Connor Macgregor Reviews...Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel

Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) lives in the projects, and she's not happy about it. When she returns one evening to her roach-infested digs, she decides that desperate times callsfor desperate measures and moves into Angel's apartment. Angel, (David Boreanaz) unthrilled by his new roommate situation, makes a pact with Doyle: (Glenn Quinn) if Doyle can find Cordelianew digs, Angel will help him out with his debt negotiations. Doyle holds up his end of the bargain and finds a stunningly beautiful one-bedroom apartment. At first, Cordy's on top of the world,but she soon gets the willies. Drawers open and close, furniture moves, and the wind blows to and fro. After some research, Angel learns that the apartment was owned by a woman who mysteriously died in the 1950s. Even more compelling is the number of single-woman suicides that have occurred in the apartment since her occupation. He and Doyle figure out thatthere is a ghost that is somehow murdering the women. While Angelis away doing research, Cordelia is lured back to the apartmentand is confronted by the apparition. At first she is overwhelmed,but she later gathers her moxie and sends the ghost back to her rightful place.

Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) lives in the projects, and she's not happy about it. When she returns one evening to her roach-infested digs, she decides that desperate times callsfor desperate measures and moves into Angel's apartment. Angel, (David Boreanaz) unthrilled by his new roommate situation, makes a pact with Doyle: (Glenn Quinn) if Doyle can find Cordelianew digs, Angel will help him out with his debt negotiations. Doyle holds up his end of the bargain and finds a stunningly beautiful one-bedroom apartment. At first, Cordy's on top of the world,but she soon gets the willies. Drawers open and close, furniture moves, and the wind blows to and fro. After some research, Angel learns that the apartment was owned by a woman who mysteriously died in the 1950s. Even more compelling is the number of single-woman suicides that have occurred in the apartment since her occupation. He and Doyle figure out thatthere is a ghost that is somehow murdering the women. While Angelis away doing research, Cordelia is lured back to the apartmentand is confronted by the apparition. At first she is overwhelmed,but she later gathers her moxie and sends the ghost back to her rightful place.

After Buffy dusts a vampire on campus, she complains to herself about the recent lack of any real challenges. From afar, Spike watches the Slayer with a few musings of his own. Suddenly, without warning, Spike is struck in the back by a taser, sending him to the ground. Unable to move, Spike is dragged off into the woods by a team of commandos.

At the Bronze, Buffy and Willow notice Oz's focused attention on Veruca's performance. Buffy tries to help Willow out by feigning interest, but Xander and Giles offer no such support. The next morning, Willow wakes up beside Oz and tells him that she's planning to attend a three-day orientation for a local Wicca group. Since these are the same three days for Oz's monthly werewolf transformations, Willow is reluctant to go. Oz insists that she go, for he can take care of himself for the next few days. After psych class, Willow heads to the cafe to meet Oz, whom she finds talking to Veruca at one of the tables. She tries to join the conversation, but Oz and Veruca's music chat leaves Willow out in left field. Sensing some discomfort, Oz leaves abruptly, and Veruca does the same shortly. Buffy finds Willow sitting at the table alone and pulls up a chair. Willow expresses her concern over Oz's apparent interest in Veruca, but Buffy assures her friend that Oz would never destroy their relationship.

As the sun starts to set, Oz retreats to an abandoned crypt at the cemetery, where his personal cage is set up. He locks himself inside and waits for the coming change. When the wolf takes over, Oz rams himself against the door of the cage, trying to escape. The hinge gives away, allowing Oz to get out. Moments later, on her way home from the office, Professor Walsh is stopped in her tracks by werewolf Oz, who chases her through the bushes. Maggie Walsh's escape route is cut off by a second werewolf, who gets set to attack. Seeing the first werewolf behind her, Maggie jumps off to the side just as both werewolves lunge forward. The two werewolves collide and start to claw at each other, giving Maggie an opportunity to get away. When the sun rises the next morning, Oz wakes up on the ground and finds himself naked, scarred... and right next to a blissful Veruca.

In need of clothes, Oz and Veruca head to a nearby laundry room and raid one of the dryers. While Oz throws on some fitting clothes, Veruca expresses her joy with being a werewolf, including her ability to remember some of the events that occur while she's in her altered state. Veruca informs Oz that he'll be able to retain his memory in a matter of time, and that he is the werewolf not just three days per month, but rather every single day. Oz refuses to believe a word of what Veruca is saying, and he takes off to see if anybody was attacked the previous night. Following Xander's advice to talk about her problem, Willow visits Oz at his place, where he is busy going through the current newspapers. When Oz shows some reluctancy in getting intimate with her, Willow backs off and tries to get him to open up. Failing to do so, Willow leaves Oz alone. Meanwhile, Professor Walsh tells Buffy and Riley that she was attacked by a pair of wild dogs the previous night. Familiar with this scenario, Buffy visits Giles and tells him about the attack. He wonders if Buffy has spoken to Oz about this, and she explains that she's heading there next. Buffy finds Oz at the cemetery, working on repairs to the cage. She asks Oz if he knows anything about the attack or any other werewolves in the area, but Oz denies any knowledge.

With sunset approaching on the night of the full moon, Oz waits in the cage for Veruca to arrive. When she does, Oz orders her to get inside the cage to prevent any more incidents. Although she doesn't want to be locked up, Veruca realizes Oz's unstoppable desire for her. Oz pulls Veruca inside and kisses her furiously, locking the cage just as the transformation takes place. The next morning, Willow stops by the crypt with some breakfast. When she sees the two naked figures on the floor, Willow goes into shock. Oz wakes up and tries to explain that he did what was necessary, but Willow refuses to believe that keeping all of this to himself was the right thing to do. When Veruca speaks up, Oz demands her immediate departure. Turning back to Willow, Oz tries to convince Willow that this had nothing to do with her affair with Xander. Unconvinced, Willow runs off, eventually ending up on the streets of downtown Sunnydale, completely detached from the rest of the world. Buffy spots Willow in the middle of the street, as well as a speeding car headed right for her friend. Buffy tries to save her, but she's too far. Luckily, Riley sees Willow and pulls her out of the way with less than a second to spare. Buffy thanks Riley before taking Willow back to Stevenson Hall.

After making sure that Willow is okay, Buffy leaves to find Veruca. She stops by Oz's place for assistance in tracking down Veruca. Armed with a tranquilizer rifle, Buffy follows Oz through the woods as he tries to locate the source of Veruca's scent. When they find a pile of her clothes on the floor, Buffy figures that Veruca planted them to throw Oz off her trail. Immediately, Oz realizes that Willow is in danger. He takes off in a hurry, while Buffy tries to catch up. Suddenly, Buffy runs into a masked commando, who is also armed. Their collision sends the weapons to the ground, and they get into a brief struggle. After a few well-placed kicks and punches, Buffy grabs the tranquilizer rifle and continues in the direction that Oz was headed. Meanwhile, in one of the science labs, Willow prepares to cast a vengeance spell on Oz and Veruca. Before she can complete the spell, Willow realizes her inability to go through with it, and she terminates the incantation. At that moment, Veruca enters the lab and locks the door behind her. With the sun setting into the horizon, Veruca attacks Willow just as Oz arrives on the scene. As they gradually take on their werewolf forms, Oz and Veruca battle each other. Determined to put an end to all of this, Oz ends Veruca's life by viciously gnawing at her throat. Turning his attention to Willow, Oz lunges to attack. However, his assault is put on hold by Buffy, who grabs his leg and pulls him in the other direction. One shot from the tranquilizer rifle puts Oz's frenzy to rest, allowing Buffy to take care of her traumatized friend.

The next day, while Buffy talks to Giles about her roommate's despair and the mysterious commando in the woods, Willow walks into Oz's room to find him packing his clothes. Oz tells Willow that he knows the werewolf is a part of him all the time, and he can't allow himself to be around her or anybody else until he can figure out what to do. Despite her anger over his betrayal, Willow doesn't want Oz to leave. Unfortunately, Oz's mind is already made up, and he leaves behind the one woman he truly loves. As tears flow forcefully from Willow's eyes, Oz can no longer hold back his agony. Choked up, Oz takes one last look at the house before pulling away from the curb and driving off, unsure of what to do, where to go... or when to come back.

After Buffy dusts a vampire on campus, she complains to herself about the recent lack of any real challenges. From afar, Spike watches the Slayer with a few musings of his own. Suddenly, without warning, Spike is struck in the back by a taser, sending him to the ground. Unable to move, Spike is dragged off into the woods by a team of commandos.

At the Bronze, Buffy and Willow notice Oz's focused attention on Veruca's performance. Buffy tries to help Willow out by feigning interest, but Xander and Giles offer no such support. The next morning, Willow wakes up beside Oz and tells him that she's planning to attend a three-day orientation for a local Wicca group. Since these are the same three days for Oz's monthly werewolf transformations, Willow is reluctant to go. Oz insists that she go, for he can take care of himself for the next few days. After psych class, Willow heads to the cafe to meet Oz, whom she finds talking to Veruca at one of the tables. She tries to join the conversation, but Oz and Veruca's music chat leaves Willow out in left field. Sensing some discomfort, Oz leaves abruptly, and Veruca does the same shortly. Buffy finds Willow sitting at the table alone and pulls up a chair. Willow expresses her concern over Oz's apparent interest in Veruca, but Buffy assures her friend that Oz would never destroy their relationship.

As the sun starts to set, Oz retreats to an abandoned crypt at the cemetery, where his personal cage is set up. He locks himself inside and waits for the coming change. When the wolf takes over, Oz rams himself against the door of the cage, trying to escape. The hinge gives away, allowing Oz to get out. Moments later, on her way home from the office, Professor Walsh is stopped in her tracks by werewolf Oz, who chases her through the bushes. Maggie Walsh's escape route is cut off by a second werewolf, who gets set to attack. Seeing the first werewolf behind her, Maggie jumps off to the side just as both werewolves lunge forward. The two werewolves collide and start to claw at each other, giving Maggie an opportunity to get away. When the sun rises the next morning, Oz wakes up on the ground and finds himself naked, scarred... and right next to a blissful Veruca.

In need of clothes, Oz and Veruca head to a nearby laundry room and raid one of the dryers. While Oz throws on some fitting clothes, Veruca expresses her joy with being a werewolf, including her ability to remember some of the events that occur while she's in her altered state. Veruca informs Oz that he'll be able to retain his memory in a matter of time, and that he is the werewolf not just three days per month, but rather every single day. Oz refuses to believe a word of what Veruca is saying, and he takes off to see if anybody was attacked the previous night. Following Xander's advice to talk about her problem, Willow visits Oz at his place, where he is busy going through the current newspapers. When Oz shows some reluctancy in getting intimate with her, Willow backs off and tries to get him to open up. Failing to do so, Willow leaves Oz alone. Meanwhile, Professor Walsh tells Buffy and Riley that she was attacked by a pair of wild dogs the previous night. Familiar with this scenario, Buffy visits Giles and tells him about the attack. He wonders if Buffy has spoken to Oz about this, and she explains that she's heading there next. Buffy finds Oz at the cemetery, working on repairs to the cage. She asks Oz if he knows anything about the attack or any other werewolves in the area, but Oz denies any knowledge.

With sunset approaching on the night of the full moon, Oz waits in the cage for Veruca to arrive. When she does, Oz orders her to get inside the cage to prevent any more incidents. Although she doesn't want to be locked up, Veruca realizes Oz's unstoppable desire for her. Oz pulls Veruca inside and kisses her furiously, locking the cage just as the transformation takes place. The next morning, Willow stops by the crypt with some breakfast. When she sees the two naked figures on the floor, Willow goes into shock. Oz wakes up and tries to explain that he did what was necessary, but Willow refuses to believe that keeping all of this to himself was the right thing to do. When Veruca speaks up, Oz demands her immediate departure. Turning back to Willow, Oz tries to convince Willow that this had nothing to do with her affair with Xander. Unconvinced, Willow runs off, eventually ending up on the streets of downtown Sunnydale, completely detached from the rest of the world. Buffy spots Willow in the middle of the street, as well as a speeding car headed right for her friend. Buffy tries to save her, but she's too far. Luckily, Riley sees Willow and pulls her out of the way with less than a second to spare. Buffy thanks Riley before taking Willow back to Stevenson Hall.

