All commentary will be red text inside of a light gray box... kinda like this one.
I shouldn't have to say this, but... Beware of spoilers for all
of the Season 8 scripts!
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A special thanks to emailer Isy for helping to correct my horrible German
translations.
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TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT
The alley is in a large city. In the background, we can hear
HORNS HONKING, TRAINS CHOO-CHOO-CHOOING, and a CAR ALARM.
ANGLE : VI
She is running as fast as she can through the alley. A look
of determination on her face.
ANGLE : A VAMPIRE (normal, not Uber)
Also running. It's impossible to tell who is chasing whom in
this scene, since we're only seeing them close-up.
Finally, the alley ends with one of those conveniently placed
metal fences. We now see that the vampire was running from
Vi as he stops short and looks around for a way out.
Vi catches up and assumes an fighter's stance. She grins.
VI
Did you think you were gonna get
away?
VAMPIRE
What are you?
VI
Ever hear of a Slayer?
VAMPIRE
That's impossible. There can only be
one.
VI
Okay, you're just living in the past.
Why don't you take a minute to catch
up with the rest of us. I'll even
wait if you want.
The confused vampire decides to take his chances. He charges
at Vi. She easily stakes him, and he TURNS TO DUST. She
smiles.
Out of nowhere, we hear a SPLATTERING SOUND. Vi's smile
quickly fades. She looks down, and sees her shirt begin to
soak through with blood. Then she drops out of frame.
Standing behind her, we can now see a DEMON. Scales, and red
eyes. Horns, maybe. In his clawed hand, he holds her heart.
From that violent, gory scene, we switch to...
The Vi scene was a play on the openings of the first few
episodes of season 7, where Bringers were chasing potential
Slayers. Basically, I wanted to make the old cliché,
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
The scene sets the tone for the Slayer arc of the season.
The fact that this is a big sloppy mess, and that the other
Slayers might be able to make the jokes like Buffy, but
they’re not all ready to face what they have to face. A lot
of people didn’t like me killing Vi. I guess I see that, but
it made the point, didn’t it?
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2.
EXT. WOODED AREA - EVENING
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And then we go to the Buffy scene. Pretty much just picking up where we left
her, with her kinda peaceful place in life. The whole setting of this season,
Bear River, was meant to do that. Put her in this comfort zone, with all the
trees and singing birds, and then rip that apart. Also, the small town feel of
Sunnydale was something I wanted… more on that later.
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The woods are peaceful and soothing. The setting is a quiet
corner of the country, away from all of the noise that we
heard in the previous scene. In the background, there are
mountains. Nearby, there is a lake that is reflecting the
orange light of the setting sun. It's beautiful.
The camera PANS OVER to REVEAL BUFFY, sitting on a rock,
watching the sun set. Taking in the calm. There is a tranquil
look on her face as she watches.
DAWN (O.S.)
Is this a new ritual of yours?
Buffy looks to her side and sees DAWN walking closer, on a
dirt covered path.
BUFFY
No rituals. No ceremonies, or sacred
rites. Just this.
She looks back at the shimmering water. Dawn sits next to
her.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Listen.
Dawn takes a moment to listen.
DAWN
I don't hear anything.
BUFFY
Exactly. No screaming. No growling.
Do you realize that it's been four
months since I've killed anything?
I was considering going vegetarian
before I remembered that hamburgers
are all meaty.
(beat)
Except the veggie burgers, but I
don't think those really count as
burgers. Or food.
DAWN
So you finally have what you've always
wanted. A normal life.
BUFFY
That's me. Normal. For now, anyway.
Until Giles calls for an assist with
some baddie in some other country or
something.
3.
DAWN
But there are tons of Slayers now,
right? Can't they handle it?
Buffy looks over at Dawn and smiles.
BUFFY
The phone hasn't rang yet. Or rung.
Whatever.
DAWN
Maybe it never will.
The girls go back to watching the sun set in quiet.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
There are two beds in this poorly decorated room. The hotel
isn't exactly the Plaza, but it's good enough for sleeping.
WILLOW and XANDER are sitting indian-style on one of the
beds. They're facing each other. Looking each other in the
eyes. Or in Willow's case, looking Xander in the one eye and
a patch.
WILLOW (V.O.)
Hear my thoughts. Focus on the sound
of my voice in your head. Feel my
energy inside of you, working as one
with your own. Pull that energy to
your eye. Focus it.
For a moment, they focus, but then Xander blinks and turns
away. He gets up and starts pacing.
XANDER
It's pointless.
WILLOW
Don't say that.
XANDER
We've been working all summer and
the closest I've gotten to a new eye
is something that looks like a
deflated prune.
WILLOW
It takes time.
XANDER
Which we've given it. I think it's
time to face the facts here, Will.
The eye isn't coming back.
Willow gets up and walks to him. She frowns.
4.
WILLOW
I guess I never realized how much
power I drew from the Hellmouth.
Even in England, I felt it. But if
we give it some more time, maybe
it'll work. You can't give up. I
won't let you.
Xander looks at her face, which is full of resolve. His
annoyance begins to melt away.
XANDER
Yeah? And what'll you do if I do
give up?
WILLOW
I'll... I'll beat you to a bloody
pulp with my bare hands and then use
your blood in a spell that'll make
your insides pop out of your belly
button.
He smiles and hugs her.
XANDER
Okay. You got me.
WILLOW
It's because I'm all tough looking,
right?
XANDER
Like a mean biker man.
WILLOW
Damn right.
They hold the hug for a beat. Then Xander's face fills with
curiosity.
XANDER
Wait... You can't really do the belly
button thing, can you?
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This Willow and Xander scene would set up a few different arcs for this season.
Her magic, which would be a big part of her storyline. His eye, which would be
something that I dealt with over the course of a few episodes. And the fact
that they've pretty much been spending the summer staring into each others'
eyes would play into the relationship that they formed as the season went on.
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FADE TO BLACK:
END OF TEASER
5.
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY
Buffy comes out of the bathroom, clothed and drying her hair
with a towel. It's a different room than the one we saw Willow
and Xander in, but it looks exactly the same.
Dawn is sitting on her bed, toothbrush in hand, waiting for
Buffy to come out of the bathroom.
DAWN
Are you done yet?
BUFFY
It's all yours.
DAWN
Finally. If you took any longer to
get ready, I'd be a wrinkled corpse
by the time you got out here.
BUFFY
I like to be pretty.
Dawn rolls her eyes and heads into the bathroom, shutting
the door behind her.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(calling into the
bathroom)
What time did Xander say the meeting
was?
DAWN (O.S.)
Ten-thirty.
Buffy looks at the clock. It's 9:30 now. She grabs a hair
brush off of the dresser and starts to brush her hair.
There's a KNOCK on the door. Buffy answers it. Willow and
Xander walk in.
XANDER
You guys ready yet? I was thinking
we might eat first.
BUFFY
Dawn's in the bathroom getting ready.
WILLOW
Still?
6.
BUFFY
What can I say? She's a bathroom
hog.
DAWN (O.S.)
I heard that!
XANDER
I still don't get it. Giles is global
guy, tracking down Slayers all over
the world, all while keeping an ex-
Watchful eye on Hellmouth Cleveland.
Faith and Principal Wood are soaking
up the sun at tropical resort
Hellmouth. And where does Giles send
us? The Scooby Gang. The A-Team.
(beat)
Nowheresville, Washington. Not even
a Hellmouth.
WILLOW
But there's a weird mystical vibe
here. Makes for some demonic interest.
Plus, Bear River isn't too bad. I
think it's kinda pretty.
