The Replacement
Xander and Anya watch a movie with Buffy and
Riley while listening to the background noise of Xander's drunk parents fighting
and yelling upstairs. The next day, the gang looks at a prospective apartment
for Xander. He doesn't think he can afford it and this upsets Anya. Giles
receives a visit from a demon searching for the Slayer. He later identifies the
demon as Toth, only survivor of the Tothric Clan.
The gang checks out
the city dump in search of the demon and find Spike collecting. The demon hits
Xander with light from a rod and knocks him to the ground. He gets to his feet
and walks off with the rest of the gang, but then we see that there is another
Xander still lying in a pile of trash. The next morning, one Xander awakens at
the city dump and then discovers his double upon returning to his house. Spike
has put together a Buffy doll from mannequin parts which he uses to practice
beating up on.
One of the Xander's is very ambitious and gets a
promotion at work, signs a lease for the apartment, and sets up a date with
Anya. The unconfident Xander watches as all this happens and finally confronts
his double. After the two Xander's see each other, the confident Xander talks to
Buffy and she makes this a matter of Slayer business. Soaked by the rain, weak
Xander goes to Willow and tries to explain that this double is taking over his
life. He tells Willow that the double is doing a better job of living his life
but then suddenly realizes that his double is going after Anya and that is one
thing he won't allow.
Anya and the Xander double discuss their future
and Anya expresses her fears about not living forever. Giles discovers that the
rod Toth used split Xander into two real Xander's, one with weak qualities and
the other with strong qualities. The weak Xander crashes the date between strong
Xander and Anya. Both think that the other is a demon and the weak Xander pulls
out a handgun he got from Anya's apartment.
Buffy tells the doubles the
truth about their situation and tries to convince them not to kill eachother.
Toth appears at the apartment then Buffy and Riley fight and kill him. Willow
ends the spell on the Xander's and makes them one again. While moving Xander
into his new apartment, Xander and Riley talk. Riley confesses that despite how
much he loves Buffy, he realizes that she doesn't.