History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E9ThePuppetShow

-->'''Snyder:''' I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch, and mock, and laugh... at.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible (InUniverse): The Scoobies have just defeated the MonsterOfTheWeek when the curtain rises exposing them to the audience. Buffy is cradling a ventriloquist dummy. Willow is holding a hatchet. Xander and Giles are next to a guillotine with a decapitated demon lying on it.
-->'''Snyder:''' I don't get it. [[[InterruptedByTheEnd Cut to credits]]] What is it, avant garde?

-->'''Buffy:''' So it probably is one of them, and Giles doesn't know! [[AloneWithThePsycho He's with them all right now!]]
-->'''Xander:''' Giles can handle himself. I mean, he is really...smart.
-->(Cut to Buffy running out of the library)

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

-->'''Snyder:''' From now on you're gonna see a very different Sunnydale High. Tight ship; clean, orderly...and quiet.
-->''(Cut to ScreamingWoman who's just found Emily with her heart cut out)''

* OpenSaysMe: Buffy spends a second or two trying to pick a combination lock, then just smashes it through the locker door.

* TheMeanBrit: Averted as Giles is too polite to tell the contestants they suck.

* AbsenteeActor: Angel doesn't appear in this episode.

* AbsenteActor: Angel doesn't appear in this episode.

-->'''Snyder''': There are things I will not tolerate. Students loitering around campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed, and also smoking.

-->'''Snyder''': This place has ''quite'' a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E3TheWitch spontaneous cheerleader combustion]]. [[AndThatsTerrible You can't put up with that]].

* HypocriticalHumor

* MonsterOfTheWeek

* PietaPlagiarism: Buffy holding Sid after his 'death'.

-->'''Snyder:''' Kids today need discipline. That's an unpopular word these days, 'discipline.' I know Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed liberal thinking that leads to being eaten.

** When Giles complains about having to run the school talent show, Buffy parodies his declaration to her of her obligation toward the world—basically the 'Into every generation…' rubric used to open most of the early episodes of the show—that he gave her when they first met: 'Giles, into every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.'
&nbsp. This is a parody of this very television programme's 'Slayer Prophecy' with which Giles first greeted her in the first episode (or, if you prefer, the pilot), a version of which is non-diegetically repeated at the beginnings of most early episodes, including this one.

 
This is a parody of this very television programme's 'Slayer Prophecy' with which Giles first greeted her in the first episode (or, if you prefer, the pilot), a version of which is non-diegetically repeated at the beginnings of most early episodes, including this one.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
--> '''Sid''': (to Willow) How about you and I do a little rehearsing on our own, honey? You know what they say: once you go wood, nothing's as good!
** Which has to be HilariousInHindsight

A demon watches a ballet dancer called Emily. Cordelia is singing Music/WhitneyHouston's 'The Greatest Love of All' off key as part of the annual talent show try outs. Giles stops her, obviously due to his ears hurting. Buffy, Xander and Willow mock him as Giles complains about the new principal putting him in charge of the talent show so he could have more contact with the students. As Principal Snyder overhears the Scoobies making fun of Giles, he punishes them by forcing them to enter the talent show. The next try-out is Morgan and his ventriloquist dummy, Sid. Buffy confesses to being freaked out by dummies. Morgan's act starts off as rubbish as the rest but takes a turn for the better when Sid develops a personality, speaking with a sarcastic yet funny manner. The dancer, Emily notices the demon and screams.

The talent show rehearsals continue with an unsuccessful magician named Marc. Buffy, Xander and Willow come up with ideas for what they can do for the show and decide on a dramatic scene as it doesn't require any actual talent. Sid watches and makes rude comments as Morgan explains he's just doing an imitation of his father.
Snyder explains to Giles that he plans to run a safer, more disciplined school only to discover Emily's body, whose heart has been cut out. The Scoobies debate on whether the killer is human or demon; with Willow saying a human would be scarier as it could be anyone.

In the library, Willow suggests another possibility; animated dummies harvesting organs in order to become humans. Sid is gone when Xander stops paying attention to him. Buffy finds Morgan's body missing its brain, just as a chandelier falls on her. When she wakes up, Buffy is attacked by Sid. They eventually realise they're both fighting for the same goal; to stop the demon. Sid explains that he is a demon hunter, cursed to be in dummy form until he kills all of the Brotherhood of Seven; the demons who need hearts and brains. He's killed six so far. However as his body is long gone, Sid accepts that when he kills the last demon, he will also die. Realising the demon has what it needs, it'll be moving on.

Later, Sid suggests to Giles to form a power circle to see who's missing but they see that everyone is present. When Sid goes missing again, Buffy finds Morgan's brain when looking for Sid. Buffy, Willow and Xander discover Morgan had brain cancer which is probably why the demon didn't use it. The demon now must be looking for someone smart, meaning Giles and Willow are in trouble.

At the talent show, Marc the magician straps Giles into his guillotine trap designed to cut off his scalp and leave his brain exposed to take. Just in time, Buffy and the others realise what is happening and rush to the rescue. As Buffy and Sid battle Marc who's now taken on his demon form, Xander keeps Giles from getting hurt as Willow frees him with an axe. Finally, Buffy and Sid manage to decapitate Marc with the guillotine. Sid reveals that to kill Marc, they must stab him in the heart. After declining Buffy's offer to do it, Sid kills Marc and finally dies himself as the curtain falls. Everyone assumes it's part of the show and they receive minimal applause. Buffy, Xander and Willow finish their dramatic scene in front of the audience with Willow running off stage.

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Buffy's fear of dummies.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The demon gets decapitated with the guillotine it was going to use on Giles.

* BadBadActing: The Scoobies' stiff, laughable performance of ''Theatre/OedipusRex''.

-->'''Giles:''' I must say all of you, your timing is impeccable.

* AllPartOfTheShow

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking

* BreadEggsMilkSquick

* GilliganCut

* HopelessAuditionees
* ImagineTheAudienceNaked

* ItsALongStory

* MrExposition

* OrganTheft
* PersonAsVerb

* ScareChord

* TheTriple

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Buffy's fear of dummies.
* YouAreWhoYouEat

-->'''Xander:''' The dummy tells us he's a demon hunter.... He takes off, and now there's a brain. Does anybody else feel like they've been [[Film/TheUsualSuspects Keyser Sozed]]?

-->'''Snyder''': There are certain things that I will not tolerate. Students loitering around campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed, and also smoking.

-->'''Snyder''': There are certain things that I will not tolerate. Students loitering around school after hours, horrible murders with hearts being removed, and smoking.

A demon watches a ballet dancer called Emily. Cordelia is singing Whitney Houston's 'The Greatest Love of All' off key as part of the annual talent show try outs. Giles stops her, obviously due to his ears hurting. Buffy, Xander and Willow mock him as Giles complains about the new principal putting him in charge of the talent show so he could have more contact with the students. As Principal Snyder overhears the Scoobies making fun of Giles, he punishes them by forcing them to enter the talent show. The next try-out is Morgan and his ventriloquist dummy, Sid. Buffy confesses to being freaked out by dummies. Morgan's act starts off as rubbish as the rest but takes a turn for the better when Sid develops a personality, speaking with a sarcastic yet funny manner. The dancer, Emily notices the demon and screams.

->''Unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny.''