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.

Dirty Girls

• A girl is being chased through the woods by the First Evil’s Harbingers.
• She flags down an old pick up truck being driven by a priest (Nathan Fillion).
• He gives her a ride and is friendly enough… at first.
• She asks him to take her to Sunnydale.
• He introduces himself as Caleb and she says her name is Shannon.
• Suddenly the conversation turns…
• He starts calling her a whore… she tries to get out of the truck while it’s moving and she’s locked in.
• Caleb uses the truck’s cigarette lighter to heat up a ring, which he then uses to brand Shannon.
• He tells her there’s a car coming up behind them and they’ll take her where she needs to go.
• He wants her to deliver a message to the Slayer, then stabs her in the gut before whispering something we can’t hear.
• Caleb shoves her out the door and Willow and Faith pull up to help her.
• At Xander’s apartment, he has a late night talk with a Potential Slayer who’s scared of what’s coming.
• The conversation turns sexual… and then another girl appears out of nowhere…
• He’s concerned the others might hear them, but the girls sleeping in the living room are busy having a pillow fight.
• Then he wakes up…
• At the hospital, Willow and Faith watch as Shannon receives treatment.
• Faith half-confronts Willow about everything going on with the First and no one giving her a heads up.
• Willow is apologetic and Faith says it’s no big deal… she handled the one that came after her in prison.
• Elsewhere, a girl runs through a cemetery and Spike catches up to her to knock her out.
• Then Faith starts to fight Spike and he tries to talk her down, but it takes Buffy to break it up.
• Faith still thinks Spike was attacking an innocent… vampire, who attacks Faith.
• She takes down the vampire…
• The exchange between the three of them is friggin’ priceless.
• Buffy explains that Spike has a soul now.
• Faith: “Like Angel?”
• Spike: “I am nothing like Angel!”
• I still love when Faith shows up… the dynamic between her and literally everyone is fantastic.
• In an underground wine cellar, Caleb talks with the First in the form of Buffy.
• These two are apparently pretty tight.
• But this is the first time the First has revealed what Buffy looks like to Caleb.
• He’s been doing things for the First Evil behind the scenes.
• Turns out, he’s responsible for blowing up the Watchers’ Council.
• Andrew is back in Storyteller mode to share an exaggerated version of Faith’s history.
• He warns the Potentials to stay on guard around Faith… she’s a killer.
• Uh… so are you, dude.
• At school, Buffy stops by Wood’s office.
• She meant what she said, that she has no time for his vendetta, but she needs him in this fight.
• On a personal level, he tells her they’re good… then he fires her, effective immediately.
• He does this because her focus is needed elsewhere… besides, most kids aren’t even showing up to school anymore and people are leaving Sunnydale.
• At the house, Faith escapes to the basement to get away from the annoyance of Potentials.
• She and Spike talk… he asks why she spent all that time in prison, even though she’s got the power to have walked away any time she wanted.
• Faith confesses that she’s met Spike before… back when she switched bodies with Buffy.
• Buffy comes down to the basement and the tension is palpable.
• Dawn yells down the stairs that Willow just called from the hospital.
• Buffy goes and talks to Shannon.
• Shannon tells her that Caleb has something of hers.
• Buffy gathers everyone in the living room to tell them about Caleb and her plan is to take the fight to him.
• “He’s got something of mine? I’m gonna get it back. And you’re coming with me.”
• Back in the cellar, Caleb talks to a young girl who claims she heard him preaching and was drawn to him.
• He kills her…
• But she’s not really some girl… she’s the First, who turns back into Buffy.
• The First is having fun with Caleb, showing him girls he’s killed in the past.
• We pick up little things about Caleb… like the fact that he’s a serial killer.
• Buffy discusses the attack on Caleb with the team…
• Xander points out the obvious, that this is probably a trap.
• Buffy says she’ll only take the Potentials that have been with them longest, the rest will stay at the house with Giles and Willow.
• Following a Harbinger, Buffy and Faith nearly get into it during their walk and talk.
• They find the vineyard and head back to get the cavalry.
• At the house, Xander is giving a last minute pep talk…
• “Everything has eyes…” That’s foreshadowing…
• He then tells all the Potentials that Buffy cares more about their lives than anything… they need to trust her.
• Buffy leads them back to the vineyard and down into the cellar.
• Doesn’t take long before the Bringers come out of the shadows to attack the good guys.
• Enter: Caleb… and the fighting stops.
• “I heard you had something of mine.”
• Caleb laughs… “Well, I do now…” as he motions around the room at the Potentials.
• He throws one punch which launches Buffy across the room.
• The fight breaks out again and Caleb breaks Rona’s arm.
• Faith and Xander bring the rest of the Potentials in as back up.
• Caleb snaps the neck of one Potential…
• Buffy tells Xander to get everyone out, they need to retreat.
• Then Caleb stabs another Potential… one of the first to arrive…
• Xander makes sure everyone gets out, but Caleb grabs him.
• “You’re the one who sees everything… Let’s see what we can do about that.”
• Caleb jams his thumb into Xander’s left eye.
• Spike tackles Caleb, giving Buffy a chance to help Xander out of there.
• Buffy surveys all the damage… so many allies in the hospital… scared Potentials at home…
• All the while, Caleb’s voice goes on and on, sharing with the First his plan to kill them all.
• Body count: Vampires – 1; Potential Slayers – 2