After making sure that Willow is okay, Buffy leaves to find Veruca. She stops by Oz's place for assistance in tracking down Veruca. Armed with a tranquilizer rifle, Buffy follows Oz through the woods as he tries to locate the source of Veruca's scent. When they find a pile of her clothes on the floor, Buffy figures that Veruca planted them to throw Oz off her trail. Immediately, Oz realizes that Willow is in danger. He takes off in a hurry, while Buffy tries to catch up. Suddenly, Buffy runs into a masked commando, who is also armed. Their collision sends the weapons to the ground, and they get into a brief struggle. After a few well-placed kicks and punches, Buffy grabs the tranquilizer rifle and continues in the direction that Oz was headed. Meanwhile, in one of the science labs, Willow prepares to cast a vengeance spell on Oz and Veruca. Before she can complete the spell, Willow realizes her inability to go through with it, and she terminates the incantation. At that moment, Veruca enters the lab and locks the door behind her. With the sun setting into the horizon, Veruca attacks Willow just as Oz arrives on the scene. As they gradually take on their werewolf forms, Oz and Veruca battle each other. Determined to put an end to all of this, Oz ends Veruca's life by viciously gnawing at her throat. Turning his attention to Willow, Oz lunges to attack. However, his assault is put on hold by Buffy, who grabs his leg and pulls him in the other direction. One shot from the tranquilizer rifle puts Oz's frenzy to rest, allowing Buffy to take care of her traumatized friend.

The next day, while Buffy talks to Giles about her roommate's despair and the mysterious commando in the woods, Willow walks into Oz's room to find him packing his clothes. Oz tells Willow that he knows the werewolf is a part of him all the time, and he can't allow himself to be around her or anybody else until he can figure out what to do. Despite her anger over his betrayal, Willow doesn't want Oz to leave. Unfortunately, Oz's mind is already made up, and he leaves behind the one woman he truly loves. As tears flow forcefully from Willow's eyes, Oz can no longer hold back his agony. Choked up, Oz takes one last look at the house before pulling away from the curb and driving off, unsure of what to do, where to go... or when to come back.

Kate, (guest star Elisabeth Rohm) hardened by years of police work, enrolls in sensitivity training with her fellow police officers. At first the training appears to be innocuous, but Angel (David Boreanaz) and others begin to notice her excessive emotions.It becomes especially obvious when she pours her heart out at her father's retirement party. Then, the entire police station goes awry. Angel and Doyle (Glenn Quinn) figure out that Kate is in danger because of a recent arrest, and make the connection that the sensitivity teacher is responsible. But after a brief encounter with the teacher, it's Angel who's the new nice guy on the block.At first, Cordelia and Doyle can't deal with the pleasantries,but Angel soon manages to pull himself together and seals the fates of the evil hitmen!

Kate, (guest star Elisabeth Rohm) hardened by years of police work, enrolls in sensitivity training with her fellow police officers. At first the training appears to be innocuous, but Angel (David Boreanaz) and others begin to notice her excessive emotions.It becomes especially obvious when she pours her heart out at her father's retirement party. Then, the entire police station goes awry. Angel and Doyle (Glenn Quinn) figure out that Kate is in danger because of a recent arrest, and make the connection that the sensitivity teacher is responsible. But after a brief encounter with the teacher, it's Angel who's the new nice guy on the block.At first, Cordelia and Doyle can't deal with the pleasantries,but Angel soon manages to pull himself together and seals the fates of the evil hitmen!

While eating lunch at the cafeteria, Riley and two of his friends, Forrest and Graham, talk about Buffy, whom they watch from a distance. While Forrest and Graham have no trouble admitting their approval of Buffy's physical attributes, Riley can't get past her strange behaviors. Meanwhile, Spike finally regains consciousness from the taser shock. He finds himself in a mysterious holding cell with an electrified, glass door. Looking around, he realizes he is in one of many similar cells, each containing an imprisoned demon.

At Giles' place, Xander and the former Watcher conclude that the commandos are most likely human, meaning that Buffy won't need any assistance taking care of this threat. Their boredom is short-lived, however, when Buffy arrives and tells them of her plans to cheer up Willow by taking her to a party at Lowell House that night. Given her prior arrangements, Buffy assigns Giles and Xander to patrol duty. At the end of psych class, Willow points out to Riley that he didn't call out Oz's name while taking attendance. Riley explains that Oz dropped the course and won't be coming back. When Willow tries to convince him otherwise, Professor Walsh makes it clear that Oz is gone from the class for good. Buffy overhears this and gives the professor a piece of her mind before taking off after Willow. Later, Riley tells Forrest and Graham about Buffy's confrontation with Walsh. When Parker passes by, Forrest tries to get some details on Buffy. Parker's chauvinistic attitude results in a punch to the face from Riley's fist. Outside, Riley comes to the realization that he really likes Buffy. Seeking out Willow at her dorm, Riley asks Buffy's roommate for some helpful advice. In light of her recent heartbreak, Willow is not too keen on helping Riley hook up with Buffy, but she eventually decides to give him the benefit of the doubt. Willow mentions the party, which Riley identifies as the one being held at his house later that night. They agree to use the party as a prime opportunity for Riley to talk to Buffy.

Meanwhile, Spike paces back and forth in his cell when a blood pack drops from the chute in the ceiling. Before he can sink his teeth into it, Spike hears a voice from the other side of the wall telling him that the blood is drugged. Another vampire, Tom, explains to Spike that the drug is used to render the subject unconscious, at which point they are experimented on. A few moments later, a pair of scientists arrive at Spike's cell to take him to the lab. Thinking he's out of commission because of the empty blood packed next to him, they unlock the cell and pull him out. Suddenly, Spike attacks the two scientists, freeing Tom from his cell in the process. While trying to escape, Spike and Tom encounter an emergency squad armed with stakes. Spike hurls Tom into their arms and makes a run for it, leaving Tom to suffer the dusty consequences. Reuniting with Harmony at their old lair, Spike announces his plans to finish Buffy once and for all. Fed up with his tired routine, Harmony takes Spike's belongings outside and prepares a bonfire. Before she can light the match, Xander finds her, and two get into the most pathetic "fight" the world has ever seen. After backing off, Xander learns from Harmony that Spike is back in town.

Shortly after arriving at the party, Willow walks up to Riley and gives him some last-minute pointers on dealing with Buffy. Unfortunately, Riley chokes at the key moment and ends up making a fool of himself in front of Buffy. After a pep talk on the couch, Riley tries again while Willow heads back to the dorm. Before he can get very far, Xander arrives and takes Buffy with him. Observing their comrade's defeat, Forrest and Graham tell Riley to meet them downstairs. While Riley attempts to save some of his dignity, the trio enter a hidden elevator and descend to an underground complex. After getting out, they pass by several demons and supernatural creatures undergoing tests, scientists in white coats, and transports loaded with armed commandos. They finally meet up with their boss, Maggie Walsh, who informs them that one of the subjects, Spike, has escaped. She orders Riley to lead the recovery mission, explaining that the subject's escape could endanger the security of their organization, the Initiative.

Back at Giles' place, Buffy gets the info on Spike's return from Xander and Giles. Before she can leave, Xander gives Buffy a flare gun which he requisitioned during his military state on Halloween a couple years ago. Xander persuades the reluctant Buffy to signal them if she gets in trouble. Meanwhile, Spike invades Willow's room. Not giving her any chance to escape, Spike throws Willow to the bed and lunges for her neck. However, an intense shock delivered straight to the brain stops Spike every time he tries to bite Willow, keeping her relatively free of harm. After a moment of confusion and consolation, Willow sees her opportunity to stun Spike and get out. Just as she reaches the door, the power is shut down through all of Stevenson Hall. Wearing night vision goggles, Riley, Forrest, and Graham enter the dorm and break the door open. Willow tries to escape, followed by Spike. He tries to sink his fangs into the commandos, but the painful shock keeps him from doing any real damage. In the heat of the battle, a punctured fire extinguisher fills the hall with a thick cloud. Buffy arrives and fires the flare gun, blinding the team through their night vision goggles. With the mask still on and his eyes momentarily blinded, neither Buffy nor Riley can identify each other and as they fight one-on-one. Spike flees, with Forrest and Graham unable to give chase. Unable to subdue his opponent, Riley aborts the mission and takes off with the others.

Later, Maggie Walsh expresses her stern disappointment with the team's failure to recapture Spike. Riley reports that the implant they used on Spike renders him virtually harmless. The next day, Riley spots Buffy walking around on campus. Feeling a little more confident this time around, Riley strikes up a conversation which Buffy finds strangely enjoyable. They walk the rest of the way together, completely unaware of what each other was up to the night before.

While eating lunch at the cafeteria, Riley and two of his friends, Forrest and Graham, talk about Buffy, whom they watch from a distance. While Forrest and Graham have no trouble admitting their approval of Buffy's physical attributes, Riley can't get past her strange behaviors. Meanwhile, Spike finally regains consciousness from the taser shock. He finds himself in a mysterious holding cell with an electrified, glass door. Looking around, he realizes he is in one of many similar cells, each containing an imprisoned demon.

At Giles' place, Xander and the former Watcher conclude that the commandos are most likely human, meaning that Buffy won't need any assistance taking care of this threat. Their boredom is short-lived, however, when Buffy arrives and tells them of her plans to cheer up Willow by taking her to a party at Lowell House that night. Given her prior arrangements, Buffy assigns Giles and Xander to patrol duty. At the end of psych class, Willow points out to Riley that he didn't call out Oz's name while taking attendance. Riley explains that Oz dropped the course and won't be coming back. When Willow tries to convince him otherwise, Professor Walsh makes it clear that Oz is gone from the class for good. Buffy overhears this and gives the professor a piece of her mind before taking off after Willow. Later, Riley tells Forrest and Graham about Buffy's confrontation with Walsh. When Parker passes by, Forrest tries to get some details on Buffy. Parker's chauvinistic attitude results in a punch to the face from Riley's fist. Outside, Riley comes to the realization that he really likes Buffy. Seeking out Willow at her dorm, Riley asks Buffy's roommate for some helpful advice. In light of her recent heartbreak, Willow is not too keen on helping Riley hook up with Buffy, but she eventually decides to give him the benefit of the doubt. Willow mentions the party, which Riley identifies as the one being held at his house later that night. They agree to use the party as a prime opportunity for Riley to talk to Buffy.

Meanwhile, Spike paces back and forth in his cell when a blood pack drops from the chute in the ceiling. Before he can sink his teeth into it, Spike hears a voice from the other side of the wall telling him that the blood is drugged. Another vampire, Tom, explains to Spike that the drug is used to render the subject unconscious, at which point they are experimented on. A few moments later, a pair of scientists arrive at Spike's cell to take him to the lab. Thinking he's out of commission because of the empty blood packed next to him, they unlock the cell and pull him out. Suddenly, Spike attacks the two scientists, freeing Tom from his cell in the process. While trying to escape, Spike and Tom encounter an emergency squad armed with stakes. Spike hurls Tom into their arms and makes a run for it, leaving Tom to suffer the dusty consequences. Reuniting with Harmony at their old lair, Spike announces his plans to finish Buffy once and for all. Fed up with his tired routine, Harmony takes Spike's belongings outside and prepares a bonfire. Before she can light the match, Xander finds her, and two get into the most pathetic "fight" the world has ever seen. After backing off, Xander learns from Harmony that Spike is back in town.

Shortly after arriving at the party, Willow walks up to Riley and gives him some last-minute pointers on dealing with Buffy. Unfortunately, Riley chokes at the key moment and ends up making a fool of himself in front of Buffy. After a pep talk on the couch, Riley tries again while Willow heads back to the dorm. Before he can get very far, Xander arrives and takes Buffy with him. Observing their comrade's defeat, Forrest and Graham tell Riley to meet them downstairs. While Riley attempts to save some of his dignity, the trio enter a hidden elevator and descend to an underground complex. After getting out, they pass by several demons and supernatural creatures undergoing tests, scientists in white coats, and transports loaded with armed commandos. They finally meet up with their boss, Maggie Walsh, who informs them that one of the subjects, Spike, has escaped. She orders Riley to lead the recovery mission, explaining that the subject's escape could endanger the security of their organization, the Initiative.

