Danny Strong Movies

Dana Pruitt (Larisa Oleynik) is willing to go on one date with Shawn (Rider Strong), but not a second date, thanks to his bad reputation. Instead, Cory (Ben Savage) goes out with Dana--and Shawn demands a full report on the evening's events. Determined to win over Dana, Shawn goes out of his way to do the things he thinks she likes best...and the results are surprising (for THIS TV series, anyway!) Meanwhile, Eric (Will Friedle) applies for an apprentice job at a local TV station, competing with several other students who are frankly better qualified--and much smarter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As if it weren't enough that frat guys drink too much, this episode of Buffy proves that they also worship the demon Machida. It begins when Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz) have an argument about where their relationship is going. Meanwhile, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) gets invited to a frat party at the local college. Hoping to blow off some steam, Buffy decides to go along. Apparently, the frat guys have to sacrifice three teenage girls once a year to their demon lord. (The third girl is a student gone missing from another school earlier in the episode.) After being drugged and chained to a pool table in a musty, fake-wood-paneled basement -- in actuality, a dungeon -- all the girls can do is wait to be rescued. Luckily, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) is jealous over Cordelia's attraction to the frat guy and sneaks after them to keep an eye out. After the girls get loose and revoke Machida's fraternity charter, Buffy and Angel decide to give their love another try and go for coffee. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

George (Jason Alexander) spends most of this episode thinking of a perfect comeback line for a comment made by his co-worker Reilly (Joel Polis) -- but it may not be delivered to Reilly, or even in New York. Elsewhere, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) mulls over the fringe benefits of not exposing a tennis pro as a phony. Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Kramer (Michael Richards) reap different results from their video picks. And can you really recover from a coma? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cowboy vampires and parenthood health class models take center stage in this second season episode. The Gorch brothers -- the rootinest, tootinest pair of insane bloodsucking vampire cowpokes ever to come a'ridin' out of the Old West -- have just ridden into Sunnydale. While researching them with Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) misses her health class, where everybody pairs off and is given egg to care for as a real child. Subsequently, Buffy gets to play single mother to little "Eggbert." Unfortunately, these aren't free-range chicken eggs, but bezoar eggs -- a prehistoric parasite living under Sunnydale High. As the eggs hatch the little bezoars attach themselves to their "parents," creating human drones to help release their trapped mother. Buffy catches her egg hatching and kills the bezoar. Along with help from Xander (Nicholas Brendon) -- who hard-boiled his egg -- Buffy attempts to stop the bezoar from escaping. Of course, the Gorch brothers attack at the same time. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

It's a Wonderful Life echoes throughout this episode as Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) makes a fateful wish. Anya, (Emma Caulfield) a new girl at school, bonds with Cordelia over their mutual loathing of Harmony (Mercedes McNab). Anya also does not seem critical of Cordelia's now ended relationship with Xander (Nicholas Brendon). Cordelia then goes to The Bronze to prove to Xander that she is over him. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) tries to put in a good word for Xander, but a vampire attack cuts the discussion short and Buffy pushes Cordelia aside. Angry at everyone -- especially the Slayer -- Cordelia later complains to Anya that she wishes Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Besides being a good listener, Anya is a rascally demon -- Anyanaka -- and grants Cordelia her wish. Suddenly the town is infested by vampires who have the upper hand -- students must dress in clothes that won't attract vampires and the Master vampire holds court at The Bronze. Cordelia tries to adjust, but obviously regrets her wish. Soon, a vampire Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and a bloodsucking Xander drain Cordelia, and it is up to Giles (Anthony Head) and Angel (David Boreanaz) to reverse Anyanaka's spell. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

Angelus (David Boreanaz) continues to wreak havoc on Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), slipping into her home and leaving her threatening drawings. A frightened Buffy works with Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) to create a spell that would cancel Angel's invitation into her house and banish him forever, though Giles still has a great deal on his mind as he struggles through a difficult period with Jenny (Robia La Morte). Proving he's a demon with loyalties to no one, Angelus also begins tormenting Spike (James Marsters) by attempting to seduce Drusilla (Juliet Landau). The tension is almost too much for Buffy, and she has a long heart-to-heart talk with her mother (Kristine Sutherland). Angelus, meanwhile, knows that Jenny is secretly trying to translate the spell that would restore his soul, and he will stop at nothing to prevent her from succeeding. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is looking forward to trading in her stakes for a corsage as she and her friends prepare for their senior prom. Angel (David Boreanaz) is less enthused about the big dance, especially since Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) wants him to end his relationship with Buffy. Meanwhile, a Hell Hound mauls a shopper at the dress shop where Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) is working. Reviewing the store video camera recording, Buffy clues in on the Hell Hound's possible owner. Despite her friends' insistance, Buffy won't let anyone else miss the prom to help her track down the Hell Hound. This is the first episode where Anya (Emma Caulfield) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) actually date. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

