Prophecy Girl

Written & Directed by: Joss Whedon

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

Guest stars : Mark Metcalf as The Master, Andrew J. Ferchland as the Anointed One, Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers, Robia LaMorte as Jenny Calendar, Scott Gurney as Kevin.

Original broadcast date : June 2, 1997

At the Bronze, Xander has worked up the courage to ask Buffy to the spring dance, and is rehearsing it on poor, lovesick Willow. Meanwhile, Buffy is in the cemetery wondering, as she has a close call with vampires, why suddenly there are more of them to dust. In the library, Giles succeeds in translating a prophecy from the Pergamum Codex: very disturbed, he realizes it means the Slayer¹s death at the hands of the MasterŠ

Buffy tells Giles about her attack, and her misgivings, but his mind is obviously elsewhere. Later, Xander finally works up the nerve to ask her out, but she gently turns him down, saying she doesn’t think of him “that way”. A distraught Xander then asks Willow to the dance, but she refuses, saying that she doesn¹t want to be the rebound girl.

In the library, Giles has summoned Angel and they discuss the prophecy. Meanwhile, Buffy is in the washroom, washing her hands, when the water from the faucet turns to blood. As she goes to the library to report this latest incident to Giles, she overhears him telling Angel about how she is to face the Master the next day and die. Completely freaked, Buffy lashes out at her Watcher, accusing him of being very good with books but not helping her much in the field. Then, she announces that she quits, and rips off her cross pendant.

As Buffy storms home, Willow and Cordelia discover a roomful of dead students, including Cordelia’s new beau Kevin, drained by vampires. Buffy gets the news as she¹s trying on a gorgeous white gown that her mother just bought her to cheer her up. Rushing to Willow¹s house to comfort her friend, she decides to face her fear and try to save the world by facing the Master.

She goes to the library to get weapons, only to find Giles preparing to take on the Master on his own. As he protests her going to face the vampire alone, she knocks him out, takes a crossbow and leaves. On the school¹s front lawn, she¹s met by the Anointed One, whose job it is to lead her to the Master.

As Buffy descends into the Master¹s lair, her white gown making her quite the pure fighting virgin, Xander and Willow join Giles and Ms. Calendar at the library to discuss how to rescue Buffy. Xander goes to Angel¹s place and forcibly (with a cross) enrols him in finding the Slayer.

Underground, Buffy confronts the Master, but is quickly incapacitated by his hypnotic powers. The Master bites Buffy, and she drops into a puddle. The power of her blood enables him to break through to the “other side.” Meanwhile, Cordelia, with her car, rescues Willow and Ms. Calendar from a sea of vampires converging towards the school. She picks them up, then drives her car into the school corridor, stopping in front of the library. As Giles, Cordy, Willow and Ms. Calendar try to ward of the onslaught of monsters, a kind of huge serpent / squid thingie breaks through the floor and attacks them.

In the Master¹s lair, Xander and Angel have successfully revived Buffy, who notes how strong she suddenly feels. She confidently leads them back to the school, where she climbs to the roof and confronts the Master. She throws him through the roof window, where he gets impaled ­ through the heart ­ by a broken piece of wood in the library below. He disintegrates into a skeleton, and the serpent monster drops back to Hell.

The gang suggests going to the Bronze to celebrate their victory. “We saved the world. I say we party,” a shaken Buffy agrees.

Summary by OttsFiveByFive.

Episode Ratings

Mac - <—Best Episode Of The Season—> “The best episode of the season. If you watch closely, you can see the greatness coming.”

DJ Angelus - <—Best Episode Of The Season—> “Loved It!!! Cast and Crew really came together over the season and saved the best for last.”

Quotes

Key: B=Buffy, G=Giles, X=Xander, W=Willow, C=Cordelia, A=Angel, M=Master, JC=Jenny Calendar

X: Would you, um, date me? Oh, that’s good. “Date me.” It’s terrible, right? W: Huh? Oh, no. Well, yes, “date me” is silly.

X: You know, Buffy, Spring Fling just isn’t any dance. It’s a time for students to choose, um, a mate. And then we can observe their mating rituals, and tag them before they migrate… just kill me!

X: I wanna do it now. I gotta do it now. W: Well, Buffy’s not here. You can practice on me some more.

B: Three in one night. Giles would be so proud.

M: Yes, yes! Shake, earth! This is a sign. We are in the final days. My time is come! Glory, glory! …. What do you think? 5.1?

B: How you doing there, Giles? Get much sleep last night? G: I’ve been working. B: Me, too. I went hunting last night, and it is awfully sweet of you to ask.

B: Giles, care. I’m putting my life on the line battling the undead. Look, I broke a nail, okay? I’m wearing a press-on. The least you could do is exhibit some casual interest. You could go, “hmm.” G: Hmm?

