Buffy the Vampire Slayer s03e18 Episode Script

Previously Want to get your hands on|the Books of Ascension? You got the books? We want to take Angel's soul away.
The Mayor's built this town for demons|and, come graduation day, he's gettin' paid.
- Think we missed anything?|- We know all she knows.
You played me! - I know you only did what I asked.
|- I never wanted it to go that far.
You demons can't resist|a run-and-stumble, can you? One down.
One gone.
- Scabby demon got away?|- Scabby demon number two got away.
Scabby demon number one,|big check in the slay column.
I don't like this no-mouth thing.
|It's disquieting.
Well, no mouth means no teeth.
Unless they have them somewhere else.
Morning, girls.
We've been researching|the Mayor's forthcoming Ascension.
- It's pretty riveting stuff.
|- What do we know? What don't we know? - Tell her, Giles.
|- Based on the date, graduation day, .
.
and the Mayor being impervious to harm,|I've cross-referenced He's a cross-referencing fool.
.
.
and eliminated several possibilities.
It's not the ritual flaying|of the demon Azorath, nor the I don't know what's going to happen.
- That was kind of an anticlimax.
|- We don't know anything? - The Faith-Angel thing was for nothing?|- No.
If nothing else, Angel's charade has|brought Faith's treachery into the open.
And this information about the Ascension|will prove useful, eventually.
I just need to put it together.
Terribly sorry.
I was detained.
Official Council business.
Mr Giles, you were speaking? I was filling Buffy in on my progress|on the research of Ascension.
Oh.
And what took up the rest of the minute? Touché.
Of course my work is unofficial.
I'm sure, however, with the resources|of the Council at your disposal, you will have something to add.
Well, I am pleased to state, with certainty, that the demon Azorath|will not in any way be involved in I'm sure we'll find out more soon.
The demon Azorath? So, have you talked to Angel lately? Not really.
Seeing him bad,|even pretend bad and with Faith He only kissed her for the greater good.
I know.
But to the naked eye|it looked like fun.
Or maybe it wasn't.
|Maybe he wasn't even tempted.
- I just wish I could be sure.
|- As always, I advise you to ask.
Like he'd tell me? Hogan! - Great game, man.
|- Thanks.
Hogan Martin thinks he's so hot.
Like we should be awed|because he can put a ball in a net.
- Hey, Xander.
|- He said my name.
He knows my name.
- Hey, Willow.
|- Hi.
Look.
I can't make it to|the study session after school today.
- Can we do it fifth period?|- OK.
Did you finish the reading? - Most of it.
|- Percy! - I'll finish it at lunch.
|- That's my little trooper.
What are you doing to him?|I heard him complete a sentence.
It had a clause and everything.
- Watching the game?|- Wouldn't miss it.
See ya, Hogan.
Ladies.
You're going? I didn't know|you liked basketball.
I didn't either, but I've started getting into it.
|Especially now we're in the championships.
Too bad you're patrolling.
|We're all goin'.
Oz, Xander, everybody.
Great.
Everybody who isn't currently Buffy.
- You touched one of the demons?|- A good touch, not a bad touch.
Anyway, it's been itching like crazy.
No big.
Just another problem for|the good people at Lubriderm, right? Is this the demon in question? In the disgusting flesh.
- What?|- It says it can infect the host.
Infect? Oh, infect the host with|"an aspect of the demon".
- That's all it says.
|- "An aspect of the demon"? - It is rather terse, isn't it?|- You mean, like a part of it? There could be any number of explanations.
|A new fabric softener can cause irritation.
In any case, I would advise not to|attempt to track the one that got away.
Let's minimise your exposure.
Part of the demon.
|I hope it's not the outside part.
H-O-G-A-N! It's Hogan! Go, Hogan! Is it me, or is this really lame? I usually enjoy lameness|and this is leavin' me cold.
According to Freddy's latest editorial: "At the pep rally, pseudo-prostitutes|provoke men into a sexual frenzy, which, when thwarted, results|in pointless athletic competition.
