Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996–2003): Season 7, Episode 3 - Same Time, Same Place - full transcript

Previously on
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

- I killed people, Giles.
- I've not forgotten.

When you brought me here,
I thought it was to kill me.

Instead, you go
all Dumbledore on me.

I don't want to go back home
just so I can screw up again.

What exactly
are you afraid of?

What if I go all veiny and homicidal again?
And what if...

They won't take you back?

You turn this nice lady's ex
into a giant worm monster?

You wish it, I dish it.
I thought we were clear on this.

- It's what you wanted, right?
- Tell me what happened.



- Why does a man do what he mustn't? For her.
- Your soul.

You got your soul back.

I'll call you when
I get there. Okay?

Arriving passengers on Flight 201...
They said they'd meet us.

Look, there they are. May claim
their bags at carousel two.

Hey. Hi!
Hi, honey!

How you doin'?
Pretty good.

- And how's it goin' with you two?
- Hi, Dad.

Flight 324,
nonstop service to...

Get goin'!
Hey!

Man! See what you did? Will
you kids stop acting up?

Really?

Right here.

You think she'll get the sign?



"Get the sign?" I don't think
she's gonna see the sign.

Why is it so pale?

I used yellow crayon. It was a thing
from when I talked to Wil on the bluff.

I hope she gets it.

Oh, tell us again
what you said.

Well, I was talkin' from my heart. And I
knew Evil Willow wasn't really ready to...

You were kidding? Mm-hmm.
A little bit.

We've heard the crayon speech a few times.
Not that it's not great of course, but...

I saved the world with
talking from my mouth.

My mouth
saved the world.

Uh-huh.
I'm getting nervous.

Are you nervous?
Yeah, it...

It's gonna be weird
seeing her.

What do you say to someone
in this situation?

I'm gonna say,
"Hi, Willow."

Come on. You're saying it's not
gonna be the least bit strange?

We saw her kill someone.
She was about to kill Dawn.

And Giles wouldn't let her leave
unless she completed that...

whatever
recovery course.

Right.

- Right?
- She kind of didn't finish.

She didn't finish?

She didn't finish
being not evil?

He-He said it was really
important she come back early,

and that she was doing really
well, and we shouldn't worry.

You guys, I just
noticed something.

- What?
- Everyone's off the plane, so where's Willow?

I'll call you when
I get there. Okay?

Arriving passengers on Flight 201...
They said they'd meet us.

Oh, look, there they are. May
claim their bags at carousel two.

Hey. Hi!
Hi, honey!

How you doin'?
Pretty good.

- And how's it goin' with you two?
- Hi, Dad.

Flight 324,
nonstop service to...

Get goin'!
Hey!

Man! See what you did? Will
you kids stop acting up?

Welcome home, me.

All alone.

Are you frightened
to be all alone?

Hey, is s-somebody there?

The wind talks when
you're alone.

You better clear out
whoever you are!

Buffy?

Hello?

Tara?

Dawn?
Did I hear the door?

He absolutely put her
on the plane in London.

So she got off at Chicago
when they stopped?

She could've caught a flight
anywhere from there.

Maybe she doubled back...

Got off the plane in London
after Giles left.

Well, if she's doing that... ducking
Giles... then she's evil, right?

Well, I've avoided Giles tons of times.
It just meant I was lazy, not evil.

I hope you're right.

Because defeating Lazy Willow...
Probably less hard.

We should check the messages, see
if she tried to reach us here.

That's a good idea.

What was that?
Upstairs.

Willow?
That you?

Definitely not
up there.

She didn't leave
a message.

I checked with Giles again too.
Hasn't heard from her.

Is he throwing a tasteful
British Wiggins?

Oh, with extra wig. He's
blaming himself pretty hard.

Like he should've known she
wasn't ready to come back.

And I kept telling him,
you know, it wasn't his fault.

Maybe it's something about us
she couldn't face.

Like she didn't think we were
ready to forgive her. I get that.

So Giles is blaming Giles,
and we're blaming us?

Is anyone gonna blame
Willow?

Oh, don't give me
shock face.

I mean, will anyone around here ever
start asking for help when they need it?

Look, if Willow flipped out,
it's her bad.

We can only be here for her so much,
if she won't be, you know, here.

Hello, I'm calling for Giles.
Uh, Mr. Giles?

Right.
Council meeting all day.

No, no. I know he can't
be reached there.

Thanks. Bye.

Morning, Dave!
Mornin'!

Anya.

