buffy8x06 Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
[bottom] TEASER
FADE IN:
1 INT. BUFFY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT 1
Dark and spooky. Moonlight shoots shadows into the room. We
float through the eerie silence out into:
2 INT. BUFFY'S HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 2
The front door can barely be made out. MUTED VOICES just
ahead. Then a window CRASHES. A bevy of SCREAMS. Rush down
the hallway to:
3 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 3
Cast in the glow of the television the Slayerettes are mostly
in various stages of cringing. XANDER, DAWN, and ANDREW sit
on the couch in fearful contortions. BUFFY'S crosslegged on
the floor unphased. KENNEDY and WILLOW clutch each other on
the recliner. ANYA lingers nearby.
Another flash from the television and Dawn lets out a
whimper. Buffy stares hard at the TV, studying.
BUFFY
She'd make a great Slayer.
DAWN
She cut the guy's arm off!
BUFFY
But the precision she did it with.
Plus she kinda had to.
DAWN
She cut the guy's arm off!
XANDER
Only before she beheaded him.
DAWN
(small voice)
She cut his head off too?
XANDER
It was kind of an implied off
screen thing.
Andrew tilts his head to look at the screen.
ANDREW
The infected don't shamble enough.
XANDER
I have to agree. Nymphomaniac
cheerleaders, they should run fast.
But zombies -- shambling's half
their charm.
BUFFY
Okay, I just got an insight into
your personal life I did not need.
ANYA
I cursed someone once so that his
nagging mother-in-law came back as
a zombie. Kind of a disappointment.
I wish the real ones were more
crafty and vicious.
Everyone takes a moment to turn and glare at Anya. Then they
all chuck popcorn through her.
BUFFY/XANDER/WILLOW/DAWN/KENNEDY
JINX!
4 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 4
Moving overhead, ancient oaks, tombs so worn their occupants
have been forgotten. The CLINK of shovels. Down through some
branches to see: WILLIS, wearing a suit minus jacket with
sleeves rolled up and tie thrown over his shoulder.
He's whistling "I've Been Working On the Railroad" while
tearing out chunks of earth with his pickax. Similarly
dressed yuppie fellows are digging up other graves nearby.
FATHER (O.S.)
Excuse me son.
Willis turns from his work to see an aged old priest standing
nearby holding a lantern.
FATHER
What are you boys doing?
Willis steps out of the hole he's part way sunk into. Pickax
over his shoulder.
WILLIS
We're digging father.
FATHER
Who told you to dig here? What's
going on?
WILLIS
So many fascinating questions in
this world and Catholics still
bother with the simple ones.
Willis drive's his pickax into the priest's forehead who
crumples to the ground dead.
Willis jumps back into the shallow hole. Keeps on whistling,
keeps on digging.
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
5 INT. DINER - MORNING 5
The bustle of the breakfast crowd, bright and early. Willis
walks in like he owns place, dapper well dressed and all dat.
He slides into a booth with two of his fellow diggers, THOMAS
two pounds short of being an entire offensive line and KYLE,
orange haired frazzle who looks like his life consists of one
unending caffeine fix. Both are suit and tied as well.
WILLIS
Hello gentleman, everyone sleep
cozy?
KYLE
Sleep? Like we sleep.
THOMAS
What's with this required six A.M.
breakfast fun? I don't think
heavenly father got up this early
unless it was to be tortured.
Willis picks up a menu, flips through.
WILLIS
Then consider it your daily
suffering for our good work.
THOMAS
I need sleep.
WILLIS
You can sleep when you're dead.
THOMAS
Only if you two let me.
WILLIS
Exactly. How are our new recruits
Kyle?
KYLE
Um, they're kind of disoriented,
you know, not with the program yet.
But, chanting, I've done some
chanting and I think they'll come
around.
WILLIS
Can we have them on the line by
this afternoon?
KYLE
Doable doable. Definitely, I think,
we can do that.
WILLIS
I want them out in the
neighborhoods as soon as possible.
You help him Thomas.
THOMAS
(sighs)
You know I hate clocking in the
newsies. All that concentration and
those gosh darn herbs mess with my
allergies.
WILLIS
We each make our sacrifices.
THOMAS
What will you be doing?
WILLIS
Scoping out new meat.
6 INT. DAWN'S ROOM - MORNING 6
The alarm clock on her bedstand JANGLES She reaches over and
CLICKS it off. Hops out of bed disturbingly perky. She wears
pajama pants and a baby T with a rainbow snake on it.
