungry after her travels.


Molly: Fair enough. I'm a bit peckish meself.


Rona: Bit what as well?


Anya: That's English for "hungry."


Rona: Oh, here I thought "hungry" was English for "hungry."


Giles: Everything all right?


Buffy: She had a welcoming committee.


Xander: So, The First knows potential slayers are making their way here?


Giles: I must warn the coven to be cautious.


Buffy: The First's always gonna be one step ahead of us, Giles. I need to know how to stop it. No, not stop it, hurt it. I want to hurt it real bad. Tell me how.


Giles: I- I don't know, Buffy. I've exhausted all the sources I have left with little result. The Watcher's records are still really all we have to go on.


Anya: I made the rounds myself. Tried to dig up anything useful from the demon community.


Xander: They're a community now? What's next, the Ladies' Auxiliary?


Anya: The ones that didn't attack me, didn't know anything or didn't talk. Either way, we've got squat.


Buffy: Well, squat's not gonna cut it. What about the Turok-Han?


Xander: The vampire time forgot?


Buffy: Time may have forgotten him, but I sure won't. We know stakes don't kill it, but anything in those ancient books about what does? Sunlight, fire, germs?


Andrew: So, Giles, with that thing guarding the entrance to The First's crib, how will Buffy get to Spike?


Buffy: I really hate to admit this, but he's not wrong. There's no way we'll be able to help Spike until that thing is out of the way.


Eve: Spike? Sorry, I'm confused. He's that vampire who's been killing people, right? He's the one you're worried about helping?


Buffy: Well, we need him to- he's the one that's been- it's complicated, Chloe.


Chloe: I'm Chloe, she's Eve.


Eve: It's just, well, we've been talking, and do we have some kind of plan? You know, any kind of plan to keep us from dying?


Buffy: We're working on it.


Giles: There is one avenue that we haven't tried yet-


Anya: Giles!


Giles: Beljoxa's Eye.


Xander: And exactly what part of town is that avenue in?


Anya: I told you no.


Buffy: Wh-what is Botox's eye?


Giles: Beljoxa's Eye. It's an oracle type creature that exists in a dark dimension.


Anya: Internal vortex more like.


Buffy: Fun.


Anya: Not really, no.


Giles: The point is, only demons can open the gateway to it.


Anya: Excuse me, ex-demon here.


Giles: You're still friends in the fold. Murderous acquaintances, anyway.


Anya: Look, there's no reason to think this Beljoxa's Eye will have any of the answers we're looking for.


Buffy: I'll take anything I can get. Anya, please, we're running out of time. Spike's running out of time.





Buffy/The First: Dreaming of me again, aren't you? Poor Spike. He still thinks I believe in him. Be realistic. I don't even believe in myself. At least not enough to risk my skin to save your ass. Not enough to face... that. I'm sorry, Spike. But you need to accept this. You know it never would've worked out. You need to let go so we can both move on. I promise, soon it'll all be-


Spike: She will come for me. She will come for me. She will come for me.


Buffy/The First: No, I won't.





Anya: Why not?


Torg: You have the nerve to ask me that?


Anya: Come on, Torg, that was like a lifetime ago.


Torg: Three, but who's counting. You broke my heart, Anyanka.


Anya: Don't be so dramatic, Torg. You don't even have a heart. Six spleens, two stomachs, half a brain maybe, but no heart.


Torg: Don't mock this. The night we spent together was...important to me.


Anya: It was one date. And it wasn't even a date. We just happened to be invited to the same massacre, and- and you hit on me after I had a few...


Torg: I remember, you wore pink.


Anya: Those were entrails.


Giles: I'm sorry, perhaps we could skip the nostalgia- Sorry, no, no, carry on.


Anya: OK, Torg, look, you open this tiny little gateway to the Beljoxa's Eye for me, and I'll- You and I will go-I'll have sex with you again.


Torg: Ugh, please, you're human. The way you look now, I wouldn't touch you for all the kittens in Korea.


Anya: You're rejecting my offer of sexual bribery? What am I, a leper in this town? I can't even give it away!


Torg: Come back when you are a leper.


