Last Week
Buffy learned that Spike has been killing people again but spared his life because she believes he has insight into the greater evil at work. Giles returned for about 30 seconds.

Ten Second Recap
Buffy interrogates Spike about his misdeeds; the gang grills Andrew for the truth about looming evil forces; Buffy contacts the Council in an effort to find Giles.

As the wrestling editor for Fanboy Planet, no one understands more than me the importance of developing great villains. After giving us just a tease at the very beginning of this season, the writers have spent the last three weeks building up "The First Evil" to be the biggest threat Buffy has ever faced. First she fought the head vampire, then a group of vampires, then a pure demon and a fellow Slayer, then whatever Adam was, then a God, and finally Willow (this time, it's personal.) Each season has had to raise the stakes in order to hold our interest and to make us just for a moment believe that the good gal might not win. Or at the very least worry that the price for winning may be too great.

Now for the most part Buffy has always been able to top itself, (coughAdamcough) but developing a villain is a tricky thing. This season, we were first shown mysterious snippets of young women being murdered in the streets without explanation. This whets our appetite.

Next we see the Big Bad torturing Spike and get our first look at its shape shifting ability as it scrolls through the previous villains. We learn to hate the evil because of the way it treats our beloved Spike and we see that it truly is unlike anything we've seen before.

Then the pieces of the First Evil's plan begin to fall into place. Our heroes are shaken, divided and scared. Finally, the Big Bad seals the deal with a shocking act that will leave us frantically wondering what happens next. (And we'll have to wait until January to find out. Curse you, UPN!)

Although no one is saying anything solid one way or another about the possibility of an eighth season, this seventh feels like it's building to a grand finale.

I said it two weeks ago and I'll say it again. No one escapes a post death cameo. Jonathan returns this week to add to the haunting of Andrew (funny that no one remembers Andrew's name, but they remember his brother Tucker).

Jonathan also appeared in two of the more interesting scenes this week involving Principal Wood. I suspected from the beginning of the season that there was more to Wood than the good natured Principal. The question is, is he good or evil? While Sunnydale has a history of evil Principals, remember that the last person that had the office above the Hellmouth was Rupert Giles.

Speaking of Giles, where was he? There is nothing worse than an unresolved cliffhanger.

Line of the Week
Quentin: "My friends, these are the times that define us. Proverbs 24:6 'For by wise counsel, you shall wage your war.'" BOOM!

Michael Goodson