Synopsis of Triangle
Written by TK
Either Xander or Anya's apartment
Xander and Anya are lying in bed being all post-cuddly. They're talking about the fact that Riley left. Anya says that she wants a lot of warning if Xander is thinking about leaving. They wonder if this is going to be a pattern with Buffy. Xander wonders what Buffy's going to do now.
Convent
A nun is walking calmly along with a vampire runs in and bumps into her, knocking her down. Buffy comes running in after the vampire and they duke it out as the nun watches in horror. Buffy stakes the vampire and helps the nun off the floor. Buffy starts quizzing the nun on her lifestyle.
Buffy's training room
Buffy is sparring with Giles. Giles is going to England to talk to the Watchers' Council about Glory since Giles himself hasn't been able to find out anything about her. Buffy wants Giles not to mention Dawn since she doesn't trust the Watchers. Giles says he'll have to mention that Glory is looking for a key, but he promises not to mention Dawn by name. Giles brings up the fact that now that Riley is gone, they no longer have a military connection to use for more info. He apologizes for mentioning Riley. Buffy says it's okay. It hurts, but it's okay.
The magic shop
The whole gang is sitting around talking about how to run the store when Giles is gone. Anya swears she can run the place by herself with no trouble. Giles has confidence in Anya's skills with money and merchandise, but worries about her people skills. Willow says she'll help out, and not to worry about a thing. Anya is offended. Willow says she's just trying to help. They end up bickering and both are telling Xander to stick up for them. Xander feels caught in the middle and tries to change the subject.
The Summers house
Buffy gets home and she and Willow are happy to see their mother up and about, no longer wearing her ratty blue robe that has been all she's worn for so long. They leave their mother to rest, and Willow follow Buffy to her room. Willow hangs out with Buffy and they talk about the fact that Riley is gone. Buffy is sad, but not in any kind of denial. She realizes that there were signs that the relationship was going awry much earlier than she saw, and she regrets missing them, but she's now just waiting for the pain to go away.
Spike's lair
Spike is using a mannequin to practice telling Buffy how he feels about her. He has a box of chocolates as an offering. In his pretend conversation, he ends up getting in a fight with mannequin-Buffy and smacks her over the head with the chocolates. He picks up the mannequin, dusts it off, picks up the chocolates, dusts them off, and starts all over again.
The magic shop
Tara and Willow are gathering ingredients to do a spell. Anya reminds them that they have to pay for that stuff and they shouldn't be messing around in the store. They basically ignore her and then mock her, refusing to pay for the stuff or stop what they're doing. They're trying to turn their ball of light that they've done before into a ball of sunlight so it could destroy vampires. Xander comes in and immediately gets stuck in the middle between a feuding Anya and Willow again. It escalates when Willow accidentally makes the cash register disappear in a poof of smoke and then reappear as a big mess. Xander quickly leaves and Tara follows him when Willow tries to drag her into it. Willow goes on with the spell, but end up bickering again with Anya in the middle of it and instead of creating a ball of light a huge ogre with a big metal sledgehammer appears out of thin air. He roars at the girls, smashes a bunch of stuff in the store and runs away.
College
Buffy and Tara have just left one of their classes of the new semester. They joke about the professor. Buffy says she has to keep this class 'cause the only other class that fits into this time slot for her is Central American geo-politics, and that just reminds her of Riley. She and Tara talk about Riley a bit, and again Buffy is sad, but dealing pretty well. Buffy suggests they find Willow and go get a burger. Tara says Willow's probably still at the magic shop, and mentions how Willow and Anya pissed off Xander and Xander walked out. Buffy gets way dramatically overly concerned and acts like Xander walked out on Anya forever. Tara tries to explain that it wasn't that bad, but Buffy is already far too distraught and is crying on Tara's shoulder moaning that Xander and Anya had a miraculous love.
A street
Anya is driving Giles's car and Willow is sitting shot gun looking through a book trying to find a reversal spell. Willow is surprised she had the power to create anything like that. Anya says he was probably just trapped in the crystal and Willow set him free. They are driving around, following the path of destruction trying to find the ogre. Anya says he's a troll, not an ogre. Anya is just learning how to drive for the first time. The two girls end up bickering again.
The Bronze
Xander bumps into Spike. When Spike sees that Xander is in a bad mood, he taunts him. Spike also asks about Buffy.
The magic shop
Tara and Buffy show up, see that the place is a mess and Willow and Anya are gone. They decide to follow the trail of destruction as well and run out to find everyone.
