Spoiler Slayer

You've Got Something In Your Eye

As my schedule continues to get completely out of whack (I'm spending more time covering the breaking spoilers versus getting episode reviews written), hot on the heels of the limited info on 'Dirty Girls' we had yesterday, the entire episode synopsis has broken.

And it's a shocker.

Multiple sources, including Aphrodite and Bubonic are posting summaries and spoilers from the episode. Laurie was kind enough to pass along a summary as well. I'm going to post this one on the site, but I recommend for further details you either visit FanForum or Television Without Pity. Bubonic's recap in particular is well worth the read, if only for the Mystery Science Theatre-style commentary.

Dirty Girls - (summary provided by Laurie)

The episode opens with a girl, Shannon, running from a group of Bringers. She thinks she has found refuge when a pickup truck stops for her, but it's Caleb, who admits that the Bringers are *his boys*; tells her that she is dirty and soulless; burns her with his ring, stabs her, gives her a message for the *one and original* Slayer -- and then kicks her out the door, knowing somehow that Willow is following and will pick her up.

Xander has evidently moved back to his own apartment, along with a bevy of excess SiTs. Guess Revello Drive finally ran out of room. He dreams of hot, young, hotly dressed Potentials coming on to him and others having a half-naked pillow fight -- when the reality is fully clothed, unsexy SiTs who need the toilet fixed from having backed up while Dominique had stomach flu (and I so did not need that visual).

Faith and Willow take Shannon to the hospital. Faith's a tad annoyed to learn that someone is trying to end the Slayer line and nobody bothered to tell her. Willow feels badly, esp after hearing that Faith was attacked in prison. They try calling Buffy, but she is out on patrol, so Faith goes off to find her, leaving Willow with Shannon.

Faith tackles a vampire in the cemetery who was chasing a screaming girl. The vampire turns out to be Spike. Amusing fight while they each insist they have reformed. Buffy resolves the dispute by whomping Faith *by accident* and explaining that Spike has a soul now and works with her. Faith, unconvinced, asks about the helpless girl that Spike was chasing -- as said girl abruptly tackles Faith in vampface. Faith dusts her, complaining about the difficulty in telling the good guys from the bad guys.

Buffy, Faith and Spike return home. Dawn and Giles are not pleased to see Faith. After they leave to find crash space for Faith, Spike explains that not all the tension was about her -- Giles tried to kill him last week for Buffy's own good. Faith wryly replies that that makes her feel better about herself, but not so good about Giles and fairly iffy about Spike.

Caleb is talking to someone who turns out to be the First, wearing her Buffy costume again. Turns out this is the first time Caleb has seen the First as Buffy -- a reward for his excellent work. Seems Caleb is responsible for destroying Watchers' HQ and for organizing the Bringers (no idea how). They discuss his message and whether it will draw her out. Caleb notes that curiosity was woman's first sin and that she can't help but bite the apple she's been offered.

Andrew, of all people, briefs the SiTs on Faith, in a format similar to his video documentary in Storytelling. We get fanciful Faith kicking-ass shots as he speaks. Talks about how once she was good, but that she was seduced to the dark side. As he speaks, we get visuals to go with it -- culminating in the hysterically funny shot of Faith attacking a Vulcan (yes, a ST Vulkan) as Andrew bemoans her attack on the most pacific of races (!) because Andrew didn't know the difference between a Vulcanologist and a Vulcan.

Buffy goes to see Wood to make sure he's still on the team. She repeats that she has no room for vendettas but wants him on their side. He thanks her -- and fires her. He tells her to worry about the mission -- getting the girls ready for war. She notes they're untested, and he suggests that maybe she should test them.

Faith seeks refuge from the noisy SiTs in the basement to have a quiet smoke. Spike asks if he can bum a cigarette from her. They bond over each of them having been *dangerous* for awhile. Faith mentions having met Spike before -- in a different body. He remembers what she said -- about riding him and champagne -- says it's not the sort of thing a man forgets. Faith observes that he should have figured out it wasn't Buffy because she'd never behave that way. Spike notes that Faith really has been away. Faith is shocked at the inference. Buffy shows up, not entirely thrilled to find them sitting and smoking together so amicably. They get word that Shannon is awake.

Shannon tells Buffy that Caleb said he has something of hers. Buffy is very angry at the attack. Calls the Potentials together to brief them on the very little they know about Caleb and to tell them she's tired of hanging back and is going to go after him. With the Potentials.

We get what seems to be a re-enactment sequence involving Caleb and a girl he killed, with the First playing the role of the girl.

At Casa Summers, there's a raging debate over whether to go after Caleb. Pretty much everyone except Buffy -- Giles, Spike, Xander, Willow -- thinks they should wait. But Buffy is resolved to act now. She and Faith go on a recon to try and locate Caleb. They do a little bonding of their own en route, with Faith complimenting Buffy's efforts with the girls and Buffy admitting she's glad Faith is there. Though Buffy is less than pleased when she learns about Faith's meander through Angel's mind.

They find the Bringers' lair, which is at a vineyard, and go back for the others. There, Xander is giving a pep talk, which is so much better than any of Buffy's motivational speeches, it's not even close. Very touching scene, which Buffy and Faith walk in on.

Buffy takes only the experienced SiTs, Spike, Faith and Xander. She divides them into two teams, one led by herself and Spike, the other a rearguard (in case of a trap) led by Faith and Xander. At first things go well, with the SiTs holding their own against the Bringers. But then Caleb shows up and knocks Buffy unconscious with one punch. From there, the fight doesn't go too well. Spike is also quickly taken out by Caleb, and Faith doesn't last much longer (just long enough to hear Caleb intone about Cain and Abel). Xander helps Buffy as she recovers and she tells him to get everyone out. As he starts to do so, Buffy sees Caleb go after Molly (he's already killed another cannon fodder SiT) and kill her. In a berserker rage, Buffy attacks Caleb while he laughs at her. Spike pulls her off -- tells her they have to go. Xander is still rounding up strays. As he checks to make sure no one is left behind, Caleb grabs him. Comments about him being the one who sees things -- and stabs his finger deep into Xander's eye socket.

As Xander screams, Buffy and Spike rush to the rescue. Spike pulls Caleb off before he can destroy Xander's other eye, while Buffy grabs Xander. Spike actually lands a punch on Caleb which knocks him down. They escape while Caleb watches and smiles.

It ends in a montage of hospital beds and stunned SiTs, everyone lost and accusing, and Buffy alone in a shocked fog... while Caleb talks to FirstBuffy about the happy ending upcoming when he kills them all.

The tone of the episode surprises me. I was expecting one that dealt more with Faith's return, with Caleb showing up in one or two scenes more as a teaser for his upcoming role. I was not expecting such a 'physical' episode at this point. In many ways, it's much more of what I would expect for one of the final three episodes. Which means if we're reaching this point now, the rest of the season will become even rougher.

However, I have no reason to doubt the sources or the spoilers, and I've gotten confirmation on minor bits here and there. As some have mentioned, it's going to be hard to get Caleb into a spin-off based on this characterization. Well, I did say he certainly seemed to be a threat. It also appears to me that compared to the preliminary info I had on the character, they've taken him up the 'badness' scale a notch or two. Which means as usual, my speculation might not fit the reality. Well, that's why they call it speculation.

In the end, there's a lot I would like to say about this storyline, but it's my rule never to comment until the episode airs. I'm sure like myself, many of you are seeing things that don't make sense. As it stands at the moment, this episode could have more plotholes than 'Spiral'. We'll just have to wait and see.

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