History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E12ProphecyGirl

* SignOfTheApocalypse: Buffy fills Giles in on the previous evening's hunt, and how the vamps are increasing in number and cockiness.

*** If only they could have kept it that way for the vamps, we could all live in peace.

** Jenny lists off some strange happenings in the news, the highlights of which include were a cat giving birth to snakes, a [[{{Squick}} lake that started boiling while a family was swimming in it]], and a baby born with its eyes facing inward. Buffy discovers blood pouring from the sink in the girls' bathroom.

* ProphecyTwist: The Prophecy didn't state that Buffy's blood would give the Master the strength to break free. And while Buffy does die at the hands of the Master, however, [[RevivalLoophole she doesn't stay dead]].

* RevivalLoophole: How Buffy gets out of her prophesied death (which will have long-term implications in the form of Kendra and Faith).

** This was likely intentional {{Foreshadowing}}. Creator/JossWhedon later said that he'd planned for one of the Scoobies to come out as gay all along, he just wasn't sure if it was going to be Xander or Willow. Which is probably why he put in little hints like this one, or the scene in an earlier episode when Xander said that Angel is a handsome man.

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: The Master is freed by drinking Buffy's blood, but she went to fight him only because of the prophecy. He even points it out.

** Conveserely, it's possible that Angel (and vampires in general) keep "breathing" due to habit and that his having "no breath" is an entirely mystical reference to him being undead.

* AttackOfTheMonsterAppendage: The Hellmouth.

* MilkingTheGiantCow: The Master hamming it up in his lair, saying the earthquake is a sign that they're "in the final days." Well, ''his'' final days, at least.

* NoodleIncident: Joyce tells Buffy about going to a homecoming dance alone her freshman year at college. It was awful for an hour, until she met Buffy's dad, who had a date - "and that's a much funnier story that (Buffy) will *not* get to hear".

* IfYouWontIWill: Buffy, hearing that she is prophesied to confront the Master and die, quits in horror. Giles decides to go after the Master himself in an attempt to save her, but a newly-resigned Buffy knocks him out and heads off, planning to at least take the Master down with her.

* BadVibrations: Giles [[CalmingTea reaches for tea to quiet his nerves,]] but stops when the teacup starts to shake.

* BigDamnHeroes: Xander and Angel arrive late to save Buffy from the Master, but still in time to revive her.

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: Buffy saying she can’t go to the dance and Joyce asking “Why? Is it written somewhere?”

* TapOnTheHead: Buffy settles the issue of who is going to fight the Master by punching Giles in the jaw, putting him to sleep just long enough for her to be off on the mission. Later Giles is seen nursing a bruise, but it seems no dental attention was required.

* WithOurSwordsScene: Buffy goes into battle against the Master wielding a crossbow given to her by [[TheMentor Giles]], a leather jacket she got from [[TallDarkAndHandsome Angel]], and [[KickingAssInAllHerFinery a prom dress previously worn by her mom]].

* FeetFirstIntroduction / PowerWalk: Buffy, Angel and Xander stride purposefully toward the school.

* PowerWalk: Post-revivification Buffy, trailed by Xander and Angel.

* ThePublicDomainChannel: Kevin and co. lifelessly watching ''Looney Tunes'' shorts on the TV.

** Ms. calender lists off some strange happenings in the news, the highlights of which include were a cat giving birth to snakes, a [[{{Squick}} lake that started boiling while a family was swimming in it]], and a baby born with its eyes facing inward. Buffy discovers blood pouring from the sink in the girls' bathroom.

* AnAxeToGrind: Giles grabs an axe and starts choppin' him some Hellmouth.

* BadVibrations: Giles [[SpotOfTea reaches for tea to quiet his nerves,]] but stops when the teacup starts to shake.

* NotSoDifferent: Cordelia is oddly smitten with Kevin for ignoring her, which Willow can relate to. ("I hear ya.")
** Angel grrs that Xander is in love with Buffy. Xander: "Aren't you?"

->''"Buffy will face the Master. [[SuicideMission And she will die.]]"''

* GoodIsDumb: Buffy squanders several chances to stake the Anointed One right then and there; presumably, because he's [[InfantImmortality a harmless child]].

* SpannerInTheWorks: The Master knew full well that Buffy was going to die in order for him to get free. However, he did not expect Xander performing CPR would bring her back to life. Justified as he probably never even heard of it, due to being imprisoned underground for centuries.

* BondOneLiner: The Master mentions that he likes Buffy's dress before leaving her to drown.

