The Long Way Home, Part II

Plot

Giles is watching the young Slayers. He lets them fight and observes the whole thing with his obligatory cup of tea in hand. There are fantastic fighters among them who could even give Buffy trouble. But they all fight alone; they do not protect or help each other, so it all comes to nothing.

Buffy makes the same point when she asks Leah, Satsu and Rowena to attack her and deals with them effortlessly. In Italy Andrew is also teaching his Slayers – and drifts off into Star Wars. The Slayers would like to carry weapons, but Andrew makes clear that no Slayer ever does, and that is the end of the discussion.

Dawn is taking a bath in a lake, which for her is the size of a bathtub. She talks with Xander because she believes Buffy hates her or wants her gone; the two of them mostly just shout at each other. To Xander this is just the typical squabbling between sisters. He carefully asks Dawn whether she did it on purpose. Dawn’s answer is to give him a wordless splash of water – which at her size means Xander is soaked to the skin (and he only has two of these outfits, he complains).

In America, meanwhile, the military is planning its attack on Buffy. General Voll would prefer to wipe her out with a bomb. A man in a suit thinks they should leave it to the magic users. If Amy fails, they will send her “friend” next – that is the plan. The general goes to bed. As he unbuttons his shirt, we see that the symbol is carved into his chest too (it looks like a setting sun with a rising star to the left of it).

Buffy’s dreamscape (always marked by the black paper background): Buffy and Xander talk about Dawn. Xander thinks Dawn’s “giant” problem is a result of her wanting Buffy’s attention – after all, she has been through a lot. And Buffy has turned thousands of girls into Slayers and moved in with many of them. Buffy blames herself. Then she asks Xander whether he is coming to bed. She pulls him into the room, even though he says it is a mistake. Buffy kisses him, and his head falls off. Then she is pulled out through the window – and she is afraid of the dark. Xander’s head says that she is the darkness. Buffy falls. The claws of a monster pierce her hands and feet, then she is burned by its fiery breath. Buffy begs for mercy. A man says she cannot give up that easily; he still has so much to show her. He calls Buffy “my love”.

In reality Buffy is tied to the bed. Amy stands over her with a dagger, about to kill her. Xander and some Slayers storm in. She attacks Buffy – something happens, and Xander shoots a crossbow bolt through her shoulder. Then the Slayers throw themselves on Amy. Xander picks up the broken dagger and explains to Amy that they do not let Buffy sleep without magical protection; this is not Sunnydale any more. Amy points out that Buffy is still asleep and that only a kiss of true love can wake her – not necessarily from someone Buffy loves, but from someone who truly loves her. She ironically asks whether Xander wants to give it a try.

Outside two Slayers are talking. One of them, Renee, is obviously completely smitten with Xander, even if she will not admit it. Then a whole horde of demons attacks the castle. The Slayers fetch Xander. Someone is supposed to keep an eye on Amy, who should be held by the spell anyway. The Slayers fight the living dead, but they cannot kill them. They demand instructions from Xander, who follows it all helplessly on screen.

Amy watches it all from the window, amused. During all the time she lived underground she has become much stronger and claims that nobody can stop her. Suddenly Willow floats right in front of her and says she would like to test that theory.