Back at Giles' place, Buffy gets the info on Spike's return from Xander and Giles. Before she can leave, Xander gives Buffy a flare gun which he requisitioned during his military state on Halloween a couple years ago. Xander persuades the reluctant Buffy to signal them if she gets in trouble. Meanwhile, Spike invades Willow's room. Not giving her any chance to escape, Spike throws Willow to the bed and lunges for her neck. However, an intense shock delivered straight to the brain stops Spike every time he tries to bite Willow, keeping her relatively free of harm. After a moment of confusion and consolation, Willow sees her opportunity to stun Spike and get out. Just as she reaches the door, the power is shut down through all of Stevenson Hall. Wearing night vision goggles, Riley, Forrest, and Graham enter the dorm and break the door open. Willow tries to escape, followed by Spike. He tries to sink his fangs into the commandos, but the painful shock keeps him from doing any real damage. In the heat of the battle, a punctured fire extinguisher fills the hall with a thick cloud. Buffy arrives and fires the flare gun, blinding the team through their night vision goggles. With the mask still on and his eyes momentarily blinded, neither Buffy nor Riley can identify each other and as they fight one-on-one. Spike flees, with Forrest and Graham unable to give chase. Unable to subdue his opponent, Riley aborts the mission and takes off with the others.

Later, Maggie Walsh expresses her stern disappointment with the team's failure to recapture Spike. Riley reports that the implant they used on Spike renders him virtually harmless. The next day, Riley spots Buffy walking around on campus. Feeling a little more confident this time around, Riley strikes up a conversation which Buffy finds strangely enjoyable. They walk the rest of the way together, completely unaware of what each other was up to the night before.

Just as Doyle is inches away from finally making a connection with Cordy, his estranged wife shows up at Angel Investigations begging for a divorce so she can marry the new love of her life. After the initial shock of it all, Doyle agrees to consent tothe divorce. Meanwhile, Angel discovers that the fiance comes from a long line of pacifist demons, but this doesn't seem to rock anyone's boat. After Doyle consents to the divorce, the fiance invites Doyle to join his bachelor party. Unbeknownst to Doyle, the fiance's family has a ritual to fulfill: the fiance needs toeat Doyle's brain in order to have a successful marriage. As the party proceedings begin, Angel gets suspicious and wanders upstairs. There he discovers these demons may not be as pacifist as they seem. He is ejected from the restaurant by the family. Downstairs, Doyle is about to be eaten with a shrimp-fork, but Angel and Cordy and the fiance arrive on the scene and come to the rescue.

Just as Doyle is inches away from finally making a connection with Cordy, his estranged wife shows up at Angel Investigations begging for a divorce so she can marry the new love of her life. After the initial shock of it all, Doyle agrees to consent tothe divorce. Meanwhile, Angel discovers that the fiance comes from a long line of pacifist demons, but this doesn't seem to rock anyone's boat. After Doyle consents to the divorce, the fiance invites Doyle to join his bachelor party. Unbeknownst to Doyle, the fiance's family has a ritual to fulfill: the fiance needs toeat Doyle's brain in order to have a successful marriage. As the party proceedings begin, Angel gets suspicious and wanders upstairs. There he discovers these demons may not be as pacifist as they seem. He is ejected from the restaurant by the family. Downstairs, Doyle is about to be eaten with a shrimp-fork, but Angel and Cordy and the fiance arrive on the scene and come to the rescue.

At the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Cultural Partnership Center at UC Sunnydale, Dean Guerrero introduces the curator of the new facility, Professor Gerhardt. After finishing her speech, Prof. Gerhardt turns the digging duties over to the nearby workers, one of whom is Xander. No sooner does the digging begin when the ground gives way beneath Xander's feet, causing him to fall into an underground chamber. It is the remains of a lost Sunnydale mission that was buried by an earthquake in 1812.

Later that night, Buffy senses a mysterious presence somewhere outside of the dorm, but she can't place her finger on what it is. Unbeknownst to Buffy, Angel has arrived in Sunnydale to follow up on a foreshadowing vision that his partner had. Knowing only that Buffy will encounter some great danger in the near future, Angel stands hidden in the bushes outside of Stevenson Hall, staring up at the window of his former love's room. Turning back to her roommate, Buffy decides that they should have their own Thanksgiving celebration, seeing how Joyce is out of town for the holidays. Although she is opposed to the genocidal history of Thanksgiving, Willow agrees to the plans for her friend's sake. Buffy then decides to hold the dinner at Giles' home.

At Elsewhere, Riley, Forrest, and Graham decide to give up their search mission for the time being. Forrest reminds them that Spike can't hurt anybody. Sure enough, Spike has seen better nights as he desperately tries to survive on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, Anya visits Xander's place to find out why he hasn't returned to the digging site. She soon realizes that Xander is overwhelmingly sick. As Anya tends to Xander's needs, a green mist rises from the Sunnydale mission site and drifts into Prof. Gerhardt's office. Settling over a display case that contains an early 1800 Chumash knife, the mist materializes into an Indian spirit warrior named Hus. Before she can make a sound, Prof. Gerhardt is grabbed by the invader and sliced at the neck by the jagged edge of the knife.

Buffy and Willow investigate Prof. Gerhardt's office the next day, looking for any clues concerning the nature of the attack. While Willow tries to figure out why one of Gerhardt's ears was missing from the corpse, Buffy notices the empty spot in the display case where the knife once rested. Afterwards, Buffy unpacks several bags of groceries in Giles' kitchen while she describes the findings at the office. Giles is familiar with the Chumash tribe, but he can't explain why a peaceful group would be involved in Gerhardt's murder. On her way out, Buffy is momentarily stopped by the same sense she experienced earlier. After Buffy brushes it off and leaves, Giles calls Angel out of hiding to talk about the murder. Angel recommends contacting Father Gabriel, who may know more about what's going on. When Giles expresses his discomfort with keeping Buffy in the dark, Angel insists that knowledge of his presence would only distract Buffy and make her more vulnerable.

Downtown, Buffy and Willow shop for the remaining items on the Thanksgiving dinner list. When Riley appears to talk to Buffy about his trip home to Iowa for the holiday, Willow leaves the two alone and enters the nearby coffee shop. Inside, she encounters Angel, who quickly fills Willow in on the details concerning his return to Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Spike tries to find comfort in Harmony's arms, but she refuses to let him reenter her life. Later, Buffy follows Giles' referral to Father Gabriel's church. What she finds is the hanging corpse of Father Gabriel, along with an Indian warrior cutting off the body's ear. Buffy engages in battle, but Hus' declaration of vengeance for his people's suffering causes Buffy to break off the fight.

On the morning of Thanksgiving, Buffy tries to prepare the dinner while Giles and Willow get into an ethical debate over what to do with Hus. Having researched the persecution of the Chumash people nearly two centuries ago, Willow ponders the idea of trying to help Hus in some way. On the other hand, Giles acknowledges the fact that Hus has murdered two innocent people and needs to be stopped. Xander and Anya arrive, arousing numerous questions about his deteriorating health. When Willow and the others conclude that Hus is inflicting that which was done to his people, Xander is diagnosed with the same diseases that befell the Chumash people: malaria, smallpox, syphilis, and so on. Suddenly, another knock at the door concerns the group. Buffy and Giles open the door to find a desperate Spike, who offers information on the Initiative in exchange for shelter and food. After tying Spike to a chair, Buffy sends Willow, Xander and Anya to warn Dean Guerrero of a possible attack. Unfortunately, their warning falls on disbelieving ears, and the trio find themselves heading back in defeat. Suddenly, Angel appears, much to the shock of Xander. Angel quickly figures out that Buffy is Hus' next target, leading the group to race back to Giles' place immediately.

A barrage of arrows signals the invasion of Hus and several Chumash warriors that he has summoned. As Buffy and Giles duck for cover, Spike is impaled by several projectiles, each narrowly missing his heart. When Willow, Xander, and Anya return, Hus decides to give up the arrow attack and challenge Buffy face-to-face. While the gang futilely tries to fend off the invulnerable attackers, Angel arrives to help turn the tide. Back inside, Buffy learns that Hus' knife is the only thing that can wound him. Hus transforms into a large bear in an attempt to overpower Buffy, but the Slayer manages to fatally stab Hus with his own knife. Dissolving into green mist, Hus and the other Chumash disappear.

Now that Thanksgiving dinner has finally commenced, Buffy tries to look on the bright side of things. However, a steadily recovering Xander accidentally spills the beans on Angel's assistance, casting a spell of silence over the stunned Slayer.

At the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Cultural Partnership Center at UC Sunnydale, Dean Guerrero introduces the curator of the new facility, Professor Gerhardt. After finishing her speech, Prof. Gerhardt turns the digging duties over to the nearby workers, one of whom is Xander. No sooner does the digging begin when the ground gives way beneath Xander's feet, causing him to fall into an underground chamber. It is the remains of a lost Sunnydale mission that was buried by an earthquake in 1812.

Later that night, Buffy senses a mysterious presence somewhere outside of the dorm, but she can't place her finger on what it is. Unbeknownst to Buffy, Angel has arrived in Sunnydale to follow up on a foreshadowing vision that his partner had. Knowing only that Buffy will encounter some great danger in the near future, Angel stands hidden in the bushes outside of Stevenson Hall, staring up at the window of his former love's room. Turning back to her roommate, Buffy decides that they should have their own Thanksgiving celebration, seeing how Joyce is out of town for the holidays. Although she is opposed to the genocidal history of Thanksgiving, Willow agrees to the plans for her friend's sake. Buffy then decides to hold the dinner at Giles' home.

At Elsewhere, Riley, Forrest, and Graham decide to give up their search mission for the time being. Forrest reminds them that Spike can't hurt anybody. Sure enough, Spike has seen better nights as he desperately tries to survive on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, Anya visits Xander's place to find out why he hasn't returned to the digging site. She soon realizes that Xander is overwhelmingly sick. As Anya tends to Xander's needs, a green mist rises from the Sunnydale mission site and drifts into Prof. Gerhardt's office. Settling over a display case that contains an early 1800 Chumash knife, the mist materializes into an Indian spirit warrior named Hus. Before she can make a sound, Prof. Gerhardt is grabbed by the invader and sliced at the neck by the jagged edge of the knife.

Buffy and Willow investigate Prof. Gerhardt's office the next day, looking for any clues concerning the nature of the attack. While Willow tries to figure out why one of Gerhardt's ears was missing from the corpse, Buffy notices the empty spot in the display case where the knife once rested. Afterwards, Buffy unpacks several bags of groceries in Giles' kitchen while she describes the findings at the office. Giles is familiar with the Chumash tribe, but he can't explain why a peaceful group would be involved in Gerhardt's murder. On her way out, Buffy is momentarily stopped by the same sense she experienced earlier. After Buffy brushes it off and leaves, Giles calls Angel out of hiding to talk about the murder. Angel recommends contacting Father Gabriel, who may know more about what's going on. When Giles expresses his discomfort with keeping Buffy in the dark, Angel insists that knowledge of his presence would only distract Buffy and make her more vulnerable.

Downtown, Buffy and Willow shop for the remaining items on the Thanksgiving dinner list. When Riley appears to talk to Buffy about his trip home to Iowa for the holiday, Willow leaves the two alone and enters the nearby coffee shop. Inside, she encounters Angel, who quickly fills Willow in on the details concerning his return to Sunnydale. Meanwhile, Spike tries to find comfort in Harmony's arms, but she refuses to let him reenter her life. Later, Buffy follows Giles' referral to Father Gabriel's church. What she finds is the hanging corpse of Father Gabriel, along with an Indian warrior cutting off the body's ear. Buffy engages in battle, but Hus' declaration of vengeance for his people's suffering causes Buffy to break off the fight.

On the morning of Thanksgiving, Buffy tries to prepare the dinner while Giles and Willow get into an ethical debate over what to do with Hus. Having researched the persecution of the Chumash people nearly two centuries ago, Willow ponders the idea of trying to help Hus in some way. On the other hand, Giles acknowledges the fact that Hus has murdered two innocent people and needs to be stopped. Xander and Anya arrive, arousing numerous questions about his deteriorating health. When Willow and the others conclude that Hus is inflicting that which was done to his people, Xander is diagnosed with the same diseases that befell the Chumash people: malaria, smallpox, syphilis, and so on. Suddenly, another knock at the door concerns the group. Buffy and Giles open the door to find a desperate Spike, who offers information on the Initiative in exchange for shelter and food. After tying Spike to a chair, Buffy sends Willow, Xander and Anya to warn Dean Guerrero of a possible attack. Unfortunately, their warning falls on disbelieving ears, and the trio find themselves heading back in defeat. Suddenly, Angel appears, much to the shock of Xander. Angel quickly figures out that Buffy is Hus' next target, leading the group to race back to Giles' place immediately.

