Written by: Joss Whedon
Directed by: John Kretchmer
Transcribed
by: AleXander Thompson
for
Psyche's Transcripts
Copyright
© 1997 Alexander Thompson
Disclaimer
I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". They were created by Joss Whedon and belong to him, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television and the WB Television Network.
This is not a novelization or a script. It is a straightforward and dry transcript of the episode "The Harvest". It also includes descriptions of the settings, action scenes and camera movements where I felt they were needed.
I made every effort to accurately transcribe the dialogue from this episode. If you notice anything that is transcribed incorrectly, please let me know and I will post an update. rev 99.06.23 This episode was originally broadcast on March 10, 1997.
Prologue
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.
Inside the mausoleum. Luke tries to bite Buffy, but burns himself on the cross hanging around her neck and jerks back. Buffy seizes the opportunity and push kicks him out of the coffin. She climbs out of it and races outside. Cut outside. Buffy runs to catch up with Willow, Xander and Jesse. She hears a vampire roar and a girl screaming and runs toward the sounds. Cut to Willow on the ground, about to be bitten.
Willow: No! Get off!
Buffy: Hey!
The vampire looks up, and Buffy snap kicks him off of Willow. He gets up and runs away. Willow is shocked by what she sees. Buffy quickly starts the hunt again. Willow gets up and runs after her. Cut to Xander being dragged away by two vampires. Willow appears between two gravestones.
Willow: Xander!
The vampires are distracted. Buffy takes advantage of the opening and jumps in, high punches one and side kicks the other. She notices a dry branch on a tree and breaks it off. As one of the vampires gets up she plunges the stick into him. Willow rushes over to Xander who's still on the ground.
Willow: Xander, are you okay?
Xander: Man, something hit me.
Willow: I don't know! They surrounded us.
Xander: That girl grabbed him and took off.
Buffy: Which way?
Xander: I don't know.
She stands up straight and slowly scans the cemetery.
Buffy: (whispers) Jesse!
Opening credits roll. Buffy's theme plays.
Act One
The library. The globe up on the stack level is spinning. Giles stops it while he lectures and makes his way down to where Buffy, Willow and Xander are at the study table.
Giles: This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures...
Buffy: And vampires.
Xander: Okay, this is where I have a problem. See, because we're talking about vampires. We're having a *talk* with vampires in it.
Willow: Isn't that what we saw last night?
Buffy: No. No, th-those weren't vampires, those were just guys in thundering need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies. It could have been rabies. A-and that guy turning to dust? Just a trick of light. (Xander gives her a look) That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire. Well, after I was done with the screaming part.
Willow: Oh, I, I need to sit down.
Buffy: You are sitting down.
Willow: Oh. Good for me.
Xander: So vampires are demons?
Giles: The books tell the last demon to leave this reality fed off a human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by the demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth, feeding... Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to return.
Cut to the sewers. Darla and Luke are forcing Jesse into the Master's lair.
Luke: Move!
They reach the lair, which is actually what remains of a church, and Luke forces Jesse down the slope to the floor below. The Master approaches.
Master: Is this for me?
Luke: An offering, Master.
Darla: He's a good one! His blood is pure!
Master: (draws the obvious conclusion) You've tasted it.
Darla looks down in shame.
Master: I'm your... faithful dog. You bring me scraps.
Darla: I, I didn't mean it...
Master: I have waited. For three score years I have waited. While you come and go I am stuck here, here in this house of... (with extreme contempt) worship! My ascension is almost at hand. Pray that when it comes... (takes Darla by the neck) I'm in a better mood.
Darla: Master, forgive me! We had more offerings, but there was trouble. A girl!
Luke: And there was a girl. She fought well and she knew of our breed. It is possible that she may be...
Master: ...a Slayer!
Cut to the library.
Xander: And that would be a what?
Giles: For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One.
Buffy: He loves doing this part.
Giles: Alright. The Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is a Slayer, don't tell anyone. Well, I think that's all the vampire information you need.
Xander: Except for one thing: how do you kill them?
Buffy: *You* don't, *I* do.
Xander: Well, Jesse's my...
Buffy: (interrupts) Jesse is *my* responsibility. I let him get taken.
Xander: That's not true.
Willow: If you hadn't shown up they would have taken us, too. Does anybody mind if I pass out?
Buffy: Breathe.
Willow: Breathe.