XANDER
Still, you'd think he'd want us on
the front lines. Fighting the big
bad demons, or teaching young girls
how to stab things. Y'know, doing
something. What are we gonna do here?
Fish?
WILLOW
I think that's kinda the point. Giles
probably thinks we need a break. A
little of the three R's before diving
back into the battle.
XANDER
Three?
WILLOW
Yeah. You know. Rest, relaxation
and... arithmetic? I think I'm
confusing my sayings here.
BUFFY
Do we still have to call him
"principal"? I mean... there's no
more school for him to principal at.
WILLOW
I think he's just Robin now.
7.
XANDER
That sounds strange.
WILLOW
I guess, but it's not like we're
gonna be talking to him a lot anyway.
XANDER
Good point.
Buffy looks at the clock.
BUFFY
Dawn, you almost ready?
The bathroom door opens and Dawn comes out, ready to go.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Holy crap, I was kidding. How'd you
do that?
DAWN
Still recovering from the potential
situation last year.
(to Xander)
Did I hear you say something about
breakfast?
INT. JACK'S BAIT-N-BREAKFAST - DAY
There's a lot of talking in this first script. I was pretty much just trying to
get the gang back to a fun, happy friendship that we hadn't seen in a while
because of all the drama in the last few seasons. Not that I wanted to erase
the changes of the last few years. I just wanted to, once again, show that the
pressure is off.
Also, didn't suck to get the chance to give a short update on Giles, Faith and
Robin. It's all in the foreshadowing.
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Buffy, Willow, Xander and Dawn enter the place and stop to
look around. One side of the building is a normal diner. Not
the classiest place ever, but not too bad. The other side is
a fishing supply store with a sign for live bait.
BUFFY
Jack's Bait-N-Breakfast. Sounds
sarcastically yummy.
DAWN
As long as they don't get all turned
around and load up my plate with
live worms, I'm good.
XANDER
(giggles)
Gagh.
Dawn looks at Xander, wondering what he's talking about.
Xander looks at the ground.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Sorry. Star Trek thing.
They walk to a table and sit down.
8.
WILLOW
I think it's kinda cozy. It has small
town charm to it.
BUFFY
Speaking of which, did you see how
small this town was? Ten stores on
Main Street and not one of them a
Saks.
WILLOW
I'm sure there's a mall nearby.
XANDER
Forty-five minutes if you follow the
speed limit.
DAWN
It's times like this that make me
regret destroying Sunnydale.
WILLOW
C'mon. It's not bad here.
BUFFY
(giving in)
Okay. You're right. It's actually
really nice. And there's an ice cream
parlor that has those heart-shaped
chairs. Sunnydale didn't have one of
those.
XANDER
We did, but it closed in '95.
Willow smiles.
WILLOW
Check us out. Actual conversation
without any talk of demons, or the
end of the world.
DAWN
Depends on how you handle that mall
news.
XANDER
You'd think the mall chat would have
gotten old by now.
BUFFY
How little you know us, Xand.
DAWN
Mall chat never gets old.
9.
A WAITRESS walks to the table and puts menus in front of
everyone.
WAITRESS
Can I get you folks something to
drink?
XANDER
Yeah. Orange juice for me.
BUFFY
Coffee.
WILLOW
Coffee.
DAWN
Hot chocolate?
The waitress nods at Dawn. Dawn smiles.
DAWN (CONT'D)
That then.
WAITRESS
Okay. I'll be back in a few, to take
your orders.
She walks away. Everyone looks over their menus. Buffy, Willow
and Xander get puzzled looks on their faces. Dawn's smile
grows.
DAWN
It's like every meal I ever invented,
all put into one restaurant.
BUFFY
This can't be good.
WILLOW
It's a gastrointestinal disorder
just waiting to happen.
XANDER
Maybe I'll just have cereal.
(beat)
Hold the ketchup.
DAWN
I'm gonna have the banana and peanut
butter French toast. I love that
one.
WILLOW
I guess I'll follow Dawnie. If I'm
gonna roam these woods, it'd probably
be smart to bring a guide.
10.
BUFFY
Well, as the Chosen One... or one of
the Chosen Ones, I feel it's my duty
to seek out the evils of the world
and face them head-on. I'm going for
the onion and pepperoni pancakes.
DAWN
Speaking of ketchup, that's what
you're gonna wanna do with those.
Don't let the lure of syrup get the
best of you.
BUFFY
Umm... thanks.
DAWN
So what do you think we should tell
the Realtor?
BUFFY
'Bout what?
DAWN
What happened to our last homes. I
don't know if it'd be in our best
interests to say that we had our
entire town sucked into Hell.
WILLOW
The news called it an earthquake.
XANDER
Did it? I didn't see that.
WILLOW
You were busy sleeping for about a
week.
XANDER
Ah. The sweet days of non-addictive
pain medication. Still, you'd think
someone would have mentioned it again.
BUFFY
That's how the world works today.
News one day, old news the next. I
guess that's probably why they call
it old news.
The waitress returns to the table with their drinks.
WAITRESS
You folks ready to order.
11.
BUFFY
(mumbled to herself)
If we have to.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - DAY
We see around the empty house. Furniture covered with cloth.
Dusty. Webs all around. Windows covered over with dirt
(including one stained glass window which will eventually
spread color and much needed atmosphere around the place).
The house is nice, under all of this. Victorian style, with
carvings and wood floors. Nice and roomy too.
There's a BANGING on the front door (which also has stained
glass on it). The door is stuck and someone is trying to
open it. Finally, it flies open. The Realtor, MRS. GIMLY (an
older, pleasant woman) catches herself before she falls to
onto the ground. She walks in. Buffy and the others follow
her, all looking around as they do.
MRS. GIMLY
This is it.
WILLOW
Wow. Pretty. Or- y'know- potential
pretty.
MRS. GIMLY
It was built by Richard Acker, back
at the turn of the century.
(beat)
The last century. Back in the early
1900's. He built it for him and his
wife to live in when they first came
to the town. One of the first couples
to move here, in fact.
The first mention of Richard Acker and his wife, who we would come to know as
Isabelle. See? Foreshadowing.
Also, Mrs. Gimly would be the first of a few recurring characters. This is
another aspect of the small town feel that I wanted to bring from Sunnydale.
In the early years of "Buffy", there were a lot of characters around town that
weren't in on the big secrets. I wanted to bring that back, to add some
aspects of a normal life throughout the season.
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Buffy stops looking around and looks at Mrs. Gimly.
BUFFY
Is it haunted?
MRS. GIMLY
Excuse me?
BUFFY
Haunted. Y'know, by ghosts. Dead
people. 'Cause that might put the
damper on this whole thing.
MRS. GIMLY
(laughing)
There are no ghosts in this house.
We didn't even have drugs back in
the 60's.
12.
Willow and Xander share a confused look, wondering what one
has to do with the other.
MRS. GIMLY (CONT'D)
Though there was a slight infestation
problem, I'm pretty certain it's
been dealt with. We bombed the house.
BUFFY
Literally?
MRS. GIMLY
With insecticide.
Dawn takes Buffy by the arm and starts to lead her into
another room. She smiles back at Mrs. Gimly.
DAWN
She's just really tired.
When Buffy and Dawn are gone, Willow and Xander stay behind
with Mrs. Gimly. They smile, awkwardly.
WILLOW
So... Nice neighborhood.
MRS. GIMLY
Yes. It is. I live right down the
street, actually.
WILLOW
Oh. Neat.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
Buffy and Dawn are looking around the dining room, now.
Inspecting everything.
