Episode 50 Doppelgängland

Original Air Date: February 23, 1999

Written by Joss Whedon
Directed by Joss Whedon

Summary Part 1

Fed up with life as a mortal, Anyanka begs a demon named D'Hoffryn to create a temporal fold that would allow her to retrieve her "power center" -- the amulet/necklace she wore around her neck -- before it was destroyed. D'Hoffryn has no interest in helping Anyanka and would rather see her live out the rest of her life as a mortal (plus she is flunking math). Since the demon D'Hoffryn won't help her, Ananka pledges to find someone who will help her.

Outside of Sunnydale High, in the quad, Willow hones her pencil-floating skills (making a pencil float in mid-air).  She tells Buffy , "It's all about emotional control."  Buffy prepares for a traditional Slayer/Watchers Council's evaluation which Wesley is conducting. They start talking about Faith, and Buffy sort of defends Faith's previous actions. She says that given different circumstances, that could have been her. Willow disagrees, as she believes that certain people "just don't have that in them." Willow's emotional control goes a little off due to talking about Faith, and the pencil goes flying off into the nearest tree.

Willow is called to Principal Snyder's office, where fellow student Percy West is also waiting. Snyder is talking to Willow and a jock, Percy West, about the marriage of brain and the fast break. Willow doesn't understand the marriage part, thinking that Snyder wants them to breed. But in reality, Willow is to tutor Percy in History, so he can stay on the basketball team. Willow tries to tell Snyder that she has enough of her own work to do, but Principal Snyder orders Willow to tutor Percy.

Buffy and Willow are talking about how Snyder seemingly threatened Willow into tutoring Percy as they walk into the library. In the library, Giles tells Willow to take another stab at accessing the mayor's files. As Willow gets on the computer, Faith and Wesley come in after Faith's workout. As Wesley is huffing and puffing, Giles asks if he is up for taking Buffy out. He says to just give him a minute — and some defibrillators. Buffy goes off to change and Faith wishes her good luck. Faith sees Willow at the computer and asks what she is doing. She responds truthfully, but obviously doesn't enjoy talking to her. While Willow tries to access the Mayor's computer files, Faith takes note of Willow's computer search, and she later reports it to Mayor Wilkins himself during a tour of Faith's new apartment.

Later, Faith and the mayor are at Faith's new digs. Provided by the mayor. She tells the mayor about what Willow was doing, which he finds "very interesting." They discuss her new place and how they will keep the motel room in case she ever needs to meet her "friends" there. He tells her that they should have some vampires kill Willow.

Willow meets Oz in the hallway at school. She wonders where he has been, he tells her that he got back late from a gig in Monterey. Willow is upset that he didn't invite her to the gig, but he says that he didn't figure her for the type who would miss school. He informs her that they are playing at the Bronze tonight, but she says that she can't make it — too much homework.

Willow meets up with Percy and thinks that they should get together at lunch and go over his history paper. To Willow's surprise, Percy has a different game plan which involves Willow doing all of the work for him, he says that Snyder said that she was supposed to do it, and wonders which meeting she was at. She sits down, very frustrated, and gets out a banana even though it's not lunchtime, GASP!! Xander and Buffy approach and Xander asks her if she remembered to tape "Biography" last night. She did, and Buffy tells Xander that she knew that would, she's "Old Reliable." Willow is very upset about her new nickname. Buffy tries to defend herself; that she didn't mean it as a bad thing. She tells them that she's tired of being a doormat and "homework gal," and let's them know that maybe she'll change her look or cut class — and she's "eating this banana — lunchtime be damned!" Tired of being the goody-two-shoes of the group, she storms off.

Back inside the school, Willow runs into Anya(nka). Anya, introduces herself as a friend of Cordelia's  She tells her that she's working on this "project" and that she could use her help. Willow is distraught that someone else needs "Old Reliable," but asks what she needs anyway. Anya says that it's for a spell that she is working on. Willow's mood takes a turn for the lighter when Anya asks for her help in performing a spell to create a temporal fold. Anya explains that she wants to retrieve a lost necklace which was a family heirloom. She needs a second witch to help open a temporal fold. Willow hopes that it is dangerous.

Willow and Anya are in an unused classroom, laying out bones, chicken feet, etc. in preparation for a spell to bring back Anya's necklace. They start to cast the spell, during which they are supposed to pour the sacred sand over the representation of the necklace and create a temporal fold to bring it forth from before it was smashed. As images from "The Wish" flash through Willow's head (visions of the alternate universe that Cordelia visited when she told Anya that she wished Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Something goes wrong in the course of the spell). Willows hands start shaking uncontrollably, causing the sacred sand to pour onto one of her hands instead of the necklace representation. Instead of pulling the necklace out of the alternate universe, the vampire Willow is transported out just moments before Oz could dust her on the jagged wood. While Anya futilely searches for the necklace, Willow leaves her alone to try and figure out what she just saw. A disturbed Willow exclaims that that was a little bit blacker than she likes her arts, and leaves.

Elsewhere Vamp Willow from the alternate reality awakens, in the plant, where before a fight had been going on, confused that she is all of a sudden alone. She starts to walk around the streets of Sunnydale and is very confused to find happy, normal people walking around after dark. Quickly realizing the vast differences surrounding her, She makes her way to the Bronze, since that is where all the vampires used to hang out in her reality. she draws stares from everybody in attendance, including Percy West, he wonders why she isn't home working on his homework. Vamp Willow (Vamp Willow) becomes provoked by Percy's arrogance and tosses Percy across the pool table.  then grabs him by the throat and tightens her grip and choke him.   Xander enters, misinterprets the situation, and goes to save "Willow." Xander pulls Percy away before noticing Willow's radical makeover. Thinking he's the Xander of her reality,  Vamp Willow is at first glad to see Xander, she pulls him into her arms, running her hands all over his body.  It doesn't take long for her to realize that Xander is still a living, breathing human.  She  is upset when she learns that he is alive — as in human alive. Buffy arrives and can't believe her eyes when she sees Willow. Buffy is quite thrown by "Willow's" new look. Vamp Willow recognizes Buffy as the Slayer who staked her beloved Xander, she turns and heads for the Bronze's exit.  When Buffy tries to stop Vamp Willow from leaving, she spins around with vamp face on and growls at them. She then takes off, leaving Xander and Buffy horrified and speechless.

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