Bargaining, Part Two (Buffy episode)
Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAR : Bargaining, Part Two (Buffy episode)
"Bargaining (Part Two)" is the second episode of the sixth season of the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It originally aired on October 2, 2001. It was written by David Fury and directed by David Grossman.
Plot synopsis
Summary
Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara separate as they flee from the gang of demon bikers, while Dawn and Spike are forced to leave the Summers' home when the demons start destroying houses.
Meanwhile, having been resurrected by her friends, Buffy faces the traumatic experience of having to dig her way out of her grave. After clawing herself out of her coffin, the Slayer walks through the streets of Sunnydale, which are quickly being destroyed by the demons.
The Scooby Gang reunite at the Magic Box, and Willow is upset that all of their efforts to bring Buffy back were seemingly for nothing. However, when they attempt to battle the demons, they run into Buffy herself, who is confused and disoriented. They soon realise that the spell did indeed work, but Anya is worried that they performed the spell incorrectly as Buffy isn't herself.
Buffy helps the gang to battle against the bikers, but ends up running away from her friends in search of Glory's tower. Meanwhile, Dawn and Spike find the Buffybot, who has been seriously damaged in battle against the demons. Buffybot informs Dawn that she has seen the "other Buffy", and the two sisters reunite on top of the tower where Buffy died several months ago. Buffy manages to save Dawn from danger once again on the tower, but is nowhere close to being back to normal.
Expanded overview
Xander carries a weakened Willow off to the magic shop where Tara and Anya will meet them with Spike and Dawn. The Buffybot is in the possession of the demon bikers and getting beaten badly. Meanwhile, beneath the ground, the real Buffy desperately fights her way through her coffin. Xander stops on the way to the Magic Shop, and Willow breaks down into tears as she thinks her attempt to bring Buffy back failed. Tara and Anya pause on their way in time to hide from a few of Razor's followers and overhear their conversation about visiting some stores.
Spike prepares to leave the house with Dawn for a safer location. Buffy finally breaks out of her coffin and rises to the surface. Dressed in black, Buffy roams the damaged streets of Sunnydale, confused by the mayhem occurring. Back at the Magic Shop, Tara and Anya return to find that the store is still safe. Tara starts to cast a spell to locate Willow and Xander. Xander questions Willow's directions back to the shop and the power of the spell she conducted. A small blue light appears and it's Tara.
A disorientated Buffy bumps into a car, setting off the alarm and causing the owner to threaten her with a shotgun. Out in the streets, Spike knocks one of the demons off his moving bike and takes it for him and Dawn to ride off on. The gang meets up at the shop to discuss their plans and how they're going to deal without Buffy, Spike, Giles or a strong Willow. The real Buffy stumbles upon the demon bikers in the midst of celebration. Four demons on their bikes are chained to the limbs of the Buffybot and drive off in four different directions, destroying her.
The real Buffy draws attention to herself and is forced to run off followed by the bikers. The Scooby Gang are armed and ready for battle, discussing the reasons for their failure when Buffy drops down from a fence in front of them. Willow recognizes her as the real Buffy, but scares her off. The gang follows and Xander realizes just what their spell accomplished. Buffy is frightened and confused, but is motivated to kick demon ass when Razor and his crew try to hurt her and her friends.
Dawn and Spike find Buffybot's head and torso and while Spike looks for the rest of her, the robot hints that the real Buffy is back. Dawn takes off, leaving Spike to freak out when he doesn't know where she went. Buffy finishes off most of the demons, but Razor doesn't die and Buffy runs off to the tower where she died. Willow, Tara and Anya fight with and eventually kill Razor with various weapons and magic. Dawn is able to track down Buffy at the tower and follows the Slayer as she heads to the top.
Buffy remembers what occurred the last time she was there until Dawn interrupts. Buffy questions if she's in hell and contemplates another jump. The tower starts to collapse and as Dawn begs Buffy to come with her, she's needed. Buffy uses a rope and pulley to get partially to the ground. They fall the rest of the distance and Buffy cushions the fall and rolls them out of the way before the tower completely. Safe, the girls hug, but Buffy's eyes don't reflect happiness.
Writing and acting
Cast
- Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
- Emma Caulfield as Anya Jenkins
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers and Buffybot
- Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
- James Marsters as Spike
- Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers
Production details
Music
- Static-X - "Permanence"
Quotes and trivia
Many Buffy fans were actually very disappointed with the simplicity in Buffy's being risen from the grave by witchcraft. When asked about it, creator Joss Whedon simply said he "didn't want to put much effort into bringing her back," stating that the importance was what followed.
Continuity
Arc significance
The episode shows Buffy's uncertainty and confused feelings about being back from the dead. She asks Dawn, "Is this hell?", which is a view that the Slayer will express throughout the season as she tries to adjust back to normal life.
The Buffybot, which first appeared in Season Five, is destroyed in this episode, and does not make any further appearances on the show.