Anya, don't!
Don't run away.

What are you doing here?

I thought you were with Giles
studying how to not kill people.

I just got back. "Just got
back" as in you're all better?

Or "just got back" to bring about
a fiery apocalypse of death?

Neither. But I-I have been
studying, working real hard.

And I-I'm gonna be fine.

Oh. Good.

'Cause I-I remember
the last time you said that.

I've spent a lot of time since then cleaning
the debris out of my ex-livelihood.

Stuff like that.

Yeah, I... I want to help
any way I can with that.

I... I feel really responsible.

You "feel" really responsible?

You are really responsible. I-I
know I hurt you and... and everyone,

and I-I'm sorry.

Here's something you should know about vengeance
demons: We don't groove with the sorry.

We prefer, "Oh, God! Please stop
hitting me with my own rib bones."

Go on. Say whatever you want...
Rib bones and so forth.

I... I deserve it.

And you won't mind?

Well, then that's no fun.
Sorry.

So, um, where is everyone
these days?

Well, I'm back in
my own apartment.

And, of course, vengeance
takes me all over the world.

I was in Brazil yesterday.
They love their soccer.

And... the others?

Dawn and,

uh, Xander,
Buffy?

You haven't seen them?
Not so much.

Huh.

I guess they're still mad
at you.

They've been a little temperamental
lately, just between you and me.

We had this little mix-up
a few days ago and...

That sounds great. So, um,
where do you think they'd be?

Oh. At the new high school,
probably.

Everyone's all about
the high school.

Buffy's got some kind of job
there helping junior deviants.

Spike's insane in the basement. Xander's
there doing construction on the new gym.

Uh, Spike's what
in the what-ment?

Insane. Base.

Xander does construction.

He likes to start early,
so he's probably there by now.

Xander?

Xander, you down there?

No skin.

Tough to look at.

And yet my eyes refuse to look away.
Stupid eyes.

I found it first thing
this morning.

I gave my crew the day off,
and I called you right away.

I gotta get a job where I don't get
called right away for this stuff.

Yeah, I know exactly what
you're thinking:

Maybe Willow is back.

Out!
This is my place!

You need permission to be here! You
need a special slip with a stamp.

Spike? My God, I...

You go off and you try
to wall up the bad parts...

and put your heart back in
where it fell out.

You call yourself finished,
but you're not.

You're worse than ever, you are.

You went away.

You've been gone since...

Yeah. I-I needed to go, but...

But I'm back now.

And I found...

There's a body.
Tragedy.

- Is there blood?
- Uh, yeah.

And I can't find Buffy
or Xander or Dawn,

and there's this thing
killing people...

And the victim was...
skinned.

Wh-What could do that?

You did it once.
I heard about it.

Anything other...
Other than me?

Look at you...

Glowing.

What's a word means "glowing"?
Gotta rhyme.

- Spike?
- Oh, uh, no.

Uh... Uh, I should hide.
Hide from you.

Hide my face.
You know what I did.

What you did?
You didn't do anything.

Did you?

Everyone's talking to me.

No one's talking to each other.

Spike, please try
to listen to me.

Someone isn't here.

Button, button.
Who's got the button?

My money's on the witch.

We can't use the blueprints to
find our way around down here.

It's like the walls move
or something.

Out! This is my place!

I think I hear him. You need permission!
You need a special slip with a stamp.

And put your heart back in
where it fell out.

You call yourself finished,
but you're not.

You're worse off than ever,
you are.

Spike?

Spike.

You went away.

You've been gone since...
The church.

You scared me
a little.

I didn't...

- I didn't know what to think.
- We're here for a reason, Spike.

Tragedy.
Is there blood?

He knows. He must've
seen the body.

You did it once.
I heard about it.

Spike, we need to
know who did this.

Look at you...

Glowing.

What's a word means "glowing"?
It's gotta rhyme.

Spike, please.

Uh... I-I-I should hide.

Hide from you.
Hide my face.

You know what I did.

Boy, he's extra useful today.
This isn't the time.

Everyone's talking to me.

No one's talking to each other.

We might as well go.

Someone isn't here!

Button, button.
Who's got the button?

My money's on the witch.

Red's a bad girl.

He's talking
about Willow.

And that means something because
he's chock-full of sanity.

Maybe he saw her.

They think you did it...
The Slayer and her boy.

They think you took the skin.

Is there something here?
Something that killed?

"Her boy"?
I'm "her boy"?

I have to go.

