Overall Rating: 7.7 Matt: 8.6 Eric: 6.8 Written by: Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali Directed by: Bruce Seth Green Cast : Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan>as Willow Rosenberg, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, David Boreanaz as Angel, Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles. Main guest stars : Seth Green as Oz, Larry Bagby III as Larry, Jack Conley as Cain, Meghan Perry as Theresa Klusmeyer. Original broadcast date : January 27, 1998 My one-line description: The first time Oz performs an Ozzy Osbourne cover: Bark at the Moon. At school, Willow and Oz share some small talk, which rapidly becomes uneasy silence - Willow hopes for a kiss, which does not comeÉ Finally, she breaks away to join Buffy in the student lounge; a school jock named Larry joins Oz and passes a macho comment on Buffy and Willow. As a cute girl goes by, he knocks her books out of her hands, enjoying the view when she bends to pick them up (jerk). He then asks Oz how far heÕs gone with Willow. Willow is complaining to Buffy that sheÕs gotten nothing from Oz Ð she wants smoochies, but he seems to be ignoring her hints. Talking about boys leads to the Angel topic, and Buffy says sheÕs holding up Ð but she asks Willow if she and Xander would care to do that Òsharing the miseryÓ thing tonight. The mention of Xander prompts Willow to wonder what he sees in CordeliaÉ Xander is wondering the same thing about Willow and Oz. Wrong topic -heÕs in CordyÕs car, and theyÕre kissing. She grows impatient and tells him to shut up. Suddenly, he breaks the kiss, hearing a noise. Moments later, a werewolf rips through the convertible roof top. Cordelia fumbles for her car keys while Xander tries to keep the beast at bay. Finally, they speed off into the night. The next day, at school, Buffy, Willow and Oz look at the ruined top of CordeliaÕs convertible while she and Xander describe what they saw. Giles, carrying a newspaper, notes that attacks by Òwild dogsÓ are reported. He guesses that the werewolf will be back for next monthÕs full moon, but Willow points out that there is still one evening of full moon left for this month Ð tonight. In the gym, Miss Litto is telling her students that a full moon like tonight tends to bring out the crazies. She proposes to teach them some simple self-defence tricks. As they form teams, Larry removes his jacket, revealing a bandage on his arm Ð it seems he got 39 stitches after being bitten by a stray dog. Oz holds up his finger, mentioning that he got bit by his cousin Jordy. In the library, Giles and the Scoobies talk werewolves. The conclusion is the wolf in question could be male or female Ð anyone who was bitten by another werewolf. And as the sun is setting, he or she will be changing soonÉ Giles reminds them the werewolf is a human being, so tonight they bring it back alive. At the park that evening, Buffy and Giles, both geared up for hunting, look for the werewolf. Buffy heads for the bushes, where she hears a noise and runs to it Ð and is lifted up in a net trap. A mean-looking guy comes out of the bushes and aims a rifle at her. Buffy calls for Giles, and he comes to the rescue. Cain (the hunter) aims the rifle at Giles Ð and then pulls out a knife and slices a rope, which sends Buffy and the net to the ground. She informs him theyÕre looking for a werewolf. Cain throws his head back in laughter Ð he can hardly imagine a librarian and a girl catching a werewolf. He, on the other hand, has killed a dozen werewolves. Giles is shocked that the man hunts werewolves for sport, but Cain makes it worse Ð he hunts them for the money, and it doesnÕt bother him a bit that the werewolves are human beings 28 days a month. On that note, Cain leaves, helpfully supplying that werewolves are attracted to places where boys and girls hang out. This gives Buffy an idea, of courseÉ In a dark street, Theresa is walking home alone. Suddenly, she hears a noise, and walks faster. Then a growl in the bushesÉ Theresa runs, looking behind her, not seeing Angelus until she runs into him. He asks if sheÕs OK, and she tells him she thought someone was following her. He scans the area Ð nothing. Suddenly, he tells her he knows her from somewhere Ð she goes to school with Buffy, doesnÕt she? This makes her feel safer, as he offers to walk her home. At the Bronze, Cordelia and Willow are criticizing guys, namely Xander and Oz. Suddenly, a werewolf crashes on their table, and they run away with the rest of the kids. Outside, Giles tells Buffy her instinct was right. Buffy retrieves a long chain from the bag heÕs holding, and heads inside. The werewolf attacks, and she fights it back. She manages to wrap the chain around its neck, but the werewolf jerks and yanks, sending her flying across the room. The beast leaps through a window and escapes. Giles arrives Ð and then, alas, Cain. He condescendingly criticizes BuffyÕs efforts to capture the werewolf alive Ð thatÕs what happens when a woman tries to do a manÕs job, he says. As he leaves, he tells Buffy that if the werewolf hurts anyone tonight, itÕll be her fault. In the street, the werewolf picks up a scent of bloodÉ which leads him to TheresaÕs dead body. Angelus faces him, in vamp features, and the two beasts growl at each other. Finally, Angelus disappears into the night, but the wolf doesnÕt harm the dead body. A bit later, Buffy and Giles, listening to the news on his car radio, learn of TheresaÕs deathÉ At sunrise, the werewolf is lying under a tree in a park somewhere, sleeping. Suddenly, it reverts back to its human formÉ Oz. He wakes up, naked, and takes in his surroundings. ÒWhoaÓ, he comments. Later that day, Oz looks at the scratch on his finger as he talks to his aunt Maureen. He asks her abruptly if Jordy is a werewolfÉ and learns that the kid is effectively one. Uh-ohÉ Oz enters the library and overhears Buffy saying that she should have killed the werewolf when she had the chance. She feels