Buffy Season 4 & Angel Season 1 Summaries

Buffy, Willow, & Oz begin college, but Buffy soon finds herself feeling alienated because Willow & Oz have each other, Willow loves the whole college experience, Oz knows people on campus, and even worse, Xander isn't there for her to share her problems with, & Giles just doesn't seem to care, enjoying his new life of leisure. But of course, where Buffy goes, trouble can't be far behind. She comes up against a new vamp named Sunday who not only wants to fight her, but takes pleasure in insulting her too. Of course, all of Buffy's friends end up rallying around her, including Xander, who returns and tells his story of interesting summer experiences at, among other places, a women's strip club! New characters introduced at UC Sunnydale for the season include Parker, a fellow student, Maggie Walsh, Buffy's Psychology professor, & Riley Finn, a cute TA for Prof. Walsh.

RATING: */*

Everyone has their share of bad college experiences, especially with roomates, but Buffy seems convinced that her new, Celine Dion-loving, Cher-worshipping roomie Kathy is a demon. Willow & everyone else of course think she's crazy, & even go so far as to kidnap her & hold her hostage. But they should've learned by now: always trust a Slayer's instincts. Kathy turns out to be a demon from another dimension who has been sucking Buffy's soul out! Of course, by the end, order is restored, & Willow steps up to take her rightful place as Buffy's roomate.

RATING: **

This chaotic episode is the first of the new season that seemed really exciting. Revelations here include the returns of several major characters & one big problem for Buffy. First, Anya, Xander's ex-demon Prom date who is seriously hot for him & decides having sex with him is the only way to get himout of her mind. Unfortunately, it backfires & she becomes obsessed & upset when he ignores her. Next, there's Harmony, Cordelia's snobby Sunnydale High pal who is now a vampire (yet as vain & annoying as ever!) and has a new boyfriend...Spike!! He's back too, to the place he swore he'd never return,looking for the Gem of Amara, which makes vampires unkillable. Buffy eventually gets it away from him & gives it to Oz to take to Angel in LA, & thus, the crossover. Buffy is also burned when she sleeps with Parker & he ignores her. This episode also has a strong, hidden message about love. No matter who you are, ex-demon (Anya), vampire (Harmony), or human/slayer (Buffy), everyone can be hurt by love, & everyone experiences feeling unwated, unloved, & ignored.

RATING: ****

Planning on a fun Halloween, Buffy, Xander, Oz, & Willow decide to go to a frat costume party. Buffy is Little Red Riding Hood, Xander is James Bond, Willow is Joan of Arc, & Oz wears a nametag that says "God" (because Joan of Arc had a close relationship with God). But it turns out the crazy frat guys have accidentally awakened a fear demon, who is haunting their 'haunted house' and making everyone's worst fears a reality: Xander is invisible, Willow can't control her magic, Oz starts turning into his wolf self, & Buffy is separated from her friends & must fight people she couldn't save. Giles & Anya, complete with 'scary' bunny costume, show up, but after Buffy brings the demon forth, they find out he's a little teeny-tiny thing, & all retreat to Giles's place for a candy overload.

RATING: ***/*

Xander gets another new job at the campus tavern, & encourages Buffy to come by. Buffy ends up going, & drowns her sorrows about Parker over much, much beer with some other college guys. But the next day, she becomes like a cave person, while her drinking buds are attacking the campus. Meanwhile, Willow goes to give Parker a talking-to, but he puts the moves on her to, & before she can leave, a fire breaks out. But even in her time of confusion, Buffy still knows enough to get everyone out in time. But for Parker, that doesn't neccesarily make him lucky--cave Buffy hits him over the head multiple times with a very large stick, & learns to forget.

RATING: **

Willow has been feeling unloved lately, concerned that Oz has eyes for sexy singer Veruca. But eventually all find out that Veruca is actually a werewolf too, & she & Oz, in their animal states, get a little too friendly with each other. He doesn't rememeber it, but to convince her not to go free & possibly hurt someone, he gets her in his cage with him for the night. But the next morning, Willow finds them together & is crushed. Veruca eventually tries to kill Willow in her wolf form, but Buffy shows u & kills her just in time. Confused by Veruca's ideas that the wolf in them is natural, & that he should give in to it, and his love for Willow, they say a tearful goodbye, & Oz leaves.

RATING: ***/*

Even though Buffy still doesn't know the truth, in this episode we learn the truth behind the mysterious campus commandos. Spike is captured by the Military operation, but breaks free. Convinced that Buffy was behind his capture, he goes looking for her, but instead finds Willow, & attacks her. But much to their shock, Spike can't get near her without a horriblle pain in his head. Meanwhile, we see that Professor Walsh actually runs the Initiative, as it's called, & and Riley & the other TAs are her soldiers. They go looking for Spike, but Buffy comes along to save Willow, & Spike escapes. Also, we finally learn that Riley does have feelings for Buffy, & she may have some for him too.

