Dirty Girls (15 Apr. 2003)

Faith returns to Sunnydale just as a new villain, Caleb, arrives and sends Buffy a message in the form of a badly beaten Potential. Buffy leads the rest of the girls to Caleb and The First's lair, with devastating consequences.

Director:

Michael Gershman

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), Drew Goddard

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Emma Caulfield

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Emma Caulfield	...	Anya (credit only)
Michelle Trachtenberg	...	Dawn Summers
James Marsters	...	Spike
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Eliza Dushku	...	Faith
Nathan Fillion	...	Caleb
Tom Lenk	...	Andrew Wells
Iyari Limon	...	Kennedy
Indigo	...	Rona
Clara Bryant	...	Molly
Sarah Hagan	...	Amanda
Kristy Wu	...	Chao-Ahn

Storyline

Willow returns to Sunnydale from Los Angeles with a powerful ally: the rouge Slayer Faith (see Season 4 of 'Angel). But the First has a new piece on the board as well. A misogynistic "preacher" named Caleb has come to town, and he throws down the gauntlet as soon as he enters Sunnydale when he attacks a Slayer Potential, named Shannon. Faith's arrival causes tension between Buffy and everyone else because of her past, while the rest of the Slayer Potentials react instead with fascination and curiosity. Spike on the other hand, seeks a bond with Faith over their similar life of being bad. Having learns of Caleb's arrival, Buffy, the Scoobies, and the Potentials then go to Caleb's residence take up the challenge... but with disastrous results.

---

Plot Keywords:

trap | lesbian | misogyny | female protagonist | sister sister relationship | 

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

15 April 2003 (USA)

Filming Locations:

1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

41 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At 11:52, as Dawn says, "Buffy," the boom microphone sweeps across the top of the frame.

---

Quotes

Faith: He's like Angel?
Spike: No.
Buffy: Sort of.
Spike: I'm nothing like Angel
Buffy: He fights on my side. Which is more than I can say for some of us.

---

Connections

References Falcon Crest (1981)

---

Soundtracks

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme"
Written by Nerf Herder
Performed by Brandon K. Verrett

User Reviews

Standout episode in the final 7th season

Faith (Eliza Dushku) returns, but more importantly, Nathan Fillion (Firefly/Serenity)'s character of Caleb is introduced.

This is a pleasantly solid episode directed by Michael Gershman. Long time cinematographer on Buffy and director of some of the better episodes (Click on his name to see the outstanding episodes he directed). Gershman seems to have a good eye for staging action sequences. So without spoiling it, I'll just say there was good comedy, drama and action to be had in this episode. And Caleb, the twisted former Catholic priest is an outstanding villain that helps drive the ending arc of the Buffy series.