Emma Caulfield Movies
Holding a degree in psychology, Emma Caulfield began her acting career in television on shows like General Hospital and Beverly Hills 90210. After a couple of brief film appearances, she landed her breakthrough role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the demon Anyanka, reborn as the human Anya Emerson, at Sunnydale High. Her popularity on the show led to an expanding role for her character as well as a lead in the thriller Darkness Falls (2003). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 2000
At Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) surprise birthday party, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) lets slip that Riley (Marc Blucas) is not only Buffy's new boyfriend, but also in the Initiative. Giles (Anthony Head) is flabbergasted, as he is the last one to find out this information. Feeling out of the loop and obsolete as a Watcher, Giles gets drunk with old buddy, and black magic sorcerer, Eathan Rayne (Robin Sachs). Rayne relates a rumor that demons are fearing the coming of something named 314 (see "The I in Team"). After passing out, Giles awakens to discover he's been turned into a Fyarl demon and can only speak in demon grunts and growls. He goes to Xander for help only to be chased off with pots and pans. Meanwhile, Buffy and Riley discover Giles missing, and, suspecting Eathan Rayne's involvement, go looking for him. Fortunately, Spike (James Marstens) speaks Fyarl and promises to help Giles -- for money. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2001
As depression and a shadowy demon haunt Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the Slayer and her friends must deal with the consequences of her resurrection in both personal and supernatural terms. Returning to the Summers house with Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) on the night of her rebirth, Buffy hides from bright lights and expresses confusion over the changes in her home. The Scoobies turn up, excited to be reunited with their friend, but she's uncommunicative and wants to do nothing but sleep. Though overjoyed that his unattainable beloved has returned, Spike (James Marsters) blows up at Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and the others for risking such perilous magicks to resurrect Buffy -- and for keeping him in the dark about their plans. Soon, though, more pressing problems arise in the form of a phantom presence that haunts and possesses the gang one by one. Eventually, research reveals that Willow's necromancy has unleashed an immaterial fiend that seeks to steal Buffy's new life and corporeal form for itself. The Slayer eventually defeats her foe, but not the dark cloud that seems to hang over her. Buffy feigns gratitude toward her friends for bringing her back, but she confesses to Spike that she was actually in a place very much like Heaven after she died. It's only now that she's been ripped back onto the mortal plane, with all of its trials and responsibilities, that she like she's descended into Hell. Originally broadcast October 9, 2001, on the UPN network, "After Life" marked episode 103 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) follows in the footsteps of undead-lovin' big sister Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) when she ends up in the arms of a cute teen vamp. Her adventures take place on Halloween -- the same day Xander (Nicholas Brendon) finally announces his engagement to Anya (Emma Caulfield). During the festivities, Tara (Amber Benson) confronts Willow (Alyson Hannigan) about her over-reliance on magic to solve life's problems. Meanwhile, Dawn deals with her own teen angst by shoplifting from the magic shop and sneaking out with a friend for a midnight rendezvous with some handsome young lads. When her date sprouts fangs, however, Dawn is forced to dust him -- shades of Buffy and Angel (see "Becoming, Part 2"). Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), Spike (James Marsters), and Buffy eventually rescue Dawn and her friend from the mess they're in. But the Slayer leaves it up to her Watcher to mete out punishment. Elsewhere, Willow seeks to escape further scoldings by casting a spell to make Tara forget their fight. Originally broadcast October 30, 2001, on UPN, "All the Way" marked episode 106 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) finds her continued sexual hijinks with Spike (James Marsters) and her dead-end job at the Doublemeat Palace interrupted by an unexpected visitor: ex-boyfriend Riley Finn (Marc Blucas). Last seen heading off to fight demons in Belize (see "Into the Woods"), Riley seeks Buffy's help in tracking a Savolti demon, whose lightning-fast breeding cycle makes it particularly nasty. During the mission that follows, the old flames each get a rude surprise: Buffy, when she meets Sam (Ivana Milicevic), Riley's fellow soldier and wife; and Riley, when he stumbles onto Buffy and Spike in bed together. Although it's her insecurity at Riley's apparently quick recovery from their breakup that sends Buffy back to Spike's boudoir in the first place, she's horrified to have her ex learn about her own latest liaison. Ever the standup guy, though, Riley assures Buffy that no matter what's going on with her job or her love life, she's still the strongest woman he knows. Riley's visit doesn't turn out quite so comforting for a certain bleach-blond vampire. Not only does the do-gooder reveal Spike to be the mastermind behind the Savolti-breeding scheme, he also