In the Sanctum de Spleen, Wood continues to administer his beatdown. He holds Spike's face to a cross until the flesh sizzles. Back in Blighty, Mummy suggests that infanticide would've been the best way to deal with her tiresome progeny. Hear, hear! Turning away in disgust, she rants about how she always wished William would find a woman and move out, but he never did. She continues, "But you scarcely showed an interest. Who could compare to your house-bound, doddering mum -- a captive audience for your witless prattle." I hear you, sister. I've been in the same position for the last four years, and becoming evil really is the only way to deal with it. LeSpike: "Boo hoo! I'm not like that anymore." Mummy doesn't agree; she thinks he'll always be a "limp sentimental fool." In the Revenge Retreat, Wood tosses a disoriented Spike around and then punches him repeatedly, shouting, "Is this what it FELT like…when you SNAPPED HER NECK?" Um, I'll admit I don't pay the closest attention to Spike's plots, but the trigger didn't work this way in the past, did it? As we saw in earlier episodes, the First was able to use the trigger to send Spike to bars and alleys to pick up women before he murdered them. He didn't do that in vamp face, or in such a daze that he had no idea what was going on around him. Is this total inconsistency, or are we suppose to think that Giles's magic booger caused this new state where the trigger instantly equals raving-vampire-lost-in-a-flashback-induced-stupor?

Buffy and Giles are still in the cemetery. Buffy is about to stake the vampire when Giles instructs her not to. When she questions why, he resorts to that age-old parentism, "Because I'm asking you not to." Dude, she's not a toddler you're trying to persuade not to play with light sockets. As Buffy punches away, Giles asks if she would "let this vampire live if it meant saving the world." Buffy's all, "Yeah, sure," and her opponent is pleased and introduces himself as Richard. More punching and a tidy flipping kick from Buffy, who manages to knock Richard out. She then tells Giles they already had this conversation back during the tedium of Season Five, when she had to choose between letting Dawn die and saving the world. Hands behind his back, Giles notes that "things are different now" since Buffy has been through so much. "Faced with the same choice now…you'd let her die." Buffy agrees that she would, to save the world. As would anyone who watched Season Six, I think, just to save themselves from the prospect of ever hearing Dawn's whining again. Richard pops up and slams Buffy into a headstone; Giles makes a slightly exasperated face. As Buffy fights, he asks if she now understands that she'll have to make difficult decisions and that "any one of [them]" is expendable. "Have you heard my speeches?" demands Buffy. Yes, and I thought you were telling them that any one of them could die, which is hardly a rousing sentiment, but is still worlds more motivating than any one of them being expendable. Giles dons his most lecture-y tone and asks if Buffy also understands they "cannot allow any threat that would jeopardize [their] chances of winning." Buffy's all, "YES! I GET IT," but stands still in shock when Giles responds, "And yet, there is Spike." That's been my catchphrase for years now. "This still could be a really good show. And yet -- there is Spike." "I really, really want to respect Buffy as a person. And yet -- there is Spike." You get the picture. Richard slams Buffy to the ground.