There are things here without permission.
I have to check their slips.

Make sure they have
authorization.

I need help.

I don't have any money.
I don't want money.

Come in.
Enjoy my personal space.

I found a dead body
near the high school.

Yes, that can happen.

Something horrible killed a boy.
Took his skin right off.

Was it you? No!

Well, with the skin thing, they're
definitely gonna think it was you.

Buffy is, anyway.
Yeah.

Maybe she already does.
I don't know.

I-I have to find whatever did this.
I just...

I need to do something right.

Oh, and so they'll think
it wasn't you, right?

I mean, that has
to be part of it.

Maybe you're even thinking, you killed this
thing. They don't even have to know about it.

Won't suspect you
even for a minute.

No, I... I don't...
When did you get all insightful?

I'm surprisingly sensitive.

So will you help me?

Is it difficult
or time-consuming?

This isn't gonna get
all sexy, is it?

I'd be shocked.

Okay, do you have your powder?
Oh, I ate that.

I have it.

Okay, we scatter it
over the map,

and everywhere there's a
demon, a little light appears.

Oh, pretty!

- Will it hurt the carpet?
- No.

Okay. Scatter.

Ooh!
Oh!

Hey, look!
That's me.

Hello.

What's that huge clump?

It's the high school.

It's all Hellmouthy underneath. Things
have been stirring there lately.

Is it getting brighter?

Smoke!
Oh!

Oh! Okay!

Remember our talk
about the carpet?

Hey, Th-this could be it.

It's strong.
I-I-It's near the body,

and it's all by itself,

hiding in the woods
or-or... maybe a cave.

There are a couple good
caves around there.

I don't know.
Sounds pretty thin to me.

Well, that's why you teleport over
there real quick like a bun...

Uh, real quick,
and, uh, see if I'm right.

No. Sorry.
You damaged my carpet.

Anya, you're a vengeance demon.
Just... teleport.

Well, as it turns out, teleporting
isn't a right. It's a privilege.

I withdrew a vengeance spell last
week, and this is my punishment.

I can only teleport
for official business.

I have to file a flight plan
and everything.

Oh. I'm sorry, that...
That must be hard.

Yeah. It bites
a pretty big one.

And the vengeance itself,
I-it's...

It's not as fulfilling
as I remember.

Really? 'Cause I got the
impression that you enjoyed,

you know,
inflicting.

Well, causing pain sounds
really cool, I know, but...

it turns out
it's really upsetting.

Didn't use to be.
But now it is.

Is it like... you're scared
of losing that feeling again,

and that having it be okay
to hurt people,

and then you're not in charge of the power
anymore because it's in charge of you?

Wow. That was...

really overdramatically
stated, but, yeah, that's it.

I get it.
Believe me.

I'm sorry, Willow.

I wish it were better for you.
You too.

It did get a little sexy,
didn't it?

I have to find this monster.

Willow, um, isn't there
another spell?

I mean, you're trying to find
Buffy and Xander.

Couldn't we use a spell
to do that?

I did. I-I tried and something
went kaflooey, and it didn't work.

- What did it say?
- It said they don't exist.

I looked up demons that skin their victims
and demons that flay their victims,

'cause, you know,
same thing.

There's a ton
of prospects.

Anything else gone? Uh, eyeballs,
toenails or viscera? That's guts.

She knows about viscera.
Makes you proud.

- Just skin.
- Okay. I'll work on that.

What's up?

I need to do something.

I just... I have this feeling
in my gut... In your viscera?

That we know exactly
who did this.

And all of this work we're
doing is just a way for us...

to convince ourselves
that Willow's okay.

Oh, guys.
I got a good one.

A demon called Gnarl. He's a parasite
with these nasty long fingernails.

He secretes something through them and
uses that to paralyze his victims.

He then cuts strips of their
skin while they're still alive.

It takes hours.

We didn't find
any strips of skin.

Which, by the way...

You wouldn't.
He eats them.

That's why he's a parasite.
It's like his natural food.

Dawn, you're new at this,
and-and I get why you're proud.

But I'm not exactly sure why this demon is
any more likely than any of the others?

You never said pool of blood.

There was no pool,
just splatters.

Then this is your guy.
He laps up the blood.

- You could say it's like his natural beverage.
- You're terrifying.

Now if we just knew how
to find this thing.

Well, we can ask some questions
over at Willy's place.

Or we could be smart.

- Sorry, Xander.
- What?

Well, whoever did this
had to get blood on them,

which means they left a trail. Right.
Minute traces of blood.

