Episode Guide


Episode 16: Inca Mummy Girl

Overall Rating: 5.4
Matt: 4.6
Eric: 6.2

Written by: Matt Kiene & Joe Reinkemeyer
Directed by: Ellen S. Pressman.

Cast : Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, and Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles.

Guest stars : Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers, Ara Celi as Ampata, and Seth Green as Oz.

It is Cultural Exchange Week in Sunnydale, and Buffy complains of having to have an exchange student to stay as she, Willow and Xander arrive at the museum. Xander disagrees ­ he thinks itıd be cool to have a foreign girl in his room for a weekŠ

As the students look around the museum, Cordelia shows her friends a picture of Sven, her exchange student. Buffy doesnıt know what hers looks like. She just knows Ampataıs a guy. Cordy is amazed that she didnıt check! Suddenly, Xander is not so keen on the idea. Another boy sharing Buffyıs bedroom?! Buffy spots Rodney Munsen messing about with one of the exhibits. Willow (who is helping him study) goes over to stop him Œthe non-violent wayı.

A man announces that the Inca Mummy display is now open, and the students file in. 500 years ago the Incas chose a beautiful girl to be their princess, and then buried her alive as a sacrifice to the mountain Gods. A cursed seal was placed in her hands as a warning to any who try to wake her. As they look at the mummy in her stone coffin, Buffy tells her friends that sheıs meeting Ampata at the bus depot tomorrow night.

After everyone has gone, Rodney sneaks into the exhibit and tries to steal the seal from the mummyıs grasp. He accidentally smashes it, and the mummy grabs him by the throat!

At her training session the next morning, Buffy asks Giles if she can go to the school dance. He says no because of her slayer duties. Sheıs going to have enough trouble keeping her secret identity with Ampata around! Buffy argues that going to the dance will make her seem more normal, and Giles relents. Xander offers to drive her, despite the fact that heıs taking Willow. He says it will feel less like a date if Buffy goes too. Willow walks in just as he says he only loves her as a friend. She tells them that Rodney is missing, and Xander jokes that maybe he awakened the mummy. Suddenly realizing that this is not such a weird idea in this town, the scoobies decide to check it out.

At the museum, Giles notices a series of pictograms on the broken seal. They are attacked by a man with a knife, who runs away in horror after looking at the mummy. Willow notices that the mummy now has braces. It is Rodney!

Back in the library, Giles says that the answer to all of this lies in the seal. It could take him weeks to translate it, though. Buffy realizes she is late to collect Ampata, and wonders if he could help as heıs from Peru.

At the bus depot, Ampata is alone. He hears someone calling his voice, but it turns out to be the mummy! It is fleshier than in the museum, but still pretty skanksome! It kisses him, stealing his lifeforce and leaving him shriveled.

Buffy, Xander and Willow arrive forty minutes late. The mummy is now a stunning young woman, and dressed in the dead boyıs clothes. She claims to be Ampata, and Xanderıs eyes nearly pop out of his head!

Buffy shows Ampata around their home. Willow says they were expecting a boy ­ sheıs clearly ticked about Xander going all ga-ga. Buffy asks if her guest has been to America before, and Ampata says she has toured all over. She didnıt get to see much, but listened a lot.

That night Buffy apologizes for her bedroom being so small, but Ampata says she is used to something much smaller! She claims to have no friends, and just wants a normal life like Buffy. As they switch of the light, the knife man watches from the bushesŠ

Outside school, Cordy talks about the dance with her new boyfriend, Devon. He is the lead singer in a band. He asks if sheıll be bringing Sven, who hovers awkwardly in the background. Cordelia tells him the whole exchange thing is a nightmare as he doesnıt speak English! She orders Sven to follow her, and leaves. Devon asks Oz, the lead guitarist, what he thinks of her. Oz says that Cordy is not his type.

Buffy takes Ampata to meet Giles, and he asks if she can help to translate the seal. She is suspicious ­ why ask her? Giles explains it is from her home country, and they need to translate it for their Archaeology Club! She tells him it is old and valuable, and they should hide it. When he asks about one particular symbol, she says it means Œbodyguardı. Someone who protects the mummy against those who would disturb her. As Buffy has to tend to her duties as Œtreasurer of the Archaeology Clubı, she asks Wil to spend the day with Ampata. To Willowıs irritation, Xander steps in instead.