inadvertently spurs Buffy to break things off with Spike. Avowing that she could never love Spike and has just been using him, Buffy apologizes to her dumbstruck lover and walks out on him. Originally broadcast February 26, 2002, on UPN, "As You Were" marked episode 115 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Months after the death of the titular vampire slayer (see "The Gift"), her friends finally seem to be adjusting to life after Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson) are living with and caring for Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). Spike (James Marsters), Xander (Nicholas Brendon), and the others are carrying out routine patrol duty with assistance from the Buffy-bot, whose presence gives the illusion that the Slayer is still alive. Anya (Emma Caulfield) works at the magic shop and longs for Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) to return to England and leave her in charge. Buffy's former watcher finally departs on the very day that Willow finishes her secret preparations to resurrect Buffy. Xander expresses misgivings about this supernatural enterprise, but his Wiccan friend convinces him that Buffy may be suffering unspeakably in some unknown hell dimension. Joined by the Scoobies in the woods outside town, Willow calls on the darkest of magicks to implore the god Osiris to bring back her friend. Unfortunately, at that very moment, a demon biker gang arrives, having bested the Buffy-bot in combat and learned that it isn't really the Slayer. Willow's spell thus disrupted, she and her devastated friends flee, convinced that their chance to bring Buffy back has been wasted. Six feet under a nearby tombstone, however, Buffy's decomposing corpse suddenly reanimates. Originally broadcast October 2, 2001, on the UPN network, "Bargaining, Part 1" marked episode 101 of the cult-favorite series. A new beginning in more ways than one, this resurrection-themed episode also marked the program's move to UPN from the rival WB network. It was originally shown in a two-hour block with "Bargaining, Part 2." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
As the newly resurrected Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) horrifically digs herself out of her grave, her friends scatter, unaware that their necromancy actually worked before it was interrupted by a demon biker gang. Meanwhile, those same demons continue to pillage Sunnydale, overjoyed that the only Slayer now standing in their way is the ineffectual Buffy-bot. Spike (James Marsters) valiantly protects Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) from the carnage, while Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and the others do what they can to battle the leather-clad fiends. Meanwhile, a near-catatonic Buffy wanders the town and witnesses her robot double being dismantled by the bikers. Ultimately, she must face off with the demons in an alley while her nearby friends slowly realize she's the real Slayer and not the 'bot. Elsewhere, Dawn learns of her sister's return from the mutilated robot and rushes off to find Buffy, who, still speechless, has fled from the Scoobies. The Summers sisters find one another atop the rickety tower from which Buffy fell to her supernatural death some months earlier. Dawn can't seem to believe it when Buffy asks her if this is Hell and seems on the verge of taking a second plunge. Hysterical, the girl tells Buffy she can't live without her. The pair barely make it to the ground before the tower collapses, but Buffy doesn't look nearly as happy about her return from the dead as Dawn does. Originally broadcast October 2, 2001, on the UPN network as part of a two-hour block with the previous installment, "Bargaining, Part 2" marked episode 102 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
As the gang digest the implications of Glory (Clare Kramer) being a hell-god rather than a garden-variety demon, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) lays another whopper on them. She reveals that Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) is "The Key" that Glory so desperately seeks. Although Dawn herself caught snippets of that knowledge two episodes earlier (see "Triangle"), she doesn't grasp its implications until Spike (James Marsters) helps her sneak into the magic shop and read up on her origins. Horrified to learn that she is not truly human but rather an ancient mystical force given mortal form and memories mere months ago, the distraught teen experiences a meltdown in the midst of Buffy's 20th birthday party. The Scoobies are unsure how to comfort her, so the Slayer goes into research mode while Willow (Alyson Hannigan) works on a sort of supernatural burglar alarm to protect Dawn. As Glory is off decimating the ranks of the Knights of Byzantium, Dawn continues to act out her feelings of alienation. She sneaks out to the hospital to commune with the unfortunates who have been driven mad by Glory's soul-draining touch and are therefore capable of seeing what Dawn truly is. Dawn soon runs into Ben (Charlie Weber), the handsome doctor who recently treated her mother and who unwillingly shares his body with Glory. Ben intuits that Dawn is The Key, but then Glory takes over his body and, failing to make the same realization, tries to pump Dawn for information. Buffy shows up and brawls with Glory, who is vanquished only when Willow and Tara (Amber Benson) slap her with a teleportation spell. Unfortunately, though, Dawn's memory of Ben transforming into Glory seems to have been erased, opening a vulnerability the hell-god will exploit in the subsequent episode "Spiral." Originally broadcast February 6, 2001, on the WB network, "Blood Ties" marked episode 91 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
As Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the Scoobies recover from the recent assault on the Summers' house (see "Never Leave Me"), Spike (James Marsters) suffers at the hands of his captor, who appears in the form of his long-lost love, Drusilla (Juliet Landau). Dru brags about using Spike's blood to raise the Turok-Han, a monstrous bloodsucker who resembles an amped-up version of F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, The Vampire, and who assists in Spike's watery torture. Just as Buffy is putting the pieces together and revealing to her friends that their foe is none other than the shape-shifting First Evil (see "Amends"), Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) arrives with three trainee slayers in tow. He confirms the threat of the First and reveals that his charges are among the final remaining bastions of the recently obliterated Watcher's Council. Buffy and Giles head to the abandoned Christmas tree lot where Buffy first encountered the robed Harbingers of the First. There, Buffy barely escapes the monstrous Turok-Han -- no thanks to Giles, who sits out the battle with no explanation. Emotionally and physically fried, Buffy nonetheless heads to her day job and encounters the enigmatic Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside) in the catacombs beneath the school. Meanwhile, everyone else uses the daylight hours to fortify the house against the über-vamp's inevitable after-dark assault -- an event that actually occurs when one of the trainee slayers freaks out and flees right into the monster's grasp. Too late to save the girl, Buffy gets a royal thrashing at the Turok-Han's hands. Nonetheless, she vows to stop cowering and start taking the fight to the First's own doorstep. That would probably be good news to Spike, who sees through the First's Drusilla drag but continues to suffer as the big bad's prisoner. Originally broadcast December 18, 2002, on the UPN network, "Bring on the Night" marked episode 132 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is busy staking vamps when she is interrupted by a tall, pale vampire with long black hair admiring her slayer skills -- Dracula (Rudolph Martin). Buffy, "having fought more than a couple of pimply, overweight vamps that called themselves Lestat," is initially suspicious. Quickly, exiting via bat wings, his Dracula-ness is verified. Anya (Emma Caulfield) even claims to have hung out with him when she was a vengeance demon. Apparently in Sunnydale, to woo the slayer over to the darkside, Buffy and friends must separate fact from fiction to slay the dark prince. Meanwhile, Giles (Anthony Head) announces he is planning to return to England -- not before he gets in some heroic necking with a few of Dracula's sexy "brides." As if the appearance of the bloody prince isn't enough for this season opener, we also meet Buffy's cute little sister, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg). ~ All Movie Guide
- 2001
Quentin Travers (Harris Yulin) and several other members of the Council arrive in Sunnydale with information about Glory (Clare Kramer) and begin ordering Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) around. They promise to share their data if Buffy and her friends will submit to tests and interviews, but they warn that without cooperation they'll shut down the magic shop and have Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) deported. Everyone reluctantly goes along with the Council's directives until a pair of close calls shifts the balance of power. First, Glory herself shows up at Buffy's house and threatens to kill Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) if the Slayer doesn't reveal the location of "The Key." Then, a bunch of medieval warriors called the Knights of Byzantium show up, declaring that Buffy is their enemy as long as she harbors The Key. Unflappable even in the face of these twin threats, Buffy turns the tables on Travers. Announcing that she's the one with all the actual power, she gets the Council members to cough up their info. They reveal the subtle but profound distinction that Glory is a god, not a demon. Originally broadcast January 23, 2001, on the WB network, "Checkpoint" marked episode 90 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) interrupts her tender reunion with Angel (David Boreanaz) long enough to dispatch Caleb (Nathan Fillion) quite violently once and for all. Afterward, Angel says he can smell Spike (James Marsters) on Buffy. The Slayer admits that Spike now has a soul and is "in her heart," but she professes no desire for a relationship with either of her undead suitors. Instead, she wants to discover the person she's destined to become -- if, that is, she makes it through the impending conflict. To that end, Angel hands over a magical champion's amulet to be used against The First, then heads back to L.A. to form a second line of defense. Back at home, Spike is apoplectic with jealousy about Angel's return, but he accepts the amulet and shares another chaste, tender night with Buffy. A visit from The First, however, interrupts the Slayer's sleep -- and gives her a brilliant idea about how to defeat her nemesis. The Scoobies, the slayers-in-waiting, Faith (Eliza Dushku) and