Buffy Logo 'Band Candy'
Story Code '3ABB06'

by Jane Espenson
Buffy

Buffy is worried about her upcoming S.A.T. exams; meanwhile, the Mayor asks Mr. Trick to help collect a tribute to a demon - it seems that he has made deals to get to his present position. Mr. Trick cryptically informs him that he is using someone who has worked in Sunnydale before. At school the next day, Principal Snyder instructs his students to sell chocolate bars in order to raise money for new uniforms for the school band. Buffy sells half of her candy to her mother, but they then argue about how Buffy has no free time to practice her driving, as she is always either studying for her exams or off slaying. After selling the rest of her bars to Giles, Buffy sneaks off to see Angel, lying to her mom and Giles about where she is. But when she later arrives home, she finds her mother and Giles waiting for her; she goes to bed while the two adults stay up to discuss Buffy’s scheduling, and eat some of the chocolate. At the factory where the chocolate bars are manufactured, Ethan Rayne is overseeing the process, and tells a workman not to eat the candy. The next day, Buffy is surprised when Giles fails to show up at school; returning home, she finds him still with Joyce, apparently working out a schedule to make it easier for Buffy to spend time with both of them. But when she leaves, Joyce starts drinking, as Giles smokes and listens to loud music. Later, at ‘The Bronze’, Buffy and Willow notice the vast number of adults present, all acting like rowdy teenagers - even Principal Snyder. Downtown, ‘Ripper’ Giles smashes a store window to get a coat for Joyce, knocks out a policeman that tries to arrest them, and then snogs Joyce on the bonnet of a car. Buffy, Willow and Xander realise that there are no vampires about, despite the fact that the town is almost helpless. When someone steals Snyder’s last candy bars, his distress leads Buffy to conclude that the candy is the cause of everyone’s strange behaviour. While Oz and Willow head to the library to try and research the problem, Buffy and Snyder make for the factory, only to find Joyce and Giles making out. Everywhere there are also crowds of people clamouring for more candy. Inside the factory, Buffy encounters Ethan, who confesses that he was hired to divert the adults from ‘the main objective’, but does not know what the tribute is; at that moment, vampires are stealing six newborn babies from the hospital. Buffy calls Oz and Willow, who inform her what the tribute consists of; Giles remembers that the demon Larconis lives in the sewers, and so Buffy sets off to track down his lair. Here Buffy finds the babies, along with Mr. Trick and the Mayor; while Buffy fights the vampires, Joyce and Giles take the babies to safety, but none of them notice the Mayor. Lurconis, a huge serpentine monster, emerges from his lair, but Buffy detaches a gas pipe and creates a blowtorch to which toasts the demon. Freed from the influence of the tainted candy, Sunnydale’s adult population returns to normal.

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), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), K. Todd Freeman (Mr. Trick), Robin Sachs (Ethan Rayne), Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins III), Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder), Jason Hall (Devon), Peg Stewart (Ms. Barton)
Directed by Michael Lange

TX (US): 10th November 1998
TX (UK - Sky One): 24th September 1999
TX (UK - BBC): 18th May 2000

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