B: I can’t put it off any longer. I have to meet my terrible fate. G: What? B: Biology.

B: Wow, that was boring. X: I don’t feel that “boring” covers it. B: No, “boring” falls short. W: Even I was bored, and I’m a science nerd. B: Don’t say that. W: I’m not ashamed. It’s the computer age. Nerds are in. They’re still in, right?

X: Buffy, I want you to go to the dance with me. You and me. On a date. B: I don’t know what to say. X: Well, you’re not laughing. That’s a good start.

X: We’ve fought some bloodsucking fiends, and that’s all been a good time. But I want more.

X: I guess a guy’s gotta be undead to make time with you.

X: I don’t handle rejection well. Funny, considering all the practice I’ve had, huh?

JC: You know, that outfit looks just like the one you wore yesterday, only wrinklier.

JC: A cat, last week, gave birth to a litter of snakes. A family was swimming in Whisper Lake when the lake suddenly began to boil. And Mercy Hospital last night - a boy was born with his eyes facing inward. I’m not stupid. This is apocalypse stuff. Throw in last night’s earthquake, and I’d say we’ve got a problem. I’d say the end is pretty seriously nigh.

C: Willow, I really like your outfit. W: No, you don’t. C: No, I really don’t, but I need a favor.

W: How’d it go? X: On a scale of 1 to 10? It sucked! W: Oh. X: Well, I guess it could be worse. I could have gangrene on my face.

X: She’s still jonesing for Angel.

X: The deal’s done. The polls are in, and it’s time for my concession speech.

W: You think I wanna go to the dance with you, and watch you wish you were at the dance with her? You think that’s my idea of hijinks?

X: That’s okay. I don’t wanna go. I’m just gonna go home, lie down, and listen to country music. The music of pain.

B: You and me - a mother/daughter thing. We could talk about all the embarrassing things you love to bring up.

C: You don’t understand. I’m not mad. He totally flaked on me. On me! And I don’t even care. God help me, I think it’s cute. Ohhh! There they are. They’re watching cartoons. That’s so cu– That’s not cute. That’s annoying. I’m annoyed. W: Right. I’m furious.

C: Well, obviously, Kevin has underestimated the power of my icy stare.

JC: Okay, so this Master guy tried to open the Hellmouth, but he got stuck in it. And now all the signs are reading that he’s going to get out, which opens the Hellmouth, which brings the demons, which ends the world. G: Yes. That about sums it up, yes.

JC: The part that gets me, though, is where Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. She’s so little.

JC: It’s kind of warm and fuzzy for a message of doom.

G: I’ve made up my mind. B: So have I. G: I made up mine first!

G: I defy prophecy, and I’m going. There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind. B: I know. *whack!* *thud!*

G: We stay calm, first thing. X: Calm?! W: I think he’s right. X: I’m sorry. Calm may work for Locutus of the Borg here, but I’m freaked out and I intend to stay that way.

X: How could you let her go? G: As the soon-to-be purple area on my jaw will attest, I did not ‘let’ her go!

JC: I’m sorry to bring this up, but we also have an apocalypse to worry about. X: Do you mind? W: How come she’s in the club?

X: How can I say this clearly? I don’t like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you’re a vampire.

M: Welcome. B: Thanks for having me. You know, you really ought to talk to your contractor. Looks like you’ve got some water damage. M: Oh, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight.

X: You were looking at my neck. A: What? X: You were checking out my neck, I saw that. A: No, I wasn’t. X: Just keep your distance, pal. A: I wasn’t looking at your neck. X: I told you to eat before we left.

M: Oh, by the way, I like your dress.

W: We’ve got to get to the library. C: The library - great.

M: Come forth, my child. Come into my world. B: I don’t think it’s yours just yet. M: You’re dead. B: I may be dead, but I’m still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you. M: You were destined to die. It was written. B: What can I say? I flunked the written. M: Did you really think you could best me here when you couldn’t below? B: You have fruit punch mouth. M: What? B: *wack!*

M: Where are your jibes now? Will you laugh when my hell is on earth? B: You’re that amped about hell? Go there!

G: Buffy? B: Oh, sorry. It’s just… been a really weird day. X: Yeah, Buffy died and everything. W: Wow. Harsh. G: I should have known that wouldn’t stop you. JC: Well, what do we do now? G: I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d like to get out of this place. I don’t like the library very much any more. X: Hey, I hear there’s a dance at the Bronze tonight. Could be fun. C: Yeah! W: Buffy? B: Sure. We saved the world, I say we party. I mean, I got all pretty. JC: What about him? B: He’s not going anywhere. Loser!

A: By the way, I really like your dress. B: Yeah, yeah, big hit with everyone.