Buffy head to Sunnydale High to open the Seal of Danzalthar and wage war on The First's Turok-Han army. As Buffy and the slayerettes stream through the Seal, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Kennedy (Iyari Limon) complete a powerful spell to release the immense energy inside the Scythe and "call" every potential slayer in the world at the same time. Their potential now realized, the junior slayers join Buffy and Faith in kicking some serious Turok-Han butt. Injured in battle, Buffy once again receives a visit from The First, but the being's triumph is short-lived. Spike's amulet suddenly kicks in, punching a hole through the Hellmouth and turning Spike into a sort of magical magnifying glass for the sunlight that shines through. The Turok-Han army goes up in smoke and the entire town of Sunnydale begins to collapse into the Hellmouth. As the slayer brigade flees, Buffy professes her love for Spike even as his shining body begins to disintegrate. Cackling joyfully, Spike orders Buffy to save herself, and she does -- running across the tops of crumbling buildings and leaping onto the school bus that has become her army's unlikely rescue vehicle. Buffy and her allies are left to stare at the ruins of Sunnydale, mourn their losses -- including Anya (Emma Caulfield), who died protecting Andrew (Tom Lenk) from The First's bringers -- and contemplate their future in a world full of slayers. Originally broadcast May 20, 2003, on UPN, "Chosen" marked the 144th and final episode of the cult-favorite series. Although star Sarah Michelle Gellar officially pulled the plug on the show when she decided against renewing her contract, creator Joss Whedon said in interviews that he preferred to go out on top rather than allowing the series to linger past its creative peak. Fans were left with one final mystery: How would James Marsters join the cast of spin-off series Angel when his character, Spike, had died saving the world? ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
While on a routine patrol, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) encounters Holden Webster (Jonathan M. Woodward), a high-school classmate she barely knew, just as he's rising from the grave as a newborn vamp. The slayer and her foe spend more time talking than fighting; Holden's affable demeanor weakens Buffy's emotional defenses, leading her to articulate her deepest insecurities. The vamp's most interesting insights -- that Buffy has a thing for guys who hurt her, and, when it comes to her closest friends, suffers from both a super-power superiority complex and a moral inferiority complex -- aren't nearly as shocking as the revelation that he was sired by Spike (James Marsters). Back at the Summers' house, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) pigs out and plays with Buffy's weapons until a series of Poltergeist-like scare tactics reveals the assault of an unseen demon. Dawn fights back against the shadowy threat and eventually receives a chilling message from the shade of her own long-dead mother (Kristine Sutherland). Meanwhile, at the library, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) meets Cassie (Azura Skye), Dawn's recently deceased psychic classmate (see "Help"). The melancholy spirit claims to bear messages from Tara, Willow's late lesbian lover, but Willow sniffs something amiss when Cassie counsels her to kill herself before she loses control of her powers again. Suddenly, Cassie morphs into demon form, spits out a few nasty threats, and disappears, revealing herself to be the same shape-shifting demon who has been tormenting poor Spike all season. As for Buffy's bad-boy vampire ex, he does, indeed, appear to be feasting on human blood again. Even more blood is spilled by returning super-nerd Andrew (Tom Lenk), who ritually murders his compatriot Jonathan (Danny Strong) at the urging of a spirit who claims to be slain super-villain Warren (Adam Busch). Originally broadcast November 12, 2002, on the UPN network, "Conversations With Dead People" marked episode 129 of the cult-favorite series. After the events of this episodes, fans finally figured out that the season's shape-shifting villain is none other than the First Evil, who briefly battled Buffy four years earlier (see "Amends"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The obsessive love Spike (James Marsters) feels for Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) reaches a crossroads when Drusilla (Juliet Landau) arrives back in Sunnydale looking to rekindle their centuries-long love affair. By the time the mad predator shows up, a train full of corpses in her wake, Spike has slowly wormed his way into the position of annoying but useful ally to the Slayer. Troubled Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) has even taken to hanging out in the crypt of her sister's former nemesis, leading Buffy to conclude that the girl has a crush on Spike. The Slayer is shocked, then appalled, when Dawn tells her it's Spike who's in love -- with Buffy. The Slayer warns Spike not to even think about trying to start a romance, sending the hurt bloodsucker into the waiting arms of his ex. Dru convinces Spike to try to overcome the blinding pain his microchip-implanted brain inflicts on him whenever he tries to harm a human. He complies, assisting her in feeding on a happy couple at The Bronze. Back in Spike's crypt, just as the disgusted Buffy discovers the vampire's shrine to her, Dru arrives and knocks the Slayer out with a cattle prod. Spike