Sleeper (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Sleeper"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode

The First Evil, appearing in the form of Spike, hums a tune that triggers Spike to kill.
Episode no. Season 7
Episode 8
Directed by Alan J. Levi
Written by David Fury
Jane Espenson
Production code 7ABB08
Original air date November 19, 2002
Guest stars
Episode chronology
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"Conversations with Dead People"
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"Never Leave Me"
List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

"Sleeper" is the eighth episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Contents

Plot synopsis

In the first scene Spike is seen diging a grave and buries the woman he has just killed while he hums a tune. Meanwhile Buffy struggles with the possibility that Spike may have begun killing innocent people and "siring" them as vampires. The Scooby Gang tries to make sense of the strange apparitions of the dead they have been contacted by and wonder whether any or all of the information they gave them was true.

Meanwhile, in London, a man and woman are attacked by cloaked men and Giles receives some troubling information.

At the Bronze, Spike calls Buffy's cell phone from a pay phone and tells her that he is remembering the bad things he has done recently and asks for her help. She agrees to meet with him at a set location. As Spike tries to leave, the morphing version of Spike shows up and tells the real Spike that calling Buffy was not part of the plan, but they'll have to improvise.

Spike leads Buffy into a dark basement and tries to show her what he remembers about killing the girls, the fake Spike is there as well, but Buffy can't see him. While the real Spike tries to show Buffy where he buried the bodies the fake Spike starts to sing the hypnotizing tune. So Spike vamps and attacks Buffy, cutting her arm with a piece of broken glass. As the two battle it out the bodies of those Spike recently killed rise from the ground beneath them as newly turned vampires. Buffy struggles with the fledglings while the real Spike gets a pep talk from his morphing version about tasting Buffy's blood. As two vampires hold Buffy still, Spike leans down and tastes Buffy's blood from the cut on her arm. It reawakens all of his memories of killing and he falls to the ground, horrified.

Buffy finishes off dusting the rest of the vampires and turnes her attention to Spike.Ttearfully Spike offers to be staked. He is confused, scared and hurting because of the lives he has taken. Buffy realises somthing isn't right with Spike and somthing has been messing with his head. So Buffy takes Spike back to her house and tells the gang about Spike and how she needs to keep Spike close if she intends to get answers they need.

Giles charges into the room in London and finds the dead girl and the nearly dead man that was with her. The man, Robson, warns Giles that something has started and that they need to be gathered.

Performances

Production details

Music

Quotes and trivia

Cultural references

Continuity

This episode begins immediately after the end of the previous episode.

Arc significance

External links