A street corner
The troll is wandering around having fun smashing stuff and threatening people. He smells ale and follows his nose.
The Bronze
Xander and Spike are playing pool, and Xander is venting to Spike how he feels torn between Willow and Anya. Spike coyly turns to the conversation to ask about Buffy again. The troll comes in, grabs a keg and starts to drink from it. The troll demands more ale and some babies to eat. Xander tries to placate the troll, but the troll is having none of it. Willow and Anya come in, shortly followed by Buffy and Tara. Willow starts the reversal spell, but the troll interrupts, calling Anya by her full name, Anyanka. He mentions that he and Anya used to date. Anya explains that they dated before he was a troll, when he was just a big dumb guy, and then he cheated on her, and she turned him into a troll in revenge which is how she got the job as a vengeance demon. Willow finally gets the reversal spell out, but it doesn't work. Willow starts looking around for another spell while Buffy and the troll fight. In the fight, the troll starts banging on the pillars holding up the second floor balcony of the Bronze and finally gets the whole thing to fall. By the time Buffy and gotten out from under the debris, the troll is gone. Buffy tells Xander to follow the troll and tells Anya and Willow to go back to the magic shop and try to find a spell that will work this time. Buffy notices Spike tending to another victim of the balcony fall. Spike points out that even though there's blood everywhere, he's not tasting. Buffy is disgusted that he's trying to get credit for not feeding off of disaster victims.
The magic shop
Willow and Anya are gather books to find a spell that will work against the troll. Anya is being her usual rude self and Willow snaps at her that she's rude, and she's been human long enough by now that she should be able to play by polite human rules. Anya says there are stranger humans than her. Willow says that the crazy guy on the street corner isn't going to turn Xander into a troll. Anya realizes that Willow is afraid Anya is going to hurt Xander. Anya says she would never hurt Xander. Anya admits that she knows that it was Willow and Xander kissing that broke up Xander's relationship with Cordelia. Willow points out that she's gay now, so there's not much to fear. Anya still feels like and outsider and that she'll never know Xander as well as Willow does since Xander and Willow grew up together. While Anya and Willow are beginning to come to some sort of understanding, Olaf the troll busts in and says he's going to kill them so they won't find a spell to get rid of him. He throws them over the counter and is about to make short work of them when Xander runs in. Xander makes a number of attempts at stopping Olaf, and Olaf just sort of laughs at him. Olaf finally tells Xander that even though he's a puny man, he fights well, and as a reward only one of the women will die. Olaf tells Xander to choose which woman will live. Xander refuses to choose between his girl friend and his best friend. Olaf breaks Xander's wrist and again insists that he choose. Xander still refuses. Olaf says that now Xander will die. Anya jumps forward and tells Olaf to take her, but let Xander live. Willow tries a quick spell, but only succeeds in making the cash register disappear. Buffy comes in and jumps Olaf. Anya yells out that his power is in his hammer. Willow tries to come up with a spell, and tells Anya to piss off Olaf to distract him from Buffy. Olaf is about to cream Buffy when Anya's insults distract him and he goes after her. As he's about to smash Anya's head with his huge hammer, Willow chants a spell and Olaf's hammer goes flying out of his hand. Buffy attacks him again, but even though his hammer is gone he still has a lot of troll strength in him. Olaf asks Buffy why she's fighting for her friends when Xander and Anya aren't going to last anyway. Anya is too difficult to live with and Xander is too easily broken. Tears well up in Buffy's eyes. She attacks with new and acrobatic vengeance. Meanwhile, Anya and Willow surround Xander. Anya tells Xander she loves him, and then mentions that Willow loves him too, but not in a sexy way because she's gay so Willow won't break them up. Buffy finally knocks out the troll, declaring as she does so that Xander and Anya's love will last forever.
Later in the magic shop
Willow has used a spell to send the unconscious troll to the land of the trolls. At least, that's what she was aiming for. Buffy starts crying again look at the beautiful couple of Anya and Xander.
Summers house
Giles, Buffy and Joyce are having tea. Giles is glad he wasn't gone longer or the magic shop might have been irreparable. Giles explains that the Watchers don't actually know anything about Glory yet, but they're researching and they have incredible resources. As the three of them are talking about the key and making sure that the Watchers' Council doesn't figure out that it's Dawn, Dawn overhears them from the stairs.
Back to episode info