Graduation Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Graduation Day"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Buffy allows her blood to be drained to save Angel's life.
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 21 & 22
Directed by	Joss Whedon
Written by	Joss Whedon
Production code	3ABB21 & 3ABB22
Original air date	May 18, 1999 (Part 1) July 13, 1999 (Part 2)
Guest appearance(s)
Larry Bagby as Larry Blaisdell Eliza Dushku as Faith Lehane Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers Emma Caulfield as Anya Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce Harry Groener as Mayor Richard Wilkins Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall Armin Shimerman as Principal Snyder Ethan Erickson as Percy West Danny Strong as Jonathan Levinson James Lurie as Mr. Miller Hal Robinson as Lester Worth Adrian Neil as Vamp-Lackey #1 John Rosenfeld as Vamp-Lackey #2 Paulo Andrés as Dr. Powell Susan Chuang as Nurse Tom Bellin as Dr. Gold Samuel Bliss Cooper as Vamp-Lackey #3
Episode chronology
← Previous "The Prom" Next → "The Freshman"
List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They were written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon. "Part 1" first aired on May 18, 1999 and "Part 2" first aired on July 13, 1999. The second part was to originally be aired on May 25, 1999, but was postponed due to the episode's content and the occurrence of the Columbine High School shootings one month prior.

The episodes are the last to feature David Boreanaz as a series regular due to him starring in the spin-off series Angel. Fellow series regular Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), who had been with the show since its first episode, also left the series to star alongside Boreanaz.

The episode opens with the gang preparing for their graduation: Cordelia and Xander discuss the color of their gowns, and Willow speaks to Buffy about all she'll miss about high school. Buffy is considering skipping graduation to fight Mayor Wilkins, until Xander joins them and informs the two that he's to be the commencement speaker at graduation. Faith visits college professor Lester Worth on behalf of the Mayor, and kills him. She reports the kill to the Mayor, who has Faith change into a dress and tells her the ascension is her day as well as his. In class, Anya speaks to Xander and, when he mentions the ascension, her expression becomes grave.