guilty about TheresaÕs death Ð and so does Oz, upon learning about it. But Buffy plans on Ògiving little wolfie something to howl aboutÓ. Oz, worried, verifies with them that thereÕs not way to tell who the werewolf is. Xander tries to get inside the skin of the beast, to figure out who it could be. Stopping in front of Oz, he figures out it must beÉ Larry. The dog bite, the excessive back-hair, the tormenting of Theresa Ð it all fits. He leaves, eager to go get a confession out of Larry. Meanwhile, Buffy and Giles go into his office to review student files. Willow suggests Oz help her with research that evening, but Oz cuts her off and leaves, claiming heÕs busy tonight. Xander confronts Larry in the locker room, telling him heÕs knows what heÕs Òbeen doing at nightÓ. Xander says that heÕs been through what Larry is going through (the hyena possession). Larry confessesÉ heÕs gay. As he says it, he feels better, but Xander doesnÕt ÐLarry now thinks he Òwent through the same thingÓ. At the library, Willow is going through student files, looking for another werewolf candidate. Buffy joins her and brings up Oz, and the fact heÕs not helping Willow do research. She complains that Oz is lukewarm and unreadable, and Buffy advises her to make the first step if she wants something. The bell rings, and the girls go to their lockers, where Xander joins them. Willow leaves, and Buffy asks Xander how it went with Larry. He grows defensive (hee hee) but does supply that Larry is not the werewolf. Buffy is disappointed Ð there goes their only lead. However, as they talk, they realize that they have another clue Ð none of the reports on TheresaÕs death said anything about being mauled; they just assumed it was linked to the werewolf. At the funeral parlour, Buffy and Xander inspect TheresaÕs body and ascertain she was bitten by a vampire, not a werewolf. This doesnÕt ease BuffyÕs guilt Ð she mourns that she wasnÕt able to protect Theresa from a vampire. Xander tries to comfort her, but as they talk, he notices Theresa rising from her casket Ð a vampire. Theresa attacks Buffy, who manages to raise a stake Ð ÒAngel sends his loveÓ, the vampire declares. This destabilizes Buffy, giving Theresa a chance to turn the situation in her favour and pin the Slayer to the ground. Luckily, Xander stakes Theresa from behind. Buffy is very shaken. In his van, Cain prepares a silver bullet to kill the werewolf with. He then goes to the fridge and retrieves a slab of meat, from which he cuts off a few slices. He puts them in his backpackÉ Outside, the full moon rises. At his place, Oz is taking some chains and shackles out of a box, when a knock comes on the door. He answers it Ð itÕs Willow, eager on telling him how she feels. He tries to tell her it really isnÕt a good time, but she plows ahead Ð she wants to talk about their relationship now. He tries to explain heÕs going through some changes, but she doesnÕt get his drift Ð she says sheÕs going through some changes too. Then, as she talks, she comes upon the chains and shacklesÉ She questions him about them, but he tells her to get out Ð heÕs beginning to change. He falls behind the sofa, and she goes to see if heÕs alright Ð but he rises as the werewolf. Willow screams and tries to escape Ð but the werewolf is faster. Finally, after some chasing around the house, she manages to run away. As Willow runs through the street, the werewolf chases her, and she has to fight him off to get over a fence to safety. Meanwhile, Cain is on the hunt, his rifle at the ready. He hears the werewolf howl, and realizes itÕs nearbyÉ In the library, Giles is assembling a high-tech gun. Buffy comes in and tells him about Angel sending Vampire Theresa to her. Giles tells her heÕs sorry, but she stops him with a gesture Ð she needs to stay focused on the werewolf. Outside, Willow is still being chased by the werewolf, and itÕs catching up. But suddenly, it catches a scent in the woods, and itÕs goneÉ Willow resumes her sprint. She enters the library just as Giles is finishing his rifle assembly, and yells that the werewolf is Oz. Buffy asks where he went, and she replies he was heading for the woods. Giles hefts his rifle, and reassures Willow Ð theyÕre not going to hurt Oz, only shoot him with a tranquilizer dart. The werewolf follows the scent until he finds CainÕs bait; the hunter aims, pulls the trigger Ð just as Buffy tackles him. The werewolf starts at the sound of Cain and Buffy wrestling for the rifle, and heads for them. Buffy butts Cain in the gut and fights the werewolf. Giles tries to aim the tranquilizer gun, but he canÕt get a good shot. Suddenly, the werewolf sends Buffy flying into Giles and Willow. Giles drops the gun, but Willow picks it up Ð and fires just as the werewolf lunges for her. As Buffy and Giles get up and comfort Willow, Cain comments that itÕs no wonder this town is overrun by monsters Ð no oneÕs man enough to kill them. Buffy is disgusted with the guy and says so Ð before bending the muzzle of his rifle and tossing it back to him. Cain shakes his head and leaves. At school, Xander comments that he doesnÕt know how he should act around him. Buffy assumes heÕs talking about Oz, but Xander is talking about LarryÉ Just then, Larry Ð after picking up some books a few jocks knocked off a cute girlÕs arms Ð shows up and thanks Xander for what he did. Xander acts very defensive, and Buffy is baffledÉ that Larry didnÕt try to look up her dress. They see Willow heading outside, and Xander wonders what kind of future her and Oz can have. Buffy answers that itÕs not up to him. Outside, Oz tells Willow that Giles told him he should be OK, as long as he locks himself up during the full moon. He offers to stay out of her way for a while, because of the ÒfreaksomeÓ factor; however, she tells him she still wants to be with him. They agree to keep seeing each other, and Willow walks awayÉ then suddenly, she runs back to him and kisses himÉ and walks away again. Summary by OttsFiveByFive.