Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
[ Gasps ]
- Dear God, I thought you were-- - Gather them.
I understand.
- I saw Mom. - It's the big bad, Dawn.
The one we knew was coming.
I did what you told me. It's not my fault it didn't work.
[ Warren ] I would do this stuff if I could.
I just don't think I can kill anybody else.
[ Warren As Jonathan ] It's my fault the ritual didn't work.
Look who I found. Guess who was buying mass amounts of blood at the butcher shop?
- Just tell us what you know. - Ow!
I believe in you, Spike.
- [ Roaring ] - [ Screaming ]
[ Buffy ] They were after Spike all along.
I'm getting a little tired of subtle.
It's about time you bring some authority to our presence.
Now, Spike, you want to see what a real vampire looks like?
It's a loop. Like the mummy hand.
I'm doomed to replace these windows for all eternity.
Maybe we should just board these things up until things are less Hellmouthy.
Nothing. And nothing.
Cliffs Notes to nothing. Nothing abridged.
Yeah, my search isn't turning anything up either.
Are you sure this thing called itself the First?
Pretty sure. It claimed to be the original evil, the one that came before anything else.
Please. How many times have I heard that line in my demon days?
"I'm so rotten they don't even have a word for it. I'm bad.
Baddie, bad, bad, bad. Does it make you horny?"
Or terrified. Whatever. [ Buffy ] It wasn't a line.
When I came up against this thing, it-- I felt it.
It was... ancient and enormous.
It nearly got Angel to kill himself.
And if we don't rescue Spike soon, God only knows what the First will get him to do.
I wish Sleeping Ugly would come to. He's been out all night.
Yes, he was just starting to squeal when the spooky SWAT attacked.
Said the First was held up at the Seal of...
Danzar-something.
Hmm.
Maybe he's just faking so he doesn't have to answer any more questions.
Hmm. Or maybe he's in a fugue state.
[ Buffy ] Dawn. What?
He'll come to when he comes to.
Keep reading.
If we're gonna rescue Spike, we need to figure out how to fight this thing.
Anya gets to hit him.
[ Willow ] Hey. Here. The First.
Bank of Delaware. Sorry.
[ Sighs ] Hand me The Watchers Codex again.
Can I get you anything else, baby?
How about some tea?
Mom?
You're not real.
Okay, is that, uh, slang like, "You're not for real," or--
You're the First.
Oh, baby, you're so tired. You're not making sense.
Maybe you should get some sleep.
No. You can't win against this thing.
Not if you don't rest. Stop.
Stop being like this.
It's a lie.
I don't want to scare you, but I want you to take care.
You need to wake up.
What? [ Xander ] You're dreaming.
Buff, wake up.
Did you see it?
There's nothing to see.
You were just doing a little dream talkin'. That's all.
Oh. Are you okay?
What'd you see?
Nothing.
It was nothing.
[ Men Chanting In Latin ]
[ First/Spike ] Go on. Give him a kick then.
You always liked that, didn't you?
Kick a dolly when he's down. That was always your style.
[ Groans ]
Has buckets of energy, poor dear.
Been layin' in wait for his moment...
since before the bug walked.
There, there, pet. [ Clucks Tongue ]
Soon as the moon comes, you'll have your carnage.
Little girls tear so easily, like pink paper.
Till then, we'll have our way with this one.
Got it coming, he does.
Oooh.
[ Spike Screams ]
That was something.
Maybe if you threw hot water on him? Good thinking.
Whoa, hey. Hi.
- Nothing. - What?
Oh, um, I thought you were gonna ask us what we were doing.
No, I was going to ask--
[ Coughing ]
- Oh! Look who's awake. - [ Coughing ]
Silly Andrew.
You drooled all over yourself.
I'm-- I was about to be dead.
- You saved me. - For the time being.
But if you don't tell us what we need to know,
then I'm gonna offer you to the First on a platter...
and let him chop you into tiny pieces.
The first what?
