A New Man

S04E12

We open with the previouslys, and it seems that the entire Buffy crew is more and more environmentally conscious, because the intro is at least fifty percent post consumer waste footage. Is there anyone out there by now who doesn't know what's going on? Because I'm getting sick of typing up descriptions of the same scenes.

Buffy and Riley are making out on Buffy's bed. As soon as Riley ascertains that Willow is going to be at the library until late, he puts his hand -- I'm sorry. I can't go on. Luckily I don't have to because Willow bursts into the room wearing a cute little red shirt that says, "As seen on TV." I want me one of those. Willow tells them that something is afoot in the rec room. The three of them make their way there and Buffy snits at Willow that she has "better things to do tonight than kill." Buffy enters the darkened rec room, stake in hand, and as the lights flick on the gang yells, "Surprise!" It's a surprise party for Buffy's birthday, see? A second later, Riley enters through the back door with a crossbow. Willow guesses that Buffy "won't be killing anything tonight after all," but Buffy tells her not to be so sure about that. Buffy, I'm sorry, but you've exceeded your snotty attitude quota for one episode so you'd better be on your best behavior from here on out.

I'm boycotting the credits now that Marc Blucas is in them. Especially since he's billed before Spike.

In the rec room, Giles is reminiscing about his youth when Anya declares that she's bored and wants to eat. Xander, dressed in an ugly light-blue sweater vest, reprimands her that they've talked about her bluntness. I'm hoping that whatever Xander said doesn't sink in, because Anya consistently cracks me up. Anya apologizes to Giles and looks to Xander for approval. He nods at her and she tells Giles to continue his story and says that "hopefully it involved treacle and a headmaster." I read a lot of British children's literature as a, um, child and I always wondered what the hell treacle was. I had "lorry" and "lift" all figured out, but not treacle. I always pictured it as clear, sticky jam that didn't taste very good. According to my dictionary, however, it's basically syrup. Giles disgustedly dismisses them and they make a run for the grub. Giles takes a seat and Willow bounds up to him and asks if he's having a good time, and she brings him a slice of cake. Buffy approaches Giles with Riley in tow and introduces Riley as her boyfriend, which seems to come as a surprise to Giles. Buffy explains to Riley that Giles is her old librarian, and Riley tries to make a funny, saying that the place has "gone downhill" without him. Then Riley does his contortionist act for us, asking first if Giles is retired, then if he has another job. Gosh, I didn't think anyone could fit that much foot into his mouth. Buffy tries to save the situation by sending Riley to get Giles cake (what happened to his first piece?) and as soon as he's gone she explains to Giles that Riley is just nervous. They talk a bit about the party and Giles says that Willow and Xander did all the planning, adding that he wouldn't have gone with a surprise party since Buffy has "enough things jumping out" at her. Buffy then parrots a saying of Professor Walsh's about adrenaline and says that Walsh is the smartest person that Buffy knows. Giles is obviously perturbed by this when he suggests that they should have invited her. Buffy still isn't picking up on the big gaping hole in Giles's pride as she informs Giles that Walsh is too old and has more important things to do than hang out with teenagers. Gosh, I was wrong about Riley. Buffy can fit much more foot into her mouth. I'm also a little confused. Does Buffy still have a class taught by Professor Walsh, or is her admiration carrying over from last semester? I was excusing Buffy and Riley dating based on the assumption that he's no longer her TA, but it looks like I could be mistaken. Bad Riley! Bad!

Over at Xander's Basement of Debasement, Xander is complaining about how long it's taking for Spike to get his things together. He protests Spike's attempt to take his radio and Spike (bless his -- soul? Soul hole?) says, "And you're what? Shocked and disappointed? I'm evil." Anya asks what sort of place Spike is looking for, and he replies that he'd like something "dark and dank. But not as dark and dank as this." I'm going to assume that Xander's bright orange pants are an attempt to cheer up the place. Anya agrees that Xander's place is "depressing," and after another Spike-insult, Xander tries to throw Spike out, but he's stopped by Anya, who picks up a floor lamp and offers it to Spike. Xander returns it to its rightful place as Anya insists that "a gift is tradition, I read about it." Xander clarifies that housewarming gifts are only for friends, and as an immortal enemy, Spike doesn't qualify. Spike condescendingly tells Anya that a crypt isn't going to be wired for electricity anyway. Anya wants to know how he's going to keep his blood fresh without a fridge and tells him he should try to get a hotel room. Spike thinks "demon girl's got a point" and hits Xander up "for a few bob," but Xander tells him to get out before he invites Buffy over to kick him out. Spike wonders why Buffy didn't come over to say goodbye. I'm wondering why they're letting Spike get his own place all of a sudden. Xander says that Buffy has an appointment with "someone who is still scary."

