'Beauty and the Beasts' (aka 'All Men Are Beasts') Story Code '3ABB04' by Marti Noxon

While on guard duty over the sleeping form of Oz the werewolf, who seems to be safely locked up in the school library’s book-cage, Xander falls asleep. The next morning, Buffy and the gang learn of a brutal murder that took place during the night and wonder if Oz somehow managed to escape. Giles is furious to discover a slumbering Xander, even more so when he notices that the window in the book-cage is now open, while both Willow and Oz are upset at the thought of Oz committing murder. Buffy meets with her appointed counsellor, Mr. Platt, and discusses her relationship with Angel, in particular how being in love with someone unsuitable drove her away from home. At the Morgue, Willow, accompanied by Xander and Cordelia, examines the body of the murder victim, finding evidence that it was mauled by a wild animal. While on patrol that night, Buffy sees someone running furiously through the woods, and is shocked to discover that it is Angel, inexplicably returned from banishment in the hell-dimension. The two of them break into a fight, but Buffy manages to render the vampire unconscious and takes him to the abandoned mansion house that he, Spike and Drusilla had once used as a lair. Angel appears to have reverted to a feral state and no longer recognises Buffy, forcing her to chain him to a wall; knowing her friends still blame Angel for the deaths that occurred when he was Angelus, Buffy decides to keep his return a secret. She heads for the school library to research how Angel may have back, but, exhausted, falls asleep. When Giles finds her the next day, she tells him that she dreamt about Angel returning. Upset that she cannot communicate with Angel, and fearing that he may be the murderer, Buffy visits Mr. Platt, and is so absorbed in the task of confessing about Angel that it takes her a while to realise that the councillor is in fact dead, his body horrifically mauled. Meanwhile, Pete, a friend of Buffy’s new boyfriend Scott, is having an argument with his girlfriend Debbie when he suddenly transforms into a monstrous creature and attacks her. Later at school, Oz notices Debbie’s bruised eye, but she covers for Pete by telling Oz that she walked into a door. Hearing that the coroner’s report on Mr. Platt noted that he was attacked in the middle of the day, Buffy is very relived, as it means that Angel could not have been responsible for it. She and her friends also realise that both of the victims had been trying to help Debbie, and so conclude that Pete could be the killer. While Buffy and Willow confront Debbie about her injuries, Pete goes in search of Oz, as he is convinced that Debbie and Oz are having an affair. As night falls Oz ties to warn Pete of his impending transformation, but Pete changes too, and, insane with jealousy, attacks Oz. Faith and Willow pursue both creatures, and manage to tranquillise Oz, but Pete kills Debbie. He then attacks Buffy, but she is saved by Angel who has escaped from his chains. Just before he collapses, he snaps out of his feral state and recognises Buffy. The next day, stories of what happened are all over school, but Willow knows the truth: Pete originally made the formula to make him more macho for Debbie, but eventually did not need the drug to change. Buffy comforts Scott, who is shaken by the deaths of his lifelong friends.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles), Eliza Dushku (Faith), Fab Filippo (Scott Hope), John Patrick White (Pete), Danielle Weeks (Debbie), Phill Lewis (Mr. Platt)
Directed by James Whitmore, Jr.

TX (US): 20th October 19
TX (UK - Sky One): 10th September 1999
TX (UK - BBC): 4th May 2000

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Oz, Cordelia, Faith and Angel