DAWN
Okay, could you maybe go a little
lighter on the third degree next
time?
BUFFY
Sorry. Habit, I guess.
DAWN
I get that. But you heard what Giles
said. This isn't even a Hellmouth.
We probably won't see too much of
that stuff around here. So relax.
Take a breath.
BUFFY
Relaxing. Breathing.
(beat)
It is a nice house, isn't it?
13.
DAWN
And more importantly, it's within
our budget.
BUFFY
Icing on the dusty, cloth covered
cake.
They walk through a connecting doorway.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS - DAY
They enter the kitchen and stop dead in their tracks. Jaws
dropping.
BUFFY
Sweet mother of pearl, look at this
place.
REVEAL the kitchen. Big. A cook's dream kitchen, with antique
stove and oven. Copper sink. Butcher block counters. Fireplace
(yes, in the kitchen!). Old wooden refrigerator. Shelves on
the walls. And much more, which is covered by sheets.
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Big kitchen… I like to cook.
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DAWN
This is amazing.
BUFFY
So why is it in our budget?
DAWN
Buffy, remember what we said about
breathing? It's cheap because it's
in Nowhereville.
BUFFY
Right. Okay. Relaxing again.
Willow, Xander and Mrs. Gimly walk into the kitchen. Willow
and Xander stop short.
XANDER
Freaky shades of purple and green,
this is nice.
Mrs. Gimly looks back at him, wondering what the hell he's
talking about.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Oh. I sometimes say things that make
no sense when I'm in shock.
That doesn't help Mrs. Gimly. Willow decides to give it a
go.
WILLOW
We're from California.
14.
MRS. GIMLY
Oh.
BUFFY
(to Willow and Xander)
So what do you guys think? Should we
look at more houses?
MRS. GIMLY
Actually, this is the only house we
have for rent at the moment.
BUFFY
Oh. In that case, I guess we'll take
it. Should we haggle or something
first?
MRS. GIMLY
I don't think it'd help much,
considering.
BUFFY
Right. I've never done this before.
MRS. GIMLY
You're doing very well.
BUFFY
Thanks.
XANDER
So what do we sign?
MRS. GIMLY
Just a few papers, and then you'll
be ready to move all of your things
in.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - FOYER - DAY
The front door opens. Buffy walks in, carrying a suit case
and her Scythe. Willow, Xander and Dawn all follow, carrying
one or two bags each. Buffy drops hers.
BUFFY
Here endeth the moving in.
END OF ACT ONE
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"Here endeth the moving in". People say that I didn't bring Spike or Anya
into it enough, but I did manage to put them in there in subtle ways as much
as I could. "Here endeth the lesson" was something that Spike said to Buffy
back in "Fool For Love". I guess it stuck in Buffy's head.
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15.
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy and Willow are uncovering all of the furniture.
Beautiful antique chairs, couch, lamps, mirrors, tables...
it all looks like it's been there since the house was built.
Xander is up on a ladder, looking at a light fixture.
XANDER
I think it's just a wire that went
all fizzy. Shouldn't be too hard to
fix.
BUFFY
Cool.
XANDER
I guess I should probably turn off
the power first.
BUFFY
Might help.
Buffy looks at all the antiques.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Okay, this stuff is gonna last all
of three minutes around us. You
realize that, right?
WILLOW
Maybe we'll break that streak of
breaking things all the time.
BUFFY
Um, Will... I think after seven years,
it's less a streak and more a way of
life.
WILLOW
Sunnydale life though. Not Bear River
life.
BUFFY
That remains to be seen.
Xander pokes something with a screwdriver. It SPARKS. He
jumps back. Buffy and Willow look over at him.
WILLOW
Are you okay?
16.
XANDER
Yeah.
(beat)
I think I might go ahead with that
plan to turn off the power.
Xander climbs down and walks out of the room.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Dawn is cleaning some dishes at the sink. Xander walks in,
on his way to the basement.
DAWN
Do I smell something burning?
XANDER
Yeah. Don't worry. Just me.
DAWN
Oh. Okay.
Xander is about to open the basement door, but Dawn turns
off the water and walks to him.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Xander, wait.
He stops and turns around.
XANDER
Yeah?
DAWN
We have a slight problem.
XANDER
Out of toothpaste?
DAWN
Well, yeah. But something else too.
Y'know how when we took the tour of
the house, we never really went
upstairs?
XANDER
Yeah.
DAWN
Well, as it turns out, this is a two-
bedroom house. And not the big kind.
We're talking three beds, tops. And
one of those might have to be a bunk-
bed. I can share with Buffy or Willow,
but...
17.
XANDER
But there's not much chance of one
of them sharing their bed with the
guy of the house. Yeah, I've seen
Three's Company enough times to know
that plot. I expect a misunderstanding
of some sort to happen any minute
now.
DAWN
What're you gonna do?
XANDER
No worries.
He opens the basement door and steps inside.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS - DAY
XANDER
I've been roomless before. I'll just
stay in the...
He turns on the light switch and takes a look around the
basement. It's horrible. Packed with old stuff. Dirt floor.
Damp and moldy looking.
XANDER (CONT'D)
...attic.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy and Willow are still getting things organized. The
room looks like a room again, they're just dusting and
straightening things.
Dawn and Xander enter.
XANDER
Power's turned off. I'm ready to fix
this thing.
DAWN
Also, we need to clear some space in
the attic for Xander.
BUFFY
I was wondering how that'd work out.
Willow suddenly remembers something.
WILLOW
Oh!
Everyone looks over at her.
18.
BUFFY
What "oh"?
WILLOW
I just remembered something. Since
we're all here now.
DAWN
(getting it)
Now?
WILLOW
Good a time as any.
DAWN
Okay.
Willow leaves the room.
XANDER
Am I supposed to know what's going
on here?
BUFFY
I think they're speaking in code.
Dawn turns to Xander.
DAWN
You know about this. Think.
(beat)
Y'know... the thing.
Xander suddenly gets it.
XANDER
Oh!
BUFFY
Okay, you haven't all been taken
over by evil house spirits or
something, have you?
DAWN
Again I say, the house isn't haunted.
It's not possessed, or enchanted.
It's not a lair of any kind. It's
just a house.
BUFFY
Mm-hmm.
Willow comes back into the room holding a wrapped box. She
goes to Buffy and hands it to her.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
What's this?
19.
WILLOW
We just thought... y'know, you
deserved something. You save the
world from evil, spend the summer
getting Giles all settled in his new
job and now it's time for you to
start that normal life you've always
wanted.
BUFFY
And this normal life involves a new
birthday?
XANDER
It just seemed like the thing to do.
BUFFY
Oh. 'Cause I really could have gotten
behind that new birthday idea.
DAWN
Are we gonna chat, or are you gonna
open it?
BUFFY
Okay, okay.
Buffy moves to the couch and sits down. She unwraps the
present and reveals... okay, it's just a plain brown box so
far.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
A box. With something in it! It's
just what I've wanted all summer.
Thank you, guys.
DAWN
Seriously. Open it.
Buffy's face fills with anticipation as she opens the box.
She looks inside. As she does, the look on her face changes
to one of curiosity. She reaches inside.
BUFFY
What is it?
She pulls out a cloth somethingorother and studies it.
WILLOW
We got it when we went to England.
Do you like it?
BUFFY
Yeah. I love it. Whatever it is.
DAWN
It's a tea cozy.
20.
Buffy suddenly catches up. A small smile forms on her face.
Her eyes well up as she hugs it.
BUFFY
(for real this time)
You guys. I love it.