Professor Walsh leans across her desk and tells Buffy that she thought the Slayer was a myth. Buffy, sitting across from her, quips that Professor Walsh was "myth-taken" and looks up over her shoulder at Riley with a small smile. Riley, sit down, you're making me nervous. Professor Walsh says that she knew Buffy was capable of earning a better grade than a B-minus, but now she understands that Buffy's energies were focused on the same goal as the Initiative. In a bit of foreshadowing, Walsh implies that the only difference is their methods; while the Initiative uses "the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry," apparently Buffy "poke[s] them with a sharp stick." Buffy, instead of rolling her eyes and telling Professor Hardass to stuff it, mumbles that "it's more effective than it sounds." Walsh attempts to boast about the seventeen demons and vampires that Riley has defeated and smugly asks Buffy how many she's taken out. Seventeen? I'll bet Willow, at half of Riley's weight and with none of his military training, has taken out almost that many.

As much as I'm looking forward to watching Riley's comeuppance, we instead switch to Giles's pad now so we can watch him dust his apartment. He pauses, sticking the feather duster between his teeth, and picks up a book as ominous music twangs in the background. While he is reading, he does some quick calculations ["Look! Giles still counts on his fingers!" -- Sep] and says, "Oh crap," letting the feather duster fall.

we see Giles packing a bag full of supplies. He's on the phone with Willow and tells her that they don't have time to wait for Buffy because some demon is going to rise tonight. He testily asks the whereabouts of Buffy and we jump to --

Buffy and Riley, walking across campus. "Wow," says Riley, with his tiny, shrunken male ego. Buffy protests that those were her best stories and that she didn't tell any of the "Buffy breaks her butt" ones. Riley is appropriately impressed though, and after a few stuttering attempts at communication can only come up with, "Wow." He almost apologizes, saying that he assumed that when she saved the world last week it was just "a big week for her, and "I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of apocalypse." Buffy tries to talk herself down some more, saying that she has more experience and preternatural strength. Why is Buffy making excuses like that? Buffy, if Riley can't accept you, dump him and find someone who can. Riley then says that he isn't sure if he could take her, and Buffy says that depends on his meaning. I'm guessing that was supposed to be romantic or sexy or something, but I feel as if I'd just swallowed a whole bottle of cod-liver oil.

Giles knocks on Professor Walsh's door and enters, saying, "Professor Walsh, I presume." He comments on how confusing the halls are, dropping a mythological reference in a belabored effort to show Professor Walsh how smart he is, then introduces himself and says that he's looking for Buffy. Giles and Professor Walsh get off on the wrong foot almost immediately. They bicker back and forth about Buffy, and Walsh takes a final jab by opining that Buffy has suffered from a lack of a male role model. She then brusquely dismisses Giles with, "I have things to do. I'll tell Buffy her friend was looking for her." We know that Giles is unaware of Professor Hardass's secret indentity as Initiative leader, and from this scene, I'm assuming that Buffy didn't tell Professor Walsh about her professional relationship with Giles. At least I hope that's the case, because I would like to think that the Evil Bitch Monster would have treated Giles with little more respect if she knew who he was. Perhaps not. I'm crossing my fingers that they don't make Professor Walsh a Giles love-interest later because in the real world, unlike the TV cliché world, people rarely confuse hatred with passion.

I hereby by dub this the Season of Impotence. As proof, I offer you Xander living in his dingy basement, Spike unable to perform, Riley feeling overshadowed by Buffy's fighting prowness, and Giles feeling left out, ineffective, and empty-nesty.