Buffy: Breathe. (to Giles) This big guy, Luke. He talked about an offering to the Master. Now, I don't know what or who, but if they weren't just feeding then Jesse may still be alive. I'm gonna find him.
Willow: Uh, this may be the dumb question, but shouldn't we call the police?
Giles: And they'd believe us, of course.
Willow: Well, we don't have to say vampires. We, we could just say that there's a, a bad man.
Buffy: They couldn't handle it even of they did show up. They'd only come with guns.
Giles: You have no idea where they took Jesse?
Buffy: I looked around, but soon's they got clear of the graveyard, they could have just, voom!
Xander: They can fly?
Buffy: They can drive.
Xander: Oh.
Willow: I don't remember hearing a car.
Giles: Let's take an enormous intuitive leap, shall we, and say they went underground.
Buffy: Vampires really jam on sewer systems. You can get anywhere in the entire town without catching any rays. But I didn't see any access around there.
Xander: Well, there's an electrical tunnel that runs under the whole town.
Giles: If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system it might indicate a, a meeting place, it would, uh... I suppose we could go to the building commission.
Buffy: We *so* don't have time.
Willow: Uh, guys? There may be another way.
Cut to the Master's lair.
Master: A Slayer! Have you any proof?
Luke: Only that she fought me, and yet lives.
Master: Hmm, very nearly proof enough. I can't remember the last time that happened.
Luke: 1843. Madrid. He caught me sleeping.
Master: She mustn't be allowed to interfere with the Harvest!
Luke: I would never let that happen!
Master: Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants.
Luke smiles at Jesse.
Master: If she is a Slayer, and this boy lives, she'll try to save him.
Luke: I thought you nothing more than a meal, boy.
He moves behind Jesse and takes his neck.
Luke: Congratulations. You've just been upgraded. To bait.
Cut to the library. Willow has the city plans on the computer monitor.
Buffy: There it is.
Willow: That runs under the graveyard.
Xander: I don't see any access.
Giles: So, all the city plans are just, uh, open to the public?
Willow: Um, well, i-in a way. I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally decrypted the city council's security system.
Xander: Someone's been naughty.
Buffy: There's nothing here, this is useless!
Giles: I think you're being a bit hard on yourself.
Buffy: You're the one that told me that I wasn't prepared enough. Understatement! (exhales) I thought I was on top of everything, and then that monster, Luke, came out of nowhere...
She flashes back to the fight in the mausoleum.
Xander: What?
Buffy: He didn't come out of nowhere. He came from behind me. I was facing the entrance, he came from behind me, and he didn't follow me out. The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum! The girl must have doubled back with Jesse after I got out! God! I am so mentally challenged!
Xander: So, what's the plan? We saddle up, right?
Buffy: There's no 'we', okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're not.
Xander: I knew you'd throw that back in my face.
Buffy: Xander, this is deeply dangerous.
Xander: I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man.
Willow: Buffy, I'm not anxious to go into a dark place full of monsters. But I do want to help. I need to.
Giles: Well, then help me. I've been researching this Harvest affair. It seems to be some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on Earth, quite charmless. I'm a bit fuzzy, however, on the details. It may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine.
Everyone stares at him. He looks back at them all.
Giles: That was a bit, um, British, wasn't it?
Buffy: (smiles) Welcome to the New World.
Giles: (to Willow) I want you to go on the 'Net.
Willow: Oh, sure, I can do that. (begins to type)
Buffy: Then I'm outta here. If Jesse's alive, I'll bring him back. (starts to leave)
Giles: Do I have to tell you to be careful?
Buffy turns back, gives Giles a look and goes. Cut outside. Buffy is making strides for a side gate. Mr. Flutie is there and stops her.
Mr. Flutie: And where do we think we're going?
Buffy: We? (turns to face him) I... Me...
Mr. Flutie: We're not leaving school grounds, are we?
Buffy: No! No, I'm... just admiring the fence. You know, this is quality fence work.
Mr. Flutie: Because if we were leaving schools grounds on our second day at a new school, after getting kicked out of our old school for delinquent behavior... Do you see where I'm going with this?
Buffy: Mr. Giles...
Mr. Flutie: What?
Buffy: He asked me to get a book for him. Uh, from the store, 'cause I have a free period, and I'm a big reader. Did it mention that in my transcripts?
Mr. Flutie: Mr. Giles?
Buffy: Ask him.