" - And the downside being?|- The school paper is edging on depressing.
- Have you guys noticed that?|- I always go straight to the obits.
- What are you doin', Buffy?|- Nothing.
Checking for horns.
You know, Buffy I don't even think Giles|is right about you becoming like a demon.
I mean, he's totally burnt, you know?|Dealing with Faith and this Ascension thing.
Between you and me,|he's not doing his best work.
What if he is right? I'm gonna grow this|demon part and we don't know what it is.
I mean, it could be claws or scales - What?|- Was it a boy demon? T-O-M! It's Tom! Go, Tom! - They really are very good.
|- Their spelling's improved.
You know, Oz, I look at all this beauty,|all these healthy young women, and I wonder why I ever|wasted my time on Cordelia.
Look at her.
She's no|better-looking than the rest.
- None of them are really my|- Oh, my God! He's lookin' at her.
He's got his filthy adult|Pierce-Brosnany eyes all over my Cordy.
You're a very complex man, aren't you? It's just I'm scared, Will.
There's this thing in me|and I can't find it.
I can't stop it.
What if it changes me?|I mean, not just the way I look.
All of a sudden, I could be|something that's not me.
Oh, sorry.
They spelled Percy|and I have to show support.
He's needy.
But I heard you what you were saying.
And I would be frightened too,|but I'm sure you're gonna be OK.
Still got a mouth.
Sorry.
That's OK.
I didn't see you,|so I should have known you were there.
- What are you doing here?|- It's a dangerous time, you know.
With Faith.
Yeah.
Faith.
She, well Faith,|what can you say about her? I just want to make sure that you're|you know, OK.
That you're safe.
And the fact that you're right here.
|Does that mean Faith's around? Are you tracking me or are you tracking her? I'm tracking you.
Something's bothering you.
A lot of things.
The most recent being this demon.
|Actually, two.
I touched one of them and now I'm gonna|get a big case of the bumpies or a tail.
"Aspect of the demon.
" - You know the drill.
|- By rumour.
But that doesn't mean anything.
I mean, sometimes demons,|they exaggerate their power.
Demon hype.
Maybe not.
I spend all my time in the dark here anyway.
It's not like I'd be at a game, with my friends, where someone could see me|in my new monster part.
I won't let anything happen|to you if I can help it.
No matter what, I'll always be with you.
I'll love you, even if|you're covered with slime.
I liked everything until that part.
- Right at the buzzer.
Three points for the win.
|- It was intense.
For a minute I thought|you'd make an expression.
I felt one comin' on, I won't lie.
I've never seen anyone jump like Hogan.
|They should call him The Jumper.
Or a name that isn't an article of|women's clothing.
Hey, remember when the Hm, quietness.
We either lost or we won|and you don't want me to feel bad.
Yeah, it wasn't really a good game.
Tall hoops, but then, tall guys.
|What's the point? - Pretty dull.
|- Are you crazy? It was an incredible game.
I've never cheered so hard in my life.
|I still have knee marks on my back.
From the pyramid.
Yeah, well, I still bet patrolling was|way better, cos wow, important.
Well, I thought I saw a four-legged demon.
But it was just a dog.
- A weredog?|- Regular.
- Tough luck.
|- Yeah.
- I wonder if they've kissed,|- It really bugs you, huh? - What?|- Cordelia and Wesley, smooching.
Man, you read my mind.
Whoa, there.
You watch|where you're going now.
I'm sorry, Mr Beech.
I will.
Students, if we could just|get rid of all the students, When I'm a gillionaire and you're|flippin' burgers, who's the loser? Maybe I'll take French, I said, How hard|can it be? French babies learn it, Idiot, I swear, some day my pants|are going to fall right off, Buffy's so beautiful,|I mean, look at that body, God, I'd love to shove her against|that locker right now and just ooh! Is this the thing? The aspect thing?|Because it is way better than a tail.
I have a hard time as it is|finding jeans that fit.
Buffy, slow down.