It's well after sundown as Willow, Xander, and Giles stride purposefully through the cemetery. Willow, wearing a cute red windbreaker, notes that since the demon was due to rise at sunset they're a bit late. Giles blames his tardiness on having to search for Buffy and his "battle" with the Professor, and Xander blames it on Giles's poor navigational skills. Giles says he'll just have to kill the demon without Buffy, and he's obviously trying to shore up his eroding ego when he says that in his day he's vanquished a few demons. They enter the crypt only to find it empty. Giles says that they're in luck and starts laying out his supplies. Willow ventures that the Initiative already took care of it and cleaned up the mess. Giles has no idea what they're talking about, and Willow spills the beans about Riley and the commandos. Giles is understandably peeved that nobody thought to tell him, and he demands to know who else knows. Xander protests that nobody else does, but quickly amends that to "Anya. That's it." "And Spike," adds Willow. Giles is quite consternated that Spike knew, and Xander reassures him that it was only the basics, "That Riley is a commando and Professor Walsh is in charge." "Professor Walsh? That fishwife?" exclaims a stricken Giles. Willow starts to defend the Professor but trails off. A defeated Giles tells them to clear out and he'll take care of the demon. He sinks onto a bench but quickly gathers up his things with a "who am I kidding, nothing is going to happen," and leaves. "I wouldn't say that," intones Ethan Rayne, stepping out from the shadows. "I wouldn't say that at all," he continues with his doomiloquy in a more and more menacing tone. Suddenly Giles comes back into the crypt because he thought he'd heard something and Ethan says in a startled tone, "Oh bugger, I thought you'd gone." Hee hee. That made me shriek with laughter the first time I saw it.

We're back from commercial and Giles menacingly says to Ethan, "You have no idea how much thrashing you is going to improve my day." Ethan tries to make a break for it and Giles knocks him down. Giles is about to punch Ethan but Ethan weasels out of it, saying he has important news for Giles.

Giles and Ethan have retired to a nondescript booth in a local bar. The waitress sets two glasses of beer in front of them. Giles tells Ethan to get to the point, but Ethan meanders, wondering where their friendship has gone. Giles starts to get up but Ethan stops him, saying that something in the dark world is happening. He asks Giles if he knows about something that's harming demons, something other than the Slayer. Apparently something called 314 has them frightened. Ethan says that this new power is upsetting the balance between the worlds and they're headed "quite literally toward one hell of a fight." Um. Let's assume that Riley is indicative of the average Commando with his seventeen hostiles bagged. How many other Rileys must there be if the entire demon population is more frightened of the Initiative than the Slayer?

Speaking of the Slayer, she and Riley are sparring playfully in the gym. They circle each other, getting off assorted punches and kicks. Actually, Buffy is kicking and punching and Riley is mostly blocking. He grabs her from behind and asks if she's holding back. She fires the question right back at him and he coyly replies, "Maybe a little." Buffy does some move that causes Riley to spin in the air before falling on the mat, saying, "Maybe a little too." They agree to go all out, and Buffy handily kicks him in the chest, which knocks him a good twenty feet over a vaulting horse and across the room. She runs to him and apologizes, but he tells her he's fine (dammit) as he rubs his chest. Maybe his heart is in shock and -- oh never mind. A girl can dream, though.

Back to Giles and Ethan, who have gotten progressively more soused; shot glasses and pint glasses are strewn across the table. Giles starts complaining about Maggie, but Ethan is busy hitting on the waitress. Giles laments that the world has passed them by. Ethan tells him that he won't have to worry much longer as he's poisoned his drink. There's a tense moment until Ethan says he was just joking and bursts out laughing.

Willow and Tara are in Tara's room (presumably). Willow places a red rose on the ground (oh yeah, that's subtle). Willow says that they'll start out slow as they join hands over a symbol on the floor and close their eyes. Tara asks what they're doing and Willow explains that they are going to float the rose and pluck each petal using the magics blah blah blah wiccacakes. Someone must have turned a spiritual fan on, because Tara's hair is blowing all around. The rose floats (in an embarrassingly cheesy effect more worthy of a crappy show like Charmed), and just as they get ready to try plucking off the petals, the flower zings around the room wildly, coming to rest sans bud on the symbol on the floor. Willow wonders what happened, and Tara says, "I don't know but, uh, the petals are off." I'm still in the "Tara is way cute but rather creepy" camp.