Mr. Flutie: (swings the gate closed) Well, maybe that's how they do things in *Britain*, they've got that royal family and all kinds of problems, (locks it) but here at Sunnydale nobody leaves campus while school's in session. Are we clear?
Buffy: We're clear.
Mr. Flutie: That's the Buffy Summers I want in my school. Sensible girl with her feet on the ground!
He turns and leaves. Buffy watches him go. When he's gone a ways she crouches and leaps the fence. Cut to Willow and Xander walking down a hall.
Willow: Murder, death, disaster. What else?
Xander: Paranormal, unexplained, did you get natural disasters?
Willow: Earthquake, flood.
Xander: Rain of Toads.
Willow: Right.
Xander: Rain of Toads! Do you think they'd have anything like that in the paper?
Willow: I'll put it on the computer search. If it's in there, it'll turn up. Anything that'll lead us to vampires.
Xander: And I, in the meantime, will help by standing around like an idiot.
Willow: Not like an idiot, just... standing. Buffy doesn't want you getting hurt.
They stop in front of their next class.
Willow: I don't want you getting hurt.
Xander: This is just too much. I mean, yesterday my life's like, 'Uh- oh, pop quiz.' Today it's 'Rain of Toads'.
Willow: I know. And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day.
Xander: Nobody knows. It's like we've got this big secret.
Willow: We do. That's what a secret is, when you know something other guys don't.
Xander: Right. Look, maybe you should get to class. (indicates the door)
Willow: You mean 'we'. We should get to class.
Xander: Yeah.
Willow: Buffy'll be okay. Whatever's down there, I think she can handle it.
Xander: Yeah, I do, too.
Willow: So do I!
Cut to inside the mausoleum. Buffy comes in slowly, looking and listening. She scans around. Satisfied that no one's there, she walks down the steps to the floor. She hears a rat behind her and twists to look toward the sound. She continues and finds the tunnel access. It's locked with a chain. She lifts the lock. Angel appears behind her.
Angel: (exhales)
Buffy: I don't suppose you've got a key on you?
Angel: They really don't like me dropping in.
Buffy: (faces him) Why not?
Angel: They really don't like me.
Buffy: How could that possibly be?
Angel: I knew you'd figure out this entryway sooner or later. Actually, I thought it was gonna be a *little* sooner.
Buffy: Sorry you had to wait. (exhales) Okay. Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?
Angel: Angel.
Buffy: Angel. It's a pretty name.
She turns to the tunnel entrance.
Angel: Don't... go down there.
Buffy: (turns back) Deal with my going.
Angel: You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. Tonight is the Harvest. Unless you can prevent it, the Master walks.
Buffy: Well, if this Harvest thing is such a suckfest, why don't *you* stop it?
Angel: 'Cause I'm afraid.
She looks at him for a moment and then spins around quickly, kicking open the doors to the tunnel. She turns back to him.
Angel: They'll be expecting you.
Buffy: I've got a friend down there. Or at least a potential friend. Do you know what it's like to have a friend?
He lowers his eyes as a look of sadness fills them.
Buffy: That wasn't supposed to be a stumper.
They look at each other a moment longer.
Angel: When you hit the tunnels head east towards the school. That's where you're likely to find them.
Buffy: You gonna wish me luck?
Angel says nothing. They look at each other for another moment, then Buffy turns and heads into the tunnels. He watches her go.
Angel: (whispers) Good luck!
Act Two
Inside the tunnels. Buffy comes down a flight of stairs. She looks around. She hears rats. One crawls across her shoes. She slowly starts down the tunnels. There are lights at regular intervals. When she reaches an intersection, Xander surprises her from behind.
Xander: Did you see anything?
Buffy: (exhales in fright) Xander, what are you doing here?!
Xander: Something stupid. I followed you.
Buffy: Well, you...
Xander: (interrupts) I couldn't just sit at home and do nothing.
Buffy: I understand. Now, go away!
Xander: No!
Buffy: Xander, you're gonna have to.
Xander: Look, Jesse's my bud, okay? If I can help him out, that's what I gotta do.
Buffy considers, then nods her head for him to follow. She starts down the tunnel again.
Xander: Besides, it's this or chem class.
Cut to them reaching the top of some stairs.
Xander: Okay, so, crosses, garlic, stake through the heart.
Buffy: That'll get it done.
Xander: Cool! Of course, I don't actually have any of those things.
Buffy: (hands him a cross) Good thinking.
Xander: Well, the part of my brain that would tell me to bring that stuff is still busy telling me not to come down here. I have this, though. (turns on a flashlight)
Buffy: Turn that off!
