Written by Marti Noxen
Directed by James Whitmore Jr.
Meanwhile, a boy and a girl are fighting in the school. He pulls out a gun and Buffy knocks it out of his hands. The boy and girl have no idea what had just happened, and the janitor points out that the gun disappeared.
The next morning, Principal Snyder calls Buffy into his office. He says he will be keeping an eye out for her, and leaves. All of a sudden, a yearbook from 1955 falls from a shelf by itself. Giles stops by the computer class Willow is teaching. She tells him about some websites Jenny had on her computer and also gives him Jenny's old rose quartz, saying that it has healing powers. Willow thinks that Jenny would want him to have it.
In class Buffy falls asleep and dreams about 1955. One student approaches the teacher and they hold hands. Buffy wakes up and the teacher is writing on the board. He doesn't realize that he is writing "Don't walk away from me bitch!" until the kids start laughing. Buffy tells Xander what happened in the hallway. Xander opens his locker and a dead arm reaches out of it and tries to pull Xander in. Buffy helps him get out and they go to tell Giles. Giles thinks it's a form of paranormal activity.
That night a teacher passes the janitor in the hallway. All of a sudden they break into the same fight, word by word. Except Buffy isn't there to stop it, and teacher gets shot. Meanwhile, Giles hears the arguing outside. He hears a female voice, and he thinks its Jenny. He goes outside and witnesses the shooting before he can stop it. He attacks the janitor and the gun vanishes. He has no idea what happened so Giles tells him.
The next day Giles tells the group that he believes the ghost is Jenny. They don't see how that could be but Giles still believes it's her. In the computer classroom Willow looks at previous shootings at Sunnydale High. One in 1955 has a boy shooting a teacher after having an affair. Then the boy shot himself. Buffy recognizes them from her dream she had in class. In the cafeteria, Cordy is upset about the Dance when everyone's food turns into snakes. Cordelia gets bit on the cheek before she can leave. After the school is evacuated, a team is sent to clear out the snakes while Snyder talks to the police. Snyder knows the school is on the hellmouth and the policeman tells Snyder to control the situation or the mayor will have to get involved.
That night Willow comes up with a plan to exorcise the ghosts out of the school. They would need to set themselves up in different parts of the school and form the Magnus Tripod. Buffy is in the center position, Xander in the still snake-infested cafeteria, Cordelia in the bathroom, and Willow on the stairs. Willow runs into Giles by the library. Giles is trying to contact Jenny's spirit, so Willow leaves. Buffy sees a vision of James and Grace dancing in the band room. Cordy inspects her wound in the mirror and watches in horror as the whole side of her face becomes red and swollen. Willow is suddenly sucked into the floor of the stairs, and is rescued by Giles. Willow tells him that Jenny could never be that mean. James face is suddenly replaced with a rotting skull and Buffy leaves. At the balcony Buffy sees James and his rotting face again when he tells her to get out. At midnight they all chant and light their candles. A swarm of wasps suddenly appear and they run out of the school. They turn around and look at the school being surrounded by bees.
Giles claims that it is James spirit is haunting the school and is seeking forgiveness from Grace, which is impossible because he killed her before she can forgive him. He is doomed to repeat what happened over and over again. Buffy says he doesn't deserve forgiveness. Buffy hears a male voice call to her and she leaves for the school. The wasps allow her to pass through. The scoobies realized Buffy went to the school and quickly follow. Inside Buffy is confronted by Angel. Buffy realizes that he is the only one that Grace can possess and survive. Buffy starts acting out the scenario and Angel is confused for a second before being possessed by Grace. Buffy shoots Angel who gets up and stops Buffy from killing herself. The kiss and the spirits finally depart. Angel realizes what he is doing and leaves.
At the mansion Angel and Dru go out to feed leaving Spike alone. Spike stands up from his wheelchair, knowing that his comeback is sooner than anyone would think.
Spike is recovered and is able to walk again
Angel, Spike, and Dru move into the mansion after their factory was burned down.
Rating
5/5
Goofs
Willow refers to Jenny's lesson plan's on her computer, but Jenny's computer was destroyed.
When the yearbook falls from Snyder's shelf, it lands open, but when Buffy picks it up it is closed.
Trivia
Merideth Salenger, who plays Grace Newman, had her name misspelled in the credits.
Joss Whedon claims it was this episode in which David Boreanez's performance impressed him enough to give him his own show.
The episode was followed by a Public Service Announcment bout teen suicide. It was voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar.