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Season 4, Episode 12
Written by Jane Espenson
Directed by Michael Gershman
Original Airdate: 24 January 2000
Walsh "We thought you were a myth."
Buffy "Well, you were myth-taken."
REGULAR CAST
GUEST CAST
CO-STARRING
SYNOPSIS
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Buffy and Riley are making out on her bed, but
before it gets too serious, Willow barges into the room and tells them
of a demon that attacked the library. Armed with weapons, they go to the
library only to find that it's a surprise party for Buffy's 19th
birthday. At the party, Giles feels out of place, especially when Buffy
introduces Riley as her boyfriend, and brags about how wonderful
Professor Walsh is.
Now able to hurt and kill demons, Spike packs his things as he moves out
of Xander's basement. Professor Walsh is informed that Buffy is the
Slayer. After revealing Riley's 17 captures and kills, she inquires
about how many hostiles Buffy's killed, but she keeps quiet to avoid
bragging. Giles discovers a demon is going to rise, and calls Buffy, but
Willow informs him that she is with Professor Walsh. Buffy tells Riley
the truth about her history of slaying and he's incredibly intimidated,
but also impressed. Giles goes to talk with Maggie Walsh about Buffy,
but is offended when she says that the lack of a father figure in
Buffy's life is a problem.
Willow and Xander go with Giles to the cemetery to find the demon. They
are very late and fail to find the demon. Instead, they find the area
incredibly clean, which Willow suggests, is the work of the Initiative.
She and Xander go on about how thorough the operation is, only to
discover that Giles never knew about the Initiative or that Riley and
Professor Walsh are behind it. Again feeling incredibly out of the loop
and unwanted, Giles sends Willow and Xander away and then leaves
himself. Ethan walks out of the shadows, promising something interesting
will happen, only to be caught when Giles re-enters the mausoleum.
Offering good information, Ethan postpones having his ass kicked by
Giles. Going out for a drink that night, Ethan tells Giles that demons
are scared, especially of something called 314. Buffy and Riley spar
together, both holding back at first until they decide not to. Buffy
kicks Riley hard enough to send him flying across the room. Both drunk,
Giles complains about the bad things that are happening to him, and
Ethan flirts and gives his number to their waitress. Willow and Tara
meet to practice magic.
When he wakes the next morning, Giles discovers he's been transformed
into a demon with two big horns, and incredible strength. First trying
to make a call, he breaks the receiver, then breaks the door off its
hinges as he tries to leave the house. At breakfast, Willow lies to
Buffy about where she was, saying she was practicing Magic alone. Buffy
realizes she never told Giles about Riley and the Initiative. Giles goes
to Xander's place and tries to get help from him, but when Xander wakes
up, he is frightened, and doesn't recognize him. When Xander starts to
throw things at him, Giles realizes that Xander can't understand him and
runs away.
The gang finds Giles' place destroyed, and are worried that the same
demon that went to Xander was responsible for hurting, or even killing
Giles. Walking through the cemetery Giles runs into Spike. Spike
recognizes Giles, and identifies him as a Fyarl demon. Because he speaks
the language, Spike agrees to help find Ethan and fix things, for the
price of two hundred dollars. Riley shows up at Giles' apartment where
everyone is researching the demon. After finding the demon in Giles'
books, they determine it can only be killed with a silver object.
Spike tries to figure out how to drive Giles's car while telling Giles
of his experiences with Fyarl demons. Upon spotting Professor Walsh,
Giles makes Spike stop the car so he can chase her down the street in
return for her comments in their last conversation. Spike gets
information out of the waitress that Ethan flirted with, and finds out
where he lives. Breaking into the magic shop, Buffy finds a receipt for
materials purchased by Ethan Rayne. Trying to escape the commando
vehicles chasing after them, demon Giles jumps out of the car while the
commandos continue their pursuit on Spike. Spike later crashes the car
while trying to get away.
Demon Giles charges into Ethan's motel room, and attacks him. Buffy and
Riley arrive on the scene and while Riley takes care of Ethan, Buffy
fights with demon Giles. With a letter opener she took from Giles'
place, Buffy stabs the demon, and then she notices it's eyes and
realizes the demon is Giles. Giles is turned back into a human and Ethan
is arrested by the US Government courtesy of Riley. While Giles goes to
watch Ethan get put away, Buffy and Riley talk about her abilities
again. Buffy apologizes for not telling Giles about Riley and the
Initiative, but Giles is worried about her safety and who she trusts.
Professor Walsh is upset that Riley disobeyed orders for Buffy. Passing
through security doors, Walsh enters a room titled "314."
TRIVIA
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Ethan Rayne, played by Robin Sachs, makes
his final visit to Sunnydale. He is arrested and removed to a secret
military base in Nevada, never to be seen on the show again. We never
find out what happened to Ethan.
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A short clip was cut from this episode due
to time purposes. According to Jane Espenson, after Spike crashed the
car he got out and said, "I can kill demons. I can crash cars. Things
are looking up!"
CONTINUITY
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Ethan is supposedly staying at the
Sunnydale Motor Inn, but the shot outside his motel is of a place called
the Downtowner Apartments. This is exactly the same shot which was used
in Faith, Hope and Trick, while
Faith was staying there.
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This episode sees the final appearance of
the silver Citroen that Giles has had since
Witch. Spike crashes it while
attempting to distract the Initiative.
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Willow lies when Buffy says, "I didn't hear
you come in last night". This is the first sign that something is going
on with her and Tara. The girls also do a highly charged spell on a rose
together.
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Maggie Walsh makes a joke about seeing
Buffy in class, 'but not all the time.' This is a reference to Buffy
missing class in
Fear, Itself.
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Buffy informs Riley of the demise of the
Mayor, as seen in the third season finale.
GOOFS
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Spike throws his lit cigarette away in
Xander's basement and neither Xander or Anya seem to care.
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During the scene in the bar with Ethan and
Giles, the levels of drinks in the glasses on the table changes and one
glass disappears altogether.
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When Buffy and Willow have breakfast,
Willow picks up her glass of orange juice while the camera is facing
her. When the camera faces Buffy, the glass is still on the table. Cut
back to Willow, and she's setting the glass down.
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In Xander's basement, there's a pair of
pants on a clothes line. In the next few shots the amount of pins
holding up the pants changes constantly.
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Xander doesn't even go halfway up the
stairs before coming back down and stating matter-of-factly that Giles
isn't upstairs.
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When Spike and Giles talk in the cemetery,
Spike puts a cigarette in his mouth. The camera cuts to Giles, then
quickly back to Spike - and he's suddenly holding the cigarette down by
his waist and then tosses it aside.
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As the Giles-demon opens the front door, he
pulls it off it's hinges. When the Scoobies get there, they notice the
door has been torn off. However, when Riley arrives, the door is
suddenly back on it's hinges again.
The Freshman |
Living Conditions |
The Harsh Light of Day |
Fear, Itself |
Beer Bad
Wild at Heart |
The Initiative |
Pangs |
Something Blue |
Hush |
Doomed
A New Man |
The I in Team |
Goodbye Iowa |
This Year's Girl |
Who Are You |
Superstar
Where the Wild
Things Are |
New Moon Rising |
The Yoko Factor |
Primeval |
Restless
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