A barrage of arrows signals the invasion of Hus and several Chumash warriors that he has summoned. As Buffy and Giles duck for cover, Spike is impaled by several projectiles, each narrowly missing his heart. When Willow, Xander, and Anya return, Hus decides to give up the arrow attack and challenge Buffy face-to-face. While the gang futilely tries to fend off the invulnerable attackers, Angel arrives to help turn the tide. Back inside, Buffy learns that Hus' knife is the only thing that can wound him. Hus transforms into a large bear in an attempt to overpower Buffy, but the Slayer manages to fatally stab Hus with his own knife. Dissolving into green mist, Hus and the other Chumash disappear.

Now that Thanksgiving dinner has finally commenced, Buffy tries to look on the bright side of things. However, a steadily recovering Xander accidentally spills the beans on Angel's assistance, casting a spell of silence over the stunned Slayer.

When Angel tells Cordy and Doyle that he did not contact Buffy during his visit to Sunnydale, Buffy pays a visit and expresses her displeasure. Sparks fly. As they are about to part their separate ways, a medieval demon charges into Angel's office and a violent brawl ensues. The demon escapes, and Buffy and Angel decideto pursue it separately. When Angel makes contact and kills him,he observes that he has human characteristics. The Powers thatBe confirm that Angel is indeed human again. Angel pursues Buffy and they share a passionate night of romance. But the next day, they are confronted by a stronger version of the medieval demon, and Angel is unable to fight in his human form. After hearingthat Buffy would perish if he were to remain human, he begs the Powers That Be to transform him into a vampire so that he can protect her. They do so, and Angel breaks the news to a heartbroken Buffy. However, their blessed reunion will remain only in Angel's memory...

When Angel tells Cordy and Doyle that he did not contact Buffy during his visit to Sunnydale, Buffy pays a visit and expresses her displeasure. Sparks fly. As they are about to part their separate ways, a medieval demon charges into Angel's office and a violent brawl ensues. The demon escapes, and Buffy and Angel decideto pursue it separately. When Angel makes contact and kills him,he observes that he has human characteristics. The Powers thatBe confirm that Angel is indeed human again. Angel pursues Buffy and they share a passionate night of romance. But the next day, they are confronted by a stronger version of the medieval demon, and Angel is unable to fight in his human form. After hearingthat Buffy would perish if he were to remain human, he begs the Powers That Be to transform him into a vampire so that he can protect her. They do so, and Angel breaks the news to a heartbroken Buffy. However, their blessed reunion will remain only in Angel's memory...

Still mourning the departure of Oz, Willow stops by his old place. Looking around at all the stuff Oz left behind, Willow remembers happier times. The next evening, Buffy and Giles try to get any useful information from Spike concerning the Initiative, but he proves to be less than cooperative. While taking a break, Giles goes along with Willow's suggestion to cast a truth spell on Spike. After picking up the necessary ingredients for the spell, Willow stops by Oz's place again. However, Oz's entire room has been cleared out, leaving nothing but an empty mattress and drawers. Back at the dorm, Willow fights through tears to tell Buffy that Oz had Devon deliver the rest of his belongings. Faced with the fact that Oz may never return to Sunnydale, Willow sinks deeper into depression. The next day, Willow joins Buffy and Riley at their private picnic. Her somber attitude quickly casts a cloud over the budding couple. Later, at the Bronze, Buffy, Xander, and Anya spot Willow on the dance floor, having a peculiarly good time. When Willow returns to the table, a tell-tale bottle of beer signals the gang to her source of sudden happiness. Xander tries to help out, but Willow wards him off with mockery. Buffy pulls Willow aside and tries to convince her that this is a painful stage in life that everyone has to go through. Willow refuses to believe this is the only way. Later, after Buffy falls asleep, Willow sneaks into the bathroom and casts a spell, one that grants Willow the power to have her will done. Early next morning, Willow checks to see if the spell worked. However, she fails to make anything happen simply because she says so. A knock on the door signals Giles' visit to tThe burnt circle on the floor is immediately recognized by Anya as D'Hoffryn's doing. While they pass through the cemetery, Anya tells the others how D'Hoffryn contacted her 1,120 years ago while she was in an emotional state similar to what Willow is going through. D'Hoffryn made Anya a vengeance demon, and he makes the same offer to Willow, who doesn't know what to say. At the cemetery, demons chase the gang into a crypt. Anya tries to summon D'Hoffryn while the others work on barricading the entrance. Before Anya can finish, the demons break through the barricade. Back on Arashmaharr, D'Hoffryn shows Willow what is going on in the cemetery. Shocked to see the results of her spell, Willow rejects the offer and asks instead to be sent back to her friends. Although he is slightly disappointed, D'Hoffryn sends Willow to the crypt, where she quickly reverses the spell. While the demon that Xander and Anya were fighting vanishes into thin air, Buffy and Spike nearly go ballistic in light of their kissing spree. The next day, Willow bakes countless piles of cookies in hopes of earning her friends' forgiveness. Afterwards, Buffy convinces Riley that she was merely putting on an act in front of the bridal shop. More than relieved to hear this, Riley heads off to class, leaving Buffy to hope that she can indeed have a perfectly normal relationship.he dorm. After inquiring why Willow forgot about the truth spell, Giles expresses his concern over Willow's involvement with spells, given her current condition. Insulted, Willow proclaims to Giles that he doesn't understand what's going on, that he doesn't "see anything". Suddenly, Giles notices a significant loss in his vision, and he excuses himself from the dorm. Soon enough, Willow's words result in Buffy and Spike's surprise engagement, while Xander is labeled a "demon magnet". Buffy and Spike begin to plan their upcoming wedding, much to Giles' disgust. As if things couldn't get any worse, Giles eventually goes completely blind, sending Buffy out to get ingredients for a spell that Spike offers to help with. Outside the shop, Buffy's trip back is postponed by the sight of a nearby bridal shop. Riley sees Buffy and walks over, only to learn of her upcoming wedding to a much older guy named Spike. Appalled by this news, Riley takes off. Meanwhile, Xander and Anya's intimate moment is rudely interrupted by an invading demon. Just as they drown it in the sink, another demon arrives, sending Xander and Anya running to Giles' place as fast as their feet can allow them. Once there, they quickly learn of Giles' blindness and the rather disturbing development in Buffy and Spike's relationship. Suddenly, Xander realizes the connection between these events and Willow's words. While they head out to look for their friend, Willow enters her dorm room, where the demon D'Hoffryn awaits to transport her to the world of Arashmaharr.

Still mourning the departure of Oz, Willow stops by his old place. Looking around at all the stuff Oz left behind, Willow remembers happier times. The next evening, Buffy and Giles try to get any useful information from Spike concerning the Initiative, but he proves to be less than cooperative. While taking a break, Giles goes along with Willow's suggestion to cast a truth spell on Spike. After picking up the necessary ingredients for the spell, Willow stops by Oz's place again. However, Oz's entire room has been cleared out, leaving nothing but an empty mattress and drawers. Back at the dorm, Willow fights through tears to tell Buffy that Oz had Devon deliver the rest of his belongings. Faced with the fact that Oz may never return to Sunnydale, Willow sinks deeper into depression. The next day, Willow joins Buffy and Riley at their private picnic. Her somber attitude quickly casts a cloud over the budding couple. Later, at the Bronze, Buffy, Xander, and Anya spot Willow on the dance floor, having a peculiarly good time. When Willow returns to the table, a tell-tale bottle of beer signals the gang to her source of sudden happiness. Xander tries to help out, but Willow wards him off with mockery. Buffy pulls Willow aside and tries to convince her that this is a painful stage in life that everyone has to go through. Willow refuses to believe this is the only way. Later, after Buffy falls asleep, Willow sneaks into the bathroom and casts a spell, one that grants Willow the power to have her will done. Early next morning, Willow checks to see if the spell worked. However, she fails to make anything happen simply because she says so. A knock on the door signals Giles' visit to tThe burnt circle on the floor is immediately recognized by Anya as D'Hoffryn's doing. While they pass through the cemetery, Anya tells the others how D'Hoffryn contacted her 1,120 years ago while she was in an emotional state similar to what Willow is going through. D'Hoffryn made Anya a vengeance demon, and he makes the same offer to Willow, who doesn't know what to say. At the cemetery, demons chase the gang into a crypt. Anya tries to summon D'Hoffryn while the others work on barricading the entrance. Before Anya can finish, the demons break through the barricade. Back on Arashmaharr, D'Hoffryn shows Willow what is going on in the cemetery. Shocked to see the results of her spell, Willow rejects the offer and asks instead to be sent back to her friends. Although he is slightly disappointed, D'Hoffryn sends Willow to the crypt, where she quickly reverses the spell. While the demon that Xander and Anya were fighting vanishes into thin air, Buffy and Spike nearly go ballistic in light of their kissing spree. The next day, Willow bakes countless piles of cookies in hopes of earning her friends' forgiveness. Afterwards, Buffy convinces Riley that she was merely putting on an act in front of the bridal shop. More than relieved to hear this, Riley heads off to class, leaving Buffy to hope that she can indeed have a perfectly normal relationship.he dorm. After inquiring why Willow forgot about the truth spell, Giles expresses his concern over Willow's involvement with spells, given her current condition. Insulted, Willow proclaims to Giles that he doesn't understand what's going on, that he doesn't "see anything". Suddenly, Giles notices a significant loss in his vision, and he excuses himself from the dorm. Soon enough, Willow's words result in Buffy and Spike's surprise engagement, while Xander is labeled a "demon magnet". Buffy and Spike begin to plan their upcoming wedding, much to Giles' disgust. As if things couldn't get any worse, Giles eventually goes completely blind, sending Buffy out to get ingredients for a spell that Spike offers to help with. Outside the shop, Buffy's trip back is postponed by the sight of a nearby bridal shop. Riley sees Buffy and walks over, only to learn of her upcoming wedding to a much older guy named Spike. Appalled by this news, Riley takes off. Meanwhile, Xander and Anya's intimate moment is rudely interrupted by an invading demon. Just as they drown it in the sink, another demon arrives, sending Xander and Anya running to Giles' place as fast as their feet can allow them. Once there, they quickly learn of Giles' blindness and the rather disturbing development in Buffy and Spike's relationship. Suddenly, Xander realizes the connection between these events and Willow's words. While they head out to look for their friend, Willow enters her dorm room, where the demon D'Hoffryn awaits to transport her to the world of Arashmaharr.

Angel (David Boreanaz) tells Doyle (Glenn Quinn) of his human experience, and meeting the Powers that Be, but Doyle doesn't have much time to react because work beckons. They soon finda group of half-breed demons and learn the demon racist group,The Scourge, are in town and out for blood. They conspire to rescue the half-demons: Angel goes undercover for the Scourge, and Cordelia and Doyle arrange the half-demons' safe passage toan island. When one of the half demons runs away, Doyle followshim and this delays the departure. While Doyle is away, Cordelia learns of his true identity. Meanwhile, on the inside, Angel learns the strategy to eliminate the half-demon breed population: The Scourge have built a machine whose rays can wipe out any human within a 1/4 mile radius. Angel soon escapes the Scourge and goes to the ship to warn Doyle and Cordelia. He is followed by the soldiers, who place the deadly machine on the ship. With the lives of dozens in jeopardy, Angel and Doyle realize that one of them will have to die in order to disconnect the beams. Though Angel protests, Doyle decides to make the sacrifice. He engages Cordelia in a passionate embrace, then meets the machine. He successfully disconnects it, then dies.

Angel (David Boreanaz) tells Doyle (Glenn Quinn) of his human experience, and meeting the Powers that Be, but Doyle doesn't have much time to react because work beckons. They soon finda group of half-breed demons and learn the demon racist group,The Scourge, are in town and out for blood. They conspire to rescue the half-demons: Angel goes undercover for the Scourge, and Cordelia and Doyle arrange the half-demons' safe passage toan island. When one of the half demons runs away, Doyle followshim and this delays the departure. While Doyle is away, Cordelia learns of his true identity. Meanwhile, on the inside, Angel learns the strategy to eliminate the half-demon breed population: The Scourge have built a machine whose rays can wipe out any human within a 1/4 mile radius. Angel soon escapes the Scourge and goes to the ship to warn Doyle and Cordelia. He is followed by the soldiers, who place the deadly machine on the ship. With the lives of dozens in jeopardy, Angel and Doyle realize that one of them will have to die in order to disconnect the beams. Though Angel protests, Doyle decides to make the sacrifice. He engages Cordelia in a passionate embrace, then meets the machine. He successfully disconnects it, then dies.

