"Dead Man's Party"

 

This episode was not that productive. We think that their should have been more resolved between Buffy and her friends. There should have had a longer talk with her and friends about the issue. But, that is just our opinion...Here is the summary.

 

Buffy and her mom are very uncomfortable around each other.

Joyce is hanging up a Nigerian mask that she got from the art gallery. Buffy thinks it is abnormally ugly. She leaves to find her friends. Walking in a dark ally, she spots a possible vampire. She steps on a coke can to get his attention, the vampire turns around to reveal himself.

You figure out its Xander as he tries to stab Buffy with a stake. This awkward reunion is cut short by a large vampire jumping on top of them. You see Cordy, Willow, and Oz come running down the alley towards the commotion. Buffy ends up staking the vampire and after awhile, she says hey to her friends.

They go over to Giles' house where they catch up on things that have happened. (Avoiding the issue over Buffy's summer and her reasons behind running away.)

Willow makes a break in her busy schedule to meet with Buffy after school.

Buffy's mom attempts to get principal Snyder to let Buffy back in school (since he has no actual reason to expel her because the murder charges have been dropped). Snyder absolutely refuses and Buffy has to face the possibility that she might have to go to an all girls school.

Buffy's mom suggests having a little get-together with Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordy, and Oz. Seeing this dinner as an opportunity to talk things out with her friends, Buffy agrees, and walks down to the basement to get their "company" dishes.

She discovers a dead cat so Joyce and Buffy bury it.

Buffy go's out to meet Willow but she never shows up. Apparently, Willow had left a message with Joyce saying that she couldn't come.

Buffy starts to feel left out (because her terrible friends are being horribly cold to her). That night, a ton of strange stuff happens as the Nigerian mask on the wall starts to glow.

Dead people all around Sunnydale start to walk. The cat that Buffy and Joyce had recently buried digs itself out of the ground.

That night, Buffy dreams about Angel. (This dream is really weird because Buffy is wearing a very ugly outfit in an empty Sunnydale High.)

She walks with Angel and has the strangest talk with him. She tells him how her friends are being distant and he's not too much help. (kinda cryptic)

Giles has to come over to Buffy's house to pick up the zombie cat that had snuck in. He takes the cat to school in a cage to study it further.

At school, Giles and everyone eventually decide to turn Buffy's homecoming party into an all out "hoot-en-nanny".

Buffy answers the door in a dress and Oz's band barges in asking where to set up. A few minutes later, the house is crowded with people that Buffy doesn't even know. She tries to talk to Willow (who is watching Oz with awe) but Willow says she can't hear her. After a little quiet deliberation, Buffy decides to ask Willow (in a quiet place) if she's been avoiding her.

Willow quickly denies it so Buffy moves on to ask Xander what's up.

She finds Xander and Cordy seriously making out but she attempts to talk to them anyway. Being unsuccessful, Buffy walks into the kitchen to find her mom having a drink with her friend. Joyce confesses to her friend that having Buffy back is making things very difficult.

With tears in her eyes, Buffy hurries up the stairs and starts to pack her bags again because it is obvious to her that no one wants her to be there. Willow discovers Buffy packing, thus starting a very sad (but needed) discussion between the two friends. Before they can resolve anything, Joyce comes in and is very mad when she finds out Buffy is leaving again. (Poor Buffy is having a mental breakdown right now because everyone is blaming her for something that is totally not her fault)

Buffy starts to cry even more as she runs out of her room with Joyce and Willow close behind her. The argument is restarted in the living room (with more people hacking at her fragile mental state). Xander joins Joyce as they all attack her for leaving.

Buffy is uncontrollably crying as Xander further hurts Buffy. Buffy is about to kick Xander's ass when these stupid zombies break through the windows.

After much fighting Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Joyce make it into an upstairs room where the mask just happens to be.

They bring Joyce's dead friend in there too. While everyone else is fighting the zombies, Joyce's dead friend becomes a zombie and puts the mask on. The fight moves outside where Buffy stabs the big demon thing in the head with a shovel. All of the zombies disappear and nothing (between Buffy and her friends) is resolved.

Giles (after some convincing and bullying of principal Snyder) makes sure that Buffy will be able to return to school at Sunnydale High.

Willow and Buffy finally get together and talk about some stuff. They agree to keep cool about the whole summer issue but joke by calling eachother names.

The End