Buffy comes to under a tree with the gang looking down at her. I know California public schools are under-funded, but wouldn't they still have a nurse's office? Buffy sits up and reveals that she's wearing some bizarre metal rods in her hair, which are totally distracting me until I figure out that Buffy isn't telepathic at all! It's just that her hair ornaments are acting like antennae and picking up everyone's cell phone conversations. Buffy insists she's fine and then tells Giles about the death threat she just overheard. She tries to walks back into the school but only gets a few steps before she's overwhelmed by random thoughts. Then the Scooby Gang thoughts start to bother her. Giles offers to take her home while Buffy tells them to check out everyone who was in the cafeteria. Giles walks Buffy to the car and tries to reassure her when Buffy asks if she'll be okay. Giles says, "You'll be fine. I promise." Giles thinks, "If it doesn't go away she'll go insane." Good job there, Mr. Mental Discipline.

The library. Infamous scene that got the episode yanked in which they say that school massacres are "bordering on trendy." Why is this episode included in the box set titled "The Slayer Chronicles"? Faith isn't even in it. Probably because it has mysterious cachet, since it wasn't aired until well after the season had ended. "Earshot" is the Lambada of Buffy episodes.

At the Summers' home, Joyce (sniff) tucks Buffy and her cow jammies into bed. She offers to get Buffy a pillow, a blanket, or to make her some soup, all in an effort to prevent Buffy from reading her mind. Buffy sits bolt upright. "You had sex with Giles? On the hood of a police car?" Joyce scampers off. "Twice?" Buffy yells after her. ["Hee. Cracks me up every time." -- Ace]

At the library, Willow distributes assignments for everyone. She reminds them all that they need to grill everyone on their lists, and asks that they use the sample questions. Nobody moves. "Today, people!" she snaps. They skedaddle, but not before Willow reminds them to "write neatly!"

Willow interrogates Jonathan in the library. See, this is supposed to be funny, because it's all out of character for Willow to be so aggressive and direct, but after the hatchet job done on her character during the past two seasons, I'm retroactively annoyed.