Later in the library, Buffy and Willow are trying to repair the broken seal. Giles has managed to translate some of it. It says that the mummy can feed off of the lifeforce of a person, and they realize that is what it did to Rodney. Buffy asks how to stop it, but her watcher doesnıt have all the answers yet.

Xander and Ampata are sitting in the stands by the sports field. They are having a good laugh, and getting on really well. Without warning, the knifeman attacks Xander! He accuses him of stealing the seal, and demands to know where it is. Ampata screams, and the man recognizes her. Xander kicks him down the stands, and the two run away.

Back at the library, they tell the others about the attack. Ampata stresses that they must break the seal or someone could die. Giles tells her that someone already has, and she runs outside. In the corridor she tells Xander that she just wants a normal life ­ not all this danger. Willow suggests that Xander should take Ampata to the dance instead of her.

Buffy and Giles decide to return to the museum that night to look for the missing pieces. This means that the slayer will have to miss the school dance.

Back in the corridor, Xander tells Ampata that he really likes her, and asks her to the dance. She goes into the girlsı restroom to think, and ends up killing the knifeman after he attacks her! She comes out looking more vibrant than ever, and tells Xander she would love to go with him.

That night the rest of Ampataıs cases arrive from the station, although she doesnıt recognize them. Buffy says she will have to miss the dance because of her Archaeology Club duties. The other girl says that Buffy reminds her very much of the Inca princess ­ putting other people first, and fulfilling her duty. As Buffy opens the largest of the cases the doorbell rings. She shuts it again without seeing the body of the real Ampata insideŠ

She opens the door to Xander, who looks like heıs dressed as Clint Eastwood! Buffy explains that she canıt go, and asks where Willow is. Xander says sheıs gonna meet them there, and is lost for words when he sees the beautiful Ampata. Buffy wistfully watches them go.

At the dance Devonıs band is playing, and the room is crowded with people having a good time. Cordy is dressed in a skimpy Hawaiian costume, and laughs at Willow, whoıs come as an Eskimo! She orders Sven off to get punch, and her friend goes with him. Xander and Ampata arrive. He describes Willowıs outfit as Œsnugı, which doesnıt help her mood!

Giles goes to Buffyıs home to tell her that the body of the knifeman has been found. He says Ampata translated the symbol incorrectly ­ instead of saying Œbodyguardı it means the man whoıs supposed to stop the mummy coming back to life. Suspicious, they check her cases, which contain boyıs clothes, no make-up and ­ oh yeah ­ a body!

While Xander slow dances with Ampata, Oz the guitarist becomes intrigued by Willow. As Xander leans in for a kiss, his partnerıs hand begins to shrivel! She flees the dance floor in horror, and he thinks itıs because he tried to kiss her. Looking around wildly, Ampata spots Jonathon alone on the stairsŠ

In his car, on route to the dance, Giles says that the only way to stop her is to mend the seal. Heıll drop Buffy off, then go to the museum and fix it.

Sven is having a great conversation with Cordeliaıs friend. He only pretended not to speak English as he didnıt like Cordy! Upstairs, Ampata tries to kiss Jonathon, but Xander walks in on them and he runs away. Both of Ampataıs arms are mummified by now, but Xander doesnıt notice, and they kiss! As the lifeforce begins to drain from him, Ampata pulls away. He falls to the floor, stunned. Somehow, she knows that the seal is being fixed, and she runsŠ

Buffy explains to Willow that Ampata is the mummy, and the pair rush off to find her just as Oz tries to talk to Wil. They find Xander, and the three of them hurry to the museum.

Giles only has one piece left to fit, but Ampata sneaks up behind him and smashes the seal! Buffy gets there in time to save him, and the two girls fight. Ampata manages to knock Buffy into the stone coffin, and slams down the lid. She grabs Willow as she comes in, and prepares to kissŠ Xander pushes Willow away, and tells Ampata she will have to kill him. Desperate, she has no choice. Time is running out, and sheıs already mummified from the neck down! As she leans in for the kiss, Buffy breaks free. The slayer grabs Ampata by the shoulders and pulls. The mummy falls to pieces! She is finally dead. Willow consoles Xander, and they leave.

The next morning, Xander complains to Buffy that he has the worst taste in women in the world! Buffy defends Ampata ­ she was a young girl who had to sacrifice herself, when all she wanted was a normal life. Xander points out that Buffy sacrificed herself once, too. The slayer replies "Yeah, but I had you to bring me back."