Stretches her arms above her head, the bottom of her T
sliding up to reveal her tummy scars in the mirror. She
notices and rolls her eyes.
7 INT. DAWN'S BATHROOM - LATER 7
The shower's running and steam floats through the room. Her
reflection in the mirror is blurred over with condensation.
She draws a little flower with her finger.
On her shoulder blades as she pulls her shirt off over her
head. Fresh pink scars adorn her back but she doesn't notice.
She steps into the shower and closes the frosted glass door
behind her.
CUT TO:
8 INT. BLACKNESS 8
The locker door opens and we're looking out at Dawn's pretty
face.
9 INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY 9
Dawn gathers her books for first period. JODY slides up next
to her.
JODY
Hey Dawn, how are you?
DAWN
Feeling like someone spiked my
Cheerios with the happy.
JODY
Excellent, what'd you do last
night?
DAWN
I saw a penis.
Jody looks more than a bit flummoxed for a few beats.
JODY
Yeah, um, that's well...
educational I guess.
DAWN
My sister showed me.
His jaw gesticulates a bit but no sounds come out. Dawn
gathers the last of her books and shuts her locker. She leans
in and kisses him on the cheek.
DAWN (cont'd)
You're cute when you're confused.
She steps past him and heads down the hall. He turns to watch
her go, still struggling to find the words.
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
Buffy's got her snazzy work suit on. She trudges up a muddy
incline in heels. Her Slayerness makes it look almost
gracious.
She slips past a rather robust mausoleum to find Willow who
stands inside a police tape perimeter amidst a dozen or so
empty graves. Each has a open coffin still in the bottom.
BUFFY
Great way to spend a lunch hour.
WILLOW
I'm thinking we should stop
watching the news altogether. And
cancel the paper. And bury our
heads in the sand.
BUFFY
These people probably thought
they'd be safe underground too.
Imagine their surprise to get dug
up.
WILLOW
Hmm, I don't feel any bad
magicks...
BUFFY
I'm sensing a but.
WILLOW
I don't feel anything, that's the
big but. Not the grass or the
trees. Nada. It's like everywhere
around here someone hit life's mute
button.
BUFFY
It is a graveyard. Did you check
any of the coffins?
WILLOW
And steal all the fun from the
Slayer. Why would I go and do that?
Buffy gives her a "you smarmy vixen" look. Looks at her work
clothes, shrugs, then hops down into one of the ditches.
She examines the inside of the coffin. Inside the lid she see
two grimy palm prints on the fabric liner.
BUFFY
Welcome to zombie fun time hour.
With one heave Buffy leaps straight up and out of the grave
for a perfect ten landing.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Coffin opened from the inside.
Thinking it's magic after all.
Either that or the occupant had a
hundred year hangover.
Willow kneels down at the edge of the grave. She runs her
hands through a clump of grass.
WILLOW
This close and I only feel twinges.
That's a pretty impressive glamour.
BUFFY
Can you see through it?
WILLOW
Some time and a little fun
chanting, I should be able to crack
it.
She grabs some of the dirt from the ground. Drops clumps of
it back into the hole.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Does it ever strike you as weird,
Buffy? Everything we do brings us
back to death.
BUFFY
It's far from comforting if that's
what you mean.
WILLOW
We're the front lines or sometimes
the only lines. Okay, big pressure,
freaking myself out. Having the
power over life and death. Not
quite the reassuring gig you'd
expect it to be is it?
BUFFY
I wouldn't know.
Willow makes a little Willow noise.
BUFFY (cont'd)
I protect people sure, save their
lives even. I use death. But you
can touch life, reach into it and
guide it home when it's lost.
WILLOW
When I brought you back I had
Xander and Anya and -- We did it
together is all.
BUFFY
You can play coy Wicca with the
others Will. I'm the Slayer, I know
power. We do not walk in this
world. We're visitors intruding. I
fight and I've died protecting a
humanity I can never really be a
part of. Because I was Chosen. I've
lived through death and the more I
see of what you can do, the more
I'm convinced you will too.
WILLOW
I won't.
BUFFY
We'll see.
Willow's a tad flustered. She plops her butt down into the
dirt.
WILLOW
I need to chant.
BUFFY
Okay, speechifying done. You know
by now we've probably read all
hundred and one twisted things to
do with a corpse. Wonder what these
are for?
WILLOW
Let's hope a friendly picnic.
