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Help (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Help"
Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode
Help (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).jpg
Episode no. Season 7
Episode 4
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner
Production code 7ABB04
Original air date October 15, 2002
Guest appearance(s)
Episode chronology
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"Same Time, Same Place"
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"Selfless"
List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes

"Help" is the fourth episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Once the lights are turned out at a funeral home, Buffy, Xander and Dawn climb out of caskets. They chat about Buffy's nervousness about her new job and the struggle she may face while trying to balance her Slayer job with her duties as a school counselor. In one of the caskets, the three find a deceased woman that they suspect of being a vampire, and rightfully so, as the woman comes to life and is promptly staked. At the high school the next day, Buffy talks with various students who all have their own problems, including trouble with bullies and violence, anxiety, homosexuality and plain boredom. Willow and Xander walk together and talk about Buffy's struggles and Willow's worries about her role in dealing with the impending Hellmouth danger. With Xander's support, Willow walks towards Tara's grave.

Buffy talks with more students, including her own sister, but one girl Cassie Newton stuns Buffy when she confesses that she's going to die next Friday and that there will be lots of coins. As she leaves for class, Cassie compliments Buffy's shirt and warns her against spilling something on it. Buffy reports Cassie to Principal Wood, but he's not as helpful as she'd like. After spilling coffee onto her white shirt, Buffy is apprehensive and sends Dawn to befriend Cassie. Dawn catches up with Cassie and they talk about Cassie's friend Mike who has continuously asked Cassie to an upcoming dance and been rejected every time.

Willow investigates Cassie on the computer, and finds Cassie's website filled with sad, morbid poetry. Though Buffy is convinced that Cassie has a precognitive ability, Xander and Willow are both skeptical despite their experience with the paranormal. Dawn returns home from school and thinks the reason for Cassie's problem is Mike, but Buffy and the others don't pay much attention. Willow finds a website on Cassie's father that shows his troubled past with the law and alcohol. Buffy and Xander visit Cassie's father and confront him with their suspicion that he may get drunk and hurt his daughter. Mr. Newton confidently denies the accusation after he goes on about how his ex-wife only allows him to spend one weekend a month with his daughter. Buffy then finds out that Mr. Newton's weekend with Cassie was the previous one, therefore not only does he not have the chance to hurt Cassie but if Cassie's prediction is true then he will not see her again before her death. Satisfied that Mr. Newton is not involved, Buffy and Xander leave and bump into Cassie. She had been waiting for them outside of her father's house, and although she appreciates Buffy's efforts to find the cause, she knows there's nothing Buffy can do. Xander asks her if she's planning to kill herself, but Cassie denies it. She talks about all the things she wishes she could do and makes it clear that she doesn't want to die; it's just what is going to happen on Friday.


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