I have to say I was really surprised, but pleased, when Doyle died. I didn't like him at all at the time. I rewatched these about 10 years ago and I did like him more that time, but that could've been because I knew what was coming.

I have to say I was really surprised, but pleased, when Doyle died. I didn't like him at all at the time. I rewatched these about 10 years ago and I did like him more that time, but that could've been because I knew what was coming.

I knew it was coming when I watched it the first time so it was no real surprise either way for me. But as I said in the review, I liked the episode a heck of a lot less than the first time around aside from the certain scenes I pointed on. It's just a
bit more flawed overall, but still a significant episode for Cordelia's long term arc in the show.

I knew it was coming when I watched it the first time so it was no real surprise either way for me. But as I said in the review, I liked the episode a heck of a lot less than the first time around aside from the certain scenes I pointed on. It's just a
bit more flawed overall, but still a significant episode for Cordelia's long term arc in the show.

During one of her increasingly common naps in the middle of Professor Walsh's psych class, Buffy dreams that she is called to the front of the lecture hall for a demonstration with Riley. As their lips meet in a passionate kiss, the lights dim and the rest of the class vanishes. All that Buffy can hear now is the voice of a young girl in the hallway outside, methodically chanting an eerie nursery rhyme about not saying a word, needing seven of something, and a group called the Gentlemen. As Buffy and Riley walk out the door, they see the girl standing at the far end of the hallway, carrying a small box in her hands. When Buffy turns around, she sees a tall, gray-skinned man wearing a suit and a devilish smile. Startled out of her slumber, Buffy heads out of class with Willow. Riley meets up with Buffy, while Willow takes off for her Wicca group meeting. Outside, after coming up with fake plans for their evening, Buffy and Riley move in for their first kiss. However, a slight flaw in Riley's excuse ruins the moment, and the two postpone their intimacy for another day.

Giles gets a call from Buffy, who describes all of the details she can remember from her dream. Shortly afterwards, Xander and Anya arrive, arguing about the extent of their relationship. Giles breaks up their debate by requesting Xander's assistance in taking custody of Spike while a guest comes over. Despite protests from Xander, Anya, and Spike himself, Giles insists that he get some much-needed privacy. Meanwhile, Willow comes to realize that nobody in her Wicca group actually practices witchcraft. When Willow suggests that they focus on casting some spells, only one other girl, Tara, seems remotely interested in this idea. After the meeting, Willow complains to Buffy about her disappointment in the so-called Wicca group. Buffy, in the meantime, has her own problems concerning the need to dodge the truths about her profession around Riley. Underground, in the Initiative facility, Forrest listens to the same complaints from Riley.

That evening, Giles greets his old friend, Olivia, at the door. Wasting no time, they get right to business, starting with the kissing. Meanwhile, Xander ties Spike to a chair before hopping into bed. Hours later, after much of the city has fallen asleep, one of the Gentlemen from Buffy's dream approaches a box in the town's clock tower. When he opens it, the voices of Sunnydale's residents leave their bodies and drift into the box.

It doesn't take too long after waking up the next morning for Buffy and Willow to realize that they can't hear themselves speak, let alone each other. A peek out into the hallway reveals that everybody else in the dorm has been affected as well. Hoping to get to the bottom of things, Riley and Forrest enter the elevator that takes them down to the underground lab. Halfway down, the elevator stops, and the security system requests either agent's voice code. Unable to fulfill that requirement, Riley tries to recall the override code as poisonous gas fills the elevator. Once safely outside the elevator, Riley and Forrest find Walsh waiting for their arrival. Walsh orders her agents to patrol the city in casual dress, preventing any riots or similar chaotic events from getting out of hand.

Outside, Buffy and Willow survey the traumatized people of Sunnydale. While some people attend silent mass, others make a profit by selling message boards with neck straps. After arriving at Giles' place with their newly-purchased message boards, Buffy and Willow greet the others, who are watching a newscast about the situation in Sunnydale. According to the news, it is believed to be a massive outbreak of laryngitis, and all routes into and out of the city have been blocked off for the purposes of quarantine. As nighttime arrives, both Riley and Buffy walk the downtown streets, breaking up any fights before they escalate. When they see each other, Buffy and Riley embrace and share silent sentiments. Before splitting up again to take care of business, Riley pulls Buffy into his arms and lowers his lips to hers.

After everybody calls it a night and heads home to get some rest, the Gentlemen emerge from the clock tower, accompanied by gruesome lackeys who wear unfastened straight-jackets. While the lackeys can barely walk in a straight line, the Gentlemen's feet don't even touch the ground. Instead, they silently hover above the streets and sidewalks as they seek out their victims. Unable to sleep very well, Olivia climbs out of bed and walks downstairs. When she looks outside the window, the sight of the Gentlemen patrolling the streets causes her to jump back in alarm. One pair of Gentlemen enters Stevenson Hall and arrives at their destination, room 118. Several knocks awaken the lone freshman inside. As soon as he opens the door, the lackeys pin him to the bed while the Gentlemen come closer. Unable to scream, the helpless freshman can only watch in absolute terror as one of the tall men produces a scalpel, which he uses to cut into the boy's chest.

The next morning, Buffy passes by room 118 and sees the body, while Giles reads several articles in the newspaper about identical murders. In each case, the heart was removed from the victim's chest. When Olivia finishes her sketch of the creature she saw the previous night, Giles recognizes it and pulls out a book of fairy tales. Assembled in an empty lecture hall, the gang watches as Giles presents a slide show of transparencies that explain their situation. According to Giles, the Gentlemen need seven hearts. In order to keep the victims from screaming, they have stolen everybody's voices. Now, the only thing that can kill them is an actual human voice * not a recording, as Willow suggests.

That night, Tara uses the student directory to locate Willow's residence hall and room. When she accidentally trips outside and drops her books, Tara fails to notice the Gentlemen and lackeys approaching from behind. Soon enough, Tara realizes the danger she's in and starts running towards Stevenson Hall. Once inside, she bangs on the closest doors. Unfortunately, nobody is willing to take the risk of opening their door. With the Gentlemen closing in, Tara races upstairs to the second floor and tries several more doors. The loud knocking in the hallway wakes up Willow, and she heads towards the door to investigate. Tara watches the door in front of her open up to reveal another one of the hideous demons, carrying a freshly-extracted heart in his hand. Tara turns and runs, colliding with Willow, who falls and severely twists her ankles. Seeing the pursuing Gentlemen, Willow heads back downstairs with Tara.

Ending up in the basement laundry room, Willow looks for something to barricade the door. Spotting a vending machine several yards away, she limps over and tries to push it. Even with Tara's help, Willow can't move it very far in her condition. Willow then tries to lift the machine telekinetically, but her limited experience makes the task impossible. Realizing Willow's true capabilities of witchcraft, Tara joins hands with her injured partner. Together, they slam the vending machine up against the door as if it weighed nothing. At Giles' apartment, a slight misunderstanding and a large helping of coincidence lead Xander to believe that Spike has just bitten into Anya's neck. As Xander proceeds to land numerous punches on Spike's face, Anya wakes up and shows to Xander that nothing happened. When Xander drops Spike and immediately kisses her, Anya realizes just how much Xander really cares for, putting an end to their little argument.

Meanwhile, Buffy patrols the city once again, only this time she's armed with her crossbow. Riley is also on duty, carrying a heavy-duty stun gun. Their encounters with the Gentlemen's lackeys leads them both to the clock tower. After subduing their opponents momentarily, Buffy and Riley raise their weapons at each other. Just as soon as they realize who they're aiming at, more lackeys arrive to interrupt the unexpected reunion. While taking care of his own struggle, Riley manages to catch a glimpse of Buffy landing a blow that sends the lackey flying across the room. Their fight takes them upstairs, where the Gentlemen wait with scalpel's in hand, hoping these two attackers will provide the remaining hearts that they need. Buffy spots the box on the table and recognizes it from her dream. Unable to reach the box herself, Buffy signals to Riley to destroy the box. After misinterpreting her intended target the first time around, Riley successfully smashes the box into debris. Instantly, the voices of Sunnydale return to their rightful owners. With her voice back, Buffy lets loose a high-pitched wail that lasts long enough to cause the Gentlemen's heads to explode.

As order is slowly restored around Sunnydale, Willow learns that Tara has been studying witchcraft ever since she was a small child. When Willow tries to downplay her own abilities, Tara assures her new friend that she is indeed a powerful witch. Meanwhile, confronted with the knowledge that Giles' stories about monsters and demons were true all this time, Olivia tries to decide where she stands on all this. Back at Stevenson Hall, Riley stops by Buffy's room and steps inside. They know they need to talk about the previous night's revelation, but the only thing that comes out of Buffy and Riley's mouths at the start of the conversation is the same silence that the people of Sunnydale have gotten all too familiar with.

During one of her increasingly common naps in the middle of Professor Walsh's psych class, Buffy dreams that she is called to the front of the lecture hall for a demonstration with Riley. As their lips meet in a passionate kiss, the lights dim and the rest of the class vanishes. All that Buffy can hear now is the voice of a young girl in the hallway outside, methodically chanting an eerie nursery rhyme about not saying a word, needing seven of something, and a group called the Gentlemen. As Buffy and Riley walk out the door, they see the girl standing at the far end of the hallway, carrying a small box in her hands. When Buffy turns around, she sees a tall, gray-skinned man wearing a suit and a devilish smile. Startled out of her slumber, Buffy heads out of class with Willow. Riley meets up with Buffy, while Willow takes off for her Wicca group meeting. Outside, after coming up with fake plans for their evening, Buffy and Riley move in for their first kiss. However, a slight flaw in Riley's excuse ruins the moment, and the two postpone their intimacy for another day.

Giles gets a call from Buffy, who describes all of the details she can remember from her dream. Shortly afterwards, Xander and Anya arrive, arguing about the extent of their relationship. Giles breaks up their debate by requesting Xander's assistance in taking custody of Spike while a guest comes over. Despite protests from Xander, Anya, and Spike himself, Giles insists that he get some much-needed privacy. Meanwhile, Willow comes to realize that nobody in her Wicca group actually practices witchcraft. When Willow suggests that they focus on casting some spells, only one other girl, Tara, seems remotely interested in this idea. After the meeting, Willow complains to Buffy about her disappointment in the so-called Wicca group. Buffy, in the meantime, has her own problems concerning the need to dodge the truths about her profession around Riley. Underground, in the Initiative facility, Forrest listens to the same complaints from Riley.

That evening, Giles greets his old friend, Olivia, at the door. Wasting no time, they get right to business, starting with the kissing. Meanwhile, Xander ties Spike to a chair before hopping into bed. Hours later, after much of the city has fallen asleep, one of the Gentlemen from Buffy's dream approaches a box in the town's clock tower. When he opens it, the voices of Sunnydale's residents leave their bodies and drift into the box.

It doesn't take too long after waking up the next morning for Buffy and Willow to realize that they can't hear themselves speak, let alone each other. A peek out into the hallway reveals that everybody else in the dorm has been affected as well. Hoping to get to the bottom of things, Riley and Forrest enter the elevator that takes them down to the underground lab. Halfway down, the elevator stops, and the security system requests either agent's voice code. Unable to fulfill that requirement, Riley tries to recall the override code as poisonous gas fills the elevator. Once safely outside the elevator, Riley and Forrest find Walsh waiting for their arrival. Walsh orders her agents to patrol the city in casual dress, preventing any riots or similar chaotic events from getting out of hand.

Outside, Buffy and Willow survey the traumatized people of Sunnydale. While some people attend silent mass, others make a profit by selling message boards with neck straps. After arriving at Giles' place with their newly-purchased message boards, Buffy and Willow greet the others, who are watching a newscast about the situation in Sunnydale. According to the news, it is believed to be a massive outbreak of laryngitis, and all routes into and out of the city have been blocked off for the purposes of quarantine. As nighttime arrives, both Riley and Buffy walk the downtown streets, breaking up any fights before they escalate. When they see each other, Buffy and Riley embrace and share silent sentiments. Before splitting up again to take care of business, Riley pulls Buffy into his arms and lowers his lips to hers.

After everybody calls it a night and heads home to get some rest, the Gentlemen emerge from the clock tower, accompanied by gruesome lackeys who wear unfastened straight-jackets. While the lackeys can barely walk in a straight line, the Gentlemen's feet don't even touch the ground. Instead, they silently hover above the streets and sidewalks as they seek out their victims. Unable to sleep very well, Olivia climbs out of bed and walks downstairs. When she looks outside the window, the sight of the Gentlemen patrolling the streets causes her to jump back in alarm. One pair of Gentlemen enters Stevenson Hall and arrives at their destination, room 118. Several knocks awaken the lone freshman inside. As soon as he opens the door, the lackeys pin him to the bed while the Gentlemen come closer. Unable to scream, the helpless freshman can only watch in absolute terror as one of the tall men produces a scalpel, which he uses to cut into the boy's chest.

