Buffy Logo 'Triangle'
Story Code '5ABB10'

by Jane Espenson
Buffy

While Xander and Anya lie in bed together, Anya recalls her past as a Vengeance Demon and Xander wonders how Buffy is coping without Riley. Buffy is in a convent, saving the nuns from a vampire before asking what it is like to be a nun. The next day, Buffy is in training with Giles, discussing his upcoming visit to the Watchers Council in London, which neither of them is sure is the right thing to do; they decide not to tell the Council about Dawn being the Key, and Giles wants to find out everything they have about Glory. The two of them are later joined by Willow, Tara, Anya and Xander to go over the details of Giles’s trip; Anya is excited at the prospect of being in charge while her boss is away, but is annoyed when Willow offers to help out. Returning home Buffy is pleased to see her mother up and about; she and Dawn go to Buffy’s room, where her sister notices that Buffy has taken down all of Riley’s pictures; Buffy confesses that she was angry with Riley, and that all her friends seemed to know that their relationship was in trouble. However, she hopes that one day Riley will come back to her. Spike is in his crypt, practising apologising to a tailor's dummy dressed as Buffy; but he quickly loses his tempter and hits it, and has to begin again. At the ‘Magic Box’, Tara and Willow are preparing ingredients for a spell when Anya gets cross with them for taking the stock, accusing Willow of stealing. Willow assures her that Giles would not mind, but annoys Anya further by floating a few things around the shop. Xander arrives, but refuses to be drawn into the argument; Willow makes things worse by accidentally making the cash register disappear, and then re-appear damaged. Xander and Tara tactfully leave Willow and Anya to sort things out. When Anya later interrupts Willow as she casts her magik, the spell touches a crystal and a huge, fierce troll suddenly appears, smashes everything up, and then storms out. Meanwhile, Buffy and Tara are signing up for some new classes as University when Tara remarks that Xander and Anya were quarrelling earlier; Buffy breaks down in tears, worried that a such minor thing could destroy Xander and Anya’s love. Tara tries unsuccessfully to calm Buffy down, but the girl is inconsolable, weeping over the beauty of Xander and Anya’s love. Willow and Tara take Giles’ sporty red convertible to try and find the troll. When Xander later bumps into Spike at ‘The Bronze’ the vampire asks how Buffy is, and whether she harbours any ill will toward him. Buffy and Tara arrive at the ’ Magic Box’ only to find it wreaked, with no sign of Willow or Anya; Tara is afraid for Willow’s safety and so they decide to follow the trail of destruction. Xander and Spike are playing pool and discussing the women in their lives when the Troll arrives; picking up a keg of beer in one hand it takes a huge drink and demands a baby to eat. Willow and Tara arrive, followed seconds later by Buffy and Tara; the Troll recognises Anya, complaining that she is ruining his fun just as she did when they dated. Anya confesses to the gang that she dated Olaf, turning him into a troll when he cheated on her. Olaf vows to kill Anya, and Willow too because he blames witches for trapping him in the crystal for centuries. Buffy and Spike try to attack the Troll but he easily knocks Buffy away and then destroys the support columns for the mezzanine level, bringing it crashing down. Many customers are injured, while Buffy and her friends are relatively unharmed. Buffy sends Xander to follow Olaf. At the ‘Magic Box’, Willow and Anya gather spell books and ingredients, only to begin arguing again; as the conversation turns to Xander, Anya assures Willow that she would never hurt him, but is jealous of the bond that Xander and Willow share, because they have known each other since they were children. They are suddenly interrupted by Olaf, who decides to kill them before they can cast their spell on him, throwing the two girls across the room; Xander arrives and tries to stop Olaf, but the troll is too powerful for him; instead, Olaf offers Xander a choice: he can save either Anya or Willow, and when Xander refuses to choose Olaf breaks his wrist. Buffy bursts in, but even she is no match for the troll’s brute strength. Anya tells her to separate Olaf from his hammer, which is the source of his strength. Willow casts a sell that sends the hammer flying across the room, but even without the weapon he is too strong for Buffy. Upset that her friends’ relationship may be in trouble, Buffy finds new strength and is able to knock Olaf into unconsciousness, allowing Willow to send him back to Troll Land. Although the ‘Magic Box’ is completely trashed Buffy is overjoyed that Xander and Anya’s relationship is solid once more. Later, after Giles has returned from London he, Buffy and Joyce discuss how unhelpful his trip to the Watcher’s Council was; the council have no records on Glory, and Buffy is concerned that they may find out that Dawn is the Key...

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn), James Marsters (Spike), Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles), Amber Benson (Tara), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Abraham Benrubi (Olaf), Ranjani Brow (Young Nun)
Directed by Christopher Hibler

TX (US): 9th January 2001
TX (UK - Sky One): 16th March 2001

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Anya, Tara and Dawn