Upon the reopening of Sunnydale High, Buffy finds it still contains old secrets and must join forces with Dawn and her friends to battle undead uprisings, including a re-souled Spike. Meanwhile, Willow seeks redemption with Giles in England
Willow finishes up with Giles and returns to the States. Meanwhile, on her first day as the high school's guidance counselor, Buffy confronts an underground monster.
Willow returns home from England but can't find the people she wants most to see. Meanwhile, as they look in vain for Willow, Buffy and Xander try tracking a demon that paralyzes its victims before peeling and eating their skin.
Buffy tries to counsel a student who claims to know the exact time and day of her own death.
The gang intervenes and confronts Anya when she grants a particularly gory wish.
Though Buffy discourages Dawn's inexplicable crush on a high school jock, she soon finds that she, and soon Willow and Anya as well, have mysteriously fallen for him.
Buffy fights a vampire who is a former classmate while Dawn is visited by their dead mother; Cassie relays the messages of Tara's spirit to Willow.
The gang thinks Spike is responsible for a series of violent attacks, leading to a confrontation with Buffy. Meanwhile, Giles makes a monumental discovery that could affect everyone.
Buffy questions Spike about his murder spree. The gang interrogates Andrew about impending evil forces. Buffy asks the council to help her find Giles.
The gang tries to figure out how to destroy the Ubervamp. Giles returns to Sunnydale.
Buffy trains a group of new slayers and prepares a new strategy for destroying the Ubervamp and rescuing Spike.
Buffy enlists the help of Spike in order to begin training potential slayers for the anticipated return of The First.
Willow mysteriously transforms into Warren after sharing a kiss with Kennedy. Meanwhile, new evidence suggests that Giles may be The First.
Buffy is asked out to dinner by Principal Wood, which ends with the unexpected appearance of vampires and her rescue of Xander from his own ill-fated date.
Buffy is given items belonging to Principal Wood's mother, a slayer. When one of the items, a puppet show in a box, sends her through a portal, it's up to the gang to bring her back. Meanwhile, the First takes the opportunity to strike.
Andrew documents a day in the life of Buffy and her friends on video to serve as a time capsule for future generations of Sunnydale.
Giles brings back a device he hopes will deactivate the trigger The First is using on Spike's subconscious.
On the way back to Buffy's house, Willow and newly-arrived Faith witness a wounded girl get thrown out of a truck, and the gang takes her to a hospital. The girl tells them that her injuries stemmed from the preacher who saved her from bringers. When Buffy, Faith, and the gang track down and confront the preacher and his bringers, they find themselves on the receiving end of his deadly power.
With Xander now blind in one eye, Buffy feels the guilt on her shoulders and has another encounter with Caleb. Faith shows the potentials a good time out on the town, which causes torn loyalties for Faith and Buffy among the potentials and ends with everyone taking Faith's side. Meanwhile, Spike and Andrew come across a prophetic inscription.
Buffy takes up in another house after experiencing the sting of being booted from her current house. The First visits Faith in the guise of the Mayor and explains that her fights with Buffy are simply her own cries for acceptance.
Buffy finds herself able to wield a powerful scythe, and rejoins the gang following the explosion that left Faith injured and many Potentials dead. Xander leaves Sunnydale with Dawn in accordance with Buffy's wishes, while Buffy tracks down the origins of the scythe, which culminates with her battling Caleb once more and, with Angel's help, taking him down.
Caleb returns and breaks up the reunion of Angel and Buffy, ready for a battle, and Buffy slices him up. Angel catches the scent of Spike on her which leads to a major argument.