leaps to Buffy's defense and before they know it both women find themselves strung upside down together. With Buffy repelled by Spike's advances and Dru revolted by his apparent love for the Slayer, a free-for-all breaks out. To complicate matters, airheaded vamp Harmony (Mercedes McNab) shows up, furious that Spike has once again used and discarded her. Somehow the beleaguered vampire gigolo survives all three women's fury, but he's dismayed when Buffy solidifies her rejection by having Willow (Alyson Hannigan) mystically revoke his ability to enter the Summers house uninvited. Originally broadcast February 13, 2001, on the WB network, "Crush" marked episode 92 of the cult-favorite series. Drusilla's visit to Sunnydale and sudden yearning for the comfort of her relationship with Spike follows her fiery near-death in the spin-off episode of Angel, "Redefinition." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) turns to Tara (Amber Benson) for information about why Spike's anti-violence chip no longer registers her as human. Meanwhile, her sexual relationship with Spike (James Marsters) grows deeper and more twisted as the ardent vampire tries to show Buffy her dark side. Elsewhere, Warren (Adam Busch) seeks perverse sexual thrills of his own. The villainous nerd plans to use his latest invention, a cerebral dampener, to turn some lucky lady into his bedroom slave. The first candidate is Warren's ex-girlfriend, Katrina (Amelinda Embry), who's still angry about his dalliance with a sex-bot (see "I Was Made to Love You"). Eliminating any such grudges with the flick of a switch, Warren prepares to sleep with Katrina and then give Andrew (Tom Lenk) and Jonathan (Danny Strong) a turn. The dampener wears off, however, and Katrina accuses Warren of attempted rape. He hits her with a beer bottle, accidentally killing her. Andrew and Jonathan want to go to the police, but Warren insists on framing Buffy for his crime. With the help of a time-shifting demon, the villains stage a hallucinatory battle in which Buffy becomes convinced that she accidentally killed an innocent girl. Distraught, she prepares to turn herself in -- much to the dismay of Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), who becomes hysterical, and Spike, who gets the tar beat out of him trying to convince the Slayer not to throw her life away. At the last moment, though, Buffy learns the name of her supposed victim and realizes that Warren must be behind the entire episode. Nevertheless, she later breaks down in tears upon learning from Tara that she's still human after all; if she's still human, Buffy asks her astonished friend, then why is she allowing herself to do such perverted things with Spike? Originally broadcast February 5, 2002, on UPN, "Dead Things" marked episode 113 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Angry over being human and still only in the 12th grade, Anya (Emma Caulfield) enlists Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to help her get her amulet back. Their spell goes wrong, and, instead of the amulet, brings vampire Willow back (see "The Wish"). Soon, vamp Willow recruits some vampire henchmen, takes over the Bronze and generally sullies the real Willow's nice-girl reputation. Real Willow confronts vamp Willow in the library -- are they attracted to each other? -- and manages to lock her in the book cage. She trades outfits with her vampire self and goes to the Bronze to kick some pasty vampire butt. Later in the library, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), mistaking vamp Willow for the nice one, lets her out of the book cage, all the while preaching to vamp Willow about stealing boyfriends. Meanwhile, Anya recognizes the real Willow at the Bronze blowing her vampire cover and causing one heck of a barroom brawl. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2002
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) interrupts a recap of the latest attack from the super-nerd troika (see "Gone") with a startling announcement -- to make ends meet, she's taken a job...at a burger joint! Clad in an embarrassing orange uniform, the Slayer bravely confronts her first shift at the Doublemeat Palace, a fast-food restaurant where the workers all seem lifeless and morose -- when they show up to work at all. Depressed by her own minimum-wage lot in life, the Slayer continues her sweaty liaison with Spike (James Marsters). But when she's not busy having sex behind the dumpster on her dinner break, she grows disturbed by the company's rampant absenteeism and by rumors of a sinister mystery ingredient in the burgers. Buffy's worst fears are confirmed when human body parts show up near the meat grinder. Fired rather than rewarded for her grisly discovery, Buffy turns to the Scoobies for help. Willow (Alyson Hannigan), who's been fending off the forcible companionship of fellow magic junkie Amy (Elizabeth Anne Allen), uses some old-fashioned science to analyze the meat. As it turns out, though, the body parts and disappearances are the work of a particularly loyal customer who happens to be a demon. Vanquishing the beast, Buffy uses Willow's research into the Palace's secret recipe to secure renewed employment for herself. Elsewhere, Anya (Emma Caulfield) hooks up with Halfrek (Kali Rocha), an old vengeance-demon friend who questions the wisdom of Anya's upcoming nuptials to Xander (Nicholas Brendon). Originally broadcast January 29, 2002, on UPN, "Doublemeat Palace" marked episode 112 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
