History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E6Halloween

* CoolGuns: Xander's toy gun transforms into an [=M4A1=], the standard weapon of U.S UsefulNotes/NavySeals.

* BedsheetGhost: Willow's generic ghost costume, complete with "[-BOO!-]" lettering on the front.

* SwappedRoles: With Buffy and Xander losing their identities, Willow becomes the leader of the gang for the episode, with Angel and Cordelia as her backup. While Angel is a constant in this regard, Willow and Cordelia are typically the DistressedDamsel to Buffy's ActionGirl.

--->'''Willow:''' It's too bad we can't sneak a look at the Watcher diaries and read up on Angel. I'm sure it's full of fun facts to know and tell.\\

-->'''Buffy:'''And that's the point. Look, Halloween is the night that not-you ''is'' you, but not ''you'' -- you know?

* FaintInShock}: Willow proclaims that they need to find -- a gown-wearing Buffy appears in the frame behind Xander -- "Buffy!" A couple more demon-kids move to surround them. Xander says they have a situation, and Willow asks Buffy what they should do. [[FromBadToWorse Buffy faints dead away]].

* DistressBall: While grappling with another vampire (during which Buffy is no help at all), Angel turns to Buffy in game face. Buffy screams and runs out of the house.

* [[IntangibleMan Intangible Girl]]: Ghost Willow. Mostly played for laughs.
-->'''Willow:''' ''*staring morosely at a book*'' I don't even know what I'm looking for. Plus, I can't turn the page.

* BareYourMidriff: Willow, who up to this point has always worn very drab, conservative outfits, dons a sexy midriff-baring costume as a plot point, and looking quite fit indeed. Oz sees her after the spell wears off and is quite taken by such a vision, while Giles is rather...disturbed.
-->'''Giles:''' So, everybody became whatever they were masquerading as?
-->'''Willow:''' Right. Xander was a soldier, and Buffy was an eighteenth century girl.
-->'''Giles:''' And, uh...your...''your'' costume?
-->'''Willow:''' ''*defensively*'' I'm a ghost.
-->'''Giles:''' Yes, um...''*sputtering*''...the ghost of ''what'', exactly?

* PromiseMeYouWontX: Buffy calling to Willow to come out and show off her new costume. Willow reluctantly obeys ("Promise me you won't laugh?"): her hair is up, and she's wearing makeup, a black leather skirt, and a [[BareYourMidriff midriff-baring]] brown top. Va Va ''Voom''.

* CoolGuns: Xander's toy gun tranforms into an [=M4A1=], the standard weapon of U.S UsefulNotes/NavySeals.
* CouldSayItBut:
-->'''Willow:''' It's too bad we can't sneak a look at the Watcher diaries and read up on Angel. I'm sure it's full of fun facts to know and tell.\\
'''Buffy:''' Yeah. It's too bad. That stuff is private.\\
'''Willow:''' Also Giles keeps them in his office. In his personal files.\\
'''Buffy:''' Most importantly, it would be]] ''wrong''.

** FridgeLogic: When leaving Ethan's costume shop, we hear Willow open and close the door when she should have just walked through it.

* AnAesop: Willow awakens on the porch, no longer a ghost and happy to be alive. She reflexively starts to put the sheet back on, but thinks better of it and ditches it. "How She Dies" by Treble Charger starts up as she strides confidently away.

* AttemptedRape / PercussiveTherapy: Cap'n Larry (?) accosting Buffy in an alley. Luckily, Xander comes to the rescue and tackles him.

* ScrewLearningIHavePhlebotinum / TookALevelInBadass: Soldier Xander.
** Giles, whose "sniveling tweed-clad" persona might, according to Ethan, be just an act.

* SheCleansUpNicely / GrandStaircaseEntrance: The effect Buffy was going for. Inverted with Willow's purposely trashy outfit.
** Buffy attempts to get Willow to do the whole "coming down the staircase" thing to impress Xander, albeit dressed as a hot goth rather than a fairytale princess. However, Willow backs out and comes down the stairs... in a traditional BedsheetGhost costume.

* {{Corpsing}}: Angel was supposed to look bored when Cordelia attempts to flirt with him. But Creator/DavidBoreanaz kept laughing, and they decided to add it in.

* {{Fainting}}: Willow proclaims that they need to find -- a gown-wearing Buffy appears in the frame behind Xander -- "Buffy!" A couple more demon-kids move to surround them. Xander says they have a situation, and Willow asks Buffy what they should do. [[FromBadToWorse Buffy faints dead away]].

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by none other than Rayne himself.

* ForeignCussWord: Willow's line, "Wild on me equals spaz" was cut when the episode was shown on the BBC because in the UK, "spaz" is an offensive term often used to describe a handicapped or disabled person. Technically, it means the same thing here (it's short for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spasticity spastic]]), but no one knows that.

* GotVolunteered: Principal Snyder, holding a clipboard, rudely yanks back a passing student and informs her that she's "volunteering." Xander notes that Snyder [[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E9ThePuppetShow}} is using a loose definition of the word "volunteer."]] Seconds later, it's too late, as Snyder slaps his hand on Buffy's shoulder. Willow looks glum and Xander amused as Snyder hands Buffy a pen to sign up, but then both look horrified when Snyder hands them each a pen of their own.

