| "Tabula Rasa" | |||
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 8 |
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| Directed by | David Grossman | ||
| Written by | Rebecca Rand Kirshner | ||
| Production code | 6ABB08 | ||
| Original air date | November 13, 2001 | ||
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| List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes | |||
"Tabula Rasa" is the eighth episode of season 6 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It explores the characters not as they are, but as they could be, after they lose their memory to a spell gone awry.
Contents |
Buffy runs into Spike who wants to talk about their kiss. A demon loan shark confronts Spike about his kitten debt, but Buffy steps in and takes care of the thugs. Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara talk about calling Buffy back from Heaven and their feelings in the aftermath of the truth. Willow suggests fixing the mess with a spell and Tara confronts her about her excessive use of magic. At the threat of losing Tara, a desperate Willow offers to go a month without magic to prove that she is not dependent. Tara asks her to try for a week, but is still not entirely convinced that things will work out between them.
Giles tells Buffy he is leaving for England and Buffy takes the news very badly. He knows she is too dependent on him and he must leave if she is ever going to learn to survive on her own. Without her magic, Willow is late getting ready so Tara and Dawn leave without her. She then uses magic to get dressed quickly and starts another spell by the fireplace that will make Tara and Buffy forget the damages of the spells Willow used on them. In her rush, she accidentally leaves a bag of the Lethe's Bramble (the herb she had been using for forgetting spells) by the fireplace.
The whole gang, including a disguised Spike on the run from the loan shark, gather at the Magic Shop. Giles confesses that he is leaving and Buffy tearfully reveals that she feels deserted by everyone. Willow has a crystal in her pocket that was used with her forgetting spell and it glows brightly in her hand. Back at the Summers' house, a spark from the fireplace sets the entire bag of Lethe's Bramble on fire. This causes the whole gang to fall unconscious. They wake up that evening with no knowledge of who they are. Spike suspects Giles is his father (because they're both British and Giles feels a gut-wrenching disappointment towards him) and Anya assumes she is getting married to Giles (because they jointly own the magic shop and she is wearing an engagement ring). Everyone figures out their names from their ID's and necklaces except Buffy, who names herself "Joan", and Spike, who takes the name "Randy" from the inside of his stolen coat.
Looking for Spike to repay his debt, a pair of vampires attack the shop, frightening the gang. Buffy discovers she has super strength when she stakes one of the vampires and saves Spike. Anya and Giles stay at the magic shop while Buffy and Spike run outside to fight off the vampires. Spike unknowingly assumes his vampire visage to fight off the vampire thugs, which sends Buffy running away in fear.
The rest of the Scoobies retreat to the sewers but encounter more vampires. Anya turns to a random page in a book and reads the incantation there, which causes a bunny to appear and frighten her. Buffy attacks Spike when he catches up with her and informs him that he is a vampire. He is confused, but assumes he is a good vampire because he doesn't want to bite her. The loan shark and his minions attack the two and a fight ensues.
Anya continues to try random spells, which conjures many more bunnies, a dark green cloud inside the shop, a sword-wielding skeleton, and a big beast. Giles and Anya fight while hiding behind the counter and Giles reveals that he found a one-way plane ticket in his pocket for London, assuming he must be abandoning Anya. Anya begs him not to leave her and they kiss passionately. Xander fights with the vampire chasing them in the sewers, finally stakes it, and then accidentally steps on the crystal that fell from Willow's pocket. The breaking of the spell finds Giles and Anya kissing, Willow atop Tara after a fall, and Spike and Buffy deep in mid-action conversation.
Tara and the others realize that Willow used magic, despite her promise. The spell broken, Buffy is momentarily too stunned to duck a few painful hits. Spike finishes off the rest of the vampires and promises to make up his debt to the intimidated loan shark. While Willow cries in the bathroom, Tara packs all of her things into boxes; then, receiving a cold reaction from Dawn, she leaves. Full of grief, Giles takes his plane back to England. Spike finds Buffy at the Bronze, but she turns her face away and he stalks off. She follows him, and they kiss passionately beneath the stairs of the Bronze.
While the Scoobies generally have no memory upon waking up, they do retain certain aspects of their personalities.
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