Dirty Girls (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia
"Dirty Girls" is the 18th episode of season 7 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
At his apartment, Xander's erotic dream about the teenage Potentials is cut short when the girls wake him up to fix the toilet.
At the hospital, Faith asks Willow why the Scooby Gang failed to warn her about the threat of the Bringers. Faith subsequently encounters Spike chasing a young woman and mistakenly believes Spike is evil again. The young woman, now in her vampire form, attacks Faith, who (borrowing a stake from Buffy) quickly slays her.
Back at the house, Faith encounters a cold reception from both Dawn and Giles, and Spike explains that the tension is not all because of her. Meanwhile, the First Evil
reveals Buffy's form to Caleb whom is residing in the basement of a winery.
The next day, Andrew tries to bring the interested Potentials up to speed on Faith's history. While they are quick to point out that Faith had killed
a volcanologist
, not a Vulcan
, they watch Faith exercise in the back yard with fascination over this other Slayer.
At Sunnydale High School, Robin calls Buffy into his office where he fires her from her school job, emphasizing the need for her to focus on the mission.
In the Summers' home, Faith sneaks down into the basement to smoke a cigarette and have a moment away from the "wanna-bes" who, in her opinion, have way too much energy and are needy for more stories from her about her life. Spike sees her and also asks for a cigarette. She and Spike talk, and bond over their respective periods of being dangerous. Faith reveals they met once before years ago when Faith was in Buffy's body, and Spike reveals that he and Buffy had been more than just friends at one point. Buffy, having been fired by Principal Wood so she can focus more on the mission at hand, comes down and seems a bit unnerved at seeing the two of them so cozy. Dawn calls down that Willow has reported from the hospital: Shannon is awake. Buffy goes to the hospital, where Shannon tells Buffy of Caleb's message: he has something of Buffy's.
Later at the house, Buffy tries to motivate the terrified Potentials to accompany her when she attacks Caleb (who, meanwhile, is re-enacting scenes of his past murders with the First Evil). Buffy alone is confident in her plan; Giles, Spike, her friends, and the Potentials all question her decision. Buffy and Faith, on a recon mission, follow a Bringer through the woods. They discuss Faith's intentions and her recent experiences with Angel before locating Caleb's stronghold in an old winery.
At the Summers' home, Xander directs the Potentials on the methods of attacking in battle. When Rona criticizes Buffy's intentions, Xander strongly defends his friend. Leaving Willow and Giles to stay behind to protect the more inexperienced girls, Buffy leads Spike, Faith, Xander, and the more experienced Potentials (including Kennedy, Molly, Rona, Chao-Ahn, Amanda, Diane, and several others) to the vineyard; they divide into two groups: an assault team and a back-up team. After an initial clash with the Bringers, Caleb appears. He has super-strength: he quickly knocks aside Buffy and Spike, and breaks Rona's arm. Xander and Faith arrive with the back-up team, but Faith is soon knocked unconscious. Caleb kills Diane and Molly, and Buffy orders a retreat. Xander starts to yell that everyone needs to get out, but is then attacked himself by Caleb. Caleb says "So, you're the one who sees everything? Let's see what we can do about that." He stabs his thumb into Xander's eye as Xander screams. Spike tackles Caleb, giving them enough time to get Xander and leave the vineyard.
Alone and distraught, Buffy leaves the injured girls and walks through the empty streets as Caleb tells the First, in Buffy's form, that their victory is imminent.
played Malcolm Reynolds
in Joss Whedon's short-lived space western Firefly
. He is also not the only hero of Firefly to play a villain in the Buffyverse
. Gina Torres
, who played Zoe Washburne on Firefly, also portrayed the villain Jasmine on Angel
; Adam Baldwin
, who played Jayne Cobb, portrayed Marcus Hamilton
.
Rachel Bilson
(who that same year joined the cast of The O.C.
) plays Colleen, one of the Potential Slayers who seduces Xander in his dream at the beginning of the episode.