* HalloweenEpisode: The trick-or-treaters in Sunnydale are subjected to a literal case of BecomingTheCostume thanks to Giles's former friend, Ethan Rayne. This unfortunately includes Buffy, who chose to dress up as an 18th century lady in an effort to impress Angel, and becomes a DistressedDamsel for the duration of the spell. And just when you think things couldn't get any worse, Spike finds out about Ethan's antics through Drusilla, and comes pretty close to offing Buffy.

* LinkedListClueMethodology: In the library, Willow and Giles lay out the backstory again. He asks what her costume is, and she tells him she's a ghost. Warily, Giles examines her fetish-wear and asks, "The ghost of what, exactly?" Willow covers herself up and gets defensive, describing Cordy's catsuit for some perspective. This points them to a clue, namely that Cordy didn't change. Willow says that Cordy got her costume at Party Town, but the rest of them got theirs at a new place, "[[EurekaMoment Ethan's]]." Giles's glaring eyes indicate that he recognizes the name.

* TheMatchmaker: [[ExploitedTrope Exploited]] by Buffy while attempting to stall Giles. During this dizzying exchange, Buffy is surreptitiously beckoning to Willow to come in, but she's too slow. Finally, Giles has had enough, and Buffy blurts, "--Miss Calendar said you were a babe!" (Willow looks at Buffy all "I can't believe you just went there.")

* PreAssKickingOneLiner: As soon as Giles shatters the statue, we cut to the warehouse, where Xander's gun has reverted to a toy. The mini-demons are kids again. Spike looks around, confused, and then Buffy's wig comes off in his hand. Uh oh. Buffy, now her old self, gets up, and, with a sunny smile, starts [[ShesBack kicking Spike's ass]]. "Hi honey. I'm home."

* TruceZone: Demons and vampires traditionally avoid hunting or attacking on Halloween and "take the night off" because they believe it to be an idiotic cliché. Needless to say, there's always [[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E4FearItself}} a few]] [[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E6AllTheWay}} idiots]] who spoil the broth.

->'''Spike:''' ''"Tomorrow's Halloween. Nothing happens on Halloween."''
->'''Drusilla:''' ''"Someone's come to change it all. Someone new."''

* AndThatWouldBeWrong: Buffy and Willow talk about how Giles's books might have details about what sort of women Angel was interested in. But in order to find that information, they'd need to go behind Giles' back, and betray his trust. And that, Willow points out, would be ''wrong''. One GilliganCut later, they're both in Giles' book cage, flipping through an old volume...

* BecomingTheCostume: What Rayne has induced for everyone on Halloween. Example: Willow, being a ghost, can't turn the pages in Giles' text book.

* CouldSayItBut: Buffy and Willow also plan to steal books from Giles' office in this manner:

* HalloweenEpisode: The trick-or-treaters in Sunnydale are subjected to a literal case of BecomingTheCostume thanks to Giles' former friend, Ethan Rayne. This unfortunately includes Buffy, who chose to dress up as an 18th century lady in an effort to impress Angel, and becomes a DistressedDamsel for the duration of the spell. And just when you think things couldn't get any worse, Spike finds out about Ethan's antics through Drusilla, and comes pretty close to offing Buffy.

* LinkedListClueMethodology: In the library, Willow and Giles lay out the backstory again. He asks what her costume is, and she tells him she's a ghost. Warily, Giles examines her fetish-wear and asks, "The ghost of what, exactly?" Willow covers herself up and gets defensive, describing Cordy's catsuit for some perspective. This points them to a clue, namely that Cordy didn't change. Willow says that Cordy got her costume at Party Town, but the rest of them got theirs at a new place, "[[EurekaMoment Ethan's]]." Giles' glaring eyes indicate that he recognizes the name.

* SmashCut: Willow noting that it's too bad they can't read up on Angel in the Watcher diaries. Buffy, in a mischievous tone, agrees that it's too bad, as Giles keeps them in his office with his personal files, and that stuff is private. "Most importantly, it would be wrong." Cue to Willow and Buffy cat-burgling their way into Giles' office.

* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Buffy stealthing her way toward Giles' office in search of his files. She paws around carefully and darts her eyes left. Then right. Coast is clear. She starts to stride toward the office, but Giles suddenly calls to her from the book cage, startling her.

* CouldSayItBut

'''Buffy:''' Most importantly, [[AndThatWouldBeWrong it would be]] ''[[AndThatWouldBeWrong wrong.]]''

* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: Willow's rainbow suspenders. [[SuddenlySexuality Foreshadowing]] high-fives itself.

* AnAesop: Willow awakens on the porch, no longer a ghost and happy to be alive. She reflexively starts to put the sheet back on, but thinks better of it and ditches it. "How She Dies" by Treble Charger starts up as she strides confidently away.

* LameExcuse: Buffy feebly telling Snyder that she can't chaperone the kids, since her "carpal tunnel syndrome" tragically prevents her from holding a flashlight.