At school, Anya asks Xander to the Prom. Later, Buffy, Willow, Oz, and Xander discuss prom plans, and dresses. Buffy's motherJoyce visits Angel at the mansion and tells him that he cannot get in the way of Buffy's future, and that he will have to do something about it. While patrolling, Buffy and Angel have an argument. Angel tells Buffy that it is unfair for her to be in a relationship with him because of all the things he can't give her, and breaks up with her. He also reveals that he will be leaving Sunnydale after the ascension in hopes that Buffy will have a normal life. In a small house, someone plays a video for a caged beast that makes it go wild. At the store where Cordelia secretly works, Xander spots her through the window and goes in to tease her for what he thinks is her spending a long time trying to pick a dress. She reveals that she is working there to save up for a prom dress, because her family lost all of their money. The argument is cut short as a beast breaks through the window and kills a boy dressed in a tuxedo. At the library, the gang study the video of the attack, and identify Tucker Wells, who used to have a chemistry class with Oz. Tucker has plans to ruin prom night by sending a hellhound to attack the students in formal wear, because he was turned down for a prom date. Buffy vows not to let the hellhound ruin the big night and issues orders for everyone to split up and search for clues. As Cordelia leaves work, she finds that her prom dress has been paid for. Buffy returns from her searching and orders everyone else to attend the prom while she takes care of Tucker. She finds him in his basement and ties him up before he can release the hellhound, but three more she did not know about are already on their way to the school. After killing all of them, Buffy changes into her prom dress and shows up for the dance. Cordelia thanks Xander for paying for her dress and dances with Wesley while Anya tells Xander of her past cursing unfaithful men as a vengeance demon, and Willow and Oz just enjoy the evening. When Class awards are given out, Buffy is given an ornately decorated parasol bearing a small engraving saying 'Buffy Summers — Class Protector'. Angel surprises her by showing up in a tux and they dance. He tells her he understands that it's an important night for her, but it doesn't change anything between them, which she understands.
Production
In the scene where Angel breaks up with Buffy, Sarah Michelle Gellar admits that she "could not stop crying," and the set was closed for 25 minutes to allow her to recover.
Reception
A review for the BBC praised the acting and writing of the break-up scene, but thought too much time was spent on the prom scene compared with the monster-of-the-week plot.