Plot synopsis
A young Potential, Shannon, is chased through the woods by Bringers. She accepts the assistance of a stranger wearing a priest's collar and driving a truck and is horrified to discover that she has fallen into a trap. The man, who introduces himself as Caleb, terrifies her and burns his mark into her neck. He gives her a message for the Slayer (which the viewer does not hear at this time), stabs her in the stomach, and forces her out of the car. Minutes later, Faith and Willow find the girl on their way back to Sunnydale after re-ensouling Angel in Los Angeles and take her to the hospital.At his apartment, Xander's erotic dream about the teenage Potentials is cut short when the girls wake him up to fix the toilet.
At the hospital, Faith asks Willow why the Scooby Gang failed to warn her about the threat of the Bringers. Faith subsequently encounters Spike chasing a young woman and mistakenly believes Spike is evil again. The young woman, now in her vampire form, attacks Faith, who (borrowing a stake from Buffy) quickly slays her.
Back at the house, Faith encounters a cold reception from both Dawn and Giles, and Spike explains that the tension is not all because of her. Meanwhile, the First Evil
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
reveals Buffy's form to Caleb whom is residing in the basement of a winery.
The next day, Andrew tries to bring the interested Potentials up to speed on Faith's history. While they are quick to point out that Faith had killed
Graduation Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They are also the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth episodes of the show overall...
a volcanologist
Volcanology
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire....
, not a Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
, they watch Faith exercise in the back yard with fascination over this other Slayer.
At Sunnydale High School, Robin calls Buffy into his office where he fires her from her school job, emphasizing the need for her to focus on the mission.
In the Summers' home, Faith sneaks down into the basement to smoke a cigarette and have a moment away from the "wanna-bes" who, in her opinion, have way too much energy and are needy for more stories from her about her life. Spike sees her and also asks for a cigarette. She and Spike talk, and bond over their respective periods of being dangerous. Faith reveals they met once before years ago when Faith was in Buffy's body, and Spike reveals that he and Buffy had been more than just friends at one point. Buffy, having been fired by Principal Wood so she can focus more on the mission at hand, comes down and seems a bit unnerved at seeing the two of them so cozy. Dawn calls down that Willow has reported from the hospital: Shannon is awake. Buffy goes to the hospital, where Shannon tells Buffy of Caleb's message: he has something of Buffy's.
Later at the house, Buffy tries to motivate the terrified Potentials to accompany her when she attacks Caleb (who, meanwhile, is re-enacting scenes of his past murders with the First Evil). Buffy alone is confident in her plan; Giles, Spike, her friends, and the Potentials all question her decision. Buffy and Faith, on a recon mission, follow a Bringer through the woods. They discuss Faith's intentions and her recent experiences with Angel before locating Caleb's stronghold in an old winery.
At the Summers' home, Xander directs the Potentials on the methods of attacking in battle. When Rona criticizes Buffy's intentions, Xander strongly defends his friend. Leaving Willow and Giles to stay behind to protect the more inexperienced girls, Buffy leads Spike, Faith, Xander, and the more experienced Potentials (including Kennedy, Molly, Rona, Chao-Ahn, Amanda, Diane, and several others) to the vineyard; they divide into two groups: an assault team and a back-up team. After an initial clash with the Bringers, Caleb appears. He has super-strength: he quickly knocks aside Buffy and Spike, and breaks Rona's arm. Xander and Faith arrive with the back-up team, but Faith is soon knocked unconscious. Caleb kills Diane and Molly, and Buffy orders a retreat. Xander starts to yell that everyone needs to get out, but is then attacked himself by Caleb. Caleb says "So, you're the one who sees everything? Let's see what we can do about that." He stabs his thumb into Xander's eye as Xander screams. Spike tackles Caleb, giving them enough time to get Xander and leave the vineyard.
Alone and distraught, Buffy leaves the injured girls and walks through the empty streets as Caleb tells the First, in Buffy's form, that their victory is imminent.
Casting
Nathan FillionNathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
played Malcolm Reynolds
Malcolm Reynolds
Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds is a fictional character and main protagonist in the Firefly franchise. Reynolds is played by actor Nathan Fillion in the 2002 TV series Firefly and the 2005 film Serenity. In the series, Reynolds is the captain of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity...
in Joss Whedon's short-lived space western Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
. He is also not the only hero of Firefly to play a villain in the Buffyverse
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
. Gina Torres
Gina Torres
Gina Torres is an American television and movie actress. She is known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy. She has appeared in many television series, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys , Xena: Warrior Princess , the short-lived Cleopatra 2525, as well as Alias , Firefly Gina...