Failing to cure Angel (David Boreanaz) with Faith's (Eliza Dushka) blood, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) decides to sacrifice herself. Ignoring the obvious dangers, Buffy forces Angel to feed on her blood. Although her friends are angry at her for foolishly risking her life, they all team up -- with a covert plan -- to fight the Mayor. While giving his commencement speech, the Mayor winces with pain and quickly metamorphoses into a giant demon snake. As parents flee the auditorium, students whip open their commencement gowns to reveal an array of medieval weaponry -- and some handy flame-throwers. Buffy orchestrates the attack on the Mayor, luring him into the school library while everyone else is battling with vampires. Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) sets off the pre-planted explosives and blows the demon-mayor as well as most of Sunnydale High to bits. Oz, in a comedic denouement, suggests that everyone reflect on the horror they survived -- high school that is. A minor, but important plot point revealed earlier in the episode is that Buffy quits the Watcher's Council; thus, Wesley (Alexis Denisof) returns to England. A controversial episode, this second part of the March 1999 season finale was postponed until July in sensitivity to the then-recent shootings at Columbine High School. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

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, Rovi

Warren (Adam Busch), Jonathan (Danny Strong), and Andrew (Tom Lenk) proceed with their quest to make their names as super-villains by using a ray gun to freeze a museum guard and steal a valuable artifact. As Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her friends investigate the crime, the Slayer continues to fend off the affections of Spike (James Marsters). When the quarrel turns physical, however, the love-sick vampire learns that he's now capable of hitting the Slayer without experiencing excruciating pain. To his dismay, he realizes that the anti-violence chip in his skull still works fine on everyone else; he can hit only Buffy -- apparently because she came back from the dead less than human. Elsewhere, Tara (Amber Benson) assures Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) that she'll always be there for her even though Tara's relationship with Willow (Alyson Hannigan) is over. As for Willow, she begins her new post-Tara life by finally figuring out how to turn Wiccan pal Amy (Elizabeth Anne Allen) from a rat (see "Gingerbread") back into a human. Amy and Willow embark on a night on the town, turning the Bronze into their own private magical playground. Meanwhile, Spike confronts Buffy about her seeming inhumanity. They fight ferociously, but somehow the battle turns into a tryst of super-heroic proportions. After two years of yearning, Spike finally makes love with Buffy -- savagely, as an abandoned building crumbles around them. Originally broadcast November 20, 2001, on UPN, "Smashed" marked episode 109 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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, Rovi

Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) arrives at the Magic Box and mystically shackles the grief-mad Willow (Alyson Hannigan), then hears from Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) about everything that's gone down since his departure (see "Tabula Rasa"). Their joyful reunion is interrupted, though, when Willow mystically compels Anya (Emma Caulfield) to free her. Luckily, Giles has come to end the Wiccan's rampage, and he's armed with the magicks of an entire coven. They battle epically, but soon Willow drains Giles of his powers and leaves him near-dead. Elsewhere, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) are on the run with surviving super-nerds Jonathan (Danny Strong) and Andrew (Tom Lenk). Willow dispatches the magical equivalent of a guided missile to kill the villains and their reluctant protectors. Buffy manages to save her friends, but in the confusion, Jonathan and Andrew escape; Buffy and Dawn end up in a cavern full of zombies. As for Willow, the influx of Giles' power puts her magically in touch with the pain and suffering of the entire planet; she resolves to burn the Earth to a cinder. Anya warns Xander of the impending apocalypse and he rushes to the rocky bluff where Willow is raising the malign temple of an ancient doomsday cult. Despite Willow's vicious attacks, Xander showers her with love and acceptance, which eventually drains her of black magic and restores her humanity. Meanwhile, after battling side by side with her sister, Buffy finally realizes that she's glad to be alive again. And in a dark cave somewhere in Africa, Spike (James Marsters) completes his quest to be returned to his former self. But his demon taskmaster doesn't remove the chip in Spike's head -- he returns the vampire's soul. Originally broadcast May 21, 2002, on UPN, "Grave" marked episode 122 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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, Rovi