Overall Rating: 7.85 Matt: 8.2 Eric: 7.5 Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg Director: Michael Gershman Cast : Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris, Emma Caulfield as Anya, Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers, James Marsters as Spike, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg. Main guest stars : Kali Rocha as Halfrek, Ryan Browning as Richard, Amber Benson as Tara, Laura Roth as Sophie, James C. Leary as Clem. Original broadcast date : February 12, 2002 My one-line description: Buffy thought being back on Earth was Hell. Then she got to contemplate an eternity of kitten pokerŠ At the Summers house, Buffy is preparing to go out on patrol, all the while telling a disappointed Dawn that they¹ll get to spend quality time together soon. That night in the cemetery, the Slayer fights a rather large, sword-carrying demon who has the ability to disappear at will. Buffy manages to stab the demon with its own sword, and it¹s sucked into the blade. "Shiny!", she exclaims with joy, as she picks up the beautiful sword and heads home. At the Magic Box, the Scoobies are planning Buffy¹s birthday party. Diplomatically, Xander tells Willow that Buffy wants Tara to be there, and Willow nervously agrees. Dawn arrives and asks if anybody is available to go shop for a birthday gift with her, but everyone seems busy. Disappointed once more, Dawn goes alone. That night, Dawn returns home and finds no one there. Climbing up to her room, she takes off her coat to reveal a brand-new leather jacket hidden under it, the price tags still onŠ The next day, Dawn is called out of class to meet with a guidance counsellor, a nice lady who asks her whether things are okay at home. After some hesitation, Dawn admits that people have a tendency to go away and leave her, and that she sometimes wishes they¹d stop. In the kitchen at Buffy¹s house, Anya prepares food with Xander, and Buffy reveals that she invited a friend from work, Sophie. Anya informs Buffy that they also invited someone new ­ Richard, one of Xander¹s coworkers ­ and hints that they hope to match up Buffy with him. "I assume that this was an act of kindness? That¹ll help with the not-throttling!", asks a slightly annoyed Slayer. Upstairs, Willow nervously finishes straightening her clothes in the mirror, while Buffy greets Tara downstairs. Tara admits to feeling nervous, and asks Buffy how she¹s feeling; the Slayer answers that Spike isn¹t invited to the party, since he doesn¹t really play well with others. The two are interrupted by Willow coming down the stairs. Buffy leaves rather conspicuously, and the two former lovers chat awkwardly, until Tara puts an end to the uncomfortable conversation by going to fetch a drink. In the kitchen, as Tara pours herself said drink, Spike enters with a case of beer, Clem (the poker-playing demon) in tow. To a stunned Buffy, the vampire ­ still black-eyed from her trouncing in Dead Things - says that he heard about the party from Willow. Before she can react, Xander introduces his co-worker Richard, and asks her if she can go show him where to park his car. Spike looks at her, an eyebrow raised, in clear disbelief. In the living room, Dawn is anxious for the presents to be opened, but Anya tells her that there are more important things ­ namely, the dynamics between Buffy and Richard. Dawn impatiently tells Anya that she knows about these things, matching people up romantically and such; "Of course you do!", Anya answers condescendingly, treating Dawn like a child. Finally, Buffy starts opening presents ­ she gets a back massager from Willow, who explains it¹s "Instant gratification" for all her little achiesŠ to which Buffy catches a lascivious glance from Spike. Dawn asks her sister to open her present next, which she does ­ to find the beautiful leather jacket, with the security tag still on. "Gee, that¹s strange", Dawn innocently comments. However, Buffy¹s attention quickly goes from the jacket to the handmade custom weapons cabinet Xander is wheeling in. Dawn looks annoyed and disgruntled, especially when Sophie arrives and Buffy asks her sister to shut the door while she introduces her friend. As the door closes, the guidance counsellor steps out of the bushes and turns into vengeance demon face. "Wish granted", Halfrek says. Inside, the party is still going on, with parties and games. Buffy steps away from a conversation with Richard, to find herself alone with Spike. He teases her about Richard, and tries to put Buffy¹s hand on his crotch, intent on having sex. However, Tara catches the two of them, and Spike explains that Buffy was helping him with a cramp. "A crampŠ in your pants", asks an obviously amused Tara. In the wee hours, Xander and Anya playfully argue about who will go to get more beer, and Willow cuts in the cuteness by saying that she¹ll go. But instead, of getting up, she drops asleep on the kitchen tableŠ Later still, the gang is playing Monopoly and kitten-less poker ­ which Clem comments is less fun. Tara asks Spike how his cramp is doing, and suggests that he put some ice on it. The next morning, the partiers are still up; Richard remarks that he has to go to