I'm not even convinced that|this is genuine mind-reading.
You're most likely projecting your When I walked in, you thought: "Look at her shoes.
If a fashion magazine told|her to, she'd wear cats strapped to her feet.
" I The demons are telepathic!|That's why they don't need mouths, - Of course.
The demons are telepathic.
|- I know.
You just told me.
That's why they don't need mouths.
|And you should have known.
- This is astounding.
|- I was in the hallway.
The principal has|"Walk Like an Egyptian" in his head.
And the boys of this school|are seriously disturbed.
It's weird, but Giles, think about it.
|Think about what I could do.
It could be very useful.
You could|anticipate your opponent's every move.
- Turn his plans against him.
|- Oh, way better than that! - Jealousy.
|- Buffy.
Right.
Very good.
- I knew that,|- That's the tool Iago uses to undo Othello.
But what's his motivation? What reason does Iago give|for destroying his superior officer? Cassio has my place,|'twixt my sheets he's done my office, He was passed over for promotion.
Cassio was picked instead.
And people were saying|that Othello slept with his wife.
Buffy did the reading?|Buffy understood the reading? When did she study?|Was I supposed to study? Miss Murray's kinda hot, I was gonna say Cassio, - I hate her,|- Any other reason? - Race!|- Good, Nancy.
Can't overlook that.
Look at them scrambling for the teacher's|praise like pigeons for old bread crusts, Will, who's that guy? It's Freddy Iverson.
He writes those|editorials for the school paper.
He's sardonic.
Bread crusts, that's deep,|I should write that down, Is there something else at work here? Well, he sort of admits himself|that his motives are spurious? He does things because he enjoys them.
It's like he's not really a person.
He's the dark half of Othello himself.
Buffy.
Really Very astute.
I said something|quite like that in my dissertation.
I know.
I mean, I agree.
With that.
And doesn't that also explain|Othello's readiness to believe Iago? Within seconds, he turns on Desdemona.
He believes that she's been unfaithful.
|We're all like that.
We all have our little internal Iagos, that tell us our husbands or our girlfriends,|or whatever, don't really love us.
We can never really see|what's in someone's heart.
Oh, sorry.
Sorry about the daytime.
I just ducked out of school and|that's when they have it! You look good.
|I mean, I know I saw you last night, but sometimes things can change real quick.
I mean, really quickly.
|Listen to me, I'm talking like Faith.
You know, not that she was|so bad to have around.
You know, before the evil.
You know, I think she was hurting a lot.
And some people, protective-type|people might be drawn to that, I guess.
- Well, the thing about Faith|- You can't get into my mind.
How did you Why not? It's like the mirror.
The thoughts are there,|but they create no reflection in you.
You got your aspect of the demon.
Yeah.
Giles doesn't know|how long it's gonna last.
- But it's OK.
A little headachy, but|- You don't have to play games with me.
Ever.
- You're not exactly here's-what-I'm-thinkin'.
|- So ask me.
- But that would have made sense.
|- What do you want to know? Faith? How I felt kissing her? Pretending to have no soul?|Watching you suffer? - Well, since you bring it up|- I hated hurting you.
More than I can stand.
Look, the thing about Faith I'd understand.
She has that whole|bad-girl thing workin' for her.
Kissing her meant nothing.
I don't want|a bad girl.
I've done that before.
I've lived a long time, Buffy.
|And I'm past that.
I've been with dozens of girls like her.
More.
- Oh, this honesty stuff is fun!|- And there's no comparison.
In 243 years, I've loved exactly one person.
Who? It is me, right? Next time, just ask.
OK.
Buffy, careful with this gift.
A lot of things that seem strong and|good and powerful - they can be painful.
Like, say immortality? Exactly.
I'm dying to get rid of that.
Funny.
I'm a funny guy.
She can read our minds?|Our every impulse and fantasy? - Every one.
|- Oh, God, I don't see what this has to do with me, Well, I think it's great.
I mean,|you enjoy your other slayer powers.
It'll be fun.
