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Season 7 Episode 4 "Help"

Inside a funeral home, coffins opens to reveal Buffy, Xander, & Dawn. Dawn complains about being in a kiddie coffin despite being taller than Buffy. If Michelle Tractenberg keeps growing like this, she'll be taller than Xander. Buffy stresses about her upcoming first day on the job as guidance counselor as she nonchalantly stakes a vampire rising from a coffin.

Buffy's first day on the job showcases various students coming in with various problems. These are mostly shown for comedic effect with the biggest laugh coming when Dawn pays a visit, asking her sister for help with her sister. One of the students, the girl with a penchant for beating up guys, played by Sarah Hagan is of course a Freaks & Geeks alumnus. She played Millie, Lindsay's old geeky friend, whom Lindsay forsakes for the friendship of the Freaks. Sarah joins a list of former Freaks & Geeks who are making it big. Linda Cardellini was Velma in the recent Scooby Doo movie. James Franco was Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin's son in Spider Man. I should really put together a Freaks & Geeks page up, as it was one very special show. But ANYWAY, I digress. There's another 'special guest star' amongst the students Buffy sees...one of the freakin' kids from Home Improvement! This dragged me right out of the episode. Home Improvement Guy is obviously more famous than any one associated with Buffy will ever be. One syndicated episode of Home Improvement generates more ratings than months worth of Buffy's.  Home Improvement Guy's appearance immediately tips you off that he's more than a just another character, and that we'll be seeing more of him later on.

Willow and Xander are walking in a graveyard. They talk about Buffy and the Hellmouth rumblings. Willow worries if she'll be able to control herself when things start getting hectic. I liked this discussion as it concretely shows that Willow is frightened of using her magic. We've seen Willow hesitant about using magic but this is the first time we see her visibly questioning her ability to control it. Thus we now have a strong antidote to the Willow-as-omnipotent-Goddess problem. This scene ends with Willow visiting Tara's grave, setting the general mood of the episode.

Buffy receives a visit from a sad looking girl named Cassie, who announces that she'll be dead by the end of the week. After some frantic questioning by Buffy, it appears Cassie's psychic and has foreseen her own death. Buffy is determined to prevent this, as she sees this as an opportunity to finally prevent a death. She can redeem herself for all the innocents she couldn't save. Dawn eavesdrops on Cassie talking with a boy, Mike. Dawn introduces herself and learns that Cassie has repeatedly rejected Mike's advances. I found that Dawn looked spookily like Tara in this scene, but not in future scenes, odd.

Buffy, Xander, & Willow at Buffy's, with Willow on the computer, doing research on Cassie. In the Buffy-verse you can find ANYTHING you want about EVERYTHING from the internet, so the gang easily find info about Cassie, including her website (it really exists!) which includes gloomy non-rhyming poetry and pictures. They also find info that her parents are separated and Cassie's dad has had trouble with the law.  Buffy & Xander feel that the father may be the one threatening Cassie, while Dawn feels it's Mike, the rejected boyfriend. Buffy & Xander pay a visit to Cassie's father.  Buffy accuses him of being a drunk and insinuates that he beats Cassie. Cassie's dad is understandably pissed off at these accusations and kicks them out. Outside, they run into Cassie, who says that her impending death does not involve her father. Cassie then has a long rambling monologue about all the reasons she wants to live. She's better at poetry (even if it doesn't rhyme) than public speaking. A question...why was Xander in this scene? He neither said or did anything.

A circle of men in scarlet robes are slowly walking around a fire. In the middle of the fire is a picture of Cassie. A montage of shots of Cassie and the Scooby Gang investigating the case, with a Buffy voice over reading Cassie poetry. Buffy goes to see Spike. Spike still has the voices in his head and is still quite bonkers. However unlike last episode, Spike's scene here is poignant and very moving. We see how confused and how utterly lost Spike is, and how desperately he needs Buffy's forgiveness. This scene is short but very powerful. When Spike is well-written he's one of the more fascinating characters on this show.

After striking out with Cassie's Dad and Spike, Buffy tries Cassie's boyfriend, Mike. She grills him about Cassie, and how angry he must be over Cassie's rejection of him. This is a dead end too, as Mike is indifferent about Cassie and admits that he now has his eye on Dawn. The principal doing a locker search, opens a locker and a cascade of coins falls to the floor. This matches Cassie's vision of her death. The owner of the locker reveals that he knows some guys that want mess with Cassie. A short scene with Home Improvement Guy (I told you, he'd be back) making fun of Dawn.

The circle of scarlet robes is back, and this time they have Cassie their prisoner. Surprise, surprise, Home Improvement Guy is their leader. Their plan is to sacrifice Cassie to summon a demon who will reward them with riches. Since everyone thinks Cassie is suicidal, her death will be expected. Thanks to the guy with the coins in his locker, Buffy has infiltrated the scarlet robes and interrupts the summoning ceremony. One wonders why she waited so long, but I guess she was going for the dramatic entrance. She starts beating up Home Improvement Guy, and starts with some classic Buffy sarcasm, but her delay proves costly as the demon is already summoned. Spike then appears from nowhere armed with a torch and he starts beating up Home Improvement Guy. Buffy picks up the torch and uses it as a weapon against the demon and manages to melt him away. Spike frees Cassie, and is told, "Some day, she'll tell you." This cryptic statement staggers Spike and he stumbles away. In my opinion it refers to Buffy one day forgiving Spike, though it could refer to Buffy professing her love to Spike. I don't see that happening myself, but who knows.

Anyway, Home Improvement Guy has predictably managed to survive all of this and he goes to investigate the smoldering remains of the demon. The demon manages to reach up and bite Home Improvement Guy before finally disintegrating. This scene can only mean that we'll be seeing more of Home Improvement Guy in the immediate future. Hopefully, he'll be in full demon make-up.

Cassie and Buffy are walking through the school, recovering from the ordeal. A booby trap meant to kill Cassie is disarmed by Buffy. Sadly it is all for naught as Cassie falls to the floor dead, a victim of a heart ailment. Afterwards the gang is together discussing the tragic turn of events. Buffy realizes that you can't save everyone, and even worse sometimes you can't help everyone either.

What I liked:  A very sad, poignant episode showing the Scooby Gang failing. Spike's first scene with Buffy. Seeing Freaks & Greeks alum Sarah Hagan. Dawn at the guidance counselor. Buffy being wrong about the dad and the boyfriend. Another Buffy height joke.

What I didn't like: 3 words. Home Improvement Guy.

Rating: (out of 6) 3.  It deserves a 4 but I can't get past a certain friend of Tim Allen

Comments, questions, answers? Happily agree, or violently disagree? Email me and let me know.

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