As Xander (Nicholas Brendon) recovers at the hospital from having his eye gouged out by evil preacher Caleb (Nathan Fillion), Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) licks her own wounds and deals with the emotional fallout of having dragged her friends and the potentials into an ambush. Meanwhile, the citizens of Sunnydale -- including friendly demon Clem (James C. Leary) -- stage a mass exodus from their apocalypse-plagued town. Stopping by the deserted high school to pick up her things, Buffy again encounters The First's bible-thumping minion. Once more Caleb proves stronger than the Slayer, but Buffy learns some valuable information in the process of getting her butt kicked. Meanwhile, Spike (James Marsters) and Andrew (Tom Lenk) gather additional intelligence when Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) sends them to the site of one of Caleb's earlier atrocities. Back in Sunnydale, the restless potentials get a break from their training when Faith (Eliza Dushku) takes them to the Bronze to blow off some steam. Things turn ugly, however, when sinister cops arrive to arrest -- or kill -- the fugitive slayer. When she learns of the incident, Buffy blows her top, but a surprisingly mature Faith keeps her cool. Later, at a huge strategy session at the house, Buffy tries to convince the others that it's imperative to stage another siege on Caleb's winery hideout. She gets shot down -- not just by the beleaguered potentials, but by Xander, Anya (Emma Caulfield), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside) and even Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg); Spike, Buffy's staunchest ally, is still on reconnaissance. Despite her protests that there's no democracy during wartime, General Buffy finds herself deposed by a popular uprising. As for Faith, she's thrust into the unlikely role of replacement leader while her tearful fellow slayer strikes out on her own. Originally broadcast April 29, 2003, on UPN, "Empty Places" marked episode 141 of the cult-favorite series. The band playing during this episode's Bronze sequence is none other than Nerf Herder, the group that penned Buffy's memorable theme song. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) again faces off with Caleb (Nathan Fillion), this time armed with a powerful new weapon: the Scythe, which she slides effortlessly from its rocky resting place, Excalibur-style. But before Buffy can deploy her new toy, Caleb reveals that Faith (Eliza Dushku) and the potentials have fallen victim to his latest experiment in demolitions. Buffy rushes off the find Faith grievously injured, several slayerettes dead, and three über-vamps on the loose. Using the Scythe to make quick work of the once seemingly unstoppable fiends, the Slayer rejoins her estranged allies and leads them home. As Faith recovers from her injuries, she and Buffy chew over their tangled past. Elsewhere, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) tries unsuccessfully to spirit Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) away to safety, while Anya (Emma Caulfield) and Andrew (Tom Lenk) ponder the foolish grandeur of their mutual decision to stay and fight. Meanwhile, a weary Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and a magic-shy Willow (Alyson Hannigan) try to ferret out the origins of Buffy's mysterious new weapon. Their research leads the Slayer -- after a tender interlude with Spike (James Marsters) -- to a mysterious crypt where she meets the last of the Guardians, an ancient order of women sworn to protect the Slayer line not only from the forces of evil, but also from the Shadow Men who created the First Slayer and eventually became the Watchers' Council. The Guardian reveals that the Scythe was forged to destroy the last pure demon who walked the earth, then hidden away for the day when a slayer would need it. Caleb, fresh from an infusion of The First's power, arrives to smite the Guardian and do battle with Buffy. But the Slayer has an unexpected ally: Angel (David Boreanaz), fresh from his assumption of power at Wolfram & Hart (see Angel, "Home"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
As Tara (Amber Benson) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) tentatively reignite their romance, Anya (Emma Caulfield) seeks to dull the pain of her own failed relationship. Newly returned to the vengeance-demon fold, Anya seeks payback against Xander (Nicholas Brendon) for leaving her at the altar (see "Hell's Bells"). When her attempts to elicit potentially deadly wishes from his unsuspecting friends fizzle, she turns to Spike (James Marsters), hoping the vampire's dislike of Xander will make him amenable to revenge. Spike, however, is at the Magic Box, busily trying to cast a spell of his own to numb his pain at being dumped by Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Bitterness and booze soon lead the lovelorn pair to find solace the horizontal way. Unfortunately, their tryst is captured by the hidden cameras of the super-nerd troika -- at the exact moment Willow (Alyson Hannigan) is hacking into the villains' computer system. Despite the grainy Internet footage, Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) witness everything. Xander's first response is to acquaint Spike with the pointy end of a stake, but Buffy interrupts her friend's hotheaded attack. As all four exes square off, Buffy reluctantly admits her former relationship with Spike to Xander. Hurt and confused, Xander storms off, giving Anya a taste of vengeance, though not in the way she was hoping for. Originally broadcast April 30, 2002, on UPN, "Entropy" marked episode 118 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2000
As Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) strengthens her resolve to protect supernaturally incarnated sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) from malevolent über-demon Glory (Clare Kramer), Tara (Amber Benson) fears that her friends will discover her own otherworldly origin. The crisis begins when Tara's father, brother, and cousin arrive to escort her back home before her 20th birthday, at which time, they remind her, her demon heritage will manifest itself and make her a danger to those around her. Reluctant to let girlfriend Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and the others find out she's less than human, Tara casts a spell to prevent them from sensing any demons at all. Unfortunately, the enchantment prevents the gang from being able to see the minions Glory has dispatched to attack them. Only the reluctant intervention of smitten vampire Spike (James Marsters) -- acting on his newfound love for nemesis Buffy -- prevents a total massacre. Tara cancels her spell, her friends learn that she's part-demon, and then (again with help from Spike) everyone learns she's actually human after all. Overjoyed to find out that the demon legend was just a way to keep the women in her family subservient, Tara joyfully rejects her blood family and accepts her role as a member of the Scooby Gang. Originally broadcast November 7, 2000, on the WB network, "Family" marked episode 84 of the cult-favorite series. This episode also reveals that Ben (Charlie Weber), the handsome doctor Buffy keeps running into, somehow involuntarily shares his body with the fearsome Glory. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1999
On the night before Halloween, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and friends attend a costume party at the Alpha Delta house. Oz (Seth Green) helps prepare the sound system, subsequently cutting himself and dripping blood onto an occult symbol a frat brother is painting on the floor. Unbeknownst to everyone, the symbol summons the fear demon Gachnar, who forces everyone to face their fears. As Buffy, still hung up on Parker (Adam Kaufman), fears being alone, Oz fears the monster within himself. Meanwhile, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) fears she cannot control her magic, and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) fears his friends will forget about him. His may be the most well-founded worry, as no one tells him about the party and he (almost) stays home alone to watch Phantasm instead. This is also the first time that Buffy actually notices the Initiative Commandos -- see "The Initiative" -- but mistakes them for costumed students. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2003
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) each step out for the evening with someone new, but both dates are full of surprise revelations. Xander's rendezvous is with Lissa (pop singer Ashanti), a lovely young lady he meets on his construction job. Buffy's, meanwhile, is with Principal Robin Wood (D.B. Woodside), her boss at Sunnydale High School. Things begin normally enough for Buffy and Robin, but a vamp attack soon nips the fun in the bud. Much to Buffy's astonishment, though, the principal more than holds his own against the attackers. Over dinner, he reveals that he's the son of a slayer and was raised by his mother's watcher after her death. Now a part-time demon-fighter, he was fully aware of Buffy's identity when he hired her as school counselor. Once again the evening is interrupted, this time by a frantic phone call that Xander needs help. With Spike (James Marsters) and Robin in tow, Buffy heads to the school just in time to save her friend from being murdered by Lissa. It turns out Xander has once again romanced a demon, this time one who wants to get in good with The First by bring another Turok-Han to earth. As Xander's rescuers defeat his duplicitous date, Spike puts on his ugly face, revealing to the disgusted Robin that Buffy is in league with a vampire. Later, the specter of Robin's mother -- actually The First in disguise -- appears to him and reveals the identity of her killer. It turns out she's actually the slayer Spike murdered on a New York City subway in the 1970s (see "Fool for Love"). Originally broadcast Feb. 11, 2003, on UPN, "First Date" marked episode 136 of the cult-favorite series. K.D. Aubert here replaces April Weeden-Washington as Robin's mother, the subway Slayer. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Despite the return of her beloved former watcher, domestic and financial issues compound the dark depression in which the Slayer has wallowed since her return from the dead. A flooded basement sends Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) scrounging for a loan when she learns that her mother's insurance money has long since been exhausted. Just as she's being turned down by the loan officer, Buffy witnesses a demon attacking the bank. During the confusion, the fiend's unseen accomplice makes off with a wad of cash. Angry about losing out on her loan and letting the demon escape, the exhausted Slayer heads to the training room to let off some steam. Soon Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) appears, fresh off the plane from England and full