The next morning, Buffy passes by room 118 and sees the body, while Giles reads several articles in the newspaper about identical murders. In each case, the heart was removed from the victim's chest. When Olivia finishes her sketch of the creature she saw the previous night, Giles recognizes it and pulls out a book of fairy tales. Assembled in an empty lecture hall, the gang watches as Giles presents a slide show of transparencies that explain their situation. According to Giles, the Gentlemen need seven hearts. In order to keep the victims from screaming, they have stolen everybody's voices. Now, the only thing that can kill them is an actual human voice * not a recording, as Willow suggests.

That night, Tara uses the student directory to locate Willow's residence hall and room. When she accidentally trips outside and drops her books, Tara fails to notice the Gentlemen and lackeys approaching from behind. Soon enough, Tara realizes the danger she's in and starts running towards Stevenson Hall. Once inside, she bangs on the closest doors. Unfortunately, nobody is willing to take the risk of opening their door. With the Gentlemen closing in, Tara races upstairs to the second floor and tries several more doors. The loud knocking in the hallway wakes up Willow, and she heads towards the door to investigate. Tara watches the door in front of her open up to reveal another one of the hideous demons, carrying a freshly-extracted heart in his hand. Tara turns and runs, colliding with Willow, who falls and severely twists her ankles. Seeing the pursuing Gentlemen, Willow heads back downstairs with Tara.

Ending up in the basement laundry room, Willow looks for something to barricade the door. Spotting a vending machine several yards away, she limps over and tries to push it. Even with Tara's help, Willow can't move it very far in her condition. Willow then tries to lift the machine telekinetically, but her limited experience makes the task impossible. Realizing Willow's true capabilities of witchcraft, Tara joins hands with her injured partner. Together, they slam the vending machine up against the door as if it weighed nothing. At Giles' apartment, a slight misunderstanding and a large helping of coincidence lead Xander to believe that Spike has just bitten into Anya's neck. As Xander proceeds to land numerous punches on Spike's face, Anya wakes up and shows to Xander that nothing happened. When Xander drops Spike and immediately kisses her, Anya realizes just how much Xander really cares for, putting an end to their little argument.

Meanwhile, Buffy patrols the city once again, only this time she's armed with her crossbow. Riley is also on duty, carrying a heavy-duty stun gun. Their encounters with the Gentlemen's lackeys leads them both to the clock tower. After subduing their opponents momentarily, Buffy and Riley raise their weapons at each other. Just as soon as they realize who they're aiming at, more lackeys arrive to interrupt the unexpected reunion. While taking care of his own struggle, Riley manages to catch a glimpse of Buffy landing a blow that sends the lackey flying across the room. Their fight takes them upstairs, where the Gentlemen wait with scalpel's in hand, hoping these two attackers will provide the remaining hearts that they need. Buffy spots the box on the table and recognizes it from her dream. Unable to reach the box herself, Buffy signals to Riley to destroy the box. After misinterpreting her intended target the first time around, Riley successfully smashes the box into debris. Instantly, the voices of Sunnydale return to their rightful owners. With her voice back, Buffy lets loose a high-pitched wail that lasts long enough to cause the Gentlemen's heads to explode.

As order is slowly restored around Sunnydale, Willow learns that Tara has been studying witchcraft ever since she was a small child. When Willow tries to downplay her own abilities, Tara assures her new friend that she is indeed a powerful witch. Meanwhile, confronted with the knowledge that Giles' stories about monsters and demons were true all this time, Olivia tries to decide where she stands on all this. Back at Stevenson Hall, Riley stops by Buffy's room and steps inside. They know they need to talk about the previous night's revelation, but the only thing that comes out of Buffy and Riley's mouths at the start of the conversation is the same silence that the people of Sunnydale have gotten all too familiar with.

After Buffy finally breaks the silence lingering in the room, Riley tries to figure out who she really is. When Riley withholds information on his own secret identity, Buffy offers her own description of what he does for a living. Surprised by Buffy's accuracy, Riley turns the spotlight back on her. However, Riley is not at all familiar with the name Slayer, so Buffy encourages him to find out on his own. Just as Riley is about to leave the dorm, they notice some rattling coming from the rat's cage, followed by a sudden earthquake. Although the quake is relatively brief, it's more than enough to alarm Buffy.
A short while later, Willow returns to her room and tells Buffy about an aftershock party at Porter Hall, due to the entire building being blacked out. Buffy turns down the invitation, instead heading over to Giles for some answers. While Buffy fears that something bad is coming, Giles insists that the earthquake was nothing out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, Spike finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. No longer the fearsome night stalker he once was, Spike cannot comprehend how he ended up living in Xander's basement. Underground, Riley asks Forrest about the Slayer. According to Forrest, the Slayer is nothing but a myth. Over at the aftershock party, Willow runs into Percy West, whom she tutored last year at Sunnydale High. In another room, a lone student finds himself in a sudden encounter with a large, green demon with several spines protruding from the back of its head. Before he can run or scream, the demon slashes the boy's throat, spilling blood all over the floor.
When Willow overhears Percy referring to her as a geek from high school, she wanders away from the main party crowd. Ending up in a dark room, Willow feels her way to the bed and lies down, wishing that she were somewhere else. When the power is restored to the building and all the lights turn on, Willow realizes that she is not alone in the bed. Lying next to her is the body of the boy, drained of its blood. Carved on the boy's chest is a symbol that consists of an eye inside a triangle. Willow shows a drawing of the symbol to Giles, who immediately recognizes it as a sign of the apocalypse. Buffy recognizes the symbol, and she grabs the crossbow on her way out to the cemetery. Finding a mausoleum with the symbol carved on one of the walls, Buffy enters and spots the demon collecting the bones of one of the skeletons. Engaging the demon in battle, Buffy quickly realizes its great strength. After delivering a blow that lands Buffy on her back, the demon escapes with the bones it stole from the mausoleum. Riley arrives shortly and tells Buffy which way the demon ran. Before she takes off in that direction, Buffy informs Riley that she can't continue their relationship any longer.
Back at Giles' apartment, the gang learns that Buffy's enemy is called a Vahrall demon. One of the passages in the demon's description leads Willow to another book that describes a ritual called the Sacrifice of Three. Along with the sacrifices, the ritual requires the blood of a man, the bones of a child, and something called the Word of Valios. Assuming it's the title of a book, Xander and Willow head to the library. When they stop by Xander's basement for supplies, they find Spike trying to kill himself with a stake. Uncomfortable with the idea of letting the harmless vampire die, Willow and Xander take Spike with them to the library in order to keep an eye on him. After coming up with nothing at the library, Spike mocks Willow and Xander's belief that they play an important role in Buffy's duty. Meanwhile, Buffy runs into Riley while patrolling the streets. Riley tries to convince Buffy that she can't make it through the rest of her life alone. Unable to describe her full history with Angel, Buffy turns a cold shoulder to Riley. Back at the apartment, Giles researches the ritual further. He comes upon an illustration of the Word of Valios, which turns out to be fifteenth-century talisman. Rummaging through a box of valuables, Giles discovers that he had the talisman all along. Before he can get out of the house, Giles realizes he has visitors in the form of three Vahrall demons.
While the gang tends to his wounds, Giles tells them that the Vahrall demons are attempting to open the hellmouth. Reluctantly, Buffy, Xander, and Willow return to Sunnydale High, accompanied by an irritated Spike. As they enter the crumbling halls of their old high school, Xander accidentally steps on the remains of late Mayor Wilkins. The gang finds the three Vahrall demons chanting around a gap in the floor. While Buffy attacks, Xander and Willow work on retrieving the blood, bones, and talisman in order to prevent the ritual from being completed. One of the Vahrall demons grabs the jar of blood from Xander's hands and dives into the hole. Realizing that the demons themselves are the three sacrifices, Xander warns the others. Tired of taking a beating from another one of the Vahrall demons, Spike smashes his fist into the demon's face. Instead of receiving immediate shock to his brain, Spike feels absolutely no pain. Realizing that the implant does not prevent him from harming demons, a wave of unadulterated joy overcomes Spike as he wails on the Vahrall demon. Caught up in the excitement, Spike picks up the demon, who grabs the bag of bones before being lifted up into the air. Xander and Willow's warnings come too late as Spike throws the demon, along with the bones, into the hole.
Another earthquake signals the near-completion of the ritual. As Buffy hurls punches and kicks at the demon, Riley comes to her aide. Managing to escape the attack for a brief moment, the third Vahrall demon grabs the talisman and drops into the hole. Riley hooks up a cable from his belt to Buffy's, and the Slayer dives in after the demon. Through the rumbling of the quakes, Riley manages to pull Buffy back to the surface. As Riley pulls her up by her right hand, Buffy drags the demon out of the hole with her left. Having failed to complete the ritual, the Vahrall demon dies, and the earthquakes stop. Afterwards, Riley unsuccessfully tries to explain his camouflage outfit to Xander and Willow, who immediately figure out that he's one of the commandoes. When he spots Spike, Riley can't recall where he's seen him before.
The next morning, Buffy pays a visit to Riley's room. Having revealed his identity to Buffy and her friends, Riley prepares himself for some dark consequences. What he doesn't expect is the kiss that Buffy plants on his lips. In the meantime, Spike shuts off the television in Xander's basement. Before Xander and Willow can protest, Spike insists that they get out and continue the fight against evil. For a dead man, Spike has never felt more alive.