RATING: **/*

After finding out the Buffy may be in trouble, Angel returns toSunnydale just in time to discover that Sunnydale is under siege from the spirit of a Chumash indian warrior, whose people were oppressed by settlers after they came to what was their land in Sunnydale. Not only does he kill 2 people, but also infects Xander with a host of diseases his people suffered from, trying to recreate the wrongs done to his people. Buffy is even more upset by the fact that all of this is ruining her Thanksgiving! Things get even more confusing when Spike shows up to tell them about his problem, that he can't bite, or even hit people anymore. It all ends in a huge battle between the indian warriors, & Buffy & friends, plus Angel, all while Spike get shot with arrows while tied to a chair. They win, of course, & sit down to a nice Thanksgiving dinner, without Buffy ever knowing Angel had been there & helped, until Xander blurts it out...

RATING: ***/*

Willow is feeling really down because of Oz, & things only get worse when she finds out he sent for his things. So that wacky Willow does a spell - to have her will done, hoping it will bring Oz back. Instead, things go a little wrong, & she makes Giles blind, Xander a literal demon magnet, and Buffy betrothed to SPIKE!! Unfortunately, she doesn't realize any of it, until Anya's old pal D'Hoffryn, who made her a demon, comes to Willow with the same offer. Standing by her friends, she refuses, & goes back to set things right. But for Buffy & Spike, the damage has already been done..hehe...

RATING: ***

Falling asleep in class, Buffy has a bizarre dream in which she & Riley do a making out experiment in front of their class. But then, she drifts into the hall & sees a little girl, reciting a rhyme, saying something about 'the Gentlemen'. Meanwhile, Willow is bummed when her wicca group turns out to be a bust, and Buffy tells Giles about her dream. That night, Giles sends Spike, who has been living with him, to stay with Xander, because his friend Olivia is coming back to town, & we also see the Gentlemen, a bizzare group of silent demons in nice suits, that almost look like skeletons. While everyone is sleeping, they take all their voices away. The next morning, everyone wakes up panicked, realizing they've lost their voices. The town is quaratined for laryngitis, leaving everyone helpless & terrified. Then the Gentlemen set out again, in search of hearts. Buffy & the others regroup, & find out that the Gentlemen are from an old fairy tale. The only way to defeat them is for a real person to scream. So, Buffy goes out hunting, at the same time Riley & the Initiative are, & sure enough, they learn each other's secrets. Buffy & Riley get everyone's voices back, & Buffy screams & the Gentlemen's heads explode. And by the way, in case you didn't know, this episode had 29 minutes of complete silence...

RATING: ****

While Buffy & Riley are trying to figure out how to reveal their secrets, the town of Sunnydale is rocked by an earthquake. Riley is excited, but Buffy is far from it, remembering that last time there was an earthquake, she died. They all eventually realize that a group of demons is trying to open the Hellmouth - again. So Buffy, Willow, Xander, & Spike go back to high school -- Sunnydale High, now in ruins after it was blown up. They see the demons, & everyone starts fighting them, including Riley, who shows up later. Of course, they all avert yet another apocalypse. Willow & Xander learn the truth about Riley, & Spike learns he can fight demons.

RATING: **

It's Buffy's 19th birthday, & everyone throws her a surprise party, where Giles starts to feel very old, like he doesn't belong with them. Just as Buffy grows closer to Professor Walsh & the Initiative, she grows farther apart from Giles. Then Giles finds out that everyone else but him, including Spike, lready knew about Riley & the Initiative. So Giles goes out drinking with his old friend - and troublemaker - Ethan Rayne, & the next morning, he wakes up a demon! Buffy & friends, of course, don't know this, & think a demon came & attacked Giles. Of course, it doesn't help that when Giles speakes, it's not in English, but Spike comes to his rescue - for the right price - and helps him out. But Buffy is also tracking the demon, & just before she is about to kill it, realizes that it's Giles under there. Ethan is taken away by the military, & everyone goes on with their lives.

RATING: ***

Buffy is finally let in to the Initiative, & is given full access to the operation, as well as a pager, etc. But right after Buffy is allowed in, Professor Walsh & another person on the inside, Dr. Angleman, start having doubts, mostly becuase she seems to be asking too many questions. Buffy is also distancing herself from her friends, spening all her time with Riley & even bringing him & his friends to a special getogether at the Bronze. But Maggie finally decides, after spying on Riley & the other soldiers' rooms & seeing Buffy & Riley consummate their relationship, that Buffy needs to go. While Riley & company are out hunting Spike, Maggie sends Buffy hunting in the sewers - and straight into a trap. While monitoring her, Maggie sees Buffy die, but just as she tells Riley, they see Buffy on her monitor, very much alive & now out to get Maggie for trying to kill her. After Riley storms away, Maggie thinks all she has left is her secret creation, Adam, a monster made from demons, etc., but he turns on her too, waking up & skewering her. Maggie is now dead, & Adam escapes.