There are also some hints about the different attitudes that Willow and Tara have towards magic, with Tara fearing that the Scoobies were wrong to meddle with the laws of nature, while Willow seems sure that they were doing the right thing.
The episode is also the first ever without Anthony Stewart Head as Giles, and a much darker tone is already noticeable.
Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) | Buffyverse chronology: Fall 2001 - December 2001 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| L.A., 2001 | Buffy/Angel novel: Cursed (Buffy/Angel novel)>Cursed |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.01 Heartthrob (Angel episode)>Heartthrob |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy UPN promos: Buffy Season 6 UPN promos>Scooby Gang talk about Buffy |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.01 Bargaining, Part One (Buffy episode)>Bargaining, I |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.02 Bargaining, Part Two (Buffy episode)>Bargaining, II |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.02 That Vision Thing (Angel episode)>That Vision Thing |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.03 After Life (Buffy episode)>After Life |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Sanctuary (Angel novel)>Sanctuary |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.03 That Old Gang of Mine (Angel episode)>That Old Gang of Mine |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.04 Flooded (Buffy episode)>Flooded |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.04 Carpe Noctem (Angel episode)>Carpe Noctem |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy comic: Reunion (Buffy comic)>Reunion |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.05 Life Serial (Buffy episode)>Life Serial |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.05 Fredless (Angel episode)>Fredless |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Blood and Fog (Buffy novel)>Blood and Fog |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.06 All the Way (Buffy episode)>All the Way |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Note from the Underground (Buffy comic)>Note from the Underground |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.06 Billy (Angel episode)>Billy |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel anthology book:The Longest Night (Angel novel)>The Longest Night |
| Sunnydale, L.A., Monster Island, 2001 | Buffy/Angel novel: Monster Island (Buffy/Angel novel)>Monster Island |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Endangered Species (Angel novel)>Endangered Species |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Impressions (Angel novel)>Impressions |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.07 Once More, with Feeling (Buffy episode)>Once More, with Feeling |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.07 Offspring (Angel episode)>Offspring |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.08 Tabula Rasa (Buffy episode)>Tabula Rasa |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.08 Quickening (Angel episode)>Quickening |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.09 Smashed (Buffy episode)>Smashed |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.09 Lullaby (Angel episode)>Lullaby |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.10 Wrecked (Buffy episode)>Wrecked |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.10 Dad (Angel episode)>Dad |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.11 Gone (Buffy episode)>Gone |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.11 Birthday (Angel episode)>Birthday |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Creatures of Habit (Buffy comic)>Creatures of Habit |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.12 Doublemeat Palace (Buffy episode)>Doublemeat Palace |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.12 Provider (Angel episode)>Provider |
| Buffyverse | ||
| Main | Canon | Index Chronology: Ancient | Modern | BS1 | BS2 | BS3 | BS4/AS1 | BS5/AS2 | BS6/AS3 | BS7/AS4 | AS5 | Future | Flashbacks | |
| Buffy | Characters (main) | Characters (minor) | Episodes | Plot | Comics | Film | Pilot (unaired) | Promo: History.. | Novels | Promos: Pre-"Bargaining" | |
| Angel | Characters (main) | Characters (minor) | Episodes | Plot | | |
| Spin-offs | Comics | Fan made productions | Fray | Novels | Spike movie | Undeveloped productions Buffy Animated | Card Game | RPGs | Tales of Slayer (prose) | Tales of Slayers | Tales of Vampires | Toys | Video Games Upcoming: Blackout | | | | | | Portal Through Time | Spike vs Dracula | | |
| Powers | Angel Investigations | Circle of the Black Thorn | Order of Aurelius | The First Evil | The Initiative | Monsters | Old Ones | The Powers That Be | Ra-Tet | Scooby Gang | Senior Partners | Watchers' Council | Wolfram & Hart | |
| People | Adam | Amy | Andrew | Angel | Anya | Buffy | Caleb | Connor | Cordelia | Dawn | Darla | Doyle | Dru | Eve | Faith | Fred | Giles | Glory | Gunn | Harmony | Holtz | Illyria | Jasmine | Jenny | Joyce | Jonathan | Kate | Kennedy | Lilah | Lindsey | Lorne | The Master | Mayor Wilkins | Oz | Professor Walsh | Riley | Spike | Tara | Warren | Wesley | Willow | Xander | |
| Places | L.A. | Sunnydale Bronze | Caritas | Hellmouth | Hyperion | Library | Magic Box | Pylea | Sunnydale High | |
| Music | Complete Tracklist | Use of Music in Buffy & Angel | Dingoes Ate My Baby | Film | | | Once More, With Feeling | |
| Key Terminology | "Demon" | "Slayer" | "Vampire" | "Watcher" | "Werewolf" | "Witch" "Child of Senior Partners" | Shanshu | Sunnydale Syndrome | Tro-Clon | |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.