Friday, 9 January 2026

Means

Buffy's Power Speech




BUFFY: 
Okay. Let's see What You Are. 

She removes the chain-mail mask to 
reveal an ordinary-looking human man 
with a symbol on his forehead. 

BUFFY: 
Or who you are. 

KNIGHT: 
One soldier in a vast army. 

BUFFY: 
What army? 

KNIGHT: 
The Knights of Byzantium, an ancient order. 
And now Your Enemy. 

BUFFY: 
(pushes the staff harder into his throat)
You work for Glory? 

KNIGHT: You think we align ourselves with the beast? You must be mad. 

BUFFY: 
You're the ones tried k*ll me.

 KNIGHT: 
No, we were fools, three alone. 
But if it takes a hundred men, 
we send a hundred men, and 
if it takes a thousand, 
we send a thousand. 

BUFFY: A thousand? 

KNIGHT: So long as you protect the key, 
the brotherhood will never stop until we destroy it and you. 
You are the Slayer, and we know what we must do. 

Now, be done with it. k*ll us, and let legions follow. 

Buffy shoves the staff into his throat again, 
then tosses it aside, gets up and picks up the sword.

 The knight gets to his feet, and 
she puts the sword to his throat. 
He turns his head away waiting for the k*ll stroke. 

BUFFY: Go. 

The knight looks surprised, edges around her 
and leaves. Buffy stares at the sword. 

Cut to: Buffy entering the magic shop, still holding the sword. 
Pan across all the Watchers standing there, 
the four Slayerettes still sitting on the upper level, 
and Travers sitting at the table with a pile of papers 
spread out in front of him. Giles sits on the stairs 
leading up to the balcony. 

TRAVERS: 
You're late. 

BUFFY: 
Yeah. 

GILES: (sees the sword, gets up) 
Was, was there an attack? 

BUFFY:
Yeah. 

TRAVERS: 
We can begin the review at last. We'll, 
uh, skip the more obvious questions... 

Buffy puts the sword down on his papers. 

BUFFY: 
There isn't gonna be a review. 

TRAVERS: 
Sorry? 

BUFFY: 
No review. No interrogation. 
No questions you know I can't answer. 
No hoops, no jumps - 
(Nigel starts to speak) 
and no interruptions. 
(Nigel shuts up.) 

Buffy looks around, 
begins to pace. 

BUFFY: 
See ... I've had a lot of people 
talking at me the last few days. 

Everyone just lining up to tell me 
how unimportant I am. 

And I've finally figured out why. 

(looks Travers in The Eye) 

Power. 
I have it. They don't. 
This bothers them. 

Buffy moves back to the 
table, removing her coat. 

BUFFY: 
Glory ... came to my home today. 

GILES: (alarmed) 
Buffy, are you- 

BUFFY: 
(puts her coat on a chair) 
Just to Talk. (resumes pacing) 
She told me I'm a bug, I'm a flea, 
She could squash me in a second. 
(stops, looks at Travers again) 
Only She didn't. 
She came into My Home, 
and We Talked.
 
We had, what in Her warped brain probably 
passes for a civilised conversation. Why? 

(pauses) Because She needs 
something from me. 

Because I have 
Power over her. 

Buffy looks around, hands on her hips. 
She walks the floor, looking from 
one Watcher to the next as she talks. 

BUFFY: 
You guys didn't come 
all the way from England 
to determine whether or not 
I was Good Enough 
to be let back in. 
You came to beg me 
to let you back in. 

To give Your Jobs, Your Lives 
some semblance of Meaning. 

NIGEL: 
This is beyond insolence- 

Buffy grabs The Sword from the table 
and throws it across the room 
in a single movement. 
It flies point-first into the wall 
directly in front of Nigel's nose. 
He jumps back looking shocked. 


BUFFY: (clears throat) I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions. 


XANDER: (whispers) That was excellent! Willow and Tara grin. 

BUFFY:
 You're Watchers. Without a Slayer, you're pretty much just watchin' Masterpiece Theater. 
You can't stop Glory. You can't do anything with the information you have except maybe publish it in the "Everyone Thinks We're Insane-O's Home Journal." 

(Pauses, addresses Travers again)
 So here's how it's gonna work. 
You're gonna tell me everything you know. 
Then you're gonna go away. (resumes pacing) 
You'll contact me if and when you have 
any further information about Glory. 
The magic shop will remain open. 
Mr. Giles will stay here as my official 
Watcher, reinstated at full salary... 

GILES: (coughing) Retroactive. 

BUFFY:
 ...to be paid retroactively from the month 
he was fired. I will continue my work 
with the help of my friends...

 WATCHER2: 
I, uh, I ... don't want a sword thrown at me, but, 
but, civilians, I - we're talking about children.

 BUFFY: (looks up at her friends on the balcony) 
We're talking about two very powerful witches 
and a thousand-year-old ex-demon. 

ANYA: Willow's a demon?! 

PHILIP: The boy? No power there. 

BUFFY: 
The boy has clocked more field time 
than all of you combined. 
He's part of the unit. 

WILLOW: (whispers to Xander) 
That's Riley-speak. 

XANDER: (whispers back, with a big grin) 
I've clocked field time. 

BUFFY: Now. (addresses the Watchers) You all may be very good at your jobs. 
The only way we're gonna find out is if you work with me. 

You can all take your time thinking about that. 
(turns back to Travers) But I want an answer 
right now from Quinton, 'cause 
I think he's understanding me. 

TRAVERS: 
(clears throat) Uh, your 
terms are acceptable. 

Giles smiles hugely. The Slayerettes burst into cheers 
and applause, but quickly stop, looking embarrassed. 
Buffy looks up at them, looks at Giles. She doesn't smile, 
but looks satisfied. She sits across from Travers. 

BUFFY: 
See? No Begging.

TRAVERS: (nods) 
Uh, Rupert. 

GILES: 
Quinton? 

TRAVERS: 
When we inventoried your shop, we found a bottle 
of single malt scotch behind the, uh, incense holders. 

GILES: 
Well, it's, it's not, you know, 
during working hours. 

TRAVERS: 
I think I could use a glass. 

GILES: 
Well, I suppose we could- 
(starts to move away) 

BUFFY: (gets up) 
Just a minute. (Giles stops) 
Glory. I wanna know. 

TRAVERS: 
Well, there's a lot to go through. 

BUFFY: 
Just tell me what kind 
of Demon I'm fighting. 

TRAVERS: 
Well, that's The Thing, you see. 
Glory isn't A Demon. 

BUFFY: 
What is She? 

TRAVERS: 
She's A God. 

BUFFY: 
(long pause, eyes widen) 
-- Oh. 

Blackout. 
Executive Producer : 
Joss Whedon.

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