Did you see|Nancy's face in class today? Yeah, She's hardly even human any more, How can I be her friend now?|She doesn't need me, - No, I do need you.
|- OK.
What are you talking about? Because you are so creepy right now.
I think there must be some precedents|for occurrences such as this.
I'll research it.
Can you give me a hand? Of course.
Where should we start? I am my thoughts, if they exist in her,|Buffy contains all that is me, and she becomes me, I cease to exist, What am I gonna do?|I think about sex all the time, Sex, Help! Four times five is thirty, Five times six is thirty-two, Naked girls, Naked women, Naked Buffy, Oh, stop me! - God, Xander, is that all you think about?|- Actually Bye.
Xander has just illustrated something.
Chances are, you're all going to be thinking|whatever you least want Buffy to hear.
It's a question of mental discipline.
- He's right.
|- Look at Cordelia! No, don't look at Cordelia, She's a student, Oh, I am bad,|I'm a bad, bad man, Excuse me.
- What's it like, Buffy?|- I don't know.
I mean, it's a little weird, but Look, please don't think|I don't need you, because I do.
And I want to share this with you.
It's like all these doors are opening to|all these worlds and I can walk right inside.
No one else exists either,|Buffy is all of us, We think, therefore she is, She knows so much,|She knows what Oz is thinking, I never do, Soon she'll|know him better than I do, - No, don't think that.
|- I can't help it, Buffy.
I'm sorry.
I just can't.
If you don't need me,|I'm going to follow the redhead.
I guess I won't be writing|Winning Friends through telepathy, Whatever, I wonder when I can go?|Whatever.
Can I go? Excuse me, can you hear me thinking|in here? I could go out into the hall.
You know what? You stay.
|I'm getting a headache.
I'll go.
She is so hot, - I hate my body,|- .
.
I'll scream from boredom, - No one'll ever love me,|- What if I never get breasts? I can't believe the test is today, - I have the worst|- Get rid of the students! It's that easy, - He has the cutest butt,|- I hate her, Here.
It's happened before.
A man in Ecuador.
Quite recently.
- Can we contact him?|- I'd say not.
- He can't communicate with anyone.
|- Dead? No, he's in complete isolation.
The power.
He can't shut it off.
It's gotta get better,|Please, tell me it gets better, I hate school, Am I normal? Are you through with the mashed potatoes? She doesn't even know I'm here, Come on, come on! She has the sweetest face I ever saw, If I stand in just the right place The test is today, This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all, - She's really nuts,|- I hate being here, She touched me! - I think she's waking up,|- Oh, thank God, - I'm cold,|- Are you all right? I told them not to move you.
|They probably severed your spinal cord.
I'm OK.
No, really.
I'm OK.
Listen.
There's a killer in the cafeteria.
See? I've been saying for years the lunch lady|will do us all in with that mulligan stew.
- What the hell's a mulligan?|- Someone was thinking it.
"This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all.
"|I have to find them.
Did you recognise a voice? - No.
|- Boy or girl? I don't know.
I mean, it was hardly human.
|It was so full of anger and pain.
- Count.
|- No, I have to find them.
Are you sure they meant it? Who hasn't idly thought about takin'|out the whole place with a semiautomatic? - I said idly.
|- I know the difference.
He she whoever, they meant it.
|They're gonna do it.
- She looks so tired,|- How horrible, - I'm not getting any warmer,|- I bet it was Hogan, Shut up! I'm sorry, I just|Could you guys not think so loud? - Or so much?|- You should go home.
I'll take you home.
Yeah, OK.
No.
I need you to go to the|cafeteria.
Make a list of everyone who's there.
- We have to find the killer.
|- We'll do it.
A list of all the students.
Yeah.
Nancy was there, and she's scary.
|Oh, teachers too.
Mr Beech, he thought something|about getting rid of all the students.
I can't shut it out, Giles.
|It's like this invasion of my head.
It's like there are these strangers|walking around in there.
Look at this.
I can't even|be around people any more.
