Buffy Season 8 Recap - No Future For You - Conclusion

Questions answered in this issue:
Who was watching Buffy from afar?
What does Roden and Lady Genevieve have to do with "Twilight"?








We start on a flashback to the Mayor from season Three. He is grinning at Faith after buying her a nice flowery ‘girly dress’, Faith’s inner monologue tells us that while everyone thought he was a scumbag and that he exploited Faith, she didn’t feel that way which is why she can understand how Genevieve and girls like her can get into these situations. Genevieve is furious with Faith, but Faith tries to explain that she knows how Genevieve feels, she relates to her and it isn’t too late to change but Genevieve hits her with the handle of the axe “shut up!”. Genevieve realises that Faith has been using a fake accent and continues yelling at her, Faith’s nose is now bleeding and she stands up willing to fight back, she kicks Genevieve into a near by glass house.






Faith enters the glass house and Genevieve charges at her swinging her axe, Faith jumps up in time and the axe hits a statue which lodges it into the rock taking away Genevieve’s weapon. Genevieve tells Faith that she doesn’t deserve to be killed by a Slayer, let alone be a Slayer, Faith reminds her that she never asked to be a Slayer and would much rather not be one. Genevieve says that she wishes she had listened to Roden, he said they should have killed Faith, Faith tells her that Roden will be the death of her, the same way that The Mayor pushed Faith to the limit and ended up being stabbed and thrown from a roof. Genevieve tells Faith that Roden is her best friend, something that she is sure Faith has never had.


We cut to Giles and his warlock who finally gives up, he tells Giles that there is no way Giles is getting through the barrier with his power. Giles’ mobile rings and he sees that Willow is calling “thank God” he tells her, he explains that he hadn’t wanted to get Willow involved in this mission but it is now too important, he needs her help to get through a mystical barrier. Buffy cuts him off and we see that while it is Willow’s mobile it is Buffy who has called, she is angry that Giles didn’t tell her that he was working with Faith, Giles cuts her off and tells her to put Willow on, there are lives at stake. Buffy explains that Faith just tried to drown her before Willow brought her back from the mansion, Giles is alarmed that Buffy didn’t bring Faith back with her. Buffy demands to know what is going on but Giles tells her that he doesn’t want Buffy to have any part of this mission, he is trying to protect her but she doesn’t see it like that, Buffy looks shocked and hurt as she takes the phone away from her ear. She hands it to Willow and tells her to give Giles anything he asks for, Xander asks if the ‘boss’ needs some alone time, Buffy looks back and says “what other kind is there?”






We return to Faith and Genevieve fighting, Faith questions where Roden is, if he cares about Genevieve so much why isn’t he here helping her. Genevieve tells her that he knows she can handle this without any help. Genevieve explains that once she has killed every Slayer the nightmares will stop and she can find some peace, Faith tells her to “wake the #$*! Up” and kicks her in the chest, Genevieve is sent flying backwards, Faith realises what is about to happen and shouts “No!”. Genevieve’s axe is still in the statue and Genevieve is flying backwards into it, she hits it and her eyes show shock as we realise this is the end of the fight. Faith runs towards her apologising, she kneels next to her and begins to tell her that she never meant to hurt her. We see a drop of blood drip from Genevieve’s face, down to her chin, then falls to the floor as she dies.








Roden walks in and suggests that he was backing the wrong Slayer, Faith is still kneeling and crying, “you’re a warlock” she tells him “HEAL HER!”. Roden points out that Genevieve was too weak, she isn’t worth it, he would much rather that Faith joined him. Faith begins to tell him that she would never do such a thing but he interrupts her and tells her that he can get rid of Buffy for her. Faith takes a moment to consider the proposition. Roden hands her the book he was holding a couple of issues back which has the Twilight symbol on, he tells Faith that he has been promised to be protected from the coming “purge” if he gets rid of Buffy and the book will tell them how. She looks at the book and smiles, “thanks” she tells him, then hits him round the face with the book, “but I never was much of a reader”.






Roden barely seems fazed and he tells Faith to keep the book, he knows how it ends anyway then throws a bolt of magic at her sending her through one of the greenhouse windows to the outside. Roden tells her that she is too old to be a Slayer and it is about time she dies. Dirt and rock collect together below Faith to form a fist which grabs Faith so she is unable to move, Roden walks forward and asks Faith what she is smiling at. We see that Giles is standing behind Roden with gardening shears in hand ready to stab Roden, Giles stabs him in the back and as he falls to the floor Faith is released from the grip. Roden turns to Giles and blasts him onto the floor, he walks towards Giles telling him that all the Slayers will die soon enough, this doesn’t seem like a threat but more of a fact, prewritten history, a prophecy. Faith throws Giles the spell book that has the Twilight symbol on and Giles reads a spell from it, Roden understands it and laughs at Giles attempt, Roden knows how to break out of any containment field that is written in that book. Giles smiles, he knows that, that’s why he put it inside Roden, “Burst” Giles tells the final part of the spell and Roden’s skin begins to bubble and then his head explodes leaving Giles splattered with blood. “Come on” Faith tells him, “were done”.




Faith is back at Giles’ apartment in England, they are both changed and cleaned from their battle. Faith comments on Giles’ surprising display of “lethal force”, he tells her that it is a side that he tries to keep away from people, he has killed before but it doesn’t make it any easier, Faith agrees reaffirming their similarities and their new bond. Giles tells Faith that her job is done and like promised he has a new identity for her, a fake passport and a one way ticket to… but Faith cuts him off. Faith says that Lady Genevieve is not a one off rogue Slayer, there will be more and perhaps if she stopped being the “go to girl” for dark missions and instead became some sort of Slayer social worker then they could stop girls like Genevieve becoming a threat saving both them and the people who would have to kill them. Giles agrees, there is a war coming but perhaps they can win some battles beforehand maybe even stop them before they have to be fought. Faith says that she is doesn’t want to be taking orders anymore, this is a job she wants to do alone, but Giles points out that he doesn’t want to be her boss, he wants them to be equals. Faith asks if Buffy might be upset at the two of them working together even further but Giles tells her that he and Buffy are not speaking. “Guess were on our own then?” Faith laughs, “perhaps we can be on our own together?" Giles says as their partnership is born.

We see a helicopter arrive at a high summit, an army official walks out bearing the mark of Twilight and asks for "Twilight’s" appearance. We see the same dangling legs that had been watching Buffy in the first issue. The woman tells him that their ‘man on the inside’ has told them that Buffy is still alive, Roden and Lady Genevieve have failed. Twlight tells her that Roden and Genevieve were not minions but targets, the woman is confused, this whole mission was about neutralising two of his own soldiers. We turn the page to finally see the man called Twilight, he is masked and wearing apparent armour, his long black coat swaying in wind as he floats above the ground. He tells her that his plan is to wage a war between the main users of magic, Warlock against Watcher, Slayer against Slayer, he wants them to eliminate each other so he can finally rid the world of magic. She wonders how this can possibly be a victory, his plan could still work even if ‘the queen’ is dead, Twilight tells her that he wants Buffy to have ‘the day’ because night will fall soon enough. He looks out from the high summit and watches a beautiful sunrise.



Questions left open by this issue:
Why is Twilight's identity hidden? Is it someone we and Buffy would recognise?
What is this coming "purge", how will Twilight "get rid" of magic?
Who is Twilight's "man on the inside" spying on Buffy?

Buffy Season 8 Recap - No Future For You - Part 1 + 2
Buffy Season 8 Recap - No Future For You - Part 3