By Ace

Demon Giles surreptitiously enters Xander's Basement of Debasement. He ducks his curly horns under laundry hanging from a line and comments on the fact that Xander is still asleep at this late hour. Giles, still wrapped in his blankie, leans over Xander and calls for him to wake up. Xander/Giles shippers every where sigh in delight. Well, except for Giles being a demon at this point and all. Xander rolls over sleepily, but doesn't open his eyes and mumbles, "Mom?" Giles carefully explains to the sleepy Xander that his appearance is alarming, but assures him that he is indeed Giles, Ethan has turned him into a demon and he needs Xander's help. As Xander opens his eyes, Giles sweetly and reassuringly says, "Hello. Yes, it's me," but then we see him from Xander's perspective and he's actually speaking some sort of incomprehensible demon language. Xander, clad in boxers and T-shirt, screams and leaps out of bed. Giles gestures imploringly towards Xander and tries to explain himself, but Xander just sees a huge babbling demon. Xander begins shouting and throwing dishes at Giles. Giles continues to try to communicate with Xander but after getting hit with a few frying pans he turns and flees the basement.

Outside, Demon Giles runs across the front yard of a house, stepping in children's toys and apologizing as shocked inhabitants look on. A woman grabs up her child and Giles runs on, exclaiming, "Bloody humans!"

Establishing shot of Sunnydale at night. For some reason, although Demon Giles visited Xander at his place at 10 AM, the Scooby Gang has taken until after dark to convene. Perhaps they couldn't find Buffy because she was off kicking Riley's ass some more. Well, a girl can dream. Anyway, Xander, Buffy, Willow, and Anya all enter the courtyard outside Giles's house, discussing the demon's "pointy things," and "tufty ears," and Xander adds, "Oh, and it might have a saucepan-shaped bruise." Willow says that Giles will know about the demon but trails off as the gang spots his front door, hanging partially off its hinges. The kids get alarm-face and rush into Giles's apartment, looking around at the evidence of mayhem. Xander runs up the staircase and checks the bedroom as Buffy hypothesizes that Xander wasn't the only one visited by the demon. Buffy has a cool leopard-print faux-fur messenger bag and I want to know where I can buy one like that. ["Sam Flax, right here in New York City. I'm just saying." -- Sars] Buffy notes that there's no blood in the apartment so perhaps the demon just kidnapped Giles, but Anya picks up his torn shirt and matter of factly says, "I think it ate him up." Worried and sad looks from Xander, Buffy, and Willow.

Giles hugs his blankie tight around him and sighs as he stomps through a graveyard. As he passes a mausoleum, we see that Spike is there, sizing up the crypt with a yellow measuring tape. Spike looks appreciative and says, "Well, what do I spy with my little eye? A demon. That would be, oh right, the things I can kill." He steps behind Giles and at the word "kill" gets a nasty sneer in his voice. Giles doesn't turn around, but just sighs, "Spike. Wonderful. A perfect end to a perfect day." Spike looks surprised and darling and eminently shaggable and...oh! Are you people still here? Sorry then, back to the recap. Spike looks surprised and exclaims, "Giles?!" Giles groans, turns around, and raises his fists to begin fighting before he realizes that Spike can understand him. He asks if he's begun speaking English but Spike explains that Giles is speaking Fyarl and that Spike knows that demon language. Spike inquires if Giles "suddenly came over all demony this morning?" and Giles affirms that that's exactly what happened, thanks to Ethan Rayne. As Spike leans back against the mausoleum, Giles demands that Spike help him find Ethan, so that he can change him back and then "[Ethan] needs a good being-killed." Spike wonders why he would help Giles, and Giles attempts to threaten him with violence. Taking a drag off his ciggie Spike laughs the threat off as not very convincing. Giles then offers to pay Spike to assist him. That suggestion perks Spike right up and he asks how much Giles will give him. Giles offers one hundred dollars and Spike, perhaps with his eye on the hotel room Anya suggested, says that Giles will have to do much better than that -- say, TWO hundred dollars. Hee. I guess Spike doesn't have much idea of current housing prices in California. Giles accepts, and Spike looks surprised and satisfied. He asks what the plan is and snarkily suggests that he "run and tell the Slayer what you've gotten yourself into." Giles is desperate to save face with Buffy, so he says they'll take care of the situation without Buffy ever having to know. Silly Giles. Doesn't he know whose show this is?