The evil thing that pretended to be Warren to get you to kill Jonathan.
- Oh. Not very ominous sounding. - No, it is if you understand the context.
No. Evil names should be like Lex or Voldemort or--
Hey! I was intimidating here.
Sorry. Um, go ahead.
[ Sighs ] Forget it. Where's the Seal?
It's around this corner, I think.
You better be right this time. I told you I'm not sure.
[ Xander ] Maybe you should get sure. I'm sick of all the runaround with you.
Whoa. Check out the goat-heady badness.
What's it do?
I don't know. Something not good.
It didn't work 'cause there wasn't enough blood.
Okay.
There's blood on this. Lots. Looks like the First made another sacrifice.
Or a music video.
The Seal could have been activated.
Maybe that's what the First needed Spike for.
- That wasn't there before. I had nothing to do with that. - Thanks for clearing that up.
Otherwise, we might have thought you were up to no good here with the satanic manhole cover.
You killed your best friend.
He's in a place of joy and peace. He told me.
No, nobody told you.
You got tricked by a fake ghost.
Boys, can we save the encounter session? We need to cover this thing up.
Whatever it does, we can't leave it exposed like this.
[ Andrew ] Man, this place gives me the creeps.
It's like in Wonder Woman, issue 297-299.
"Catacombs." Yeah, with the skeletons.
[ Together ] That was cool.
Move it. This way.
So, what next? We found the Seal, but no Spike.
[ Sighs ] I don't know. The First was camped underground last time I found him,
but it wasn't really-- Buffy?
Hey. Hey.
I thought that you were, um--
Sick? She was.
Oh, vomiting and oozing from various places and--
Yeah, I remember, so, please, don't go on.
Oh, but now-- It's amazing.
The doctor gave her some cream-- Pills.
And a cream. And I'm all better.
Oh, yeah, um,
apparently somebody left this in the courtyard, and I was just returning it.
That's some full-service "principaling."
I try.
Oh. I was down here helping Dawn with a school project.
- [ Dawn ] For science. - We buried a-- a time capsule.
"Hello, people of the future. Kids today like Red Bull and, uh, Jackass." Yeah.
We'd better go.
Buffy, you know, if you are feeling better, I could really use you back at work.
I've been wait-listing kids who really want to see you.
Oh, uh, yeah. Uh, I'm sorry. You know, I just--
I've been ill and stuff.
No, no, it's fine, and I understand. It's just...
things are startin' to back up.
Well, I'll-- I'll be there tomorrow. No problem.
Uh, 100% ooze-free.
Good.
Okay.
How's it goin'?
Dawn's trying to find out anything she can about the Seal of Danzalthar.
Willow's about to do a locator spell, see if we can find the First.
Why don't you go get some rest? You haven't slept for, like, two days.
We'll call you if we find anything. No, I couldn't sleep.
Too much going on. It'll be okay, Buff.
We've faced this kind of stuff before.
You didn't see the First.
I did. I felt it. It was--
[ Screams ]
[ Male Voice Yells ]
Wil!
You only make me stronger!
- [ Whimpering ] - Wil.
- It's still in me. I feel it. - No, it's not.
- It's gone. You're okay. - I don't want to hurt anybody.
Please, don't let it make me. Oh, God.
It won't. I promise, okay? I promise.
We won't use magic to fight until we know what we're doing.
I can't. I-- I can't. I'm-- I'm sorry.
[ Panting ]
At least let me come with you. I'm going alone.
You said yourself you don't know how to fight the First-- or even where it is.
It's out there. It's hurting my friends. I'll find it.
Buffy.
Giles.
Nice place. Bit of a mess.
This is the Slayer?
Huh.
[ Giles ] Sorry to barge in.
I'm afraid we have a slight apocalypse.
They're all Slayers? [ Giles ] Potential Slayers.
Waiting for one to be called.
There were many more like them all over the world, but, um,
now there's just a handful, and they're all on their way to Sunnydale.