- And we have a way to track it.
- We have a...

Oh. I get it.

What? How...

What's goin' on?

William's a good boy. Carries
her water, carries her sin.

It's supposed to get easier, isn't it? It's
supposed to help to help, but it doesn't.

It's still so heavy.

We should've put
a leash on him.

Yes, let's tie ourselves
to the crazy vampire.

You really think it's gonna work?
It's pretty easy.

Spike follows the exciting smell of blood, and
we follow the fairly ripe smell of Spike.

It's
"smellementary."

Also, I'm sure there's
tons of stuff like this.

You know, procedures we can use
that don't involve magic spells.

Just good solid
detective work.

And we can develop a database of tooth
impressions and demon skin samples,

and I could wear
high heels more often.

Wow. That was so close
to being empowered.

Everybody loves
a slender ankle.

That's it. End of the line.
Everyone off.

Keep your ticket.
You'll need that.

That's a rock cliff.

Well, give him a break, Buffy. Maybe
it's a vicious, skin-eating rock cliff.

There's a cave in it.
Look.

I'm insane.
What's his excuse?

All alone.

Dark and dank. I was hopin'
it'd be dark and dank.

Shh!
Do you hear that?

No, I don't.

But now I do.

Something's moving
in here.

Guess we're in
the right place.

Look at the shorn lamb.

See how it trembles?

Is it the cold wind?

Or is it that the flock
is nowhere to be seen?

Poor little lamb,
all alone.

- You guys hear that, right?
- Yep.

It's echoing. I-I know
it sounds close, but I'm...

Dawn!
Are you okay?

I guess so.

- Poison paralyzes.
- Dawn.

Okay, we need to get her out of here.
We'll deal with him later.

Seal him in.

What's going on?
Who's there?

No! Stop!

No way out now.
No way out.

Protect me, Goddess. In thy
name I supplicate myself.

Take the powers from my enemy and lay
him lower than the lowest field.

Gnarl loves spells!

He keeps them as pets.

They love him.

And they leave him alone.

You may be immune to magic, but I got
more than that. You wanna fight?

Your friends left you here.

No one comes to save you.

They wanted me
to have you.

The computer. That thing Dawn was reading
might have an antidote for the paralysis.

Mmm. Buffy?

- What?
- I'm really sorry.

Oh, it's okay. You couldn't help it.
It had paralyzing fingernails.

Just like you said it would.
So good on you. Mmm!

Did they leave you
as a giftie for me?

Are you a tasty little giftie?
Stop it!

Or did they just
throw you away?

Were they here?
Were my friends really here?

I heard something.

They were here. Here they were.
And there they went.

Gone, all gone,
what a pretty song.

They sealed you in with me.

I love a giftie.

Can't wait to unwrap it.

Mmm.

Okay, watch...
Watch the head.

Watch my head! Watch my head!
I've got you.

Sofa.

Face up! Face up! Oh! She's right.
Face up is better.

Okay, I'm gonna check the computer, find
that page, see if there's an antidote.

It'll be all right.
We'll get you fixed up.

- You'll be doin' limbo in no time.
- - Yeah, as a pole.

No. Not as a pole.
I promise.

Oh, got it!

It says the paralysis
is permanent.

No. Oh, wait.
My bad.

- Um, "permanent until
the creature dies." Sorry.

I guess we have to go back.

We can't just leave her here like this.
What if she vomits?

- Do you think she'll vomit?
- Stop talking about vomit!

I'll call Anya. She can watch her.
Right.

She'll love being
called for vomit watch.

Stop talking about vomit!

Gnarl makes
a pretty picture.

It's easy when you know how.

It's easy when
everyone helps.

Mm-hmm.

They helped me.

Too bad there's no one
to help you.

Mmm.

- Mmm.
- I bet she's dying.

She's not dying.
She's just paralyzed.

Oh.
Paralyzed how?

Paralyzed how?
In the "not moving" way.

Well, there's lots of different ways.
Did you try this?

- Hey!
- Hey!

Oh. You're poseable.

She's poseable? It's a common variety.
Watch this.

Huh. Neat as you please.
Hardly a need to undo her.

Mmm.
Where'd you get the nuts?

Brazil.

No need to thank me, by the
way, for sitting with her.

I'm feeling very
benevolent today.

Helping Willow.
Helping you.

Might even call it even for that
whole worm thing last week.

Yeah, I don't think
we could call...

Wait.
You saw Willow?