Not that they're clamouring|to be near me anyway.
Even you.
I'm sorry, Buffy.
It's hard for all of us.
But Wesley and I are|looking for a way to help.
But I'll be OK, right? I mean,|even if you can't get rid of it? You'll be fine.
I promise.
Hit doesn't go away, she'll go insane, I think we have everyone that was in|the cafeteria.
I'll do some computer work.
Match it against FBI mass-murderer profiles.
|See if maybe we can rule some people out.
I'm having trouble with the fact that one|of us will gun everybody down for no reason.
Because that never happens|in American high schools! - It's almost trendy at this point.
|- Besides which, Sunnydale High? The centre of evil and all that? Let's get to work.
|We have till lunch time tomorrow.
We hope.
There.
You look better already.
- Thanks, Mom.
|- I'm just going to get you another pillow.
- I really don't need one.
|- But you need another blanket.
Mom, I'm fine.
How about some soup? - Chicken and stars?|- Mom, please, just come sit with me? I've I've got laundry.
Why are you You had sex with Giles? - It was the candy.
We were teenagers.
|- On the hood of a police car? I'll be downstairs.
You feel better.
Twice? OK, I've taken our list and|narrowed it down to a dozen suspects.
Here are your assignments.
- I was hoping there'd be assignments.
|- I think I should work with Wesley.
You have no shame.
Like shame is something to be proud of? Be quiet.
Sorry, but this is important.
OK, talk to everyone on your list.
|And use the sample questions.
Today, people.
Oh, write neatly and label your work sheets.
Fantasies are fun.
Aren't they, Jonathan? I guess.
We all have fantasies where|we're powerful and respected.
Where people pay attention to us.
Maybe.
But sometimes the fantasy|isn't enough, is it, Jonathan? Sometimes we have to make it|so people don't ignore us.
Make them pay attention.
You know what I'm talking about, don't you? You want me to pay attention? - For the yearbook?|- Personality profiles.
Can you ask it again? Sure.
Do you ever feel you've created a false|persona - the guy who does everything right? - How much of a strain does it put on you?|- Uh, wow.
I guess Moderate strain? Is that a good answer?|I wanna get this right.
Yeah, that's good.
Hi, Mr Beech.
I was wondering.
Were|you planning on killing people tomorrow? Oh, it's for the yearbook.
OK, so turn-offs include smoking,|insensitive men and Birkenstocks.
Now, your idea of the|perfect romantic evening.
Candy, let's start with you.
Freddy? I should have just quit, Look at him smiling like|he thinks I don't know about her, - I can't believe I'm getting away with this,|- One more drink, that'll do it, Seems to be coming along all right.
Buffy's being driven mad,|we have no proof this will work, and it requires the heart of the second|demon, which we have no idea how to get.
- Negative thinking doesn't solve problems.
|- Who is going to get the demon heart? Burk.
Do I often imagine classmates are spying|on me or otherwise acting suspiciously? - Right.
|- Not till just now.
What? Talk louder, dude.
I'm just saying it's gotta be frustrating.
|Having the secret.
You gotta be kinda filling up with resentment.
|Unexpressed rage just waiting to burst out? - Today at lunch?|- What secret? Being gay? Man, I'm out.
I'm so out I've got my grandma|fixin' me up with guys.
That's nice.
But it sounds like you're|having a rough time with it? Look Just do it.
- That Freddy Iverson that does the paper|- He's gay? No, dude.
But I bet he'd put in like a|coming-out announcement for you.
Something tasteful.
Freddy? - He's the only one we couldn't find?|- Freddy Iverson.
The newspaper guy? But we can't|figure out it's him without the work sheet.
We do have this.
Today's editorial, titled|"Big Game Draws Mindless Braindead Mob.
" Does he mention the cheerleaders?|Because we were on.
I can't stand this.
I keep wondering if I'm|hurting her with my thoughts.
You're not.
Not any more.
She can't pick one thought out of the din.
I got it.
- No.
|- I'm gonna help ya.
Giles! Angel.
