Act 1
Starring:
Lacey Chabert as Skye Talisker, Gale Harold as Jim Pollan, Caroline Dhavernas as Grace Hatherley, Elijah Woods as Jeff Lindquist, Norika Fujiwara as Mia Nakata, Laura Pyper as Casey Pierce, Asia Argento as Marie LeBouchard, Alexis Bledel as Denise, Tessa Thompson as Chamique, Steffani Brass as Shannon Matthewson, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Lorinda Sheparton, T.R. Knight as Jackson App, Helen Shaver as Becca Giles, Robert Picardo as Dr. Miller, Laura Prepon as Lori Carew, Christine Carlson Romano as Hope Lehane, Cote de Pablo as Amira Aziz and Gary Oldman as Mr. Jason Felix
Guest Starring:
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Robert Devlin, Freema Agyeman as Siobhan Hartley, Winona Ryder as Valentine Pavlov, Marcia Cross as Autumn O’Mara, Jonas Armstrong as Stewart Markham, Lee Pace as Rock Cartwright and Brad Dourif as Brell
Graphic: “CNN Special Report”
Announcer (V.O.): “And now we return to an exclusive CNN Special Report….Robert Devlin‘s Inside the Watchers Council.”
Fade In:
Watchers Council – Kitchen
Andrew pours a bag of ground coffee beans into a filter.
Robert Devlin (V.O.): “Morning at the Watchers Council.”
Andrew fills a large pot with oatmeal mix.
In a different shot, he shakes an industrial-sized jug of orange juice.
Devlin (V.O.): “One man awakes early for a daily ritual…making the breakfast that will fuel a few hundred evil-battlers for the day ahead.”
Cut To:
Interview
Andrew speaks directly to the camera, his face in close-up.
“My name is Andrew Wells. I’m the Hospitality Chief. I also hold a high rank in the Coven…I see my job as making everyone feel at home, which is important because most of us live here. If people didn’t feel at home where they live, they would just be…homeless. No one wants that.”
Cut To:
Interview
Faith sits comfortably in a chair in her apartment, feet up. She speaks directly to the camera.
“Andrew’s kind of our den mother. It’s been that way since we started this…I guess he’s s’posed to keep us from going crazy. Works sometimes.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Cafeteria
A long line of girls waits for food. At the front of the line, a small, sleepy-looking boy with a prominent brown cowlick plops a large serving of oatmeal onto his plate.
Andrew (V.O.): “Balancing different responsibilities helps me, I think. Cooking isn‘t that different from magic. You mix the ingredients, and sometimes you end up with something great. Sometimes…it’s like that time Nemesis went up against Harry Potter. Not pretty.”
Images follow of people eating together, laughing. Young slayers gossip, and Kennedy and Kadin share a meal in a corner.
Devlin (V.O.): “Mr. Wells oversees the daily meals of several hundred Council employees, a task he handles entirely in-house.”
Cut To:
Interview
“As the number of people has grown, we’ve discussed going to frozen food, catering services,” Andrew says, “and maybe that would be more practical…but we’re a family here. All of us. We should eat family meals.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Meeting Room
The camera follows Robin through a door and into what looks like a large lecture hall, full of half-awake watchers.
Devlin (V.O.): “After filling up on Mr. Wells‘s home cooking, the rest of the family begins what is sure to be another long day.”
The camera catches Grace yawning.
Robin takes his place behind the podium and opens a binder. “Okay,” he says, “Good morning everybody. I’ll be running the early meeting today once again, due to the absence of Councilor Allister.”
Cut To:
Interview
Rowena sits on her and Willow’s sofa, a thick blanket over her round stomach. She speaks directly to the camera.
“Yes, technically I am on maternity leave, but…we all live in the same building, so it’s not much of a leave. If something’s killing people, well, I’m all over that. But these children are not going to be born in a meeting.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Meeting Room
Robin flips through his notes. “Yesterday we received several confirmed sightings in the Cedar-Lee and Little Italy neighborhoods. Looks like there’s a new threat in that area. Demons of all different types. I’m going to form a task force…Jackson, you’ll head that up.”
Jackson nods and types something on his open laptop. “That’s something new,” he comments.
“That’s why this is a high priority,” Robin tells him.
Cut To:
Interview
Grace stands outside the meeting room.
