"Touched" is the 20th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

''. The episode aired on May 6, 2003 on

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which prod ...

Plot

As the Scoobies and the Potential Slayers argue over what to do next after Buffy's departure, their reluctant newly-elected leader

Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

tries to get everyone to agree to go to sleep and reconvene in the morning, when the power goes out due to the utility company workers leaving Sunnydale like most of the townspeople. The group continues to argue, and Faith suggests the Bringers are the weakest link among their enemies, so they should capture one and interrogate him. When

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

returns from his mission with

Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...

, he is enraged to find that the Scooby Gang have lost faith in Buffy's leadership and evicted her from her home during his absence. He denounces them all as traitors, then storms out in disgust. The Scoobies capture a Bringer and magically interrogate him. Eyeless and tongueless, he speaks through Andrew, who tells them that Bringers are busy forging weapons for the coming apocalypse and do not see Buffy's army as a threat. Later, after saying goodnight to Giles, Faith is approached by the

First Evil The First Evil (usually called The First) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the se ...

in the form of the deceased

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

, who leads her to believe that Buffy only sees her as a killer and will take the first chance she gets to kill her. That evening, four couples engage in intimacy. Spike finds a depressed Buffy in an abandoned house, where she confesses her self-doubt and inability to let anyone become close to her. Spike tries to rally her spirits by describing that he has seen all of her, the good and the bad, but he still stands by her. Buffy asks Spike to spend the night holding her. In the first lesbian sex scene ever on American network TV,

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

and

Kennedy Kennedy may refer to: People * John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th president of the United States * John Kennedy (Louisiana politician), (born 1951), US Senator from Louisiana * Kennedy (surname), a family name (including a list of persons with t ...

have sex for the first time, Faith and

Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

engage in a one-night stand, and

Xander Xander is an abbreviated form of the name Alexander and pronounced like "Zander". Alexander is the Latin form of the Greek name "Alexandros". The name's meaning is interpreted from "alexein" which means "to defend" plus "andros" which translates to ...

and

Anya Aanya, Anya or Anja is a given name. The names are feminine in most cultures especially Indian, and unisex in several African and European countries. Origins and variant forms * Aanya or Anya is an Indian name that means inexhaustible, limitless ...

rekindle their sexual relationship. The next morning, Faith gives out her orders. She sends

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...

, Xander, Willow and Anya to go and find Buffy, while she and the Potentials launch a preemptive strike on the First's armory, which turns out to be a trap. Buffy regains her will to fight and brawls with Caleb, evading nearly all of his offensive moves; in the end, she dives into a floor panel in the winery and finds a powerful battle axe that appears to have been hidden there. The episode ends with Kennedy finding a box, which Faith opens and discovers a bomb ready to detonate with only 8 seconds left. Faith yells for everyone to get down as the screen goes black.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Touched (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) 2003 American television episodes Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 7) episodes American LGBT-related television episodes