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.

Storyteller

• I’m gonna be honest going into this one…
• This is probably my least favorite episode of the season.
• Maybe of the entire series.
• Makes me real glad it’s the only Andrew-centric episode.
• Andrew greets the viewer in a Masterpiece Theater-esque setting.
• Telling the story of Buffy’s patrol the previous night, he keeps putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable of the word vampire.
• Vampire…
• It’s obnoxious.
• In the story, true or not, Buffy dusts one vamp and is cornered by another.
• His story is interrupted by Anya and we see he’s recording himself in the bathroom, letting his imagination get away from him.
• This leads to an interesting question…
• I’m pretty sure Buffy’s house has one bathroom.
• How does that work now that the entire Scooby Gang, plus Andrew, plus dozens of Potential Slayers are all under one roof?
• Back to the cemetery, Buffy slays the other vampire and Andrew runs in with the camera.
• Buffy does not want Andrew filming this documentary.
• Andrew thinks the world will want to see this story played out.
• But what’s the point if there’s a good chance that this coming apocalypse is gonna be the actual apocalypse.
• Wait… isn’t there an apocalypse going on a few miles away in Los Angeles even as we speak?
• Is the First Evil not involved with the mess in LA?
• Anyway, Andrew gives a recap of the season thus far for his non-existent audience.
• Again… a reason I hate this episode.
• I know what’s happening, Andrew.
• I’ve been watching the entire season.
• Even if I was slightly lost, there’s always that handy 30 second recap at the top of each episode.
• I just want to tell this kid to shut up.
• If I were Buffy… or Spike… or Xander… or anyone other than Andrew, really, I’d break the crap out of that camera.
• Buffy even asks, “Can’t we make him stop?”
• YES! You can easily shatter the camcorder!
• It’s called Slayer strength. Use it!
• Andrew leaves the kitchen, claiming that Buffy’s speeches can get boring.
• So while she’s sharing her vision of thousands of Ubervamps, Andrew is lying about his role as a villain last year, making himself seem more important than he was.
• Outside of the documentary, Buffy gets to the high school and immediately breaks up a fight.
• Then she saves a shy girl from turning invisible before going to see the principal, who was hit in the head with a rock by some unseen… someone.
• She warns Wood that if they don’t do something soon, they’re going to have a riot on their hands.
• Just then, a student who was under too much pressure… well, his head literally explodes.
• Buffy and Robin try to figure out why all these things are happening and their best guess is that the seal in the basement is leaking Hellmouth energy.
• When they go to the basement, Robin steps onto the seal to get a closer look and it seriously affects him for a minute.
• In an unrelated moment… Xander and Anya confess that they’re still in love with each other.
• Buffy and Robin rush into the house and tell Andrew that he needs to get in there and shut it down before it tears everything apart.
• Meanwhile, a group of students surround the seal and start a chant that makes the seal glow.
• The gang interrogates Andrew and Willow uses a charm that should help him pull out the necessary memories.
• He tells about being visited by “Warren” while he and Jonathan were in Mexico.
• The First, as Warren, asks Andrew about the knife that he will later stab Jonathan with to activate the seal.
• Willow decides the knife is important and they examine it.
• There’s something written on the blade in a demon language.
• Willow does some quick research and decides that the blade, the language, and the seal are all connected.
• So Buffy grabs Andrew, Spike, and Robin to head to the school to take care of the seal.
• The high school is overrun with insane and enhanced students who have torn the place apart.
• The good guys are attacked by students and Buffy tells Spike and Robin to handle things in the school while she takes Andrew to the basement.
• They get to the seal room and hear the kids chanting.
• Seems like the kids have become Harbingers of the First, what with the fresh symbols carved where their eyes used to be.
• Upstairs, in the heat of battle, Robin nearly stakes Spike from behind, but he’s stopped by an interfering student.
• At the seal, Buffy takes knocks out all the chanters, then tells Andrew it’s his turn.
• She pulls out the knife and makes him think that the blood of the person who woke the seal will reverse the whole deal.
• Really… she confronts him about his actions, murdering Jonathan.
• Andrew breaks down into sobs as Buffy breaks down the reality of the entire situation.
• Buffy holds Andrew over the seal as he cries, knowing that there’s nothing he can do to find redemption for killing his friend.
• His tears shut down the seal, and Buffy knew that’s how it would happen.
• Upstairs, everyone suddenly stops fighting.
• Wrapping up the video, Andrew again confesses to killing his friend and says he doesn’t deserve to survive whatever’s coming in the end.
• Body count: Vampires – 2; Humans – 1