Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Spike helps establish a boot camp? Does he angrily re-name Molly "Private Snowball"? No. But he does give the girls a first-hand look at vampire prowess.

Is the fact that Spike has established a boot camp further evidence that he has not yet "saned up"? Spike actually has saned up, at least for the moment. As the slayer explains: "When I kicked [the ubervamp’s] ass, the whole firsty circus decided to back off for a while. Good news: It means we probably don’t have to worry about it pulling Spike’s strings for a while."

Does Buffy kiss Spike’s boo-boos to make them better? Even the potentials can’t help but notice there remains something between the two. "That’s hot," remarks Rona.

Why isn’t Giles credited with establishing the potential boot camp? Has he again fled town? He has. "Has Giles checked in yet?" asks Buffy. "I thought he was picking up that Chao-Ahn girl in Shanghai yesterday."

Ah. Do we see Anthony Stewart Head this week? Only in the "previously" clip package.

Does Dawn think she’s the "potential living in Sunnydale"? Yes.

What leads Dawn to this conclusion? When Willow does her locater spell, Dawn gets all magically orange and glow-ie.

How many more "potential guys" turn up this week? There’s the four survivors we’ve already met - Kennedy, Vi, Molly and Rona - plus, of course, the one discovered residing in Sunnydale.

How many die? That would be telling.

How does Buffy react to last episode’s news that Morphy’s plans are somehow tied to one or both of Buffy’s resurrections? There’s no indication that Giles or Anya made mention of it. Which is kind of annoying.

I am very anxious to see Alyson Hannigan make out with a slayer trainee. What’s the word? The word is not given. No special sparks fly between Will and and her Ken doll this week, but Kennedy does seem to passingly reference a lack of interest in the weiner.

Any Nerds of Doom action? Only Andrew lurks about, anxious still to prove to the gang that he now favors the good guys.

The big news? As they were in "Help," "Freaks and Geeks" vets Kirchner and Sarah Hagan (who played Millie Kentner, the Jesus-loving "mathlete") are reunited.

What else is TV Guide not telling us? We learn that potentials have strange powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men - even before they’re called to full slayership.

The other big news? Xander makes passing reference to Daniel Osbourne late in the episode.

What’s doing with Xander and Anya?

Anya has things to say about the life of a slayer; Xander has things to say about the life of a non-slayer.

Does the suspicious Principal Wood lurk about? Not this week.

What’s good? The crux of Dawn’s story. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s reading of "That’d be wrong." A possible homage to the pantry in "Signs." Xander’s offer of payment to Andrew. The fire extinguisher. The current supersized nature of the Scooby gang (a welcome, if perhaps underutilized, variation). Buffy’s final bit of training.

What’s not so good? Buffy continues to make unweildy, repetitive speeches before the potentials. Giles is already absent again following his barely-there contribution to the last few episodes. Dawn’s unwillingness to bring Buffy into the "locked pantry" situation is just nuts. I remain uncertain as to what Buffy was trying to demonstrate with Clem. There’s a whole "nothing special retread" vibe at play here, with more Dawn Angst, more pesky bringers, more Andrew references to "Star Wars," more rickety Willow magic, more "inspiring" speechifying the potentials. It feels like the major character stories are being reserved for February sweeps; right now the writers seem to be stretching maybe an hour’s worth of solid plot over three episodes. Finally, the "big twist" in Dawn’s story at the end of act four is too overtly telegraphed by Willow’s recent track record. Everyone is WAY too quick to make an assumption when Willow works her magic.

How does it end, spoiler-boy? "Cape is good." "Yeah!"

How long till the next "Buffy"? UPN repeats "Help" next week, then we’re expected to get three or four new episodes in a row for sweeps.

Herc’s rating for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" 7.12? *** The Hercules T. Strong Rating System: ***** better than we deserve **** better than most motion pictures *** actually worth your valuable time ** as horrible as most stuff on TV * makes you quietly pray for bulletins 8 p.m. Tuesday. UPN.