Welcome to Rewatching Buffy, the part of the blog where I rewatch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Each Tuesday evening, you’re invited to join me as I attempt to rediscover what made me love this show so many years ago.

Two To Go

• Immediately after Willow killed Warren and then vanished into thin air…
• Buffy, Anya, and Xander make their way out of the woods.
• Anya points out that teleporting, for Willow, isn’t going to be as fast as everyone thinks it will be.
• For Anya, it’ll be a little quicker.
• Buffy and Xander get to Xander’s car, but it’s pretty much been destroyed by Evil Willow.
• So Buffy runs on ahead, leaving Xander to lament that there’s nothing he can do to help his best friend.
• In jail, Andrew is still holding on to hope that Warren is going to rescue them.
• Andrew also admits that Jonathan was going to be left behind.
• They start to fight and then Anya appears in their cell.
• She breaks the news that Warren is dead and tells them they have to get out of there because Willow is on her way to exact her vengeance.
• It’s about this time that Willow shows up and begins tearing the building apart brick by brick… telepathically speaking.
• She tosses police aside like rag dolls.
• Once Willow has a hole poked in the building large enough for her to fit through, she flies up to find that Buffy got there in time to break the boys out.
• Anya is still there and Willow unleashes her rage on her by knocking her out.
• Xander pulls up in a stolen police cruiser and drives off with Buffy, Andrew, and Jonathan.
• Willow takes control of a tractor-trailer and slams into the back of Xander’s police car.
• Repeatedly.
• But then Willow is drained of energy and the truck falls behind, allowing Xander to drive away.
• Back at Spike’s crypt, Clem is critiquing Doritos flavors.
• Dawn talks Clem into helping her with something…
• Meanwhile, Spike’s still in Africa and going through some sort of trials.
• He fights a big muscle-y guy with fists of fire.
• Turns out, Dawn wants Clem to help her find Rack’s place so he can tell her where Willow is.
• Clem’s not cool with this…
• Back at the Magic Box, Anya tells Xander that she can’t feel Willow anymore, meaning that whatever she’s feeling is way beyond vengeance now.
• Anya manages to find some protective spells, but she can’t read the language.
• Jonathan offers to help, but Buffy makes it clear they’re not protecting them.
• They’re trying to keep Willow from crossing a line.
• But Jonathan does point out that Willow is running low on magic.
• Which leads Buffy to believe that she’s somewhere trying to get it all back.
• Leading Willow directly to Rack.
• Whom she immediately drains.
• Clem gets Dawn into Rack’s place in time for Dawn to stroll in and see a dead Rack and a supercharged Dark Willow.
• Dawn tries to get away, but Willow stops her.
• Then Dawn tries to talk Willow down… it doesn’t work.
• Willow mocks Dawn… threatens to basically kill her and return her to the ball of energy she once was.
• Back at the Magic Box, Anya and Xander try to translate the protection spell.
• Andrew tries to talk Jonathan into finding some magic supplies to get away.
• Then he points out that if Willow kills the two of them, what’s to stop her from going after everyone else?
• Anya thinks Andrew has a point…
• What makes them think Willow will stop with just those two?
• Then Anya and Xander get into it over the vengeance.
• Anya says that none of this would be happening if it weren’t for him… she means what’s happened between the two of them.
• But Xander admits feeling responsible for what’s happening with Willow.
• He saw the gun and he froze and Warren shot two of his friends.
• Buffy gives talking to Willow a shot… it doesn’t work.
• During Willow’s monologue about how Buffy has no room to preach at her about how good the world is, she teleports them (including Dawn) to the magic shop.
• Since Buffy and Dawn aren’t prepared for the toll that teleportation takes, they both collapse.
• And Willow sends an energy blast at Andrew and Jonathan.
• It doesn’t work.
• She tries again… turns out Anya managed to translate the spell.
• She’s chanting from around the corner, just out of sight.
• In a cave somewhere, Spike has a bunch of scorch marks but manages to snap the neck of the fire fist guy.
• Which is just the first stage of the trials…
• Buffy: “Willow, you need to back off before someone gets hurt.” Willow: “How ’bout I back off right after?”
• Since magic won’t kill the boys, Willow performs a spell on herself, giving her super strength so she can beat them to death.
• And this is where Buffy steps in.
• A physical fight between Buffy and Willow… outstanding.
• Xander and Dawn escape with Andrew and Jonathan.
• Willow’s spell must have taught her some fighting styles, because she’s holding her own.
• Strength alone shouldn’t give Willow the upper hand against Buffy.
• During the fight, Willow finds Anya chanting away.
• Andrew threatens Xander with a sword… then Jonathan threatens Andrew with a sword.
• Willow knocks Anya out, meaning her magic can no longer be blocked.
• “Buffy, I gotta tell ya, I get it now. The Slayer thing really isn’t about the violence. It’s about the power. And there’s no one in the world who has the power to stop me now.”
• Enter Giles with a blast of energy directed at Willow: “I’d like to test that theory.”
• I remember the first time I saw this… pretty sure I shouted a, “Hell yeah!” at the TV.
• Seriously… these final episodes of the season make the whole year worth it.
• Body count: Humans – 1; Fire Fist Guys – 1