work, but that he can¹t seem to make himself go. Spike starts teasing him about breakfast, suggesting that Richard might make a good meal. Ticked off, Buffy drags him to the front door, where they start to argue loudly. She asks him to leave, but he reminds her that the sun is up; she answers that then she¹ll leave. The two of them try to move, and realize that they can¹t - they¹re stuck inside the house. In the living room, the gang discusses the problem and try to find a solution, remarking that they all have places to be. This makes Dawn angry ­ for her, it means that none of them wants to be with her. After snapping at her, she storms up to her room. This makes the Scoobies suspicious, and they go up to Dawn¹s room to ask her whether she¹s responsible somehow for what¹s happening. Their prodding only makes the teen more furious, and she throws them out of her room. Downstairs, the gang discuss their options, and Tara offers to try a spell ­ however, she doesn¹t have any supplies. Willow awkwardly admits that she¹s kept a few items in case things got tough; Tara, obviously disappointed at her, asks for the items and orders her to stay away while she does the spell. Tara performs a release spell, which doesn¹t work ­ at least, not on what it¹s supposed to. Instead, it releases the demon in the sword Buffy brought backŠ Set loose, it attacks the gang, and Richard takes a bad wound in the chest before the demon disappears in the walls. The gang takes Richard upstairs to Willow¹s bed, where they tend as best they can to his wound. There, Anya grows hot with claustrophobia; Xander goes downstairs to get her a glass of water, but is attacked by the demon on the way. Buffy and Spike fight it back into the walls, but the attack on Xander has made Anya half-hysterical. While Buffy goes upstairs to try and talk to Dawn, the former vengeance demon suggests that Willow might be the solution, since she¹s a more powerful witch than Tara. Frightened, Willow refuses, worried that she won¹t be able to stop if she starts up again. Xander and Anya gang up on her to try to compel her to do magic against her will, but Tara physically puts herself between Willow and Anya, telling her to back off. Angry that no one is trying anything useful, Anya storms upstairs, intent on finding a solution herself. In Buffy¹s room, Dawn reveals to her sister the pain she¹s been in, and how ignored she¹s felt. Buffy answers that her most important job is to look after her sister; Dawn tells her she sounds like her guidance counsellor. Suddenly alarmed, Buffy asks her about this guidance counsellor, whom Dawn admits to never have seen before. "You didn¹t happen to make aŠ wish?", Buffy asks. Suddenly worried, Dawn admits that she did wish for people to stop leaving. The two sisters are interrupted by a loud crash in Dawn¹s room. Anya is going through the teen¹s possessions, still convinced Dawn is responsible for whatever¹s going on. Freaked out, Dawn tries to make her stop, but Anya discovers the jewellery box where she keeps all the goods she stole from the magic shop. "How could you do this?", a hurt Anya asks Dawn, as a stunned Buffy looks on. Dawn escapes downstairs, but Anya follows and goes off on her in front of everybody. Buffy tries to intervene, telling Anya about the guidance counsellor Dawn made a wish to. Appalled, Anya yells for Halfrek to get her ass here. The vengeance demon appearsŠ and the demon runs his sword through her. As Halfrek lies on the ground, Spike and Buffy fight the demon once again; it tries to escape in the wall once more, but Buffy stabs it, sucking it in the sword. She then breaks the blade on her knee. Anya goes for Halfrek¹s pendant, saying it¹s the only way to break the spell, but she¹s thrown back by a bolt. "There will be no touching of the pendant", remarks Halfrek, who gets up barely harmed. The vengeance demon then spots Spike, and in an instant of recognition, she calls him by his true name, William. He finds her familiar too, but when asked, the two deny knowing each other. Anya interrupts, asking Halfrek how she could do this to them; the demon explains that she heard Dawn¹s silent pain all over town, and that they all deserve to be cursed for ignoring her desperate plea for attention. After wishing them a nice eternity together, she tries to leave, but can¹t ­ her own spell is getting in the way. Disappointed, she lifts the spell and leaves. In the dining room, Tara is clearing up the remnants of her spell, as Willow tries to explain why she kept supplies, as a "security net" in case things got really bad. Tara softly tells her she understands, but that it¹s time to walk without the net. She commends Willow for saying no even when things got really tough with Anya, which makes the redhead smile with pride. The gang gathers at the door to try and leave. After ascertaining that they can, they start filing out, marvelling at the stars and the dew in the grass. Richard is taken to the hospital, Clem thanks Buffy for a good party, and finally even Spike leaves. Dawn stays behind, expecting Buffy to leave. But the Slayer just shuts the door, staying inside, eliciting a happy smile from her sister. Summary by OttsFiveByFive.