Giles: Um, perhaps this might change your mind. You help us, and the slayer won't kill your clientele and burn your establishment to the ground.


Torg: Ek'vola mok't Beljoxa do'kar. There's your stinking gateway, Anyanka. Don't let it hit you on the way out.


Anya: It's the hair, right? Not attractive?


Giles: Come on.


Anya: Buckle up.





Andrew: Ow! Watch it! That's my joystick hand.


Xander: I'm not gonna touch that one.


Buffy: OK, listen up, Andrew. I don't exactly know what to do with you, except that we don't have time to babysit a hostage.


Xander: Especially a hostage that's gotten more than a little ripe.


Buffy: So, I'm here to tell you, if you try anything, try to run- Did you ever see the movie Misery?


Andrew: Six times. But the book was scarier than the movie 'cause instead of crushing his foot with a sledge hammer, Kathy Bates chops it off with- I'll be good.


Willow: Buffy- word from the underground. Another potential arrived in town the day before yesterday. She's at the Sun Spot Motel, near the highway.


Xander: The day before yesterday? Why are we just finding out about it now?


Willow: Bringers killed her watcher before he could tell anyone he sent her. If it wasn't for a particularly powerful seer in the coven, we wouldn't even know about it now.


Buffy: OK, I mean, there's still a couple of hours of daylight left. You guys should be safe here. I'll get her and bring her back.


Xander: I'll go with you.


Andrew: All right, retrieving a potential. Let's do it! Or I could just go wash up.


Dawn: Where are they going?


Willow: Bring another newbie in from the cold.


Dawn: Another one?


Willow: Well, the more the better, I figure. We need all the help we can get.


Dawn: Help. Sure that's cool, but-


Willow: What?


Dawn: I'm just not sure more scared Slayer wannabes translates as help.





Eve: What- what are we all doing here?


Kennedy: It's called training. Didn't your watcher ever teach you the word?


Rona: I never had a watcher. I only just found out what I was- or what I might be- after those crazy-ass monks came after me.


Eve: I meant why are we all bothering? It's not like we can make a difference.


Molly: We've gotta try. We gotta keep our reflexes sharp.


Kennedy: We have to be ready. If something comes down-


Chloe: No, something's already come down.


Eve: She's right. And what are we supposed to do about it? I mean, I've never seen a real vampire in my whole life, much less slayed one.


Vi: I've seen one. Well, my watcher once showed me a photograph of one. A blurry photograph.


Eve: That's what I'm saying. Not one of us is remotely prepared to be activated as a new chosen one.


Kennedy: I feel pretty prepared.


Rona: Excuse the newness of me, but, uh, just so I understand, if a slayer dies-


Eve: Well, when the slayer dies. I mean, nobody lives forever, right?


Rona: Then one of us-


Eve: Get's activated. Uh-huh.


Molly: I prefer "called."


Vi: I heard there's more than one.


Kennedy: More than one what?


Vi: Slayer. There's another one- somewhere.


Molly: That doesn't make any sense.


Eve: Like any of this does. No matter how many there are, one of us is gonna be the next slayer, with the weight of the world on her shoulders.


Chloe: It won't be me. I mean, not now. I mean, I'm too young.


Kennedy: Doesn't work that way. In fact, the younger, the better. In fact, I'm starting to think it might be too late for me.


Eve: Never too late. It could be anyone. Especially since there's so few of us left. They'll just run through each one of us, one after the other. Kinda creepy, huh? All we do is wait around for each other to die.





Andrew: OK, here's another interesting thing: how come the slayer's always a girl?


Dawn: I dunno. 'Cause girls are cooler?


Andrew: I think a guy slayer would be badass. Like- like if there was this ninja, a guy slayer would be like, "you may be silent, but this'll shut you up." Hiya.


Dawn: Buffy could stomp ninja ass.


Andrew: The silent warrior? Ha ha- I think not. She can't even slay that special vampire. Everyone's saying.


Dawn: Well everyone should shut up. And you should stop pretending anybody here is your friend.


Andrew: And also, why's she so about saving Spike? He's a worse killer than me by... a way lot.


Dawn: Spike was being controlled by The First. And he has a soul now. Besides, we need his help.