The others were murdered.
[ Giles ] In cold blood.
As well as their Watchers.
We always feared that this day would come,
when there'd be an attack against not just an individual Slayer,
but against the whole line.
It's started.
The First. That's what it wants.
[ Giles ] Yes.
To erase all the Slayers-in-training and their Watchers,
along with their methods.
And then Faith...
and then me.
And with all the Potentials gone and no way of making another,
it's the end.
No more Slayer.
Ever.
But we haven't found any information on the First.
No documentation.
That's because it predates any written history.
And it rarely shows its true face.
The only record I know was in the council library.
What about the council? What do they say about this?
Gone.
- [ Willow ] What? - Obliterated.
They were in session, and, uh, there was an explosion.
That means all the council's records are-- are destroyed?
Annabelle.
[ Giles ] That's what's left.
The mystic secrets of the Watchers.
And whatever I could find on the First.
When I learned what was happening, I-- I, um--
- I stole them. - And you blew the council up.
See, this is what happens when you're all stuffy and repressed.
- You overreact. - Not-- I didn't.
It must have been an agent of the First, after my little burglary session.
The knowledge contained in these files...
had to be protected, and there wasn't time for-- for bureaucracy or debate.
- The council knows no other way. - And it cost them their lives.
Go on.
Can we gag him?
[ Buffy ] But what do these records say about the First?
Uh, very little.
Um, it can change form.
Uh, it only appears in the guise of someone who's passed away.
- Our ghosts. - Also, it's not corporeal.
It can't touch or fight on its own.
It only works through those it manipulates...
and its followers, the Bringers.
Those freaks in the black robes.
[ British Accent ] Yeah, with the hoodies and the crazy alphabet eyes.
I never saw 'em. I just heard--
Shh. Molly. Mr. Giles doesn't need us prattling on.
The First is unlike...
anything we've faced before.
There's evil, and...
then there's...
the thing that created evil-- the source.
And that's what this thing claims to be?
That's what it is.
It has eternities to act,
endless resources.
How to defeat it, I-- I-- I--
[ Sighs ] Honestly, I don't know.
But we have to find a way.
If the Slayer line is eliminated,
then the Hellmouth has no guardian.
The balance is destroyed.
I'm afraid it falls to you, Buffy.
Sorry. I mean, we'll...
do what we can, but...
you're the only one who has the strength...
to protect these girls...
and the world against what's coming.
But no pressure.
[ Girl ] That's it? That's the plan?
I don't see how one person-- even a Slayer-- could protect us.
I saw what those Bringer guys can do.
- They tore apart my Watcher. - Of course, we'll use all our resources.
And if this thing is the root of all evil, isn't the Hellmouth its number one vacation spot?
Don't you think we should be hiding our asses on the other side of the globe?
- Kennedy. - [ Buffy ] No.
She's not wrong.
We need more muscle. That's why we need to find Spike.
Yeah, he'll help. You know, if he's not crazy or...
off killing people or dead.
Or, you know, all of the above.
[ Groaning ]
That's why our kind make such good dollies.
Hard to kill.
Tried to enlighten little Buffy, didn't you?
Spilled, spilled, spilled our secrets like seed.
But you forgot.
I say what you tell and what you know.
I say when this is over.
And I'm not done with you yet.
Not nearly.
[ Clucks Tongue ]
This place you originally saw the First, you say it was a-- a...
Christmas tree lot? Under it.
There was a hidden cavern. It just happened to be under a tree lot.
The Bringers were doing some kind of ritual.
Giles, this is bad, isn't it?
A new kind of bad.
Just in time for Christmas.
You know, I didn't even realize it was December.
Maybe when we get home, we should decorate the rubble.
[ Chuckles ]
You think you'll ever show up for a real visit?
The kind where the world isn't about to end.
If we survive this, I promise.
Good.
'Cause I miss you.
I miss you too.
So, how long have you followed Buffy?
