TWO TO GO (Part one of a two part finale): Buffy, Anya and Xander tear through the forest, convinced that Willow is after Andrew and Jonathan. Anya uses magic to teleport herself to the nerds' holding cell, while Buffy and Xander have to use more conventional methods. At the jail, Anya fills Jonathan and Andrew in on Willow's rampage and Warren's death. None of the cops buy that the boys are in danger until Willow appears outside and starts ripping bricks from the jail to get at them. While the cops pull guns on Willow, Buffy breaks into the jail and busts the nerds out. In the nick of time, Xander pulls up outside the police station to cart the escapees away. On their way to a safe place (wherever that is), the gang is rammed by Willow, who has commandeered an 18-wheeler. Luckily, Willow's power is soon tapped out, and the group escapes to the Magic Box. Once there, they realize Willow has absorbed all the power from the books in the shop, with the exception of one ancient (and untranslated) Sumerian book of protection spells. It's their last chance against Willow, whom Buffy suspects is out looking for a new power source.In Africa, on his quest to rid himself of the chip, Spike undergoes a test that pits him against a fire-fisted demon. Eventually, Spike defeats his opponent, only to discover that this victory is merely the first step toward achieving his goal.Tired of feeling useless, Dawn convinces Clem to help her find Rack's cloaked apartment so she can help the gang. Little do they know Willow is headed for the same destination, jonesing for a fix. When Willow arrives, Rack's demeanor is seductive. "Tell me, Strawberry," he whispers, "what on this earth do you want?" Willow wants it all: she sucks the power, as well as the life, out of the pusher. Minutes later, Dawn stumbles on Rack's body. She turns, screaming, and runs straight into Willow, who looks worse than ever. The witch moves closer to Dawn, backing her into a corner and threatening to turn her into the ball of energy she was before she became human. Dawn's terrified, and just as Willow's about to do the deed, Buffy bursts through the door.Meanwhile, at the magic shop, Xander and Anya attempt to translate the protection spell text, without much luck. Xander feels enormous guilt because he couldn�t prevent the shooting of his friends, but Anya doesn't offer much sympathy. Though she tells him it's not his fault, she's still bitter over their breakup. Xander tells her to suck it up till after they save Willow, and save themselves in the process.At Rack's place, Buffy tries to talk Willow down reasonably, but Willow won't listen. All the angst of her lifetime pours out, because the one bright spot in her life, Tara, is gone. Willow knows Buffy is as miserable in the world as she is, telling her, "The only time you were ever at peace in your whole life was when you were dead." During her eerily calm diatribe, Willow manages to transport the three of them back to the Magic Box. When she spots Jonathan and Andrew, Willow unleashes her power on them, but it has no effect. Anya is hidden behind a curtain, chanting her protection spell. Will does a strength spell on herself, preparing to kick the asses of the remaining Trio members, when Buffy steps in. Willow knocks her best friend across the room, and a huge fight erupts between the two. Xander grabs Dawn and the nerds and drags them out of the shop, hoping to find a safe place to hide.Buffy and Will tear it up, and when Buffy falls, she accidentally reveals Anya chanting her spell. Furious, Willow tosses Anya against a bookshelf. Now there's nothing standing between her and Buffy, and she uses everything she's got to defeat the Slayer. Willow believes she's got it made, until out of nowhere, she's thrown across the room by a huge burst of power. A bleeding Willow looks up, shocked to see Giles standing in the doorway. He's back, and he means business.
GRAVE (Part two of a two part finale): "Uh oh, Daddy's home," jeers Willow as Giles enters the magic shop. He's there to help, and soon binds Willow under a stasis spell. Buffy and Anya embrace him, relieved to have him home. Giles heard from a coven in England about the rise of a new power in Sunnydale, and his magic is being funneled from the coven. Buffy gives him a quick rundown of everything that's happened since he left, and his reaction is totally unexpected: uncontrollable laughter. After finally calming down, Giles feels terrible about abandoning everyone, but Buffy admits it was the right choice. While they try to come up with a way to help their friend, Willow appears in the doorway with an unconscious Anya suspended in front of her. Will used her dark mojo to convince the vengeance demon to release her from the stasis spell.Xander, Dawn and the nerds walk the dark streets, brainstorming for a place to hide. The subject of Spike comes up, and Xander lets it slip that the Vamp tried to rape Buffy. Dawn is incredulous, and refuses to believe it at first. Meanwhile, Spike defeats some more nasty demons, and his next test is to be covered with a horrific swarm of insects. Fun stuff.Back at the decimated Magic Box, Willow is still going strong after a long fight with an exhausted Giles. She nearly brings the ceiling down on him, but Buffy shoves him out of the way just in time. "You're always saving people. It's kinda pesky," Willow laments. Willow creates a flaming comet and sends it out to destroy Jonathan and Andrew. Despite her desire to stay and protect Giles, Buffy chases after it to warn the geeks before they're killed. Willow then pounds Giles with magic, finally draining him of the coven's power when she's running low. Through the magic, Willow becomes attuned to the pain of the world and is overwhelmed by its magnitude. Now she has a new purpose: to end that pain, and the world along with it. At Sunnydale's cemetery, Xander and Jonathan try to break into mausoleums for a place to hide. Dawn spots Willow's flaming comet streaking towards them, and it's only Buffy's timely arrival that saves the nerds. The comet smashes into the ground, knocking Xander unconscious and dumping Buffy and Dawn into the catacombs beneath the graveyard. They're trapped. Jonathan and Andrew are no help, running off screaming into the night.Anya awakens and finds Giles on the floor of the shop, dying. She teleports to the catacombs and tells Buffy and Dawn the news about the watcher, which spurs Buffy's efforts anew. However, from a distance, Willow thwarts her progress by unleashing corpse-like monsters on the girls to keep them occupied. For the first time, Buffy asks for Dawn's help, and in return, Dawn fights brilliantly. She has learned from the best.On a mountaintop, Willow draws power from an unearthed temple of the powerful she-demon Proserpexa. Willow is interrupted by Xander, who declares he knows she's going to end the world, but wants to spend his last moments by his best friend's side. He tells her how much he loves her in spite of everything she's done. Willow lashes out at Xander again and again, but his devotion eventually breaks down her barriers. Collapsing in tears of anguish, Willow falls into Xander's arms, her hair and eyes returning to their normal color. It's over.
In the catacombs, Buffy and Dawn are astonished when their corpse foes drop to dust. Buffy begins to sob with joy, and tells Dawn she wants to show her the good things of the world instead of shielding her from its horrors.
Back at the Magic Box, Anya's delighted when Giles awakens. He explains that the magic Willow drained from him deliberately tapped into what was left of her humanity, and Xander is the one that made it happen. Anya is amazed when she realizes her ex saved them all.As the Scoobies regroup in pairs, Spike is alone in Africa, exhausted and injured. He has finally achieved his goal: to go back to the way he once was. But everything does not go according to his plan. As it turns out, the demon doesn't remove the chip; instead, he returns Spike's soul. |
