Once More, With Feeling
~ Written & Directed by Joss Whedon ~
This episode is a musical and mostly song and dance. For the purpose of some mental vision, the episode credits were all done in old musical movie style. I will summarize the important points, but every message conveyed by every lyric cannot be posted, obviously. :)
The ladies of the Summers house wake and go about their daily activities to prepare for a new day. Usual behavior continues at the magic shop with wedding planning, training and research. Patrolling leads to Buffy slaying a demon and rescuing a man all while singing about "Going Through the Motions." The next day, when Buffy questions the gang about singing the night before, their similar experience lead into another song where all of the gang sing their theories about the cause of their strange musical behavior.
Buffy begins another song that describes the ability of the Slayer and the Scooby Gang to withstand anything as long as they're with each other. When the singing stops, the gang question whether they're the only ones affected, but a look outside confirms that all of Sunnydale, at the very least, is affected. Dawn returns from school to talk about her equally musical day. Willow and Tara rush off to research but really take some private time, leaving behind the gang and a pendant that Dawn secretly takes. In the park, Tara and Willow are playful with each other as Tara sings about her love to Willow. The singing continues as the two dance their way home to their bedroom where Willow makes Tara literally float off the bed.
At the magic shop, Willow and Tara's non-researching activities are brought up by Xander. Meanwhile, out in an alley somewhere, a man is tap dancing frantically until he begins to smoke and eventually burst into flames as a result. A demon, Sweet, watches and enjoys the sight. The next morning, Xander and Anya lie in bed planning breakfast. This leads into a song and dance number of the two explaining their complaints about each other and worries about their upcoming marriage. Later, while walking with Giles, the two complain to Giles about the truth that resulted from their duet.
Buffy pays Spike a visit at his crypt, where he's getting himself drunk. She wants information, but he has nothing to offer her...but a song. Spike shares his interpretation of her feelings for him, knowing she's using him and wanting her to let him go. They move out into the cemetery, where Spike rudely interrupts a funeral, dancing and singing on the coffin. Buffy pulls him away from hurting the funeral attendees and they fall into the open grave which startles and confuses Buffy, so she runs away.
Tara finds Dawn and tries to explain the strange behavior of the town in a non-frightening way. Dawn mentions Willow and Tara's fighting which leads to Tara realizing that she's forgotten and the dried flower she found earlier on the bed may have been involved. Alone, Dawn puts on the pendant she found earlier at the shop and as she sings, she's kidnapped by a group of demons. She's taken to Sweet who's taken over the deserted Bronze and claims her as his new wife. After learning that the Slayer is Dawn's sister, Sweet demands her presence so he can see her burn.
Buffy trains with Giles and talks about dealing with Dawn which Giles responds to in song. He sings how she's not prepared for the world and how he's holding her back by trying to be a father figure to her, but Buffy didn't listen to a word he sang. Tara arrives at the magic shop in search of information about the spell she suspects Willow did. A duet between her and Giles begins as they both sing about planning to leave the people who hurt and use them: Willow and Buffy.
Spike presents one of Sweet's minions to the gang at the shop, which informs Buffy and friends that Dawn is in trouble and she needs to go to her. When Giles says Buffy needs to go alone, Spike gets upset and eventually claims that he hopes both girls burn. Buffy sings as she goes to find Sweet and her sister while Spike sings along from a safe distance and soon Sweet joins in on the song as well. Buffy and Sweet sing about walking through fire and Buffy's pull towards it as Spike sings about his confusing feelings for Buffy.
The whole Scooby gang join in and it's one big musical extravaganza. Spike and Tara sing about love, Buffy and Sweet sing about their upcoming encounter and Dawn's rescue, and Giles and Willow sing about plans to defeat the demon. Buffy offers a deal to Sweet to exchange her life for Dawn's and this, yet again, leads into a song and dance number. Buffy sings while taking out minion after minion then is backed up by Anya and Tara for more. She goes on to tell the truth about being in Heaven and taken from that which stuns everyone and brings Willow to tears. With her friends standing by, horrified by what she just revealed, Buffy begins to dance uncontrollably and smoke.
Spike jumps in and stops her before she bursts into flames, giving telling her the brutal truth about life. That musical number ended, Sweet still refuses to leave with Dawn, but Dawn knows she didn't summon him, even though she found the pendant. Xander reveals himself to be the one who summoned Sweet, all because he wanted the tension gone and the truth out before the wedding. Fortunately for Xander, Sweet ignores the fact that Xander should be leaving as his "bride," and leaves with a song.
With the truth out and Sweet gone, the gang sings "Where do we go from here?" Spike leaves, but Buffy follows, and the two sing to each other. More singing can be heard in the background as the two draw close and kiss intensely.
The End.
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Last Updated: 11-6-01