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The tea cozy. Again, a sign of Buffy having a quiet life. This is what she
said she wanted, way back in season 3. One assumes that she's mentioned this
to her friends since then as well, since they weren't around her when she
said it in season 3. Still, when something fits into your vision of a perfect
life, you're bound to mention it more than once, right?
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She goes around the room, hugging everyone.
XANDER
You deserve it.
BUFFY
Thank you.
When she's done hugging everyone, she sits back down and
looks at the tea cozy some more. And there she stays for a
few beats, just looking at it.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
So, what the hell does it do?
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Dawn walks into the kitchen, carrying the box and wrapping
paper. She brings them to a large trash bag that's already
half full and puts them inside.
BUFFY (O.S.)
Dawn! Where'd you go?
DAWN
To get rid of the trash. We're trying
to clean the house, remember?
When she's done putting the box and paper into the bag, she
turns around to go back to the other room. As she does a
SLIGHT CRAWLING SOUND comes from the wall behind her. She
stops and turns back around.
She looks at the wall, as though there were a chance she
could see through it.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Don't tell me we have mice. Please
don't tell me we have mice.
THE CRAWLING SOUND is heard again. This time, it sounds like
there are more legs. Many more legs.
DAWN (CONT'D)
A family of mice?
And then she sees it. The WALL MOVES as though there were
hundreds of tiny creatures just under the paint. Dawn's eyes
widen.
|
Hey, the demon stuff had to start again at some point, right?
|
21.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy and Willow are sitting. Buffy's holding onto the tea
cozy. Xander's up on the ladder, fixing the light.
BUFFY
I think it's finally starting to
sink in. That I could have a normal
life, without demon slaying and world
saving. Just a quiet, normal
existence. With a tea cozy. Y'know,
I kept expecting something to jump
out at me, but I'm finally getting
that it's not gonna happen. That's
over. It's the past.
Dawn runs into the room.
DAWN
We have a problem.
Willow stands up and turns to Dawn. Buffy looks over from
where she's sitting.
WILLOW
What?
DAWN
There's something in the house.
WILLOW
Did you hear a mouse in the wall?
DAWN
No. I mean, there's something in the
house!
Buffy tosses the tea cozy aside.
BUFFY
I knew it! I knew there'd be something
wrong with this place. You guys are
all like "normal life" and "keeps
tea pots warm", but I knew that was
all a load of bull.
Xander starts down the ladder.
XANDER
Calm down, Buff. It's probably not
demonic.
DAWN
Not demonic? The walls were crawling.
22.
XANDER
It could be a bug infestation. Were
they kinda fat, with t-shirts that
said "I Love Wood"?
DAWN
They weren't termites. I think I'd
know the difference.
WILLOW
What'd they look like?
DAWN
(beat)
Well, I didn't actually get a good
look. I'm sure they were demons
though. Little crawly, munchy demons.
XANDER
Munchy like termites?
DAWN
No. Munchy like little demons.
WILLOW
I think we should sit down and let
this all sink in before we whip out
the gas cans and start with the
burning things.
BUFFY
I'm with Willow. We should think
this through with logic and reasoning.
Then, and only then, should we deal
with the fact of the demons living
in our new house that are gonna attack
and try to kill us and break our new
antiques.
DAWN
Great. So we'll just sit back and
wait for the brain sucking to happen.
And you know it will.
BUFFY
I never said that.
Buffy stands up.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
See? I'm standing.
She starts to walk toward the kitchen.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
And now I'm going into the kitchen.
23.
The others follow Buffy.
INT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Buffy leads the way into the kitchen. Willow, Xander and
Dawn follow her.
BUFFY
(to Dawn)
Okay, so where did you see them?
Dawn points to the wall.
DAWN
In the wall there. The whole thing
was moving around like a waterbed
when someone sits on it. Y'know,
kinda jiggly like that, but more
crawlie.
Buffy looks back at Dawn.
BUFFY
Just how do you know about jiggly
waterbeds?
Dawn pauses, looking guilty.
DAWN
Demons! Remember the demons?
BUFFY
We're talking about the waterbed
issue later, young lady.
Buffy turns back to the wall, and checks it out. She runs
her hand over it. Nothing happens.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Nothing.
DAWN
I saw it, I swear.
Xander and Willow look at each other, wondering if Dawn really
saw it. Dawn sees them.
DAWN (CONT'D)
You don't believe.
WILLOW
I believe you, Dawnie. I just also
think that we've been working pretty
hard and inhaling a lot of dust.
DAWN
You think it was in my head?
24.
WILLOW
No.
(beat)
But, maybe.
DAWN
It wasn't.
(to Buffy)
You believe me, right?
BUFFY
Of course I believe you. I was
expecting it, remember?
(beat)
Then again, Willow could be right
and I could be really paranoid.
DAWN
I can't believe this. If any of you
saw it, nobody would be questioning
it.
BUFFY
That's not true. Just last week, I
was questioning Xander when he said
he saw something.
DAWN
So you're comparing me to a one-eyed
guy who claimed he saw Princess Leia
getting on a bus in Cleveland?
Willow looks at Xander, wondering what that was about.
XANDER
(to Willow)
Yeah, I had way too many mochas that
morning.
BUFFY
You're right. I'm not being fair.
I'm sorry for that, but that doesn't
change the fact that there aren't
any muncher demons here at the moment.
There's nothing else I can do.
Dawn doesn't know what else to say. Buffy's right.
DAWN
I'll be upstairs, trying to figure
out where I'm sleeping tonight.
EXT. BUFFY'S NEW HOUSE - NIGHT
(Y'know what... I'm just going to call it "Buffy's house"
from now on. I'm sure nobody will assume that I mean the
old house.)
25.
Anyway, it's an establishing shot. The sun has set and the
lights are on in the old house.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Dawn is fixing up the master bedroom, which has two beds in
it. Probably the bedroom of a not-so-close couple at one
time, that didn't feel like sharing one bed.
|
I should probably mention that this not-so-close couple wasn't the Ackers.
The house had other people living in it, we just never saw them.
|
The room is decorated like the rest of the house. Fancy.
Nice. Dawn dusts off the dresser with one of the tarp things
that once covered it. When she's done, she slumps down onto
the closest bed. Feeling like crap.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and Willow are on the couch again. Tuckered out after
a hard day of working.
Xander flops down between them.
XANDER
How could such a nice looking house
need so much repair work?
BUFFY
Nobody's lived here for years.
XANDER
And that's an excuse to let the place
go to hell?
BUFFY
Actually, yeah.
WILLOW
We're just lucky that we have Mr.
Fixit living right here with us.
XANDER
Anyone else hungry?
BUFFY
Kinda.
WILLOW
Me too. But I don't think we have
any food here, unless you want
Victorian era bread and cheese.
XANDER
Pizza it is.
BUFFY
Do they have that here?
26.
XANDER
Yeah. I saw a sign outside the Tire-
N-Lube. Free delivery and a coupon
for a free oil change after every
twenty pizzas.
WILLOW
We should own more cars.
XANDER
Toppings?
BUFFY
Pepperoni. Sausage. Pretty much what
I had for breakfast, but with cheese.
WILLOW
Pineapple for me.
(off Xander's look)
What? It's good.
BUFFY
Actually, it is.
XANDER
'Kay. I'm gonna see what Dawn wants.
Xander gets up and walks out of the room. When he's gone,
Buffy and Willow continue to relax.
BUFFY
Think we should be worrying about
the possible demon infestation?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Xander walks into the room and finds Dawn, still on the bed.
He goes and sits at the foot of the bed.
