'Graduation Day' - Part 2 Story Code '3ABB22' by Joss Whedon

As Faith’s body is carried off by the truck, Buffy watches her chance to save Angel disappear. After she leaves, the Mayor arrives; surveying the damage to Faith’s apartment, he orders his vampires to find the Slayers. When Cordelia demands to know why Wesley is going back to England, Giles informs her that Buffy has quit the Council and no longer needs a Watcher. Although angry, Cordelia helps Xander research the Ascension. Meanwhile, the poison from Faith’s arrow is making Angel delirious; thinking that Willow is Buffy, he tells her he will never leave her. Buffy arrives and tries to get Angel to drink from her, leaving just enough blood to ensure that she will not die. Angel is reluctant, but when Buffy hits him, it makes him angry enough to bite her and drink her blood. Now recovered, Angel takes the unconscious Buffy to the hospital; Faith is also there, lying in a coma. As the Mayor listens to a doctor detailing the extent of Faith’s injuries, he suddenly realises that Buffy is in the next room, and is about to smother her when he is stopped by Angel. After the Mayor has left, Giles, Willow, Oz and Xander arrive; Angel reassures them that Buffy will be all right, and that Faith is now in a coma, although they are angry with Angel for having fed off of Buffy. While unconscious, Buffy dreams a conversation with Faith, full of riddles and seemingly nonsensical; as well as telling Buffy that the Mayor still has human weaknesses, Faith cryptically remarks that dawn is coming. Buffy wakes up, and kisses the comatose Faith, before telling her friends that she is ready for war. Later, in the library, Buffy describes her plan to the gang: she tells Xander that he is the key figure, due to his military training gained when he became soldier-guy during Halloween. Buffy tells her friends what Faith said about the Mayor, and Angel remarks that Faith is his human weakness, as the Mayor cares so much for her. Despite no longer being a Watcher, even Wesley offers to help. As the Mayor reassures his vampire henchmen that the sun will not be a problem, Buffy and the Scooby gang realise that there will be an eclipse at the time of Ascension. Buffy tells Giles that they will need as many weapons as he can get his hands on, while Willow, Xander, and Oz recruit as many students as they can to help. Cordelia helps Wesley to pack the library books; they finally kiss, but realise that there is just no chemistry between them. In Giles' office, Angel tells Buffy that he is not going to say goodbye; when the whole thing is over, he will just leave. Buffy now has the knife that the Mayor gave Faith. The Graduation ceremony begins at Sunnydale High, and Principal Snyder introduces the Mayor. As he gives his speech, the eclipse takes place, and suddenly the Mayor is wracked with pain - and then transforms into an enormous snake. As a troupe of vampires appears behind the students, Buffy gives the signal; the students throw off their graduation gowns revealing a full range of weapons. They attack the Mayor with flamethrowers, while Oz and Xander lead the attack on the vampires, as Angel, Wesley and other students bring up the rear. As a giant battle ensues, the Mayor eats Snyder; Buffy taunts the Mayor with the knife he gave Faith, making him chase her through the school. She comes to a halt in the library, which is now filled with explosives. Giles detonates the explosives, killing the Mayor, and demolishing the school. Later, during the aftermath, Wesley is taken away in an ambulance; Giles praises Buffy and rescues her diploma from the fire. Buffy sees Angel in the distance, as he walks away. Oz points out that they have survived more that a battle - they have survived high school!

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), Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins III), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder), Larry Bagby, III (Larry), Danny Strong (Jonathan), Mercedes McNab (Harmony), Ethan Erickson (Percy), Paulo Andres (Dr. Powell), Susan Chuang (Nurse), Tom Bellin (Dr. Gold), Samuel Bliss Cooper (Vamp Lackey)
Directed by Joss Whedon

TX (US): 13th July 2000
TX (UK - Sky One): 26th November 1999
TX (UK - BBC): 21st September 2000

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

*This episode was shown out of order in the US, due to the tragic Columbine High School shootings