Mm-hmm. Oh, she's looking
for you, by the way.

Decided you might be out in some cave.
Sounded pretty tenuous.

- Cave?
- Anya, listen. This is really important.

Did Willow go
to that cave?

Mm-hmm. Last time I saw her
that's where she was headed.

Shall I make her salute?
That'd be very cute.

Xander, she could be there right now.
Willow could be trapped with the Gnarl.

Oh, it's not "the Gnarl"...
Just Gnarl.

Oh. Wouldn't it be tragic if you
were here being kinda silly...

with your comically paralyzed
sister while Willow was dying?

Anya, you know about this creature?
Uh-huh. Sure.

You're coming with us.

They wouldn't leave.
They'll return.

They don't want you.

Lock you in,
nice white skin.

And if they do return,
where will they find you?

Inside me you'll already be.

Ohh.

Ah, love it.

Anya, you gotta
keep up!

I'm out of shape. I've been
teleporting for months.

Hurry!

No. No. No.

What's going on?
Where's Willow?

She's right here. Can't you see her?
She's hurt. What? Where?

There's nothing here.

Your hand, it's going right through her.
What's going on?

- I don't know. But I'm startin' to get why we haven't seen her.
- Because we haven't seen her.

I have this feeling that whatever's
causing this invisible thing...

is a whole separate issue
from the skin-eating monster.

Behind you!

Close one.

Remember what I said...
Get him in the eyes!

Willow.
I'm here.

Wow.
You're really hurt.

- What's goin' on?
- Buffy's fighting the demon over there, see?

But if they get too close,
I'm going to have to run.

I don't see.

But they're here...
Buffy and Xander.

Someone came?
They didn't leave me?

No, they didn't leave you.
They can't see you. Oh.

They're here. They're here.
I'm not alone.

Good.
You're doing really good.

Ew! Ew.
Thumbs?

- I can't believe you did that.
- Oh! Buffy killed the demon. It was gross.

I can... I can move.

Ohh!

Willow,
are you here?

Where is she?
Is she alive?

She's right here.

Stand back. You're getting
your feet in her.

Willow?

She's hurt really bad, you guys.
I'm gonna go get help.

I think she's sort of...
here-ish.

Willow?

We-We can't exactly see you, but
we're really glad that you're back.

I... I-I-I don't know how badly
you're hurt, but...

What's happening?

I couldn't find you guys,
and I looked everywhere.

And the demon said that
you left me and...

Oh. There you are.
There you are.

Don't go away.

We're not goin' away.

Oh, God.

It's gonna be okay, Wil.
You're gonna be okay.

I know.

You're here.

Buffy?

Oh, I'm sorry. I...
I didn't mean to interrupt.

That's all I had left
in me anyway.

I didn't realize meditating
was such hard work.

I'm healing.
Growing new skin.

Wow. That's magic, right?

I mean, when most people meditate,
they don't get extra skin, right?

'Cause Clem should,
like, cut back.

It's magic. I'm drawing power
from the earth to heal myself.

We're on the second floor.

You know, Giles says
everything's part of the earth...

This bed, the air, us.

Explains why my fingernails get dirty
even when I don't do anything.

Plus, you stuck your
thumbs in a demon. True.

You're wiped out.
I-I should go.

No.
Please stay.

I missed you so much
when I couldn't find you.

We missed you too.

I missed you.

Dawn's working on what caused the
mutual no-see-ums, but we haven't...

I did it.

- You did a spell?
- I didn't mean to.

I... I just remember... thinking how
I wasn't ready to see you guys yet.

I was afraid we wouldn't,
you know, connect.

So you made it happen
just by thinking it?

I guess I have a ways to go
before I master my powers, huh?

It's okay.
As long as you're all right.

It's nice to be forgiven.

Too bad I need
so much of it.

I have a confession to make.

I thought it might be you,
with the flaying.

I know.

I wanna be the kind of person
that wouldn't think that.

Xander never thought it.

He did a little.
Heck, I did a little.

Xander has the luxury
of not saying it.

But you're the Slayer. You have to
say stuff like that. It's okay.

It's okay too if... you still don't think
I can recover from this magic stuff.

Because honestly, I'm not
that sure about it either.

I thought you were
too tired.

It hurts too much
not to try.

I'm sorry.

And it just takes
so much strength...

I don't have that much.

Well, I got so much strength,
I'm givin' it away.

Are you sure?

Will it help?

Much.

Good.

Grr! Arrgh!