XANDER
Hey.
DAWN
I'm not stupid. I know what I saw.
XANDER
I believe you. So do they. There's
just not much for us to do yet. We
have to wait for the big dramatic
attack scene before we know what
we're dealing with.
DAWN
They think I'm a moron who can't
tell the difference between a dust
bunny and a demon.
27.
XANDER
I don't think--
DAWN
It's just because I don't have any
special powers. I'm not chosen, I'm
not all in tune with the planet,
therefor I must be useless. Mom was
right all along.
|
Dawn and Xander talking about how they'll never have any special powers.
Another issue that I wanted to deal with.
|
XANDER
Mom?
DAWN
Last year. What she told me.
XANDER
Last year? I'm kinda lost.
DAWN
When she came to me. She told me
that Buffy wouldn't choose me. That
she'd be against me. She was right.
XANDER
Or it's possible that the First was
trying to get inside your head.
DAWN
The First can't tear apart a house.
This was real.
XANDER
Buffy did what she had to. To win
the battle. She wasn't against you.
DAWN
Yeah. I used to think that way too.
But while she was doing all that
calling, did she bother to empower
any of us who weren't all "potential"?
XANDER
Dawn, don't think that way. I've
done my share of Buffy blaming, but
it's not right. It's not her fault
that things went down the way they
did. You and me... we're the normal
ones. Always have been, always will
be. That's not Buffy's fault.
DAWN
Yeah. Fine. You're right. I'm wrong.
Dawn gets up and walks out of the room. Xander is left alone
with his thoughts. He sits in silence for a moment.
28.
XANDER
I don't suppose you'd like some pizza?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT
Dawn goes into the bathroom and closes the door behind her.
She turns on the water, just so it's not totally silent in
the room.
She looks into the mirror.
DAWN
They have no idea what I am, or what
I can do.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and Willow are still on the couch.
BUFFY
Where's Xander? I want pizza.
WILLOW
I think we might wanna consider food
shopping tomorrow. I have a feeling
that if we eat out too much in this
town, we might end up regretting it.
BUFFY
True. Though, you never know. Spark
plugs could be as valid a topping as
any.
WILLOW
(smiles)
The French toast was surprisingly
good, I must say.
|
Seriously, try peanut butter and banana French toast. It's good.
|
BUFFY
Good to know. If my stomach ever
allows me to eat breakfast again,
I'll keep it in mind.
WILLOW
I just hope we manage to eat before
the mini-demons attack. I hate
fighting evil on an empty stomach.
BUFFY
I'm usually hungry after I kill
something, either way.
(beat)
Y'know, it figures that we'd move
into a house that was infested with
demons.
29.
WILLOW
Actually, it kinda makes sense.
Only house in town that nobody wants
to live in, even though it's huge
and fancy and amazingly affordable.
BUFFY
Well, when you put it like that.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
The demon infested wall BEGINS TO MOVE AGAIN. Like it did
before. This time, the munchy demons make their way up into
the ceiling.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
BUFFY
Maybe I should go upstairs and get
Dawn.
WILLOW
'Kay. Want me to go with?
BUFFY
Nah. I'll do my sister thing, and
say that I didn't mean to call her a
dust junkie.
WILLOW
While you're up there, check on
Xander.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Xander is sitting on the bed still. He is just finishing up
his call to the pizza place, on a nearby phone. He hangs up
and starts to walk out of the room.
Just before he reaches the door, the lights flicker. He looks
back at the lamp.
XANDER
Great. More wiring to fix.
Then the lights go out totally. If it wasn't for the moonlight
coming through the window, the room would be totally dark.
He waits a second for his eye to adjust to the darkness, and
starts to move for the door again. Once again, he's stopped
by something strange. A MUNCHING SOUND. He looks around, but
can't see anything.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Well. This can't be a good thing.
30.
As though on cue, TINY DARK DEMONS DROP FROM THE CEILING,
onto Xander. They cover him and continue to munch away.
He SCREAMS.
|
Moving into a new house that ends up being infested… I'm not creative, I
just took something that happened to my brother and put a demonic spin on it.
|
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT TWO
31.
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
Buffy is making her way down the hall when she hears Xander's
SCREAM.
BUFFY
Xander?
She rushes toward her room.
Dawn comes out of the bathroom just in time to meet Buffy at
the bedroom door.
DAWN
What's going on?
BUFFY
I think your demons have attacked.
They head into the bedroom.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
Xander is scratching at himself, trying to get the MINI-DEMONS
off of him. Buffy and Dawn aren't sure how to react.
DAWN
Xander! Buffy, what do we do?
BUFFY
I don't know!
Buffy goes to Xander and tries to brush him off, but it
doesn't work. MINI-DEMONS move onto her arm and begin to
munch on her. She now has to struggle for herself.
DAWN
Buffy!
Willow comes through the door, holding a flashlight.
WILLOW
What's going...
She sees Buffy and Xander struggling.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
What happened?
DAWN
I don't know. They were on Xander
when we got here. We have to do
something.
32.
Willow shines the light on Xander, to get a better look at
the demons. As she does, the DEMONS SCURRY off of him, back
to the wall.
A few moments later, the lights in the room come back on.
Willow turns the flashlight off.
Buffy and Xander are covered in little demon bites (Xander
more than her, obviously). A few of them are bleeding, but
the others just look like really bad bug bites.
WILLOW
Those weren't termites.
BUFFY
You think?
XANDER
Right now, I am thinking "ow".
WILLOW
Let's go downstairs. Maybe we can
find something to put on the bites.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Xander and Buffy are on the couch, in a little pain. Willow's
standing over them, looking at the bites.
ANGLE ON ONE OF XANDER'S BITES.
It's got three little holes digging into the skin, and it's
very red and puffy.
She touches it.
XANDER
Ouch! Hey, quit it.
WILLOW
Sorry.
(beat)
They look like weird bug bites,
actually. They're probably blood
suckers.
BUFFY
'Cause the world didn't have enough
of those.
Dawn comes out of the kitchen, holding two damp rags.
DAWN
Sorry, this is the best I could do.
There was some really old cheese in
a can, but I didn't see how that
would help.
33.
Buffy and Xander take the rags and put them on their bites.
It actually helps to soothe the pain a little.
WILLOW
You want me to run out and pick
something up?
XANDER
I think we're good for tonight.
The DOORBELL RINGS. They all look at each other, wondering
who it could be. Xander finally remembers.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Oh, the pizza.
DAWN
I'll get it.
Dawn goes to the front door and opens it. The PIZZA GUY is
standing there, holding two pizzas. He's obviously also a
mechanic.
PIZZA GUY
You folks order some pizzas?
DAWN
Yup.
PIZZA GUY
Alright. That'll be sixteen-eighty.
Dawn pulls a bill out of her pocket and hands it to the guy.
She takes the pizzas.
DAWN
Keep the change.
PIZZA GUY
Thanks.
The pizza guy looks in and sees Buffy and Xander nursing
their bites.
PIZZA GUY (CONT'D)
Looks like you folks have a bug
problem.
DAWN
Oh. Yeah. It's no biggie though.
Thanks again.
She tries to close the door, but the pizza guy talks again.
PIZZA GUY
Yeah.
(MORE)
34.
PIZZA GUY (CONT'D)
Every now and then, a house around
these parts'll get infested real
good. Must be all the trees.
DAWN
Yeah. Must be.
She holds up the pizza.
DAWN (CONT'D)
I should probably get this inside
before the cheese gets all weird.
PIZZA GUY
Right. You folks have a good night.
DAWN
You too.
