Buffy Season 8 Recap - Safe

A young woman stakes a vampire, she loses the stake as he remains in the vampires torso, she has missed the heart is now weaponless. She tells it that shes sorry and runs away “I didn’t even want to be a Slayer!” she screams as she runs away. She runs into an alley and as the vampire chases her Faith steps out and stakes the vampire killing it instantly. The woman turns around and thanks Faith then realises she must also be a Slayer, she gets excited and shouts “Oh my God, you must be Buffy!” Faith looks to Giles, clearly offended “she’s calling me names G”. Giles explains that’s the point of them being here, this Slayer is clearly confused and she needs some guidance. A vampire sneaks up behind the girl and she notices that Faith and Giles are shocked at something behind her, she turns around and accidently stakes the vampire correctly as she turns around. She screams and inhales some of the vampire dust, Faith laughs and tells her that she needs to learn to keep her mouth shut when she kills vampires. She tells them that she clearly isn’t ready for Slayer Sanctuary yet, Faith and Giles have never heard of this sanctuary and ask her what it is. She tells them that it is a place for Slayer’s to go when they don’t want to join the Slayer battle, they get to choose when they get chosen. She introduces herself as Courtney and tells Faith that she has heard of her too, Faith is not impressed and reacts nonchalantly “yay, lets bond.” Courtney tells them that she will take them to Slayer Sanctuary if they want, to which Faith calls her a guide dog and they set off.









Hours later, on the train, Giles tells Faith that this is good, there could be many Slayers at this sanctuary that Faith can persuade to rejoin the battle. Faith tells Giles that its their choice whether they want to rejoin and she will not help persuade them either way. Giles then tells Faith to look out of the window, as they are travelling through the woods surrounding the town they notice hundreds of vampires standing around, seemingly waiting for something. Courtney tells them that they are not permitted to enter the town. As they get off the train, Courtney tells Faith that she has inspired her and perhaps she can convince the other Slayers to “choose to be chosen again”. Faith is surprised that she has inspired someone, and Giles tells her that she is too hard on herself.

Giles is greeted by an old friend, an old Watcher who tells Giles that he greets everyone personally when they arrive at the sanctuary. Duncan invites them to dinner where he explains that the vampires stay away because they know that there is a small army of Slayers here to kill them, the agreement stands that the Slayers will not hunt the vampires as long as they stay out of town. Faith asks where the other Slayers are and a woman tells her that she will take Faith to them, Giles tells Faith to take Courtney with her. As Faith, Courtney and the woman walk through town Faith points out the lack of children around, the woman leads the two Slayers to a library and tells Faith that they have arrived. Faith makes a quip about watchers keeping Slayers in libraries before walking up the stairs. The woman tells them that she cannot enter as she is not a Slayer, as Faith walks up the stairs she whispers to Courtney that this is a blatant trap. Courtney suggests running away but Faith tells her that there is nothing they can’t throw at her that she can’t defeat.


Faith opens the door to find a vampire that she recognises, it tells her that since that day she allowed him to escape he has killed many, sired more. We then get a flashback that shows Faith as an early Slayer, she is surrounded by three vampires, she swiftly stakes two of them and misses the heart of the third one. The vampire runs away with the stake in his abdomen, Faith shrugs to herself, two out of three ain’t bad. The vampire taunts her more, telling her how she reeks of failure, she could have followed him, stopped him from killing the innocent people he has killed since. Faith snaps and begins to fight him, we switch to Courtney’s point of view which shows Faith fighting nothing. It is all an illusion in Faith’s mind.


As Giles continues talking to Duncan it becomes clear that Duncan truly believes they are the last two survivors of the Watcher’s council. Giles expresses his dislike for the way he has been hiding the Slayers and keeping the vampires at bay rather than slaying the evil, the vampries are sure to break the treaty one day. Duncan begins to explain about a demon that once lived in the town, the demon lived off fear and regret which children and young adults reek of. Duncan then goes on to explain that vampires are the ultimate vessels of regret, they have to live forever with the thought of a life not lived. The vampires stay away because the demon would feed off of them, Giles then realises that the town fed the demon their own children to keep the vampires away, and when the town ran out of children it began to recruit Slayers to feed it. Duncan tries to stop Giles from going to save Faith but is unsuccessful, he mutters to the townspeople at the dinner table that Giles is full of regret, for the loves he’s lost (Jenny Calendar) and for allowing the two Slayer’s to be lead to their death. The demon will kill him just as easily as a child.


Faith gets bitten by the vampire and falls to the floor, Courtney begs Faith to wake up then turns around to see green tentacles coming towards her. They slowly turn into arms before finally they turn into her parents, she tells them that she is so happy to see them together again, she thought it was her fault that they broke up and became unhappy. They tell her that they never blamed her and hug her tightly, “it’s so nice to have your arms around me again” she says and we see the green tentacles wrap around her body. Giles bursts through the door and tries to save Courtney from the grip, Duncan enters behind him with a crossbow and tells Giles to walk away, if the demon dies then the vampires will invade the town and they will all die. Faith charges at Duncan knocking them both into the grips of the arms, Giles manages to save Courtney as Duncan tries to escape from the grip. In his flailing about Faith manages to grab the crossbow. Duncan begs for help, he tries to use the reasoning that they are both watchers and Giles should save him simply on the fact that they are old friends, when that doesn’t work he tells Giles he’s sorry and begs for forgiveness but immediately realises his mistake, having allowed a single thought of regret to pass through his mind he is instantly lowered into the demons mouth. Faith stabs the demon with the crossbow and rips open a wound, the demon drops Faith and for some reason bursts into flames. “That was your last meal bitch, choke on it” she tells the demon as they walk out of the library.
As they exit the townspeople are grouped outside, Faith is very aware that they are not there to congratulate them. One of the townspeople yells abuse at Faith, telling her that she has allowed the vampires to enter their town. One of them asks what they can do, surely they are all going to die. Courtney yells back, telling them that they deserve to die, they’re all murderers, Faith agrees but tells Courtney that they are Slayers, they are meant to protect humanity whether it's the good or the bad parts of humanity. Faith addresses the group and tells them that if they want to live, then they fight. Only one real lesson is needed, “aim for the heart” she tells them as she takes out two stakes and the townspeople join Faith, standing behind her united with any weapons they could find including pitchforks and shovels.