"This Year's Girl" - P4ABB15

In a sundrenched dream, Buffy visits the comatose Faith through some sort of telepathic connection she shares with her fellow slayer. Just when they seem to be getting along, Faith motions her stomach. The knife Buffy stabbed her with still protrudes, dripping with blood. Meanwhile, in Xander's basement, Buffy, Willow and Giles discuss how to destroy the unstoppable Adam, while Xander works on repairing the faulty blaster that Professor Walsh gave Buffy. The Slayer, however, seems equally concerned with the condition of the injured Riley who is in the questionable care of the Initiative. Just then, Riley wakes up in the medical unit of the underground headquarters. As he attempts to leave to see Buffy, Forrest intervenes. It appears that their standoff can only result in a fight. Meanwhile, as Faith lies in her own intensive care unit, she dreams of a pleasant picnic with her deceased father figure, Mayor Wilkins III. The serenity is disrupted when Buffy appears and murders the Mayor with the same knife she stabbed Faith with. That night, Xander and Willow go on patrol with Buffy in search of Adam. Instead of finding the demon-cyborg, they come across one of his morbid biology projects. A red, horned demon is strung up between two trees with his chest cavity splayed open for dissection. Back in Xander's basement, he and Willow listen to Buffy's plans to liberate Riley from the Initiative headquarters. Surprisingly, Riley shows up at that moment and embraces Buffy.

Still dreaming, Faith sees Buffy chasing her through a rain drenched cemetery. When she falls into an open grave, Buffy jumps in after her. After an unseen battle, Faith alone emerges from the six foot hole. Back in reality, her eyes explode open as she awakens from her coma. Disoriented, the groggy Faith rips out her IV and wanders down the barren Coma Ward halls. She comes across a teenage visitor who she forces to tell the date and explain what happened on Sunnydale High graduation day. With ambiguous intentions, Faith storms out of the hospital unnoticed by the staff. Meanwhile, alone in Buffy's dorm room, Riley and the Slayer share a tender moment of affection. Riley explains that he is afraid to leave the Initiative, no matter how corrupt they may seem. He feels that without the soldier in him, he's got nothing. Buffy reassures him that he's much more than just a soldier. Meanwhile, at the hospital, doctors and FBI agents search the hospital frantically for the missing Faith. The teenage girl she encountered is found unconscious and badly beaten. The head nurse makes a secretive phone call to an unknown organization telling them to mobilize a team.

Faith wanders the streets of Sunnydale planning her next move. After seeing the bombed out structure that was Sunnydale High, she secretly visits Giles' house. Through the window, she watches Buffy, Xander, Willow, Riley and Giles receive word of her escape. Buffy makes plans to confront Faith before continuing her mission to destroy Adam. With this knowledge, Faith is one step ahead of Buffy and surprises her by showing up on the UC Sunnydale campus while Buffy and Willow chat during a class break. Faith dispenses with the pleasantries and shatters Buffy's hope for peace by announcing her plans for revenge. In the middle of campus, a fast and furious fight ensues that is cut short when the police show up looking for Faith. The Slayer-turned villain takes out both cops on her way out of the situation. Later on, Willow and Tara go on recon around the campus in search of the elusive Faith. Willow describes Faith to Tara as a slutty primadonna who throws around Boston slang like "wicked" and "five by five". Giles and Xander take over the recon that night, armed with the blaster that Riley fixed. Instead of Faith, though, they come across Spike smoking a fag in an alley. When they ask his help in locating Faith, he tells them that when he finds her he'll tell her where they are and then watch her kill them all. He can't believe they would seek his help for nothing in return.

Back at the hospital, a helicopter lands and three mysterious suited men exit to meet with the head nurse. Faith encounters a demon in an alleyway who says he has a package for her from a mutual friend. Instead of inquiring about details, she breaks the demon's neck and opens the package, which contains a video tape. On the tape is the Mayor who explains that if she's watching, it means he's dead. He tells Faith to open the accompanying package. Inside is a bizarre metallic trinket that was forged by an evil accomplice of the Mayor's. He tells her that with the object she's going to go out with a bang.

Buffy and Riley sit in Buffy's dorm room discussing Faith. Buffy explains that Faith is tougher than Riley can imagine. Meanwhile, Faith shows up at Mrs. Summers' house and punches her out. When she comes to, Faith is holding her hostage in her bedroom, while trying on her makeup. Without warning, Buffy comes crashing through the window and tackles the unsuspecting Faith. The two Slayers erupt into a brawl through out Mrs. Summers' house, destroying doors, windows and tables. In the heat of battle, Faith slips the Mayor's metallic token into her palm and grabs Buffy's hand. Feeling its awesome power, the two gladiators are jolted momentarily. As they snap out of it, Buffy throws Faith a right cross that finally puts her down. When Joyce enters, she notices something different and almost evil about her daughter. She doesn't think anything of it when Buffy says she's "five by five".

Episode Synopsis by: Zack Peacock