Lessons    (8.5/10)-Anna    (8.5/10)-XG    (8/10)-Zinna
WELCOME BACK TO THE HELLMOUTH - Dawn starts school at the newly rebuilt Sunnydale High, while Buffy patrols the new campus on the look out for anything out of the ordinary - and for good reason. Dead people hunt Dawn and Buffy, Spike reappears, and there's a new principal at school. In England, Giles helps Willow to learn to control her power and begin to forgive herself for her actions in Sunnydale. David Solomon directed the episode written by Joss Whedon.
 

Beneath You    (7.5/10)-Anna    (7/10)-XG    (9.6/10)-Zinna
FROM BENEATH YOU, IT DEVOURS - There's a giant worm on the loose in Sunnydale, and Spike's back to help (or maybe it's to hinder). Willow prepares to head home from England, though reluctantly. Buffy starts her new job at Sunnydale High, Xander is having trouble getting back onto the dating scene, and Anya's back to her old vengeance game. Nick Marck directed the episode written by Doug Petrie.
 

Same Time, Same Place    (8.5/10)-Anna    (7/10)-XG    (7/10)-Zinna
ALL ALONE - Willow arrives home, and the gang's waiting for her, but they can't seem to see each other. Meanwhile, a skin-eating demon is making the rounds in Sunnydale, and leaving victims that look quite like Warren did, leading Buffy, Dawn and Xander, and even Willow to wonder if she's connected to the killings. James A. Contner directed the episode written by Jane Espenson.
 

Help    (9.5/10)-Anna    (9/10)-XG    (7/10)-Zinna
CRUEL FATE - Buffy starts her first week counseling students at Sunnydale High and meets a teen named Cassie, who somehow knows her own death will occur in just a few days. Buffy, along with the help of the gang, rushes to find out the circumstances of Cassie's death and how to prevent it. Willow begins to make peace and settle back into Sunnydale life. Rick Rosenthal directed the episode written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner.
 

Selfless    (9.5/10)-Anna    (7.5/10)-XG    (9/10)-Zinna
WITH A VENGEANCE - Anya seeks vengeance for a wronged college girl, and her spell ends in the death of several frat boys. As Anya reconsiders her actions, Buffy realizes she has to take her stand as the slayer against Anya, much to the chagrin of Xander. Willow re-enrolls at UC Sunnydale and tries to find a more peaceful solution to the Anya situation. David Solomon directed the episode written by Drew Goddard.
 

Him    (6/10)-Anna    (7/10)-XG    (5.3/10)-Zinna
THE SAME OLD TINGLE - Dawn falls under the spell (literally) of a boy at school. Problems ensue when Buffy becomes a victim of the same spell and the sisters begin competing for the boy toy. It's up to Xander and Spike, who've just become roommates, to solve the mystery and save the day. Michael Gershman directed the episode written by Drew Z. Greenberg.
 

Conversations with Dead People    (10/10)-Anna    (8/10)-XG    (8/10)-Zinna
AND WHERE WERE YOU? - While hunting for vampires at the cemetery, Buffy runs into a former classmate-turned-vampire and ends up turning to him for therapy. Meanwhile, Willow is interrupted at the library by the recently dead Cassie (or some form of her) who claims to have a message for Willow from Tara. Dawn returns home to find Joyce attempting to reach her from beyond, but some force prevents her from doing so. Nick Marck directed the episode written by Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard.
 

Sleeper    (8/10)-Anna    (8/10)-XG    (8/10)-Zinna
DON'T DECEIVE ME - Buffy discovers that Spike is feeding off humans again, and siring vampires. She and the gang attempt to find proof of Spike's actions as Spike begins to remember what may or may not have happened. Off in England, another young girl is murdered by the cloaked figures and Giles arrives too late to help her. Alan J. Levi directed the episode written by Jane Espenson and David Fury.
 

Never Leave Me    (9/10)-Anna    (10/10)-XG    (7/10)-Zinna
TRIGGER HAPPY - Spike is kept tied up in the Summers' house as Buffy attempts to interrogate him. Willow bumps into Andrew, now the remaining member of the Trio and drags him back to the house for his own interrogation session, run by Anya and Xander. Off in England, the Watcher's Council seems to be falling apart and no one knows where Giles is. David Solomon directed the episode written by Drew Goddard.
 

Bring on the Night    (9/10)-Anna    (8.5/10)-XG    (8.5/10)-Zinna
WAITING FOR TOMORROW - Giles returns to Sunnydale, bringing three slayers-in-training with him. Meanwhile, Buffy and the gang try to discover more about the First, but don't find much to work with. Spike remains a prisoner of the First and is tortured by the newly arrived Ubervamp, who then brings the havoc to Buffy. David Grossman directed the episode written by Marti Noxon and Douglas Petrie.
 

Showtime    (9/10)-Anna    (9/10)-XG    (8.8/10)-Zinna
HERE ENDETH THE LESSON - More potential slayers arrive in Sunnydale and Buffy's house is overrun with visitors. Meanwhile, the Ubervamp becomes more of a worry for Buffy as he is still guarding the caves where Spike is kept captive, and it becomes apparent the Ubervamp will be coming after the young slayer-wannabes at the bidding of the First Evil. Anya and Giles visit an oracle of sorts who they hope will provide them with information on the First and how to defeat it. Michael Grossman directed the episode written by David Fury.
 

Potential    (7.5/10)-Anna    (7.5/10)-XG    (9.2/10)-Zinna
THE CHOSEN ONES - With the First taking time to regroup since the slaying of the Ubervamp, Buffy and Spike take on the task of training all the potential slayers. The coven in England discovers another slayer-in-waiting already living in Sunnydale, and Willow attempts a locator spell to find out who the girl is before the Bringers are able to get to her. However, the spell leads the gang to a surprising conclusion. James A. Contner directed the episode written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner.
 