10 INT. JACKSON'S FOYER - DAY 10
Jackson opens the door to reveal the priest from the teaser.
He appears unblemished and now wears a suit like a man in
black.
FATHER
Hello son. May I come in?
JACKSON
Sure thing, Father.
The man in black steps inside and Jackson closes the door.
FATHER
Tell me, have you accepted Jesus
into your life?
Jackson's face scrunches in confusion.
JACKSON
Father Donovan, you baptized me.
You presided over my confirmation.
Father looks at him blankly.
JACKSON (cont'd)
It's Jackson. Don't you remember
me? Or my sister?
FATHER
Did you know that Christ came to
America?
JACKSON
What happened to you? Where's your
collar?
FATHER
These aren't the questions you
should be asking, son. Greater
things await. Even for someone like
you.
JACKSON
Someone like me?
FATHER
A cursed Lamanite who's skin is
burned to show his rebellious and
violent nature. I offer you a
chance for redemption from your
wicked heritage.
Jackson's hit pretty hard by Father's comment.
JACKSON
You told me love "bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things." Even
madness. That helped me.
FATHER
It must have been a different time.
I was wrong.
JACKSON
Get out of my house.
FATHER
Son, don't turn your back on God.
JACKSON
I'm only following your example.
Get out!
11 EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY 11
Buffy's no longer around. Willow sits in the lotus position
at the edge of an open grave, her hands folded in her lap. An
echoing hum emanates from her.
Willow stares down in the grave. The shadows, dark and deep,
begin to separate and take on lighter tones. The hand prints
on the inside lid shimmer. She gazes around the graveyard and
all the colors are muted shades of grey.
She stands, watches the black and white world she sees.
Catches sight of a glimmer of yellow wiggling in the grass
nearby. Moves closer to see what looks like a shimmering kite
string.
Though there's no wind, it lifts and hovers a few feet off
the ground.
Willow's eyes follow one end of it to where it touches the
grass again. It snakes through tombstones beckoning her to
follow. Willow starts moving along the string.
12 EXT. GRAVEYARD GATES - MOMENTS LATER 12
She opens the creaking rusty gates and slips through
following the yellow string. In places the string hovers,
other sections wind across the pavement.
People move along the sidewalk in their day to day business.
Each person has a pulsing yellow light within them. She keeps
following the string.
13 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - DAY 13
A wide tableau of a run down industrial space. A few dozen
men in black sit at long rickety tables. A variety of
slurping noises come from them devouring their lunch.
14 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - KITCHEN - DAY 14
Our three cafe baddies all have their suit jackets off and
aprons on. Several huge soup cisterns simmer on the stove.
They stand in front of the serving counter.
WILLIS
Pretty good neuron overall.
KYLE
Not enough.
(mumbles, counts on his
fingers)
Lunch definitely covered. Dinner,
maybe half if we're lucky.
WILLIS
I went all over town to get that
much. Ration them.
KYLE
Can't. Indoctrination simple.
Maintaining it -- the longer they
go, the more they think, the more
they think the more they need. They
gobble more and more to keep the
same pathways active, to let us
control them.
Willis steps up, thrusts his finger against Kyle's chest.
WILLIS
Joseph Smith got close. I'll go all
the way. We'll fix this.
THOMAS
How?
WILLIS
I don't know. What are the Baptists
doing this evening?
THOMAS
You're not funny.
WILLIS
Am I laughing?
A moment as his words sink in.
WILLIS (cont'd)
You want to spend your life under
the yoke...
(points upwards)
...of el goody two shoes, enjoy.
But already we've transcended His
barriers. We resurrected these
people to live the word how it
should be.
THOMAS
What about that priest you killed?
Last time I checked Catholics are
Christians too.
WILLIS
Following an imperfect line of
dogma. He could not realize the
full truth. Now he's become part of
it. We know because we were taught
we can become gods if we have the
power and perseverance to seize it.
THOMAS
And mass murder.
WILLIS
Sodom, Gomora. Stepping stones.
Punishment. He's killed to mold the
world to his vision. We can do the
same.
15 INT. WAREHOUSE - DAY 15
Willow stands in front; the yellow string hovering around her
feet. The warehouse is rather nondescript and pretty scummy
looking, especially in tones of grey she sees.
MAN IN BLACK (O.S.)
Late for lunch. So hungry.
She barely catches a glimpse of him as he rushes past her
through the door.
Willow looks at the ground, the yellow string she followed is
no longer there. She takes a deep breath and pulls the door
open.
