Lie to Me (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

In a school hallway, a young man sneaks up behind Buffy and surprises her. Buffy introduces him to Willow and Xander as her friend Ford (Billy Fordham), with whom she attended school in Los Angeles. He explains that he is finishing his senior year at Sunnydale High.

At the Bronze, Ford entertains Willow and Xander with embarrassing stories about Buffy. Buffy introduces Angel to Ford, whom Angel obviously doesn't trust. In the alley behind the Bronze, Buffy stakes a vampire and Ford reveals that he knows that she is the Slayer. Angel shows up at Willow's bedroom to ask for help tracking down Ford on the internet. Willow quickly finds that Ford is not actually registered at Sunnydale High.

The next night, Buffy and Ford see two vampires running onto campus. Out of sight of Buffy, Ford holds a stake to a vampire's heart and threatens to kill it unless it does what he wants. When Buffy finds Ford again he claims to have killed the vampire. Meanwhile, Xander, Willow and Angel visit the Sunset Club, the only address Willow has found for Ford. The patrons romanticize and sympathize vampires, whom they refer to as "the Lonely Ones," and Angel cannot help but scoff.

Buffy goes back to the library and meets Giles and Ms. Calendar. Buffy sees a picture of Drusilla among Giles' research. Giles explains that she was Spike's lover, supposedly killed by an angry mob in Prague, but Buffy tells him that she is still alive and that she saw her with Angel. Soon, a vampire storms out of Giles' study with a book. Buffy recognizes it as the vampire Ford said he had killed.

Ford approaches Spike and asks to be made a vampire. The idea does not interest Spike until Ford explains that he can give them the Slayer in return. Later that night, Angel comes to Buffy's house to tell her about Ford's club.

Buffy goes to the Sunset Club where Ford explains that he was counting on Buffy figuring out his plan. Buffy pleads with him to let the other club members go. Ford interrupts to tell her that he has brain cancer and will be dead within six months; becoming a vampire is the only way he can avoid death. He then admits to her that the other people will not be changed.

Within minutes of sunset, the vampires arrive and immediately begin feeding. Ford attacks Buffy, but she knocks him out. Buffy overpowers Drusilla and threatens to stake her. Spike immediately orders the vampires to stop feeding. Buffy demands that they let everyone go, which Spike agrees to. The former vampire worshippers flee and Buffy follows. Ford is still unconscious on the floor as Buffy closes the door, locking all the vampires inside with him. Ford awakens and, since he held up his end of the bargain by luring the Slayer, demands that Spike holds up his end of the bargain and sire him. Shrugging off this latest defeat, Spike does so.

A few nights later Buffy and Giles are waiting over Ford's grave. Ford's vampire self emerges and Buffy stakes her former friend, before wondering sadly if life for her as a Slayer ever gets easier.

"Lie to Me" had an audience of 3.4 million households on its original airing.[1]

• "Lie to Me" marks the first appearance of the character "Chanterelle", who will reappear in the Season Three premiere as "Lily" and will become a minor, recurring character in Angel under the name Anne Steele.[2]
• The Scoobies become aware of Drusilla.[2]
• Angel's connection to Drusilla is revealed.[2]

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• "Lie to Me" at IMDb
• "Lie to Me" at TV.com