Overall Rating: 8.35 Matt: 8.5 Eric: 8.2 Written by: Douglas Petrie Directed by: Michael Lange Cast : Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, Seth Green as Oz, Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles. Main guest stars : Eliza Dushku as Faith, Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers, K. Todd Freedman as Mr. Trick, Harry Groener as Mayor Richard Wilkins III, Alexis Denisof Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, Jack Plotnick as Deputy Mayor Allan Finch, Christian Clemenson as Balthazar. Original broadcast date : February 9, 1999 It¹s late at night in the cemetery, and suddenly Faith and Buffy appear, tackled to the ground by two vampires. Disregarding their dire circumstances, Faith is prodding Buffy about whether she¹s ever slept with Xander. As they dust the vampires, Buffy, a bit outraged, says that no, she never has, that she doesn¹t love him in that way. Then they¹re attacked by another vampire, bearing a long sword and a short sword, and kill it. Mr. Trick arrives in the Mayor¹s office with the two swords, informing him that the vampire who owned them is dead, but that more of his kind have been seen around. The Mayor suggests that they pass any information they get on the vampires to the Slayers, hoping that will lead to the two girls killing each other. The next day, Buffy arrives at the library and unexpectedly meets her new Watcher, a stuffy young man named Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. The relationship gets off on the wrong foot as Buffy reluctantly fills Wesley in on the previous evening¹s slay, and he starts ordering her around, demanding that she go retrieve an amulet that once belonged to a now long-dead demon named Balthazar. The relationship with Faith never even gets a start ­ she comes in, sees the new Watcher, turns around and walks away, saying "Screw this". Buffy runs out after her, trying to convince her to give the new Watcher a chance, but Faith tells Buffy that he shouldn¹t be allowed to take the fun out of slaying. That night, Buffy finds the amulet in a mausoleum in the cemetery, but a group of vampires enter and, while she hides in a sarcophagus, they retrieve the amulet. Faith arrives and insists the two of them follow the vampires underground, against Buffy¹s better judgment. The odds are rather ugly, and Buffy almost gets drowned ­ again ­ before they succeed in dusting the vampires and taking back the amulet. The next day, Buffy gives the amulet to Wesley so he can study it, and leaves for a chemistry test. But after the copies are passed out, she continues yapping to Willow and Xander until they tell her to shut up. Then Faith shows up at the window, and Buffy doesn¹t hesitate one instant to screw the exam and climb outside. The two go dust an entire nest before going to dance at the Bronze, surrounded by boys. Angel shows up and Buffy lasciviously comes on to him, but he ignores it and informs her that Balthazar is alive and looking for his lost amulet. As the two talk, Wesley arrives, looking for Buffy. When she asks him where the amulet is, he answers he¹s keeping it in a safe place; she fishes inside his jacket, retrieves the amulet and gives it to Angel to keep in a real safe place. Then she drags a reluctant Faith off the dance floor, and they leave. Cut to a crypt, where Balthazar, a really huge and flabby demon, is in a pool having water continuously poured over him by some minions. He¹s in a very bad mood, scolding his followers, the Eliminati, for not having brought his amulet to him yet. He even kills one of them. As he continues to harangue his Eliminati, Buffy and Faith sneak to a small window outside and see what they have to deal with ­ a dozen vampires and a demon "in desperate need of a Stairmaster", says Buffy. Realizing they need weapons, the two girls, at Faith¹s initiative, break into a sports store and start shattering glass display cases, stealing a crossbow and a few knives. As they smugly congratulate themselves on their ability to get away with it, they¹re arrested and handcuffed by police officers. In the police car, Faith convinces Buffy that they won¹t be useful in jail, and the two kick down the metal pane separating them from the front, causing the car to crash. The following morning, an anxious Buffy sifts through the newspaper for a mention of the accident, but finds nothing. Meanwhile, at the Mayor¹s office, Mr. Trick presents Wilkins with an Eliminati vampire, who manages to attack before the Mayor orders him locked up in a cage. In his lair, Balthazar is once again enraged at his followers for failing, once again, to bring him his amulet. Seething, he demands that the two Watchers ­ Wesley and Giles ­ be brought to him, and the Slayers killed, so he can have his amulet back and his power restored. At Buffy¹s house, Willow, feeling neglected, presents Buffy with a protection spell, and asks her if she can come on patrol with her that evening. Buffy tells her it may be too dangerous; then Faith arrives and the two Slayers go out, leaving Willow alone and disappointed. As Buffy comments, amazed, on the fact that Faith went back to the store for the crossbow, the two are ambushed in an alley by the Eliminati. The girls are busy staking them when the Deputy Mayor, Finch, shows up. In the heat of the action, Faith mistakes him for another vampire and stabs him. Faith, shaken, just freezes there, apologizing confusedly as Buffy tries to save him, but he dies. Faith drags Buffy away from the scene, and the two girls run away in opposite directions. Buffy runs into Angel, who notices the blood on her hands. After she tells him it¹s nothing, he tells her that Balthazar has taken Giles and Wesley hostage. Meanwhile, Faith has returned to the scene of the crime and is just staring at the bodyŠ In the lair, the two Watchers are brought before Balthazar. Wesley quickly panics and offers to tell the demon anything he wants in exchange for his life. After learning that the amulet is being guarded by a friend of the Slayer, Balthazar screams for the Watchers to tell him the friend¹s name. Angel shows up and gives Balthazar his answer. He and Buffy start fighting the Eliminati, quickly joined by an untied and sword-bearing Giles. Balthazar attracts Angel to him and tries to kill him, but Buffy spots a lamp above and drags it down into the pool, thoroughly electrocuting the fat demon. Before Balthazar dies, however, he serves Buffy a dire warning: when "He" rises, she¹ll wish he, Balthazar, had killed them allŠ That night, the Mayor is performing a ritual that will render him invincible. Eager to test his new power, he asks Mr. Trick to give the captive Eliminati his sword back and to open the cage. The vampire rushes forward and cuts Wilkins¹ head in half, but it quickly mends itself together. Trick dusts the Eliminati, and the Mayor, pleased, opens his notebook and checks off the "become invincible" item placed between two appointments. At her apartment, Faith is washing the blood off her clothes when Buffy shows up. Faith refuses to talk about the murder, saying that she disposed of the body. An incredulous Buffy tries to get Faith to realize that she killed a man, but the younger Slayer just shrugs it off, saying she doesn¹t care. Summary by OttsFiveByFive.