“Something new?” She scoffs. “Yeah, right. Sometimes I feel like Bill Adama in this business…you know: ‘All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.'”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Hallway Outside Meeting Room
Lori exits the meeting, leaning heavily on her cane. She speaks with an African-American woman, who looks about thirty. “I think you may want to give Jaye a little more leeway. She’s had problems in the past, but she’s coming along…”
Devlin (V.O.): “The Watchers Council recently merged with a commercial organization known as Bureau Nine. On the surface, the transition seems to be going smoothly. We asked one of the better-known of those who came over from the Bureau, former CNN commentator Lori Carew, about how she and her colleagues have been adjusting.”
Cut To:
Interview
Lori sits in the Watcher Rec Room, her face in close-up.
“It’s going amazingly well, actually. I think there was some skepticism at first…on both sides, really. We both brought strong personalities, but I think that when we merged, it was…it was something we both needed, at least I thought it-I thought it was…”
Her voice breaks, her eyes glistening. “When we came together, it was beautiful. I think…I think I can only see that now.”
Devlin, sitting across from Lori, looks confused. “I’m sorry…was?”
Lori stutters. “Um…I…I’m sorry, I…I can’t…what is it?”
Siobhan suddenly appears behind Lori, softly placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Jason needs you…” Siobhan glances up at the camera, “for an issue…that he’s having…relating to monsters.”
“Oh, okay, um…” Lori wipes an eye with the back of her hand, turns to Devlin. “Sorry.”
Cut To:
Interview
Xander is in his workshop, eyeing the camera suspiciously.
“Well, I agree with her, then. Things couldn’t have gone better. We’re just one big happy family. I personally have always been supportive of our new friends from the Bureau, and have done everything I can to make their lives…pleasanter…wait, is that a word? It isn’t, right?”
Cut To:
Interview
Jason Felix sits in a large, comfy-looking chair in his living room, fireplace going in the background.
“I personally feel that the Council’s original staff has been more than welcoming…it’s been an incredibly exciting opportunity.”
Cut To:
Interview
Faith raises an eyebrow.
“He said that?” She bursts out laughing, then tries to control herself. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…just, wow.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Buffy’s Office
Buffy glances through a report while speaking on the phone. “So it looks like that situation is under control, but I’d still like to…”
Devlin (V.O.): “The architect of the merger was the Council‘s chairwoman, Buffy Summers. Her exploits as both a slayer and a leader are the stuff of legend, but I found her to be surprisingly down to earth.”
Cut To:
Interview
Buffy is behind her desk, Devlin in the chair across from her.
“First of all, I feel like I have to ask, is Buffy your real name?”
Buffy just looks at him, then just can’t help herself and let’s out a girly giggle.
Devlin (V.O.): “We asked Chairwoman Summers to show us around her own, little-seen personal world.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Buffy’s Office
Buffy points out the spot on her wall where the Scythe is hanging.
“This is the Scythe…it’s supposed to be the ancestral weapon of slayers, forged by the ancients to kill the last pure demon, you know, usual conversation piece. I still take it down and give it a workout every once in a while.”
“You still work in the field?” Devlin asks.
“Well, yeah.” She shrugs. “It’s who I am. I’m still a slayer, right?”
Cut To:
Interview
“You have been a part of this fight during basically three entirely different eras,” Devlin points out. “At one time, you were the only slayer in the world, working in secret. Then that changed, and there were many slayers.”
“Yes,” Buffy answers immediately. “And maybe kinda no, too. When you’re out there with your weapon in your hand and something fangy is trying to rip your head off, yeah, that doesn’t really change much. At the same time, it’s hard to explain how much of a relief it is that there’s so many of us in this together.”
Cut To:
Slayer Memorial Park
With Lake Erie in the background, Buffy and Devlin walk by the wall covered in names.
“Did you know all these girls?” Devlin asks.
“A lot of them…” She stops, looking at one name in particular. “There’s too many names.” She turns, looks at Devlin. “I started this thirteen years ago, you know that? It feels weird to say that out loud.”
Cut To:
Interview
“Buffy?” Faith asks. “Yeah, she’s pretty good at this chairwoman stuff, but you shoulda seen her before. We had some times…you know, back in the day or whatever.”
