Yup, the first evil has returned and declared all-out war on the Watcher's Council and the Slayer network.
The hench-men are taking out all the potential slayers, resulting in an explosive speech at the watcher's council headquarters, and a possible sticky moment for Giles..

The way the story is unfolding, it definately looks like Joss is trying to wrap the Buffy saga up at the end of this season.

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by nemesis
My theory on the slain girls in both episodes is that they are slayers in waiting, the hooded men being acolites of the big evil abrewing. If they kill all the waiting slayers, then when they go after Buffy and kill her there will be no one strong enough to beat their evil, any new slayers called will be too young and untrained. this idea brings in Faith as she will be attacked while in prison, brake out and come to sunnydale to assist Buffy, But maybe the first evil will take on Faiths form and Buffy wont know which one to trust!!! oh i love how my brain works!!

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So, it's now clear they are Slayers-in-waiting being killed. My feeling is that you couldn't end the line that way, but you're right that you <i>could</i> make sure there're no decent Slayers. I hadn't thought of that.

Of course, the most powerful Slayer in living memory came into the gig without a lick of training, but nevermind.

Killing Buffy wouldn't call another Slayer, as she has both been there and done that...as it were. Killing Faith calls another Slayer. This may of course explain why the First has few concerns about the possibility of Buffy ending up dead, but would also tend to argue against the First gunning for Faith until it's all ready elsewise.

Of course; every indication is that it <i>is</i> all ready elsewise.

I don't think it could appear as Faith though. To date, the First has only ever appeared as people who have died (only Spike and Buffy have had 'doubles'). It could appear to Faith as Buffy though, and play up the resentment of Buffy that she's only recently started to get a handle on.

And does anyone else find that the Angel apocalypse is just a little pathetic? I mean, rain of fyar is all well and good, but no-one outside of LA seems to care, what with all the From Beneath You it Devours they've got going on.