16 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 16
THOMAS
So, what, we just crash some prayer
meeting?
WILLIS
That would do.
KYLE
Mathematically speaking it makes
total sense. Big city lots of
wrongful just not teaching the
right way to God kind of places.
Low security no one expecting it;
no risk max reward; our
shepherdship continues.
The mib from outside walks up and scrapes his hand across the
counter.
MAN IN BLACK
Hungry, very hungry.
Willis grabs a bowl and ladles out some nasty look gray soup
into it. He walks over and hands it to the mib who eyes it
lustily and walks off.
THOMAS
We've scoped out the opposition
around here. Which place looks the
best.
Willis keeps staring out past the serving counter.
WILLIS
I see a girl.
THOMAS
Focus Willis. You're our heavenly
father with the plan remember.
WILLIS
We don't dig up girls.
The other two rush to the counter and look out.
WILLIS (cont'd)
I'll deal with her.
17 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 17
Willow wanders in a daze amidst the crowd. From her
perspective the grey world is filled with pulsing light
emanating from inside the people eating.
Their lights appear weaker than the people she saw along the
street. Yellow chords are wrapped thickly around each
person's neck and droop to the ground in long gooey lines.
The ethereal strings tangle across the ground everywhere
Willow steps. Willow watches the shimmering kite strings
begin to sway and move.
WILLIS (O.S.)
Hello miss. What can I do for you?
Willow doesn't look at him at first, she's still studying the
strings, following the icky lines of them with her eyes. They
seem to converge. She looks up.
Everything shows in Willow's expression. The lines of her
face crack, terror unbound. Her eyes shift to the crowd.
Everyone stares at her with their mouths hanging open. Their
lips not moving, shrieks fill her head.
CHILDLIKE (V.O.)
Help us!
GROGGY (V.O.)
Stop him...
PATHETIC (V.O.)
He won't let us rest.
MANIC (V.O.)
I can't move! I CAN'T
MOVE!
She clamps her hands to her ears.
WILLOW
(her scream echoing both
in her mind and out)
XANDER!
She tries to turn but stumbles, smashes her knee hard on the
industrial tile floor. Her feet SQUEAK on the tile. She
scrambles and bolts out the door.
Willis wears a scowl. Four mibs from the crowd stand around
him now.
WILLIS
You want a brain? Taste that one.
He points and they tear out the door after Willow.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
18 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY 18
Xander's sprawled out in the arm chair sleeping. His arms
hang over the edges, a remote in one hand. He shudders
violently awake, the remote CLACKS to the floor.
XANDER
Willow?!
He jumps up and looks around catching his bearing.
XANDER (cont'd)
Weird dreams.
He wobbles on his feet. Blinks hard and grabs his head.
19 EXT. CITY STREET - DAY 19
SCRAMBLING POV
Silent, only images that are scratched and slightly blurred.
Willow's feet hitting the pavement as she runs. Looks behind
her to see four men in dark suits chasing her.
20 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 20
Xander covers his left eye with his hand. He gazes around the
room. Everything appears as normal and boring as usual. He
covers his right eye and opens his left.
21 EXT. CITY STREET - CONTINUOUS 21
SCRAMBLING POV
running, turns a corner. Glimpse of crossed street signs on a
pole: Euclid Ave and Knowles St.
22 EXT. BUFFY'S PORCH/STREET - CONTINUOUS 22
Xander throws the door open and runs out. One hand covers his
left eye, the other holds a baseball bat. A thirty-something
man in black walks along the sidewalk. Xander rushes past to
his car.
MAN IN BLACK
Excuse me, may I have a moment?
Xander's in mid-fumble between the bat, his keys, and
avoiding vertigo by covering his left eye.
XANDER
Sorry, gotta go.
He gets the door open and hops in the car. The mib heads up
the walk. Xander tears off.
23 INT. BUFFY'S FOYER/PORCH - CONTINUOUS 23
Andrew comes down the stairs to find the front door hanging
open.
ANDREW
(calling out)
Global warming! Am I the only one
here who respects inside outside
boundaries?
He shuts the door but it catches on something before it
closes.
MAN IN BLACK (O.S.)
Ow! Okay, that hurt.
Andrew opens the door to find the mib hopping and grabbing
his foot.
ANDREW
Welcome, to Casa de Summers. I can
say that because I've been to
Mexico.
MAN IN BLACK
It's good to travel.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.