Episode 21: End of Days

Written by Doug Petrie and Jane Espenson

The bomb goes off as Faith and the Potentials dive for cover. Buffy sees what Caleb has been hiding from her--a scythe embedded ina stone. Caleb appears and taunts her about not being able to pull it out, but she pulls it out easily, much to Caleb's consternation. Caleb tries to get her to give it to him, but she won't. He prepares to fight her, but the First as Buffy appears and tells Caleb to let her go save her friends who are in trouble. He can get the scythe back when Buffy's back is turned.

The surviving Potentials find a barely alive Faith and try to take her away but are chased by Ubervamps. At the Summers house, Andrew has brought food while Willow, Xander and Dawn return from failing to locate Buffy. They worry that Faith and the others aren't back yet. Meanwhile the Potentials are attacked by the Ubervamps, but Buffy comes in and kills them with the scythe.

They all return to the Summers house, where Buffy seems to be back as a leader. Giles and Willow examine the scythe, and Buffy says they need to figure out more about it. Andrew and Anya help some of the injured and decide to go to the grocery store to get more food. Buffy and Xander have a talk; she has asked him to do something, and he's not happy about not fighting with her, but he agrees to do it. While they research the scythe, Giles and Willow discuss the possibility that Willow may have to tap into her magic again. Xander and Dawn go to the car to look for weapons, and suddenly Xander drugs Dawn with a chloroformed handkerchief. At the vineyard, the First tries to calm down a frustrated Caleb. They merge, making Caleb more powerful.

Buffy shows a now-conscious, healing Faith the scythe. They talk about how difficult it is to be a Slayer, how they always feel alone, even when they're surrounded by people. As Buffy goes downstairs, Spike comes in. He tells her it was ok that she left last night and he's glad she's back with everyone. He'll go check out the vineyard while she goes to find more about the scythe. As he's about to leave, she calls him a dope and tells him she wouldn't have the scythe if it weren't for the strength he gave her the previous night. She wants to talk about how they felt about the night, and he tells her he was terrified because he's never been so close to anyone before. She admits she felt close too. When he asks her what that means, though, she backs off a bit. He gets the message and tells her they should go be heroes now.

Andrew and Anya are at the hospital stealing supplies, discussing the probability that they will die in the final battle. Buffy finds a tomb on unconsecrated ground and meets a woman there. She is a guardian who forged the scythe and kept it secret from the Shadow Men for a future Slayer who would find it and use it. The Guardian tells her to use it wisely, but then Caleb appears and snaps the Guardian's neck.

Dawn regains consciousness in the car, and Xander gives her a letter from Buffy telling Dawn that she had Dawn taken away for her protection. Dawn takes a stun gun and knocks out Xander, then turns the car around and heads back to Sunnydale.
Caleb and Buffy fight and Caleb almost has the better of her when Angel appears and knocks Caleb away. Buffy says it's good to see him but declines his help, saying that this is a fight she has to fight alone. Angel watches as she kills Caleb. Shaken, she turns to Angel and kisses him as Spike watches, pained, the First-as-Buffy standing beside him.