After Buffy finally breaks the silence lingering in the room, Riley tries to figure out who she really is. When Riley withholds information on his own secret identity, Buffy offers her own description of what he does for a living. Surprised by Buffy's accuracy, Riley turns the spotlight back on her. However, Riley is not at all familiar with the name Slayer, so Buffy encourages him to find out on his own. Just as Riley is about to leave the dorm, they notice some rattling coming from the rat's cage, followed by a sudden earthquake. Although the quake is relatively brief, it's more than enough to alarm Buffy.
A short while later, Willow returns to her room and tells Buffy about an aftershock party at Porter Hall, due to the entire building being blacked out. Buffy turns down the invitation, instead heading over to Giles for some answers. While Buffy fears that something bad is coming, Giles insists that the earthquake was nothing out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, Spike finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into depression. No longer the fearsome night stalker he once was, Spike cannot comprehend how he ended up living in Xander's basement. Underground, Riley asks Forrest about the Slayer. According to Forrest, the Slayer is nothing but a myth. Over at the aftershock party, Willow runs into Percy West, whom she tutored last year at Sunnydale High. In another room, a lone student finds himself in a sudden encounter with a large, green demon with several spines protruding from the back of its head. Before he can run or scream, the demon slashes the boy's throat, spilling blood all over the floor.
When Willow overhears Percy referring to her as a geek from high school, she wanders away from the main party crowd. Ending up in a dark room, Willow feels her way to the bed and lies down, wishing that she were somewhere else. When the power is restored to the building and all the lights turn on, Willow realizes that she is not alone in the bed. Lying next to her is the body of the boy, drained of its blood. Carved on the boy's chest is a symbol that consists of an eye inside a triangle. Willow shows a drawing of the symbol to Giles, who immediately recognizes it as a sign of the apocalypse. Buffy recognizes the symbol, and she grabs the crossbow on her way out to the cemetery. Finding a mausoleum with the symbol carved on one of the walls, Buffy enters and spots the demon collecting the bones of one of the skeletons. Engaging the demon in battle, Buffy quickly realizes its great strength. After delivering a blow that lands Buffy on her back, the demon escapes with the bones it stole from the mausoleum. Riley arrives shortly and tells Buffy which way the demon ran. Before she takes off in that direction, Buffy informs Riley that she can't continue their relationship any longer.
Back at Giles' apartment, the gang learns that Buffy's enemy is called a Vahrall demon. One of the passages in the demon's description leads Willow to another book that describes a ritual called the Sacrifice of Three. Along with the sacrifices, the ritual requires the blood of a man, the bones of a child, and something called the Word of Valios. Assuming it's the title of a book, Xander and Willow head to the library. When they stop by Xander's basement for supplies, they find Spike trying to kill himself with a stake. Uncomfortable with the idea of letting the harmless vampire die, Willow and Xander take Spike with them to the library in order to keep an eye on him. After coming up with nothing at the library, Spike mocks Willow and Xander's belief that they play an important role in Buffy's duty. Meanwhile, Buffy runs into Riley while patrolling the streets. Riley tries to convince Buffy that she can't make it through the rest of her life alone. Unable to describe her full history with Angel, Buffy turns a cold shoulder to Riley. Back at the apartment, Giles researches the ritual further. He comes upon an illustration of the Word of Valios, which turns out to be fifteenth-century talisman. Rummaging through a box of valuables, Giles discovers that he had the talisman all along. Before he can get out of the house, Giles realizes he has visitors in the form of three Vahrall demons.
While the gang tends to his wounds, Giles tells them that the Vahrall demons are attempting to open the hellmouth. Reluctantly, Buffy, Xander, and Willow return to Sunnydale High, accompanied by an irritated Spike. As they enter the crumbling halls of their old high school, Xander accidentally steps on the remains of late Mayor Wilkins. The gang finds the three Vahrall demons chanting around a gap in the floor. While Buffy attacks, Xander and Willow work on retrieving the blood, bones, and talisman in order to prevent the ritual from being completed. One of the Vahrall demons grabs the jar of blood from Xander's hands and dives into the hole. Realizing that the demons themselves are the three sacrifices, Xander warns the others. Tired of taking a beating from another one of the Vahrall demons, Spike smashes his fist into the demon's face. Instead of receiving immediate shock to his brain, Spike feels absolutely no pain. Realizing that the implant does not prevent him from harming demons, a wave of unadulterated joy overcomes Spike as he wails on the Vahrall demon. Caught up in the excitement, Spike picks up the demon, who grabs the bag of bones before being lifted up into the air. Xander and Willow's warnings come too late as Spike throws the demon, along with the bones, into the hole.
Another earthquake signals the near-completion of the ritual. As Buffy hurls punches and kicks at the demon, Riley comes to her aide. Managing to escape the attack for a brief moment, the third Vahrall demon grabs the talisman and drops into the hole. Riley hooks up a cable from his belt to Buffy's, and the Slayer dives in after the demon. Through the rumbling of the quakes, Riley manages to pull Buffy back to the surface. As Riley pulls her up by her right hand, Buffy drags the demon out of the hole with her left. Having failed to complete the ritual, the Vahrall demon dies, and the earthquakes stop. Afterwards, Riley unsuccessfully tries to explain his camouflage outfit to Xander and Willow, who immediately figure out that he's one of the commandoes. When he spots Spike, Riley can't recall where he's seen him before.
The next morning, Buffy pays a visit to Riley's room. Having revealed his identity to Buffy and her friends, Riley prepares himself for some dark consequences. What he doesn't expect is the kiss that Buffy plants on his lips. In the meantime, Spike shuts off the television in Xander's basement. Before Xander and Willow can protest, Spike insists that they get out and continue the fight against evil. For a dead man, Spike has never felt more alive.

Angel pays a visit to the PTB (Powers That Be) and begs them to return Doyle. They refuse and when he protests that he no longer has access to the visions, they reply that when a door closes, another one opens. Meanwhile, a schwarmy telepathic demon named Barney approaches Angel Investigations for help, claiming that he is being followed by a demon-assassin. Later that day, Cordelia is in the middle of an audition, and receives a vision. She soon realizes there was more to Doyle's kiss than she originally thought. Assuming that she can be rid of the visions by kissing someone else, she kisses Angel, and the new client. After a brief interview with Barney, Angel visits his apartment to see if he can learn anything. While he is there, he encounters Wesley, a watcher he had briefly known in Sunnydale. Wesley was kicked out of the Watcher's Council and is now a rogue-demon hunter in hot pursuit of a dangerous and powerful demon. They soon discover that the demon that was most recently attacked by the killer is of Asian origin. Angel heads over to Koreatown to get more information and Wesley later joins him. After speaking to the dying demon, they deduce that Barney is involved, and Cordelia is is in danger. Meanwhile, Barney kidnaps Cordelia and bids her visionary powers at an auction. When the deal goes to the highest bidder, Cordelia's fate is to have her eyes gouged out. Moments before the first incision, Angel and Wesley rush in and save the day. The next morning, Angel invites Wesley for breakfast. Is Wesley here to stay?

Angel pays a visit to the PTB (Powers That Be) and begs them to return Doyle. They refuse and when he protests that he no longer has access to the visions, they reply that when a door closes, another one opens. Meanwhile, a schwarmy telepathic demon named Barney approaches Angel Investigations for help, claiming that he is being followed by a demon-assassin. Later that day, Cordelia is in the middle of an audition, and receives a vision. She soon realizes there was more to Doyle's kiss than she originally thought. Assuming that she can be rid of the visions by kissing someone else, she kisses Angel, and the new client. After a brief interview with Barney, Angel visits his apartment to see if he can learn anything. While he is there, he encounters Wesley, a watcher he had briefly known in Sunnydale. Wesley was kicked out of the Watcher's Council and is now a rogue-demon hunter in hot pursuit of a dangerous and powerful demon. They soon discover that the demon that was most recently attacked by the killer is of Asian origin. Angel heads over to Koreatown to get more information and Wesley later joins him. After speaking to the dying demon, they deduce that Barney is involved, and Cordelia is is in danger. Meanwhile, Barney kidnaps Cordelia and bids her visionary powers at an auction. When the deal goes to the highest bidder, Cordelia's fate is to have her eyes gouged out. Moments before the first incision, Angel and Wesley rush in and save the day. The next morning, Angel invites Wesley for breakfast. Is Wesley here to stay?

A girl is murdered by a vampire during the early morning hours. Later that day, Wesley notices an article about the murder in the newspaper and leaves immediately. Angel pays a visit to Kate about some other business, but while he is there, he observes the crime scene photos on her desk. He recognizes the modus operandi, and immediately realizes that there is a connection between his recent nightmares and the murders. Meanwhile, Wesley returns to Angel Investigations and clues Cordelia in on the situation at hand. He tells her in the past, Angelus marked his victims' left cheek with a cross. That night, Angel has a dream. He realizes one of his sires named Ben is responsible for the current murders. That afternoon, Angel brings a drawing of Ben to Kate and instructs her to stake out an area. Later that day, Ben strikes, but before he can complete the kill, the police arrive. Ben escapes in a nearby abandoned building. Kate comes in after him and soon finds Angel at the scene. He dons his vampire face and the two begin to fight. After learning Angel's true identity, Kate initially freaks out, but then hits the library to learn more about vampires. She discovers that Ben struck two times in LA earlier that century, in 1928 and 1963. Wesley and Angel figure out where he resides and pay a visit to his apartment. Meanwhile, Ben pays a surprise visit to the police department. Angel catches wind of the situation climbs down into the tunnels and gets into a big brawl with Ben. However, it's Kate who saves the day when she locates a wood scrap and stakes Angel and Ben. Due to her great aim, only Ben is dusted.

A girl is murdered by a vampire during the early morning hours. Later that day, Wesley notices an article about the murder in the newspaper and leaves immediately. Angel pays a visit to Kate about some other business, but while he is there, he observes the crime scene photos on her desk. He recognizes the modus operandi, and immediately realizes that there is a connection between his recent nightmares and the murders. Meanwhile, Wesley returns to Angel Investigations and clues Cordelia in on the situation at hand. He tells her in the past, Angelus marked his victims' left cheek with a cross. That night, Angel has a dream. He realizes one of his sires named Ben is responsible for the current murders. That afternoon, Angel brings a drawing of Ben to Kate and instructs her to stake out an area. Later that day, Ben strikes, but before he can complete the kill, the police arrive. Ben escapes in a nearby abandoned building. Kate comes in after him and soon finds Angel at the scene. He dons his vampire face and the two begin to fight. After learning Angel's true identity, Kate initially freaks out, but then hits the library to learn more about vampires. She discovers that Ben struck two times in LA earlier that century, in 1928 and 1963. Wesley and Angel figure out where he resides and pay a visit to his apartment. Meanwhile, Ben pays a surprise visit to the police department. Angel catches wind of the situation climbs down into the tunnels and gets into a big brawl with Ben. However, it's Kate who saves the day when she locates a wood scrap and stakes Angel and Ben. Due to her great aim, only Ben is dusted.

Willow bursts into her dorm room, interrupting Buffy and Riley's private moment. Informing them of a demon threat, Willow leads them downstairs. Instead of an otherworldly creature, Buffy finds herself lured into a surprise party for her nineteenth birthday. Shortly afterwards, Buffy finds Giles and introduces him to Riley. Feeling a bit left out of the young crowd at the party, Giles discomfort is only strengthened by meeting Buffy's boyfriend, having no knowledge that she was even dating somebody.

The next morning, Spike prepares to move out of Xander's place and find a place of his own. Despite Anya's insistence, Xander refuses to offer any parting gifts. Giles, in the meantime, comes across a passage in one of his texts that details the rise of the Demon Prince Barvain. Realizing that this event will occur by the end of the day, Giles calls Willow and asks for Buffy's whereabouts. In Professor Walsh's office, Riley discloses Buffy's secret identity to Maggie. Surprised to learn that the Slayer is more than a myth, Maggie tells Buffy that she may be granted access to the Initiative laboratory in a matter of days. When Riley describes the number of hostiles he has handled to date, Maggie asks Buffy to tell them how many she has taken down. Outside, Riley expresses his shock over Buffy's impressive statistics. Suddenly feeling inferior in light of his girlfriend's abilities, Riley wonders how he himself would do against Buffy in combat. A little while later, Giles arrives at Maggie's office, hoping to find Buffy. A short conversation reveals that Giles and Professor Walsh's approaches to teaching students are wildly different. While Giles sees Buffy's independence as a sign of strength and maturity, Maggie dismisses it as the result of a missing father figure in Buffy's life.

During a sparring session in the gym, Buffy kicks Riley squarely in the chest, launching him several yards into a stack of floor mats. While Buffy profusely apologizes, Willow and Xander accompany Giles into the cemetery, hoping they're not too late to stop the Demon Prince Barvain. Immediately after entering his crypt, Giles realizes that the floor should be destroyed by now. When Willow offers her theory that the Initiative probably eliminated this threat days ago, Giles has no idea what she and Xander are talking about. After they bring him up to speed about Riley and Professor Walsh's involvement in the Initiative -- as well as Anya and Spike's knowledge about these facts -- Giles nearly goes ballistic. Dumbfounded by all the information that was completely unknown to him up until now, Giles lets Willow and Xander go home. After Giles gives up and exits the crypt, Ethan Rayne emerges from the shadows, pledging to give his old friend a nasty surprise. Giles hears a voice from inside the crypt, so he reenters and meets up with his nemesis. Before Giles can beat him into submission, Ethan grabs his attention by warning him of an impending danger.

After relocating to a nearby diner for a few drinks, Ethan informs Giles of a rising threat that has shrouded the demon world in fear. Knowing only that the demons refer to this threat by the number 314, Ethan believes that its intrusions from the human world into the affairs of the demon reality is "throwing the worlds out of balance." Many drinks later, Giles and Ethan reach the conclusion that the world has moved on without them. Hoping to get lucky that night, Ethan writes down his number and address for their waitress, who half-heartedly takes it. Later, Willow gets together with Tara to perform a complex spell that involves the levitation of a rose, followed by the removal of its petals. After they successfully lift the rose from the floor, Willow and Tara watch as it suddenly darts all over the room before finally smashing into the floor.

In the morning, Giles wakes up and stumbles out of bed. When he reaches his mirror, Giles sees the reflection of a hideous demon staring back at him. While Giles tries to figure out what has happened to his body, his uncontrollable strength causes great damage to the stairway, telephone, and even his own clothes. Throwing on a blanket, Giles rips his front door from its hinges and heads over to Xander's place. He tries to wake up Xander without scaring him, but this fails drastically when Giles realizes that he is actually speaking in a demon language that Xander can't understand. Flying out of bed, Xander starts throwing objects at the intruder while screaming at the top of his lungs. Giles retreats, terrorizing the neighbors on his way out. Meanwhile, Buffy talks to Willow about her sparring session with Riley. Willow mentions the presence of a dark force that caused her spell to go awry the previous night. She then suggests to Buffy that she should talk to Giles soon, since he is apparently feeling left out lately.