Buffy, Willow, Anya, and Xander are still at Giles's pad, looking through books. Willow shows a illustration to Xander, who exclaims, "Okay, that's a giant vulture. I'd have mentioned if it was a giant vulture." Willow wonders how they will find the demon, even if they do discover what sort it is. Buffy confidently says they will find the demon, and since it's her show, she should know. They hear a squeaking noise and Buffy carefully approaches the door with a stake. Riley bursts though in a not-at-all-stealthy manner and exclaims, "Buffy!" Duh, Riley. He looks around the room and notices the rest of the gang; Buffy asks what Riley is doing there. Riley explains that the Initiative has a tap into the 911 system so they can check out calls with "non-human" causes. He then asks Buffy why she's there, and she explains that it's Giles apartment and they can't find him. Riley says that the neighbors reported a struggle in Giles's apartment to 911 but didn't see anything. Riley asks what the gang is working on, but when Buffy says they have pictures, Anya firmly corrects her, "We have nothing." Buffy looks sad and Riley tells her that he and the Initiative are available to help in any way. Just a little aside to the Buffy creative team: see this scene where you're shooting Marc Blucas's face from directly below and a little to the side? Don't do that again. Ever. I'm thanking you, and Mr. Blucas will be too if he has any smarts. Buffy sadly says she wishes Giles were there to help them and Xander says, "He'd be great right now. He'd find himself in a second. No one is cooler in a crisis."

We immediately cut to Giles and Spike riding around town in Giles's battered and cramped Citroen. Spike, who is driving, is grinding the gears, and when Giles bitches him out, Spike sulks, "I don't know if I'm driving this thing or wearing it." When Giles insists the car is "perfectly serviceable," Spike snickers and then admits it's funny to hear a Fyarl demon saying words like "serviceable." You know, Spike is so freakin' funny that he's a real pain to recap. I feel like I should transcribe his every word, yet consider the amount of work that would entail! Also, I tend to get distracted just watching him and I forget to type anything at all. Spike tells Giles that he's had Fyarl demons working for him in the past and that they tend to be demons of few words, but are very strong. Giles growls, but when Spike calls him on it, he denies doing so. Giles, obviously trying to find the silver lining, asks if he has any special powers, such as "setting things on fire with my sizzling eye beams," and Spike replies that Giles has "paralyzing mucous" which is quite useful in a fight. Giles isn't sure if Spike is putting him on. Giles, his voice deepening, says that he feels like he's changing and is being taken over by anger and a need to destroy. Nostalgically, Spike replies, "Good times. Go with it," and encourages Giles to give in to his demon nature. Giles protests that he is a human being and then excitedly tells Spike to stop the car. He's just spotted Professor Walsh walking down the street. Giles leaps out of the car and begins to chase her, waving his arms in the air and yelling in Fyarl. Maggie shrieks and runs away with Giles in pursuit. He chases her down the block and then returns to the Citroen and tells Spike to keep driving. I'm interested in the dual portrayal of Professor Walsh. In the classroom she's the bitch monster of death; in the Initiative she's the decisive leader; on the street, faced with werewolves or demons, she tends to run shrieking. I'd expect her to pull a stun gun from her purse and start zapping. Perhaps we're to assume she's the brains and not the muscle. That, or we've just seen some fairly sexist humor at her expense.