RATING: ***/*

Dr. Angleman finds Maggie dead, and all of the Initiative is shaken. Forrest, Riley's friend, who is jealous of Buffy, immediately suspects her, but Riley dismisses the idea & finds her at Giles's house, with the rest of the gang, including Spike. They also learn that Maggie is dead, but Riley really seems to not be taking it well. Fearing for their lives after what Maggie tried to do to Buffy, they all hide out at Xander's place. Learning a boy was killed, supposedly by a demon the Initiative, but really by Adam, Buffy goes out hunting. But Riley just seems to be acting weirder & weirder. Buffy & Xander decide to infiltrate the Initiative to find out what's happeneing to Riley, & they learn that the operation has been putting drugs in the soldiers' food, & that Riley is going through withdrawal. But just as Buffy confronts Dr. Angleman about it, Adam shows up & kills Dr. Angleman, & also wounds Riley, then escapes. The Initiative takes Riley, but Buffy is still very worried about what will happen, now that Adam is loose & Riley is hurt...

RATING: ***

As if Buffy & friends didn't have enough problems to deal with, they learn that Faith, last season's rogue slayer that Buffy put in a coma, is awake. She flees the hospital, & goes looking for Buffy. Everyone, including the recovering Riley, is on the hunt for her, as she is still learning what really happened on Graduation Day. She gets a video from the Mayor, as well as a strange little gadget. She goes to Buffy's house & attacks her mom, Joyce. But Buffy walks into Faith's trap, & just as the cops show up to get Faith, she attatches the Mayor's gift to her fingers, & puts her hand together with Buffy's. Before Buffy can realize what's happened, Faith, now in Buffy's body, knocks her out, & the cops show up to take Buffy, in Faith's body, away...

RATING: ****

Faith, now in Buffy's body, is thrilled when her plan goes perfectly. The cops show up & take Buffy, in Faith's body, away. Faith has a great time as Buffy, planning to leave the country, but not before messing with her family & friends some more. She checks in with the gang & learns that 'Faith' was intercepted & taken by the Council, waiting to go back to England. She leaves for patrol, but ends up at the Bronze to party. Meanwhile, Adam is searching the sewers, & comes across a group of vampires, whom he soon has under his control. Back at the Bronze, 'Buffy' meets Tara, & is very nasty to her, implying that she & Willow are involved & insulting her. When Tara & Willow go home, Tara tells her that she doesn't think Buffy is herself, & they do a spell sending Willow to the Netherworld to find the real Buffy. At the same time, Faith goes to torment & tease Riley, taking full advantage of his & Buffy's relationship, and Buffy, still with the Council guys, narrowly escapes being killed & flees in their truck. The next morning, Faith leaves Riley's just as Buffy shows up at Giles's. Just as she is trying to convince him that she is actually Buffy, Willow & Tara burst in & explain what happened. Faith is also busy, at the airport, ready to leave. But all see a report on the news that people in a church have been taken hostage. So everyone ends up their, & Faith fights & kills the vampires that have been working for Adam. But Buffy shows up & switches back their bodies with something Tara & Willow conjured, & Faith flees, leaving not even a trace.

RATING: ***/*

From the very beginning, we enter a very different Sunnydale. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, & Giles still fight the bad, but now the ultimate fighter is..Jonathan! Not only is he a better fighter than the Slayer, he's the best at everything else: he has posters, trading cards, and an autobiography, & is famous in the worlds of sports, movies, & music. Everyone, including the entire Scooby Gang, practically worships this former nerd! But there's always a catch. With all the good Jonathan is, there has to be something to balance him out, & it comes in the form of a monster who has the same triangle-shaped mark as Jonathan. Buffy thinks something's up, & she & Jonathan go to fight the monster, while the rest of the gang learns that Jonathan did an augmentation spell to make himself the best at everything. Turns out the creature's well-being is linked to Jonathan's reality, & when it dies during a battle with Buffy & Jonathan, things change back. Everyone is pretty upset, & the gang still longs for his alternate world, but at least it had some good: Buffy & Riley, with advice from Jonathan, are working out their issues.

RATING: ***

+Episode 4/19: NEW MOON RISING+

+Episode 4/20: THE YOKO FACTOR+

Episode 4/21: PRIMEVAL+

Episode 4/22: RESTLESS+