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Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Seth Green, Charisma Carpenter, and Anthony Head in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green, Charisma Carpenter, Alyson Hannigan, and Nicholas Brendon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Anthony Head in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Seth Green, Alyson Hannigan, and Nicholas Brendon in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Kristine Sutherland in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Buffy Summersas Buffy Summers

Nicholas Brendon

Xander Harrisas Xander Harris

Alyson Hannigan

Willow Rosenbergas Willow Rosenberg

Charisma Carpenter

Cordelia Chaseas Cordelia Chase

David Boreanaz

Angelas Angel

Seth Green

Ozas Oz

Anthony Head

Rupert Gilesas Rupert Giles
(as Anthony Stewart Head)

Kristine Sutherland

Joyce Summersas Joyce Summers

Nancy Lenehan

Patas Pat

Armin Shimerman

Principal Snyderas Principal Snyder

Danny Strong

Jonathan Levinsonas Jonathan Levinson

Jason Hall

Devon MacLeishas Devon MacLeish

Paul Morgan Stetler

Young Doctoras Young Doctor

Chris Garnant

Stoner #1as Stoner #1

Heath Castor

Party Guestas Party Guest
(uncredited)

Scott Duthie

Party Crasher Zombieas Party Crasher Zombie
(uncredited)

Director
- James Whitmore Jr.
Writers
- Joss Whedon
- Marti Noxon
- Jane Espenson(executive story editor)
All cast & crew

See production, box office, & company info

Buffy is back home, to her mother Joyce's great relief, which calls for a dinner invitation for the while gang. But the mood remains gloomy, despite her resuming the main slaying tasks, because others things can't just return to their former state. Partly because the obviously amused principal Snyder pays no attention to pleas to take Buffy back (mother's threat to take the case to the mayor even has an inverse effect). And Buffy still dreams of Angel. After a dead cat found in the Summers bookcase reanimates, other stinking corpses come to life again, a phenomenon which might have something to do with a the mysterious Nigerian mask with lighting red eyes Joyce bought, fortunately no secret to Giles. —KGF Vissers

police car latex gloves party library

Trivia
Pat mentions to Buffy that Joyce read "The Deep End of the Ocean" while Buffy was gone. It is a 1996 novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard about a suburban middle-class family much like Buffy's that is torn apart when the youngest son disappears, only to reappear at the front doorstep years later.

Goofs
As Buffy is walking home, she is clearly wearing platforms, but later when she goes down to get dinner plates, she is wearing high heels.

Quotes
Rupert Giles: [to himself] Unbelievable. "Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead." Americans.

Alternate versions
For the UK video release, 2 scenes were required to be cut. The first, was a car hot-wiring scene by Giles. The BBFC were concerned it was an "imitable technique", so it was cut. The second, was a neck snapping (strangely called a headbutt by the BBFC) near the end of the episode. This was required to keep a 12 certificate.

Connections
Featured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Gift (2001)

Soundtracks
Sway
Performed by Four Star Mary

Top review

7/10

Unnecessary stuff

I feel like this episode would have been a 10 if it didn't have the mask subplot. The character stuff going on was enough to carry the episode I feel.

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