-->'''Jenny:''' Did send out one last global though. A short one.
-->'''Giles:''' What did it say?
-->'''Jenny:''' "Isaiah 11:6", which I dutifully looked up --
-->'''Giles:''' "The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf, the lion and the fatling together, and a little child to lead them."
-->'''Jenny:''' That's kinda warm and fuzzy for a message of doom.
-->'''Giles:''' Well, that depends where he's leading them ''to''.

-->'''Students:''' Hey look, it's raining stones!
-->'''Xander:''' (depressed) Figures.

-->'''Master:''' [[DidYouActuallyBelieve Did you really think]] you could best me here when you couldn't below?\\

-->'''Jenny:''' Okay, so this Master guy tried to open the Hellmouth. But he got stuck in it, and now all the signs are reading that he's gonna get out, which opens the Hellmouth, which brings the demons, which ends the world.
-->'''Giles:''' Yes. That about sums it up, yes.
-->'''Jenny:''' The part that gets me, though, is where Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. [[LampshadeHanging She's so little.]]

-->'''Xander''': Willow, don't you have a thing?
-->'''Willow''': A thing? The thing! That I have! Which is...a thing I have to go to. See ya later.

Cordelia and Willow rendezvous at the A/V Room, where Cordy monologues about how her date flaked on her. They reach the door to the lounge, where they see some of jocks sitting on the couch, apparently engrossed in TV. Cordy opens the door, and her date's body falls out, revealing a scene of carnage. Cordy screams and drops to her knees. News reaches Buffy, and we cut to Willow's bedroom. Willow is recovering from the shock of seeing her friends' bodies. She tells Buffy that she has seen some awful things by now, and thought she could handle it. Buffy silently comes to a realization. She tells Willow to take care, the subtext of which is "...because you'll never see me again."

Buffy and the A.O. reach the Master's lair, where approximately 60,000 candles are burning. The Master's voice welcomes her. She tries to get him to show his face, but in surround-sound voice he says he wants the moment to last. He warps behind her and goes all Jedi, holding her in place with his mind. He gloats that she only knew half of the prophecy, and the kicker is that blood is what sets him free. He drinks her, then lets her flop lifelessly into a nearby pool.

Xander and Angel arrive to find the Master's gone up, and Buffy drowned. Angel says that Xander has to perform CPR, as he has no breath. Xander does the deed. [[PleaseDontLeaveMe Grunt grunt Don't you die on me grunt.]] Buffy opens her eyes, seemingly suffused with some new power. Xander and Angel smile at each other. Well, there's a first (and last) time for everything.

* LoserHasYourBack
* LoveMartyr: Cordelia and Willow {{walk and talk}} as Cordy exposits how Kevin flaked on her last night. She's chagrined to admit that she doesn't care. "God help me... I think it's ''cute''."

-->'''Willow''': A thing? The thing! That I have! Which is... a thing I have to go to. See ya later.

Miss Calender perceptively asks ''where'' the Hellmouth is supposed to open. They conclude the most likely candidate is the Bronze, given the dance tonight. Willow and Jenny go to warn everyone. Outside, Miss Calendar fumbles with her car keys and notices they're surrounded by a bunch of vamps advancing towards them George Romero-style. Tires squeal behind them; it's Cordelia in her Beamer, urgently telling them to get in. Cordelia drives right ''into'' the school, leaving a rather large hole in the wall, and parks outside the library. Well, they generally walk there, but okay. Giles hears the ruckus (wuh duh fuh...?) and gets up to see the girls rush inside and barricade the doors. Giles wonders why they vamps are coming here. In the foreground, we get an answer, as a large three-headed snake demon rises from the floor. Giles breathes, "The Hellmouth." Only he does so in a demonologically fascinated way that seems scary and wrong.

The Master observes this scene from the skylight. He crows about how beautiful the world is. Buffy's cuts in; the world's not his just yet. He looks at her, flustered. Isn't she dead? Buffy concedes the point, but says she's still pretty. The Master's unamused, and pulls that Jedi trick again. She obliquely observes that he has "fruit punch-Mouth." The Master is taken off guard, and Buffy gives him Buffy punch-mouth. Ow. She then grabs the Master by the throat and flips him into the pit, neatly impaling him on a convenient broken shaft of wood. Instead of combusting, his skin disintegrates until there's nothing left but a skeleton. And with that, [[LoadBearingBoss the slimy snake demon skitters back into hell. The vamps flee]].