PROPHECY GIRL
SEASON 1 EPISODE 12
We've made it to the high-flying finale of Season 1! We open up with the classic Dumb and Dumber scenario, seeing Xander spilling his guts of love to who we think is Buffy...but no, it's just a practice run he's trying on Willow, who is clearly in love with him. He wants to ask Buffy out, but the silly thing is off fighting a vampire in the park. Meanwhile, Giles decodes a prophecy just as an earthquake happens, a sign that the Master's rising is coming. When Buffy returns to the library, Giles is obviously shaken up. It's amazing how ragged Giles looks after one night without sleep!
So as the gang is walking, Xander shoos Willow away so he can make time with the Buffster. Xander confesses his love and asks her on a date and she completely pulls the friend card. This scene is so so painful. Nicholas Brendon does great here; sadly this sort of marks the end of a possibility of Xander and Buffy getting together. There are little hints here and there, but nothing serious. Back at the library, Jenny Calendar, from I Robot, You Jane, makes another appearance. They've both been seeing signs of the apocalypse, which is never good.
Willow sees Xander alone and depressed, and tries to comfort him. Xander offers to go with her instead but she doesn't want to be his second choice. Later that night, Buffy walks in on Giles and Angel talking about the prophecy. Giles talks about his findings that Buffy is going to die while fighting the Master, leading to one of the best scenes of the season. Buffy has a complete breakdown. It's a great great scene; one of Sarah Michelle Gellar's early highlights. The line "I don't wanna die" is so simple but it works really well. Thus begins the Spider-Man 2 portion of the episode where Buffy renounces her responsibility.
Buffy and her mother have a sweet conversation in which Joyce reveals she bought Buffy a nice white dress for the dance. I'm not really a fan of the soft pop songs they use during a lot of emotional scenes; they all kind of sound the same. Like, I can't even be sure that the song during this scene isn't the same one from the last scene in the episode Angel.
Willow and Cordelia arrive at the school the next morning to help Cordy's boyfriend get equipment for the Spring Fling out of the AV Room. Just from this brief walking scene, it shows how Cordelia has opened up a little, she's all friendly with Willow now. But as she opens the door, they find everyone in the AV room killed by vampires, as cartoons play on the TV in the background. Anytime you mix death with something kid-related like cartoons it automatically makes it creepy. Buffy goes to visit Willow, who is pretty much traumatized from the incident. This gives Buffy the inspiration to finish what she's started.
Giles and Jenny are preparing for the Master to rise, and Giles decides to go fight the Master in Buffy's place. Buffy shows up and clocks him right in the face so he won't get himself killed. This kamikaze attitude will get Giles into trouble one day! So Buffy heads out, decked in her leather jacket, prom dress, and crossbow. The Anointed One shows up and leads her to the Master's lair. Back at the library, everyone is panicking, and Xander gets the idea for Angel to lead him to the Master. This is the first real exchange Xander and Angel have had, and it's also one of my favorites. It's not explored that well either, but it's pretty interesting how they both are so competitive for Buffy, and always worth a laugh at how petty they both can get.
Buffy arrives at the Master's church, but is sadly no match for him. He proves too fast for her, and seems to have some kind of telekinetic power. I don't really understand it. He bites her, but not before letting her know that Buffy's blood is the stuff that allows the Master to rise. Then he dumps her face down in a pool as he leaves. Angel and Xander arrive to find Buffy. Dead. End of series.
Okay, fine, Xander figures she drowned in the pool and revives her with CPR. Don't ever say that Xander never does anything useful! Buffy seems reinvigorated with some sort of power, though she doesn't seem quite herself, they head out to catch the Master. Meanwhile at the library, the Master's vamps are ambushing the school, making a beeline for the Hellmouth, which is conveniently situated right below the library. Cordy drives through the wall and down the hallway to the library, as everyone barricades themselves inside. While everyone is preoccupied with the vampires outside, a tentacle rises out of the crack in the ground.
Buffy, Angel, and Xander do their cool walk to the school as the theme song plays. I never liked this scene actually. It's not very well-handled, though I do get what they were going for. Buffy senses that the Master's on the roof of the school and heads up after him alone. In the library Willow gets grabbed by the tentacle and out pops a three-headed hellspawn. I love this thing! It's such an 80s looking monster effect. Buffy confronts the Master on the roof while Giles fights the hellspawn off with an axe. Giles is cool!
The Master uses his telekinesis thing again but now it doesn't work for some reason...just roll with it. Buffy does a flip over the Master and tosses him through the skylight into the library on a broken table, going through him and killing him. He evaporates away until there's nothing but bones. The hellspawn retreats and the vamps run off too as everybody regroups. The gang decides to go to the prom after all, as everyone shares a tender moment while a slow piano arrangement of the theme song plays.
"We saved the world, I say we party."
Overall, this is a great episode, one of the best of the season. It proves that just about all the actors can do drama really well, and although there are a couple of things that don't quite work, it doesn't ruin a great finale to a fun first season. But stay tuned, because it only gets crazier from here.
****
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