of reassuring wisdom. Worried that Buffy doesn't seem quite herself, he chastises an unrepentant Willow (Alyson Hannigan) for her foolhardy trafficking in dark magic. Elsewhere, three other former Sunnydale High misfits make use of the black arts: nerdy inventor Warren (Adam Busch, see "I Was Made to Love You"); class dork Jonathan (Danny Strong, see "Superstar"); and Andrew (Tom Lenk), the science fiction-obsessed younger brother of Tucker, the villain of "The Prom." These three hapless self-styled super-villains plan to use their ill-gotten gains from their earlier bank robbery to take over the entire town. The demon who assisted in their larceny tries to take out the Slayer, but Buffy vanquishes it -- without learning a thing about the creature's three very human accomplices. Originally broadcast October 16, 2001, on the UPN network, "Flooded" marked episode 104 of the cult-favorite series. Andrew, Jonathan, and Warren would appear throughout the rest of season six as both comic relief and the year's unlikely "big bad" villains. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Spike (James Marsters) reveals his feelings for Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) when she comes to him for information on what it's like when a slayer dies. A brush with her own mortality ignites Buffy's curiosity and she realizes that only Spike, who has killed two previous slayers, will be able to sate it. When she offers the neutered vampire cash for his life story, he happily obliges: William, a terrible poet in the London of 1880, tries to court beautiful Cecily Addams (Kali Rocha) but finds acceptance only from Drusilla (Juliet Landau), the alluring but insane vampire who later sires him. Rampaging across the planet with Darla (Julie Benz), Angelus (David Boreanaz), and Dru, William comes into his own and renames himself Spike. His flamboyant carnage annoys the low-profile Angelus, who warns Spike that one day a slayer will get the best of him. Now fixated on slayers, Spike kills a Chinese Chosen One (Ming Liu) during the Boxer Rebellion, earning extravagant praise from Drusilla. A mere 75 years later, on a subway in New York, he finally bags his second slayer (April Weeden-Washington), this one a Foxy Brown-style heroine from whose corpse he collects his now-signature black leather trench coat. Dru remains his inamorata throughout these adventures, but in 1998 she leaves him, disgusted by his truce with Buffy (see "Becoming, Part 2"). In the present day, Spike counsels Buffy that he was able to kill both slayers only because their constant proximity to death left them eager, finally, to feel its peaceful embrace. He tells Buffy that when she's ready he will kill her, then he tries to kiss her. She recoils, tells him he's beneath her, and leaves him sobbing. Later, however, after learning her mother has once again been hospitalized, Buffy stiffly allows Spike to console her. Originally broadcast November 14, 2000, on the WB network, "Fool for Love" marked episode 85 of the cult-favorite series. The subsequent episode "Hell's Bells" would hint strongly that Halfrek, the vengeance demon played by Kali Rocha, is the same person as Cecily Addams, the human she portrays here. And although she would be played by a different actress, this episode's unnamed Blaxploitation slayer would resurface unexpectedly in "First Date." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The impact of Joyce's death (see "The Body") continues as Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and friends endure her funeral and its aftermath. The Slayer's dad doesn't even bother to call, but her vampire ex, Angel (David Boreanaz), arrives after sundown to comfort and reassure her that she'll get through this ordeal. Spike (James Marsters) even pays his respects with some flowers, reflecting his strange but longstanding bond with his ex-enemy's mother. A newly thoughtful Anya (Emma Caulfield) urgently makes love with Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and ruminates on the nature of mortality. Meanwhile, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), convinced by Buffy's steely exterior that her sister doesn't even care that Joyce is gone, sullenly insists on spending the night with surrogate siblings Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson). There, she announces her desire to raise her mother from the grave, an undertaking that the Wiccan lovers sternly warn her can lead to no good. Nonetheless, Dawn "borrows" magical tomes from both Tara and the magic shop, then recruits Spike to assist in her sorcery. The pair receive instructions from a creepy "doctor" (Joel Grey) who warns them that Joyce may not come back as she was. Just as Dawn is completing her spell, Tara and Willow contact Buffy with the news that their necromancy references are missing. The Slayer rushes home and has it out with Dawn, revealing her own hidden emotional devastation, which convinces Dawn to cancel her enchantment the instant before Joyce's reanimated corpse would have walked into the family's home. In the end only two Summers women are left, but they're both on the floor crying and comforting one another. Originally broadcast April 17, 2001, on the WB network, "Forever" marked episode 95 of the cult-favorite series. The character of Doc would appear again in the season finale (see "The Gift"), while Willow would revise her thinking on resurrection the following season (see "Bargaining, Part 1"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
