Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episode Guide
Season 1, episode 9
The Puppet Show
Written by
Dean Batali and
Rob des Hotel
Directed by
Ellen Pressman
Original air date:
May 5, 1997
Episode #: 4V09
Cast:
Buffy Summers: Sarah Michelle Gellar
Xander Harris: Nicholas Brendon
Willow Rosenberg: Alyson Hannigan
Rupert Giles: Anthony Stewart Head
Cordelia Chase: Charisma Carpenter
Principal Snyder: Armin Shimerman
Joyce Summers: Christine Sutherland
Morgan: Richard Werner
Willow, Buffy and Xander tease Giles about him being the supervisor in Sunnydale's talent show, but principal Snyder doesn't think it's very amusing so he punishes them by insisting they participate in the talent show.
When one of the dancers is found dead, Buffy goes to question the last person the dancer spoke to: Morgan. Morgan is an awkward student who participates in the talent show with a ventriloquist act, with his dummy Sid. Morgan acts nervous, and Sid seems to have a mind of his own: Morgan talks to him like he was real.
Later, Buffy examines Morgan's locker, but she only finds an empty puppet case. When she's asleep, Sid is sitting outside her window. She notices him entering her room, but he's gone when she starts screaming and turns on the light.
The next day, Giles tells the gang about a brotherhood of demons who need human organs to stay human. They still suspect Morgan, especially when Willow finds a book about dolls that can become human by harvesting human organs.
When Buffy goes looking for Morgan, she finds him dead, with his brain removed. Suddenly, she is attacked by Sid with a kitchen knife. When Sid explains what's going on, it turns out that Sid once was a human, but he got cursed and turned into a doll. He thinks the demon who cursed him also participates in the talent show. He wants to kill the demon so he can be free again.
Willow discovers Morgan had brain cancer, so the demon still needs a healthy brain. A while later, Giles is in the auditorium helping Marc, who will perform a magic act. Giles has to fill in for Marc's assistant and lie down in a guillotine. When Giles realizes he's about to get his brain removed, Buffy comes in. Marc changes into a demon, and Sid stabs him to death. Sid is finally free and turns into a normal puppet.
Then the curtain opens and the audience at the talent show see what took place on stage.
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