Dawn is finally able to close the door and goes back inside.
She puts the pizza down on a table.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Anyone hungry?
Buffy and Xander look at her, wondering how she could eat
when they're covered in demon bites.
DAWN (CONT'D)
What? C'mon, it's not like the first
time we've ever been attacked by
demons.
Buffy and Xander think about that. Finally, they have no
choice but to agree. They reach for the pizza.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy is sitting alone in the room, talking on the phone.
BUFFY
(into phone)
Yeah. They were like these little
bug-sized demon things.
(beat)
Yes, Giles, I'm sure they were demons.
I have the bites to prove it.
(beat)
I was kinda hoping you'd know what
they were. Our book collection's
kinda buried under a few tons of
Sunnydale wreckage right about now.
(beat)
Yeah. Okay. Thank you.
(MORE)
35.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(beat)
You too. Bye.
|
The call to Giles. One of many. I decided to write this season as though it
were the actual tv show. Because of this, I had to limit how much I showed
Giles. I still wanted him to be part of their lives though, so I used the
phone.
|
She hangs up just as Xander and Willow walk in through the
front door, carrying bags of food.
WILLOW
Anything from Giles?
Buffy goes to help them carry the bags.
BUFFY
He's looking it up for us. Might
take a while.
XANDER
(proud)
Guess he's missing his crack team of
researchers right about now.
He and Willow share a smile.
BUFFY
You know, this was the last thing I
needed.
They walk out of the living room, toward the kitchen.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
It's a few seconds later. Yeah, we've missed a little bit of
conversation as they walked through the dining room, but we
didn't miss anything important.
BUFFY
I mean, c'mon already. Can't a girl
take a few decades off every now and
then?
WILLOW
Think of it this way. We're not on
the Hellmouth anymore. How many demons
can there be in this place? Probably
best to just get 'em out of the way
now and not have to deal with them
later, right?
BUFFY
I guess.
(beat)
Maybe I should just die again for a
while. That was really relaxing.
Xander's attention drifts as Buffy and Willow continue to
talk.
36.
WILLOW
Bad idea. I'm fresh out of Urns of
Osiris.
BUFFY
Darn. Oh well, there's always Hawaii.
WILLOW
I think I might be able to support
that plan. There are some things
there that I've been meaning to check
out. Goddesses and stuff like that.
It'd be neat.
BUFFY
I think you're missing the point
here, Will. Vacation from mystical
stuff, not to mystical stuff.
WILLOW
Oh. Sorry.
The DOORBELL RINGS.
BUFFY
I'll get it.
Buffy leaves the room. Willow now notices that Xander's
looking off into space.
WILLOW
Hey.
He snaps out of it.
XANDER
Hmm?
WILLOW
You okay?
XANDER
Yeah, I'm good. Death talk just
doesn't thrill me the way it used
to, I guess.
WILLOW
Anya?
He looks down, clearly still upset by her death. Willow puts
her arms around Xander.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
You can talk to me, you know. I know
what you're going through.
37.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy opens the front door. Standing outside is HARVEY. He's
a middle-aged exterminator, holding a clipboard.
HARVEY
Hi there.
BUFFY
Hi. Can I help you with something?
HARVEY
Actually, I was just about to ask
you that very same question.
BUFFY
Oh. Why?
HARVEY
I'm Harvey Lawler, the town's
exterminator. I offer great service
at a price you can afford.
BUFFY
You obviously don't know me.
HARVEY
Well, I noticed you just moved into
this old place, and I know it's been
empty for a while now. You folks
probably have one heck of a pest
problem.
BUFFY
You can say that again.
HARVEY
Well, I'd be happy to help put those
critters right out of your misery.
Buffy doesn't like Harvey very much. Very suspicious.
BUFFY
I think we can handle it. Thanks
anyway.
She is about to close the door when he puts his foot in the
way. She looks like she wants to kick him in a bad place for
doing that.
HARVEY
You sure about that? The bugs around
these parts can be pretty mean.
Judging from those bites, it looks
like you've already learned that.
38.
BUFFY
We have really good bug spray. The
kind that kills those little metal
balls on tv.
HARVEY
But--
BUFFY
I said we're good.
Now she forces the door closed. He manages to pull his foot
out before it's broken.
Not liking what just happened, she starts back toward the
kitchen. Before she can get too far, a large chunk of ceiling
falls to the ground near where she was just standing. She
stops and looks back.
She looks at the ceiling pieces on the floor, and almost
wants to cry.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Xander!
Xander and Willow come through the dining room and join Buffy.
They see what's happened.
WILLOW
Hey. How'd the ceiling end up on the
floor?
BUFFY
I think we can thank our little demon
friends for that one.
XANDER
Couldn't they just stick to eating
us alive?
BUFFY
I'm pretty sure I know who's causing
this. This creepy exterminator guy
just came to the door and almost
popped a lung when I said we didn't
need anything killed.
WILLOW
Did you beat him up?
BUFFY
Not yet, but I plan to as soon as we
have proof that he's behind this.
39.
EXT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Harvey creeps up to the side of the house. He's carrying a
clay vase-like container. When he's close to the house, and
he's sure that he hasn't been noticed, he holds the opening
to the container to the side of the house.
HARVEY
Spawn of earth and spirits of the
past, I summon you. Bring forth your
power and devour this dwelling.
From the container, THOUSANDS OF MINI-DEMONS swarm into the
house.
Harvey smiles.
HARVEY (CONT'D)
Another honest day's work.
He gets up and walks away.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy is talking on the phone again. Willow and Dawn are
watching her from the couch. Dawn is eating from a container
of ice cream.
DAWN
I feel so useless, not doing any
research.
WILLOW
It's strange, isn't it? Kinda like
we're slackers.
BUFFY
(into phone)
Giles? Are you even there?
(beat)
Well, you weren't saying anything.
DAWN
When's the internet connection gonna
be set up? At least then we'll have
the demon database to look stuff up
on.
WILLOW
Not for another week, at least. They
need to run wires.
DAWN
Oh.
Xander comes in from the kitchen, eating a piece of cold
pizza. He sits in a chair.
40.
XANDER
What're we doing?
DAWN
Watching Buffy listen to Giles do
research.
XANDER
Anything yet?
DAWN
Not sure. Mostly a lot of "uh-huhs"
and meaningful pauses.
BUFFY
(still into phone)
Okay, so what are they then?
Buffy goes to a table where a piece of paper and a pen are
sitting. She writes as Giles speaks to her.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Garrimounds? Is that one "r" or two?
(beat)
Two. Okay.
(beat)
You're right. It really doesn't matter
how I spell it. So how do I kill
them?
DAWN
Garrimounds?
BUFFY
(once again, into the
phone)
Fine. Call me when you find something.
Buffy hangs up.
WILLOW
What's up?
BUFFY
He found a reference to demons called
Garrimounds in one of the Watcher
Diaries. Nothing on how to kill them
though.
DAWN
(thinking)
Garrimounds. Garrimounds.
(beat)
Ooh! They're worker demons.
(MORE)
41.
DAWN (CONT'D)
People summoned them in the past to
eat away at the homes of their
enemies, or the walls around kingdoms
or whatever. Basically, they eat
structures until a place falls down,
leaving it vulnerable for invaders.
Dawn takes another bite of her ice cream as the rest of the
gang looks at her, puzzled.
DAWN (CONT'D)
(off their looks)
What?
BUFFY
How'd you know that?
DAWN
Don't know. Guess I picked it up
from all the research sessions last
year. I think it was in German or
something.
BUFFY
Since when do you read German?