I don't follow her. She's my best friend.
Huh.
She seems like a good leader.
Her hair is shiny.
Does she make you stab things?
Okay, so Annabelle can sleep down here.
Uh, Molly can sleep in Dawn's room.
Not if Dawn actually wants to sleep.
Molly will talk her ear off.
Okay, then Molly down here, you with Dawn, and Annabelle in my room.
Bad idea. Annabelle snores.
You want to do the sleeping arrangements? Okay.
You, uh, better not hog the covers.
- Does she want to eat? - What?
Huh? Oh, she's-- Oh, she's new.
Well, Annabelle and Molly are starved, and I totally burned the mac and cheese.
Oh. I'll put hot sauce on it and tell them it's an American thing. Say it's blackened.
Actually, it's not blackened so much as ruined.
Or we can order pizza.
As long as it's plain. I'm veggie.
Cracked, you mean.
Just because you'll eat any kind of trash.
Brill! Biscuits!
You don't mind, do you? I got a case of the nerves after Mr. Giles's lecture.
Knock yourself out. I feel a cookie problem coming on myself.
[ Anya Muttering ]
I'll just rub away with this stinky, old sponge.
[ Animal Howling In Distance ]
So, the entrance to the cave...
was aboveground... here.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was around here somewhere.
Well, we'll just keep--
[ Buffy Yelps ] [ Thud ]
Found it.
Good Lord, are you all right?
Peachy.
Except my knees bend backwards now.
Okay. Giles, stay up there.
I'm gonna check it out.
All right.
[ Snarls ]
[ Growling ]
No!
[ Grunting ]
- [ Groans ] - [ Panting ]
...the others just yet. It'll give us a chance to--
Sorry about the British invasion.
We've been up for hours.
4:00 p.m. London time. Are you all right?
- You look-- - Oh. Yeah, I'm okay.
I just... got into a fight is all.
You want to tell me with what?
Yes, Buffy, but don't you think we should, uh, discuss this privately?
You mean not in front of the next generation?
No time to coddle them, Giles.
Welcome to the war room, guys.
Uh, what you fought was a vampire, but it was, um, something more than that.
It was a-- a Turok-Han.
As Neanderthals are to human beings, the Turok-Han are to vampires.
They're primordial,
ferociously powerful killing machine,
as single-minded as animals.
They are the vampires that vampires fear.
An ancient and entirely different race.
And until this morning, I thought they were a myth.
So, the First shows up, and now this.
We think it's a coincidence?
I think it's more likely that the Turok-Han is here as an agent of the First.
Um,
did you slay it?
No.
It's still out there. Somewhere.
What's it want?
All of us dead.
But for now it looks like sunlight's keeping this ubervamp away.
So, until sunset, I suggest you get some rest.
A few hours' sleep will do a world of difference.
No sleep today.
Can't. [ Giles ] Oh, come on. You're exhausted.
Oh, it comes with the gig.
Somehow I don't think taking on prehistoric evil comes with nap time.
Sorry, Potential guys.
I know you came a long way, and you want to get into it,
but the best thing you can do right now is just sit tight, wait it out.
I'm gonna go to work, see what I can find out.
I'll be back before sunset.
How do you plan to research something as ill-defined as the First?
I have the best plan ever.
[ Buffy ] Yeah, well, I already rechecked the basement.
Wait. You know what? Hold on. I'm gonna try something.
[ Sighs ] Maybe the First just isn't ready for modern technology.
"Displaying results one through 10 of...
900,517."
Okay, I've gotta narrow this down.
I'll call you back? Yeah.
[ Keyboarding ]
"Manifestations of evil"?
[ Wood ] "In the movies."
You're searching for evil movies?
I know it's not the all-time most kosher use of my office hours,
um, but, you know, looking at some downtime, and what can I say?
Just love those evil, evil movies.
Like Exorcist, you know, Blair Witch. Hmm.
As opposed to, say, Rob Schneider's oeuvre.