The Killer in Me    (8/10)-Anna    (9/10)-XG    (7/10)-Zinna
A KISS IS STILL A KISS - Spike's chip is malfunctioning, prompting to Buffy to search for a way to fix it. Meanwhile, a kiss with Kennedy turns Willow into Warren, and Kennedy races to help Willow find a solution before she becomes Warren permanently. Giles takes the rest of the potentials on a quest in the desert, while Xander and the others get a call from England, which leads them to believe Giles may not be Giles. David Solomon directed the episode written by Drew Z. Greenberg.
 

First Date    (8.5/10)-Anna    (8.5/10)-XG    (6.5/10)-Zinna
NEVER KILL A BOY - Principal Wood asks Buffy out on a date, arousing her suspicions and peeking her curiousity, and a secret about the principal's past is revealed. Xander has a date of his own - with a strange woman he met buying rope. Anya's jealous side rears it's ugly head at the idea of Xander dating someone else. Meanwhile, the First is back in the game, this time focusing on Andrew. David Grossman directed the episode written by Jane Espenson.
 

Get it Done    (9/10)-Anna    (8/10)-XG
BACK TO THE FUTURE - Buffy introduces Principal Wood to the Slayer headquarters and he gives her a slayer hand-me-down in return. When the First brings about a death amongst the potentials, Buffy and friends turn to Principal Wood's gift for help. But help is not necessarily what it will bring when Buffy is sent back in time and a demon is let loose in Sunnydale in her place. Doug Petrie wrote and directed the episode.
 

Storyteller    (9.5/10)-Anna    (9/10)-XG
GENTLE VIEWERS - Andrew attempts to document the life and work of Buffy, Slayer of the vampires, much to the annoyance of Buffy. Meanwhile, students at Sunnydale High begin exhibiting the signs of going to school above the Hellmouth - signs Buffy has seen before, but not all at once like this. Buffy and Principal Wood discover the Seal of Danthalzar is cause and set out to find a way to stop it. Marita Grabiak directed the episode written by Jane Espenson.
 

Lies My Parents Told Me    (7.5/10)-Anna    (8/10)-XG    (6/10)-Zinna
WAITING FOR MY MOMENT - Giles returns to Sunnydale with a possible solution to the trigger in Spike used by the First. Unfortunately, Spike is not overly willing to revisit his memories in order to find the trigger's origin and why it affects him so much, leaving Giles and Wood to come up with an alternative plan of their own. While Giles distracts Buffy, Wood takes on Spike and prepares to revenge the death of his mother. David Fury directed the episode written by David Fury and Drew Goddard.
 

Dirty Girls    (9.5/10)-Anna    (8.5/10)-XG    (9/10)-Zinna
SEE NO EVIL - Willow brings Faith back to Sunnydale, just in time for the arrival of Caleb, a misogynist preacher who has aligned himself with the First. Caleb sends a message to Buffy in the form of an almost dead potential slayer, claiming to have something of Buffy's, prompting her to prepare her army of girls for an attack against him to reclaim her possession. Michael Gershman directed the episode written by Drew Goddard.
 

Empty Places    (7/10)-Anna    (8/10)-XG
POWER SHIFT - Buffy and the gang attempt to recover from the results of their attack on Caleb in various ways. Faith takes the potentials out for a night at the Bronze, much to the chagrin of Buffy. Giles and Willow hunt down information on Caleb that sends Spike and Andrew on a road trip to find out more abou the strangely powerful preacher. And Buffy has another meeting with Caleb that leads her to want to make another attack against him, but dissension is among the ranks. James A. Contner directed the episode written by Drew Z. Greenberg.
 

Touched    (9/10)-Anna    (8.5/10)-XG
FEELING FOR THE LAST TIME - Faith claims leadership of the Scoobies and the potentials as Buffy wanders the now deserted Sunnydale in search of a place to stay. Spike and Andrew return from their trip to the mission with news that Caleb may indeed have something of Buffy's - most likely a weapon. Faith and the others kidnap a Bringer and based on his information, plan an attack on the Bringers arsenal. After admonishing the gang for their treatment of Buffy, Spike sets off to find her. David Solomon directed the episode written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner.
 

End of Days    (8/10)-Anna    (9/10)-XG
MOMENTS LIKE THESE - As Buffy takes the scythe from Caleb and the First, the potentials and Faith suffer losses from the bomb trap left for them. With Faith knocked unconcious, it's up to the girls to make their way out of the sewers, but thankfully Buffy arrives in time to save them from attacking Ubervamps and reclaim her role as leader. Willow and Giles attempt to find more about the origins of the scythe and Buffy has a mission involving Dawn for Xander. Andrew and Anya head to the now deserted hospital to pick up medical supplies for the wounded SiTs, and Caleb merges with the First to refresh his source of power. Marita Grabiak directed the episode written by Jane Espenson & Doug Petrie.
 

Chosen    (10/10)-Anna    (10/10)-XG
FINDING YOUR DESTINY - After finishing off Caleb and sending Angel off with thanks for the a amulet he delivered, Buffy returns home to find Dawn back, despite her best efforts at shipping her off to safety. Spike confronts Buffy on her kissing of Angel and after reconciling, she is visited by the First, whose taunts give Buffy an idea of how she and her army can defeat the First's Ubervamp minions. After informing everyone of the plan to enter the Hellmouth and finish the war against the First once and for all, a sleepless night is ahead before the new day arrives. Written and directed by Joss Whedon.