DAWN
Do you realize how many texts I've
had to translate? Lots.
|
Dawn's brain power. She doesn't know where it comes from yet, but she's been
tapping into her Key power this whole time. With Dawn, I wanted to explore
the Key angle more, but at the same time, I didn't want her to suddenly
become another Slayer type, or anything like that. A theme of the season
is accepting who you are, and realizing that that is your power. So Dawn
and brain power seemed to fit nicely.
|
XANDER
Okay, Book Of Dawn, so how do we
kill the little buggers?
Dawn thinks about it for a second.
DAWN
Fire. I think.
(beat)
Yeah, fire.
BUFFY
Great. So all we have to do is burn
down the house.
DAWN
Actually, no. We have to get them
back to their nest, then burn them.
Outside the nest, they're pretty
resistant to stuff.
(then)
How do I know all of this?
WILLOW
So where's the nest?
42.
BUFFY
I think I know that one.
INT. HARVEY'S PEST CONTROL - NIGHT
The office is dark. Looks like everyone's gone home for the
night.
Suddenly, the door flies off of it's hinges. Buffy, Willow,
Xander and Dawn walk in. They hold flashlights.
WILLOW
Y'know, I probably coulda taken care
of that lock without resorting to
smashing.
BUFFY
More fun my way.
XANDER
What are we looking for, exactly?
DAWN
A container.
XANDER
Like Gladware?
DAWN
More ancient. Should look like a
vase, or a pitcher. Something with a
hole in the top.
Buffy goes to a desk and looks inside. She starts thumbing
through papers and files.
BUFFY
Check this out. All of these people
have the same problem we do.
XANDER
So our friendly neighborhood
exterminator summons the demons and
then gets paid for cleaning them up.
|
This part didn't happen to my brother. I just thought an exterminator could
make a fortune doing this.
|
BUFFY
Told you.
She puts the papers away. As she closes the door a NOISE is
heard, from a nearby closet.
They all turn. Willow points to the closet door and mouths...
WILLOW
(mouthed only)
Someone's in there.
43.
Buffy nods and walks to the closet. She grabs the knob and
counts down from three before quickly pulling the door open.
Inside the closet, Harvey is huddled behind jackets and
uniforms. He's holding onto the demon container.
When he sees Buffy, he's startled and drops the container.
It shatters on the ground.
Buffy looks down at it.
BUFFY
Well... That sucks.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT THREE
44.
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. HARVEY'S PEST CONTROL - NIGHT
Buffy pulls Harvey out of the closet.
BUFFY
Why did you have to drop that?
Couldn't you just make my life a
little easier and not drop that?
HARVEY
Wh-- What do you want with me?
XANDER
About twenty minutes with you covered
by mini-demons should just about do
it.
BUFFY
We're onto you and you're little
scam.
HARVEY
Don't tell the cops. I'll cut you
in.
BUFFY
Yeah, there's a first impression I
really wanna make on this town. How
'bout you help us clean up your little
mess, and then we can figure out how
to take care of you.
XANDER
Again, I suggest the mini-demons.
DAWN
I'm not sure we can stop them. We
needed them in their nest.
Willow goes to the broken pieces of the container on the
ground and picks some of the larger pieces up.
WILLOW
Maybe we can fix it.
BUFFY
A spell?
WILLOW
Or glue.
45.
BUFFY
Right. That could work too. Get as
many pieces as you can.
Buffy looks back to Harvey as Willow and Xander start picking
up the container pieces.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Where did you get these things?
HARVEY
A vender. She passed through here
about two months ago. I haven't seen
her since, I swear.
BUFFY
She give you a manual to go along
with it?
Harvey nods.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Give.
Harvey goes to his desk, unlocks a drawer and pulls a scroll
out of it. He gives it to Buffy and she looks at it.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
It's not in English. German, I think.
DAWN
Let me see it.
Buffy hands it to Dawn. Dawn looks it over.
BUFFY
Can you actually read that thing?
DAWN
Not really, but I get the gist of
it. Looks like the same thing I read
before. Description and some other
stuff I can't make out too good.
Maybe summoning spells. I'm not sure.
BUFFY
Anything on how we might stop these
demons without the nest?
DAWN
Just what we already knew.
Willow looks up at Buffy.
WILLOW
This isn't looking good.
46.
BUFFY
Fine. Just get all the pieces together
and bring them. We'll figure out a
plan when we get to the house.
Harvey starts to creep away. Buffy grabs him and pulls him
along as she walks toward the door.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
As if you weren't coming with us.
Dawn follows Buffy out of the office. Willow and Xander
scramble to pick up as many pieces as they can, and then
rush out of the door.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and the others walk into the house. Buffy tosses Harvey
in the direction of the couch.
BUFFY
Sit.
She looks back to Willow and Xander.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Can we put it back together?
WILLOW
I don't know. Maybe if we had some
time to work on it.
Another chunk of ceiling falls behind them.
BUFFY
Don't have time. What about a spell?
WILLOW
There are spells for fixing broken
objects. I'm not sure it'd work
though. We'd need all of the pieces.
BUFFY
Don't we have all of the pieces?
XANDER
Except for all of the really little
ones that were left back in the office
as someone was rushing out the door.
BUFFY
(guilty)
Well, I was just doing that thing.
Y'know, where we get all pumped up
and determined to win. How was I
supposed to know?
47.
WILLOW
There might be another way.
BUFFY
How?
WILLOW
A spell. I might be able to use the
parts of the nest that we do have,
and create some kind of a new
container.
BUFFY
Good. Get on it.
WILLOW
I don't know how long it would last
though.
BUFFY
We only need it to last long enough
to torch the things.
WILLOW
It'll take me a few minutes to set
up.
BUFFY
Do it.
Willow nods and heads into the kitchen. Buffy turns to Dawn.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Dawn, go over the scroll again and
see if there's anything we can use
in there. Maybe we can put them to
sleep for a while or something.
DAWN
Okay, but my German is pretty... I'm
great with the small words like "der"
and "bratwurst", but when it comes
to actual sentences, it's touch and
go.
BUFFY
You know enough to get the gist.
Dawn takes the scroll and passes Xander on her way to a chair.
Buffy looks at Xander who meets her with a "what about me?"
look.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Xander...
48.
XANDER
Just point me in a direction and say
go.
BUFFY
Right. You could... help Willow. I
mean, see if she needs help and then
help her if she does.
Xander knows that Buffy didn't really have a job for him,
but he accepts it anyway. With a nod, he walks out of the
room.
Harvey starts to back away slowly. Buffy turns to him and
shoots him a threatening look. He stops moving.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Willow is looking around the kitchen. Xander comes in.
XANDER
Hey. Whatcha looking for?
WILLOW
Something to smash these pieces with.
XANDER
Smash? I thought we were trying to
put it back together.
WILLOW
Not exactly. I need to grind the
pieces into as fine a powder as
possible.
XANDER
Okay. If you say so.
Xander starts to look around the kitchen too.
XANDER (CONT'D)
So, just like old times, huh?
WILLOW
What do you mean?
XANDER
Y'know. The house being overtaken by
demons. Us trying to stop them before
they rip everything apart. Kinda
like being right back in Sunnydale.
WILLOW
Yeah, with more Victorian.
Xander pulls out a meat tenderizer.
49.
XANDER
Ah-ha!
Willow looks back.
WILLOW
That'll work.
Xander hands her the tenderizer. She takes it to the counter
where she proceeds to wrap the container pieces in a dish
towel and then bashes it as hard as she can.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and Dawn look back toward the kitchen as a loud BANG
comes from that direction.