Andrew: What about me? Did it ever occur to anyone that I could be a lot more useful around here? I used to be an evil genius. Hello?


Dawn: And what was your genius thing?


Andrew: Well, um, raising demons mostly. OK, so, not for now, but also there was planning. There were, um, blueprints. I can be in this, kicking it righteous. Yeah. Oh, oh, yeah.


Dawn: Buffy said if you talked enough, I'm allowed to kill you.


Andrew: Not even.


Dawn: Even.


Andrew: License to kill, huh? Pretty cool. You know, Timothy Dalton never got his props 'cause he came in at the end of an old regime, but he had it goin' on. He went rogue with the Broccolis. They were just treading water, stylistically.


Dawn: Is there a language that you're speaking?


Andrew: I'm so alone.


Dawn: Then maybe you shouldn't've killed your only friend.


Andrew: I hate that. You don't even know.


Dawn: I don't plan to.


Andrew: The slayer's not getting it done. I have got my ear to the ground, and that's the word. Do you wanna play "Kevin Bacon"?





Beljoxa’s Eye: It cannot be fought, it cannot be killed. The First Evil has been and always will be. Since before the universe was born, long after there is nothing else, it will go on.


Giles: I refuse to believe that. There must be some way to destroy it.


Beljoxa’s Eye: What, am I talking to myself here? There's no way.


Anya: OK, we tried. Let's go, Giles.


Giles: Are you saying that The First will succeed in- in wiping out the line of slayers?


Beljoxa’s Eye: The eye sees not the future, only the truth of the now and before.


Anya: Yes, we've all got that- it's called memory. Can you help us out with something a little bit more demony?


Giles: If The First has been around for all time, then why hasn't it attempted something like this before? Why now?


Beljoxa’s Eye: The opportunity has only recently presented itself.


Giles: Opportunity?


Beljoxa’s Eye: The mystical forces surrounding the chosen line have become irrevocably altered, become unstable, vulnerable.


Anya: Something The First did?


Beljoxa’s Eye: The First Evil did not cause the disruption, only seized upon it to extinguish the lives of the chosen forever.


Giles: Then what has caused the disruption? What- what is responsible for letting this happen?


Beljoxa’s Eye: The slayer.





Willow: Facing my fear. I'm facing my fear. Hear that, Fear? I'm facing you.


Kennedy: Wow. You really can float stuff.


Willow: Just testing.


Kennedy: Oh, right. Heard this voodoo once turned you into the big scary. Big, scary Willow- that's something I'd almost like to see-


Willow: No, you wouldn't.


Kennedy: I said "almost."


Willow: I needed to make sure. Last time I tried using magic, The First- it turned it around on me. Got inside. I felt it just surging through me, every fiber of my being. Pure, undiluted evil. I could taste it.


Kennedy: How's evil taste?


Willow: A little chalky.





Giles: Are you all right?


Anya: Yeah, I just- I don't understand how Buffy's death mucked up the whole slayer mojo. You know, it's not like she hasn't died before.


Giles: It's not because she died. The Beljoxa's Eye was quite clear about that in its enigmatic way. It's because she lives. Again. Buffy's not responsible for that.


Anya: Oh. Oh. Willow and me and Xander and Tara. We're the ones who brought Buffy back. We're- we're the reason The First is here, the reason those girls were murdered. No, it's our fault. The would would've been better off if Buffy had just stayed dead.





Buffy: Looks good, doesn't it? They're trapped in here. Terrified. Meat for the beast, and there's nothing they can do but wait. That's all they've been doing for days. Waiting to be picked off. Having nightmares about monsters that can't be killed. But I don't believe in that. I always find a way. I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why. It's time. Welcome to Thunderdome.


Andrew: Two men enter. One man leaves.





Buffy: See? Dust. Just like the rest of 'em. I don't know what's coming next, but I do know it's gonna be just like this. Hard. Painful. But in the end it's gonna be us. If we all do our parts, believe it, we'll be the ones left standing. Here endeth the lesson.





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Story: 10


Acting: 10


Writing: 9


Picture: 10


Gripping: 9


My Rank: 10


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Total: 9.7