Thank God.
Are you all right? Do you hear thoughts? No.
Did you find the killer? Oh, hey, Oz.
You got me.
- What are you gonna do, hold me down?|- You'd better believe it, buster.
You can't threaten a big murder|without getting us pretty darn ticked.
Murder? What murder?|You're not here about the review? - The review?|- Yeah.
Last Thursday.
"Dingoes Ate My Baby play as if they had|Polish sausages taped to their fingers.
" Sorry, man.
No, it's fair.
I get a lot of hate mail, and I thought|you were delivering some personally.
If you find any announcements about me - Xander, we have to figure this out.
|- We have no shot.
It could be anyone.
We lose.
We still have a few minutes.
You're OK! Can you hear thoughts? - Just when I wasn't thinkin' about sex.
|- OK, here's the new plan.
We're going to get Snyder|to evacuate the school.
"By tomorrow, you'll all know what I've done.
|I'm sure you understand that I had to do it, and that although death is|never easy, it's the only way.
" God! Doesn't anyone write in|to praise the cheerleaders? - We are so unsung.
|- Jonathan.
Oh! I had him in my grasp.
- Slippery weasel.
|- Split up.
Find him.
Jonathan? Are you in here? Jonathan! Jello.
I could have done that.
Get away from me.
OK, Jonathan, do you wanna|point that somewhere else? Don't you try and stop me.
No.
No stopping.
Just here for the view.
Hey, look.
City Hall.
Go away.
- Never gonna happen.
|- You think I won't use this? - I don't know, Jonathan.
I just|- Stop doin' that.
Doing what? Stop saying my name like we're friends.
We're not friends.
You all think I'm an idiot.
A short idiot.
I don't.
I don't think about you much at all.
Nobody here really does.
Bugs you, doesn't it? You have all this pain and all these feelings,|and nobody's really paying attention.
You think I just want attention? No, I think you're up in the clock tower|with a rifle because you want to blend in! Believe it or not, Jonathan,|I understand about the pain.
Oh, right.
Because the burden of being|beautiful and athletic, that's a crippler! You know what? I was wrong.
|You are an idiot.
My life happens to, on occasion,|suck beyond the telling of it.
Sometimes more than I can handle.
And it's not just mine.
Every person down there is ignoring your|pain because they're too busy with their own.
Beautiful ones, popular ones, the guys that pick on you Everyone.
If you could hear what they were feeling.
|The loneliness, the confusion.
It looks quiet down there.
It's not.
It's deafening.
You know I could have taken that by now? I know.
I'd rather do it this way.
I just wanted it to stop.
Yeah, well, mass murder?|Not recommended for that kind of pain.
And prison is like school,|only instead of noogies - What are you talking about?|- Actions having consequences.
That stuff.
I wouldn't ever hurt anybody.
I came up here to kill myself, Rat poison! Step away from the food.
- OK, let's calm down.
|- Vermin.
You're all vermin.
You come in here|and you eat and you eat filth.
I don't see this being settled with logic.
- So you're feeling better about Angel?|- Well, we talked.
Then he ripped out the heart of a demon|and fed it to me.
Then we talked some more.
See? That's how it should work.
- Morning.
|- Hi, Giles.
I'll go to the yearbook office to give them the|murderer profiles.
They're really a good read.
- Bye.
|- See ya.
- How are you?|- Lovin' the quiet.
Nobody in here but me.
- Jonathan, how's he?|- Pretty crappy.
His parents are freaking,|he got suspended, and toting a piece - not winning him a place with the in-crowd.
|But I think he's dealing.
It was good of you to check on him.
Well, it's nice to be able to help someone|in a non-slaying capacity.
Except he's starting to get that look,|like he's gonna ask me to prom.
- It'd probably boost his self-esteem if you|- What am I? St Buffy? He's like three feet tall.
I'm glad to see you've recovered|from your psychic encounter intact.
- Feel up to some training?|- Sure.
After school.
You know - if you're not too busy|having sex with my mother.