While ‘helping’ Buffy patrol, Joyce stumbles across two dead children with strange tattoos on their hands. It seems it was a human cult thing.

Briefly, it even looks like Willow might be responsible! Joyce and Sheila (Willow’s mum) begin a crusade against “freaky stuff” like witchcraft and, yes, Slayers. The school is even raided for suspicious materials, to the students’ horror. It transpires that the two dead children have actually been found every fifty years since 1649, and incited anti-witchcraft sentiment in every case. They are the original Hansel and Gretel, and have motivated the adults of Sunnydale to burn Amy, Buffy and Willow at the stake! Amy turns into a rat and escapes, and Giles manages to force the kids into their true form - a huge great demon. Buffy slays it with the stake she’s tied to. Buffy and Willow later try to turn Amy back, with no success.

Review:
Stretching credibility a little too far, methinks. Since there’s no explicit suggestion of brainwashing or such, it does seem a little strange that all those parents were keen to burn their children at the stake. And indoors. This is the most explicit ‘Wicca is good!’ message in Buffy, which emphasises the positive side of being a witch. Previously, the shows had managed to avoid too much preaching. Nevertheless a very nice idea, Hansel and Gretel-wise.

Best line: Wiccan Willow: “All bow before Satan! Prince of night, I summon you! Come fill me with your black, naughty evil!”

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Trivia: Amy has a rather flattering new haircut. Not for long, obviously.

This is the first and, indeed, only appearance of Willow’s mother. She’s a bit odd.