The gang are still at Giles's; Willow and Xander are sitting on the couch looking through books. Finally, Xander excitedly shows Willow a picture of the demon that attacked him. Willow reads the description out loud, which describes the Fyarl demon as a foot soldier who works for other demons and, "Uch, hey, mucous." As she's about to explain more about the mucous, and I know we're all excited about that, Riley's cell phone rings. He answers as Buffy asks how she can kill the demon. Willow says the book calls for a weapon made of silver. Riley finishes his phone call and explains that the demon just attacked Professor Walsh. The gang wonders over the fact that the demon seems to have stolen Giles's car, and Buffy decides that someone must be controlling the demon. She ties the theory into Willow's sensing dark magic at work the night before, tells the gang to stay at Giles's in case the kidnapper calls, grabs a silver letter opener, and heads for the magic shop, Riley in tow.

At the bar where Giles and Ethan had drinks the night before Spike is chatting up the waitress while Giles hides in a corner, huddled under his blankie. Spike refers to Ethan and Giles as "English like me, but older and less attractive." The waitress says she threw out Ethan's number, but it turns out she does remember which motel he was staying at, the Sunnydale Motor Inn.

Buffy breaks down the front door of the magic shop and begins to look for evidence of someone buying supplies to do big magic. Riley reproves Buffy for breaking the door, but when she replies she didn't have time for niceties, he explains that he has a master key that "opens every shop on Main Street." Buffy gives him a strange look, tells him she'll take him up on it time, and continues leafing through receipts. She finds one with Ethan's name on it and explains to Riley that he's a "professional bad guy." Riley gets on his cell and calls in to the Initiative for a search of hotel listings under Ethan's name. Buffy tells him to get in the car but Riley stops her. He tries to explain that Professor Walsh gave him specific orders to not take Buffy along for the capture of the demon. Buffy just says "oh" and prepares to leave. Riley, surprised, says he can't take her with him and she replies, "You are not taking me with you. I am going and I am letting you come along." Go Buffy! Riley tries to explain that it's a military operation but Buffy won't have any of it. She's going to kill the demon that messed with Giles.

Spike and Giles are back in Giles's car. Giles growls. When Spike (quite nicely) asks him how he's feeling, Giles replies, "Like snapping necks until everyone's dead." Spike is happy to hear it, but then mentions they've picked up a tail. Giles, missing the point, replies, "Yes, just a little one. Hurts when I sit." Spike informs him that actually they have a Humvee following them. Giles tells him to lose the tail but Spike insists he's got the pedal to the metal. Giles points out that if they get caught, they'll both end up in the Initiative's lab; suddenly another Humvee appears on the scene. Giles breaks a car window in frustration and demands that Spike slow down so he can jump out. Spike protests that then the military will follow him instead, but Giles offers to pay him another hundred dollars. We see the Citroen slow down as it rounds a corner and Giles leaps out. He rolls across the pavement and runs away. The Humvees continue chasing Spike in the Citroen.

At the Sunnydale Motor Inn, Ethan is packing to leave town. Suddenly his door is ripped apart and Giles stomps into the room. He attacks Ethan, who protests, "I can't undo you if you kill me!" Giles throws him across the room, and then Buffy and Riley appear in the doorway. Ethan tells Buffy to stop the demon and claims that it already killed Giles. Buffy tells Riley not to let Ethan get away and prepares to fight the demon. She kicks Demon Giles to the ground and demands to know what he did to, uh, Giles.

Spike is peeling around a corner, with at least two Humvees in pursuit, and he's laughing with glee. He takes another corner quickly and one of the Humvees loses control, spins out, and is almost crashed into by the vehicle directly on its tail. Spike looks in his rearview mirror and gloats at the "stupid jarheads" but then crashes directly into a pile of construction equipment.

Buffy and Giles are still fighting. Ethan tries to escape from Riley, but Riley makes short work of him. The fight between Buffy and Giles is nicely choreographed and involves clever use of one of those collapsible luggage stands. Buffy finally throws the demon to the ground and leaps astride him, holding the letter opener. "This is for Giles!" she declares and Giles confusedly says, "For me?" right before she stabs him in the chest. She looks into the demon's eyes and suddenly realizes that it's Giles. Buffy apologizes as Giles protests that he feels quite fine "except for the rage," but Buffy can't understand him, I think. She looks at the letter opener and asks whether it was real silver.