Cut To:
Interview
Casey edges forward in her seat in the slayer rec room, looking a little excited.
“I’ve heard what they say about ‘er. How she personally stopped the apocalypse so many times. How she defeated the First Evil. How she blew up a wanna-be world-destroyer with a rocket launcher. How she beat off a God. They say she used to spare some vampires lives and take ’em as her lovers…which kinda gives a whole new meaning to the ‘beat off a God’ thing, actually.”
Cut To:
Interview
“Let’s talk about the romance thing,” Devlin says. “Can you address the rumors of your past affairs with vampires?”
Buffy sighs. “Do I hafta?”
“Is there any truth there at all?”
Buffy licks her lips, looks back at Devlin. “What do you think?”
Cut To:
Interview
In the slayer gym, Dawn blinks a few times, incredulously, as Shannon does push-ups in the background.
“Can you ask that again?”
“Has your sister ever been romantically involved with a vampire?” Devlin’s voice asks.
“I’m done!” Shannon calls.
“One second!” Dawn calls back over her shoulder. She turns back to the camera, an uncertain look on her face. “Is she going to see this?”
Cut To:
Interview
“Another transition you have led this Council through is the public revelation of the existence of the supernatural,” Devlin points out. “How do you think the adjustment is going?”
“Look,” Buffy says, “all I can do is try to do my job, and that isn’t any different than it was before May 2004. The rest, well…it’s a little weird. You know, Playboy called here yesterday, asking if I would do a spread for them.”
“What did you say?”
“I gave them Faith’s number.”
Cut To:
Interview
“That was her?” Faith yells angrily.
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Hallway
A hallway at the Watchers Council is filled with young students in long-shot. In a more medium-shot, a few girls chat at a locker and look longingly at a boy walking past.
Devlin (V.O.): “In addition to the daily ritual of fighting monsters, the Council has another daily ritual, one a lot more familiar to most of us. School.”
Cut To:
Classroom
A middle-aged man with glasses discusses a simple algebra problem on a chalkboard.
“Can anyone tell me what we do next here?”
A few young slayers raise their hands from their desks.
Devlin (V.O.): “The Headquarters in Cleveland is home to a fully functioning, accredited school, where America‘s future watchers, slayers and witches learn the basics of their respective crafts…and the basics of life.”
Cut To:
Interview
Devlin (V.O.): “Cindy Loomis is a Slayer-in-Training from Mahwah, New Jersey. She wowed spectators as part of the U.S. team at the recent World Slayer Games.”
Cindy sits at a desk that’s too big for her in an empty classroom, nervously (and unsuccessfully) trying to smooth down her hair.
“Well, I have classes in the morning. Normal stuff, y’know…English, Social Studies, Math, Science. Then after lunch I have more classes, for more slayery stuff…tactics, technique, demonology. Then I train with my squad. Right now I have some free-time after that.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Slayer Gym
Cindy does exercises with other, bigger-looking girls while hanging on to the barre attached to the wall.
Devlin (V.O.): “How do you think your academics relate to the rest of your training?”
Cindy pulls her leg up behind her head, contorting into a position that looks positively painful.
Cindy (V.O.): “Well, a lot of vampires and demons are really old, so you need to know about history to understand them. And math is great for figuring out angles and odds and stuff.”
Cut To:
Interview
“What about English?” Devlin asks.
“Um, right now we’re reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Cindy says. “I can really relate to it.”
“Why is that?” Devlin presses.
“‘Cause the girl in the book, she had to grow up fast, too.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Library
A group of several watchers of all ages stands and waits as Jackson gives instructions, ticking off points on his fingers.
“I think we should take a look at the history of the area, um, possible demon religious connections…”
Devlin (V.O.): “Meanwhile, the new task force begins the arduous task of finding out just what the heck is going on.”
Cut To:
Interview
Jackson stands and speaks directly to the camera as the library bustles with activity behind him.
“How does this work? Well, um, every problem is different. We have a lot of highly trained people here who are really great at their jobs. We have to take some really great accounts of the attacks and turn them into a concrete strategy for the slayers and witches in the field.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Computer Lab
The young watcher Markham sits at a computer, scrolling through what looks like a very old scanned document.
