This Year's Girl
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
|---|---|
| “This Year's Girl” | |
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| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 15 |
| Guest star(s) | Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers) Eliza Dushku (Faith) Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins III) Amber Benson (Tara) Leonard Roberts (Forrest Gates) Bailey Chase (Graham Miller) Chet Grissom (Detective) Alastair Duncan (Collins) |
| Writer(s) | Douglas Petrie |
| Director | Michael Gershman |
| Production no. | 4ABB15 |
| Original airdate | February 22, 2000 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Goodbye Iowa" | "Who Are You" |
"This Year's Girl" is the 15th episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. See also List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
Faith wakes up from a coma and finds a package the Mayor left for her, including a device which she uses to switch bodies with Buffy. The Watchers' Council arrests Buffy, who is in Faith's body, while Faith stays, in Buffy's body, in Sunnydale.
[edit] Expanded overview
In a dream, Buffy and Faith put clean sheets on a bed, and suddenly blood from Faith begins to drip onto the white sheets. Buffy's holding a knife in her stomach and shoves it in further. Xander is checking out the Blaster gun from the Initiative, but he doesn't have the knowledge to fix it. Giles is concerned about Buffy because she's been patrolling non-stop for days without finding Adam. Buffy is worried about Riley because she still hasn't seen him. Xander accidentally shocks himself with the Blaster, but no one notices. Riley wakes up and tries to leave the hospital but Forrest and Graham try to talk him out of it.
At the hospital where Faith is in a coma, Faith is dreaming about having a picnic with the Mayor. Buffy arrives, slits the Mayor's throat and stabs him. On patrol, Buffy, Willow and Xander find a demon strung up on a tree opened up like a dissection experiment. Buffy explains her plans for getting Riley out, but it turns out it's not necessary as he has gotten away from the hospital and is there in Xander's basement with them. Faith continues to dream about Buffy chasing after her with her large knife. Faith falls into an open grave and engages in a fight with Buffy. As Faith climbs out of the grave in her dream, she awakens from her coma.
Pulling free of the tubes in her body, Faith walks out into the hospital halls and encounters a girl. She thinks it's still the day of Graduation, but the girl informs her of the date and what happened at the graduation ceremony. Faith leaves the hospital in the girl's clothes. Riley and Buffy talk about their jobs working to fight the forces of evil. Buffy tells him he has a choice in what he does with his life. At the hospital, a detective talks with members of the hospital staff. They find a girl, beaten up and stripped, but no Faith. A nurse makes a call, asking for a team to be sent out.
Faith walks around Sunnydale looking at all the things that have changed. The Scooby Gang talk about their plans to attack Adam while Faith watches and listens from outside a window. A phone call informs Buffy that Faith is awake and on the loose. They talk about how they're going to deal with her, but conclude that they'll have to see what condition she is in first. On campus Buffy and Willow run into Faith. The two Slayers talk about what happened and fight briefly before the cops arrive and Faith runs.
Willow brings Tara along with her to search for Faith. Xander and Giles go searching the streets for Faith and Adam but instead encounter Spike. He's not willing to help them, but instead help Faith find and kill them all. A helicopter lands, three men carrying briefcases exit and after conversing with the nurse, they go into the hospital. Faith is approached by a demon that tries to give her a gift, but she kills him and runs off with the box. She breaks into a multi-media store to watch a video tape of the Mayor on one of the VCRs and then opens a box from him that contains a special gift.
Buffy and Riley talk about Faith but Buffy doesn't want to tell Riley everything about what happened with Faith. Faith arrives at Buffy's house and punches out Joyce. Keeping Joyce her captive, Faith doesn't think Buffy will arrive, but is surprised when Buffy flies through the window. The Slayers have an incredible fight that travels through almost every room of the house while Joyce calls the police.
Giles finds the lights don't work at his apartment but a lamp turns on and the three men with briefcases are there. One of them says "Hello Rupert", and then both Giles and the audience know they are from the council.
Faith puts the gift from the Mayor on her hand and grabs Buffy's hand. A light flows through them and Buffy punches Faith. Buffy smashes the gift from the Mayor, a metal contraption from the Mayor and when Joyce asks her if she's okay, Buffy responds, "Five by five." They have switched bodies.
[edit] Production details
[edit] Quotes and trivia
- "This Year's Girl" is a song by Elvis Costello.
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Arc significance
Faith tells Buffy in a dream sequence that "little sis" is coming, foreshadowing Dawn's arrival.
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: January 2000 - Spring 2000 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.12 A New Man |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.12 Expecting |
| L.A., 2000 | Angel graphic novel: Hunting Ground |
| L.A., 2000 | Angel comic: Strange Bedfellows/Love for sale |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.13 The I in Team |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.13 She |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.14 Goodbye Iowa |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy video game: Wrath of the Darkhul King |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.14 I've Got You Under My Skin |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.15 This Year's Girl |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.15 The Prodigal |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.16 Who Are You |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.16 The Ring |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy comic: Giles |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy comic: Jonathan (by Jane Espenson) |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.17 Superstar |
| Sunnydale, L.A., 2000 | Buffy/Angel graphic novel: Past Lives |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy graphic novel: Out of the Woodwork |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | Buffy book: These Our Actors |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.17 Eternity |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.18 Where the Wild Things Are |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.18 Five By Five |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.19 New Moon Rising |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.19 Sanctuary |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.20 The Yoko Factor |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.20 War Zone |
| Sunnydale, 2000 | B4.21 Primeval |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.21 Blind Date |
| Sunnydale, L.A., 2000 | B4.22 Restless |
| L.A., 2000 | A1.22 To Shanshu in L.A. |
| L.A., 2000 | Angel comic: Cordelia special |
| Sunnydale, L.A., 2000 | Buffy/Angel books: Unseen [Trilogy] |
