It’s Halloween time in Sunnydale and the vampires are out in full force, creating havoc and bringing new problems for Buffy. It will be interesting to see how this meeting of old acquaintances becomes new in the refreshed canon storyline.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
We start off with Buffy and Xander at a school Halloween party, while Willow is home studying for a test. I must say that Xander has adapted to being a half-vampire very well. He’s personable, easy-going, and acting like his old self again. And he is trying quite hard to make Buffy have a good time, even though her attendance to the party was mandated by Giles. Perhaps the masked guy across the way that’s been checking Buffy out all night could bring some enjoyment to the night.
Instead of pursuing the potential romantic lead, Buffy instead sequesters herself up on the bleachers. She is not looking for companionship at the moment. And with the way she keeps glaring at Robin, who is out on the dance floor having fun, it doesn’t appear she is in the market for a boyfriend either. But Angel, as we know the strange man behind the mask to be, is ever pursuant and follows Buffy up there. After a stilted conversation, he leaves her with some parting words of advice. She needs to take the time to think about doing things for herself, rather than following what destiny has planned for her.
Meanwhile, as all this is going on, Giles is out at the museum on a date with Jenny. They’re checking out the new Ancient Egyptian exhibit at a formal event and get to have some one-on-one time with Joyce and her boyfriend. While they have some commonality thanks to Buffy, it’s really what’s in the collection that Joyce curated that is of most interest. The dagger, prominently displayed on one wall, is the Dagger of Sekhmet – the key to opening the Hellmouth. One thing is certain, Giles says that Drusilla should never get her hands on it. And of course that’s exactly when she shows up along with Spike and her gang of vampire minions.
After Drusilla demands to see the curator, Joyce volunteers and puts both herself and her boyfriend in harm’s way. Unfortunately, by the time Joyce can direct Drusilla to the dagger, it’s already been taken and this does not please the vampire at all. It takes the very real threat of Joyce getting bitten by Spike before Jenny finally cracks and admits that they have the dagger. It’s when Giles hands it over that things get very weird very fast.
Drusilla gets the dagger, admires it for a few seconds, then she stabs Spike with it! That causes the Hellmouth underneath the school to open, disrupting the party and creating an ominous ending all around. Is Spike going to be okay? Will Buffy manage to get everyone out safely before the school collapses or the Hellmouth spews out more dangers than they can defend against? What will Angel’s role be in all of this? Hopefully, the next issue will provide some answers.
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