Jackson (V.O.): “We use all the resources at our disposal here. There are things out there on the Internet that we don‘t have in our library, and a lot of the historical material in our library contains info you won’t find on a computer.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Library
A young woman, maybe eighteen, with frizzy hair and glasses, slots another push-pin into a map of Cleveland that already had several colored pins stuck in it.
Jackson (V.O.): “This case is particularly difficult because we‘re looking for so many different things. We need demon identification so slayers can use the right strategies in the field. We need to figure out what the nature of the threat is and analyze the priority level. And we need to try and project where they will strike next.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Library
Jackson sits at one of the research tables and looks through a large, leather-bound volume, sighing as he turns the page.
Devlin (V.O.): “Unfortunately, progress is slow on all fronts.”
Grace appears behind Jackson’s shoulder. “Any luck?”
He shakes his head. “You wouldn’t happen to have heard of any creatures with winged feet, superhuman strength, and a quote-unquote bad attitude, wouldja?”
“Well, there’s Namor the Sub-Mariner,” Grace offers.
Jackson looks up at her, surprised. “Really? Did you find that in the Florentine Index?”
“Oh, wait… did you mean in the real world?” Grace asks. “‘Cause if so, I got nothing.”
Jackson makes a huffing noise in his throat.
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Meeting Room
Faith saunters into a meeting room full of slayers, including Kennedy, Mia, Siobhan, Hadley and many others. The camera focuses on Casey in the back of the room, with her feet up on the desk in front of her.
“Alright,” Faith shouts over the chatter, “the sooner we get started, the sooner we can all get out of here.”
Devlin (V.O.): “It‘s 11 a.m., and while the watchers have been at work for hours, many of the slayers are just starting their day.”
Cut To:
Interview
“Why do the slayers meet later than the other branches?” Faith asks the camera. “Because I like to sleep in, that’s why. Deal with it.” She stops and thinks for a moment. “Actually, I think that pretty much sums up the difference between watchers and slayers. That, and the part where we could beat up the watchers without breaking a sweat.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Meeting Room
Faith looks over a crumpled-up piece of paper, then back up at her troops. “The big scary today is what looks like a new bunch o’ demons on the East Side. There’s gonna be extra patrols switched over there at some point. I don’t know when yet. Stay tuned on that one. Um…Mia, you’ll be running drills this afternoon. Says here you’re scheduled to work on the jiu-jitsu with the slayerettes. That work for you?”
The camera swivels and zooms in on Mia, who gives a thumbs-up signal without looking up from the doodle she’s making on her notebook.
“Right.” Faith looks back down at her paper. “Okay, uh, next thing…”
Devlin (V.O.): “Faith Lehane is probably the Council‘s best known slayer, but she is still full of surprises, as I discovered a few days earlier at the Council’s annual Christmas benefit.”
Cut To:
Interview
Becca takes a seat at a bar stool on a stage, behind a microphone.
Devlin (V.O.): The Council seems to be connected – not just to fellow members, but also to their extended family members as well. And they come to each other in times of trouble as Becca Giles, wife of Rupert Giles, explains.
“Each Christmas season we do a party where I sing,” Becca explains in a strained voice. “In fact, the first kiss Rupert ever gave me was during one of those parties. But our keyboard player broke his right hand hanging Christmas lights and when I woke up today I had laryngitis. I thought I’d have to cancel but the gals came to the rescue.”
Devlin asks, “So technically, you shouldn’t be talking now, right?”
Becca grins and nods. “But Faith sang, even though her son is in town, and Willow stepped in on the ivories and…well, you saw them tonight. My band wants to replace me now,” she says, laughing slightly.
Cut To:
Christmas Show Stage
Becca plays guitar with her band and looks to Faith with a smile as she watches the slayer sing Idaho. Faith walks over to where Willow is playing piano and the two share a smile, as well, obviously enjoying themselves. She moves back to face the audience and gives someone at a table in front a wave and a smile.
The camera pans to the audience, where Robin is proudly watching Faith and waving back. He puts his arm around Norman who’s seated next to him, looking equally impressed. He leans down to say something in the boy’s ear. The young man then smiles and nods his head enthusiastically. Also seated at the table are Norman’s mother, father and sister.
On the opposite side of Robin sits Rowena, who also watches with a proud smile.
Cut To:
Interview
Devlin is smiling as he asks Faith, “Where did you learn to sing like that? You’re like a musical chameleon.”
