- A Nigerian mask reanimates the dead, forcing Buffy to battle a horde of zombies.
- 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 other 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). 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
- Buffy returns home, but finds that picking up the pieces of the life she left behind may not be as easy as she had hoped. The militant and misanthropic Principal Snyder (still under orders from the mysterious and unseen Mayor of Sunnydale) refuses to readmit her to school. Even Buffy's mother, Joyce, who tries to accept her back with open arms, doesn't seem to trust that Buffy won't just run away again. Her friends seem happy to see her, but their odd behavior suggests they silently resent Buffy for taking off, while Buffy herself refuses to confide in anyone about what happened to her. But before these problems can be laid to rest, the dead of Sunnydale start to rise and are drawn to a Nigarian Death Mask recently purchased by Joyce, forcing Buffy the gang to once again team up to save the day.—Alex
- Joyce is hanging up a Nigerian mask given by a gallery friend while Buffy finishes unpacking. She reluctantly allows Buffy to go to find her friends, who are coordinating a vampire hunt via walkie-talkies. They are surprised by one another after Buffy runs into first Xander and then a vampire. After a fight where the gang tries to fight the vampire but gets beaten, Buffy stakes it. At Giles' apartment, Buffy avoids most questions about her summer while Giles hides his emotions in the kitchen.
The next day, Joyce takes Buffy to see Principal Snyder, who takes vindictive pleasure in keeping Buffy from re-entering Sunnydale High. Joyce then drops off Buffy at a coffee shop for a scheduled meeting with Willow, who does not show up. She goes home and meets Pat, a book club member of Joyce's who does not hesitate to comment about Buffy's recent behavior and its impact on Joyce. While fetching fancy company plates for a dinner with her friends, Buffy finds a dead cat. Buffy and Joyce bury it, but, that night, the Nigerian mask glows red in its eyes and the dead cat crawls its way out of the earth.
Buffy has a dream involving Angel. When she wakes, the dead cat surprises her in the kitchen. Giles arrives to remove it in a cage. He notices the mask before leaving for the library, informing Buffy that she is not allowed on school grounds. At school, Buffy's friends decide to throw a big party. Giles is distracted by the discussion from a page showing Joyce's mask.
The band Dingoes Ate My Baby soon arrives at Buffy's house without notice. Overwhelmed by dozens of guests she does not know, Buffy tries to talk to a distracted Willow, but gives up. Xander and Cordelia are too busy kissing to care. Meanwhile, Joyce is telling Pat in the kitchen how tough Buffy's return has been on her. Overhearing Joyce's words, Buffy decides to pack again.
At the library, Giles is horrified by what he finally uncovers about the mask. He tries to phone Buffy, but party-goers fail to relay the message. Giles decides to drive to the party when he hits a man in the road. Giles gets out of the car and finds the man reanimated. Giles barely escapes oncoming zombies as bodies rise all over Sunnydale.
Willow finds Buffy in her bedroom, packing, and expresses her disapproval. Joyce joins her and when Buffy tries to leave the party, she stops the merriment. Xander and Oz chime in on the gang-up against Buffy, as well, and just when Buffy is about to break down completely, zombies crash in through windows and doors. Several guests are killed. Oz and Cordelia hide in a downstairs closet while Buffy and others rush upstairs with a gravely-injured Pat. In the bedroom, Willow checks Pat's pulse and finds she is dead.
Giles arrives to tell Oz and Cordelia about the mask containing the powers of the zombie demon Evil Eye. Whichever zombie puts it on becomes the demon -- and Pat does. Other zombies are cowered while Buffy soon realizes that its gaze hypnotizes the recipient when its eyes flash (like a camera flash) in the direction of the recipient. Buffy pushes Pat out of the window when it is about to kill Willow. Oz tries to tell Buffy about how to kill it when he is hypnotized. Buffy takes the opening to plunge a shovel into its eyes. It vanishes along with all the other zombies. The gang reconciles.
The next day, Giles tries to convince Snyder to let Buffy return. When he refuses, Giles applies a little physical pressure. In the coffee shop, Willow tells Buffy about her dabbling in magic and the two are again best friends.
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