DAWN
You think they're okay in there?
BUFFY
I'm sure we'd hear more yelling if
they weren't.
Another BANG.
DAWN
Unless the ceiling caved in on them.
Another BANG.
BUFFY
Good point.
DAWN
Should I check it out?
BUFFY
Maybe.
Dawn stands up and is just about ready to go into the kitchen
when Willow and Xander come out. Willow is carrying a bowl
with the container powder in it.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Are you guys okay?
XANDER
Why wouldn't we be?
BUFFY
We heard noises.
WILLOW
Oh, that was just me smashing up the
pieces.
50.
Willow shows Buffy the contents of the bowl. Buffy doesn't
know that this is a good thing.
BUFFY
Way to go.
WILLOW
No, it was on purpose. For the spell.
BUFFY
Oh. So are we ready?
WILLOW
Think so.
(to Dawn)
Dawnie, can you get me a couple
candles? Oh, and one for yourself.
Dawn heads out of the room. Willow puts the bowl down on the
table. She kneels down next to the table.
BUFFY
So what happens now?
WILLOW
I'm gonna try to use the powder to
form a bubble that we can catch the
demons in.
Willow looks back to Harvey.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Which means we'll need him to get
them in here when we're ready.
Just then the lights flicker. There's a MUNCHING SOUND in
the walls. Everyone looks around.
BUFFY
I don't think that's gonna be a
problem.
After Buffy says that, the lights go out totally.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Uh-oh.
In the darkness, a SWARM OF MINI-DEMONS comes from the wall.
HARVEY
(in German)
Brut der Erde, greife meine Feind an!
(translation)
Spawn of earth, attack my enemy.
Buffy looks back at Harvey, wondering where the German came
from.
51.
BUFFY
What did you do?
Harvey smiles.
The swarm goes right after Buffy. Soon, SHE IS COVERED IN
MINI-DEMONS. She yells in pain as they bite her, and she
stumbles around the room. She falls over the table, spilling
the powder from the bowl as she falls to the floor.
WILLOW
Buffy!
XANDER
We have to do something.
Dawn rushes back into the room holding two candles in one
hand and another in her other hand.
DAWN
Buffy!
Buffy continues to stumble around. Xander goes to her and
tries to help, but he only ends up with MINI-DEMONS COVERING
HIS ARM. He yells in pain.
HARVEY
All you had to do was pay me to get
rid of them. Nobody had to get hurt.
Harvey starts to get up and make his way toward the door.
Even with the demons covering her, Buffy won't allow him to
get away. She leaps over the couch and tackles him. Soon, HE
IS COVERED IN MINI-DEMONS as well. He screams in pain and
stumbles into the dining room where he falls to the ground.
Buffy and Xander are struggling with the demons. They're
still being bit.
DAWN
We have to help them. Where are the
flashlights?
Willow looks over at her.
WILLOW
No time for that.
(then)
Ignite!
From the candles in Dawn's hands, FLAMES SHOOT HIGH. Dawn
jumps and lets out a scream. The light from the candles fills
the room.
The demons on Buffy and Xander scatter to the darker corners
of the room. Both of them are in pain and out of breath, but
Buffy keeps her mind in the game.
52.
BUFFY
Dawn, you have to get the demons
gathered.
DAWN
I don't speak German.
BUFFY
Just say the words. You don't have
to understand them.
(to Willow)
Right?
WILLOW
I hope.
|
Another throwback to an old episode. The "you don't have to know what
you're saying" theory that Willow, Oz and Cordelia used when doing the
spell in "Becoming".
|
Buffy takes two candles from Dawn and puts them on the table
in front of Willow.
BUFFY
Willow, go.
Willow starts to focus her thoughts. She closes her eyes.
WILLOW
(in Italian)
Prenda questo rubble e diagli la
figura. Prenda questo remains e dia
loro la forma. Ciò ordine di I.
(translation)
Take this rubble and give it shape.
Take these remains and give them
form.
The powder on the ground in front of her RISES INTO THE AIR.
Willow opens her eyes and looks straight ahead. In front of
her, the DUST FORMS A BUBBLE WITH AN OPENING ON TOP.
Buffy looks back to Dawn.
BUFFY
Dawn, we need you. Now.
Dawn nervously takes the scroll in her hand and looks it
over. She holds her candle to it so she can see it more
clearly.
DAWN
I think I got it.
She reads a little, then speaks with slight hesitation.
DAWN (CONT'D)
(in German)
Brut der Erde-- uh-- höre mich!
(MORE)
53.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Kehre in dein Nest zurück und
Schlummer Gehorche meinem Wort und--
umm-- verlasse diese Wohnung!
Höre mich! Verlasse diese Wohnung!
(translation)
Spawn of earth-- uh-- hear me. Return
to your nest and slumber. Obey my
word and-- umm-- and leave this
dwelling. Hear me! Leave this
dwelling!
The MINI-DEMONS SWARM AGAIN (including the ones from the now
oddly silent dining room). This time, they swarm right into
the opening in Willow's bubble.
DAWN
Fire!
Buffy looks back at Dawn, confused.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Burn them!
BUFFY
Oh!
Before Buffy has time to do it, Xander grabs one of Willow's
candles and tosses it into the opening.
We can only see a FLICKER inside the bubble, but WE CAN HEAR
POPPING AND SNAPPING.
Buffy and the others watch.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
It's like evil popcorn.
From the opening, RED HOT DEMON CORPSES begin to fly out.
Buffy jumps back just in time to avoid one. Another lands on
the couch and starts to burn it, but Xander puts out the
fire quickly.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Willow, seal the hole.
Willow focuses. Before she can close the hole, few more hot
demons fly out. One lands right on top of Buffy's tea cozy
and it bursts into flames. Buffy watches it.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Why does everything in my life always
have to be so damn symbolic?
Dawn puts that fire out.
54.
Willow CLOSES THE OPENING. THE SOUNDS ARE NOW MUFFLED.
As the opening closes, one last demon flies out and lands on
Willow's leg. She jumps up. Her concentration is broken.
A MYSTICAL SHOCKWAVE ripples out from Willow. THE BUBBLE
EXPLODES. The dust forms a cloud in the air, as the burning
demons fly in all directions. Luckily, most of them burn out
before they hit anything. The gang manages to snuff out the
others before any damage is caused.
When it's all over, the gang looks around.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Is that it? Is it over?
A chunk of ceiling falls near Xander.
XANDER
For you guys, it's over. For me, the
work is just beginning.
DAWN
What happened to the exterminator
guy?
Buffy walks to the dining room just as the lights come back
on. She looks into the dining room and then looks back to
Dawn.
BUFFY
Believe me when I say, you do not
want to know.
Dawn cringes at the thought.
WILLOW
So, I guess this means that we're
officially back to demon hunting.
XANDER
Oh, the joy of it all.
Buffy picks up her burnt tea cozy and looks it over.
BUFFY
What was this thing made of anyway?
FADE TO BLACK:
FADE IN:
EXT. MYSTERY RUBBLE - NIGHT
Just when you think the episode is over, we see this. Close
on this rubble. What looks like a pile of rocks, dirt and
splintered wood.
55.
Willow's SHOCKWAVE HITS.
PUSH IN on the rubble. As we get closer to it, we see one of
the rocks begin to shake.
|
Anyone who read the entire season already should know what this is.
The words to Willow's spell explain the "how" parts a little more.
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FADE TO BLACK:
END OF EPISODE
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And so this episode comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed the small comments
here and there. If not… well, skip any other commentaries that you see on
the site.
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