- Air Date – May 5th, 1997
- Writers – Dean Batali and Rob Des Hotel
- Director – Ellen S. Pressman
- Producer – Joss Whedon
It’s time for the annual Sunnydale High talent show, and Principal Snyder has forced Giles to manage the affair. While making fun of Giles’ new responsibilities, Buffy, Willow and Xander are overheard by Snyder and get drafted as well. As with most high school events, a student is quickly found dead with her heart removed.
Dummies are just creepy.
As the gang begins looking into the matter, early evidence points to a student named Morgan. It’s not enough that he’s brilliant and geeky, but he has chosen to further distinguish himself before his classmates with a ventriloquist act. Clearly Morgan is bucking to become one of the popular kids. Buffy questions Morgan about the dead student and he becomes very nervous and appears to be in pain. During this exchange Morgan talks to his ventriloquist dummy Sid as if he was actually listening. This does not calm Buffy’s concern. Later that day Buffy searches Morgan’s locker only to find Sid’s case empty. That evening Buffy is attacked in bed by Sid. She fights him off and Sid escapes.
The next day at school Buffy, Willow and Xander meet with Giles at the library. They discuss a group of demons that can appear as humans, but to do so requires a set of human organs every seven years. Buffy has doubts that Morgan, a geeky student who appears weak and frail, could be an immortal demon with super strength. Willow’s research uncovers information on how dolls can become human by collecting human organs as well.
Searching for Morgan, Buffy finds him dead with his brain removed. Just as it is becoming clear that Morgan isn’t an organ hungry demon, an iron chandelier falls from the ceiling onto Buffy. Sid attacks while she is trapped with a large knife. After a scuffle they both realize that the other isn’t a demon. Sid reveals he is actually a demon hunter.
Back at the library Sid explains to the gang that he was once human and a demon cursed him into the form of a dummy. Sid believes this same demon is in the talent show looking for organ donors, and if he can kill it the curse will be lifted.
Morgan’s brain is found at the talent show. After a look into Morgan’s medical records it is clear that Morgan had brain cancer, and it would appear that made it unsuitable for the demon’s purposes. The demon still needs a brain.
Giles must continue managing the talent show while also looking for the demon. Marc, a student putting on a magic show requires Giles help backstage. His guillotine act requires a partner, so incredibly Giles lies on the guillotine and gets strapped in. He asks Marc what the trick is, and the reply is “there is no trick”. Needless to say Giles panics.
Fortunately the gang arrives and Buffy holds off Marc while Xander saves Giles. Marc transforms into his horrible demon form and Buffy takes him down. Sid reveals that the demon isn’t dead until its heart is destroyed and stabs it in the chest. The demon is dead and Sid’s curse is lifted allowing his spirit to move on. The curtain opens to reveal a school auditorium filled to capacity trying to figure out what they are looking at. Snyder asks if it’s performance art, and states he doesn’t “get it”.
During the credits we get too see the act that Buffy, Willow and Xander performed at the talent show. This clip was shown only during the first airing of the episode on May 5th, 1997. The DVD Box set also contains this bit but it cannot be seen in syndication. This is too bad because it’s hysterical.