Xander: (turns it off) Okay! Okay! So, what else?
Buffy: What else what?
Xander: For vampire slayage.
Buffy: Oh, fire, beheading, sunlight, holy water, the usual.
Xander: You've done some beheading in your time?
Buffy: Oh, yeah. There was this time I was pinned down by this guy that played left tackle for varsity... Well, at least he used to before he was a vampire... Anyway, he had this really, really thick neck, and all I had was a little, little Exact-O knife...
Xander laughs nervously.
Buffy: You're not loving this story.
Xander: No, actually, I find it oddly comforting.
Cut to the library. Giles is reading from a volume.
Giles: 'For they will gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours life.' P... Pours life...
He turns the page back to the picture of Satan feeding power to a man.
Giles: 'On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice it will come...' Of course. That's tonight!
Cut to the computer lab. Cordelia is struggling with her computer programming assignment.
Cordelia: No! It's supposed to find the syntax and match it. Or wait...
Harmony: Are we going to the Bronze tonight?
Cordelia: No, we're going to the other cool place in Sunnydale.
Harmony looks confused.
Cordelia: Of course we're going to the Bronze. Friday night? No cover? But you should have been there last night. 'Cause I ran into Buffy...
Willow overhears the conversation.
Cordelia: ...and can she be any weirder? She attacked me! Do you believe it?
Harmony: (exhales) I think we did this part wrong.
Cordelia: Why do we have to devise these programs, isn't that what nerds are for? (whispers, indicating Willow) What'd she do?
Harmony looks at Willow's screen. She's surfing a newspaper archive website.
Harmony: (to Cordelia) Uh, she's doing something else.
Cordelia: Okay, and then pattern run, right? Or go to end? That's it!
Harmony: Maybe!
Cordelia: So anyway, I come outta the bathroom, and she comes running at me. Screaming! With a stick! 'I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!' I swear!
Boy: Who?
Cordelia: Buffy!
Harmony: The new girl?
Boy: What's her deal?
Cordelia: Well, she's crazed.
Harmony: Did you hear about her old school?
Cordelia and the boy both shake their heads.
Harmony: Booted.
Cordelia: Well, I exhibit no surprise.
Boy: Why was she kicked out?
Cordelia: Uh, because she's a psycho loony!
Willow: (interjects) No, she's not.
Cordelia: What?
Willow: (turns to them) She's not a psycho. You don't even know her.
Cordelia: Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist?
Willow turns away, eyes down.
Cordelia: Do I horn in on your private discussions? No. Why? Because you're boring.
Willow gets up and goes to get her printouts.
Harmony: Okay, I think the program's done.
Cordelia: Finally the nightmare ends! Okay, so how do we save it?
Willow: Deliver.
Cordelia: Deliver? Where's that? (searches the keyboard) Oh!
She hits the "Del" key, and her program disappears. She stares at the screen in wide-eyed, open-mouthed horror. Cut to the tunnels.
Buffy: They're close.
Xander: How can you tell?
Buffy: No more rats.
Xander turns on his flashlight and spots Jesse on the ground.
Xander: Jesse!
Buffy: Oh, no!
Jesse reacts and jumps up.
Xander: J-J-Jesse!
Jesse: Xander!
The
two boys embrace.
Xander: Jesse, man, are you okay?
Jesse: I am not okay, on an *epic* scale.
Buffy shines the light on the shackles around Jesse's ankle.
Jesse: We gotta get outta here!
Xander: It's cool, Buffy's a superhero.
Buffy: Hold on... (breaks the shackles)
Xander: Do you think anyone heard that?
They see shadows moving on the walls and start to run down the tunnel. Vampires come around the corner. Cut to Xander, Buffy and Jesse in another part of the tunnel.
Jesse: They knew you were gonna come. They said that I... I was the bait.
Xander: Oh, great, now you tell us.
They round a corner and are met by vampires.
Buffy: Oops!
Jesse: Oh, no, no, no, no!
Buffy: Do you know another way out?
Jesse: I dunno. Maybe. C'mon!
They run. At another intersection they see glowing eyes to their right.
Jesse: Wait, wait. They brought me through here, there, there should be a way up. I hope!
Jesse leads them into a chamber.
Buffy: I don't think this is the way out!
Xander: We can't fight our way back through those things. What do we do?
Jesse: I got an idea. (vamps out) You can die!