'Bad Girls' Story Code '3ABB14' by Douglas Petrie

While Buffy and Faith are on patrol, they dust three vampires, one of whom has two swords, however, when Buffy turns to retrieve the swords for Giles to look at, they have disappeared. Mr. Trick has taken them to the Mayor, and the two of them decide to try and get the vampires and the Slayers to kill each other. The following morning at school, Willow is telling Xander about all the universities she has been accepted to; Buffy is more concerned about a chemistry test the next day, so she and Willow set a study date for later that night. When Buffy goes to the library to find Giles, she is introduced to her new Watcher, the overly-British Wesley Wyndam Price. Buffy tells Giles and Wesley about the swords, which Wesley notes belong to a Fifteenth Century duellist cult known as El Eliminati, who worship a demon known as Balthazar; Wesley reasons that they must be looking for Balthazar’s amulet, which Buffy and the others should find first. Faith arrives, finds out there is a new Watcher, and walks straight out. That night, Buffy finds the amulet in a crypt, but hides in a coffin when she hears voices. Faith appears, and together they follow the vampires underground; a vicious battle breaks out as Faith and Buffy Slay members of the El Eliminati. The next day, Buffy is telling Giles and Wesley what happened when Wesley instructs her not to report to Giles anymore. In class, Buffy excitedly babbles to Willow and Xander about how great the fight was; Faith appears at the window, telling Buffy she has found a nest of vampires, and so Buffy jumps out of class and joins her. After killing the undead creatures, both Slayers celebrate by dancing at ‘The Bronze’*. Angel and Wesley show up, and Angel takes the amulet from him so that he can keep it safe. Later, while Buffy and Faith are on patrol, they spot the El Eliminati but realise that they have no weapons; Faith breaks into a sporting goods store, and Buffy joins her. They are interrupted by two policemen who try to arrest them, but the Slayers escape. Meanwhile, a member of the El Eliminati attempts to assassinate the Mayor, but Mr. Trick knocks him out and the creature is locked up. An El Eliminati attacks Faith and Buffy, just as Giles and Wesley are kidnapped by the order and taken to Balthazar. After Buffy and Faith kill several members of the El Eliminati, Finch, the deputy Mayor, appears; however, Faith is so worked up that she stakes him, and he dies in Buffy’s arms. Faith drags Buffy away, but they become separated; Buffy runs into Angel, who sees the blood on her hands, while Faith returns to dispose of Finch’s body. Just as Balthazar interrogates Wesley and Giles, Angel walks in; he is joined by Buffy and together they attack the El Eliminati; Buffy frees Wesley and Giles and electrocutes Balthazar, but before he dies, he tells Buffy that when ‘he’ rises, she will wish that he had killed them all. Standing inside a pentacle, the Mayor begins his ritual; he allows the captured El Eliminati to chop his head in half, and it instantly regenerates - the Mayor notes that this officially commences the period of one-hundred days, when nothing can harm him until his Ascension. The next day, Buffy goes to Faith’s motel room to confront her about the murder, but Faith tells her that she simply does not care…

*Clive’s note: possibly my favourite moment in the history of Buffy!

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles), Eliza Dushku (Faith), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), K. Todd Freeman (Mr. Trick), Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins III), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), Jack Plotnick (Allan Finch, Deputy Mayor), Christian Clemenson (Balthazar), Alex Skuby (Vincent), Wendy Clifford (Mrs. Taggert)
Directed by Michael Lange

TX (US): 9th February 1999
TX (UK - Sky One): 28th October 1999
TX (UK - BBC): 26th July 2000

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Oz, Cordelia, Faith and Angel

*This episode introduces Wesley Wyndham Price, who becomes a regular character