Faith laughs and blushes a little bit. “Yeah, just make sure when you put in the video of me singing, you pick a cool song.”
“Not You Light Up My Life or Shadow Dancing?” Devlin teases. “I gotta say, you do a damn good Andy Gibb.”
Faith buries her face in her hands and shakes her head in embarrassment before rising to face him. “Oh man. Yes, like that. Don’t ruin my rep as the cool slayer with that tacky seventies music.”
“So no Macarena either, I take it?”
Faith laughs again. “You do realize I can snap a man in half, right?”
Devlin can be heard laughing, although the camera stays on Faith, who’s looking more bashful by the moment. “All jokes aside, you have a true talent, Faith. Not only do you seem to know every popular and indie song from the last fifty years, you can sound like the original singer. It’s uncanny. How do you manage to do that?”
“Well, I didn’t have a stellar childhood and music was like, I don’t know, an escape I guess. I listened to lots of music over and over – and all types of music. I still do. My iPod is a hodge-podge of stuff. But until that night, I think Robin’s the only one who knew I could sing okay. I don’t wander the Council halls singing, after all.”
“Do you do impressions, too?”
Faith gives him another nervous laugh. “No, but if I’d been a movie fan instead, I might have.”
“I think you could do this singing stuff professionally.”
Faith chuckles again. “Thanks, but I already got a gig.”
“And one that’s brought you quite a bit of press over the years. What started out as a hundred people at that party ended up looking like a thousand by the time you finished. Word spread pretty quickly that you were out on the town that night.”
“Yeah,” Faith says, “I guess it did fill up pretty good, didn’t it? Everybody had to come see the ‘born-again’ singing slayer, I guess.”
“What’s that like?” Devlin asks sympathetically. “It seems like it’d be a lot to balance.”
Faith sighs. “Some people act like I asked for all the attention, like a Paris Hilton wannabe. Some think I’m a superhero. Others actually think I’m Jesus returned.”
“What do you think?”
“I’m just Faith,” she says with a shrug.
Devlin smiles, “You mean, it’s kind of like that song you sang, ‘You can’t be anyone but you?'”
Faith grins. “Pretty much.”
“So if that’s true, who are you?” Devlin asks.
The camera moves in closer for Faith’s response. Again, she shrugs.
“I’m a slayer, a part-time mom, someone’s fiancée, a friend and to people or creatures who deserve it, an enemy. But at the end of day, once the vamp dust is washed off…I’m just Faith, no more, no less.”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Coven Room
Willow, Andrew, Jeff, Hope, Dawn, Skye and a few younger kids sit on mats on the Coven Room floor, beginning a simple chant.
Devlin (V.O.): “The most mysterious branch of the Council is certainly the Coven, which uses methods from the mists of the past to control the fundamental forces of the universe.”
Cut To:
Interview
Willow sits on the couch in the apartment she shares with Rowena and Skye, with Devlin in a chair across from her.
“Can you tell me…what is magic?” he asks.
Willow sighs, thinking it over. “Magic is. It’s just like science. They both operate under a set of rules. The rules for magic are just different. It’s like…magic takes the ordinary things that surround us every day, and gets them to do extraordinary things.”
“Like getting your hands to sprout balls of fire?” Devlin asks.
“Yep!” Willow replies cheerfully.
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Coven Room
Devlin (V.O.): “But this is not just any other day.”
The Coven’s chant is interrupted by the chorus from The Donnas’ “Take It Off.” Willow looks sheepish and gets up. She walks over to the corner, where she had left her cell phone.
She picks up the phone and presses a button. “Hello?” There’s a pause, as Willow opens her mouth in shock. “Wh-What?”
Dawn looks concerned. “Willow, what is it?”
Willow has trouble forming the words. “She’s…she’s dead?”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Slayer Gym
Announcer (V.O.): “Coming up on Robert Devlin‘s Inside the Watchers Council… Tensions rise.”
Mia screams in someone’s face. “Why are you here? Tell me!”
Cut To:
Watchers Council – Buffy’s Office
Announcer (V.O.): “And the Council is forced to deal with another loss.”
Buffy sits behind her desk. “This is always hard…and it never gets easier.”
Announcer (V.O.): “That and more, next on CNN.”
Black Out
End of Act One