Different kind of evil. Yeah.
Buffy, I'm not that big a fan of scary movies.
Even the hokey ones.
Sometimes they go to a place that I think kids could stand to avoid.
Well, it's not for the kids. Yeah.
Yeah, I'm only saying that once you see true evil,
it can have some serious after-burn.
And then you can't unsee what you saw.
Ever.
It's just one opinion.
I better get back to work.
What kind of movies do you like?
Oh, me?
Mysteries.
I love finding out what's underneath it all at the very end.
[ First/Drusilla ] Think of it as a game.
A fun funny game.
Without all the rules or any of the bothersome winning part.
But still, there are sides.
You have to choose a side, Spike.
Then we can fly, be free and visit all our friends...
as they come squirming up from out the earth.
I know you like a good wriggle.
And a giggle. And a squiggle.
You're not Drusilla.
No, I'm really not.
- She was crazier than you. - Mmm.
Daddy, no kicking.
It's almost Christmas Day today, and you've gone spoiling it.
I've been so very good all year.
[ Growls ] But I could be bad if you like.
[ Growls ]
Bad Daddy. Needs a caning.
Never learned his headmaster's lesson...
while all of the school bells ring...
and ring and ring.
Ring. Ring.
Choose a side.
Choose our side.
You know that it's delicious.
What do you say?
Dru, love. Hmm?
Get bent.
Stupid, stubborn Daddy.
Ring. Ring. Ring. [ Blows Landing ]
[ Bell Rings ]
Ow.
Buffy, what happened?
Uh-- Oh-- Uh, it's okay, Mom.
I tried to warn you, but--
Right. The last thing you need now is, uh,
one of helpful Mom's guilt trips.
I'll get you some ice. No.
Mom, I-- I can't.
Buffy, you have to heal.
I don't have time.
Are you worried about the sun going down?
Because there's some things you can't control.
The-- The sun always goes down. The sun always comes up.
Everyone's counting on me. Well, they do that.
And I'm sorry, but these friends of yours put too much pressure on you.
They always have. Something evil is coming.
Buffy, evil isn't coming.
It's already here. Evil is always here.
Don't you know? It's everywhere.
And I have to stop it. How are you gonna do that?
I-- I don't know yet, but--
Buffy, no matter what your friends expect of you,
evil is a part of us.
All of us. It's natural.
And no one can stop that.
No one can stop nature. Not even--
[ Bell Rings ]
Oh, I'm-- I'm-- I'm sorry. What were we talking about?
Only my life. You're just like all the others.
No. No, no, no. I'm different. I'm hip. I relate to the young people.
No, don't go.
- Uh-- Uh-- - Roger.
Roger. See? I knew that.
[ Door Opens ]
[ Door Closes ] [ Groans ]
[ Giles ] This day's almost over.
The sun will go down in 17 minutes.
Hey, Junior Slayers, don't look so worried.
I mean, sure, we don't know where Spike is or how to fight the First...
or if and when the super-styled vampire is gonna attack us all.
However, house-- boarded up.
Now all we gotta do is trap this ubervamp in the pantry,
and it's game over.
[ Willow ] Xander.
Newbies. Let's ease them into the whole "jokes in the face of death" thing.
Who's jokin'? That pantry thing could work.
You sayin' M. Night Shyamalan lied to us?
You'll be okay. Okay or-- or even better.
It's-- It's like our guarantee.
Um, Buffy, I just, uh--
I want you to know that I'm-- I'm really sorry for letting you down.
You know, here, before with the magic going all "Aaah!"...
and me going all "Eee!" and everything getting all "Rrrr."
- I wish I could help out. - No one expects you to make everything right.
So, I can't do everything, but...
I should at least be able to do something.
I have so much power, but when I try to use it--
Don't. Okay?
Okay.
But... you need help, Buffy.
I know you, and I know you'll never admit it, but...
you need help.
I'll be okay.
Okay or better. It's like my guarantee.