, who played Zoe Washburne on Firefly, also portrayed the villain Jasmine on Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
; Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...
, who played Jayne Cobb, portrayed Marcus Hamilton
Marcus Hamilton
Marcus Hamilton is a fictional character that appeared on the final season of the TV series Angel. The character is played by actor Adam Baldwin, who also worked with Angel creator Joss Whedon in the series Firefly, playing mercenary Jayne Cobb....
.
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
(who that same year joined the cast of The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
) plays Colleen, one of the Potential Slayers who seduces Xander in his dream at the beginning of the episode.
Cultural references
- Misunderstanding the word vulcanologist, Andrew believes that Faith murderedGraduation Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They are also the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth episodes of the show overall...
a VulcanVulcan (Star Trek)Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
. - In the montage when Andrew narrates the deeds of Faith, there is a scene with her fighting a VulcanVulcan (Star Trek)Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
resembling Mr. Spock, who at one point tries to incapacitate her with a Vulcan nerve pinchVulcan nerve pinchIn the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck...
. In the DVD commentary, it is said that when Buffy' s producers asked Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...' s people permission to do it, they gladly accepted, telling them to "do what they want". - Xander's comment about Matthew BroderickMatthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
killing a "big dumb lizard that was not the real Godzilla" refers to the American made film GodzillaGodzilla (1998 film)Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction monster disaster film film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates a tale of a nuclear incident...
, and how the title creature looks different from the classic Godzilla. - Caleb refers to The Bringers as "The Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
Brigade" - When they first refer to the vineyard as "an evil vineyard", Spike immediately responds "Yeah, like Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
", which was a 1980s soap opera based around a family living at the fictional Falcon Crest vineyard. This is a reference to Spike's love of soap operas, as primarily depicted in Seasons Four and Five.
Continuity
- In the DVD commentary, Nicholas Brendon says that he should always wear an eye patch, even if it's clear that Willow could mend Xander's eye, in case another TV series/movie would be made.
- Also in the commentary, it is revealed that one possible outcome in this episode would have been the death of Xander (at Caleb's hands) only to return as a voice for the First.
- According to the DVD commentary for this episode, the scene between Faith and Spike was meant to lay groundwork for a possible spin-off featuring Faith and Spike. The scenes were written by Marti Noxon with the idea of "showing these two people off," according to Drew Goddard.
Arc significance
- Crossover with Angel: Willow took Faith with her from Los Angeles in "Orpheus".
- Caleb, the main agent of the First, arrives in Sunnydale. Also, it is revealed that he is the one that blew up the Watcher's Council in London.
- Faith returns to Sunnydale, this time on the side of good.
- This episode really sparks the seriousness of what the Potentials have to face in the upcoming and unavoidable battle against the First Evil. This episode also drastically begins the mistrust of Buffy as a leader by the Potentials and even the Scoobies as a result of the outcome of the battle against Caleb at the vineyard.
- This episode reunites Faith and Spike, who had met once previously (while Faith was in Buffy's body).
- The Potential Molly is killed in this episode, making Kennedy the only remaining Potential from the original three that Giles brought.
- Caleb will prove to be telling the truth about having something of Buffy's in two episodesTouched (Buffy episode)"Touched" is the 20th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot:After being ejected from her home when the Scooby Gang loses faith in her leadership, a depressed Buffy is comforted by Spike....
when the Scythe is revealed. - Xander loses his left eye.
- This is the first episode where Faith and Dawn actually meet, as Faith had not appeared in the series since season 4's episode "Who Are You?" and Dawn was introduced in season 5. The characters, however, behave as though they know one another, with Faith commenting that Dawn is "all woman-sized" now. This reinforces the power of the monastic Order of Dagon's ability to reshape reality; even persons outside Sunnydale who were not even peripherally involved in the events of Season 5 have had their memories and awareness shifted to include Dawn as if she had always existed, rather than strictly those in Sunnydale or in contact with the Slayer at the time.
- Faith takes Buffy's stake to kill a vampire in the beginning which she also did back in her first meet with Buffy in Faith, Hope and Trick.
- Spike demonstrates his aversity to being compared to Angel, setting up his crossover to "Angel" after "Buffy" ends