After dark, Giles finds Spike in the cemetery. Instead of attacking the demon, Spike recognizes Giles. Telling Giles that he is now a Fyarl demon, Spike informs him that he can also speak the Fyarl language. Needing some help in finding Ethan to reverse the spell, Giles offers to pay Spike. On their way to the diner, Giles feels himself slowly being taken over by the demon's desires. While trying to fight off the violent urges, Giles spots Maggie Walsh walking down the street by herself. Giles gets out and chases her away before returning to the car. At the diner, Spike learns from the waitress that Ethan is staying at the Sunnydale motor inn. During the trip to the motel, Spike spots one, then two humvees following them. Giles jumps out, while the pursuing cars continue to follow Spike. Shortly after he loses them, Spike accidentally crashes Giles' car into the wall of a building.

Meanwhile, Buffy and the gang arrive at Giles' apartment and find it totaled. The torn clothes on the floor lead them to believe that Giles may have been seriously harmed. Riley arrives in response to a series of 911 calls that reported the sighting of a large demon in the neighborhood. When they find a passage in Giles' books about the Fyarl demon that matches Xander's description, Buffy deduces the possibility that the mystical force that Willow felt was caused by a spell being performed to gain control of this Fyarl demon. Following the book's information that the Fyarl demon is vulnerable to silver, Buffy grabs a letter opener on the way out. Along with Riley, she breaks into the magic shop and discovers that Ethan has been there recently. When Riley orders a search on Ethan's location, they track him down to the motel. Before they leave, Riley mentions that Maggie has ordered him to prevent Buffy from getting involved any further. Refusing to keep the Initiative's orders from getting in the way of her vengeance for Giles, Buffy disobeys and continues out the door.

Trying to pack up and get out of town, Ethan gets a surprise visit from Giles, who is now almost completely under the influence of his demonic rage. Ethan tries to convince Giles that he won't be able to reverse the spell if he is killed, but Giles is beyond reasoning. Buffy arrives just as Ethan is thrown into a table. While Buffy and Giles wage war on each other, Riley does some damage of his own on Ethan. Just as Buffy stabs Giles in the chest with the letter opener, she suddenly recognizes who she's been fighting all along. Fortunately, the imitation silver does not cause any harm to Giles. Moments later, Ethan completes the reversal spell, returning Giles to his human form. When he asks Buffy how she recognized him, she tells Giles that his eyes gave him away. Ethan, in the meantime, is escorted outside by Initiative agents, who plan to rehabilitate him immediately.

After Buffy apologizes for failing to keep him informed on what's been going on lately, Giles asks her to be cautious in dealing with the Initiative. Convinced that Ethan was sincere about what he said at the diner, Giles wants Buffy to stay alert. Underground, Riley assures Maggie that Buffy is on their side and will prove to be a valuable ally. As Riley takes off, Maggie enters a restricted-access security room. Inside, she scans her ID card through a reader to unlock and enter another door, one that's marked simply with a number: 314.

Willow bursts into her dorm room, interrupting Buffy and Riley's private moment. Informing them of a demon threat, Willow leads them downstairs. Instead of an otherworldly creature, Buffy finds herself lured into a surprise party for her nineteenth birthday. Shortly afterwards, Buffy finds Giles and introduces him to Riley. Feeling a bit left out of the young crowd at the party, Giles discomfort is only strengthened by meeting Buffy's boyfriend, having no knowledge that she was even dating somebody.

The next morning, Spike prepares to move out of Xander's place and find a place of his own. Despite Anya's insistence, Xander refuses to offer any parting gifts. Giles, in the meantime, comes across a passage in one of his texts that details the rise of the Demon Prince Barvain. Realizing that this event will occur by the end of the day, Giles calls Willow and asks for Buffy's whereabouts. In Professor Walsh's office, Riley discloses Buffy's secret identity to Maggie. Surprised to learn that the Slayer is more than a myth, Maggie tells Buffy that she may be granted access to the Initiative laboratory in a matter of days. When Riley describes the number of hostiles he has handled to date, Maggie asks Buffy to tell them how many she has taken down. Outside, Riley expresses his shock over Buffy's impressive statistics. Suddenly feeling inferior in light of his girlfriend's abilities, Riley wonders how he himself would do against Buffy in combat. A little while later, Giles arrives at Maggie's office, hoping to find Buffy. A short conversation reveals that Giles and Professor Walsh's approaches to teaching students are wildly different. While Giles sees Buffy's independence as a sign of strength and maturity, Maggie dismisses it as the result of a missing father figure in Buffy's life.

During a sparring session in the gym, Buffy kicks Riley squarely in the chest, launching him several yards into a stack of floor mats. While Buffy profusely apologizes, Willow and Xander accompany Giles into the cemetery, hoping they're not too late to stop the Demon Prince Barvain. Immediately after entering his crypt, Giles realizes that the floor should be destroyed by now. When Willow offers her theory that the Initiative probably eliminated this threat days ago, Giles has no idea what she and Xander are talking about. After they bring him up to speed about Riley and Professor Walsh's involvement in the Initiative -- as well as Anya and Spike's knowledge about these facts -- Giles nearly goes ballistic. Dumbfounded by all the information that was completely unknown to him up until now, Giles lets Willow and Xander go home. After Giles gives up and exits the crypt, Ethan Rayne emerges from the shadows, pledging to give his old friend a nasty surprise. Giles hears a voice from inside the crypt, so he reenters and meets up with his nemesis. Before Giles can beat him into submission, Ethan grabs his attention by warning him of an impending danger.

After relocating to a nearby diner for a few drinks, Ethan informs Giles of a rising threat that has shrouded the demon world in fear. Knowing only that the demons refer to this threat by the number 314, Ethan believes that its intrusions from the human world into the affairs of the demon reality is "throwing the worlds out of balance." Many drinks later, Giles and Ethan reach the conclusion that the world has moved on without them. Hoping to get lucky that night, Ethan writes down his number and address for their waitress, who half-heartedly takes it. Later, Willow gets together with Tara to perform a complex spell that involves the levitation of a rose, followed by the removal of its petals. After they successfully lift the rose from the floor, Willow and Tara watch as it suddenly darts all over the room before finally smashing into the floor.

In the morning, Giles wakes up and stumbles out of bed. When he reaches his mirror, Giles sees the reflection of a hideous demon staring back at him. While Giles tries to figure out what has happened to his body, his uncontrollable strength causes great damage to the stairway, telephone, and even his own clothes. Throwing on a blanket, Giles rips his front door from its hinges and heads over to Xander's place. He tries to wake up Xander without scaring him, but this fails drastically when Giles realizes that he is actually speaking in a demon language that Xander can't understand. Flying out of bed, Xander starts throwing objects at the intruder while screaming at the top of his lungs. Giles retreats, terrorizing the neighbors on his way out. Meanwhile, Buffy talks to Willow about her sparring session with Riley. Willow mentions the presence of a dark force that caused her spell to go awry the previous night. She then suggests to Buffy that she should talk to Giles soon, since he is apparently feeling left out lately.

After dark, Giles finds Spike in the cemetery. Instead of attacking the demon, Spike recognizes Giles. Telling Giles that he is now a Fyarl demon, Spike informs him that he can also speak the Fyarl language. Needing some help in finding Ethan to reverse the spell, Giles offers to pay Spike. On their way to the diner, Giles feels himself slowly being taken over by the demon's desires. While trying to fight off the violent urges, Giles spots Maggie Walsh walking down the street by herself. Giles gets out and chases her away before returning to the car. At the diner, Spike learns from the waitress that Ethan is staying at the Sunnydale motor inn. During the trip to the motel, Spike spots one, then two humvees following them. Giles jumps out, while the pursuing cars continue to follow Spike. Shortly after he loses them, Spike accidentally crashes Giles' car into the wall of a building.

Meanwhile, Buffy and the gang arrive at Giles' apartment and find it totaled. The torn clothes on the floor lead them to believe that Giles may have been seriously harmed. Riley arrives in response to a series of 911 calls that reported the sighting of a large demon in the neighborhood. When they find a passage in Giles' books about the Fyarl demon that matches Xander's description, Buffy deduces the possibility that the mystical force that Willow felt was caused by a spell being performed to gain control of this Fyarl demon. Following the book's information that the Fyarl demon is vulnerable to silver, Buffy grabs a letter opener on the way out. Along with Riley, she breaks into the magic shop and discovers that Ethan has been there recently. When Riley orders a search on Ethan's location, they track him down to the motel. Before they leave, Riley mentions that Maggie has ordered him to prevent Buffy from getting involved any further. Refusing to keep the Initiative's orders from getting in the way of her vengeance for Giles, Buffy disobeys and continues out the door.

Trying to pack up and get out of town, Ethan gets a surprise visit from Giles, who is now almost completely under the influence of his demonic rage. Ethan tries to convince Giles that he won't be able to reverse the spell if he is killed, but Giles is beyond reasoning. Buffy arrives just as Ethan is thrown into a table. While Buffy and Giles wage war on each other, Riley does some damage of his own on Ethan. Just as Buffy stabs Giles in the chest with the letter opener, she suddenly recognizes who she's been fighting all along. Fortunately, the imitation silver does not cause any harm to Giles. Moments later, Ethan completes the reversal spell, returning Giles to his human form. When he asks Buffy how she recognized him, she tells Giles that his eyes gave him away. Ethan, in the meantime, is escorted outside by Initiative agents, who plan to rehabilitate him immediately.

After Buffy apologizes for failing to keep him informed on what's been going on lately, Giles asks her to be cautious in dealing with the Initiative. Convinced that Ethan was sincere about what he said at the diner, Giles wants Buffy to stay alert. Underground, Riley assures Maggie that Buffy is on their side and will prove to be a valuable ally. As Riley takes off, Maggie enters a restricted-access security room. Inside, she scans her ID card through a reader to unlock and enter another door, one that's marked simply with a number: 314.

Cordelia prepares for a night on the town with William Christopher, a prominent L.A. photographer, but right before her friends whisk her away to meet him, she receives a vision and gives the information to Angel. Angel and Wesley check out the address and slay a demon spawn. At the club, Cordelia chats it up with William and invites him to spend the night. The next morning, she realizes she's expecting! Angel and Wesley pay a visit to her apartment and observe her pregnant state. They try to contact Wilson but are unable to reach him. They form a plan: Angel will track down Cordelia's friend Serena, while Wesley will take Cordelia to the doctor. When the doctor observes she is carrying 7 babies, the panic sets in. Meanwhile, Angel meets with Serena and discovers she's pregnant as well. She clues him to Wilson and his cronies' hangout: a local gun club. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Wesley return to Angel's pad and Wesley observes her new attitude towards her spawn. She is suddenly very attached to them. Wesley deduces she is under some kind of telepathy. After a brief reconnaissance, Angel heads for the gun club, and Wesley researches and identifies the demon species. Cordelia, now fully under the influence, escapes from the apartment and heads to a local industrial park to prepare for the birth. Meanwhile, William fesses all after a brutal thrashing from Angel in vamp form. Wesley heads over to the industrial park and challenges the demon to a duel to the death. Angel enters the scene and brings a giant canister of liquid nitrogen as an offering. They freeze the demon and Cordelia, no longer pregnant and under the influence of the telepathy, destroys it.

Cordelia prepares for a night on the town with William Christopher, a prominent L.A. photographer, but right before her friends whisk her away to meet him, she receives a vision and gives the information to Angel. Angel and Wesley check out the address and slay a demon spawn. At the club, Cordelia chats it up with William and invites him to spend the night. The next morning, she realizes she's expecting! Angel and Wesley pay a visit to her apartment and observe her pregnant state. They try to contact Wilson but are unable to reach him. They form a plan: Angel will track down Cordelia's friend Serena, while Wesley will take Cordelia to the doctor. When the doctor observes she is carrying 7 babies, the panic sets in. Meanwhile, Angel meets with Serena and discovers she's pregnant as well. She clues him to Wilson and his cronies' hangout: a local gun club. Meanwhile, Cordelia and Wesley return to Angel's pad and Wesley observes her new attitude towards her spawn. She is suddenly very attached to them. Wesley deduces she is under some kind of telepathy. After a brief reconnaissance, Angel heads for the gun club, and Wesley researches and identifies the demon species. Cordelia, now fully under the influence, escapes from the apartment and heads to a local industrial park to prepare for the birth. Meanwhile, William fesses all after a brutal thrashing from Angel in vamp form. Wesley heads over to the industrial park and challenges the demon to a duel to the death. Angel enters the scene and brings a giant canister of liquid nitrogen as an offering. They freeze the demon and Cordelia, no longer pregnant and under the influence of the telepathy, destroys it.