Hey, are we getting weapons?
Trained fighters, badness coming.
I've heard worse ideas.
We'll be armed when the Slayer feels we're ready.
I feel ready.
You're frightened. You must learn to control your fear.
Hey, you know what would help with that?
Weapons.
- Uh, I don't know about that. - We're sitting ducks without them.
We're with the Slayer. Safe as houses.
You see the house we're in?
It'll come straight for us, won't it?
- We should load them up, Giles. - Girls, help yourself.
Listen to me man. I got a bad feeling about this.
Of course you've got a bad feeling, dude. You're-- You're tied to a chair.
No. Yeah, but above and beyond that. I'm telling you, my spider sense is tingling.
This is gonna get hairy. I'm talkin' weird with a beard.
Better untie me.
And that'll help us how?
Okay. I know what you're thinking.
Andrew, bad guy.
You think I'm a supervillain like Dr. Doom...
- or Apocalypse or the Riddler. - [ Mouths Words ]
But I admit I went over to the dark side,
but just to pick up a few things, and now I'm back.
I've learned. I'm good again.
And when were you good before?
Okay, technically never. Touché.
But I'm like Vader in the last five minutes of Jedi, with redemptive powers of--
Mine is a redemptive struggle...
of...
epic redemption which chronicles--
These ropes itch.
How we doing on time?
Sunset should be any minute now.
We've done everything we can.
And don't worry. Everyone here understands that you're calling the shots.
I just hope I'm calling the right ones.
You have all my faith.
And they're depending on you.
Giles, that's not exactly what I needed to hear right now. [ Molly ] Guys!
Annabelle split.
[ Panting ]
[ Snap ]
[ Groaning ]
[ Groans ]
[ Growling ]
[ Panting ]
[ Pipes Clanging ]
[ Growling ]
[ Xander ] Buffy.
Oh, God Almighty.
[ First/Drusilla ] Do you know why you're alive?
Never figured you for...
existential thought, love.
I mean, you hated Paris.
You're alive for one reason...
and one reason only.
Because I wish it.
Do you know why I wish it?
Because I'm not done with you.
Give it up.
Whatever you are,
whatever you get away with, I'm out.
You can't pull this puppet's strings anymore.
And what makes you think you have a choice?
What makes you think you will ever be any good at all in this world?
She does.
Because she believes in me.
[ Giles ] We could make plans, as we always do,
but the truth is Buffy was our plan.
There is no backup.
[ Willow ] Giles, she looks bad.
She does.
I'm afraid there may be internal bleeding.
What does that mean? Will she--
Die? No, I don't think so. I-- I don't know.
Well, what do we do if she can't fight?
If she can't beat this thing?
We're back at square one.
Which square would that be exactly?
I'm not sure.
The First predates everything we've ever known.
Or can know.
It's everywhere. It's pure.
[ Exhales ]
I don't know if we can fight it.
You're right.
We don't know how to fight it.
We don't know when it'll come.
We can't run.
Can't hide.
Can't pretend it's not the end, 'cause it is.
Something's always been there to try and destroy the world.
We've beaten them back.
But we're not dealing with them anymore.
We're dealing with the reason they exist.
Evil.
The strongest.
The First.
Buffy, um,
I know you're very tired.
I'm beyond tired.
I'm beyond scared.
I'm standing on the mouth of hell, and it is gonna swallow me whole.
And it'll choke on me.
We're not ready?
They're not ready.
They think we're gonna wait for the end to come...
like we always do.
I'm done waiting.
They want an apocalypse?
Well, we'll give 'em one.
Anyone else who wants to run, do it now,
'cause we just became an army.
We just declared war.
From now on, we won't just face our worst fears,
we will seek them out.
We will find them and cut out their hearts, one by one,
until the First shows itself for what it really is.
And I'll kill it myself.
There is only one thing on this Earth more powerful than evil.
And that's us.
Any questions?
Grr! Arrgh!