Same scene, somewhat later. Ethan is sitting on the floor in front of some sort of magical spell preparations. He whines that he needs to learn to just get out of town and bemoans that the "stay-and-gloat" gets him in trouble. Buffy slaps him on the head as Riley finishes up a cell phone call in the background. She approaches Giles, who has changed back to human form and is examining his face closely in the mirror. Giles is wearing an extremely ugly silver shirt with black slashy marks on it. He tells Buffy that he's okay, mostly embarrassed. He asks Buffy how she knew it was him, and she replies that it was his eyes -- she saw the annoyance in them. Kinda sweet, kinda clichéd. Ethan sneeringly asks if Buffy and Giles's moment will continue much longer because he'd like to get going. He points out to Buffy that he's human, and therefore the Slayer really can't do anything to him. At that moment a bunch of guys in fatigues enter the room, and Riley declares, "By the authority of the US Military you are being taken into custody pending a determination of your status." As the military guys snap Ethan into handcuffs, Buffy and Giles look at each other and smile. Ethan is removed from room as Riley explains that he'll be taken to a secret facility in the Nevada desert for rehabilitation. Ho ho. I'm peeing myself laughing about this Area 51 joke. Not. Giles departs to watch Ethan being "manhandled into a vehicle." Buffy thanks Riley for his help, and he tells her that she's really strong. She looks a little embarrassed and admits that she is. He continues that she's in charge, she's "make the plan, execute the plan," and no one gives her orders. Buffy quietly smiles and says, "I'm the Slayer." "I like it," replies Riley and gives her a suggestive eyebrow flick. Buffy's smile widens and she looks happy that Riley accepts her for what she is. He tells her he needs a week to get ready and then "I'll take you down." I suppose that was another sexy or cute moment that went wildly awry and only made Riley look like an ass. They smile at each other.

The day, Buffy sits on Giles's sofa watching him hook up a new phone. He somewhat snidely explains to her that it's "fabulous technology" and that if anyone has information they need to tell him, they can inform him though this "ingenious speaking tube." Buffy, with Giles's Eames chair in the background, apologizes for not telling him about Riley and the Initiative, and explains that she thought she had done so already. Buffy is wearing a simple black T-shirt and looks very pretty. Hmm, people look attractive in simple, classic clothing. A fact the Buffy wardrobe department is apparently not familiar with. She promises to tell him everything and Giles says he doesn't want to interfere, but Buffy interrupts him to say, "Uh-oh, you have but-face." Giles, perhaps sensitive from his recent experience with demon-face, looks surprised and slightly offended, and Buffy explains that he looked like he was "going to say 'but.'" Giles continues that he's concerned about the Initiative and that Ethan could be right about the organization. Buffy protests that she's dating Riley, not the Initiative, and that Riley's a good guy. Giles believes her, but warns they don't understand the Initiative. He also admits that he hates Professor Walsh "quite a lot." He tell Buffy to be careful and to know what she's getting into.

By Ace

Professor Walsh and Riley are walking through the Initiative installation, and Walsh is giving Riley a hard time for breaking the rules because of Buffy. She tells him to be careful, that Buffy acts on instinct, that she has no discipline and that her "loyalties are uncertain." Whatta bitch. Boy, there sure are a lot of people wandering around the Initiative's secret base. Do they all enter through the elevator in Riley's dorm? Because that seems like it would be pretty obvious. Riley reassures Professor Hardass that Buffy is good at her job and "has the truest soul I have ever known." Professor Walsh laughs at this and exclaims, "Lord, spare me college boys in love." You and me both, lady, especially if the college boy in question is Riley Finn. Riley protests that Buffy "will work out," and Professor Walsh tells him she thinks he's probably right. They've stopped in front of a huge stainless steel door. Riley leaves and Dr. Walsh watches him go with a fond smile. She then swipes a card through a lock on the door, enters, and closes it behind her. She approaches another door, enters a code into the keypad, swipes her card, and enters. Inside the room we can see something covered with a sheet lying on a table. As the door swings shut, the camera closes in to show us the number on the door: 314.